Romance, Magic, and Enlightenment Await You at ‘The Paris Wedding’ [REVIEW]

Is Paris ever a bad idea, even when it is to go see your first love marry someone you’ve never met? (Photo by George Estreich, Flickr)

Shortly after receiving a devastating blow that shakes her carefully constructed world, a young woman receives an unexpected invitation to Paris. Even as she tries to sort through a bevy of emotions, her family encourages her to make the journey. But is she up for watching her first love get married? Find out in Charlotte Nash’s gorgeous new novel, The Paris Wedding. 

William Morrow

Rachael West is at a crossroads. For a long while, she’s put her life on hold to nurse her mother through an unexpected and ultimately fatal illness. Now that the funeral is over, however, she must decide what direction she wants her life to head in. It’s a conundrum she hasn’t had to ponder for quite some time, and fear and indecision seem to have a choke hold on her… at least until she opens the mail one day to get a real blast from the past, an invitation from her first love to attend his wedding in Paris. Flooded with old memories, Rachael contemplates whether or not she should attend even as long-buried feelings resurface to haunt her every waking moment.

Meanwhile, Rachael’s sister Tess, deals with their mother’s death in an entirely different manner. She’s a take-the-bull-by-the-horns kind of girl, and she constantly pushes Rachael to get rid of everything and start fresh in order to cope with their loss. This kind of action plan doesn’t sit well with Rachael, but eventually her family and friends sway her and convince her to make the trip. So she sets off toward the City of Light and hopes that Paris will have a little magic in store for her too. But will she be ready for it when it comes?

The Paris Wedding is one of those multi-layered novels that touched me on many levels. First of all, watching Rachael process her grief reminded me of when my own father died. Like Tess, my siblings handled the situation very differently than I did, fueled as they were with complex emotions of their own. But this novel reminds us that traversing the divide within a family is possible, even if it seems like an insurmountable task at first. And that’s what I came to admire about Rachael. She doesn’t let indecision dominate her thoughts. In fact, this book ultimately reminds us that “all big leaps are scary.” However, the rewards we receive when we try something unfamiliar helps us harness our fears and channel that energy into something productive and valuable.

If you’re looking for a love story that is as inciteful as it is endearing, you can’t go wrong with Charlotte Nash’s The Paris Wedding. This is a book with heart, and one that will resonate with readers the world over. It’s also guaranteed to make you think, with your heart as well as with your mind, and would therefore be perfect for your next book club pick. So be sure to reserve it now at your local library, or purchase it using one of the links below. And while you’re at it, but two copies: one for a friend and another for yourself, because this is one for the keeper shelf!

Charlotte Nash
(Photo by Jen Dainer, Industrial Arc Photography)

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Charlotte Nash was born in historic Lincoln, England, and grew up in the sunny Redland Shire of Brisbane, Australia. Obsessed with horses and riding, she began stealing her mother’s Jilly Cooper novels at the age of thirteen, and has been enthusiastic for romance ever since.

Always a little unconventional, she took a meandering path to writing through careers in engineering and medicine, including stints building rockets and as an industrial accident investigator. Now she writes romantic stories, and moonlights as a creative writing PhD student, studying how narratives engage the brain.

She lives in a cozy Brisbane cottage with her husband and son, and a small flock of lovable chooks. Visit her home on the Web at CharlotteNash.net, like her on Facebook and follow her on Twitter.

THE PARIS WEDDING
By Charlotte Nash
336 pgs. William Morrow. $15.99

Purchase The Paris Wedding at one of these fine online retailers: HarperCollins, Amazon, or Barnes & Noble.

The Paris Wedding is brought to you in association with TLC Book Tours.