Eugene and Tatiana knew each other for a brief but tumultuous summer when they were young. Around ten years later, they meet again on the train and feelings that didn't have time or room to grow when they were teenagers come back up. Going back and forth between that summer and the present, Eugene and Tatiana explore what it means to relive a relationship after you have changed from the person you once were. Young love given another chance is always an interesting topic to explore but the omniscient narrator was odd at times.

This is not your typical YA book, and that can be a very good thing. Translated from its original French,In Paris with You follows two individuals over time and explores their relationship. This is not a bubbly love story; it’s an existential exploration between Eugene and Tatiana. It is also written in a style that jumps between time, POV, and verse.

This book is a retelling of the Russian classic Eugene Onegin by Alexander Pushkin. I wasn't familiar with the classic so I googled it as soon as I finished
In Paris With You. I am so glad I did because it gave me a greater appreciation for the book and it's characters.

I read in some reviews that some people didn't like Eugene. I believe that in many ways we aren't suppose to. If Clemntine Beauvais, the author, was reflecting the original story I believe she represented Eugene well as a "superfluous character" who parties, is cynical, and feels a sense of existential boredom. He even participates in a modern duel. The modern Eugene seems depressed and lost rather than just selfish and pessimistic. Tatina represented both a classic and modern version of a thoughtful and deep teen girl that grows into a real intellect . I found her likeable but Eugene is who really drives the story for me.

The story is confusing at first , alternating between points of view and past and present. However, this style also lead to the anticipation. The story is in verse which made it easy to read quickly and I was anxious to figure it out. Like a good love story this was filled with passion. And due to the pace of the story I was swept up and even felt my breath quicken as I approached the ending.

Some with be frustrated by the ending, some will find it realistic, and some will want to continue the story in their own head.

I honestly didn't feel like this was a YA book. Although teens could read it I don't think they'd get as much out of it without an English prof alongside to help them see all the existential elements. I pictured reading this in high school with my favorite English teacher helping me see the deeper meaning in the story. I've seen this book compared to Eleanor & Park and I don't see that at all. Possibly it is more like the adult read One Day. However, I think it is a much deeper story than either of those (and Eleanor and Park is one of my favorites) I don't think this is as "enjoyable" as Eleanor and Park, I hate books being compared to it, I am almost always let down. Then I need to step back and judge the book in it's own right. In doing that, I could then appreciate this book for something different. I think it is literature that deserves to be picked apart, analyzed, and then one can see the beauty in it.

Lastly, the translation and writing was exquisite. I had to reread lines to grasp the true beauty in them . I feel like this is one I will want to reread, highlight and even write notes on the side.

In Paris With You

This story follows Tatiana and Eugene. They meet as teenagers and share a unique relationship with one-sided feelings. When a betrayal and traumatic event occur, they go their separate ways. Ten years later, they run into each other unexpectedly in Paris. Feelings (re)surface, questions come up, and the past is revisited. Should they start over, go separate ways or rekindle what they once had?

This book was completely different than what I normally read. It is written as poetry, which I did not realize until about 20% into it. Once I realized that, the format at least made a bit more sense. However, I am not a fan of poetry and would not have started this book had I know this. Honestly, everything about this book was really haphazard to me. It jumped around all over the place. It was really hard to follow at times because the sentences would just run on in many places without any capitalization or punctuation. As a proofreader and grammar lover, this was exceptionally painful to me. I should also note that this was apparently originally written in French and then translated to English by someone other than the author. Because of that, I’m hopeful that the French version is at least a bit better. It wasn’t that I hated the story as a whole, but I couldn’t get past the choppiness and complete disregard for the rules of grammar. I’ve seen this book get some really good ratings, so maybe a poetry lover would really enjoy this! It just wasn’t for me.

I love any book set in Paris, so I was excited about this novel. Unfortunately, I just couldn't get into this book. It didn't flow very well for me and I ended up not finishing the book.

I have beef with New Adult as a genre, because instead of being a multifaceted genre about adults in their twenties flailing through all the complexities of life, it has become a code for “erotica light.” Therefore, I’ve generally steered clear. And then I saw the cover of the new English translation of Clémentine Beauvais’s 2016 French young adult novel In Paris with You and I felt a need.

The premise of the book is that Eugene and Tatiana had a chance at romance that never came to fruition, and then ten years later they get another chance. Will they be able to make up for lost time and find their way back to each other or will it be another missed connection?

I knew going in that In Paris with You wasn’t going to be the typical YA novel. It was originally written in French, and therefore the English translation is an interpretation, its own literary product based on that original thing (I speak and read French so now I’m really curious to read the original book). In terms of narration and subject, it feels unabashedly French, so just go in knowing this isn’t going to feel like the typical YA novel.

Because of the ages of the characters, this book felt simultaneously like a young adult novel and a new adult novel collapses into one. There are parts of the book that are told when Eugene and Tatiana are in their teens and then parts told when they’re in their twenties. What I think this book does best is capture the feelings of love typical in people in those age groups. There’s the sweet, but viciously consuming love of one’s teen years through the form of quickly formed infatuations and attachments. There’s the burning, all-consuming desire of one’s twenties. If you’re into romance and like both YA and NA books, this one is for you.

What I also loved about this book was just the layers of complication in terms of Eugene and Tatiana’s feelings about one another. This isn’t a straightforward romance. I love how the character’s pasts, their anticipated futures, their families, their jobs and etc. interfere with their feelings for each other. I love the conclusion and end of the novel as it felt right in the context of the overall narrative.

However, the prose does not read at all like a YA novel, and that’s where I was disappointed because it’s marketed as for teens. There is a certain level of distance throughout between the ambiguous third person narrator and the action. In some places, the narration worked for me, especially during the poetic parts of the plot, but it other places it felt strange and jarring. In terms of narration, it felt more like a literary fiction novel and that didn’t fit well with how the book was marketed and packaged in terms of its cover.

However, overall it works. This is an honest, complicated story about love and I enjoyed the story. If you love books about France, about unrequited love, about art history and about a guy who ends up pining for the girl, this is the book for you.

In Paris With You is a unique yet simple love story that has intense emotions. I loved the connection between the characters it made it so much more fun reading it. Eugene and Tatiana are meant to be but when they listen to others and don't follow there heart the love story that could have been takes another road until fate brings them where they are meant to be. Absolutely stunning book!

Beautifully written prose swirls around a story debating the existence of lasting love. Optimism vs. nihilism. The story is told from the present and the past to acknowledge how memory dilutes and feelings remain more than details. Tatiana and Eugene are realistically flawed beings who have hopes of something more than fizzled romance, but is the risk worth the pain when love fades and banality ensues. Can the embers of love be stoked for a flame that burns as the blazing sun of romance dips to the west? Is it worth it to build the fire in the first place when to sparks are ready to ignite?

The story prompts reflection on the past, consideration to what could have been, and consideration of a future that can be more the the accepted complacency of the masses.

What an exquisite little book this is. I don’t usually go for novels in verse, but the way the author (and her translator) use language, and pacing, and line breaks made me fall in love right away. This is a really simple story about a girl who runs into an almost-lover from her teenaged years but it’s so full of depth and told in such a beautiful way that it actually made my heart swell.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for providing me with an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you net galley for the advance copy of this novel. I was excited time was this until I opened in my kindle. The formatting made it very difficult and the storyline was one one that grabbed or held my attention. I will try this novel again once in print.

This is some kind of badly formatted attempt at long poetry and I am so not here for it. I thought it was a romance set in Paris, and maybe it is but I only made it to 9% and had to give up. It was a total mess. Not at all the type of book I like to read. I did not finish.

In Paris With You
Clementine Beauvais
It was a cute story but the POV was very weird and I know it was translated from French but it seemed weird to me. A good book none the less.
3 stars

Gosh, I really expected to love this book. I kept hearing good things about it. It just left me so confused though. I can’t get past the fact that it was narrated like a play by some character that was never given a name. It didn’t seem to be anyone’s conscience because I think both of the main characters were connected to it. And sometimes it was hard to tell who “me” was in the story. When someone was talking and they said “me” was it the mystery narrator or one of the characters?

I found the writing style unique. It was basically written like a poem or prose. It was long and without punctuation. It was unique but not necessarily something I loved.

About the characters, Tatiana and Eugene met when she was 14 and he was 17. She fell in love with him and he broke her heart by declaring that they could never be together.
Of course that makes sense given their age difference but you can tell that it was more about him being jaded than his age. He thought he knew the way the world worked and that Tatiana was foolish for believing in love.

They meet again ten years later and they are given a second chance. And this time, Eugene pursues Tatiana. I definitely appreciated the karma there, that suddenly he couldn’t stop thinking about her.

That said, I always liked Tatiana more than Eugene. He’s not the most likable guy in the world.

I got to read an early e book edition from NetGalley. I would call this book unique but I wouldn’t say I understood it.

a love story, romantic, funny and timeless. written and translated in easy breezy verse with great charm. A quick read that I took breaks from expressly to slow down the experience. set in contemporary Paris, two adults who missed connecting as teens (much dramatic backstory here) try a tentative courtship. lovely voice to the novel, perfect for the summer.

This was a cute romantic book but I did not entirely enjoy the narration of the story. For some reason it took me a while to get used to. There were some sweet romantic moments but I didn't Find myself rushing to finish it.

You'll fall in love with Clémentine Beauvais book In Paris With You. This book will have you swooning right along with Eugene and Tatiana. Such a great romance for teens. Great book!!!