The description on this totally pulled me in. "It's THE HOLIDAY on the Champs-Elysees" One of my very favorite movies.
It starts out with a job exchange for the owner of an independent bookstore. Sarah is going to switch places with Sophie for 6 months. Unfortunately, not all is as she had planned. Between the rude customers and unfriendly co-workers she wonders if she has made a mistake. She becomes determined to turn this around. She is great heroine to root for.
Overall, just an enjoyable romance. I look forward to trying more from this author.

Sarah and Sophie are good friends and they both own book shops. They just live in separate parts of the world. They decide to do a bookshop exchange. They swap bookstores. Sophie moves to America and Sarah gets her dream. She moves to Paris! However, it is not as much fun as she expected. Sarah's passport and money get stolen right off the bat. Plus, Sophie's store is much busier than Sarah's and Sarah is more stressed and she not having much time to explore.


This story focuses mostly on Sarah. She is the one looking to have a new experience. Sophie is looking to escape an old boyfriend. Sarah really has a time of it. But, oh how I enjoyed her struggles. The shop is in an old building and it has different levels with different rooms. I could just picture it in my mind and boy would I love to explore it.


This story is perfect for a bibliophile! I can just smell the books and feel the energy around this book shop. I wanted so badly to climb into this book and be a part of the scenes. It does slow down some in the middle. But, it is still a great read with the setting of Paris and all the book references. Plus, the characters are perfect.

I received this novel from the publisher for a honest review.

3.5 Stars

The Little Bookshop on the Seine by Rebecca Raisin is a sweet winter romance. The setting is perfect and the characters are interesting as well. The ending seemed to tie up far too neatly, however, which takes away from its realistic concept.

I really enjoy a story that is set in a bookshop, and The Little Bookshop on the Seine is the ideal place. The author’s descriptions of Paris, the food, the people, and the shop itself really give a very lovely vibe. It will definitely give readers a travel itch as they read about Sarah’s adventures.

❀ BOOKWORM MAIN CHARACTER

Sarah is your typical bookworm character that lives in small town USA. Her friends are close-knit and she hasn’t seen much of the world past her little bookshop. Having never read any of the author’s other books, it was easy to jump in and learn about all of these characters for the first time. There are some really interesting ones, including an author who spends his days writing in a hidden location of the shop.

❀ AN HEA ROMANCE

Although the story is a light and easy read, it does have some drama that needs to be worked out. Maybe I haven’t read enough HEA (happily ever after) romance novels to review the genre properly, however, the problems that the characters are going through seem to tie up and vanish all at once at the end of the book. Personally, I would have preferred something to long for in the next book in the series.

Fans of HEA romance novels will be sure to love The Little Bookshop on the Seine. The story is easy to follow and the characters are engaging. It is a sweet read for a cold winter day.

Title: The Little Bookshop on the Seine
Author: Rebecca Raisin
Genre: Women’s fiction
Rating: 5 out of 5

Sarah Smith loves her little bookstore in tiny Ashford, Connecticut. She swears her books talk to her, and she’s happy with her life, her tight-knit group of friends—and their pastries—and her boyfriend, globe-trotting journalist Ridge. Except he’s gone so much, and Sarah is a little bit bored. So, when her Parisian friend Sophie offers a six-month bookshop exchange, Sarah finds herself flying to Paris to take care of Once Upon a Time, a famous, and popular, bookstore on the Seine.

But Sarah’s dreams of quiet time spent reading, forays to explore Paris, and getting to see Ridge as he travels the world fade quickly once she arrives in Paris. The staff at the bookshop are suspicious and uncooperative. The customers are rude. There’s barely time to breathe, much less read. And instead of spending time with Ridge, their relationship is reduced to occasional quick phone calls. But Sarah has had enough. Christmas is coming and she is determined to get things sorted out, no matter what.

I loved this book! I didn’t realize until I finished it that Rebecca Raisin also wrote Rosie’s Traveling Tea Shop, which was also a lovely read…but it all makes sense now. The Little Bookshop on the Seine made me want to visit Paris, which has never been on my Places to Go list, but I’d pack right up for a chance to work in Once Upon a Time, and Sarah, with her love of books and reading contrasting with her desire to experience life is so me that I related to every page. I highly recommend this!

Rebecca Raisin loves books. The Little Bookshop on the Seine is her newest novel.

(Galley courtesy of Harlequin/HQN in exchange for an honest review.)

3.5 stars

I loved the premise of this book, book shop owner in the U.S. swapping placed with a bookshop owner in Paris and growing during the process. While the romance does play an integral part to the story, I wouldn't necessarily describe it as a romance. It's more about Sarah, the main character, finding her voice and learning who she is and what she wants in her life. She does go through a lot of struggles that include miscommunication, insecurities, trouble fitting in and more. While the romance does play a large part in some of her struggles it's not necessarily the main topic.

I loved the descriptions of Paris and especially how Paris was seen through Sarah's eyes. Each of the people who became her friends and showed her what they loved about Paris had such unique personalities that were fleshed out and fit into the little family that worked in Once Upon a Time. The different conflicts and issues that each character had were also well thought out and complimented the story.

There were parts of the story which were a little predictable, but in a warm story such as this that's totally fine. If you like heartwarming stories about coming into your own, definitely check this out.

The Little Bookshop on the Seine by Rebecca Raisin is the First book in The Little Pairs Collection. This is the story of Sarah Smith. Sarah has a book shop in Ashford where she a comfortable life but is trying to keep her bookshop going. Nothing really exciting happens to her or in the little town. When her friend Sophie who lives and runs a bookshop in Pairs asked her to switch places so she can leave a broken heart behind, Sarah agrees. But when she gets to the Pairs books shop it is a busy book store with totally different setting and issues. The staff is questionable and its keeping Sarah busy with the customers. For me this book took me into the story from the very start. I hope to read more from this author.

Super sweet story; fans of Jenny Colgan will enjoy this this story of discovering who you are in a new country. Nice balance of romance, main character growth, and descriptions of Parisian scenery, food, and fashion. I received a free ARC of this title from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

The Little Bookshop in the Seine was a magical romance tale for all true book lovers. When I saw this title being offered for the Harlequin Blog Tour, I just knew I needed to get my hands on it. We meet Sarah, who resides in a small town in Ashford. She owns a small cozy bookshop, living a comfy but predictable life. The only thing that is troubling her is the financial situation she's in. With the rent going up, she doesn't know how she's going to manage the bookshop. Until one day Sarah's friend Sofie from France calls her. Sarah and Sophie have been keeping in contact after they met through Sarah's book blog. The best thing is Sofie owns a bookshop as well, and they spend their time gabbling about each other's lives as bookshop owners. After a embarrassing break-up Sofie proposes to Sarah that she take over her shop in Paris....One Upon a Time. Of course, Sarah is hesitant at first. It's a huge transition from her fairly quiet and comfortable life in Ashford.
It means leaving behind her gal pals, her parents, her bookshop, and most importantly her love Ridge. Granted Ridge himself has a rather busy life. What with all the traveling he does for his job trying to become a great reporter. All his constant assignments make him miss those special moments with Sarah. And so Sarah sets off to her temporary life in Paris and she quickly realizes how different it is there. It's always busy, there's ton of paperwork to be done everyday, the constant disrespect of the staff, and the place falling apart is enough to wanna make Sarah cry. Let's not forget that they also have stolen her luggage on the first day she arrived.
Sarah runs into an interesting character in Once Upon a Time that makes her question her future in Paris and her relationship. Sarah knows that Ridge as a reporter has to be on assignment when they call. But the calls are coming less frequently, they're constantly playing phone tag...she doesn't know if it's worth pursuing the relationship anymore. The Little Bookshop on the Seines a great book and definitely has that Paris feel to it. Enjoy it as a hopeless romantic, or holiday book.

Thank You to Harlequin Press and Netgalley for providing me with a copy of the book in an exchange for a honest review. It was great participating in the Harlequin Blog Tours.

I would like to thank NetGalley, the publisher and the author for my advanced copy of this novel in exchange for an honest review.

Sarah is happy with her man, Ridge, … or is she? She works in her quaint bookshop in Connecticut while he is busy traveling the world chasing one news story after another. Too much time in between visits? Too many excuses? In comes an offer Sarah can’t refuse – swap bookshops with a friend in Paris. Think the movie, The Holiday, but with your business. Will that bring her closer to Ridge? Will that get her out of the rut she has gotten herself into?

I really enjoyed Sarah’s character. I admired that this story takes place after she found her man (Side note: come to find out this is the second book in a series but does really well as a stand-alone. In fact, I don’t care a bit about reading the development of Ridge and Sarah’s romance aka book #1). I adored everything Paris – the bookshop history, the bookshop characters, and reminiscing of visiting all the places myself as Sarah frequents them. I absolutely hated Ridge. What a tool! The book gets 3 stars solely because of him. The romance between the two just wasn’t believable. Sarah tremendously grew as a person through her journey in Paris and any girl in her shoes would’ve given Ridge the boot a long time ago. This novel could’ve had a much stronger (and unique message for the romance genre) had the author tweaked Sarah’s story just slightly.

All in all, this was a very enjoyable read with an interesting heroine and a cute plot. Sadly, the predictive and seemingly contradictive ending to the protagonist’s own change makes this book just a fluff read rather than an impactful novel

If sweet romantic stories give you a buzz, then you must read The Little Bookshop on the Seine, the novel written by Rebecca Raisin. Having previously read some of this fabulous author's other work, most recently, Rosie’s Travelling Tea Shop, I knew I was going to be in for a treat with this one and it was stunningly good.

Bookshop owner Sarah Smith, based in Ashford, a small-town in Connecticut, is given an opportunity to exchange locations with her friend Sophie who owns a bookshop in Paris. Despite having a marvellous circle of friends, Sarah feels at a turning-point in her life, and her relationship with freelance journalist Ridge has become increasingly distant as he is constantly away working.

Sarah was an interesting character and it was a pleasant journey to get to know her. I got to see that sometimes life got so overwhelming and nightmarish for her. From the beginning there was so much happening in this wonderful, fun story! There were several laugh along moments and it was wonderful getting to meet all of the characters, as well as Sarah, although I did not particularly have a favourite. The author really worked wonders with most of them and even the less personable ones still had very good parts to play and did not dampen my enthusiasm for this fascinating tale.

There was some lovely depth and poignancy to Rebecca Raisin’s writing which kept me hooked throughout. The author touched on many earnest themes from self confidence, friendship, travel and love, to self belief. Paris has a commanding presence in the story and I felt this really strongly. I relished reading about the sights of Paris -the quaint shops, the delightful culinary delicacies, and the Parisienne people Sarah encounters along the way adds so much vitality to the novel.

I adored this fantastic first book in the Little Paris Collection series, first published in 2015, with The Little Antique Shop under the Eiffel Tower and The Little Perfume Shop off the Champs-Élysées completing this trilogy by Rebecca Raisin.

This is such an enchanting story, with some stunning descriptions of Paris that I highly recommend.

I received a complimentary digital copy of this novel, at my request, from Harlequin-Romance via NetGalley and this review is my own unbiased opinion.

The Little Bookshop on the Seine by Rebecca Raisin is one in a series, however I hadn't read any previous ones and found it could easily be read without former experience!

This is certainly a book for book lovers and those who would love to visit Paris. It has oodles of both. Sarah has come from her quiet, sleepy town in Connecticut and has swapped bookshops with her friend Sophie who has one in Paris. Sarah's bookshop doesn't really do well, but then she hates parting with any of the books! Sarah's on the other hand is a bustling, busy shop.

All that is expected of Sarah to do in the busy Paris shop had my head reeling. I think hers must have been worse! Life goes at pace, and she is taken out of her small world as she sees the amazing art around her in Paris. It's a pity though that the book must have been seen through its final stages before Notre Dame had its terrible fire.

Sarah  has to learn how to handle a rather odd staff, find out where some disappearing money is going  and to try and keep sales up so that Sophie is happy. She also has to believe in the man who says he loves her and works all over the world as a journalist, following the latest story as they arise. All big asks.

This is a story of Sarah stepping out into the unknown and different. Of it taking time for her to find her feet and feel that she is part of Paris and the people she meets up with, many of whom touch her heart and become good friends. And she learns to speak up and display her enthusiasm for all things Christmas. A touching, warm hearted story.

I wanted to like this one so badly - I really did - but it just fell flat on almost every count for me. The main character didn't seem to have much depth to her, and I didn't connect to her relationship AT ALL (honestly, thought she should've just dropped him). The only saving grace was the love letter to Paris written throughout this book, but even that wasn't enough - and, at times, felt a bit caricature-ish.

It might seem like a tiny detail to matter so much, but honestly, the thing that bothered me the most about this book was the Parisian bookstore owner. She begs for this American to come run her store, and then spends basically the entire time she's in America berating the other woman for running her store into the ground? Especially considering the Parisian woman gave the American no heads up at all about the absolute shambles she was handing over in terms of staff. Every single time this came up it drove me absolutely bonkers. If you're so upset about it, give me some advice on how to work with your staff or just come back to the shop yourself! *end rant*

Thank you to NetGalley and Harlequin for the gifted book and opportunity to read and review it prior to its publication date! This in no way affected my review, all opinions are my own.

Books, food, romance, and Paris what more can you want from a book? This was such a fun story with a slight holiday vibe. Rebecca Raisin brought the beauty of Paris to life with her descriptive writing and dazzling storytelling. Sarah feels as though she is in a bit of a rut so when her friend Sophie who lives in Paris offers a book shop swap she jumps at the chance. The city of lights, holiday time, and a book shop, it’s a dream come true. But has Sarah bitten off more than she can chew? The bookshop is busier than she expected, the staff is unreliable at best, and her boyfriend seems to be putting his job before traveling to Paris. Will Sarah be able to find her inner strength and turn things around?

Sarah was a great character, but I did want to give the girl a major peptalk. This book shop swap was not as advertised. Sarah was doing her friend Sophie a favor and Sophie didn’t seem to give her the knowledge she needed to be successful in this bustling hostile environment. I am not certain if this is a French thing, but I cannot imagine working anywhere especially retail where people popped in and worked when they chose to? There was no set schedule? Just reading about it stressed me out. Fortunately Sarah made some good friends that made this all a little more bearable. As the book progressed the magic of Paris inhabited Sarah more and more. I loved her character development throughout the story. The romance in this story was really in the background, this really was more about Sarah becoming fierce. I was glad of how things ended with Sarah and her boyfriend.
Cute story, charming characters, books, and Paris.

🎧🎧🎧 The audiobook was narrated by Sally Scott. I am pretty certain that she is British, so I am not certain why she was narrating a book that was primarily told from an American’s perspective? I mean if I had to speak in a British accent I’m sure people would find all kinds of things wrong with it. While her French accent I thought was brilliant, her American accent bothered me a bit. She dropped her R’s that drove me nuts, but did admittedly bother me less as the book went on.

This book is a nice light read for individuals who love books and all things Parisian. The premise is that the main character "swaps" bookshops with an online friend who happens to live in Paris. The remainder of the book tells of her foibles as an American trying to get by in a strange city, with a new bookstore and new employees. Along the way she also has some communication issues with her long-distance boyfriend who is a photojournalist. As suspected, by the end of the book, everything resolves with a nice ending.

While a nice story, this book didn't knock my socks off. It's an enjoyable afternoon read but does not leave a lasting impression. Book lovers will enjoy it, but I suggest borrowing from the library.

What a great book! I really enjoyed this one. It was sweet and charming and who can resist the thought of owning a bookshop?

This book is a great escape into the world of a bookshop in Paris. Travel to another world in this cozy, suspenseful, and uplifting read.

Special thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for a free, electronic ARC of this novel received in exchange for an honest review!

The Little Bookshop on the Seine is a continuation of Sarah Smith's bookshop adventures, from her tiny town to the streets of Paris. When offered a bookshop exchange for a few months by her Parisian bookselling friend in need, Sarah jumps at the chance to try her hand at her trade in the City of Lights. While the opportunity might seem like a dream... Sarah quickly finds out that sometimes, all that glitters in the City of Lights isn't exactly gold! But with the help of a few good friends, Sarah charts her own journey through love and literature in this sweet sequel.

Though predictable, and heavily leaning toward the saccharine - this book is a breezy read for anyone who might be dreaming of an escape of their own.

Small town bookshop owner, Sarah Smith, has a deep love for books and her handsome boyfriend, Ridge. Unfortunately, things haven’t been going very well for Sarah. Her bookshop isn’t doing much business and Ridge is busy flying off to different countries as a freelance reporter. Ridge is trying to make a name for himself so he cannot turn down any job offers, much to Sarah’s dismay, since they take him away from her for months at a time.

When Sarah receives a proposal from a fellow bookshop owner in Paris, things begin to take an exciting turn for Sarah. Her friend, Sophie, is dealing with a broken relationship and needs a change. She offers to switch places with Sarah for six months. Sarah would get to manage the bookshop in Paris, while Sophie manages hers in Ashford. No way Sarah could say no to that offer, especially with her love of romance novels. Paris would be the perfect place for her.

Things don’t quite go as she anticipated. Paris is definitely not the same as her small town life in Ashford. Her new co-workers are not very helpful, the customers are rude and she has to deal with a thief. Not to mention that Ridge promises her a couple of weeks in Paris, but instead only manages to be with her for one night. This was not how she dreamed it would be. However, Sarah doesn’t give up easily and intends to turn her negative experiences into positive ones.

This is a sweet novel of determination, hopes, dreams and romance all rolled into one “feel good” book. The author did a great job of transporting me to Paris and creating a wonderful cast of characters that you can really care about and some you just wanted to shake :)

It’s the first book in the Little Paris collection and I’m planning to read the next one as well. This is a new-to-me author with a huge backlist of books. I’m going to be checking them out in the near future.

I really enjoyed this book! I admired Sarah's determination and that she didn't give up on things when they got difficult. The setting of Paris was amazing and was so descriptive it felt like you were right there in the story. It was a nice quick read!

As soon as I saw the title of The Little Bookshop on the Seine, I was drawn to it like a moth to a flame. I love Paris and I love bookshops so it felt like this book was tailor made for me. I’m happy to say it did not disappoint either. I read it while I was off from work for Christmas and it was the perfect holiday read.

The Little Bookshop on the Seine is a heartwarming and charming story that follows Sarah Smith, an introverted bookshop owner who has grown bored with her life in a small town. When her friend Sophie, a bookshop owner in Paris, makes the wild suggestion that the two of them swap shops for six months, Sarah, much to the surprise of her friends and family, jumps at the idea. For Sarah, who is a romantic at heart, the swap is a no brainer. How can she resist the allure of the most romantic city in the world?

Her romantic notions about life in Paris take a hit, however, when her luggage and passport are stolen within hours of her arrival and again, when she realizes that Sophie’s bookshop is nothing like her own. Where Sarah’s is a quaint little bookshop that is rarely busy and where she is the only employee, Sophie’s bookshop is a landmark tourist attraction, complete with lines practically out the door and a staff that seems to come and go as they please. It’s way more of a challenge than Sarah expected and she’s not sure she’s up for the job.

I was really drawn to Sarah right away. As a fellow introvert, I was cheering her on as she came out of her shell and embraced this adventure wholeheartedly. She shows so much growth throughout the novel as she makes the transition from tourist to local, and embraces the challenges of running such a huge bookshop and the unexpected challenges of trying to rein in Sophie’s undisciplined staff. Sarah is also a sympathetic character in that she’s dealing with a boyfriend, Ridge, who she loves dearly, but who is never around because he’s a freelance journalist always off on assignment. My heart broke a little for her as he cancels on her time and time again and makes her question whether or not that’s a life she really wants. The questions and the relationship issues are all too relatable for many of us.

In addition to Sarah and her trials and tribulations, the Paris setting was another huge draw for me and Rebecca Raisin’s depiction of Paris is perfection. She captured every fabulous detail of Paris and made me fall in love with the City of Lights all over again. As she vividly describes the sights, the sounds, the food!, and the glorious secret shops that only locals know about, I truly felt transported there. I also loved that Sarah’s six months in Paris included the Christmas holiday. Can you imagine anything more romantic than Paris at Christmas?

A final element that really made The Little Bookshop on the Seine such a delightful read for me is the focus on friendship. Between the love and support that Sarah gets from her hometown friend group and the new group of friends she makes while in Paris (basically her ‘found family’), this book just had me smiling from start to finish.

If you’re in the mood for a story that focuses on love, family, friendship, and especially on taking chances, The Little Bookshop on the Seine is the perfect read for you!