I really enjoyed this book. It has all the good stuff, family secrets, bookshops (hello, instant win), old letters, and two women from totally different timelines whose lives end up more connected than you would think.

The story flips between 1960s Paris (which felt super dreamy) and modern-day England. In the past, we meet Blythe, a rich American teenager, basically being told what to do with her life. She’s meant to go home and get married, but then she meets a mysterious guy in Paris and everything shifts. Flash forward to Alexis, who’s dealing with grief, burnout, and a lot of questions about her mum. Her search leads her to a big country house... and things get very interesting from there.

The pacing was great, slow enough to enjoy the atmosphere, but with enough mystery to keep me flipping pages. I read it in two days. The characters felt real, especially Alexis. I liked her messiness and how determined she was to find out the truth.

If you love dual timelines, emotional family drama, and a good bit of uncovering the past, you’ll probably fly through this like I did. Perfect for fans of The Paris Library, The Paris Novel, and The Lost Bookshop.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.

Lovely story with great characters going back to sixties Paris and two women bonding together. The story unfolds with Maeve writing a final novel that is more fact than fiction and I was captivated by her story from the beginning. Great warmhearted feelgood book that you will not want to put down

A beautiful story of love, loss, family and discovery.

Alexis has adopted a nomad style of life, desperately searching for her mother. When one leads results in her meeting Maeve, their lives change. Can Maeve's story help Alexis find her own answers?

I simply couldn't put this book down. It is well -written, with fabulous characters with their own stories and secrets to tell. The snippets of information the author fed in throughout made it a complete page turner, I was desperate to finish and to know how the story ended. Very emotional, a wonderful read.

The story begins in 1960s Paris. Blythe, a rich American 18 year old is holidaying with her parents before returning to home to her wedding to Amoy, a young man she has grown up with. This is not a love match but rather a a business arrangement. Then Blythe sees a young man that she would like to see agin and again.
When her parents announce the holiday is curtailed she manages to spin a story to stay. But careful plans don’t always work out.
Years later Alexis, following her father’s death and a breakdown at work, is searching for her mother, her search leads her to a large house in the country where she gets some work, but something strange is going on.
A wonderful story of love and loss and of rediscovery, a joy to read. My thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for the arc.

3.5 ⭐

A little bit predictable, a little bit cheesey.
But I think that's part of the charm.
A warm cosy story, with some lovely characters.
An enjoyable read.

Such a spellbinding book! You really get woven into the story and taken on such a rich and tender journey! I was originally enticed by the gorgeous cover and the book did not disappoint

I love historical fiction and so I knew I would enjoy this book but I didn't expect it to be as enchanting as it was, it completely took over my life while I was reading it, it was all I could think about and I haven't stopped thinking about it since I finished. I loved it

Captivating. Loved this novel from the start and found it hard to put down as the story wove it's magic. Really felt for Maeve as she lets her story come out. No spoilers here but if you want a really good historical read, look no further. Looking forward to reading more from this talented author & currently looking for her other books.