This is a tale told over dual timeslines and locations of 1960's Paris and present day England.

In Paris, we are introduced to Blythe, a rich American teenager whose life is not her own. It's all mapped out for her. She is due to return home to marry a man decided for her by her parents, not for love but more a business arrangement, when she meets a man who makes her heart stop and change the path of her life.

In modern day England, Alexis is struggling with grief after losing her dad, exhaustion, and a head full of questions about her birth mum. Searching for answers, she ends up at a big country home where she meets Maeve, a best-selling author who is missing the glory days and enlists Alexis to help her write her last novel.

The characters are really well written and all have their own secrets and stories, and I particularly liked Alexis. She felt real with her messiness and determination to find the truth.

This was a lovely warm and cosy historical fiction about love and loss but was rather predictable (in my opinion)

3⭐️

Thanks to Netgalley and Penguin General UK for the ARC.

I adored this book. The friendship between Alexis and Maeve felt so genuine and heartwarming, and I loved how Maeve’s writing brought the past to life. The 1950s Paris bookshop setting was magical, but also full of secrets—and the way fact and fiction blurred kept me hooked. A beautiful story about friendship, creativity, and the power of facing the past.

Thank you NetGalley and Penguin for this eCopy to review.

I just finished The Paris Bookshop Secret by Iris Costello, and I’m completely enchanted. This dual-timeline historical mystery is rich, evocative, and emotionally resonant

The story follows Alexis, a former high-powered editor who’s burned out and embracing a nomadic life. When she meets Maeve, a reclusive woman in her eighties and once a bestselling author, an unexpected friendship blossoms. Maeve begins to write again, pouring her soul into a final novel set in a 1950s Paris bookshop, a story of love, heartbreak, and secrets. But as the manuscript unfolds, Alexis realises it’s more than fiction. Maeve’s past is woven into every page, and the mystery at its heart reverberates into both their lives.

What I loved:

📚 The bookshop setting in 1950s Paris is pure magic. It’s romantic, nostalgic, and steeped in literary charm.

👭 The friendship between Alexis and Maeve is beautifully drawn—tender, complex, and deeply moving.

🕰️ The dual timeline works perfectly. Both narratives are compelling, and the way they intertwine is seamless and satisfying.

💔 The emotional stakes are high. Maeve’s buried secrets and Alexis’s search for purpose create a story that’s as poignant as it is mysterious.

🖋️ Iris Costello’s writing is elegant and immersive. She captures the ache of memory and the thrill of rediscovery with real finesse.

This is a story about second chances, the healing power of storytelling, and the quiet courage it takes to confront the past. If you love historical fiction with emotional depth and a literary twist, The Paris Bookshop Secret is a must-read.

This book starts slowly but draws you in to a story that spans decades as we follow Alexis in the current day and her search for her mother.
The story builds with a story within a story as Alexis helps Maeve, a once-famous author make a return to writing, but is the story she is telling fact or fiction?
The Paris Bookshop Secret tugs at the heart as it uncovers a family that has been separated… read right to the end to find out if they are reunited

Thank you NetGalley and Penguin for the ARC in exchange for an honest review!

Where do I start?

This book explores two main characters: Alexis and Maeve. Alexis has been on the road for over a year trying to find her birth mother after a series of events occurs that makes her go on a search for her. Even though Alexis' editing days are over, she runs into bestselling author Maeve O'Malley who is mourning her glory days and wishes to write her last novel with Alexis' help.

I read this book in three days. I couldn't stop turning the page.

I adored this book so much. I loved the writing, the plot, and the storyline. I specifically loved that the story flips between the main storyline, set in modern-day England, and Maeve's story, set in 1960s Paris. Both of the stories explore the complexity of love, abandonment, loss, family, and discovery. The characters were great and had real depth to them, and the mystery's left me on the edge of my seat right up until the end. This book had the perfect pacing with enough excitement to make you go on for more.

Definitely one of my top reads of the year. Thank you so much NetGalley and Penguin for this!

I really enjoyed this book. It has all the good stuff, family secrets, bookshops (hello, instant win), old letters, and two women from totally different timelines whose lives end up more connected than you would think.

The story flips between 1960s Paris (which felt super dreamy) and modern-day England. In the past, we meet Blythe, a rich American teenager, basically being told what to do with her life. She’s meant to go home and get married, but then she meets a mysterious guy in Paris and everything shifts. Flash forward to Alexis, who’s dealing with grief, burnout, and a lot of questions about her mum. Her search leads her to a big country house... and things get very interesting from there.

The pacing was great, slow enough to enjoy the atmosphere, but with enough mystery to keep me flipping pages. I read it in two days. The characters felt real, especially Alexis. I liked her messiness and how determined she was to find out the truth.

If you love dual timelines, emotional family drama, and a good bit of uncovering the past, you’ll probably fly through this like I did. Perfect for fans of The Paris Library, The Paris Novel, and The Lost Bookshop.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.

Lovely story with great characters going back to sixties Paris and two women bonding together. The story unfolds with Maeve writing a final novel that is more fact than fiction and I was captivated by her story from the beginning. Great warmhearted feelgood book that you will not want to put down

A beautiful story of love, loss, family and discovery.

Alexis has adopted a nomad style of life, desperately searching for her mother. When one leads results in her meeting Maeve, their lives change. Can Maeve's story help Alexis find her own answers?

I simply couldn't put this book down. It is well -written, with fabulous characters with their own stories and secrets to tell. The snippets of information the author fed in throughout made it a complete page turner, I was desperate to finish and to know how the story ended. Very emotional, a wonderful read.

The story begins in 1960s Paris. Blythe, a rich American 18 year old is holidaying with her parents before returning to home to her wedding to Amoy, a young man she has grown up with. This is not a love match but rather a a business arrangement. Then Blythe sees a young man that she would like to see agin and again.
When her parents announce the holiday is curtailed she manages to spin a story to stay. But careful plans don’t always work out.
Years later Alexis, following her father’s death and a breakdown at work, is searching for her mother, her search leads her to a large house in the country where she gets some work, but something strange is going on.
A wonderful story of love and loss and of rediscovery, a joy to read. My thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for the arc.

3.5 ⭐

A little bit predictable, a little bit cheesey.
But I think that's part of the charm.
A warm cosy story, with some lovely characters.
An enjoyable read.

Such a spellbinding book! You really get woven into the story and taken on such a rich and tender journey! I was originally enticed by the gorgeous cover and the book did not disappoint

I love historical fiction and so I knew I would enjoy this book but I didn't expect it to be as enchanting as it was, it completely took over my life while I was reading it, it was all I could think about and I haven't stopped thinking about it since I finished. I loved it

Captivating. Loved this novel from the start and found it hard to put down as the story wove it's magic. Really felt for Maeve as she lets her story come out. No spoilers here but if you want a really good historical read, look no further. Looking forward to reading more from this talented author & currently looking for her other books.