Reviews

The Mysterious Bakery On Rue De Paris by Evie Gaughan

danaisreading's review

3.0

I didn't realize until after I started reading that this is independently published. I haven't had a whole lot of luck with these types of books, but maybe this will be the beginning of a change for me. As usual with me and self-published books, this definitely needs editing/proofreading - lightening instead of lightning, distain instead of disdain, faut-pas instead of faux pas, Romani's instead of Romanis, etc. It doesn't distract too much from the overall story, but it is still glaring enough to notice.

That said, it's a quick fluffy read. There's no real mystery that requires solving, even though the title suggests otherwise.

Spoiler

There's a paranormal element thrown in here, which I guess you could say is the mystery. Initially, Edith is forbidden from going downstairs into the kitchen to learn how to bake the breads. It's because Manu, the grandson of Mme Moreau, is "apprenticed" to the ghost of his great-grandfather. He is learning how to bake each night by following the ghost's movements. Mme Moreau didn't want Edit to know about it, hence the ban. But that's resolved within the first third of the novel, and isn't really tied to the rest of the story. If anything, the real mystery is what the ghost imparts into the bread, because Gaughan suggests several times that there is something magical about the breads and baked goods. Perhaps that could have been expanded more, but for now it's a ghost of an idea (pun intended, sorry) within the overall story.

Really, it's more the story of Edith working through her grief after her mother's death, and how she decides to change her life by moving from Dublin to Paris. Only the bakery isn't actually in Paris, the city. It's on the Rue de Paris, a street in the village of Compiègne.

But Edith quickly adapts to life in not-Paris, despite the frostiness of the bakery owner, Mme Moreau. She is befriended by her hairdresser Nicole, and Nicole's jazz musician husband Johnny. This leads into a whole subplot about the music and Django Reinhardt, which adds an interesting element to the overall story, but wholly unexpected based on the summary of the novel.

If you're expecting an actual mystery, you'll be disappointed. If you don't mind a chick-lit story set in a country foreign to the main character, then it's an enjoyable quick read.

jperks112's review against another edition

emotional hopeful lighthearted fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.0

elizkerr's review

adventurous funny hopeful inspiring lighthearted medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

5.0

beanjucie's review against another edition

hopeful lighthearted mysterious relaxing medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

bookishchelle's review against another edition

adventurous lighthearted mysterious medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.5

Light-hearted, and sweet, but it dealt with some themes that weren't fluffy. I wish it was longer because I wanted to know mote about the characters. The mystery part could have been drawn out more if the book was longer. Would have loved more about the history of the town too. 

farawayinwonderland's review against another edition

hopeful lighthearted fast-paced

3.25

kazked's review against another edition

adventurous hopeful lighthearted mysterious medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.75

rosieski's review against another edition

3.0

This book needed one more proof read for punctuation, but on the whole was a fairly cute and likable story. Largely realism, it does have a brief dash of paranormal. Predictable, not not in a bad way.

classicartemis's review

adventurous hopeful mysterious slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes

3.0

asulyi's review

adventurous funny hopeful lighthearted relaxing medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

5.0