#BookReview ~ The Village Cafe in the Loire by Gillian Harvey ~ #Romance #Friendship #NewBeginnings @GillPlusFive @rararesources @BoldwoodBooks

The Village Cafe in the Loire

High-flyer Becky Thorne cannot believe what she’s being told. She doesn’t need to be signed off for burnout! Life has been a bit chaotic lately, that’s all. As if dealing with her enviable job and permanent meddling from her mother aren’t enough, she’s also inherited a café in the Loire from an estranged great-aunt, complete with sitting tenant who refuses to budge.

But nobody stands in Becky’s way! Ignoring her best friend Amber’s advice, she decides to storm over to France and sort the tenant out. Then she can finally get the café sold and jump back on the career ladder.

What she doesn’t count on is the tenant being Pascale, who is six feet of tall, dark, handsome and extremely grumpy about her plans for change. Not to mention the village and the secrets it holds about her past.

Becky’s path to success is all planned out. But the Loire has a magic she might not be able to resist…

My Review: 

The Village Cafe in the Loire is a book about friendship, love, and starting over when you realize your dreams and goals actually belong to someone else.

Becky is a director at a prestigious advertising agency but when she has a meltdown, she's forced into a month long leave to destress. On top of that, she just found out she was left a café in France by her great, great aunt. With timing on her side, she takes a trip to France to settle the affairs of the café so she can get back to London and salvage her job and reputation.

When Becky arrives in France, she discovers selling the café isn't going to be easy. Not only is there a tenant who won't leave, but her great aunt left a requirement for Becky. Wanting to escalate the matter, Becky does not find a friend in the Mayor, so it looks like she's going to be managing a café. 

The Village Café in the Loire is a charming story about the real effects of burnout, and not just for the main character. Becky's job is stressful and consuming of her time and life. She's been overworked by management and she gets to her breaking point. Any other company would have probably kicked her to the curb, however, I do like the fact that her employer was willing to give her time off to decompress. She's been a terrible friend and I felt so bad for Amber, who was going through her own tribulations and couldn't depend of Becky for any type of support. 

Becky, unfortunately, learns the hard way about what her priorities should be and that shooting to the top of the corporate ladder at the expense of her friends and family has effects, not just on her but on others. I love how the author developed Becky and evolved her in a short period of time. I was hoping for an ending that brought all aspects of Becky's life together and I was satisfied at how the author pulled everything off. I was excited that what I wanted for Amber actually became a reality. Becky and Pascal are sweet together but they didn't start off that way. I enjoyed how the author introduced them, the part Pascal played in Great Aunt Maud's requirement, and how they eventually become something more than tenant and manager.

This book was my first experience with Gillian Harvey and I am enthrall by her writing. I was drawn into The Village Café in the Loire and kept engaged throughout. It was a wonderful book with great pacing, spectacular character development, and very vivid world-building. I'll be looking into more of this author's work.

I was provided with a copy of this book. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review. The opinions I have expressed are my own.

My Rating:

  

Purchase Link:

Amazon


Meet the Author:

Gillian Harvey is an author and freelance writer who lives in Norfolk. Her novels, including the bestselling A Year at the French Farmhouse and The Riviera House Swap, are often set in France, where she lived for 14 years.

Social Media Links:

Facebook: @GillianHarveyAuthor

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BookBub profile: @gillplusfive

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