Reviews

The Paris Soulmate by Brooke Gilbert

booksadoodle's review

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3.0

Cute story about love and possibilities when you embrace your struggles and fears and learn to accept that we all are entitled to happiness. Christine is battling autoimmune disorders but has recovered enough to take a trip of a lifetime to Paris. Her best friend, Lola, is due to give birth so cannot accompany her to make sure she stays well, leaving the position open. Who will fill that position, and what are the possibilities in the city of love? I appreciated the attention and focus on flawed characters but did find that this story was sometimes a bit redundant and feel that it could have been a bit more concise while still keeping the plot strong. Still an endearing read. Thanks to the author, publisher, & NetGalley for the opportunity to review this ebook.

lolovesbooks3's review

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2.0

I loved the autoimmune disease rep in this and loved the Paris setting!

I think I just couldn’t really get into it because I felt so bad for Christine the entire time. The guy she thinks connected with her immediately actually knew a ton about her beforehand because he was deceiving her along with her the person she considers her “best” friend. Spoiler alert… Lola is a terrible friend, but the author justifies it as “protective.” Listen, insta-love aka insta-infatuation rarely works for me, but I was hoping this one would put a different twist on it…

I guess the deceit did put a different twist on it, but it still didn’t work for me. She spent her time not getting to know him because she was so stuck on the fact that he couldn’t possibly like HER because he’s so hot and he didn’t need to get to know her because he had researched her ahead of time.

Their relationship didn’t feel authentic… he was a liar and she was incredibly naive to fall for it. Red flags were flying off him as soon as he got on the airplane and wanted to make out with her right away. Because of how their relationship started, it just couldn’t recover for me.

becbec624's review

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3.0

The Paris Soulmate is a sweet book filled with lots of romance and is sure to give every reader the feeling of wanderlust. Christine has been struggling for years with her health due to an autoimmune disorder that has limited her confidence in herself and her ability to date. As her 30th birthday is approaching and her health has been stable for a while, Christine decides it is time to take the solo trip of a lifetime to Paris. This is where she runs into Collin, a British traveler headed to Paris on a work trip. Unbeknownst to Christine, Collin was hired by her best friend to ensure she was ok during her travels abroad. What could happen when Collin is sweet, charming, and everything Christine could ever want in a man?

This book was sweet and very romantic, with 7 days filled with two people falling in love in Paris. Collin and Christine visit all the sights and meet a few interesting people that add to their trip immensely. This book was sometimes boring and dragged on in some spots, especially between the couple's arrival in Paris and the climax. SOO much happens in this book while simultaneously nothing at the same time. While I enjoyed some parts, I also pushed through many parts to finish the book.
I would recommend this book to anyone who wants to fall in love in Paris and likes reading about instalove.

lolloreads00's review

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4.0

Christine has battled with an autoimmune disorder for most of her 20’s. She’s finally at a place where her health allows her to live life to the fullest again so she decides to travel to Paris. In the airport she meets the most incredible man, the man of her dreams and they decide to spend the week together in the city of love. What could possibly go wrong.

If you’re not a fan of the insta love trope this one isn’t for you. Christine and Collin have an instant connection and their relationship progresses really fast. I got fairytale vibes, a woman who’s finally found herself and her perfect match is the dream. It’s cheesy and I love it.

Then there’s the twist. I was so wrapped up in the fact that she meet this seemingly perfect stranger to even consider there was a set up. This added another layer to the story that made for an interesting conflict.

Other things I liked was the dual pov, chronic illness representation, the map and lists included. A movie list, playlist, yoga routine all related to the book ofc. Amazing!

I highly recommend this one to fans of sweet romance and women’s fiction. It’s available in KU so go download it!

melissasbookshelf's review against another edition

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4.0

Paris, a whirlwind romance, secrets, deep understanding of chronic diseases/disorders, and nods to classic films made this sweet romance such an enjoyable read! It’s a great debut novel and I’ll definitely be looking for the next book from this author. While the story takes place over a mere week, the insta-love romance felt natural and believable.

Christine suffers from numerous autoimmune disorders. Her dream is to return to Paris now that she has more control over her body. In the airport, she meets a handsome stranger with a delicious Mr. Darcyesque accent and persona. Her cautious nature though kicks in and even over the ten hour flight with him sitting next to her, it’s hard to believe this guy is real. Throw in a caring best friend who can’t be with her because she’s getting ready to have a baby, a meddling older lady, a bet, and the romance of Paris, and you have the makings of a good story. Colin has his own secrets he’s hiding and just when he’s gained Christine’s trust, their budding relationship could all come crashing down.

This book really captured my heart. As someone who also suffers from autoimmune diseases, I could really identify with Christine and the emotions she feels. Her struggle with trying to be independent and yet having to constantly be aware of everything that triggers her symptoms was very realistic. The descriptions of Paris made me feel like I was right there with the main characters, visiting all the famous sites. I appreciated Colin’s compassionate nature and the way he cares for Christine without seeming pitying or condescending. Anyone who suffers from a chronic illness will appreciate all that Christine goes through and feel her triumph when she’s able to fulfill several of her wishes.

It’s a fun, sweet, story with great representation of those who suffer from autoimmune diseases. I also enjoyed the way the author wove faith into the story in a natural way. This is definitely an author to keep an eye on. I received an advanced complimentary copy from the author through NetGalley. All opinions are my own and I was not required to provide a positive review.

bookishkenyannerd's review against another edition

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5.0

"Soulmates don’t come to us as we expect them to. They don’t come in the package we expect, they don’t come the way we expect, and they certainly don’t come when we expect.”

Christine and Colin had amazing chemistry, instantly connecting and growing even closer by the time their plane landed in Paris. Colin cherished her and if nothing else wanted her to remain with the truth that she was enough, and a beauty to behold no matter her disorders.

I loved that I fell in love with Paris as I read this story; I got to go with them to different places, from Colin's awe-inspiring declaration of love at the Louvre in front of the Mona Lisa

thatbookishbelle's review against another edition

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2.0

Objectively speaking, this was not a bad book. It was decently written, with decently likeable characters, and a decent plot. Colin and Christine are a cute couple who essentially go from bodyguard to lovers. Christine is also an interesting heroine because she's dealing with her own physical health issues. She initially goes to Paris for herself, and to possibly find an old acquaintance that could have been a fling, but never panned out. However, at the airport, she meets Colin, and it's love at first sight for the both of them.

As I said, this was a decent book. The problem is that this is not a book for me. I don't like the love-at-first-sight trope. It was also very cliche to me and it just ended being not my cup of tea. However, if cliche romances with love-at-first-sight is your thing, you will definitely enjoy this book.

I received an ARC of this novel from BookSprout, in exchange for an honest review.
(FROM PREVIOUS ACCT)

beachburgmom's review

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4.0

This was a fun book, I wasn’t to sure at first but as the pieces came together I understood how the story was going to unfold . Not sure how believable the idea would be in the real world but it was perfect for this romance novel. I loved the main character's and how the author wrote their story with lots of highs and lows, I was rooting for their love story. This was a quick read for me and I found myself fully invested in the outcome . I love that the author writes her main character with autoimmune diseases…..the often silent sickness that others can’t see.

I received a complimentary copy from NetGalley and all opinions expressed are my own

I would recommend this book to family and friends and my book clubs

winterfairy100's review

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2.0

Christine has spent the last few years in and out of hospitals dealing with many rare auto-immune illnesses. Now that her illnesses are managed, she has decided to go to Paris for a week. While in the airport she has a panic attack and is ready to not get on the plane when a tall, dark, handsome Brit comes to her rescue. They get off to a rough start when of course, they are seated next to each other. While on the flight, everyone around them believes them to be on their honeymoon. While on the flight, they discover that they're both very attracted to each other and they decide to spend the week together exploring Paris.

This book had so much promise. I love a good enemies to lovers rom-com. This one did not do it for me. Every day they spent in Paris was described in extreme detail. It didn't add much to the plot and was unnecessary to move the story forward. I had a difficult time finishing this book.

The reason for the third act break up is revealed in the 8th chapter. From that point on, I was waiting for the shoe to drop. When it did, it resolved just as quickly as it was revealed. I didn't connect with the characters which made it difficult for me to have any reason to care about the outcome. Christine's best friend Lola was my favorite character.

donnareadathon2021's review

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3.0

The story
Christine is nearly 30, and her bucket list item is to go back to Paris. With her multiple chronic illnesses, it’s a challenge. Unknown to her, her best friend Lola who is pregnant, has arranged for an out of work actor Colin to accompany Christine and make sure she has help if she needs it. But Lola didn’t plan on Colin’s feelings for Christine and her inst-love response.

My thoughts
I loved the setting of this story and being able to tag along on Christine and Colin’s Paris trip - Paris is the perfect romantic location for these two deeply emotional lovers. Both find it hard to trust and the “set up” is bound to backfire, but did find myself rooting for them to succeed. I struggle with the “insta-love” concept which this story is based on. The pair here are full-on, head over heels and deeply invested in each other and their great love, despite not knowing much at all about the other.

Read an eARC courtesy of Booksprout and the author
My rating 3/5 - ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️