Lost and Found in Paris, by Lian Dolan, is a "finding yourself" story about Joan Blakely, an educator at an art museum who is the daughter of a famous artist who died on 9/11 and a superstar model who has spent the last 20 years closeted as his widow. Joan is on the cusp of divorce from a cheating husband, and decides to take on the task of accompanying some art from the museum to a dealer in Paris who has a buyer . She meets a guy on the plane with whom she ends up having a one night stand, and disaster strikes: the art she is to deliver is stolen from her hotel room.

The story isn't just about finding the valuable artwork, which leads down many paths - but it also about Joan finding herself. Dolan has created compelling characters and a compelling plot with unexpected twists - I simply couldn't put the book down. I highly recommend this novel!

#netgalley #LostandFoundinParis

Loved this! I’m a sucker for any fiction book set in Paris, but I truly appreciated every detail in this one. You felt like you were really there, that’s not always captured! Truly ignited the travel bug in me. This was a quick, fun read with humor and very entertaining. The love story was so sweet, I don’t know much about art history but it was fun to follow along. Thank you NetGalley for the arc in exchange for an honest review!

Lost and Found in Paris is an engaging genre-defying read, perfect for anyone dreaming of springtime in Paris. There's so much here to love, and it all fits together really well. An art theft mystery. Travel memoir-worthy scenes of Paris with a clever scavenger hunt kind of pacing and storyline, with nods to California and NYC as well. A Joan of Arc thread that weaves throughout. Romance. Flashbacks to scenes of the late 70s/early 80s world of rock music meets bohemian art complete with supermodels and celebrity name drop cameos. The characters are quirky and likeable, and the plot is a page-turner. The cover hints at a fluffier read than it turned out to be, and I was thrilled by the unexpected depth, TW: the 9/11 death of a parent is central to how the story unfolds.

I received a digital pre-publication copy of this book in exchange for an honest review, and will include it in a TBR round-up of recent releases for Francophiles this spring.

Joan finds her life turned upside down after the news of her husbands affair, so when a trip to Paris as an art courier comes up at her job at the museum, she leaps at the chance to do it. But once she arrives in Paris, things go shockingly awry. While out to dinner with her seat mate from the flight, Matt, the piece of art is stolen. Soon there after she starts finding clues that could possibly lead her to the suspect. Can Joan follow the clues and find out who stole the art and is messing with her life? Or will the piece of art be stolen forever?

I went into this book pretty blind and I was pleasantly surprised! What I thought was going to be a story about a woman scorned going to Paris to find herself again, ended up being quite a fun, romantic, and mysterious read! I loved all the art history packed into this book. As a designer who had to take a lot of art history courses I love a good art heist plot line! I loved Nate as the sidekick, and the background of Joan having famous parents and how that intertwined into the story. There was a lot of talk surrounding 9/11 so be aware if thats a trigger for you.

Thanks Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC in return for an honest review!

Lost and Found in Paris was a journey of self discovery through an art world themed mystery. It was light hearted at times and at others profound. It offers the reader a chance to experience the City of Lights through the scavenger hunt around the city. As Paris and the art world collide the readers follow along on the adventure and witness the growth of the characters as they navigate the memories of the past. It was an overall delightful read.

Thank you Book Club Girl and NetGalley for the chance to read this book.

Thank you to William Morrow, NetGalley and Book Club Girls for this free ARC.

This is my first Lian Dolan novel though I have always sort of had her work on my never ending TBR. Lost and Found in Paris was a great entry point though!

Joan Blakely heads to Paris after her marriage ends and finds herself in a professional and personal dilemma. A mysterious message from an unknown person in her father's past sends her on an adventure through the city and her father's legacy, all the while accompanied by her airplane seatmate, who was only ever supposed to be a one night stand.

Dolan does a wonderful job detailing all the minutiae of the art world and making it accessible to her readers. She also does a great job with the setting, whether it is Southern California where the story begins or Paris, a city she clearly loves.

Some of the final reveal was a little contrived, particularly the part that intersected with Joan's professional life, but overall, I really enjoyed this romp to Europe, imagining myself traveling there or anywhere, which I haven't done since before the pandemic.

4/5 stars.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the chance to read this latest novel by Ms. Dolan as an ARC. I expected this to be chick lit but it quickly turned into a lot more. It turned into a mystery, a historical work, and a romance by the time it was over. I felt as if I was in Paris and I couldn't decide where I thought the story was going as it unfolded. This had hints of Daisy Jones in it, in the music and modeling world parts of the backstory. This was an enjoyable read and I recommend it.

Lost and Found in Paris is a fun read and actually gives the feel of being in Paris and Pasadena, the featured locations. Besides travel, there are interesting characters and a mystery that unfolds. This book would appeal to anyone interested in Paris or the art world. It would be a good pick for book clubs to discuss, and I would love to see this as a movie or limited series. Those who have read Dolan's 2010 Helen of Pasadena will notice a few related bits in the beginning of the novel. My only criticism is the many lengthy explanations of artistic lighting installations, which I know nothing about and would translate much better to the screen in my opinion. My precise rating would be 4.5 stars.

This book comes out on April 5th- make sure you get a copy! I read an advanced e-reader copy courtesy of NetGalley. I'm a fan of the author, Lian Dolan, from her Satellite Sisters podcast, and I previously read and enjoyed another of her books, The Sweeney Sisters. Needless to say, I was really looking forward to reading this book, and it didn't disappoint.

Joan is the daughter of a supermodel and a well-known artist, but she and her mother have been barely going through the motions since tragedy struck. A heist, a treasure hunt, and a romance thrust Joan back into the celebrity world that she grew up in and bring the zing back into her life. I wish one character, who the author describes as full of hubris and condescension, would have been punched in the face once or twice (figuratively speaking) - lack of consequences for atrocious behavior irks me. Despite that, I enjoyed the main character's journey a lot.

Lost and Found in Paris is one of those books that you really can't fit into any specific genre. RomCom? Yes. Mystery? Yes. Drama? Yes. You even kinda get an art history lesson! I enjoyed it. Though I will admit that the first 1/3 of the book seemed a bit slow, once it got going in Paris, it was hard to put down! I wish I got more of the art references but it was definitely nothing that was over my head. And I loved all the Joan of Arc information! Joan was a great character to identify with but Nate was my favorite. Their connection felt genuine.
Great story overall!

This is one of those stories that just did not want to stay in its box. Is it a romance? An adventure (a la the Da Vinci Code)? Or a domestic drama? Or all three? Yes. Or definitely some of each, er....
Woman finds out her husband has another family, so cuts him completely out of her life. Finds she has an opportunity to act as an art courier to Paris and takes it. Finds some romance along the way, but the art is stolen. Then very strange things related to her father and her family begin happening and the adventure begins.
Only the adventure turns into more of a domestic drama, and the domestic drama turns out to hinge on a past very unlike that of the average Joe and Jane, more Lives of the Rich and Famous. Still, you're never quite sure where things are going or how things will turn out, so it remains an adventure of sorts, with a side of semi-romance, if you don't mind a dose or two of deception and manipulation thrown in to spice things up. A little complicated, not quite as advertised, but always interesting. I would actually give it 3 1/2 stars. My copy was an ARC from NetGalley.

I'm a long-time Satellite Sisters fan. Been listening via podcast since 2007. Love the Dolan sisters. And unsurprisingly, I have read and loved Lian Dolan's previous 3 books. I was psyched to get an early copy of her latest book, Lost and Found in Paris.

I read it in 2 days, and I loved every minute of it. Not only did Dolan bring me back to SoCal--as she did in her first two books--she took me on a super fun tour of Paris. While I am a sucker for a good romance, which this has in spades, I appreciated that this was not a typical damsel-in-distress book.

My only regret in getting this book early is that I'll have to find something else to read when I go on spring break.

Lost and Found in Paris has it all.....an art heist, romance, family drama, and a fascinating heroine. This the third novel that I have read written by Lian Dolan and she does not disappoint. Most of the novel is set in Paris and the descriptions of the City of Lights made me feel as if I was there! Highly recommend this book! Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC!

Joan has had a recent streak of bad luck. First, her husband announces that he's leaving her and has a secret family that he is going to live with now. And as a result, she decides to do take a job through the art museum she works for and deliver some Joan of Arc sketches to a potential buyer in Paris. En route to Paris, she meets Nate, her seatmate on the plane, and quickly develops a cover story so that no one would suspect she is an art courier with priceless art in her suitcase. She and Nate decide to meet for dinner once they land in Paris, and this is where Joan's bad luck continues. The art she has secretly hidden away is stolen!

Thus starts a very charming story of Joan navigating Paris via a set of clues that are provided to her to hopefully locate the stolen art. She uses Nate's help, as well as her friend Polly who now resides in Paris. And she learns new information about her famous parents through this scavenger hunt through Paris that provides more context about her family. I'm a big fan of any book set in Paris and loved the description of the various places that Joan traveled in France, as I could picture them from when I previously traveled to the same locations. I enjoyed the addition of the love story as well.

Thank you to Harper Collins & William Morrow for the opportunity to read and review.

Loved it! Lost and Found in Paris is a quick, fun read - plenty of wry humor, a very well written and entertaining if somewhat implausible story, and oh, the most beautiful and informative visuals of Paris. This was my first Lian Dolan book - but not my last. I enjoyed this much more than I expected to. Many thanks to the Book Club girls and NetGalley for the e-arc. Solid 4 stars - probably more like 4.25.

I appreciate the opportunity to read an advance version of this novel. I admit I had a very hard time finishing it. I just don't think it's for me. I did not connect with any of the characters at all and honestly couldn't stand most of them by the end of the book. It was just so over the top to me in so many ways. Having never been to Paris, I wouldn't expect to know many of the references given, but it was too much. It felt to me as if someone opened up a Paris guidebook and just grabbed locations from it and added it to the book. I skipped over so much just to get through it. Nothing felt genuine and seemed scattered at times with the insertion of backstories. It finally clicked for me once I read the Acknowledgments and saw that this book took years to complete. I feel this one could use a lot more editing to make if feel less choppy.

This was a fun and exciting book to read with just enough depth and mystery to make it more interesting, keeping you hooked until the final page.

Loved this novel! It was just the right amount of action, intrigue, romance, contemporary art, ancient art, rock music, Paris and Pasadena. The main character is a strong woman exuding confidence yet enjoys the company of her “seat mate” on a mysterious sort of scavenger hunt in Paris. All the extended family characters and back stories are very entertaining. Lian is not only a novelist, but surprisingly a poet! This story was wonderfully creative, spanning decades and will jump start memories for every reader.I couldn’t predict the ending because I didn’t want it to end. I can’t wait to see if it will turn in to a film!

This book was just meh for me. I didn’t love it or hate it. For me the story was bogged down with the long art descriptions and therefore just dragged the story out.

I loved this book and I will die on this hill when I say this: it might be the best romance I've ever read. I felt like this book was written for me because it captured some of my favorite non-book things: Paris and art history. With a little bit of mystery and a treasure hunt for some added fun. ⁠
⁠
Bringing together an art history lesson, emotions surrounding death and how we grieve, plus a lost and new love, all set to the backdrop of a mystery treasure hunt through this magical city, in the hands of another author this story could have easily felt choppy and awkward. Instead, Dolan wove together a thought provoking and beautiful story that gives the reader a host of emotions from inspiration to curiosity, and pulls at the thoughts at the back of all of our minds, wondering "what if" to the decisions we've made in life. Lost and Found in Paris isn't your traditional romance, instead reminding you to fall in love with yourself, your life, and the world around you.