Confession time - it had been two weeks since I last read a book set in Paris! Thank goodness that I had this one lined up to read for a blog tour, otherwise I might have needed an intervention!
When Miriam's great-aunt Esther passed away in New York, it is her task to go and sort everything out. Her grandmother and her great-aunt had not been close, but as she begins her task of cleaning up, Mim finds some notebooks which seem to be telling a different one to the story she has always been told. She has always believes that her grandmother had moved to England before the outbreak of WWII, and never wanted to go back to Paris. Why would the stories be so inconsistent? Why did her grandmother and her sister not get along? And who is Lili?
Esther and her family are a Jewish family who work in the music halls of Paris, most specifically the fabulous Bal Tabarin music hall. There she meets Annie, a Canadian woman who has come to Paris to follow her dreams of becoming a ballroom dancer, and ends up at Bal Tabarin. Whilst Esther's sister has already found her place in the theatre as a seamstress, Esther hasn't quite found what her role in the theatre or even in life is.
As war erupts, the family and Annie, who is also Jewish, take a huge chance and go into hiding in plain sight but there is always the chance that someone might inform the authorities. Whilst they all work in the resistance, that is not as much of a focus as you might find in other WWII books, rather it is the individual stories of Esther, Annie and the other dancers which are the focus.
As Mim reads through Esther's notebooks, she has so many questions. In the end, she is helped to understand her aunt's life by the downstairs neighbour, Bibi. And the message of how her aunt lived her life could well help Mim turn her own life around, and might even help repair her relationship with her own sister.
Mim has been in a downward spiral since being involved in an inappropriate relationship which lead to a terrible tragedy about which she feels very guilty. When she is on the plane to New York she meets a man named Lucky and they hit it off, but she can't get over her trust issues so she might end up sabotaging the budding romance before it even gets off the ground.
The author has a passion for dance and it shows in both storylines. My favourite dance aspect was in the modern story as Mim and Lucky try out several different dance styles looking for the one that speaks most clearly to Mim.
As with all dual timelines, there is usually one story that I resonate with more than the other and usually it is the one in the past, and this book is no different. I definitely choked up as we got to the end of the historical story and so many of the questions were answered.
It looks like this is Nicola Rayner's first foray into historical fiction. I hope to read more from her in the future!
I am sharing this review with the New Release Challenge hosted by The Chocolate Lady's Book Reviews, and the Historical Fiction Reading Challenge which I host here. Be sure to check out other stops on the tour shown below. Thanks to the publisher and Rachel's Random Resources for the review copy.
Rating 4/5
About the book
The Paris Dancer
A heart-wrenching and unforgettable story of courage, friendship and resistance, inspired by the incredible true story of a Jewish ballroom dancer in Paris during WWII, perfect for fans of The Paris Library.
Paris, 1938. Annie Mayer arrives in France with dreams of becoming a ballerina. But when the war reaches Paris, she's forced to keep her Jewish heritage a secret. Then a fellow dancer offers her a lifeline: a ballroom partnership that gives her a new identity. Together, Annie and her partner captivate audiences across occupied Europe, using her newfound fame and alias to aid the Resistance.
New York, 2012. Miriam, haunted by her past, travels from London to New York to settle her great-aunt Esther’s estate. Among Esther’s belongings, she discovers notebooks detailing a secret family history and the story of a brave dancer who risked everything to help Jewish families during the war.
As Miriam uncovers Esther’s life in Europe, she realises the story has been left for her to finish. Grappling with loss and the possibility of new love, Miriam must find the strength to reconcile her past and embrace her future.
Born in South Wales, Nicola Rayner is a novelist and dance writer based in London. She is the author of The Girl Before You, which was picked by the Observer as a debut to look out for in 2019, optioned for television and translated into multiple languages. Her second novel, You and Me, was published by Avon, HarperCollins, in 2020. In her day job as a journalist, Nicola has written about dance for almost two decades, cutting her teeth on the tango section of Time Out Buenos Aires. She edited the magazine Dance Today from 2010 to 2015 and worked as assistant editor of Dancing Times, the UK’s leading dance publication, from 2019 until 2022. She continues to dance everything from ballroom to breakdance, with varying degrees of finesse.
Coco Chevalier loves working as a successful boutique publisher in London. She and her partner (both romantic and business) have built the business up from scratch, she loves working with her authors and producing the best books that she can! She is therefore beyond devastated when she discovers that he has been stealing royalties from her authors, many of whom she considers close friends. With her professional reputation in tatters she moves back to her parent's house in Paris with her 13 year old daughter, Eloise.
Coco's plan is to let the dust settle and then hopefully pick up work with a French publisher and start to rebuild her life. Unfortunately though, the bad news has spread across the Channel and no one in publishing will even speak to her let alone give her a job. She's going to have to come up with a plan B. While wandering around the Eiffel Tower, she is nearly robbed but is saved by a handsome but very obnoxious stranger, the same man she literally ran into when she arrived in Paris.
Determined to escape him, she finds a gorgeous little bookshop called The Paris Bookshop for the Broken-Hearted in a little laneway. This is a whimsical place where the owner, Valerie, gives potions and passages filled with meaning, the books are barely organised and there are book themed charcuterie/sweet boards available
Romance plat du jour, because what is life without love and sugar? A sweet range of petit fours and macarons
Crime plat du jour because it would be a crime not to snack while you read! Saucisson, pâté, terrine and aged fromage served with a sliced baguette
Fantasy/Sci-Fi Plat du jour because sometimes we all need to escape to other realms . . . An extravaganza of sweet and sour bonbons
Doesn't it sound like a delightful bookshop! I would love to stumble across it next time I am in Paris!
The last person that Coco expects is to run into in the bookshop is that man again, whose name is Henri.
After unsuccessfully looking for work, Coco is drawn back to the bookshop, Coco sees that there is a job available and so finds herself working as a bookseller, and in charge of the unruly book club! These book club members are very opinionated, usually have differing opinions and they are not afraid to express them. There is the person who only reads Literature with a capital L, the person who is an extreme fangirl to her favourite authors plus a few others. And then, of course, there is Henri.
Whilst the job situation is sorted, Coco is still having to deal with her daughter, Eloise, who is having trouble adjusting to their new life in Paris and just wants to go back to her friends in London. Her parents are trying to help all they can, but it is challenging to try to connect when Coco is constantly saying and doing the wrong thing in Eloise's eyes.
Henri is also struggling following his divorce and is raising a child on his own. Whilst Coco doesn't want to be interested in Henri, she can't help but wonder about his story. And with Valerie doing her best to encourage Henri and Coco to spend time together, she sees that there is more to him than her first bad impression might have suspected.
Whilst this would have been a fine read just based on the bookshop and Coco and Henri, there is an added depth as a number of issues are raised. We find out more about the book club members and each of their stories, the issues they are dealing with, and get some surprises along the way. I loved Valerie and the way that she could see her people and what they needed, and the friendships that were formed because of the place that she had created.
It's fair to say that I am a dedicated fan of Rebecca Raisin's books now. This is the tenth one I have read, and I think it is her best one yet! As always, I love the way she writes about places, especially when it is Paris, about books and food. I can't wait to see what she comes up with next.
I am sharing this review with the New Release Challenge hosted by The Chocolate Lady's Book Reviews and the Bookish Book Reading Challenge hosted at Bloggin' Bout Books. Be sure to check out other stops on the tour shown below. Thanks to the publisher, Netgalley and Rachel's Random Resources for the review copy.
Rating 5/5
About the book
The Paris Bookshop for the Broken-Hearted
Can you ever swear off love, in the city of love?
Coco is having a hell of a month. She’s lost her boyfriend and her business, been forced to uproot her daughter to move back in with her parents in Paris, and now an infuriatingly handsome stranger is yelling at her for acting like a tourist… Right underneath the Eiffel Tower.
Storming away from him – and swearing off men for life – she decides she’s going to take the first job that comes her way.
Then, as if fate hears her, later that day she stumbles into a little bookshop – but not any old bookshop. This one comes complete with a café, cocktail bar, reading room and secret tunnel of books, and just a little hint of magic in the air. So when Coco’s offered a job selling books there, it feels like the perfect fit.
There’s only one problem… propping up the bar in the bookshop is none other than the grumpy, gorgeous stranger she’d met earlier that day…
A totally romantic, bookish and gorgeously escapist romantic novel, set in Paris in Springtime. Perfect for fans of Emily Henry, Abby Jimenez, and Sarah Morgan.
Rebecca Raisin writes heartwarming romance from her home in sunny Perth, Australia. Her heroines tend to be on the quirky side and her books are usually set in exotic locations so her readers can armchair travel any day of the week. The only downfall about writing about gorgeous heroes who have brains as well as brawn, is falling in love with them–just as well they’re fictional. Rebecca aims to write characters you can see yourself being friends with.People with big hearts who care about relationships and believe in true, once-in-a-life time love.
It may seem as though I say yes to every book set in Paris, but it's not the case. And even if it was, there would be zero regrets with this book. Zero!
Tessa is a successful romance writer, and she has a looming deadline. What she doesn't have is any idea of what her next book is going to be about, let alone at the point of being ready to submit it to her publisher. What she does have is a broken heart. She truly believed that she had met "the one". Joe was handsome and successful, and they moved in together very quickly. And were over relatively quickly too.
Before they split, Tessa had paid for an apartment in Paris for a break. After being encouraged by her friends, she decides to still go to Paris in the hope that she might find some inspiration. Unfortunately, Joe had told his best friend Ethan that he could use the apartment which Tessa only finds out when he emerges from the bathroom wearing little more than a towel. Because Ethan is a pretty decent bloke, he offers to find somewhere else to stay, but it is Paris Fashion Week and all the hotels are full, so they are stuck together.
I really liked Ethan. He is a chef who has come to Paris to do some training with a famous French chef. he also has a dream to open his own restaurant with his friend Juliet. However, he knows that he is beholden to Joe and his family, so his dream is very much still unattainable at this time. I did love the sound of the food that Ethan cooked, and found myself craving the French Onion soup that we ate when we visited Paris! So delicious!
Ethan shows Tessa the Paris that he loves and they begin to act on their attraction to each other, but the spectre of Joe is always in the background. Tessa slowly begins to understand that maybe the problems in her relationship was not her, but rather had a lot to do with Joe. Hoorah! I did think that there was a good chemistry between Tessa and Ethan. I did laugh at Tessa being quite worried about the fact that Ethan was the same height as she was. She usually preferred men to be taller than her. I remember worrying about that when I was on the dating scene!
I loved Juliet as a secondary character. She was very accepting of Tessa from the moment they met, and encouraged her to believe in herself, and she bought joy to every scene she was in.
For me, there could have been a little more nuance in some areas, particularly with Joe. He is a man with no redeeming qualities at all. When he turns up, I was disappointed with some of what happened, but I guess it was necessary to move the story forward.
It was only as I read the excerpt at the back of the book that I realised that a previous book told the story of her publisher. They aren't a series as such, but it is something that I like to know.
I am sharing this review with the New Release Challenge hosted by The Chocolate Lady's Book Reviews, Foodies Read hosted at Based on a True Story and Bookish Book Reading Challenge hosted at Bloggin' Bout Books. Be sure to check out other stops on the tour shown below. Thanks to the publisher, Netgalley and Rachel's Random Resources for the review copy.
Rating 4/5
About the book
The Paris Chapter
Can the city of love mend a broken heart?
Romance author Tessa Elliot has writer's block, and worse - she isn’t sure she still believes in love. To heal her broken heart, she decides to go on the romantic break in Paris she’d booked before her world fell apart.
But when she arrives at the Airbnb, Tessa is stunned to find someone is already there. Her ex’s best friend Ethan has made himself at home, being told that the place would be empty.
As it’s Paris Fashion Week, and with no other options, they agree to share the apartment. Neither will be in the place much after all, with Ethan taking a cookery course and Tessa on a hard deadline to finish her novel.
But sharing close nights in a one bed apartment, there’s an undeniable pull towards one another.
Will Tessa be able open her heart, and her laptop, ever again?
A gorgeous romance set in the city of love, perfect for fans of Emily Henry and Christina Lauren
Victoria Walters is the author of both cosy crime and romantic novels, including the bestselling Glendale Hall series. She has been chosen for WHSmith Fresh Talent, shortlisted for two RNA novels and was picked as an Amazon Rising Star. Previously published by Hera, she is now writing romantic comedies for Boldwood
There is a regional city a couple of hours away from us called Bendigo, and it is a place I love to visit. At the Art Gallery, they often have really interesting exhibitions. In the past they have held exhibitions about Elvis, Wedding Dresses, British Royal Portraits and more. This year, the exhibition is called Paris: Impressions of Life 1880-1925 and of course we had to visit.
There were several themed rooms for visitors to walk through, starting from the Market Town Show, through Public Gardens, along The Seine, into Montmartre via the Eiffel Tower and the Champs Elysee. There was a really interesting mix of art, promotional posters, fashion, and historical photos of some of the most familiar landmarks, although they looked a bit different .
My favourite room, and the one that I want to share the photos of today were all the different signs that used to be outside shops to tell people exactly what was sold in the shop! Some of them are more obvious than others! I love the ornate key, and the snails, and yes, the shop sold snails!
The items in this collection come from Musee Carnavalet which is the museum of the history of Paris. When we visited Paris, I did hear about this museum but we were unable to squeeze it in. We had already added it to the list for the next time we visit Paris. This exhibition has definitely ensure that will be a must do!
After a quick lunch, we were also lucky in that we got to attend a fascinating talk by famous French Australian chef Gabriel Gate.He was talking about both the history of restaurants and food and his own career in food, using some of the illustrations from the exhibition as well as others.
Among the various things he talked about, including the different types of restaurants, and how the movement of people have bought different types of dining to Paris. For example, the Prussian wars which caused people from the Alsace-Lorraine area to move to Paris, and with them they bought brasseries, which originally was where beer was made. He also spoke about other types of restaurants such as bouillon restaurants, some of which are still open today, as well as much fancier restaurants like Le Cafe Riche
The 1900 World Exhibition was another key event bringing millions of people into the city and creating work. He shared a photo of a banquet that was held in 1900 was the Banquet des Maires where 22000 local maires were invited to Paris for a 6 course meal, served over the course of 90 minutes.
One of the statistics shared was that in 1789 there were around 100 restaurants in the city but by 1900 there was around 3500 eateries in the city. A lot of those very early restaurants were opened by the chefs who worked for the aristocracy but the French Revolution saw those chefs moving to the city.
In terms of his own history, Gate started working in kitchens in 1974 and he talked about how different that world was. When he started work there were still ovens that were heated using fires, you had to break up your own chickens and there were very specific rules about behaviour. For example, he worked in a restaurant where the kitchen was downstairs and under no circumstances were the downstairs staff allowed in the dining room. The only time he even saw the dining room was on his last day working there.
There were so many interesting stories that were shared as part of this session, and I am so glad that we took this opportunity to hear Gabriel Gate speak. I could have listened for much longer!
Welcome to this week's edition of Top Ten Tuesday which is hosted by That Artsy Reader Girl. This week's theme is Throwback Freebie (Pick a TTT topic that has been previously done. Maybe you missed it, weren’t blogging then, or you’d like to update an old list you made. All previous topics are listed below.)
We are part way through Paris in July (hosted by Emma at Words and Peace), so rather than do a throwback, I am going to choose the last ten books I have read with Paris in the title
A Love Letter to Paris by Rebecca Raisin - My review of this one will be up in the next couple of days! It was good though!
The Last Train from Paris by Juliet Greenwood - WWII, dual timeline and a really good read! (my review)
The Paris Agent by Kelly Rimmer - I have enjoyed all the Kelly Rimmer books that I have read so far
Mrs Harris Goes to Paris by Paul Gallico - I fell in love with the movie and then read the book. Here's my review of both
Twenty One Nights In Paris by Leonie Mack - This was my first Leonie Mack but I have read everything she has put out since. (my review)
The Girl from Paris by Ella Carey - Ella Carey has a few books set in Paris (my review)
The Black Swan of Paris by Karen Swan - This is a WWII novel but it is more of a thriller than I would normally read.
An American in Paris by Siobhan Curham - Another WWII novel (my review)
Saint-Germain-des-Pres: Paris's Rebel Quarter by John Baxter - I really enjoyed this short non-fiction look at a specific area of Paris
The Little Paris Bookshop by Nina George - Books and Paris. Yes please.
Have you read any of these, or have any other Paris suggestions for me?
Two close friends (one of whom happens to be Julia Childs)
Fabulous food
A body in the basement
A grumpy police detective
A dash of post war intrigue
Some fun secondary characters
Method
Take two American women who have become best friends after meeting in Paris. Add in a late night party, a missing knife, a body in the basement.
Add a very serious Parisian detective who turns up the heat of suspicion on our main character and then mix in a suspicion of espionage
Cook under pressure, until things begin to boil.
Sprinkle with misdirection
Season with a quest to perfect mayonnaise and lessons on how to make a perfect omelette.
When this book was announced as the current choice for Cook the Books, I was very pleased. I have been reading this author for years, following her through various identities and sub genres. I was also keen to read this because I loved the idea of having Julia Child as one of the characters.
Right from the opening paragraphs I expected this book to be fun:
Julia Child had a mayonnaise problem.
I knew all about it - every sordid detail - because, first, I was one of her closest friends in Paris, and second....well, I wouldn't be surprised if everyone in the seventh arrondisement - from the Place due Palais-Bourbon to the Tour Eiffel - had heard about the mayonnaise problem. Julia was just that kind of person. She was gregarious and ebullient and giddy and enthusiastic.
Tabitha Knight moved to Paris in 1949, and almost immediately made friends with Julia Child, who would later become known for her work on TV cooking shows. At this point, Julia is attending classes in Paris. When she is not cooking up a storm, Julia is attempting to both teach Tabitha to cook, and to encourage her to try and meet a good man!
After a late night party at Julia and Paul's apartment with Julia's theatre loving sister, Dort, Tabitha stumbles across the body of another woman who was at the party. She is found dead in the basement and most damningly, one of Julia Child's distinctive knives is found too. The French police, in the form of Inspector Merveille, are instantly suspicious that either Tabitha or Julia were involved in the murder, and so Tabitha needs to prove their innocence. Her natural curiosity soon leads her into investigating the crime, and draws her into an English speaking theatre world and a far reaching conspiracy.
Whilst I enjoyed all the characters, I think my favourites have to have been Tabitha's grandfather and her "oncle" (as in a very close friend of the family). Tabitha and the two gentleman share the house along with their adorable pets. It is inferred that the two men got up to all sorts of things in the war, and still have many contacts in all sorts of places, which come in handy whilst Tabitha is kind of sort of investigating the crime. Luckily, this is the first in a series so I am hopefully we learn more about them in future books.
I had been intending to try making a Julia Child recipe since I watched the TV series Julia last year. I still haven't actually watched the second series yet! One day.
When it came to deciding which recipe to cook, there were so many options. I did consider trying to make mayonnaise, which I have never done before, and I considered making the omelette which Julia tried so hard to teach to Tabitha in the book. I still intend to try to do both, but in the end I decided on a classic French recipe, Boeuf Bourguignon.
Here is the original recipe, as far as I can tell anyway!
Boeuf Bourguignon (Julia Childs)
8 oz bacon chopped 4 tbsp olive oil 3 lbs stewing beef, cut into 2-inch cubes. 1 large carrot, sliced 1 onion sliced. 1 pinch salt and fresh ground pepper 2 tbsp plain flour 3 cups red wine 3 cups beef stock 1 tbsp tomato paste 2 cloves garlic, smashed 1/2 tsp thyme 14 oz pearl onions, 18 to 24. 3.5 tbsp butter 1 herb bouquet (bay leaf, 2 sprigs thyme, 4 sprigs flat-leaf parsley, tied together.) 1 lb brown or white mushrooms, quartered.
Preheat your oven to 450°. Simmer the bacon lardons in a pot of water for about 10 minutes. Remove with a slotted spoon and let them drain on some paper towels.
Over medium heat, saute the cooked bacon in 1 tablespoon of olive oil for about 3 minutes. You'll want it to be lightly brown. Remove with a slotted spoon and set aside.
Take the beef cubes and pat them dry using a paper towel. Then, working in batches, sear the meat on all sides over medium-high heat in a large Dutch oven. Then set it aside with the bacon.
In the same Dutch oven, saute the sliced onions and carrots over medium heat for about 3 minutes. Add a little more olive oil (or butter) if necessary. Return the bacon and the seared meat back to the pot and sprinkle in about 1/2 teaspoon of coarse salt and about 1/4 teaspoon of fresh ground black pepper.
Sprinkle the flour in and toss. Place in the oven, uncovered, for 4 minutes. Remove the pot fro the oven, toss again, and place back in the oven for another 4 minutes. Then, remove from the oven and reduce the heat to 325°.
Pour the wine and the stock into the pot. You'll want enough so the meat is just barely covered. Then, stir in the tomato paste, crushed garlic, and thyme leaves. Bring this to a light simmer on the stove, then cover and place in the oven for 3 to 4 hours, until the meat is fork tender.
About an hour before you take the stew out of the oven, use a medium-size saute pan and heat 1.5 tablespoons of butter with 2 tablespoons of olive oil over medium heat. Add the pearl onions and cook until they are golden-brown, about 10 minutes. Then stir in 1/2 cup of beef broth, a pinch of salt and pepper, and the herb bouquet. Gently saute for another 30 to 40 minutes, until the small onions are soft.
Remove the pearl onions from the pan and set aside. Discard the herb bouquet and add the remaining butter and oil to the pan, over medium heat. Stir in the mushrooms and saute for about 5 minutes until they are soft. Remove the mushrooms and set aside with the pearl onions.
When the meat and vegetables are ready to come out of the oven, place a colander over a large pan and strain the liquid from the meat. Set the meat aside and bring the pan of liquid to a low simmer for about 5 minutes. Place the beef and vegetables back into the Dutch oven, then pour the sauce over that mixture. Stir in the pearl onions and mushrooms, and bring to a low simmer for 5 or 10 minutes.
Serve at this time or allow it to cool and refrigerate for a day or two before serving. The flavor will get better and develop with a little time.
I don't think I have ever seen pearl onions in the shops here, so we ended up using shallots instead of pearl onion, but other than we stuck mostly to the recipe.
I did pick up a couple of handy hints by reading various different versions of this recipe. We have a few different beef stews that we make, some of which include mushrooms. I have never seen a recipe where you fry off the mushrooms and then add into the pot for only a short time towards the end of the cook. By doing this, you end up still having a firmish texture on the mushrooms. The other thing that we have never done before was removing all the meat and then straining the sauce. The sauce looked smooth and glossy. It was amazing.
When I went to the shops to buy the ingredients. I was quite shocked by how much I had spent on what in theory was just one meal. In the end though we ended up having this for dinner two nights and I had the last bit for lunch as well. And the dogs got a bit of the gravy on their dinner too, so it didn't work out too badly in the end. What I didn't do, is remember to take a photo but it is difficult to take a photo of a casserole that looks good!
Here's Julia cooking the recipe back in the very first episode of her TV show.
I am sharing this recipe with Historical Fiction Reading Challenge and with Foodie Reads hosted by Based on a True Story
Weekly meals
Saturday - Boeuf Bourguignon Sunday - Boeuf Bourguignon Monday - Creamy Mustard Pork with mash, mushrooms and broccoli Tuesday - Green Chicken Curry Pie Wednesday -Tomato and Rice Soup Thursday - Pork Nachos Friday - Out for dinner
Weekend Cooking is open to anyone who has any kind of food-related post to share: Book reviews (novel, nonfiction), cookbook reviews, movie reviews, recipes, random thoughts, gadgets, quotations, photographs, restaurant reviews, travel information, or fun food facts. If your post is even vaguely foodie, feel free to grab the button and link up anytime over the weekend. You do not have to post on the weekend. Please link to your specific post, not your blog's home page
Here are 3 signs that you are really enjoying a book by an author you have never read before:
1. You are looking up the author's backlist to see which book you are going to buy next before you even get to 25% of the way through.
2. You are constantly swapping between your phone and your Kindle so that you can keep on readiing wherever you are.
3. Every time there was a time out in your son's basketball game, you start reading, even though it is only a few seconds.
When I saw this book, it was a no brainer that I was going to read it, based purely on the title, but also because of the gorgeous cover. Trying new authors doesn't always work well, but this book was definitely worth taking a chance on.
We meet Sarah as she is rushing through narrow laneways in Paris. She is trying to get to a shop to buy a specific bottle of wine for her demanding property developer boss, but as she rushes through the lane she stumbles across an antique toyshop. In the window, there is a set of animals that bring back instant memories, memories that she has worked hard to suppress for several years. Inside the shop is a magical world full of toys. Some are new, others are antique, and still others are being repaired. The shop is run by Franz, originally from East Germany, who focuses on creating delights for children of all ages. But not many people come into his shop. His landlord is threatening him with eviction if he can't turn things around.
Also in the store is author Tomas who comes to the store to pick up gifts for his next door neighbour Andre. Andre is a young boy who has not left his apartment due to fear. He is looked after by his grandmother Marthe who is struggling to cope with his issues, and is very much afraid to face up to her own medical issues. Tomas has a number of books published, but he is totally adamant that there is no publicity featuring his image. He prefers to be an international man of mystery
Each of our characters has experienced loss of some kind, and each of them are prisoners in their own lives in their own ways. And yet, as they come together they begin to help each other to face their past and look towards their future.
This book was so good! So good! It isn't always an easy read because some of the issues that the characters faced and their grief and challenges, but the story was revealed layer by layer for each of the characters with such care and tenderness.
Paris is very much integral to the story. Tomas gets to share his Paris with Sarah, taking her to sights such as the Orangerie and Sainte Chappelle amongst others places. And the toyshop just sounds so magical. It read as though it could just about be a tardis inside, with various rooms including one big enough for a mechanised castle!
I can't wait to read more from Lauren Westwood. If you have read her before what book would you start with?
Rating 5/5 (just my second 5/5 read of the year)
The Little
Paris Toyshop
In
the tangled streets of Paris, there is a toyshop…
A place where memories are lost and found, where pain and love, regret and joy
are waiting to be discovered.
The old man sets the animals in the cars of the miniature
train. A tiger with a jewelled collar, a monkey in a pillbox hat, a poodle, a
dancing bear, an elephant, an ostrich with plumed tail feathers. The music
plays; the animals trundle around the track. Their gentle faces have seen
everything and reveal nothing. The joy, the sorrow, all the spaces in between.
On the outside, they are smiling. Inside, they mourn the one that was lost.
When Sarah, a successful hotel designer, encounters a run-down toyshop in
Paris, little does she know that her life is about to change. Against her
better judgment, she agrees to help the elderly owner, Franz, save his shop and
transform it into a magical destination for children and adults. She meets
Tomas, a small-time crime novelist, who gives her a glimpse of a different life
– one that can only exist on the other side of her own grief and guilt. But
Tomas is hiding painful secrets of his own that threaten to destroy their
blossoming relationship.
Can two lonely people move beyond the shame and heartbreak of the past to find
their own happily ever after?
A spellbinding tale of love and memories lost and
found. Perfect for fans of Joanne Harris’sChocolat,
Karen Swan, and Jojo Moyes,The Little Paris Toyshopwill
hit every emotion for readers who love literary romance.
I write emotional women's fiction and intelligent romance. My books explore the darkness and the light of the human spirit, and take you on an emotional journey. My latest book, The Little Paris Toyshop, is a spellbinding tale of love, loss, memory, and Paris. Discover the magic and romance today.
Giveaway to Win 2 x e-copies of The Little Paris Toyshop by Lauren Westwood (Open INT)
*Terms and Conditions –Worldwide entries welcome. Please enter using the Rafflecopter box below. The winner will be selected at random via Rafflecopter from all valid entries and will be notified by Twitter and/or email. If no response is received within 7 days then Rachel’s Random Resources reserves the right to select an alternative winner. Open to all entrants aged 18 or over. Any personal data given as part of the competition entry is used for this purpose only and will not be shared with third parties, with the exception of the winners’ information. This will passed to the giveaway organiser and used only for fulfilment of the prize, after which time Rachel’s Random Resources will delete the data. I am not responsible for despatch or delivery of the prize.
Today's Christmas quote comes from the book Twenty One Nights in Paris. Whilst the title doesn't necessary tell you that this has anything to do with Christmas, but this book has quite a few Christmas references! Not to mention quotes about Paris!
Looking around desperately for shelter, she noticed shafts of warm light emerging from the gates of another market, painted a lurid yellow that was somewhat softened by the pine boughs hanging below the sign. prais the Lord, the market had a roof. Ren hurried in that direction, sighing when she reached shelter and the sleet no longer stabbed her nose.
There waas a thick warmth radiating from further inside and she followed the sensation as though drawn by a magnet. When she reached the source of the warmth, she could almost believe flea market Christmas magic did exist.
The warmth came from a wonderland of Christmas past. At the front stood a white carousel horse with a grey mane, finely sculpted, with a golden bridle and a glittering saddle. Carved wood panelling and antique mirrors adorned the walls, along with embroidered curtains with twisted rope tie-backs. A beautiful mahogany escritoire was off to one side, covered in letters addressed to 'Pere Noel'. Two fragrant Christmas trees stood in opposite corners of the space, glowing with lights. The moulded ornaments were plump and nostalgic - shiny pinecones, stars, baubles and Father Christmas. Some showed enough wear for Ren to guess that they were all vintage.
Opposite the escritoire, Ren found the source of the glorious warmth: an iron stove, with elegant scrollwork and glazed patterned tiles She tugged off her gloves and stepped forwards to warm her hand with blissful relief.
At the back of the stall, on a small platform covered by a Persian rug, stood the most extraordinary thing of all: Santa's sleigh. It was curved like a shell, with a space on the side to get in and out. The two benches were plush red velvet and the outside was decorated in the effusive, joyful golden ornamentation of the Bel Epoque, with leaves and plum swirls and a giant fake jewel. She guessed it had originally come from a carouset, but it was perfect for its new role.
Two small children sat in the sleigh talking to the man himself, gazing with wide eyes at his bearded face and the red fur-lined robe. They were admiring their fists: two rustic horseeshoes that they clanged together, making a satisfying tone in the hushed market stand.
Welcome to this month's edition of Six Degrees of Separation, which is a monthly meme hosted by Kate from Books Are My Favourite and Best. The idea is to start with a specific book and make a series of links from one book to the next using whatever link you can find and see where you end up after six links. I am also linking this post up with The Sunday Salon, hosted by Deb at Readerbuzz.
This month the starting point is The Snow Child by Eowyn Ivey.
The Snow Child is a fairy tale retelling. I do love a fairy tale retelling, although I haven't read this one. The first book that came to mind was Spinning Silver by Naomi Novik. I am aware that I have used this book before and when I looked at the next book, I realised that I am in danger of choosing the same books as I have before.
Therefore, for my second book I am going to twist a little and choose something a little different and choose a graphic novel. There are a whole series of graphic novels that feature well known fairy tale characters such as Snow White, Prince Charming and Old King Cole. Years ago, I read about 15 of these books but I chose Fables: 1001 Nights of Snowfall by Bill Willingham.
Another graphic novel author I have read and enjoyed is Marjane Satrapi. I have read her Persepolis books but this time I am choosing to focus on her book Chicken with Plums. I have watched the movie adaptation of Chicken with Plums. There is a section of the movie which is 20 minutes of montage and it is exceptional.
For my next book I am choosing a book called Die for Me by Amy Plum. This is a YA book featuring all sorts of paranormal characters. It also has an amazing cover. The book is set in Paris and you can tell that the author loves the city. In fact, there is one place that I am planning to visit in our upcoming trip to Paris because I read about it in this book.
A recent book that I read which had me salivating over the city of Paris was Twenty One Nights in Paris by Leonie Mack. And it had the added bonus of being set at Christmas.
Both of these books have an image of the Eiffel Tower, because let's face it there's not many books set in the city that doesn't. This is another.
Whilst I have a gazillion other books set in Paris that I could finish this chain with, instead I am going to choose a short story that I read last month by Alice Hoffman, called The Bookstore Sisters. I know that I really should read more of Alice Hoffman, but this is the only story I have read so far.
This month felt a bit harder than normal, but mainly because there were so many connections to books that I have already used before so I had to find different connectsion! I have, however, managed to get to the end!
Next months chain starts with Beach Read by Emily Henry, which I am super excited about because I love her books. I am not 100% sure that I will be able to do a Six Degrees post because I will be in Paris then, but let's see how we go.
Last week I read my third books set in France in less than two weeks! This time it was Twenty One Nights in Paris by Leonie Mack. I enjoyed it, particularly the descriptions of Paris! Now I am not really sure what to read.
I also finished listening to The Stand-In by Lily Chu. The audiobook was narrated by Hamilton actor Philippa Soo. The story is about a young Canadian woman named Gracie who is mistaken for a famous Chinese star and so is asked, and agrees, to be her secret stand in at social events. It was a lot of fun and a really good audio experience. I even sat around doing nothing other than listening to the book for the final hour.
I have decided to go with a completely different genre for my next audiobook. I have listened to the first few minutes of Project Hail Mary by Andy Weir. I love the movie of his earlier book The Martian, but I have never read him before.
I also need to figure out what my next book club read is going to be. The theme next month is "immigrant story". I am thinking that there are a couple of Lisa See books that I haven't read yet, or maybe Adriana Trigiani. I am sure I will come up with something to read in time.
I'm watching....
I read a story in the news about a shipwreck from 1911 which has recently been discovered. The story was recorded for a show called Shipwreck Hunters Australia, so we watched that episode, and then two more. The second episode is about looking for a ship that sank off the coast of Western Australia back in 1912 and the third show was about the search for flying boats that were sunk outside of Broome when it was bombed by the Japanese during WWII. The show is interesting but it is really the photography which is capturing our attention! We will be watching the rest of the series for sure.
Great British Bake Off is back although we are a week late in starting. Just means I get to watch another episode tomorrow night.
We went to the movies on Sunday to watch a movie that is showing at the Italian Film Festival called The Perfect Dinner. It is a foodie film with a bit of a Mafia twist wiith some romance thrown in for good measure. I really liked it.
Life
We went to see UB40 in concert on Friday night. The whole UB40 thing is a bit odd. There are two versions of the band. One bills itself as UB40 and the other as UB40 featuring Ali Campbell. The show was good but it was a bit strange that Ali Campbell didn't say a lot during the show.
This week our old house is finally handed over to the new owners, but now without a bit of drama here and there. I am looking forward to it being done!
Irena Asquith-Lewis (known as Ren) is a protected heiress to a large fortune. Sacha Mourad comes from the outer suburbs of Paris and has known poverty and pain. There is nothing that should cause these two people to meet, let alone anything more.
Ren's whole life is completely encompassed by the family business. She is the face of the business, living her life for all to see on social media. For the last six months, she has been living a lie, not having told anyone that she and her fiance Charlie have broken up, jeopardising a major business deal between the two families at the same time.
Ren is in Paris when the secret broken engagement is revealed and she is ordered to return to London by her domineering grandmother. On the way to the train station, she literally crashes into Sacha, causing him to be injured. She insists on taking him to the hospital, setting in train a series of events that take Ren completely out of her comfort zone. Forced to explain her continued absence from London to her grandmother, Ren suggest that Sacha be her fake boyfriend.
Sacha, with his Lebanese heritage, multiple tattoos and his poor background is exactly the kind of man that grandmother will disapprove of, but she agrees to let Ren have two weeks in Paris with Sacha, out of the public eye. For Ren, Paris consists of The Ritz and not much more, but Sacha shows her his Paris, introducing her to the people in his life, taking her places she would never have gone.
Sacha is my favourite kind of romance hero. He's somewhat mysterious, a deep thinker but with a heart of gold. And, given the behind-the-scenes machinations, he could quite easily be eaten up and spat out by the Asquith-Lewis machine. However, he sees more to Ren that just the pampered rich girl. He sees her heart. And soon, the feelings becomes real, even as the relationship should be coming to an end
The star of this novel is Paris itself. Every year as I read books I save quotes about books, food (to share in Weekend Cooking), about Christmas (to share in the lead up to Christmas) and about Paris ready to share during Paris in July. I cannot begin to tell you how many quotes I saved from this book. The descriptions of the city are breathtaking. You are there with Ren and Sacha as they explore the streets of Paris from the well known sites like Montmartre and the Eiffel Tower, and lesser known places and less enchanting parts of the city. You see the Christmas decorations in Galleries Lafayette, you feel the energy of the various markets and learn various bits of history.
I will read more Leonie Mack books for this aspect of her writing alone. I note that several of her books are set in Italy which suits me just fine.
We have six nights in Paris coming up early next year. I have added a couple of things to our to do list as a result of reading this book. I really hope I can see the magic as clearly as I could see it when reading this book.
Rating 4/5
Thanks to Netgalley and Rachel's Random Resources for the review copy of this book
About the book
Irena and Sacha come from two very different worlds. An heiress to a fortune, Ren’s home-from-home is the Ritz, while the handsome and brooding Sacha has grown up in Paris’s less salubrious suburbs. So when an accident brings them together, romance seems an unlikely outcome.
When Ren’s society engagement reaches a very public end, Irena’s over-protective grandmother wants her home in London. Ren needs an excuse to stay in Paris, and so after some persuasion, Sacha agrees to pose as her new boyfriend. But only for the twenty-one days Ren's grandmother has allowed her to nurse her broken heart before heading home to face the music.
Over the course of three weeks, Ren realises the world outside her exclusive bubble is more beautiful than she could have imagined. While Sacha reluctantly begins to see the goodness of the woman behind the wealth. When their time is up, will Ren want to return to her gilded cage, and will Sacha be able to let go of the woman he’s been ‘pretending’ to fall in love with…
Leonie Mack is an author of romantic comedies with great international locations and big feelings. She loves a happy ending and shares that love in every book she writes! She is a journalism graduate, a language nut and loves to travel, particularly on foot, by bike and by train. After growing up in Australia and living most of her adult life in London, she now lives in Germany, among the vineyards on the Main river.
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