I loved The Little Cafe in Copenhagen and The Little Brooklyn Bakery so naturally I went into this with a degree of anticipation.

“...with respect Sebastian, castrating the lambs on the farm with my own teeth would be preferable to helping you out.”

This had all the ingredients to make a great read—a grumpy man, a beautiful setting, mouthwatering cakes and a flighty, determined woman—and I wanted to love The Little Paris Patisserie, but sadly it didn’t quite hit the heights of its predecessors. And that was largely down to the fact that Nina, upon upping sticks and landing in Paris to help out her older brother’s injured best friend and chef, Sebastian, spent too much time with the secondary characters and not enough time with the man himself.

“A kiss will do for starters.”

Much of my enjoyment came after the 60% mark when we finally get to see Sebastian and Nina spend some quality time together, but it was still a bit too late on in the day for me and that spark Caplin’s previous couples have created wasn’t quite there. Sitting on the liked rather than loved shelf, it certainly won’t put the brakes on me reading Alex’s story when The Northern Lights Lodge hits the shelves though.

4 - "I think I'm going to like you a lot..." Stars!

We journey to Paris for the third book in Julie Caplin’s hugely enjoyable Romantic Escapes series. We step away from the characters in the previous two books who were loosely linked as well, and are introduced to Nina Hadley, youngest sibling in a large family, it’s time for her to spread her wings and make a few decisions about what she wants to do with her life.

"You have to be a sorcerer with sugar, a wizard with chocolate and a magician with flavor and fillings…"

When the opportunity to move to Paris for a couple of months to help out family friend and former teenage-crush; chef Sebastian Finlay is virtually dropped in her lap, Nina jumps at the chance of taking a break from her well-meaning but interfering family.

She was so over the crush she’d once had on him…

Baking has always been an enjoyable past time, so having the opportunity to be Seb’s right hand woman while he’s recovering from a broken leg, and assisting as he teaches a patisserie course that he is contract bound to offer with the purchase of the run-down Patisserie C. And never a more eclectic mix of pupils you will meet. Ranging from young to old and all with their own stories to tell, this is a book that offers up a lovely collection of characters.

"There are definitely some stories there, and I think some of them are rather sad."

I loved the first two books in this series and while The Little Paris Patisserie was absolutely no struggle to read, I didn’t quite find it as engaging as its predecessors, and it took me the whole book to work out why. For me it was because a large part of the story was spent with Nina getting to know a lot of the secondary characters, and doing things behind Seb’s back. Because of this the time she spent with Seb felt a bit few and far between.

How had she let herself fall in love with him all over again… What was wrong with her?

So much so that I didn’t fully feel their connection the way I have with the couples in the previous books, which is surprising seeing as this pair are the only ones who have known each other for any length of time prior to them getting together as a couple.

That-said it was still and enjoyable read, it just lacked a little of the sparkle its predecessors had. I was happy to see that Seb’s love-rival Alex will be getting his own book next in The Northern Lights Lodge, which is due for release in January 19, although reading the synopsis I kind of hope the publishers bring forward the date and release it before Christmas.

Loved this book!

Nina has never really been sure what she wants to do with her life - but whatever she chooses her family has always been there for her.
Sebastian was her teenage crush, and when he breaks his leg and needs help running a patisserie course in Paris she offers to help - she needs to get away from her overbearing family and this seems like a perfect opportunity.
Sebastian is not how she remembers him though - he is difficult, bossy and doesn't seem very grateful she is there to help him.
Her time in Paris introduces her to an eclectic mix of people, who all help her transform the fading patisserie Sebastian has bought. Can she transform the way Sebastian feels about her, once she realises she is falling for him again?

This book was an absolute delight! I'm so happy that I read it. Set in the heart of Paris, Nina Hadley is a baker at heart. When her childhood friend and crush, Sebastian Finlay, calls her brother needing help with a patisserie because he broke his leg, Nina is the last person he wants. Sebastian doesn't even want to teach the course but he's been saddled with it in exchange for two other properties. With his broken leg, he has to rely on Nina to help him out more than he wants. Nina wants to take the opportunity to improve her own patisserie skills throughout the seven week course and they both get more than they bargained for.
Nina and Sebastian butt heads in the very beginning because they're both stubborn. What I loved about this book is that there were great characters peppered throughout this book. From the main characters to the small group taking the course to Marcel. I enjoyed reading about them discovering their strengths as the story went on. While many of them were hopeless at baking, they were able to use their art and craft skills to restore the patisserie to its former glory. Nina finds her own passion in baking and even gains a fan following through her baked goods.
There's a few great tropes in this book, including childhood friends who grew up to want to be more, butting heads, and keeping secrets from the other for their own good. It's a lovely and pleasant book that is lighthearted and sweet. I wanted to try all the desserts that Nina made and the author was very descriptive of everything. I look forward to reading more from this author in the future!

When Nina's brother tells her that his best friend Sebastian has broken his leg and needs help running his patisserie course she jumps at the chance to go and help out....... after all she has been secretly in love with Sebastian forever...... and it is in Paris! Will she make a success of her job and will Sebastian ever return her feelings?

A lovely book with some great characters, especially some of the minor ones, and although I really didn't like Sebastian at first, I would have gone straight back home if I was Nina and got spoken to like that, he definitely grew on me..... and with Paris as the setting and all those cakes how could it not work!

As I write this review I am still in the reverie of my visits to this darling Patisserie, the story is the cherry on the cake of the series so far. Think ‘Chocolat’ meets Choux, it’s the crème de la crème of rom-com confection; the story is as inviting as the sweet smells emanating from the Patisserie cabinets we get to peek inside. As we push open the door and enter Nina’s world, the soundtrack of Abba rings in my ears – ‘Nina Pretty Ballerina’ – one of their lesser known tunes, but as full of fairy dust as a dancing queen in a jewellery box and ‘I’m a Marionette’ a song about someone who like the aforementioned dancer and Nina, who wants to think outside the said ‘box’ others have put her in and escape the ties of her her family’s love to spread her wings. Simply put, Nina needs some space and she lands in the most romantic city in the world. If only it wasn’t also straight into the orbit of her ex-crush, her brother’s best friend, and Mr Grumpy reincarnated. will she be able to shake the feelings of deja vu? I loved our heroine from virtually the first words that fall from her mouth, understandable in any language, she is sassy and sometimes so suitably certain of herself, she is stylish, and she doesn’t pretend, (her facial expressions just wouldn’t let her.) Could it be that Chef Sebastian has met his match? Sebastian believes cooking is ‘about chemical reactions’ and one thing is for sure, there’s a cauldron full of history and full-on frisson and fizz, where these two are concerned.
There are so many lovely characters to care about in this city of culinary culture. Maddie on her year abroad as part of her degree, Marguerite and Marcel – two long term friends of the patisserie who remember its heyday, the romantic newlyweds Peter and Jane and the adorable ex-soldier Bill. Last but not least there is the grand old lady herself, Patisserie C. The writer has a way with words, that can paint a picture so vividly you can create a virtual reality in your head and see 360 degrees around this petite paradise. The colours and the years seem to morph in our imaginations, merging with the present and coming into view, like watching the film of an old instamatic develop before your very eyes. You will want to wander in through the doors - I know that I wanted to pop in and call out “It is I l’éclair” which may be a joke that only Bill would appreciate. My jokes were on his level, what can I say? – I laughed out loud.
I finished the book knowing two things for sure – one, I am a definite romantic and two, if I don’t have a macaron or a mille-feuille very soon, things might get nasty! Oh yes – and a third – Follow your heart – you don’t need any qualifications or a course to do just that.
Coffee Cup Conversations and Teapot Talking Points:
If you and I dear reader were sitting down together today, perhaps in a cosy corner of the Patisserie, next to the beautifully decorated walls, enjoying the elegant hues and the sparkling atmosphere, having both read the book, here are a few of the points we could mull over together, whilst trying out one of the delicious pastries of course.
Have you ever eaten in a Patisserie?
I visited France for the first time, on a school trip that my single parent Mum amazingly saved up for me to go on. I was desperate to go. Ever since I had seen the Eurovision song contest I had been hooked on the idea of learning other languages, especially French. I was so looking forward to starting to learn it at Senior school and this trip was the perfect entree. I remember seeing the most beautiful individual strawberry tarts, little pastry cases full of a tower of strawberries held together by a mixture of jelly and custard. I couldn’t believe the size of the meringues and the shapes of the pastries, but the piece de la resistance was the way that these were so lovingly and luxuriously wrapped, in individual take away cartons, and wrapped in tissue paper with beautifully printed monograms. There was NOTHING like this back in my home town in the 70s. I haven’t been to a modern-day patisserie in the UK, but I have been treated to the most exquisite birthday cake from one of the UK patisserie chains. After reading this wonderful story I feel compelled to treat myself to this experience.
If you could take any 2-hour course, what would it be?
A favourite podcaster of mine recently posed this question. She said that it would reveal a lot about us. I thought about it, as it is definitely something on my wish list. I have really enjoyed doing some free online MOOC courses with FutureLearn this year and I like the idea of meeting new people and learning a skill together. Do you know what? I don’t think it even matters if I suck at it – I think the novelty of starting from scratch and learning in itself will be fun. So, have you had a think? What would it be? I think I would like to do a’ healthy baking’ class. With the GBBO coming back it always gets me in the mood and although my cakes do ok, I do have some stumbling blocks. Similarly, I would quite like to take a course in chocolate making – I like the idea of experimenting with flavour like Nina and Sebastian do in the book, and the pretty decorating looks like a fun skill to try out.
Have you ever renovated a property?
I love hearing of people’s interior and exterior designs for properties. It always seems such a luxurious fairy-tale idea to me. I have known people turn this into a business, and truly the imagination that they turn into these make overs, their knowledge of architecture, design and style as well as the products available have me in awe. I love being a witness in the story to the transformation that the patisserie goes through breathing life and colour back into the world is a wonderfully uplifting and life affirming experience. I believe that we can all take inspiration from this, and in each new season enjoy finding some new cushion covers, lampshades or throws and curtains to brighten up and shake up our own ‘living’ spaces.

What a gorgeous book, I really enjoyed reading it and the descriptions of the cakes...put on a couple of pounds just reading about them, made my mouth water lol. The main characters were good, but what made this book was the secondary characters, a wonderful bunch of kind hearted strangers, who all share a love of patisseries

Warning, please don’t read if your on a diet lol x

I have really enjoyed Julie's other books in this series so was looking forward to this and certainly didn't disappoint me at all. She writes them so well that you really think you are there with them and in the country it's based in. It's heartwarming and romantic and fighting for what you want also about families and friendship and plenty about amazing cakes that I would just love to try. It's about fitting the last piece of the jigsaw to complete your life.
This is based around a little patisserie in Paris and Nina who is the youngest of four children her bigger brother always tell her what she can do. Her job has come to an end and one of her brothers has a friend in Paris called sabastian who has broken his leg and needs an assistant to help him run a patisserie course and her brother suggests she goes out. She doesn't agree to start with but soon changes her mind problem is sabastian is really been her secret love for years so will she be able to forget all that and work for him. She goes out and he is very difficult with her to start with and it's very hard running the course with her but she meets new friends and starts to settle. She goes in to the patisserie she starts to realise it really could make a go of it but sabastian has other ideas so she goes behind his back and with her friends they transform the patisserie back to life but she's starting to get close to sabastian and she hasn't said anything about what she has done and how will he react when he finds out she has been baking and selling her cakes and they have turned the shop around. Will he understand and realise she's done it for him and her to show she can do it or will he be angry. Will they find romance together or is it to late and what will happen to the wonderful patisserie in Paris.
A great read and worth more than five stars. Simply brilliant and got hooked straight away.

I've really loved this series and this one is no different. The descriptions of the food will have your mouth watering and will make you want to visit Paris right now! The cover is just beautiful and I adore all the pastel colours and the floral arrangement around the outside of the cover. The eiffel tower in the background makes the cover but I really love the cute little table and chairs in the centre with the delicious looking treats sitting on top. All in all, it's breathtaking and really catches your eye. If you judged books by it's cover then this is one you would certainly pick up!

On to the actual story, first of all I didn't really like Nina much at the start of the novel. I can understand where she's coming from that being in a big family could be overwhelming but she seemed a bit spoilt to start off with. However, as we got to know her more throughout the book she really started to shine and I really warmed to her character. However, I will say that I cannot believe she stayed with the way that Sebastian spoke to her! I would be out of that door and on a place home as quick as a flash - so I really admired her for sticking it out - because I wouldn't that's for sure!

The same goes for Sebastian, at the start when we first met him I really didn't like him. I found him to be rude, arrogant and so self-absorbed that I really didn't care much for him. Just like Nina however, as the book went on I found myself warming to him too and started to realise why he acted the way he did. As well as Nina and Sebastian, there were plenty of other characters to get to know. And I instantly liked Marcel and Marguerite (think I spelt that right!), I thought that Marcel was quite the character and quite funny and Marguerite just seemed so lovely.

If you add in the location, picturesque Paris, and the addition of the deliciously mouth watering pastries and patisserie, you'e got yourself a beautifully written and lighthearted novel. I really enjoyed this third novel in the series, and if what I've read is correct, I'm so happy this isn't the last one! I adore Julie Caplin's style of writing - it's captivating and just so enjoyable. Thank you to the publisher for a chance to read this novel, which I have reviewed honestly.

The Little Paris Patisserie is another gem in this series, and one I am incredibly excited to be able to shout about!

My only regret with regards to reading this book is that I couldn't quite find enough time to sit and read it in one sitting, as it was just so, so so good!! Everytime I put it down the characters stayed in my head for hours, and I just loved Nina and Sebastian and all those on the patisserie course.

Ok there was a second regret that I wasn't reading this in a patisseries myself, as I wanted nothing more than to scoff all of the incredibly yummy food that was being produced, and I am partial to an eclair or two, and the macarons sounds fabulous too. Not to mention the visit to Ladurée and other patisserie's in Paris which all sounded so different but with gorgeous decors and sumptuous sounding treats.

I really don't want to tell you anything else about the book as its s so amazing and has some wonderful threads running though it, that starting with no info is good, as it will heighten your enjoyment, as you see how everything comes together.

I mean obviously there is Patisserie - both the place and the act of making delicious pastry and delicate treats, there is a sexy man who Nina knew well already as he is her best friends brother, there are all manner of fabulous people learning the art of patisserie from a course owner who is reluctant to be running it and a would have rather Nina wasn't his assistant.

Oh and its in Paris, which means we get to experience aspects of Paris from the point of view of someone who has never been, and her new found friends. There are secrets, discoveries, eclairs (did I already mention those), and some clear tension. Add in some great dialogue, a couple of really fun outings and of course fabulous writing and storytelling from Julie Caplin and you have a wonderful book.

I'm over the moon to see this isn't the last of this amazing series, and really looking forward to reading the next one already. If you love your romantic comedy books, or ones featuring tantalising food, then definitely make sure to add this to your TBR pile today!

Thank you to Netgalley and Harper Impulse for this copy which I have reviewed honestly and voluntarily.

A beautiful piece of escapism. I could visualise the streets of Paris and the Patisserie. The pastries were so well described my mouth is watering. I liked the characters and the story. Julie Caplins books always make me happy. They are a pleasure to read.

Thank you to Netgalley for my copy.