This audio book, read by a full cast, was beautifully done! A blend of historical fiction and a coming-of-age story set in Paris, the narrators did an amazing job bringing the characters to life. I was immediately drawn into the world of the American Library in Paris and Lily's journey to find her true path. The storyline was engaging, the characters were well developed and the pacing was perfect. If I ever get to Paris, the ALP is on my list of must-sees!

Thank you to the publishers, author and NetGalley for the free copy of this audio book.

Overall a good read, with lots of characters/POV's that sometimes gets hard to follow in audio form. Still enjoyed it and would read more by this author!

I loved The Parisian Chapter! It was a delightful story featuring the American Library in Paris (ALP). The main character is Lily who begins working as a program manager at ALP after roommate and dear friend Mary Louise moves out of their apartment. Lily crosses paths with many people throughout her time at ALP those who work there, the trustees, authors and members. I found this story charming. You see how people from all walks of life help each other and grow from spending time at ALP.

The book by Janet Skeslien Charles is told from multiple POVs. There are a lot of narrators, led by Pauline Chalamet, who did an incredible job bringing this story to life.

Thank you to NetGalley & Simon & Schuster Audio for letting me read this ARC.

A Heartfelt Ode to Libraries, Friendship, and Finding Your Voice

Thanks, NetGalley, for the ARC!

The Parisian Chapter by Janet Skeslien Charles is an absolute gem—poignant, charming, and brimming with heart. Set against the enchanting backdrop of 1995 Paris, this story captures the magic of books and the resilience of those who cherish them.

Lily Jacobsen is a compelling protagonist—earnest, vulnerable, and refreshingly real. Her journey from small-town Montana dreamer to Parisian library programs manager is one of self-discovery, love, and community. Charles masterfully weaves together Lily’s personal struggles with the larger mission of preserving the soul of the American Library in Paris, creating a narrative that feels both intimate and universal.

The audiobook’s multicast narration adds richness and texture, giving each character their own voice—literally and figuratively. Whether it’s the eccentric library staff, demanding trustees, or Lily’s artistic circle, every interaction crackles with authenticity and warmth. And fans of The Paris Library and Miss Morgan’s Book Brigade will be delighted by the return of familiar faces, seamlessly integrated into this new chapter.

With its cinematic prose and emotional depth, The Parisian Chapter is more than just a story—it’s a celebration of creativity, chosen family, and the quiet power of storytelling. Janet Skeslien Charles has once again delivered a love letter to literature and the places that keep its spirit alive.

A must-read (or listen!) for book lovers, dreamers, and anyone who’s ever tried to write their own story.

Lily & Mary Louise leave small town Montana for a bigger life in Paris, following in the footsteps of their dear friend, Odile.

Lily, an aspiring writer, finds work in the ALP (the American Library in Paris), as the program manager, just as Mary Louise is suddenly moving out of their shared apartment.

Lily dives into her work, dealing with weird patrons, snooty trusties, and odd collages, trying to save the library from its looming financial demise. Lily is trying to find her written voice. She is struggling to write, all while trying to mourn the loss of her friendship, navigate a budding relationship, draw parallels from Odile’s story to hers, and grow. Oh yeah, and save the library too.

We all dream of moving to Paris, to live our dreams. As Lily learns, survival and success can be hard anywhere despite the magic that Paris has to offer. Can she do it?

This audiobook has been a treat to listen to while I power through the mundane details of my own life. The narrator of Lily’s voice, tells Lily’s story with vivid emotion. Listening to Lily sounds like I’m listening to an old friend talk about her day. I very much enjoyed sharing my time with Lily & her friends at the ALP.

The Parisian Chapter by Janet Skeslien Charles was a cute little story about two girls and their dreams to become artists in Paris. Think “Emily In Paris” without the marketing bits. The story was fantastic with just a hint of spice in one part, but not enough to scare you. I only wish the voice of Lily in the audiobook was someone who sounded a little older. Strange note to make perhaps, but I struggled to get the feel of a 20 something year old and drinking when she just sounded like she was in high school.

Thank you Simon & Schuster and NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for my honest review!

“The Parisian Chapter” by Janet Skeslien Charles and narrated by various speakers tells the tale of Lily Jackobson who goes to Paris in 1995 with her best friend for their post-graduation adventure: Lily wants to become an author and Mary Louise wants to become an artist. Things don’t go their way at first and they struggle to get by. Little by little, they forge lives for themselves, but to Lily’s dismay, Mary Louise wants to go her separate way. Lily begins working at the American Library as an event coordinator and learns to deal with difficult people—but native Parisians and wealthy expatriate Americans.

I quite enjoyed this book, especially since I know what it is like to move to a foreign country after graduation from university and making an entirely new sort of life, struggling with different customs and the language. I think the author did a good job portraying the struggles that many wives of expat businessmen experience as well, particularly thirty years ago.

Many thanks to Net Galley and the publisher for an ARC of this book. My opinion is my own.

Thank you, NetGalley and Simon & Schuster Audio, for access to the audiobook ARC.
This one gave me “Emily in Paris” vibes. There were a lot of POVs which is sometimes difficult to follow when listening. It would be easier to have a copy of the book and refer back to who is who. Because of that, it made it difficult to make some of the connections. Overall, I enjoyed the book, but I’m not sure if I would buy it.

This book for me was an average easy listen. I did get an advance copy of the audio version from NetGalley and publisher . The audio was wonderful with a full cast of characters . For me personally ( and not sure why I had not) I wish I had read The Paris Library .before reading this book . You get to learn more about some of the characters from that story . You can certainly read this book independently, I did and still enjoyed it . This book takes you to the American Library in Paris during the 1990’s. You learn about the employees, volunteers and customers . Each of their personal stories and how the Library affects them .

This was a lighthearted and quick listen. Full cast audio, with each character being voiced by different narrators, was a nice change for me. I really enjoyed the way a new chapter was introduced, the music reminded me of some of the shows my grandpa and I used to watch growing up. This was not my typical historical fiction, but overall it was an enjoyable story, with lovely characters who added a nice touch.

Thank you to Simon and Schuster Audio and Netgalley for the opportunity to advance listen.

I wanted to like this, it had a lot of promise, an interesting setting, some compelling characters that were well narrated by talented voice actors… but in the end, it seemed like a lot of production for an only ok story.

In 1995 Paris, lifelong friends Lily and Mary Louise, realize they have not made much progress towards their career goals. The last five years they have lived in Paris in a small apartment, surviving on bread and cheese. Lily, an aspiring novelist, is tutoring students in English to make ends meet. Mary Louise, an artist, is working as a receptionist. One day,Mary Louise announces she is moving to an apartment on her own, and it is time she started being an independent woman. Lily is crushed emotionally and financially. She gets a job as a program director at the American library in Paris. Here she meets a host of colorful characters, and finally understands she, too, needs to become an adult. This is a story of self discovery, and learning how to realize your dreams, as they change, and as you change.

The story was interesting and I really enjoyed learning about the American Library in Paris. I thought the growth of the main character was done well and the secondary characters helped to create more connectedness. However, the audio was a bit odd with the music and transition between chapters, it was abrupt and took me out of the moments I’d fallen into with the characters. Overall I’m glad to have read it but can’t guarantee everyone would enjoy the audio version.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the chance to listen and review this audio book.

I have read a few of the author's previous historical novels and enjoyed them, so I was looking forward to this book that takes place in the same world as those books. And of course who doesn't love a book about books?

Honestly, I didn't love it. I couldn't quite get a grasp on Lily, the protagonist. It's the 1990s, and Lily has moved to Paris with her best friend from home in Montana, Mary Louise. Lily aims to write a novel and Mary Louise will paint. The friends fall out but we are never really sure why. The author tells us later but doesn't really show us. I found this to be the weakest part of the book. I also found the mystery surrounding Lily's friend Odile to be extraneous to the story.

I did enjoy reading about Lily's experiences at her paying job at the American Library in Paris. The cast of characters there was fun and interesting, if a little confusing to keep track of. I also liked Lily's romance with a library patron.

So just a meh 3 stars from me.

The Parisian Chapter by Janet Skeslien Charles was the perfect kind of audiobook on my vacation. I read (and absolutely loved) The Paris Library so I was excited to see that a follow up was coming in an audio original with a full cast narration led by Pauline Chalamet. This book is about the power of relationships, female friendships, and books, books, books. I especially loved being back at the ALP (The American Library in Paris) and meeting a whole new cast of characters. There are also references to characters from this author's other books, The Paris Library and Miss Morgan’s Book Brigade. I've read both and they're fantastic!!
We meet Lily and Mary Louise who leave Montana for the city of lights. Two young women with big dreams.
Lily gets a job at the ALP and meets a cast of characters who find comfort in the library and with books and they helped bring this story to life. But my favorite character is still Odile and the twist in this story was so great!!
Thank you to NetGalley and Simon and Schuster audio, for an advanced audio copy in exchange for my honest opinion. I absolutely loved it!!

This was a sweet book about friendship, coming of age, and the American Library in Paris. Lily wants to be a writer. She came to Paris for college and lives with her friend from her small town in the American west, Mary Louise. Lily's writing is going nowhere and tutoring people in English won't pay the bills when Mary Louise abruptly tells her she's moving out. Lily lands a job in the American Library (still exists) getting authors to come speak at a weekly event. This turns out to be tough all the time and her boss has high expectations and is no mentor. In the course of working in the library, Lily slowly starts to connect with regular patrons and her coworkers. She already knew about the Library from an older woman friend back home who is from Paris. This creates a side story about her French friend's friend. They worked together at the library and Lilly finds herself wondering about what's happened to this old friend her friend left behind. Got that?

Throughout the novel, Mary Louise does a lot of push me pull you behavior with Lily, telling her what habits of hers bother her and being mysterious and remote while occasionally showing up. While Lily is sad and stressed about this, she seems to gain self awareness.

This is only an audio book release with a large audio cast. They were good. I wasn't fond of the voice used for Lily for some reason and she was a regular character. It was the pitch, not how she narrated. I liked it but didn't love this novel. A bit too much coincidence and making things happen that seem a bit to serendipitous. But it's a quick read and somewhat entertaining. 3.5 for me.

Although entertaining and beautifully narrated, this audiobook-only release is lighter in tone and feeling than Ms Charles earlier books. I enjoyed it, but did not feel better for the experience like I did with The Paris Library and Miss Morgan’s Book Brigade. I hope that this is just a teaser and a new, more substantial novel will be released soon!

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

3.5 / 5 stars.

This is a lovely historical fiction about a young aspiring writer living in Paris and working at the American Public Library. It explores friendship, romance, and following your dreams. I found the main character very likable and the ending satisfying.

The audio aspect of this book was wonderful. It includes short musical interludes that set the mood and several narrators that gave each character a unique personality.

Thank you Netgalley for the audio ARC of The Parisian Chapter. The Parisian Chapter follows numerous people through 1995 France. Mostly focusing on Lily and her journey from Montana to Paris to become an author. It is a story about navigating friendship, pursing your dreams, and reconciliation. I really enjoyed the multiple narrators!!!

Overall, I enjoyed the storyline and writing style of this book. I loved that it took place at the American Library in Paris, any books in Paris and about libraries are a win in my world! I, however, did not love the audio book. I found that it made it kind of difficult to keep track of the different perspectives and times, since the stories were all so closely related and woven together. I enjoyed the characters and liked that this book was about their lives, but I was hoping for a little more history written into it, although it was also nice to have such a small focus in a book. Lily and her friend Mary Louise arrive in Paris from Montana to work. Lily finds herself working for the American Library in Paris, trying to help save it from financial ruin. We meet a lot of characters and drama throughout the pages, learning about their life, love and drama. A quick and engaging read, focusing on the lives of those in the American Library in Paris. 
Thank you netgalley for my advanced reader copy.