A Love Letter to Paris by Rebecca Raisin - Book Review - Blog Tour

Publication Date: 08th July 2024

Purchase Link: https://mybook.to/alovelettersocial

Goodreads Book Page: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/209616261-a-love-letter-to-paris

Genre: Contemporary Fiction

3.25 Stars (Outliner)

One Liner: Cute in parts; great side characters

Book Blurb:

Late at night when I wander the streets of Paris, my thoughts turn to her… How do I tell her how I feel? Perhaps, I need to show her…

The pretty little streets of Montmartre are abuzz with rumour. Apparently, a mystery matchmaker, known only as ‘Paris Cupid’, has somehow helped the city’s most famous bachelor find love.

But old-fashioned romantic Lilou is staying very quiet. She’d just wanted to set up her best friend, and to get on with her life selling whimsical old love letters, in Paris’s famous St. Ouen market.

She hadn’t imagined her little Paris Cupid project could ever have attracted so many people looking for true, heartfelt romance. Though the truth is that Lilou adores helping people find the right person. Even if her own love life is nothing short of disastrous.

But then a message arrives. And it’s just for her. Someone is in love with her. Someone who knows her secret. But they’re keeping their own identity secret too… Could it be from cheerful, talkative, flame-haired Felix? Or quiet, beautifully handsome Benoit? Or even Pascale – who drives Lilou mad every day?

After so long of helping others find their soulmate, is it time for Lilou to find love of her own in Paris herself?

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My Thoughts:

The story comes in Lilou’s first-person POV.

A cozy book set in Paris dealing with love letters – what’s not to like? It is categorized as General Fiction on NetGalley, an apt tag. Don’t look for romance though there’s a lot of about around it.

The good things first –

The setting is lovely! The market reminded me of the bazaars in my city with multiple shops bundled in one region. It is almost always buzzing with activity.  

The side characters are very well crafted. In fact, I liked them more than the main character. They come in different types – flirty, old school, gossipy, friendly, nerdy, etc.

The cats, Minou and Marmalade, are a treat (even if Minou’s antics can give you grey hair!). They elevated the book when I was losing interest.

Lilou’s character is decent too. I like how she was great at giving relationship advice to others but too afraid to try it herself (relatable, lol). It is easy to see the bigger picture when we are a few steps away from the situation. Of course, her concerns about public opinions and SM outrage are more than valid!

If only –

Based on the cute cover and the premise (it mentions three men!), I expected it to have a lot more romance. While there is some love, most of it occurs off-page and mainly for other characters.

The first-person POV means we see only what Lilou sees. Though this didn’t affect my opinion of some characters, it definitely distanced me from the MMC.

Moreover, in an attempt to keep the suspense going for as long as possible, we don’t get Lilou’s ‘real’ feelings. So I found zero chemistry between her and the main guy even though we are supposed to guess it. Enemies-to-lovers is not an easy trope, and without good banter, it feels flatter than a crepe.

The ending is rushed and wrapped up too quickly. There’s no surprise since that’s the only way it would go. But that doesn’t mean the characters cannot at least have a decent connection. I still don’t know why the MMC fell in love with her.

At least, there’s a short epilogue which is good.

To summarize, A Love Letter to Paris is more of a story about a woman realizing she needs to follow the relationship advice she gives others through the matchmaking website. Would have enjoyed it more if I saw the FMC fall in love.

I’m an outliner here, so check other reviews before you decide.

Thank you, Rachel’s Random Resources and Boldwood Books, for eARC. This review is voluntary and contains my honest opinion about the book. 

#NetGalley 

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About the Author – Rebecca Raisin

Rebecca Raisin writes heartwarming romance from her home in sunny Perth, Australia. Her heroines tend to be on the quirky side and her books are usually set in exotic locations so her readers can armchair travel any day of the week. The only downfall about writing about gorgeous heroes who have brains as well as brawn, is falling in love with them – just as well they’re fictional. Rebecca aims to write characters you can see yourself being friends with. People with big hearts who care about relationships and believe in true, once-in-a-lifetime love. Her bestselling novel Rosie’s Travelling Tea Shop has been optioned for film with MRC studios and Frolic Media.

Follow the Author-

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/RebeccaRaisinAuthor

Twitter: www.twitter.com/jaxandwillsmum

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/rebeccaraisinwrites2/

TikTok: @rebeccaraisinwrites

Newsletter Sign Up: bit.ly/RebeccaRaisinNews

Bookbub: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/rebecca-raisin

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This has been a stop on the #ALoveLetterToParis blog tour by Rachel's Random Resources. (@rararesources) Thanks for stopping by!