Dear Paris

This was such a delightful surprise! I had the good fortune to live in Paris a few years and I would do it again in a heartbeat. In a year where even visiting Paris is beyond the realm of possibility, what a wonderful treat this is. Of course I think the best option is to get the book itself in order to enjoy the illustrations on page, but I love that the audio book includes a pdf of the illustrations. Just beautiful!

I love Paris, and so of course, the premise of this book appealed to me. What I was not prepared for was how much this book itself appealed to me. It is thoroughly charming and delightful, an absolute virtual tour of this beautiful city. The author's love for this city is so evident, and I found myself smiling and nodding with each destination that she mentioned. Yes, author Janice MacLeod knows this city well. However, making this epistolary tour extra special are her illustrations. Now I want to buy this book to set on my coffee table and browse over and over again. I will also keep this book in mind as a potential gift for all of my Francophile friends.

I first want to say, that I am NOT an audio book person. I am visual and like to see things - just hearing them, I have a hard time focusing, and I like to flip pages back and forth. But, I relented on this book because I adore Paris and it sounded interesting. I turned this on while I walked and was instantly transported and could imagine that I was walking the streets of Paris with the author/narrator rather than around my house trying to get my steps in. I LOVED it. I'm not finished with it yet, but I know the rest of the book will be just as enchanting as what I have heard so far.

Bravo Janice, for finding a way to turn your letters into an income. That is simply amazing and sounds like a dream. I want to buy your book to see the illustrations- that is the one disappointing thing about the audio book - not being able to see the illustrations! Thank you for transporting me back to a city I've not seen in far too long - hopefully one day in the not too distant future I will be able to see her again!

Delightful!

Fascinating way to describe your time in Paris. The author and narrator, both the same, did a great job in detailing her time in the city of lights. I could close my eyes and imagine myself in each of the described places. Having been in Paris for a long time, it was evident that the locations were described exactly as they are.

I truly enjoyed this audio book.

Who amongst us hasn’t dreamt of a glorious day in Paris as pictured in the movies? This audiobook, Dear Paris book will delight you as it takes you on a journey that will delight tourists from all walks of life. She picturesquely describes Parisian delights in terms of food and locations.

Reviewing
Dear Paris
By Janice MacLeod

This book is just what my pandemic homebound heart needed! I miss the days of planning trips, exploring new cities, and seeing the world through a new lense. I have never been to Paris, but in Dear Paris Janice Macleod enlightened me sharing the splendor of day-to-day living in Paris. The cultural traditions, the history, the architecture, and the food! My gosh, the food!!!! Baguettes with fresh soft cheese, macarons, warm croissants, and thick rich hot chocolate….. you guys why aren’t all Parisians extremely overweight?!?

Perhaps my favorite part of this book is the format. It’s a true compilation of 140 letters written by Macleod spanning 2012-2020. In print, you see a typed copy of a letter on one page followed by a hand painted and colorful written copy of the original letter. It makes for a breathtaking book with short “chapters” or letters which are quick to take in.

I loved every minute of my quick trip to The City Of Light, and I would highly recommend this book to anyone who loves Paris, history, or just needs to get away!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 4 stars for the gorgeous captivating compilation.

Dear Paris was a great audiobook to escape and travel in my mind. I have never been to Paris or France, but through this book, I felt like I was experiencing it alongside the author. There were so many letters and events that I remember the audiobook more as an experience that made me feel happy. Since there were it was difficult for the listener to connect them all. Overall, I felt like I was seeing, tasting, and traveling through Paris myself. I also learned quite a bit about the culture of Paris.

Dear Paris is a wonderful look into every day life in Paris, France. I was partial to this book in the first place as I minored in French in college and studied abroad in Vichy. The largest city in France i've been to is Lyon, not Paris, so I was excited to hear about life and travel there.

I loved the audio version of this book, it made for very casual listening. I felt like I was reading my friend's letters as she's sitting in a café writing to me personally. The descriptions of places and events were well done and it had me looking up many places and adding them to my travel list!

I wish there had been less about touristy things and more about every day life, maybe even some more French thrown in there would have been nice. I just felt like a tourist wrote this instead of someone fully immersed in the city, culture, and people.

With that said, I would still love to own this as a coffee table book and definitely recommend to all my France loving friends. Thank you to NetGalley and Andrews McMeel for this audio ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Listening to the letters brought me back to my days as a Flight Attendant and having layovers in Paris. I felt as though I went back in time and I could see myself walking down the streets, drinking wine at the local street cafe, going to the museums or gardens. The letters give an intimate look into the lives of the people writing the letters. Also, it like traveling to France without leaving where you are located. I found myself reliving some great memories. Thank you Janice MacLeod for writing and narrating such a good book.

Thank you #NetGalley, #AndrewsMcMeelPublishing, #JaniceMacLeod for the advance readers audiobook copy of “Dear Paris” for my honest review.

What a delight this book was to read! I read through it a second time because I enjoyed it so much! Dear Paris by Janice MacLeod transported me back to my time in Paris and France.

I spent a summer living in France (a week of it being in Paris.) The second entry about the Metro is so true. I found this relatable, funny, and beautifully illustrated.

I do not normally gravitate towards books that aren't novels, but the cover and title grabbed me right away. I am so glad I picked this up. Whenever I am missing France, I can just pick up this book and read for a bit.

I often enjoy when an authour narrates their own work. I often find them filled with emotion. The narration by Janice MacLeod was decent. I couldn't say I got that out of this. She spoke clearly, but it sounded very robotic. I preferred this book in its written format better.

If you have never been to Paris or France but you dream of it, I would highly suggest picking up a copy of this book. It will have you yearning to go. On the flip side if you have been and miss it treat yourself and be transported to a place you love.

I received an eARC from Andrew McMeel Publishing through NetGalley. All opinions are 100% my own.

I gave the original book 5 stars, but I gave this 3 stars just due to the narration not being very exciting.

Where’s my passport? Talk about inspiring a bout of wanderlust!

Only one other book has made me want to pack a suitcase and hop a flight the way Dear Paris has: Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil and its southern locale of Savannah, Georgia.

This unique book of Paris love notes (with several other dreamy locations thrown in) is as magical as it is breathtaking! The colors and language are so vivid and bright!

Janice Macleod, a former advertising copywriter, transports readers to the many delights of Paris with this collection of letters she hand painted and illustrated to send to subscribers. This subscription service was designed to fund her adventures in Paris; it worked!

The result is as if you were right there alongside Macleod experiencing the sights, sounds, and conversations firsthand. Paris just lights up on these pages! Pun intended!

The “Urban Hike” term was perfect for discovery! The mentions of Hemingway and the rest of Lost Generation, the paintings of Moulin Rouge and the carousels, and, the fitting quotes from celebrities, authors and artists that accompanied each letter and piece of artwork were not lost on this avid reader. The cultural takes on the World Cup and perfume were enlightening. The surprise of finding hidden treasures in a city, like the wandering Ferris Wheel, a human sundial, and remnants of a former equine city, were delightful! And, the stamps! I love, love, love her stamp fascination. It’s all so visual, colorful, and imaginative.

I was a little thrown off when I encountered the letters from other places (such as Route 66, Budapest, Calgary, Venice, etc) since this is an ode to Paris but I loved them just the same.

I was also thrown by the amount of travel and eating at cafes during the timeline of the current pandemic. Wasn’t Paris on lockdown like the rest of the world? Maybe we were spared any negativity brought on by such conditions to keep the collection light and breezy.

I listened to the Audiobook provided by NetGalley and perused the ebook on Hoopla while doing so. It was a lazy, cool, rainy afternoon in Texas for me yet I felt as if I was meandering the cobblestone streets of the City of Light with a lifelong friend.

This is a gem of a book!

This was such a great audio book! I will have to purchase this one to see all the drawings from the author but what a fun book. Since the pandemic has halted all travel this was a perfect escape to take me to Paris. I could picture the cafes and the people, I could see the fountains and the buildings. Oh how I miss Paris.

I have always wanted to go to Paris. This book, posed as a collection of letters the author writes about her experiences in Paris, is absolutely lovely. The author, Janice MacLeod, also narrates this audiobook, and she does a good job of expressing the sheer enthusiasm that comes through her words. I liked how lively the stories Janice tells are: they make Paris seem like a wonderland of interesting people, and incredible food, and beautiful views. I really want to see the flowers and the daytime in Paris!

Something I also enjoyed about this book was the quotes from famous works at the end of each chapter. Those were a nice additional touch.

I received an audio ARC of this book through NetGalley in exchange for my unbiased opinion.

To fund her travels, artist Janice Macleod started a letter subscription service. People could pay to have her send monthly paintings and letters to her followers around the world. <i>Dear Paris</i> collects all of these paintings and letters into one collection.

Sadly, because I listened to this as an audiobook, I was unable to see Macleod's paintings. (I understand that if you purchase the audiobook, it will come with a PDF file showcasing the paintings.) However, we do get to listen to Macleod herself narrate the book, and I loved getting to hear the letters with exactly the tone she intended. Through her letters, we get to know about Macleod's life in Paris, as well as being taken back to the news events coming out of Paris and France over the past decade. My chief complaint with the book would be that Dear Paris is a bit of a misnomer, as there were several letters written from other cities and countries as she traveled elsewhere. The book was overall an interesting look into Macleod's life and small glimpse of what it is like to live in Paris.

If it is ever safe to travel again, Paris will be on my bucket list. Listened to the audio book and wish I had had access to her paintings.

Dear Paris is an illustrated letter collection from Paris. This book transports us on the streets of Paris. We can feel its beat, and we can smell, feel, and breathe Paris. Beautiful letters, but I would recommend this audiobook only in combination with a printed book.

The audiobook is narrated by Janice MacLeod, the author of these letters. From her narration, we can feel her passion for Paris.

I would recommend this audiobook together with a printed version of this book. I would say this way you can enjoy it the most. Without the illustrations in a printed copy, it feels that you're missing something. If you love Paris and art, you could appreciate this book & audiobook.

Thanks to the publisher for the opportunity to listen to this! All opinions are my own.

I enjoyed this letter/diary concept, even though it wasn't quite what I expected. Much of what the author, Janice Macleod includes, is very simple, everyday observations that could happen anywhere in the world. Paris is the backdrop and indeed, there are specific references and observations of this famously romantic city. Macleod takes the mystery out and makes it seem normal and average. I wouldn't consider this a love letter to Paris- more observations from one person's daily life.

I thought the narration of the audiobook worked well and was pleasant to listen to.

I received a copy from the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Oh what a humourous and wonderful experience this audiobook was. The way you could feel the essence of every character that Janice meets and how the narrator brings to life the experience of Author through these letters. The way she differentiates the treatment of a tourist that she was looked at as and on the other hand the immigrant in the land of Paris was very moving and the authors encounter with different authors and her letters addressed to these authors tells more about the author too and the people she writes these letters to. I would recommend this book if you like to read humorous,warm Writing.

I love Paris and wish I could move there; this book helped me conjure up fond memories from my semester there in college. The easy, relatable way the author describes tourist-y adventures as well as the everyday expat experience make me yearn for the ability to visit once again! Listening to the audio was wonderful, but it would definitely be improved by the the lovely art that accompanies those letters in the book! My next stop is the author’s Etsy store to get some copies of my favorites!

I had a lot of technical difficulties accessing this audiobook, now having figured it out it will hopefully be easier next time, but quite confusing for first time users.

In terms of the audiobook itself, Janice MacLeod is a talented writer and Dear Paris is the perfect balm to a pandemic where you can't travel anywhere. Listen to it as you head off to bed and travel off to a holiday dreamland.

“Paris is a book to savor, in whole or in part, at any time, in any season.” Dear Paris: The Paris Collection Letters by Janice Macleod

4 stars. This is a great audiobook to listen to, especially during this time of pandemic where we only travel in our minds.

And when I saw this audiobook on NetGalley, I just had to request it. And so happy I got a copy.

Never knew the author before but looks like she has a subscription service (?) that she personally illustrates and write. Something I’ll be investigating later.

This audiobook is comprised of letters to her friend as she lives and experiences this most famous city. I keep thinking to myself that I gotta note Fuente this restaurant or see this sight that I missed on my trip to Paris years ago. My mouth watered with the description of the macarons and baguettes and the hot chocolate!!

Sadly, all I can do is comfort myself and my passport, promising soon, we’ll travel again. And maybe take a detour to this city again.

Maybe someone else will make a similar one about another city? There’s a thought.

Thank you so much @netgalley and Andrews McMeel Publishing for this great audiobook. Really enjoyed my trip to Paris with this one.

Thank you to NetGalley, the publishers, and the author for giving me the opportunity to review this book. Such a fun escape of the mind numbing effect that quarantine has. I can’t wait to plan a trip to Paris to experience it myself! Great narrator!

Yes Janice! I was so excited about this one, because I absolutely LOVED Paris Letters and it did not disappoint. While listening to this audiobook, I could just completely picture myself strolling through the streets of Paris. I absolutely devoured this book! It's beautifully written and equally beautifully narrated. It's a true love letter to Paris, and I highly recommend it!

<b> Thank you to NetGalley and the author for an eARC, in return for a honest review.</b>

4 Charming stars.
The audiobook I listened to is like talking to a good neighbor friend over the fence or with a cup of café au lait. I was intrigued enough to look up the book online and browse through some of Janice Macleod's lovely watercolors. A whole different experience that just the audiobook. The narrator's voice was clear and warm. Reading pace was excellent.

One can listen to Dear Paris and pretend it's a different season - or there's a quaint cafe with excellent hot chocolate around the corner. It made me want to visit Paris – or at the very least eat croissants. I liked that it made me slow down just a tad and notice the sights and smells around me.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for providing an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

i picked this book up on the only day i had off from office hectic schedule and planned to spend the whole day as a self care and self exploration day. i hit the national museum and plugged my headphones in with this audiobook.

my oh my what a day and experience that was. this book the letters the scenery described the feeling it truly wraps true love in every chapter. paris has always been my one and only dream destination and in this tough time of quarantine and everything this book made me feel like im in paris and im experiencing everything along with her. the season change, becoming a citizen their by heart from a traveler, getting familiar with serene and the artsy vibe paris always inspire got right through my heart

A beautiful time and charming ode to one of the most romantic cities in the world, Dear Paris is for anybody who wants to escape (virtually) to the city of light–and beyond–through the whimsical brush strokes of a true artist and the heartfelt/relatable words of a pen–two of MacLeod’s talents coming together while bringing on wonder and wanderlust. I honestly can’t say which letter/illustration is my favorite– because all of them, collectively, create magic (and it would be like choosing a favorite child!) Romantic and heartwarming–utterly charming and highly recommended.

•Character development- 4☆
• Story Plot-4☆
• Side characters- 3.5☆
• Flow of the story- 4☆
• Overall - 4☆

but i will give it 5 star from the sheer love of mine for this book