Thirty Days in Paris: The gorgeously escapist, romantic and uplifting new novel from the Sunday Times bestselling author

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The authors love for Paris shines in this book, she made me believe I was their experiencing it all with them. All three women uproot themselves and move to Rushbrook, deep in the heart of Somerset, to take over The Swan and restore it to its former glory. Cherry is at the helm, Maggie is in charge of the kitchen, and Rose tends the picturesque garden that leads down to the river. The story is just wonderful as Juliet lays to rest the demons of her past. I found Thirty Days in Paris emotionally mature, intelligent and appealing so that Veronica Henry moved me to tears with her ability to convey Juliet’s inner thoughts and feelings so effectively. Despite the fact that Thirty Days in Paris is uplifting and liberating with love at its core, it tugs at the heart strings too with its vibrating, melancholic sense of missed opportunities and what might have been. At the same time, this is a story of hope and encouragement. Forget youth. Forget life beginning at forty. What Veronica Henry shows you is that life begins at whatever point an individual decides and all that is needed is to be a tiny bit brave. I thought this message was outstanding.

The storyline of this book was wonderful, I loved meeting Juliet who was this beautiful strong lady about to embark on her own journey of self discovery. After her 25 year marriage ended she decided to give herself some time to discover who she is now and who she wants to be. She had a couple of moments where she doubted her and Stewart’s decision to separate but deep down she knew they had done the right thing for both of them. She was so excited to be going to Paris for thirty days, a place where she spent time as an Au Pair when she was much younger and where she left the love of her life. It's a lovely story of a woman finding herself again after one phase of her life comes to an end as well as finally coming to terms with events of thirty years earlier and is written with all of Veronica Henry’s usual flair and warmth. A great piece of escapist fiction to curl up with. Tesco's , vibrant pink with a gold resplendent Eiffel Tower standing out . I knew I immediately had to read it. I've read quite a few of Veronica Henry's book and she has such a lovely way with the written word and plots that makes me a happy reader and she done it again this time too. However, Cherry's partner (Maggie's Father) is facing his own crossroads, retirement and what to do with his life. He thought it was mapped out, with Cherry and he going travelling, but she buys the pub. Is this the end of their 50+ year relationship?Rushbrook itself is an idyllic village which I could so easily envisage with the local church, pub and charming houses. I like that we also get to know some of the other residents of the village who were all lovely in their own way with some having to deal with their own issues which had me hooked and eager to read more.

I thoroughly enjoyed Juliet’s friendship with both Nathalie and Olivier. There’s something quite wonderful about friendships that endure the pressures of time. To return to an earlier feeling of love and familiarity with no more than a slight hiccup in connection is a very special thing. In particular, I would love to grab a table at The Girl Who Cried Champagne and sample the mouth-watering food that is described there. I must admit that I will read anything about the city Paris whether it's fiction or factual. I have a love affair with Paris after several visits on holiday. It's a favourite city to visit for me , and reading about it always has me feeling nostalgic for those lovely times. Cherry , Maggie and Rose are mother, daughter and granddaughter, each with their own hopes, dreams and even sorrows. They have always been close, so when, in a moment of impulse, Cherry buys a gorgeous but rundown pub in the village she grew up in, it soon becomes a family affair. Wow, it's not often I want to give 6 stars out of 5 for a book, but this is it. I've read a few Veronica Henry books and enjoyed every one but Thirty Days in Paris, tops them all and feel this will be my book of the year. I didn't want it to end and read this book for hours at a time, needing to know what happens to the main character Juliet and her friends and family next. Cherry and her relationship with her husband Mike was a bit of a conundrum to me. There is no doubting how much they love each other but for me, I felt it was rather one sided with Cherry putting her life on hold over the years so her husband could concentrate on his art and teaching and when it comes to Cherry doing something for herself, I found Mike to be rather selfish and putting want he wants over that of his wife’s. As I say there is no doubting that his character loves his wife and is proud of her, but it did niggle at me throughout with his reactions to certain things.I absolutely loved this book and didn't want it to end. I've read a few books by this author, and she's fast becoming one of my favourites. The way she writes about families with their lives intertwined, wants you to be there with them. However there is the boy that is now a man that she left behind with no explanation , Olivier who you can't help but fall for twice over as you read this book. Her first love , that was snatched cruelly away by two very selfish people , one that had me cursing at him for what he did. Reunited with her friend Nathalie (such a vibrant and likeable character ) that you'd want as a friend , you get to see some of the old Juliet returning with a zest for life and a remembrance of how much she enjoyed the city of Paris , the food , the atmosphere and an idea springs to her that they should write a book alongside the one she's writing for herself during her 30 days stay. Paris is the real star of the story. This is the Paris of love stories, full of lovely shops, beautiful art and friendly bar men, a Paris where all of the men are good looking and the women are impossibly well-dressed. It’s probably not very realistic on an every day basis but the book certainly made me want to revisit the city and to try and find some of Juliet’s bars, restaurants and markets.

Juliet finds herself single again after her marriage of twenty five years has come to an amicable end, as she and her husband Stuart no longer want the same things, so she sets off on a journey to rediscover herself, and where better than Paris, the place she fell in love thirty years ago and found the love of her life, Olivier. What will happen during the next thirty days in Paris is entirely up to her and she is ready to tell her story... I knew that I was in for a very special treat when I started reading. There’s something quite magical about the way Veronica Henry writes and I happily submitted to the text and was swept away. There is a dual timeline feel to this story as we read about Juliet’s modern-day visit to Paris, alongside revisiting her early experiences as a young girl. Escape to the glorious Somerset countryside with this joyful and uplifting story of family, love and hope. This book is about 3 women, a Grandmother, Cherry; Mother, Maggie and Granddaughter, Rose; of course, there's Gertie too, Rose's daughter. Cherry buys her childhood local pub after her Mother dies, she great at renovating property and feels she can make the pub great again. After events in Maggie and Rose's lives, they decide to take the plunge and help Cherry. Juliet’s separation and subsequent divorce from her husband are told with real warmth and I was left wishing that all relationships could end so beautifully. Alas, that is but a dream. As she arrives in Paris, Juliet is enchanted by the bijou apartment that she has rented and gets a real feel for life as an artist. As her memories from her earlier visit return, it’s not easy to understand why she ever left her original life behind. Of course, as we follow her experiences reuniting with former friends, we learn more about her reasons for leaving.I'm so glad they got reunited though at first it wasn't smooth, they just are so good together as a couple. Obstacles happen , but you can feel the chemistry between the two lead characters as you are swept along with them as they explore Paris together.

During her stay Juliet wants to write down the story of her visit when she was an au pair to a young couple and their three children. The story is told as a dual time-line with Juliet’s present day story alternating with the chapters of her book as she writes them. We see how she settles into her new life and meets old friends and we also get the story of how they first met and formed their relationships in that first visit. Oh my goodness I absolutely loved this so much, I just couldn’t get enough of it, it had everything that I love about a good book. Cherry's daughter Maggie is a widow, she's lost her soul mate/husband a few years earlier and is not ready to move on and find a new love. She's good at her PR job but she wants to try a new venture and joins her mother in returning the pub to its former glory. Will she ever learn to love again?

Of course, the key theme is for Juliet to find closure for her earlier visit. To discover a way to close the door on her earlier experiences and find comfort in her memories. That need finds fulfilment in a wonderfully soothing way. As the implications of how her time ended are brought to light, there is a healing and understanding that left me feeling happy.