3.5 stars
I love anything with even a passing reference to Ernest Hemingway, so when I saw this from NetGalley I had to have it.
This is a multi-generational story that flips between 1920s and 1930s Paris and 2020 London/Paris. I thought the story itself was really interesting, albeit very predictable. The ending tied up nicely in a little bow. It's not an earth-shattering read, but it's cute.
What keeps me from giving this more stars is, sadly, the main character Hannah. I found her to be immature, irrational, and she bugged the hell out of me as the book went on.
I think this would make a good beach read, and I would recommend it to others as such.

Thank you to NetGalley and Gallery Books for the ARC!

Thank you to Netgalley for this advanced copy! It was so refreshing to enjoy Paris during a time when it wasn’t under attack. With so many WW2 stories, I have come accustomed to visiting Paris during its harder times. Lost in Paris gave me a hopeful & refreshing story to explore the city. I enjoyed the way we connect to Granny Ivy through her witty diary entries. How we learn of who she was during a fundamental part of literature & art history. I would have loved even more from her! Our present day follows an estranged mother & daughter duo as they discover family secrets changing what they thought they knew of their past & each other.
I truly enjoyed getting “Lost in Paris”!

“…Sure, we still have our ups and downs like most mothers and daughters, but the one thing on which we always agree is that getting lost in Paris our first day was the start of not only finding ourselves, but finding our way to each other.”

A mysterious key takes a mother and daughter to Paris to unearth the secrets they never knew existed. The key opens the door to an apartment, frozen in time from the 1940’s. The apartment is the love nest for their great grandma Ivy and her beau Andres Armand.

Together, they begin to retrace a life that was never shared with them from the diaries Ivy leaves behind in the apartment. Why did Ivy go to such great lengths to conceal her time Paris? Who Andres Armand? How did no one know about this apartment for all these years?

Lost is Paris is a heartwarming and charming tale of family, discovering lost love and finding new ways to move forward with forgiveness.

Historical fiction
Women’s fiction
Publication date - April 13, 2021

Thank you NetGalley and Gallery Books / Simon and Schuster for an ARC for an honest review.

Hannah has trust issues stemming from a mother who ignored her, a father she never knew, and a boyfriend who after three years dumped her and became engaged to someone else. She is, however, successful in her work as a literary tour guide. She is content in her London life with two close flatmates and a handsome new man showing interest. Suddenly her life is disrupted by the unexpected appearance of Marla, her free-spirited mother from Florida, with news that they have inherited an apartment in Paris through Hannah’s great-grandmother, Ivy. When they travel to Paris to inspect their legacy, they enter an artistic world and “meet” a relative they never truly knew through diaries found in the abandoned apartment. Elizabeth Thompson allows her characters to explore a forgotten Paris that provides opportunities for both women, involving major changes. Will the rift between these two women be healed? Will the secrets of their past harm or help their reconciliation and their futures?

An interesting coming of age novel. As I was of similar age as the main character in that time period, I enjoyed seeing her growth and development over that summer. I did find her a little more naive than was necessary realistic for someone her age. And the end wrapped up a little neater than I would have expected - but overall an enjoyable read.

The setting: "When a deed to an apartment in Paris turns up in an old attic trunk, an estranged mother and daughter must reunite to uncover the secret life of a family matriarch." Hannah Bond [daughter] lives in London, leading Jane Austen-themed tours through the British countryside. Marla, Hannah's mother, shows up in London--unbidden and unwanted--having just left another abusive relationship in Florida. Marla's mother/Hannah's grandmother] has died and while going through her home--voila--a deed to the unknown apartment. Hannah was primarily brought up by her grandmother and distrusts her mother. When Marla asks Hannah to go to Paris with her--to her great-grandmother Ivy's apartment--which they have inherited and knew nothing about... What?!

A dual timeline, which I love.
1919 Paris--Ivy's diaries which name drops Zelda and F. Scott Fitzgerald, Picasso, Hemingway, Gertrude Stein, and more. And a ficticious famous writer, Andres Armand who figures much into the story.
1920--Hannah [and Marla]--in London and Paris.

The two women must "work" together, make decisions about the property, navigate their new relationship, and figure out the mystery of Ivy and the apartment--frozen in time and under inches of dust bunnies

What did I like? Paris, of course.
The writing--fine save for the "mush" which detracted. A fast, easy read.

What not so much?
The neat and tidy ending/s which I saw inevitably coming.
The romance between Hannah and Aiden--too predictable, pat, and sometimes descriptively offputing:

to wit--"My heart thuds against my ribs like a bird trying to break free and soar." later, her heart lurches. "...dark, smoldering glory..." enough!

I'm in the distinct minority. A solid 3.5 but not rounding up.

This novel is a perfect beach or weekend read for those like me that love all things Paris, intertwined with family secrets and an alternating historical fiction narrative spanning the late 1920s to World War II. Hannah Bond, a bookworm living in England giving Jane Austen historical tours to support herself, has jointly inherited with her somewhat estranged mother an apartment in Paris that has been frozen in time since 1940. While that at face value may seem highly improbable, author Elizabeth Thompson somehow has provided enough financial and legal backstory that the reader is convinced it could have really happened. I loved both the current detail about Paris landmarks along with the descriptions of the artistic haunts frequented by the likes of Hemingway, Picasso, and Gertrude Stein among others. A multi-layered story combining romance, tragedy, family secrets and the deep rooted struggles spanning four generations of women, this is a truly enjoyable, page turning read . Highly Recommend! Thanks to NetGalley and Gallery Books for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

"Whimsical" describes Thompson's novel told from two storylines that merge flawlessly. The stories, although a century apart, culminate in the union of a mother and daughter who have always been at odds. Set in "The City of Love," for the most part, and in London for part of the time, this is a tale of erotic, romantic, and maternal love. A delicious read!

WOW WOW WOW. I absolutely was blown away by this book. Historical fiction is one of my favorite genres, and having the strong female characters (in both eras written about) was truly a joy to read. The mystery and intrigue that came with finding a hidden apartment, but flashback through diary entries and all the history that came with it, was so fun to experience.- almost as if you were with Zelda, Hemingway, and Picasso instead of just reading about them. I got similar vibes to Midnight and Paris, which also seamlessly moved between two eras. Overall, i highly recommend this book and was so glad to read.

4.5 stars. Who doesn’t like to read about Paris! An engrossing dual time line novel, between 1920 to 40’s and the present. Marla and her daughter Hannah discover Marla’s grandmother’s deed to a Paris apartment locked in time . With the finding of Ivy’s diary in the apartment , they learn of her life during the “crazy years” in Paris. A story of love and family.
Definitely worth reading!
Thank you NetGalley and publisher for this advanced copy.

This is an interesting twist on several genres including historical fiction, family dynamics and romance.
An estranged mother and daughter inherit a Paris apartment, untouched since 1940. By reclaiming the history of their ancestor, they must work through the issues that divide them.
Of course, handsome gentlemen make their appearance, but romantic interests don’t take over the story.
Definitely entertaining and captivating!

Readers are in for a wonderful treat. I loved this novel and I want to buy the published copy when it launches in April.

Hannah, an American, is working as a literary tour guide in Bath, England, when her mother, Marla, arrives in England from America. For most of Hannah's life, Marla has been an absent mother, which meant that Hannah was raised by her grandmother and her great grandmother Ivy.

Because her grandmother died, leaving everything to Hannah and Marla in her will, Marla has to clear out the house in order to sell the house since Hannah is living in England. While Marla is cleaning out the drawers, she finds a deed to an apartment in Paris that belonged to the great grandmother Ivy. Hence, Marla's decision to ask for Hannah's help. They travel to Paris from London and get lost in Paris, while looking for the apartment.

They find the apartment and they find diaries written by great grandmother Ivy who left Paris in 1940.

The author weaves the stories from the great grandmother Ivy's diaries and from the modern days of Hannah / Marla.

The reader meets literary figures like Sylvia Beach, Scott Fitzgerald and Ernest Hemingway.

This is a story about inheritance. This is a story about romance with mysteries that are solved by the end of the novel.

****Coming April 13, 2021**** Thanks to Gallery Books and Netgalley, I was chosen as an early reviewer!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ What happens when your mother whom you have a strained relationship with surprises you and shows up at your doorstep in London? Panic, grief, and stress overcomes Hannah until her mother, Marla, informs her that they have inherited her great-grandmother’s apartment in Paris. That is when Hannah can take a deep breath, but she still remains skeptical of her mother. This mother /daughter duo decides to head to Paris to investigate this mysterious apartment that they have never heard of. Will this bring them closer together or further strain their relationship? This heartfelt story that explores love, loss and second chances will having you turning the pages from start to finish! Be sure to add this book to your TBR list! A great book club

This was a lovely story that I devoured in an afternoon. Who wouldn't like to discover they have a deed to a Paris apartment? I liked the diary entries for a short history of the interwar years when Paris was infiltrated with American artists and writers. Another story about family secrets but this was interesting and satisfying.

I started off loving this book! I was so intrigued by Hannah's job as a Jane Austen tour guide and instantly fell in love with her quirky (albeit often problematic) mother. It was a slow and steady start that geared me up for an exciting read where I was anticipating adventure and complexity with the backdrop of a complicated mother-daughter relationship.

Unfortunately, the book didn't deliver.

The plot was good and I really enjoyed the wonderful descriptions of all things Paris, but the execution was where I had issues. The pacing was off once Hannah and Marla found the apartment and though sometimes diary entries can serve as an interesting way to break up sections, in this particular book each break felt jaunting- it took me out of the story. I started off so invested in the characters, but as the story went on there was less and less focus on character development and more of a focus on new plot twists (such as *spoiler* a random, creepy married man who harasses our heroine and an ending of tons of DNA tests where everyone finds out they're related). It started to feel like a rushed soap opera towards the end which is disappointing because the original pace was so good.

I am still going to give this book three stars because of its initial promise (in the first few chapters, I couldn't put it down). If you are a Francophile who enjoys beautiful food descriptions and historical references, this could be a quick easy read for you.

In “Lost in Paris,” Hannah, an American working in England as a Jane Austen themed tour guide, unexpectedly finds her estranged alcoholic mother Marla on her doorstep. Marla announces that while cleaning out Hannah’s grandmother’s house in Florida after her funeral, she found a deed to an abandoned Paris apartment that belonged to Ivy, Hannah’s great grandmother. Marla enlists Hannah’s help in investigating the Paris apartment with the assistance of the French law firm whose card was attached to the deed. After each chapter is a short diary entry written by Ivy, starting in 1927 and ending in the spring of 1940. These brief entries provide a glimpse into her fascinating life commingling with famous expatriates such as Zelda and Scott Fitzgerald, Ernest Hemingway and Gertrude Stein.

I requested an ARC copy of this book based on the description of interwar life in Paris. Unfortunately, the majority of the book focuses on Hannah’s and Marla’s personal struggles to overcome their emotionally troubled history, while the fascinating information about interwar Paris was relegated to a couple of pages at the end of each chapter, almost as an afterthought rather than a primary focus of the book. Even the one interesting aspect of the present day was downplayed. Specifically, in describing the first time Marla and Hannah entered the abandoned Paris apartment, the author provided only a scant description of the interior, which did not provide the reader with a feel for the place.

Moreover, the book also contained several inconsistencies, which might be corrected in the final copy, but which detracted from the book. For example, Hannah indicates that Ivy met her American husband in England in April 1940 when he was in the U.S. Air Force. (The U.S. Air Force did not exist until 1947. During the war it was known as the Army Air Corps). Later in the book, the great Grandfather is described as a U.S. “soldier”, which would indicate that he was in the Army and not the Air Corps. In addition, it's questionable whether there were any U.S. soldiers or airmen in Britain in March 1940, since there was no significant involvement by the U.S. in the war until September of that year when the Lend Lease Act was passed and no troops were sent to England until January 1942.

In sum, although the book provides a somewhat interesting look at Marla’s and Hannah’s developing mother-daughter bond, it was not enough to sustain interest in the book. Instead, the fascinating historical aspects were relegated to a very minor role in the book, which missed an important opportunity to make this an engaging read.

i wanted to like this book. unfortunately i did not. that's okay. you might like it so you might want to read it. check it out anyway no matter what my review says!!

I received a free e-ARC through Netgalley.
What would you do if you found out your great-grandmother had left you the deed to an apartment in Paris? For Hannah and her semi-estranged mother Marla, this will either bring them closer or break them apart. A captivating story told in the modern day and embellished with letters that sweep you away to the roaring 20s in Paris. A good mix of the old and the new as relationships begin anew.

I read this book in an afternoon. it’s a charming story and the two plot lines keep it moving. I love the cover art. While this book does have a World War II tie in, I love that it is different because it focuses on the crazy years of Paris with the expats and artists.

A very intriguing storyline! It's a dual timeline - with daughter/mother Hannah and Marla in the current time and Ivy (great-grandmother/grandmother) in 1940's Paris. Ivy's story is told via diary entries, from a diary Hannah finds after learning she and her mother, Marla, have inherited Ivy's abandoned Paris apartment.

There seems to be a run on similar books lately in the same time setting and an old apartment. This is different from the others I've read, in that it's not directly about the history of the 1940's -- it's about family ties and how they shape our lives. Hannah and Marla have a tumultuous relationship and in discovering this apartment, they find themselves drawn back together as family.

Thank you to NetGalley for a digital ARC in return for my review.