The Little Paris Bookshop: A Lackluster Journey

When it comes to deciding what I want to read, I usually just go with whatever strikes my fancy. Sometimes it's the cover the catches my eye and makes me want to read the book. Other times, it's the synopsis that pulls me in. For The Little Paris Bookshop by Nina George, it was both! It was lucky for me, then, that Blogging for Books sent me a copy to review.

 

The cover really sets the mood for the beginning of this book and the letter is a nice teaser for a pivotal plot point! Unfortunately, that's where my enjoyment of The Little Paris Bookshop ends. It's not that this book isn't good. On the contrary, it was very well written! I can tell that the author has lots of writing experience, and she has a unique style that adds to the voice the story carries. For me though, this story was not very attention catching. A large part of this book is spent on the protagonist's boat trip. While the trip took the protagonist through one eventful meeting after another, by the third flashy new character, all of the chance meetings started to blend together. At the end of the book, I felt like I had read a lackluster accounting of someone's summer holiday. Instead of being a fun read, it had become a tedious chore, which is why I gave the book 2 stars out of 5.

 

While it wasn't my cup of tea, The Little Paris Bookshop will appeal to people who like stories about transformational journeys. I wouldn't recommend this book for anyone who is mentally younger than 'college' age. However, if you're an old soul or just like heart-wrenching stories, this book is for you!