I have loved all of Leonie Mack’s books up until this one. The story here just didn’t work. The writing about Paris and the history was wonky at best. What kind of heiress doesn’t know how to take the metro or peel a potato or any other mundane thing but suddenly knows exactly how to use a defibrillator in detail? Most of this story made no sense. The rich characters were completely vile.

I really wanted to like this but I just found it fell short. The relationship between the characters didn’t feel natural, there were large parts that felt poorly explained and there was a lot of switching between French and English with only some of it explained.

The scene setting was wonderful but for a Christmas book it didn’t make me feel festive in the slightest.

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC.

Twenty-One Nights in Paris by Leonie Mack

I received an advance review copy for free thanks to Rachel's Random Resources and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

Blurb

Irena and Sacha come from two very different worlds.
An heiress to a fortune, Ren’s home-from-home is the Ritz, while the handsome and brooding Sacha has grown up in Paris’s less salubrious suburbs. So when an accident brings them together, romance seems an unlikely outcome.

When Ren’s society engagement reaches a very public end, Irena’s over-protective grandmother wants her home in London. Ren needs an excuse to stay in Paris, and so after some persuasion, Sacha agrees to pose as her new boyfriend. But only for the twenty-one days Ren's grandmother has allowed her to nurse her broken heart before heading home to face the music.

Over the course of three weeks, Ren realises the world outside her exclusive bubble is more beautiful than she could have imagined. While Sacha reluctantly begins to see the goodness of the woman behind the wealth. When their time is up, will Ren want to return to her gilded cage, and will Sacha be able to let go of the woman he’s been ‘pretending’ to fall in love with…

My Opinion

This felt like I was reading a fairy tale and would make a lovely Christmas film. Leonie has written a heart-warming, descriptive story that had me hooked from the start. I have been looking forward to reading this since I first heard about it.

Personally I found this a welcome distraction from real life and whilst I enjoyed reading it, I had to slow myself down to spread out the enjoyment. A fantastic book that is a must read this festive season.

Rating: 4/5

Ren has been engaged to her childhood friend Charlie for awhile before he suddenly broke it off for another woman. A merger between their two companies had been planned after the wedding, so Charlie says he'll keep their split quiet for six months, but his jealous girlfriend leaks the news early. Ren was at the Ritz in Paris when the news hit and she's determined to take a break away from the fallout. Sacha literally ran into her when she needed him most. She offers him money to play her inappropriate boyfriend to shock her overbearing grandmother into giving her a few weeks away from the drama. Suddenly the romance of Paris makes their fake relationship feel all to real.
I've never been to Paris, but the descriptions of the city were wonderful and made me feel like I was experiencing it along with Ren. Sacha made such a sexy, confident, and informative tour guide. He's patient with her sheltered and naive approach to everything. She's an heiress, but I like that she didn't look down on him growing up in the poor district and fit in with his family better than her own. This was a cute story that gives you the spirit of Christmas and the sparkle of Paris.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Ren has been sheltered and overly protected her whole life. Sacha has lead a life in complete opposite to her but when they meet there is something that sparks to life that neither can deny even if they don't speak of it aloud.

This book fell right in that ok area. Didn't love it, didn't hate it. I had some frustration with the story for sure. The first part of the book felt quite slow and dragged out. I was very on edge because I just wanted something gripping to happen. Ren annoyed me a fair amount. I understand that there is something from her past that stops her from exploring the world outside of her little sphere but for God's sake the woman is 30 but comes off as a naive teen. Sacha was a more intriguing character but not enough to carry the whole book on his own.

Overall I really enjoyed some parts of it while others felt a little tedious.

** Received ARC through NetGalley. Voluntarily reviewed**

I really wanted to read this book, fake relationship in Paris is one of my favorite tropes and as if that were not enough, Paris
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But with a different twist as it is full of historical data about the city and as Ren rediscovers the city with Sacha the images come to your head
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Ren is heiress to a world-famous antiques house and a very known it girl, very much in the Gosip girl style, she also has a family and environment that watch every step she takes, but when her fiancé goes out in all the media on the arm of another woman, she realizes that she cannot hide the truth any more and has to return to London to submit to the measuresof control of damage by her family
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But halfway through the trip she manages to knock Sacha out of his bike and from the first moment they both look into each other's eyes their destinies and priorities change
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Desperate to take care of Sacha, she misses her train and when the matriarch of the family shows up demanding that she return to London, Ren asks Sacha to pretend to be her boyfriend to show her family that she is okay and can get on without her ex-boyfriend
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But with more time spent with Sacha discovering the city she traveled to so many times and the mysterious Sacha who knows everything about this mythical París, can't help but feel like she owns her own for the first time in her life and start to discover other things like love
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At first it was difficult for me to connect with the story, and the characters, especially with so much historical data and because I didn't understood why Ren was so dependent on the opinion of her family, but as the history progressed it kept my attention until the end
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A bit of Roman Holiday with Audrey Hepburn, a bit of gossip girl with delicious pastries, poetry and romance in Christmas, this is a fake relationship between a heiress and humble teacher in the most beautiful city
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Thanks to Boldwood Books and Leonie Mack for give me a copy of this beautiful book in exchange for my honest and voluntary opinion
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Ren is a heiress whose society engagement has just ended, and her grandmother is determined to bring her home to London. The only way to keep this from happening is to tell her she is dating someone else in Paris, and the stranger she met in an accident, Sacha, would be the perfect candidate...
This fake dating, opposites attract romance was cute, with good character development, and the descriptions of Paris were great. But it was a bit redundant with the two MCs trying to convince each other that a relationship between them could never work because they come from very different backgrounds, it felt forced at times, and so did the dialogues. Points for the French; French being my mother tongue, I often see it butchered in English novels. It was cute, and the balance between the two MCs was great, but that's about it for me.
I received an advance review copy for free and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

Twenty-One Nights in Paris was heart meltingly beautiful! I seriously felt like I was walking through the streets of Paris with Red and Sacha. I immensely enjoyed Mack's writing style and how she captured Red and Sacha's story.

If you like fake dating tropes I highly suggest reading this book! Red and Sacha embark on an adventure to deceive the public, but more importantly, her Grandmother, into believing that Red has moved on. And to make it even better, the one bed trope gets thrown into their messy lie and complicates everything!

I loved this book and I loved the twist and turns that came along with it! And it's the perfect book to read during the holidays if you're trying to get in the spirit of Christmas!

Thank you NetGalley and Boldwood Books for my advanced copy in exchange for an honest review!

This is a book that had so much promise to it! A fake dating story, set in Paris… yes please! The characters could not be more different and I loved that about them! There were definitely some hilarious moments that kept me engaged and wanting to know more about what was going to happen, but then there were also parts that just seemed to be slow. I did enjoy seeing the character development throughout the book. Ren was a cute character and you could just see her zest for life come through the pages. I loved you could just feel her joy for having new experiences that she has never had before and was finally experiencing all the “firsts.” Overall, I thought that it was a cute story that is perfect for someone who likes the trope opposites attract!
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This review will be posted to my Instagram blog (read_betweenthecovers) in the near future!

Fun Escapist Romcom

This was a cute romcom set in Paris. Not great literature, 'just' a cozy, romantic, escapist read -- but, in my opinion, that's why I open a book! Our heroine starts out seeming a bit too privileged, a bit too ditsy, but, as the book goes on, her background and true character is revealed. Our hero's character, too, reveals itself gradually. At the end, all is revealed and the future is happy. What's not to love about this?!

Thank you to the publisher who lent me a time-constrained e-arc via Netgalley. This review is optional and my own opinion.

There was so much I enjoyed about this lovely book – a really different exploration of Paris during the festive season, a romance I really believed in, the “fake boyfriend” trope I always so enjoy, and a very unusual fairy tale quality to the story’s telling.

Ren is very much the princess – she lives a life of privilege and luxury, but with an absence of any kind of privacy as the public face of the Asquith-Lewis corporation. She was on the verge of a marriage that would only increase the family’s wealth – the company is run by her austere grandmother, who has made her expectations clear and never shown her any warmth or affection – but her fiancé has moved on, and when the news of his new relationship breaks she needs to do whatever she can in the way of damage limitation.

But as she flees for home, her life collides with that of Sacha – literally, when her car knocks him off his bike – and she sees the possibility of escaping her high profile existence for a while. They agree to a fake romance – he really is the archetypal unsuitable boyfriend – that will allow her to spend some anonymous time in Paris until the time comes when she has to face the music. And as he introduces her to a side of Paris that she’s never seen before, he grows to see that there’s a lot more to her than the spoilt rich girl he first encountered – and she finds he’s far less unsuitable than she at first believed, as the loyalty and affection between them grows.

While Ren is at home amid the opulent surroundings of the Ritz – and frightened by the dark backstreets for reasons that later become clear – Sacha is at home in the city’s busy street markets, the way he makes his living a bit of a mystery for a while, the son of a Lebanese immigrant father, and with a perhaps slightly shady back-story of his own. The contrasts between their lifestyles are starkly drawn – but there’s a real warmth about the relationship that develops between them, as she steps into unknown territory and really blossoms, and he steps up very bravely to help her in the battle with her grandmother.

The Paris of this book is just wonderful – the author shows all the same attention to detail that distinguished her Italian settings, moving away from the usual tourist destinations and focusing on the vibrant street markets, viewing the more iconic attractions from a really different perspective. It’s all very Christmassy, and Ren discovers it all with an infectious sense of wonder and enchantment – although the story does have its moments of darkness and shadows of the past that prevent it ever becoming cloying.

I enjoyed both the main characters – Ren’s naivety and the warmth she allows to emerge, Sacha is totally loveable (and distinctly swoon-worthy) from the very start, and the chemistry between them is palpable. The romance that developed between them – unlikely as it seemed at first – was beautifully handled, and one I really believed in. But there’s also a well drawn supporting cast – the important people in Sacha’s life, the “family” relationships slowly made clearer, and that far more difficult relationship between Ren and her grandmother (and her horrendous assistant Ziggy).

Yes, I really enjoyed this one – perhaps not quite my new favourite (I’m perhaps too wedded to the author’s Italian settings), but an excellent story quite beautifully told, and a Christmas read with a real difference. Recommended by me!

Twenty-One Nights in Paris is a tale of boy meets girl, or rather girl collides with boy, quite literally! Ren and Sacha are from very different worlds and their sudden meeting is the catalyst for their lives to become entwined.

I love Leonie Mack’s writing style and the way she weaves her settings into the story, this time getting under the skin of Paris with delicious descriptions while drip feeding in a bit of history. Ren and Sacha sizzle with chemistry, their banter natural as they get to know each other to the backdrop of Paris markets and iconic sights with a cast of supporting characters that sprinkle the story with humour and depth.

This is another fake romance story – they seem to be quite popular at the moment! Diving into this book, I was frustrated with the obvious plot developments but loved the vivid descriptions of Paris. It was this element that saved the story as otherwise, it felt rather tedious and lack lustre.

Starting the novel, I thought I had missed several opening chapters. It felt like I had jumped into the middle of the action and I then spent the rest of the story trying to play catch up. In my opinion, I thought Mack had rushed into the fake romance theme, rather than spending time to develop the main characters a bit more. I would have liked to have learnt more about Ren’s rather lavish background, to understand the relationship she has with her family and the family business. Whilst I’m not expecting a biography so early on in the narrative and anticipate writer’s to add this information as the story progresses, I thought too much was lacking before the plot really took off. It was too much, too soon.

The fake relationship between Ren and Sacha felt too forced and I did not believe in it when genuine feelings started to develop. There is a lot of emphasis placed on the differences between Ren and Sacha: in terms of culture, wealth and social background. For me, it felt like they were being defined by these characteristics, or allowing those around them to do so, and it meant the characters were trapped in these judgements. I think this added to my feeling that they were largely underdeveloped in the story.

I loved the descriptions of Paris. It brought back vivid memories of my own trip and I think this was the best element of the writing. I would not say that this book was overly Christmassy, but I do believe that Mack really captures the magic of such a city, especially the scenes at night. On the other hand, there was plenty of French dialogue in the story that I tended to gloss over; it did not help that no English translations were provided at what I thought were key parts.

Overall, I think I was let down by this story and definitely did not enjoy it as much as the cover and title promised. The lack of character development, obvious plot directions and genuinely bland story meant I could not fall in love like Ren and Sacha.

With thanks to Boldwood books and NetGalley for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Ren is an a sheltered heiress and Sacha is a man who's lived a life. After a social media infested break up for Ren she and Sacha come crashing into each other's lives! He agrees to pretend to be her boyfriend while the social media storm dies down, but only for 21 days, then she has to go home and face the music.

Sacha and Ren although worlds apart are so similar, each has a secret past that's causing them to not truly live in the now and they're allowing other people's perceptions to over-shadow their potential.
Sacha turns out exactly to be what Ren needs and vice versa. As the 21 days come to a close they realise they're no longer pretending. The references to light are a theme through out and are stunningly beautiful.The opposites attract theme reminded me of Jack and Rose in titanic how her world is so different to his but they still fall hard!

This book has it all , from descriptive scenes of Paris, to history and a bit of suspense, a manipulative grandmother some serendipity and drama!

I enjoyed this book and liked Ren for her naïvety and child like awe. I love that she gained independence and strength and that they both realise that "all lives have meaning and purpose " I loved the rough exterior of Sacha and how soft he really was.

Read this if you :
Love fake dating
Love opposites attract
Love Paris
Found family
A teeny touch of spice (mild, one scene)

Thank you to netgalley and boldwood books for the arc copy in exchange for my honest opinions.

Heiress Ren literally knocks Sacha off his bicycle just as the news of her high-profile engagement being over is revealed. Having been unable to stop thinking about Sacha, she accidentally tells her grandmother she's met someone new, which leads to her asking Sacha to pretend to date her until the fuss dies down. 

I wanted to love this opposites attract, fake dating story so much, and some of it works really well. The meet-cute was great. I loved the duel POV (although I would have preferred it separated by chapter), and I liked Sacha's sense of humour, and his humility. I found Ren more difficult to connect with. While I understood the need to emphasise how different their worlds were, she was SO naive and a little 'precious' at times. I struggled with the way she seemed so unsure of the French language, or anything outside of The Ritz, considering how often she spent in Paris. Thankfully there was definitely growth towards the end. I really liked Sacha. He was sweet and I enjoyed how their chemistry blossomed. The repeated 'this is only fake' self doubts were a little tiring towards the end, and I do wish it had felt a little more Christmassy, given the time of year the book is set. 

Overall I enjoyed the story,  but wished I could have connected more with the characters. 

Overall Rating: ❤️❤️❤️
Heat Rating: 
Emotional Rating: 🤦🏻‍♀️😬💓😂🙄🥰😢💓

*Thanks to NetGalley for the opportunity to leave an honest review*

Thank you NetGalley, Leonie Mack and Boldwood Books for the ARC of Twenty-One Nights in Paris. This is my personal review.
I am a huge fan of romantic books! This was set in Paris and that is one of my most favorite cities in the world.
The storyline sounded like a perfect romance book, and I was excited to read it. I started it and was hopeful the more I read that I was going to feel something for either Ren or Sacha, but I did not feel anything for them. I wanted their relationship to pop off the pages for me but that never happened.
This for me was an OK romance but it is not one that will stay in my mind long after now that I have read the book.

Twenty-One Nights in Paris was an opposites-attract unconventional meet-cute moment with high chemistry and a fake dating scenario! Phew, I covered most of the tropes there I think.
The book opens with Ren, our main character and elite Asquith-Lewis heiress who is the picture-perfect granddaughter. On her way to the train station where she planned to return to London, the news breaks that her relationship is over with Charlie, her fiance and a critical component in merging both family businesses. However, the world doesn't know that the relationship ended 6 months previously. Ren decided to keep it quiet as a ploy to please her grandmother, but the press caught on through an Instagram post from Charlie's new girlfriend. In a rush to escape from Paris, Ren and her driver Beliel end up hitting a cyclist.
Enter Sacha - our male main character. Instantly, well apart from just being hit by a car, the chemistry between Ren and Sacha is profound. This unconventional meet-cute leads to a fake-dating situation so Ren can stay in Paris until the Christmas ski trip with the investors and it is the perfect excuse to avoid her overbearing and meddling grandmother business manager Ziggy.
What takes place is the merging of two completely different people. Sacha shows Ren what the real Paris is like outside of The Ritz, leading to a journey of self-discovery and newfound independence for her. Sacha's preconceptions of the rich spoiled woman shift and among the stressful journey of their friendship/relationship, the two confide in each other and their lives.
I absolutely loved this book. It really was a tale of self-exploration for Ren. She was so sheltered by her grandmother and treated like a child and a face to present to the public. Sacha was key in showing her that not everything is perfect but even among the imperfect there is happiness.
Leonie Mack created the perfect love story that showed a love story but also the love story of Paris.
I thoroughly enjoyed this and highly recommend it!

Such a fun and romantic book. Ren and Sasha meet in Paris and start a pretend relationship that turns real. And now I want to hurry to the airport and head for Paris. I love Paris anyway and this book is a love letter to one of the most beautiful cities in the world. It’s also a story about class and prejudice. And the inherent goodness of people if you let them in to your self-built walls of isolation. I devoured the book. I think I read it in 2 days and enjoyed every minute. Many thanks to NetGalley and the publishers who gifted me an ARC in exchange for my honest opinions about the book.

Twenty-One Nights in Paris is an enchanting fun holiday rom-com.

I adored this book! It is a fun, fast, easy romance read and was the perfect way to spend my Sunday afternoon. I got sucked into this story, and I planned to read a few chapters and then do some housework and baking. That did not happen; I read this book in one sitting and have no regrets! I was blown away by how much I laughed in this book. Poor Ren is going through a rough time, and Sacha gets drawn into her world through a series of bad luck (or hilarious) moments. These moments are so cute and funny, and I loved how Sacha never got angry with Ren. He really was a true gentleman. Leonie added lots of humour, charm, heart, and even some twists to her novel, which made it entertaining for her readers. I loved the guessing game between Ren and Sacha, where Ren tried to guess what Sacha did for a living. It was so sweet.
Paris! I loved how the city of lights was portrayed in this book. It felt like the city was coming to life through Leone’s descriptions. I enjoyed seeing Paris through the eyes of someone who lives there. Having Sacha show us those less glamorous parts of Paris had me falling in love with the city even more. Getting to explore the markets with Ren was so much fun, and I know I would have bought the ugly gnome, too (especially if I thought he was lonely).
Ren is just so endearing! There is just something that drew me to her character. I think it was her excitement and the pure joy she showed when experiencing new things in her life. She had lived in this cage for so long that when she finally had the opportunity to live, she wanted to try everything. Her happiness and joy just leapt from the pages and had me remembering all those firsts in my life; the first time I saw the Eiffel Tower, ate gelato or went on an airplane. Her character also reminded me to stop and see the beauty and wonder that is all around us. We often get so caught up in life that we forget to just stop and enjoy those little things.
The romance between Ren and Sacha is sweet and charming. Their relationship is this beautiful blend of opposites attract and lovers from two different words (think the Aladdin movie). I didn’t realize how much I would enjoy the lovers from two different worlds part of their relationship. It put this uniqueness into it and stopped their love story from feeling too stereotypical. I love how there was this lightness to their relationship; it just felt endearing and sweet.
Twenty-One Nights in Paris is light and fluffy, just like a delicious French pastry.
Thank you, Boldwood Books and Rachel Random Resources for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Great story, great setting, and great characters you can't miss with this one. I highly recommend this book.