Cover Image: Lost in Paris

Lost in Paris

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Member Reviews

This was just an adorable book -- plenty of romance, a bit of mystery, some historical fiction, and LOTS of literary references. Hannah is an American with a job based out of London giving "Jane Austen tours" -- taking tourists to well-known sites associated with Austen and her stories. She is looking forward just relaxing around her flat on her vacation break when her (estranged) mother shows up with a black eye and a story about having inherited an apartment in Paris. To placate her mother, Hannah goes along to Paris where they discover some secrets about Hannah's great-grandmother and her connections to Paris in the 1920s -- that great time of Picasso, Fitzgerald, Hemingway, Stein, et al.

This is a story for romance fans switching back and forth in time through "normal" narrative of the present day story and diary entries from the 1920s. There are several threads of relationships gone wrong and hopeful ones for both Hannah and her mother and her ancestor. There are also many references to that magical time before WWII when music, art, and literature was flowing out of Paris and changing the world. If you're a "romance reader" there's plenty to capture your imagination, but if you're enamored of that legendary time and place of Paris in the 20s, this is definitely the book for you. I loved it!! It's a "moveable feast" for readers, and it will make you want to go to Paris and/or watch "Midnight in Paris" again.

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I think I am a glutton for punishment because I continually read books about my dream of having some random event whisk me off to live in Paris.
This one was no different. It is a dual timeline between Hannah and her great grandmother. The dual timeline was helpful to see the whole story. It was mostly Hannah's story with the perfect smaller amount of Ivy's story. After Hannah's grandmother dies, her mom finds a deed to an untouched apartment in Paris. It's theirs now.
I'm usually not a fan of an absent parent and Hannah's mom Marla fit this bill. But a lot of the time the parent either doesn't change or spends the whole book trying to change. In this one Marla has already made the decision to change and she wants to stick to her word. Hannah doesn't always trust her but it was a nice change from the normal absent parent trope and one I more enjoyed. Hannah was hardworking and loved her job at a Jane Austen tour company. I loved her dedication to the life she created mostly without her mom. She had a great few friends too. I even liked Marla.
The plot was that of a slower moving general fiction book and I was fine with that. We dig into Ivy's life through diaries Hannah finds and find some past secrets. I was interested the entire time, my attention hardly wavering. The only thing that threw off the narration of the audiobook was that the narrator was not good at a Scottish accent (sorry!). Thankfully this character (Aiden) did not have a big part. The ending was a little heartbreaking but hopeful for Hannah and Marla.
It's rare that I pass on a book that takes place in Paris and I'm glad I finally picked this one up!

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I didn't love it but I didn't hate it either, I'm stuck right in the middle. Lost in Paris is a good combination of Women's Fiction and Historical Fiction to tell the story of Hannah, her mother Marla, and Great Grandmother Ivy.

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This was such a fun read about Hannah's and Marla's big news, they have inherited an apartment in Paris. Kicker is, the mother and daughter don't exactly get along. Secrets are revealed, such as Ivy's secret dream was to work for Chanel, but as we know that was frowned upon back in the day. I loved Ivy's story. The mother/daughter drama was a bit much, but I love the different timelines. I am not typically a historical fiction fan, but this one worked for me

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I really enjoyed this story of a broken family. As an adult, Hannah leaves her home in Florida, after being raised by her grandmother. She ends up in London with some good friends and a job to support herself. When her mother shows up at her apartment one evening, because Hannah doesn't answer her calls, her calm world is just gone. Her mother, Marla, shows up with a deed to an apartment her grandmother, Ivy, owned and now, after the death of Hannah's grandmother, Marla's mother, they find out they own this apartment in Paris. The story is told through flashbacks of Ivy's life in Paris in the late 1920s, secrets are uncovered, and the evolving relationship between Hannah and Marla kept me totally immersed in this story. Fans of Susan Meissner, Hazel Gaynor and Diane Chamberlain will enjoy this Elizabeth Thompson story.

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It took me a little while to get to this title but once I did I was completely and happily immersed in this story. It is set in two time periods.

The present day story opens in Bath (England), a place that I know well but have not been to for a while. This hooked me in immediately as I met tour guide and protagonist Hannah who was leading a Jane Austen themed tour there. When the characters went to Sally Lunn’s for her famous buns, I enjoyed a virtual return to that establishment.

Hannah has been living in London with two friends and working as a tour guide. She has always had a complicated relationship with her mother. This is seen from the first when Hannah calls her mother by her first name, Marla. Marla has pretty much been a disappointment to Hannah who is dismayed when Marla unexpectedly travels from Florida to London to see her.

But…Marla has BIG news. She and Hannah have inherited an apartment in Paris. They had no idea that Hannah’s great grandmother Ivy had ever lived in France. She did, starting in the 20s when she hoped to work for Chanel. With her roommate, Ivy met some well known writers and artists who make cameo appearances in the story. Hannah learns even more about Ivy through her diaries.

How and why was this apartment abandoned? What was Ivy’s full story? Will Marla and Hannah reconcile and…will Hannah find love? Turn the pages to find out.

I recommend this one for those who enjoy women’s fiction and stories with enticing settings. Many thanks to NetGalley and Gallery books for this title. All opinions are my own.

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This is a Women's Fiction book with a little bit of Historical Fiction. The historical fiction parts of this book is diary pages of the Great Grand Mother diary, and the diary page is less then 10% of this book. It does bring a lot to the book, but I just want to to let the people that is looking for a historical fiction book that just may not be the book for you. This book is told from the point of view of Hannah who is a big bookworm. I loved her character. This book is all about Hannah learning to get along with her Mother, and Hannah and her Mother learning about family secrets her Grandmother never told them about. This book is so well written, and I loved it so much. I have to say it took a little bit to get going, and it took me a few chapters to be pulled into the story. I found the storyline/plot to be so great, and one I have not seen in a book before. I was kindly provided an e-copy of this book by the publisher (Gallery Books) or author (Elizabeth Thompson) via NetGalley, so I can give honest review about how I feel about this book. I want to send a big Thank you to them for that.

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Hannah is a tour guide in London catering to Jane Austen fans! When a male customer gets tired of all the gossip and giggling of the women on the tour, he has words with Hannah. Her Mr. Darcy, Aiden, comes to her rescue. Hannah thinks she’ll never see this man again, but runs into him at a party. It is the start of a beautiful relationship. Meanwhile, her mother comes to visit from Florida with news that they inherited Granny Ivy’s Paris apartment they didn’t know existed. In the apartment they find a journal that helps them discover their family secret and to find the mother-daughter relationship they always wanted.

I really liked this book! The writing was wonderful; filled with descriptive imagery. For example, Hannah describes her mother as “... an emotional vampire.” and Aiden’s voice “...as rich as butterscotch and twice as sweet.” I enjoyed getting to know Ivy through her journal entries. It was similar to Jane’s letters to her sister Casandra. I also liked that all the love interests were Mr. Darcy equivalents. It upped the swoon factor. This book is a feel good read about learning to trust, finding forgiveness, strengthening family relationships, and discovering family history. I highly recommend this book to Jane Austen fans and readers that enjoy a great book!

Thank you to NetGalley and Gallery Books for the ARC in exchange for my honest review!

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For those who adore novels with Paris in the title, you will want # Lost in Paris. A story of heartbreak, 💔 family, and secrets. Author # Elizabeth Thompson is a talented storyteller.

Description:
A deed to an apartment turns up in an old attic trunk. A daughter and estranged mother must reunite. Add in a famous author that's now dead.....

Thank you for the advance copy,
#Netgalley, # Elizabeth Thompson, and # Gallery Books

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Sadly this one fell flat for me. I tried a few times but could not get into it. Thank you for the eARC however I don't think I am the best audience for this book.

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Dual timelines and a bit of women's fiction with historical fiction tossed into the salad mix with an apartment in Paris. Hannah lives in London and gives Jane Eyre type of tours, her mother Marla is cleaning out Hannah's childhood home to gain money and she comes across an old skeleton key with a deed to an apartment in Paris. Trying to repair her relationship with her daughter she flies and unexpectedly shows up in London on New Year's Eve and begins the new chapter in both their lives. The women have to work together to sort out their new inheritance. They uncover a diary which details Ivy’s life in Paris. Her writing starts in the late 1920s. While trying to find work as a clothing designer, Ivy finds love and is introduced to an extraordinary group of ex-pat artists including F. Scott and Zelda Fitzgerald and Ernest Hemingway. I really liked Hannah and Ivy; Marla, not so much. There are a lot of other fascinating characters in this book, some famous, some ordinary, some very likable and others who are just nasty. The story touches on a lot of themes: family, honesty, sexual assault, misogyny, independence, and forgiveness.

A fantastic enjoyable read! Thank you to Gallery Books, the author and Netgalley for offering me this ARC,

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#IFTHENNEXTREADBOOKS

IF you liked the book THE PARIS HOURS by Alex George …..
And/Or
IF you liked the movie MIDNIGHT IN PARIS…..
And/Or
IF you liked the TV series WHO DO YOU THINK YOU ARE…..
THEN you might enjoy LOST IN PARIS by Elizabeth Thompson!

If you are a reader who loves books set in popular Paris (and frankly, who doesn’t?!!) especially when it has flashes of cameos from all our favorites like Zelda, F. Scott Fitzgerald, Hemingway, and Picasso — this novel is your next read. It may also pique your interest even further if you are keenly curious about genealogy, family trees, and finding long lost ancestors or tracing their journeys.

Thompson adeptly passes between two timelines switching from primarily modern-day England and France to 1920s-1940s Paris. When Hannah and her mother Marla are bequeathed an apartment in Paris belonging to Hannah’s great grandmother Ivy that they knew nothing about, that is when the reader’s adventure takes off. With a shattered relationship and a chasm that seems unbreachable , the mother and daughter pair travel to Paris to unpack the mystery of the apartment and Ivy’s past, stumbling upon her diaries that will answer as well as raise more questions than imagined. The reader is along for the ride as the duo try to piece together the connection between Ivy and the famous writer Andres Armand, from a possibility of a relationship to a shared history of fighting for human rights to a questionable Armand unpublished manuscript. Little do they know as they navigate these uncharted waters the ripple effects it will have on their professional and personal lives as well as the new relationships it might spur. Whether or not new revealed details can heal old family wounds and mysteries only time amidst the book’s pages can reveal the truth to the reader.

Through Thompson’s prose, the reader can travel with this generational trio of women through the streets of past and present Paris, admiring the bookish wares of the bouquinistes on the Seine and from Shakespeare and Company or taking in all of the favorite homes and haunts of the storied past expat community. The reader can virtually smell and taste the Parisian food staples of warm pain au chocolat, hearty cassoulet, and baguettes with French onion soup that has made the city famous the world over. Not only does a literary journey of family secrets await the reader, but a virtual immersion into the delights and magic that are forever Paris in Elizabeth Thompson’s latest release LOST IN PARIS.

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Lost in Paris is the perfect example of a successfully executed dual timeline novel. Usually, when I am reading a historical fiction, I am drown to one timeline over the other - but with Lost in Paris I was equally pulled into both Ivy's story as well as present day Hannah and Marla. This is a beautiful story about family, forgiveness, and discovery. Ivy's exquisite tales of her time with F. Scott Fitzgerald, Hemingway, Zelda, and Gertrude Stein had me grinning from ear to ear. There is just something about 1920s Paris that makes me swoon. Hannah and Marla have a strained relationship, and I loved the journey we are taken on throughout the novel as they discover the Paris apartment. Heartwarming and charming, Lost in Paris is the perfect women fiction/historical fiction to grab and curl up with on a rainy day.

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Good morning #bookstagram📚📖💛
Sunday morning is grey and chilly for Florida..its in the low 50's..which makes me think of what it would be like in London right about now. So a coffee and a slightly mysterious romantic story about a girl being gifted a Paris apartment seems perfect for today!!

Lost in Paris is about Hannah Bond which escaped Florida for an idyllic life leading Jane Austen tours through England. She didnt expect to see her mother Marla at her London flat waiting for her, with a deed to a Paris apartment and a key. She was also given some newspaper clippings of a writer her Great Grandmother Ivy had saved. Intrigued..Hannah accompanies her mother to Paris to discover great grandma Ivys apartment frozen in 1940's time.

I loved the tour of Paris the author gave us, i felt like I was truly there. The story line was interesting, and one of my fave reads of March, but will it stand out in the years best? I only remember it was a comfort read, that made me wish i was traveling.

I am so excited to dive into this story by debut author Elizabeth Thompson thanks so much to #NetGalley #galleybooks and #simonandschuster
For my ARC!!

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As a francophile, I thoroughly enjoyed this story of estranged mother and daughter who discover they have inherited an apartment in Paris. What a dream! The main character is quirky and likable and her navigation of relationships with men, her mother, and her job were enjoyable. I loved the diary entries of her great-grandmother Ivy from Les Annees Folles that included her jaunts around Paris with the likes of Hemingway, Stein, and more.

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This is a dual timeline book which I enjoy. The past story line was more interesting to me, but there was less focus on that in the book. I did not feel like the characters were that well developed and the dialogue was awkward. The ending was predictable and, to be honest, a little rushed. Overall, I did not enjoy the book as much as I had hoped.

Thank you to NetGalley and Gallery Books for my advanced review copy. All opinions and thoughts are my own.

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After her grandmother, Ivy, passes away in Florida, bookworm Hannah flees to London to give Jane Austen tours throughout the countryside. One night after work, she finds her estranged mother, Marla, on her doorstep with a mysterious envelope containing an old key. Mother and daughter travel to Paris to discover the key opens the door to an apartment under dust and cobwebs stuck in the 1949s that belonged to Ivy. Together they learn of Ivy’s secret life and reestablish their relationship.

Lost In Paris is a sweet, charming tale, filled with pleasant surprises at each turn of the page. It beautifully dives into the nuances of the grandmother-mother-daughter bond and the strength of women. I completely enjoyed this novel!

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This story takes the reader on journey with Marla (mom) and Hannah (daughter) as they discover family history secrets in Paris. The action alternates between the diary entries of the past and the activities of Marla and Hannah in the present. The Paris setting makes an intriguing backdrop for the search for information and family ties. While it was a fun read, I would have liked some additional development of the characters and storyline. Maybe it is just me, but I am getting tired of the trendy mother-daughter stories where the mother leaves her kid, is an alcoholic, flighty and irresponsible, or just all around not very nice person.

I received this novel from the publisher and from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. The opinions expressed here are my own.

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very sweet story. gave my imagination a workout. Great mother daughter story set in a beautiful time and place. Thanks you to NetGalley and the publisher! Will recommend!

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Very much enjoyed this look back into the 1920's and even though it was fictionalized, some of the lives of the famous authors of that time, Fitzgerald, Hemingway, etc. The story was good and I enjoyed the alternate time periods in which the story was told. Good character development as well. Will recommend for purchase!

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