The Mysterious Bakery on Rue de Paris by Evie Woods is a delightful book. Edith Lane, and Irishwoman, recently lost her mother whom she had taken care of. In her process of grieving she finds her waitressing job is unfullfilling and uninteresting. She is stuck. She gets brave and responds to an advertisement for a manager at a little bakery in Paris. She is interviewed and is accepted. And her dreams of leaving Ireland and living in Paris take flight and win over her anxieties.

On arrival in Paris, Edith realizes that she hasn’t done enough adequate research into the job description or location. The bakery where she has her new managerial position is in a small town called Compiègne, one hour away from Paris.

Mme Moreau is the owner of ‘La Boulangerie et Patisserie de Compiègne’ on Rue de Paris, selling all that is expected of a French bakery; with her assistant Manu. The bakery sells all kinds of breads, pastries, and croissants. Evie Woods does such a good job of describing the shop that you can smell all the delicious smells. Edith is hoping for a fresh start but her new boss is unfriendly, elusive and stern.

Edith gets off to a rocky start. Despite the cold reception she receives from her employer, she befriends a local French hairstylist, Nicole, and her singer husband Johnny. The three become tight friends and socialize in the evenings together. Edith also befriends a few English regulars at the bakery. She eventually meets Hugo Chadwick, an attractive man who leaves her insides fluttering.

Part of her employment includes a studio apartment on the third floor of the bakery. Edith lies in bed every night, listening to the strange noises the building produces. Further down that rabbit hole she goes and she begins to wonder who is producing all the tasty delicacies for the bakery. She has clear instructions to not visit the basement – and soon she begins to suspect all is not as it seems. What secret is Mme Moreau harbouring? What role does Manu have to play in it? Just as Edith feels like she’s settling in and making a life for herself, she has to deal with this new-found mystery while she is dealing with her new friendships and her ever increasing attraction to Hugo


Edith is on an adventure of rediscovery. She learns more about herself and how to deal with the sadness of losing her mother and the mysterious Hugo. Her personality and tenacity shine through in her quest for what she believes in.

The description of Compiègne was unbelievable. The reader can almost see the old, antique houses, cobblestone alleyways, pubs and the cozy cafés. This story is indeed an escape. One where good things happen. The mystery and magic of this tiny town uplifts all your senses.

This is a compact read that provides just the right amount of mystery, romance and sweetness. It is a story of family, friendship and dedication. There are parts where you will have to suspend your disbelief but it is a sweet story that ultimately did my heart good.

I would like to thank Evie Woods, Harper Collins UK, One More Chapter Books and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I loved *The Lost Bookshoop* and *The Story Collector* so I went into this one really looking forward to more magical realism in historical fiction.

Unfortunately, the best part of the book (for me) was the food descriptions.

I look forward to reading Ms Woods’s future works but this one wasn’t a favorite.



*Thank you to One More Chapter and NetGalley for the DRC

“The Mysterious Bakery On Rue De Paris” by Evie Woods is a mix of historical fiction with romance and magical realism.
I received an advance reader copy from HarperCollins UK, One More Chapter via Netgalley. The opinions from this review are completely my own.

I read “The Lost Bookshop” last year and was enchanted by the story. What I also liked in this book is the balance between the main story and romance and the magical parts.
Edith lives in Ireland and gets a job in a french bakery. Here she discovers at first an unwelcoming owner and have a hard time adjusting. But soon she makes friends and meets Hugo, a charming man.

I enjoyed the story about the bakery and its history, the twists with the characters and their past and the found family aspect.

Beautifully written, gently whimsical humor, appealing characters, a touch of magical realism, romance, a community coming together to save something precious from the past--this novel has it all. I love the characters, who all have flaws and insecurities, but manage to find their way with each other's help. The novel is not heavy or depressing even though it deals with present-day characters still dealing with the legacy of trauma from past events during the Holocaust and Second World War. The story has themes of identity, community, self-discovery, and finding the courage to take a stand against powerful opposition. The humor that comes through the eccentricities of the characters lightens the gravity of their situation, and readers will be cheering on Edith, Madame Moreau, Manu, and Hugo as they overcome the challenges and threats to their friendships, their compassion, and their belonging in their small neighborhood.

Edie Lane leaves her home in Ireland to start fresh at a bakery in Paris. Except, whoops. It's not in Paris, but rather a small town in France on Rue de Paris. As she tries to settle into this new realization, she also realizes the bakery she has come to work in has an air of mystery about it. Edie finds working at the bakery to be not what she signed on for, but instead exactly what she needs. I liked this later "coming of age" story where we follow someone who doesn't have it all together still as an adult, but comes into her own in due time and with the right life experiences.

When Edie decides it’s time for a change, she takes the chance on responding to a job advertisement in France.
What follows is a tale of discovery, of finding yourself, of making new friends and taking risks. Of finding love, for yourself, your life, with others.
I really enjoyed this one. I didn’t realise when starting this that it has previously been published and is being released.
I was just captivated from the start, wondering about this mysterious bakery and the people within it. There was just something about this book that kept drawing me back in, wondering what secrets it was keeping.
The book is well written and the characters develop throughout the book.
All in all a lovely read, I will read more from this author.

This one wasn’t for me but I believe most people will love it. There were parts I enjoyed such as the dual timeline and the magical elements so I wish it would have focus more on those parts. The issue I had was the fact the main character felt childish but she wasn’t that young and her actions didn’t match her age. It also didn’t feel like you get an opportunity to really get to know the characters it feels very surface relationships and I wasn’t a fan of that either so overall just not a book for me personally, but I do feel that most people would probably enjoy it.

The Mysterious Bakery on Rue de Paris is the latest cozy novel from Evie Woods, now republished with a new cover, and I thoroughly enjoyed it. Like her previous novels, this one also contains a touch of magical realism, which sets it apart from other books in the genre.

The story follows Edie, who moves to France to work as an assistant baker in a boulangerie. She initially believes the bakery is in Paris, only to discover that it is actually located on Rue de Paris in the small town of Compiègne. As she settles into her new job, she begins to sense that something is amiss with the bakery, and her grumpy boss seems determined to keep her from uncovering the truth.

This novel was a delight to read. I found the first half stronger than the second half. Edie is a compelling protagonist, and I enjoyed seeing the story unfold from her perspective. I also appreciated the occasional French phrases sprinkled throughout the book, they added authenticity and even reignited my interest in learning the language.

Evie Woods has become one of my auto read authors, so I was excited when given the opportunity to read this book.

I will say I didn't love this one as much as the other books I have read of hers. This was a cozy read, mixing magic and baking was a wonderful touch. I really enjoyed the descriptions of all the yummy treats, along with a glimpse of France. I thoroughly enjoyed the added bits of history included in this read.

I however, I was not a fan of the fmc, for someone in her thirties she seemed a tad juvenile. The relationship she had with her love interest seemed forced, something about the two of them together didn't seem natural.

Overall it was a cute read and I thank Netgalley and publisher for allowing me to read this book in exchange for my honest opinion.

The Mysterious Bakery on Rue de Paris follows a young woman who moves to Paris to work at a charming but struggling bakery. As she becomes entwined in the lives of the locals, she uncovers secrets hidden within the shop’s history—particularly those connected to Pierre, a former baker with ties to World War II.

What I enjoyed most about the book was its cozy, feel-good atmosphere. I liked how the story tied up neatly at the end, because yes I am a sucker for a happy ending. One of the most intriguing aspects was the historical connection with Pierre. His portions of the story were some of my favorites, and I wish the book had delved deeper into his backstory and mysterious vanillao he uses in his recipe.

However, there were a few aspects that didn’t quite work for me. The trope of the greedy businessman trying to take over the struggling bakery felt overused and predictable. It had all the characteristics of a Halmark movie right down the end, which I won't give away. Additionally, while the premise had a lot of potential, the characters could have been more developed. Some chapters also dragged a bit, making it slow at times.

Overall, The Mysterious Bakery on Rue de Paris is a sweet and enjoyable read, especially for those who love cozy stories with a little history and magical realism. When reading I did not realize it was an earlier book of the author's being republished. The Lost Bookshop is one of my favorite books and I could see her writing developing from this to that one. Overall would recommend would if you are looking for a book with a feel good happy ending.

This book requires a bit more suspension of belief than I'd like. My biggest complaint though is that it feels like the story is all told by the 70% mark, and there's no motivation to keep reading.

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC for an honest review.

A delightful story with a magical twist. Edie goes to work as an assistant in a french bakery, but didn’t realise until she arrived it was not as she thought in Paris. Instead it was in a small town with what appeared to be a grumpy, hard employer. Even her accommodation was not as she expected which made Edie wonder had she made a mistake and should return home.

I would like to have a cup of that hot chocolate! This is a sweet book about discovering yourself (even if it is by an accidental mistake of bakery names that leads you to a small town instead of Paris) but still remembering the past and how it shaped you. Edie is the main character but the other characters in the book have their own journeys as well, Hugo being one (shadowed by his brother and pushed into someone he doesn't want to be by his father) but also Madame Moreau who has her own fascinating history and story to tell. This was a sweet story that had a cute ending and was a nice little fluffy read that left me with a good feeling, and a hunger for some baked goods like those cupcakes that Edith made, or maybe a chocolate croissant!

So, I would call this a fun light read (even with the darker world war bits) and while the romance between Edith and Hugo was a bit quick, it was still cute, though at 29, Edith is not what I would call old! She has plenty of time to realize her dreams. Sing it girl!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the chance to read this book!

This was a sweet, gentle story with a touch of magic and a taste of France.
I really loved The Lost Bookshop and sadly, this novel wasn’t as strong for me..
Thank you NetGalley for the early copy!

Love that the focus of this book is baking and really enjoyed the descriptions of food and the setting. Baking and magic is an epic combination.

I just found the main character quite irritating. Like she’s in her 30s but seems to act very young, whilst simultaneously exclaiming that she’s having a midlife crisis. As a reader in her 30s I found this a strange characterisation.

The writing style is very readable and I would like to try other of this authors work to see if it hits different.

Another of Evie Woods magical tales. This time of a bakery in the outskirts of Paris that is sure to close down and be lost for ever.
Edith (or Edie) is still grieving for her mum but has decided that she needs to make some changes in her life. She travels to Paris where she has a job managing a beautiful patisserie. But things don't go quite as she planned and she ends up working for Madame Moreau announcing in a draughty attic above a tiny bakery.
Edie quickly makes friends with Nicole and her musician hysband, Johnny. While out with the she meets Hugo and begins to fall in love.
But obviously things don't go according to plan. Hugo is hiding part of himself and that will have a devastating effect on the future of the bakery.
In addition Madame Moreau and her grandson, Manu, have their own secret.
Edie and her friends rally round to try to save the bakery but can she also save her relationship with Hugo?
A delicious story of friendships, history and, above all, the importance of love.

The premise of this book had me interested, but unfortunately it fell a little flat to me. Sometimes insta-love works for me, but this time it didn’t really pull me in. I enjoyed learning about the history of the bakery during WWII, but I wanted more. I felt like the “mystery” of the bakery was found out very quickly by Edie. It was a cozy read and I enjoyed parts of it, but the first half of the book I was a little bored. The second half was much better and picked up.

I absolutely loved the book called The Lost Bookshop. This book is by the same author. Edie Lane left Ireland to live and work in Paris. She ends up getting an apartment outside Paris and work in a lovely old fashioned bakery! We get to read the ups and downs of Edie’s new life!! ❤️. This book was fabulous, loved it!!
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Evie Woods writes such beautiful and magical books. This one is no exception. It's a lovely cosy hug of a story just asking to be read with a large hot chocolate and a warm buttery almond croissant. Thank you to the author, netgalley and publisher for sharing the magic with me. Highly recommend you put it right to the top of your to-be-read list.

This was meant to be a mystery set in a French village, with a bakery and a woman searching for purpose. It was not.

First of all, this is a republication, not a new book.

Secondly, I found this book offensive in its treatment of Jewish people and their persecution during the war. It is not a joke or something to be so blasé about.

Not a book for me.

Thank you to NetGalley for a copy of this ARC for my honest review.