Three men. Three countries. And a whole lot of food. Jen McKinlay will tug at your heartstrings and feed your travel bug with this delightful story. Chelsea’s Life completely changed seven years ago after the death of her mother. She has thrown herself into her job where she works for a Cancer nonprofit. She excels at fundraising, but has no personal life. When her father announces he is getting remarried Chelsea is distraught. BUT the unwelcome news makes her realize she has not been happy for a long time. Determined to find her happiness again Chelsea decides to return to the place she was last happy... on her European gap year trip. So off to Ireland, Paris, and Italy Chelsea goes. Not only to find her happiness, but to also rediscover who she once was and perhaps fall in love with one of the men she left behind.

What a fun book! The food... the setting... the amour... did I mention the food? Loved traveling around Europe with Chelsea! There were so many laugh out loud moments and I loved meeting all these charming or perhaps not so charming men. Although I have to say I was partial to Jason her American coworker who showed up in Paris unannounced, because of course Chelsea had some work to do on her vacation. Jason really perfectly balanced out uptight Chelsea. I love the banter and the chemistry between these two. From the second he showed up in front of her door with her suitcase in hand (long story) I was rooting for him. I really can’t say enough good things about this book, it truly was romcom perfection!

This book in emojis ☘️ 🥖 🧀 🍇 ☕️ 🍷 👗 🧳

***Big thank you to Berkley for my gifted copy of this book. All opinions are my own. ***

Thank you so much NetGalley and Berkley Books for the free ARC!!

I really enjoyed this book ! It was so elegantly written and dealt with the loss of a loved one so well and the idea of how to move with your life. At first I thought this book was going to be a lot fluffier with Chelsea going over to Europe to fall in love again with men from her past. But as it progressed it really showed the idea that you can’t go back to who you were before a tragedy and that you must learn to embrace yourself with the scars from it. I also love the trope from haters to lovers especially in the workplace and this book does it so well.!! And the idea that love can be found in the person you least expect it from and in a moment you did not think would happen !

This book easily going on my shelf of favourite books of 2020 ! I just really enjoyed the story and the characters !

First of all, "Paris is always a good idea" will always be one of my favorite sayings so it's no surprise I picked up this book. And secondly, this was a cute (albeit extremely predictable) rom-com that made me miss traveling even more than I already do. After Chelsea Martin lost her mom to cancer, she's been razor sharp focused on her fundraising work for the American Cancer Coalition and has barely made time for her dad and sister, much less romance and having fun. So when her dad drops the bomb that he's getting remarried, it forces to take a honest look at her own life and she realizes the last time she was happy was seven years ago during her post-college European adventure where she fell in love not once but three times. She decides to find Colin in Ireland, Jean Claude in France, and Marcelino in Italy to help her rediscover her joy and hopefully find love again. But the caveat is that she has to stay in contact with Jason Knightley, her annoying but talented coworker, while she goes on this little sabbatical. Naturally, being in contact leads to all sorts of conversations and banter that I enjoyed. But despite trying to find the men from her past and even making this new connection with her coworker, I ultimately believe you have to make yourself happy first and that none of them were going to magically solve her problems. And sure, the aforementioned guys did contribute to the comedy, romance and necessary conflicts in the book but for me, I found her traveling and self-discovery journey the most compelling.

Out now, this super sweet romance features Chelsea Martin as she heads off on a repeat European vacation to find the joy she's been missing since the death of her mother. With visits to three dreamy locales- a small Irish village, Paris, and an Italian vineyard- it's easy to see why she thinks she'll find her happiness waiting there. It was fun to watch Chelsea unwind and find what she's been missing. I'll read anything by this author, and this standalone romance was a perfect trip.

PARIS IS ALWAYS A GOOD IDEA had me traveling from Boston to Ireland, to Paris and Italy, and back to Boston again. Chelsea raises funds for a cancer nonprofit, and her job consumes her. She hasn’t been open to love, friendship, or new adventures since her mom died of cancer seven years before. Chelsea likes her boss and her co-worker Julia but not many others.

Her coworker, Jason, grates on her. He has a lack of ambition and is overly friendly with everyone, in her opinion. When she and Jason are forced to work together on a major corporate ask that was originally her deal, she’s not happy, but she does her job to the best of her ability.

Family issues aggravate her routine, leaving her frustrated and at odds, so she decides to go back to Europe, the last place she was truly happy. She takes a leave of absence and a leap of faith to reconnect with guys she met in Ireland, Paris, and Italy. Little does she know how it will all pan out and who will come to her rescue more than once.

Chelsea is a bit naive to think relationships with past boyfriends will pick up where they left off. While she enjoys her memories, reality is something quite different from perfect. When Jason unexpectedly shows up in Paris due to the account they’re working on, more conflict arises, and the story heats up.

The author set the scenes and sights and sounds throughout Europe, taking the reader on a tour of fun. The story flows smoothly as the characters aim for that happily ever after. The heart-to-heart talks Chelsea shares with her sister make the story, and Chelsea’s relationships are so much richer because of it.

What I really enjoyed from this book is the traveling from city to city. As traveling is on hold for much of the US, I enjoyed reading about the Irish countryside, the glamour of Paris and the vineyards of Italy. This is a journey of self discovery, exploration of grief and romance. As Chelsea tries to relive her first trip in each city, trying to remember when was the last time she laughed and loved, she unravels old griefs and makes new memories with an unlikely friend. Jason Knightley, her work nemesis, proves to be an interesting leading man as he spends much of the first half being your basic bro. But when Chelsea really needs him, he shows his true colors as a rational, funny partner. This is a fun beach read that is rich in description and basic in romance.

Paris Is Always a Good Idea is a romantic comedy by Jenn McKinlay. This book was certainly an adorable feel good read for me. I think it is perfect to read by the pool on a day that you really wish you could go on a romantic trip. This might just give you your Paris fix! I can also easily see this being made into a hallmark movie or a Netflix movie. It was really cute, and lots of fun to read.

In Paris Is Always a Good Idea we meet our main character Chelsea. Chelsea was on a year long trip abroad when she was younger that she had to cut short because her mother got very sick. She cut her trip short but ever since then her life has not been as carefree as it once was. Chelsea is now bogged down with some of the less glamorous realities of life, and when her dad announces his remarriage Chelsea decides to go back to Europe to see if she can recapture some of the romance and carefree love of life that she used to possess. I absolutely loved Chelsea. Paris Is Always a Good Idea is just as much as romance as it is a journey of self love and self discovery, and honestly both of those elements were equally satisfying for me. 

When Chelsea when to Europe the first time around- she met three men, and she decides to pay each of them another visit this time. I loved meeting all the guys because I so excited to see what would become of each of them. While it was sometimes a little too convenient how it all worked out with running into them, it was fun nonetheless. And the book takes a different course than I was initially expecting, which I loved! I wouldn't say I was surprised by the turn of events, but I really really loved it! 

If you are a fan of romantic trips filled with laughs kisses and a wonderful self journey of discovery, then I think you need to check out Paris Is Always a Good Idea. You will really enjoy this sweet and fun story. I know I did. I can't wait to read more books by Jenn MicKinlay.

I'm a relatively new fan of Jenn McKinlay, but she has quickly become one of my favorite cozy mystery authors. So I was eager to try her new novel Paris Is Always a Good Idea, especially since it was not a cozy mystery.

I was delighted with Paris Is Always a Good Idea. McKinlay has created wonderful characters, just as I had come to expect from her cozies. I loved Chelsea. She felt so real and my heart really went out to her.

The backdrop of a European vacation is perfect for a summer read, particularly given that this year most of us probably aren't traveling much. It did cross my mind a time or two that this trip wouldn't have been possible this year. Perhaps that is what made it such a great bit of escapism reading.

It has all the hallmarks of a fun chic-lit novel. The situations that Chelsea finds herself in when she goes looking for the guys she fell in love with during her year abroad are just ridiculous enough to give a lighthearted tone to the story.

The ending is kind of obvious, but the journey is so much fun that I didn't mind.

My review is published at Girl Who Reads - https://www.girl-who-reads.com/2020/07/paris-is-always-good-idea-by-jenn.html

Wow, well this read left me with a mighty book hangover. Once I started, I was all in and found myself unable to put it down. I found myself captured by Chelsea's plight and in tune with her every emotion. I had more than a few cathartic cry moments and after finishing it, unable to go to sleep. Jenn McKinlay rocked my book world and I can only say that this a #2020Favorite and a #mustread recommendation!

Chelsea is a young fundraising executive for cancer. Her life's work is driven by the loss of her mother and her grief runs deep. She's shocked when after seven years it appears her father is ready to move on, prompting her to take hiatus from her job, to try to recapture the exuberance of her nature from seven years before; when she was bold and happy and in love with life. She embarks on a trip, to relive where she was when the news of her mother's illness brought her home from Europe.

What ensues is a deeply heartfelt, thoughtful examination of her life. Lest you think it's all heavy, it's not. It's quite entertaining to follow her from the bogs of Ireland to the cafe's of Paris, and finally to Italy. What makes this wonderful is the addition of her work nemesis, Jason Knightly. His appearance shake up her world as she works through her ever conflicting emotions and the connection they share. Knightly is not at all what we thought of him. My first impressions were pretty negative, but he turned that around and won Chelsea (and me) over. But Chelsea's story is really about healing from her grief, allowing herself to live in the moment and be happy. Her family isn't what it once was, but could it be so much more? YES, YES YES!!

I still feel the effects of this story. It just won't let me go and I'm not ready to let it go either. I can't recommend this enough. It touched me in a very deep way and has left me reflecting on Chelsea's predicament and her growth. Jenn McKinlay is a new to me author and while the story captures heartache, it also provides some light and funny moments. After all, it is a rom-com and one of the best virtual vacations I've had. 5 ++ Stars and a #MustRead recommendation!!

What a delightful and heartwarming book. Not to mention a tear jerker in the best of all possible ways. Chelsea Martin is a character you root for from the very beginning and her happily ever after is something to truly cheer. A perfect escape!

This year has been an incredible year for reading. With the unprecedented COVID situation, I have had a lot of time to get more than some extra reading done.

I have really been loving all the quick romances, women’s fiction, and beach reads. Back in the early spring, my summer calendar was all booked up with upcoming releases, but then many of my July books got their release dates pushed back to the fall leaving July wide open.

I decided not to fill up my July calendar too much and instead just keep with the original reading schedule and maybe add a couple of releases that sounded interesting. Enter this book. I thought this one sounded so cute and a quick read plus PARIS—need I say more?

Summary
It’s been seven years since Chelsea Martin embarked on her yearlong post-college European adventure. Since then, she’s lost her mother to cancer and watched her sister marry twice, while Chelsea’s thrown herself into work, becoming one of the most talented fundraisers for the American Cancer Coalition, and with the exception of one annoyingly competent coworker, Jason Knightley, her status as most talented fundraiser is unquestioned.

When her introverted mathematician father announces he’s getting remarried, Chelsea is forced to acknowledge that her life stopped after her mother died, and that the last time she can remember being happy, in love, or enjoying her life was on her gap year. Inspired to retrace her steps–to find Colin in Ireland, Jean Claude in France, and Marcelino in Italy–Chelsea hopes that one of these three men who stole her heart so many years ago, can help her find it again.

From the start of her journey nothing goes as planned, but as Chelsea reconnects with her old self, she also finds love in the very last place she expected. (summary from Goodreads)

Review
About ten years ago, my mom and I visited Paris in the summer for a couple of weeks and it was absolutely wonderful. My husband and I had been the year before but in the early spring and let me tell you, summer in Paris was even better. As I said though, it’s been ten years since I have been back so reading this book during the summer brought back a lot of good memories and the escapism I was looking for.

This book wasn’t just set in Paris though—we got to visit Ireland and Italy as well and I thought that really added a lot of romanticism and excitement to an already charming book. The locations were this story’s finest feature. I could tell the author loved these places and wrote with so much affection and authority on them that it was easy to get lost in and feel like you were ‘on vacation’.

I also liked the premise of Chelsea’s story. She embarks on this journey to Europe to ‘find herself’ but to also find out of the men she found happiness with in these different locations were still a good fit for her. As though she might be able to find happiness again and reconnect with her heart. I loved meeting her old flames and each of the love interests were sexy and charming for different reasons. In the end her HEA fit well with her character and the story.

While this story was predictable at times, I still enjoyed it. It made me feel happy and I felt content with the plot and ending for the characters. There is comfort in predictability and I felt like I got a complete escape in this book which are all the things I expected going into this one. I wanted the romance, the comfort of knowing a HEA was coming, the journey of finding yourself and discovering new places. This was just the book I needed right now and I loved it!

Book Info and Rating
Kindle Edition, 320 pages
Expected publication: July 21st 2020 by Berkley
ASIN B07ZN4F558
Free review copy provided by publisher, Berkley, in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own and in no way influenced.
Rating: 4 stars
Genre: romance, chick lit, womens fiction

Fun read with a purpose. A search for your better self - is it in the past or your future? A good read about letting go of grief and moving forward

Chelsea Martin wants more. Shocked when her widower father suddenly announces he is getting married again, Chelsea feels her world falling apart. Questioning her father's desire to be married to someone other than Chelsea's mother, opens up questions about Chelsea's own life. In order to make sense of life and love, Chelsea takes a leave of absence from her successful career to retrace her steps from her gap year in Europe, to reevaluate and maybe reconnect with the three men who made her the most happy. Love and loss take center stage in Jenn McKinlay's, Paris Is Always a Good Idea. Fun and heart warming, Chelsea's journey is eyeopening to her and maybe to the reader as well. Paris Is Always A Good Idea is definitely a good idea.

This book took me from Boston to Italy, Paris and Tuscany, and I enjoyed every minute of it.
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When Chelsea’s dad tells her he’s getting remarried, to a woman he’s only known for two weeks, Chelsea decides its time for her to rediscover herself. She takes a leave of absence from work and trying to recreate a European journey from seven years prior.
This book was just the escape from reality I needed this week. I’m missing traveling right now and this took me there vicariously and I loved it for that alone. I liked Chelsea and her crazy journey to recreate her past youthful, spontaneous self, and the romance thrown in was an extra bonus.

This was fun! I loved the travel pieces, and I found Chelsea to be a sympathetic character. I didn't really click with her, but I *adored* Jason. There were many laugh-out-loud moments in this, but there was also a thread of grief and loss throughout the book. The emotional flow of this was well-balanced. I liked the wrap up to Chelsea's quest; I felt like her personal discoveries fit the full arc of the story. (Language, sex, TW: grief/loss, gaslighting/manipulation)

God. This. Book. Was. So. Wonderful.

I have been seeing amazing reviews on Paris Is Always A Good Idea all around bookstagram, so I was really looking forward to reading it. Two of my favorite book bloggers had also declared this book as one of their favorites of 2020, and I literally squealed when I received the review copy. Now that I’ve finished reading the book, I am surprised with how it crossed all my expectations! I rated it with 4.75/5 stars.

Paris Is Always A Good Idea was such a delightful read. I haven’t gone out of my house for 4 months, so this book was the perfect escape I needed. I travelled with Chelsea, the female lead to three beautiful locations ~ France, Italy and Ireland, and it didn’t feel like I was stuck at home reading about her. Jenn McKinlay’s writing style is very captivating as well, so I couldn’t keep the book down at all. I kept turning the pages (digitally, haha) with endless anticipation to know what would happen next in the story. I think very few authors can hold the reader’s attention with such ease in romance books. There were also vivid descriptions of the places that Chelsea visited which helped me visualize the book perfectly. I don’t know if the word “fictional tours” exist, but I can surely say that this book is the perfect example for that. I’m really impressed with Jenn McKinlay, and have added her to my list of favorite authors!

OH ALSO, I can’t get over with how funny the book was! The comedic timings and witty banter were on point. I laughed my heart out while reading some chapters. The Potato Trivia Fight between Jason and Chelsea will forever remain one of my favorite scenes from books. Thankfully, I know a lot about potatoes now. You can never know what kinds of treasure books may have in store, am I right?

The relationship between Chelsea and Jason was perfectly written as well. I loved seeing their relationship develop from enemies to friends, and then to lovers. The chemistry that they shared made my heart go all AWWWW at times. Jason is such a sweetheart, I loved how he took care of Chelsea. NEW FAVORITE COUPLE ALERT!

My favorite part of the book was definitely seeing Chelsea’s journey towards self discovery. It was so heart-warming. She did annoy with her immaturity a couple of times though, which is why the book missed my 5 star rating.

I was charmed in the best way by this WONDERFUL, GORGEOUS, LOVELY – well, I’ll run out of words to describe how much I loved this book, but yeah if you’re reading this review, please pick this book up as soon as possible. Believe me when I say this, Paris Is Always A Good Idea is the book your quarantined life needs right now.

3.5 Stars

Paris is Always a Good Idea is a light-hearted romantic comedy novel by Jenn McKinlay that is a really good escape during this time where the majority of people are stuck in quarantine.

The novel follows the life of Chelsea Martin since her yearlong post-college gap year in Europe. Since then she has lost her mother to cancer, she has been present at two weddings for her sister and gotten more and more immersed with her career. She is now considering as being one of the best fundraisers in her company, with the exception of her annoying coworker Jason Knightley. Her world is jarred again when her father tells her that he’s getting married and Chelsea realizes that she has not had a truly happy moment in her life since she went to Europe. She decides to retrace her steps and find the men who gave her such happy memories from each place. Another benefit to reading this book during COVID times is that you get to take a trip to Europe without leaving your couch.

Even from that brief description, I think everyone will realize that you cannot find happiness by trying to recreate the past. However, it does make for a very entertaining novel to go back and explore three cities with Chelsea as she tries to find her old lovers. Her relationship with Jason reminded me of The Hating Game, and was filled with the same quick-witted conversations and insults that masked their attraction for each other. The story is not your typical romance story; at least it doesn’t follow the same predictable path that many do. I was pleasantly surprised as I read through Chelsea’s adventures before she finally got to her happily-ever-after.

I thought McKinlay did a good job of portraying someone who is clearly still not over the loss of her mother but is trying her very best to move on. There was a lot more to Chelsea that the reader discovers throughout the book than the uptight career woman that we met in the beginning. The pace of the story moved really well and I never found myself bored or wanting to just abandon the book. I recommend this for anyone who just wants a feel-good romance with a bit of travel and adventure thrown in.

~ Harshita

Will post on blog this week

|partner 📚 Book Review 📚

Thank you SO much @berkleyromance for my copy of Paris Is Always A Good Idea by Jenn McKinley!

This book was so much fun! Who doesn't love a good hate to love romance while the reader gets a little escape to Europe?!

I flew through this one! I adored the setting and the writing is so easy to follow, you get sucked in right away. This book will give you all the feels. Lots of warm fuzzies and butterflies. I even shed a tear or two. There was a lot to love about this story. I thought the dynamic between the two main characters was so refreshing and invigorating! Touching on grief and acceptance was done very thoughtfully. Basically I enjoyed every minute!

Is it a little predictable, maybe even a little cheesy at times? Sure. But sometimes you need that.

I highly recommend this one if you're looking for a little escape right now or just want a sweet romance. It does cover some heavier topics but the majority of the story is light hearted with some great banter! I definitely want to pick up more by Jenn McKinley!

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐

TW: death of loved ones, lots of talk of cancer, and brief mention of self harm.

After the loss of her mother, Chelsea takes a year off exploring Europe. She discovers love in three places: Italy, Ireland and Paris. Only to return home to thrust herself into a career, a mediocre relationship and watching her sister go through man after man in marriage. When her father gets engaged it makes her re-evaluate her life and she doesn’t like what she finds… so she decides to take off to Europe once again to see if the men she left behind might be the answer to all her relationship problems.

Chelsea meets up with Marcelino in Italy, Jean Clause in France and Colin in Ireland. Is one of these the perfect love match? You’ll have to pick up Paris is Always a Good Idea and see.

Paris is Always a Good Idea was a light and entertaining read. One of those reads that you can just enjoy. It will take your mind off of everything and you can have a little book-cation.

I received this ARC copy of Paris is Always a Good Idea from Berkley Publishing Group. This is my honest and voluntary review.

I would like to thank PRH International for providing a digital galley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.



Paris Is Always a Good Idea by Jenn McKinlay is a heartwarming journey of self-rediscovery, finding love and happiness once again in the least expected place. This is such a delightful read and a good escape during this stressful time.

The story is about Chelsea Martin, one of the most talented fundraisers for the American Cancer Coalition. Her life started turning in unexpected turns when her father announced that he was getting married. She found it hard to accept since her life stopped after her mother died, and she felt that her father was replacing her mother with another woman she barely knew. Because of this, Chelsea would retrace her steps back to her yearlong post-college European adventure, hoping this would help her find her happy, full-of-love self seven years ago.

I really enjoyed this novel so much! There are a lot of tropes that I liked — self-rediscovery, traveling, and rivals-to-friends-to-lovers. Plotwise, it is a little predictable, but this didn’t affect my enjoyment at all. It was funny, sweet, and entertaining. The pacing and the story-telling suit my taste as well. The snarky banter is definitely entertaining. They never failed to make me laugh out loud. Plus, Chelsea’s destinations were the cities I would love to visit! Not now of course, but hopefully in the future.

At first, I didn’t like the main character because I found her quite annoying, but she definitely grew on me as I learned more about her character. At some point, I could sympathize with her. She experienced a profound loss, and she made her job as her shield to go through life. Losing someone you loved definitely can cause a huge impact on you and it can change you. Even when she managed to become successful, there was still a piece in her heart that was missing. In the end, I just was happy that Chelsea was able to find what she was looking for.

Highly-entertaining, I recommend Paris Is Always a Good Idea by Jenn McKinlay. It is a fun, sweet feel-good romance.

5/5 stars!