Having enjoyed George's previous novel, 'The Little Paris Bookshop', I was keen to get my hands on 'The Little Breton Bistro'. As a lover of all things French (and particularly Breton), I was looking forward to immersing myself in the world that George creates in the seaside village of Kerdruc in Brittany, centred around the restaurant and the inhabitants of the area.

As with her previous novel, George's strength lies in the characters she creates. They are at once realistic, but also quirky and likeable. The novel's heroine, Marianne (a German, like the author herself), is human and flawed, yet presented so sympathetically and beautifully that the reader just wants her to find happiness and escape the past she is clearly looking to leave behind in the dramatic first few pages of the novel. The supporting characters are also wonderful, from the love-lorn chef, Jean-Remy, to the slightly cantankerous Emile. As their stories intertwine and play out, the reader does care about all of them.

What holds me back from a five star rating for this book is that elements of it are a little depressing. Yes, overall it is life-affirming and thoughtful and inspirational. Yes, I realise that life has bits that are less than pleasant. Yes, I know that the rough comes with the smooth. However, I just like my fiction slightly less tragic in places, especially when it has a lovely, cheerful cover like this does.

So I just wasn't prepared for the sad bits. Still, I can totally see why this novel will get under readers' skin and stay with them long after they turn the last page. It is moving, charming and generally uplifting and I recommend it to those who like their fiction with a lot of heart.

i loved that this book, which could so easily have just been chick lit, had the delightful,twist of having a cast of older characters. Strong older female characters at that. A delight if a book which I raced through and wanted to last longer simultaneously