Paris is on my bucket list so the title of this book was always going to hook me. After reading this, I want to go to Paris more than ever. Here’s the blurb:
Rosalie Laurent is a graphic artist and proud owner of a little postcard shop in Saint-Germain. Her specialty is producing ‘wishing cards’, and every birthday Rosalie sends a card inscribed with her heart’s desire fluttering down from the Eiffel Tower – but none of her wishes have ever been fulfilled. Then one day a famous author of children’s books enters her store and her life. When the elderly gentleman asks her to illustrate his new (and probably last) book, Rosalie is only too glad to accept, and the two very different maverick artists become friends.
Rosalie’s wishes seem to be coming true at last, until a clumsy American professor accuses her of plagiarism. Rosalie is unsure whether love or trouble is blowing through her door, but when in doubt, she knows that Paris is Always a Good Idea when looking for love and happiness.
Moments of whimsy make for charming reading in Nicolas Barreau’s latest novel, Paris is Always a Good Idea. In Rosalie, Barreau has created a lovable but feisty character who has a good sense of who she is and what she wants to do with her life, as well as bringing out the arty, bookish and quirky facets of Paris that make it so attractive to creative types.
The story line is entertaining, with moments of near-slapstick drawing out the laughs, but it is also fairly predictable – I did work out how it would go very early on. My one quibble would be the overuse of adjectives at times, but other than that, I enjoyed this very much.
Available from good bookstores (RRP $24.99AUD). My copy was courtesy of Pan Macmillan.
Monique Mulligan
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David Edwards is the editor of The Blurb and a contributor on film and television