Sunlit Books: The Village Cafe in the Loire by Gillian Harvey: A Book Review

In 2023, The Juggle Research of Bloom UK revealed a widespread mental health impact on working women. An overwhelming majority (93%) of women in the sector feel their mental health is suffering due to work-life imbalance. Over 40% (43%) are experiencing clinical burnout symptoms, a serious consequence of chronic work stress.

The Village Cafe in the Loire: Escape to France is a feel-good and romantic novel. Becky, the main character of the novel, was forced to go on leave for a month because of possible burnout. Stress took a toll on her when she threw a laptop at her intern, that's why she was signed off. She knew what to do, get rid of the source of stress, the cafe in France that her great aunt left her. If she wouldn’t take care of this right away, she would not only lose her dream apartment but also her dream job.

The book explores the true meaning of success in this modern world. It successfully shown one of the

ways of finding one's own definition of success but leaves a general idea of a successful life.

The Village Cafe in Loire is written Gillian Harvey. It is published by Boldwood Books on July 12, 2025.

Harvey's books swell with light-heartedness and life lessons. They make you smile, laugh and think at the same time.

She is inpired to write stories set in the UK ad France where she stayed as her residence. She lived in France for 15 years and then went back to Norfolk in 2023 to live with her family.

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About the Story
Discussion Questions
Quotes
Summary
Further Information
Book Information

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About the Story

Becky was shocked when the doctor recommended that she takes a time off from work to blow off some steam and rest. She was on the verge of burnout. She tried to reverse the doctor's decision, but she failed. What followed was a barrage of thoughts that fear and anxiety set off. What would her mother say? What would happen to her career? She couldn't lose her apartment!

There was only one thing she had to do—get rid of the source of her stress. She had to go to France to sell the café her great-aunt had left her. It would be a quick visit, and she could return to work without any further problems. Or so she thought. But can she really sell the café and return to her old life, or will the village have other plans?

In this book, Gillian Harvey challenges the common belief about success, especially the idea widely held by many people today.

The story of Becky illustrates that success can take many forms. It can be running a café in France, where slow life is a lifestyle, or holding a high-ranking position in a company, where challenges and busyness feel fulfilling. Success is more meaningful when it comes on your own terms, not someone else’s.

The author also emphasizes that family is more important than achievements, as it is through family that people find meaning in life. A hectic and stressful life can take a toll not only on a person’s health but also on their relationships.

The cost of success is made clear through burnout: Becky was signed off work after throwing a laptop at her intern; her best friend, Amber, was hospitalized from stress; and Becky’s mother, Cynthia, became so obsessed with achievements that she avoided confronting her pain after Aunt Maud left her.

Family and relationships play a central role in Becky’s journey. She chose to stay in France for Maud and to take time for herself to decide what kind of life would be best. Caring for the café her great-aunt had left her offered a chance to slow down and reflect. She worried about balancing buying an apartment with her high-powered job, while Amber had already been hospitalized from stress caused by an overbearing boss. Cynthia feared her daughter might follow the same path as Maud, whose life had been shaped by pressure and expectations. Meanwhile, Pascal, who dreamed of becoming a writer, struggled with whether his mother would accept his choices.

Through the café—a symbol of Maud’s hope for a more authentic, balanced life—Becky began to see that success wasn’t just about career achievement but about nurturing relationships, finding love, and taking care of herself. Even the laptop, once a source of stress, became a reminder of what she needed to leave behind.

A corporate career can be lucrative, competitive, and financially stable, but it can also burn you out from the inside. The story explores moral and emotional tensions, such as whether Becky made the right choice by following her heart rather than her mother’s expectations. Its themes remain timely because many people still believe that success comes solely from hard work, often at the expense of their well-being. With modern pressures and social media contributing to stress and disconnection, the book highlights the importance of maintaining strong relationships with family and friends; without them, life can become exhausting and meaningless.

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Discussion Questions

When you hear the word "France", what comes to your mind?
How would you describe the relationship between Becky and her mother?
Can you share three scenes when Becky ignored her best friend? What do they tell about Becky as a friend?
What do you think is the role of Pascal in the story?
What do you think about the company’s demands when Becky reported back to work?
What was your reaction to Aunt Maud's message on success and life? Do you agree with her? Why or why not?
What do you think about the plot twist of the story?
Is there a part of the book that you would like to change? Describe it and explain why.
What is the book's definition of success?
What is success for you?

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Quotes

But seriously, it’s just insane! I’m at the top of my game. Yes, I occasionally get a bit stressed. But you can hardly call it burnout.

The flat – the flat she’d set her heart on owning. All of these things required money, maintenance. Losing her job could literally lose her everything.

‘Richard Branson had it? Hillary Clinton?’ ‘Yes, but darling, these are CEOs, presidential candidates! You work in advertising. It’s not… well, quite the same.’ ‘It’s very stressful at work though, Mum. We’re working on a⁠—’ ‘Oh, pish posh!’ Becky’s mum had a habit of using outdated but non-offensive

The flat, the opportunity to buy something without involving Mum or too much of a mortgage, was a chance in a lifetime.

Georges’s expression clouded. ‘Surely you do not mean this? That you would go against your aunt’s wishes? She gave you her café, yes, but it is more than a café. It was her life.’

Do not decide who they are when you know nothing about them

‘Look, you know I’ve got your back. But maybe Pascal has a point. It wouldn’t hurt you to listen sometimes. You’re very good at… telling people things. But when’s the last time you actually stopped to listen; considered that someone might have had a point?’

You must take care of yourself before you can take care of the café.’

‘Well, sometimes friends can be just as important than blood ties,’ she’d said.

‘Become whatever you want to become,’ Amber said, her eyes sparkling and slightly wet. ‘You have this amazing chance – an income, a home with very little upkeep required. It was just… looking at Maud’s pictures. She was so free, wasn’t she? She had the life she wanted, on her terms. She could do anything.’

Do what you wish. There are enough expectations on people of your age without me piling on more.’

‘It’s OK, you know, Mum. It’s OK that Maud chose a different life to you, to us. She hasn’t hurt anyone.’

‘Well, good,’ her mother sniffed loudly. ‘Anyway, at the time, I felt as if Maud had abandoned me all over again. And now she was stealing you and Daddy too.’

Exactement. And that is your gift. The not knowing. It means that you are open to possibilities. You have time. You have space. You have the café. You have life to live and explore and find out. Becky, you are very lucky.

But if our parents, in turn, are trying to fulfil the wishes or desires drummed into them by their own parents, then are any of us actually living the life we would choose? When does giving someone advice and direction turn into mapping out their life for them?

She didn’t want to make a choice between two different lives. She didn’t want to think about where her choices would lead her. She didn’t want to sign on a dotted line, or shake on a deal, or commit herself to anything. She wanted to have the space not to know.

‘Home is more than bricks and mortar, it’s where you are loved.

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Summary

The book is a light read that is thought-provoking. It challenges the idea that a super busy life focused on promotions and materialism is the ultimate measure of success, encouraging readers to reflect on their own beliefs.

One of its strengths is that the message is consistently reinforced through key events and character choices. The story shows how decisions, relationships, and life priorities shape the meaning of success without losing sight of the characters’ journeys.

However, the novel can feel a bit preachy at times. Instead of letting the message come through naturally, it occasionally spells it out for the reader, making certain moments feel more like a lesson than a story.

Overall, the book is heartwarming and cozy, with subtle hints of the tension found in modern life. What lingers is the idea that family, friends, and relationships are more important than money or achievements gained from a hectic lifestyle. True fulfillment comes from connections and balance, not just career milestones.

If you are looking for a light read that is both thought-provoking and inspiring, this book is for you. When your job makes you burn out, it reminds you that you can turn to your family or friends to find yourself again.

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