This is my first book by this author and I was not disappointed. Wonderful storyline and characters.
If you are looking for a feel good Christmas story, this is not it. Although there are some feel good moments, this story centers around the grief and healing of our two main characters, Keeley and Ethan.
I will definitely be recommending this book.
Thank you Mandy Baggot, Aria & Aria and NetGalley for allowing me an advance copy for my honest feedback.

What a heartbreaking yet uplifting start to a story. 

Ms Baggott has done it again! She has tackled some difficult subjects with skill and empathy, and even made me cry. Keeley's journey was a long and fraught one and, due to her circumstances, I believe she is still on it - there is a poignancy about the happy-ever-after that makes me think it's a happy-for-now.

Ethan was a tortured soul, and I get the feeling he's only partly healed.

However, despite the emotional heaviness in the story, there were some lighter moments and some lovely descriptions of Paris. But I certainly wouldn't describe this novel as a laugh out loud one.

I was hoping for an easy and cheerful Christmas read to get in the holiday spirit, but I got so much more than that with A Perfect Paris Christmas. The description doesn't give much away about why Keeley is in Paris or why Ethan is having a bad year, and I think that does a disservice to the book. This book isn't just a romance—it digs into grief and the many different ways it can be felt and expressed. It explores what "family" and belonging mean. The romance piece of it was also important, but I do think there was more depth to this book than just the HAE. I definitely got teary while reading this book, which I hadn't expected based on the cover and description. There's a lot more to A Perfect Paris Christmas than meets the eye—it's worth a read.

This was a new to me author and I couldn’t wait to read this book. It was fast-paced and full of emotions. I loved the storyline, and the characters were so easy to connect with. Their grief at losing their loved ones so tragically touched my heart. It was like being on an emotional rollercoaster and I was so happy to see them help each other slowly heal and start to live again. It seemed like fate had a hand in placing them in the paths of each other.

Keeley's life changed in an instant when tragedy struck, now a year later she's still struggling to rebuild the life she had before especially under the watchful eye of her Mum. But when an email arrives asking her to travel to Paris in the week's before Christmas she makes the brave decision to go even though she knows it could be painful relieving the trauma she has suffered.

Ethan lost his best friend a year ago and has spent the last 12 months dragging himself through each day, using alcohol to smother his grief. He knows he has neglected his job as manager of the hotel chain his friend lovingly created from nothing, but when the co-owner calls a meeting the hotel isn't top of the agenda and he's adamant he doesn't want anything to do with the visitor that holds a special connection to his best friend.

Ethan and Keeley happen to literally bump into each other outside her Paris hotel and team up to catch a runaway penguin. The chemistry between the pair is instant so when they keep co-incidentally turn up in the same places Keeley has to wonder if fate has hand in things. The pair are both trying their best but struggling to heal their own personal trauma's, but can they help each other or will a series of misunderstandings push them apart?

A Perfect Paris Christmas is a wonderfully written emotive contemporary which is bursting with all the Christmas feels. Set against the back drop of Paris Mandy Baggot's stunning descriptive writing really transported me into the heart of the city's streets and markets, amongst all the trees and twinkly lights. The book has that really cosy, warm feeling that I love to read in the run up to Christmas as it helps me get into the festive mood!

Whilst this book is primarily marketed as a romance in my opinion the romantic relationship was secondary to the other aspect of story which saw so multiple topics explored including grief, loss, guilt and acceptance, with the main focus for me being on the importance of friendship and family. The developing romance between Keeley and Ethan was slow and subtle with plenty of missed opportunities along the way that kept me turning those pages to discover when they would actually discover the truth! It was lovely to see the relationship gain traction as opposed to the insta-love some books portray. I really felt I got the know the characters as I slowly discovered their individual back stories whilst they got to know each other in the present.

I absolutely adored this book and it's one I have thought about a lot since I finished reading as it deals with so many difficult and heart-breaking topics. It's one of those impactful stories that I know will stay with me for a long time and one that I will be recommending to friends and family that read. Despite the heavy topics discussed the book has such a heart-warming feel with a conclusion that offers hope of fresh starts and new beginnings for the characters. A real festive treat that will offer some hope, optimism and love in what has been an awful year. Incidentally this book is set in December 2020 and does on occasion mention the Covid restrictions in the past tense which was really interesting as it felt like I was reading the story almost live! 

**If you are thinking of picking up this book please be aware death and cancer are discussed and could be triggering**

I was so excited to read this book, but I have to say it is just way too long. There were many parts where it just went on and on and so that did diminish my enjoyment and lower my rating. Also, there are a lot of pop culture references that are probably going to feel really outdated in a couple years..

If you are a looking for a festive hug in a book; something to whisk you away and give you both heart warming and heart squeezing moments, then this is it. Perfect for cosy afternoons, ignoring the miserable wet, dreary weather. An escape via book form, Mandy Baggot always manages to whisk us away and give us brilliant stories, characters to adore and a smile from ear to ear.
With a host of characters that each bring their own special quality to love, I couldn’t pick a favourite. Instant chemistry between Keeley and Ethan, even with the added chaos of an escaped penguin. I was laughing at the thought. A classic Mandy Baggot book gives you a hero to love, this book is no exception you will fall in love as quickly as Keeley. Watch out for Pepe, your heart may just be stolen.
The references to living in a post COVID world were subtle but there i.e. anti-bacterial gel, distancing etc, I wasn’t bothered about this inclusion at all if I’m honest but can appreciate for some this may not be welcome.
The book does contain some quite deep and meaningful issues which show the fine lined balance between living a good life and actually fully living for the fun and adventure it should be; as its clearly shown how fragile life is. The difference in Keeley living her adventures after being given another chance and her friend Erica who is unable to have all the exciting adventures she desires (although she lives vicariously through Keeley).
It is a romantic treat, with heart and emotion. You will be left with the warm fuzzy feeling and definitely ready for the festive season. If you haven’t enjoyed any of Mandy’s books yet, treat yourself they are all wonderful and this is a perfect starting point!

I'm going to get this out up front, I loved this book. It's perfect for Christmas, or any other time of year, to be honest. It's a magical story that cast a spell on me and whisked me off to Paris with Keeley and her friend Rach.

Both Keeley and Ethan, for different reasons, have had a really rough time recently and not long after Keeley arrives in Paris they bump into each other in one of the most bizzare scenes I've ever read. It's bizarre but in a good way, it works perfectly. Their initial meeting, and continued meetings, are beautiful, and sometimes sad. While this is a gorgeous read filled with Parisian and Christmas warmth it doesn't ignore the fact that life is not always filled only with light and happiness, there are dark parts too. The balance between the dark and light is spot on and makes it pertinent and emotive without weighing down the story. There are so many aspects of this book that I loved and it was like magical fairy dust was being sprinkled on the characters every few pages. The market scene was beautifully written and I felt I could reach out and touch the items on the stalls. The Paris map scenes were lovely, special and just right, my only complaint (sort of) is that I don't have a copy of the map for myself because, when I can, I want to go and visit as many of those locations as possible.

The only thing I can find that is wrong with this book is that it's not real. I can't go to Paris and watch the events in it unfold for myself. However, I can do the next best thing and that is to read, and re-read, the book itself. Along with Keeley and Ethan's stories there are also the stories of other characters that are connected to them. These characters help give the story the right amount of depth and also give more context to the recent events that have affected both Keeley and Ethan, and continue to affect them. The other character in this story that also deserves a mention is the city itself. The city of light is the ideal place for this book to be set, partly because of the location in relation to London, but more because it has its own magical qualities that are reflected in the book and although setting it somewhere else would probably still have worked, it wouldn't be the same.

As I've said, this is the perfect Christmas read. If you want something that will transport you and take you on a magical journey then this is the book for you, just make sure you bring tissues!

Mandy writes fantastic Christmas fiction and this is no different.

What I also loved about this book was the inclusion of kidney transfusion and the lifelong effects and complications of that. It's something very rarely dealt with in books but is so important.

However, I do feel like this book could have been a lot shorter. I also don't know how I feel about books referencing the pandemic. I'm not sure I'm ready to read about this yet, while we're still in the thick of it.

Full review: https://www.inabookshell.com/2020/11/review-perfect-paris-christmas-by-mandy.html

I’m not gonna lie, I was pretty skeptical about this book. When I read the synopsis on NetGalley and saw the cover, I immediately requested it because I was impressed. But when I started to read it, I read the first chapter and couldn’t complete it because I had other things to do. This happened a couple of times. The beginning was a bit of a bore but once Keeley arrives in Paris, everything turns interesting.

Ethan and Keeley are going through different kinds of pain caused by the same event. They don’t know how to deal with it. Keeley suffers from the death of her sister, Bea and she’s also conscious of the fact that she adopted Ferne’s kidney and it's always on the back of her mind. Also, her parents' coddling is not helping. On an invitation from her kidney donor’s mother, Silvie Durand she flies to Paris on vacation. She runs into Ethan, a hotel owner, and finds a connection. I was interested to see where the story would go because Ethan and Keeley are from different regions and I wasn’t sure how they were going to handle all that. Although A perfect Paris Christmas is their story, the characters that I fully connected to were Erica and Jeane. I felt they were more real and had and were more interesting than the main characters.


Bathrooms had acoustics to rival the best concert hall, according to Erica.
Jeane and Bo-Bo were cute as well. Ethan doesn’t know how to handle things and his unease was well-portrayed. They have such deep conversations, Ethan and Jeanne, and all the more reason for adults to stop adultism.


‘Money equals opportunity.’

‘You do not think you can be yourself and find success in life?’ Ethan asked.

‘I do not think it,’ Jeanne carried on. ‘I know it.’


There was a lot of terminologies I wasn’t familiar with. But that didn’t distract me much. Btw, I knew where Rachel’s storyline was gonna go. I knew what was going to happen with Rach and some special somebody.

This book is written in 3rd person, has slow pacing but I finished reading it in 2 days. It was a pretty quick read for me. There were many chapters but they were short. Perspectives changed chapter-to-chapter. The descriptions were engaging and flowy.


“Their framed reflections in this old mirror was like looking at an old photograph, its edges blurred, slightly rumpled, but the two people were knitting together so easily, so perfectly.
The most meaningful book I’ve read in a long time. I like the entire kidney-transplant concept, it's something that might make people uncomfortable and it was very cool to see that included in a Christmas/holiday romance. ‘A Perfect Paris Christmas’ is Ethan and Keeley’s story though and through. Recommended to all romance book lovers who want to read something deep/philosophical. It’s a very beautiful and bittersweet novel. I’m going to be adding all of Mandy Baggot’s other titles onto my tbr. Also, I forgot to mention one thing. 💖Joe Jonas>Nick Jonas. The previous sentence may or may not have something to do with the book😃. ARC provided by Aria publishers and Mandy Baggot via NetGalley. Thank you.

On the whole it was OK, but rather slow and issue-laden, which made it feel somewhat contrived.
Not all the action takes place at Christmas, so whilst there are festive elements it's not as seasonal as other Christmassy books. You could read it any time of year.

I adore Mandy Baggot, so I instantly jumped at the chance to take part in this blog tour.
This has been a gorgeous gem to read and has left me with a big smile on my face. I literally haven't been able to put this one down.
I love the characters in this book, I've wanted the characters to have happy endings from early on.
I have adored the setting of this book, I have been able to escape from the comfort of my own home.
This is one of those gorgeous reads, that you can't help but fall in love with. The characters and the setting are just perfect.
This is another book of Mandy's with a gorgeous cover and the story inside is just as magical and heartwarming. I'm definitely feeling Christmas after reading this book.
This is without a doubt a five star read that I haven't able to put down. I definitely recommend this one.

The one thing better than a slow burn? An unwilling burn. You know the kind - where both characters have absolutely zero interest in falling in love, yet can't help it from happening? Add in a lot of personal growth, recovery from tragedy, a feisty secondary romance, the kind of misunderstandings and near misses that are usually reserved for the higher rated 90’s romcoms, and of course: Paris in the run up to Christmas? Honestly, I'm not sure what more you could want – A Perfect Paris Christmas delivers it all! 
Christmas all around

This wasn't what I was expecting. It's better! It's quite a sad, emotional rollercoaster of a Christmas book with love and romance. In an accident Keeley lost her sister and she lost her kidney. Her mother didn't cope and smoothed Keeley. She ends up escaping to Paris.

I loved the story. The characters were adorable. Quite emotional but really heartwarming. You need a box of tissues, hot chocolate and a big snuggle blanket for this book. Loved it.

I'm reading this book as part of the blog tour

A great Christmas read.
The story follows Keeley who has had a difficult year but ends up on a trip to Paris to meet her donors family. The story explores the issues of life and death, grief and love. A lovely read

Paris at Christmas, what isn't there to love. Especially after watching Emily in Paris on Netflix I enjoyed the parisian vibes from this book. A perfect Christmas read. Thank you to Netgalley and the publishers for letting me review this book.

In this very festive sweet treat we meet Keeley Andrews who after a personal and painful experience lands in Paris with her best friend Rach. It’s in Paris where Keeley finds love, which sounds so idyllic at Christmas time doesn’t it!? What could possibly go wrong?

In a turn of events early in this story where Mandy explores themes such as tragedy and huge loss for Keeley and her family. But she also goes into the importance of organ donation. You will see what I mean when you read this story for yourself.

I have to say I wished Pepe played a much bigger role but in parts I was giggling (actually I mean belly laughing!) but in others nearly on the verge of tears. It’s a smooth transition between emotions reading this story and that’s down to Mandy’s writing.

I’ve been a fan of Mandy’s books for ages now and I thoroughly enjoy every one I’ve read. ‘A Perfect Paris Christmas’ has all the feels and takes you on a magical journey. I loved each characters development throughout the story. It was amazing to see Keeley flourish and show how strong she is. I give ‘A Perfect Paris Christmas’ a sparkling 5*/5* 😊

Thank you to Aria Fiction for an advanced copy of this book.

Another enjoyable cozy holiday story. The characters were likable and story line was well written. I enjoyed it.

When transplant recipient Keeley is invited to spend Christmas in Paris by her donors family she she jumps at the chance. After the worst year of her life she is due some happiness. And when she keeps bumping into Ethan is fate telling them something?

Keeley is still recovering from an accident that killed her sister and left her needing a kidney transplant when she receives an email from the mother of her donor inviting her to visit her in Paris on an all expenses paid trip. Keeley jumps at the chance and is soon off with her best friend for the pre Christmas festivities and when she literally bumps in to a man with a penguin and helps to recapture it the adventures definitely begin......... but what secrets does Ethan the penguin man have and will they be able to overcome all of their problems?

Another great book by this writer, plenty of fun and escapades amongst the serious issues with some great characters, especially Jeanne and Bobo who steal the show!