Christmas In Paris by Tilly Tennant
My review
3/5 stars
Having read, and enjoyed, Cathy's Christmas Kitchen by this author last year, I was excited to see that her new offering was available on NetGalley and requested it immediately.
Sadly, it fell a little short of my excitement once I had finished reading it. My main issue with the book is that it is marketed as a romance novel, but it took almost half the book for the romance to actually begin. The first half of the book was focused predominantly on the friendship between the main character, Brooke, and her best friend, Felicity. While I enjoyed this friendship immensely, and it felt very well-written, it is not what I came to the book for.
Furthermore, Armand, the love interest, felt stilted and forced as a character. There didn't seem to be any tangible chemistry between him and Brooke and I felt totally disconnected to him as a character in his own right. Their romance felt rushed and was absolutely not the foundation for the book that I expected it to be.
What I did enjoy about this book was the ambience and the ease of reading. The author did a fantastic job of capturing what it must be like to be in Paris during the festive period. It all felt very cosy and welcoming, with great descriptive language.
It was an alright read, but it wasn't what I was expecting from the book's marketing.
*I received a free copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
Book blurb
As the snow flutters down on the Eiffel Tower and fairy lights sparkle on the pavement cafés of Paris, meet the girl determined not to fall in love in the most romantic city in the world…
When Brooke arrives in Paris at Christmas, it feels like the perfect place to escape her heartbreak after being dumped by her long-term boyfriend. And while her head might be turned by the romance of couples strolling arm in arm along the riverbank, and the air scented with chocolat chaud, her heart remains firmly under lock and key – this trip is going to be about her.
But when a chance encounter leads Brooke to green-eyed Armand with his dark wavy hair and warm smile, she is annoyed to feel her heart skip a beat… And when he opens his heart to her in a candlelit restaurant and kisses her at the top of the Eiffel Tower, she throws caution to the wind. Armand isn’t her ex – and doesn’t she deserve a second chance at love?
But when Armand begins to blow hot and cold, she wonders if she has been taken for a fool. Why does he lie about where he has been? Who is the mysterious tall blonde French woman who always seems to be watching Brooke? And when Armand leaves Paris without warning as Christmas Eve approaches, will Brooke be able to find out what he is hiding? Brooke will need the courage to leave her own past behind if she is to find magic this Christmas…
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You can buy the book here now. It was published by Bookouture.
For more on the author, you can head to her website, follow her on Instagram, or check out her Goodreads page.
