Words

Book Review: The Little French Guesthouse by Helen Pollard

~ ChapterAndCake ~ 2 Comments

I have made it to book eighteen, and I chose to read Helen Pollard’s The Little French Guesthouse.  As you may be realising, I do love a novel set abroad and I have a soft spot for France.  So that’s my reason for choosing this novel explained! Here’s the synopsis;

‘When Emmy Jamieson arrives at La Cour des Roses, a beautiful guesthouse in the French countryside, she can’t wait to spend two weeks relaxing with boyfriend Nathan. Their relationship needs a little TLC and Emmy is certain this holiday will do the trick. But they’ve barely unpacked before he scarpers with Gloria, the guesthouse owner’s cougar wife.

Rupert, the ailing guesthouse owner, is shell-shocked. Feeling somewhat responsible, and rather generous after a bottle (or so) of wine, heartbroken Emmy offers to help. Changing sheets in the gîtes will help keep her mind off her misery.

Thrust into the heart of the local community, Emmy suddenly finds herself surrounded by new friends. And with sizzling hot gardener Ryan and the infuriating (if gorgeous) accountant Alain providing welcome distractions, Nathan is fast becoming a distant memory.

Fresh coffee and croissants for breakfast, feeding the hens in the warm evening light; Emmy starts to feel quite at home. But it would be madness to walk away from her friends, family, and everything she’s ever worked for, to take a chance on a place she fell for on holiday – wouldn’t it?’ (Thanks Amazon)

For someone who loves to be swept up in the romance of being in France, this is an ideal novel.  There’s sun, wine, croissants and not one, but two love stories! What marks this apart from other love stories is that this novel does not just include a romantic love story.  This one also includes a love story between two friends who help each other in their time of need.  It is that love story that I really enjoyed in this novel.  Emmy and Rupert’s budding relationship, which is formed when their partners run off with each other, is such a lovely story to follow.  They work together to ease each others pain, with their relationship turning from that of strangers to two close friends who truly love one another.  I also like the fact that this is not a story about a woman who has been wronged – Emmy is a strong, independent woman, who, with the help of her friends is able to find her way.  It is not a romantic love that saves her (although there is some romance!) – it is the love of her friends that helps her to follow the path right for her.

If you like romance and friendship set in beautiful surroundings, this is the perfect book for you.  Find yourself a comfy chair in the sunshine, a good glass of wine and enjoy!

Ratings: 3 and a half out of 5 stars

 

Book Review: Me Before You by Jojo Moyes

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For book number seventeen I have finally read Me Before You by Jojo Moyes.  All I can say is – better late than never!  This has been on my ‘to be read’ list for quite some time and i’m sad to say that I saw the film first, which is a pet hate of mine!  Here’s the synopsis for those of you who have not yet read it;

‘Lou Clark knows lots of things. She knows how many footsteps there are between the bus stop and home. She knows she likes working in The Buttered Bun tea shop and she knows she might not love her boyfriend Patrick.

What Lou doesn’t know is she’s about to lose her job or that knowing what’s coming is what keeps her sane.

Will Traynor knows his motorcycle accident took away his desire to live. He knows everything feels very small and rather joyless now and he knows exactly how he’s going to put a stop to that.

What Will doesn’t know is that Lou is about to burst into his world in a riot of colour. And neither of them knows they’re going to change the other for all time.’ (Courtesy of Amazon)

I think it is fair to say that in 99% of examples, the book is better than the film.  This is one of those books.  Don’t get me wrong, I really enjoyed the film and probably more so than if I had read the book first.  The actors chosen were perfect for their roles.  However, it wasn’t until I started reading this novel that I discovered just how much was missing from the film; details that really helped to shape Will and Lou, our main characters.  It is a mistake to believe that this novel is about Will Traynor, a strong man who loses everything in one single moment.  This novel is also about Lou and her journey away from her pain filled past, something she seeks to hide from with her strong (and sometimes questionable ) fashion sense!

This is a beautiful, albeit sometimes gut-wrenching story of how two people from two very different walks of life come together to save each other.  Together, they are able to find some joy once more out of the depths of their own private miseries to change their future paths forever.

There really is very little I can say about this book, except prepare yourself to laugh and cry.  Read this book!

Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

 

Word Wednesdays

~ ChapterAndCake ~ Leave a comment

This weeks word of the week, as chosen by the husband, is;

quasar n. a galaxy giving off enormous amounts of energy.

(Oxford English Dictionary)

Chosen because he’s amazed it’s not a game full of people shooting lasers!!

Reading Challenge – Update One!

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As already discussed, I have decided to link my Goodreads Reading Challenge to the Reading Challenge listed below…let’s see how i’m getting on!

  • A book with more than 500 pages
  • A classic romance – Pride & Prejudice by Jane Austen
  • A book that became a movie – Me Before You by Jojo Moyes
  • A book published this year
  • A book with a number in the title
  • A book written by someone under 30 – Pride & Prejudice by Jane Austen
  • A book with non-human characters – The Masked City by Genevieve Cogman
  • A funny book
  • A book by a female author
  • A mystery or thriller
  • A book with a one-word title
  • A book of short stories
  • A book set in a different country – The Little Paris Bookshop by Nina George
  • A non-fiction book
  • A popular author’s first book
  • A book from an author you love but haven’t read yet
  • A book a friend recommended
  • A Pulitzer prize-winning book
  • A book based on a true story
  • A book at the bottom of your to-read list
  • A book your mum loves
  • A book that scares you
  • A book more than 100 years old – Pride & Prejudice by Jane Austen
  • A book based entirely on its cover
  • A book you were supposed to read at school but didn’t
  • A memoir
  • A book you can finish in a day
  • A book with antonyms in the title
  • A book set somewhere you’ve always wanted to visit
  • A book that came out the year you were born
  • A book with bad reviews
  • A trilogy – The Snow Crystal Trilogy by Sarah Morgan
  • A book from your childhood
  • A book with a love triangle – It Would be Wrong to Steal my Sister’s Boyfriend (Wouldn’t It?) by Sophie Ronald
  • A book set in the future
  • A book set in high school
  • A book with a colour in the title
  • A book that made you cry – Me Before You by JoJo Moyes
  • A book with magic – The Masked City by Genevieve Cogman
  • A graphic novel
  • A book by an author you’ve never read before
  • A book you own but have never read
  • A book that takes place in your home town – A Year of Being Single by Fiona Collins
  • A book that was originally written in a different language – The Little Paris Bookshop by Nina George
  • A book set during Christmas – Sleigh Bells in the Snow by Sarah Morgan
  • A book written by an author with your same initials
  • A play
  • A banned book
  • A book based on or turned into a tv show
  • A book you started but never finished

So how are you getting on with your Reading Challenges?