Member Reviews

For anyone who has discovered the magic of escaping in a book this is a must read *The Little Provence Bookshop* is a charming tale set in the heart of Provence, where a young woman starts work in a bookshop and discovers love, friendship, and new beginnings. Filled with warmth and local flavour, it's a delightful escape into French countryside life.

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The Little Provence
Adeline left her life in London after her mother’s death and the revelation of a big secret. The single mom decided that a change was necessary. So she and her young daughter moved to St. Vienne, a small village in Provence. She began working in a book shop owned by Monique, a woman who seemed to have magical powers. Monique used books to help customers heal their emotional problems.
Eventually Adeline & Lili make lasting friendships and find a home in the town.
I was expecting more of a book about Provence than a light, romantic novel. This story could have been set almost anywhere in France.
I received this ARC from the publisher and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

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4 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Thank you to NetGalley, Boldwood Books and Gillian Harvey for the ARC of The Little Provence Book Shop.

From the very beginning of this book I felt like I was watching a cute Hallmark movie with a little bit of *magic* sprinkled in. It immediately caught my attention and left me wanting to continue flipping pages. After finding an advert for a little bookshop in Provence Adeline moved to St Vianne with her daughter, Lili, in what was a heat of the moment decision after learning her family had lied to her. The owner of the bookshop, Monique, has a bit of a different approach when it comes to running her business and something Adeline isn't too sure about at first. Monique and Adeline build a beautiful friendship throughout the book even through all twists that come their way.

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Adeline learns some devastating news following the death of her mother. She takes her young daughter Lili and relocates to a small village to find herself. The bookshop she brings working at belongs to the very peculiar Monique. They begin a journey of learning about each other, beliefs, similarities and the meaning of family.
I love how the author describes this charming little village. She definitely makes you want to visit! I truly enjoyed the magical realism and how books can transform you. I do wish the romance piece between Adeline and Andre had been explored more.
Thank you to NetGalley, author and published for ARC for allowing me to provide my review.

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I’m on the blog tour.
Thoroughly enjoyed this book - a bookstore, family drama, hints of magic and the ability to match a book to the needs of the reader.

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While this book has a category of “Romance” included, it’s really not. I may have chosen to read this book anyway, but I was left disappointed since there really is no romance to speak of in the story. There is a bit of a suggestion, but it’s nowhere near enough to consider this book part of the genre.

Overall, it was a decent read, but I found it very slow-paced and dry. It’s not one of my favorites.

•𝘛𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘬 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘵𝘰 𝘕𝘦𝘵𝘎𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘦𝘺 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘉𝘰𝘭𝘥𝘸𝘰𝘰𝘥 𝘉𝘰𝘰𝘬𝘴 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘱𝘳𝘪𝘷𝘪𝘭𝘦𝘨𝘦 𝘰𝘧 𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘰𝘸𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘮𝘦 𝘵𝘰 𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘈𝘙𝘊 𝘪𝘯 𝘦𝘹𝘤𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘨𝘦 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘮𝘺 𝘩𝘰𝘯𝘦𝘴𝘵 𝘳𝘦𝘷𝘪𝘦𝘸.•

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book that reads well. Story is quite predictable but that is absolutely not a problem with this type of book. characters are nicely portrayed and developed although they could be further developed.

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A lovely book which had me enthralled as to the outcome. I loved the little Bookshop and the friendly little French village with everyone helping each other. A smashing book, highly recommend. My thanks to netgalley and the publishers for giving me the opportunity to read this book in return for an honest review.

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A new author to me, but I will definitely look out for more of her books. A lovely quaint novel with some lovely characters in it.
Secrets, betrayal and a love story. A smashing read.
Thank you to Net Galley for an advanced copy

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This was such a cute cozy book for end of the summer. If you love books and little places you will enjoy reading. Adeline arrives in a little village in Provence with her daughter Lily to start a new life and a new job at a small bookshop with the mysterious owner Monique. She becomes a part of the village and its people and begins to find what she’s been looking for. I
l loved the introduction to small town France through the eyes of both Monique and Adeline.

Thank you NetGalley and the publishers for the opportunity to review this title.

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This was a sweet story about finding family and love and friendships, after all, who knows what will happen when the stars align and fate steps in? A wonderful read

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A beautiful story. Very easy read. The writing flows nicely and made me want to move to France! Will be reading more of this author

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I love books set in bookshops and libraries and this book did not dissappoint. Heart-warming and engaging. I loved every last page.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

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Adeline discovers some life changing news as she sorts through her deceased mother’s belongings. This betrayal, compounding her grief, sends her on a quest from London to Provence to seek answers about her identity. A series of synchronistic events leads Adeline and her five-year-old daughter to a quaint book shop owned by Monique, an eccentric woman characterized by some as a witch because of her affinity for crystals, spells, and her ability to “read” people.

This novel has a certain charm, but something essential felt missing. Many of the characters were underdeveloped – feeling like walk-ons in a play. The romantic elements felt lukewarm and magical realism aspects were repeated so often and met with such skepticism that it took the fun out of it. Lastly, the outcome was so obvious early on that the ending felt anticlimactic.

Given the lesser appreciated elements listed above, I did enjoy the descriptions of the book shop and the village of St. Vianne. The concept of bibliotherapy – finding the right book that speaks to an issue needing healing is reasonable – but as Adeline points out, it is an enhancement, not a substitute for professional help. The quotes from Emily Dickenson’s poetry were a welcome dimension to Adeline’s journey. Lastly, I loved the statement about stories…one soul reaching out to another…letting us know we are not alone, and we are understood. This is the healing power of a book that resonates with the reader.

My thanks to the author, the publisher, and NetGalley for the privilege of reviewing this book. The opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

This review is being posted immediately to my GoodReads account and will be posted on Amazon upon publication.

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This was an escapist read with SO much heart in the pages! If bookshops, particularly in France, make you happy, then you'll want to retreat into your reading space and enjoy this book in one sitting!

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Adeline, a teacher, and her young daughter Lili uprooted their life in London, after news of a betrayal that cuts so deep, she sees no choice but to move on. They settle in a small town in France, where Adeline takes a job in a quaint book store that is rumored to be run by a witch.

Her boss is eccentric, all-knowing, and shares a connection with Adeline in the same tragic back story of familial loss. Will their love of books and bonds help them find the answer to the questions in their heart?

*******

I loved the introduction to small town France through the eyes of both Monique and Adeline. The escapism of a fresh place and a familiar place all at once was a beautiful start. We learn that Adeline is running from something, and Monique has already run. There's hints and magical threads that, unfortunately, are way too obvious to enjoy this novel unraveling. You can see the shared grief and magic between the characters, but with how similarities were hammered over our heads, nothing really came as a surprise. I love a book where you kind of figure out where it's going, but this felt spoon-fed for hundreds of pages.

There also were moments where Monique seemed unhinged to a concerning level, even to Adeline. Her child inferring she was told to call her mamie, Monique dismissing her own loss to convince herself they shared familial relations, as well as her being certain who her own missing piece was on their shared trip, despite any evidence, was chilling. Sure, it all was fine and serendipitous in the end, yet in the moment, it was vastly concerning. Adeline being fine bringing Monique around her child, and leaving her child in her care despite her own concerns about her mental wellbeing didn't sit as genuine, and had me baffled as to why those interactions were set up in that way.

As well, I wasnt sure of the point of the two love interests. Monique meddling incessantly to set Adeline up, much to her annoyance, made it obvious who she would choose. It was also another layer that showed Monique wasn't the healthiest person mentally. Adeline spoke of a tangible connection to the man she chose, but there was never any interaction between them on the pages other than her buying a pastry, him dropping off a pastry, him helping her to the shop door and asking her out, and a date we never saw. It's hard to buy into their chemistry when there's none on the page, and all we see is her leave for one date, and then we're supposed to buy in on this being a major connection. If that was explored even slightly more, I would have been invested in their side story.

The main thread of bibliotherapy was fantastic. I enjoyed the approach of how the right book can heal you. How they can speak to the current time, even from hundreds of years past. Everyone who picks up that book is connected in a tangible way through a shared story. That was a beautiful way to relate books to reality as well as to the magic that Monique sews through them.

Overall, I would say this is a lovely escapist book, if you're willing to suspend a bit of logic, and only focus on the main female leads bonds.

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Thank you NetGalley and the publishers for the opportunity to review this title. I've read a few books based in bookstores and they bring me a little bit of comfort, and this one was no different.

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Adeline arrives in a little village in Provence with her daughter Lily to start a new life and a new job at a small bookshop with the mysterious owner Monique. She becomes a part of the village and its people and begins to find what she’s been looking for. I loved this novel!

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The little provence Bookshop was the perfect escapist read.

Set in rural Provence, a single mum Adeline moves with her daughter Lili from London. She sighs with relief taking in the quaint scenery and little cafes. Her new beginning is just what she needs as she leaves behind the new information and lies told by her family.

Adeline starts her new job in a bookstore. A comeplete contrats to her busy life in London. It turns out Monique her new boss isn't just providing the locals with book recommendations the conventional way. A little spark and magic in the bookstore allows Adeline to give meaning to her life that she felt was coming undone.

As she gets to know the villagers and handsome Andre things begin to turn and Adeline realises running is no longer necessary!
What begins as a means of escape turns into a whole new chapter of her life.

This is a heartwarming novel that has empathy and humour in most warming manner.

The book is out on the shelves on the 9th of October this year! A great Autumn read!

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First of all thank you netgalley for this ARC. My review was in no way swayed and my thoughts are my own.

I loved this book. It's a delightful blend of magical realism, fond family, love, loss, and finding yourself. I love it when a book is written about books or libraries. Just makes your want to settle in and get cozy. The author did a wonderful job seeing the scene in Provence as well as building the characters. I became invested in each ones story and outcome. It truly is a must read.

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