Member Reviews

The Mysterious Bakery on Rue de Paris brings a beautiful story of magic, family, love, humanity, and sacrifice, among so many others.

Grieving her mom, Edie needs a fresh start away from her Irish home. Where better than a job in Paris as assistant manager of a bakery? She can put her baking skills to work and find a new life as a Parisian. Only she discovers the bakery isn’t in Paris. She finds herself in the small town of Compiègne, in a cramped attic apartment, and working for a woman who doesn’t seem to want her there (despite hiring her). Did she make the right decision? Right away, she realizes this isn’t just any bakery; there’s something strange going on and Edie’s determined to figure it out.

The Mysterious Bakery beautifully weaves a story of family, magic, love, history, and community. The bakery’s owners and their family history, sacrifices made, the Compiègne and French World War II history, and the sense of community in the town create such a warm feeling. There was just the right amount of magic--present and significant, but doesn't overwhelm the rest of the story. Plus, I loved the little romance and its ups and downs. Edie grew and developed a lot of strength throughout the book, standing up for what she believed in and doing everything she could to help her friends and fight the good fight.

Overall, this book really kept me interested and wanting more, wanting to put all the pieces together, wanting Edie to succeed and the magic of the bakery to continue. And I REALLY want some of those pastries and hot chocolate!!!

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A really lovely book. I was engrossed from the beginning. Very well written with great characters. Highly recommended.

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I enjoyed this book tremendously. However, I’m still trying to understand the aspect of the ghost. It wasn’t really necessary other than it was the reason for the continued success of the recipes- I guess. It felt out of place for such a well written, enjoyable book. I loved the characters, and even found myself cheering on Edith as she found her footing in the French world.

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3,75 stars rounded up..

The Mysterious Bakery on Rue the Paris follows Edith. She has found an opportunity to start over, to begin anew and fresh and is following her dream to go to Paris and make a living there.
Things don't go as planned and she ends up in a provincial town near Paris in a small bakery.

This is the second book I have read by this author and I don't know how she does it, but I feel so drawn into the story. It feels cozy, with a hint of magic and a touch of mystery. Add a splash of romance and a dash of history and there we are.
This book was such an easy read and I wanted to continue reading it. Finding out why the bakery was mysterious, what happened to Edith, but also the small flashbacks and the peeks into another characters life. I thoroughly enjoyed reading this and I was invested in solving the mystery. It was wholesome and emotional.

Thank you Netgalley and OneMoreChapter for providing me with this e-arc. All opinions are my own.

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Edith Lane always dreamed of moving to Paris and a job posting of a bakery manager in a French bakery seems like the perfect opportunity. Edi leaves Ireland for Paris and soon enough discovers that her new job is not in the city of love but in an antique town of Compiègne. The bakery and its owner have a mystery that sparks Edi's interest and she's determined to solve it.

I'm starting off by saying that this story has a lot of potential, it's good but could have been better. I feel like the romance sub-plot wasn't necessary or could have been better incorporated into the story. The ending felt rushed
This story has a lot of potential that it wasn't fulfilled. There's a point in the book where the story focuses more on Edi and her past than in the mystery of the bakery which is the main plot. As much as I like a romance sub-plot and I liked Hugo, the romance felt out of place and it seems like his only purpose in the story was to be the hero at the end.
I loved the descriptions of the baked goods and the hot chocolate and the french scenery. There's even a recipe for hot chocolate in one of the chapters that sounds so good you better believe that I will try to make it.
Overall, I enjoyed this book. It touches on a very important topic of grief and losing a loved one which I think many readers could relate to.

Trigger warning: this book touches very delicate topics like grief, loss of a parent, holocaust and war.

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A really lovely story from the very beginning, full of mystery - a delightful storyline. Very well written with great characters

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I picked this up after I read The Lost Bookshop. I absolutely loved that book and wanted more! The Mysterious Bakery on Rue de Paris definitively gave similar vibes. While The Lost Bookshop features an old, whimsical bookshop that might or might not exist, this book features a mysterious bakery with a ghostly secret!

As for the story itself, I did enjoy the book a lot. It was a nice story to wind down with so if you are in for a cozy, relaxing book night I think you would quite enjoy this. The book is about an Irish woman seeking a new start in Paris, but little does she realize that the Bakery on Rue de Paris is actually NOT in Paris but, in fact, in Compiègne. Finding herself in a small, historical town, Edith makes new friends and falls in love all the while trying to solve the mystery of the bakery she is working in.

This is a re-release of this book from 2014 and is under the author’s other pen name, Evie Woods. I love the new cover and think it matches the author’s more recent releases nicely. As much as I enjoyed the story, I will say that it is clear that this is an earlier work by the author. Coming from her most recent release, The Lost Bookshop, there was a stark difference in the depth of the two stories. The plot twists were a bit predictable and the unraveling of the “mystery” of the bakery felt slightly too-straightforward. Regardless, I enjoyed reading The Mysterious Bakery on Rue de Paris and I am looking forward to reading other titles by this author! Next on my TBR is The Story Collector!

Thank you to One More Chapter for providing this book for review via NetGalley!

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I read The Lost Bookshop by the same author last year, and while it wasn’t one of my top reads, it was worth giving the author another chance. The Mysterious Bakery on Rue de Paris follows Edith and she leaves her home in Ireland for a chance to find herself, adventure, and love in France.

The book employs a dash of magical realism, but in a way that added to the story instead of distracted from it. While I was rooting for Edith and Hugo’s romance, I also found myself rolling my eyes at the predictable way the tropes played. It also dives into WWII history more than I was expecting, crossing over into historical fiction. There are quite a few French phrases through out the book and I preferred to read on my Kindle so I could quickly translate them.

The Mysterious Bakery is an easy read for lovers of romance (no spice) and historical fiction, and I’ll continue to keep an eye out for new books by Evie Woods. Thank you to NetGalley and Harper Collins UK for this ARC!

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The Mysterious Bakery on Rue de Paris by Evie Woods is a magical story that weaves together 3 different character's stories about a small but impactful bakery outside of Paris France. I enjoyed the historical aspects of the tale and how they explained the unforgettable tragedy of Nazi Germany. When a gay man stepped up to care for a gypsy woman and her child it created a magic that burned brightly over the centuries.

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Another atmospheric and magical book from Evie Woods. This time we are in a bakery in a town just outside Paris. Edie a troubled Irish woman takes a job in what she thinks is a bakery in Paris on a whim to find herself where she needs to be, in our bakery..........and the story begins. It is written beautifully. It is a gentle romance but not soppy. It is magical but not silly or over the top. It has characters that are in a way caricatures of people we all may recognise but who are still very believable. The Mysterious Bakery on Rue de Paris is a real feel good book to curl up with and lose yourself in. Recommended wholeheartedly to anyone who needs a good cuddle in a book.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read an advance copy. All opinions are my own.

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This a heartwarming gentle read. The main character Edie has spent years looking after her mother and having suffered the heartache of losing her, she decides to apply for a job in a bakery in Paris, hoping to start a new chapter in her life.

What Edie doesn’t realise is the bakery is not in Paris, but in a nearby small historical town . She finds the owner of the bakery offhand and as she struggles with a new country and language the feelings of ease begin to grow. Strange noises at night add to her anxiety leaving her wondering if she has made a huge mistake leaving her homeland.

She becomes friends with some locals and meets the charming Hugo which helps her to feel more settled but soon buried secrets emerge that change her perception and make her question everything around her.

I loved the setting of the book. I holiday in France a lot and the descriptions of the boulangerie transported me to one of my favourite places. The book is full of magic, friendship, self discovery and romance. I did find it a bit predictable at times but that adds to its charm . If you’re looking for a gentle read with a sprinkle of magic you will enjoy this book.

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Edith is brokenhearted following the death of her mum and decides she needs a new start. She applies for the job of assistant manager at a bakery in Paris, and heads off for a new life.

Once arriving in Paris, she quickly establishes that the job isn’t in Paris, it’s about an hour away by train in Compiègne!

When she arrives, she finds her boss is quite a sharp elderly lady, and wonders if she has done the right thing.

As the days go by, Edith settles into her job and soon realises that all is not as it seems in the bakery.

Slowly making friends, she meets Hugo on a night out, and there is definitely an attraction there. Is Hugo all he seems?

I loved this story, it’s a quaint tale and told over two timelines, taking us back to World War Two.

There is lots to be learnt in the story, I especially enjoyed the references to events that took place in Compiègne.

The descriptive writing of the hot chocolate recipe and the recipes for macarons and cupcakes left my stomach rumbling a lot!

There is a bit of everything in this story: mystery, romance and history.

My thanks to NetGalley and One More Chapter for a copy in exchange for my honest review.

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Heart-warming story that takes place in a French bakery in the small historic town of Compiegne. Edie thought she was taking a job in a Paris bakery, but it was actually not in Paris. A lovely story with a touch of romance and a bit of magic and a lot of characters trying to help each other.. a feel good book.

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Edie, after having lost her mother, sets off from Ireland to find something new and to manage a bakery in Paris only to find that it's not truly in Paris but in a small town nearby on Paris...a bit of a mystery. However, an adventure is what she set out for, and an adventure she found. In this small town, with the only bakery, she comes to love the customers and the curmudgeon owner and young boy who work there. A bit of magical realism follows in this whimsical bakery that becomes more than what it seems. How does all this bread get made and why is she not allowed in the basement? To top it off, there's a bit of romance sprinkled in. I thought it was a delightful read, although not as good as Woods' previous books. I also learned that this book was previously published under Woods' other name Evie Gaughan in 2014. That being said, for fans of The Lost Bookshop or The Story Collector, you will enjoy this earlier work by Woods. many thanks to #netgalley #eviewoods #harpercollinsuk for the opportunity to read and review this book.

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Edith Lane moves from Ireland to France to work in a bakery near Compiegne. The owner of the bakery has a lot of secrets and Edith is keen to find out what is going on I the basement in the early hours of the morning.
I loved the descriptions of the history of the bakery where Edith worked.

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher One More Chapter for a chance to read this E-Book. Opinions expressed are completely my own.

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Received an eARC through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
Thank you to NetGalley and HarperCollins!

I like reading romances and usually enjoy the characters’ growth and movement towards the HEA.
However, the author wrote unevenly and took no pity on non-French speakers trying to make sense of the many French phrases used without translation or context clues. As someone who understands French, I did well with the bilingual book, but I am not so sure an English only speaker would have as pleasant an experience.
Also when she had Genevieve explain her story, the phoneticized French accent phrasings, « ze » for «the » for example, were very inconsistent which drew me out of suspended disbelief. There was more of that, but this long passage stood out the most.
And the plot unfortunately was very Hallmark movie template. Girl stuck in a small town trying to prove something to herself gets in everyone’s business and magically everything she touches gets improved usually after drinking the special magic hot chocolate. The premise was interesting but not well executed.
I’m sorry but I really can’t recommend it unless you’re a bilingual Hallmark movie fan. If so, you may really enjoy it.
Thanks again to NetGalley and HarperCollins for this opportunity.

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What a great book! I absolutely loved how twisty and clever this one was! I was totally engrossed from beginning to end and would definitely read from this author again, So, so, so good!

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The Mysterious Bakery on Rue de Paris was a delightful read that captured my attention from beginning to end.

The story combines tasty baked goods , drama, magic which allows the read to escape into a happy place.

Edith made a rash decsion or perhaps an off the cuff to accept the job of assistant manager at this very unique and quaint bakery.

Edith is tasked to stock the window and stay out of the kitchen.

She soon realizes that there are secrets in the town and hidden in these walls .

Evie Gaughan/Woods takes the reader on a magical journey and it is one that will leave you content at the end of the story.

I highly recommend you go on the journey with Edith and sit back and enjoy.

Thanks to NetGalley and Harper Collins UK/One More Chapter for the privilege of reading and reviewing this delightful story The Mysterious Bakery on Rue de Paris.

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Edie moved from Ireland to work at a bakery she thought was in Paris. It turns out the bakery isn't exactly in Paris and the bakery is anything but typical.
Like The Lost Bookshop and The Story Collector, The Mysterious Bakery on Rue De Paris contains a sprinkle of mystery and magic. I thoroughly enjoyed Evie’s first two books but just couldn't get into this one. I did finish it though, and it made me crave a cozy bakery and a delicious cup of hot chocolate 🧁
Thank you NetGalley and HarperCollins360 for the advanced copy in exchange for my honest review.

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This story was a pleasant mixture of history, romance, finding oneself, and a little bit of whimsical fantasy. I personally just felt that the writing was a little choppy and under developed. I felt that many chapters lacked a smooth transition to the next and ended rather abruptly. The characters were a bit one-dimensional. Oh, and why are we acting like a 29 year old is soon to be an old spinster?

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