DISCLAIMER: This post is not sponsored. However, I received an advanced reader copy (eBook) of The Little Bookshop on the Seine by Rebecca Raisin from Harlequin through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. The Little Bookshop on the Seine is part of Harlequin’s Fall/Winter Blog Tour for Romance & Women’s Fiction.

Book Summary

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.

*Summary is courtesy of Harlequin

The Little Bookshop on the Seine

If someone offered to switch lives with you for 6 months, would you do it? I think I’d be skeptical at first, but if you told me that I would be living in Paris and working at an adorable Parisian bookstore, I’d start packing my bags now.

The Holiday is one of my favorite movies to watch around Christmastime. I love the idea of two people swapping lives and having to walk in each other’s shoes for a bit. So, when I heard that The Little Bookshop on the Seine was Rebecca Raisin’s own twist on The Holiday, I had to give it a read.

The Little Bookshop on the Seine might share some very minor similarities to The Holiday, but truthfully it’s quite different and can stand on its own. It’s about the magic of Paris during Christmastime, getting out of your comfort zone and finding yourself, long-distance relationships, and the love that readers have for books.

Sarah Smith is the owner of The Bookshop on the Corner, which is located in small-town Ashford, Connecticut. Her Parisian friend Sophie is also a bookshop owner, but for a bookshop called Once Upon a Time, and is going through a bad breakup. Sophie offers Sarah the opportunity to do a bookshop exchange with her for 6 months – in Paris! Of course, Sarah accepts her offer. She’s been dreaming of going to Paris for the longest time. Spending Christmas in Paris is on her bucket list. Paris seems like a magical place to spend the holidays. Lucky girl!

The Bookshop on the Corner isn’t doing well financially and is in jeopardy of closing down. Sarah’s hoping Sophie can help her bring it out of the black. The Little Bookshop on the Seine is told from Sarah’s perspective, so there’s little mention of Sophie’s time in Ashford. Nonetheless, I’m content because I really enjoyed Sarah’s character and related to her a lot.

Sarah Smith

Sarah Smith is an introvert, a bookworm, and shy to a fault. She loves to escape to the world of reading and her books. She’s not a fan of change – in fact, she fears it. She likes the consistency of her routines and finds comfort in the familiar. She’s scared that life is passing her by because she’s scared to take control of her life.

As a fellow introvert and bookworm, I could really relate to Sarah. I know what’s it’s like to be introverted and how hard it can be to put yourself out there and show the world who you really are. Rebecca Raisin encourages her readers to push themselves to do things they want to do – even if those things are scary and out of our comfort zones.

When Sophie offered Sarah a chance to spend Christmas in Paris, she was skeptical at first. She didn’t want to leave her store or her books. Her books are like her babies.

I loved my bookshop as if it were a living thing, an unconditional best friend, who was always there for me.

But, Sarah realized this trip was what she needed – a new outlook on life. She was happy with her quiet and safe life, and the fictional world of her books. However, she was worried that she wasn’t trying hard enough to live in the real world. Although it was scary to venture somewhere far from home, Sarah saw Paris as a place to reinvent herself. Finally, it was her time to find out what she wanted from life – besides reading. So, she was hopeful that she’d find out in Paris.

I think a lot of us hide behind things when we are scared to show the world who we really are. Sometimes we just need to find the strength and courage to go outside our comfort zone and do things that we thought we could never do unless we took the plunge.

Book Love

I really loved Sarah’s relationship with books. Books are like her friends, and she talks about them as if they are alive and communicate with her. That might sound lonely to some, but if you’re a booklover, it’s almost poetic.

I’m sure as soon as my back was turned, the books wiggled and winked at one another, as if they were eager for the day to begin, for fingers of hazy sunlight to filter through and land on them like spotlights, as if saying, here’s the book for you.

The Bookshop on the Corner sounded like a bookshop I’d want to visit. Sarah created a comfortable environment to relax with a good book and a hot drink. She likes giving her customers the real-life book experience. Dimly lit space, running your fingertip along the spines, and inhaling the book scents new and old were all parts of the experience. Sarah especially loves selling secondhand books because they have so much history and life in them. There’s something really special about a bookshop. Personally, I love the anticipation leading up to finding my next read.

I’ve never seen someone so passionate about books as much as Sarah. She believes that books choose us when we need them the most, which I believe to be true. Books help us get through hard times by letting us escape to other worlds. They teach us, help us grow, and bring people together. Most importantly, they create happy memories. If you’re a fellow bibliophile, you will definitely relate to Sarah and find this book super enjoyable. It’s cool meeting a character who loves books just as much as I do – maybe even more.

Once Upon a Time in Paris

Rebecca Raisin gave Sarah Smith an amazing Parisian adventure that most of us only dream of. As a reader, I loved experiencing alongside Sarah the many sides of Paris: tourist Paris, romantic Paris, and the real Paris – the side that only real Parisians know. As Sarah learned about Parisian life and customs, I did too. The way Raisin describes Paris is purely magical!

Paris was a haven for lost souls. A place for reinvention. The type of city that would keep your secrets like the most loyal friend.

Sarah’s journey had its ups and downs, but she learned a lot about herself. For instance, she learned how to speak up and get the respect she deserved at the bookshop. Once Upon a Time operated differently than The Bookshop on the Corner. Sarah didn’t agree with how Sophie was running her business, so she had to step up to the challenge and implement her own ideas to help the staff work more efficiently and make the shop a bigger success.

It was hard for me to be that person, the one who spoke the loudest, spoke up first, but I could see her point—if I didn’t take charge they’d continue to stomp all over me. And perhaps I needed to stop thinking like an American and start thinking like a Parisian. I vowed to throw away my well-read copy of How To Be The Boss 101 as soon as I got back to the apartment.

Sarah even made friends along the way, such as her coworkers at Once Upon A Time, local Parisian shopkeepers, and a mysterious author. She made memories that she would never forget with her newfound friends, such as celebrating Christmas in Paris. She could now cross that off her bucket list.

Long-Distance Love

A story about Paris would not be complete without a little romance. I liked that this book wasn’t a fluffy romance novel, but about the realistic parts of a relationship. Sarah and her boyfriend, Ridge are in a long-distance relationship, as many couples in this day and age are. Ridge is a writer and a freelance reporter, so often times he has to fly around the world to report on location – for weeks or months at a time. Romance novels and book boyfriends helped Sarah get through their time apart. When Sarah went off to Paris, their relationship took on even more challenges. Adding distance between a couple really tests a relationship – for better or for worse.

That’s exactly how I felt when Ridge and I were apart. I could function, work, read, live, laugh, but it wasn’t as bright, as real, unless he was there too. And yet, I’d just ended a phone call with him in order to step out into the inky Parisian night. And all because it couldn’t be only him distancing himself—maybe if I took a step back we’d see if our relationship could handle the space that lay between.

I thought Rebecca Raisin did a great job showing the struggles of a long-distance relationship. From endless games of phone tag to feeling like your partner is putting their career before you. Why aren’t you enough for them? A lot of readers can relate to Sarah and Ridge’s situation. I think it’s great that Raisin didn’t try to sugarcoat or romanticize their situation, but truly show real the ups and downs of a long-distance relationship.

The Bookshop on the Corner

To my surprise, there was a bonus short story in the back of the book called, The Bookshop on the Corner. The short story is about how Sarah and Ridge met. Although it was short, I enjoyed the story just as much as The Little Bookshop on the Seine.

Overview & Rating

The Little Bookshop on the Seine is the perfect read for fans of the Christmas classic, The Holiday. Rebecca Raisin takes you on a Parisian vacation for booklovers and world travelers alike. She created a loveable character, Sarah Smith, an introverted bookworm, who wants to step outside the quiet life of her bookshop in small-town Ashford, Connecticut. She finally gets her chance when her friend, Sophie gives her the opportunity to do a bookshop exchange in Paris for 6 months. I really loved Sarah’s character and the journey she goes on to find herself. Sarah had excellent character development throughout the story, which was really great to see. I really related to her personality and her love of books.

The passion Sarah has for books is very special. I love the way she talks about her books like they’re alive and full of personality. Rebecca Raisin paints a lovely picture with her words as she describes the cozy bookshop on the Seine, Once Upon A Time. Definitely, the perfect setting for Sarah to learn the ups and downs of working in a Parisian bookshop. Similarly, Raisin does a fabulous job showing the reader how magical Paris can be during Christmastime. Christmas in Paris? Sign me up!

I give The Little Bookshop on the Seine 4 out of 5 stars. I’ve never been to Paris before, but Rebecca Raisin transported me there. I saw the Eiffel Tower, and walked among the Parisians on the cobblestone streets, and stopped by the little bookshop on the Seine. I hope to return soon whether in real life or inside the pages of a very good book that everyone should read if they want to take a trip to Paris too!

Thank You

Thank you, Harlequin for inviting me to join Harlequin’s Blog Tour, and Netgalley for the digital advanced copy! The Little Bookshop on the Seine by Rebecca Raisin is part of Harlequin’s Fall/Winter Blog Tour for Romance & Women’s Fiction. This month, I’m doing one more review for Harlequin’s Blog Tour, so stay tuned, Friends! Check out The Little Bookshop on the Seine, which is now available in stores and online!

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♥ Candis