This was a great book about a woman Annie whose husband Ed goes to France on A music teaching scholarship and at first Annie is happy for him but when her son shows her Instagram pictures of Ed with a young woman who her son refers to as hot and she doesn’t know how she feels. Slowly but surely what she feels is jealousy. At the same time we watched her good friend Svetlana who’s sons just left for boarding school in Scotland now she has all the Time in the world to worry about getting older. This was a funny funny book and I have to be honest and say I didn’t read the first one but didn’t feel like I was left out of the loop Carmen read it slowly becoming my go to author for feel good fiction. I want to thank Boldwood books for my free arc copy via NetGalley please forgive any mistakes as I am blind and dictate my review.

Annie Valentine is a personal shopper at London’s, The Store, as well as a star presenter on a TV show, “How To Be Fabulous.” Her daughter, Lauren, works for Perfect Dress in New York. Annie’s oldest son, Owen, is a student at St. Vincent’s School and loves music in all forms. Annie is married to Ed who is head of music at St. Vincent’s. Annie and Ed are also parents to twins, Minette and Max, age 4.

Svetlana is the former wife of a baron. She is mother to Elena, Michael, and Petrov, and she is now married to an English barrister named Harry. She is also the owner of Perfect Dress and a very wealthy woman. Annie used to be her personal shopper until an argument pulled them apart.

Annie is suspicious that Ed may be getting too close to a woman so when he gets the opportunity to teach in Paris for 3 months, she agrees this might be a good idea for him to get away.

Annie gets a chance to do some interviews with clothing boutiques and other French people in Paris so she takes the twins with her and stays with Ed. But something seems to be up with his French colleague and her suspicions result in Ed packing her and the twins up and sending her back to London. Is something going on and if so how can she resolve this?

Per Annie style, this book is full of crazy I Love Lucy type episodes which makes for many laughs. I liked Svetlana and her loving husband, Harry. However, I was put out with Ed when he shipped his wife and children back to London. Seriously, his job wasn’t that difficult so why did he feel the need to get away for a time? Pah!

Copy provided by NetGalley in exchange for a fair and honest review.

Loved the story of Annie, the personal shopper who now has her own tv series! This is the latest book in the Annie Valentine series and, once again, Annie is funny, likeable and ever so slightly chaotic. Her husband, Ed, goes off to Paris to work and is closely followed by Annie who decides to research French fashion for her new tv series. Thoroughly enjoyable!

I didn't find this book as funny as I thought it would be. At times it annoyed me and frustrating me. It wasn't as good as I'd hoped. My thanks to netgalley and the publishers for giving me the opportunity to read this book in return for an honest review.

I'm new to Carmen Reid's Annie Valentine series, but she provided a helpful character guide at the beginning of the book, which made jumping in at book seven much easier. It's possible that I would have noticed different details or responded to in-jokes if I were more familiar with the series, but I felt this book, Annie in Paris, was perfectly enjoyable as a stand-alone.

I really loved that Annie is the working mother of young twins plus older children, and that we get to see the very real (if humor-injected) struggle of managing work and family.  I also appreciated that Annie is, essentially, a problem-solver, even though some of her solutions are over the top.

The ultimate example of this is, of course, the premise of the novel itself: when her husband, who is off in Paris on a work trip, is photographed sitting a little too close to his female colleague, Annie arranges for childcare, calls her producers (she's a tv host) and goes to Paris herself.

Added to the mix is Annie's close friend, Svetlana, who is feeling age creeping a bit to close – she joins the chaos in France as well, getting a much needed wardrobe update in the process.

Author Reid has given us some serious subjects in this book – fidelity (or lack thereof), aging, work/life-balance – but she wraps everything with the perfect combination of poignance and organic humor.

Overall, this is a lovely story, the perfect read for summer.

Goes well with: warm croissants, fresh strawberries, and café au lait.

Annie’s life is non stop between her busy career and home life. Husband Ed is off to Paris for his own adventure and some me time when Annie hits on a save her show idea and descends on Ed in Paris.
Annie was a whirlwind and needed to slow down and pay attention to some very real big problems right under her nose. I felt bad at first for Ed because he did seem to get steamrolled by Annie and family often.
However, what he confesses to toward the end of the book evaporated any sympathy I had for him. And Annie just forgives him and it’s all good. I say BS!! I hated that part.
I liked Svetlana the best in the book. She was struggling until she found her footing again.

I have read and thoroughly enjoyed a few of Carmen's books. I have to admit that prior to being invited to take part in the blog tour for 'Annie In Paris', I hadn't actually read any of the 'Annie Valentine' series. 'Annie In Paris' is the seventh book in the series. So I thought that I would break my 'Annie Valentine' duck and also share my review. Overall I did enjoy reading 'Annie In Paris' but more about that in a bit.

I have to admit that it took me a little while to get into 'Annie In Paris'. I didn't really gel with the character of Annie to start with but over time as I got to know her a bit better, I started to warm to her and eventually got to quite like her, which made me enjoy the story all the more. I would pick the book up only intending to read a chapter or two but I would become so wrapped up in the story and in the lives of the different characters that I would still be sat there reading several chapters and an hour later. I had my own theories as to what was going to happen so of course I had to keep reading to see if I was on the right track or if I had wandered off in the opposite direction. I ended up enjoying 'Annie In Paris' so much that I didn't realise just how quickly the time was passing and how quickly I was getting through the book. All too quickly I reached the end of 'Annie In Paris'. I found 'Annie In Paris' to be a light hearted and fun romantic comedy.

'Annie In Paris' is well written. Carmen has an easy going writing style that is easy to get used to and easy to get along with. In fact reading one of Carmen's books often feels more like a chat between friends rather than reading a book. I hope that makes sense. Carmen's love for her characters and this shines through in the very vivid and realistic way in which she describes them. She makes her characters seem just as real as you and I. I love the way in which the author makes the reader feel as though they are part of the story. That's how I felt anyway. 'Annie In Paris' was the perfect escapist book, which certainly made me laugh out loud on several occasions.

In short, I really enjoyed reading 'Annie In Paris' and I would recommend it to other readers. I fully intend to read more of Carmen's work in the future. The score on the Ginger Book Geek board is a very well deserved 4* out of 5*.

So I read Book 1 and thought it was a good start to a series, but I didn't get a chance to read the books after leading up to this. Carmen included a handy up-to-date character list and what they had done so I don't feel I missed anything. I must say I enjoyed this book so much! I just had one gripe and that was how the marriage "troubles" were resolved, it annoyed me a bit and I wasn't happy with the behaviours of either party.

However, Annie is back, being Annie and she provides a lot of entertainment. I was laughing and shocked by some of the situations she got in. However, at times, her parenting skills need to be addressed!!

I will go back to the other books at some point as I would like to see how Annie got where she is now! I loved the trip to Paris, and will be interesting to see how it goes with Sylvie! Plus that cliffhanger with Svetlanka!! I need to know what the text said!!! Plus she wore a cape to do the gardening in! LOVED that!

This is a great book to lose yourself in, not take too seriously and just relax. I loved the audiobook of this! Julie Maisey is just such a fab narrator, and like the first book, Annie is brought into technicolour! I loved that! Annie is your everyday person, who is trying to get by, juggling everything she does, and that I can relate to!

Looking forward to Book 8!

This is a sequel to the Annie Valentine series. The author catches you up with a synopsis at the beginning, so it can be read as a standalone. Annie works on a fashion series on TV, using her background from her job as a shopping assistant, Her friend Svetlana is going through a midlife crisis. When Annie’s husband Ed gets an exchange job in Paris as a teacher, they think it’ll be a great opportunity. When he starts dressing up and attracting the attention of a pretty teacher, she decides to pack her bags and their twins and head to Paris. Annie heads there with her friend Svetlana, to lay the groundwork for her TV series.


I enjoyed the story, the characters, and the descriptions of Paris. Annie gets in lots of scrapes as she navigates through Paris and her marriage to Ed. The story gave me Shopaholic and Bridget Jones vibes. I want to read the others in the series and I hope she writes more.


Thanks to @boldwood @netgalley @rachelsrandomresources and this stories author for this ARC

I would firstly just like to say a big thank you to Rachel’s Random Resources who very kindly forwarded me an arc copy of this book, for my kindle, in return for my honest review…..

Annie In Paris is the new book from the wonderful Annie Valentine series and Annie is back, only older and bolder!! I would love a friend like Annie!

Even though this book is from a series, it can very easily be read as a stand alone, as the author very cleverly gives us a helpful run down of each characters background at the beginning of the book…

This book was a wonderful, light read and i found myself very quickly turning the pages so that i could find out what was going to happen next…

Annie In Paris was a funny, sweet, lovable, heartwarming story and i thoroughly enjoyed it…….

Annie in Paris – one of my favourite fictional characters – Annie Valentine is back! We are first introduced to Annie in Carmen Reid’s book The Personal Shopper, which is where I fell totally in love with Annie Valentine as a character – she is one heck of a woman!

In this story, Annie is up to her usual mischief, but this time in the beautiful city of Paris. The reason she is in Paris? Well, Ed has been offered the chance to teach music in Paris for a term – on his own! He has decided that he wants to take a break from life for a bit and really follow his passion for his music.

Initially, Annie agrees that it would be good for him to do this, but, when the time comes, she doesn’t know how she will cope without Ed around. Hence why she is in Paris – but as we all know, wherever Annie Valentine is, trouble and mischief will follow very quickly behind! So without giving anything away, things don’t go quite as planned 😀

Annie in Paris is yet another brilliantly funny and incredibly well-written story by the fabulous Carmen Reid. The best characters combined with beautiful locations makes this a total essential to add to your TBR pile 📚

I recommend Annie in Paris by Carmen Reid. You will fall in love with all the characters. I received an ARC of this book courtesy of NetGalley and the publisher. All opinions expressed in this review are my own and given freely. Happy reading!

This is the first book I have read by this author and not sure why as am definitely going to investigate their back catalogue. I really don’t know how I have missed this series about Annie Valentine personal shopper as it is right up my street. This is book 7 in the series but can be read as a standalone.

This book was an absolute delight to read with lovable characters and a great storyline that drew you in and had lots of lovely laugh out loud numerous moments as well as immersing the reader into the delights of the Parisian fashion world. I love anything related to Paris so they have this book extra appeal and was what attracting me to reading it in the beginning and am so glad I did as have now found not only a new author but a fabulous new series to enjoy.

Even having not read the previous books I can see that this series would make a great tv dramatisation

I should start this review by admitting that I am no fashion guru, I dislike shopping and tragically, until reading this book, was new to the whole world of Annie Valentine and personal shopping. I blame twenty years living in a forgotten French village, but helpfully this book starts with a great introduction to bring all readers up to date with who is who. My initial panic about not being fashionable enough to even carry on reading was calmed by Carmen herself admitting she loves to recycle clothes and buy second-hand where possible, phew, and by the end of the prologue I was as hooked as any fan.
This book is full pace from the beginning as we are thrown into the chaotic life of Annie Valentine, who is just about managing to juggle 101 tricky family and work situations without losing the plot. These challenges, and her calm outward manner, immediately warmed me to her and ensured that throughout the book I was fighting her corner when things got more complex.
I loved the French snippets of advice that headed up each chapter, despite it being a book that is as much about relationships as it is about fashion.
Paris as a location sparkled and provided some classic scenes, including inside bistros, hidden courtyards and the contents of a real Parisian woman’s wardrobe. This book is great mix of entertaining situations that often had me grinning away as I read it, as well as being moving and thought provoking. With Annie, Ed and Svetlana experiencing new emotional stages of their lives, it highlighted the changing perceptions we all encounter as we mature and dip our toes into a mid-life crisis.
If you are looking for a quick, fun escape to Paris, this is the book for you.

Annie in Paris is a standalone book in a series about personal shopper, Annie Valentine. I have not read any of the other books in the series. The author gives a recap at the start of the characters who will appear in the book.

Annie in Paris is a light hearted read and about a middle aged personal shopper who is known for getting herself into crazy situations. There were several parts where I chuckled as I was reading. This book is very entertaining while also covering topics and aging and relationships.

The story ends in such a way to set-up other books in the series.

Though I did enjoy the fashion tips at the start of each chapter I'm not sure they added anything to the story.

Overall, this is a cute, entertaining read and I would happily read other books in this series.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Annie Valentine is back, older and a wiser shopper.

It’s a great read, I have read all the earlier books in this series and it’s feels she’s growing old with me, high street shopping is here instead of the designer shops.
She goes to Paris to film her new series and she loves the fashion there, they make fashion effortless.

Loved reading this book, the same writing from years ago, but it’s all grown up. it’s funny, she’s still a bit aloof, but such a wonderful character to read about. A brilliant 5 star read.


Thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for a copy.

Split into two povs Annie and Svetlana
Two women one a mum with a busy job in fashion ok the tv and Svetlana and older lady who's kids have left home now and she's still trying to figure out what to do with life.

When Annie is told the show is stale and needs some pazaz she uproots her life and goes to Paris to find fabulous Parisian stars to help with the show. Annie is relatable and you feel sorry for Svetlana.

3 and a half stars

Full confession I have not read all the previous books in this series but you can definitely start out with this one because the author gives you a detailed description of the characters. Trust me they are easy to remember who they are and how they fit in. I absolutely loved this hilariously read. Annie is trying to be a super woman but having difficulty keeping everything together. She has an older daughter that was working in the same fashion industry as her, a son Owen who is musically inclined, then four year old twins. She was a personal shopper to Svetlana several years ago and now they are not speaking. Her marriage is stalled and her husband moves to Paris for a music program and she gets very suspicious of his social media. Her job is on the line if she doesn’t produce a program that draws in viewers. She comes up with a brilliant idea to go to Paris and do a show there while keeping her husband in line. I loved this book so much that I am going back and reading the beginning books.

I received this ARC from Netgalley for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

Charming!

This is the first Annie book I've read but certainly won't be the last! As of today, the first in the series is free, by the way. So, even though this is the 7th in a series, I found it hooked me from the first page, no problems not having all the back stories. In brief, this book is about forgiveness and starting over, in marriage and in friendship. There's lots of interesting fashion factoids, too, to whet your inner fashion sense (well, no...)

Thank you to the publisher who lent me an e-arc via Netgalley. This review is optional and my own opinion.

Annie in Paris by Carmen Reid is the 7th book in a series. While it could be read as a standalone, I feel that readers who have been there for Annie's full journey would perhaps get more from the story. There is a useful character guide at the start of the book - I somehow completely missed this so be sure to check it out! A very enjoyable summer read.
Thank you to Netgalley and Boldwood Books for the review copy.