The Paris Bookshop for the Broken-hearted was fine—an easy, enjoyable read, but not one that will stick with me. It was nice to have a main character my age, which isn’t something I come across as often as I’d like, and the setting was charming. Who doesn’t love the idea of starting over in a Parisian bookshop?

That said, the dialogue—specifically the Gen Z slang from the main character’s daughter—felt a bit over the top. Seeing words like “mid,” “rizz,” and “cheugy” sprinkled throughout just pulled me out of the story. (What even is cheugy, anyway?) It felt like the author was trying a little too hard to capture a specific kind of modern teenager, but it didn’t quite land.

Overall, it was a perfectly pleasant read—cozy, light, and entertaining in the moment. But it didn’t have the depth or emotional weight to make a lasting impression. I don’t regret reading it, but I doubt I’ll remember much about it down the line.

4 ★ // After losing both her business and her boyfriend, Coco swears to never love again—only to find herself returning with her teenage daughter to her family home in the city of love itself, Paris, and running into (literally!) an infuriatingly handsome stranger everywhere she goes.

One fateful day, Coco stumbles into a mysterious and magical little bookshop complete with a café, cocktail bar, reading room and secret tunnel of books.. and the stranger from before.

With the support of new bookish friends from the shop, Coco navigates her simmering tension with the stranger, while working to rebuild the fractured bond with her defiantly homesick daughter.

I didn’t expect to like it as much as I do! I read half the book in one sitting, which is especially rare for me with contemporary romance.

Before jet-setting to the Parisian plot, you need to first sit through Coco telling her life story at the startup. It wasn’t the best way to start the novel (info-dumping is one of my writing pet peeves), but the character’s charming wit made up for it and kept me interested. It also took me some time to get used to all the dialogue, which felt almost excessive in certain parts (+ the Gen Z slang was a little cringe-worthy at times.. maybe that was the author’s point?), but that’s slice of life/contemporary to you!

One thing I wish we got to see more of was Coco and Henri’s romance. It felt a little rushed/forced? As in, I felt like I didn’t even get to know Henri enough to fall for him, through Coco’s eyes.

I love how readers get to meet the members of Coco’s book club and each of their distinct personalities. Through these characters, the story explores different types of heartbreak— not just the kind from a romantic breakup—which included themes of abuse/neglect and grief.

The side plot about Coco’s daughter adjusting at school and to her new life was a solid addition to the story, addressing very real problems and feelings that teenagers in a new country may face.

This is definitely an enchanting, escapist little read for the hopeless romantic.

Coco is having to flee London for her parents' home in Paris with almost no money, her career in tatters and a sulky teenaged daughter with whom she now has to share a bedroom. Broken hearted and fleeing scandal, she is having to cope with her daughter's grief and being removed from her home and friends as well as her own.

Thank you to Net Galley, Boldwood Books and the author for the ARC. The opinions here are my own.

This was a well crafted story with vivid descriptions that brought Paris to life. Most of the story centers takes place in this quirky and incredible sounding bookshop. The characters were well rounded and their intersecting storylines made me not want to put it down, once I got going.

The interactions with Coco and her teenaged daughter will likely be relatable for anyone that is trying to navigate that.

Found it a bit slow at first, but as I said, once I got going, I was hooked and not disappointed. Definitely recommend to anyone that likes a redemption romance and Paris not to mention quirky book stores.

Rebecca Raisin always delivers a good book and she did not disappoint with this one. Some gritty topics were tackled in this book including fraud and bullying but they were well handled and set in the context of the story really well too.

Despite this being another of Raisin's Paris themed books it seemed to be a standalone but I look forward to reading whatever she brings out next.

Being in love with Paris and books, I picked this novel for its title and cover, but I discovered so much more. The Paris Bookshop for the Broken-Hearted is more than a romantic story—it explores a complicated mother-daughter relationship, deep friendships, and unexpected love with a grumpy yet charming man.

Coco returns to Paris after a bad breakup, struggling with her resentful daughter, dwindling savings, and no job. A chance encounter with a bookshop changes everything, offering her new friends, hope, and a fresh start. The story tackles grief, bullying, and identity struggles with depth and warmth.

Rebecca Raisin beautifully captures Paris, making it feel alive. Emotional and uplifting, this book is a heartfelt escape. Highly recommended!

Magical….

I adore reading Rebecca Raisin’s books. They simply get better and better.
In this book I arm chair traveled to Paris when Coco and her daughter Elouise had to move there to live with her parents and start life afresh.
The descriptive writing made me feel as if I were there myself.
What an absolutely lovely book, I very much enjoyed reading it. A host of quirky characters, and Coco, Henri, and Valérie I warmed to immediately.
Magical, a delight to read, and I would have loved to have visited the book shop!

Many thanks to NetGalley and publisher for an advanced e-book copy. Opinions about the book are entirely my own.

I would just like to say a big thank you to Rachel’s Random Resources who very kindly forwarded me an arc copy of this book, for my Kindle, in return for my honest review…

I do love a book that is set in a bookshop and this one was perfect - a wonderful, escapist read and i thoroughly enjoyed it all!

I was intrigued by this book right from the very beginning and it pulled me in and kept me captive all the way through until i had completely devoured it all.

All the characters were wonderful, not just Coco but all the other additional characters too and i really enjoyed getting to know them all - especially Henri, the handsome stranger, i loved getting to know his story.

This book was perfect armchair travel and i found myself wanting to visit Paris and have a wander around the bookshop and inhale the wonderful atmosphere…..

This was a lovely, heart-warming, soul-nourishing tale of friendship, restoration of faith, triumph over adversity and love in unlikely places.

Coco is returning home to Paris, retreating to her parents home with her teenage daughter nursing a broken heart and trying to re-establish some stability in her life after a failed business.

Coco stumbles across the Paris Bookshop for the broken hearted, where after securing a job, she is nurtured by the bookshop owner Valerie into standing up for herself and re-discovering how to be strong. This is a strong tale of friendship, love in all its guises and how when challenges arise how the key is to just keep going.

A lovely story and lovely rounded characters in quite arguably the best sounding bookshop in the world!

This was the kind of cozy romance that wraps around you like a warm blanket—absolutely perfect for the month of love! Coco was delightfully stuffy yet endearing, and honestly, her patience with her teenage daughter was next-level (far better than mine would be!). Henry? Total dreamboat, though I wouldn’t have minded a little more depth from him. But the true heart of this story? The enchanting Paris Bookshop for the Broken Hearted. It had me ready to book a one-way ticket to Paris just to meet Valerie and see what magical potion and passage she’d pick for me.

If you're craving a romantic, heartwarming escape, this is the book to reach for!
Thank you to NetGalley & Boldwood Books for the ARC.
3 stars!

Bloomin loved this one, another belter from Rebecca Raisin. Managed to get through it in a day - it was
un-put-down-able
Somehow the writer transports you to Paris and you feel so at home there with the wonderful characters that you meet.
Cosy up and enjoy - you’ll not be disappointed, for sure

The Paris Bookshop for the Brokenhearted feeds my love for Paris charm and La Vie un Rose. It’s a beautiful story of love, heartache and embracing love and life again through new eyes. Rebecca Raison delivers the why for the enduring romance with Paris.

First of all, the Paris setting! Rebecca describes it so eloquently and it just sounds so idyllic, full of charm and beauty! And then, a lot of the story is set around the bookshop Coco works in, which is obviously very appealing to a bookworm like me!
I was really invested in the characters and their stories. I loved the mother-daughter relationship between Coco and Eloise and also hearing about all the different characters in the book group. Overall, a really enjoyable read!

Many thanks to Niamh Wallace from @theboldbookclub and of course @rebeccaraisinwrites2 for providing me with an advanced digital copy via @netgalley in return for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

Rebecca Raisin's greatest strength is the way she brings Paris to life. It's a city I'm not overly fond of, but she makes me see it in a different light. I'd like to visit her Paris. In The Paris Bookshop for the Broken-Hearted. After losing her boyfriend and her business, Coco, with her distraught teenage daughter in tow, leaves London for her hometown of Paris. There they move in with Coco's parents. I found this novel an odd mixture of realism and almost fairytale. It's full of interesting characters and wonderful descriptions.

I read Raisin's Christmas at the Little Paris Hotel a few months ago and enjoyed it. So, I was excited for the newest title set in Paris (with a short appearance by Anais from the previous book.) This time the protagonist is Coco, a single mom who flees London for her home of Paris with no plan in sight. She is nursing a doubly broken heart as she not only lost her boyfriend, but his actions destroyed both their company and her reputation in publishing.

The Paris Bookshop for the Broken-Hearted was all that I could have expected. A lovely romance-building experience, but also a setting that made me want to visit pronto. I described the bookshop to a few moms in our book club. One had arrived mid-description, so she didn't realize it was fictional. She then asked where this amazing bookshop was located so she could visit. The way the bookstore's ambience was built by Valerie, using books otherwise destined for the landfill to create a cozy environment for bookworms, struck a chord with me. If I ever had a bookstore with space like that one, I'd want to do the same.

Overall, The Paris Bookshop for the Broken-Hearted is all you look for in a cozy romance. Raisin provides several characters nursing broken hearts who find healing at the bookshop. Even the owner, Valerie needs healing.

Thank you to NetGalley, Boldwood Books, and Rebecca Raisin for the opportunity to read an advance reader copy. All opinions are my own.

The Paris Bookshop for the Broken-Hearted by Rebecca Raisin was a book, I just needed to cheer me up on a cold rainy winters day. It was a lovely heart warming cozy romance: set in a beautiful location a bookshop in Paris and all the characters were just perfect. It was a book that make you smile.

I highly recommend this book and a perfect holiday read.

I went into this book with no expectations – and was pleasantly surprised! It delivers exactly what you’d hope for in a cozy romance: a beautiful setting, lovable characters, and a warm, comforting atmosphere.
What stood out to me the most were the well-developed and relatable characters. Their growth felt natural, making it easy to connect with them. The Parisian bookshop added the perfect touch, creating a charming and inviting backdrop.
Overall, this book gave me a truly enjoyable reading experience and a few wonderful hours of escapism.

🔹 My take: 4.25/5

🔸 Coco is at the helm of a successful publishing house in London partnering (business cum life) with Alexander. Alex cheats her and siphons offs funds secretly creating a bad name in the industry. Coco has nowhere to go and flees along with her teenage daughter to her parent’s home in Paris. No one is ready to hire her and to make ends meet, she takes a job at a bookstore cheekily named as ‘Paris bookstore for broken-hearted’. Here she meets new people, spends time amongst books which she loves the most and tries to make a fresh start. But she has a hunch from beginning that there is something special about this bookstore and what comes together is a special tale of grief, loss, friendships and love.

💖 Wows - This is my second book by the author and like the previous one; I loved the premise of this book. Rebecca has focused on 2-3 themes - handling grief, living with hope & making fresh start, working as a single parent to a teenager. The phase of uprooting a teenage daughter from one place to another and how to handle teen tantrums have been described so well. And the couple of surprise twists that came in was something I had not expected. There is minimalistic romance and it feels so good that it’s not forced. The bookshop covered all like book club, writer’s association, loft, secret tunnels, cocktail bar and who doesn’t like to be in such a world?

💔 Ows - I did not dislike anything about the book per se - except that at 400+ pages; it is not a short read. But the time you spend with the characters is worth it. You will know it when you read it. It does not have any facet which has not been explored before but what makes it special is the way the wheel has been reinvented with the same old themes.

💫 Rebecca’s books are sweet, cosy and filled with witty banter. You will chuckle continuously while reading. I would recommend this book if you are looking for a light read (but with couple of strong themes) between heavy books. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

Thanks to @theboldbookclub and @netgalley for sharing the DRC in exchange for honest review. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

I didn't expect a cozy, romantic, endearing and heartwarming read but I got it and I couldn't ask for anything more this Valentines Day 🥰  Being a girl mom myself, with only a few years to go before my daughter becomes a teen herself, Coco kind of prepared me for what's to come 😭  She is a very relatable FMC, and I see myself in her, very demure yet very strong at times too.  The story was very charming with a bit of whimsy, the Parisian setting providing the perfect vibes,  I just loved it so much!  The romance was sweet, it didn't take the spotlight, was just the right amount for my taste.  I also enjoyed their book club and their debates, so entertaining!  If you are a reader, and you love quaint bookstores, cafes, meet-cutes, book clubs, single mom and single dad romance, and found family, I highly recommend!😍

The Paris book shop for the brokenhearted Rebecca Raisin
What a smashing book this is! I love the authors style. She turns and ordinary 'boy meets girl' book into an engrossing love story with other supporting themes running parallel to the main story. I would normally not read this type of book, but hers are an exception. I love them!

Such a cute and cozy romance. Loved every minute of it. Loved the writing style, flew through it. It was just the book I needed after reading so many thrillers/horror novels. This book has really heightened my need to go to Paris and have my Emily in Paris moment. Loved it!