[REVIEW] The Little Bookshop on the Seine

title: The Little Bookshop on the Seine (The Little Paris Collection #1)
author: Rebecca Raisin 
genre: adult, contemporary, chick lit
published: January 7th 2020 by HQN (first published October 16th 2015)
my copy: paperback, 416 pages
purchase: Amazon | B&N | Book Depository
rating: 3 / 5 stars
goodreads

It’s The Holiday on the Champs-Élysées in a great big love letter to Paris, charming old bookstores and happily-ever-afters! 

When bookshop owner Sarah Smith is offered the opportunity for a job exchange with her Parisian friend Sophie, saying yes is a no-brainer—after all, what kind of romantic would turn down six months in Paris? Sarah is sure she’s in for the experience of a lifetime—days spent surrounded by literature in a gorgeous bookshop, and the chance to watch the snow fall on the Eiffel Tower. Plus, now she can meet up with her journalist boyfriend, Ridge, when his job takes him around the globe. 

But her expectations cool faster than her café au lait soon after she lands in the City of Light—she’s a fish out of water in Paris. The customers are rude, her new coworkers suspicious and her relationship with Ridge has been reduced to a long-distance game of phone tag, leaving Sarah to wonder if he’ll ever put her first over his busy career. As Christmas approaches, Sarah is determined to get the shop—and her life—back in order…and make her dreams of a Parisian happily-ever-after come true.

bookshop, romance, and Paris.

I got this book generally because it involves a bookshop and don't we all just grab every book that involves books and bookish people?

The Little Bookshop on the Seine follows Sarah who's been convinced by her long-distance friend to exchange bookshops for a few months. The fun part is Sarah gets to manage a bookshop in PARIS and possibly spend some time with her journalist boyfriend. The nerve wracking part though is Sarah isn't one to get out of her comfort zone.

What I like about this book from the get-go is the bookish atmosphere all around. When you pick up a book about a bookshop owner, you expect to see some of the struggles of running a bookshop. And I think that this book touched that but not really deep enough for you, as a reader, to be overwhelmed with such things. It showed enough parts to satisfy my desire to for a bookshop-set novel. Add to that the fact that Sarah is such a fangirl booknerd that I had fun reading her bookish side.

Perhaps, the book's only downside for me is Sarah herself. Don't get me wrong, I somewhat enjoyed following Sarah but Sarah moving to Paris just didn't sit well with me. And it's not exactly the going out of her comfort zone kind of thing, it's the fact that right from the moment she set foot in Paris, the only thing in her mind is having the romantic moment with her journalist boyfriend. She's all about the "romance" side of the experience in this adventure that she don't really put much attention to the things right in front of her, the work at hand, the oh-so busy Bookshop on the Seine. I do understand her worry regarding her romance but then, what about responsibilities? I don't know. Maybe it's just a me thing because of course, things work out in the end. So it's probably just a me thing.

Other notable things about this book: (1) I absolutely loved all the side characters, the friends Sarah made, even the author Sarah met!, (2) her journalist boyfriend (whose name I unfortunately forgot dear me!) who's absolutely swoon worthy especially on the extra story included in the book. Find you a man like this!! Damn!, (3) the extra story is absolutely adorable! Still not the biggest fan of Sarah but her love interest is yes!! Get me that, please!

OVERALL, The Little Bookshop on the Seine is an enjoyable read if you like a scenic adventure in Paris, a bookshop setting involving a fun bookish main character, and absolutely adorable romance you'll root for. I hope my little rant about Sarah didn't stop you from trying out this book 😅😅😅

let's connect!