Often, any book that includes the word “bookshop” automatically scares hardcore readers. Why? Well, books about bookshops and bookshop owners are hard. They can get too into themselves in trying too hard to prove their love of books. The description of the smell of books can go on for pages when all the reader really wants is to get to the plot! Little Bookshop on the Seine does not suffer from this affliction though. The characters were fun, the plot was enjoyable, and one could easily picture this bookshop as Shakespeare’s bookshop in Paris while the book went on.

The only issue I could really see was that the ending wrapped up a little too quickly and neatly. However, it makes one excited to dive into the rest of the books in the series.

Enjoyed the bookshop swap premise and setting in Paris. A lighter, quick read with a bit of romance.

This was a very sweet book and a quick read. Quite enjoyable and I think people will really enjoy this book quite a bit if you're looking for a fluffy romance.

Rebecca Raisin places our heroine in the Little Bookshop on the Seine.  Her boyfriend is a journalist boyfriend Ridge is always on assignment and Sarah accepts an exchange with a bookstore owner in Pairs to see a new scene.  Relations with her new staff are difficult but she is enjoying Paris.  What can go wrong?  Modern romantic relations with romantic setting.  Enjoy.

The Little Bookshop on the Seine completely sold me on the idea of the bookstore swap and Paris. I think I was expecting more of a romantic comedy (similar to the movie The Holiday) and that’s not what this book is. Instead, it’s more of a contemporary romance. I think if I’d gone in with the right expectations, I would have enjoyed this book a lot more. It has a great finding-your-way journey, some excellent friendships, and a bookstore that will haunt your dreams (seriously, I want to move in).

I’d recommend reading this one around the holidays, it has that holiday cheer that works perfectly during that time of year. Also, fair warning, you will want to travel to Paris after reading this. 

*Disclaimer: I received a free advance digital copy of this book from the publisher. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

As a reader, there is nothing that enchants me more than a setting of a bookshop. However, as much as I loved the setting, I wished for more in the story and I also wished for more in the romance. 

Honestly, the story was fairly boring. I held out hope that it would get better once the main character met a new love interest. Well. I can't give any spoilers away but know this: I was disappointed on that front. That's all I will say. 

For the romance component of this novel, there was no chemistry and it honestly seemed like a terrible relationship to be in. Not only would I not want a similar relationship for myself, but I would also not want a similar relationship for any of my friends. 

It took me longer than I expected to finish this book because I just kept putting it down. Every time I found the story was becoming too dull, down the book went. Unfortunately, that happened quite often. 

There are many cozy romance reads out there that are set in both bookshops and in Paris. This is not one that I would recommend. 

***Thank you to the publisher for supplying me with an ARC of this book via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review***

Very cute premise, Sarah getting to go to Paris to run a bookshop, what could be better?! Her long distance relationship may get to have a better meeting point, and books! I would have liked to do more around Paris, but the book info was ok.

I like this book at times but at other times I almost stopped for no other reason than I was just not too sure where this author was taking the character.  In parts, the descriptive storytelling was a bit too much for my liking and it caused a stop in the flow of the stories for me.  I had hoped the ending was going to be different than the one we got but it was a HEA.

I had great hope at the start of the book as I love the book story swap and Paris.

It was so enjoyable following Sara on this journey. From small town book store to the Once Upon A Time book shop on the Siene in France. She really had a lot of obstacles that she had to deal with a long the way, but she made the decision, left her comfort zone, and really embraced life! She was content in her small town life, but something made her take this risk and when she traded bookshops with a friend in France, she turned her whole life upside down. I really liked reading about her coming into her own and taking control of things, making new friends, enjoying the sights in France and figuring out her love life.

This was a great end to 2019!! I was pleasantly surprised by this book. I picked it because it looked like a quick easy read and celebrated the holidays in Paris. What could be more wonderful than Paris at Christmas?!? One of my favorite trips was to Paris and I figured it would take my mind off things. Rebecca’s research was well done. The story took me back to my time there right down to the smells and the creak of the floors in the old buildings along the Seine. It certainly took my mind off the trials and tribulations of the last year and set me up for a great start to 2020. Although this is a re-release, you should find it very current in feel and appropriate for any time of the year.

The story is of the emergence of a young woman into her own. Sophie takes a chance on swapping bookshops with a friend in Paris and sheds the fears of a lifetime that have stifled her love of books and people. In the new shop she learns how to speak up for herself and ideas. She also discovers she’s stronger than she thought. The one part of her life that seems to get worse in Paris is her relationship with her boyfriend. It seems he is nowhere near settling down and his absence leaves her facing fears of him straying, or that she loves him more than he loves her. She questions everything until she is strong enough to press him about his absence and where he saw himself with her. The changes for Sophie opened up her heart and her world to so much more than she had in her little shop in America.

If you’ve ever been in a long distance relationship this book will definitely speak to you and feel like you are there again. It’s an emotional read that will have you wondering how you lived without seeing Paris, just once. Do you struggle with the way direction your life is going? This might be just the ticket to inspire you to made some changes be those large or small, but change all the same. I’m feeling that way after reading such an inspiring novel and I’m also dreaming of Paris. This will definitely make my Top 10 of 2019 list just for the sake I felt something change in my heart over the course of the read. Not all books touch me like that, so it is definitely memorable.

Such a cute, fun little story. This was the perfect read during the winter months. I love books like this!

A cute love story with cozy settings and strong characters- an awesome read! I was sucked in immediately and couldn't put it down; if you're looking for a romance with atmosphere and are a fan of quaint book shops this is a must read.
I can't wait to read more by Rebecca Raisin in the future!
Check it out!

read this novel in about two days near the beginning of last month, which was about five months after I was approved for it.  By the end of the digital advance reader copy, I was quite happy that the publisher was tardier in archiving than I was in reading.

Part of the reason that I delayed reading this book was because it was 416 pages, which is a lot of cozy romance for me to handle.  However, once I opened my file, I discovered that this digital advance copy actually contained two novels, roughly 200 pages each.  I could handle 200 pages of cozy romance, postponing the second novel until I was ready to handle more.  The first novel was the titular Little Bookshop on the Seine; the second novel was the precursor, The Bookshop on the Corner.

Both books were classic cozy romances, although The Bookshop on the Corner was more so than The Little Bookshop on the Seine.  From the first chapter of each, I felt like each was destined to end with a happily ever after.  Because of that feeling, I didn’t put much stock in the drama and tension that the author attempted to build, especially in The Little Bookshop on the Seine.  The bitchy Parisian bookseller was bound to have a heart of gold.  The untouchable Parisian bookseller was bound to find love.  And, of course, the seemingly wayward boyfriend was bound to end up settling down with the protagonist.  As for The Bookshop on the Corner, I already knew from first having read the second novel in the series that the two main characters would end up together.  So reading that novel was just a mater of waiting and watching for it to happen.

However, this was a decent example of the cozy romance genre.  Everyone got their happily ever after ending.  There was no profane - or even edgy - language.  There was no intimacy aside from kissing on page.  Everything was soft, smooth, and easy going.  So it was a nice change of pace from my super hectic daily life.

I received this book as a digital advance reader copy from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

The Little Bookshop on the Seine was an enjoyable romance that I read in a day. I love stories about bookshops so this peaked me interest from the start. This is a “becoming” story of an introverted bookshop owner from a small American town. The main character, Sarah, is quite comfortable with her life, as is, but is wondering if comfort equals complacency. When Sophie, Parisian friend and fellow bookstore owner, suffers a romantic heartbreak she proposes that she and Sarah switch bookshops for a while. With Sarah’s reporter boyfriend away on assignment, anyway, she agrees to the switch. Two days later, Sarah is off to a Paris. While Sarah enjoys the sights, sounds and tastes of Paris, working at Once Upon a Time is not what she accepted. Surly employees, mysterious theft, and a worrying over her relationship with Ridge, Sarah is homesick and disappointed in herself for the way she handles things. As she perseveres, week after week, Sarah finds a strength and a voice she didn’t know she had. Sarah makes new friends and positive changes to the bookstore and her wardrobe! When Ridge and Sarah are finally reunited for Christmas in Paris, Sarah gets her beloved HEA. Thank you to Netgalley and Harlequin for this delightful ARC in exchange for an honest review.

2 Stars / 1 Steam Fans 

I don't even know where to start with this review. I should begin by stating that I really liked the beginning of this story. It gave me 'The Holiday' feels with Sarah switching bookstores with her Parisian friend during the holiday season. Upon Sarah's arrival at the Paris bookshop, she finds that she is out of her element. Sarah has to find a way to keep pace with the bookshop's sales but also build structure. The introduction of so many characters got a little frustrating because the story felt as if the reader should know about the characters already. As the story continued, the more I lost interest in any of the characters, especially Sarah and her love interest. I don't even want to start to get into my dislike for Sarah's relationship mentioned throughout the story. In many ways, Sarah was just a doormat and took whatever she was told as truth when it was evident that her boyfriend was a douchebag! 

Video review available in Week 6 Feb 2 – 8 weekly book reviews. 

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I greatly enjoyed this book. I do love books set in Paris, bookshops, libraries, and tea shops (oh, and bake shops), so they had me at "Bonjour". Fun!

I wanted to like this book so much but it just wasn't what I was expecting and it felt depressing. I loved the idea for the plot, what bookworm doesn't love stories featuring book stores? But I didn't like the main character or how stressful everything was. I want to escape into a book, not read about things that make me stressed out too. I did enjoy the parts about Paris and thought that those were well done. Overall though this wasn't the book for me and I will likely pass on reading anymore in the series.

Rebecca Raisin's books have been on my radar for awhile now but, for some reason or another, I just never picked one up. That changed when I had the chance to review the newly rereleased The Little Bookshop on the Seine. It seemed like a perfect read for me as it featured a (bit too) dreamy bookshop owner who travels to Paris to explore a brand new world and tries to jumpstart her stagnated life.

Here's the synopsis:
It’s The Holiday on the Champs-Élysées in a great big love letter to Paris, charming old bookstores and happily-ever-afters!
When bookshop owner Sarah Smith is offered the opportunity for a job exchange with her Parisian friend Sophie, saying yes is a no-brainer—after all, what kind of romantic would turn down six months in Paris? Sarah is sure she’s in for the experience of a lifetime—days spent surrounded by literature in a gorgeous bookshop, and the chance to watch the snow fall on the Eiffel Tower. Plus, now she can meet up with her journalist boyfriend, Ridge, when his job takes him around the globe.

 

But her expectations cool faster than her café au lait soon after she lands in the City of Light—she’s a fish out of water in Paris. The customers are rude, her new coworkers suspicious and her relationship with Ridge has been reduced to a long-distance game of phone tag, leaving Sarah to wonder if he’ll ever put her first over his busy career. As Christmas approaches, Sarah is determined to get the shop—and her life—back in order…and make her dreams of a Parisian happily-ever-after come true.
I think I might have been burned just a little bit by high expectations. I had already seen some glowing reviews from bloggers I trust so I went in expecting something fantastic - which may have been a mistake. The book was really sweet and a nice read but it didn't completely wow me. 

Sophie (the owner of the Paris bookshop who came up with the whole swap idea) is completely unreasonable. I was so frustrated with how she was reacting to the issues Sarah was facing. What did she expect would happen? And even though it was part of her story arc, Sarah's inability to stand up for herself - at first - was hard to read. Maybe it's one of those cases of it's hard to read because I sometimes feel like that too and it's a part of my personality that I'd like to work on. Too much psychoanalysis for a book review? Moving right along!

The other thing that nagged at me a little was that, while this is a stand-alone novel, it does follow a novella about Sarah and how she and Ridge originally started dating. Do I think you need to read it first? Not necessarily. I didn't, after all (though I learned I do have it on my kobo and have for some time...). But there were a few moments when I felt Raisin was relying too heavily on readers already knowing Sarah (and her past), Ridge, and the girls at The Gingerbread Cafe. I also felt like Sarah, at times, used British phrases instead of American ones. She calls a macaron a biscuit, for example. Americans (or Canadians, even, and we use a lot of Britishisms) would not use "biscuit" to refer to a cookie. A weird thing to bother me, perhaps, but bother me it did. 

I did adore the people Sarah met, and connected with, in Paris. Raisin created some wonderful characters and I was fully invested in all of their lives. Even Beatrice who was completely awful to Sarah (side note: I totally called Beatrice's secret and am shocked none of the characters figured it out). It was just a wonderfully fun cast of characters who were so great to read about.

And the setting! Swoon. I've never been to Paris (it's on the never-ending bucket list) but I kind of felt like I was there with Sarah, experiencing the city for the first time. Plus, the magic of the bookshop was just...oh, it was wonderful. I wished I could explore Once Upon a Time (and Sarah's shop in small-town Ashford, too!) and run my hands over the spines to see what sorts of stories the books would want to tell me.

All in all, The Little Bookshop on the Seine was sweet and heartwarming. Rebecca Raisin has created a character and a story that is a love letter to both book lovers and Paris. 

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About the Author
Rebecca Raisin is the author of several novels, including the beloved Little Paris series and the Gingerbread Café trilogy, and her short stories have been published in various anthologies and fiction magazines.

*An egalley of this novel was provided by the publisher, Harlequin, via NetGalley in exchange for review consideration for the purposes of a blog tour. All opinions are honest and my own.*

I was super excited for this one but honestly it was a huge let-down for me. The writing seemed forced at times, especially when she’s trying to be a boss to the employees. The dialogue didn’t seem realistic to me. The character development seemed stale and the plot dragged the same plot points over and over.

I didn't realize this was a Harlequin book, which really isn't my thing. I should have known when I saw the male lead was named Ridge. This was definitely not for me.