This, friends, is a round-up of books that are set in France* in a variety of genres. I’m hoping that by including 13 of them in one place, you francophiles will be inspired to read something new. If you’ve already read one or more of them, why not leave a comment saying what you thought for the other readers!
All three of my books are free on Amazon until Tuesday, including my lesser-known children’s picture book which I wrote when I was an ESL teacher in Taiwan. I do these free promotions from time to time because they improve my Amazon author’s rank, residual sales, and they get me reviews, which are very good things to have. Even the bad reviews are good because then you learn something about your writing you can improve. The links to my books are below in the list, except for the children’s book, which doesn’t fit with the France theme, and which is right here : Amazon.com and Amazon.UK.
Now is a good time to update you on my current work-in-progress. I just completed the third draft of my Regency and am giving it another pass before I hand it over to beta reads for their input and critique. I love this stage of writing when the content is written and I need only improve it. One day soon, I hope, it will be available for you!
But getting back to the main point of writing this post : the French books I would love for you to know about!
Over the past couple of years, I’ve developed friendships with other authors who write about France. Some live here now and we’ve met for lunch; and others have lived here at one time but have since moved away. Their books come in a wide range of genres, and I’ve grouped them here with a blurb and a to-buy link so you can click over if any of them appeal to you. Some are new releases and some are only available in paperback. Most can be bought for under $5.
I’ve read every one and have also included my review for each if you want to find out more about the book. If you love France, I think you’ll like these too.
- Disclaimer : In two of the memoirs, (mine and Xamnesia), the books are not set exclusively in France.
FICTION
The Viscount of Maisons-Laffitte, Jennie Goutet
Is there such a thing as Prince Charming? Chastity didn’t take a teaching job in France to find hers, but a woman can dream, n’est-ce pas? If the father of one of her students–the Viscount Charles Jean Anne Monorie de Brase–is the best local example of princes, Charming or Otherwise, Chastity is ready to put aside any thought of falling in love again. Download for free : Amazon.com and Amazon.UK
The Paris Effect, K.S.R. Burns
Friendship, loss and a tantalizing trip to Paris in this highly praised #1 Amazon Best Seller in Women’s Fiction that Kirkus Reviews calls a “can’t-put-down-book” and an “absorbing adventure.” My review.
Download : Amazon.com and Amazon.uk
Just Jenna, Diane Claire Benant
Set in the French Alps, Just Jenna is a ‘gripping, heartwarming and hilarious’ tale about a 33 year old who finds herself single and stranded in an avalanche-threatened ski resort one New Year’s Eve. Surrounded by oddball fellow skiers, romantic temptation and unexplained goings on, can she survive the week? My review. Download : Amazon.com and Amazon.uk
Paris, Rue des Martyrs, Adria Cimino
In this Amazon bestseller, four lost souls search for answers about life, love, and family. When these strangers meet in the glittering streets of Paris, they’ll affect one another in unexpected ways… My review.
Buy : Amazon.com
MEMOIR
Stars Upside Down : a memoir of travel, grief, and an incandescent God, Jennie Goutet
Told with honesty and strength, Stars Upside Down is a brave, heart-stopping story of love, grief, faith, depression, sunshine piercing the gray clouds—and hope that stays in your heart long after it’s finished. Download for free : Amazon.com and Amazon.UK
A Paris Year, Janice MacLeod
There are many guide books to Paris, but the gorgeously illustrated A PARIS YEAR is a guide book not just for those walking the streets of the City of Light but for the armchair traveller, the dreamer, the person who has been to Paris and wants to reminisce. My review Download : Amazon.com
How to Make a French Family, Samantha Vérant
Take one French widower, his two young children, and drop a former city girl from Chicago into a small town in southwestern France. Shake vigorously… and voilà: a blended Franco-American family whose lives will all drastically change. My review. Download : Amazon.com and Amazon.uk
My Grape Year, Laura Bradbury
Follow the rules or follow her heart? Finding l’amour in France. My Grape Year introduces readers to Laura Bradbury’s beloved series of memoirs. My review.
Download : Amazon.com
Confessions of a Paris Party Girl, Vicki Lesage
Hilarious confessions from an American girl who moved to Paris, ate way too many croissants, and hoped to fall in love. My review.
Download : Amazon.com and Amazon.uk
Xamnesia, Lizzie Harwood
Xamnesia is a memoir of a normal girl on a jet plane to self-destruction-land. Divulging how author Lizzie Harwood was recruited, at 23, to work for unnameable rich folks first in their country, “Xamnesia,” and then in Paris… where she tried to find a way out of the rabbit hole. My review. Download : Amazon.com and Amazon.uk
CHILDREN
Tovi the Penguin : goes on a treasure hunt in Paris (for under 5), Nina Rossiter
Tovi and his friends are visiting the beautiful city of Paris. All of a sudden Tovi falls deeply in love with someone on a poster. He wants to meet her! Luckily his friends help him by leading him on a treasure hunt. My review. Download : Amazon.com
The Kids who Travel the World : Paris, (Grade Two) Lisa Webb
Join two adventurous sisters as they travel the world and learn new things. In this book, the girls are exploring Paris, and learning a little French along the way. Join them as they visit the Eiffel Tower, The Louvre, ride the metro and enjoy all things Parisian! My review. Buy : Amazon.com
COOKING
Chef Q in Paris, the Fall Collection, Didier Quemener
