The Bordeaux Book Club

By: Gillian Harvey

Narrated by: Lucy Scott

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…

A gorgeously escapist read from the bestselling author of A Year at the French Farmhouse, perfect for fans of Veronica Henry, Jo Thomas and Fiona Valpy.

©2024 Gillian Harvey (P)2024 Boldwood Books

Critic reviews

‘I inhaled this absolute joy of a book in two greedy sittings. Wonderful! Gillian Harvey never disappoints and I can’t recommend this escapist gem of novel highly enough.’ (Nicola Gill, author)

‘Wonderfully warm and enchanting, The Bordeaux Book Club immerses the reader in two tantalizing worlds: the book club that turns into something much more, and the dream of “let's-buy-a-farmhouse-in-France”… With empathy, insight, and humour, The Bordeaux Book Club will delight readers seeking their own escape and meaningful camaraderie over the joys of literature, laughter, and love.’ (Natalie Jenner, author)

‘Like a cold glass of Chablis on a hot summer’s day, this lovely bookish story will refresh and restore you with its quirky mix of characters and lush French setting.’ (Beth Morrey, author)

‘A really heartwarming and satisfying read – full of character and warmth, like a glass of red wine with friends on a French summer’s evening. Formidable!’ (Nancy Peach, author)

‘A wonderful, heartwarming story… This novel not only celebrates the timeless power of fiction, but explores themes of loneliness in all its forms, of friendship and self-acceptance… A joy to read, so evocative of the Bordeaux region and with each character painted vividly and sympathetically. A book to utterly immerse yourself in. I loved it!’ (Louise Fein, author)

Thinking of moving to France

I really enjoyed this book. Just what I needed in terms of being interesting and uplifting, and with the added benefit of learning about what it might be like to move to France.

A little slow..

At first the story was a little slow and uninteresting but things did all improve and the ending was a bit better

Endearing

Very enjoyable and relatable to life, relationships and friendships. I couldn’t wait to keep listening. Light but not too light. Needed something pleasant. It hit the spot!

Trying something new

I loved The characters and the building of their backgrounds and relationships, as well as the changing of their lives to make relationships even better.

Delightful!

The storyline and characters were interesting. For me, it didn't require sex to make it interesting. I loved that each character was filled out and relatable. I listened to it almost straight thru. It held my attention and at the end I was left hoping that we would hear more about what happens to the characters in the future! ❤️

I want a book club like this!

This is a wonderful story of unlikely friendships, sharing, compassion, and support. Of how keeping secrets helps no one and communication is key. I enjoyed each character (well, maybe not Scarlet!) and wish I could join their book club, as well.

Sweet Idilic Countryside Story

I enjoyed the picturesque, calming, simple lifestyle depicted in this book. It was nice to observe how strangers become friends around the mystery of discussing about books, all of them having in common their choice to live abroad, away from their native homeland. The ordinary events turning easier to manage, because of the relationships they developed in the book club made me curious about how they would do, faced with life events that don't necessarily get resolved by themselves. So perhaps a real villain would have increased the appeal of the interpersonal bonds books facilitate between booklovers. The characters were relatable and well crafted.