Evie Woods, also known as Evie Gaughan, is an Irish author celebrated for her enchanting novels that blend magical realism with historical fiction[43dcd9a7-70db-4a1f-b0ae-981daa162054](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Lost_Bookshop?citationMarker=43dcd9a7-70db-4a1f-b0ae-981daa162054 "1"). Her works, including "The Lost Bookshop" and "The Story Collector," have captivated readers worldwide[43dcd9a7-70db-4a1f-b0ae-981daa162054](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Lost_Bookshop?citationMarker=43dcd9a7-70db-4a1f-b0ae-981daa162054 "1"). Living in Ireland, she draws inspiration from her surroundings, crafting stories that reveal the magic in everyday life[43dcd9a7-70db-4a1f-b0ae-981daa162054](https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/37272748.Evie_Woods?citationMarker=43dcd9a7-70db-4a1f-b0ae-981daa162054 "2"). Her books often explore themes of love, loss, and self-discovery, resonating deeply with her audience[43dcd9a7-70db-4a1f-b0ae-981daa162054](https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/37272748.Evie_Woods?citationMarker=43dcd9a7-70db-4a1f-b0ae-981daa162054 "2"). Evie's unique storytelling has earned her a dedicated readership and critical acclaim[43dcd9a7-70db-4a1f-b0ae-981daa162054](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Lost_Bookshop?citationMarker=43dcd9a7-70db-4a1f-b0ae-981daa162054 "1").

It was as a sweet enjoyable read . I enjoyed the setting .
Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher Angie letting me review the book

Okay, so I loved Evie Woods’ last book, The Secret Bookshop, and I was looking forward to her next, The Mysterious Bakery on Rue de Paris. The thing is, it turns out this isn’t her next book but a previous one, a good decade old. And I hate to say it, it shows. When I first read it I couldn’t understand how the author had produced a book that fell so far short of her best and now I understand: it was because to was written way back on Woods’ learning curve as an author.

I think that’s a pity, because I was expecting more of what I knew her to be capable of. All the elements that made The Lost Bookshop so good were there — in particular the magical realism and the setting — but they didn’t work as well. In the book, Edith Lane (who is thirty, though at different points feels anywhere between fifteen and fifty) leaves Dublin to take up a new job in a bakery in Paris but ends up in the town of Compiègne instead. Here everything proceeds exactly as you would expect. After a rocky start she makes friends, meets a handsome man with whom she has a misunderstanding, wins over her grumpy old employer, uncovers the bakery’s family mystery, solves the owners financial problems, and there you have it.

It’s a slender plot, but slender plots done well are immensely readable. in this case, the longer the book went on the more predictable it became. Corporate bad guys, feisty incomer winning over the crusty old local, local support campaign for a much-loved but struggling institution goes viral, villain’s epiphany… It had nothing new or even fresh to offer, except perhaps a nod to Marcel Proust. And I was slightly surprised about that, since Edith (the heroine) makes such a bit fuss of not knowing anything about anything, so finding her reading classical French literature didn’t really stick.

This feels really mean, and I want to emphasis again how excellently Evie Woods can write, but this particular book just didn’t work for me. The whole was less than the sum of its parts and certainly less than the quality of its predecessor. It was a light easy read and I loved the setting, but the characters were flimsy and the magical realism, which should have held the book together, came and went rather than being the thread that held the book together.

It’s a light read, pleasant and unchallenging, but it’s definitely not one of the authors best, I’m afraid.

I adore this book! It has everything one could ask for; mystery, romance, magic, spirituality, tragedy and undying love. Spanning the decades from the war years and the awful anti-Semitism which led to the annihilation of the Jewish population, to the present day, we are taken on a magical journey where two worlds collide . I don't want to spoil the reader's pleasure in unlocking the secrets for themselves so I will leave to them the joy of discovery. However I will say that this is a book that will live in my memory forever. It is that rare thing , a book that captures a time , that spans eternity and evokes emotions long buried. It's also a timely reminder of the evils of antisemitism at a time when it's rearing it's ugly head once again. Hopefully, brave people and humanity will once again prevail! Bravo on writing this brilliant book!

I was kind of disappointed in this book. It started out interesting but the dialogue soon got really cheesy. It was very Hallmark-y and instead of character development, I felt like the main character Edith/Edie just got more and more immature. Her love interest also regressed. It felt almost like it was written by two people, or at two different times of the authors life. It could have just used more editing. There’s also randomly an element of magic (a weird excuse of a ghost) but that only pops up on occasion and honestly wasn’t necessary. I also didn’t care for so much French but I understand that a book set in France will certainly use French language! It was just the way it was written…instead of just slipping it in naturally, it felt forced. Much like myself trying to finish the book.

I received an advanced copy from NetGalley in exchange for a review and opinions are my own.

“The Mysterious Bakery on Rue de Paris” by Evie Woods is a rerelease of an older title, but unfortunately, it didn’t quite live up to my expectations. While the premise had potential, the plot felt predictable and lacked the excitement I was hoping for, making it difficult to stay fully engaged.

I also struggled to connect with the characters, who felt somewhat underdeveloped and unrelatable. Adding to the challenge, the book includes frequent French dialogue with little to no context or translation. As someone who doesn’t speak French, I found this frustrating—it pulled me out of the story rather than immersing me in it. I’m not inclined to use Google Translate for every phrase while reading, so this language barrier made it harder to fully enjoy the book.

Perhaps readers fluent in French or those who enjoy predictable, light reads might appreciate this more, but it wasn’t the right fit for me

Told in almost aggressively plain and unornamented prose, which may be part of the reason that it has comparatively few errors in it. Going along with that, the observations on life and the characters' self-insights are bland and obvious most of the time, and the plot is fairly predictable and low-stakes. I don't mind low stakes or a slow-moving plot if something else is going on to engage me, but, while I certainly never wanted to give up on it, this one didn't grip me very hard. It does have an appealing setting in a town in France, which is well evoked.

The love interest is an extreme wish-fulfilment fantasy. He's rich, but he doesn't care about money - easy to do when you have plenty of it - and would rather be an art photographer than a ruthless property developer like his father. (Photographing picturesque buildings, by the way, not anything controversial.) He's infeasibly handsome and also sensitive and kind, yet unaccountably single. He thinks the rather bland heroine is the best thing ever. I'm assuming this is a convention of a genre I don't often read, so it gets a pass on that basis, but it did stick out to me. There's a predictable misunderstanding between the hero and heroine that is resolved in exactly the way I thought it would be.

I have a personal preference for strong, capable heroines who make good decisions. Edie is... not quite that. Yet she's not such a klutz as to be interesting for that reason, either. She makes decisions which might put her in situations that aren't ideal, but are definitely survivable and may have their upsides, and copes in them in ways that don't really put anything she values at much risk most of the time. She is good-hearted, though, and her well-intentioned meddling always works out and doesn't get resented more than briefly by the other characters. She does persevere with things, even when frightened; she says a couple of times "there's no going back now" when, in fact, she could quite easily go back.

It's not a good book to be a mother in. One character has a mother who is alive and in good health; everyone else's mother is either tragically dead (there are three of these, with different causes of death: Nazi concentration camp, chronic illness, and road accident) or, in one case, suffering from dementia. Fathers get a slightly more varied set of fates: dead in a road accident, dead in a Nazi concentration camp, dead of old age, alive and money-grubbingly villainous, or alive and supportive but elsewhere. The echoes of WW II do give it some emotional heft that was badly needed.

There is a supernatural element, or rather two: a ghost, and a magical substance that brings back happy memories. (There's some attempt at intertextuality with Proust with that second one; the hero, who speaks fluent French, for some reason carries what appears to be an English translation of Proust around with him, and lends it to the heroine.) Either or both of the supernatural elements could be removed and it would barely affect the plot, except that there would need to be some easily imaginable rewrites of a couple of motivations.

There are a few continuity glitches. For instance, the heroine wears kitten heels at one point, and then later says that the only heels she has with her are boots. She also says that she applied "all those months ago" for a job that was advertised for immediate start, which she has just started.

Overall, it's inoffensive, warmhearted, but bland and expected. If you like this kind of thing, this is certainly one. For me, while it was mildly enjoyable, it lacked any factor that I could really enthuse about, so even though there was nothing major wrong with it, I'm calling this one a three-star read that doesn't quite make it to my annual recommendation list. It was just OK. I'm probably not the target audience, though.

I received a pre-publication copy via Netgalley for review.

Edith Lane decides to leave Dublin behind and head to Paris to be the assistant manager of a bakery. She finds herself in Compiegne after a bit of confusion, working with Madame Moreau and teenager Manu. Can she work out the secret of the bakery, that Madame Moreau is determined to keep?

A story about grief, romance and family, with a tough of magic. I loved the characters of Nicole and Johnny, the jazz club descriptions were fun. I also loved the historical aspects, that were clearly well researched. I did however think the problem that Madame Moreau faced was cleared up very quickly, it all tied up a bit too neatly for me. 3.5 stars, rounded to 4.

Beautifully written, wonderful characters. You will be drawn in from the beginning and want to read it in one setting.

The most magical, beautifully written book I’ve read in a long time. I would love to read more! I feel so honoured to have been able to review a digital copy of this book for my honest opinion. I was taken to a different place and it made me want to go there. Thank you.

#NetGalley #TheMysteriousBakeryOnRueDeParis

Book Review: The Mysterious Bakery On Rue De Paris

I absolutely adored this enchanting tale! The Mysterious Bakery On Rue De Paris is a beautifully sweet story about family, love, and the courage it takes to chase new opportunities—even when life throws you unexpected detours.

Edith Lane’s journey from Ireland to France is full of charm and heart. What starts as a quest for fortune in the dazzling streets of Paris soon takes an unexpected turn, landing her in a quaint, mysterious bakery in the antique town of Compiègne. The story unfolds like a recipe, blending moments of heartache, hope, and healing into a rich narrative that feels both magical and deeply relatable.

The bakery itself becomes a character in the story, full of secrets and sensory delights that leap off the page. You can almost smell the fresh bread and pastries, and the vivid descriptions create an atmosphere that is cozy, comforting, and just a touch otherworldly.

What makes this book truly special is its heartwarming focus on connection—whether it’s Edith’s relationships with the quirky people she meets in Compiègne or her efforts to mend the pieces of her own life. It’s a reminder that sometimes, the greatest adventures aren’t about finding fortune but rediscovering yourself and embracing love in all its forms.

This story is perfect for anyone who loves a cozy, feel-good read with a touch of magic. It left me smiling, hungry for fresh croissants, and inspired to take more risks in life. Highly recommend!

Thank you to NetGalley for this ebook in exchange for an honest review.

Cute, but that’s it. Grammatical errors, punctuation errors, even some errors in French that could have easily been avoided. I was under the impression that this was a new book, which would have maybe forgiven all those mistakes but I just found out the book is 10 years old and being republished WITH all the mistakes.
Also felt slow and lacked some depth, something was definitely missing for me.

I found this to be an entertaining and easy to read book. Enjoyed the magical aspects and the setting in a bakery was well done, but the latter part of the book failed to grab my attention so much. Maybe that it was quite predictable and I did enjoy the author’s previous books more. Thank you NetGalley for the review copy.

Beautifully written and evoking strong memories of delicious French patisserie, this was a really enjoyable read. There is a spoonful of mystery, a pinch of romance and a large helping of feel-good factor. I defy you not to smell the freshly baked baguettes!

Thank you NetGalley for this eARC in exchange for an honest review!

I believe this is my second novel by Evie Woods and they are always cozy fun!

I enjoyed the different perspectives while mostly focusing on Edith. However the switch tenses was really odd? I don’t know that I’ve encounter a book where the MC is in 1st person but the side characters are in third person. It was just odd to me.

These aren’t going to make my top ten list but I do like the stories she weaves. The biggest downfall I’ve seen is the dropped side storylines and overall lack of depth to side characters. I was curious to learn more about Nicole and Johnny but their storyline is just dropped in the middle of the book.

It also would have been nice to see more of Hugo’s background. We see some of it but I didn’t feel like we really got to know him much.

Overall I enjoyed the story and most of the characters.

My Rating: 3.5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️

I am not new to Evie Woods' writing. I have enjoyed her books, The Lost Bookshop and The Story Collector. The Mysterious Bakery on Rue de Paris carries the same feeling of magic, history, and mystery as her other books.Overall, I did enjoy reading Woods' newest book and look forward to reading her next book, The Missing Notes.
I wouldn't say The Mysterious Bakery on Rue de Paris is my favorite out of Woods' books. I had a hard time relating to the main character Edith. Her age was a confusing point for me as she is made out to be more middle-aged, but often acted as if she was fresh out of high school.I attributed this to her having to be her ailing mother's caretaker for years- however I feel this experience would have made her more mature. More time could have been given to Edith and Hugo to develop their relationship. Their feelings seemed to have developed quickly without much context as to why. I didn't find myself too invested in their relationship. There were many side characters through out the story whose interactions with Edith felt flat to me, such as Nicole.
I was very drawn to Madame Moreau, her father Pierre, Manu, their family history and the mystery surrounding the bakery. I wish there had been more focus on the magic of the vanillao and the baked goods throughout the story. Woods' books generally bring attention to magic in our every day lives. The Mysterious Bakery on Rue de Paris did not hold as much magic for me as her previous books.
The ending of the story was predicatable. It was a cute ending for a story that felt like it could be a Hallmark movie. The Mysterious Bakery on Rue de Paris was a pleasant read to pass time and took me a day to read. This book is worth reading, however it is not the best from Evie Woods. If you have not read an Evie Woods' book yet, I highly recommend The Lost Bookshop as a must read and a fantastic example of this author's exceptional talent for writing magical and intruguing stories.
Thank you to One Chapter, Harper Collins Publishing, Netgalley, and Evie Woods for the arc copy. It was a pleasure to read and review this book. I will publish my review on Goodreads, Amazon, and Barnes and Noble.

The Mysterious Bakery on Rue de Paris by Evie Woods

After years of caring for her mother, Edie wants to change her life so moves to a small town just outside Paris..
Once there she gets a position in a bakery and soon realises all is not as it seems ,
I love books by this author who always seems to find ways of turning the ordinary into something magical.

I absolutely adored this book! Evie Woods has done it again with The Mysterious Bakery on Rue de Paris. Meet Edith (Edie), an Irish woman who needed a change of pace. She applies for an assistant manager position at this bakery in Paris, and uproots herself - moving to France on the next flight out. Upon arrival she realizes that the bakery is not in Paris as advertised, but in a small town to the north called Compiegne. The owner greets her in a rather harsh manner, and Edie starts to rethink her decision.
As the story unfolds, we are brought back to WWII and an unforgivable event that takes place, unknowingly affecting the owner of this quaint little bakery. We meet some dashing monsieurs, and some friendly mademoiselles who help Edie, and the family of the bakery overcome challenges, discover the importance of family, and save this historic bakery on the rue de Paris.
Woods does a fabulous job creating an historic picture in your mind of this bakery, and all of the deliciousness it has to offer, The character development is strong, and their relationships are grown in a way to show the importance of family bonds and respecting history.
This was a mouthwatering read, and goes well with a mug of hot chocolate and a warm croissant!
Thank you to NetGalley and Harper Collins One More Chapter for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.










Thanks to NetGalley and Harper Collins One More Chapter for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I really enjoyed reading this book, it had that element that I was looking for and enjoyed from this type of book. The characters were everything that I was looking for and enjoyed the overall feel of this world. Evie Woods wrote this strongly and was glad I got to read this.

i refuse to be pissed off again. dnr both me and this book. i want a nice and happy 2025 and i will be giving myself just that!!!