The Little Bookshop on the Seine by Rebecca Raisin was a charming holiday story set in a place almost as romantic as the plot – Paris, France. When Sarah Smith switches bookstores and lives with her Paris-dwelling friend Sophie for the holidays, she expects a little adventure and lots of relaxation. What she gets is a booming bookstore with lots of paperwork, a threadbare, disrespectful staff, and even some thievery. Basically, Sarah finds chaos she’s not prepared for!

Sometimes, though, a little chaos is just what you need to break free from your cocoon. 🦋

The Little Bookshop on the Seine was the perfect festive read to get me into the holiday mood. It was magical. It had me craving Christmas treats and longing to be surrounded by twinkly lights, all topped off with a gently falling snowstorm, of course. 😉

As much as TLBOTS enchanted me, however, it also pulled at my heartstrings with its realistic portrayal of the main character’s long distance relationship, and all the trials/tribulations these types of relationships can face. Not only does Sarah learn what it means to truly work to commit to someone, she also learns a lot about herself along the way, blossoming beautifully throughout her entire Parisian journey.

One of my favorite aspects of Sarah – an aspect I’m sure fellow readers will also adore – was her bookishness. I delighted in Sarah’s utter love for all things literary. This girl said goodnight to her books, is a secret book sniffer (like most of us, admit it!), and finds dear friends in the characters between the pages of those books. #canrelate

An uplifting, Hallmarkey holiday read, The Little Bookshop on the Seine by Rebecca Raisin will leave you exhilarated, wanting to twirl around and around like a Disney prince/princess swept away by love for the first time. Highly recommended!

** I was provided an eARC copy of this book by Harlequin and Netgalley (thank-you!). All opinions expressed are voluntary and my own. Thank-you to Harlequin for inviting me on this blog tour!**

I received an ARC of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

This book follows Sarah Smith as she takes on a somewhat uncharacteristic adventure to Paris for a bookshop exchange. Sarah is a bit of a plain Jane, she owns a failing bookshop and when her fellow bookshop owner friend from France, Sophie, offers to swap shops with her to shake things up she jumps on the chance to travel and live one of her dreams. Sarah spends most of her time living in a book, like most of us do, but she really doesn't experience life outside of her shop and her beloved books. She likes things predictable and routine. Sophie is carefree and unpredictable, so when she suggests the bookshop exchange Sarah jumps on the chance for her own adventure that could be right out of the pages of one of her books.

Sarah arrives in France with a romantic story of how things will play out in her head. Her reporter boyfriend will take time off to be with her, she will spend time exploring all Paris has to offer, and Sophie's employees will fall in line with all of her American ideas. When the Paris bookshop starts having issues, Sarah doesn't really know what to do. She doesn't know how to be a boss or manage employees, and the employees constantly disrespect her for trying to make the shop better because she is new. This part got a bit repetitive for me since the same problems went unresolved over an over and it took Sarah quite a while to find her backbone and stop letting everyone in her life walk all over her. I'm not a big fan of weak female characters. It just took her too long in my opinion to put her foot down even though she knew what she needed to do and say. There were also a few extra side plots that didn't really add or take away from the main plot, they were just there.

This book mainly takes place in the bookshop, but I really enjoyed the parts that actually took place outside the bookshop in Paris. I've never been to Paris and enjoyed getting to spend those moments with Sarah in the cafes or wherever she was exploring with the other characters from the shop or on her own. Overall, this is a cute story, but I wasn't blown away. If you are looking for a nice story set in Paris over the holidays, give this one a go.

This is not the book for me, I was not able to finish it. The main character seems to have no common sense and it feels like it was written by someone who has never been to Paris. It's also weird how the Paris bookshop is a complete rip off of Shakespeare & Co.

I love learning about new places through books. This little vacation in Paris was the perfect escape in the middle of my holiday break.

Sarah’s afraid her life is too boring, so when her friend Sophie suggests they swap bookstores, she jumps at the chance for some excitement, and possibly the first real risk she’s taken. She’s nervous about leaving her shop, but figures it will just be like running her shop in a more romantic setting.

Shortly after arriving in Paris, she realizes she couldn’t have been more wrong. Sophie’s shop is so busy. There are employees to manage, and spreadsheets and reports to track. She spends some time worried that she’s in over her head, until friendships finally develop with some of the people in her new life. Sarah’s trip has a chance of being everything she dreamed of, as she learns more about herself, life, and her relationships.

Overall I’d give this book 3 out of 5 stars. I liked how Sarah’s sharing of her ideas of the best traditional Christmas are what really help her engage with the other people in and around the bookstore. I was less than thrilled with her romantic relationship with Ridge. I’m undecided if I’d like to find out what happens next with them or not.

I didn't connect with the writing style for this one right off the bat, unfortunately, and had to put it aside. I'm not sure if it was a mood thing or the author's style itself. I've tried Rebecca Raisin's books before and haven't connected either so perhaps that's the problem.

A bookshop swap? Paris? A long-term relationship in trouble? What isn’t to like about this story set up? I couldn’t resist and excitedly took this one up to tell the story of a small town American gal headed to the City of Light where she face so many challenges and delights, but hopefully come into her own.
Review

The Little Bookshop on the Seine is book one in the Little Paris Collection, but I also want to make a note that its also the follow up story of The Bookshop on the Corner where the heroine’s story begins which was book one of The Bookshop series and book #2.5 in the Gingerbread Cafe series. I had no trouble jumping in here, but I sensed this story started earlier and investigation showed I was right.

So, Sarah Smith is feeling down about a raise in rent to her bookshop with no rising sales to cover it and her boyfriend, Ridge’s freelance journalism job taking him all over the globe and never home to her. She feels her life is a bit stale so is ripe for the opportunity when Parisian bookseller buddy, Sophie, proposes a bookshop swap for sixth month so Sophie can get away from a cheating ex. At first, Sarah resists, but then goes for it.

The City of Lights is bright and wonderful and she is eager to explore, but her romantic image gets a hard check when she encounters trouble running Sophie’s bookshop which is so different from her own, trouble with the employees who aren’t keen on change and a stranger in charge, and even theft. Sarah is unsure of herself and the situation and also unsure of what is happening- or rather not happening- between her and Ridge. Can she get her feet under her in time to save the shop and her relationship?

This was a gently paced, heartwarming story and I was charmed in many ways by the author’s descriptions of Paris locales even those off the beaten path, the Parisian culture, Sarah making friends and settling in, and seeing her figure out what was missing from her life. I was well pleased that attention was paid to setting and getting Paris through Sarah’s eager, romantic eyes.

Getting to know Sarah and her home situation was one of the things that made me realize that there was a previous story because it felt like a lot was understood like you get in consecutive series’ books. There was enough development so that I was able to get to know Sarah and come to like her and her friends. I will admit that Sarah could be something of a ditherer at times, but I also think it was realistic and understandable. Who goes to a foreign country for the first time and attempts a new job without needing some adjustment time? I ended up rooting her on as she entered the Christmas season and brought her small town girl flavoring to her sophisticated chic corner of Paris.

The romance was there because Sarah’s mind was on it, but also something out of sight, too, because they weren’t together throughout the book. For a while, I wasn’t vested in Ridge like I might have been if I’d read the previous book so only cared for Sarah’s sake, but I got to know him and started to root for him and Sarah to figure out how to balance work and a life together- to see what everyday love looks like and not just love through rose-tinted glasses. They had a very spicy relationship and got into the sexy talk when catching up by phone. I was preparing to bop Ridge for a suspicion I got that would really hurt Sarah, but in the end it was a near thing and I happily saw the reveal coming when it came to Ridge’s reticence.

All in all, this was charming and I enjoyed Paris and bookshop setting, the holidays, Sarah growing as a confident, capable woman, and of course, the romance. I think this will be for chick lit and contemporary romance fans.

My thanks to Harlequin for the chance to read this book in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you so Netgalley for my copy of this book. All opinions are my own. I was so excited to receive a copy of this book. What could be better than a book about a bookstore, Paris, and Christmas- especially at Christmas time? When Sarah Smith, a bookshop owner is offered a chance to do a bookshop exchange with her Parisian friend, she jumps at the chance. Her book shop has been struggling, her boyfriend is consistently away on assignment and she feels stagnant. She hopes Paris will be just what she needs. I wish the relationship between Sarah and her boyfriend was more believable. I feel like I came in without a background of why these two are together for reasons other than their chemistry. This book was a cute and easy read.

I was truly looking forward to sinking into this book. It has bookshops, Paris, delicious descriptions of food, and romance. I’ve always thought that there was something a bit magical about bookshops, second-hand in particular, and it is clear that Rebecca Raisin feels the same way. The author’s descriptions of Paris were absolutely stunning and I was left with an enchanted, romantic view of the City of Love. The Little Bookshop on the Seine really relies on the fish-out-of-water vibes with this heroine as soon as she gets to Paris and to the bookshop Once Upon a Time. The harried pace really conveyed the unsettled state that Sarah was in while also keeping this reader engaged despite the parts of the story I didn’t care for.

The critiques I have for this read ultimately come down to my preferences for characters as a reader. I didn’t particularly care for any of the characters, main or side, with the exception of Oceane. Sarah was a complete doormat for a solid ¾ of the story and I found that incredibly frustrating. While I am all for allowing room for character growth, this growth arc didn’t feel compelling. I wanted to pull her out of the book and shake her a number of times, particularly when it came to her relationship with Ridge. I can’t go on without spoilers, but I will say that the ending was not what I had hoped for. It felt clunky and hasty with all of the story arcs looped into one giant bow.

Ultimately townsfolk, what it comes down to is this reader was just not the intended target for this book. Rebecca Raisin truly has an enchanting way with descriptions that completely transport the reader but, unfortunately, I didn’t connect with her characters. If you are a fan of gorgeous, descriptive prose and a more forgiving female lead than I am willing to abide by, then this book is for you.

*I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

**Reviews posted to Goodreads and Bookbub
**Full review will be posted on blog after tour date since it is a 3 star.
**Short reviews will be posted to retailers after release

A book about a bookshop swap! What could be better!?

This made me think of the movie The Holiday - but the bookstore edition - it was a fun sweet, quick read, and ideal for lovers of a romance chock full of happily ever afters and everything you could wish for in a bookstore setting.

When Sarah is offered to swap bookstores with another shop owner in Paris who wishes to get away for a bit, the typical shy and unadventurous Sarah accepts without a second thought - completely out of character for her. Her boyfriend Ridge travels so much and experiences so much adventure - she thinks "why not?" and plans to leave immediately since he's always on the road and she's got nothing to lose.

However when she arrives - her excitement is dulled by a theft, a struggling store, uncooperative employees and she struggles to get in touch with Ridge who is supposed to come meet her and finally take some time from his work. Initially, Sarah finds herself wondering why she signed up for this, especially around the holidays, and wonders if she can last the full 6 months. But what follows is a charming story with a quirky and lovely cast of characters who all shine in their own way.

The story has several tangents that flow seamlessly and creatively throughout - and all the side stories had me curious and intrigued. I do think this might have been better if Sarah was single - I had HUGE issues with Ridge, her constantly letting him get away with things - and in the end how things turned out with them. But I definitely enjoyed the story and know that many will love the ending and relish in how it all turns out!

A cute romance with fun characters, and a lovely story that made me smile.

🗼For lovers of the romance of Parisian life, a real🍰 treat!😊

4.5🌟stars
🍰🍷😍 This story oozes with the scents, savor and spirit of Parisian life. Experiencing it all with first-time visitor Sarah Smith, the heroine of the story, made it feel more immediate and the wonder of finding new treasures just around the corner shone through. Sarah's personal journey and long-distance romance were central to the tale, but I loved the added drama of her colleagues at the Once Upon a Time bookshop, and particularly regular visitor Luiz and the mystery love letters he and Sarah uncover. For me, the ending was lovely and unexpected, a Christmas miracle of sorts.😊

The story bogged down a bit at times with depressing setbacks, and I felt that fellow bookshop owner Sophie was not really a very sympathetic character in her transatlantic grumbling about the balance sheet. But, based on the high quality of the writing and the warmth author Rebecca Raisin imbued in her plot, characters and scene descriptions, this book was a joy to savor like the scrumptious French pastries Sarah can't resist and Rebecca Raisin is an author whose work I will gladly read again.👍

One sad footnote: the destruction of iconic Notre Dame occurred after this story was written. The cathedral's mentions were bittersweet.

Thanks to publishers HQN and NetGalley for providing a complimentary advance copy of the book; this is my voluntary and honest review.

I tried a few times to read this, but ended up abandoning it at 20%. I just have a hard time believing that anyone (especially an avid bookworm, who has presumably read a lot about other cultures and places) could be so flummoxed by the Parisian train system, and lose her luggage in such a stupid way. I wanted to love it, because I usually love books set in bookstores, but not this time.

A cute romance set in the city of love. Though, I felt this book was more about Sarah’s growth as a person than it was about her love life. I was rooting for her more than her relationship.

My apologies to the author, but I didn't like this book at all.

I thought the premise would be fun and whimsical. Instead, I found it implausible and ridiculous. These two women who barely know one another decide to take over one another's bookshops. They don't draw up even a basic contract. They only touch on the barest of details before they exchange lives. They leave everything about their businesses to the essential stranger to figure out, expecting that stranger to run the other's store, do the bookkeeping and payroll, make a profit that will still belong to the actual owner, and manage everything in a foreign country.

Further adding to the implausibility is the fact that Sarah is not the least bit assertive. In fact, she's a self-proclaimed introvert who doesn't do well with confrontation or change, and she's definitely not a leader. And, yet, she jumps at the chance to take over a thriving bookstore, with multiple employees, in a country she's never visited, and she doesn't even speak French.

All that was a huge stretch for me. Add in the fact that every single employee in the bookshop is obnoxious and unlikable, and I just couldn't force myself to continue. I gave up at about the 40% mark on my Kindle.

I was really hoping to love this book. Paris during the Christmas season, bookstores, and a main character who is a total book nerd. I thought with all these wonderful subjects, I would be in love with this book, but unfortunately I wasn't. too contrived and predictable.

A bookshop swap? In Paris? Well, as the owner of her very special bookshop, Sarah Smith gets a frantic call from her Parisian friend Sophie, who also owns a bookshop.

In short, due to heartbreak, Sophie needs to get away and offers a trade. Will Sarah take her up on such an odd offer? She certainly does and before she knows it, Sarah is setting foot on foreign ground, in more ways than one.

For starters, her love affair with books is about to become a real-life love affair when she worries about the love of her life, Ridge, now that she is in Paris. Before she can even think of finding true love and romance of her own, however, Sarah must contend with the lazy and ineffectual lifestyle of the workers in the Paris bookshop. This includes trying to keep the books knowing she must answer to Sophie.

So, Sarah and Ridge play phone tag, with Sarah missing Ridge more and more every day, all while she runs into a bit of a mystery. How long Sarah will remain in Paris is unclear, and she misses those special friends she made at home, as well as her family..

The Little Bookshop on the Siene is the first book in the Little Paris Collection, previously published in 2015, with The Little Antique Shop Under the Eiffel Tower and The Little Perfume Shop Off the Champs-Élysée wrapping up this trilogy by Rebecca Raisin.

Many thanks to Harlequin and to NetGalley for this ARC for review. This is my honest opinion.

I was really hoping to love this book. Paris during the Christmas season, bookstores, and a main character who is a total book nerd and unapologetic romance reader. What wouldn't be to like?

Unfortunately, the answer (for me) was: most everything. Sarah is a bookstore owner who loves books and imagines they lead secret lives when the lights go out at night. One sentence like that is whimsical, when the theme got repeated over and over throughout the book I glazed over the paragraphs because it got too annoying. Sarah is a doormat for most of the book, letting her friend Sophie rush her into deciding to swap stores for 6 months. Ok, Sophie needs a break and needs to get over a breakup, but rushing the decision into "right now" and then being mad when Sarah doesn't instantly fit into Sophie's far more chaotic world was ridiculous and I was mad at Sophie for the book. Everything gets blamed on Sarah from trouble with obnoxious employees to falling sales to thefts. Anything Sarah brings up as a problem or a new idea is terrible because "she just doesn't understand. She's not French". Sarah's relationship with boyfriend Ridge was also a puzzler and didn't do it for me. He isn't present for most of the book- off on assignments as a reporter- to the point where even Sarah starts to wonder if he's cheating on her. We have to take their amazing relationship on Sarah's word, and even then most of it seems based on good chemistry. Sarah seems to have forgotten the most important lesson in romance: communication is how to deal with problems. She wants her life to be like the books she reads, but isn't overly ready to step up and do her part. A side story with a writer who befriends Sarah is nice, but an additional side story involving mysterious letters gets thrown on top of that almost as an afterthought. At the end you see why, but I didn't think it was necessary.

There are some good aspects. There are some nice scenes of exploring Paris as a local, not a tourist. There are moments when you're proud of Sarah for standing up for herself. Moments of friendship. And the ending is delightful. It just seems like all the troubles we spent most of the book harping on suddenly got fixed without the satisfaction of seeing how it happened, or why, like the author suddenly realized she was nearing the end of the book and had to wrap things up. Secondary characters were flat. Tightening up the writing and cutting some of the repetition would have helped the book, but overall this was one I slogged through more than enjoyed.

I received an ARC of this book for NetGalley in exchange for an honest review

The second in a series where I accidentally read it first! Although I didn't love book one as much, I would completely suggest starting there before moving on to this book.

Sarah Smith is back and her bookshop in Connecticut is doing just ok. When a friend from Paris wants to do a bookshop swap, Sarah is ready to make a temporary change and try something new - even with a little fear! When she arrives in Paris things go a little wonky and the bookstore staff are not welcoming, so she has quite a few things to overcome to make Paris a great experience.

I loved this part of Sarah's story. This one felt like such a fuller story than the first book in the series and I enjoyed really getting to know Sarah in this one. I appreciated the ups and downs of her relationship with Ridge and all the quirks and things with the staff in the store in Paris.

I would completely recommend this book to any book lover as no one can complain about a book that takes place in a sweet little bookstore in Paris.

THE LITTLE BOOKSHOP ON THE SEINE is a story of finding oneself in Paris. Sarah Smith is comfortable with her small bookstore in a small American town. She has her friends across the street and can read and talk books all day. When her friend Sophie, who owns a prestigious bookstore in Paris, asks to swap places after her boyfriend left her for another woman, Sarah agrees, not quite expecting the challenges that await her.

In Paris, nothing is quite as expected, but Sarah manages to find her own way with new friends and experiences that help her to also find herself. At the same time, she is managing her long-distance boyfriend, who seems to have less and less time for her. Sarah must also decide what she wants to do with that, while also figuring out who is stealing from the bookshop and how to increase profits.

This was a lovely book to read, but I did wish there was a budding romance to read about (the relationship was previously established), and I did not get into it so much, as we don't really have the background (though this is included in an extra story at the end). However, if you don't go into this expecting a romance, the story has a lot of strength in finding your voice and confidence, tackling challenges, and experiencing new things.

Overall, this was a great read with some interesting themes, and I would definitely read more from this author. Please note that I received an ARC from the publisher. All opinions are my own.

I was disappointed with this book. I found I didn’t like the way that it was written there were some spelling errors. I always love a good romance but this one was just sad. I thought that it was going to be a good read before Christmas time but I was mistaken. I’m just glad that I got this book HQN Books and I didn’t have to spend actual money on it. Because I would have been disappointed if I had.

Sarah Smith lives a small but quaint life surrounded by books. Never one to go against the grain, when the option to switch bookshops with her outgoing Parisian friend, Sophie, unexpectedly comes up Sarah jumps at the chance. Spending a few months in the romantic literary city is sure to be an experience of a lifetime, but Sarah soon finds out it's not at all it's cracked up to be.

Sarah was hoping the Once Upon a Time bookshop would be her chance to break out of her shell and really come alive, but she feels more out of place than ever. From rude coworkers to ruder customers, Sarah has to fight for even the smallest bit of respect. It doesn't help that her travelling reporter boyfriends calls have gotten ever fewer and far between. As the sales in Sophie's shop keep plummeting under Sarah's management, while hers are thriving under Sophie's, Sarah can't help but think she made a terrible mistake. Slowly, as she starts to carve out a life and friends in Paris, and with Christmas fast approaching, Sarah is determined to get the shop, and herself, back together and make her happily ever after come true.

I really wanted to love this, but I ended up just thinking it was okay. I loved the idea of this gorgeous Parisian bookshop, but most of the staff there were just so rude and arrogant that I didn't like most of them. I liked Sarah and really enjoyed watching her blossom into this independent woman, and I liked her dynamic between TJ and Oceane, but everyone else I could take or leave. The writing wasn't my favorite either; I felt it came off a bit unrealistic and pretentious at times. Sarah and Ridge's romance was alright, but didn't give me all the feels I was hoping for. Although I didn't end up loving this, I still would recommend it if you're looking for a quick holiday read.