I love a mystery and a romance all wrapped into one, and this book hit all the notes for me. Paris is a great setting, art heists are interesting to read about, and the characters were well rounded. This one is a must read for me!

Art historian Joan Blakey is the daughter of a model and a famous artist father who died on 9/11, losing all of his notebooks. After her marriage ends she takes a trip to Paris as an art courier. On the plane she meets Nate and they spend the night together. The valuable prints are stolen from her hotel room and the thief leaves behind a page from her father’s notebook and a poem that leads her and Nate on a journey around Paris to more clues relating to Joan of Arc that lead to the stolen sketches. The author does a wonderful job of portraying Paris and providing insights to the art world. This is a page-turning exploration of Joan’s adventure to find herself as well as the lost art.

I finished this in a day because I was so intrigued and so completely engaged from the beginning. After I finished, I went back and forth on whether this was a "really liked" or "loved" for me and I ended on "loved." Dolan tells such a complete story and what a beautiful story it turns out to be! MC Joan Blakely shines in this story as the daughter of a brilliant artist (father) who died tragically in 9/11 and a model/photographer mother.

The novel opens fairly quickly with the end of her marriage and she is eventually sent to Paris as a courier to deliver sketches from the museum she works for. What awaits her is an adventurous, romantic mystery that she has to try to figure out. The story of her parents is weaved throughout the novel as well as her own remembrances of them and her marriage as she is having her Paris adventure.

This is lightly compared to "The Goldfinch" but beyond art and an air of mystery, I found them really different...which is great as I disliked and DNF'd The Goldfinch. This was a great read for me right now--it is at times funny, mysterious, charming, and sad. I almost rated it a little less because the ending did not go quite as a wanted it to...but the ending still makes sense and is quite nice.

I recommend if you need to live vicariously through a fictional character's Parisian adventure!

What a fun adventure! I’m thankful that the publishers gave me the opportunity to read and review this book! I think Dolan did a great job creating characters that hooked me right from the beginning as well as a plot line that moved and kept me wondering throughout the book. I also learned a lot about Joan of Arc and the art world that I didn’t know before. I would definitely recommend this book to my friends and followers!

Joan Blakely is the daughter of a famous artist and a former model. She grew up in their world and aspired to live in Paris when she graduated from college. Instead, she was thrust into the spotlight as the representative of her family when her father died in one of the 9/11 attacks. While reeling in her grief, she accepts a job working for a museum, meets and marries a photographer, and floats through her 20s. Because of her background traveling with her parents as a child and shipping art for her father’s shows, Joan becomes the museum’s art courier.

At the beginning of this story, Joan’s personal life collapses and her museum needs to ship a piece of artwork to Paris. Joan accepts the mission and when she arrives in Paris, the artwork she is transporting is stolen, and in its place, she finds a page from her father’s journal, thought to have gone missing in the plane crash. What follows is the story of her adventure through Paris, searching for the lost artwork and finding herself in the process.

I really enjoyed this book - it really captivated me from the beginning, even without knowing much about art or Paris. The author skillfully wove Joan’s memories together with the real time action, which is how we learn about Joan’s childhood and allows us to recognize how different her life became as a result of her father’s death and how much she grows during this experience. While the story meandered a bit, the author was capable enough that it didn’t seem pointless and it all moved the story forward.

I found the discussion of art in the book to be simple enough for somebody without a background in art to follow.

This is a story that anybody will enjoy, with its focus on building strength after unthinkable events.

This was a very enjoyable and fun read. While it took a little while for the main character, Joan, the daughter of a major figure in the art world who lost his life in the 9/11 terrorist attacks ten years earlier, to get to Paris (the first 30% is set in Pasadena where Joan works in an art museum and lives with her photograph husband until he out of the blue breaks up with her putting into motion the events described in the rest of the book) but once that she got there on a mission for the museum to safely deliver some sketches made by the painter of the Joan of Arc Wall in the Pantheon (the so-called Pantheon sketches) to a mysterious buyer in Paris, it very much became a fun scavanger hunt where Joan, after a romantic dinner and night spent in the company of the man sitting next to her on the flight to Paris, realizes that the precious sketches have been stolen from the safe in her room and tries to find them following clues that the thief planted all over Paris, with the help of her one night stand. It quickly becomes clear that the thief is no regular thief and that this has something to do with Joan father's (and mother's) past. I loved to follow Joan all over Paris and see her grow into her confident self. While there is a little hint of romance, this isn't a romance book nor chick-lit but has themes of overcoming grief and how well we know those who we love. I wholeheartedly recommend it it to anyone who has an interest in art and it is definitely a book to take on a trip to Paris because the setting really comes to life. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an advance reader copy in exchange for my unbiaised review.

I completely adored this book. If the Da Vinci Code and a romance novel had a baby, it would be this book. I picked this one up because I love this author and frankly you don’t see too many Joan’s in books. (As Joan Rivers once told me while signing an autograph for me “all the Joan’s I know are either old or dead”). I’m so glad I did. This book had heartache, love, mystery. I loved it all. I was so sad when it ended even though it was a lovely ending.

The art history component was nice and I was excited for a little bit of mystery. The start of the book was a bit too slow for me and there was too much going on genre wise / topics?? But not enough going on in the book if that makes sense. There was just a lot of random nonsense.

Lost and Found in Paris by Lian Dolan

I did not finish this book.

I just couldn't get it going, I only read 75 pages and it took me 3 days to do that (I am a book or 3 a day kind of gal)

The characters didn't make sense, I didn't feel it was going anywhere, and sadly every page turned left me wanting more and not in a good way of wanting more.

All of these thoughts are my own, many thanks to NetGalley for allowing me to read and review this title.

I just reviewed Lost and Found in Paris by Lian Dolan. #LostandFoundinParis #NetGalley

I wasn't sure what to expect with this book, however I found it to be a light read. It was somewhat of a mystery, and romance. I thought it had a good flow to it , and I found myself wanting to know what was happening yes. There was a lot of name dropping, however based ont he story I felt it was fitting. It was a clean book and easy to read.

The premise to this novel sounded interesting because it was a mystery. I felt sorry for the main character because she goes through a lot. I felt her grief and her pain. However, the story was very slow moving and tended to drag. I did like the mystery at the end. It was very compelling. Therefore, I recommend this fans of Lisa Jewell, Sasha Wagstaff, and Emily Stone.

This novel explores the aftermath of trauma with themes of healing, family, friends and mystery. The main character was well developed and someone who I would want to have as a friend. I find it hard to explain the plot without giving away the novel, I would highly recommend going into this one blind. William & Morrow have never stirred me wrong when it comes to a book they are publishing.

Thus was a fun romp to Paris with all the feels I want from a book! Very clever and kept me guessing. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher!

There are a lot of interesting aspects to this book: growing up with celebrity parents, romance, heartbreak, travel, the art world, a small scene about F1, France. I never thought I'd see so many interests combined in one book and thought they were combined beautifully to make it feel like a lighter beach read but with substance and intrigue. Basically, I flew through the book and was captivated the whole time yet it didn't feel heavy. I loved following Joan throughout Paris. And it made me think about a book I've wanted to write for a few years.
I was given a copy of this book via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

"We all have a responsibility to create art."

I adored this book! Women's fiction with a mystery element, it's the perfect story of second chances and redefining your life. I loved how immersive the Paris setting is and you can't help but root for the main character, Joan. Dolan has a knack for writing characters who are believable and multi-dimensional, and it's a joy to be sucked into their stories.

I alternated between listening to the audiobook and reading the ebook and both versions were fantastic.

Thanks to William Morrow Custom House and Penguin Random House Audio for the copies to review.

I dnfed this book at 25% percent because honestly I was bored. The concept for this story was excellent and I really appreciated it and was sympathetic towards the main character for her position. However, as the pages dragged on, I felt that the exposition and the amount of details and name dropping and just sheer amount of info dumping was just unnecessary and excessive to the point that I got annoyed.
So, this gets a dnf from me sadly.

This story has a little bit of everything -- a mystery from the past, an art heist caper, history, international travel, and a dash of romance. The main character, Joan Blakely, works for a museum, primarily providing lectures and tours. The story is set in 2011 and Joan is grappling with the upcoming 10-year anniversary of her famous artist father's death on 9/11 and a shocking revelation by her photographer husband. The museum she works for is contacted by a private buyer in France interested in purchasing a piece from the collection, so Joan is asked to handle the transport. This welcome distraction is just what she needs and she jumps at the opportunity to travel to the City of Lights, where a close friend lives. The normally cautious Joan has a one-night stand with a man she meets on the flight (Nate Redmond, who she dubs "Sweater Vest") but quickly regrets her decision when the priceless piece of art related to Joan of Arc she was entrusted to deliver goes missing. She begins receiving mysterious clues from a person identified only by a drawing of a Raven and indications that her father's journals thought to have been lost on the ill-fated flight may not be lost after all. The clues lead Joan and Nate on race across Paris to recover the stolen art and unravel the mystery of her father's journals.

There were a lot of moving pieces with this story, but they really meshed nicely and made for a fast-paced, fun read. All of the elements enhanced the story and made for a compelling read. I found this to be a page-turner and was rooting for Joan to get the resolution she deserved. And also for her to recover the missing artwork and the journals!

Many thanks to Harper Collins/William Morrow and the Book Club Girl Early Reads program for providing the NetGalley digital copy!

I stumbled upon Lian Dolan and the Satellite Sisters early in podcast listening days. I've read each of her three books, finding them all to be easy reads, allowing me to escape in to the characters' worlds. Each of the books is different and the only thread connecting all three is Pasadena, Dolan's home town.

The main character, Joan, grew up in a world of famous parents. Her mother was a model and her father an artist. However, despite their celebrity, her upbringing could be classified as "normal". Her normal life was disrupted greatly by her father's death on September 11. She modified her plans, met a man whom she married and lived her life.

Early in the novel she learns her husband had another family, including young twins. She leaves him, travels to Paris to deliver some sketches and her adventure begins. She meets a mysterious man on the plane. She is the victim of a crime. She recovers from the crime and realizes her life is hers to live.

Easy read (despite me taking a long time to read), well written.

I have read each of Lian's book and this one was my favorite. Loved the setting and was engaged in the story right from the start. I did not want to finish the book to fast!

Lost and Found in Paris by Lian Dolan is a mystery, taking place in the art world spanning from California to Paris. The journey begins by introducing us to Joan Blakely, an art history scholar working at a museum in Los Angeles. She is the daughter of a famous supermodel and artist, who specializes in lighting and dimensions. Her father, tragically lost his life in the 9/11 attacks, since that day Joan has spent more time than she cares to admit tracking down her father’s lost journals.
Early in the story, we learn that Joan’s husband of ten years has been unfaithful to her, as she grasps on to this information, she begins questioning her life and her next steps. When an opportunity presents itself to travel to Paris to complete an art sale, she decides now is the time to reclaim her dreams.
We embark with Joan to Paris and follow her as she finds herself in a scavenger hunt with the art dealer after the art was stolen from her hotel room. So, she thinks. Clues are left around Paris for her leading her to different locations, but each clue is sharing moments of her parent’s past. Each clue is confusing, yet intriguing to her, sometimes she finds herself in direct danger, but can’t stop herself.
I enjoyed this book, it captured the meaning of heartache, loss and moving on beautifully. Following Joan as she rediscovers who she is, while learning of past events that helped shape her future. There were parts of the book that moved slower than others, but I didn’t mind. Those slow moments built the end of the story for me. I would recommend this book to those who enjoy contemporary, women’s fiction, with a side of mystery.