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.
MY THOUGHTS
I really loved the book. Taking place in the romantic city of Paris, the city of lights and love. A delightful romance but the book didn’t solely focus on romance. It was female friendships, mother daughter relationships. These newly formed friendships were so lovely to see how supportive they were of each other.
Paris……….. I don’t think you can say anything bad about it. I became more enamored with-it page by page as I read about the charming descriptions.
The bookshop was truly magical, a place for romantic relationships to be made and great advice to be had.
This is truly a book to read when you have afternoon to yourself to devote to it because once you start you won’t be able to put it down.
I was given a complimentary copy of this book. All opinions expressed are my own.
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.
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I hope you are having a lovely day. Thanks for stopping in.
338 pages Boldwood Books publisher September 17, 2024 publication date buy link
ABOUT THE BOOK
Turn a tumbledown Paris hotel into a perfect boutique, bookish retreat, and have it open for Christmas? What could possibly go wrong?
When Anais receives a near-derelict Paris hotel in her divorce settlement, her first thought is to tidy it up and sell it immediately. All she wants is to move on and forget her disaster of a marriage ever happened.
But selling it proves impossible, so she has only one option: to make it gorgeous and open by Christmas… when her funds will almost certainly run out.
She’s not counting on the grumpy American bar-owner next door, Noah, coming and interfering at every moment though. Nor is she expecting to find a mysterious room – which holds the key to a one-hundred-year-old secret – about a woman who chose love against the odds.
One thing’s for sure… as the fairy lights twinkle all over the city of lights and the first snowflakes start to fall… this will be a Christmas in Paris to remember.
MY THOUGHTS
A warm hug in a book. This one was lovely with lots of descriptions of Paris life and foods.
Renovation of an old, dilapidated Parisian hotel into a new and modern boutique and bookish retreat had all the bookish feels you can imagine. The book also deals with Anais’s writers block after a divorce from a man just a little too charming with the ladies.
There is a mystery attached to the hotel, and we get lots of hotel renovation details. I was drawn into the Paris life and the many literary references as I read.
I was given a complimentary copy of this book. All opinions expressed are my own.
MEET THE AUTHOR
Rebecca Raisin is an internationally bestselling romance writer from Perth, Australia. Her books are set in stunning locations around the world providing a touch of escapism for her readers and those who like to partake in a spot of armchair travel from the comfort of their own home. Rebecca writes quirky heroines who haven’t figured it all out yet but are perfectly relatable, flaws and all. You’ll find themes such as friendship, love, new beginnings, food, wine and travel. She’s known for writing books for book lovers. Her next book: The Paris Bookshop for the Broken-Hearted is being published by Boldwood Books on February 3rd 2025. It’s a heartwarming tale about the power of reading and the finding community in bookshops.
Rebecca’s novel, Rosie’s Travelling Tea Shop has been optioned by MRC Films for film adaptation.
A must-read for fans of Kate Quinn and Kristin Hannah!
Paris 1930s
A promise that binds them together. A war that pulls them apart.
Childhood companions Fleur and Colette make a vow, under the trailing ivy of their secret garden, that they will be secret sisters forever. But as they grow up, the promises of childhood are put to the ultimate test. For Colette is the daughter of the house, and her life is all jazz clubs, silk dresses and chilled champagne, while Fleur is the orphan niece of the housekeeper and doesn’t feel like she belongs anywhere.
Years later, in 1939, life as they know it will never be the same. As the German tanks roll in and Paris becomes an occupied city, the promise they made as children will have consequences they could never have imagined…
MY THOUGHTS
WWII historical fiction that was thought provoking yet entertaining. Two girls growing up together with vastly different backgrounds, one rich and accustomed to only the best life can offer, the other the niece of the housekeeper.
As these girls grow into women, they do their best to keep that childhood promise they made to stay in contact and be secret sisters. Besties for life. Paris, romantic, thrilling but then the war comes.
Life will never be the same for these women, life throws curves at them they could not have seen. So many circumstances they experience together and apart.
Life hits them hard but yet there is still joy to be find despite circumstances beyond their control. Romance is inevitable in a lovely book taking place in Paris but yet it is not the main focus.
The sisterhood, a lifetime of changes, vast differences still the bond is unbreakable between these women. Very much enjoyed this book.
I was given a complimentary copy of this book. All opinions expressed are my own.
MEET THE AUTHOR
lisabeth writes romantic historical fiction as Elisabeth Hobbes and historical folklore/fantasy romance as Elisabeth J. Hobbes.
She teaches Primary school and unlike her characters, the six year olds generally do what she tells them. She spends most of her spare time reading and is a pro at cooking one-handed while holding a book. She loves to travel and explore, looking for places to inspire her characters into life.
Elisabeth lives in Cheshire because the car broke down there in 1999 (though at heart she’s still a Yorkshirewoman). She has two almost grown kids, two cats, two dogs and a husband. The whole family are autistic. She dreams of having a tidy house one day.
325 pages Cinnamons Rolls and Pumpkin Spice series September 24, 2024 publication date
ABOUT THE BOOK
n a city known for its romantic clichés, can reality surpass the fantasy?
Paris in the fall. The Eiffel tower, the blanket of colorful leaves on the ground of the Jardin du Luxembourg, the picturesque cobbled streets of Montmartre. Sounds amazing, right? That’s exactly what I thought when my boss offered me to come here to critique restaurants.
Well, the reality is a completely different beast.
There is no accordion music playing in the street, the city smells like smoke, and I have yet to see a single guy wearing a beret! This was all a lie.
To top it all, I’m now a prisoner of this city because of a national strike keeping all planes on the ground and flooding hotels capacities. At least one cliché wasn’t false.
Enter Olivier Brun, chef of a Michelin star restaurant and as hot as a pizza oven who offers me a room and even cooks me breakfast. So, when he asks me to pretend to be his date for his matchmaking mom’s birthday, I return the favor.
As we get to know each other through pun-filled cooking lessons, farmer’s market outings and autumn festivals, I start to fall in loaf with Paris… and Olivier. Suddenly, the idea of relocating here isn’t as crazy.
But does Olivier feel the same? And if he does, will he be able to get past the fact that I lied about my job?
Paris, Pumpkins & Puns is a closed-door romcom with cozy autumn vibes, plenty of cooking puns and an irresistible Frenchman.
Fans of Fake Dating and Secret Identity, you’ll enjoy this standalone novel full of laughs and sizzling chemistry without the explicit scenes!
Enjoy the other full-length books in the Cinnamon Rolls and Pumpkin Spice series, which can be read in any order:
Hating the Cinnamon Roll CEO by Camilla Evergreen Falling for Autumn (Again) by Jen Atkinson Paris, Pumpkins & Puns by Marion De Ré Fall With Me by Amanda P. Jones Cinnamon & Spice Conundrum by Leah Busboom Cinnamon Roll Set Up by Genny Carrick Coffee Break with the Billionaire by Holly Kerr The Friendly Fall by Kristine W. Joy
MY THOUGHTS
It’s almost Fall so what am I doing? Reading Fall themed books of course and this one hits the nail right on the head. Who doesn’t love a rom com with the cutest Fall cover?
An American food critic is sent to Paris to do food reviews for her work. Now a person dining alone in Paris maybe should set off bells but after taking over his dad’s restaurant head chef, Oliver doesn’t think anything about it he just wants to impress his customers. He can’t help thinking how pretty this American customer is but she’s less than impressed with this bland cooking.
When she can’t find a place to stay at a hotel he offers her a room at his house. She takes it on a friends only basis. But when his mother tries once again to matchmake for him he tells her he has a new girlfriend, let the fake dating begin.
What happens when your fake dating rules seem to become more of a bother as each day comes along. This foodie rom com is filled with delicious sounding food preparations on every page, the essence and elegance of Paris, and marvelous Fall vibes. What happens when you want to stop the fake dating and for it to become the real thing?
When Oliver realizes she has kept a huge secret from him will she have to leaf? Filled with fun puns and lots of French language which only added to the charm of the story. I’d love to read more by the author.
I was given a complimentary copy of this book. All opinions expressed are my own.
MEET THE AUTHOR
Marion De Ré is an Amazon Bestelling author of closed-door romantic comedies with sass, swoonn and sizzle. She lives in the French countryside with her husband and adorable cat. You can expect all your beloved tropes in her writing as well as a good dose of humor and all the feels. When she’s not reading or writing, you can find her on a plane to a far-away destination or in a Champagne cellar, indulging in a tasting of her favorite drink.
Get a free story by susbcribing to Marion’s newsletter directly on her website!
The Paris Daughter: An absolutely unforgettable page-turner full of family secrets (The Lost Daughters)
Paris, 1939: Gazing out at the glittering skyline, Evelina clutches the letter from her love in shaking hands. “I know I do not deserve you, my darling, but I pray that you will change your mind. You have my heart, and I hope that nothing will keep us apart…”
London, present day. Blake gazes down at a scrap of shimmering silver velvet attached to a faded dress design, tracing the details with wonder. They were left with her grandmother at Hope’s House, a home for unmarried mothers, before she was adopted. Now her beloved grandmother has passed, the beautiful fabric and the designer’s signature are the only clues Blake has about her biological family. Will she be able to unravel the decades-old family secret?
Blake can’t get the intricate drawing, and what it could reveal about her family, out of her head. Armed with a plane ticket, a Paris address and the details of a handsome fashion curator named Henri, Blake is determined to find out the truth about her talented great-grandmother Evelina’s life. Perhaps doing so will help Blake get her old spark for designing back, after her dreams have sat forgotten for so long.
Soon Blake is walking down the Champs-Élysées and enjoying intimate dinners with Henri,who is researching Evelina’s work as one of Paris’ most celebrated designers, whose bold designs rivalled Coco Chanel’s. As Henri and Blake grow closer, they uncover Evelina’s legacy, and her forbidden romance that set the fashion world ablaze.
As Blake discovers the impossible choice that caused Evelina to flee the most romantic city in the world, she wonders if she too could risk everything for love. Could hearing tales of her great-grandmother’s bravery encourage her to take a chance on a new life with Henri? Or will the fallout of Evelina’s heart-wrenching past drive Blake back home?
A completely addictive and emotional novel about family secrets, forbidden love and having the courage to follow your dreams. Perfect for fans of Santa Montefiore, Lucinda Riley and Victoria Hislop.
Written by one of my favorite authors of historical fiction. When she has a new book publishing, I greatly look forward to reading it. The Paris Daughter is the fifth book in the Lost Daughters series, of which I have read all of the books. This is such a beautiful story, told in a time-slip manner.
1939 Paris: Evelina comes from a working background of farmers; it is to be her lot in life to become a farmer’s wife like her mother and grandmother have before her, but she wants something more in life. She has a secret notebook with sketches of stunning evening dresses of the highest fashion. Her dreams are hers and hers alone as she’s not supported in her dreams by her parents so she must leave home. Becoming a well-known fashion designer is an accomplishment she has worked years towards, and it is finally hers.
Modern times London: All women adopted from Hope House a helpful home for unwed mothers is given a box filled with precious mementos from their mother to help the now adult child find their parents if they want to. Blake has her grandmother’s box, and it has items connecting her to a famous fashion designer of some years back. She is desperate to find who this woman is as she travels to the city of love and finds love there herself, unexpectedly. Will being surrounded by high fashion houses and designers bring the spark back into Blake’s life and give her the courage to design again?
Upbeat, romantic, encouraging, a real page turner that I couldn’t put down.
I was given a complimentary copy of this book. All opinions expressed are my own.
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MEET THE AUTHOR
Soraya Lane graduated with a law degree before realising that law wasn’t the career for her and that her future was in writing. She is the author of historical and contemporary women’s fiction, including the #1 Kindle bestselling novels The Last Correspondent and The Secrets We Left Behind.
Soraya lives on a small farm in her native New Zealand with her husband, their two young sons and a collection of four legged friends. When she’s not writing, she loves to be outside playing make-believe with her children or snuggled up inside reading.
Paris, 1940:Madeline tries to scream, but she can’t breathe. A German soldier is working to free her from the rubble – but if he reaches her, he will find the books hidden beneath her clothes…
When the Germans seize Paris, its peaceful streets fill with terror overnight, and nowhere is safe. Desperate to help her friends, Parisian bookseller Madeline Valette turns her bookshop into a sanctuary for those in hiding, but she knows it’s only a matter of time before she’s found out.
So when she is asked to join the Resistance and smuggle banned books from Berlin, she accepts, desperate to defy the Nazis. And while she wants to save precious books from destruction, she also hopes her trips to Germany might help her find the last living connection she has to her beloved husband…
Because Madeline has received a letter from a German woman called Ada, the mother of her husband’s son. Facing persecution, the Jewish boy is in terrible danger. But where are they now, and can Madeline help them before it’s too late?
When Madeline finally finds Ada and the child, she realises Ada is at the mercy of a high-ranking Nazi official and both their lives are now at risk. Can Madeline get them to safety? Or will the unthinkable happen to this innocent child?
The second unputdownable novel in the Paris Sisters series, this is the story of two women’s bravery in the face of the darkness of the Second World War. Perfect for fans of Roberta Kagan, Kristin Hannah, and Fiona Valpy.
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MY THOUGHTS
I knew as soon as I started this book, I wouldn’t be able to put it down and it kept me reading until the wee hours of the morning. This is a series which I strongly suggest you read in order. Book 0 is The Paris Orphans, book 1 is The Last Day in Paris and this is the Paris Sisters series.
I’ve read most all of the author’s books, and I’m always so impressed by how well researched the books are. She adds little known facts about WWII into her books making them so realistic that I feel as though I could take the hand of the scared and crying child in the book and comfort them.
With this being a dual timeline at times you don’t make the connection right away in some books, not the case here. I very much enjoyed meeting one of the characters as a child in one of the timelines and seeing them as an adult as well. We are shown how the effects of the war and all they had to go through affected who they became.
During WWII ordinary people, many of them women became heroes as they exhibited extraordinary bravery far above what they though themselves capable of. Highly recommended!
I was given a complimentary copy of this book. All opinions expressed are my own.
MEET THE AUTHOR
Suzanne Kelman is a 2015 Academy of Motion Pictures Nicholl Finalist, Multi-Award-Winning Screenwriter and a Film Producer. As well as working in film she is also an International Amazon Bestselling Fiction Author of the Southlea Bay Series – The Rejected Writers’ Book Club, Rejected Writers Take the Stage and The Rejected Writers’ Christmas Wedding. Born in the United Kingdom, she now resides in Washington State.
Clutching her suitcase tightly to hide her trembling hands, Charlotte takes a steadying breath. This is the most dangerous thing she has ever done, but the lives of five innocent children are depending on her. I can do this…
Paris, 1943: As Charlotte rushes into the station, she can feel the unmistakeable chill of being watched. Turning her head, she catches the eye of a Nazi guard, and forces herself to slow down. Not today, please not today…
Reaching the platform, she sees her sisters Isabelle, Madeline, Antoinette and Gigi waiting with five children, fear etched onto their young faces. As she gets closer, Charlotte can see each child has a faded patch on their coat where a yellow star has been carefully unpicked.
Once she and the children are onboard, Charlotte turns and stares down at her sisters on the platform. Squeezing her eyes shut, she tries to imprint their beloved faces in her mind. And as the whistle blows, she presses her hand to the cold glass, murmuring a silent prayer that her sisters will be safe, and that they will all meet again…
As she turns her attention back to the children in her care, her heart breaks to see tears glistening in their eyes. Taking a deep breath, she promises that they will be safe, that she won’t let anything happen to them. But has Charlotte just made a promise she can’t possibly keep?
The prequel to the Paris Sisters series, this short story tells a tale of bravery and determination in the face of the darkness of the Second World War. Perfect for fans of Roberta Kagan, Kristin Hannah, and Fiona Valpy.
MY THOUGHTS
Oh, I really love this author’s books. So realistic, your heart beats faster as you read while holding your breath. A brave young woman, one of five sisters, Charlotte takes with their parent’s permission, 5 children on a train ride. Thinking to take them out of the city away from the Gestapo’s as the children are Jewish away to safety. Children under twelve don’t need papers and she has her false identification papers with her. The train ride is long, and you can feel the fear pouring off the children as the German police are everywhere. Charlotte stays brave in the face of danger for the children’s sake and knows the trip is not much longer and they will be free of danger. When it’s discovered one of the children has a forbidden item and then she is betrayed by the one she thought she could trust who will she turn to and what will happen to the children? This is the prequel to the Paris Sisters series and ends in a cliff hanger, so I’ll need to continue reading it to find out what happens. I eagerly look forward to finding out what happens to the characters whose bravery shines.
Free download on Amazon here. I’m not sure if it’s free in any other countries besides the US right now.
THE AUTHOR
Suzanne Kelman an Amazon bestselling author in America, the United Kingdom, Canada, and Australia, and her books have sold over 400,000 copies worldwide accumulated 10 rights deals across eight territories. Her WW2 historical fiction books are published by Bookouture – an imprint for Hachette U.K.
She is also the author of the bestselling book, “The Rejected Writers’ Book Club”, published by Lake Union, which is the first book in the Southlea Bay series. Other books in the series include, “Rejected Writers Take the Stage” and “The Rejected Writers’ Christmas Wedding”.
Kelman is an award-winning writer/screenwriter whose accolades include the Best Comedy Feature Screenplay Award from the L.A. International Film Festival, the Gold Award from the California Film Awards, and the Van Gogh Award from the Amsterdam Film Festival.
In 2015 her script, Held, was recognized by the Academy of Motion Pictures and was shortlisted to the top ten in the Academy Of Motion Pictures Nichols Fellowship competition.
As well as a screenwriter and a published author, Suzanne is also a playwright, and her award-winning comedy play, “Over My Dead Body”, had its World Premiere at Outcast Theatre in Washington, Fall 2019.
Born in the United Kingdom, Suzanne now resides in Washington State.
332 pages Bookouture publisher Pub Date 18 Jul 2022
ABOUT THE BOOK
Paris 1944. To save her people, she served the enemy.
In enemy-occupied Paris, as the locals go to bed starving and defeated by the war, music and laughter spills through the door of a little restaurant, crowded with German soldiers. The owner Marianne moves on weary feet between its packed tables, carrying plates of steaming, wholesome food for the enemy officers. Her smile is bright and sparkling, her welcome cordial. Nobody would guess the hatred she hides in her heart.
That night, the restaurant closes its doors for the final time. In the morning, the windows are scratched with the words ‘traitor and murderer’. And Marianne has disappeared without a trace…
Years later, Marianne’s granddaughter Sabine stands under the faded green awning, a heavy brass key in her hand, staring at the restaurant left to her by the grandmother she never met. Sabine has so many questions about herself. Perhaps here she can find answers, but she knows she isn’t welcome. Marianne was hated by the locals and when Sabine discovers they blamed her for the terrible tragedy that haunts the pretty restaurant, she is ready to abandon her dark legacy.
But when she finds a passport in a hidden compartment in the water-stained walls, with a picture of a woman who looks like her grandmother but has a different name, she knows there must be more to Marianne’s story. As she digs into the past, she starts to wonder: was her grandmother a heroine, not a traitor? What happened to her after the tragic night when she fled from her restaurant? And will the answer change her own life forever?
A haunting and compelling story of love, strength, and sacrifice in Nazi-occupied Paris as one brave young woman risks everything to save the lives of those around her. Fans of The Nightingale, The Paris Library and The Alice Network will lose their hearts to The Last Restaurant in Paris.
A dual timeline taking place in modern times of 1987 and WW11 years. A gentle back and forth storyline each one easy to follow. Sabine finds out she has inherited a restaurant business in Paris from her grandmother. She is shocked to find out family secrets she had known nothing about.
The author vividly brings the story to life, and it is based on true events. Finding out these secrets is haunting as we can easily visualize the restaurant full of life.
While the young pretty owner of the Parisian restaurant smilingly serves the enemy German soldiers no one can guess the secret she harbors in her heart. Heartbreaking and thought provoking.
The main plot of the story is the action taken that causes her to be labeled a traitor and murderer. I enjoyed reading Gabriel’s thoughts as he actually knew Marianne during WWII. The book has the running of the restaurant as the main focus during the war, which is different than many books, I’ve read but it works well.
This is a book that won’t be easily forgotten.
Pub Date 18 Jul 2022 I was given a complimentary copy of this book. All opinions expressed are my own.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Lily Graham is the author of the bestselling, The Last Restaurant in Paris, The Paris Secret and The Island Villa, among others. Her books have been translated into numerous languages, including French, Italian, Polish, Portuguese and Turkish.
She grew up in South Africa, and was a journalist for a decade before giving it up to write fiction full time. Her first three novels were lighter, women’s fiction, but when she wrote The Island Villa, a story about a secret Jewish community living on the tiny island of Formentera during the Spanish Inquisition, she switched to historical fiction and hasn’t quite looked back since.
She lives now in the Suffolk coast with her husband and dog.
Paris, 1943. I stare at Charlie across the crowded room. Working deep undercover, we’re surrounded by Nazi high command. Slowly, he smiles at me and my breath catches. I have to trust him, or we’re both dead…
As war rages across France, English exile Christine has become the most deadly asset the British Secret Service has in occupied Paris. But when Suzanne, her best friend and the sole agent who knows the details of the top-secret D-Day landings, is betrayed to the Nazis by someone at the heart of their spy network, she is devastated. Going undercover with Charlie – a handsome but elusive American spy with an agenda of his own – is her only chance to catch the traitor in their midst.
Pretending to be not only Nazi collaborators but lovers too, they must save Suzanne from almost certain death and prevent the D-Day landing plans from ending up in the wrong hands. But as Christine and Charlie’s pretend desire turns to true love, her past – and the real reason she had to leave England forever – puts their whole mission in terrible danger.
With the Nazis closing in and Suzanne’s life on the line, Christine is forced into one last, desperate act: heading back into deepest, darkest enemy territory, knowing her disguise could have been exposed. With even her trust in Charlie shaken, will Christine have to choose between her love for him, her best friend’s life, and freedom for France? And who will pay the ultimate sacrifice…?
MY THOUGHTS
I catch my breath every time I read a historical fiction book by Amanda Lees. I love the fact that they are based on actual events and characters. The intense research the author has done has me appreciating her time. I was truly lost in the story vividly imaging the goings on while reading.
Set in wartime Paris, Christine, working as an agent for the British Secret Service knows how to hide in plain sight. She also knows who to associate with and who to avoid. Filled with wartime tension, I always hold my breath reading these types of books because the spies no matter how good they are at times their senses fail them and they are double crossed thinking they can trust someone, and they are on the other side.
I think Christine is my favorite character, she uses her beauty to seduce men to give up their secrets as they are convinced, she is part of the Nazi collaborators. She is strong, brave and doing what she feels is her part by staying one step ahead of the Nazis.
I think I fell a little in love with Charlie, Christine’s love interest. She is not sure if he can be trusted at first, he is an American spy, she is with the British Secret Service they must lay aside doubts and form a trust as they become Nazi collaborators and eventually lovers.
This book is gripping and when I wasn’t reading it, I was thinking about it. Unputdownable, you’ll feel the tension rising off the pages. Don’t read this at bedtime if you want to get any sleep. This book brought me to tears more than once. Heartbreaking and realistic we see that light shining at the end of the tunnel.
I was given a complimentary copy of this book. All opinions expressed are my own.
A totally compelling, page-turning historical novel of love, bravery and sacrifice in the darkest of times. Set in wartime Paris, this is an utterly gripping and tear-jerking read perfect for readers of Kate Quinn, Rhys Bowen and Mandy Robotham.
Amanda Lees is an author, broadcaster and an actress. She has written for, or contributed to, the Evening Standard, The Times, US Cosmopolitan and Company Magazine, as well as numerous online publications. Amanda appears regularly on BBC radio and LBC and was a contracted writer to the hit series Weekending on Radio 4.
As well as her new World War Two romantic thriller series, she has published two bestselling satirical fiction novels, a YA thriller trilogy and a number of non-fiction titles including The Dictionary of Crime.
A young woman with the extraordinary power to bring soulmates together searches for her own true love in this tender, lyrical standalone novel inspired by the “bona fide international hit” (The New York Times Book Review) The Little Paris Bookshop
In Nina George’s New York Times bestseller The Little Paris Bookshop, beloved literary apothecary Jean Perdu is inspired to create a floating bookstore after reading a seminal pseudonymous novel about a young woman with a remarkable gift. The Little Village of Book Lovers is that novel. “Everyone knows me, but none can see me. I’m that thing you call love.”
In a little town in the south of France in the 1960s, a dazzling encounter with Love itself changes the life of infant orphan Marie-Jeanne forever.
As a girl, Marie-Jeanne realizes that she can see the marks Love has left on the people around her—tiny glowing lights on the faces and hands that shimmer more brightly when the one meant for them is near. Before long, Marie-Jeanne is playing matchmaker, bringing true loves together in her village.
As she grows up, Marie-Jeanne helps her foster father, Francis, begin a mobile library that travels throughout the many small mountain towns in the region of Nyons. She finds herself bringing soulmates together every place they go—and there are always books that play a pivotal role in that quest. However, the only person that Marie-Jeanne can’t seem to find a soulmate for is herself. She has no glow of her own, though she waits and waits for it to appear. Everyone must have a soulmate, surely—but will Marie-Jeanne be able to recognize hers when Love finally comes her way?
My Thoughts
The book has a open, flowing sense to it. It’s fun, whimsical and different. Our story starts out with a young female orphaned baby in the South of France in the 1960’s. The story is told in Love’s point of view. It touches people, blows in the wind, it’s in the trees. It’s free flowing, all surrounding. It’s not just romantic love, parental love, friends love. Marie-Jean is a matchmaker and sees love all around her, but will she find her own? Will love freely flow to this gentle soul and send her soulmate to her? Very open, seeing, seeking and encouraging book. Well written.
Pub Date 25 Jul 2023 I was given a complimentary copy of this book. All opinions expressed are my own.
The Author
Born 1973 in Bielefeld, Germany, Nina George is a prize-winning and bestselling author (“Das Lavendelzimmer” – “The Little Paris Bookshop”) and freelance journalist since 1992, who has published 26 books (novels, mysteries and non-fiction) as well as over hundred short stories and more than 600 columns. George has worked as a cop reporter, columnist and managing editor for a wide range of publications, including Hamburger Abendblatt, Die Welt, Der Hamburger, “politik und kultur” as well as TV Movie and Federwelt. Georges writes also under three pen-names, for ex “Jean Bagnol”, a double-andronym for provence-based mystery novels.
In 2012 and 2013 she won the DeLiA and the Glauser-Prize. In 2013 she had her first bestselling book “Das Lavendelzimmer”, translated in 27 langues and sold more than 500.000 copies.
In November 2011, Nina George established the “JA zum Urheberrecht” (YES on Author’s Rights) initiative, which supports the rights of authors, artists and entertainers and is dedicated to resolving issues within the literary community as well as establishing fair and practical rights-license models for the web-distribution. 14 writers’ associations and 27 publishing partners have since joined the JA…-Initiative. George supports the “Initiative Urheberrecht” (Author’s Rights Initiative—www.urheber.info) as well as the “gib 8 aufs Wort”-campaign of the VG Wort.
In August 2014 George initiated the Amazon-protest in Germany http://www.fairer-buchmarkt.de, where overs 2000 germanspeaking authors – Nobelprizewinnig Elfriede Jelinek or Bestsellingauthor Nele Neuhaus – sign an open letter to Jeff Bezos and Amazon, protesting against the banned-book-methods of the giant retailer in the Hachette/Bonnier-dispute.
In 2015 George is the founder of the Initiative Fairer Buchmarkt e.V., which supports questions of law in daily business of authors – for ex in contracts, fees or author’s rights and e-Business.
George is Member to PEN, Das Syndikat (association of German-language crime writers), the Association of German Authors (VS), the Hamburg Authors’ Association (HAV), BücherFrauen (Women in Publishing), the IACW/AIEP (International Association of Crime Writers), the GEDOK (Association of female artists in Germany), PRO QUOTE and Lean In. Nina George sits on the board of the Three Seas Writers’ and Translaters’ Council (TSWTC), whose members come from 16 different countries.
Nina George teaches writing at Literaturbüro Unna, Alsterdamm Kunstschule, Wilhelmsburger Honigfabrik, where she coaches young people, adults and professional authors.
George also moderates (bilingual) readings and works as a speaker.
Die mehrfach ausgezeichnete Publizistin Nina George, geboren 1973, veröffentlichte bisher 23 Romane, Krimis, Science-Thriller sowie ca. 88 Kurzgeschichten und über 500 Kolumnen.
Ihr Pseudonym Anne West gehört zu den erfolgreichsten deutschsprachigen Erotika-Autorinnen.
Für ihren Roman Die Mondspielerin wurde George mit der DeLiA 2011, dem Literaturpreis für den besten Liebesroman des Jahres, ausgezeichnet. Mit dem Wendekrimi Das Licht von Dahme war George 2010 für den Friedrich-Glauser-Preis nominiert. Sie gewann ihn 2012 mit dem in Nigeria angesiedeltem Fußballkrimi „Das Spiel ihres Lebens“.
George gründete 2011 die Initiative „JA zum Urheberrecht“, mit der sie sich aktiv für die Rechte aller Kreativarbeiter und Kulturschaffenden gegen die Mentalität der Gratiskultur im Internet einsetzt.
Sie ist Mitglied im Syndikat, den Mörderischen Schwestern sowie des Verbands deutscher Schriftsteller.
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