Tis the season when I ponder tackling those books that piqued my curiosity but were left unfinished (DNF) or unreviewed. This year, I have started earlier and am determined to get the number of titles I have on unread NG and EW shelves down to a more manageable amount.

I tend to be selective about rom-coms, which aren't typically my preferred genre. I enjoy those where the author can reinvent the tropes and grab my attention immediately. Unfortunately, Paris Is Always a Good Idea wasn't a good idea for me, and it didn't hook me. I put it inside, and now it is not pleasing enough for me to return to reading it.

When Chelsea Martin discovers her father is getting married she's overcome with shock and can't believe it's real. Instead of being happy for him, she takes out her frustration on him and his fiance. Will she be able to accept that after seven years of being a widower, he's ready for love?

Intent of finding herself, Chelsea journey's to Europe to revisit the places she traveled to right before returning to the states because her mother was terminally ill. Can she find the love she had? Will those men be there and remember her?

A journey of self discovery, acceptance, and letting go of our past self to enjoy the life we're meant to live. This trip will take Chelsea down memory lane in hopes of finding herself and falling in love. The results will surprise you and leave you hopeful that everyone has a chance at finding their ever after.

From coffee, chocolate, bread, wine, and roses this book takes you on an adventure through beautiful cities, vivid details, lush scenery, family, friends, and all the feels.

Don't miss this slow burn, sinfully sweet story and fall in love.

Hello

Apologies for the late notice, but I have decided not to review this title. While I am certain it's obvious by now, I wanted to also clear this off NetGalley, so it's not showing as open for either of us.

I look forward to continuing to work with you in 2023 and beyond.

Laura

A delightful read that will make your heart happy. This cheesy, romantic comedy would be prefect for the Hallmark channel, as it is full of all the feels!

Wow! This story was stunning. One of the best I’ve read in 2020. It has a depth that drew me in, and yet a sense of lightness as well. I wish I had the words to convey how beautifully this novel is written and now well the topics of grief, love, and finding oneself are handled.

Chelsea is a workaholic and Jason is her nemesis. He drives her insane and she can’t stand his smug face. They are perfect office enemies. When Chelsea has a crisis in the personal life she decides to take a trip to Europe to try and remember thehthe girl she used to be. However, a big deal is going down at work and she and Jason need to work together to make this happen while she’s out of the office. She just might kill him before they finish putting this deal together.

As Chelsea retraces her steps from her gap years trip through Europe, she catches up with 3 guys she dated that year. Each of them turn out differently than she thinks they will, all of them for surprising reasons. But where Chelsea finds herself during her time traveling is maybe the most surprising thing of all.

Such a great read! It’s one of those stories that sticks with you and you wish you could read for the first time all over again.

This was a cute romantic comedy with international appeal. The perfect book for reading by the pool or on vacation.

3.5 Stars

Yeah, no. Someone, especially a beloved father, tells me they’re getting married after knowing a person 2 weeks, I’m not on board. I don’t care if I’m a workaholic, love skeptic, scared of loss character, I am in the right here! You are all crazy. That is my one major ding for this book. At no point is the ludicrousness of that addressed or the reaction given any validation to Chelsea.

I love that the impetus for Chelsea’s journey isn’t a breakup, though. How it comes about is whack but her trying to recreate her last free feeling of love and happiness by tracking down exes on her gap year through Europe is great. All the encounters and adventure are so fun, funny, and entertaining.

Jason had a nice little side journey too. We learn a lot about him and his characters has some great shifts. But this was really Chelsea’s story and for once I didn’t mind that the “guy” didn’t get equal time and attention. It still balanced really well. Mostly because his humorous encounters and banter played really well with the vibes of the story.

I’ve had this one on my to-read pile for a while and I’m so glad that I finally read it. I really do appreciate Jenn McKinlay’s writing and style. Even though I didn’t love one part of the plot, the rest more than made up for it and I’m already remembering the read fondly.

This author is just delightfully fun, I’ve enjoyed two of her books now and will now add her to me just read list. Travel in books is always fun and this was great.

This was a cute story. It was kind of reminecint of Eat, Pray, Love for me. Woman goes on an international vaca spree to find herself. This story was kind of repetitive and predictable but it's was ok.

I went into this book with little to no idea what it was about except that it probably took place in Paris…the title gave that much away. But honestly I was watching Emily in Paris and I wanted to continue with the Paris vibes in my books so I picked this one up.

Turns out it takes place in a small town in Ireland, Paris, and a Tuscan vineyard. Chelsea Martin hasn’t been happy for quite a few years, the last time she remembers being happy was 7 years ago when she travelled through Europe. All those years ago she fell in love 3 times, and she hopes to return to Europe to remind herself what it’s like to be happy, and hopefully fall in love all over again.

The story was funny and easy to follow and I enjoyed the nostalgic elements of our main character retracing her steps in Europe. This was definitely an escape from reality, and it provided me with the wanderlust I was craving.

So if you’re craving a little travelling pick this one up!

An enemies to love plot???! Gosh, that’s my favourite trope!!! It is definitely a cute romance. I love love it.

Also, it is heartwrenching and heartwarming at the same time. I wish I can give her a big hug. One that can comfort her.

Overall, i love the story

For some unexplained reason I kept putting off reading this book but I am so glad I finally did pick it up and begin reading it because I loved it! I loved being transported to all the different countries, loved the characters and the romance and humor throughout. I also really enjoyed the subplot of the main character trying to find her footing/way in life and figure out how to get back to her true self. This is the first Jenn McKinlay book I have read and it definitely won't be my last!

I love the fact that Chelsea retraces her trip that she took 7 years ago. I love doing this and going back to the places that I love. This time, she's in for a surprise love interest and it was definitely worth the read.

Truth be told, Paris is always a good idea if you can get there. In McKinlay's novel, I loved how we were getting a thirty-year-old woman's perspective on a trip she took seven years before. There is real insight and power to examining our past and looking at it in a new light. This book gives its readers wonderful characters and an enchanting adventure into finding oneself.

aris is Always a Good Idea was heart-warming and fun romance that revolved around Chelsea retracing her steps to Ireland, Paris and Italy hoping she would find happiness and love by searching men she fell in love seven years ago. The story was about loss, grief, friendship, love, hope, expectations vs reality, self-discovery, accepting yourself, and finding happiness.

Writing was vivid and entertaining with travel theme and dislike to love, and falling for co-worker trope. It was written in first person narrative from Chelsea’s perspective.

Plot was great and there was much more than just romance. It started with Chelsea’s bad reaction to news of her father remarrying seven years after her mother’s death to woman he met only two weeks ago claiming he fell in love but she couldn’t believe how he could fall in love in just two weeks and felt like betraying her mother and her memory. It chagrined her more when her younger sister supported their father’s decision. Disagreements, exchange of bitter words and truth forced her to see the change in her after her mother’s death.

In her grief and loss, she lost her old self, buried herself in work, barricaded family and any social life. Last time she was truly happy and her older self was when she was on year off after college to abroad where she fell in love thrice with- Colin in Ireland, Jean Claude in France, and Marcelino in Italy. To find that older self, love and happiness she decided to retrace her step to these places and search of men she fell in love hoping meeting them and being with them would remind her what it was like to be lively, reckless, smiling and laughing and being in love.

It was interesting to see how she would find her men, what her experience with them would be, exploring places she spent most amazing time of her life, would she get what she was looking for or was she searching it at wrong places and in wrong men.

First half of the book was all about characters introduction, plot building and Chelsea’s trip to Ireland and Paris. It was fun and hilarious. I have to say Chelsea’s idea was interesting but I didn’t think she was going to get what she was looking for in this way. But I was curious nevertheless. And it wasn’t just that, there was her office rival, Jason, making it more dramatic and entertaining.

Chelsea was fund raiser for American Cancer Coalition. She was smart, beautiful, workaholic, uptight, organised, and single minded. I didn’t like the way she reacted to her father’s news of marriage and how she was behaving towards Sheri, soon going to be her step-mom. She was childish and immature about whole her father remarrying thing. I could see, she never dealt with her grief and that affected her life. But as story progressed, I saw her true self slowly unrevealing, enjoying her time during her quest, and most shocking actually being nice and friendly with Jason. I was starting to like her in Ireland but, in Paris I had mixed feeling for her as I get her need to give Italy a chance but I don’t agree with her line of thought and denial, and then in Italy I understood her more than I thought I could. Her reaction to her father being in love, why she was so fixated on finding love in men she was in love in past, and what she actually felt deep inside made sense.

Jason was amazing throughout the book. He was fun, witty, confident, charming and smart. He was sure of everything and his easy careless manner irritated Chelsea. I liked him for caring for Chelsea and crossing the bridge of rivalry. He was more observant than Chelsea thought and he understood her even when he didn’t know full story of her quest. He was the voice of reason. There was more to his careless demeanour which was revealed in last 30% of the book and like Chelsea that earned him more space in my heart.

Second half was all about romance and much more than just romance. I wasn’t expecting this part to be serious with mental health element after entertaining and hilarious first half. There were light moments but story of loss and grief touched my heart and made it sentimental. I loved the way expectations and realities were conveyed through Chelsea’s quest. Grief and loss of losing loved one to cancer and how that made characters who they were.

Romance was lovely to read with falling in love with co-worker and dislike-to-love arc. I enjoyed banter between Chelsea and Jason. They were so different from each other. I liked the way author showed their personality as idea guy and guardian woman and how they slowly found a way to come around their differences and formed bridge of friendship. They both made amazing team. Their moment in Paris, on the top of Eiffel tower and in Italy sharing their grief was best scene.

Most of twist and turns were predictable but I enjoyed them. Climax was interesting. I couldn’t wait to see how Chelsea was going to realise who she actually love and how she was going to tell the other it’s not going to work. End was a bit stretched. That last part from Jason wasn’t exactly necessary, it was overly dramatic but I enjoyed it? Definitely! I enjoyed epilogue.

Why 4 stars–

I enjoyed the plot and romance but I didn’t like Chelsea’s fixation on finding men of her past and thinking they only can make her fall in love again. Never she thought they might have changed or they might have other person in their life. It felt like 29 yrs. old had turned into 19 and she behaved like that! Even when at the end it was explained why she couldn’t accept who she has become, I still can’t believe how so easily she accepted it after so many years of denial and thwarting that idea throughout her trip.

Overall, Paris is Always a Good Idea was refreshing, entertaining, uplifting and enjoyable romance.

You will enjoy this if you like,
Travel
falling in love with co-worker/rival
Dislike to love trope
journey to self-discovery
more than just romance
lovely and hilarious moments

This book was okay. I received it as an ARC months ago and tried reading it on my kindle but just couldn’t get into it. I thought maybe it was the kindles fault because I really do prefer physical book. So I checked it out from the library and, well my feelings didn’t change 😢

Things I liked:
-visiting Ireland, Paris and Italy!
-the character’s self development journey
-the final love interest

Things I didn’t like
-When everyone seems to be in love with the main character it loses a bit of reality for me.

-it was a bit confusing in some parts the Irish guy seems to be flirting with her but then has a complete change and makes it seem like it was all in her head.

-the outcome of her self development journey. I feel like she was just back where she started to be honest.

It was a little too cliché for me and I think with a title like Paris is Always a Good Idea the book would be better set just in Paris.

4.5/5 stars. This was a pretty good story. However I was disappointed that the whole entirety of the book did not take place in Paris France like the title leads you to believe.

Seven years ago, Chelsea had to cut her post-college European adventure short when her mom was diagnosed with cancer. After her mom’s death, Chelsea threw herself into work - raising money for cancer research alongside her office nemesis Jason. When her dad announces he is remarrying after two week, Chelsea decides to retrace her steps across Europe. While nothing on her trip goes as planned, she reconnects with pieces of her old self and realizes her current life isn’t without love.

I’m a big fan of Jenn McKinlay’s cozy mysteries, so I requested this from NetGalley. I started it last summer, but I didn’t get very far into it. I grabbed it on audio when @Audible had a 2-for-1 sale, and I really enjoyed it. I enjoyed Chelsea’s travels and her journey to find herself. I also really liked the love story in this book - but no spoilers! Also, I grabbed a copy from BookOutlet so I can share it.

Thanks to @NetGalley and Berkley Publishing Group for my ARC!

I just could not get into this one. I put it down about 60 pages in. I couldn't really connect with the protagonist, but I enjoyed exploring Ireland and Paris. I'd consider reading other titles by this author.

I loved this title! I read it in nearly one sitting and I could not read fast enough! Chelsea and Jason are the perfect couple and it was wonderful to see things unfold between them. The dialogue was wonderful and the personal growth was entertaining to watch. I cannot wait until some of my Christina Lauren fans read it. Jenn will give her a run for her money!