Guest Review: Thirty Days in Paris by Veronica Henry.

Because Paris is always a good idea...

Years ago, Juliet left a little piece of her heart in Paris - and now, separated from her husband and with her children flying the nest, it's time to get it back!

So she puts on her best red lipstick, books a cosy attic apartment near Notre-Dame and takes the next train out of London.

Arriving at the Gare du Nord, the memories come flooding back: bustling street cafés, cheap wine in candlelit bars and a handsome boy with glittering eyes.

But Juliet has also been keeping a secret for over two decades - and she begins to realise it's impossible to move forwards without first looking back.

Something tells her that the next thirty days might just change everything...

I always enjoy Veronica Henry’s books and look forward to each new release. Her stories are always full of strong female characters who the reader can get behind and follow on their adventures. It certainly sounded like this story was going to take its lead player on an exciting trip. I listened to the audio version of the book and was quickly transported into a different world by a compelling storyline.

The story centres on writer, wife and mother, Juliet. With the kids having left home and newly separated from her husband of 25 years, Juliet sets off for a month in Paris where she intends to spend her time writing a book based on an earlier period in her life and reflecting on her experiences at the time.  In the 90s, aged 20, she lived in Paris, working as an au pair to a wealthy couple with three young children. As she now settles in to her rented apartment and begins to explore her surroundings, Juliet’s mind goes back to that time and all that happened to her, including the reason why she left the city and her life there very suddenly. In her book, she is writing about her experiences as a naive young woman in a foreign city, a very different person from the one she is now. She wonders if she should try to reconnect with friends from the past, explain her actions back then and try to lay some ghosts to rest into the bargain.

I absolutely loved this romantic and inspiring book. Juliet is a wonderful leading lady, brave and determined to face her demons and move on with her new life. She is lucky to be in a position that allows her to go off and explore what she left behind in Paris all those years ago. I loved the way in which the story is told, the narrative flitting between the present day and the past, as told in the pages of the book she is writing. The secret behind her sudden exodus from Paris on her first visit is revealed very gradually in a masterful way that keeps the reader guessing and eager to read on. So immersed was I in young Juliet’s life that I felt quite enraged at what happened to her and the consequences for the rest of her life. Of course, the skilled writing that I have come to expect from Veronica Henry leads the reader around Paris, with all the sights, sounds and smells that will entice many to make a trip there in the future. This is definitely another hit for this author that I can recommend to all.

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