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After Paris
Three best friends take the same Eurostar to Paris for a girls' weekend, but take separate trains back. What happened that weekend? A grown-up, thought-provoking and gripping novel set in Paris about motherhood, friendship, secrets, and the face we present to the world.
Three best friends. A weekend away. And a whole lot of baggage.
Alice, Nina and Jules have been best friends for 20 years. They met in Paris and return there once a year, to relive their youth, leave the cares and troubles of home behind, and indulge in each other's friendship and warmth. But this year, aged 35, the cracks in their relationships are starting to show...
After their weekend together in Paris, the three women never speak again. Each of them claims the other two ghosted them. But what really happened that weekend?
Three best friends. A weekend away. And a whole lot of baggage.
Alice, Nina and Jules have been best friends for 20 years. They met in Paris and return there once a year, to relive their youth, leave the cares and troubles of home behind, and indulge in each other's friendship and warmth. But this year, aged 35, the cracks in their relationships are starting to show...
After their weekend together in Paris, the three women never speak again. Each of them claims the other two ghosted them. But what really happened that weekend?
- GenresFictionSummerFriendship
400 pages, Kindle Edition
First published July 21, 2022
51 people are currently reading
515 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 95 reviews
January 13, 2023
‘Her heart ached that she hadn’t been there for her friend. How had they let things get this far? she thought, crossly. What were they all playing at, not speaking? It was ridiculous.’
After Paris was an absorbing read about long-term friendships, what we share and what we hide, and all the things left unsaid in-between. Alice, Nina, and Jules are an unlikely trio, yet after meeting in Paris one night in their late teens, they form a bond that sees them becoming best friends for the next two decades. After their most recent weekend in Paris though, the three don’t speak or message again for almost nine months after. Within this time of silence, their differences seem more apparent than their similarities.
I found this novel so easy to read and enjoyed it immensely. It took an unexpected plot turn when it dived into the world of online gambling, something I knew existed in essence, but really knew nothing about at all. I’m not going to lie; I was shocked at how easy it was for people to gamble away everything they have and then some from the couch using their phone. It shouldn’t be legal.
The dynamics of female friendship were on full show within this novel, and I enjoyed the honest portrayal by the author. There was plenty of relatable material within this one, that’s for sure. I recommend After Paris for book clubs and readers of life-lit. Four stars.
Thanks to Bloomsbury Publishing for the review copy.
After Paris was an absorbing read about long-term friendships, what we share and what we hide, and all the things left unsaid in-between. Alice, Nina, and Jules are an unlikely trio, yet after meeting in Paris one night in their late teens, they form a bond that sees them becoming best friends for the next two decades. After their most recent weekend in Paris though, the three don’t speak or message again for almost nine months after. Within this time of silence, their differences seem more apparent than their similarities.
I found this novel so easy to read and enjoyed it immensely. It took an unexpected plot turn when it dived into the world of online gambling, something I knew existed in essence, but really knew nothing about at all. I’m not going to lie; I was shocked at how easy it was for people to gamble away everything they have and then some from the couch using their phone. It shouldn’t be legal.
The dynamics of female friendship were on full show within this novel, and I enjoyed the honest portrayal by the author. There was plenty of relatable material within this one, that’s for sure. I recommend After Paris for book clubs and readers of life-lit. Four stars.
Thanks to Bloomsbury Publishing for the review copy.
April 21, 2022
i really enjoyed this novel - i liked how it uniquely explored the lives of 3 women, and their growth, regrets and heartbreak they experienced together and individually.
often with books about women’s separate lives and united friendship, authors utilize the same problems or issues for someone to face, however this one was the opposite. i loved the unique story lines that kennedy explored for each character, with aspects such as neurodiverenge, addiction and fear of failure being investigated in such an honest and vulnerable way for the three main characters.
loved this book, and it definitely made me want to visit paris more :) highly recommend!!
thank you to netgalley and the author for the arc of this novel.
often with books about women’s separate lives and united friendship, authors utilize the same problems or issues for someone to face, however this one was the opposite. i loved the unique story lines that kennedy explored for each character, with aspects such as neurodiverenge, addiction and fear of failure being investigated in such an honest and vulnerable way for the three main characters.
loved this book, and it definitely made me want to visit paris more :) highly recommend!!
thank you to netgalley and the author for the arc of this novel.
January 12, 2023
I think I’d actually give it 2.5 stars:/ I really expected more. The book hardly explored the main topic of female friendship and completely neglected touching on the dynamic of three friends rather than two. The twist as to why they fell out was silly and therefore they were are to reconcile within like 2 pages. Was quite disappointed and wouldn’t recommend.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 10, 2022
Unputdownable...it was exactly what I've needed!
March 25, 2023
Thank you to Aria Fiction/Head of Zeus for sending me a copy of the brilliant 𝐀𝐟𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐏𝐚𝐫𝐢𝐬 by Nicole Kennedy 🇫🇷🥐
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𝐖𝐚𝐬 𝐬𝐡𝐞 𝐝𝐨𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐫𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐠? 𝐑𝐚𝐤𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐮𝐩 𝐬𝐨𝐦𝐞𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐡𝐚𝐝 𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐩𝐞𝐧𝐞𝐝 𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐫 𝐚 𝐝𝐞𝐜𝐚𝐝𝐞 𝐚𝐠𝐨? 𝐘𝐞𝐬, 𝐬𝐡𝐞 𝐭𝐨𝐥𝐝 𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐞𝐥𝐟, 𝐲𝐞𝐬. 𝐈𝐭 𝐜𝐚𝐧'𝐭 𝐛𝐞 𝐚 𝐝𝐚𝐫𝐤 𝐬𝐞𝐜𝐫𝐞𝐭 𝐟𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐚𝐰𝐚𝐲 𝐢𝐧 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐩𝐚𝐬𝐭 𝐚𝐧𝐲𝐦𝐨𝐫𝐞. 𝐘𝐨𝐮 𝐧𝐞𝐞𝐝 𝐭𝐨 𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐟𝐫𝐨𝐧𝐭 𝐢𝐭.
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After Paris is a fantastic character-driven story that centres around three women: Alice, Nina, and Julia.
The story is told from their individual PoVs, and showcases the ups and downs of their lives, loves, and friendship.
I absolutely loved the meet-cute of how these three friends met, and how their meeting set their lives on a different course to what it might have otherwise been.
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𝐒𝐡𝐞 𝐟𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐝 𝐚 𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐨𝐨𝐦 𝐚𝐰𝐚𝐲 𝐟𝐫𝐨𝐦 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐦𝐚𝐢𝐧 𝐥𝐨𝐛𝐛𝐲, 𝐭𝐮𝐜𝐤𝐞𝐝 𝐝𝐨𝐰𝐧 𝐚 𝐬𝐦𝐚𝐥𝐥 𝐜𝐨𝐫𝐫𝐢𝐝𝐨𝐫. 𝐈𝐭 𝐰𝐚𝐬 𝐚𝐧 𝐨𝐚𝐬𝐢𝐬 𝐨𝐟 𝐜𝐚𝐥𝐦 𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐩𝐚𝐫𝐞𝐝 𝐭𝐨 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐦𝐞𝐥𝐞𝐞 𝐢𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐜𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐥 𝐚𝐭𝐫𝐢𝐮𝐦 ... 𝐒𝐡𝐞 𝐧𝐞𝐞𝐝𝐞𝐝 𝐡𝐞𝐫 𝐭𝐨𝐨𝐥𝐛𝐨𝐱, 𝐬𝐡𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐨𝐮𝐠𝐡𝐭, 𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐜𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐡𝐞𝐫 𝐡𝐞𝐟𝐭𝐲 𝐛𝐚𝐠, 𝐠𝐥𝐚𝐝 𝐭𝐨 𝐡𝐚𝐯𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐛𝐚𝐭𝐡𝐫𝐨𝐨𝐦 𝐭𝐨 𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐞𝐥𝐟.
𝐎𝐡.
𝐒𝐡𝐞 𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐫𝐭𝐞𝐝 𝐚𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐮𝐧𝐦𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐤𝐚𝐛𝐥𝐞 𝐬𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐝 𝐨𝐟 𝐜𝐫𝐲𝐢𝐧𝐠.
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Each of our three friends are strong characters in their own right, with their own voices, desires, and flaws.
I loved how each character was intoduced to us within the book.
Julia - with her foundation of self-consciousness, bad skin, and desire to fit in. She loves to observe people, but often feels like an outsider. No spoilers, but rereading our introduction to Julia after finishing the book does highlight some clues that were always there in Julia's character, and I love being able to spot details like that in a reread:
𝐉𝐮𝐥𝐢𝐚 𝐅𝐫𝐞𝐲 𝐰𝐚𝐬 𝐝𝐨𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐬𝐡𝐞 𝐚𝐥𝐰𝐚𝐲𝐬 𝐝𝐢𝐝 𝐚𝐟𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐭𝐚𝐥𝐤𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐨 𝐚 𝐛𝐨𝐲. 𝐑𝐮𝐧𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐫𝐞𝐫𝐞𝐮𝐧𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐢𝐫 𝐞𝐱𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐧𝐠𝐞 𝐢𝐧 𝐡𝐞𝐫 𝐡𝐞𝐚𝐝, 𝐜𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐚𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐬 𝐬𝐡𝐞'𝐝 𝐬𝐚𝐢𝐝, 𝐚𝐝𝐦𝐨𝐧𝐢𝐬𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐞𝐥𝐟 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐭𝐲, 𝐢𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐬 𝐬𝐡𝐞 𝐜𝐨𝐮𝐥𝐝 𝐡𝐚𝐯𝐞 𝐬𝐚𝐢𝐝. 𝐖𝐡𝐲 𝐰𝐚𝐬 𝐬𝐩𝐞𝐚𝐤𝐢𝐧𝐠 - 𝐬𝐮𝐜𝐡 𝐚 𝐛𝐚𝐬𝐢𝐜, 𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐟𝐮𝐧𝐜𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐲 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐠 - 𝐬𝐨 𝐝𝐢𝐟𝐟𝐢𝐜𝐮𝐥𝐭 𝐬𝐨𝐦𝐞𝐭𝐢𝐦𝐞𝐬?
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Nina - with her cool looks and attitude, who doesn't fit in at the swanky ball she has been invited to by her famous father, who she has only recently reconciled with. And I'm dying to try one of her croissants:
'𝐈 𝐨𝐧𝐥𝐲 𝐣𝐮𝐬𝐭 𝐟𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐝 𝐨𝐮𝐭. 𝐇𝐞'𝐬 𝐦𝐲 𝐝𝐚𝐝, 𝐈 𝐦𝐞𝐚𝐧. 𝐖𝐞𝐥𝐥, 𝐬𝐢𝐱 𝐦𝐨𝐧𝐭𝐡𝐬 𝐚𝐠𝐨 𝐰𝐡𝐞𝐧 𝐡𝐞 𝐢𝐧𝐯𝐢𝐭𝐞𝐝 𝐦𝐞 𝐭𝐨 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬.'
𝐒𝐡𝐞'𝐬 𝐚 𝐝𝐞𝐛 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐚 𝐩𝐢𝐱𝐢𝐞 𝐜𝐮𝐭 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐝𝐮𝐧𝐠𝐚𝐫𝐞𝐞𝐬 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐚𝐧 𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐧𝐠𝐞𝐝 𝐦𝐨𝐯𝐢𝐞-𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐫 𝐟𝐚𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫. 𝐆𝐨𝐨𝐝 𝐠𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐟, 𝐭𝐡𝐨𝐮𝐠𝐡𝐭 𝐀𝐥𝐢𝐜𝐞, 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐰𝐚𝐬 𝐠𝐞𝐭𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐛𝐞𝐭𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐛𝐲 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐬𝐞𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐝.
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And Alice - with her internal conflict of wanting to conform to expectations, and wanting to be the same as the other debutantes in her social circle, but also having a rebellious streak and wanting to break free of what everyone expects of her:
𝐀𝐥𝐢𝐜𝐞 𝐫𝐞𝐩𝐥𝐢𝐞𝐝, 𝐚 𝐲𝐚𝐰𝐧 𝐢𝐧 𝐡𝐞𝐫 𝐯𝐨𝐢𝐜𝐞, 𝐚𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐨𝐮𝐠𝐡 𝐓𝐞𝐝𝐝𝐲'𝐬 𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐛𝐥𝐞𝐦𝐬 𝐰𝐞𝐫𝐞 𝐣𝐮𝐬𝐭 𝐬𝐨 𝐭𝐞𝐝𝐢𝐨𝐮𝐬 𝐭𝐨 𝐡𝐞𝐫 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐞 𝐰𝐚𝐬𝐧'𝐭 𝐚 𝐝𝐞𝐥𝐢𝐜𝐢𝐨𝐮𝐬 𝐣𝐮𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐜𝐞 𝐢𝐧 𝐡𝐢𝐦 𝐛𝐞𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐬𝐭𝐨𝐨𝐝 𝐮𝐩 𝐚𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐬𝐨𝐜𝐢𝐞𝐭𝐲 𝐟𝐮𝐧𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐨𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐲𝐞𝐚𝐫. 𝐂𝐡𝐮𝐧𝐤𝐲, 𝐡𝐞'𝐝 𝐜𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐞𝐝 𝐡𝐞𝐫. 𝐂𝐡𝐮𝐧𝐤𝐲. 𝐀𝐧𝐝 𝐬𝐡𝐞 𝐡𝐚𝐝𝐧'𝐭 𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐠𝐨𝐭𝐭𝐞𝐧 𝐢𝐭.
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The story plays out over time, but is not linear, which keeps it interesting. Our three friends meet in Paris in 1999, and we are then propelled into their lives in present day, which is 20 years later, with the time in-between being gradually filled in and key elements of their lives being revealed to us slowly.
Kennedy does a fantastic job of portraying the friendship as one that is both an easy camaraderie that is only experienced in deep friendships - where one can easily slot in with their friends and pick up where they left off, even if time has passed since their last meeting - and one that is simultaneously peppered with tension, because our three friends have conflicting desires in life, and conflicting struggles based on their own history and background.
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𝐀𝐥𝐢𝐜𝐞, 𝐍𝐢𝐧𝐚 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐉𝐮𝐥𝐞𝐬 𝐬𝐥𝐞𝐩𝐭 𝐝𝐞𝐞𝐩𝐥𝐲, 𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐩𝐲 𝐢𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐢𝐫 𝐏𝐚𝐫𝐢𝐬 𝐛𝐮𝐛𝐛𝐥𝐞, 𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐭𝐨 𝐤𝐧𝐨𝐰 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐨𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫 𝐭𝐰𝐨 𝐰𝐨𝐦𝐞𝐧 𝐰𝐞𝐫𝐞 𝐧𝐞𝐚𝐫, 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐢𝐫 𝐟𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐧𝐝𝐬𝐡𝐢𝐩 𝐚𝐬 𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐨𝐧𝐠 𝐚𝐬 𝐢𝐭 𝐡𝐚𝐝 𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐫 𝐛𝐞𝐞𝐧.
𝐄𝐚𝐜𝐡 𝐨𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐦 𝐮𝐧𝐚𝐰𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐢𝐭 𝐰𝐨𝐮𝐥𝐝 𝐛𝐞 𝐚 𝐥𝐨𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐢𝐦𝐞 𝐮𝐧𝐭𝐢𝐥 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐲 𝐬𝐥𝐞𝐩𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐰𝐚𝐲 - 𝐨𝐫 𝐬𝐚𝐰 𝐞𝐚𝐜𝐡 𝐨𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫 - 𝐚𝐠𝐚𝐢𝐧.
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After Paris explores some really important themes and topics within the story.
From the trials of motherhood, internalised and externalised misogyny, and the emotional immaturities and insecurities of 'playground mums', to gambling addiction, baby loss, and deep-seated grief.
I especially loved Nina's character arc, and how she came to recognise (with therapy, self love/acceptance, and time) that what she thought was love for Ted, was far from it. They had common trauma and loneliness, and sometimes a codependency like this can feel intense and all-encompassing, but this doesn't mean that two people are really right for each other.
And don't get me started on Ted because he is a character I loved to hate! I actually gasped aloud at some parts of the story, which is real testament to Kennedy's ability to write fantastic characters and how she kept me guessing and surprised with the plot.
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𝐈𝐭 𝐰𝐚𝐬 𝐚 𝐟𝐚𝐢𝐫𝐲𝐭𝐚𝐥𝐞, 𝐡𝐞𝐫 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐓𝐞𝐝. 𝐈𝐭 𝐰𝐚𝐬 𝐧𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐫 𝐦𝐞𝐚𝐧𝐭 𝐭𝐨 𝐛𝐞, 𝐛𝐞𝐜𝐚𝐮𝐬𝐞 𝐢𝐟 𝐢𝐭 𝐰𝐞𝐫𝐞, 𝐢𝐭 𝐰𝐨𝐮𝐥𝐝 𝐡𝐚𝐯𝐞 𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐩𝐞𝐧𝐞𝐝, 𝐰𝐨𝐮𝐥𝐝𝐧'𝐭 𝐢𝐭?
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I also loved the thread within the story relating to autism, ADHD, and navigating the world with the challenges this presents, whether with or without a diagnosis.
Alice's daughter, Charlotte, fortunately receives a diagnosis, but not before she is branded as a 'naughty' and 'disruptive' child. There are reflections on the internal damage caused to children who receive such messaging; that when trying to do their best, but struggling, the adults in their life often shame and punish them instead of seeking to understand and support them.
Receiving true diagnoses for autism, ADD and ADHD is still a difficult area of life for many people, and not just children, but it is a timely and relevant topic that I hope will give some insight and understanding to readers who may not have dealt with this in their own lives, or who may not have met anyone with autism before.
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𝐀𝐥𝐢𝐜𝐞 𝐟𝐞𝐥𝐭 𝐡𝐞𝐫 𝐡𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐭 𝐩𝐮𝐦𝐩𝐢𝐧𝐠, 𝐡𝐞𝐫 𝐚𝐧𝐠𝐞𝐫 𝐛𝐮𝐢𝐥𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐠. 𝐃𝐨𝐧'𝐭 𝐥𝐨𝐬𝐞 𝐢𝐭 𝐢𝐧 𝐟𝐫𝐨𝐧𝐭 𝐨𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐜𝐡𝐢𝐥𝐝𝐫𝐞𝐧, 𝐬𝐡𝐞 𝐭𝐨𝐥𝐝 𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐞𝐥𝐟. 𝐒𝐡𝐞 𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐧𝐞𝐝 𝐝𝐨𝐰𝐧 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐤𝐢𝐬𝐬𝐞𝐝 𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐫𝐥𝐨𝐭𝐭𝐞'𝐬 𝐡𝐞𝐚𝐝. 𝐖𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐦𝐮𝐬𝐭 𝐢𝐭 𝐛𝐞 𝐥𝐢𝐤𝐞 𝐭𝐨 𝐬𝐩𝐞𝐧𝐝 𝐚𝐥𝐥 𝐝𝐚𝐲 𝐚𝐩𝐨𝐥𝐨𝐠𝐢𝐬𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐰𝐡𝐨 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐚𝐫𝐞, 𝐬𝐡𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐨𝐮𝐠𝐡𝐭.
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'𝐈𝐭'𝐬 𝐫𝐢𝐝𝐢𝐜𝐮𝐥𝐨𝐮𝐬. 𝐇𝐢𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐬 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐩𝐚𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐨 𝐡𝐞𝐫. 𝐒𝐡𝐞 𝐡𝐚𝐬 𝐭𝐨 𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐧-'
'𝐍𝐨!' 𝐀𝐥𝐢𝐜𝐞 𝐬𝐚𝐢𝐝 𝐟𝐢𝐫𝐦𝐥𝐲. '𝐍𝐨, 𝐘𝐨𝐮! 𝐘𝐨𝐮 𝐡𝐚𝐯𝐞 𝐭𝐨 𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐧. 𝐘𝐨𝐮 𝐜𝐚𝐧'𝐭 𝐬𝐞𝐭 𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐩𝐬 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐡𝐞𝐫 𝐭𝐨 𝐟𝐚𝐥𝐥 𝐢𝐧𝐭𝐨 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐧 𝐠𝐞𝐭 𝐜𝐫𝐨𝐬𝐬 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐡𝐞𝐫 𝐰𝐡𝐞𝐧 𝐬𝐡𝐞 𝐝𝐨𝐞𝐬! 𝐘𝐨𝐮'𝐯𝐞 𝐡𝐮𝐫𝐭 𝐡𝐞𝐫.'
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After Paris is an excellent novel that I would recommend to all readers. It started as a romantic comedy, and did retain some elements of this genre, but evolved into so much more. It wonderfully depicts the rich tapestries of the lives of three women: their highs, their lows, and throughout it all their love and acceptance of each other as they truly are.
I would definitely read more books by Nicole Kennedy.
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𝐖𝐚𝐬 𝐬𝐡𝐞 𝐝𝐨𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐫𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐠? 𝐑𝐚𝐤𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐮𝐩 𝐬𝐨𝐦𝐞𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐡𝐚𝐝 𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐩𝐞𝐧𝐞𝐝 𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐫 𝐚 𝐝𝐞𝐜𝐚𝐝𝐞 𝐚𝐠𝐨? 𝐘𝐞𝐬, 𝐬𝐡𝐞 𝐭𝐨𝐥𝐝 𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐞𝐥𝐟, 𝐲𝐞𝐬. 𝐈𝐭 𝐜𝐚𝐧'𝐭 𝐛𝐞 𝐚 𝐝𝐚𝐫𝐤 𝐬𝐞𝐜𝐫𝐞𝐭 𝐟𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐚𝐰𝐚𝐲 𝐢𝐧 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐩𝐚𝐬𝐭 𝐚𝐧𝐲𝐦𝐨𝐫𝐞. 𝐘𝐨𝐮 𝐧𝐞𝐞𝐝 𝐭𝐨 𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐟𝐫𝐨𝐧𝐭 𝐢𝐭.
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After Paris is a fantastic character-driven story that centres around three women: Alice, Nina, and Julia.
The story is told from their individual PoVs, and showcases the ups and downs of their lives, loves, and friendship.
I absolutely loved the meet-cute of how these three friends met, and how their meeting set their lives on a different course to what it might have otherwise been.
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𝐒𝐡𝐞 𝐟𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐝 𝐚 𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐨𝐨𝐦 𝐚𝐰𝐚𝐲 𝐟𝐫𝐨𝐦 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐦𝐚𝐢𝐧 𝐥𝐨𝐛𝐛𝐲, 𝐭𝐮𝐜𝐤𝐞𝐝 𝐝𝐨𝐰𝐧 𝐚 𝐬𝐦𝐚𝐥𝐥 𝐜𝐨𝐫𝐫𝐢𝐝𝐨𝐫. 𝐈𝐭 𝐰𝐚𝐬 𝐚𝐧 𝐨𝐚𝐬𝐢𝐬 𝐨𝐟 𝐜𝐚𝐥𝐦 𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐩𝐚𝐫𝐞𝐝 𝐭𝐨 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐦𝐞𝐥𝐞𝐞 𝐢𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐜𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐥 𝐚𝐭𝐫𝐢𝐮𝐦 ... 𝐒𝐡𝐞 𝐧𝐞𝐞𝐝𝐞𝐝 𝐡𝐞𝐫 𝐭𝐨𝐨𝐥𝐛𝐨𝐱, 𝐬𝐡𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐨𝐮𝐠𝐡𝐭, 𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐜𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐡𝐞𝐫 𝐡𝐞𝐟𝐭𝐲 𝐛𝐚𝐠, 𝐠𝐥𝐚𝐝 𝐭𝐨 𝐡𝐚𝐯𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐛𝐚𝐭𝐡𝐫𝐨𝐨𝐦 𝐭𝐨 𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐞𝐥𝐟.
𝐎𝐡.
𝐒𝐡𝐞 𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐫𝐭𝐞𝐝 𝐚𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐮𝐧𝐦𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐤𝐚𝐛𝐥𝐞 𝐬𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐝 𝐨𝐟 𝐜𝐫𝐲𝐢𝐧𝐠.
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Each of our three friends are strong characters in their own right, with their own voices, desires, and flaws.
I loved how each character was intoduced to us within the book.
Julia - with her foundation of self-consciousness, bad skin, and desire to fit in. She loves to observe people, but often feels like an outsider. No spoilers, but rereading our introduction to Julia after finishing the book does highlight some clues that were always there in Julia's character, and I love being able to spot details like that in a reread:
𝐉𝐮𝐥𝐢𝐚 𝐅𝐫𝐞𝐲 𝐰𝐚𝐬 𝐝𝐨𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐬𝐡𝐞 𝐚𝐥𝐰𝐚𝐲𝐬 𝐝𝐢𝐝 𝐚𝐟𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐭𝐚𝐥𝐤𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐨 𝐚 𝐛𝐨𝐲. 𝐑𝐮𝐧𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐫𝐞𝐫𝐞𝐮𝐧𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐢𝐫 𝐞𝐱𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐧𝐠𝐞 𝐢𝐧 𝐡𝐞𝐫 𝐡𝐞𝐚𝐝, 𝐜𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐚𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐬 𝐬𝐡𝐞'𝐝 𝐬𝐚𝐢𝐝, 𝐚𝐝𝐦𝐨𝐧𝐢𝐬𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐞𝐥𝐟 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐭𝐲, 𝐢𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐬 𝐬𝐡𝐞 𝐜𝐨𝐮𝐥𝐝 𝐡𝐚𝐯𝐞 𝐬𝐚𝐢𝐝. 𝐖𝐡𝐲 𝐰𝐚𝐬 𝐬𝐩𝐞𝐚𝐤𝐢𝐧𝐠 - 𝐬𝐮𝐜𝐡 𝐚 𝐛𝐚𝐬𝐢𝐜, 𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐟𝐮𝐧𝐜𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐲 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐠 - 𝐬𝐨 𝐝𝐢𝐟𝐟𝐢𝐜𝐮𝐥𝐭 𝐬𝐨𝐦𝐞𝐭𝐢𝐦𝐞𝐬?
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Nina - with her cool looks and attitude, who doesn't fit in at the swanky ball she has been invited to by her famous father, who she has only recently reconciled with. And I'm dying to try one of her croissants:
'𝐈 𝐨𝐧𝐥𝐲 𝐣𝐮𝐬𝐭 𝐟𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐝 𝐨𝐮𝐭. 𝐇𝐞'𝐬 𝐦𝐲 𝐝𝐚𝐝, 𝐈 𝐦𝐞𝐚𝐧. 𝐖𝐞𝐥𝐥, 𝐬𝐢𝐱 𝐦𝐨𝐧𝐭𝐡𝐬 𝐚𝐠𝐨 𝐰𝐡𝐞𝐧 𝐡𝐞 𝐢𝐧𝐯𝐢𝐭𝐞𝐝 𝐦𝐞 𝐭𝐨 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬.'
𝐒𝐡𝐞'𝐬 𝐚 𝐝𝐞𝐛 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐚 𝐩𝐢𝐱𝐢𝐞 𝐜𝐮𝐭 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐝𝐮𝐧𝐠𝐚𝐫𝐞𝐞𝐬 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐚𝐧 𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐧𝐠𝐞𝐝 𝐦𝐨𝐯𝐢𝐞-𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐫 𝐟𝐚𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫. 𝐆𝐨𝐨𝐝 𝐠𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐟, 𝐭𝐡𝐨𝐮𝐠𝐡𝐭 𝐀𝐥𝐢𝐜𝐞, 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐰𝐚𝐬 𝐠𝐞𝐭𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐛𝐞𝐭𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐛𝐲 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐬𝐞𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐝.
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And Alice - with her internal conflict of wanting to conform to expectations, and wanting to be the same as the other debutantes in her social circle, but also having a rebellious streak and wanting to break free of what everyone expects of her:
𝐀𝐥𝐢𝐜𝐞 𝐫𝐞𝐩𝐥𝐢𝐞𝐝, 𝐚 𝐲𝐚𝐰𝐧 𝐢𝐧 𝐡𝐞𝐫 𝐯𝐨𝐢𝐜𝐞, 𝐚𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐨𝐮𝐠𝐡 𝐓𝐞𝐝𝐝𝐲'𝐬 𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐛𝐥𝐞𝐦𝐬 𝐰𝐞𝐫𝐞 𝐣𝐮𝐬𝐭 𝐬𝐨 𝐭𝐞𝐝𝐢𝐨𝐮𝐬 𝐭𝐨 𝐡𝐞𝐫 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐞 𝐰𝐚𝐬𝐧'𝐭 𝐚 𝐝𝐞𝐥𝐢𝐜𝐢𝐨𝐮𝐬 𝐣𝐮𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐜𝐞 𝐢𝐧 𝐡𝐢𝐦 𝐛𝐞𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐬𝐭𝐨𝐨𝐝 𝐮𝐩 𝐚𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐬𝐨𝐜𝐢𝐞𝐭𝐲 𝐟𝐮𝐧𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐨𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐲𝐞𝐚𝐫. 𝐂𝐡𝐮𝐧𝐤𝐲, 𝐡𝐞'𝐝 𝐜𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐞𝐝 𝐡𝐞𝐫. 𝐂𝐡𝐮𝐧𝐤𝐲. 𝐀𝐧𝐝 𝐬𝐡𝐞 𝐡𝐚𝐝𝐧'𝐭 𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐠𝐨𝐭𝐭𝐞𝐧 𝐢𝐭.
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The story plays out over time, but is not linear, which keeps it interesting. Our three friends meet in Paris in 1999, and we are then propelled into their lives in present day, which is 20 years later, with the time in-between being gradually filled in and key elements of their lives being revealed to us slowly.
Kennedy does a fantastic job of portraying the friendship as one that is both an easy camaraderie that is only experienced in deep friendships - where one can easily slot in with their friends and pick up where they left off, even if time has passed since their last meeting - and one that is simultaneously peppered with tension, because our three friends have conflicting desires in life, and conflicting struggles based on their own history and background.
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𝐀𝐥𝐢𝐜𝐞, 𝐍𝐢𝐧𝐚 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐉𝐮𝐥𝐞𝐬 𝐬𝐥𝐞𝐩𝐭 𝐝𝐞𝐞𝐩𝐥𝐲, 𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐩𝐲 𝐢𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐢𝐫 𝐏𝐚𝐫𝐢𝐬 𝐛𝐮𝐛𝐛𝐥𝐞, 𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐭𝐨 𝐤𝐧𝐨𝐰 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐨𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫 𝐭𝐰𝐨 𝐰𝐨𝐦𝐞𝐧 𝐰𝐞𝐫𝐞 𝐧𝐞𝐚𝐫, 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐢𝐫 𝐟𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐧𝐝𝐬𝐡𝐢𝐩 𝐚𝐬 𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐨𝐧𝐠 𝐚𝐬 𝐢𝐭 𝐡𝐚𝐝 𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐫 𝐛𝐞𝐞𝐧.
𝐄𝐚𝐜𝐡 𝐨𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐦 𝐮𝐧𝐚𝐰𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐢𝐭 𝐰𝐨𝐮𝐥𝐝 𝐛𝐞 𝐚 𝐥𝐨𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐢𝐦𝐞 𝐮𝐧𝐭𝐢𝐥 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐲 𝐬𝐥𝐞𝐩𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐰𝐚𝐲 - 𝐨𝐫 𝐬𝐚𝐰 𝐞𝐚𝐜𝐡 𝐨𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫 - 𝐚𝐠𝐚𝐢𝐧.
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After Paris explores some really important themes and topics within the story.
From the trials of motherhood, internalised and externalised misogyny, and the emotional immaturities and insecurities of 'playground mums', to gambling addiction, baby loss, and deep-seated grief.
I especially loved Nina's character arc, and how she came to recognise (with therapy, self love/acceptance, and time) that what she thought was love for Ted, was far from it. They had common trauma and loneliness, and sometimes a codependency like this can feel intense and all-encompassing, but this doesn't mean that two people are really right for each other.
And don't get me started on Ted because he is a character I loved to hate! I actually gasped aloud at some parts of the story, which is real testament to Kennedy's ability to write fantastic characters and how she kept me guessing and surprised with the plot.
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𝐈𝐭 𝐰𝐚𝐬 𝐚 𝐟𝐚𝐢𝐫𝐲𝐭𝐚𝐥𝐞, 𝐡𝐞𝐫 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐓𝐞𝐝. 𝐈𝐭 𝐰𝐚𝐬 𝐧𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐫 𝐦𝐞𝐚𝐧𝐭 𝐭𝐨 𝐛𝐞, 𝐛𝐞𝐜𝐚𝐮𝐬𝐞 𝐢𝐟 𝐢𝐭 𝐰𝐞𝐫𝐞, 𝐢𝐭 𝐰𝐨𝐮𝐥𝐝 𝐡𝐚𝐯𝐞 𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐩𝐞𝐧𝐞𝐝, 𝐰𝐨𝐮𝐥𝐝𝐧'𝐭 𝐢𝐭?
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I also loved the thread within the story relating to autism, ADHD, and navigating the world with the challenges this presents, whether with or without a diagnosis.
Alice's daughter, Charlotte, fortunately receives a diagnosis, but not before she is branded as a 'naughty' and 'disruptive' child. There are reflections on the internal damage caused to children who receive such messaging; that when trying to do their best, but struggling, the adults in their life often shame and punish them instead of seeking to understand and support them.
Receiving true diagnoses for autism, ADD and ADHD is still a difficult area of life for many people, and not just children, but it is a timely and relevant topic that I hope will give some insight and understanding to readers who may not have dealt with this in their own lives, or who may not have met anyone with autism before.
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𝐀𝐥𝐢𝐜𝐞 𝐟𝐞𝐥𝐭 𝐡𝐞𝐫 𝐡𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐭 𝐩𝐮𝐦𝐩𝐢𝐧𝐠, 𝐡𝐞𝐫 𝐚𝐧𝐠𝐞𝐫 𝐛𝐮𝐢𝐥𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐠. 𝐃𝐨𝐧'𝐭 𝐥𝐨𝐬𝐞 𝐢𝐭 𝐢𝐧 𝐟𝐫𝐨𝐧𝐭 𝐨𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐜𝐡𝐢𝐥𝐝𝐫𝐞𝐧, 𝐬𝐡𝐞 𝐭𝐨𝐥𝐝 𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐞𝐥𝐟. 𝐒𝐡𝐞 𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐧𝐞𝐝 𝐝𝐨𝐰𝐧 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐤𝐢𝐬𝐬𝐞𝐝 𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐫𝐥𝐨𝐭𝐭𝐞'𝐬 𝐡𝐞𝐚𝐝. 𝐖𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐦𝐮𝐬𝐭 𝐢𝐭 𝐛𝐞 𝐥𝐢𝐤𝐞 𝐭𝐨 𝐬𝐩𝐞𝐧𝐝 𝐚𝐥𝐥 𝐝𝐚𝐲 𝐚𝐩𝐨𝐥𝐨𝐠𝐢𝐬𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐰𝐡𝐨 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐚𝐫𝐞, 𝐬𝐡𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐨𝐮𝐠𝐡𝐭.
...
'𝐈𝐭'𝐬 𝐫𝐢𝐝𝐢𝐜𝐮𝐥𝐨𝐮𝐬. 𝐇𝐢𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐬 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐩𝐚𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐨 𝐡𝐞𝐫. 𝐒𝐡𝐞 𝐡𝐚𝐬 𝐭𝐨 𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐧-'
'𝐍𝐨!' 𝐀𝐥𝐢𝐜𝐞 𝐬𝐚𝐢𝐝 𝐟𝐢𝐫𝐦𝐥𝐲. '𝐍𝐨, 𝐘𝐨𝐮! 𝐘𝐨𝐮 𝐡𝐚𝐯𝐞 𝐭𝐨 𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐧. 𝐘𝐨𝐮 𝐜𝐚𝐧'𝐭 𝐬𝐞𝐭 𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐩𝐬 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐡𝐞𝐫 𝐭𝐨 𝐟𝐚𝐥𝐥 𝐢𝐧𝐭𝐨 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐧 𝐠𝐞𝐭 𝐜𝐫𝐨𝐬𝐬 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐡𝐞𝐫 𝐰𝐡𝐞𝐧 𝐬𝐡𝐞 𝐝𝐨𝐞𝐬! 𝐘𝐨𝐮'𝐯𝐞 𝐡𝐮𝐫𝐭 𝐡𝐞𝐫.'
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After Paris is an excellent novel that I would recommend to all readers. It started as a romantic comedy, and did retain some elements of this genre, but evolved into so much more. It wonderfully depicts the rich tapestries of the lives of three women: their highs, their lows, and throughout it all their love and acceptance of each other as they truly are.
I would definitely read more books by Nicole Kennedy.
April 13, 2022
I absolutely adored this book. I think it is rare to find a book that is purely about female friendships, and while there were romance elements and more secondary significant other characters, this story of the journey of friendship so resonated with me.
Things I loved:
- All three girls' points of views were perfect in following the story and how they perceived certain situations. Sometimes with books that are split perspective, I find myself looking forward to certain narrators over others, but I genuinely loved all of the characters and equally looked forward to their reality.
- Captured the intricacy and insecurity in friendships - even lifelong ones that you should feel the most secure in. Especially in this reality of social media, comparisons of who's doing what and where they're at in their lives, and the fear of being vulnerable when you don't always have it together, even with people you are the closest to.
- The complexity of humans at different stages in their lives. I felt like this novel worked to break down a lot of stigmas of who women "should be" at different moments in their lives, and accurately captured the pressures that come with those stages (careers, motherhood, etc.).
- Such a unique story line. The timeline throughout the book was absolutely perfect, too, with the set up of their friendship when they were younger and then flipping back and forth between the main Paris trip and past trips/events, and then the fall out of the weekend after they all ghost.
Thank you to NetGalley and the author for the ARC of this book!!
Things I loved:
- All three girls' points of views were perfect in following the story and how they perceived certain situations. Sometimes with books that are split perspective, I find myself looking forward to certain narrators over others, but I genuinely loved all of the characters and equally looked forward to their reality.
- Captured the intricacy and insecurity in friendships - even lifelong ones that you should feel the most secure in. Especially in this reality of social media, comparisons of who's doing what and where they're at in their lives, and the fear of being vulnerable when you don't always have it together, even with people you are the closest to.
- The complexity of humans at different stages in their lives. I felt like this novel worked to break down a lot of stigmas of who women "should be" at different moments in their lives, and accurately captured the pressures that come with those stages (careers, motherhood, etc.).
- Such a unique story line. The timeline throughout the book was absolutely perfect, too, with the set up of their friendship when they were younger and then flipping back and forth between the main Paris trip and past trips/events, and then the fall out of the weekend after they all ghost.
Thank you to NetGalley and the author for the ARC of this book!!
July 26, 2022
Jules, Nina and Alice are three friends, thrown together in an impromptu meeting as teenagers, following which they become lifelong friends. Every few years, they take a trip to Paris together. However, over the years, each of them has been keeping secrets from the others & following their latest trip, they don’t speak again.
I really enjoyed After Paris. There were some parts of it that resonated with my own life & I found it quite emotional. Nicole Kennedy has truly captured the intensities of female friendships. And even though we can be very close, life sometimes creeps away with us & before we know it, we’ve lost touch.
After Paris is entertaining, fun, thought provoking & encapsulates what many women try to do - keep everyone else happy, often at the expense of their own happiness. It explores the many crossroads we come to in life, the choices we face, decisions we make and the possible repercussions. Fabulous!
I really enjoyed After Paris. There were some parts of it that resonated with my own life & I found it quite emotional. Nicole Kennedy has truly captured the intensities of female friendships. And even though we can be very close, life sometimes creeps away with us & before we know it, we’ve lost touch.
After Paris is entertaining, fun, thought provoking & encapsulates what many women try to do - keep everyone else happy, often at the expense of their own happiness. It explores the many crossroads we come to in life, the choices we face, decisions we make and the possible repercussions. Fabulous!
May 31, 2022
~thank you to the publisher Head of Zeus, Aria and NetGalley for the advanced readers copy in exchange for an honest review ~
I have extremely complicated feelings about this one.
On the one hand, I devoured this is one sitting because it was so enthralling and I just needed to know what would happen next. Knowing the secrets and just waiting to see them be reveal honestly was making my heart race throughout, I haven't been so completely captivated in a while, granted the reveals felt anti-climatic when we did come to it.
But on the other hand, and I'm sure this is not meant to be the takeaway from this story - I just could not for the life of me understand why Alice, Jules and Nina were ever friends in the first place. I found their individual stories so compelling (albeit a little toxic) but their friendship made absolute no sense to me. When I think of true sisterhood and friendship, I wouldn't think of trio as exemplar of this. The secrets that they kept from each other, big secrets at that, that really affected one another's lives completely blew my mind. It was completely unsurprising that they drifted apart the way they do, when you spend the first half learning how their friendship was riddled with lack of communication and jealousy. Did 'After Paris' capture the intricacies that come with female friendships? Sure. But I think I struggled with understanding the trio, when my own personal experiences and beliefs of what these friendships should be is so far removed from I read. I'm in awe their friendship lasted as long as it did if I'm being honest, but I still appreciated how it all came together in the end and the acceptance they found with each other. The epilogue was so sweet to read too.
The structure of this book was confusing to navigate - not only the back and forth between time periods but working out who was narrating at any given time.
That being said, Nicole Kennedy expertly handled many important topics throughout such as addiction, abortion, infertility, neurodiversity in a manner that never felt forced, but engaging and real.
Thoughts on the friendship aside, this was an enjoyable read that has me counting days till August when I get off the Eurostar at Gare du Nord and walk along the Seine with my closest gal pals!
3.25☆
I have extremely complicated feelings about this one.
On the one hand, I devoured this is one sitting because it was so enthralling and I just needed to know what would happen next. Knowing the secrets and just waiting to see them be reveal honestly was making my heart race throughout, I haven't been so completely captivated in a while, granted the reveals felt anti-climatic when we did come to it.
But on the other hand, and I'm sure this is not meant to be the takeaway from this story - I just could not for the life of me understand why Alice, Jules and Nina were ever friends in the first place. I found their individual stories so compelling (albeit a little toxic) but their friendship made absolute no sense to me. When I think of true sisterhood and friendship, I wouldn't think of trio as exemplar of this. The secrets that they kept from each other, big secrets at that, that really affected one another's lives completely blew my mind. It was completely unsurprising that they drifted apart the way they do, when you spend the first half learning how their friendship was riddled with lack of communication and jealousy. Did 'After Paris' capture the intricacies that come with female friendships? Sure. But I think I struggled with understanding the trio, when my own personal experiences and beliefs of what these friendships should be is so far removed from I read. I'm in awe their friendship lasted as long as it did if I'm being honest, but I still appreciated how it all came together in the end and the acceptance they found with each other. The epilogue was so sweet to read too.
The structure of this book was confusing to navigate - not only the back and forth between time periods but working out who was narrating at any given time.
That being said, Nicole Kennedy expertly handled many important topics throughout such as addiction, abortion, infertility, neurodiversity in a manner that never felt forced, but engaging and real.
Thoughts on the friendship aside, this was an enjoyable read that has me counting days till August when I get off the Eurostar at Gare du Nord and walk along the Seine with my closest gal pals!
3.25☆
April 18, 2023
Despite being very confused about who was who during the first 20% of the story, I was intrigued enough to keep listening and finish within 24 hours. Covers interesting and important topics, but the main plotline of the three women being friends didn't actually make a lot of sense.
June 27, 2023
I did enjoy this but I lost my way a little bit with it. There wasn’t really enough going on for me with this one, not really many twists.
July 22, 2022
I received this book through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Copy provided by Head of Zeus and Aria.
Three best friends. A weekend away. And a whole lot of baggage.Alice, Nina and Jules have been best friends for 20 years. They met in Paris and return there once a year, to relive their youth, leave the cares and troubles of home behind, and indulge in each other's friendship and warmth. But this year, aged 35, the cracks in their relationships are starting to show. After their weekend together in Paris, the three women never speak again. Each of them claims the other two ghosted them. But what really happened that weekend?
After Paris is a grown-up, thought-provoking and gripping novel set in Paris about motherhood, friendship, secrets, and the face we present to the world. However, I just could not for the life of me understand why Alice, Jules and Nina were ever friends in the first place. I found their individual stories so compelling, but their friendship made no sense. It was completely unsurprising that they drifted apart the way they do, when you learn how their friendship was riddled with lack of communication and jealousy. The structure of the book was also confusing to navigate, not just because of the back and forth between timelines, but also who was narrating. I did love the deep hard issues that these women are faced with and how it is clear, like in real life, that they aren’t simple resolutions or decisions to be made. This book was an interesting read as it represents a lot of women’s problems in current days. It has an important message regarding women supporting women, which gave it a very good ending.
Three best friends. A weekend away. And a whole lot of baggage.Alice, Nina and Jules have been best friends for 20 years. They met in Paris and return there once a year, to relive their youth, leave the cares and troubles of home behind, and indulge in each other's friendship and warmth. But this year, aged 35, the cracks in their relationships are starting to show. After their weekend together in Paris, the three women never speak again. Each of them claims the other two ghosted them. But what really happened that weekend?
After Paris is a grown-up, thought-provoking and gripping novel set in Paris about motherhood, friendship, secrets, and the face we present to the world. However, I just could not for the life of me understand why Alice, Jules and Nina were ever friends in the first place. I found their individual stories so compelling, but their friendship made no sense. It was completely unsurprising that they drifted apart the way they do, when you learn how their friendship was riddled with lack of communication and jealousy. The structure of the book was also confusing to navigate, not just because of the back and forth between timelines, but also who was narrating. I did love the deep hard issues that these women are faced with and how it is clear, like in real life, that they aren’t simple resolutions or decisions to be made. This book was an interesting read as it represents a lot of women’s problems in current days. It has an important message regarding women supporting women, which gave it a very good ending.
July 27, 2022
#adprproduct Book Review ✨⠀
After Paris by Nicole Kennedy 📖⠀
⠀
🌟A beautiful messy portrayal of female friendship.⠀
🌟I adored Alice, Jules & Nina my heart sank and soared with them all as their stories started unfolding.⠀
🌟I really loved the way it captured the complexity, fragility and insecurities of friendships. ⠀
🌟Paris was brought to life in these pages and you could almost imagine you were really there.⠀
🌟It gave me all the feels the good, the bad, the ugly. I loved every moment of it! My only problem is it has induced a book hangover 😱 ...what can I possibly pick up next?! ⠀
⠀
It deals with lots of big topics in a sensitive, relevant & thought-provoking way. I won't name them here but do check the trigger warnings.⠀
⠀
💖 A big thanks to Head of Zeus & NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read and review it.
After Paris by Nicole Kennedy 📖⠀
⠀
🌟A beautiful messy portrayal of female friendship.⠀
🌟I adored Alice, Jules & Nina my heart sank and soared with them all as their stories started unfolding.⠀
🌟I really loved the way it captured the complexity, fragility and insecurities of friendships. ⠀
🌟Paris was brought to life in these pages and you could almost imagine you were really there.⠀
🌟It gave me all the feels the good, the bad, the ugly. I loved every moment of it! My only problem is it has induced a book hangover 😱 ...what can I possibly pick up next?! ⠀
⠀
It deals with lots of big topics in a sensitive, relevant & thought-provoking way. I won't name them here but do check the trigger warnings.⠀
⠀
💖 A big thanks to Head of Zeus & NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read and review it.
March 24, 2022
Absolutely loved every second of this novel - it caught my attention at Paris, but kept it with real, flawed characters and a great storyline! Funny, moving, relatable and almost impossible to put down - really recommend!
July 21, 2022
3.5 stars
At first, I couldn’t really connect to the book, and it took me a while to get into. It follows a group of three friends throughout their friendship, from when they first meet to them drifting apart. However, once the plot picked up, I couldn’t put it down because I wanted to know what happened next. As the character’s secrets were being discovered by the reader, I wanted to see what would happen when it was revealed to the other women.
The chapters in the book alternated between past and present. Normally I’m a fan of this, however, I just felt like it didn’t work with this book. It was difficult to distinguish who was narrating or whether it was past or present.
The book discusses a lot of relevant subjects (i.e. addiction, pregnancy/infertility, neurodiversity), and each woman is relatable in some aspect of their experience/life views. However, I found that their friendship group as a whole wasn’t very relatable, and the chemistry between them just wasn’t there. I think the alternation between the time periods played a part in this. I think it would have been better executed in a linear timeline, as it would make it easier to distinguish and see their friendship grow and drift over time.
Overall, it was a decent book and was interesting to read. I think this would be a great book for a female book club to discuss friendship, women supporting women, and the other topics discussed in the book.
Thank you to Head of Zeus, Aria, and NetGalley for the eArc!
At first, I couldn’t really connect to the book, and it took me a while to get into. It follows a group of three friends throughout their friendship, from when they first meet to them drifting apart. However, once the plot picked up, I couldn’t put it down because I wanted to know what happened next. As the character’s secrets were being discovered by the reader, I wanted to see what would happen when it was revealed to the other women.
The chapters in the book alternated between past and present. Normally I’m a fan of this, however, I just felt like it didn’t work with this book. It was difficult to distinguish who was narrating or whether it was past or present.
The book discusses a lot of relevant subjects (i.e. addiction, pregnancy/infertility, neurodiversity), and each woman is relatable in some aspect of their experience/life views. However, I found that their friendship group as a whole wasn’t very relatable, and the chemistry between them just wasn’t there. I think the alternation between the time periods played a part in this. I think it would have been better executed in a linear timeline, as it would make it easier to distinguish and see their friendship grow and drift over time.
Overall, it was a decent book and was interesting to read. I think this would be a great book for a female book club to discuss friendship, women supporting women, and the other topics discussed in the book.
Thank you to Head of Zeus, Aria, and NetGalley for the eArc!
October 30, 2022
Update - Sun 23rd Oct
August 28, 2022
After Paris is the story of three friends, who meet randomly in Paris as teenagers at a debutante ball in a very opulent hotel, and become lifelong friends. They take trips to Paris together once a year, and on their most recent trip, something happens and they take separate Eurostar trains back to London, and never speak again.
This was such a brilliant concept, of a friendship formed in very unusual circumstances and how that friendship changes over the years. There are so many secrets they all hold from one another for a variety of reasons and finally, before they turn 40, their friendships fracture under the weight of their individual secrets and lies. The three women are all very different characters, but they are all relatable and real, and I found I identified with each of them in different ways. There are some difficult issues that arise throughout the book, neurodivergence and difficulties with parenting and schooling, addiction and debt, cheating and betrayals, pregnancy and abortion. I do think that they were all handled with sensitivity, with all three women being flawed, but human in the way that they handled their issues. It also made me think about friendships that I have and how much I censor what I tell different people.
I enjoyed the writing style of this book, it was engaging and really made me feel as if I was in Paris myself, a city that I have loved for years. The one thing that didn’t really work entirely for me were the jumps between past and present, but it did not detract from a great read.
This was a wonderful story of friendship, love, how we censor what we reveal of our lives to the people around us, and just how easy it is to let friendships slide when life gets in the way.
This was such a brilliant concept, of a friendship formed in very unusual circumstances and how that friendship changes over the years. There are so many secrets they all hold from one another for a variety of reasons and finally, before they turn 40, their friendships fracture under the weight of their individual secrets and lies. The three women are all very different characters, but they are all relatable and real, and I found I identified with each of them in different ways. There are some difficult issues that arise throughout the book, neurodivergence and difficulties with parenting and schooling, addiction and debt, cheating and betrayals, pregnancy and abortion. I do think that they were all handled with sensitivity, with all three women being flawed, but human in the way that they handled their issues. It also made me think about friendships that I have and how much I censor what I tell different people.
I enjoyed the writing style of this book, it was engaging and really made me feel as if I was in Paris myself, a city that I have loved for years. The one thing that didn’t really work entirely for me were the jumps between past and present, but it did not detract from a great read.
This was a wonderful story of friendship, love, how we censor what we reveal of our lives to the people around us, and just how easy it is to let friendships slide when life gets in the way.
May 7, 2023
After Paris is a complex tale of friendship and secrets, filled with emotion and a whole lot of history!
The novel starts in Paris in 1999, with the beginning of their friendship and how all three girls met. We are then taken forward twenty years and meet Nina, Alice and Jules in present day and finally After Paris, ending with a year later. In between this are dates in their history which flesh out their friendship and provide details of how it’s developed over time. I feel like I got to know them as a collective and really understood their reasonings which made them feel more realistic.
All three characters are dealing with their own issues, hiding things from each other and it’s interesting to see how they interact with one another as adults. Their relationships altering into adult ones with adult problems, but they still have an ease with one other which comes with decades-long friendship.
There are a tonne of secrets lingering between them across the years, with the women attempting to hide some of them away but the others picking up on their strange behaviours or, usually, dismissing them all together. They’re each wrapped up in their own issues which are pretty complex! These are, however, relatable issues and between the three of them there will no doubt be something you will find yourself having experienced or having felt similarly at some point.
Getting drip fed information and details on each of the women’s histories across the span of the book was fascinating. It was nice to have some kind of explanations of their actions and understand them better as characters.
The French words and phrases that were present throughout were a nice touch. It was a test to my GCSE French days! I enjoyed the challenge and it made the novel feel much more authentic.
An original and emotional read.
The novel starts in Paris in 1999, with the beginning of their friendship and how all three girls met. We are then taken forward twenty years and meet Nina, Alice and Jules in present day and finally After Paris, ending with a year later. In between this are dates in their history which flesh out their friendship and provide details of how it’s developed over time. I feel like I got to know them as a collective and really understood their reasonings which made them feel more realistic.
All three characters are dealing with their own issues, hiding things from each other and it’s interesting to see how they interact with one another as adults. Their relationships altering into adult ones with adult problems, but they still have an ease with one other which comes with decades-long friendship.
There are a tonne of secrets lingering between them across the years, with the women attempting to hide some of them away but the others picking up on their strange behaviours or, usually, dismissing them all together. They’re each wrapped up in their own issues which are pretty complex! These are, however, relatable issues and between the three of them there will no doubt be something you will find yourself having experienced or having felt similarly at some point.
Getting drip fed information and details on each of the women’s histories across the span of the book was fascinating. It was nice to have some kind of explanations of their actions and understand them better as characters.
The French words and phrases that were present throughout were a nice touch. It was a test to my GCSE French days! I enjoyed the challenge and it made the novel feel much more authentic.
An original and emotional read.
August 10, 2025
Minus miscommunication trope this book was fantastic. Great message and representation, loved the friendship. Good summer read.
July 27, 2022
Alice, Nina and Jules have been friends for twenty years, after meeting during a debutantes' ball at the swanky Hôtel de Crillon in Paris. In the following years, they have taken annual trips to Paris to relive their youth, but it is getting harder to ignore the fact that the different directions their lives have taken means they have gradually grown apart.
This year, the weight of all the baggage that has built up over time leads to significant cracks in their relationships. Each of them is consumed by their own problems, but unable to share what troubles them, and the reunion is a disaster. Although they arrived together, they make solo journeys home, and the many misunderstandings that have arisen lead to them falling out of contact. What happened to their friendship?
We first meet Alice, Nina and Joules in 1999 when they bond over their desire to escape from a fancy debutante ball. The story then plays out over the years, cutting back and forth between significant episodes of their annual visits to Paris, and their disastrous reunion twenty years later. Kennedy slowly weaves together the many threads about how their visits to Paris have changed their ability to confess their true feelings to each other, and very cleverly uses this to show of how the cummulative 'after Paris' ripples break their friendship.
My goodness, there is a lot to unpack in this novel. What starts as an intriguing look at privilege via a youthful escapade behind the scenes of one of the events of the Parisian social calendar, burgeons into a story that delves deeply into how our pasts, and the twists and turns of modern life, affect the decisions we make.
Alice, Nina and Joules are from very different backgrounds, and in many ways their expectations and opportunities are poles apart. There is genuine warmth and tenderness between them, but as the years go by they find themselves telling lies and putting up barriers that really complicate how they relate to each other, and their partners and families. The excuses they make (especially to themselves) are based on good intentions, and are the kind of ones we have all made at some time or another. This makes these women and their dilemmas very relatable, and Kennedy shows real insight into the dynamics of close female friendships as the tale unfurls. I like how she paints these women in authentic shades of grey, balancing out their positive and negative emotions, and their strengths and vulnerabilities. There are times when you do not like them or what they are doing, dying to tell them to stop and think; and others when you feel such empathy for the situations they find themselves in that you want to enfold them in a hug. It makes them seem curiously real somehow.
I am not about to go into the veritable buffet of themes Kennedy touches on in the telling of this tale, as there is real enjoyment the way in which she employs them through such a character driven story. I particularly enjoyed how she explores motherhood, father-daughter relationships, and female addiction, but there is so much more to ponder on too - and she has some very thought-provoking things to say about neuro-diversity, especially in adults.
This has all the secrets, lies and drama you want from a compelling summer read, but it also takes you to some unexpectedly deep and poignant places.
This year, the weight of all the baggage that has built up over time leads to significant cracks in their relationships. Each of them is consumed by their own problems, but unable to share what troubles them, and the reunion is a disaster. Although they arrived together, they make solo journeys home, and the many misunderstandings that have arisen lead to them falling out of contact. What happened to their friendship?
We first meet Alice, Nina and Joules in 1999 when they bond over their desire to escape from a fancy debutante ball. The story then plays out over the years, cutting back and forth between significant episodes of their annual visits to Paris, and their disastrous reunion twenty years later. Kennedy slowly weaves together the many threads about how their visits to Paris have changed their ability to confess their true feelings to each other, and very cleverly uses this to show of how the cummulative 'after Paris' ripples break their friendship.
My goodness, there is a lot to unpack in this novel. What starts as an intriguing look at privilege via a youthful escapade behind the scenes of one of the events of the Parisian social calendar, burgeons into a story that delves deeply into how our pasts, and the twists and turns of modern life, affect the decisions we make.
Alice, Nina and Joules are from very different backgrounds, and in many ways their expectations and opportunities are poles apart. There is genuine warmth and tenderness between them, but as the years go by they find themselves telling lies and putting up barriers that really complicate how they relate to each other, and their partners and families. The excuses they make (especially to themselves) are based on good intentions, and are the kind of ones we have all made at some time or another. This makes these women and their dilemmas very relatable, and Kennedy shows real insight into the dynamics of close female friendships as the tale unfurls. I like how she paints these women in authentic shades of grey, balancing out their positive and negative emotions, and their strengths and vulnerabilities. There are times when you do not like them or what they are doing, dying to tell them to stop and think; and others when you feel such empathy for the situations they find themselves in that you want to enfold them in a hug. It makes them seem curiously real somehow.
I am not about to go into the veritable buffet of themes Kennedy touches on in the telling of this tale, as there is real enjoyment the way in which she employs them through such a character driven story. I particularly enjoyed how she explores motherhood, father-daughter relationships, and female addiction, but there is so much more to ponder on too - and she has some very thought-provoking things to say about neuro-diversity, especially in adults.
This has all the secrets, lies and drama you want from a compelling summer read, but it also takes you to some unexpectedly deep and poignant places.
April 9, 2023
“Twelve hours in Paris. That's all it took to cement their futures. They would often wonder in the years ahead: what if Jules had never come across Nina in that bathroom? What if Alice and Teddy hadn't been there at all? Where, and who, would they be now?”
Delightful, funny and compelling, After Paris is a female-centric story that explores the ups and downs of friendship. I’d had this one on my wishlist since before the hardback release last year so I was very excited when the publisher offered the Squadpod the chance to read it to celebrate the paperback publication.
The story follows Alice, Nina and Jules, three women who have been friends for twenty years. It opens with the story of the women’s chance meeting in the Hotel de Crillon in Paris in 1999 and then jumps forward to twenty years later when they are on their way to Paris for their annual meet-up. Each woman is excited to leave behind the stresses and strains of daily life, relive their youth and catch up with one another. But they are also all hiding a secret. Something they are desperate to share but scared to tell the others. The cracks in their friendships are beginning to show, and after this weekend the women won’t speak again, each of them claiming the other two ghosted her. But what really happened that weekend? Is their friendship really irrevocably damaged or can they find a way to salvage the friendships that they’ve cherished for so long?
I adored this book. Funny, uplifting and thought-provoking, this isn't your average romcom. It was my first time reading a book by Nicole Kennedy and I was struck by her beautiful writing, evocative imagery and complex and layered storytelling, weaving serious topics into this lighthearted read. Topics such as grief, love, motherhood, infertility, abortion, addiction and neuro-diversity are sensitively explored alongside an authentic and relatable portrayal of female friendship and its imperfections. You will recognise yourself and your own friendships somewhere in these women and their stories. Friendships change over the years, as we do, and Kenendy expertly portrays this ebb and flow as she moves between the past and present, exploring the women’s personal lives, their friendship and previous jaunts to Paris.
The story is told from each woman’s point of view, allowing us to get to know each woman and understand things from their perspective, something that is especially helpful when trying to figure out the truth of what happened during that last visit to Paris. Each woman is flawed but fascinating, someone the reader can really get behind and root for. I really enjoyed the different topics the author explored in the story and the realistic way that their lives and friendship is portrayed, particularly as some of their situations mean they have more privilege than some of us. It is a great example of how we are all human and no amount of money can prevent us from experiencing the hardships of life. I also really enjoyed their friendship and was rooting for them to find a way to repair it, especially as they’d been friends for so long.
A wonderfully escapist page-turner that will make you feel all the feelings, I highly recommend After Paris.
Delightful, funny and compelling, After Paris is a female-centric story that explores the ups and downs of friendship. I’d had this one on my wishlist since before the hardback release last year so I was very excited when the publisher offered the Squadpod the chance to read it to celebrate the paperback publication.
The story follows Alice, Nina and Jules, three women who have been friends for twenty years. It opens with the story of the women’s chance meeting in the Hotel de Crillon in Paris in 1999 and then jumps forward to twenty years later when they are on their way to Paris for their annual meet-up. Each woman is excited to leave behind the stresses and strains of daily life, relive their youth and catch up with one another. But they are also all hiding a secret. Something they are desperate to share but scared to tell the others. The cracks in their friendships are beginning to show, and after this weekend the women won’t speak again, each of them claiming the other two ghosted her. But what really happened that weekend? Is their friendship really irrevocably damaged or can they find a way to salvage the friendships that they’ve cherished for so long?
I adored this book. Funny, uplifting and thought-provoking, this isn't your average romcom. It was my first time reading a book by Nicole Kennedy and I was struck by her beautiful writing, evocative imagery and complex and layered storytelling, weaving serious topics into this lighthearted read. Topics such as grief, love, motherhood, infertility, abortion, addiction and neuro-diversity are sensitively explored alongside an authentic and relatable portrayal of female friendship and its imperfections. You will recognise yourself and your own friendships somewhere in these women and their stories. Friendships change over the years, as we do, and Kenendy expertly portrays this ebb and flow as she moves between the past and present, exploring the women’s personal lives, their friendship and previous jaunts to Paris.
The story is told from each woman’s point of view, allowing us to get to know each woman and understand things from their perspective, something that is especially helpful when trying to figure out the truth of what happened during that last visit to Paris. Each woman is flawed but fascinating, someone the reader can really get behind and root for. I really enjoyed the different topics the author explored in the story and the realistic way that their lives and friendship is portrayed, particularly as some of their situations mean they have more privilege than some of us. It is a great example of how we are all human and no amount of money can prevent us from experiencing the hardships of life. I also really enjoyed their friendship and was rooting for them to find a way to repair it, especially as they’d been friends for so long.
A wonderfully escapist page-turner that will make you feel all the feelings, I highly recommend After Paris.
July 23, 2022
This tells the story of three women who have been best friends for 20 years, but cracks start to appear in their friendship and an ill-fated annual trip to Paris, a trip they do every year goes wrong leaving their friendship in tatters and claims being ghosted.
Alice, Nina and Jules have been firm friends for half their lives, they met in Paris and vowed to go back every year to have a good time, relive their youth and basically have a weekend without the worries of their regular life, a weekend to be young and carefree again. Only this year everything go wrong, and their friendship faces the ultimate test. Can a friendship survive After Paris?
I loved that this told the story through all three of the women’s points of view, it brings reclaims and depth to the story and allows the reader to get to know each of the women on their own terms. They each give an insight into events and their shared past, plus as the story progresses you start seeing that maybe all wasn’t as perfect as we first thought. They are three very real and relatable women who as their lives change and go in different directions at times have drifted apart, eys they are still friends, but are they really the best friends they thought or has life itself come between them?
I have just realised that I seem to be ending paragraphs with questions, but whilst reading you do have questions like this going through your mind. The way this brings to light aspects of women’s lives, situations in certain stages of our lives and how others and society (and friends) look at that something which befalls most of us at one time or another.
I have to admit, that I was unfamiliar with the term Ghosted/Ghosting and did have to do a bit of Google search. I think we have all been Ghosted at one time or another, right? And I do hate to admit it as I know how hurtful it is, that I may have been guilty of it when I was in my twenties. Alice, Nina and Jules all say the others have ghosted them, and yet they are all guilty, but why and what is the reason behind this sudden behaviour from friends. As we read, the truth is slowly revealed, it’s beautifully done and keeps you engaged.
I read the author’s previous book and I hate to say that I didn’t love that one, I enjoyed it but it didn’t hit the mark for me. Yet, this one is completely different, the story is so perfectly paced, and beautifully written. It’s honest and thought-provoking, relatable, it’s a multi-layered emotional ride full of secrets and some serious subjects which may be triggering for some, but a story which will keep you reading right to the very last page.
A definite must-read for those who love their contemporary women’s fiction which focuses primely on women’s relations and friendship. I have to admit that it wasn’t what I thought it was. I’m not sure what I was expecting, but it ended up being completely different, but in a very positive way and now I can’ wait to read more from the author.
Alice, Nina and Jules have been firm friends for half their lives, they met in Paris and vowed to go back every year to have a good time, relive their youth and basically have a weekend without the worries of their regular life, a weekend to be young and carefree again. Only this year everything go wrong, and their friendship faces the ultimate test. Can a friendship survive After Paris?
I loved that this told the story through all three of the women’s points of view, it brings reclaims and depth to the story and allows the reader to get to know each of the women on their own terms. They each give an insight into events and their shared past, plus as the story progresses you start seeing that maybe all wasn’t as perfect as we first thought. They are three very real and relatable women who as their lives change and go in different directions at times have drifted apart, eys they are still friends, but are they really the best friends they thought or has life itself come between them?
I have just realised that I seem to be ending paragraphs with questions, but whilst reading you do have questions like this going through your mind. The way this brings to light aspects of women’s lives, situations in certain stages of our lives and how others and society (and friends) look at that something which befalls most of us at one time or another.
I have to admit, that I was unfamiliar with the term Ghosted/Ghosting and did have to do a bit of Google search. I think we have all been Ghosted at one time or another, right? And I do hate to admit it as I know how hurtful it is, that I may have been guilty of it when I was in my twenties. Alice, Nina and Jules all say the others have ghosted them, and yet they are all guilty, but why and what is the reason behind this sudden behaviour from friends. As we read, the truth is slowly revealed, it’s beautifully done and keeps you engaged.
I read the author’s previous book and I hate to say that I didn’t love that one, I enjoyed it but it didn’t hit the mark for me. Yet, this one is completely different, the story is so perfectly paced, and beautifully written. It’s honest and thought-provoking, relatable, it’s a multi-layered emotional ride full of secrets and some serious subjects which may be triggering for some, but a story which will keep you reading right to the very last page.
A definite must-read for those who love their contemporary women’s fiction which focuses primely on women’s relations and friendship. I have to admit that it wasn’t what I thought it was. I’m not sure what I was expecting, but it ended up being completely different, but in a very positive way and now I can’ wait to read more from the author.
July 1, 2023
This tells the story of three women who have been best friends for 20 years, but cracks start to appear in their friendship and an ill-fated annual trip to Paris, a trip they do every year goes wrong leaving their friendship in tatters and claims being ghosted.
Alice, Nina and Jules have been firm friends for half their lives, they met in Paris and vowed to go back every year to have a good time, relive their youth and basically have a weekend without the worries of their regular life, a weekend to be young and carefree again. Only this year everything go wrong, and their friendship faces the ultimate test. Can a friendship survive After Paris?
I loved that this told the story through all three of the women’s points of view, it brings reclaims and depth to the story and allows the reader to get to know each of the women on their own terms. They each give an insight into events and their shared past, plus as the story progresses you start seeing that maybe all wasn’t as perfect as we first thought. They are three very real and relatable women who as their lives change and go in different directions at times have drifted apart, eys they are still friends, but are they really the best friends they thought or has life itself come between them?
I have just realised that I seem to be ending paragraphs with questions, but whilst reading you do have questions like this going through your mind. The way this brings to light aspects of women’s lives, situations in certain stages of our lives and how others and society (and friends) look at that something which befalls most of us at one time or another.
I have to admit, that I was unfamiliar with the term Ghosted/Ghosting and did have to do a bit of Google search. I think we have all been Ghosted at one time or another, right? And I do hate to admit it as I know how hurtful it is, that I may have been guilty of it when I was in my twenties. Alice, Nina and Jules all say the others have ghosted them, and yet they are all guilty, but why and what is the reason behind this sudden behaviour from friends. As we read, the truth is slowly revealed, it’s beautifully done and keeps you engaged.
I read the author’s previous book and I hate to say that I didn’t love that one, I enjoyed it but it didn’t hit the mark for me. Yet, this one is completely different, the story is so perfectly paced, and beautifully written. It’s honest and thought-provoking, relatable, it’s a multi-layered emotional ride full of secrets and some serious subjects which may be triggering for some, but a story which will keep you reading right to the very last page.
A definite must-read for those who love their contemporary women’s fiction which focuses primely on women’s relations and friendship. I have to admit that it wasn’t what I thought it was. I’m not sure what I was expecting, but it ended up being completely different, but in a very positive way and now I can’ wait to read more from the author.
Alice, Nina and Jules have been firm friends for half their lives, they met in Paris and vowed to go back every year to have a good time, relive their youth and basically have a weekend without the worries of their regular life, a weekend to be young and carefree again. Only this year everything go wrong, and their friendship faces the ultimate test. Can a friendship survive After Paris?
I loved that this told the story through all three of the women’s points of view, it brings reclaims and depth to the story and allows the reader to get to know each of the women on their own terms. They each give an insight into events and their shared past, plus as the story progresses you start seeing that maybe all wasn’t as perfect as we first thought. They are three very real and relatable women who as their lives change and go in different directions at times have drifted apart, eys they are still friends, but are they really the best friends they thought or has life itself come between them?
I have just realised that I seem to be ending paragraphs with questions, but whilst reading you do have questions like this going through your mind. The way this brings to light aspects of women’s lives, situations in certain stages of our lives and how others and society (and friends) look at that something which befalls most of us at one time or another.
I have to admit, that I was unfamiliar with the term Ghosted/Ghosting and did have to do a bit of Google search. I think we have all been Ghosted at one time or another, right? And I do hate to admit it as I know how hurtful it is, that I may have been guilty of it when I was in my twenties. Alice, Nina and Jules all say the others have ghosted them, and yet they are all guilty, but why and what is the reason behind this sudden behaviour from friends. As we read, the truth is slowly revealed, it’s beautifully done and keeps you engaged.
I read the author’s previous book and I hate to say that I didn’t love that one, I enjoyed it but it didn’t hit the mark for me. Yet, this one is completely different, the story is so perfectly paced, and beautifully written. It’s honest and thought-provoking, relatable, it’s a multi-layered emotional ride full of secrets and some serious subjects which may be triggering for some, but a story which will keep you reading right to the very last page.
A definite must-read for those who love their contemporary women’s fiction which focuses primely on women’s relations and friendship. I have to admit that it wasn’t what I thought it was. I’m not sure what I was expecting, but it ended up being completely different, but in a very positive way and now I can’ wait to read more from the author.
April 16, 2022
Thanks so much to NetGalley, the publisher - Head of Zeus, and the author - Nicole Kennedy, for allowing me early access to this ebook. I’m extremely grateful!
I’ve been in a contemporary romance binge reading ever since 2022 started, but now I was wanting to move to romance not focus on the romantic part, if that makes sense. The synopsis said “After Paris” followed three friends after their friendship drift apart and I thought it would give me the romance not focused on the romantic part I was looking for.
The book brings us a lot of relevant subjects, and they unfold in a nice manner, not revealed right away, which makes us interested in continuing reading. I felt women in generally will be able to relate to, at least, one of the friends’ experience or views on life, as they are so different from each other. I felt there is some character growth as well, as we get to see the friends as teens and then as adults.
However, there were some things that made it difficult, for me, to connect to the book. For starters, the pacing was kinda off. I usually like these books were we get alternated chapters between present and past, but, in here, I felt it didn’t work well, as there were no particularities that made it easy to distinguish between past and present. When I put down the book, and then picked it up again, I took sometime to remember if I was in the present or in the past.
I felt the girls friendship was not very well explored. I really like seeing their lives evolved as individual characters, but, as a group, I didn’t find the chemistry I was expecting. Maybe it would have worked better with a linear timeline, from past to present, allowing us to see their friendship growth. I spend the first half surprised by their lack of communication and the second half not surprised at all by the fact that they drift apart.
Still, I considered it an interesting read as it represents a lot of women’s problems in current days. It has an important message regarding women supporting women, which gave it a very good ending.
I’ve been in a contemporary romance binge reading ever since 2022 started, but now I was wanting to move to romance not focus on the romantic part, if that makes sense. The synopsis said “After Paris” followed three friends after their friendship drift apart and I thought it would give me the romance not focused on the romantic part I was looking for.
The book brings us a lot of relevant subjects, and they unfold in a nice manner, not revealed right away, which makes us interested in continuing reading. I felt women in generally will be able to relate to, at least, one of the friends’ experience or views on life, as they are so different from each other. I felt there is some character growth as well, as we get to see the friends as teens and then as adults.
However, there were some things that made it difficult, for me, to connect to the book. For starters, the pacing was kinda off. I usually like these books were we get alternated chapters between present and past, but, in here, I felt it didn’t work well, as there were no particularities that made it easy to distinguish between past and present. When I put down the book, and then picked it up again, I took sometime to remember if I was in the present or in the past.
I felt the girls friendship was not very well explored. I really like seeing their lives evolved as individual characters, but, as a group, I didn’t find the chemistry I was expecting. Maybe it would have worked better with a linear timeline, from past to present, allowing us to see their friendship growth. I spend the first half surprised by their lack of communication and the second half not surprised at all by the fact that they drift apart.
Still, I considered it an interesting read as it represents a lot of women’s problems in current days. It has an important message regarding women supporting women, which gave it a very good ending.
May 24, 2022
After Paris is a wonderful story about female friendships, growing up, finding out who you are and what you really want- all the best things in a story like this. It starts with some very posh debutante types about to attend a ball in Paris - I had no idea that even happened! - and we meet Alice Digby who is there with her friend Teddy, who she doesnt find attractive at all. honest. Whilst they are getting ready for the ball, we also meet the beautiful artistic Nina, who is at the ball because of her father, and sensible (almost dowdy) Jules who is there to watch from the sidelines. The four teenagers decide to make a break for it, and leave the ball in search of wild Parisian adventures - and a circle of best friends is born that night.
Fast forward 20 years when the women are now meeting up for a regular trip to Paris to spend time together. Julia is a city exec who is desperate to have a child, Nina is head of a fabulous chain of chic bakeries , and Alice married Teddy, had three children and is trying to find out what she wants from life.
The story flits between their teenage idealism and passions to the current day where they have all such different lifestyles from one another and fear they may be drifting apart. The latest weekend in Paris uncovers deeply hidden truths for all of them and they return as very different people from when they set off. The blurb on the back tells us that they don't return together - although this is quite a long way into the story - so the seed is set from the beginning for a falling out, and how this can be handled
It is an ideal summer read, it will make you appreciate your friends and what you have, and maybe question what you're really after. Its very easy to read and get engrossed into, the friendship and love between the three of them is strong and real. It also tackles some trickier issues which aren't often covered in female-led fiction, which was refreshing to see.
A solid 4 stars from me!
Fast forward 20 years when the women are now meeting up for a regular trip to Paris to spend time together. Julia is a city exec who is desperate to have a child, Nina is head of a fabulous chain of chic bakeries , and Alice married Teddy, had three children and is trying to find out what she wants from life.
The story flits between their teenage idealism and passions to the current day where they have all such different lifestyles from one another and fear they may be drifting apart. The latest weekend in Paris uncovers deeply hidden truths for all of them and they return as very different people from when they set off. The blurb on the back tells us that they don't return together - although this is quite a long way into the story - so the seed is set from the beginning for a falling out, and how this can be handled
It is an ideal summer read, it will make you appreciate your friends and what you have, and maybe question what you're really after. Its very easy to read and get engrossed into, the friendship and love between the three of them is strong and real. It also tackles some trickier issues which aren't often covered in female-led fiction, which was refreshing to see.
A solid 4 stars from me!
October 2, 2022
Nicole Kennedy lays bare the intricacies and complexities of female friendship in her astute, emotional and immensely readable novel, After Paris.
Twenty years ago, Alice, Nina and Jules had met in Paris and they have been the best of friends since. The three women have always been there for one another and supported each other through the good times and the bad. Every year, they return to Paris to relieve their youth, leave their troubles behind and generally have a fun time remembering the girls they used to be before they were weighed down by responsibilities and commitments. Nothing could possibly tear these three women apart, but when the cracks begin to show, will Alice, Nina and Jules end up going their separate ways? Or will they end up salvaging the friendship that means everything to them?
After their weekend in Paris, the three women never speak again. It seems that irrevocable damage has been done to their friendship and they can never go back to how things were before. Each one of them claims that the other two ghosted them. But who is telling the truth? What really happened during their weekend in Paris and will they ever be on speaking terms ever again? Or is their friendship over for good?
Nicole Kennedy’s After Paris is an honest, relatable, believable and engaging and enjoyable read every single woman will relate to. Fun and escapist, but moving and layered at the same time, After Paris is a mature, intelligent and entertaining page-turner that delivers on all counts.
With characters who are flawed and real, intense emotional drama and plenty of laugh out loud moments, Nicole Kennedy’s After Paris is a thought-provoking and engrossing read perfect for Jane Fallon fans.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an Advanced Reader Copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
Twenty years ago, Alice, Nina and Jules had met in Paris and they have been the best of friends since. The three women have always been there for one another and supported each other through the good times and the bad. Every year, they return to Paris to relieve their youth, leave their troubles behind and generally have a fun time remembering the girls they used to be before they were weighed down by responsibilities and commitments. Nothing could possibly tear these three women apart, but when the cracks begin to show, will Alice, Nina and Jules end up going their separate ways? Or will they end up salvaging the friendship that means everything to them?
After their weekend in Paris, the three women never speak again. It seems that irrevocable damage has been done to their friendship and they can never go back to how things were before. Each one of them claims that the other two ghosted them. But who is telling the truth? What really happened during their weekend in Paris and will they ever be on speaking terms ever again? Or is their friendship over for good?
Nicole Kennedy’s After Paris is an honest, relatable, believable and engaging and enjoyable read every single woman will relate to. Fun and escapist, but moving and layered at the same time, After Paris is a mature, intelligent and entertaining page-turner that delivers on all counts.
With characters who are flawed and real, intense emotional drama and plenty of laugh out loud moments, Nicole Kennedy’s After Paris is a thought-provoking and engrossing read perfect for Jane Fallon fans.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an Advanced Reader Copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
April 10, 2023
Thank you to Aria for the copy of the book for a Squadpod collaboration.
The book begins in Paris in 1999, where three young women are getting ready to attend le Bal. Alice, Jules and Nina. All are from different backgrounds and they are thrown together unexpectedly. This evening then develops into a long term friendship that has spanned over 20 years. Of course their lives are very different than the teenagers they once were and they renuite yearly in Paris.
We join them as they are getting ready to go to Paris, Jules has a career that she loves but has a sadness because her and husband Paul have been through many rounds of IVF with no success. Alice, in contrast is married and has three children and is reluctant to leave them with her husband Teddy. Nina is the daughter of a french film star who was only introduced to her father and his family as a teen has more of a carefree life she runs a bakery and lives with her business partner and his husband.
When they arrive in Paris they all have big things going on in their lives and you can sense that things are going to implode.
I wasn't sure when I started the book that it was for me. However, as I read more and got to know the three friends I became invested in the story. They are three very different characters each with secrets and baggage.
I enjoyed how the book dips into the past twenty years and the previous trips so we know how they have become who they are and their back stories.
After Paris is about friendship, growing and learning from mistakes. It looks at some difficult subjects, infertility, addiction and neuro diversity. It is a very entertaining and heartfelt book which kept me engrossed as I needed to find out whether their friendship will survive their many issues. A great holiday read.
4 stars ****
The book begins in Paris in 1999, where three young women are getting ready to attend le Bal. Alice, Jules and Nina. All are from different backgrounds and they are thrown together unexpectedly. This evening then develops into a long term friendship that has spanned over 20 years. Of course their lives are very different than the teenagers they once were and they renuite yearly in Paris.
We join them as they are getting ready to go to Paris, Jules has a career that she loves but has a sadness because her and husband Paul have been through many rounds of IVF with no success. Alice, in contrast is married and has three children and is reluctant to leave them with her husband Teddy. Nina is the daughter of a french film star who was only introduced to her father and his family as a teen has more of a carefree life she runs a bakery and lives with her business partner and his husband.
When they arrive in Paris they all have big things going on in their lives and you can sense that things are going to implode.
I wasn't sure when I started the book that it was for me. However, as I read more and got to know the three friends I became invested in the story. They are three very different characters each with secrets and baggage.
I enjoyed how the book dips into the past twenty years and the previous trips so we know how they have become who they are and their back stories.
After Paris is about friendship, growing and learning from mistakes. It looks at some difficult subjects, infertility, addiction and neuro diversity. It is a very entertaining and heartfelt book which kept me engrossed as I needed to find out whether their friendship will survive their many issues. A great holiday read.
4 stars ****
June 18, 2022
This is the story of a friendship between three women from different backgrounds. They meet at Le Bal in Paris as teenagers, and the story follows the development of their friendship over the next several years. Through their individual struggles and growth, they always share their love of Paris. The story jumps from the weekend trip they take in their mid-thirties to their trips in the years leading up to it.
I had a little trouble following the storyline at the beginning since it jumps around a bit. But by the time I caught on (I would say 20% of the way into the book) I was sucked into the story. Each chapter is labeled with when it’s happening so it’s really not that confusing, I just struggled. She incorporates small details in a very subtle way that allows for their story to unfold naturally on both timelines. And by the time I got to the climax of the story, I had a hard time putting this book down.
In addition, this book addressed a lot of themes that I haven’t seen a lot in contemporary fiction, and I really enjoyed that. I don’t want to get into the details because I don’t want to spoil anything, but it really was refreshing to read about something new. I love a good story that gives me wanderlust- and I definitely got some ideas for things to do the next time I’m in Paris- but the relationships that develop in this book really drive the story. Their friendship has lasted over so many years. They have each grown and changed during that period, but they continue to support one another through their individual struggles. And I think that is highlighted well by the time span of the story. This book is a good combination of relationship-driven story that still has a pretty juicy plot. A great summer read!
I had a little trouble following the storyline at the beginning since it jumps around a bit. But by the time I caught on (I would say 20% of the way into the book) I was sucked into the story. Each chapter is labeled with when it’s happening so it’s really not that confusing, I just struggled. She incorporates small details in a very subtle way that allows for their story to unfold naturally on both timelines. And by the time I got to the climax of the story, I had a hard time putting this book down.
In addition, this book addressed a lot of themes that I haven’t seen a lot in contemporary fiction, and I really enjoyed that. I don’t want to get into the details because I don’t want to spoil anything, but it really was refreshing to read about something new. I love a good story that gives me wanderlust- and I definitely got some ideas for things to do the next time I’m in Paris- but the relationships that develop in this book really drive the story. Their friendship has lasted over so many years. They have each grown and changed during that period, but they continue to support one another through their individual struggles. And I think that is highlighted well by the time span of the story. This book is a good combination of relationship-driven story that still has a pretty juicy plot. A great summer read!
August 5, 2022
We are used to reading about the perfect friendship, the one that saves us from making mistakes and keeps us happy; but we are all aware that this is only fiction. Friendship is not perfect and sometimes when we struggle, the most difficult person to tell is the one that we trust, for fear of disappointment and shame. So, this is a book about “real” friendship, the one you have with your friends, the one that you want to talk to and normally talks about everything, but that sometimes you keep pieces hidden, because you don’t know how they will react…
“After Paris” is a beautiful book about friendship; one that has been connecting Alice, Nina and Jules for years but now is crumbling down. They met a long time ago in Paris, and for years they’ve been meeting for a weekend in Paris, to remember good old times. But now, the lives of these three intelligent and brave women are changing, the only safe place they know and trust is not there. Will they be able to repair their friendship after everything is broken? You’ll have to read the book to discover the answers!
I have to say that this was a quick read, it was easy to enter the story and keep turning pages to discover what happens in the end.
The story is told between different time lines and the voices of the different characters; I have to say that in the beginning I struggled to like all of them, but once you start discovering their stories it’s impossible to not love them all!
I liked how the story talks about neurodiversity, abortion, addiction and IVF; they make the reader remember that we all struggle and that, step by step, it will get easier.
I think this has been a beautiful and emotional read; a story I will never forget.
Are you ready for “After Paris”?
“After Paris” is a beautiful book about friendship; one that has been connecting Alice, Nina and Jules for years but now is crumbling down. They met a long time ago in Paris, and for years they’ve been meeting for a weekend in Paris, to remember good old times. But now, the lives of these three intelligent and brave women are changing, the only safe place they know and trust is not there. Will they be able to repair their friendship after everything is broken? You’ll have to read the book to discover the answers!
I have to say that this was a quick read, it was easy to enter the story and keep turning pages to discover what happens in the end.
The story is told between different time lines and the voices of the different characters; I have to say that in the beginning I struggled to like all of them, but once you start discovering their stories it’s impossible to not love them all!
I liked how the story talks about neurodiversity, abortion, addiction and IVF; they make the reader remember that we all struggle and that, step by step, it will get easier.
I think this has been a beautiful and emotional read; a story I will never forget.
Are you ready for “After Paris”?
May 1, 2022
Alice, Jules, and Nina meet, in rather dramatic fashion, at a debutante ball in Paris, and become fast friends. Over the decades they support each other through the adventures of adulthood--education and careers, romantic entanglements and marriage, pregnancy and child-rearing--and meet regularly for weekends in Paris. Until one weekend, when all three women are "off" and they cannot seem to connect as they once did. Alice is worried about having left her children, especially her autistic daughter, with her husband, and about her nascent career in interior design. Nina seems to have it all together, with her expanding empire of patisseries, but she is hiding the secret of a new pregnancy and is not sure how she feels about it. But, the one thing she knows is that she cannot tell Jules, who is deep in a world of IVF attempts and miscarriages. After two days, in which they fail to truly engage with one another, two of them leave the apartment suddenly and separately, in the early morning, leaving the third sitting alone at brunch and wondering what has happened. Their lack of connection and poor communication leads to months and months of no contact, as their worlds are thrown into upheaval. In these months "after Paris" they wonder about their friends and their friendship.. As I raced through this lively and engaging book, I wondered when they would actually talk to each other and get beyond these obstacles. This is a thoughtful story of female friendship, for better or worse. Thanks to NetGalley for the opportunity to review this ARC!
May 10, 2022
This for me was a unique tale about friendship.
Three women who have essentially watched each other grown and evolve over the years suddenly find themselves you at a cross roads of sorts.
I loved that it was told from three points of view. It was interesting to see each characters thoughts on certain events, just how they differed from one another. These narrations made it more realistic as it is true in real life, we all perceive things in a variety of ways.
There were times throughout where I didn't feel as though I really liked any of them. Although they'd all experienced sadness and trauma, they also came across as quite selfish at times. This wasn't something that I disliked though, it was refreshing. We all love to hate certain characters don't we.
Kennedy has really worked hard to show the complexities of humans as a whole. Even better, these complications were shown over various time periods. Showing us that no matter how old we get, life really doesn't get simpler.
Not everything is black and white and some secrets and lies seem necessary at times (we've all hidden things for what we think is the greater good haven't we).
There are many subjects covered in this novel. From abortion and miscarriage to adultery and addiction. I was impressed as none of the above were simply glossed over. Each issue was treated as important and the reasons behind them also came across as honest and justified.
Over all, After Paris is filled with great emotions.
I admired its honesty.
Three women who have essentially watched each other grown and evolve over the years suddenly find themselves you at a cross roads of sorts.
I loved that it was told from three points of view. It was interesting to see each characters thoughts on certain events, just how they differed from one another. These narrations made it more realistic as it is true in real life, we all perceive things in a variety of ways.
There were times throughout where I didn't feel as though I really liked any of them. Although they'd all experienced sadness and trauma, they also came across as quite selfish at times. This wasn't something that I disliked though, it was refreshing. We all love to hate certain characters don't we.
Kennedy has really worked hard to show the complexities of humans as a whole. Even better, these complications were shown over various time periods. Showing us that no matter how old we get, life really doesn't get simpler.
Not everything is black and white and some secrets and lies seem necessary at times (we've all hidden things for what we think is the greater good haven't we).
There are many subjects covered in this novel. From abortion and miscarriage to adultery and addiction. I was impressed as none of the above were simply glossed over. Each issue was treated as important and the reasons behind them also came across as honest and justified.
Over all, After Paris is filled with great emotions.
I admired its honesty.
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