The Little Bookshop on the Seine

The Little Bookshop on the Seine by Rebecca Raisin is the first book in The Little Paris Collection. Sarah Smith owns The Bookshop on the Corner in Ashford. Her friend, Sophie, owns Once Upon a Time in Paris on the bank of the Seine, contacts Sarah in distress. Her boyfriend has dumped her for the owner of the fromagerie next door and Sophie needs to get away. She suggests they trade places for six months. Sarah is a homebody and introvert who would normally never consider leaving her beloved bookshop. However, she has felt like she is stuck in a rut and agrees to trade places. Sarah has an idealized image of Paris in her mind which quickly vanishes after incurring crowds, long days, rude customers and belligerent employees. Sophie's bookshop is nothing like Sarah's quiet and cozy bookstore. Sarah finds the store overwhelming and encounters one problem after another. Another downside is she rarely gets to see or talk to her boyfriend and freelance reporter, Ridge Warner. Can Sarah find a way to turn the situation at the shop around? The Little Bookshop on the Seine is a lighthearted romantic comedy. I could relate to the quiet and timid Sarah who considers the books in the shop her children. She has a special connection with the books and manages to find the right book for each customer. From reading so many books, Sarah has a special view of Paris. Unfortunately, Sarah's rose colored glasses soon fall away. Paris is a bustling city which Sarah is not used to after sleepy Ashford. Sarah needs to find her inner strength if she to survive her stay in Paris managing Sophie's bookstore. I enjoyed the transformation of Sarah and the employees. We see what secrets can do to a person and how revealing the truth can be good for the individual as well as those her. Sarah's happiness at decorating the bookshop for the holidays is contagious. The author's descriptions brought the city of light alive for me. I thought she really captured the city and its atmosphere. The Bookshop on the Corner is a prequel to The Little Bookshop on the Seine. It tells the story of how Sarah and Ridge met. I suggest you read it first because it provides needed background information. I thought The Little Bookshop on the Seine was an uplifting story. If you like to read feel-good holiday story, then you will be delighted with The Little Bookshop on the Seine.