3.5* ( )

One Summer in Paris is a lovely, easy read that is perfect for fans of Susan Mallery, Elin Hilderbrand or Mary Kay Andrews. It is the tale of two very different women escape from their current lives and travel to Paris. In doing so, each discovers herself. The chapters alternate between two female characters. Author Sarah Morgan does an excellent job balancing the two storylines which intersect midway through the book. They are an unlikely duo, but each finds something they need in the other, and the friendship works.

In an interesting setup, Audrey - who speaks no French and, as a dyslexic, hates books, takes a job in a bookshop with the plan to just wing it.

Spoiler: she does not wing it, and lands herself in a bigger mess. She's a fighter, and you will find yourself rooting for her as much as she makes you cringe.

It was a plot that felt familiar at the start - mostly Grace's escape from the hurt and disappointment of her failed marriage into the beauty of Paris, where she spent time in college and fell in love, leaving behind a man she thought was her soulmate. But as the story progresses, it takes an unusual turn and becomes much more complicated than I anticipated. As usual, Morgan does a wonderful job with character development, and the women are flawed but relatable. The romance elements of a story really take a backseat to each character's journey of self-discovery.

One Summer In Paris is a heartwarming, delightful read, and if I have any complaint, it might be that one of the storylines wraps up a bit too happily-ever-after, and while I'm not sure how I would do it differently, I guess Sarah Morgan has more belief in others and the power of forgiveness than I do!

I really enjoyed this novel and think it would make the perfect vacation read! ( )

Hated it

Total fantasy, but I am SO not at a place to be ok with the ending. Totally ruined it for me. ( )

A sweet contemporary romance about friendship and second chances. It takes place in Paris (which is why I bought it, tbh), but not really. There's very little description of the city, the people, the experience, it could be anywhere really. I was somewhat disappointed by this aspect, otherwise a sweet, easy read. ( )