‘A Paris Bookshop for the Broken-Hearted’: A Review
Let’s Set the Scene…
warm tones · magical cocktail & coffee bar · fairy lights · book arches · cozy loft & reading nooks · plush seating · vintage vibes · enchanting garden cafe · narrow rows of books · organized chaos · lush greenery & plants · a hidden gem · charming
After losing both her business and her boyfriend, Coco swears to never love again—only to find herself returning with her teenage daughter to her family home in the city of love itself, Paris, and running into (literally!) an infuriatingly handsome stranger everywhere she goes.
One fateful day, Coco stumbles into a mysterious and magical little bookshop complete with a café, cocktail bar, reading room and secret tunnel of books.. and the stranger from before. With the support of new bookish friends from the shop, Coco navigates her simmering tension with the stranger, while working to rebuild the fractured bond with her defiantly homesick daughter.
I didn’t expect to like it as much as I do! I read half the book in one sitting, which is especially rare for me with contemporary romance.
Before jet-setting to the Parisian plot, you need to first sit through Coco telling her life story at the startup. It wasn’t the best way to start the novel (info-dumping is one of my writing pet peeves), but the character’s charming wit made up for it and kept me interested. It also took me some time to get used to all the dialogue, which felt almost excessive in certain parts (+ the Gen Z slang was a little cringe-worthy at times.. maybe that was the author’s point?), but that’s slice of life/contemporary to you!
One thing I wish we got to see more of was Coco and Henri’s romance. It felt a little rushed/forced? As in, I felt like I didn’t even get to know Henri enough to fall for him, through Coco’s eyes.
I love how readers get to meet the members of Coco’s book club and each of their distinct personalities. Through these characters, the story explores different types of heartbreak— not just the kind from a romantic breakup—which included themes of abuse/neglect and grief.
The side plot about Coco’s daughter adjusting at school and to her new life was a solid addition to the story, addressing very real problems and feelings that teenagers in a new country may face.
This is definitely an enchanting, escapist little read for the hopeless romantic.
