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One Paris Summer
Most teens dream of visiting the City of Lights, but it feels more like a nightmare for Sophie Brooks. She and her brother are sent to Paris to spend the summer with their father, who left home a year ago without any explanation. As if his sudden abandonment weren't betrayal enough, he's about to remarry, and they're expected to play nice with his soon-to-be wife and stepdaughter. The stepdaughter, Camille, agrees to show them around the city, but she makes it clear that she will do everything in her power to make Sophie miserable.
Sophie could deal with all the pain and humiliation if only she could practice piano. Her dream is to become a pianist, and she was supposed to spend the summer preparing for a scholarship competition. Even though her father moved to Paris to pursue his own dream, he clearly doesn't support hers. His promise to provide her with a piano goes unfulfilled.
Still, no one is immune to Paris' charm. After a few encounters with a gorgeous French boy, Sophie finds herself warming to the city, particularly when she discovers that he can help her practice piano. There's just one hitch - he's a friend of Camille's, and Camille hates Sophie.
Sophie could deal with all the pain and humiliation if only she could practice piano. Her dream is to become a pianist, and she was supposed to spend the summer preparing for a scholarship competition. Even though her father moved to Paris to pursue his own dream, he clearly doesn't support hers. His promise to provide her with a piano goes unfulfilled.
Still, no one is immune to Paris' charm. After a few encounters with a gorgeous French boy, Sophie finds herself warming to the city, particularly when she discovers that he can help her practice piano. There's just one hitch - he's a friend of Camille's, and Camille hates Sophie.
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First published June 7, 2016
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June 13, 2016
When I first started reading this book, I wasn't sure I was going to be able to read it due to the horrible way Sophie was treated by her new stepsister. I wasn't sure I could sit through all of the bullying, but it all turned out okay.
Suddenly Sophie and her older brother Eric have to drop all of their plans for their summer in South Carolina and go to Paris. Their mother and father divorced almost a year ago and now their father wants them to come to Paris to be in his wedding. Since their father hasn't talked to them much in almost a year they are not happy about this one bit. They are hurt and feel betrayed by their father for up and leaving all of them. But, not everything is as it seems. Their mother and father have a back story they eventually explain to the kids.
Sophie's father marries a really sweet lady named Eva, but she has a wicked daughter. She is so very evil to Sophie and there is a lot of bullying at first from Camille and her friends.
Sophie and Eric are trying their best to get along with their father and the situation. There are so many things that go wrong that I wanted to smack a whole butt load of people. You will want to smack them too! But overall, I fell in love with so many of these characters. Once you find out the different situations then the others are not so bad either... well... almost. I loved Eva through the whole book, she was kind to the kids and tried to do her best for everyone.
At the wedding, Sophie finds something out about her father and she runs outside of the restaurant and this is where she meets her love interest in the book, Mathieu Rousseau.
EXCERPT
He slipped off his backpack, unzipped it, and started to dig around inside. "Are you lost?" he asked, looking into my eyes.
The kindness and worry in his voice caught me by surprise.
He handed me a tissue, and I reluctantly took it.
"It's clean," He said, and a smile spread across his face, lighting up his spectacular eyes.
I dabbed my face, realizing two things. One, this French guy was impossibly cute, and two, I as an ugly crier.
Mathieu and Sophie slowly start crushing on each other but there are some complications in the arrangement. I don't want to give out any spoilers, but lets just say there is more to the story.
Mathieu's mom is also a director at the Conservatoire de Seine and there are auditions coming up to get in by invitation only. Mathieu's mom had agreed to let Sophie come over and practice on their piano since her dad didn't live up to his bargain and get Sophie a piano. She needed to practice over the summer for a contest. Poor Eva got her a keyboard to try to make up for it, she was trying.
Anyway, when Mathieu's mom hears Sophie play one day she asks her if she wants to audition. Sophie is stunned as she has talked about this school with her mom before. She decides to audition and has to talk her parents into letting her. But she also has to decide if he is now doing it for herself or to stay close two Mathieu. Sophie grows a lot while in Paris and makes some good decisions for herself.
And there certainly is nothing wrong with a little romance as long as it's for all the right reasons. Plus, she has an older brother that has threatened bodily harm. :-)
I really enjoyed this book when we got past the smacking people parts. I think a lot of the characters (but one) grew up during this time.
*I would like to thank BookLookBloggers and HarperCollins for a print copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.*
MY BLOG: Melissa Martin's Reading List
Suddenly Sophie and her older brother Eric have to drop all of their plans for their summer in South Carolina and go to Paris. Their mother and father divorced almost a year ago and now their father wants them to come to Paris to be in his wedding. Since their father hasn't talked to them much in almost a year they are not happy about this one bit. They are hurt and feel betrayed by their father for up and leaving all of them. But, not everything is as it seems. Their mother and father have a back story they eventually explain to the kids.
Sophie's father marries a really sweet lady named Eva, but she has a wicked daughter. She is so very evil to Sophie and there is a lot of bullying at first from Camille and her friends.
Sophie and Eric are trying their best to get along with their father and the situation. There are so many things that go wrong that I wanted to smack a whole butt load of people. You will want to smack them too! But overall, I fell in love with so many of these characters. Once you find out the different situations then the others are not so bad either... well... almost. I loved Eva through the whole book, she was kind to the kids and tried to do her best for everyone.
At the wedding, Sophie finds something out about her father and she runs outside of the restaurant and this is where she meets her love interest in the book, Mathieu Rousseau.
EXCERPT
He slipped off his backpack, unzipped it, and started to dig around inside. "Are you lost?" he asked, looking into my eyes.
The kindness and worry in his voice caught me by surprise.
He handed me a tissue, and I reluctantly took it.
"It's clean," He said, and a smile spread across his face, lighting up his spectacular eyes.
I dabbed my face, realizing two things. One, this French guy was impossibly cute, and two, I as an ugly crier.
Mathieu and Sophie slowly start crushing on each other but there are some complications in the arrangement. I don't want to give out any spoilers, but lets just say there is more to the story.
Mathieu's mom is also a director at the Conservatoire de Seine and there are auditions coming up to get in by invitation only. Mathieu's mom had agreed to let Sophie come over and practice on their piano since her dad didn't live up to his bargain and get Sophie a piano. She needed to practice over the summer for a contest. Poor Eva got her a keyboard to try to make up for it, she was trying.
Anyway, when Mathieu's mom hears Sophie play one day she asks her if she wants to audition. Sophie is stunned as she has talked about this school with her mom before. She decides to audition and has to talk her parents into letting her. But she also has to decide if he is now doing it for herself or to stay close two Mathieu. Sophie grows a lot while in Paris and makes some good decisions for herself.
And there certainly is nothing wrong with a little romance as long as it's for all the right reasons. Plus, she has an older brother that has threatened bodily harm. :-)
I really enjoyed this book when we got past the smacking people parts. I think a lot of the characters (but one) grew up during this time.
*I would like to thank BookLookBloggers and HarperCollins for a print copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.*
MY BLOG: Melissa Martin's Reading List
December 20, 2021
***2 Stars, barely***
***Disclaimer: this is an old review, only updated for the purpose of correcting some misspelled words***
This book was just so... YA.
Don't get me wrong, I don't generally have a problem with YA. I think it's actually my most read genre.
Some of these books are actually really, really good, but then there are some where the protagonist is barely 16 years young and their voices are just so.... immature.
I picked up this book because it had started to snow here in Germany and I was in the mood for a lighthearted, summer-y romance. But I ended up being very disappointed..
This story is about a girl named Sophie who, along with her brother Eric, is about to spend the summer in Paris. This is against her will, because her parents got divorced and her father moved to the City of Love, so her mom shipped the kids off there (supposedly for their dad's wedding, but also because she has a new boyfriend and wants to spend more time with him).
Sophie hates this whole situation and thinks she'll hate Paris. Disclaimer: NO ONE HATES PARIS. EVER. I've been there and it's a wonderful city, you cannot hate it. Anyway, she gets there and doesn't like her soon to be stepmom (big surprise there) and she doesn't get along at all with the step sister either. Said step sister, Camille, is a horrible to Sophie and has every intention to make her life a living hell for no reason whatsoever (she doesn't know her, she has no real reason to hate her, Sophie hasn't done anything to Camille - this is all just a ridiculous drama to fill in some more pages).
At the wedding diner Sophie finds herself on the steps of the restaurant, crying like a baby and guess what? A beautiful Parisian boy comes to the rescue. They click instantly, they're both attractive, they meet randomly on a street in Paris, so they're bound to meet again and fall in love, right? In a city with 2.2 million people, of course you'll see the same guy again in just a few days!! *insert big eye roll here*
Skip a few pages (or chapters? I don't remember exactly) and our Sophie gets rescued by that guy, only to find out he's one of Camille's bffs and not just that, he's also one of her exes. This is where I started having issues with this book: if I can get over the cliches in the plot so far, I couldn't ignore the fact that the author made it out to look like the guy, named Matthew (or Mathieu? I listened to the audiobook, so I'm not sure how it's spelled), hates Sophie's guts. It appears to her that every time they see each other, he simply can't stand her.
This is of course just BS, because he's secretly crazy about her. He just has his reasons why he can't show her.
Anyway, long story short: in only two months these two teens fall madly in love. Then they do a bunch of shenanigans together, only to have a huge misstep at some point and break up. But fear not! All is well in the end and they get their happily ever after.
Again, don't get me wrong, this is not a terrible book by any means. It just felt childish to me and it made me realize that I've got to do more research before I dive into another YA romance novel, because I am sick of reading about 16 year olds finding that insta-love. I am also done reading YA about 16 year olds PERIOD. I like the plot of so many of these books, but I just wish the characters in them would be a bit more mature. I'm done reading about kids, that's just it.
***Disclaimer: this is an old review, only updated for the purpose of correcting some misspelled words***
This book was just so... YA.
Don't get me wrong, I don't generally have a problem with YA. I think it's actually my most read genre.
Some of these books are actually really, really good, but then there are some where the protagonist is barely 16 years young and their voices are just so.... immature.
I picked up this book because it had started to snow here in Germany and I was in the mood for a lighthearted, summer-y romance. But I ended up being very disappointed..
This story is about a girl named Sophie who, along with her brother Eric, is about to spend the summer in Paris. This is against her will, because her parents got divorced and her father moved to the City of Love, so her mom shipped the kids off there (supposedly for their dad's wedding, but also because she has a new boyfriend and wants to spend more time with him).
Sophie hates this whole situation and thinks she'll hate Paris. Disclaimer: NO ONE HATES PARIS. EVER. I've been there and it's a wonderful city, you cannot hate it. Anyway, she gets there and doesn't like her soon to be stepmom (big surprise there) and she doesn't get along at all with the step sister either. Said step sister, Camille, is a horrible to Sophie and has every intention to make her life a living hell for no reason whatsoever (she doesn't know her, she has no real reason to hate her, Sophie hasn't done anything to Camille - this is all just a ridiculous drama to fill in some more pages).
At the wedding diner Sophie finds herself on the steps of the restaurant, crying like a baby and guess what? A beautiful Parisian boy comes to the rescue. They click instantly, they're both attractive, they meet randomly on a street in Paris, so they're bound to meet again and fall in love, right? In a city with 2.2 million people, of course you'll see the same guy again in just a few days!! *insert big eye roll here*
Skip a few pages (or chapters? I don't remember exactly) and our Sophie gets rescued by that guy, only to find out he's one of Camille's bffs and not just that, he's also one of her exes. This is where I started having issues with this book: if I can get over the cliches in the plot so far, I couldn't ignore the fact that the author made it out to look like the guy, named Matthew (or Mathieu? I listened to the audiobook, so I'm not sure how it's spelled), hates Sophie's guts. It appears to her that every time they see each other, he simply can't stand her.
This is of course just BS, because he's secretly crazy about her. He just has his reasons why he can't show her.
Anyway, long story short: in only two months these two teens fall madly in love. Then they do a bunch of shenanigans together, only to have a huge misstep at some point and break up. But fear not! All is well in the end and they get their happily ever after.
Again, don't get me wrong, this is not a terrible book by any means. It just felt childish to me and it made me realize that I've got to do more research before I dive into another YA romance novel, because I am sick of reading about 16 year olds finding that insta-love. I am also done reading YA about 16 year olds PERIOD. I like the plot of so many of these books, but I just wish the characters in them would be a bit more mature. I'm done reading about kids, that's just it.
October 7, 2016
Audiobook, good narration
Sweet little YA romance. Deals with broken family issues, step families, bullies and working for something more. Responsible main characters with brains, who communicate ! Yes it can happen, they deal with hard facts with thinking. Things don't go smooth, relationship build slowly, life in real life. The setting is Paris, with all it's beautiful locations and language.
I had one problem, the gasping, I gasped, she gasped, they gasped, omg get a new reaction. This was probably more noticeable in audio.
Sweet little YA romance. Deals with broken family issues, step families, bullies and working for something more. Responsible main characters with brains, who communicate ! Yes it can happen, they deal with hard facts with thinking. Things don't go smooth, relationship build slowly, life in real life. The setting is Paris, with all it's beautiful locations and language.
I had one problem, the gasping, I gasped, she gasped, they gasped, omg get a new reaction. This was probably more noticeable in audio.
August 5, 2020
3.8/5
“I was scared I’d lost you forever.” My chin quivered. “I’m scared I’m too late.”
He shook his head and a soft smile lifted his mouth. “Non, mon coeur. You’re just in time.”
~One Paris Summer
I don't why I keep trying to make this Anna and the French Kiss...*sigh* More toward the last few pages, this book won more of my heart over, but I just kinda really disliked Sophie. SHE WAS SO FREAKING ANNOYING! I've lost a lot of my anger because she wasn't as annoying toward the end of this book. The fact that she is a 16-year-old girl and cries all the time and keeps saying "Daddy" this, "Daddy" that is EXTREMELY annoying!!! Most of the time, I hated Sophie, but she got better toward the end. She was just a super immature character and she wasn't well developed. Also, Soph & Matchieu's or whatever the heck his name was, relationship was very unrealistic. You can't just decide that you love someone after giving them one glance! Like, what the hell? It felt very unreal. (I keep putting just, lol). Overall, this book is in between a 3 and a 4-star rating from me. I liked it, but I won't be recommending it to anyone anytime soon. Kinda a waste of time :/
~Becca da unimpressed Queen<3🇫🇷
“I was scared I’d lost you forever.” My chin quivered. “I’m scared I’m too late.”
He shook his head and a soft smile lifted his mouth. “Non, mon coeur. You’re just in time.”
~One Paris Summer
I don't why I keep trying to make this Anna and the French Kiss...*sigh* More toward the last few pages, this book won more of my heart over, but I just kinda really disliked Sophie. SHE WAS SO FREAKING ANNOYING! I've lost a lot of my anger because she wasn't as annoying toward the end of this book. The fact that she is a 16-year-old girl and cries all the time and keeps saying "Daddy" this, "Daddy" that is EXTREMELY annoying!!! Most of the time, I hated Sophie, but she got better toward the end. She was just a super immature character and she wasn't well developed. Also, Soph & Matchieu's or whatever the heck his name was, relationship was very unrealistic. You can't just decide that you love someone after giving them one glance! Like, what the hell? It felt very unreal. (I keep putting just, lol). Overall, this book is in between a 3 and a 4-star rating from me. I liked it, but I won't be recommending it to anyone anytime soon. Kinda a waste of time :/
~Becca da unimpressed Queen<3🇫🇷
November 25, 2017
It wasn’t bad, but I didn’t actually care about most of the characters. The only ones I really liked were Jenna, Eric and Eva, but they’re not even that important in the novel. The story was fun enough, but I wish there was more about Paris. I understand why Sophie wasn’t happy to be there, but I was filled with jealousy, stuck in Canada, so I wad really annoyed about her attitude at first. I also hate rude and mean people (I guess everyone does, but I hate them very deeply), so the two awful characters in this book filled me with an incredible amount of anger.
October 27, 2019
4.5/5.0
Absolutely delightful, sweet YA romance! Sophie is a wonderful heroine who is experienceing her first love while dealing with her parents divorce, her father’s abandonment, re-connection and marriage, a new step-sister (in the worst of connotations) all while discovering her own goals and desires. It’s real with the heart of a dream!
The ending was wrapped up just a bit too quickly and easily. After being so deeply hurt and betrayed by two people, I can’t imagine it not taking at least a little time to learn to trust them again. The sudden, PING! It’s perfect, didn’t resonate as believable. BUT, that is the ONLY hesitation I had with this otherwise perfect teenage summer romance!
Absolutely delightful, sweet YA romance! Sophie is a wonderful heroine who is experienceing her first love while dealing with her parents divorce, her father’s abandonment, re-connection and marriage, a new step-sister (in the worst of connotations) all while discovering her own goals and desires. It’s real with the heart of a dream!
The ending was wrapped up just a bit too quickly and easily. After being so deeply hurt and betrayed by two people, I can’t imagine it not taking at least a little time to learn to trust them again. The sudden, PING! It’s perfect, didn’t resonate as believable. BUT, that is the ONLY hesitation I had with this otherwise perfect teenage summer romance!
July 1, 2016
Paris is the last place on earth that Sophie wants to spend her summer… she has her reasons of course, starting with the fact that she’ll be with her father who has basically ignored her and her brother for the last ten months after ditching them and leaving for the city of lights to pursue his dream job. His abandonment has left a bigger hole in her life and heart than she’ll ever admit, but he’s on the verge of getting remarried and her mom is pushing her to go, so she finds herself on a flight to a city she doesn’t really want to go to.
When the plane touches down, she’s thrust into her father’s new life, meeting his soon to be wife and step-sister, but she has goals of her own for the summer that she isn’t going to give up even though she won’t be at home. Despite her father’s pushing to get to know the city, Sophie’s priority actually lies with her piano lessons, and she’s bound and determined to get her play and practice time in.
So what did I love? I adored the depiction of the city… Swank does an amazing job of bringing Paris to her readers. It’s almost another character of the story. While Sophie and her brother explore, we get to explore, and I loved getting to know the city through their experiences.
I also really loved the relationship that was built between Sophie and her stepmother. I have to say that I love that she wasn’t the typical evil stepmom. No, that description can be reserved for her stepsister Camille. From the get go, I didn’t get Camille’s motivations and in all honesty, it just really became a big frustration for me. I hated her. Like all caps HATED her. Oh... and Dale too. King of the douchebags for sure. I’m not going to get into details about the why’s because you’ll get it right away for both, but ugh… they are totally THE WORST.
Of course there is a romance here, because Sophie, like I, can’t resist Mathieu’s charms. When Sophie’s father falls through on providing her with a piano to practice, Mathieu just happens to have one at his apartment and as they say, the rest is history. I really enjoyed the slow build to their relationship. They connect because of shared histories… Mathieu comes from a split family and when the frustrations get to be too much for Sophie, he’s there for a shoulder to lean on. Though it’s not an easy relationship, and I thought that the reasons surrounding Mathieu’s wanting to keep things quiet between them were a little … lame? LOL I don’t know what other word to use for it. I just felt like if he had come clean with a lot of what happened in the past to certain people, it didn’t have to be as big a deal as it was.
I loved that Swank really delved into family relationships in this story as well and it was a BIG part of the story. When we first meet Eric and Sophie, they barely tolerate each other as is often the case with siblings, but Eric really steps it up once they are in the city. I felt at times he was way too overprotective, but I truly enjoyed how much they cared for each other and weren’t afraid to show it. I also really loved the relationship she created between Sophie and her dad. She was his little girl and she depended on him for things and then suddenly he was gone, and Swank really hit on all the emotion and turmoil a sixteen year old might have in Sophie’s situation. I ended up really loving her relationship both with her mom and her dad and really liked how they as characters impacted the story.
Overall, a sweet, fun, coming of age story. This would actually make the perfect summer read if you’re looking for one of those as we approach the days where you park yourself on the beach and devour a book! I am definitely looking forward to reading more from Swank in the future.
When the plane touches down, she’s thrust into her father’s new life, meeting his soon to be wife and step-sister, but she has goals of her own for the summer that she isn’t going to give up even though she won’t be at home. Despite her father’s pushing to get to know the city, Sophie’s priority actually lies with her piano lessons, and she’s bound and determined to get her play and practice time in.
So what did I love? I adored the depiction of the city… Swank does an amazing job of bringing Paris to her readers. It’s almost another character of the story. While Sophie and her brother explore, we get to explore, and I loved getting to know the city through their experiences.
I also really loved the relationship that was built between Sophie and her stepmother. I have to say that I love that she wasn’t the typical evil stepmom. No, that description can be reserved for her stepsister Camille. From the get go, I didn’t get Camille’s motivations and in all honesty, it just really became a big frustration for me. I hated her. Like all caps HATED her. Oh... and Dale too. King of the douchebags for sure. I’m not going to get into details about the why’s because you’ll get it right away for both, but ugh… they are totally THE WORST.
Of course there is a romance here, because Sophie, like I, can’t resist Mathieu’s charms. When Sophie’s father falls through on providing her with a piano to practice, Mathieu just happens to have one at his apartment and as they say, the rest is history. I really enjoyed the slow build to their relationship. They connect because of shared histories… Mathieu comes from a split family and when the frustrations get to be too much for Sophie, he’s there for a shoulder to lean on. Though it’s not an easy relationship, and I thought that the reasons surrounding Mathieu’s wanting to keep things quiet between them were a little … lame? LOL I don’t know what other word to use for it. I just felt like if he had come clean with a lot of what happened in the past to certain people, it didn’t have to be as big a deal as it was.
I loved that Swank really delved into family relationships in this story as well and it was a BIG part of the story. When we first meet Eric and Sophie, they barely tolerate each other as is often the case with siblings, but Eric really steps it up once they are in the city. I felt at times he was way too overprotective, but I truly enjoyed how much they cared for each other and weren’t afraid to show it. I also really loved the relationship she created between Sophie and her dad. She was his little girl and she depended on him for things and then suddenly he was gone, and Swank really hit on all the emotion and turmoil a sixteen year old might have in Sophie’s situation. I ended up really loving her relationship both with her mom and her dad and really liked how they as characters impacted the story.
Overall, a sweet, fun, coming of age story. This would actually make the perfect summer read if you’re looking for one of those as we approach the days where you park yourself on the beach and devour a book! I am definitely looking forward to reading more from Swank in the future.
June 29, 2016
About this book:
“Most teens dream of visiting the City of Lights, but it feels more like a nightmare for Sophie Brooks. She and her brother are sent to Paris to spend the summer with their father, who left home a year ago without any explanation. As if his sudden abandonment weren't betrayal enough, he's about to remarry, and they’re expected to play nice with his soon-to-be wife and stepdaughter. The stepdaughter, Camille, agrees to show them around the city, but she makes it clear that she will do everything in her power to make Sophie miserable.
Sophie could deal with all the pain and humiliation if only she could practice piano. Her dream is to become a pianist, and she was supposed to spend the summer preparing for a scholarship competition. Even though her father moved to Paris to pursue his own dream, he clearly doesn't support hers. His promise to provide her with a piano goes unfulfilled.
Still, no one is immune to Paris’s charm. After a few encounters with a gorgeous French boy, Sophie finds herself warming to the city, particularly when she discovers that he can help her practice piano. There’s just one hitch—he’s a friend of Camille’s, and Camille hates Sophie. While the summer Sophie dreaded promises to become best summer of her life, one person could ruin it all.”
Series: No.
Spiritual Content- A mention of Catholics; A mention of Christian being buried in the catacombs; A couple mentions of statues of biblical kings & Virgin Mary; A couple mentions of an old Sunday School lesson mentioning hell having fire & brimstone; Mentions of churches (a wedding and rebuilding a church, not actually going to church for church);
*Note: “Thank God” is said four times (more likely slang than seriously thanking God); “Good heavens” is said (again, slang); “God bless him” and “Bless your heart” (more of southern sayings/sass than truly meaning it); A mention of “heaven knows where”; A mention of the Lord knowing about a match made in heaven (sarcasm, slang); A mention of (slang) “God forbid”; A mention of demons; A mention of making a deal with the devil; A mention of someone making someone else’s “life hell”; A couple mentions of the “summer of hell” and saying “I was living in hell.”; A couple mentions of superstitions; A couple mentions of the Gates of Hell statue; A couple mentions of statues of naked gods & goddess; Mentions of giving someone a blessing to do something.
Negative Content- Minor cussing including: a ‘butthead’, a form of ‘darn’, a ‘for cripes’ sake’, an ‘Oh my God!’, a ‘shoot’, a ‘what the heck’, a ‘what the hell’, a ‘yuck it up’, two ‘duh’s, two ‘shut up’s, two ‘suck it up’s, four ‘freaking’s, four ‘jeez’s, four forms of ‘suck’, six forms of ‘idiot’, six ‘witch’s, nine forms of ‘screw up’, sixteen forms of ‘crap’, nineteen ‘stupid’s; twenty forms of ‘pissed off’; Mentions of “impressive” curses (said, not written); Lots of Sarcasm & Eye rolling; Sophie talks back & can be very out of line with her father; Sibling bicker; A mean girl & hating; All about divorces, a father leaving & verbal fights; Teen drinking (Sophie is with teens who drink & get drunk, she only takes a sip of the wine); Mentions of wine & champagne; Mentions of teens (17 and up) going to clubs; Mentions of bones & catacombs (semi-detailed); Mentions of lies & lying; Mentions of blackmail; Mentions of a car accident & injuries (barely-above-not-detailed); A few mentions of pickpockets; A few mentions of murder; A few mentions of punching; A few mentions of barfing; A couple mentions of parties; A couple mentions of gossip; A couple mentions of peeing; A mention of farts; A mention of smoking; A mention of gangs;
*Note: A couple mentions of secular movie, The Breakfast Club.
Sexual Content- two hand/knuckles kisses, a forehead kiss, three not-detailed kisses, nine barely-above-not-detailed kisses, ten semi-detailed kisses, and four borderline semi-detailed // detailed kisses; Touches, Hand holding, Embraces & Warmth (up to semi-detailed); Noticing (up to semi-detailed); Butterflies; Dane manhandles Sophie three times & leaves marks on her wrists (he also kisses her); a ‘harpy’, a form of ‘hot’, a ‘prick’ and a ‘sleazy’; All about boyfriends, girlfriends, dating, crushes & cute guys; Many mentions of cheating, catching them in bed together naked (no doubt what they were doing, no details), sleeping around & doing it in a truck; Many mentions of blushes, flirting & jealousy; Mentions of kisses & making out; Mentions of kissing, nuzzling & nibbling (barely-above-not-detailed); Mentions of nearness; Mentions that Sophie’s mom was pregnant with her brother when their parents got married; Mentions of hooking up; Mentions of sneaking around & dating couples being alone together; Mentions of a guy & girl being alone in his apartment (nothing sexual happens, but other people think they do); Mentions of a guy screwing girls & only wanting one thing; Mention of Eric’s threats for guys to keep their hands on his sister; A few mentions of a jerk not being able to keep his eyes on Sophie; A few mentions of the secular movie Taken, a human trafficking ring & being sold into a harem; A couple mentions of the French not being strict with s*x, only that they have s*x when in love with someone; A couple mentions of molesting; A couple mentions of a Homecoming dance & dates; A (joking) mention of a guy being gay & “batting for the other team”; A mention of cougars; A mention of reputations; A mention of a man looking at his fiancé like he can’t wait for the wedding night; Love, falling in love, & the emotions;
*Note: Sophie reads a PG-13 YA romance (Dane calls it porn to embarrass her); A mention of Americans with their nudity; A couple mentions of a French pastry called a Paris-Brest, which is “round and shaped like a…”; A couple mentions of changing in front of other women; A couple mentions of being naked; A couple mentions of statues of naked women; A couple mentions of a jerk making snide comments about a the physical features of a statue of a naked goddess (not written); A few mentions of a statue of a naked couple in a passionate embrace & teens recreating the pose; A few mentions of a shirtless guy & guys taking off their shirts (barely-above-not-detailed); A mention of a bra; A mention of tampons; A mention of midriff showing tops; A few mentions of a bikini & it covering the girl’s butt; A mention of a butt leaning against a building; A mention of falling on a butt; A mention of something biting someone in the butt; A mention of a guy getting handed his butt on a platter in a competition.
-Sophie Brooks, age 16
1st person P.O.V. of Sophie
348 pages
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Pre Teens- One Star
New Teens- One Star
Early High School Teens- One Star
Older High School Teens- One Star
My personal Rating- One Star
Okay, I'm familiar with Blink published books. Very rarely do they have any Christian content in them. I honestly wasn't expecting any Christian content, so when I finished it and there wasn't truly any, I wasn't shocked at all. For a Christian book, this was not okay-- The hints, kissing, cussing and teen drinking. For a secular book, it was decent, I guess. But this is not a secular book review blog, now is it?
One of my favorite shows is set in Paris, and that’s truly the only reason I was going to try this book out. Was that a good idea? Not really no. This looked like a cute cheesy chick-lit, but I was highly disappointed in all the major minor cussing (which is just plain soap worthy in the house I grew up in) and sexual hints. The author seemed to thrive on awkward situations and did many of them. I understand there is teen drinking in France, but that doesn't strike me as something that should be promoted as okay in a “Christian” book. Like most books now a days, there's the playboy who can't keep his hands to himself and tries to go after the main girl. Honestly, that's so cliché now and the ending just seemed like an easy way to drama and shallow. There's the mean stepsister who hates the main girl. (Don’t forget the backstory on why she’s so mean. Hello, typical?) Being all about Sophie’s parents’ divorce and her father leaving, it's hinted about each of them, later after separating, being alone on trips or living together with their boyfriend or girlfriend/fiancé which, again, didn't seem like a very Biblical view. Of course, Eric was conceived out of wedlock, but see, that could have been a redemption moment for the adults, and there were parts where Sophie could have prayed to God (she keep wanting to talk to someone...!), for the adding Spiritual Content to this book published under a Christian publisher, but there wasn't.
The only parts that got me through this book (okay, I had to finish this book due to reviewing reasons, but the only parts that helped me get through all the cussing and such) were the piano parts. I'll admit the author did a good job showing Sophie's emotions through her music. I did enjoy looking up and listening to the songs mentioned. Very pretty stuff.
So overall? This is a long review. And that’s not usually a good thing.
{Note: Rude comments with be deleted.}
Link to review:
https://booksforchristiangirls.blogsp...
*BFCG may (Read the review to see) recommend this book by this author. It does not mean I recommend all the books by this author.
*I received this book for free from the Publisher (Blink) for this honest review.
“Most teens dream of visiting the City of Lights, but it feels more like a nightmare for Sophie Brooks. She and her brother are sent to Paris to spend the summer with their father, who left home a year ago without any explanation. As if his sudden abandonment weren't betrayal enough, he's about to remarry, and they’re expected to play nice with his soon-to-be wife and stepdaughter. The stepdaughter, Camille, agrees to show them around the city, but she makes it clear that she will do everything in her power to make Sophie miserable.
Sophie could deal with all the pain and humiliation if only she could practice piano. Her dream is to become a pianist, and she was supposed to spend the summer preparing for a scholarship competition. Even though her father moved to Paris to pursue his own dream, he clearly doesn't support hers. His promise to provide her with a piano goes unfulfilled.
Still, no one is immune to Paris’s charm. After a few encounters with a gorgeous French boy, Sophie finds herself warming to the city, particularly when she discovers that he can help her practice piano. There’s just one hitch—he’s a friend of Camille’s, and Camille hates Sophie. While the summer Sophie dreaded promises to become best summer of her life, one person could ruin it all.”
Series: No.
Spiritual Content- A mention of Catholics; A mention of Christian being buried in the catacombs; A couple mentions of statues of biblical kings & Virgin Mary; A couple mentions of an old Sunday School lesson mentioning hell having fire & brimstone; Mentions of churches (a wedding and rebuilding a church, not actually going to church for church);
*Note: “Thank God” is said four times (more likely slang than seriously thanking God); “Good heavens” is said (again, slang); “God bless him” and “Bless your heart” (more of southern sayings/sass than truly meaning it); A mention of “heaven knows where”; A mention of the Lord knowing about a match made in heaven (sarcasm, slang); A mention of (slang) “God forbid”; A mention of demons; A mention of making a deal with the devil; A mention of someone making someone else’s “life hell”; A couple mentions of the “summer of hell” and saying “I was living in hell.”; A couple mentions of superstitions; A couple mentions of the Gates of Hell statue; A couple mentions of statues of naked gods & goddess; Mentions of giving someone a blessing to do something.
Negative Content- Minor cussing including: a ‘butthead’, a form of ‘darn’, a ‘for cripes’ sake’, an ‘Oh my God!’, a ‘shoot’, a ‘what the heck’, a ‘what the hell’, a ‘yuck it up’, two ‘duh’s, two ‘shut up’s, two ‘suck it up’s, four ‘freaking’s, four ‘jeez’s, four forms of ‘suck’, six forms of ‘idiot’, six ‘witch’s, nine forms of ‘screw up’, sixteen forms of ‘crap’, nineteen ‘stupid’s; twenty forms of ‘pissed off’; Mentions of “impressive” curses (said, not written); Lots of Sarcasm & Eye rolling; Sophie talks back & can be very out of line with her father; Sibling bicker; A mean girl & hating; All about divorces, a father leaving & verbal fights; Teen drinking (Sophie is with teens who drink & get drunk, she only takes a sip of the wine); Mentions of wine & champagne; Mentions of teens (17 and up) going to clubs; Mentions of bones & catacombs (semi-detailed); Mentions of lies & lying; Mentions of blackmail; Mentions of a car accident & injuries (barely-above-not-detailed); A few mentions of pickpockets; A few mentions of murder; A few mentions of punching; A few mentions of barfing; A couple mentions of parties; A couple mentions of gossip; A couple mentions of peeing; A mention of farts; A mention of smoking; A mention of gangs;
*Note: A couple mentions of secular movie, The Breakfast Club.
Sexual Content- two hand/knuckles kisses, a forehead kiss, three not-detailed kisses, nine barely-above-not-detailed kisses, ten semi-detailed kisses, and four borderline semi-detailed // detailed kisses; Touches, Hand holding, Embraces & Warmth (up to semi-detailed); Noticing (up to semi-detailed); Butterflies; Dane manhandles Sophie three times & leaves marks on her wrists (he also kisses her); a ‘harpy’, a form of ‘hot’, a ‘prick’ and a ‘sleazy’; All about boyfriends, girlfriends, dating, crushes & cute guys; Many mentions of cheating, catching them in bed together naked (no doubt what they were doing, no details), sleeping around & doing it in a truck; Many mentions of blushes, flirting & jealousy; Mentions of kisses & making out; Mentions of kissing, nuzzling & nibbling (barely-above-not-detailed); Mentions of nearness; Mentions that Sophie’s mom was pregnant with her brother when their parents got married; Mentions of hooking up; Mentions of sneaking around & dating couples being alone together; Mentions of a guy & girl being alone in his apartment (nothing sexual happens, but other people think they do); Mentions of a guy screwing girls & only wanting one thing; Mention of Eric’s threats for guys to keep their hands on his sister; A few mentions of a jerk not being able to keep his eyes on Sophie; A few mentions of the secular movie Taken, a human trafficking ring & being sold into a harem; A couple mentions of the French not being strict with s*x, only that they have s*x when in love with someone; A couple mentions of molesting; A couple mentions of a Homecoming dance & dates; A (joking) mention of a guy being gay & “batting for the other team”; A mention of cougars; A mention of reputations; A mention of a man looking at his fiancé like he can’t wait for the wedding night; Love, falling in love, & the emotions;
*Note: Sophie reads a PG-13 YA romance (Dane calls it porn to embarrass her); A mention of Americans with their nudity; A couple mentions of a French pastry called a Paris-Brest, which is “round and shaped like a…”; A couple mentions of changing in front of other women; A couple mentions of being naked; A couple mentions of statues of naked women; A couple mentions of a jerk making snide comments about a the physical features of a statue of a naked goddess (not written); A few mentions of a statue of a naked couple in a passionate embrace & teens recreating the pose; A few mentions of a shirtless guy & guys taking off their shirts (barely-above-not-detailed); A mention of a bra; A mention of tampons; A mention of midriff showing tops; A few mentions of a bikini & it covering the girl’s butt; A mention of a butt leaning against a building; A mention of falling on a butt; A mention of something biting someone in the butt; A mention of a guy getting handed his butt on a platter in a competition.
-Sophie Brooks, age 16
1st person P.O.V. of Sophie
348 pages
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Pre Teens- One Star
New Teens- One Star
Early High School Teens- One Star
Older High School Teens- One Star
My personal Rating- One Star
Okay, I'm familiar with Blink published books. Very rarely do they have any Christian content in them. I honestly wasn't expecting any Christian content, so when I finished it and there wasn't truly any, I wasn't shocked at all. For a Christian book, this was not okay-- The hints, kissing, cussing and teen drinking. For a secular book, it was decent, I guess. But this is not a secular book review blog, now is it?
One of my favorite shows is set in Paris, and that’s truly the only reason I was going to try this book out. Was that a good idea? Not really no. This looked like a cute cheesy chick-lit, but I was highly disappointed in all the major minor cussing (which is just plain soap worthy in the house I grew up in) and sexual hints. The author seemed to thrive on awkward situations and did many of them. I understand there is teen drinking in France, but that doesn't strike me as something that should be promoted as okay in a “Christian” book. Like most books now a days, there's the playboy who can't keep his hands to himself and tries to go after the main girl. Honestly, that's so cliché now and the ending just seemed like an easy way to drama and shallow. There's the mean stepsister who hates the main girl. (Don’t forget the backstory on why she’s so mean. Hello, typical?) Being all about Sophie’s parents’ divorce and her father leaving, it's hinted about each of them, later after separating, being alone on trips or living together with their boyfriend or girlfriend/fiancé which, again, didn't seem like a very Biblical view. Of course, Eric was conceived out of wedlock, but see, that could have been a redemption moment for the adults, and there were parts where Sophie could have prayed to God (she keep wanting to talk to someone...!), for the adding Spiritual Content to this book published under a Christian publisher, but there wasn't.
The only parts that got me through this book (okay, I had to finish this book due to reviewing reasons, but the only parts that helped me get through all the cussing and such) were the piano parts. I'll admit the author did a good job showing Sophie's emotions through her music. I did enjoy looking up and listening to the songs mentioned. Very pretty stuff.
So overall? This is a long review. And that’s not usually a good thing.
{Note: Rude comments with be deleted.}
Link to review:
https://booksforchristiangirls.blogsp...
*BFCG may (Read the review to see) recommend this book by this author. It does not mean I recommend all the books by this author.
*I received this book for free from the Publisher (Blink) for this honest review.
June 30, 2016
I was hoping for this to be a little more fun, but the first 150 pages is nothing but angst. Sophie isn't very likable, even though I understand that parents divorcing can cause all kinds of problems for kids. Camille, the evil step-sister, is even more unlikable. I didn't like Anna and the French Kiss, but if you did, this may be the book for you. Full RTC!
*Update: Originally posted over at Lekeisha the Booknerd*
*I received a copy of this book for free, from the publisher, in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.*
Another summer. Another teen in Paris. I was really hoping to love this book. After not liking Anna and the French Kiss, I thought I’d give this one a shot. I didn’t have a great experience with Swank’s other genres, so I thought this would be great to see if I could really enjoy her writing. If the first half of this book wasn’t so angst filled, I may have enjoyed it more. Instead, it only made me dislike the characters. There was more confusion towards the end that made this story seem like just an excuse to create more drama. It kept me reading, but it failed to make me swoon and scream at everyone to read this book. Just another story to add to the YA contemporary genre that is set abroad. I got nothing special from this story, other than solidifying my want of visiting Paris before I die. I love all the descriptions of the places, people and the food! Food gets me every time.
Sophie isn’t a great character, but I did feel sorry for how she was treated by her evil stepsister, Camille. From the very first page we are aware of just how much Sophie hates being in Paris, and how she feels about her father remarrying. I get it. Parents divorcing and starting over is upsetting for all kids, but Sophie was really bitter. She wanted her father to pack up and leave Paris, and come back home to her. It was all about their relationship before he left. I get that she was once a daddy’s girl, but that was no excuse for the way she thought of him. And as much as she tried to hate her stepmother, Eva, the woman was too nice to even try it. I love that Eva tried so hard to make Sophie’s and Eric’s time there pleasant. It was very hard with Camille running around sabotaging everything. The girl gives a new meaning to the term “evil stepsister”. She was just so rude and bitchy and just….ugh. Camille alone will make you want to throw the book across the room.
The romance didn’t feel like a romance. There were so many things wrong with Sophie’s and Mathieu’s relationship. It was like Camille controlled it all. I know that Mathieu and Camille have been friends forever, but for him to believe her over Sophie was just wrong. It’s like the author thought of all the teen angst she could, and stuffed it into this story. Much like my experience with AatFK, I couldn’t put this book down. I had to see how it would all end. I really wanted to love this, but there’s too much angst and bullying, and not enough fun filled summer loving. The setting is amazing, as are the sights visited. The Paris aspect is really the only beautiful thing about this book. Since I read it in one sitting, I think 2.5 stars will do. If you loved Anna and the French Kiss, this book may appeal to you. I was hoping that since I didn’t like it, this would be a great book to read. I was so wrong. They are both like bad teen soap operas IMO.
*Update: Originally posted over at Lekeisha the Booknerd*
*I received a copy of this book for free, from the publisher, in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.*
Another summer. Another teen in Paris. I was really hoping to love this book. After not liking Anna and the French Kiss, I thought I’d give this one a shot. I didn’t have a great experience with Swank’s other genres, so I thought this would be great to see if I could really enjoy her writing. If the first half of this book wasn’t so angst filled, I may have enjoyed it more. Instead, it only made me dislike the characters. There was more confusion towards the end that made this story seem like just an excuse to create more drama. It kept me reading, but it failed to make me swoon and scream at everyone to read this book. Just another story to add to the YA contemporary genre that is set abroad. I got nothing special from this story, other than solidifying my want of visiting Paris before I die. I love all the descriptions of the places, people and the food! Food gets me every time.
Sophie isn’t a great character, but I did feel sorry for how she was treated by her evil stepsister, Camille. From the very first page we are aware of just how much Sophie hates being in Paris, and how she feels about her father remarrying. I get it. Parents divorcing and starting over is upsetting for all kids, but Sophie was really bitter. She wanted her father to pack up and leave Paris, and come back home to her. It was all about their relationship before he left. I get that she was once a daddy’s girl, but that was no excuse for the way she thought of him. And as much as she tried to hate her stepmother, Eva, the woman was too nice to even try it. I love that Eva tried so hard to make Sophie’s and Eric’s time there pleasant. It was very hard with Camille running around sabotaging everything. The girl gives a new meaning to the term “evil stepsister”. She was just so rude and bitchy and just….ugh. Camille alone will make you want to throw the book across the room.
The romance didn’t feel like a romance. There were so many things wrong with Sophie’s and Mathieu’s relationship. It was like Camille controlled it all. I know that Mathieu and Camille have been friends forever, but for him to believe her over Sophie was just wrong. It’s like the author thought of all the teen angst she could, and stuffed it into this story. Much like my experience with AatFK, I couldn’t put this book down. I had to see how it would all end. I really wanted to love this, but there’s too much angst and bullying, and not enough fun filled summer loving. The setting is amazing, as are the sights visited. The Paris aspect is really the only beautiful thing about this book. Since I read it in one sitting, I think 2.5 stars will do. If you loved Anna and the French Kiss, this book may appeal to you. I was hoping that since I didn’t like it, this would be a great book to read. I was so wrong. They are both like bad teen soap operas IMO.
February 7, 2017
I'm giving this 2.5 stars! I enjoyed that it was an easy breezy read and I loved that it was set in Paris, but I had issues with a few of the characters and situations. A lot of the characters, especially Eric, seemed very inconsistent to me. A lot of things just happened way to coincidently to fix up plot holes and I definitely felt the authors hand at play. If you have it on your tbr and want to cram in another book to your monthly wrap up I'd say go for it, I read it in three days but if I didn't have class I could have finished it in two. Definitely not the best contemporary I read, but it still satisfied my need for something to break up the sci fi and fantasy I've been reading!
April 26, 2022
1.5 stars? 2? I literally could not stomach the bullying in this book. What the heck. And then when this big accident took place, the miscommunication and melodrama, and just everything towards the end. I rolled my eyes. I only kept reading it because it was easy to read and I had hopes her stepsister would GET OVER IT.
July 26, 2020
The 16 year old main character is the mature one
-The main character is exceedingly forgiving of her father that ABANDONED her, her mother and her brother!!!! If I were in that situation... I wouldn't care how much i sounded like a brat!!!!! I would tell him to screw off and that the only reason I was there was because my Mom made me.
-I loved the setting of Paris, It was obvious that the author did her research because I learnt a lot about French customs :)
-I love reading books that include french because being a Canadian, especially Quebec-Canadian... Yeah.. Let's just say I'm bilingual and grew up going to french school :) I don't know what it is about speaking two languages that I find so funny, but every time I switch back and forth or a character does... I find myself either smiling or giggling! lol
Overall, I always love reading books with good settings. I learnt a lot reading this book and now I neeeeeed to visit Paris! It seems so interesting and has vast cultural differences :)))) UGHHHHH I really want to go to Paris :(((( lmao
-The main character is exceedingly forgiving of her father that ABANDONED her, her mother and her brother!!!! If I were in that situation... I wouldn't care how much i sounded like a brat!!!!! I would tell him to screw off and that the only reason I was there was because my Mom made me.
-I loved the setting of Paris, It was obvious that the author did her research because I learnt a lot about French customs :)
-I love reading books that include french because being a Canadian, especially Quebec-Canadian... Yeah.. Let's just say I'm bilingual and grew up going to french school :) I don't know what it is about speaking two languages that I find so funny, but every time I switch back and forth or a character does... I find myself either smiling or giggling! lol
Overall, I always love reading books with good settings. I learnt a lot reading this book and now I neeeeeed to visit Paris! It seems so interesting and has vast cultural differences :)))) UGHHHHH I really want to go to Paris :(((( lmao
May 6, 2022
One Paris Summer was once added to my wonderful TBR list in 2017. Years later, I finally found the time to jump into this. It also (kind of) helps that it was available on KU.
Now this was an okay book. Not necessarily a favorite but that's mostly because I didn't really care for the characters. I could have probably tried to find something likable about them, but I didn't really want to. They were just okay in my eyes. Easy to get annoyed but that's because communication between the characters was completely horrible. Basically nonexistent.
Then there's the drama and oh man, it was a lot. I just ended up rolling my eyes a lot because it was ridiculous. You'd think that someone would end up being the bigger person, but nope. Other than that, it made me think of my time in Paris. Which, yes, was also years ago. Definitely makes me want to go back and explore what I couldn't get to before.
In the end, I need to plan a trip to Paris.
Now this was an okay book. Not necessarily a favorite but that's mostly because I didn't really care for the characters. I could have probably tried to find something likable about them, but I didn't really want to. They were just okay in my eyes. Easy to get annoyed but that's because communication between the characters was completely horrible. Basically nonexistent.
Then there's the drama and oh man, it was a lot. I just ended up rolling my eyes a lot because it was ridiculous. You'd think that someone would end up being the bigger person, but nope. Other than that, it made me think of my time in Paris. Which, yes, was also years ago. Definitely makes me want to go back and explore what I couldn't get to before.
In the end, I need to plan a trip to Paris.
May 20, 2016
I was given an ARC of this book by Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
I headed into this book with pretty high expectations. I'm in love with Paris(even though I've never set a foot in it) and it's always with a curious and eager mind that dive into book set into this magical place. While this wasn't exactly what I had expected, I still enjoyed it.
The setting was simply perfect. The author described everything with an accute precision, and I could almost imagine myself there with the characters. I've never been to Paris, but I feel like I've actually toured the city with Sophie and her friends(even though I should probably not call them her "friends"...).
While the story line is pretty cliché, I found myself enjoying it. I pretty much knew how everything would turn out, but I was still surprised by the ending. The author managed to turn a predictable story into something a little unexpected. The girl-meets-boy trope was, of course, used and could be predicted miles before it actually happened, but I was happy with how things unfolded.
One of the things I couldn't handle, though, was how childish the characters were being. Sophie seems to be crying all the time, Camille is the impersonation of the evil queen just for the sake of being mean, Mathieu is all about secrecy, Eric is way overprotective, Dale is an asshole... there's not one character that I truly enjoyed. I liked reading from Sophie's point of view, but I thought she tended to overreact and was such a drama queen. I also liked Eric and Mathieu, but there were things about them that annoyed the hell out of me. Maybe it's because I'm becoming too old for YA(though I will never admit it), or maybe it's because the age gap between the characters and I is too big... but I couldn't help but roll my eyes at them on more than one occasion.
Also, other thing that pissed me off: the French lines weren't always accurate. At some point during the story, Mathieu even corrects Sophie on her French, but his correction doesn't make sense! Sophie was actually saying the right thing! And that wasn't the only time that French wasn't used correctly. It wasn't that terrible and didn't happy too often, but it made things less credible. I would definitely suggest the author to revise her French, or employ a translator or a Francophone, because that totally burst my parisian bubble!
If you love Paris and enjoy YA contemporaries, then, this book is perfect for you!
I headed into this book with pretty high expectations. I'm in love with Paris
The setting was simply perfect. The author described everything with an accute precision, and I could almost imagine myself there with the characters. I've never been to Paris, but I feel like I've actually toured the city with Sophie and her friends
While the story line is pretty cliché, I found myself enjoying it. I pretty much knew how everything would turn out, but I was still surprised by the ending. The author managed to turn a predictable story into something a little unexpected. The girl-meets-boy trope was, of course, used and could be predicted miles before it actually happened, but I was happy with how things unfolded.
One of the things I couldn't handle, though, was how childish the characters were being. Sophie seems to be crying all the time, Camille is the impersonation of the evil queen just for the sake of being mean, Mathieu is all about secrecy, Eric is way overprotective, Dale is an asshole... there's not one character that I truly enjoyed. I liked reading from Sophie's point of view, but I thought she tended to overreact and was such a drama queen. I also liked Eric and Mathieu, but there were things about them that annoyed the hell out of me. Maybe it's because I'm becoming too old for YA
Also, other thing that pissed me off: the French lines weren't always accurate. At some point during the story, Mathieu even corrects Sophie on her French, but his correction doesn't make sense! Sophie was actually saying the right thing! And that wasn't the only time that French wasn't used correctly. It wasn't that terrible and didn't happy too often, but it made things less credible. I would definitely suggest the author to revise her French, or employ a translator or a Francophone, because that totally burst my parisian bubble!
If you love Paris and enjoy YA contemporaries, then, this book is perfect for you!
June 10, 2021
a really enjoyable and sweet read! my favorite part was that it was set in france and had a lot of music related things!! there are a lot of relationship dynamics/drama,,, tbh the romance is very standard of YA so if you like that, yayyy, but really, nothing new to see here in that respect.
major plot points include---
- sight seeing Paris!
- fighting with the evil stepsister (*eye roll* #cliches)
- putting up with the stepsister's friends
- growing closer to one's brother
- uncovering ppl's true colors
- romancing with Matthew, the totally-standard-unspecial-YA-dream-boyfriend who's most unique quality was that he was ~ wait for it ~ French,,, yeah, so unique *eye roll again*
- practicing piano!
- learning French (YAYY)
- having tensions with dad
- learning to love the stepmom
- it's about second chances and forgiveness and healing!!
can I just say how the French aspects were the most interesting??
so, all in all, a good read, but not astonishingly memorable or the next work of classic literature by a long shot haha
major plot points include---
- sight seeing Paris!
- fighting with the evil stepsister (*eye roll* #cliches)
- putting up with the stepsister's friends
- growing closer to one's brother
- uncovering ppl's true colors
- romancing with Matthew, the totally-standard-unspecial-YA-dream-boyfriend who's most unique quality was that he was ~ wait for it ~ French,,, yeah, so unique *eye roll again*
- practicing piano!
- learning French (YAYY)
- having tensions with dad
- learning to love the stepmom
- it's about second chances and forgiveness and healing!!
can I just say how the French aspects were the most interesting??
so, all in all, a good read, but not astonishingly memorable or the next work of classic literature by a long shot haha
March 13, 2019
Okay so let me just say listening to the audio book and hearing all the French phrases just makes me sown. French is such a romantic language. I wish I knew how to speak it. I am going to make it my mission to learn ASAP.
Sorry, I get distracted by French. But back to business. This was okay-ish. I did enjoy it but it felt a little stretched at times. The plot could has moved along a little faster. But its fine I still really enjoyed it.
Sophie and Mathieu were really great characters. Sophie is mature for a 15ish year old and Mathieu is very sweet. I even liked Eric as the protective brother. But Camille can rot in hell. She is the definition of an evil step-sister. Did not like her. Could not stand her.
Anyways, I liked the fact that there were elements of the tourist spots in Paris and the touch of Sophie’s piano throughout the book. Overall, I had a fun time listening to the audio book.
Sorry, I get distracted by French. But back to business. This was okay-ish. I did enjoy it but it felt a little stretched at times. The plot could has moved along a little faster. But its fine I still really enjoyed it.
Sophie and Mathieu were really great characters. Sophie is mature for a 15ish year old and Mathieu is very sweet. I even liked Eric as the protective brother. But Camille can rot in hell. She is the definition of an evil step-sister. Did not like her. Could not stand her.
Anyways, I liked the fact that there were elements of the tourist spots in Paris and the touch of Sophie’s piano throughout the book. Overall, I had a fun time listening to the audio book.
March 8, 2017
I love a good contemporary set in Paris. They're always sweet and romantic while still being able to be a great coming-of-age story, too.
This was me while reading One Paris Summer:
If you're a fan of Anna and the French Kiss then I think you'll enjoy this book. They are very similar, but One Paris Summer is still unique all on its own. Sophie and her brother, Eric, are being forced to attend their father's wedding in Paris. They aren't happy about this since their father just left their family only a year ago, but of course they don't have any other choice but to go.
I really liked Sophie. She's intelligent, kind, and passionate. She definitely has her flaws, but they make her incredibly relatable because we've all been in that awkward stage of high school where you're still so unsure of yourself. I even liked Eric, he reminded me a lot of my own brother and I enjoyed their dynamic together.
As the story progresses, we meet Sophie's new stepmom and stepsister. While the family tries to blend and navigate their summer together, well there's lots of drama. One of my favorite parts about this story was how family was one of the main focuses of the book. Yes there was romance and friendships, but seeing how Sophie fixed her life within her family was always an important element throughout the story.
Sophie starts to open up more once one of her stepsister's friends, Mathieu, lets her practice the piano at his house. Like I said, Sophie is a passionate person. One of her passions is playing the piano and I really enjoyed this about her. The way she describes how she feels when she plays reminded me of how I feel while I'm writing, one of my passions. So, this just made me love her even more.
There's a lot of drama Sophie is left to deal with when it comes to Mathieu.. But I loved the guy. Who wouldn't love a romance in Paris? This book definitely delivers on that aspect of the story, and it's not too cheesy either. It's just right and perfect.
The story wraps up in a great way! I really enjoyed Sophie's story. Denise Grover Swank is a great writer. Her descriptions of Paris were perfect, even though I've never been there.. And her descriptions of food left me hungry!
One Paris Summer has everything we love about contemporaries, and is the perfect summer read!
This was me while reading One Paris Summer:
If you're a fan of Anna and the French Kiss then I think you'll enjoy this book. They are very similar, but One Paris Summer is still unique all on its own. Sophie and her brother, Eric, are being forced to attend their father's wedding in Paris. They aren't happy about this since their father just left their family only a year ago, but of course they don't have any other choice but to go.
I really liked Sophie. She's intelligent, kind, and passionate. She definitely has her flaws, but they make her incredibly relatable because we've all been in that awkward stage of high school where you're still so unsure of yourself. I even liked Eric, he reminded me a lot of my own brother and I enjoyed their dynamic together.
As the story progresses, we meet Sophie's new stepmom and stepsister. While the family tries to blend and navigate their summer together, well there's lots of drama. One of my favorite parts about this story was how family was one of the main focuses of the book. Yes there was romance and friendships, but seeing how Sophie fixed her life within her family was always an important element throughout the story.
Sophie starts to open up more once one of her stepsister's friends, Mathieu, lets her practice the piano at his house. Like I said, Sophie is a passionate person. One of her passions is playing the piano and I really enjoyed this about her. The way she describes how she feels when she plays reminded me of how I feel while I'm writing, one of my passions. So, this just made me love her even more.
There's a lot of drama Sophie is left to deal with when it comes to Mathieu.. But I loved the guy. Who wouldn't love a romance in Paris? This book definitely delivers on that aspect of the story, and it's not too cheesy either. It's just right and perfect.
The story wraps up in a great way! I really enjoyed Sophie's story. Denise Grover Swank is a great writer. Her descriptions of Paris were perfect, even though I've never been there.. And her descriptions of food left me hungry!
One Paris Summer has everything we love about contemporaries, and is the perfect summer read!
October 27, 2016
YA contemporaries is one of my favourite genres, and I've had this book on my TBR list for a while. One Paris Summer is about Sophie, who is sent to Paris for the summer to reconnect with her father, whom she hasn’t seen for a few years. She and her brother don’t really want to go, but know that it would be best to go, in the long run. Whilst they’re there she falls for the handsome Mathieu, but her evil stepsister Camille is ruining everything. Though she hated it at first, she soon finds the appeal of Paris too hard to overcome.
If you’ve read Anna and the French Kiss, this book is very similar. Sophie knows that Paris is an opportunity she’s unlikely to ever get again, but her relationship with her father soured when he left abruptly, with little to no explanation. Now she has a step mother and sister to contend with, and though her step mother is lovely, her step sister is awful. I don’t say this lightly, when I say she’s a complete bitch. Though there’s some redemption, I still can’t forgive her for how awful she was. Also, her brother, Eric, brought his friend, Dale, with him, and that was a bad decision. He’s a downright creep, and I despised him from the beginning.
Sophie’s relationship with her father and step mother was wonderful to see. Understandably, at the beginning, it was tense, and they didn’t seem to understand her, but once they realised how important her piano was to her, they got on board with her practising.
The romance with Mathieu was enjoyable to read, but it always lacked a certain something. He wanted to keep it secret, and the reason for this was quite stupid. If people had just talked, it would’ve been all sorted earlier, and none of the angst wouldn’t have been necessary.
It was an enjoyable book, but not amazing. It filled the wish for a nice contemporary, and was a nice, cutesy, easy read.
If you’ve read Anna and the French Kiss, this book is very similar. Sophie knows that Paris is an opportunity she’s unlikely to ever get again, but her relationship with her father soured when he left abruptly, with little to no explanation. Now she has a step mother and sister to contend with, and though her step mother is lovely, her step sister is awful. I don’t say this lightly, when I say she’s a complete bitch. Though there’s some redemption, I still can’t forgive her for how awful she was. Also, her brother, Eric, brought his friend, Dale, with him, and that was a bad decision. He’s a downright creep, and I despised him from the beginning.
Sophie’s relationship with her father and step mother was wonderful to see. Understandably, at the beginning, it was tense, and they didn’t seem to understand her, but once they realised how important her piano was to her, they got on board with her practising.
The romance with Mathieu was enjoyable to read, but it always lacked a certain something. He wanted to keep it secret, and the reason for this was quite stupid. If people had just talked, it would’ve been all sorted earlier, and none of the angst wouldn’t have been necessary.
It was an enjoyable book, but not amazing. It filled the wish for a nice contemporary, and was a nice, cutesy, easy read.
June 7, 2016
I received this book in exchange for an honest review.
*4.5*
When I first read the synopsis of this I was worried that I'd find it unoriginal because I've already read Anna and the French Kiss. Whilst there were some similarities between these books, this one stood completely on its own and I fell in love with it instantly. This book deals with first loves, friendship, family drama and the future and following your dreams. It is the perfect YA contemporary romance and an absolutely fantastic summer read. I highly suggest this book to all of you! It will definitely deliver the feels <3
Click here to read my full review.
*4.5*
When I first read the synopsis of this I was worried that I'd find it unoriginal because I've already read Anna and the French Kiss. Whilst there were some similarities between these books, this one stood completely on its own and I fell in love with it instantly. This book deals with first loves, friendship, family drama and the future and following your dreams. It is the perfect YA contemporary romance and an absolutely fantastic summer read. I highly suggest this book to all of you! It will definitely deliver the feels <3
Click here to read my full review.
March 23, 2016
Uh! Where do I begin with this beauty?
I normally avoid the Y/A genre completely, it's never sat well with me but Denise Grover Swank's work has never let me down in the past so I was willing to give One Paris Summer a go. And I am so glad that I did!
This story, like Paris itself, is incredibly beautiful. Not only was I taken by the characters but Denise has managed capture the feeling of Paris itself so unbelievably well. I was so enamoured that I read it in one sitting.
This is a must read for YA readers & non YA readers alike.
I normally avoid the Y/A genre completely, it's never sat well with me but Denise Grover Swank's work has never let me down in the past so I was willing to give One Paris Summer a go. And I am so glad that I did!
This story, like Paris itself, is incredibly beautiful. Not only was I taken by the characters but Denise has managed capture the feeling of Paris itself so unbelievably well. I was so enamoured that I read it in one sitting.
This is a must read for YA readers & non YA readers alike.
December 18, 2020
This is a great read for when you want something light. It is really fun to listen to because you can hear the French language and listen to the descriptions of the surroundings, etc. It had a little bit of romance and some tensions and it was just a fun book to listen to!
October 25, 2021
❝No more endings. Only beginnings.❞
One Paris Summer is a YA book about two siblings, Sophie and Eric, who are sent to Paris to spend the summer with their Father, new stepmother and stepsister. They are hurt and feel betrayed by their Father for leaving them to remarry and enjoy a new life in Paris, without explanation. Soon, Camille, their stepsister, becomes a tour guide and takes them around the city of lights with her friends. Unfortunately to Sophie, Camille despises her and tries everything to show and tell her that.
I was hooked straight away with this book being set in Paris, although it wasn’t as descriptive as I would have liked it to be. One of the main reasons I thought I’d like this book was because I absolutely LOVED Anna and the French Kiss and hoped it’d be something like that, but nope. I found that One Paris Summer was a slow book where some chapters seemed to drag on due to the fact that there are parts where they didn’t have to be added. And I’m not sure about the huge amount of angst
At the start to the middle, I found the characters didn’t really have any personality to them, but towards the end they became a little bit more realistic. Although, they still didn’t have that maturity that I was hoping would be developed. I don’t think I’m a fan of the protagonist, Sophie, either. I felt like she was always whining and bitter about everything that crossed her path. But I did feel sorry about how Camille was treating her, everybody would hate to be bullied like that. However, I found that Mathieu, her love interest, is incredibly sweet. I adored how he taught her French, and low-key taught readers a few words and phrases too. Sophie’s stepmother, Eva, was also delightful as well! I was expecting for her to be like an evil stepmother that you see in fairytales but she’s 180 degrees, opposite. Sophie’s older brother, Eric, is protective towards Sophie with her walking around the streets of Paris by herself… and spending time with a boy.
There was a small touch of enemies to lovers at the start, it’s not entirely a big thing but it’s there. Other tropes in this book are “who did this to you”, insta love and a love triangle. Another fault I found was that there wasn’t really that much of a connection between Sophie and Mathieu, not one that I normally enjoy reading anyway.
It’s a big shame because I thought I’d really enjoy this book. This novel received extra points from me for being set in Paris and I did enjoy the plot of Sophie’s talent as a pianist! As much as I didn’t enjoy this book, I would say try it because you never know, it may be for you! 😊
~ 𝐂𝐨𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐖𝐚𝐫𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐬 ~
• Bullying
One Paris Summer is a YA book about two siblings, Sophie and Eric, who are sent to Paris to spend the summer with their Father, new stepmother and stepsister. They are hurt and feel betrayed by their Father for leaving them to remarry and enjoy a new life in Paris, without explanation. Soon, Camille, their stepsister, becomes a tour guide and takes them around the city of lights with her friends. Unfortunately to Sophie, Camille despises her and tries everything to show and tell her that.
I was hooked straight away with this book being set in Paris, although it wasn’t as descriptive as I would have liked it to be. One of the main reasons I thought I’d like this book was because I absolutely LOVED Anna and the French Kiss and hoped it’d be something like that, but nope. I found that One Paris Summer was a slow book where some chapters seemed to drag on due to the fact that there are parts where they didn’t have to be added. And I’m not sure about the huge amount of angst
At the start to the middle, I found the characters didn’t really have any personality to them, but towards the end they became a little bit more realistic. Although, they still didn’t have that maturity that I was hoping would be developed. I don’t think I’m a fan of the protagonist, Sophie, either. I felt like she was always whining and bitter about everything that crossed her path. But I did feel sorry about how Camille was treating her, everybody would hate to be bullied like that. However, I found that Mathieu, her love interest, is incredibly sweet. I adored how he taught her French, and low-key taught readers a few words and phrases too. Sophie’s stepmother, Eva, was also delightful as well! I was expecting for her to be like an evil stepmother that you see in fairytales but she’s 180 degrees, opposite. Sophie’s older brother, Eric, is protective towards Sophie with her walking around the streets of Paris by herself… and spending time with a boy.
There was a small touch of enemies to lovers at the start, it’s not entirely a big thing but it’s there. Other tropes in this book are “who did this to you”, insta love and a love triangle. Another fault I found was that there wasn’t really that much of a connection between Sophie and Mathieu, not one that I normally enjoy reading anyway.
It’s a big shame because I thought I’d really enjoy this book. This novel received extra points from me for being set in Paris and I did enjoy the plot of Sophie’s talent as a pianist! As much as I didn’t enjoy this book, I would say try it because you never know, it may be for you! 😊
~ 𝐂𝐨𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐖𝐚𝐫𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐬 ~
• Bullying
April 5, 2020
Epitome of angst personified in YA books. It involves bullying, assault and attempted rape.
Sophie and Eric’s father, is a man that announced his departure from the family on the day he left. A year later, he’s marrying Eva and is insistent they attend his marriage in Paris.
He is an oblivious father indifferent to his children.
Sophie is the protagonist, she and Eric are from a broken home. Mr. Popularity, Eric, has been dethroned, to be reinstated, he joins Camille, the evil bully, mean, wicked stepsister’s band of merry misfits. In his role, he rarely remembers he has a meek, scared of her own shadow, sister.
Eric, as a brother is irredeemable, he chose peer pressure over the wellbeing of his sibling. His rare moments of concern read as pretence.
Sophie is oftentimes left to her own devices to struggle along, when she isn’t being the target of everyone’s ire.
Dane, Eric’s best friend is despicable and deplorable.
Matthieu is Camille’s ex, he befriends Sophie, contingent on secrecy. His remaining in Camille’s good graces is pivotal to his internship. Great message of loyalty and bullying. What is the message to be taken from this book❓❓❓
These parents would by no means, be referred to as helicopter parents, more as detached, indifferent absentee parents.
Sophie and Eric’s father, is a man that announced his departure from the family on the day he left. A year later, he’s marrying Eva and is insistent they attend his marriage in Paris.
He is an oblivious father indifferent to his children.
Sophie is the protagonist, she and Eric are from a broken home. Mr. Popularity, Eric, has been dethroned, to be reinstated, he joins Camille, the evil bully, mean, wicked stepsister’s band of merry misfits. In his role, he rarely remembers he has a meek, scared of her own shadow, sister.
Eric, as a brother is irredeemable, he chose peer pressure over the wellbeing of his sibling. His rare moments of concern read as pretence.
Sophie is oftentimes left to her own devices to struggle along, when she isn’t being the target of everyone’s ire.
Dane, Eric’s best friend is despicable and deplorable.
Matthieu is Camille’s ex, he befriends Sophie, contingent on secrecy. His remaining in Camille’s good graces is pivotal to his internship. Great message of loyalty and bullying. What is the message to be taken from this book❓❓❓
These parents would by no means, be referred to as helicopter parents, more as detached, indifferent absentee parents.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
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June 28, 2016Review originally posted at
All Books Considered: DNF
I didn't get very far into this one -- I found Sophie to be incredibly whiny and the situation to be ridiculous. Yes, I get it, she had to leave her planned summer to spend it in Paris with her dad and his new wife, but she was such a brat and beyond naive. I really love this author's Off the Subject (NA) series - but this one just didn't work for me. I understood that Sophie felt left out since her dad moved to another country and left his family but she didn't seem to see the positive in anything, even considering that her long time crush was coming to stay with her and her brother in Paris because they couldn't have an entire summer without their friends. Too immature for me but hopefully this one got better as it went along!
I didn't get very far into this one -- I found Sophie to be incredibly whiny and the situation to be ridiculous. Yes, I get it, she had to leave her planned summer to spend it in Paris with her dad and his new wife, but she was such a brat and beyond naive. I really love this author's Off the Subject (NA) series - but this one just didn't work for me. I understood that Sophie felt left out since her dad moved to another country and left his family but she didn't seem to see the positive in anything, even considering that her long time crush was coming to stay with her and her brother in Paris because they couldn't have an entire summer without their friends. Too immature for me but hopefully this one got better as it went along!
October 14, 2016
This book almost made me feel as though I was visiting Paris myself....
The author did a really good job of describing the sites and the food..... Sophie and Eric go to Paris for the summer, to attend the wedding of their father, who they believe left them.... I felt as though the way Sophie and Eric felt towards their father was probably very common in that situation... A big part of this book was them piecing their relationship back together..... also there was a tremendous growth both individually and as siblings with Sophie and Eric.... there is a love story to this book, but I thought it was not as important as the growth in the characters... although it was still quite adorable.... and I really would like to hear Sophie play the piano.....
The author did a really good job of describing the sites and the food..... Sophie and Eric go to Paris for the summer, to attend the wedding of their father, who they believe left them.... I felt as though the way Sophie and Eric felt towards their father was probably very common in that situation... A big part of this book was them piecing their relationship back together..... also there was a tremendous growth both individually and as siblings with Sophie and Eric.... there is a love story to this book, but I thought it was not as important as the growth in the characters... although it was still quite adorable.... and I really would like to hear Sophie play the piano.....
June 26, 2016
full review up here!
3.5 Stars! Thanks to netgalley and the publisher for providing me a copy of this :) I definitely had a great time reading this cute novel, set during an American teens' summer in Paris. I loved the character growth and of course the setting in this one :) definitely recommended for those who love sweet, feel-good stories!
3.5 Stars! Thanks to netgalley and the publisher for providing me a copy of this :) I definitely had a great time reading this cute novel, set during an American teens' summer in Paris. I loved the character growth and of course the setting in this one :) definitely recommended for those who love sweet, feel-good stories!
June 13, 2017
Random Thoughts About the Book:
1. Eric~ he is a wonderful big brother<3
2. Sophie~ While she was a relatable character, she could be kind of whiny, and annoying at times.
3. Mathieu~ He was pretty amazing<3 but I did have one issue with him
4. Dane~ he is horrible person, that is all
5. Camille~ she was horrible person as well
6. Eva~ she wasn't the typical 'evil stepmom' and I liked that :-D
7. Pace~ It would be moving kind of slow, then it would skip a whole week...? I know you have to get through two months, but it just felt kinda odd.
8. Sophie & Mathieu~ Their relationship was cute, I liked how the met, and how they went on little breakfast 'dates'.
9. Setting~ Was fabulous<3 (Kinda wish I could teleport to Paris so I could see all the cool places in this book ;)
End Thoughts:
This is a cute, quick, summer read, but it didn't wow me *shrugs*
1. Eric~ he is a wonderful big brother<3
2. Sophie~ While she was a relatable character, she could be kind of whiny, and annoying at times.
3. Mathieu~ He was pretty amazing<3 but I did have one issue with him
4. Dane~ he is horrible person, that is all
5. Camille~ she was horrible person as well
6. Eva~ she wasn't the typical 'evil stepmom' and I liked that :-D
7. Pace~ It would be moving kind of slow, then it would skip a whole week...? I know you have to get through two months, but it just felt kinda odd.
8. Sophie & Mathieu~ Their relationship was cute, I liked how the met, and how they went on little breakfast 'dates'.
9. Setting~ Was fabulous<3 (Kinda wish I could teleport to Paris so I could see all the cool places in this book ;)
End Thoughts:
This is a cute, quick, summer read, but it didn't wow me *shrugs*
September 11, 2017
3.75/5 sterren.
Erg lekker zomers boek met mooie rondleiding door Parijs, zeker nodig zo met de regen op de achtergrond.
Camille, bok op want je bent een stom personage.
Verhaal was wel schattig.
Hele recensie verschijnt op www.myperfectbooklife.blogspot.nl
Erg lekker zomers boek met mooie rondleiding door Parijs, zeker nodig zo met de regen op de achtergrond.
Camille, bok op want je bent een stom personage.
Verhaal was wel schattig.
Hele recensie verschijnt op www.myperfectbooklife.blogspot.nl
February 2, 2018
Adorable contemporary YA. I really liked Sophie - she was a strong heroine, yet vulnerable. This author is truly gifted at writing in multiple genres. I've read her cozy mysteries, her paranormal YA, and now this. I've enjoyed all!
July 1, 2020
Who doesn't love a good, sweet Paris romance? Not overly exciting but kept me reading/listening. Loved listening to the audiobook for the French phrases because damn it's so beautiful.
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