Jenn McKinlay

When her introverted mathematician father announces he's getting remarried, Chelsea is forced to acknowledge that her life stopped after her mother died, and that the last time she can remember being happy, in love, or enjoying her life was on her gap year. Inspired to retrace her steps - to find Colin in Ireland, Jean Claude in France, and Marcelino in Italy - Chelsea hopes that one of these three men who stole her heart so many years ago, can help her find it again.

Paris Is Always a Good Idea

Sonia Grgas

How could I not read a book with this title? Started as just another rom-com but finished up as much more. Enjoyed it a lot.

alya adlina

okay so i gave this book 4 stars. this book is soooo good but not good enough to get 5 stars actually for me. what i love about this book is not basically just about romance. it’s also about finding yourself, re-finding your happiness and accepting yourself with traveling. i loved this book it gave me so much feelings that i’ve never felt before. this book went pretty fast i just can’t stop reading it even though it’s a little bit slow at first few pages. 

for the characters, we got chelsea martin who revisit three european cities where she most happy and the men she loved while she was there. the way i loved her character and i could relate to her for most of the parts. next we got, jason knightley who is a charming man and oh my god i loved him so much he is man with a wise words and ofc he is a perfectly balanced with chelsea. I LOVE THE BANTER AND THE CHEMISTRY OF THESE TWO CHARACTERS 😩😩😩🤚🏻 

i guess thats all that i got to say....i picked up this book because i want something light and fast and cute. but what i got is a mixed feelings. i cried a little bit at the some parts ngl. so i really recommend this book if you guys love office romance, traveling romance, enemies to lovers ( not much but yea ) and for this one is kinda grumpy gf x sunshine bf 🤷🏻‍♀️🤷🏻‍♀️ 

thats all. thank you for reading <3

ps: there’s a lot of quotes in this book that i loved…

this book ruined my reading quest, the beginning was soooooo bad like i stopped reading all together but then i continued and it got better, it was cool but it really fucked me over

debbie <3

With her father's plan to marry a woman he's only known for two weeks, Chelsea Martin decides to go back to Europe and find the three men she fell in love with the year before the death of her mother in hopes of reclaiming her ability to be happy.  At the same time, Chelsea, the lead negotiator for the American Cancer Coalition, is trying to secure the deal of a lifetime that will net a huge donation.  However, Chelsea's rival in her organization, Jason Knightley, uses her absence from the company to secure the account for himself, or so she thinks, until she discovers that he may have entirely different motives for his actions. 

Paris is Always s Good Idea has some elements of a rom-com but is a far heavier novel than it appears to be.  Many issues are explored including grief, loss, and acceptance.  Cancer and it's devastating effects are at the center of the story, precipitating all decisions and motivations of the characters.  While the plot is full of emotion, there are many humorous moments that somewhat lighten the mood.  However, Chelsea's journey to find herself makes her frustrating at times, but her story arc is very satisfying by the conclusion.  Overall, Paris is Always a Good Idea takes the reader on an emotional roller coaster that is well worth the read.

Lynn Braden

With her father's plan to marry a woman he's only known for two weeks, Chelsea Martin decides to go back to Europe and find the three men she fell in love with the year before the death of her mother in hopes of reclaiming her ability to be happy.  At the same time, Chelsea, the lead negotiator for the American Cancer Coalition, is trying to secure the deal of a lifetime that will net a huge donation.  However, Chelsea's rival in her organization, Jason Knightley, uses her absence from the company to secure the account for himself, or so she thinks, until she discovers that he may have entirely different motives for his actions. 

Paris is Always s Good Idea has some elements of a rom-com but is a far heavier novel than it appears to be.  Many issues are explored including grief, loss, and acceptance.  Cancer and it's devastating effects are at the center of the story, precipitating all decisions and motivations of the characters.  While the plot is full of emotion, there are many humorous moments that somewhat lighten the mood.  However, Chelsea's journey to find herself makes her frustrating at times, but her story arc is very satisfying by the conclusion.  Overall, Paris is Always a Good Idea takes the reader on an emotional roller coaster that is well worth the read.

Anika | The.Bookish.Traveler 🌸

Thank you to netgalley, Berkley, and Jenn McKinlay for giving me the opportunity to read and review this charming book!

Yes, I am giving Paris Is Always A Good Idea 5 whole stars because by the end of the book I had tears in my eyes. I absolutely fell in love the the two main characters, Chelsea and Jason, because there is so much depth to them which is slowly revealed throughout the novel. There are so many times that Chelsea refers to Jason as "the bane of my existence" but is he really?

Soon after finding out that her dad is getting remarried to a woman that he only knew for 2 weeks prior to proposing, Chelsea finds herself fleeing to Europe to try and find her "old self" again. The person she was before her mother passed from cancer. During this journey she makes three stops; Ireland, France, and Italy. Chelsea is on a mission to reconnect with three men from each of those countries to try and remind herself what it's like to be in love. However, halfway through this journey she runs into the last person on her mind, Jason. 

I loved going on this adventure with Chelsea. Yes, there is alot of banter and romance but there is also something greater. Chelsea learns why she has become closed off and the root of why she is such a workaholic. There are also things that we learn about Jason and how the two of them can help each other.

One of Popsugar’s Best New Books for Summer 2020 A thirty-year-old woman retraces her gap year through Ireland, France, and Italy to find love—and herself—in this hilarious and heartfelt novel. It's been seven years since Chelsea Martin embarked on her yearlong postcollege European adventure. Since then, she's lost her mother to cancer and watched her sister marry twice, while Chelsea's thrown herself into work, becoming one of the most talented fundraisers for the American Cancer Coalition, and with the exception of one annoyingly competent coworker, Jason Knightley, her status as most successful moneymaker is unquestioned. When her introverted mathematician father announces he's getting remarried, Chelsea is forced to acknowledge that her life stopped after her mother died and that the last time she can remember being happy, in love, or enjoying her life was on her year abroad. Inspired to retrace her steps—to find Colin in Ireland, Jean Claude in France, and Marcelino in Italy—Chelsea hopes that one of these three men who stole her heart so many years ago can help her find it again. From the start of her journey nothing goes as planned, but as Chelsea reconnects with her old self, she also finds love in the very last place she expected.

always, annej 〄

https://trappedinsidestoriesonline.wo...

⬆link to my full review.

It's the kind of slow burn laugh out loud romantic comedy that involves multiple love interests. It was slow at first but as the story continues, I found myself loving the main character and relating to her. It was as if fate is playing with her, each turn of a page brings unexpected story. If those scenes doesn't surprise you enough, just wait for the ending! You'll love it. It's the kind of cliche that's not so cliche after all. Plus, you'll get to tour Europe. Paris Is Always a Good Idea but finding yourself or love rather, is better.

Elena

4/5 stars

- This was probably slowest slow burn in all of history but I did not even notice it because of Chelsea's and Jason's banter throughout the whole book like there was not one chapter where they were fighting and it felt like the whole time they were together
- I know that this book was about cancer and stuff but litterally every death in this book is caused by cancer so I think it came at you to much
- My favorite out of all the men were Marcellino because even after they knew they would not workout together they decided to become friends which is great because I think Chelsea needs some friends

Kayla 

This book was okay. I received it as an ARC months ago and tried reading it on my kindle but just couldn’t get into it. I thought maybe it was the kindles fault because I really do prefer physical book. So I checked it out from the library and, well my feelings didn’t change 😢

Things I liked:
-visiting Ireland, Paris and Italy!
-the character’s self development journey
-the final love interest

Things I didn’t like
-When everyone seems to be in love with the main character it loses a bit of reality for me.

-it was a bit confusing in some parts the Irish guy seems to be flirting with her but then has a complete change and makes it seem like it was all in her head.

-the outcome of her self development journey. I feel like she was just back where she started to be honest.

It was a little too cliché for me and I think with a title like Paris is Always a Good Idea the book would be better set just in Paris.

Kath Lau

*Huge thanks to Berkley Publishing and NetGalley for my free e-arc.This did not affect my overall opinion of the book.

Chelsea has become a different person affter losing her mother to cancer seven years ago. She focuses on her job raising money for cancer treatment and awareness. His father's big news makes her realize that she has not been happy for a long time. So she decides to take some time off from work to find her old self. The last time she was happy, having fun, and very much inlove was during her gap year trip to Europe. She plans on visiting three different countries and meeting three different past boyfriends hoping to find her old self and to rekindle the love she had from one of these men.

I honestly wasn't 100% convinced with Chelsea's way of rediscovering herself but I liked that it's also her own way of self-care. Taking a break and fully focus on herself. She's not a very likable character. I thought her initial reaction to her father remarrying was quite selfish and infuriating. She can be immature but her character was still relatable. I liked Jason's character the moment he was introduced in the book. I loved the chemistry between the two of them. He was not perfect but he was still a great character and a perfect partner, in my opinion. Their banters were very amusing!

I enjoyed the journey through Ireland, Paris, and Italy! I was transported by the author to these places especially back in the Eiffel Tower! This book made me hungry. It made me miss travelling too. This was a perfect read especially if you're longing to visit other places during this time. The plot is predictable at times but it didn't stop me from enjoying the story. Chelsea's character development was heartwarming and heartbreaking to read at the same time. I thought the author did a great job exploring the impact of losing someone (not only to cancer) in a very realistic way. This book is a reminder that moving forward doesn't mean forgetting the people we've lost in our lives. That we can continue living our lives while honoring them and keeping them in our hearts.

Paris is Always a Good Idea was a light, entertaining, and hilarious read. It's definitely one of my favorite rom-com reads this year.

Alexis 

3/5 stars 

This was alright for me. I enjoyed the banter between our main character and her coworker, something about this book didn't sit right. I wasn't a fan of the beginning where her dad is getting married and just expected her to accept it, or that people were just kind of expecting her to move on with things involving her mother. This is just a personal preference with me. Overall an average read for me.

Jerilynn 

This book was the perfect mix of women's fiction and romance❤️ I love the office trope enemies to lovers in this book. The settings were vibrant taking place in Boston, Ireland, Paris, France, Italy, Reading this novel actually made me laugh out loud a couple of times while reading at other times it was an emotional read. Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed this book. It kind of reminded me of the novel Eat, Pray, Love ❤️ 

Natasja

✰ 𝐍𝐎 𝐒𝐏𝐎𝐈𝐋𝐄𝐑 𝐑𝐄𝐕𝐈𝐄𝐖 ✰
It’s been seven years since Chelsea Martin embarked on her yearlong post-college European adventure. Since then, she’s lost her mother to cancer and watched her sister get remarried twice, while Chelsea thrown herself into work, becoming one of the most talented fundraisers for the American Cancer Coalition. With the exception of one annoyingly competent coworker, Jason Knightly, her status as most talented fundraiser is unquestioned. 
When her father announces he’s getting remarried, Chelsea is forced to acknowledge that her life stopped, and the last time she can remember being happy, in love or enjoying her life was on her gap year. Inspired to retrace her steps, she hopes that one of the three men who stole her heart so many years ago, can help her feel that happiness again. 

Three men and three countries. This book gave me so much Mamma Mia vibes! 😂🤩

I really enjoyed reading this book and joining Chelsea to Ireland, Paris and Italy. The settings were perfect, the men (most of them) are charming and I loved Chelsea’s boss, he was such a great character that I would have loved to meet. 
I immediately liked Jason with his banter and the twinkling in his eyes. He came across as a fun and caring person that would be an amazing friend. 
Chelsea is a bit clumsy and awkward at times which makes some situations really relatable and able to make me laugh out loud! 

Besides this, I did get annoyed with our MC every now and then. Chelsea’s really stubborn, and childish sometimes, which made me want to shout at her what she wasn’t seeing herself (or call it too much dragging towards the end), but because you also meet a lot of other characters and a beautiful scenery, it wasn’t a dealbreaker for me. 
The layer of dealing with grief, and losing someone to cancer was touching. There are a lot of others who have experienced loss and it’s so important to have others you can talk to this about.

Irin 

God. This. Book. Was. So. Wonderful.

I have been seeing amazing reviews on Paris Is Always A Good Idea all around bookstagram, so I was really looking forward to reading it. Two of my favorite book bloggers had also declared this book as one of their favorites of 2020, and I literally squealed when I received the review copy.  Now that I’ve finished reading the book, I am surprised with how it crossed all my expectations! 4.75/5 💫

Paris Is Always A Good Idea was such a delightful read. I haven’t gone out of my house for 4 months, so this book was the perfect escape I needed. I travelled with Chelsea, the female lead to three beautiful locations ~ France, Italy and Ireland, and it didn’t feel like I was stuck at home reading about her. Jenn McKinlay’s writing style is very captivating as well, so I couldn’t keep the book down at all. I kept turning the pages (digitally, haha) with endless anticipation to know what would happen next in the story. I think very few authors can hold the reader’s attention with such ease in romance books. There were also vivid descriptions of the places that Chelsea visited which helped me visualize the book perfectly. I don’t know if the word “fictional tours” exist, but I can surely say that this book is the perfect example for that. I’m really impressed with Jenn McKinlay, and have added her to my list of favorite authors!

OH ALSO, I can’t get over with how funny the book was! The comedic timings and witty banter were on point. I laughed my heart out while reading some chapters. The Potato Trivia Fight between Jason and Chelsea will forever remain one of my favorite scenes from books. Thankfully, I know a lot about potatoes now. You can never know what kinds of treasure books may have in store, am I right?

The relationship between Chelsea and Jason was perfectly written as well. I loved seeing their relationship develop from enemies to friends, and then to lovers. The chemistry that they shared made my heart go all AWWWW at times. Jason is such a sweetheart, I loved how he took care of Chelsea. NEW FAVORITE COUPLE ALERT!

My favorite part of the book was definitely seeing Chelsea’s journey towards self discovery. It was so heart-warming. She did annoy with her immaturity a couple of times though, which is why the book missed my 5 star rating.

I was charmed in the best way by this WONDERFUL, GORGEOUS, LOVELY – well, I’ll run out of words  to describe how much I loved this book, but yeah if you’re reading this review, please pick this book up as soon as possible. Believe me when I say this, Paris Is Always A Good Idea is the book your quarantined life needs right now.

Paris Is Always a Good Idea

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