A perfect book club selection!
583576
Please note:  I received an advanced reader's copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.  This did not influence the opinions of my review in any way.

The Little French Bistro, by Nina George, takes takes the reader on a journey filled with colorful characters, sensuous food, and bucolic Brittany.  I appreciated that it showed love at many stages of life.  It was fun and romantic, just the sort of book I love to read in the summer.

What I Liked:

Characters:

Marianne is a wonderfully realistic character.  At sixty, she has lost the will to live, or so she thinks.  When she tries (and fails) to kill herself, she comes to understand why she feels so trapped, and then slowly finds herself, and her joy.  I liked that Marianne became open to life and realized, through being kind to others, that she was worthy of love.  As the people in the small Brittany town responded to Marianne, she started to obtain her self-worth.  But, like most people, newly acquired confidence is a fragile thing.  Marianne still second-guesses herself, and then pushes people away.  She is not instantly self-aware, or confident.

The small village of Kerdruc, where Marianne finds refuge, is filled with colorful characters, many of whom seem to have missed a love connection.  Paul is still bitter over his divorce from Rozenn who has left him for a younger man (oh, the French!), the village bistro's chef, Jean-Remy, is pining away for waitress Laurine, while Genevieve (the hotel's owner) is bitter over a love affair that happened over thirty years ago.

With all these missed romantic opportunities, one would think that love never wins, but there is also an example of a long-term marriage that is quite touching.  Emile struggles with his wife, Pascale's Alzheimer's but the couple remaine tender and loving.  I loved how respectful Emile was of his wife.  As much as he wanted to protect her, he also respected her enough to let her be in her own world, without nagging her.

Setting:

There actually is a town in Brittany, France called Kerdruc.  When I looked it up on Google, I was delighted to see that the author's descriptions were spot on!

This seems like a charming town to visit.  But if you want to go there, I would do so soon.  I think this book is going to be very popular, so I would imagine that tourism to this part of France will go way up by next summer.

Food:

I got caught up in all the marvelous food descriptions.  From the fresh seafood to the desserts, my mouth was watering throughout this book.  I have never heard of a French Butter Cake, but now I want to make one!

What I Was Mixed About:
Stereotypes:

I will say that the author seemed to rely on various stereotypes of French and German people.  All the French characters seemed to be preoccupied with matters of love, while Marianne's German husband was miserly with his money, and his affections.  This made me curious about the author, Nina George, wondering if she was French.  Given that her last two books are basically love letters to that country, I was surprised to learn that she is from Germany! So much for my assuming anything!

Sexy Scenes:

While this book is nowhere near pornographic, there are some sex scenes in the book that are quite descriptive.  If you are trying to read only "clean" romance, this may not be the book for you.  Normally, I tend to back away from these scenes, but I thought they were well-done and needed for a certain character's development.

Overall, this was a wonderful book that made me think about life, love, food, and France.  Break out that wine and brie, and have a picnic while you read this book.
1868639
Picking up the book, not knowing what to expect, you are immediately thrown into the story. Putting it down becomes difficult as you are wanting to know more, read the next chapter, and follow the story! I loved it! The characters have unique qualities that make you love and hate them at the same time!!! An excellent choice for a book club, a night alone, or anytime!!
712427
I really loved it! Perfect book club book as well. Its one of the few books Id read again.
3347334
This is our October Book Club selection. It is a page turner - I was on a 7 day vacation in New England doing some leaf peeping and found myself wanting to read every chance I could get!  It will be a great book club discussion with our group.  Some parts are not believable, but I can see how some parents could leave the baby next door in a duplex with the monitor. I don't think I could, but some parents are less cautious.  A fellow club member who is a new grandmother said after the first few pages, she had to read the ending before she could continue with the book.
3213776
My book club loved this book!  It's sweet and well written.  I read it in one sitting.  The story line is engrossing, it's also inspirational, although not in a didactic, boring way. We became invested in the characters, their interactions and the final satisfying resolution of the plot.  There's also some humor in its spoofing of yoga and "new age stuff," which, as a yoga teacher, I relished.
3689192
This was a great book collection.  A good value indeed.  I could not put it down and enjoyed all four little stories.  The setting is great, laughed a lot at the characters in the village and the stories were woven ever so cleverly.  Certainly one to enjoy.  I sure hope she's dishing out more to her readers!  I'm ready!
1835662
A fantastic resource whether you are looking for book club suggestions or ideas for your own reading.  I have just begun on the journey to increase my knowledge of contemporary authors and their novels by reading the  starred books --the ones the editor considers to be "the best" by  each author included.  I'm sure anyone will "discover" unfamiliar  authors or novels not yet read.  It makes a terrific gift for the book  lovers on your list.
4207554
Really lovely!! I very much agree with the other reviewer who said this book is perfect for book clubs -- it is an ideal book to discuss (and there's a lot in it about a writers life). Very thoughtful and beautifully written.
2940236
It's another win! The title serves as a perfect conversation starter and will keep the book clubs talking for weeks to come!
1785173
Loved it!  I was pleasantly surprised, as I never read romance or historical fiction.  It had just the right amount and should appeal to all.  This is my pick for my next book club read.  I can't wait for the next book, and plan to read previous releases as well.  Keep 'em coming!
Debi D
2050714
This is a perfect book club selection. An intelligent, but emotional topic that inspired a great deal of thought and conversation. My highest recommendation for The Assembler of Parts. My book club thought it was very moving and a valuable investment of our time.
4079933
This book was chosen by my Book Club.  I ordered it from Amazon and upon arrival, I read the first page to see what it was like.  I never put it down!
4910312
This is a wonderful book! I loved the questions at the enf of each chapter. Perfect for a book club!
1565492
Attachments was our book club choice for this month. The girls were so awesome and looked for a book I hadnt yet read (which is sometimes a hard thing to do!). I loved Eleanor & Park so much that I am going to need to read everything that Rainbow has to offer. I want to be real-life friends with Rainbow, I think we have similar personalities.

Likes:
This book was hilarious! I was almost peed my pants just reading the first page. I love this girls, I would SO be friends with them!
Lincoln was so adorably dorky. I love that he had no idea how cute he was and that he was so charming. He was sensitive and really broken from a relationship, but I loved seeing how he started to rebuild his life and be the man he wants to be.
Doris was amazing. She was the perfect side character. I think she made this book as amazing as Parks mom did in Eleanor & Park.
This book just hit home. I have a lot of the same fears as Jennifer with having a child and I just felt that I could relate a lot to her. It was neat to see her mindset change as she grew more into the idea of being a mother.

Gripes:
The only gripe I had was that I wanted more of the story  to see how things keep progressing. Maybe there will be an Attachments sequel!

Favorite Quote:
There is no air in space.
1327875
I truly enjoyed this book!!  I didn't know what to think when my book club suggested it, but once I got into it I couldn't put it down!!

Outstanding book club choice!!
920156
Another A+ effort from Jodi Piccolt !  This book will undoubtedly spark discussions in book clubs way beyond the norm -completely absorbing.
1221591
This was a book club choice, and really was amazing. I highly recommend it! So engrossing, it is a quick read.