Is it cheesy? Yes.
Is it romantic? Also yes.
It's fun!
I thought that The Paris Chapter had a lot of really good moments and a nice overall message.
I liked the MMC Ethan a lot. Men who cook for and feed you should be a love language category all its own, I swear. I love how he made Tessa feel validated in who she is as a person and helps her find places of inspiration around Paris for her book, which has taken her ages to get started even with the big deadline coming up. She was a sweet, introverted gal who felt very relatable.

Joe's character kind of felt like an odd one to throw back in so late in the game. He's discussed through much of the book and his entire character just did not give off the vibes that he would travel to do what he did to Tessa.

One thing I think needed a bit of work are the spicy scenes... Those were slightly cringey. I don't know if it was the thought monologue or what they actually said or did during them, but something felt a little cringe. Not bad though, it seemed like they happened in the right places for the storyline. Just gave me second hand embarrassment.

A quick read about a heartbroken romance author who goes to Paris to start her book, despite feeling put off love.
She arrives and find her ex’s best friend staying in the 1 bedroom apartment too. What could ever go wrong? Will she ever write her story, and will she fall in love?
Very spicy content, which felt unnecessary. I didn’t love the book, but it was okay.

This was great l loved the scenery and descriptions were beautiful. Really romantic and gorgeous. I loved the friendships and the character developments . Totally fell for Ethan, he sounded like a gorgeous lush man who was totally the one for Teasdale. I loved the exuberance of Juliet too and how she took Tessa under her wing and made her so welcome and felt loved l. This was joyous and I really wanted to read more about Paris. The characters and more. Thank you NetGalley for this arc in exchange for an honest review.

I have never been so gripped by a book before - I’ve been sat for 4 hours reading this book as I couldn’t put it down - I’ve finished it already in one setting. As someone who’s always been drawn to Paris (and visited multiple times); any book that is set in the city has a special place in my heart - the story is magical, and I’d love to hear more of Ethan and Tessa’s story, however if I didn’t, I wouldn’t be disappointed as I feel their happy ending was so deserved and gives you the peace of mind that you need - no unpredictable cliff hangers or loose ends. The author has definitely found a new fan in me.

This review could contain SPOILERS

Thank you to NetGalley and Boldwood Book for providing me with an advanced copy to review!

This is a book about Tessa, a romance writer who has the writers block of the century after her recent heartbreak with her ex Joe. (Keep in mind, they were only together for six months.) ((Which is a long time to be continuously lied to, but still!!)) What once was a romantic getaway to Paris (with Joe) turns into a solo trip, and Tessa is gonna use it to pull inspiration for her novel. Or so she thought, because here’s comes the forced proximity trope! Ethan, Joe’s best friend is in Paris for a cooking course and Joe offers him a free stay at the same apartment Tessa is staying in.

We follow Ethan and Tessa as they venture into the Parisian backdrop and I personally, will always eat up a ‘hot tea, baguettes and cheese, wine drunk’ kind of story. The stereotypical Parisian scenes were probably my favorite part. Sadly, Tessa and Ethan’s relationship was a bit frustrating for me because it was always one step forward, two steps back. Tessa had so much inner turmoil about Ethan being so close to her ex. Every time Ethan and Tessa progressed in their relationship, here comes Tessa like “but remember, you’re friends with my ex” Joe this, Joe that, girl forget Joe! Ethan was so supportive of Tessa and all of her endeavors from the very beginning and it was so sickeningly sweet just for Tessa to look Ethan in the eyes and be like, “but Joe” Joe could NEVER. Poor girl was trauma bonded to that man or something.

Overall, this is a lighthearted and cozy book about finding your self worth. At worst, it’s a slightly frustrating love story with miscommunication and a long drawn out conflict.

I had such high hopes for this book when I started reading. I got about a third of the way into the book and I just could not connect or care about Tessa and what was happening in her life. It kept me reading to finish it with hopes I would come to like any of the characters in the story.
This book was not one for me to want a copy in my library.
Thank you NetGalley, Victoria Walters and Boldwood Books for the ARC of The Paris Chapter. This is my personal review.

This book makes me want to go to Paris. We are going to leave that right there, but Tessa is recently single, her ex was a douche who cheated on her, she decides to go on the vacation that he booked for them and then ends up with a surprise guest, her ex-boyfriend’s best friend Ethan, this was scandalous, and I wanted more. Ethan is an amazing guy, and he helps her get inspired for her book, which her deadline is approaching, I forgot to mention she’s a well-known romance writer, and Ethan is a Chef. I loved the chemistry between these two, there is DRAMA especially since these two have a common person in lives. We can’t leave behind the SPICE, because when they finally got to it, it was SPICING (I don’t think that’s even a word). But I loved these two.

Thank you Netgalley and the publishers for giving me the opportunity to read this book.

I wanted to love this one...I'm a sucker for all things Parisian after all, but it fell a little flat for me. I still recommend it, but it started out similar to another book I read in recent months (not a copycat, just happened to be similar). Had I not read that book, I am certain I would have felt differently. I found in spots this book felt long to me even though it wasn't, clocking in around 300 pages. Overall it reminded me of "Emily in Paris', which made me laugh as it was mentioned a few times.

Premise: Tessa and her boyfriend have recently broken up. She decides to take a trip they had planned to Paris. She arrives at her Airbnb to find her ex's (hot) best friend in a towel. Ooh là là! Cute, funny etc. They fall hard and fast to the reader, but one of them is slower to come around to the idea of what's happening. It felt a little contrived in places and I had to keep reminding myself of the short timeline in which the majority of this romcom takes place. Also, Tessa and her boyfriend had only been broken up for two months so that was still very fresh (and held her back from realizing what was happening with Ethan).

The ex appears...and is an absolute controlling, manipulative, narcissitic a-hole. It got my wheels spinning as to who would play Joe if this book was made into a movie. He was horrible, but well-written most definitely. I would have liked a little more depth to Tessa and Ethan's characters, but I was rooting for them.

I recommend this if you are looking for a cute Parisian romcom with some spice to which you don't need to devote much time. It was quick to get into, preferred setting, a little predictable, but kept my interest.

Thank you to Victoria Walters, Boldwood Books, and Netgalley for the e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Tessa & Ethan get together unexpectedly in Paris and the rest is history.

I liked the flirting between them, the fact that the MMC is of average height (first time I see this) and the Paris setting that adds magic to everything.
It’s an ok book but didn’t manage to get me hooked.

Tessa’s actions confused me slightly. Too many repetitions and Tessa’s constant whining tired me. I guess I can’t accept that a 6 month relationship at the age of 30 had marked her like that. I liked Ethan a lot more but I wasn’t convinced about their attraction; too fast for my liking.

I liked how the resolution of the situation came effortlessly and that none of them was stubborn. But I didn’t like that they both were insecure and lacked confidence.

-Single 1st person POV (FMC)
-Spice: 🌶️🌶️

Overall: 3/5 ⭐️ for me.

Thank you NetGalley & Boldwood Books for providing this arc in exchange for my honest review.

After a break-up romance author Tessa goes on a trip to Paris only to end up sharing an apartment with her ex's best friend - and only one bed...
Overall I enjoyed reading this book. I really liked Tessa from the start but the way she acted when her ex resurfaced made me reconsider a little. Ethan is likable enough but he seems more like a supporting character than the MMC. All in all an entertaining book but not a must-read.

In The Paris Chapter by Victoria Walters ,Tessa Elliot , an author is a shattered woman after breaking up with her boyfriend Joe whom she thought was the love of her life. Not only does she not believe in love now but the heart break is threatening her carrier as a romance author, because it has left her with a writer's block. This has posed a big problem since she has a contract with a publishing company and the deadline for the book is just around the corner. There's another problem, before they broke up, they had planned a holiday in Paris but now she has forgotten all about it, and her dilemma is what next. Her friend urges her to take the holiday and try to heal as well as save her carrier, an advise she acted upon. Unfortunately, her ex boyfriend's best friend Ethan is occuping the one bedroom apartment she had booked, and they don't have a choice but to share. As they share it they discover a connection between them but they don't know whether to pursue it or not, because of the many barriers in between them. To find out more read this book The Paris Chapter by Victoria Walters

I like detailed description of almost everything in the book. This will make the readers get absorbed in the story. I also like the consistency in the story, no gaps in between chapters, It makes the story flow perfectly. Some scenes, especially at the beginning are also quite hilarious. The story is very intriguing.

The steamy scenes seems a bit exaggerated but maybe some readers will like that.

I rate this book ,The Paris Chapter by Victoria Walters ,5 out of 5 stars.

I recommend to readers who love steamy romcoms. I also recommend it to those who may be experiencing some kind of heart break in their life's journey. The book has a lesson or two about life's pains, healing and moving on. For life itself is a journey made up of seasons, and no season lasts forever.

I've just been to Paris (sans heartbreak) so this book brought back great memories of the city.
In this funny and adorable read, romance author Tessa flees to Paris after finding out her boyfriend is cheating on her. Alas, someone is already living in her rental: her ex's best friend. But maybe he is just what she needs to overcome her writer's block...
Lighthearted and easy story set in the City of Love.

Love anything set in Paris. The descriptions the city were magnificent. The story, though less captivating, still was engaging enough to make this a recommended read

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I wanted to love everything about this book, and I loved the premise, but I felt that the ‘sex scenes’ were written quite badly and made me cringe. If these cliché scenes had been removed it would have been a solid 4 stars.

After Tessa catches her boyfriend cheating, her morale is at an all time low and as she is supposed to be writing a romance novel, writers block is affecting her starting a book that is supposed to be nearly finished. As Tessa and her cheating ex Joe were supposed to be going to Paris together, and Tessa had already booked it and paid for them both, her best friend suggests she goes to try and find her writing mojo in the city of love. When Tessa arrives in Paris at her Airbnb, she finds a near naked man in the shower. He turns out to be Ethan, Joe’s best friend. Ethan has a cookery course in Paris, and Joe was so sure that Tessa wouldn’t go, he suggests that Ethan goes to the apartment. As it is Paris Fashion week, Ethan can’t move out, so they end up sharing the apartment…..

A good idea, mostly well written, but drop the sex scenes. They are not well written.

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/7154714272
https://maddybooksblog.blogspot.com/2025/01/the-paris-chapter-by-victoria-walters-i.html

I loved this! Set in Paris with very likeable characters and an engaging storyline this is such a lovely read. Romance writer Tessa finds herself in the city of love trying to find inspiration for her, very close to deadline, latest book that she hasn’t even started writing yet. She should have been staying there with her ex but it turns out that he has told his friend Ethan that he can stay in the one bedroom apartment that had been booked for himself and Tessa. However he didn’t tell her……. I absorbed this in one day loving how it flowed and how it drew me in from page one. Absolutely adorable and cute and heartwarming and just has everything you want in a romance, including a bit of oh la la!

Such a lovely, well written and well thought out book. I really enjoyed reading it and didn’t want to put it down - exactly as a book should be!
I loved getting to know these characters, and despised Joe, what a horrible creature. Ethan is everything I’d like for my happy ever after! Highly recommend reading this one.

Book Review for The Paris Chapter

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐✨ (3.5/5, rounding up!)

This book was such a cute and easy read, the kind that feels like slipping into a cozy blanket with a warm cup of coffee. The romantic setting of Paris and a fun nod to Emily in Paris—with the characters literally watching the show while in Paris—gave it a playful, meta charm. And let’s not forget the male main character (MMC), a chef dreaming of opening his own restaurant. That little detail made my foodie heart happy!

Now, let’s talk about Tessa, the female main character (FMC). I wanted to love her, I really did, but she kept bringing up her ex… a lot. By the halfway mark, even I was over hearing about him. However, I get that her heartbreak and trauma set the stage for all the drama that followed, so it made sense in the context of the story. What I did appreciate about Tessa was her grounded vibe—despite her love for Emily in Paris, her wardrobe was way more toned down and relatable, which made her feel like someone you’d actually meet in real life.

This was a light, breezy read with some fun and funny moments, perfect for fans of rom-coms with a bit of Parisian flair. A huge thanks to NetGalley for the e-ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review! If you’re looking for a book that’s low on stress and high on charm, this might be the one for you.

Fast romantic read set in the city of love 💗
I really enjoyed seeing Tessa’s character development and thought her character was really well done. I read the entire book in one sitting and would definitely pickup another book by Victoria Walter’s in the future.


I didn’t love the love triangle/complicated relationship dynamic in the later parts of the book. I thought Tessa’s behavior was Juvenal and was not a big fan of the miscommunication trope.
Thank you to NetGalley and Boldwood books for the arc in exchange for my honest review.

I received this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

This was a fun premise overall. I think there was a disconnect between characters that made the relationship not as authentic but s nice light read nonetheless.

Cute story, gave it 3.5⭐️’s. Wasn’t completely in love with the characters and their chemistry to believe this was a rom com.