A few weeks ago, I was scrolling through my Bloglovin app and I came across a book review. Alexis from Chemistry Cachet posted, "Cookbook Review: Cravings by Chrissy Teigen." I had heard a lot of buzz about the book before so I thought I'd see what the review said. At the end of the book review I saw a disclaimer that stated, "I received this book from Blogging for Books for this review, all opinions are mine." I had never heard of this site before, so I decided to check it out!

I've written a few book reviews on the blog already, but they are mostly of books I have purchased myself. However, a few of them have been provided by authors in exchange for reviews. I figured I'd try out this system as a way to read books that I wouldn't normally purchase on my own.

After making an account and selecting my preferences, I began looking through the available books. The site attempts to provide you a list of the ones you'd be most interested in. Moving back and forth between the different genres, I finally decided on The Little Paris Bookshop.

I simply selected the book through their website and requested a copy for review. I then received a confirmation email that it would arrive in 10-14 days. Even with the move, the book surprisingly arrived in that time frame.

Synopsis:

Monsieur Perdu calls himself a literary apothecary. From his floating bookstore in a barge on the Seine, he prescribes novels for the hardships of life. Using his intuitive feel for the exact book a reader needs, Perdu mends broken hearts and souls. The only person he can't seem to heal through literature is himself; he's still haunted by heartbreak after his great love disappeared. She left him with only a letter, which he has never opened.

After Perdu is finally tempted to read the letter, he hauls anchor and departs on a mission to the south of France, hoping to make peace with his loss and discover the end of the story. Joined by a bestselling but blocked author and a lovelorn Italian chef, Perdu travels along the country’s rivers, dispensing his wisdom and his books, showing that the literary world can take the human soul on a journey to heal itself.

Internationally bestselling and filled with warmth and adventure, The Little Paris Bookshop is a love letter to books, meant for anyone who believes in the power of stories to shape people's lives.

Review:

To be honest, by the time I got the book I had already forgotten the synopsis and I was too lazy to read it again. After I finished Jessica Maret's Whos She Was, I dove straight into The Little Paris Bookshop.

I haven't been reviewing books for very long, but I enjoy doing it. Reading has always been one of my favorite past times so I'm glad I dove in to this process. 

Normally I just keep notes in the dedicated app on my iPhone. I write what I like, don't like, and what I think could be better. However, that was so hard to do with this book. I just didn't want to put it down, whether it was to write a note or go to sleep.

I would 100% recommend reading this book! As Oprah.com said, "if you're looking to be charmed right out of your own life for a few hours, sit down with this wise and winsome novel." 

Since I'm from the U.S. and sadly haven't traveled anywhere but Canada, it can be difficult at times to picture the settings. Not for Nina George's lack of trying though! 

I absolutely adore this book, but I want to applaud George's writing style. It was beyond impeccable. She makes me want to be a better writer. Since I read this book while writing my first novel, I have seen a difference in my fourth chapter compared to the rest. George writes so eloquently. There are a lot of details, but it never feels like there is a dump of information.

I also have to applaud her characters! There is so much depth into each one and it really feels like you get to know each soul individually. I especially liked the relationship between the main character Jean and the young author max. 

I also couldn't help fall in love with Cueno. This following sentence may give you an idea of how young I am, but I'm gonna say it anyways. Cueno reminds me of the character Tito from Rocket Power or Thapa from NCIS: LA. They both pop in and out of the story, but provide so much wisdom. 

I don't read many books with a male lead character, but I really enjoyed this one. I thought it was interesting to hear Jean talk about Max Jordan's novel and the way that he opened up emotionally, while most men don't do that; because that's also what Jean was doing in this novel. He opened up and let everything out. He dealt with grief and every other emotion. We saw his actions and heard his thoughts. 

Similar to why I raved in my review of Yes Please, I found so many wise and honest truths in this book. There were so many passages about love, books, and habits that I just had to bookmark. 

I don't think I could honestly say one bad thing about this book. I didn't find any problems with grammar, printing, or plot holes. I absolutely loved the story, the characters, and the ending. This book would be the perfect addition to any weekend getaway.

Have you read this book? I'd love to hear your thoughts in the comments!

* This book was provided by Blogging for Books in exchange for the review. However, all opinions and comments are 100% my own. *