The Little Bookshop on the Seine | Rebecca Raisin

Title | The Little Bookshop on the Seine 

Author | Rebecca Raisin 

Publisher | Carina 

Publication Date | 16th October 2015

Source | Purchase (eBook)

Purchase | Amazon  

A Page of Fictional Love Rating | 5/5 

Bookshop owner Sarah Smith has been offered the opportunity to exchange bookshops with her new Parisian friend for 6 months! 

And saying yes is a no-brainer – after all, what kind of a romantic would turn down a trip to Paris…for Christmas?

Even if it does mean leaving the irresistible Ridge Warner behind, Sarah’s sure she’s in for the holiday of a lifetime – complete with all the books she can read!

Imagining days surrounded by books, munching on croissants, sipping café au laits and watching the snow fall on the Champs-Élysées Sarah boards the plane.

But will her dream of a Parisian Happily-Ever-After come true? Or will Sarah realise that the dream of a Christmas fairytale in the city of love isn’t quite as rosy in reality…

Rebecca did it again - she made me lose myself in one of her books and dream of bookshops and Paris with romantic ideals! Now I have "Learn French", "Visit Paris", written on my bucket list - all because of this book. 

I adore meeting up with characters I first got a glimpse of in The Gingerbread Cafe series, and this time I got to catch up with a girl after my own heart, Sarah from the bookshop on the corner. There are brief mentions of Lil (who is ready to pop her little baby girl out), CeeCee who makes me laugh so much, and we even catch up with Clay & Lucy whom we met in Secrets at Maple Syrup Farm. That's the magic of Rebecca's books, they are literally like a catch up with friends. 

Anyway, we shall focus on Sarah who has a hunky boyfriend Ridge who she barely sees, yet she remains ever the devoted believer of true love conquers all. Sarah has a friend who owns a bookshop in Paris and when Sarah is contacted by her, is told that her boyfriend has left her and she needs to escape - to Ashford! But there is a catch, she wants to swap bookshops with Sarah for a short time! 

Sarah has never been out of Ashford, and has self esteem issues from her teenage years, and she has to decide what she wants more; Security and Stability, or Adventure and Excitement. Needless to say, she chooses to swap bookshops and head to Paris. During her stay she has to contend with the profits being down, rude staff, Ridge's fleeting calls and 1 day in Paris before he 'had' to fly off again for work, and having her suitcase and passport stolen the second she arrives. She also had some highlights; a visit to the antique shop under the Eiffel Tower, a shopping spree once she could afford it, lovely moments with visitors to the bookshop, and the uncovering of a romantic mystery. 



Rebecca perfectly captures the descriptive beauty of Paris and you can't help but want to book a ticket ASAP, and lose yourself in the story of Sarah in Paris.

The characters are captivating, intriguing, and very Parisian Chic. I couldn't help but race through the book in a weekend, yet at the same time I didn't want it to end, because when I finished the book it was as if my holiday in Paris was over and that did make me sob. 

I loved the romance theme that ran through the book, it wasn't hardcore romance, but sweet and dreamy which is just what you want when you pick up a book to read. It was traditional to the core, and a treat to the soul. I loved every page and can't wait to read the next installment when we get to discover more about The Little Antique Shop under the Eiffel Tower.