When it comes to romance, there are few better than Jojo Moyes. Her stories are always so full of emotion and heart.
Over the years I have read quite a few of her novels and each novel is unique and I always have a hard time putting them down. The main characters are always interesting, well drawn women and the romance elements are tenderhearted and emotionally charged.
I don’t read a lot of short stories or collections of stories as I prefer a fully developed novel where I can focus on one character but because Moyes novels are always so enjoyable, I thought I would give this one a go.
Initially I didn’t know that this was a collection of stories because the first story, Paris for One, was actually more of a novella in length while the others were more like short stories. Each of the women in the stories were memorable, interesting, and unique. I especially liked that one of the stories had a Christmas theme to it…..this time of year I love Christmas romances so I really enjoyed that one.
The title story, Paris for One, is about Nell, a twenty-six year old who has never been to Paris. She’s never even been on a romantic weekend away to anywhere before. Everyone knows travelling abroad isn’t really her thing. But when Nell’s boyfriend fails to show up for their romantic mini-vacation, she has the opportunity to prove everyone including herself wrong.
Alone and in Paris, Nell uncovers a version of herself she never knew existed: independent and intrepid. Could this turn out to be the most adventurous weekend of her life?
The other stories are:
Between the Tweets
Love in the Afternoon
A Bird in the Hand
Crocodile Shoes
Holdups
Last Year’s Coat
Thirteen Days with John C.
The Christmas List
While I enjoyed Paris for One as the title story and The Christmas List for the whole holiday piece, I actually really loved Love in the Afternoon for the short stories.
Love in the Afternoon is about a woman’s husband who surprises her with a getaway vacation but it can’t conjure up a bygone romance. This story was so realistic and heartbreaking but yet the ending worked really well and still left me feeling satisfied. I think this one really hit home to me in some ways because it was so real. I think I could relate to the story and I just loved how it was so honest and authentic.
While Paris for One is more of a traditional romance, the other stories are about women experiencing dissatisfaction in their marriage and/or career, after the initial shine has worn off and kids and finances have complicated the picture, life happens and their stories are so realistic and powerful that I think any woman could relate in some way. Paris for One was more of an idealistic romance while the others just seemed more real.
This is probably why I enjoyed the short stories more than the title novella I think. While Moyes is a talented storyteller and her delicate touch with her stories is ever present, it’s the realness of the women…..flawed, a little frumpy, and life-worn…..that really make this story pop for me as a woman reader.
That said, I kind of wish these were each separate novels. There were times that I felt like the characters and the stories needed to be more room to develop. While I was satisfied in general with most of the stories, I felt like I could have gotten so much more out of a full length novel!
On the whole the collection was a wonderful read and I loved the witty romances and realistic characters. If you are looking for a character driven novel filled with heart and romance than this is the collection for you!
Challenge/Book Summary:
Book: Paris for One and Other Stories by Jojo Moyes
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Kindle Edition, 288 pagesPublished October 18th 2016 by Pamela Dorman Books (first published October 2016)
This book counts toward: NA
- Hosted by: NA
- Books for Challenge Completed: NA
Recommendation: 4 out of 5
Genre: Romance, womens fiction, chick lit
Memorable lines/quotes: NA
I have not read JoJo Moyes yet. But your reviews here tweaked my interest! Thank you! Always looking for great escape and good writing!