Paris Is Always a Good Idea

Very romantic and funny. Every girl should read it.

I enjoyed the book it was an easy read, not like her other series books which have murders in them!

Nice book would read it again

Mediocre idea.•I read this book a couple days ago and have been going back and forth about my feelings for it since then. It is probably a red flag when at the beginning of the book you find yourself agreeing with the heroine who is supposed to be in the wrong. But I think I would be worried too if my widower father decided to marry a woman who won a date with him at a charity auction two weeks ago, but apparently this means she doesn’t know how to love anymore. If this is true, my family may be in trouble.•In Paris Is Always a Good Idea, Chelsea’s quest to find out how to feel love again takes her on a whirlwind trip to Europe where she retraces a trip she took 7 years prior when she had flings with three different men. I really enjoyed the scenery of Ireland, France, and Italy and the chemistry between Chelsea and the man she ends up (no spoilers) with was great, but she still made some rash decisions that I had a hard time relating to. The love interest in the story was probably my favorite part, although both he and Chelsea used some vernacular that felt dated to me; do people still say “Snap!” and “As If!”?•Although the romance was satisfying, and the deeper themes of grief and how it changes us were done well, the ending at her father’s wedding still made me uncomfortable. I would love to chat about this read if anyone else has read it.•What is a book that had you struggling to decide if you really enjoyed it?•Clean rating: 🧼🧼1/2 for a sex scene at the end that feels a little stilted and unsatisfying....to the reader.•

Jenn McKinlay's writing expertise truly comes out in this romantic novel. It's a great book to read during the COVID pandemic, as you can travel with Chelsea, the protaganist, through several countries as she seeks to reconnect with some lost loves from a post-college trip years ago. Her widowed father had just announced he's getting married, which sends her into a tailspin. Although she loves her job, Chelsea realizes she has done virtually nothing but work. Engaging characters and a bit of a complicated plot will keep you reading, not to mention the enchanting descriptions of all of the countries Chelsea travels through. Then of course, there's romance, which comes from an unexpected source. Her search for her lost self comes with humor, angst, and heartbreak, but it also brings a great deal of self-reflection and introspection. Can she find that college girl and reclaim her lost loves, or does a new revelation dawn? Find out by reading Paris is Always a Good Idea.

Chelsea Martin is a workaholic who is trying to keep the grief over her mother’s death at bay by shutting off her feelings. Her co-worker, Jason, is a constant source of irritation. When her father declares his intention to remarry, Chelsea reacts badly, disappointing her family. She decides to head for Europe, where she spent a carefree gap year, to try and recover her joy for life. What ensues is a romp through Ireland, Paris and Italy, where misconceptions and surprises hit Chelsea at every turn. When I started to read this book, I figured most of it out right away. That said, there is something very relatable about Chelsea’s quest to find her true self by trying to relive happy past days. I was afraid the the story was going to be predictable, and in some aspects it was. But the story was written with such tenderness that you want to find out what happens next. In these days of fear, frustration and anger in the world around us, this book is a nice diversion, allowing us to hope that you can fight through sorrow to find joy again.