This was meant to be a mystery set in a French village, with a bakery and a woman searching for purpose. It was not.

First of all, this is a republication, not a new book.

Secondly, I found this book offensive in its treatment of Jewish people and their persecution during the war. It is not a joke or something to be so blasé about.

Not a book for me.

Thank you to NetGalley for a copy of this ARC for my honest review.

If a book featuring a sweet little bakery in a quaint French village that has a healthy dose of magical realism and charming characters is written, I will most definitely read it. The Mysterious Bakery on Rue de Paris is quintessential Evie Woods. The characters were delightful and developed, the romance was sweet, the pacing was excellent. I don't speak French so I felt some moments of disconnect but overall this is a wonderful read to have on your shelf to quench your wanderlust.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an advanced readers copy in exchange for an honest review.

I love the atmosphere and cozy vibes this book was giving. A sweet story about Edith who takes a chance on taking a job in France at a small town bakery.

I was so excited to see a new book coming out for Evie Woods, as I absolutely loved ‘The Lost Bookshop’ and became wrapped in its magic.
With the synopsis of this book, I was expecting something similar but sadly for me it failed it hit any mark.
I struggled to connect to connect with any of the characters, they actually felt one dimensional. The story seemed to jump around and in all honesty the breaking into French seemed to make me lose any momentum I may have had. I do understand she was speaking to characters with limited English and the translation was Eddie’s but I found it jarring.
I struggled to 50%, then decided to ‘investigate’ and see what others thought, as the whole pretext of the book had me feeling I should feel something more.
Surprisingly, I see that this book is being is a re-release and was actually written in 2014. It goes to show how much writers can grow over time.
Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for a copy to read. It certainly won’t stop me reading any new books from this author.

The Mysterious Bakery on Rue de Paris by Evie Woods tells the story of a 'magical' boulangerie et pâtissière tucked away on the cobbled streets of Compiègne, France.
As World War Two and the Nazis come to Compiègne, baker Pierre Moreau, the owner of the boulangerie, gets two unexpected visitors from the train station that are about to change his life forever.
Told in a dual timeline like a journal.

In the present day, Edie (Edith) Lane flys to Paris from Dublin to be the assistant manager at the quaint bakery. She discovers a journal/recipe book and the story takes on a life of magic, friendship, love and family!
The story takes us on a journey with the Moreau family and the town characters we meet along the way. I absolutely loved all the food the bakery displays and sells but most especially, the hot chocolate!
There’s a Roma element which I truly loved, especially the descriptions of the gypsie music and guitar elements.
The plot is infused with difficult incidents from the past which show the determination of the bakery and its owners to prevail.
I really enjoyed this book and wanted to hurry and finish it to see what happens, while at the same time, not wanting the story to be over. I fell in love with these characters.
I will be recommending this book!
Thank you to NetGalley and Harper Collins UK, One More Chapter, for an advanced readers copy in exchange for my honest review.

This is the second book I have read by this author. Both were cozy reads that draw the reader in easily. They have a hint of magic and a touch of mystery, with a bit of romance and history. All the things I really love in a cozy read. This book was such an easy read and I wanted to continue reading it. Finding out why the bakery was mysterious, what happened to Edith, but also the small flashbacks and the peeks into another characters life. I thoroughly enjoyed reading.
Thanks to NetGAlley for the eARC to preview.

Thank you to One More Chapter Harper Collins for the ARC opportunity.

This is my second read by Evie Woods and quickly jumped to my favorite of hers. I read this in a day, the storyline and characters were captivating. The plot was easy to follow and tied together nicely. My only complaint isn’t really a complaint, I just felt the ending was very rushed. As endings of good books often are, you don’t want the story to end. :)

I really enjoyed this book! I usually read thrillers so this was something a bit different for me but I loved the fact it was pure Escapism. Books are, for me, a way to escape day to day life and enter a world of pure imagination; this book did that perfectly and I'd definitely recommend to others!

Thank you NetGalley, , One More Chapter, and Evie Woods for the opportunity to read and review an advanced copy of The Mysterious Bakery on Rue De Paris.
I had high hopes for this story but it fell a bit flat for me. I loved the ideas of family drama, All things Paris, a bakery and beautiful scenery added with a touch of magic. The storyline was too fast and furious. Too much going on, too much change in time and the plot only scratched the surface. I didn’t have time to digest each part and the characters needed to struggle a bit more with decision making.
The characters needed more development. They were a bit predictable and one dimensional. The dialogue was basic and I felt I was watching from afar and not immersed in the action.
I enjoyed reading this but it probably won’t stick with me. I hope not totally forgotten.

I loved the atmosphere, setting, and history that brought this book to life. I've never been to France, but Evie Woods' description of Compiègne made me want to visit (and visit a small bakery or two). And the details of the pastries and hot chocolate? Divine. I wasn't sure when the more fantastical elements of the story would come into play, but the transition was well-paced and subtle, and allowed for an even deeper significance to the bakery, its owner, and her story. The time skips allowed me deeper perspective into why this location was so magical in the first place—it was a home, not just for a lovely baker, but for those he sought to protect at a time when war and injustice ran rampant.

I wasn't too won over by the protagonist and the love interest, however. Their romance and dialogue felt stilted and not as natural as the rest of the story, which was unfortunate because the side characters were engaging and had plenty of personality. Edith is around my age, but I thought her significantly younger by the way she talked. One aspect of her I enjoyed was her grief journey, which felt very real for someone who had to endure a big loss at a young age.

Thank you Evie Woods for this enchanting tale, and thank you NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This was a delicious little read, although knowing a bit of French would be helpful to let you get a bit more out of the book as there's many conversations in French - so google translate comes in handy!

Edie is looking for some adventure in her life, after caring for her mother, and soon finds herself answering an advert for working in a bakery in Paris - except when she gets there it's not in the centre of Paris as she thought! Has she made a big mistake?!

she's really thrown in at the deep end, and I do like her 'can do' attitude and getting on with the locals takes a bit more effort as they aren't too open! But the more time she spends with people, the more she begins to understand the special connection many have with the bakery and when there's trouble on the horizon, she gets to work to pull people together to help.

It has a slow start but I really began to enjoy it the longer I read it and I enjoyed it.

Every book I have read by Evie Woods has been spectacular and this is no exception. I absolutely loved this story of Edie Lane, who rans off to an adventure in France, only to find love and friendship she didn't know she needed. The story mixes romance, history, and little bit of magic. It's like a modern day fairytale. The characters are wonderful and the setting makes you feel like you are walking down a French street. Evie Woods is a wonderful author who knows how to tell a tale. Read this book and get swept away.
Thank you to NetGalley, HarperCollins UK, and One More Chapter for the opportunity to read this ARC.

I am now officially an Evie Woods auto buy.. she writes, I buy!

This was so very heartwarming, to be honest I was sold at Paris bakery.

I loved the many different elements to this story, part romance but some really good historical fiction which I am a big fan off, and also a paranormal element.

I found this such a cosy heartwarming read, some really good characters, found family good friendships.

What’s not to enjoy. Easy recommendation!

A bakery in a cute French village with a collection of whimsical characters and a touch of magical realism? Yes please. This book was absolutely what I have come to expect from this author. The story of Edie and the Moreau's was impactful and inspirational. The characters were charmingly delightful, and the romance was just right. This is the perfect read if you are craving (pun intended) a trip to a French bakery that may just change your life.

What another wonderful and delightful story from this author. Edith has not been feeling herself or what she wants to do with her life after the death of her mother. She answers an advert for an English speaker to work in a bakery in Paris. With the best wishes of her father, she applies and gets the job.

The bakery is not in Paris, a city she wanted to visit and live in, instead, it is outside the city. The bakery is old, its facade is dated, her room in the attic is cold and she wonders why on earth she had decided to leave her home in Ireland. Her employer Mrs Moreau is not that welcoming, there is one main rule, that she should never enter the basement. Each morning when Edith begins work the bread, cakes and pastries are already prepared and are awaiting customers. Edith never sees the baker or any deliveries coming in but she is curious.

As she gradually starts to find her feet she makes friends, one of whom is a man who sweeps her off her feet. But he is not what she thinks he is and she goes from soaring to plummeting in her emotions. There is, however more to this story, the bakery and the small but historically important town of Compiègne!

The first thing I did when I finished this book was have a look on the internet for images of Compiègne and it helped with the descriptions of the book but also of the history that this small town has played.

The author has created such a mesmerising story with Edith, the bakery, its history and then adding her twist with her characters and the magical feeling that something more is at play than you first realise. This is something the author really does excel at and she weaves a wonderful vibe throughout the book, but also picks out important events that are wound into the lives of her fictional characters.

This book is fabulous and one that can easily be read in a single sitting, it has a heart and a story that is enchanting as well as sad. Another stunning book from this author and one that I would recommend.

This was a little slow to start but then I really got immersed in the story and the history and couldn’t put it down. Edith was trying to come to terms with her grief and so moving to Paris seemed like a great idea…. I don’t want to give anymore away but I would recommend, extremely low stakes and just a cosy small French village romance, beautifully written and thoroughly enjoyable.

Thank you Netgalley for E-ARC of this in return for honest review.

I wanted to love this like I did the Story Collector, but this main character Edie just was so irritating. I couldn't read one more line of her her makeup and her clothing choices! Too much is also going on, is this a history novel, a cozy fantasy, a meet cute tmromance , a mystery...chaotic!
Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the ARC.

If you love France and pastries you will enjoy this read. I found it a heartwarming story that connects the past with the future.

Evie woods is one of my favorite authors so when I got approved I was freaking out:) I loved this book I am not usually a romance reader but this book surprised me:)
What I loved
- the cover is stunning
- the story I loved the gentle romance
- the setting I mean you had me at small bakery in Paris
- the writing I love evie woods writing style
- the cozy feeling this is a perfect book to read during the winter it has a cozy vibe and I am here for it!!
- the magical twist I love the magic element that evie woods sprinkles into all her books 📚


The only reason why I am not giving this book a five start rating is because I feel the story was a little slow at the beginning took me awhile to get into it:) thank you again net galley !!! I will post my review on goodreads when the book get published!

Edith feels like her life has stalled after years of caring for her ill mother. On a whim she accepts a position as assistant manager at a bakery in Paris. Excited for change, she is crushed when she realizes the bakery is actually in a small town outside Paris.
Not exactly what she expected, but she pours her heart into the bakery, friends and the local history. Very cute story that tugs at your heartstrings, friendship, greed, misunderstandings and a ghost keep the pages turning. Not to mention the mouth watering baguettes, croissants and cupcakes!

I received a complimentary copy of this book, all opinions in this review are my own. Thank you Harper Collins Publishers