Member Reviews
Thanks to NetGalley, BookClubGirl, William Morrow, and Harper Collins for this copy of "Lost and Found in Paris."
This was a very memorable, touching book about Joan, an art historian, who is going through a difficult time in her life. She flies to Paris for business to deliver very expensive drawings to a museum, but keeps this secret from attractive Nate that she meets on the flight.
When she finds the drawings have been stolen and replaced with a page from her father's journals with what appear to be clues, she and Nate begin a hunt through Paris to recover the drawings.
In the bustling city of Los Angeles, Joan Blakely's life takes an unexpected turn when she becomes entangled in a web of mystery and art theft during a routine delivery trip to Paris. Despite her illustrious lineage as the daughter of a renowned artist and supermodel, Joan is a unique blend of her parents' traits, embodying both hard work and beauty while forging her own path at an art museum.
However, her world is rocked when her husband drops a bombshell revelation: not only has he been unfaithful, but he also has twin sons from his affair. Presented with an ultimatum to join a newly envisioned blended family or face the end of her marriage, Joan chooses to reclaim her independence, initiating divorce proceedings and forging ahead with newfound determination.
Set against the backdrop of personal loss stemming from her father's tragic death on 9/11, Joan finds herself on an unexpected journey of self-discovery and redemption. Tasked with couriering precious Joan of Arc-themed sketches to Paris, she finds herself embroiled in a captivating treasure hunt after the artwork is stolen.
Despite grappling with weighty emotions and profound themes, the narrative maintains a quirky charm, never taking itself too seriously. As Joan delves deeper into her past and navigates the present challenges, readers are swept along on a lighthearted yet poignant adventure through the streets of Paris and the corridors of her own heart.
A light and fluffy holiday read, this was perfect to get me out of a reading slump! I love Paris and any books set there, so this hit the spot for me!
When Joan’s life gets turned upside down she decides to go to Paris and maybe have some fun. Her seatmate on the plane happens to be Nate who is good looking and she has a wonderful night together. But she wakes s up and finds her fathers priceless drawings missing. In their place is some of his sketches that she thought went missing when he died. With the sketches happens to be a poem which leads her in a treasure hunt. Whirlwind story about life and healing and so much more than I expected. A great cozy mystery feel!
Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for my digital copy in exchange for an honest review. I would have requested this one strictly because it has to do with Paris, I'm sure. There was so much I liked about this book, though, other than the Paris scenes...you've got personal growth, a little bit of mystery/suspense, a scavenger hunt, some romance...SO much more than I thought I would be getting. I would 100% recommend this to fans of contemporary romance...and I will look for more books by this author.
What a great book! I really didn’t know what I was getting into with Lost and Found in Paris- I was thinking a lot of soul searching. There is some, but it’s mainly a mystery about stolen art! 🖼️
Joan is an art historian raised by her famous artist father and supermodel mother. But her father was killed on 9/11 and Joan works to promote his work every after he’s gone. One day her husband announces he has a secret family (for 5 years!) and he moves out. Joan needs a change so she gets a job as an art courier to bring valuable art overseas. She meets Nate, her seat mate and decides to try out single life with this handsome man. They have s great night together, but the next day her important art is missing and in its place are sketches from her father that was thought to be lost the day he died. There’s also a poem that kicks off this scavenger hunt.
This was such a fun read! And I definitely didn’t see the multiple twists coming. I thought it was going to be a lot of finding yourself after tragedy and heartbreak and there was some, but it’s also watching Joan out herself back together. It was wonderfully written and would make an incredible movie!
Thank you @suzyapprovedbooktours @williammorrowbooks and @liandolan for my gifted book.
Such a fun read! The characters were well developed, the plot clear, and I really felt myself empathizing with the main character, Jean. I kept wanting to know more and was really rooting for her as she discovered more and more about her past and family.
I don't think I'm the target audience for this book. I didn't like the main character and found her completely pretentious. For someone who didn't want to use her dad's death as an excuse or anything, she sure did mention it alot.
Thank you Netgalley for my free copy in exchange for an honest review.
This was such a cute story, I think this could be in the genre of cozy mystery.
This is the story of Joan Blakely whose artist father died tragically on September 11th, 2001. Joan became an art historian and tries to carry on her father's legacy through his art. When her husband reveals to her that he has 5-year-old twins (in her 10-year marriage to him), she decides that it's time to move on. When her boss asks her to be an art courier and bring some sketches to Paris, she jumps on the occasion to get out of town. When she arrives in Paris, the sketches get stolen from right under her nose and then ensues the adventure to recover them.
I really enjoyed this story. It was fun and cute. The story of a woman who is trying to rediscover herself and get out of the shadow of her father's legacy. I love stories that take place in Paris. It reminds me of the time I spent there in my 20s. This is a perfect beach read!
I really enjoyed this story! Great characters, plot line, and surprises. I have recommended it to many friends so I could discuss with them!
This story was just ok - average for my taste. There was too much detail and minutia that had the plot slog along. The ending was tied up with a ribbon and was too predictable.
Lost and Found in Paris was a great, quick read. Joan is an art historian and after her husband drops a bombshell she decides to drop everything and travel to Paris for work as an art courier. She meets a cute guy on the trip over but her world gets turned upside down when her art piece goes missing. She has to follow clues all over Paris to find the work of art.. all with the guy she met on the plane in tow. A little romance, a little mystery makes this the perfect quick read! 5 stars!
Lost and found in Paris is a book about realizing who you are and what you want to be. It is funny and intriguing with a bit of romance thrown in. The perfect book to take with you on a vacation, and if the vacation is to Paris even better!
After the initial pages, I found myself not connecting with the story or characters, so I decided to pass on this book. Did not finish
This story feels like both an intimate look at Paris, with nitty gritty details the average book lacks, and a sweeping scavenger hunt story as Joan tracks her stolen drawings across the city and beyond. I appreciated that while there is a major romantic plot, Joan's ultimate story isn't about finding herself back in the arms of someone else.
3.75 stars rounded up.
I put off reading Lost and Found in Paris by Lian Dolan for a couple of reasons: 1) the cover is not appealing to me and 2) I read her previous book and it was just ok.
Lost and Found in Paris is about Joan Bright Blakely who is the daughter of artist Henry Blakely and model Suzi Clements. She’s just received news that changes her life. Then she’s given an opportunity to go to Paris!
In Paris, she is a victim of a crime, she gets embroiled in a mystery, and she meets a good looking, sweater vest wearing, man who may or may not be who he says he is.
I loved visiting Paris through this story! Once I became invested in the mystery, I couldn’t put the book down!
There’s a lot about Joan of Arc, which I found odd and not terribly interesting. She plays a big part of the storyline so there were times I found myself skimming portions.
Overall, this was a good book. If you need a trip to Paris, take it while reading this book!
Thank you to #netgalley and #williammorrowandcompany for the advanced e-copy of #lostandfoundinparis .
Lost and Found in Paris by Lian Dolan is a mystery, set in the art world of Paris, and it’s so much more than just a mystery. It’s a story of one woman’s journey of rediscovery and moving on after divorce.
Joan is the daughter of a famous artist and a supermodel, working as an art history scholar in a museum in LA. Her father, an artist specializing in light and lighting exhibitions, died on 9/11 and lost all his notebooks during the airline crash. Her mother lives a quiet life after the devastating loss of her father during the 9/11 crashes.
To add to the trauma Joan has faced in her lifetime, she learns that her husband not only cheated on her but has fathered twin boys with another woman. Needing to rediscover who she is, Joan leaves for Paris where she quickly realizes that the museum she is on assignment with has had valuable art stolen.
I really enjoyed the historic component of the story, and Joan's growth throughout the novel. You follow her through grief, her journey through Paris, and the realization she hadn't been truly living before. The characters are well done, and the descriptions of Paris will have you transporting to the locations right along with Joan.
I was given a copy of this story to read; but thoughts and opinions are all my own. Thank you to Netgalley and William Morrow and Custom House for the chance to read this book!
I had to download this after enjoying The Sweeney Sisters by the same author.
Joan has spent her life dealing with the loss of her father on 9/11. After leaving her husband who has had an affair, she utilizes her art background to act as an art courier to Paris. A chance meeting on the plane leads to a one night stand, but when Joan wakes up, the art she has couriered is missing and an envelope with a note has replaced it. With the help of her new lover, Joan must find the missing art while seemingly solving a treasure hunt.
Must like Sweeney Sisters, Dolan does an amazing job telling a story and developing characters. This book definitely is a page turner and you can't help but hope for good things for Joan.
This was not what I was expecting it to be, but it was still oddly statisfying. I thought I was just getting into a standard fluffy romance novel, but it was more than that. The ending was very well done, even if it wasn't exactly what I wanted 🤣 but I can respect that. Overall really good.
Romance meets Historical Fiction meets Mystery. Lighthearted and entertaining.
Sent to Paris for work, to transfer expensive art to a seller, Jane is in for an unexpected "scavenger hunt" after the paintings end up stolen. Follow Jane on her journey to find herself and to carry on after the loss of her father, and a bombshell announcement from her husband.
Thank you NetGalley for the review copy of this book.