Breakups are never easy, but finding out you'd been cheated on the entire 6 months of a relationship? That's a doozy! On top of that, trying to write your next romance novel, deadline looming, makes for a rough go.
Tessa's trip to Paris is the perfect escape to get back her writing mojo. Ethan, her cheating-ex's best friend, being in her Airbnb may also be the greatest escape, she just doesn't know it yet.
This book was cute with a fun premise, but the main character seemed whiney and redundant about her ex boyfriend, Joe. Then, when her relationship with Ethan progresses, it's back to being about Joe. The intimacy between Tessa and Ethan also don't match the tone set by the rest of the book.

A very easy read. The beginning of the book (writer's block), was very similar to another book by a different author. Gradually the story changed.
Trust, friendships, lust and heartbreak runs through the pages.
Great descriptions of Paris, the City of Love.

Tessa is a romance author who finds out her boyfriend has been cheating. she decides to go to Paris for fashion week, but the finds her boyfriends best friend in the apartment she has rented. they decide to share it. cute story

Tessa is a romance author who escapes to Paris after she find out her boyfriend of six months has been cheating on her the entire time and this caused her to stop writing. She feels like love doesn't exist or at least, it doesn't exist for her. In the apartment she rented, while still with her ex, she find his best friend, Ethan, who's there for a cooking course.

It was a nice and enjoyable read but I feel like the attraction between Tessa and Ethan was quite fast and the plot lost a bit of focus. They both had grown up so much in the short amount of time they spent together, trying to overcome both of their fears. Inevitably it all went bad when Joe, the ex-boyfriend shows up in Paris, and all the drama that happened after that, was a bit excessive and unnecessary in my opinion, since it basically destroyed Tessa's growth. But I still enjoyed reading the book.

Thank you @NetGalley and publisher for the arc of this book for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

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Pick up this gorgeous hug of a book and get transported to a beautiful place wraps itself round you like a cosy blanket. It has warmth, charm, laugh-out-loud moments and a wistful nostalgia. I absolutely loved it.

Rather than thinking this is a love story, I think this is more of "a story about love".

Tessa is a romance writer, but her romantic life just hit rock bottom. With a little nudge from her friends, she went into Paris to find inspiration --well, also to stay in an AirBnb she'd booked to spend valentine's day with her then-ex-boyfriend because it's unrefundable.

I love the story. First of all, I like that the male lead is just about the same height as the female lead ^^
I mean, we sometimes need a man that is not super tall, muslcy and broody, right?
The longing of London (as the main characters' main residency) makes perfect sense to me. I started off full of rage for Tessa's ex. I continued with full rage as I read how her ex treated her and it was downright abuse in romantic relationship. I hate him so so so so much @^R^#@&%I@&)

Then I was drawn deep into the story. I like Tessa and Ethan's romance progress and their interaction. I like the writing style, but actually felt the plot a bit bland-- but then.. something happens and I can say I'm glad with how everything turned out.

What I don't like is the characters seem one-dimentional. I like Tessa's character growth and how she finally find herself. I also don't like Paris that much (haha) and this book seem to romanticize it a lot-- I cannot relate.

I give this book 4 stars because I did not expect it to be this good and it turned out enjoyable. I guess this book made me interested in reading other books by Victoria Walters.

This is my second Victoria Walters book! I enjoy her sweet romances combined with life challenges. In The Paris Chapter, Tessa goes to Paris on her own after the man she thought was the one broke her heart. She’s an author looking for inspiration for her next book and she finds it in the City of Love (Paris). Slow burn but spicy for several chapters once it ignites. Great friends as side characters (with the exception of the cheating ex boyfriend). I didn’t love the conflict in the third act, but the ending was sweet. Overall a nice visit to Paris- perfect for those who have been there or dream of visiting one day.

Many thanks to NetGalley for providing me an e-arc in change for a honest review.
I absolutely loved this book from start to finish, was such heart warming romance read!
This book was the perfect combination of being set in Paris but also with the London elements in it, the scenes are written so well you can really picture it while reading.
Highly recommend this!

This was a funny, romantic story set in Paris!

Tessa, a romance writer, is struggling post-break up with Joe and dealing with a book deadline, but she doesn't have a story. She decides to take the Paris vacation they'd planned and use that time to get her head straightened up and her book written. When she arrives there, she finds Joe had passed on the vacation timeshare info to his best friend Ben, who arrived before she did. As it's Fashion Week, there aren't any open rooms until Ben's friend comes back into the city - so they decide to stay together and keep away from each other. Ben's there for a cookery class so he's gone most of the days. But they still have time to connect and a romance blossoms in the city of light and love. It's a sweet, spicy story and fun characters.

Thank you to NetGalley, the author and publisher for a temporary, digital ARC in return for my review.

Rated 4.75/5

The writing was light, thought provoking and I easily got drawn into the story. There was quite a lot of hesitancy between the characters to create the will they, won't they, suspense.

I enjoyed that every so often there were text messages between the characters. That added another layer to the story and brought it up to date.

The chapters were fairly long, so you got a good chunk of the story before moving on. There was a good flow to the story making it easy to sit and read in a few sittings. There was a good pace to the book and, as I mentioned above, the hesitancy between the two main characters lengthened the story and created the suspense. Despite the hesitancy, the story kept moving forward well and there were a couple of little jumps in time that were seamlessly added in. I enjoyed the Epilogue at the end.

The characters were good. I liked that the main characters were both unsure about what they were about to embark on. It was nice to see the male main character showing hesitancy and wanting the female to show him that it was ok and that she was hesitant too. There was an equal balance in the relationship which I enjoyed. I also liked that there was a confident, mean character to add a bit of tension to the story. It really made me root for the main characters even more.

I enjoyed being on the main character's journey and watching how her confidence and self love grew. There were some lovely, thought provoking moments scattered throughout the book which added another layer to the story.

Lastly the settings. I love Paris. It was lovely being taken round it and watching the characters grow at the same time. The settings were only lightly described, but they were a big part of the characters' story.

Overall a lovely book. The only thing stopping me from giving it 5 stars was the length of the sex scenes. I found myself wanting to skip through them so that I could get on with the rest of the story.

NOTE My Blog post and other social media account reviews will be up tomorrow, 2 January 2025.

The Paris Chapter is a heartwarming adorable read that follows Tessa as she flees to Paris after a heartbreaking breakup. This book was sweet in all the great ways and it was my first time reading a book by this author and I’ll definitely be looking for many more.

A lovely lovely story set mainly Paris. You have a lying cheating x, an ace best friend , a mix up with a flat and an author who writes love stories . It is a great story and I loved it. A fab ending. Makes you want to go to Paris.

Thank you to NetGalley, Boldwood Books, and the author for granting my request to read this e-ARC and provide my honest opinions.

Honestly, I really wanted to love this book. Tessa was a really annoying and pathetic FMC. Yeah, we get it: what Joe did to you was bad, stringing you along for all those months, and you find out he was cheating all along.

Yeah, I said it: Joe was an emotional abuser and a cheat! But Tessa, why give a man so much control post-breakup? You have a wonderful career, and you are letting Joe walk all over it like that; it is not acceptable! The sisterhood is not proud 😑.

I felt like Joe haunted me throughout my reading, every chapter Joe this, Joe that, like I was so angry. Fast forward to when you meet Ethan, who, for context, is Joe's best friend (HOW!!). Ethan was too sweet for the way Tessa treated him; my heart ached for him. I didn't even like the way when Ethan did something nice for Tessa, she would start thinking sometimes, saying how Joe didn't do anything like that for her. It is not a competition!!

Overall, apart from the strong friendships displayed in this novel, I couldn't be more concerned about Tessa and Ethan; in fact, I don't see how they can be together. Ok, my rant is over now. 😐☹.

Thank you once again for the e-ARC.

Thank you @netgalley and @boldwoodbooksnl for this ARC. I was so grateful for the chance to read another title by Victoria Walters after loving The Plot Twist.

I loved skipping away to Paris with Tessa, who is a romance author recovering from a horrible break up with the man she thought she would end up with. When she decides to stick with a trip they had planned together and go to the city of love alone, she is shocked to find the rented apartment occupied by no other than her ex’s best friend, Ethan. Ethan couldn’t be any more different from his childhood best friend and soon they are swept away in a complicated something that will lead them both on the path of self discovery. My favorite part of this story was the way friendships lifted up the characters. 🇮🇹❤️

#arcreads #boldwoodbooks #victoriawalters #theparischapter #netgalley #netgalleyreads #netgalleyreviewer #arcreader #bookstagram

This book had a great plot with intriguing characters. I’ll definitely be looking out for more from this author.

Thank you Netgalley and Boldwood books for this ARC.

Romance author Tessa Elliot has writer's block, and worse - she isn’t sure she still believes in love. To heal her broken heart, she decides to go on the romantic break in Paris she’d booked before her world fell apart.
But when she arrives at the Airbnb, Tessa is stunned to find someone is already there. Her ex’s best friend Ethan has made himself at home, being told that the place would be empty.

As it’s Paris Fashion Week, and with no other options, they agree to share the apartment. Neither will be in the place much after all, with Ethan taking a cookery course and Tessa on a hard deadline to finish her novel.

But sharing close nights in a one bed apartment, there’s an undeniable pull towards one another.

Will Tessa be able to open her heart, and her laptop, ever again?

I adored this book so much. Victoria never disappoints. As soon as I started the book I was taken back to my own visits in Paris. The book is just a joyful read and leaves you feeling happy.

The connection between Ethan and Tessa was brilliantly written and their undeniable chemistry (however, the spice was a little too much for me but I know for others they will love it) I was rooting all the way for them but things were so complicated I was left wondering how it would all work out. Victoria writes about characters that are finding themselves again and healing from love which are authentically written. Victorias writing is so sublime that even Joe was written in an insufferable way which is accurate from his past experiences.

This book is so easy to read, addictive and a page turner. It is released on the 19th January and I would advise you definitely add this to your reading list for 2025 if romance is your thing.

It's definitely a fun read. A broken-hearted writer to Paris to find love again and hopefully write her book that's due in just a few weeks. Finds out her ex has told someone else that the apartment she's rented for 2 weeks is free. They navigate their personal issues, the possibility of falling for each other, & dealing with the terrible ex that both are connected to. There's some cuteness, some cheesyness, a bit of eye rolling, and a French friend who won't take no for an answer.
I received an ARC copy from NetGalley and the publisher. All opinions are my own.

💕📚 The Paris Chapter by Victoria Walters 📚💕
Genre: Romance, with moderate 🌶
Length: 299 pages
Pub Date: Jan. 19, 2025!
My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Thank you to NetGalley and Boldwood Books for the e-ARC of this novel. The opinions stated here are solely my own.

Synopsis:
Tessa Elliot - successful romance writer whose own heart has recently been broken, causing major writer's block for her next novel.

Ethan Taylor - chef, kind, compassionate, handsome, artistically minded, with emotional depth.

Tessa travels to an Airbnb in Paris from her home in London for 5 days of a romantic getaway... that was supposed to be for her and now ex, Joe, before he broke her heart. Since she paid for the place anyway, she goes alone, hoping to find inspiration for her new romance novel even as she has given up on love. When she arrives she is shocked to find Ethan, Joe's best friend, staying there, visting Paris for a 2-week chef course. Joe told him to stay in the Airbnb as he figured no one would be there... One bed. Ex's best friend. The City of Love. Could Ethan be just what Tessa needs as a muse for her new book??

Opinion:
I thought this was such a cute, romantic story! I loved Tessa's character so much and how she grew as a person throughout her Parisian adventure. The love story between her and Ethan was a great build-up and their chemistry was undeniable. I was hooked from the get-go and read this easily in one day because I couldn't wait to see how it ended. The author also did a great job of making Joe, the ex, an absolutely loathsome human being, and excellent complication for both Tessa and Ethan. There is definitely a moderate amount of spice, which doesn't pop up until about 2/3 into the book, but it isnt particularly gratuitous and makes sense with the romantic build-up!

If you are looking for a “fromage beaucoup” love story, look no further. This book was a light & fun read, in which the protagonist is getting over heartbreak… and finding herself in Paris. I couldn’t put this feel good love story down.

It was a pleasure to read The Paris Chapter, a unique storytelling situation for boy meets girl in the city of love. Tessa damaged by a cheating ex meets Ethan the best friend of her cheating ex. Sparks fly and trust is hard to find. Its action packed with some perfect descriptions of the inner turmoil of being cheated on, I could completely connect to Tessa it was wonderful.
Really cringe sex scenes that were a bit too much for and unrealistic for me, I am not sure if should have been laughing through those sections. However the storyline was cute and a welcome change to romcom/chicklit for 2025!

#theparischapter #thebookcaseofkay #netgalley #NewBooks2025