What a fabulous book!! Absolutely loved this latest from Alex Brown, one of my favourite authors who never disappoints. This is the story of Annie, who is a little stuck in a rut, having been a committed single parent with a steady but boring job to support them, until her neighbour needs her to go to Paris for her.
The story had me within the first 2 pages, written with warmth and with a great understanding of people and their relationships.
It was such a joy to be transported to Paris, and to spot the references to her previous books. Gave me inspiration and food for thoughts. This book has family, history, inspiration and Paris!!! (I'm still there!)
Absolutely loved it and recommend it 100%
Thank you for the early read, appreciated so much!

Good, but I thought the author treated it like a travel guide at times, with long descriptions of Paris. My eyes tended to drift over some of the detail. I noticed a fair amount of telling. Phoebe's character was off-putting, though her behaviour was later explained. There's a little bit of romance, which was nicely done. I would have liked that to have featured a bit more. The dog's adorable by the way. The two timelines worked well. Good, but would benefit from being cut in places. With thanks to NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

A story across various timelines showcasing Paris in a wonderful of serious lights. However there are some serious and darker sides to the story as it looks at war time too. Plenty to enjoy here!

This is a series of novels from this author and I will definitely be getting the others from now on.

I always love a story that travels through different periods of history and Alex Brown's Postcard from Paris did not disappoint. It follows the historical life of Beatrice Crawford from WW1 through the Roaring 20's to WW2 and beyond. When Annie's neighbour inherits a shop and living accommodation in Paris she asks her to visit to find out about the recently departed Beatrice. Annie is at first reluctant but being caught in a deadend job and with a daughter constantly worrying about her being alone, she sets out to assist her friend. Meeting new friends in the B&B they help her unravel a mystery that has to be solved. Annie not only works out what she wants in life but also highlights what a remarkable story lies beyond Paris.

This novel highlights compassion and caring but at the same time tells of a story that is remarkable and how people would have put their safety on the line for others during the dark times of WW2. A brilliantly crafted story that I didn't want to end.

I have read and enjoyed quite a number of books written by Alex Brown. I found her last one, A Postcard from Italy, particularly riveting, and was interested to see if this one could have me equally engrossed. I was not disappointed, as this story had me spellbound from page 1 and I literally did not want to put it down. Although the books are listed as part of the Postcard Series, they are completely standalone. I must mention that this book has a beautiful cover that promises the prospect of a romantic visit to Paris within its pages. Other fans of Alex Brown’s books will be delighted to know that, although the story focuses on Paris as the title suggests, there is a connection with the familiar location of Tindledale village.



This story finds forty-nine year old Annie Lovell, divorced and with 2 grown-up children, pondering her future. When her dear friend and neighbour, Joanie Smith, unexpectedly inherits a property in Paris and asks Annie to go there to check it out, she jumps at the chance of a bit of excitement. Much to the disapproval of her daughter, Annie sets off on her own for fortnight’s holiday in the capital. There she finds a lot more than just an abandoned building. Firstly, she makes new friends in Maggie, her French guest house host, and Kristen, an American tourist, then a love interest in the shape of handsome builder Étienne, but most of all she uncovers a fascinating story of the former owner of the house, Beatrice Crawford, known to her friends as Trixie. With the help of some diaries and papers Annie finds hidden in the house and garden and a few people who knew her, Trixie’s life from the time of the first world war to the end of the second is gradually revealed. At the same time as Annie is making these discoveries, she is also learning some things about herself and her family.



I found this a really compelling story and would recommend A Postcard from Paris to other readers. If you are unfamiliar with Alex Brown’s work, then this would be a marvellous introduction. The characters in the book, from Annie herself to her friends and family and her new acquaintances, are all well developed and have interesting back stories. The main storyline is full of intriguing twists and turns as Annie tries to work out exactly who Trixie is, her connection with Joanie and, in particular, what role she was playing in Paris during the Nazi occupation in the second world war. I was fascinated as each new discovery was made about Trixie’s past. All of this with the backdrop of the sights, sounds and smells of Paris make this a book that I shall certainly revisit. I don’t know if there are more books to come in this series, but I shall be on the lookout.

Thank you to NetGalley for allowing me to read an advance copy of this novel in return for an honest review.

Reading A PostCard From Paris was a pleasure from start to finish.

Annie is a woman in her late 40’s, working in an utterly predicable job and bored witless. Having broken her foot in a fall, Annie has had lots of time to think and reassess her life, so when the chance comes to go to Paris to explore a mystery inheritance, Annie accepts with alacrity now that her foot is healed.

This story spans the years, as we find out about the mysterious life of Beatrice, from World War 1 to war torn Paris during the German occupation and onward.

This is a marvellous story of the power of friendship, love and family.

Not to be missed!

I simply adored this book and was very sad when i realised that I had finished it. Annie lives alone and and has become a bit stuck in rut, Her daughter wants her to sell up and move nearer to her, but Annie isn't even old yet. She has lost her joie de vivre. When her neighbour is left an apartment in Paris, she asks Annie is go and look at it for her as she is unable too. Annie has an eye for interior design that she gave up when she had her family. In making the decision to go alone, Annie starts her journey to finding her spark again. Upon getting to Paris she meets two other women and they become friends quickly, but it is the apartment that is the star. She needs to unravel the mystery as to why her friend has been left it and the story is magical. It goes back to the first world war and continues through to the second. I would love to hear more of Trixie's story please. This book was an absolute joy to read and I'm very grateful to have given the opportunity. It has given me an hankering to go back to Paris and explore.

This is the story of Annie, a 40 something mother of 2 grown up children, finally stepping out of her rut to help old friend and neighbour Joan. That the help involves checking out Joan's surprise inheritance of a shop and apartment in Paris is no hardship. The real mysteries are the background of Joan's benefactress and the reason for her windfall. Annie makes new friends and carves herself out a new life as well as solving these mysteries. A good escapist read.

Thanks to Net Galley and the publishers for the opportunity to review this book.

This is a lovely read from Alex Brown, for me it’s a slightly different style to ones I’ve previously read of hers as it’s a little more of a serious read but it has great characters both in the present day with Annie, Maggie and Kirsten and also back in the time with Beatrice. The cover is lovely and I think it represents the story really well especially from the gorgeous description of the flat Annie has been asked to visit and prepare for sale by her old friend Joanie. The description of Beatrice’s life was really fascinating and thought provoking and it was good to follow her story from the extracts. My only niggle, and this is because it’s a subject close to me, was that the storyline about Annie’s daughter should have either been more detailed or not included. Otherwise this is a lovely character read and a great way of ‘escaping’ to’ Paris

Annie Lovell is keen to put the spark back into her life and when her elderly neighbour inherits an abandoned Parisian apartment she goes to Paris to discover more. Her curiosity takes an unexpected turn on discovering a bundle of secret diaries hidden within the walls, detailing the life of a young English woman, Beatrice Crawford, who volunteered in 1916 to nurse the soldiers in the fields of France.

Captivated by the romantic City of Light, Annie realises first appearances are not always as they seem. Following Beatrice’s journey from the Great War, through the Roaring Twenties and to a very different life in Nazi-occupied Paris, Annie must piece together the events from the past, if she is to fulfil the legacy that Beatrice left for her to find…

Thanks to Netgalley and Harper Collins for an early review copy of this book in return for an honest review. I'll admit to having loved everything else that Alex has written so was eagerly waiting for this to be released.

The subject of war is one that I don't actively look for when choosing books for reading so this worried me slightly when I read the synopsis, however I needn't have worried - it was written so sensitively, you felt like you were there with Beatrice. I loved Annie and her trip Y0u felt yourself getting to know and it was almost like she was learning to know herself at the same time.

I enjoyed this book a lot, it was a well written story. I look forward to seeing what she writes next.

I’ve been a fan of Alex Brown’s books for many years now. I just love her writing, and A Postcard from Paris is no exception.

This is a little different from the very light hearted romances I normally read, and contains a topic (war) that I normally find too upsetting. But Alex Brown writes in such a way that I find it interesting, rather than harrowing.

I really enjoyed the characters in this book, especially Annie and the new friends she meets in Paris. I think Annie’s character development is particularly good. Trixie is also a wonderful character, and I loved gradually discovering what she’d been up to in Paris.

Paris makes a wonderful setting - the shop and apartment that Annie is working on was particularly wonderful. There’s a little bit of romance here and there too.

Overall, I loved this story, with its strong theme of friendship, whether historical, or in present times. And although there were many story threads going on, it never felt confusing or too complex.

I was given a free copy of this book, my opinions are my own.

What a brilliant, funny, moving and emotional read. Annie is stuck in a bit of a rut, in a boring job, both children have left home, her best friend is now living in Australia and her main company is her elderly neighbour Joanie.
When Joanie inherites an apartment and shop from a mystery woman in France, she asks Annie to leave her comfort zone and go to Paris for her to get the building ready for sale, and try to find out more about her mysterious benefactor.
An enchanting story of following your dreams, making new friends, and embracing love, I could not put this down.
Such a great story with strong characters, set both in the present day and during both Worlds Wars, this story will keep you reading.
I absolutely loved it.

I thought this story had a brilliant storyline, with lots going on and some interesting characters. The story takes place on two timelines and I particularly enjoyed finding out about Beatrice's story. I did find the writing rather protracted though and this did take away from my enjoyment of the story.

The characters were engaging and interesting. I really liked Beatrice, she was an amazing character. Phoebe, however, drove me to distraction, she was very annoying and seemed inconsequential to the story. The rest of the ladies were fascinating though and gelled together well.

Overall the book was enjoyable but for me, the over descriptive nature of the writing and the character of Phoebe really detracted from the story for me.

A lovely story. Set in a great city.Lots of twists. The food on the barge was wonderful and the friendship between Annie, Maggie and Kristen was perfect. It made me laugh at times. i was so glad Beatrice turned out to be a good one. Lovely ending. Shame about Annies children. You can never win as a mother,

Having read this author’s previous books, I was looking forward to this one and it certainly lived up to expectations.

Annie Lovell is stuck in a rut. So when she is asked by her elderly neighbour, Joanie, to go to Paris to discover who has left her an unexpected inheritance, Annie jumps at the chance. The discovery of secret diaries, detailing a young English woman Beatrice Crawford’s life over several decades, helps Annie discover the mystery behind the inheritance and the connection between the two women.

An excellent well written story with great characters which was an enjoyable and entertaining read.

A fantastic book, I devoured it in one sitting. The writing brings Paris to life, both during the war years and during modern times, the twist of who Trixie actually was kept me guessing until the end. Such a shame I've now finished it.

I really missed not having a book by Alex Brown to lose myself in in 2020 but I kept seeing her social media showing updates on her writing process and cover reveals which gave me something to look forward to for 2021. As much as I am not a fan of reading on my kindle I was so desperate to read A Postcard From Paris that I couldn’t wait for the paperback release and having now finished reading A Postcard from Paris I can tell you all, this was well worth the wait so I forgive her for not giving me a book last year!
Annie needs some excitement in her life and the perfect opportunity arises when her elderly friend Joanie inherits an apartment and boutique in Paris left to her by a Beatrice Archambeau but she doesn’t know who the lady is. Annie embarks on a mission to try and find out who Beatrice was and as she uncovers the diaries she kept during the war she begins to form a picture of the courageous woman, but what is the connection between Joanie and Beatrice?
This was such a heart warming and insightful read, certainly up there with my favourite novel by Alex Brown. The storyline is predominantly told from Annie’s point of view but we get a wonderful insight into the life Beatrice lead through her own words in her diaries and I for one am not great with dual time frames but with the past being unravelled to us in this way made it all the more engaging and I looked forward to the chapters where we would be taken back in time to see what a courageous woman Beatrice was and to gradually pick up little pieces of the puzzle to see how everything fit.
The part Beatrice played in the war was portrayed well and gave a small insight into the way they all lived in constant fear and secrecy to stay safe but with thanks to a few brave souls who put their own lives at risk to protect others some lives were spared.
The author describes in such detail the beauty of Paris, I longed to be sat outside Odette with Annie, Maggie and Kristen on the cobbled street under the red canopies eating freshly baked patisseries experiencing my own Parisian adventure!
I found I was equally invested in both Annie and Beatrice lives so I enjoyed moving back and forth between the characters watching them grow, with Annie building firm friendships and finally taking time to look around and find enjoyment in her life. The novel was such a positive and uplifting read full of bravery, friendships, new beginnings and a touch of romance too.
I am a huge Alex Brown fan and her fictitious village Tindledale is a favourite of mine so I was so thrilled to see Tindledale and a could of the old characters pop up and have a connection in this novel.
I highly recommend A Postcard From Paris with its mix of modern chic Parisian charm and heartwarming, heroic history.

I’ve never read a book from Alex Brown and not enjoyed it. Her writing style is particularly good and her characters really come to life in my mind. Yet again this is another beautiful story and I enjoyed reading it very much.