Today I have a review of Goodbye, Paris, publishing on August 7 by Touchstone Books. This one has been compared to Eleanor Oliphant and the writing of JoJo Moyes, and while I have not yet read the former (it’s on my shelf, though!), I can see the comparison to JoJo Moyes’ in Harris’ also emotionally-resonant writing.
My Thoughts:
Wow, Grace, the main character in Goodbye, Paris is leading a complicated life. She had once been a prominent cellist, but something happened in college that has kept her from playing in public since. Grace leads a somewhat hidden life while she has a long-distance affair with a man named David who is married with children. She is tied to David and waiting for him to leave his marriage for her, but he openly refuses until his children are grown. And until that time, Grace waits………
David gains unplanned public attention when he heroically saves a woman on the Metro. However, the fame comes at a cost: his privacy. Grace is left broken-hearted and is considering bowing out of the her cello-making competition into which she has put all of her energy.
Grace’s saviors come in the forms of two unlikely friends, an eighty-year-old man and a teenage girl. How will this quirky pair help Grace put the pieces of her shattered life back together?
Goodbye, Paris is a charming, comforting story of overcoming obstacles and pain through friendship and how a heart can mend itself with the bolstering of steadfast companions.
Thank you to Touchstone for the complimentary ARC. All opinions are my own.
Synopsis:
Jojo Moyes meets Eleanor Oliphant in Goodbye, Paris, an utterly charming novel that proves that sometimes you have to break your heart to make it whole.
Grace once had the beginnings of a promising musical career, but she hasn’t been able to play her cello publicly since a traumatic event at music college years ago. Since then, she’s built a quiet life for herself in her small English village, repairing instruments and nurturing her long- distance affair with David, the man who has helped her rebuild her life even as she puts her dreams of a family on hold until his children are old enough for him to leave his loveless marriage.
But when David saves the life of a woman in the Paris Metro, his resulting fame shines a light onto the real state of the relationship(s) in his life. Shattered, Grace hits rock bottom and abandons everything that has been important to her, including her dream of entering and winning the world’s most important violin-making competition. Her closest friends–a charming elderly violinist with a secret love affair of his own, and her store clerk, a gifted but angst-ridden teenage girl–step in to help, but will their friendship be enough to help her pick up the pieces?
Filled with lovable, quirky characters, this poignant novel explores the realities of relationships and heartbreak and shows that when it comes to love, there’s more than one way to find happiness.
Have you read Goodbye, Paris, or is it on your TBR? Have you read any uplifting reads lately? Happy Reading! ~ Jennifer THR
No I haven’t read this one yet and I’d miss this one if it wasn’t for you because Paris isn’t a need-to-read setting for me but that mention that it’s Eleanor Oliphant and the writing of JoJo Moyes – who’s such a great writer – really makes me all excited. Lovely review, this sounds like a wonderfully warm novel and a perfect escape !
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Aw, thanks so much, Inge! If it helps, a chunk of this book takes place in England where the main character lives. It really is a heartwarming novel in the end. I hope you love it, too, if you read it!
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I want to read it . I loved Me before you sooooooooo much ❤…
Great review ♥♥
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Thanks, Priyasha! Wasn’t Me Before You a perfect read?! I hope you enjoy this one, too, if you can read it! 💗
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Wonderful review Jennifer! I look forward to this one. 😊💜
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Thanks, Lindsay! I can’t wait to read your thoughts on it! I hope you love it, too! ♥️
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Love is in the air! Awesome review and hydrangeas. It is on my TBR list. Happy Reading to you.
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Thanks, Virginia! I hope you are reading something great right now! 💗
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Love this review, Jennifer!!!
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Thanks, Mack!
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Great review Jennifer. I have never read anything by this author before, this books sounds very good. Have a great day honey 🙂
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Thank you, Jody! This is a great read! It’s generating some buzz and for good reason I think. I hope you are having a wonderful day too! ♥️
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You sure are generating some buzz, that’s so awesome honey!! Your such a sweetheart ♥️
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Oh, no, Jody, I probably didn’t write that well. The book is getting a lot of buzz on its own- I am seeing it everywhere! You are super sweet, and thank you for the compliment! ♥️
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I’m 54% through it. I’m having a hard time getting past the moral issue of it all but I’m excited to finish today!
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I understand! Definitely not my favorite trope either. I hope it finishes well for you and look forward to your thoughts, ShahnaMarie!
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I haven’t read this one, but I’m adding it! I do love Jojo Moyes. Great review! ❤
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Thank you, favorite M! I hope it’s a good read for you if you are able to fit it in. It’s definitely well-written and full of emotion, and I loved the quirky characters. ♥️
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You have not read Eleanor yet? You will love that one! Looking forward to this one, lovely review!💕
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I know, right?! And I have the copy here and everything. I may even have a hardcopy and an ecopy if I remember correctly. I can’t wait to see your review of this one. Such a wonderful read!
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I am super excited for this one! I’ve been on a roll with really lovely books!💕
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Great review Jen. I love Moyes’ writing and this one does have an interesting setting and storyline so I think its one i’d enjoy.
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Thank you, Diana! I found this one really uplifting, and the author is a wonderful storyteller. I hope you enjoy it if you end up reading it. Yesterday when we were chatting about historical fiction I meant to tell you about the one I just finished and have the review up today- If You Leave Me. This one takes place in Korea during the Korean War, and it’s a wonderful story, so well-written. Lots of Korean culture. I hope you have a great weekend!
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Lovely review Jen, you really need to read Eleanor Oliphant though! 😉😍
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Thanks, Beth! I do! Where is that time we were just talking about?! I need some! 😊 I’m actually typing it in my notes list of what I need to read next. It’s not a long list or anything. 😂 Thanks, Beth! ♥️
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This does sound quite lovely. Glad you enjoyed it. I need a good book to read right now…..kind of stuck in mediocre…and long!
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Thanks, Marialyce! Now I’m curious what you are reading now- off to check on GR! This was absolutely lovely, a wonderful change of pace.
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Lovely review!! Eleanor is one of my favorite books and Moyes is one of my favorite authors, so I had to pick this one as my BOTM book, lol. I’m looking forward to it! It sounds like a lovely read! I hope you’re having a fantastic Saturday! ❤
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Thank you, Stephanie! Oh, this is a great BOTM choice. I wanted to get it to have a hardcopy of it, and I still may change my mind next month! I have had a great day, and I really hope you have too! 💕
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You’re welcome! Oh good! I’ve been skipping my BOTM the past couple since it seemed I had the ARCs, lol. But I didn’t have this one (I hadn’t heard of it till I read your review actually, so thank you!), and I couldn’t pass it up! I have too, thanks! Glad you have as well!! ❤
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That worked out perfectly- yay! This was the first time I hadn’t gotten three books! I usually get three because there are some past books I want, and I can’t pass up $9.99 for a hardback. But this time, it was hard to pick because I had the books and all the past ones I wanted. I got Sweet Little LIes and The Dinner List…Who knows when I will ever be able to read them though! 😂 Have a great night! 💗
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Lol, that’s true but I’m out of bookshelves. I’m going to have to kick out one of my boys (both over 18 so I’m not being too mean lol) and turn their room into a library 😂 I got The Dinner List too! I should have gotten Sweet Little Lies, but I talked myself out of it! I hope to read some of them this winter. I have only 1 Arc a month right now from Nov to April and I don’t think I’ll take more than 3 a mth between lecturing and homeschooling! At least until I know what I’m in for, lol. You too! 💕
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Sounds like a pretty good escape read! And well… Paris ❤️😊
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It was definitely a great escape, Nina, and yes, Paris makes everything better! 💗 Thanks for all the blog love tonight. Xo
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😄😊😄😊
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Yikes! Sounds like Grace is having a tough life!! I hope things get setter for her in the book!
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They absolutely do, Nicole! I felt uplifted by the end- thanks to her quirky friends!
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Well, that’s good! And obviously my previous comment should have been that I hope her life gets BETTER… Not setter. 😉😂
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Lovely review Jennifer! I doubt I’d pick this one up, sitting around waiting on a man is a huge turn off to me but glad you enjoyed it. 🙂
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Thanks, Carrie! I understand! I was grateful to see the main character grow in this one-she had a lot of room for growth. 😊
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