A warm hug in a book. This one was lovely with lots of descriptions of Paris life and foods.
Renovation of an old, dilapidated Parisian hotel into a new and modern boutique and bookish retreat had all the bookish feels you can imagine. The book also deals with Anais’s writers block after a divorce from a man just a little too charming with the ladies. There is a mystery attached to the hotel, and we get lots of hotel renovation details.
I was drawn into the Paris life and the many literary references as I read.

I was given a complimentary copy of this book.
All opinions expressed are my own.

It was a light and easy read and yes, I enjoyed all the literary references and detailed historical context. But other than that, I was quite disappointed. I was expecting a different read. First, I feel as though the marketing is misleading. You get minor Christmas vibes, you basically have to wait until the second half of the book for some festive atmosphere. The other thing that really annoyed me was the characters, especially the cliché French boyfriend who turns out to be arrogant and a cheater. And all the "French flavour" with French words in italics like "oui", "non", "merde", "oh là là", etc, that were repeated so many times that it was beyond caricatural and sometimes French phrases even contained typos (Note to publishers: books written in English are also read by an international audience, so please make the extra effort of having a bilingual reviser check the foreign content!).
The main highlight of the plot was the secret room, an interesting idea, but not riveting. Basically, it was women's fiction marketed as a Christmas romance for the sake of it, and I really don't like it when publishers do that, among other money-grabbing things.

Rebecca really does never felt to disappoint - this was such a cosy and gorgeous festive read which I thoroughly enjoyed being located in Paris. I really loved the mystery within the renovations and how that concluded. It was fun getting to see Anais and her cousin create this beautiful hotel. I wish we had seen more of Anais and Noah, their time together in the book was short but I was happy to see such a sweet happy ending for the two of them.

Lovely festive read Paris beautifully described that I could imagine I was there. Sadly I felt like I had come across a renovation story before so it felt a little to predictable but still a lovey easy going story

A lovely festive read . I always enjoy Rebecca Raisin’s books! I loved the story of renovating a run down hotel into a literary themed hotel. Also following Anais’s struggle with writer’s block after her messy divorce was a great plot. Loved the romance with Noah!

this seemed cute in premise but it just fell sort of flat for me :/ i didn’t vibe with the characters at all :(

Christmas at the Little Paris Hotel

by Rebecca Raisin

When Anais discovers her husband and new housekeeper in bed, she divorces him. He is a smarmy leech and a serial adulterer. Using the many lawyers in his family, Francois-Xavier drains Anais’ financial resources leaving her with a decrepit hotel in Paris. As a romance writer, the dissolution of her marriage drains her of her professional motivation as well. She has the dreaded writer’s block, has spent her advance, and has a deadline looming.

Anais’ wild and unpredictable cousin Manon undertakes the rehabilitation of the hotel with her. Together they dedicate themselves to making the boutique hotel profitable so they can sell it. Along the way, there are potential romances and roadblocks in the reconstruction. More importantly, they discover a wall that blocks off two rooms on the top floor. Thus emerges a bookish mystery, and they have to discover why the rooms are sealed and who occupied them.

If you have any interest in Paris, you will enjoy this book. There are French phrases thrown in for flavor along with descriptions of the neighborhoods, foods, and Christmas markets. Manon is French and Anais is of mixed heritage and speaks French with a British accent. She has lived in Paris for 16 years. Friends since childhood, they are very different but get along well. There is a lot of humor that is derived from this pair.

Christmas at the Little Paris Hotel is a very literary book. The hotel will have a library, and the rooms will be named for authors. Anais and Manon seek out bookish items to be part of the decor and are researching bookish places to provide on a map for their guests. They visit many of Paris’ various vintage shops, libraries, and bookshops in their search for decorative items and furniture for the hotel.

I received a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

Rating: 4/5

Category: Fiction, Romance, Women’s Fiction

Publication: September 26, 2023—Boldwood Books

Memorable Lines:

“We’re stuck in a time-warp. The seventies called and they want their avocado green drapes back.”

“He has the IQ of an oyster.” “That’s being unkind to oysters.”

I must leave for my own sanity. While he may do his best to besmirch me, he cannot take away the words I am yet to pen. Those words, they are all that matter. I’ll never publish another novel as long as I shall live, thus he cannot profit from me. That will be the best revenge. The man is dangerous. I must tread ever so carefully.

This book was a cup of warm mulled wine. The setting is in Paris during the months leading to Christmas. The main character is a novel writer and because of some life events got a shabby hotel. The plan is to renovate it and sell it. You get to read about all the details and mysteries about the hotel, the ideas she has for renovating (adding library and book references), and explore fleamarkets to keep the historical essence of the hotel. Aside from this part, you have the romance which was okay but I was in for the details about the literary hotel and later on for all the Christmas references. I never thought Paris was a "Christmas city" I like the German Christmas but the Paris one should interesting.
If you like stories about setting a hotel, or renovations this book is for you. If you are thinking about going to Paris for Christmas this is also for you and if you like books, Christmas and stories set in hotels this is also a book for you.

After losing nearly everything except a run-down hotel in the divorce from her cheating husband, romance author Anais is working to clean the hotel up and sell it as quickly as possible. Next door to the hotel is a bar run by Noah, who makes the job difficult with his demands. Working with her cousin Manon, Anais’ vision of turning the hotel into a book-lover’s retreat is peppered with issue after issue, including the discovery of a mysterious, sealed-off set of rooms. As she peels back the layers of the hotel, literally and figuratively, what she finds may change her life forever.

This official description does not do this book justice. While the book takes place around Christmas time, I wouldn’t say it’s really a Christmas book. Instead, it’s an ode to the great Parisian literary history, and a testament to the strength and fortitude of women everywhere.

In another book, the setbacks Anais had to face before we even met her could have led to a weaker character. Instead, she was strong and determined and I felt proud of her from the start. No disrespect to Anais but Manon was the best character in the book, far exceeding her sidekick status. She was lovable, funny and tough, not letting anyone—any men—get away with nonsense. Even Anais’ agent Margaret came to be a powerful female character, exhibiting qualities many of us would find admirable. And of course, the there were the women in the lost history of the hotel—the strongest and most amazing of all.

I found the writing smooth and lovely. I was engaged right away and never lost attention. I even found myself getting excited as hotel renovations came to fruition, as if I was there myself.

Admittedly, I know little about the literary history of Paris, and reading this book made me want to learn more. Anais and other characters travel through Paris visiting places of significance, which I’m not sure are fiction or not. I was hoping there would be an author’s note about that piece (there wasn’t) but I’m sure it’s easy enough to find out. It’s been years since I was in Paris and this book absolutely made me want to book a flight right away.

I enjoyed this book more than I anticipated, and look forward to reading more by the author.

A lovely book to read set in Paris which is a magical city. I was drawn into the story as it unfolded and enjoyed the characters come to life. Would recommend this book

"Turn a tumbledown Paris hotel into a perfect boutique, bookish retreat, and have it open for Christmas? What could possibly go wrong? When Anais receives a near-derelict Paris hotel in her divorce settlement, her first thought is to tidy it up and sell it immediately. All she wants is to move on and forget her disaster of a marriage ever happened.
But selling it proves impossible, so she has only one to make it gorgeous and open by Christmas… when her funds will almost certainly run out.
She’s not counting on the grumpy American bar-owner next door, Noah, coming and interfering at every moment though. Nor is she expecting to find a mysterious room – which holds the key to a one-hundred-year-old secret – about a woman who chose love against the odds.
One thing’s for sure… as the fairy lights twinkle all over the city of lights and the first snowflakes start to fall… this will be a Christmas in Paris to remember."

Something a bit different for an idea for a Christmas romance, which made a change from the usual ones at this time of year.

I really enjoyed it and was routing for Anais all the way.

Although I’ve never been to Paris, I can easily imagine myself enjoying a stay at the charming little hotel that Anais and her cousin, Manon, are working to rehabilitate throughout the book. I’m particularly intrigued by the secret rooms they discovered, meticulously preserved for historical accuracy.

Plenty of romcom vibes with dashes of holiday spirit sprinkled throughout. Exactly what I look for during the late fall when life is busy, emotions can run high, and you just want a little escape.

I hope to get my hands on more titles by Rebecca Raisin to enjoy when I do want a light-hearted read to step away from life's stresses.

Thank you to NetGalley and Boldwood Books for the advance reader copy.

"Christmas at the Little Paris Hotel" is a heartwarming holiday story, perfect for cuddling up and sipping hot cocoa by the fireplace. It revolves around second chances and moving on, exploring themes of love and self-belief.
The protagonist, Anais, has just gone through a painful divorce, losing everything except for an old hotel. As she works tirelessly to restore it, with the support of her dear cousin Manon, she gradually learns to believe in love again and to open her heart once more.
I read this book while incredibly busy with work, which extended the time it took me to finish. However, the story is engaging, and the characters are compelling. I really liked Anais, and Manon added a wonderful balance to the narrative. I also enjoyed Noah and Margaret. The bookish elements of the story, especially how the hotel becomes a refuge for book lovers, were delightful. The careful details made it feel extra special, and I would love to stay there myself.
I particularly enjoyed the mystery surrounding the author and how Anais and Noah pieced together bits of the story. Overall, I deeply enjoyed this book. If Rebecca Raisin writes 30 books about Paris, I will read them all, as she is truly gifted at crafting special stories. Oh, and I loved seeing Lilou make an appearance!

An easy Christmas read, loved the setting, although it took me a while to warm up to the characters.

Thank you to the Author, Publisher and NetGalley UK for a free ebook in exchange for an honest review.

It's the 1st November in Paris and after going through a bad divorce Anais has been left a tumbledown hotel in Paris. It certainly needs lots of love and attention and that's just the hotel ! But it's not all plain sailing as the hotel is in a very bad state of repair, some of it is dangerous too. But when her neighbour starts telling her what she should do, this immediately puts her back up. Her cousin moves in with her and together they get stuck in looking into the repairs. They have some backpackers staying but their rent doesn't cover very much but they do give her some good ideas. Anais is also trying her best to write her rom com novel and her editor is forever asking her to hurry up and produce it. She feels like the world is laying heavy on her shoulders and sometimes she doesn't know which way to turn for the best. What with building work, buying suitable antique furniture and most importantly the guy next door, she has no way of knowing which way to turn, is she making the right choice (on all subjects)?
But when they find something interesting behind a locked door in one of the unused rooms, this brings them hope, and growing interest from other people too.

A fun and sweet romantic story set in Paris, where you can find love, or can you? I particularly liked the story of the forgotten love in suite twenty. A five star read from me.

#netgalley
##Boldwoodbooks

Christmas at the Little Paris Hotel, by Rebecca Raisin, is the story of popular romance author Anais de la Croix in the wake of her divorce from conman Francois-Xavier Giradot. With no prenup, Anais has been taken to the cleaners at court since Francois-Xavier comes from a large legal family that believes all his lies. Now Anais is left with little savings and a run down hotel that at least is in a great neighborhood. Her ex has most of her money and the posh apartment she purchased even though she was the one that returned home to find the scoundrel in her bed with the Swedish housekeeper.

Now at the run down hotel Anais and her spirited cousin Manon set about a restoration with an ambitious 2 month time line, the same time line Anais has to meet for her editor Margaret. Unfortunately the whole Francois-Xavier debacle has left quite a writer’s block behind.

At first hassled by her new neighbor Noah, owner of the wine bar next door, he becomes quite the ally, as does contractor JP. With cleaning out the trash left behind discoveries are made, mysteries presented, and a larcenous Francois-Xavier comes sniffing back around.

I very much enjoyed this book and I do recommend it

What an amazing story - I loved the interactions. with the characters especially in such a beautiful city. Everything is described with perfection so that you feel you are there with the characters - I could almost smell the food!

3.5/5
LIKED:
The old hotel’s remodel into the book themed hotel
Manon, the true crime loving cousin, she was tough, quirky and just downright fun
The mystery of the hidden rooms, although what was in them did not excite me as much as I hoped it would (and where the missing key turned up was not realistic)
DISLIKED:
Not really a Christmasy story
Noah’s character, he was too mad about dirty windows, he did not seem believable or likeable
Did not really see the romance growing, it was just all of a sudden there

Overall, this was a cute romcom about a romcom author who has had writer’s block since she discovered her husband was cheating on her. In the divorce, she was left with the dilapidated hotel her husband bought (with her money) during their marriage. She races against the clock with no money to fix it up in time to open for Christmas. The grumpy American neighbor Noah seems to have it out for her and instead of being helpful, he’s a nuisance.

Thank you NetGalley for an ARC of this book.

this is a good book to read telling the story of a run down hotel which holds many secrets while been renovated it is in the hands of anais who is a writer and ended up with a divorce through her husband fleecing her but while renovating secrets begins to unfold which turn out to be worth plenty and of course her ex tries to take a bite of the cherry but to no avail

A lovely, feel-good festive read. Light-hearted, easy to follow and loved the Paris hotel setting.
This is my first read by this author but I would definitely be interested in reading more of her work