Robin’s Rave Reviews 2026

Romance – Contemporary Fiction with Historical References – Women’s Fiction

MEET ME IN PARIS by Kristin Harmel is described as Love Actually meets The Notebook in a tale of love, loss, and finding your way home, all set over the course of one life-changing week in Paris.

In this contemporary story the novel follows the lives of multiple Americans, unknown to each other, who have come to the City of Light for very different reasons, and yet their stories intertwine among the bookstores, bistros, bars, hotels, and tourist sites.

Book Summary

Julia and Piper

Julia always planned on returning to the city, but a recent diagnosis has finally pushed her to take the trip now to give her daughter, Piper, a special memory to hold onto. Piper, in her early twenties, intends on spending all her time with her mother. After Piper meets a cute waiter, she squeezes in time for him when Julia needs to rest. Julia’s amazed when she also meets someone who stirs unexpected feelings in her, but she must tell him about her diagnosis.

Jackson

Jackson, a 90s rock star, has come to Paris to launch his reunion tour to reignite interest with his fans. Even so, fame doesn’t sit well with him because others have used it to their advantage in the past. That deep connection of being loved for who he is on the inside has eluded him until Jackson meets a woman who doesn’t recognize him while in a Paris bar. She could be the missing part of his life.

Henry and Celeste

Henry, now in his 90s, writes hit songs, including Jackson’s big hit, City of Light. What fans don’t know is this well-loved song is about Celeste, a woman Henry loved during WWII. When he returned for her after the war, he thought she died. All these years later, a letter told him she’s alive but has dementia. Henry hopes his love song can break through her fog long enough for her to realize he came back for her. As he stays in Paris with his granddaughter, Melanie, Henry discovers Melanie’s marriage is in trouble.

Kayla

Kayla moved to Paris to get to know her French father. She’s settled into a job at a nursing home to support herself. A young artist in the park has noticed her walking past nearly every day and asks if he can paint her. Some Parisians are more welcoming to a foreigner living there than others.

Shelby and Jack

Shelby’s two girlfriends have brought her to Paris for a celebration of her divorce, only days away from being finalized. Shelby becomes interested Jack, a bar owner, who treats her with care and respect. Meanwhile, her almost-ex calls because he wants to try again. He broke it off with his girlfriend, but the reason is a red flag. Shelby is stuck between a decision to return to what she knows or to have the courage to believe she deserves more.

George and Lou

George and Lou fought together in Vietnam. After fifty years, the two widowers are still best friends. Lou convinces George to go on a Paris group tour with other Vietnam vets. He wants to see where the peace accords ending the war were signed.

With a full cast of characters, MEET ME IN PARIS addresses tough experiences real people go through such as dementia, lost love, first love, loneliness, life after widowhood and divorce, infidelity, lies, cancer, desire to connect with a distant parent, difficulties of fame, love that seems to have arrived too late, and the need for connection.

My Thoughts

Kristin Harmel is known best for her brilliant historical novels, mostly based in WWII. This new book is different but just as brilliant. It’s a contemporary story with touches of historical references to WWII and Vietnam. It’s clear that Kristin is right at home writing about Paris, having lived there for a while herself.

Photo of the Eiffel tower in Paris — Eiffel tower in Paris

I loved this book so much. It’s full of interesting, complex characters and situations. Kristin’s characters come alive during a week in Paris, walking the street, entering the hotels, enjoying the bars and bistros, and seeing the sites of Paris. Piper and Julia’s story takes center stage with Henry and Celeste coming in a close second. I adored both of these stories and how Kristin expertly wove them together.

My only small criticism is about the number of characters. Generally, it wasn’t too hard to keep track of, but the story may have been better with a few less. Personally, I would have cut the veteran storyline since it didn’t closely tie in to the others. George and Lou’s story felt like it was thrown in after the rest of the book was written to give more character diversity. They are old, one is white and one is black, and (SPOILER ALERT) they express their long-time, unspoken love for each other. Character diversity is a good thing, but this storyline just didn’t feel connected to the other stories and added more characters to keep track of. I would have preferred more depth in Kayla’s story.

Rating

Due to my last point, I rank this novel 4.5/5 stars (rounded up to 5). I loved how the stories and characters transported me into their lives. Paris isn’t on my bucket list, but I wasn’t ready to leave this city or these characters at the end of the book. Your summer vacation may only be sunbathing in your own backyard, but MEET ME IN PARIS can sweep you away in your mind.

Thank you to Gallery Books and NetGalley for the ARC of MEET ME IN PARIS by Kristin Harmel. The opinions are my own.

Order Your Copy

You can preorder now or purchase soon anywhere books are sold (pub date is July 28, 2026); however, may I suggest ordering through Bookshop.org? I am now an affiliate of Bookshop.org because I love their mission to support small, independent bookstores across the country. To be transparent, I may receive a small commission, but it doesn’t increase your cost AND you’re helping small bookstores! It’s a Win-Win! You can order MEET ME IN PARIS HERE. And check out my Bookshop page with other great recommendations HERE.

About the Author

Kristin Harmel is a New York Times bestselling, USA Today bestselling, and #1 international bestselling author, and a breast cancer survivor. She spent her childhood in Massachusetts, Ohio, and Florida, and after earning her journalism degree from the University of Florida, she lived in Paris and Los Angeles. Orlando, Florida, is now her home with her husband and son.

Paris, often the setting for her WWII novels, is one of Kristin’s favorite places. (Her other favorite place is Disney World. How convenient that she lives in Orlando!) She is also a co-founder and co-host of Friends and Fiction, a weekly web show where authors interview other authors.

If You Like…

If MEET ME IN PARIS sounds like a book you’d enjoy, also check out my past reviews on these books by Kristin Harmel: The Book of Lost Names, The Stolen Life of Colette Marceau, The Winemaker’s Wife, The Paris Daughter, and The Forest of Vanishing Stars.

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Robin’s Rave Reviews 2024

Time to catch up on my book recommendations starting with THE SECRET OF SNOW by Viola Shipman! This contemporary women’s fiction with romantic elements is perfect for the upcoming winter months. Viola Shipman is a master at writing about charming Michigan towns. THE SECRET OF SNOW takes place mainly in Traverse City, Michigan.

Summary

Meteorologist Sonny Dunes, age 50, works for a top ranked Palm Springs TV news channel. After learning she’s being replaced by an AI meteorologist, Sonny responds with a drunk, on-air meltdown. Her tirade goes viral. No other stations want to hire a potentially volatile TV personality, except the station in her hometown of Traverse City. This job would be a demotion. The Michigan station has a much smaller viewership and poor ranking in the local market. Accepting the offer would bring along other challenges as well, but what other choice does she have? Sonny will have to live with her mother and face why she left Michigan in the first place.

Sonny’s new boss and college frenemy hopes to capitalize on Sonny’s infamous meltdown. New viewers may tune in to see if Sonny has another one, especially since she’s assigned to cover all the outdoor quintessential Michigan winter events. Will the viewers welcome her back as one of their own or dismiss her as an outsider from California? Will Sonny be able to deal with the winter assignments, or is she destined to boost rankings through another breakdown?

While reporting, Sonny keeps running into Mason, a widowed Chamber of Commerce Director. The sweet romance adds to the story without overpowering the story of Sonny’s personal growth. She struggles with adjusting to the snow, confronting her memories of her sister who loved it, dealing with a jealous TV reporter, and accepting that her mother only wants to help her get her life back on track.

Wade Rouse writes about his beloved Michigan under his grandmother’s name, Viola Shipman.

Sonny left Michigan decades earlier because it was easier than dealing with the memories and guilt associated with her young sister’s death. When you realize what caused the guilt Sonny’s been running from for decades, you will want her to finally come to terms with the past. If that’s not hard enough, someone is trying to sabotage her career. Could it be her boss who wants to boost ratings, the jealous TV reporter, her camera guy, or someone else she hasn’t considered?

THE SECRET OF SNOW by Viola Shipman reminds us of the importance of love, family and true friends. We get a feel-good lesson about forgiving ourselves through a satisfying conclusion.