My Review
On the Book Train to Paris is a story of three women in Edinburgh who are looking for a new start. They are all living at an old family bookstore. Carly is a young woman at a crossroads, not sure if she wants to write or run a bookshop or teach yoga. Her mother Fran is a famed romance author who has writer's block and is feeling insecure in her marriage. Elsa is an older family friend who is caring for her husband who has dementia. When they have the opportunity to go to Paris on a book train, promoting books and authors, they travel and the trip changes their lives.
I wanted to read this book because I love fiction set in Paris, I love trains, enjoy bookstore settings, and the idea of a book train sounds amazing!
This is a charming, leisurely read. I loved the way the stories unfolded. Carly meets two men on the train trip and has feelings for them both. Fran finds a book and some mementos that belonged to her long lost love, and this propels her travels ... even more so when she unexpectedly sees him again.
Elsa's story involves a lot of armchair psychology, as she is interested in pursuing studies to be a counselor. There were a number of New Age aphorisms attached to her storyline, which made it a bit less engaging to me than the other two women's stories.
I recommend On the Book Train to Paris for fans of women's fiction and especially for anyone interested in Paris and bookstore settings.
Thanks to Headline Books and Netgalley for an advanced reading copy of this book.
