One Summer in Paris

One Summer in Paris was such a lovely surprise, it was heartwarming, funny, uplifting and a joy to read! Sarah Morgan did such a wonderful job of transporting me back to one of my favourite cities - beautiful and romantic Paris that I felt like I was walking down the cobbled side streets and that I could almost smell the freshly baked baguettes! I loved seeing how much the two main characters, Grace and Audrey develop over the course of the story, particularly Audrey and the friendship they form is just beautiful.

I found both Grace and Audrey to be very endearing. Whilst these two women are at very different stages in their lives and have quite different personalities they end up forming a deep bond that seems so natural and they show more provide wonderful support for each other. The secondary characters are all just as well developed and I enjoyed how their stories intersected with Grace and Audrey.

Sarah Morgan tackles some serious issues in One Summer In Paris including alcoholism, dyslexia, and infidelity but does so with such care and she successfully weaves these topics seamlessly into the story that it got me thinking what I would do in the same circumstances. I do feel that the ending was a little rushed and could have done with another chapter or two but overall One Summer In Paris was beautifully written and so enjoyable and I didn’t want to say goodbye to these wonderful and fascinating characters just yet.

Thank you to Beauty and Lace and Harlequin Australia for providing me with a copy for review. show less

One Summer in Paris is a lovely, easy read that is perfect for fans of Susan Mallery, Elin Hilderbrand or Mary Kay Andrews. It is the tale of two very different women escape from their current lives and travel to Paris. In doing so, each discovers herself. The chapters alternate between two female characters. Author Sarah Morgan does an excellent job balancing the two storylines which intersect midway through the book. They are an unlikely duo, but each finds something they need in the other, and the friendship works.

In an interesting setup, Audrey - who speaks no French and, as a dyslexic, hates books, takes a job in a bookshop with the plan to just wing it.

Spoiler: she does not wing it, and lands herself in a bigger mess. She's a show more fighter, and you will find yourself rooting for her as much as she makes you cringe.

It was a plot that felt familiar at the start - mostly Grace's escape from the hurt and disappointment of her failed marriage into the beauty of Paris, where she spent time in college and fell in love, leaving behind a man she thought was her soulmate. But as the story progresses, it takes an unusual turn and becomes much more complicated than I anticipated. As usual, Morgan does a wonderful job with character development, and the women are flawed but relatable. The romance elements of a story really take a backseat to each character's journey of self-discovery.

One Summer In Paris is a heartwarming, delightful read, and if I have any complaint, it might be that one of the storylines wraps up a bit too happily-ever-after, and while I'm not sure how I would do it differently, I guess Sarah Morgan has more belief in others and the power of forgiveness than I do!

I really enjoyed this novel and think it would make the perfect vacation read! show less

I mostly enjoyed the middle, not so much the beginning and end.

American, Grace, decides to take her twenty-fifth anniversary trip to Paris alone after her husband asks for a divorce. Meanwhile, eighteen year old Brit, Audrey, also heads to Paris, her first ever getaway from the burden of her mother’s excessive drinking. Though an unlikely pair, the two women develop a friendship that just might prove life changing.

So, the beginning. I don’t know if there was a way to write the opening chapters of this book where they wouldn’t feel riddled with cliches given that it’s a guy cheating on his wife with a younger woman, then there’s the when and how he announces it, and what happens immediately after that, and the nerve he has show more after that, it’s so much, and it gave the opening such an over the top feel.

Fortunately the middle section proved a much happier place for me. As soon as the women arrive in Paris I was much more engaged, the awkwardness Grace feels at traveling alone, the anxiety Audrey feels over her dyslexia and money problems, it allowed the book to feel much more grounded, and I thought the author came up with such a smart way for them to meet, it made it plausible that Grace would reach out to thank Audrey, and from there their relationship grew at a believable, page-turning pace.

I didn’t love Grace correcting Audrey’s behavior (swearing, what she eats), that kind of felt stereotypical, like, oh, of course the wealthy woman (or
at least Grace sending her daughter to Europe, college in California, and Grace her own month long luxury vacation gave off the impression of wealth even if her job as a middle-school French teacher and her husband’s position as a small town newspaper editor don’t seem like they would be that lucrative), Grace, is this highly polished person, while Audrey, who has more lint than money in her pockets is depicted as crass. I get that there are plenty of people who do fit those molds, so it isn’t unrealistic, I guess I just feel like it would have been a bit less expected, a bit more refreshing to mix it up a little, if, for example, Grace were the one with the penchant for swearing, or if Audrey, after years of attempting to be a sort of caregiver for her mom, were the one more attuned to healthy eating (even if she hasn’t really had the luxury of affording it).

That said, I did enjoy my time with both characters, I very much liked that aside from the cursing/food lectures, there really wasn’t any judgment going on between these two women, they come at the world from quite different points of view at times, but they were more interested in listening to each other than in arguing, they genuinely respect and support each other and that deep friendship, as well as seeing them pursue their independence, is for me, the star attraction of this book.

I very much liked Audrey’s ending, perhaps it was a touch too good to be true for the real world, but it was the ending she deserved. I can’t say the same for Grace, I don’t think that was the ending she deserved, I won’t delve into it too much for fear of spoiling it for anyone, I’ll just say that I don’t think this book would be classified as a romance so to have a romance be the end game for Grace after seeing her bloom all on her own in her time in Paris, I just found it disappointing.

I received this book through a giveaway. show less

As the old saying goes: "Secrets, secrets, are no fun. Secrets, secrets, hurt everyone". But everyone has secrets, don't they? Some secrets hurt more than others. Like Grace, whose husband decides to tell her his secret. That he's cheating with a friend. Their daughter's friend who is more than half their age. And he decides to tell her this at dinner for their 25th Anniversary.

Other secrets we keep so we don't get hurt or judged by others. Like young Audrey, who is dyslexic and just trying to get through high school. But it is hard to do when she has an erratic and constantly drunk mother.

Both Grace and Audrey meet by chance while each are escaping from their respective chaos in Paris. Both had more in common than they could have show more possibly expected and develop a strong friendship where they teach each other what it means to be completely honest and to bring out the best in each other. I loved that this book explored friendship love, parental love, love lost, and romantic love all in one story based in the city of love.

This is yet another wonderful book by Sarah Morgan! It is an emotional rollercoaster full of secrets: heartwarming yet tense, funny yet serious, hopeful yet grieving. The amount of character development among multiple characters was astounding. There was one character in particular that I absolutely had feelings of rage whenever they were involved in the plot but towards the end I found myself (begrudgingly) rooting for. It also is a great book that highlights the important benefits of traveling, particularly internationally, as well as the importance of a strong relationship with grandparents.

As someone who simply adores my grandmother, Mimi is my favorite character of the book. She is one of the main character's grandmother who is sassy, independent, unconventional, and just plain fun! She also has a secret that she has been hiding for decades that is later revealed.

I have read many other books by Sarah Morgan but, out of all of them, this was the hardest. This was simply not a book that I could finish in one sitting. Hear me out, it does get easier to read as the plot develops but, for me it was hard because, both main characters also had complicated relationships with their respective mothers. In particular, they both had difficult and unstable childhoods due to their mothers' addictions. I could relate to each of the main characters as this was something I had also experienced. This made reading the book difficult as it brought up a lot of things that I had spent a lot of time repressing. Which also made this book cathartic in that it helped me work through some of it rather than repressing it. (Ms. Morgan, you can bill me later for the therapy ;) ).

Therefore, if you are one who has also had to deal with a difficult childhood with a parent battling addiction, this book may be heavier than expected. However, I do still recommend it as it can also be healing.

I would also recommend this book for readers who enjoy stories about friendship, traveling, and romance. I would recommend this book for adult readers as it does have foul language, heavy topics, and sexually suggestive scenarios.

Please note: an electronic ARC of this book was generously provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review (Thank you!). show less

One Summer in Paris by Sarah Morgan is a 2019 HQN publication.

After twenty-five years of marriage, Grace’s husband David, on their anniversary, no less, announces he wants a divorce. Grace had planned a big surprise for them… a summer trip to Paris- but now, Grace has decided to take the trip alone. Things get off to a rough start, but she meets a young woman named Audrey, who needs help… which just so happens to be Grace’s forte. But along the way she learns that it’s okay to think of herself, to accept help and advice, and to live in the moment…

Audrey manages to find her way to Paris, but things quickly go awry because she doesn’t speak French, which jeopardizes her living arrangements. But when she comes to Grace’s show more rescue on the streets of Paris, she finds an advocate who can help her learn the language. Two very different women, a big age difference, and entirely different approaches to life, will forge a magical bond over one summer in Paris…

I nearly always enjoy Sarah Morgan’s books- and for the most part that was the case here- but- there were a few warbles. So, let’s get those out of the way first…

I can’t, without going into details that would lead to spoilers, say too much here- except that in all the years of reading romances novels, there is only one trope that I utterly despise, and though Morgan did not trot it out in its usual annoying way here, it was still the same concept, and it never fails to push my buttons. (There are a few exceptions-like abuse- but that’s not the case here at all.)

There were a few other issues that gnawed at my moral code. I’m a firm believer in “two wrongs don’t make a right.” Don’t- while you are still emotionally attached, don’t while legally married- even if separated. Also, casual hookups for fun- that’s a no for me. Emotional consequences abound, which is seldom addressed- so I couldn’t celebrate that line of thinking with the characters or the author.

Okay- all that said- I still really enjoyed the book overall. I loved the age difference between Grace and Audrey and how both learned something from the other and helped each other in big gesture ways. This was my favorite part of the book. With all the vitriol between generations these days it was great to see two women be respectful and kind to each other despite the age gap.

The romance elements were not my favorite as you might have guessed already- but I did like the direction Grace decided to go in the end. I thought it was refreshing, a bit of a different approach than usual, and I found myself approving of Grace’s inner musings and honesty about her own failings and willingness to admit it to herself and to others.

Overall, the romance of Paris is lovely- but the friendship between Grace and Audrey wins the day. An enjoyable contemporary women’s fiction story. Hopefully, I’ll have time to squeeze in Morgan’s newest release before summer’s end.

3 stars show less

An uplifting and enjoyable story about two troubled women, both running away from a family issue, who meet up accidentally in Paris and form an unusual friendship whilst staying above a bookshop. Paris and a bookshop! What is there not to like?

Although it’s lighthearted, there is also quite a serious thread flowing through it. It covers such subjects as alcoholism, adultery, dyslexia, dysfunctional families and the odd secret! I thought it was a lovely, heartwarming tale. The characters are well rounded but also flawed as we all are, maybe a little stereotypical if I’m picky. There are some quite convenient and predictable moments in the story, but all in all it’s just a darn good, entertaining read. I can just imagine reading show more this book on the Champs Élysées whilst sipping a glass of wine.🍷📚 show less

While Grace and Audrey are separate in many ways...age, life stage, experience, and whatnot...they are close at heart, reminding us that friendship is not restricted to those in our own generation. There is much to be learned from those older AND younger (as they both discover), much room to grow no matter your current age, and so much potential for things to still come out all right in the end. What happened to both Grace and Audrey was not ideal in any fashion, and yet somehow they not only found each other, but themselves along their crooked paths towards their unknown futures. The high hopes they initially held were thwarted time and again, but they never gave up...not truly...and in trudging through it, they were better for it in show more the end.

Honestly, I loved the progress/growth both characters showed along their journey, the connection they made with each other as well as those they met, the times and experiences they shared, the bookstore that gave them more than wordy wonders but a piece of themselves they didn't even realize they were missing. It truly enchanted me, heart and soul. I will admit, I was worried for a bit for both our leading ladies. Grace had such a kicker of a moment coming up at book's end, I really couldn't fathom it going one way, hoped it went another, and yet how it ended up was a beautiful blend of give and take that really worked. Audrey had my heart in a bind as well because she was finally showing her true colors and despite her can-do attitude, walls kept being thrown up in her face. Even the sweetness she found in the city was causing her heartache, and yet the author makes it work in her favor while still giving us a satisfying end.

All in all, it was wonderful, magical, realistic, and even at times infuriating, but I adored every moment! Whether I was swooning, having a bookish moment, nodding in agreement, or gasping at a turn of events, it's a definite MUST READ this Spring/Summer and one I highly suggest making room on your wish list for!


**ARC received for review; opinions are my own show less