Book Review #35: The Little French Bistro by Nina George

Hello Dear Reader!

This week, I have a traditionally published book for you because my eyes couldn’t handle reading eBooks on top of watching lectures, reading textbooks, and doing work on my digital devices, mainly my laptop. Anyway, I’ve got a unique read that’s more than just a romance novel. It features a woman searching for and trying to release her true self along with the stories of other characters who have varying connections to Ar Mor, the little French bistro.

I will say though, there are scenes and a number of mentions of suicide attempts, and there are also some sexual themes and scenes in this book; however, none of them are graphic in any way. If these bother you, just be wary if you do end up wanting to read this book.

Also, as a final note, this review won’t be in the usual format as my previous book review, mainly because there was so much that went on in this, and I don’t want to make this review longer than necessary.

Now, here is the back-cover summary (from Goodreads):

Marianne is stuck in a loveless, unhappy marriage. After forty-one years, she has reached her limit, and one evening in Paris she decides to take action. Following a dramatic moment on the banks of the Seine, Marianne leaves her life behind and sets out for the coast of Brittany, also known as the end of the world.

Here she meets a cast of colorful and unforgettable locals who surprise her with their warm welcome, and the natural ease they all seem to have, taking pleasure in life's small moments. And, as the parts of herself she had long forgotten return to her in this new world, Marianne learns it’s never too late to begin the search for what life should have been all along.

There’s the summary! Now time for the review!

Main character Marianne, as mentioned in the back-cover summary is a sixty-year-old woman who decides to take matters into her own hands after forty-one years of suffering in a loveless and unhappy marriage. And after meeting her husband, I honestly understand why.

Long story short, he shows her know empathy or sympathy after her “dramatic moment” on the banks of the Seine, which had me hating him tremendously right when he was introduced on the page. Truly a narcistic man who thinks only of himself.

Anyway, after her “dramatic moment” on the banks of the Seine, Marianne makes her way to the shores of Kerdruc, where she ends up at restaurant Ar Mor and meets a wonderful cast of unique characters ranging from a young chef to an old painter looking for inspiration. And it’s at Ar Mor that we start seeing Marianne change from the timid and miserable woman to a lady of confidence who puts herself first.

In addition to Marianne’s story to find herself, there are a great number of other stories centering around the minor characters.

A great number.

All these individual stories have their own unique charm and revolve around different types of love stories ranging from a one-sided love to a second chance. The book jumps around to these different stories throughout its entirety, but at Marianne somehow remains as part of the core of each, which I love and think was cleverly done. It was like reading a ton of people’s stories that were woven into one.

Despite me loving this particular characteristic of the book, it was also the one that left me feeling a bit confused. There are quite a few minor characters, and some didn’t have nearly as much screen time as others. As a result, when certain minor characters returned after being absent for quite a while, it took me a bit to remember who they were. These stories also made the book feel a bit choppy at some points.

One final note is where people’s preferences will certainly differ, because this book is chock-full of tropes and clichés. A few include the makeover transformation, the second-chance love, pining for another, love at first sight, an unhappy marriage, adultery, love triangles, and many more that I personally can’t name. So, if you’re not fond of one, a few, or even all of these tropes and clichés, keep this in mind if you decide to pick up this book. As someone who is a sucker for clichés and tropes, they didn’t bother me nearly as much, but I definitely took note of them.

So, The Little French Bistro rating:

7/10 and recommend if you like a lot of love stories woven into a main one and are a fan of many romance clichés and tropes! Just keep in mind the mentions of suicide and the sexual content in this book in case you want to read it.

Thanks for reading!