Christmas in Paris by Anita Hughes

Publication: October 4th 2016

Publisher: St. Martin’s Griffin

Genres: Adult, Contemporary, Romance, Chick-Lit

Format: eARC Source: Publisher via Netgalley

My Rating: 

Isabel Lawson is standing on the balcony of her suite at the Hotel Crillon as she gazes at the twinkling lights of the Champs Elysee and wonders if she’s made a terrible mistake. She was supposed to be visiting the Christmas tree in the Place de la Concorde, and eating escargots and macaroons with her new husband on their honeymoon. But a week before the wedding, she called it off. Isabel is an ambitious Philadelphia finance woman, and Neil suddenly decided to take over his grandparents’ farm. Isabel wasn’t ready to trade her briefcase for a pair of rubber boots and a saddle.

When Neil suggested she use their honeymoon tickets for herself, she thought it would give her a chance to clear her head. That is until she locks herself out on the balcony in the middle of winter. Thankfully her neighbor Alec, a French children’s illustrator, comes to her rescue. He too is nursing a broken heart at the Crillon for the holidays. With a new friend by her side, Isabel is determined to use her time in the city of lights wisely. After a chance encounter with a fortune teller and a close call with a taxi, she starts to question everything she thought was important.

Christmas in Paris is a moving and heartwarming story about love, trust, and self-discovery. Set during the most magical week of the year, the glorious foods and fashions of the most romantic city in the world are sure to take your breath away.

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~REVIEW~

Christmas in Paris is a fast-paced, charming read, filled with all things Paris. I love the setting, food, clothing, and landmarks that the author weaves into the story. The romance was pretty fast, and I do like the characters – Alec more than Isabel, but there was just something missing to make me swoon or just want to read more of the story. Still, if you love your romance set in the city of love, then this Parisian Christmas will be a treat to read.

This story follows Isabel Lawson as she honeymoons in Paris alone, after calling off her wedding. Isabel is a planner- education, work, marriage, family. So when her fiance wants to take over the family farm, Isabel thinks that the best thing to do is call it quits. Neil’s idea for their future looks entirely different from her own, and she doesn’t want regret later on in the future if she were to settle down with him. To me, Isabel was a little OCD with her high standards. I may have rolled my eyes a few times. But….I do love stories where women know what they want out of life. She didn’t settle, so there’s that. Of course, this wouldn’t be romance without meeting some other heartbroken soul to explore the sights of Paris with. Alec’s fiance ran off with a football? soccer? player, and happens to be in the room next to Isabel’s when she gets locked out of her room. 

I like Alec because, even though he has his heartbroken, he was a simple guy. He loves what he does as a children’s book illustrator, and has no need for the finer things in life. He’s pretty content and is a really laid back guy. My problem is with Isabel. So much of the story was focused on her past failed engagement. No, not Neil. The story isn’t that long and I would have liked more Alec. However, all the French food and attractions made up for it. That’s one thing I love about reading stories set in Paris, the sights, sounds, and tastes. I am going to get there one day! The sex scenes are very tame, so this is what I’d call a clean romance. There’s a lot more telling than showing and it really goes well with the overall story.

Do I recommend? Yes! Even though I would have liked more romance, I can’t deny that Paris at Christmastime is where I want to be. You will probably find yourself Googling a lot while reading. I couldn’t stop myself every time something French was described in this book. And the author does an amazing job on making the reader see Christmas in Paris.