This was an entertaining, well-written book. It was sweet, heartwarming, fun and kept me reading. I enjoyed this book and would recommend it to others.

Cozy
I so love a good book shop setting! Rebecca is fast becoming a favorite for cozy romance. This one was a journey because it felt so personal. Her characters are so relatable. And the friend groups and setting I always long to beat part of. This story is emotional but also so inspiring.

When Coco has to return to Paris with her teenage daughter after her boyfriend ruins her life, her career and her reputation, Coco is not sure what to do, Even is she could get a another editorial job Coc is not sure that is what is right for her just now.

Coco needs a ve made it perfect would have been to find out whether the ex got his just desserts

job , with her background the perfect job seems to be working in the Paris bookshop of the Broken Hearted with its hotch potch of rooms and customers.

Then there is Henri, a very Parisian frenchman, who has no time for this new french woman who had been living in England but life has a funny way of working things out.

I really enjoyed the book, the characters were well scripted and you got to know all the characters really well.

The only thing that would have ;made it even better would have been known that her ex got his just desserts.

Was a nice cosy read. Was a shame when it finished.

Loved the first person narration and the relationship that’s the focal point. Loved the parental relationships as well. Swoon worthy and romantic. Perfect setting. Lovely writing

Thanks #netgalley for this book, I was so good, I loved the bookstore for broken hearts sounds like the perfect job tbh, cocktails and books what more do you need! so many relatable parts as a mum of teenagers!

This was a beautiful book that helped me through the dark days of January tremendously. It's clear that the author has an affinity with Paris as it is written about so lovingly - even though Coco, the main character, is back living with her parents and sharing a room with her daughter, being back in Paris made this seem not as depressing as it could've been.
although there is definitely romance in the storyline, the book is about much more than just meeting 'the one'. It's about finding your place in a new reality, formed from the broken embers of your previous one, and realising that you are stronger for it. The sense of community that Coco finds within the slightly magical bookshop is exactly what she needed, the romance is a bonus on top of that.
All of the secondary characters are just fabulous too, especially Valerie. I could smell, hear, and feel her bookshop as the descriptions were so detailed...just lovely

I absolutely love reading a new Rebecca Raisin book. It’s as comforting as sinking into a warm bubble bath. The only trouble is that I find myself up half the night to read ‘just one more chapter’. It was also lovely that Rebecca slipped in a ‘cameo’ of Anais – the heroine from a previous book – it was like meeting an old friend.

Coco is half English and half French. She was living her best life in the UK - Joint head of a Publishing company with her boyfriend, wonderful daughter, and a lovely home. When it transpires that said boyfriend has been stealing royalties from the writers, he disappears leaving her to clear up the mess. By the time she has made recompense to everyone, she is left with nothing, and has to relocate to Paris and move in with her parents – taking an extremely grumpy teenager - who is extremely unhappy about being separated from her friends! Unable to get a job in the publishing industry because of the adverse publicity, Coco find herself taking a job in a Bookshop to make ends meet – and not just any Bookshop – a very special bookshop which seems to be able to mend broken hearts – or perhaps that is just the owner!

If you haven’t tried any Rebecca Raisin books yet, I recommend all of them! This one is up there with the best of them – and you get the beauty and atmosphere of Paris too. Perfect.

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/7280140611

https://maddybooksblog.blogspot.com/2025/02/the-paris-bookshop-for-broken-hearted.html

This is my new address:
The Paris Bookshop for the Broken-Hearted.
All mail can be forwarded there.🥰

Coco's life is in shambles. She uproots her daughter, Eloise, and "flees" back to Paris.

Her rule, her only rule? Do not trust men.

With finances dwindling, she needs a job. Any job!
And lands at, you guessed it, the bookstore in the title, where selling books will be the least of her worries.😂

I just love our characters, such a lovely gathering of personalities. J'adore Valérie!

I am actually keeping this short today, my lovelies, I really want you to get to discover all these things yourselves that I adore about this book.🩷 💕

What a lovely trip to Paris! Coco and her daughter return home to Paris after a huge betrayal and breakup. Coco stumbles upon The Paris Bookshop for The Broken Hearted and learns to heal.

There are many real places in Paris described in detail, so it would be perfect for anyone wishing to go, planning to go, or remembering a trip to Paris. It’s also a lovely love letter to writers, publishers, and readers.

There are many fun side characters, including Coco’s very supportive parents and the bookshop patrons.

The romance fell a bit flat for me, so I would classify it more as women’s fiction than romance.

But overall a sweet, heartfelt read!

No spice beyond kissing. Note the story deals with grief, toxic relationships, and bullying.

Thank you Boldwood Books and NetGalley for the advance read copy! The book comes out Feb 3!

I was very pleased to receive an ARC copy of 'The Paris Bookshop for the Broken-Hearted' by Rebecca Raisin. I had read another book by same author ('Christmas at the Little Paris Hotel') which was one of my favourite books of 2024. I enjoyed 'The Paris Bookshop', but for me this one didn't quite have the same 'sparkle' as Raisin's previous book, which had a very strong second story line. Following the betrayal of her partner (Alexander), and the collapse of her publishing business, Coco and her 13-year old daughter move to Paris to stay with Coco's parents whilst they start again. On her first day Coco literally bumps into Henri - he comes to her aid although he is somewhat rude. When she subsequently comes across the Bookshop for the Broken-Hearted, run by the enigmatic Valerie (who believes in kindness and the power of love) Henri is there again... I really wish the bookshop existed. I enjoyed the cast of characters and the friends to lovers story line, but for me the star of this novel was the bookshop itself!

EXCERPT: As I'm idling, getting lost in side streets, I come to a cobblestoned laneway that is as pretty as a postcard come to life. There's an array of pastel shopfronts, as if each business coordinated so the colours would complement one another. There's a florist on the corner, with a trolley laden with vibrant blooms, and the exotic perfume of roses permeates the air. There's a paperterie and fromagerie, but my eye is drawn further down to an ornate golden door. A riot of soft pink blooms spill from pots and I see the fluttering of pages atop a display table. A bookshop? I must investigate. I wander down the cobblestones ad grin when I find I'm right. Above a pot of pink ranunculus, a sign waves back and forth in the breeze that reads: The Paris Bookshop for the Broken Hearted. I'm intrigued by the rather gimmicky name. Is it a clever marketing ploy for tourists? What else can it be? Although I've lived in Paris for the majority of my life, I've never seen this laneway. It's not exactly central to the main attractions and I've only found it because of my efforts to hide from that man.
The golden door squeaks as I push it open. As I step inside, I'm met with the unmistakable perfume of old books; an evocative citrus aroma with honeyed vanilla notes. Every bookshop has its own special scent, just like a well-thumbed novel has its own fragrance, from leathery to lavender, or a spicy nuttiness, each note an olfactory clue to its past, its rich history.
As my eyes adjust to the dim lighting, I take in a mahogany bar along the back wall. Bottles of spirits are lined up like the colours of a rainbow as twinkling fairy lights sparkle above. Well-worn leather stools sit empty awaiting patrons. A chalkboard is written up with the daily menu of charcuterie, I smile as I read it:

Romance plat du jour,
because what is life without
love and sugar?
A sweet range of petit fours
and macarons

Crime plat du jour
because it would be a crime
not to snack while you read!
Saucisson, pâté, terrine and
aged fromage served with a
sliced baguette

Fantasy/Sci-Fi Plat du jour
because sometimes we all
need to escape to other
realms . . .
An extravaganza of sweet
and sour bonbons

It's a cute idea to have platters for readers to snack on as they get lost in the pages of a book and require sustenance for the big plot twist coming. It's as though I've pulled back the curtain and found Narnia in this quaint and quirky bookshop. I imagine friends converging here after work, ordering a cocktail while they lament over the ending of a love affair, the pain of a broken heart . . .

ABOUT 'THE PARIS BOOKSHOP FOR THE BROKEN HEARTED': Can you ever swear off love, in the city of love?

Coco is having a hell of a month. She’s lost her boyfriend and her business, been forced to uproot her daughter to move back in with her parents in Paris, and now an infuriatingly handsome stranger is yelling at her for acting like a tourist… Right underneath the Eiffel Tower.

Storming away from him – and swearing off men for life – she decides she’s going to take the first job that comes her way.

Then, as if fate hears her, later that day she stumbles into a little bookshop – but not any old bookshop. This one comes complete with a café, cocktail bar, reading room and secret tunnel of books, and just a little hint of magic in the air. So when Coco’s offered a job selling books there, it feels like the perfect fit.

There’s only one problem… propping up the bar in the bookshop is none other than the grumpy, gorgeous stranger she’d met earlier that day…

MY THOUGHTS: I immediately wanted to book a flight to Paris and wander the streets and laneways until I found this slice of heaven. For surely that is what heaven is, a bookshop in Paris. This bookshop in particular.

I wanted to prop myself up at the bar and see what potion and passage Valérie would prescribe for me. I wanted to meander through the stacks and shelves of books, up the stairways, through the arch of books, to sit at the window in Library Madeline and gaze at the Eiffel Tower. I wanted to sit in the courtyard under the leaning wall of books with a book of my own and a coffee and while away the day. I wanted to go to book group with this diverse group of women (and Henri) who, despite their penchant for loud and heated arguments, care for one another deeply.

The Paris Bookshop for the Broken Hearted is much more than just a romance - it is a story of community, of finding a home, of friendship, love and loyalty. It is a tale of many kinds of grief and of how important friendship is at these times.

I loved all the characters except for Alexander and Molly-Mae, whom I sincerely hope get their just desserts. Yes, even Eloise, Coco's difficult teenage daughter who longs for nothing more than to return to London and her friends.

The plot is simply delicious, sublime, realistic and entertaining. I cannot speak highly enough of this author, this book. It left me with eyes sparkling and a smile on my face that has yet to disappear.

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

#FollowtheauthorRebeccaRaisinRebeccaRaisinRebeccaRaisinFollowTheParisBookshopfortheBrokenHearted #NetGalley

MEET THE AUTHOR: Rebecca Raisin is a true bibliophile. This love of books morphed into the desire to write them. She’s been published in various short story anthologies and in in fiction magazines, and is now focusing on writing romance.
Rebecca Raisin writes characters you can see yourself being friends with. People with big hearts who care about relationships and believe in true, once in a lifetime love.

DISCLSOURE: Thank you to Boldwood Books via NetGalley for providing a digital ARC of The Paris Bookshop for the Broken Hearted for review. All opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own personal opinions.

This book started off okay, but quickly started going downhill for me. It wasn't bad per say, it just was not for me. It felt more women's fiction than romance like I thought it was. That and I didn't care for either of the romantic leads. Coco was...annoying at times. Her whole thing with language and being annoyed her teenage daughter used slang teenagers used was annoying. Like I know you are an editor, but spoken and written language is different, or can be. Plus language evolves and why can't kids, or anyone, use the language they want to express things (within reason)? I don't know. It made me not love her and feel for her kid right from the start. And she didn't get much better for me as the story went on.

And Henri? I understand why she didn't like him from the start. So both of them were meh and never really got over that hurdle for me.

There were also "humorous" things that happened in this book that were not for me. Like early on when a guy came into the bookstore looking for puppies. After reading that scene I was like okay, this is supposed to be humorous, but it just makes no sense. Like why would Coco jump to the conclusions she does?? Like if you offered me a million dollars if I could come up with what happened in that scene I would never get the money. But humor in books is often not my humor so this is a me thing for sure.

Overall this was not the read for me. I do think others will enjoy it more, especially if you are into women's fiction. That is not a go-to genre for me so this wasn't the book for me.

Oh my! This was just the book that I needed during a particularly stormy night! With the covers wrapped around me, I was transported to the city of love and followed the delightful Coco as she attempted to rebuild her life after losing her partner, business and status within the publishing community.
I would love to have even an ounce of Coco’s spirit. Despite being bruised professionally, she manages to maintain her spark and apply her transferable skills to her new challenge. Her kindness and empathy shine through despite the challenging situation she finds herself in.
Coco’s young daughter was a study in self-absorbance and needed kid-glove treatment to avoid her prickly responses from mentally wounding. She’s not an unkind child; she’s just reeling from being uprooted and dragged to France, away from her friends.
The initial encounter with the handsome stranger, Noah, happens at the train station and then repeats under the Eiffel Tower. He doesn’t help with his patronising manner and toxic masculinity as he lectures Coco on common sense tips. But please bear with this character as not all is as it seems.
As the synopsis explains, Coco secures a job at a gorgeous-sounding bookshop and delightedly accepts despite the now-familiar misogynist being seated at the bar.
This is an ensemble story with some fabulous characters who bring joy to the story. Valerie, the bookshop owner, has a distinct flair and involves everyone in her schemes to repair all broken hearts. Noah is dark and brooding, but there’s something just below the surface that holds Coco’s attention. The book club members are particularly interesting, but I will avoid spoilers as I would hate to spoil another reader’s fun.
This wonderful book is fun and charming, and there’s plenty of romance to be had in this Parisian bookshop despite the fact that it is not necessarily in the usual forms.

Coco and her daughter are headed to Coco's parents' home in Paris after a bad turn of events where Coco loses not only her boyfriend but her job in London as well. She discovers a wonderful bookshop with some many fun things that she feels it is the perfect fit for her next job. The only issue is the man who assumed she was a tourist under the Eiffel tower who yelled at her.

I have never read Rebecca Raisin before but I really enjoyed this book. Paris as well as the bookshop are great additional characters in this book along with all the human characters.

The chemistry between Coco and Henri was wonderful but I really enjoyed that this was not just a romance. Coco gained her confidence back and was able to find herself.

Thank you to Boldwood Books and NetGalley for the e-ARC of this book. This review is my own opinion.

Coco has lost her boyfriend and her business and now finds herself moving in with her parents and daughter, back in Paris. When she discovers an old bookshop with a café, cocktail bar, reading room and secret tunnel of books, she knows that her life might just be turning a corner. Yet, the only problem appears to be that the man who abused her for acting like a tourist turning up at the bookshop. Henri has his own pain of a broken relationship.
A great story that is more than just a simple romance, with Coco growing in confidence while finding her feet again after a tumultuous departure from her previous life as an editor. I loved the atmosphere of the bookstore, which was elevated to another level being set in Paris. The banter between Henri and Coco and their sweet romance made for a good read.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book from NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

After her relationship with her boyfriend and her publishing business collapses Coco and her daughter move back to stay with her parents in Paris. Whilst wandering around Paris she twice bumps into a handsome stranger and then stumbles across a small bookshop / bar where she ends up taking a job.
As with the other books in this series that I've already read and enjoyed this really brings Paris to life for me, I'm not a fan of cities in general being a small town boy, but this certainly makes me want to at least visit. I feel for Coco and especially her daughter ripped from the life she knew, although at least they are both bilingual. I did love the characters that she meets in the bookshop, with a very boisterous book club and the enigmatic Henri, coincidentally the man she had bumped into previously. In summary yet another book in the series that I've enjoyed, 4.5*rounded up to 5 and I hope that we will see more books in this series to come.
I received an advance copy of this book from the publisher through Netgalley, however this did not influence my review of the book.

In the latest book in this fantastic romance series set in Paris, readers follow Coco and her daughter after they relocate to Paris (where Coco’s parents still live) following a job scandal and messy breakup. When a stranger yells at her for acting like a tourist under the Eiffel Tower, she swears off men and this one in particular before deciding to take the first job offered to her, which happens to be a little old bookshop with a cafe, cocktail bar, reading room, secret tunnels, and a chaotic but friendly book club. With a job selling books as a perfect fit for Coco, she is excited for her new job until she realizes that the angry stranger is about to become a major fixture in her new life. Set in Paris during the spring, this novel’s atmosphere is absolutely spectacular and a great continuation of Rebecca Raisin’s Parisian Love series, and Coco is a complicated and deeply relatable protagonist whose second chance is not what she thought it would be -- but in some great and relatable ways. With great characters for her to befriend and fight with as well as unique challenges in her path, the novel is immersive, fun, and escapist in ways that readers will love.

“…you know how books find us at the very right time, right when our souls are yearning for a fix that we cannot name?’ …. ‘The same goes for The Paris Bookshop for the Broken-Hearted. The lost, the lonely, heartsick, heartsore find their way here. Find sanctuary.’”

Betrayed by her lover and business partner, book editor Coco Chevallier is forced to leave London with her 13 year old daughter and move back home to live with her parents in Paris. Distracted by her worries while wandering around the Eiffel Tower, she’s humiliated when a handsome stranger blasts her for failing to notice a bunch of pickpockets and in storming away Coco stumbles across The Paris Bookshop for the Broken-Hearted where she finds a cocktail, comfort, and second chance at the life and love she wants.

Always eager to support Australian authors, I’ve been wanting to read something by Rebecca Raisin for a while so when she posted a call out on BlueSky I jumped at the chance, and was delighted by this sweet contemporary romance novel with a bit of an edge as it touches on several serious themes including grief, bullying, illness, loneliness, and heartbreak.

The Paris Bookshop for the Broken-Hearted is every booklover’s dream destination. A cosy store on a cobblestone street in Paris that offers comfortable spaces, cocktails, cake, and charcuterie boards, Raisin describes a haven that I’d love to explore. Valerie is the bookshop’s warm and wise owner with a sixth sense for knowing what her patrons need, and she knows Coco needs a job.

Coco has had a difficult time of late and I definitely had sympathy for her. She’s lost everything, including her reputation, and the man who took it seems to have escaped any consequences. Coco’s teenage daughter’s vocal opposition to the loss of her life in London doesn’t make things any easier for her, and I thought Raisin captured their fraught relationship well.

Romance happens when Coco discovers the aforementioned angry handsome stranger is a regular at the bookstore. Journalist Henri is nursing his own hurts after a failed relationship, and though they clearly find each other attractive, both he and Coco are wary of starting anything, despite Valerie’s gentle support. Then just as they decide to take the risk, Raisin reveals a surprising twist that may leave them both broken-hearted again.

The writing is lovely and the author balances the more serious topics with humour and warmth. The colourful members of the bookshop’s bookclub add further interest to the story and perhaps a path for Raisin to revisit the store in a future series.

Charming and heartwarming, I enjoyed The Paris Bookshop for the Broken-Hearted’s magical setting, appealing characters, and satisfying happy ever after. I’ll be sure to read more from Rebecca Raisin soon.

The Paris Bookshop for the Broken Hearted by Rebecca Raisin is a whimsical and cozy romance perfect for bibliophiles who are looking for a lighthearted read.

Coco is at the end of her rope. In the midst of relocating back to Paris with her angsty 13 year old daughter after a messy scandal that cost Coco her business and her long-term partner, Coco finds herself just trying to keep her and her daughter as together as possible. She stumbles on The Paris Bookshop for the Broken Hearted and is taken aback by the earnest and optimistic owner Valerie. Coming in as a sceptic that this place is a beacon for the broken-hearted, she begins to spend more and more time at the bookstore with its customers and starts to believe there may be something more to this place than she originally thought.

The setting of this story is the star of the story. The bookstore and the city feel real as you read the story. You can visualize lounging at the bookstore and walking the streets of Paris. The magic of the bookstore couldn't come to life if the author didn't spend so much time making the setting feel as immersive as it is.

While I enjoyed the story, I did feel that the climax of the story felt too late so the resolution felt rushed. The romance of the story for the longest time felt like a slowburn , which I was okay with, but the romance felt like a B story compared to another storyline that began to take place. While those two storylines intertwine, it wasn't until the apex of the story that the reader could understand how both were connected. I wanted more-more romance, more bookstore characters, and more insight into the main character's personal healing story.

I still think this is an enjoying read for those looking to escape and enjoy something lighthearted and easy. Thank you to NetGalley and Boldwood Books for the early copy in exchange for an honest review. I rated this 3.5/5 stars.

Coco and her daughter Eloise are on their way to Paris leaving London behind them. Coco's life has been turned upside down by the man she was in business and in love with. She has to start again with no saving and living at her parents apartment in Montparnasse.
When they arrive at the Gare de Nord, she bumps into a handsome man and feels a spark. However, when she bumps into the same man near the Eiffel tower, she is more annoyed that anything else.
Shortly afterwards she stumbles across the Bookshop for the Brokenhearted and gets herself a job there, only to find that he is a regular patron.
Over the next few weeks she gets to grips with her new role, but also had to deal with her daughter not settling in at her new school and bullying allegations.
There is a boisterous book club to deal with, the participants all have strong feelings about books and aren't backwards in coming forwards about it.
Valerie, the owner, mixes potions for her patrons, who all have a belief in her powers. Will Coco find love? Will her problems in London get resolved?
A lovely little read.