A group of unlikely friends forms in France, united by a love of books and wine. Gradually they get to know each other and learn their secrets...
The Bordeaux Book Club is a book about the complexities of friendships and relationships.
Grace starts a book club in the aftermath of splitting up. Leah is having problems at home with her husband potentially having an affair and her daughter being constantly embarrassed by her. Monica is a young mum whose husband is a pilot so is often away. George is a gregarious but lonely builder and Alfie is a shy young man living with his mum.
I felt sorry for the band of unlikely friends. Leah and Grace have made sacrifices for their husbands but this has been unappreciated. Now Grace is alone and throwing herself into social events while Leah finds herself worried about her husband's strange absences. Monica is struggling to cope with her baby and feels like a terrible mum.
I enjoyed the inclusion of the discussions on the books including Great Expectations and Wuthering Heights. The characters discuss the books and relate their own experiences to what they have read. We gradually find out more about the main characters as they explore the books and get to know each other better.
There are some wonderful descriptions in the book and the setting in France feels realistic. The main characters are easy to like and I liked how their friendships develop over the course of the book. They felt very authentic and I could easily imagine their emotions and thought processes. In particular, I identified with Monica and Leah as they consider their roles as mother, and I liked the contrast between the baby and teen years.
The Bordeaux Book Club is a gently emotional book about friendship and I loved it.

Thanks to netgalley for the chance to read this book.

Leah and her family have relocated to France for the chance of a new way of live but everything seems to go against them. A new book club is being launched by Leah’s friend as she persuades Leah to join and do something for her self for a change. The book club is a group of misfits and the book club brings them closer together. Leah discovers that happy ever afters don’t always turn out how we plan.

Such a wonderful book. What a story that thoroughly kept me engaged from the beginning to end. I loved the characters and how they developed throughout the story. Would definitely say that this is a great vacation read or story night curl up with a good book read. I look forward to reading more books by this author.

EXCERPT: George was just stepping out of the café, takeaway coffee in hand, when he saw Grace appear in the window of the tabac opposite. He recognised her instantly, despite his throbbing temples, and felt his neck prickle as he remembered trying to talk to her at the garden club meet and finding his tongue had tied itself in knots. It had shocked him, this sudden mutism; he'd always been able to talk for England, so everyone told him. But then he wasn't in England any more. And he'd felt a bit out of place among all those posh retirees.
The cold, silvery, winter light crept softly around the edges of the white, February clouds, and fell on Grace's skin as she searched for an empty place in the window. Reaching up, her tongue protruding slightly at the edge of her mouth, she pressed the corners of the A4 sheet against the glass alongside the adverts for a local artisan market, a babysitting service and a poster advertising a music night, the date of which had already passed. He could just make out the word 'club' in bold on the paper.
Another club. He tried not to laugh. He barely knew the woman, but he'd gathered that if there was an event or club or fete or pretty much anything going on in the local community, she'd be involved somehow. He wondered what she was up to this time.
He busied himself, looking at the property adverts in the estate agent window while he waited for her to leave, and then, when she had, strolled nonchalantly across the street and had a quick gander.
Sure enough, it was an advert for a new organisation - with Grace at its helm. This time, it seemed, she was starting a book club for 'Anglophones' - the advert written in English, with French translation underneath in the hope of attracting a wider clientele.
He wasn't sure why he took a picture of the number with his phone. Just in case, he told himself. He hadn't read a book for years, not a fiction one at least. But maybe it was time. Another night in with the boys at the house would probably finish him off - he was getting too old for so much alcohol. And he couldn't just sit around in his tiny flat - he'd go mad. At least it would be something to do.

ABOUT 'THE BORDEAUX BOOK CLUB': Love books? The Bordeaux Book Club is seeking new members!

When Leah and her husband moved to France, it was with the dream of becoming self-sufficient. But in truth, it’s not the ‘good life’ she’d imagined, as three hours of digging barely yield a single straggly carrot. Worse, her teenage daughter is acting up, and her husband seems to find every strange excuse under the hot French sun to disappear.

So, when her friend entreats her to join the new bookclub she’s forming, Leah decides it’s something she will do for herself. The chance to make new friends, to drink a few glasses of wine, and to escape into stories that take her miles away from the life she’d thought would be her own happy-ever-after.

But the book club is a strange group of misfits. There’s prickly Grace, who lives alone and seems to know everybody and like no-one. Buttoned-up Monica, who says her husband is away and appears to be parenting her baby all alone. Handsome builder George, who has barely read a book before. And Alfie – who is a full two decades younger than everyone else, and is hiding a devastating secret…

As the stories they read begin to bring the new friends closer together, Leah is about to discover that happy-ever-afters don’t always look how you expect them to…

MY THOUGHTS: The Bordeaux Book Club is an eclectic mix of characters -
Grace, divorced, heading for sixty, organised and opinionated;
Leah, who has a sullen teenage daughter, a husband who suddenly needs 'me time', and a terrifying clutch of chickens;
Monica, a mother with a young baby, an absent husband, who is missing her friends and family back home;
George, a builder helping a friend renovate his French dream home; and
Alfie, a sixteen-year-old who joined the book club to please his mum.

They don't sound like a scintillating bunch of people, do they? And yet, as I came to know them and their life problems are slowly revealed, I began to feel a great affection for them. Their problems are ordinary ones, nothing exceedingly dramatic, just problems, at least some of which, we all experience at one time or another.

I think this is the first book about a book club I have read where the books are discussed fully and frankly, and I gained a new perspective on some old favorites. As friendships are formed and support networks build up, the book club members find their lives changing slowly and inexorably for the better.

A charming and uplifting read.

⭐⭐⭐⭐.4

#TheBordeauxBookClub #NetGalley

THE AUTHOR: I'm a British author and freelance writer, currently living in France with my husband and 5 children. I write contemporary, uplifting and emotive fiction, often set in France.

DISCLOSURE: Thank you to Boldwood Books via NetGalley for providing a digital ARC of The Bordeaux Book Club by Gillian Harvey for review. All opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own personal opinions.

Took a while to read this one. Ultimately a sweet story about friendship, trust and family… but I have to admit that I found it a little slow and miserable to start with, stopping halfway through. I picked it up again after reading another book in the middle.

Likeable characters but didn’t really grab me in the way that I was hoping. Even the intrigue behind one of the characters didn’t really grab me. The later chapters were more rounded and engaging but not enough to pull it up from a 3*.

Moving away is never easy especially when it’s a different country! Love to see how Leah manages and finds herself being part of the club.

Brilliant, loved it, found myself lost in the pages and my imagination kickstarted. It's a well written book and the characters are great. Recommended read.

Leah moves to France for a new life and to try and be self sufficient but it's not turning out that way. She decides to join a book club and they're a strange mixture of people with different situations

What a book - I loved it and read it over 2 days. The characters come together via the book club and we learn each has their own back story and reasons for being in Bordeaux. Easy to read, flowed beautifully and the characters were warm and likeable. I found this to be a book that I knew I was going to love within a few pages. Would love to read more Gillian Harvey novels.

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Beautifully written and a calm, relaxing read. I enjoyed being on the character's journey throughout the book

An enjoyable, different book, with good character development, and written in an easily readable style. Very good synopsis of the developing relationships among a group of disparate strangers with the central theme of a monthly book club meeting holding it all together. I will be seeking other books by this author.

I love books about books and bookclubs - I like to hear how they do theirs compared to the ones that I go to!
This is a lovely story of 5 different people who have moved to France in search of something different - they become friends when they all attend a book club. I loved all the charachters and enjoyed how they changed as the book went on. I particularly enjoyed the bits where they discussed the classic books that they read in the bookclub! A perfect summers read. Thanks to Netgalley for the opportunity to read this one.

The Bordeaux Book Club is another engaging read from Gillian Harvey that I looked forward to falling into each evening. As well as the relatable characters we meet at Grace’s inaugural book club, the cameos played by the heroes and heroines of the classics they chose to read, totally ticked my book worm boxes, and had me adding a reread of some of these books to my ‘to be read’ pile.

The book group are a mix of ages and personalities, most of whom would never have crossed paths with each other without the initiative of Grace. Things may have begun a little awkwardly at first, but they soon appreciated the new friendships they found. This book cleverly weaves many aspects of life in France and the adjustments needed when you arrive in a new country, into a plot where friendship is at its heart. It is emotional, with the ups and downs of life changes for them all, but most especially Alfie. It is also a book about books, well-known characters and the power of the great classics and what they can teach us today.

I can’t work out whether I was amused or horrified that I saw a little bit of me in bossy Grace, the association queen, Monica, a stay-at-home mum whose husband works away, and Leah, doing her best to juggle a veggie garden, chickens, and family life, despite the hard work and many setbacks thrown her way. I’m putting this down to Gillian’s expert eye on the British arrivals she has met over many years of living in France and nothing to do with the life I’ve carved out for myself here these last twenty years being weird enough to be a book plot….

Grace especially stole my heart with her wise words to the others, when they needed them most, so I thought I’d share my favourite quote here:

“But that’s why it’s important to have a good relationship with yourself. To be your own champion, cheerleader. To be the person who forces you to get up, to go out and try something new.”

If, like me, you have devoured Gillian’s previous books (see below), or are a lover of classic authors like Bronte, Dickens or Flaubert, I am sure you will get a lot of enjoyment and entertainment by joining The Bordeaux Book Club. I know that I want to move to Bordeaux just to join Grace’s book club!

I requested this book on NetGalley, as the description appealed to me. As a book lover, I think that the decision to join a book club was one of the best decisions I ever made, because a book club feels like a celebration of books, creating a community for those who love books to be part of. I thought the cover looked beautiful, and I was excited to read all about this book club and meet its members.

The choice of Bordeaux as a location appealed to me, because I read to escape, and I like to feel as though part of me travels to another location while I'm reading. I enjoyed how the author worked with this setting and brought it to life.

I enjoyed getting to know all of the characters while I was reading. I felt that each character had something a little different to bring to the book club, and I enjoyed seeing the bonds form between them as the story progressed. This was heartwarming, uplifting to read, and provided me with the escape I was looking for. I'd gladly purchase a copy to read again in the future.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for a free copy to review.

"The Bordeaux Book Club" by Gillian Harvey invites readers into the life of Leah, who moved to France with dreams of self-sufficiency but finds herself struggling with a disappointing reality. When her friend suggests joining a new book club, Leah sees it as a chance for escape and connection. However, the group she encounters is a motley crew of misfits, each with their own secrets and struggles. As they bond over the stories they read, Leah learns that happiness may not come in the form she expected. Harvey's novel is a heartwarming exploration of friendship, unexpected connections, and the power of literature to unite and transform lives.

If you enjoy books ( and I'm guessing you do) then you will love The Bordeaux Book Club. Its members are drawn together in search of companionship and belonging and you soon realise that they all have their own back stories and reasons for joining. Leah is looking for a connexion with her new life in France. You sense a streak of loneliness as her daughter has disappeared into teenage behaviour and her husband seems to be keeping his distance, Their dream new life is looking decidely shaky.

I enjoyed finding out about each of the characters and seeing what the latest read they chose was going to be. Each book seemed to have echoes of their lives. This is one of those lovely summer reads. Set in Bordeaux, it has a holiday feel. Although most of the focus is on Leah, the club members are just as interesting and you are rooting for them all to find friendship and a sense of belonging.

In short: finding friendship

The novel begins with an ensemble cast—an introduction that left me grappling to remember who’s who. Yet, as the story unfolds, each character finds a distinct voice, but still hits me as just a bunch of sad people reading about other sad people.

Within the club meet-ups, they read the classics about troubled lives and find their own struggles and characters they can relate to within the pages. Themes of friendship, new beginnings, and reinvention run through the pages. They eventually learn that the members of their little group are the salve that is needed to get through their own troubled lives.

Unexpectedly for them, this ragtag group evolves into true friendships that go beyond their difference and open doors for brighter futures.

I believe ‘The Bordeaux Book Club’ is a standalone, but I wouldn’t mind revising this group further down the road.

Thank you to NetGalley, the publishing house and the author for the opportunity to read a complimentary copy of this book in return for a review based upon my honest opinion.

This author always writes enjoyable books. Sometimes you just need A lighthearted book to enjoy. This book takes place in the Bordeaux region of France and I really enjoyed reading about the area. Leah and her husband have left everything they know and have bought a country home hoping to be self-sufficient, it’s not really going as they have planned. Leah does not speak a lot of French and when her friend Grace decides she wants to start a book club Leah of course has to go. The book club members are an interesting and diverse assortment of people; there is Grace, whose husband left her behind and she had to make a new life, George, who is in this region for construction, and has kind of lost his way, Leah who seeks to find friends and figure out if she even wants to be in France anymore, Monica, whose airline pilot husband is away more than is home and she struggling with a new baby and lastly there’s Alfie, A young man who seems to be the most misfit member. It was really enjoyable to Read the different takes on the classic novels that they read. Some of which were some of my favourite books. This book is really about Friendship and relationships. It was lovely read.

Lovedthe book. It was so charming. Like a warm hug.
Great characters and good story line to keep you engaged.

In this modern fiction novel, readers travel to the lovely and historic city of Bordeaux in west France and join a book club for English speakers and expats living in and around the city. Following the lives of Leah, Grace, Monica, George, Alfie, and their families and loved ones, readers get a glimpse into the challenges of living as an expat who doesn’t have the language skills or support network of past days in a new country. Of course, life has its challenges, and readers experience the physical and emotional struggles of the five book club members over the course of the novel. Leah is the dominant narrator and character in the novel, but brief chapter glimpses into the other characters’ lives outside the book club really help their personalities develop as the book progresses. The characters are the heart of the novel and the story, and they are all more complex than they first appear. Their relationships with the book club and their loved ones really add to the depth of their narratives. Harvey’s latest novel is a strong piece of adult fiction that focuses on family, friendships, and community in strange, challenging, and uncomfortable places despite the odds.