Member Reviews
A super cute romance set in Paris - what’s not to love. Throw in some art theft and a mysterious scavenger hunt to recover the stolen goods and you have one delightful story.
I thought this book was beautifully written. I was so invested in the story and discovering how it all turned out for Joan. It made me long for Paris and beautiful Ile St Louis and especially baguette and cheese 'pique-niques' along the Seine. It was such a rich story and I look forward to the next book from Lian Dolan.
I enjoyed this book. I found it hard to put down as I tried to figure out the mystery. Likable characters who you want to see succeed.
I really wanted to love this book but unfortunately it just didn’t work for me. It’s quite possible it was the timing on my end but I found the beginning too slow and after reading a third of the book,I still felt like enough hadn’t happened.
I did really enjoy the art history component as well as the references to what is was like as a family who lost someone in 9/11. I would definitely try this author again, and think that even though it didn’t work for me, I’m sure many will enjoy it.
Thank you to William Morrow for my gifted review copy.
Lian Dolan is witty and engaging in this tale. Lost and Found in Paris was a fun and fast read. The book has it all … romance, travel, intrigue, and complicated relationships. Her skillful narrative took me back to Paris and Rouen (yes, please), and blended history, art, and rock and roll. What’s not to appreciate about her signature strong female characters? Very enjoyable!
I *know* you shouldn't judge a book by it's cover buy I fell victim to doing just that. I judged this to be a light and fun read and while there are elements of that woven into the story I wasn't ready for the treasure hunt and heavy grief/loss. The epilogue also threw me for a loop, I didn't see that ending coming which might be the sign of a great job by the author that the ending wasn't predictable.
A ten year marriage over, a one night stand after a trip to Paris and missing art.. so begins a treasure hunt through Paris for our heroine- Joan- to save her job and reclaim the art. The descriptions of the landmarks of Paris were great. The novel sometimes read like the greatest travel journal.
Thoroughly enjoyed this book! It was the perfect combination of drama, adventure, mystery, travel and romance! The drama of Joan discovering her husband’s infidelity propels her into the adventure I was hooked! Joan’s growing up with artsy, eccentric famous parents was well throughout & entirely believable! I loved that her adventure in Paris revolved around well known sights, with a fresh take. It was not a cookie cutter storyline!
The cover is cute, and honestly first attracted me to what I thought would be a rom com, however I feel that it does not do the story justice. It was so much better than that!
Thank you to Net Galley for allowing me to read this arc and enjoy a bit of travel & adventure in Paris!
I really enjoyed this book and the premise for it was really interesting and fun to read. Joan Blakely 10 yr marriage is over after her husband lets her know he has a five-year-old kid with someone else and he wants to be a father to him. She impulsively takes a courier job to Paris and ends up sleeping with her seatmate and when she wakes up he and her package are gone but in its place is a sketch from one of her dads sketchbooks that she though were lost when he died on 9/11. He was on Flight 11 from Boston that hit the north tower. So her and Nate end up going around Paris on a scavenger hunt to figure out who has her dad’s notebooks and the sketches that were stolen before she loses her job and learns a lot she didn’t know about her dad on the way. I really love how the author describes how Joan’s life was changed forever after 9/11 and that she ended being the caretaker for her dad’s legacy of his art installations because her mother just couldn’t deal with life without her father and how her own dreams were put on the backburner. Just so good and the ending was great and who ended up having the notebooks was good especially how much of a drama queen they were.
Thanks to William Morrow and Custom House and Netgalley for the complimentary copy of this book in e-book form. All opinions in this review are my own.
This book was a fun, escapist romp. I enjoyed the main character and her mother, and it was interesting to learn so many tidbits about the art world. And it's always engaging to read about Paris! On the downside, there were too many cultural references around fame, and a lot of celebrity name-dropping. Most characters enjoyed a tremendous amount of privilege, which made their experiences less relatable for me. There was also a similar plot device with a parent as in the author’s previous book, The Sweeney Sisters (though I loved that book), which felt a bit repetitive. All in all, this was a frothy read that I wish had toned down some of the emphasis on status and fame.
Beautiful locations, suspenseful mystery, and romance - Lost and Found in Paris has it all. When Joan Blakely is thrown a relationship curve ball, she must find her grit to begin again in love and as it turns out life as well.
Lost and Found in Paris is Lian Dolan’s best book yet! Her characters and scenes come alive especially set against well-known creatives in art, fashion, and music.
“Art is everywhere and it’s never static. It changes with every pair of eyes, every interaction. We all have a responsibility to create art. Remember that, Joanie, because it’s true of life, too.” (Lost and Found in Paris)
Settle in and armchair travel to Paris with Joan. Due to her father's reverence for Joan of Arc and art installations, she was named Joan Bright Blakely. In spite of her luminous name, Joan's life is anything but bright. Her husband confesses to having another family and his betrayal shatters her world. Although Joan locks him out of the house, she feels trapped in the past. For ten years, Casey was her rock after her father was killed during 9/11.
Her father was not the only loss she sustained that day. Joan's love of life and adventure crumbled. Seeking security, she married Casey and took a job in the Wallace Aston Museum. When an unexpected opportunity presents itself to transport sketches to Paris, Joan grasps the trip like a lifeline hoping to find herself.
A series of meet-cutes, stolen sketches and escapades around France will leave readers armchair traveling along with Joan. Will she find what she's lost in Paris? Thank you to #NetGalley and the publisher for the early edition of #LostandFoundinParis in exchange for an honest review. It was a thrilling read that left me embracing art, culture and Paris' joie de vivre.
"St. Joan of Arc, give me the courage and the fortitude to defeat my fears and give me the strength to fight for what I believe in . . .(Lost in Found in Paris)
Interesting story. The voice was hard to grab but overall it was a nice way to experience Paris through the character's eyes.
This was a pleasant surprise to read. It was not what I was expecting and is quite a different book than I would normally pick up to read but I’m glad I did. It isn’t a romance weekend read it is so much more,
Joan Blakely, named after Joan of Arc by her famous artist father and super model mother has had an interesting upbringing but when her father dies in a 9/11 hijacked plane her and her mothers lives change forever.
Joan works for an art museum and is there go to as an art courier. She is on a ‘mission’ to Paris which becomes more of a treasure hunt than anyone anticipates. Hang on for a ride through the streets of Paris as Joan and her ‘new friend’ Nate see the sites of Paris and meet an interesting and engaging set of characters.
There is art, music, fashion, food, a little bit of romance, the beautiful sites of Paris and an intriguing cat and mouse adventure to keep you reading well into the night.
A rollicking, fun and yet sophisticated read! I loved this story, and devoured it in one rather long sitting. I found Lian Dolan’s tale at times laugh out loud funny, a lovely travelogue which managed to convey the essence of Paris, unusually insightful in its observations regarding grief, loss and love, and even educational in regard to art, music and especially the history surrounding Joan of Arc. These elements were intertwined with a compelling plot that kept me reading til the wee hours. The book isn’t perfect from my vantage point. Among other issues, the “beautiful people”/celebrity element seemed overdone to the point of being caricaturistic at times, and some of the remarks here and there regarding the other 99.9% of us struck a wrong, unnecessarily offensive chord. Also, the beginning stages of a key relationship seemed unrealistic and out of step with the plot and the protagonist’s character at that point in the book, while a few other scenes were a bit too preposterous to fit with the flow of the tale. And the ending seemed rushed. All of that said, the book is otherwise so entertaining I will be enthusiastically recommending it to friends and family! Many thanks to NetGalley and William Morrow for the ARC.
What a great story - once the back story was established, this was a non-stop ride through so many wonderful parts of Paris, as well as thoughtful and reverent for all that was lost in 9/11. I couldn’t put it down & was sad to see it end, as by that point I was really rooting for Joan. It is a many-layered story so the set up requires some attention to establish which is my only minor quibble, but the payoff was well worth it with the suspense, the puzzles, and the endearing but realistic characters. I have read all of Lian Dolan’s books - am one of her Satellite Sister listeners - and yet again, her latest is my favorite yet.
Lost and Found in Paris is a delightful escape allowing the reader to feel transported to Paris for a treasure hunt. Lian Dolan’s attention to detail in both her descriptions of the streets of Paris as well as the historical attractions enable us to pretend that we are traveling with Joan on this caper.. We are treated to a delightful adventure with some romance while celebrating as Joan regains her footing after being dealt a blow in her personal life.This book is perfect for the lover of Parisian culture and art history.
This was a delightful surprise read for me. Not sure why but I was expecting a light Paris romance instead it was a quick moving suspense reminiscent of the Da Vinci code. I really enjoyed the adventurous scavenger hunt winding through the descriptive Paris scenery. The added history of Joan of Arc added a unique element to the story especially the way it was tied it into her Dad. The combination of suspense, romance, art, and French culture made this a very interesting book for me!
This is truly a delightful book! When I had to put it down, it remained in my mind and kept calling me back to read more! It's been a while since a book did that for me. What fun! How smart! Very well-written story that is suspenseful but never scary (I don't do scary), filled with adventure and wonderful descriptions of scenery. I just traveled to Paris this fall and had fun looking through photos, looking at Google photos of the places mentioned and remembering the beautiful City of Light. Ah. What a joy. I will be gifting this when it comes out!
I thoroughly enjoyed this romp through Paris with Joan. Great character buildup, learning her backstory and watching her move from cautious to healing to open-hearted. The accompanying cast of characters all had their own reason d'etre, although I wish Polly had been developed a little more (especially Joan's reaction to her pregnancy). Loved Joan's look-backs at her dad, and watching her mom's growth & enjoyment of life evolve. You had to suspend disbelief several times throughout the novel, but the unraveling of the puzzle pieces made it really fun!
This was a great story! Needs a fine tooth comb before final is released. Too many missing words and misspelled words.