A Year at the French Farmhouse: Escape to France for the perfect BRAND NEW uplifting, feel-good book for 2022
- Downloads：9514
- Type：Epub+TxT+PDF+Mobi
- Create Date：2022-09-08 10:19:37
- Update Date：2025-09-06
- Status：finish
- Author：Gillian Harvey
- ISBN：B0B5CY4RNG
- Environment：PC/Android/iPhone/iPad/Kindle
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Reviews
Janalyn Prude
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When Willie is made redundant at her job and is giving a pay out she is excited she thinks they can move to France a year earlier。 Ever since her and been got married she has basically begged him to move there。 He tries to put her off once again and it may have worked but he didn’t know the night before in a drunken stupor she bought a French farmhouse。 Her first thought is“Can she get out of it？“ and then she thinks “， but what if？” Ty is about to leave for you need and she believes now is the When Willie is made redundant at her job and is giving a pay out she is excited she thinks they can move to France a year earlier。 Ever since her and been got married she has basically begged him to move there。 He tries to put her off once again and it may have worked but he didn’t know the night before in a drunken stupor she bought a French farmhouse。 Her first thought is“Can she get out of it？“ and then she thinks “， but what if？” Ty is about to leave for you need and she believes now is the perfect time but then Ben is finally honest and says he doesn’t want to move to France where he doesn’t know the language and he’s not keen on starting over at his age。。 Lily however is determined and so she packs up and leaves been to move to France。 She does meet some fabulous people like the owner of the B&B close in the mayor and head of the John Dum and seller of the farmhouse。 Will Lily regret her move to France or will it all work out in the end？ OK I know other people loved this book and if you ignore the fact she broke up a perfectly fine marriage and move to a whole new country then yes this is a fun great book but The author explained it away by saying been didn’t love her unconditionally but her moving to France without him prove she didn’t love him unconditionally either。 No having said that I I really enjoyed the book and although I didn’t like the fact She had a marriage most would die for and just left it to move to France I understand it’s better not to have regrets when it’s over and they left with I wish I would have… If you love feel good fiction this is a great book to read as far as my opinion goes it seems to be The minority。 I still highly recommend it though。 I received this book from NetGalley and the publisher but I am leaving this review voluntarily please forgive any mistakes as I am blind and dictate my review。 。。。more
Tim Ewins
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This is such a lovely escape read。 I've read all of Gillian Harvey's books and get excited when a new one comes out， this one definitely didn't disappoint。 It's the perfect feel-good read， and I found myself downloading the kindle app so I could keep reading in work breaks and whilst cooking （yep， burnt my hand）。 Normally I only read before bed， but it just made me so happy I had to keep reading in the day too。 Even the sad bits are set in beautiful rural France， and as a result of that， I just This is such a lovely escape read。 I've read all of Gillian Harvey's books and get excited when a new one comes out， this one definitely didn't disappoint。 It's the perfect feel-good read， and I found myself downloading the kindle app so I could keep reading in work breaks and whilst cooking （yep， burnt my hand）。 Normally I only read before bed， but it just made me so happy I had to keep reading in the day too。 Even the sad bits are set in beautiful rural France， and as a result of that， I just found myself drawn to it。 100% recommend。 。。。more
Kim
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Lily has the chance to move to France- but it comes with unexpected life choices。 I absolutely loved reading all about her choices and living in France。 What a wonderful adventure。
Catherine Yardley
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I have read Gillian Harvey’s previous books so I consider myself a fan。 A year at the French Farmhouse is another corker。 A great novel that is so relatable and fun。 Everyone can relate to having a dream and wanting to not settle for less。 This is a book with real depth and feeling。 Wihile it transports you to a lovely place it also is a wonderful story of family， friendship and love。 I adored it。 Beautiful。
L。S。
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Stunned to find herself redundant， Lily concludes that maybe those plans she and husband， Ben， have been making for years might now just come true。 Their son is off to university， so what is stopping them from following their dream and moving to France？One thing: Ben。 He doesn't want to go， thinks the time is not right - but that's what he's been saying for years now。 Lily realises that maybe he never intended to follow through on what is essentially her dream since she was a young girl。 She's f Stunned to find herself redundant， Lily concludes that maybe those plans she and husband， Ben， have been making for years might now just come true。 Their son is off to university， so what is stopping them from following their dream and moving to France？One thing: Ben。 He doesn't want to go， thinks the time is not right - but that's what he's been saying for years now。 Lily realises that maybe he never intended to follow through on what is essentially her dream since she was a young girl。 She's forced to acknowledge that he always had a reason to prevaricate， and he's not even willing to talk about it now。Cue the red wine and a drunken foray onto the internet， browsing all those wonderful places that will never now be hers， be theirs。Or so she thinks， until the next morning， replete with hangover， an email informs her of a purchase she made the previous evening。 Lily has bought a farmhouse in France。 Surely， Ben will see now that it's meant to be， that fate has stepped in to guide them across the channel to a new life。Or maybe not？Lily is stumped - there's a house literally with her name on it （or potentially on the deeds in a few weeks） and still Ben won't budge。 She can't possibly let this chance escape her， can she？Mais， non！And so， off to France she goes， alone， nervous yet excited， probably still reeling from the shock that has numbed her emotions temporarily。 What awaits her is daunting， amusing， sweet， scary and hugely entertaining。 From a squirrel infestation to an overly-romantic mayor， some nightmare "expats" （I can say that as one myself - and I can vouch for the flat-earthers too！） Lily does find great friends， warm-hearted people who welcome her with gusto， but there's something missing。 While she convinces herself that she can do this alone - or even with a new partner - she cannot quite shrug off her marital status。 Unfortunately， Ben doesn't seem to want to be with her as much as she wants to be with him - or so she believes。I love how this played out in the end， and I particularly enjoyed seeing Lily grow into herself as a stronger， more self-assured woman。 It became clear that whatever happened， she would survive。。。 but I admit to having my fingers crossed for a happy ending。 Thank you Netgalley & Boldwood books for my copy。 。。。more
Anne
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Thanks to Boldwood Books， I was provided an ARC of A Year at the French Farmhouse by Gillian Harvey via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review。 **** Publishing September 29， 2022****Do you need a a fun， light， and humorous book that will transport you to the French countryside and keep you entertained？ Lily’s life came crashing down when she was let go by her job。 It makes her rethink her life。 Lily and her husband， Ben had always wanted to live in France for 1 year， so with her most recent Thanks to Boldwood Books， I was provided an ARC of A Year at the French Farmhouse by Gillian Harvey via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review。 **** Publishing September 29， 2022****Do you need a a fun， light， and humorous book that will transport you to the French countryside and keep you entertained？ Lily’s life came crashing down when she was let go by her job。 It makes her rethink her life。 Lily and her husband， Ben had always wanted to live in France for 1 year， so with her most recent predicament and her son set to attend University， she decides it’s time to stop putting it off and make plans to live in France。 On the night she was laid off， she bought a French farmhouse on eBay after consuming almost an entire bottle of wine。 The next morning， she realizes what she had done and has to tell Ben。 After much discussion with Ben， Lily realizes all the sacrifices she has made for Ben and her son wasn’t reciprocal， so decides to fly to France to buy the farmhouse without him。 Will it be all she envisioned？ Will Ben come around and eventually join her？ Will this be the beginning to the end of their marriage？ A book of friendships， love， loss and second beginnings！ A great book club pick as it will lead to many great discussions！ While reading this book， I could relate to some of Lily’s experiences in France as it brought back memories of when I lived in the South of France！ Especially hearing about her renovations and navigating a new language and culture！ 。。。more
GiGi Carothers
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A Year at the French Farmhouse by Gillian Harvey is a novel that explains how far would you go to make your dream come true。 Would you leave your home and husband to pursue a life in a foreign country？ Lily is ready to spread her wings and live in French countryside house。 This novel shows how a woman can overcome obstacles and still pursue her goal。 I think Lily。
Dawn Probert
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Fabulous book for francophiles。 It was really great and sweet and funny in lots of parts。 Be bold， be brave or go home。 I loved the independence of Lily and her bravery to do what she knew she wanted。 Her and her husband Ben had dreamed of living in France for years and then when it came to crunch time Ben got cold feet。 Lily powered on as she knew it was now or never。 This was a great book。Thank you netgalley for this arc in exchange for an honest review。
Jane
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A light and fun read。 The characters are likable and relatable。 Would recommend。 Thank you to Gillian Harvey， NetGalley and Boldwood Books for the arc of this book。
Tea Leaves and Reads
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I adored being transported to rural France in Gillian Harvey’s upcoming new novel… Gillian always writes about brilliant characters making bold decisions that go against the grain of most books。 Whilst doing so， she invokes a sense of companionship between reader and character – a sort of “me too” feeling。Beautiful settings， in this case France， are always present too。 And， as if that wasn’t enough， Gillian’s trademark humour also shines through once again。 She somehow manages to create the perf I adored being transported to rural France in Gillian Harvey’s upcoming new novel… Gillian always writes about brilliant characters making bold decisions that go against the grain of most books。 Whilst doing so， she invokes a sense of companionship between reader and character – a sort of “me too” feeling。Beautiful settings， in this case France， are always present too。 And， as if that wasn’t enough， Gillian’s trademark humour also shines through once again。 She somehow manages to create the perfect balance of achingly painful moments coupled with often hilarious ones。 Her writing is frank， and to the point， but in the best possible way。I loved being transported to France。 To the B and B， the house， the beautiful villages…the quirky characters and romances。 。。。more
Lizi B Housenumber71
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A charming read; Lily has dreamed of moving to France for years but her and her husband have never found the the right time。。。 Until Lily is made redundant and everything seems to fall into place， or does it？This is an easy read; the characters are likeable and the plot believable。 There are no great twists or turns， it's a very 'real' feeling book - a nice holiday read。 An easy way to escape to France without boarding a plane！ Thanks to Net Galley and the publisher for my ARC。 A charming read; Lily has dreamed of moving to France for years but her and her husband have never found the the right time。。。 Until Lily is made redundant and everything seems to fall into place， or does it？This is an easy read; the characters are likeable and the plot believable。 There are no great twists or turns， it's a very 'real' feeling book - a nice holiday read。 An easy way to escape to France without boarding a plane！ Thanks to Net Galley and the publisher for my ARC。 。。。more
Sarah Price
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My mum and Step dad moved to France a while ago so this book is really relatable。 The looking for somewhere to moved to and then planning trips to visit properties etc。 I loved the sense of adventure in this book and how life can change so much so quickly。 I adored Emily， she was my favourite Character， wonderfully funny， charming and clearly a great friend to Lily。 Lily is a lovely character too， the decisions she has to make along the way are hard， yet satisfying。 I recommend this book to all。 My mum and Step dad moved to France a while ago so this book is really relatable。 The looking for somewhere to moved to and then planning trips to visit properties etc。 I loved the sense of adventure in this book and how life can change so much so quickly。 I adored Emily， she was my favourite Character， wonderfully funny， charming and clearly a great friend to Lily。 Lily is a lovely character too， the decisions she has to make along the way are hard， yet satisfying。 I recommend this book to all。 If you have ever holidayed in France or like me have relatives that live there you will connect with this story immediately。 。。。more
Ritu Bhathal
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I have been following Gillian Harvey for a while。 However， this was my first read by her， making me want to put her other books at the top of my teetering TBR pile！A fabulous story about a middle-aged woman， ready to spread her wings as her chick flies the nest and embark on that adventure she and her husband have been planning for many years。Lily's redundancy couldn't have come at a better time。 Her son， Ty， is off to university， meaning the pay-out money can help her and Ben realise a dream th I have been following Gillian Harvey for a while。 However， this was my first read by her， making me want to put her other books at the top of my teetering TBR pile！A fabulous story about a middle-aged woman， ready to spread her wings as her chick flies the nest and embark on that adventure she and her husband have been planning for many years。Lily's redundancy couldn't have come at a better time。 Her son， Ty， is off to university， meaning the pay-out money can help her and Ben realise a dream they have been nurturing for a long time。 Moving to France to live a wonderful life out there。Only， she finds out it might not have been Ben's dream， only hers。In a state of emotional drunkenness， Lily makes the sort of eBay purchase that makes her cringe in the morning。A dilapidated farmhouse。 In France。Oops！How's this one going to work out？I thoroughly enjoyed reading this story as anything about women my age grips me straight away。 Wouldn't we all like to move away， somewhere new， and begin living our lives for ourselves， after decades of being wife/mum/slaves to our jobs？Lily has to battle the fact that her husband wasn't interested in fulfilling the dream they had always talked about and decides to just go for it， with or without him。 A strong woman！Moving to a different country will always have its ups and downs， and to do that alone and to find out exactly how dilapidated the property you bought on a drunken whim could be classed as a huge dip in your line of ups and downs。Fortunately， Lily meets some fantastic people along the way， and she still has her best friend， Emily， as a support for her， by phone， message and impromptu visits。There is even a little romance， but， how do you explain to your teenaged-son that you might be going on dates but that it doesn't mean anything， even though you and your husband have split up？ A Year at The French Farmhouse was an easy read with a great ending， and it fostered the spirit of never being too =old to make our dreams come true！Many thanks to NetGalley and Boldwood Books for an ARC in exchange for an honest opinion。 。。。more
Barbara Brewer
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This book was interesting and well written。 I love the part about lily going to France to fix up the townhouse。 Thre characters were fun and it was just a fun story。 If you like a story about other countries you will love this book。 Thanks to netgalley and the publisher to read and review this book。
Allison
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What can I say — I thought it was going to be like A Year in Provence or Under the Tuscan Sun。 Unfortunately， Instead of a credible memoir of meeting the challenges of a foreign culture and making them come to life for the reader， the story read like a Hallmark movie in which the drama is leavened with romance， and the real question is which of the desirable partners will she choose。 Don’t get me wrong。 It was written with a great eye for colorful detail and an obvious enjoyment of the French co What can I say — I thought it was going to be like A Year in Provence or Under the Tuscan Sun。 Unfortunately， Instead of a credible memoir of meeting the challenges of a foreign culture and making them come to life for the reader， the story read like a Hallmark movie in which the drama is leavened with romance， and the real question is which of the desirable partners will she choose。 Don’t get me wrong。 It was written with a great eye for colorful detail and an obvious enjoyment of the French countryside and people。 I’m sure for many， it will be just what they were hoping for。 I just prefer my travel tales without the sugar coating。 。。。more
Amy
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