Paris isn’t always the city of love…

Synopsis

Personal shopper Annie Valentine is back! Older and bolder!

Fashion guru Annie is struggling to cope with her hectic life. With the demands of two older children, plus four-year-old twins, her marriage to Ed is in a romance-free rut and she’s clinging by a couture thread to her job as the nation’s favourite fashion fixer.

And where is Svetlana, her multi-millionaire friend, when Annie needs her? Busy with an expensive mid-life crisis, that’s where!

When Ed gets the chance to teach in Paris, Annie thinks time apart could be the answer. Wrong!

In Paris, Ed transforms into a debonair silver fox, attracting the attentions of stylish siren Sylvie.

Annie can’t lose her man or the job she loves, so bundling her bags, her babies and a reluctant Svetlana onto the Eurostar, she sets off to the rescue. But can the City of Love deliver the ooh la lathat her marriage, and her fashion series, so desperately needs?

Another brilliant laugh out loud emotional read, perfect for fans of Fiona Gibson, Tracy Bloom and Sophie Ranald!

My review

Annie Valentine for sure feels the years passing by. Her show as a fashion guru is at risk, her two older children have their own demands, having four – year – old twins is a challenge. That for sure is putting her marriage with Ed not high on her priority list. So even if they love each other deeply, when Ed gets the chance to teach in Paris, they both believe the distance will make them understand once again how important they are to each other.
However… once Ed is in Paris, Annie hears he is spending more and more time with colleague Silvie. And her jealousy starts to rise.
It doesn’t help that she cannot rely on her friend Svetlana, who is having her own mid – life crisis.
With inspiration strikes Annie on how to save her show, she takes off with the twins to Paris herself to save what matters the most, her marriage.
But how will she be welcomed in the City of Love?

It was great to meet Annie again, as I already know her from her previous books. And on one hand it was amazing to see my friend again, but on the other side, I was also a bit afraid. Because a new book means new trouble. And I wanted Annie to live her life happily ever after with the man she loves.

But just like in real life, a marriage, family, and life in general isn’t always a guarantee for that happy end we are all searching for.
It is always a work in progress, a matter of finding the perfect balance yet often too failing in finding it…

I can only try to imagine how hectic Annie’s life is at this stage, trying to keep being inventive for her show, demanding children in every age-range, an elusive friend and a marriage where romance has slowly died.
Wisdom for sure comes with age, but even the wisest people need a breather once in a while!

I could feel the stress level rise with Annie, wanting to be the best mother, wife, friend and show host. And see her trying yet also failing at moments was just a reminder that in fact we are all human, and are allowed to make mistakes.

Yet we see that Annie is also a very supporting woman, encouraging all her children, wanting to show Svetlana her true beauty, and being supportive towards her husband Ed pursuing his dreams, even if that means being apart from each other.
Annie for sure has many many balls up in the air, and is doing her best to not let any of them fall…

With Paris being the epicentre of fashion, I found that Annie had a great idea for her show. And of course it would help to save her marriage, as she is getting signs from Ed, even involuntary ones, that something is amiss…

I have to say, while previously I truly liked Ed, in this book, I was deeply disappointed in him… Yes, I wanted him to chase his dreams in Paris, but how quickly dismissive he became… and then his behaviour in Paris and how he practically kicked Annie out… it just didn’t fit with the Ed I used to know.
That also shows us that over the years a lot of things happen, but also how being in a rut can make you even doubt everything you used to know.
But even if Ed’s revelation was a bit a shocking one, well, let me just say that even when you doubt him the most, don’t give him that easily the chop..

And then there is Svetlana. She is a force of nature, an amazing force of nature. But in this book we also see that even forces of nature can go through difficult moments. Even forces of nature need to have a goal in life, yet finding that goal isn’t always an easy task.

Of course Svetlana often with her behaviour put a smile on my face, but she also let me remind that we all have that sense of being constantly at our best, that we have to improve ourselves and even keep the high standard we put ourselves in. But why? Isn’t it enough of being enough for our loved ones? Why put ourselves in such a stress for others, others that don’t matter that much?

While this was of course a book that made me laugh several times, it was also a book that reminded me that life and love are always a work in progress. That even when things have been in a rut, we shouldn’t tale them for granted. And that we should keep fighting for love. But it’s also about finding yourself again and letting your inner beauty come out. And also that sometimes even small changes, like a different haircut, can be the best change ever.