Wow. What can I say? A Perfect Paris Christmas had me tear up so much, it was such an emotional romance that had me hooked from page one! Before I start I have to say the synopsis doesn’t give away too much, but for me to write my review at all I have to reveal a bit more. I’m not sure if it’s considered spoilery or not, but just so you know, I do get into the story a bit more than that. My review also includes info on things that some might consider content warning.

In A Perfect Paris Christmas we meet Keeley, a kidney transplanted woman who gets to meet her donor’s family. Wow. What an emotional journey that was!

Keeley is a lovely character, I immediately liked her. After losing her sister (and her kidney) to a terrible car accident, she goes through life on a safer path. She lives at home with her parents and works not far from their family home. Their family life seems to be tainted by the reminiscences of what happened, and especially her mother is still struggling (and how could she not?). So, Keeley is going through life the best way she can.

But the book isn’t all sad, obviously. It wouldn’t be a Mandy Baggot if there wasn’t some romance involved, amd we get that – in the City of Light of all places! There’s some wonderful sightseeing around Paris, and since I’ve always loved visiting Paris in books (I have yet to go in real life!), this was a wonderful thing for me.

A Perfect Paris Christmas is an emotional and festive Christmas story that deals with the loss of a loved one, grief, but also love and the question how to live life to the fullest. It has a wonderful and fulfilling happy ending and when I turned the final page, I was feeling all warm inside. That’s what a Christmassy read should make you feel like!

4.5 stars from me!

This is no ordinary festive romance, but it fills you with emotion and goodwill. I love serendipitous romance, and this is what we have here, but it's only a fraction of the story which explores, loss, living life to the full, and friendship against a festive Paris setting.

Sensitively told and well-researched this story takes Keeley to Paris for a life-changing meeting. It's an emotional read with many characters whose stories are intricately woven together into a lovely festive story.

This is a must-read for the festive season.

I received a copy of this book from Aria via NetGalley in return for an honest review.

For me, ‘A Perfect Paris Christmas‘ was one of those books that I enjoyed… and took a few minutes after finishing to simply absorb the messages within those pages. We really don’t have any idea of what tomorrow holds, so we should be enjoying today a whole lot more than most of us do.

I believe there is a lot in ‘A Perfect Paris Christmas‘ that you should discover as you read it. I know there will be reviews with far more details but this one feels, to me, as a romance where the reader should be caught off-guard a bit as information is revealed. So, having said that, most of what you’ll want to know beforehand can be found in the Cover Description. What that won’t tell you is that your heart will break for both Keeley and Ethan yet by the ending it will be healed once again with hope for their future.

There were some slow portions where I simply wanted to hurry up and know more – but that’s my opinion, yours might be quite different. In all, throughout Ethan and Keeley’s romance, I laughed out loud, was in awe of the beautiful descriptions of Paris at Christmastime, cried at what had happened in so many lives, and completely enjoyed my time in this world. If you love a romance where you will (without a doubt) become emotionally involved in the hero’s and heroine’s lives, enjoy a bit of travel mixed in with your love stories, or simply love a really good love story set at Christmas – then you’re sure to enjoy ‘A Perfect Paris Christmas‘.

*I received an e-ARC of this novel from the publisher via NetGalley. That does not change what I think of this story. It is my choice to leave a review giving my personal opinion about this book.*

The Blurb :
United in grief. Pushed apart by tragedy.
Keeley Andrews knows more than anyone that you only live once. So when she receives an invitation to spend two weeks in Paris, all expenses paid, she jumps at the chance.
Ethan Bouchard has had the worst eighteen months of his life. He's ready to give up on everything, including his hotel chain. So when he meets Keeley, it simply isn't the right time.
As Keeley and Ethan continue to bump into each other on the romantic Parisian streets, they can't help but wonder whether this is fate telling them to let go of the past and leap into the future...



My Thoughts :
As soon as I know Mandy Baggot has a new book out, I know its going to be a winner.
I could not wait to dive into A Perfect Paris Christmas.
We meet Keeley Andrews, lucky to be alive after being in a car accident that took her sister’s life, Keeley has a chance to go to Paris to meet the parents of her Kidney Donor. Keeley takes along her best friend, Rach. Its a perfect time to explore Paris and have a little break from everything at home.
We also meet Ethan Bouchard, he has had a horrible year after losing his best friend Ferne. 
Ethan’s also had a difficult childhood as an Orphan living on the streets. 
The two become friends after meeting in various places and so their journey begins.
Its so easy to get lost in this book with all the vivid descriptions and places in Paris. 
I loved watching their relationship grow. 
A wonderful story about Love, Loss, Friendship, Emotions and Romance.
Mandy Baggot is one of my favourite Authors, she writes with such consistancy and will always pull the reader into the story weather its a Summer or Winter book. 
With her stunning and feel good covers her books are not to be missed.

This is a beautiful Christmas story set in an enchanting part of Paris. It's also equal parts heart-warming and heart-breaking.

Keeley is just going through the motions after the tragic accident that killed her sister and nearly killed her. Then she gets an invitation from the mother of her kidney donor to visit Paris for a couple of weeks. She ends up deciding to go. In Paris she spends time exploring and meeting people, including Ethan. He's dealing with a tragedy of his own, which threatens to break up their budding romance.

For the first half of this book, I will say that I was not really attached to the characters or the story. It felt like I was being told, rather than shown, their pain so I just didn't really connect with them. As the story progressed, however, I really got invested in everyone finding happiness. I think Erica and Jeanne were my favorite characters and they really facilitated so much character development while being such wonderful 3-dimensional characters in their own right.

I would definitely recommend this book for anyone looking for a great Christmas, or really anytime, story. The atmosphere is great, really allowing you to explore some bits of Paris as you go.

This book was sweet and wrapped up with magic of Paris (oh and Christmas too!) Mandy Baggot has once again, penned a lovely romance between Keeley and Ethan.

Keely hasn’t been living for over a year. Sure, she’s breathing, eating and working at her best friend’s real estate agency as a stager, but ever since the car accident where she lost her sister, Bea, she has been going through the days in zombie-like motions. That is until the mother of the kidney donor of which was given to Keeley to save her life, contacts her with an all expenses paid trip to Paris so that the donor’s mother can meet her. Dragging her best friend, Rach along with her, Keeley finally takes advantage of an opportunity that will remind her how to live again and out from under her parents’ overly-cautious methods. 

I especially loved how Ethan took in Jeanne and her scruffy dog Bo-Bo as he was once an orphan who needed a place in the world, which the Durand family—especially Ferne, gave him. Jeanne was a no-nonsense 11-year old who would bluntly tell Ethan how things are when others would tell him what they thought he wanted to hear. I found it hilarious how Jeanne wouldn’t stop asking for food or to attend the circus since she knew Ethan had an expendable budget. But she provided a sweet touch that emphasized the side of Ethan that still was that orphaned boy who rose about all obstacles.

But I have to say, the book could have shaved off about 100 pages as there were a lot of details that I found unnecessary and didn’t contribute to the story. That was the only downside I found to this story, though.
Overall, a beautiful story that reminded me of the beauty of Paris and of my favourite holidays.

I enjoy Mandy Baggot's books, this one included. It was a pretty cute Christmas story. I really liked both Keeley and Ethan. If you are looking for a fun holiday book, pick this one up!

This was a bit of a change of pace from the usual Mandy books, there isn’t as much humour in this, but there is so much heart, so much emotion, it’s just a beautiful story. The problem I did find though is that she seemed to be trying too hard for me,  it just didn’t quite feel right, or a bit off , something wasn’t quite right for me I couldn’t put my finger on. I wasn’t keen on the inclusion of COVID-19 or the too many subplots, I just feel I read these books to escape reality, I don’t want to be reminded of it when I’m in these worlds. Overall a nice book, just not as good as previous books from Mandy

Thanks to netgalley and the publisher for a free copy for an honest opinion

Keeley and Ethan are both coping with trauma and grief, she a bit better than he.  They don't realize, when they first meet, that they are linked through Ferne, whose kidney lives on in Keeley. This is a lovely story about hope and finding happiness with the added appeal of Paris and Christmas both.  While it's not laugh out loud funny, you will find yourself smiling more than once.  Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC.  Nice characters and a story that skips along made this a good read.

-- Read this review, and others, on my blog at www.hookedbythatbook.com -- 

Keeley is very grateful to be alive, and taking great care of the kidney she received after the accident that took her sister’s life. She was also feeling a bit managed living at home with her parents, and having to check in with them over everything. Out of the blue, she receives an invitation to go to Paris, just before Christmas. An all-expenses-paid kind of trip and Keeley decides to take her best friend, Rach, with her. But there is a catch – the mother of Keeley’s kidney donor wants to meet her and get to know her a bit.

On the other side of the English Channel, Ethan is struggling to come to grips with Ferne’s death, even though it has been a year already. And he is definitely not interested in meeting the woman who is now in possession of Ferne’s kidney. And to make things even more complicated, Ferne’s brother is flying in from the United States, and he and Ethan are not exactly on the best of terms.

Ethan and Keeley meet during a funny incident, and they become friends, and more, without realizing their mutual connection through Ferne. 

I loved Keeley. She is kind, and strong, but maybe a bit unsure of herself. With Ethan’s help, she rediscovers who she is without being “kidney girl”, as Rach constantly calls her. Ethan has been flowing along with Ferne’s dreams, and now he has to figure out what it is that he wants, all on his own, as a separate being. I enjoyed Keeley and Ethan together. Rach is a wonderfully fun character. 

The story did move a bit slow at times. And it did take a long time before Ethan and Keeley finally had their meeting. The references to COVID-19 didn’t bother me at all. It felt a bit strange to read a book that is set just slightly in the future, and the assumption that by Christmas the situation would have improved that much. It was a fun, light read, and I enjoyed it.

Thank you to Aria and Netgalley for providing me with an ARC. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

I usually liked Mandy Baggot's books but the story of this one didn't keep my attention and it fell flat.
Not my cup of tea.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine

I've loved Mandy's previous books but this one left me feeling flat. It felt like the author was trying too hard to make the book current by adding crass innuendos, covid and social distancing references...it lacked depth and strength.

🎭Tragedy, comedy and 💘romance, set in a beautiful city🗼

After a sad introduction to the main characters through a fight over crumpets(!) in Keeley's family home in London and Ethan's uninspired leadership over Christmas planning for his chain of Paris hotels this book really took off and became all I love and hope for in a good romance. 

Both main characters are dealing with grief, yet their happy, sometimes zany times together make the sadness of their individual losses bittersweet and don't allow it to overwhelm their present.  Young street urchin Jeanne and her flealess companion pooch BoBo add plenty of whimsy and heart to the story.  Erika, the hospice patient, and her conversations with Keeley really moved me.  The romance is sweet, the obstacles are realistic, and the sights, scents and tastes of a December, snow-dusted Christmas in Paris provided a perfect backdrop for Keeley and Ethan's story.  A Perfect Paris Christmas is ultimately a heartwarming romance with a positive message and a lovely ending.

I also really liked the happy medium author Mandy Baggot struck in acknowledging the pandemic in her 2020-set story but not fixating on it.  

This was the first of Mandy Baggot's novels that I've read and I was really impressed with the depth of emotion and complexity of the main characters, totally not the easy, breezy romance I had expected.  This was so much better!😊

Thanks to publisher Aria and NetGalley for providing an advance copy of the book;  this is my voluntary and honest review.

Thank you to Netgalley, Mandy Baggot, and Aria for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review!

Christmas stories are some of my favourite and this book was a great one! The storyline of this one is not one I have read before, and I thought it was so well done. The ties that bind us can cross countries, and you just never know how life will bring people together!

Keeley is a great character to read. Her life was thrown off the track she had planned, she is stuck in a bit of a rut, and she also has that feeling of being trapped in her life. I think all of those basic ideas are ones that anyone can relate to, and I could see myself in many of her thoughts and feelings. 

The setting of Paris is a character in herself. The reader is taken to the hot tourist attractions, of course, but it is the places off the beaten path that suck me in and dream of visiting Paris. And Paris at Christmas time? Yes please!

I think this story is a wonderful blend of Christmas hope, uncertainty, and a study on relationships of all kinds. I would read it again!!!

August was one of those months that I struggled to read. Nothing  I read seemed to captured my attention or if I did manage to read, it took me forever to finish the book. Luckily I was gifted a copy of the recently released Christmas romance A Perfect Paris Christmas by Mandy Baggot from NetGalley. I love Hallmark Christmas movies, yes, all the gooey stupid and predictable storylines, so I knew reading this book would help me get out of my slump. And it did!

A  Perfect Paris Christmas was not the typical romance at all, it was actually deeper than most that I have read. The Mandy Baggot has done a great job at writing not only a romance book but one that could easily be read by fans of women’s fiction. 

There are actually several plots going on in the book, with quite a lot of secondary characters, but the book is well written and they do not get confusing or overwhelming, they flow perfectly with the story.  There is Rach, who is the main character's best friend and her travel partner to Paris. Silvie, who is the mom of the kidney donor, and Erica, who is my favorite, and who reminds us that we need to live each day, as we are not guaranteed the next one.

The main character is Keeley Andrews, she is a survivor of a car wreck that kills her sister Bea. We are told that Keeley was also near the point of losing her life but was given another chance with a kidney transplant. She is invited to Paris to meet the mother of the donor and while she is there she also meets Ethan, who himself is struggling with the recent loss of his best friend, while also fighting with the friend's family on how to run the hotels that they owned together. Ethan also has a great storyline with a homeless girl named Jeannie and her dog BoBo which quickly became one of my favorite parts of the book.

My favorite in any romance, reading or watching, is always the meet-cute, and the one between Keeley and Ethan did not disappoint, it is comical and even involves a penguin and a prank. It wasn’t a quick meet, it was well into the book and I was beginning to think we would not be getting one!

The author also did a great job describing the streets of Paris, from the carousel to the Christmas markets, to the interiors of the hotels and small courtyards. It transported you there and made the story even more magical because you pictured each scene very vividly along with the added bits from your own imagination.

When I started A Perfect Paris Christmas I was expecting the nice fluffy candy floss sweetness of most romance books, but the book offered me so much more than that. It was a heartfelt read about several different types of love, dealing with grief, in-depth family relationships, and very touching friendships. If you need an escape from your usual reading I would highly recommend this wonderfully written story.

This book was everything I didn't know I needed in a Christmas book. I loved that it wasn't just a love story, but the storyline followed some issues that normally aren't covered in a romance novel. I loved how I felt like I was really there. Mandy Baggot has a way of really painting a beautiful picture.

Mandy Baggot is the absolute queen of the festive story.
I absolutely fell in love with this book and the characters. Paris at Christmas time sounds so perfect. The descriptions of the places visited and the food consumed transported me there.
It has been a rough and tough year for Keeley and her parents. She gets surprise holiday to France with her best friend Rach, all paid for by……you’ll have to read it!
The very gorgeous Ethan is in France and working for a hotel chain. He had a difficult childhood as an orphan living on the streets. He looks out for a young teenager who he found trying to get by in similar circumstances, along with their dog. This is a great relationship and totally heart-warming as the story progresses. Ethan has also had a terrible year after losing his best friend and business colleague in an accident.
Keeley and Ethan keep having these chance meetings at various places in the city and there is a spark. As a reader we know about their connection, but they don’t. It’s not all plain sailing, but it makes for a lovely story.
Keeley is a very strong character, although she doesn’t realise this.
This isn’t a light chick lit read, it’s a very thought-provoking story which catches your heart.
Filled with touching topics, I especially loved the relationship between Keeley and Erica, a girl in the hospice where Keeley is a volunteer.
There are some very funny parts too as expected with books by this author, including the taxidermy thread and the penguin issue.
I really adore Mandy Baggot books, this one is extra special and magical. I loved it.
Her other Christmas books are definitely worth a try if you enjoy this one.
Her books set in Corfu will take you through the Summer season with a smile.
Thanks to Mandy Baggot, Aria, Head of Zeus and NetGalley for the early review copy in which I give my honest opinion.

I requested this book because I love Christmas reads. What I didn't expect is how much I would love  this story. I thoroughly enjoyed all of the characters and their individual life stories, and I really loved the story line, the dialogue and  the atmosphere of this book. 
  
 The setting was so lovely,  who doesn't love the idea of Paris at Christmas time? I enjoyed the description of the hotel chains and the sights and cafes. The writer transported me to these places and provided a beautiful, touching story. 

This book was not a throwaway romance, it had depth, touching friendships, interesting family dynamics and some heartbreaking life events all in a beautiful setting.

The cover of this book is beautiful and the description instantly captured my interest. I enjoyed Keely's journey (literally and figuratively!) and how she dealt with everything that life threw her way. I particularly liked the connection between Keely and Ethan and Keely's relationships with Rach and Erica. Unfortunately, this book was a little long in the tooth and I kept hoping the pace would pick up.

Around this time of year there's nothing I love more than to get stuck into a festive romantic read and that's exactly what The Perfect Paris Christmas by Mandy Baggot is. I have to start with the fact that I absolutely loved the main character Keeley. How much can one person deal with at one time?! Having lost her sister the previous year and now facing health problems of her own, she's not got it easy but add to that, she has to try and come to terms with the fact her friend is dying too. I couldn't help but feel for her and I just hoped that as the story progressed, she'd get her happy ending. Whilst romance obviously plays a big part in this, I liked that so much of it was about the characters pushing through their tragedies and seeing life in a new light and I also really loved the relationships between so many of the characters rather than just Keeley and Ethan. I did find the book a bit slow though in parts and it seemed to takes ages for Ethan and Keeley to actually meet!