Gosh the main character was a strong woman.Lily. She followed her dream. I loved all the french descriptions and the x pats. It was a a great story . I loved the flashbacks. Well written . A good neat ending. Perfect.

Lily Butterworth moves to France for a year, beautiful setting, likable characters, hated for the book to end.

Absolutely fantastic! Could not put this book down once I started reading it. Will definitely recommend to everyone I know that enjoys reading!

Lovely feel good book to read. It was a joy to read. Lovely characters. Great plot. Beautiful location to get lost in this book. The book was charming. Very well written. I’d definitely recommend this book

Lily Butterworth always dreamed of living in France...Ben Butterworth always told her wife perhaps some day and kept putting off the inevitable, he wasn't going. However, one night and a bottle of wine, Lily bought a "vintage" stone cottage in France. She went, her husband didn't. This bit of fluff was okay given the times we live in, the global dysfunction, the American democracy being shred. For those who don't speak French, there is plenty of it on these pages. Luckily for me, I haven't a problem and actually enjoy knowing the language.' I'm a fan of historical fiction, yet sometimes I feel the need of something more contemporary, that is where this book came in This was a dream for Lily, unfortunately it wasn't a dream for Ben. He was comfortable in their home back in England and the thought of a new life in France was just not something he could do. As for Lily, she was angry, she felt this was her time, time for her to make this move in spite of the fact that she was giving up a secure life, but on the other hand had to follow her dream. Was she self-absorbed, was she selfish in putting herself first to live in a place that honestly was and always had been her "dream." but the reality was quite different. However, all that being said, yes she did feel guilty, she did feel out of place...and there were other complications she may or may not adjust to.

It was a fast read, and at times humorous. My thanks to NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Bit disappointed in this book, really wanted to like the characters and did to start with but the Frederick nonsense was just nonsense and totally spoilt the book. Lily turned into a doormat instead of the assertive start she made. Loved the house and the village and the other friendships. Thank you netgalley for the advanced copy

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.

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.

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.

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.

Pure escapism, really enjoyed this novel read predominantly in a heatwave which transported me right to France.

I was a big fan of Lily and felt like she was very brave - surely everyone has dreamt about a year, or more, in another country and trying to build a temporary new life. It was great to read about her adventures and new friends.

I felt like I was learning a bit of French too! There were so many sentences, or partial, in French and enough for me to understand the context so I liked that aspect a lot.

Don't want to spoil the ending but I liked how it all tied together and I'd be very interested in a sequel to this joyful story.

An enjoyable quick read with plenty to keep the reader interested. I would have liked to have read more about the renovation of the property and less of the Russell Crowe look alike if I’m honest. Having said that it was good to see Lily develop friendships while chasing her dream. There were lots of funny moments especially the one that led to her agreeing to buy a house in France. One to pack in your holiday suitcase and enjoy with a glass of wine in your hand.

Lily has lost her job, and it appears she’s lost her husband, too. After a night of too much wine and commiseration with a friend, Lily realizes the next day that instead of booking a vacation stay at a French farmhouse, she’s purchased it. Her husband is not amused and tells Lily he has no intention of going to France, not for a vacation and certainly not to take up permanent residence. So Lily goes by herself, slowly restoring the house over the course of the year, with a little help from the locals, and one in particular. This is a sweet, satisfying read about second chances and making your own happiness

Lily decided to pursue her dream of moving to France so she bought a farm there online.
Lily found some animals stuck in the attic of the farmhouse in France they found out it was squirrels so they had to get them out but they didn't kill them.
Her son came to visit Tyler before he went to college he was doing good. He wanted to come to visit to see his mom in France and for his dad.
Ben finally came to be with his wife in Grance lily's husband. It just goes to show if you work hard your dreams do cone true.
This book was approved by netgalley and the publisher for me to read and review..

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.

Lily has been laid off from her job of ten years. With her son headed to university, she thinks maybe this finally the right time for the move to France she and her husband Ben have been talking about for years. After a little too much wine, she books a stay at an old farmhouse. Except, when she wakes up, she realizes she BOUGHT the old farmhouse, and when she tells her husband, finds out he never really intended to move to France at all.

What's a woman to do? Well, Lily decides to go for it. If she has to do it by herself, she will. She moves to France, and spends the next year fixing up the farmhouse, meeting new friends, and perhaps a new love. But should it be that easy to move on after twenty years?

This was a sweet book that was easy to read. The descriptions of the town Lily moved to sounded lovely, and I enjoyed reading about Lily becoming more independent and finally putting herself first.

I won't spoil the ending, thank you Netgalley for the ARC!