I was a bit gunshy about getting this one; the reviews were mixed, and its premise seemed a bit, well, cheesy, really. However, in truth, I was more or less pleasantly surprised, though this book took me a bit longer to get through than most - intentionally so; I wanted to take time to properly digest segments of it rather than just plowing dead ahead.
The Little Paris Bookshop is pleasantly poignant, it doesn't throw heavy doses of optimism or cliche at you, which in and of itself is refreshing, and it truly is relatable to those of us who have lost love - whether lovers due to break ups or death, or family members. It's also relatable to those who have never even found it, thanks to a particular character.
Yes, it is somewhat predictable in some aspects, but there were a couple of slight curves that I didn't see coming that threw me for a bit of a loop, and the ending tied things up quite nicely. In truth, it really does make me yearn for a literary pharmacist of my own, though I found the recommendations at the back of the book rather cute.
I wouldn't wholly call this a "feel good" book; it does elicit a lot of heartache at times with how one can so easily relate to Jean, and the ending itself was bittersweet, so it wasn't wholly enough of a pick me up to counteract that, so be prepared for a lot of emotional ups and downs in this book, and if you're a heavily empathetic person as I am, take it in small doses so you don't get bogged down.
That being said, this book was worth the read, and I'll probably be reading it again at some point when I need the emotional release. Jean would classify this one in his "need to cry" section, I think.
I received this book from the Blogging for Books program in exchange for this honest and unbiased review.
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