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A review by beate251
Christmas at the Little Paris Hotel by Rebecca Raisin
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
Thank you to NetGalley and Boldwood Books for this ARC.
Anais is a 38 year old divorced romance writer with writer's block owing to emotional turmoil. Her ex-husband Francois-Xavier cheated on her and managed to get the seemingly better deal in the divorce - she's left with the run-down boutique hotel in the middle of Paris he bought with her cash for too much money.
Her only option is to renovate it to be able to sell it for a better deal, with the help of her feisty cousin Manon. But on the first day she already clashes with her neighbour and fellow business owner, 40 year old American Noah who runs some literary wine bar and is a grumpy mansplainer.
Then Anais and Manon accidentally discover two secret rooms that hint a female writer lived there a long time ago for a while. But who was she and why did she hide? Can they find her secret memoir?
This is my third new Rebecca Raisin book this year and the second to take place in Paris. No writer's block here!
I love how the hotel is made a haven for book lovers, with a big library, book names for the guest rooms and complimentary books, and I think the literary mystery brings a certain je ne sais quoi to the story.
I have to say though, as much as I love Manon, I'm not loving Noah. The way he treats Anais at the beginning is ridiculous. He behaves like a pompous arse and she has every right to give as good as she gets. Nothing to do with her divorce making her bitter! She makes lots of excuses for Noah, saying he acts the way he does "because he’s hiding his own hurt." That doesn't give anyone the right to be rude to people! He is nicer in the end but it takes way too long.
Personally, I think calling this book "Christmas at the Secret Library Hotel" would have worked better. I'm never a fan of the word "little" in a romance book title. Dream big, ladies!
The lovely cover gives you a gentle Christmassy feel, copious litres of mulled wine are drunk, and the run-up to a French Christmas with all its traditions is well observed. I didn't really mind that the focus was on the hotel renovations and secret writer mystery though.
It is interesting to get behind the scenes of a romance novel writer's life, something the author can obviously draw on from her own experience. I hope she didn't have a scary agent on her back for this one!
It is lovely to see Lilou and Geneviève, characters from the previous book "A Love Letter to Paris" make a quick cameo appearance, tying the two books together.
All in all it's a fun, feel-good literary-themed holiday read for book lovers at Christmas that will make you wish you could book yourself right into the Secret Library Hotel's Meet Me in Paris suite!
Anais is a 38 year old divorced romance writer with writer's block owing to emotional turmoil. Her ex-husband Francois-Xavier cheated on her and managed to get the seemingly better deal in the divorce - she's left with the run-down boutique hotel in the middle of Paris he bought with her cash for too much money.
Her only option is to renovate it to be able to sell it for a better deal, with the help of her feisty cousin Manon. But on the first day she already clashes with her neighbour and fellow business owner, 40 year old American Noah who runs some literary wine bar and is a grumpy mansplainer.
Then Anais and Manon accidentally discover two secret rooms that hint a female writer lived there a long time ago for a while. But who was she and why did she hide? Can they find her secret memoir?
This is my third new Rebecca Raisin book this year and the second to take place in Paris. No writer's block here!
I love how the hotel is made a haven for book lovers, with a big library, book names for the guest rooms and complimentary books, and I think the literary mystery brings a certain je ne sais quoi to the story.
I have to say though, as much as I love Manon, I'm not loving Noah. The way he treats Anais at the beginning is ridiculous. He behaves like a pompous arse and she has every right to give as good as she gets. Nothing to do with her divorce making her bitter! She makes lots of excuses for Noah, saying he acts the way he does "because he’s hiding his own hurt." That doesn't give anyone the right to be rude to people! He is nicer in the end but it takes way too long.
Personally, I think calling this book "Christmas at the Secret Library Hotel" would have worked better. I'm never a fan of the word "little" in a romance book title. Dream big, ladies!
The lovely cover gives you a gentle Christmassy feel, copious litres of mulled wine are drunk, and the run-up to a French Christmas with all its traditions is well observed. I didn't really mind that the focus was on the hotel renovations and secret writer mystery though.
It is interesting to get behind the scenes of a romance novel writer's life, something the author can obviously draw on from her own experience. I hope she didn't have a scary agent on her back for this one!
It is lovely to see Lilou and Geneviève, characters from the previous book "A Love Letter to Paris" make a quick cameo appearance, tying the two books together.
All in all it's a fun, feel-good literary-themed holiday read for book lovers at Christmas that will make you wish you could book yourself right into the Secret Library Hotel's Meet Me in Paris suite!