This book is set in Paris but the story could just as well have taken place in San Francisco, London, or any number of places. The story itself is also vaguely familiar in that it resembles many other romantic stories (books and movies) that are set in Paris, or in France, and that are usually written by Americans or Brits. In fact, I looked up the author, not believing that he is really French. There was nothing particularly French in the novel except that Les Deux Magots makes an appearance, and people keep going up the Rue Lepic and sitting in the Place du Tertre. The author bio and back cover tell you that Levy is "the most-read French author alive today." That might also be true of Dan Brown (hopefully not) but if so, so what? Having said all that, it was a pleasant way to spend a few hours of confinement. ( )

Picked this as my Kindle First book for August. I enjoy a good rom-com movie or TV show every now and then (although they're all the same after awhile, but still good for a fluffy, fun watch), but I'd never read a rom-com novel.

I can honestly say I didn't fall in love with the book, but I did enjoy it and always looked forward to what was going to happen next. The scenarios are a little outrageous, the characters a little unbelievable at times, but the dialogue and Mia and Paul's interactions were cute and fun. I like reading books set in all types of locations, and it was exciting to read about life in Paris, as I'd never visited there before (but it's on my bucket list). Also liked that the book moved along quickly, very few slow parts. The supporting characters were funny and quirky, too, in their own ways.

However, I wasn't a fan of the writing style or the prose...lots of head-hopping in various scenes, which made it confusing to know who was talking or whose POV we were reading from. Writing was also choppy at times. I'm not sure how much of it was lost in translation, though. Sometimes I'd have to look back a paragraph, or a page, to figure out who was doing and saying what. Not much description of characters or scenery, and I had no idea what anyone looked like, really. And I didn't feel much chemistry between Mia and Paul, though strangely enough, I wanted them to end up together in the end (which, thankfully, being a rom-com, they did, despite not looking that way for awhile!). And what was with the characters muttering things to themselves all the time? Was funny at first, but then grew to be annoying. Nobody I know mutters that much IRL.

The plot ended up playing out like your typical rom-com...boy and girl meet, deny their feelings for one another, some complication forces them apart, and they find their way back to each other at the end.

This book is written with multiple viewpoints in third-person.

With that being said, I did enjoy this tale about a movie star and a novelist going through their trials and tribulations, to fall in love at the end. It did keep me interested all the way up until the end. I'd recommend this for any rom-com fans and anyone who's looking for a cute, breezy read. ( )

An interesting read, and it moved right along.
And I loved the surprise plot twist.
Good scenes reminding me of time in Paris. ( )

amazon prime - yuck

Perhaps more twists than a plate full of spaghetti ( )