Christmas at the Little Paris Hotel

Reviewed By  Janet Mawdesley       September 16, 2024

 

Author  Rebecca Raisin

Distributor:      Boldwood Books
ISBN:                 9781835335109
Publisher:         Boldwood
Release Date:   September 2024  

FaceBook:    

YouTube:   

Instagram:   

X Formally Twitter:    

Its 1 November: Anais and her cousin Manon are standing on the pavement looking at all she has left from what she considered a terrific marriage, when the sign from the dilapidated L’Hotel du Parc, almost hits her on its trajectory to a crashing finale at her feet.

Still in shock, she is then accosted by what she considers a younger Hemingway look alike, wearing a beanie, the owner of the bar next door, berating her for her carelessness, along with lack of maintenance of the Hotel and so begins her first day of ownership of the seventies style décor, slowly decaying, badly in need of renovating L’Hotel du Parc.

She is a popular author of romance fiction and is on a deadline to have her new manuscript ready for her Agent, but can only come up with scenes where she kills the so called hero; naturally still venting her hurt and anger with her former husband François-Xavier, who took all she had worked for and left her with the run down, worn out hotel, very little money in the bank and huge mortgage.

Anais needs to have the hotel open for Christmas, which is only seven weeks away, get her unfinished manuscript to her agent Margaret, somehow keep the peace, her peace, with Noah, the man next door and owner of the La Generation Purdue Wine Bar, which seems almost impossible.

When a massive crashing sound in the night sees the ornate, gold edged mirror located on the third floor, lying on the floor surrounded by debris revealing a hidden passage extension, Anais and Manon are intrigued but there are two very curious questions that need answering, why and when.

As the days filled with hard work roll on, Anais still has not completed her manuscript, Noah, the Hemmingway look alike is still giving her grief, builders are hired and a treasure trove of items are uncovered in many of the rooms. Anais along with some serious encouragement for Manon begins to see there is a wonderful Hotel beginning to emerge from the disaster.

Love slowly blooms in the most unexpected way in Christmas at the Little Paris Hotel as Anais and Manon both discover that love with the right person can be truly wonderful.

Rebecca Raisin has created another wonderful romance in the wider style of the genre, set once again set in Paris, with a new heroine Anais, as she faces up to some terrible calamities in her life and eventually discovers that where there is a way, there can often be a will, even if it is a major struggle.