Guest Post - What Jenny Oliver loves about Paris - Paris Weekend

I am delighted to welcome back to the Rachel's Random Reads, Jenny Oliver, who is telling us what she loves about Paris today.

1. My very best friend lives there.

2. One of my favourite memories is of a weekend break to Paris just before Christmas when I was about twenty-two. My friend didn’t have space for the two of us on the trip and organised a room for us with an old friend of her in-laws. We arrived in the snow at this incredibly plush apartment thinking we’d made it! But were then led to the top floor to a room that had been the servants’ quarters in the old days – a freezing little shoebox with a bed, a window and a tap, but so high up the view across Paris was breath-taking. Anyone who’s read The Parisian Christmas Bake Off will know it well! 
3. I adore the short film 14e Arrondissement (part of the anthology film Paris Je T’aime). It is one of the loveliest films I’ve seen about Paris and I would wholeheartedly recommend everyone watch it for a pure burst of delight. 
4. There’s a bar on the top floor of the Pompidou Centre with a rose on every table and a view of the Eiffel Tower sparkling every hour. 
5. I really love a department store called BHV. As well as normal clothes, make-up etc, it has a whole basement dedicated to things to do with fixing things – from normal DIY stuff to belt hooks, coloured shoelaces and door numbers. I can while away hours there (along with a good French supermarket)! 
6. Oysters. Both me and the Parisians love oysters! I’ve been to tiny dark restaurants with just three or four tables where oysters are the only thing on the menu served with a small carafe of wine. Amazing.
7. Hiring a bike and seeing the whole city for just a couple of euros. We cycled out to a big flea market at Clignancourt one day, admittedly we got completely lost but (in retrospect!) that added to the adventure. 

8. We always go to the restaurant Chartiers where you feel like you’ve stepped into the Paris of your imagination. http://www.bouillon-chartier.com/en/
9. The way everyone has a proper lunch! No grabbing a sandwich to eat at your desk. There’s a meal, there’s conversation, there might even be wine.  
10. It’s the home of macarons in all their fabulous sugary sweetness and rainbow colours. J’adore macarons!

I’d love to know what you adore about Paris. Comment or Tweet me @JenOliverBooks
Jenny x

About Jenny Oliver

Jenny Oliver wrote her first book on holiday when she was ten years old. Illustrated with cut-out supermodels from her sister’s Vogue, it was an epic, sweeping love story not so loosely based Dynasty.

Since then Jenny has gone on to get an English degree and a job in publishing that’s taught her what it takes to write a novel (without the help of the supermodels). She wrote her first book The Parisian Christmas Bake Off on the beach in a notebook that would end up covered in sand each afternoon and damp from the sea. This time the inspiration was her addiction to macarons, the belief she can cook them and an all-consuming love of Christmas. When the decorations go up in October, that’s fine with her!

Jenny’s books also feature her love of all things vintage, Sunday morning car boot sales (on the hunt for the thrill of a bargain) and an unwavering belief in happy ever after! (Whatever she’s loving on TV might crop up as well!)

So far Jenny’s books The Parisian Christmas Bake Off, The Vintage Summer Wedding and The Little Christmas Kitchen have enjoyed chart positions in the major supermarkets and other fabulous book shops. Most recently she has written a brand new ebook series, all set around the idyllic Cherry Pie Island, that kicks off with The Grand Reopening of Dandelion Café and (currently) ends with Four Weddings and a White Christmas! Mouthwatering, feel-good and perfect for curling up with on cold winter days.

Follow her on Twitter @JenOliverBooks or take a look at her blog jennyoliverbooks.com 

Links:

If you want to be swept off to Paris, have a read of The Parisian Christmas Bake Off - http://amzn.to/1VSpFpx

Jenny’s latest book The Sunshine and Biscotti Club is available for preorder now - http://amzn.to/1VSpSJ5

Guest Post - A Fictional tour of Paris by The Booktrail - Paris Weekend

Paris - the city of love, the city of romance and the city of some very fine books set amongst its cobbled streets with the aroma of freshly baked bread awakening your senses.

Book worms will know about the highlight of any visit to Paris - Shakespeare and Company across the Seine from Notre Dame - both literary sites in their own right. Best not to visit the bookshop first though as you’ll never leave and see the rest of the city!

Sit back and relax as we take you on a visit to Paris, literary style!

The Little Paris Bookshop

http://www.thebooktrail.com/book-trails/the-little-paris-bookshop/

“With all due respect , what you read in the long term is more important that the man you marry”

When a book contains these words then you just know it’s going to speak to you. Monsieur Perdu works in a book barge - a literary apothecary and possesses a rare gift for sensing which books will soothe the troubled souls of his customers.

From this bookish Paris we are then taken on a  journey to Provence. Along for the ride is a novelist, Max Jordan – who is escaping from the publicity surrounding his best selling novel . The pair of them travel along the canals and waterways of France and giving out literary advice, literary cures all in search of Jean Perdu’s lost love. There’s even a visit to Cuisery, the town of books itself...

Back to Paris now however and the search for the truth in Tasmina Perry’s latest novel, The Last Kiss Goodbye.

The Last Kiss Goodbye

http://www.thebooktrail.com/book-trails/the-last-kiss-goodbye/

A photo of a last kiss is all that remains from a love affair. Years later when an archivist finds this photo, she is curious to find out about who has been captured in this one moment in time. Her journey takes her far and wide. This is a real story of love and the challenges and obstacles that sometimes get in the way.

The sixties were just as swinging in Paris as they were elsewhere. Rosamund and Dominic spend time here with each other enjoying each other as well as the city’s literary heritage with visits to Les Deux Magots where Sartre and his contemporaries would sit and talk. The world here is an exciting one on the edge of something big. Times are a changing and the memories created here are some that Rosamund will savour for years to come.

Now, a visit to Paris would not be complete without a peek into its fashion world and one of the best books to evoke the sense of the fabrics, and the passion woven into the dresses is Natalie Meg Evans’ The Dress Thief:

The Dress Thief

http://www.thebooktrail.com/book-trails/the-dress-thief/

1930s: This is a stunning, sumptuous and silky journey back in to the heyday of the Paris fashion scene and an insight into the copyists - those people who effectively stole the designs of the big fashion houses by drawing them and sketching them up so they could make cheaper copies quicker and more effectively.

The 1930s were a time of change in the city of lights and this book not only takes you into the heart of it all, but shows you it through the eyes of an ambitious but naive young girl who is drawn into the copyists world. Outside of Paris, war is brewing but the danger in the city is also high. Many people working in the shadows of society, working undercover in plain sight. This novel is really sumptuous and rich in detail - you’ll never forget this insight into the city.

Paris is  a city we all know and love and one well represented in fiction. These three books I hope will allow you to see a new and different side to the city and realise its many hidden charms, its rich history and its iconic link with books.

Paris for me is one of my favourite literary cities for the many books set there - ranging from crime ones set in the underbelly - the city has catacombs with skulls! to the rainy cobbled streets streaked with blood in other novels. The three books above however show you the nicer side to the city - armed with a cheese and ham baguette, a plate of snails and a glass of something bubbly, can you imagine reading these on location? Can you? What was that bump? Have you fainted?

With many thanks to Rachel for inviting me on her very special and great weekend jaunt to the city I love!

About the booktrail

We at the booktrail aim to share our love of books and travel by mapping out all the locations within books so you can take them with you and see the city in a new literary style! It’s amazing what you see when the author is your tourist guide and the characters too!

Twitter:@thebooktrailer

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

Web: http://www.thebooktrail.com/

Pinterest: https://uk.pinterest.com/thebooktrail/

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

Google : https://plus.google.com/114977453008788107064

Thank you so much The Booktrail for a fabulous literary look at Paris. And I know that these books, plus the ones I am featuring this weekend, barely break the surface of the depth of books set in this wonderful city. 

Book Review - Pompidou Posse by Sarah Lotz - Winning Reads #6 - Paris Weekend

Winning Reads #6
Welcome back to my new feature, Winning Reads. This is the sixth book I have picked to read for this feature, and I'm delighted that I am enjoyed the books I have chosen so far, as it must mean I am winning some really good books!

  As I enter a large amount of competitions for books, and have a reasonable degree of luck, over the past year or two, my paperback mountain has grown out of control mainly due to being a bit lucky, and then not remembering to pick the books up and read them. 

Now I have a blog, I find it harder to not just stick the the brand new shiny releases the whole time, but I do want to read all these other books, so while I have a stash of them, here is Winning Reads, my new weekly feature for Sundays.

Amazon UK

Title: Pompidou Posse

Author: Sarah Lotz

Format reviewed: Paperback

Source: Competition Win

Publisher: Hodder & Stoughton

Publication Date: 10th September 2015

Rating: 4 Stars

Paris is eternal. Art is love. Friendship is forever. Except when it isn't.

You're seventeen. One night, more or less by accident, you set fire to a garden shed.
Naturally, you pack up and run off to Paris, certain you can make enough money off your art to get by. You're young, you're talented, you're full of life, and you have your best friend in all the world by your side.

What could possibly go wrong?

Pompidou Posse is a gritty, hard hitting drama, and offers you a completely different view of Paris to one that you would expect. It is set in the late 1980s, and features two runaways Vicki and Sage, who having burnt down the shed at art college, are now scared and on the run. 

This features their time in Paris, and various people they meet, and it is not a feel good book. It feels incredibly realistic, and the experiences they girls have, are not ones I would wish on anyone. On the other hand we do get from their perspective a good look at what Paris was like in the 80s, and what they think of people that are sleeping rough.

Pompidou Posse is a book that was definitely out of my regular reading realms, but yet I found I was entranced by what was going on. I was thinking about it during the day at work, and suspect it will be on my mind for days afterwards. 

 The story progresses from both Vicky and Sage's view points, although Vicky is more about the present, where as Sage is present as a series of journal entries. Pompidou Posse is definitely worth reading, and I found it to be fascinating and well written.

Thank you to the Goodreads: First Reads programme for this advance copy. This was my honest opinion. 

Guest Post & Giveaway - Paris Proposal by Lizzie Fayke - Paris Weekend

I had always wanted to go to Paris since a young child of 5, sitting hours on end watching Gay Purree. For those of you worrying that this sounds like wholly inappropriate viewing material for someone so young, let me put your mind at rest. It’s an animated kids’ film about cute cats seeking their fortunes in Paris.

Taking the initiative I booked a coach trip (I know – but I was on a budget) to the City of Love for me and my boyfriend to span both Valentine’s Day and my birthday;  a double celebration and maybe a hat-trick. I’d been seeing this guy for a couple of years and he’d recently begun hinting about marriage, so I was giving him the perfect opportunity right? I had it all planned in my head, I bet he’d pop the question up the Eiffel Tower – perfect!

The start was less than perfect. As the Port of Dover came into sight, I realised that I had left my purse back at home. I am an obsessive list maker, so you can imagine how my world collapsed at this revelation. I was in full meltdown. My boyfriend did an almost impossible job of calming me down, assuring me that we would still have the best holiday ever and he would pay for everything. He was definitely going to propose, and with this in mind I quickly forgot my pretty pink Ted Baker purse stuffed full of Euros.

Paris was everything I hoped for. Shopping in the splendour of La Fayette; eating sticky crepes from a street vendor; sipping strong coffee from tiny cups in an Art Deco Piano Bar along the Champs Elysees and taking a very chilly cruise along The Seine.

The day of the Eiffel Tower excursion came and I made extra special effort with my appearance. I wanted everything to be perfect and I wanted to look my best for the engagement photos I was planning on posting on Facebook straight after the event.

On the way up the tower my boyfriend looked decidedly nervous, obvious pre-proposal jitters. We wandered around for a bit marvelling at the Paris rooftops but our allocated time up there was running out, and it did. We descended the magnificent structure with no ring in sight. I really thought today was the day, but I didn’t get my perfect Paris proposal at all.

My boyfriend was really amused when I confessed my disappointment on the journey home. He told me that it would have been far too obvious, and when (yes – when!) he asked it would be a complete surprise. 7 months later he proposed in a Chinese restaurant, not quite as romantic as Paris, and not the surprise he wanted either. I found the ring in his coat pocket when I was looking for the car keys, but I never told him that. Oh well, I guess the secret’s out of the bag now.

Giveaway to win Daydream Believer (PB) plus other goodies (Open Internationally)

Lizzie Fayke has put together this lovely prize bundle for one lucky winner. It contains her book Daydream Believer, a notebook, a necklace and a ceramic hanging ornament. 

Giveaway open internationally, all options are voluntary, but please do what they ask, as I will be verifying the winner. Giveaway closes 23:59 19/2/2016. Winner will be announced on twitter and emailed, and they will need to reply within 7 days, or forfeit the prize, and I will re-draw for a new winner.  Good luck everyone.

a Rafflecopter giveaway 

About Lizzie Fayke

Lizzie has been writing since she could hold a crayon. At school she loved writing poems, plays and dirty limericks to impress the boys. Her English teacher told her she had too much imagination – she accepted it as a compliment
.
Lizzie grew up and got a day job but she still loves writing. Her debut novel, Daydream Believer is out now and the sequel is progressing well.

When she has spare time she spends it gazing at handbags and thinking up names for the 3 bulldogs she aspires to own (oh, and Googling ‘is there a cure yet for pet allergies?’).

Daydream Believer on Amazon UK

Twitter: @LizzieFayke

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/14196409.Lizzie_Fayke

Word Press: https://lizziefayke.wordpress.com/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Lizzie-Fayke-1501776026736999/

Thank you so much Lizzie for sharing your proposal story with us on Valentines Day and that you enjoyed Paris regardless. Thank you also for the lovely prize you have donated. 

Happy Valentines Day everyone. 

Guest Post - Mark West talks about Paris - Paris Weekend

Paris, ‘The City Of Love’, was somewhere I’ve wanted to visit since I was in my teens and discovered the Left Bank and French cinema (starting with “Diva”, “Pauline a la Plage” and, of course, “Betty Blue” which was essential viewing for a teenager in the 80s).  


I finally got my chance ten years ago when I began working for an American company who decided to have us, the UK branch, manage the French office.  Luckily, the French manager was very friendly and loved his city so after the working day was done, he showed us around, took us to places we wanted to see and fed us in fine restaurants.  On one such visit, I said I’d like to see Notre Dame but the road was clogged with traffic so I got out and walked alongside the Seine to the great Cathedral and waited for them to catch up.  I took lots of pictures and enjoyed the sensation of wandering in the Latin Quarter, listening to the people and music around me and realised the Left Bank was everything I had always hoped it would be.

A couple of years ago, a colleague & I had to go for a meeting which we managed to wrap up by lunchtime.  After a very nice meal, we said goodbye to our hosts, took the metro to Notre Dame, had a drink in the brasserie on the corner and then walked alongside the river to the Louvre, taking in the Bouquinistes (book-sellers) and the Love-Locks on the Pont Des Artes bridge.  It was a gloriously sunny afternoon and my only regret is that I didn’t explore it with my wife (yes, as it turns out, I have never been to the City Of Love with my wife, a fact she occasionally mentions).

When I came to write my novelette “Polly”, which will be published in April, my female lead needed to get away for a while and I chose to send her to Paris.  She then took the same walking tour I did on that afternoon and, as well as my own photos, I retraced the route on Google Maps and it was glorious.  I wanted to go back and do it all over again which I think I will, this summer, with my wife and son along for the experience.

One of my favourite films is “The 400 Blows” (which I would urge everyone to see) and since that’s set in Paris, I decided to mine it for “Polly” - she stays in l’Hotel Truffaut and lots of the characters are named for either characters or actors in the film.  Most people won’t notice of course but I’d like to think a fan of it might read my story and make the connection.

In real life, Paris was everything I wanted it to be and more - a working city, certainly and as beautiful and grimy as London can be - but the architecture, the atmosphere, the wonderful restaurants and the sense of all who’ve gone before is just wonderful.


About Mark West

Mark West was born in Northamptonshire in 1969 and now lives there with his wife Alison and their young son Matthew.  Since discovering the small press in 1998 he has published over seventy short stories, two novels (In The Rain With The Dead and Conjure), a novelette (The Mill), a chapbook (What Gets Left Behind), a collection (Strange Tales) and two novellas  (Drive, which was nominated for a British Fantasy Award and The Lost Film).  He has more short stories and novellas forthcoming and is currently working on a novel.  

Away from writing, he enjoys reading, walking, cycling, watching films and playing Dudeball with his son.

His Paris-set novelette “Polly” will be published in print, ebook and audiobook editions in April 2016 by Stormblade Productions

His novella “Drive”, which was nominated for a British Fantasy Society Award, is available in print and digital editions.
http://markwestwriter.blogspot.co.uk/p/drive-novella-by-mark-west.html

Mark can be found online at www.markwest.org.uk (a blog Sue Moorcroft called “eclectic and interesting”) and he’s on Twitter as @MarkEWest

I had the pleasure of meeting Mark, a few weeks ago at a blogger/author meet up. When he mentioned the setting for the upcoming Polly, I knew I need him on this blog for part of this Paris weekend. Sorry about the short notice Mark and thank you so much for taking part. 

Book Review - French Kisses by Jan Ellis - Paris Weekend

Amazon UK

Title: French Kisses

Author: Jan Ellis

Format reviewed: Ebook 

Source: Author supplied review copy

Publisher: Endeavour Press

Publication Date: 27th July 2015

Rating: 4 Stars

To the outside world, Rachel Thompson has it made: a wealthy husband, a successful career as an artist, and a to-die-for house in the middle of rural France. 

That is until her husband Michael hits 40, discovers his inner love-rat and runs off with the kids' young, skinny dance teacher. 

Determined to ignore her friends’ advice to up-sticks and move back to England with her children, Rachel decides to turn their crumbly stone farmhouse into a bijou hotel. 

As Rachel strives to create a new life for herself, friends and family rally around to give her a Christmas and New Year with plenty of surprises. 

With help – and some hindrance – from her loved ones, Rachel transforms their home into a cosy guest house for an eclectic collection of visitors, including Josh Perry, a handsome American academic. 

Although Rachel is getting plenty of attention from local admirers, her husband Michael is never far away… 

Will Rachel and Michael rekindle their love affair? 

Or will she be sharing French Kisses with someone else…? 

French Kisses is a lovely romance, set in France. Rachel is stuck in a bit of a rut, until her friend suggests she turns her farmhouse into a B&B. All of her friends help with the rooms, and its lovely to see a house turn into a business. 

Rachel has an errant husband, who now lives with his new partner, although he is determined to help out with the new business if he can. Then there is also the nephew of the framer she uses for her art prints, so is in the village for a short while, from Paris and is incredibly sexy. There is also one of her guests that also catches her eye. 

So while a variety of French Kisses are shared, the question is who will be Rachel's choice to start the New Year with. 

I enjoyed Jan Ellis' writing, in this short but likeable novella. I felt that the setting although most probably gorgeous, could have done with more description, to really get a feel for the little French town life,  and that the characters could have done with some more depth. 

I would recommend this if all you want is a short stay in a French village, with a light hearted romance. Perfect for a rainy afternoon. 

Thank you to Jan Ellis for this review copy. This was my honest opinion. 

Guest Post & Giveaway - Thoughts on French Trains by Jan Ellis - Paris Weekend

Thank you, Rachel, for inviting me to take part in your Valentine's Day post about Paris. I'm a huge fan of the city and all things French!

To my mind, there's only one way to travel to Paris and that's by train. There's nothing quite like jumping on the Eurostar at King's Cross, holding your breath through the tunnel (or is that just me?) and popping up a short time later in La belle France. There's a melancholy sensation as you whiz across the plains of the north with its treeless landscape and low, red-roofed farm houses but entering the mayhem of Paris is always thrilling.

One of the perennial surprises about the capital is how French is always seems! Let me explain what I mean: London is like an exotic island marooned in the south-east of the country. It many ways it couldn't be more English and yet there is nowhere else quite like it in the whole of the UK. But Paris is France with nobs on: full of fiercely efficient waiters, excellent food, very chic people and enticing shops and galleries down every back street. It doesn't matter how many times I cruise along the Seine or sit at a pavement café pouting and trying to look like a native, it always feels like being on a film set.

I been lucky enough to visit the city many times over the years, but perhaps what I love most is the mad dash across town to catch the TGV south. I adore double-decker trains and made sure that my heroine in An Unexpected Affair caught one with her sister when they were travelling down to the Rhône-Alpes from Lille to look up an old flame.

The train really is the best way to cross the country, especially if you're on a romantic mini-break. Wave au revoir to the horror of airports with the endless hanging around and hatchet-faced customs officials and say bonjour to the Train à Grande Vitesse.

There is nothing to compare with the decadence of lounging at one of the high tables in the café-bar of a TGV Duplex eating delicious croques monsieur with a chilled vin blanc or two as the landscape hurtles past at 200 miles per hour. It's an experience that sets you up nicely for stepping off the train and into the heat of Marseille, Nice, Grenoble or wherever else you are fortunate enough to be heading. I can highly recommend it – and don't forget to call in at the Eiffel Tower on your way home!

Giveaway to win a PDF of French Kisses by Jan Ellis (Open INT)

Jan has very kindly said I can give away a PDF copy of French Kisses to one of my followers. 

Giveaway open internationally, all options are voluntary, but please do what they ask, as I will be verifying the winner. Giveaway closes 23:59 19/2/2016. Winner will be announced on twitter and emailed, and they will need to reply within 7 days, or forfeit the prize, and I will re-draw for a new winner.  Good luck everyone.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

About Jan Ellis

Jan Ellis began writing fiction in 2013 and is proud to be a member of the Romantic Novelists’ Association. An Unexpected Affair, French Kisses and A Summer of Surprise were published as ebooks by Endeavour Press and will appear in two paperback volumes with Waverley Books in July 2016. The Bookshop Detective will hit the shelves in spring 2017. Jan's latest ebook, Kate in the City, will be out in March 2016.

* Find Jan's ebooks here: Amazon UK
* To read extracts and to discover more about the French locations for Jan's books, check out her website:http://www.janelliswriter.com
* You can also follow Jan on Facebook and on Twitter @janellis_writer.com

Thank you so much Jan for agreeing to come onto Rachel Random Reads and for the giveaway. I love your comparison of London and Paris. 

Guest Post & Giveaway - Samantha Tonge's Five Favourite Things About Paris - Paris Weekend

My fun romantic comedy, From Paris with Love, is set in the French capital, and in order to write it I drew on a period of my life when I lived there. In fact I have lived there twice, once as part of my university degree and once when I worked at EuroDisney. Both fun times, the result of which was that I fell in love with this city and my fantasy is to move there one day.  A little flat by Montemartre please! 

My favourite five things about Paris are...

Firstly, the beautiful skyline. For a stunning day-time view, go up the escalators to the top of the Pompidou Centre. Magnificent, with the mix of olde worlde roofs and modern skyscrapers, plus the adorable Sacre Coeur Cathedral, nestling in the hillside. In fact the Sacre Coeur is my favourite part of Paris altogether. I remember several romantic moments, sitting on its steps at night, looking across the star-lit, twinkling Parisian horizon. And, of course, it is just a few minutes walk from the artists’ haven, Montemartre. *Sigh*. I wish I could fly out there tomorrow.

The patisserie. Oh my word. Nothing beats the smell of walking past a Parisian bakery. Often, on the way to work, I would grab a warm pain-au-raisin, and on the way back grab a baguette and snap the top of to eat, before getting on the underground. And what a feast for the eyes – the stunning array of tarts and pastries available to buy.  Pastry-making is a real art and one the French do so well. Coupled with a coffee or hot chocolate, what could be better?

Parisians. Okay, some fit the classic stereotype of being snooty or abrupt – but the ones I worked with were lovely. I adore their accents. How quickly they speak. Their hand gesticulations. The emphatic expressions. Their love of debating abstract subjects or politics. I also admire their dress sense and rarely remember seeing a scruffy professional on the train – we’re talking classy clothes made different perhaps with a quirky accessory. For hours I could people- watch, sitting in a café, watching Parisians walk past with their groomed little dogs or well-dressed children.  It’s an intrinsic style I could never pick up in a million years. 

The open markets, particularly the flea markets, the Marché aux Puces, especially the big one at Porte de Clignacourt. What a treat, moseying along, looking at vast selection of goods on sale – antiques, jewellery, food, records, perfumes, watches, clothes. I bought myself a second-hand suede jacket there one Sunday morning. Always a fascinating day out, as long as you watched out for pick-pockets. The smells of exotic foreign foods cooking in little stalls have stayed with me forever, along with the sound of bartering customers and stallholders trying to attract attention.

I suppose what I like most, though, is that Paris is such an inspiring place, it makes me feel that anything is possible. With the magical horizon at night, the eclectic architecture, its locals who love art and politics, the wide range of restaurants and shops... It’s a city without a city feel, with its parks and cobbled streets still holding their own amongst the modern developments.

Thank you Samantha, for those fantastic thoughts about Paris. I can see I still have a lot about the city to explore, to appreciate fully next time I'm there.

Giveaway to win a Paris Tote Bag (Open Internationally)

Samantha Tonge has bought this lovely Paris tote bag, to giveaway to followers of Rachel's Random Reads. 

Giveaway open internationally, all options are voluntary, but please do what they ask, as I will be verifying the winner. Giveaway closes 23:59 19/2/2016. Winner will be announced on twitter and emailed, and they will need to reply within 7 days, or forfeit the prize, and I will re-draw for a new winner.  Good luck everyone.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Author Bio

Samantha Tonge lives in Cheshire with her lovely family and a cat that thinks it’s a dog. When not writing, she spends her days cycling and willing cakes to rise. She has sold over 80 short stories to women’s magazines. Her bestselling debut novel, Doubting Abbey, was shortlisted for the Festival of Romantic Fiction best Ebook award in 2014. Her summer 2015 novel Game of Scones hit #5 in the UK Kindle chart. 

Links

Twitter: https://twitter.com/SamTongeWriter

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

Website: http://samanthatonge.co.uk/

AmazonUK or Amazon US

How To Get Hitched in Ten Days - Out Now

Amazon UK

HOW NOT TO GET THE GIRL…

Meet Mikey, every girl’s best friend – he bakes the creamiest cheesecake, loves movie nights and is a great dance partner.

For Jasmine, Mikey is the perfect flatmate – he owns a 50s diner that turns out the best food around, gives the best bear hugs and amazing romance advice – after all they’re scoping out the same hot guys! So when her boyfriend proposes in the worst possible way, Jazz knows her best friend will be there to pick up the pieces with gourmet popcorn, Pinot sleepovers and a shoulder to lean on.

But Mikey isn’t about to let Jasmine give up on love, and he’s ready to do whatever it takes to mend her broken heart – even if it means helping the one person who sees him as the enemy…

Because at the end of the day, all’s fair in the pursuit of true love… right?

Book Review - Love From Paris by Alexandra Potter - Paris Weekend

Amazon UK

Title: Love From Paris

Author: Alexandra Potter

Format reviewed: Paperback

Source: Purchased

Publisher: Hodder

Publication Date: 24th September 2015

Rating: 5 Stars

How far would you go for love?
When new boyfriend Jack stands her up at the airport, Ruby Miller dries her tears, jumps on the Eurostar and heads to Paris. She thinks she's going there to visit an old friend and have a total break from romance. But the City of Love has other ideas.
A locked apartment where time has stood still, a bundle of long-lost love letters and a flirtatious French lawyer sweep Ruby into a mystery that spans over seventy years. Who is the author of the letters? Why did the owner of the apartment close up the shutters and flee Paris before the war, never to return? And what secret was she hiding?
As the mystery deepens, Ruby turns love detective but it's not long before the ghosts of the past throw her own love affair into jeopardy.

Love From Paris is a beautifully written, very romantic novel, and yet most of the romance is not for the main character, Ruby which makes a change. This is also the sequel to The Love Detective, but can easily be read as a standalone, as all the references to India are from the first book, and give you enough information to know some background. 

There is an incredibly romantic love story at the heart of this book, but there is a great mystery surrounding the finding and outcome of reading some long lost love letters. But before Ruby even gets to Paris to become the Love Detective once more, first she has her own relationship to deal wtih. 

Unfortunately for Ruby, she is stood up at the airport, waiting for boyfriend Jack to arrive. When she discovers this she is very upset, and after talking to her best friend in Paris, goes homes, grabs her passport and dog, and jumps on the Eurostar, to spend a week in the city of love. 

When Ruby is posing as Harriet's assistant, she meets Xavier, a gorgeous French lawyer and as circumstances mean they are thrown together in the same space a few times, will Ruby's love for Jack stay strong, or will she be tempted. 

I loved Alexandra Potter's descriptions of Paris, and although you don't see too much of the main tourist attractions, there is good French food, a lovely bookshop, and some off the beaten track places, that add to the character of the city. 

It is only right that Ruby who is a romance writer, gets to visit such a romantic city, even if she doesn't have her boyfriend with her. 

Love From Paris is a book you can lose yourself in, and find yourself deep within France. I felt compelled to keep on reading as the mystery involved in the love letters really drew me in, and I just had to know what the outcome was going to be. And if you are a bit more of a softie than me, you may need hankies by the end of the book. 

Guest Post - A Weekend in Paris with Rebecca Raisin - Paris Weekend

Have you ever wanted to escape? To board a train, and visit somewhere new, somewhere you’ve always dreamed of… Well, Paris is the place for you! Be warned, it will steal a piece of your heart and never give it back.

It’s the type of city that gets under your skin and pervades your dreams. There’s beauty everywhere, from the Gargoyles perched atop Notre Dame, to a boat chugging along the Seine full of tourists raising a glass of champagne as they pass. Flea markets full of eclectic pieces whose histories you can only guess at. Swollen novels, its pages fat from the salty river air will call out to you, buy it! Take it home so Paris is never far from you…

Shakespeare and Co on the Left Bank, and old bookshop with a rich history, is a must see. The bookshop is almost a living thing, it hums with memories and the people who’ve inhabited it over generations.

Luxembourg gardens is the perfect place to read and people watch. You might see the ghost of Ernest Hemingway…he used to wander the gardens after a long day of writing.
Find La Pagode, and old cinema, with luxe ornate furniture and a garden that will make you feel you’ve truly stepped back in time.

You could rent a bike in Paris, and make a day of stopping off at the many bookshops hidden around town. All that exercise will make a person hungry so for the best Croque Monsieur head to La Comète up in Montmartre, flush it down with a crisp glass of vin blanc, and then wander around the artists’ square. The wall of I love Yous is close to by too, and another must see.

For the more adventurous you can tour Paris on roller skates! There’s lots of options and maps of which paths to use to explore. Or meet other likeminded souls under the big clock at Montparnasse station at 10pm Friday nights and see the city under slivers of moonlight!
The Eiffel tower sparkles on the hour at nighttime. Take a picnic and sit and ogle the truly magnificent spectacle.

If you’re into spooky, you can visit the catacombs, but like most popular Parisian sights there’ll be a long queue. It’s underground, and full of skulls, so not for the faint of heart.

Find the covered market in the Marais, and hunt for the cheese stalls. Eat, buy, eat.

No matter what you like from museums, to art, to history, literary walks, food, Paris has it all. Plan ahead, and you’ll be able to fit so many memories into a few days in the City of love.

About Rebecca Raisin

REBECCA RAISIN is a bibliophile. This love of books morphed into the desire to write them. She’s been widely published in various short-story anthologies, and in fiction magazines, and is now focusing on writing romance. The only downfall about writing about gorgeous men 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, most importantly, believe in true, once-in-a-lifetime love.
Follow her on twitter @jaxandwillsmum
Facebook https://www.facebook.com/RebeccaRaisinAuthor
Website rebeccaraisin.com

Purchase Links

Amazon UK | Amazon US | ibooks | Nook | Kobo | Sainsburys

Pre-order The Little Antique Shop under the Eiffel Tower now

Thank you so much Rebecca, for that lovely guide to Paris, you have summed up the city so much better than I ever would, and can tell you really enjoyed your trip there last year. 

If you like reading about Paris, then keep tuned to Rachel's Random Reads over the next few days as I focus on books set in Paris, I have other authors sharing their thoughts, as well as some lovely giveaways for you all to enjoy.