I loved the descriptions of Paris in this book, it’d be a great read for anyone heading there on holiday. Sophie and Tom were likeable characters, and I enjoyed the early chapters about their student days. However, I think the whole premise of the story has been done before so only 4 stars.

I had read and enjoyed her previous books and loved the author’s skill with comedy and her ability to raise a smile no matter what. So, I agreed to join this tour based purely on the romantic title and the author’s back catalogue. I had no need to read the synopsis…
I can’t say that was a mistake, as I would possibly have been drawn in by the synopsis and would have still been reeling from the undetected turn of events. It was fortuitous that I read blindly as I may have missed out on a terrific book that has stayed with me and continues to lurk in my mind.
The connection between Sophie and Tom was powerful despite their being mismatched, and I must admit, I kept expecting their romance to fail. However, it became clear that their connection was stronger than simple chemistry, and they were meant to be a couple.
The story is told in the past tense, and we hear from Sophie, Tom, and Tom’s best friend, Will. I must confess to trying to second-guess the story and imagining a love triangle forming, but I could never have imagined where Gillian was taking me, and I was both devastated and thrilled by the trip.
Tom’s parents are an annoying pair, but as the story unfolds, it eventually becomes clear that they purely have Tom’s interests at heart.
The visits to Paris renewed my hope of visiting again someday. All I need now are the funds and a new ankle! If you’ve never been, I hope this book inspires you.
I would encourage you to take a leap of blind faith and read this powerful book. It will stay with you for some time, and I'm sure you will be glad you took a chance.

Midnight in Paris
This was a wonderfully, poignant bittersweet love story of Tom and Sofie who fall in love at university. Paris is central to their love as they return there every year until something happens to tear them apart. It’s told in different timelines, as it jumps between the past and present, which deepens the tension and draws you in.
It’s heavier than many of the author's books, but the author does a wonderful job of creating a wonderful story.


The theme was heavier than that of other stories by the author, with an unexpected twist. It was, however, an engaging story, with characters that have interesting layers.


Thanks to @boldwoodbooks, @rachelsrandomresources, @netgalley, and the author for this arc.

This is a deeply emotional novel that explores themes of love, loss, and second chances, set against the enchanting backdrop of Paris. The story follows Sophie and Tom, a couple who return to Paris annually, with a narrative that intertwines their past and present, delving into issues such as grief, infertility, and resilience. The multi-timeline structure, shifting between their first summer many years ago, two weeks ago, and the present, adds complexity to the narrative, though some readers may find it confusing.

The novel is noted for its emotional depth, with well-developed characters that evoke strong feelings, making it a poignant read that may require tissues at hand. The story is more serious and heavy-hitting compared to the author’s usual work, addressing the frailties of relationships in a nuanced and sensitive manner. The unexpected twists and the moving direction of the story contribute to its status as a page-turner, drawing readers in from the start and taking them on an emotional rollercoaster.

Overall, “Midnight in Paris” is a compelling and heart-wrenching tale that captivates readers with its exploration of profound themes and its evocative portrayal of a couple’s journey through love and loss in the city of Paris.

Thanks to the Publisher and Netgalley for an early review copy.

I love reading books by Gillian Harvey, and this one was such an emotional rollercoaster that had you turning the pages.

Tom and Sophie have visited Paris a lot and have a special place, which is just theirs, but the last visit is so moving and the reason why it’ll be the last time is heartbreaking, it made you reach for the tissues.

This is a different story to what Gillian has previously written, it covers a subject which was sensitively done and made you cry. You’ll need a box of tissues handy when you read this book.

I highly recommend this book.

I think this was quite good in places, I enjoyed the setting in particular, and the character work was ok.

Thank you NetGalley, Boldwood Books and Gillian Harvey for my review copy. These are my thoughts:

Beautiful and heartbreaking. I first picked up one of Gillian’s books last year. When I found Midnight in Paris, I thought I was in for a “romcom style” second chance, but was far from what I got. Instead, I found a beautifully tragic love story, with a poignant second chance - just not the one I thought I would have.

The mystery as to what kept Sophie and Tom apart for so many years, is slowly revealed through alternating timelines that tell their story.

The pace was perfect, making it hard to put the book down. Through tears and laughter, you see how often times, people let their troubles and worries take over their lives, forgetting to live in the process.

The character’s struggles felt relatable and I was glad Sophie had a small, but reliable support system.

Life after loss is difficult to navigate, but in the end I was not left with a heavy heart, but with the knowledge that life goes on, if we so want it to.

Perfect for the fans of stories like One Day - but you’ll be less traumatised and hopefully, find comfort in the ending.

3.5 stars

This story is about a couple who return to Paris every year. The story was initially a bit slow for me. There was a lot of foreshadowing of an upcoming twist - which is a tactic I often find a bit tiresome. However, I definitely did not see the twist coming and I did find it quite moving.

This is not a light story. It covers deep issues of love and loss and the frailties of relationships.

The story is told in different timelines starting from the first summer many years ago, 2 weeks ago, and now. I sometimes found this confusing and I actually wonder if a linear timeline would have worked better for this particular story.

I think I struggled sometimes believing the love between the 2 main characters. I think if I had felt that connection I would have rated this 4 stars. Tom seemed immature but I also did not find Sophie particularly likeable at times either.

Overall, this is an interesting story that tackles some very deep issues. If you are a fan of romance and women's fiction then this one is worth a read.

this is told in dual timelines, Tom and Sophie agree to meet at midnight on a Paris bridge every year. lovely story

A 100% buy-today-read-tonight delight.

Thanks to a great author we have warmth, wisdom and emotional intelligence, this book was a huge pleasure to read! A fabulous, really enjoyable read.

This is an emotional read. You move back, and forward in chapters.. It is a very moving story. I really enjoyed it. It is set mainly in Paris. Hard to review but a great book to begin 2025. Read it. A neat ending . I loved it

I feel this is a more serious and heavy hitting book, the author does an excellent job of taking heavy hitting topics and weaving them into an engaging story! from the writing to the story, this book will draw you in from the start. definitely a page turner as you want to find out their fate. a great book!

Thanks to Boldwood Books and NetGalley for a digital ARC.

I'm a huge fan of Gillian Harvery's work and was excited to read this one. No spoilers, but the book is told through multiple timelines that took me a little bit to get used to, and I'll admit that I didn't see the tragic twist coming at all; crept up on me slowly.

The story drew me in from the start, and I read this in one day, page-turning to find out what happened. A story of love, friendship, heartbreak and healing with Paris as an intermittent backdrop - what's not to love?

This was a beautifully done novel and had that element that I was looking for and enjoyed the getaway element to this. The concept was everything that I wanted and enjoyed in this genre. Gillian Harvey has a strong writing style and was glad I got to read this.

Beautiful love story🗼💏

4.5🌟 stars
Though there's more than a small degree of tragedy and sadness, I was captivated by Tom and Sophie's love story. The fact that it keeps returning them to Paris just made it that much better.

Author Gillian Harvey uses frequent switches through various times, and eventually covering the night they met in Cambridge through 2024, over a decade later. I found Sophie's discomfort about their different family backgrounds, with Tom from a privileged family and hers a much more modest upbringing, quite realistic. This is a couple who, on initial appearance, even their close friends and family found an unlikely match. But their story is so poignant. I loved it!

For me, a chronological telling might have come across just as powerfully and more straightforward. The format here lends to suspense, though, as the hints build that something's coming to destroy their happiness. It kept me waiting for the shoe to drop, which was not a bad thing, just a bit frustrating.

Recommended.

Thanks to Boldwood Books and NetGalley for sharing a complimentary advance copy of the book; this is my voluntary and honest opinion.

Review shared with Goodreads, Waterstones, Bookbub and Barnes & Noble on 12/29/2024.

This was so much more emotional than I thought it was going to be! I expected a lighthearted romance, but instead it was heavy hitting. It deals with topics like grief and infertility. While I enjoyed the story and the characters, I wish the heaviness was made clear beforehand. It now took me by surprise in a way that I didn't enjoy the reading experience as much as I know I would've had I had known this beforehand.

This book brings up a barrage of emotions as Soph and Tom experience such a great love as evidenced by their every year going to Paris and meet at midnight at a bridge of which Tom.revealed his vulnerable self and showed the true live that each had for each other. Tom really celebrated life and found joy in experiences both large and small. It is terrible what he had to go through and the repercussions and emotional impact and despair that all he left behind. What I found beautiful as how he never left her behind as shown him whispering in her ear or part of pictures with his great smile. He would never have wanted Soph to stop living and with the help of her family and friends that she could move forward. A part of him will always be there but she deserves love. Her and Will became a stronger couple because of it. A beautiful story.

Midnight in Paris by Gillian Harvey is a deeply emotional and poignant exploration of love, loss, and second chances, set against the enchanting backdrop of Paris. The book has a multi-timeline structure, which I did find a little confusing in places. The story intertwines Sophie and Tom’s past, and trips to Paris with her journey toward healing, tackling themes like grief, infertility, and resilience. I hadn't read any synopsis prior to reading and I was quite surprised at the direction of the story, the twists and how moving it was. The characters had real emotional depth making this a teary read in places. Very much enjoyed this book and look forward to more from Gillian Harvey. Thanks to Netgalley for the advanced copy.

Gillian Harvey is one of my favourite authors and I love everything about their books and how they transport you to beautiful settings. I was especially looking forward to reading this one as it featured Paris in the title. Midnight in Paris has a slightly different slant to this authors previous books but this doesn’t detract from just how good it is.

This was the most beautiful poignant read that took me on an emotional rollercoaster and covered a lot of sensitive and hard hitting issues along the way.

This is definitely up there in the list of my top reads for this year.

Oh my goodness, Gillian Havey! What are you doing to me?
I've always loved the author's books, especially the stories set in France, but this was something else. Not as light hearted, but as much of a good read as the others, if not more.
The emotional rollercoaster I went on as I read was unbelievable.
Tom and Sophie have a place in Paris that has become their place, and they have visited it over the years. This last visit is so poignant, and its reason is heart-wrenching. I shall give nothing away, but I was in bits.
It is a more serious tale, detailing hard-hitting issues, but in a nuanced, sensitive way.
A true page-turner of a book, I loved it.
I think it's my favourite so far!