Here are 3 signs that you are really enjoying a book by an author you have never read before:
1. You are looking up the author's backlist to see which book you are going to buy next before you even get to 25% of the way through.
2. You are constantly swapping between your phone and your Kindle so that you can keep on readiing wherever you are.
3. Every time there was a time out in your son's basketball game, you start reading, even though it is only a few seconds.
When I saw this book, it was a no brainer that I was going to read it, based purely on the title, but also because of the gorgeous cover. Trying new authors doesn't always work well, but this book was definitely worth taking a chance on.
We meet Sarah as she is rushing through narrow laneways in Paris. She is trying to get to a shop to buy a specific bottle of wine for her demanding property developer boss, but as she rushes through the lane she stumbles across an antique toyshop. In the window, there is a set of animals that bring back instant memories, memories that she has worked hard to suppress for several years. Inside the shop is a magical world full of toys. Some are new, others are antique, and still others are being repaired. The shop is run by Franz, originally from East Germany, who focuses on creating delights for children of all ages. But not many people come into his shop. His landlord is threatening him with eviction if he can't turn things around.
Also in the store is author Tomas who comes to the store to pick up gifts for his next door neighbour Andre. Andre is a young boy who has not left his apartment due to fear. He is looked after by his grandmother Marthe who is struggling to cope with his issues, and is very much afraid to face up to her own medical issues. Tomas has a number of books published, but he is totally adamant that there is no publicity featuring his image. He prefers to be an international man of mystery
Each of our characters has experienced loss of some kind, and each of them are prisoners in their own lives in their own ways. And yet, as they come together they begin to help each other to face their past and look towards their future.
This book was so good! So good! It isn't always an easy read because some of the issues that the characters faced and their grief and challenges, but the story was revealed layer by layer for each of the characters with such care and tenderness.
Paris is very much integral to the story. Tomas gets to share his Paris with Sarah, taking her to sights such as the Orangerie and Sainte Chappelle amongst others places. And the toyshop just sounds so magical. It read as though it could just about be a tardis inside, with various rooms including one big enough for a mechanised castle!
I can't wait to read more from Lauren Westwood. If you have read her before what book would you start with?
Rating 5/5 (just my second 5/5 read of the year)
The Little Paris Toyshop
In the tangled streets of Paris, there is a toyshop…
A place where memories are lost and found, where pain and love, regret and joy are waiting to be discovered.
The old man sets the animals in the cars of the miniature train. A tiger with a jewelled collar, a monkey in a pillbox hat, a poodle, a dancing bear, an elephant, an ostrich with plumed tail feathers. The music plays; the animals trundle around the track. Their gentle faces have seen everything and reveal nothing. The joy, the sorrow, all the spaces in between. On the outside, they are smiling. Inside, they mourn the one that was lost.
When Sarah, a successful hotel designer, encounters a run-down toyshop in Paris, little does she know that her life is about to change. Against her better judgment, she agrees to help the elderly owner, Franz, save his shop and transform it into a magical destination for children and adults. She meets Tomas, a small-time crime novelist, who gives her a glimpse of a different life – one that can only exist on the other side of her own grief and guilt. But Tomas is hiding painful secrets of his own that threaten to destroy their blossoming relationship.
Can two lonely people move beyond the shame and heartbreak of the past to find their own happily ever after?
A spellbinding tale of love and memories lost and found. Perfect for fans of Joanne Harris’s Chocolat, Karen Swan, and Jojo Moyes, The Little Paris Toyshop will hit every emotion for readers who love literary romance.
Purchase link - https://geni.us/TheLittleParisToyshop
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About the Author
I write emotional women's fiction and intelligent romance. My books explore the darkness and the light of the human spirit, and take you on an emotional journey. My latest book, The Little Paris Toyshop, is a spellbinding tale of love, loss, memory, and Paris. Discover the magic and romance today.
Social Media Links:
Twitter: @lwestwoodwriter
Facebook: @Lwestwoodbooks
Website: www.laurenwestwoodwriter.com
Instagram; https://www.instagram.com/Lwestwoodwriter/
Giveaway
Giveaway to Win 2 x e-copies of The Little Paris Toyshop by Lauren Westwood (Open INT)
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