Review: One Way Ticket to Paris

Title:  One Way Ticket to Paris

Author: Emma Robinson

Publisher: 31st October 2018 by Bookouture

Pages: 274 pages
How I Read It: ARC book
Genre: women's fiction, romance

My Rating: 4 cups

Synopsis:

When I was a kid and I’d lost something, my dad always said ‘Go back to the place you last had it’. The problem is that what I’ve lost is… me.

Kate loves her family more than anything, but recently she has started to feel invisible. Lying awake at three a.m. as her husband snores, panicking about shopping lists, birthday parties, and the school bake sale…

She finds herself in the kitchen, gulping water, staring at a postcard of the Eiffel Tower from Shannon, her best friend.

Paris, with its red wine, slippery cobbles and curly lampposts. Where the scent of freshly-baked croissants hangs in the air, and Kate last remembers feeling like herself.

The postcard is a year old. It has just one line on it: When are you coming?

An inspiring, feel-good tale of friendship, love, and what happens when running away is the only way you can find your way home. Perfect for fans of Sophie Kinsella, Jane Green and Marian Keyes.

My Thoughts

“Going to another country on a whim –without booking a return ticket –was the kind of thing the old Kate would have done. The single Kate. The reckless Kate. The fun Kate. The new Kate didn’t do things like that. The mother Kate. The sensible Kate. The bloody boring Kate.”

What a great read, I really enjoyed the escape to Paris! This is the story of three women and how their lives all converge with each other for a few days in Paris; and through supporting each other, they set themselves on a new course in life. Two of them are friends, another a work colleague and the chapters alternate through the events that have brought their individual lives to crossroads.

There is, of course, tears and upsets, but overall this is a real ‘feel good’ story where one woman, or aspects from all three, the reader is bound to find relatable. The writing is engaging where you wished that you could be sitting around the table with them at the cafe or hotel, taking part in their sharing and decision making. I found all three women to be likable and could relate to various aspects from each of their stories - these are situations that many could identify with - you are bound to recognise either a circumstance or trait that rings familiar.  So congratulations to the author for providing ‘real’ people and relevant problems that the reader or readers friends may find relatable.

The satisfying aspect of this story is how the three women come together to support each other, provide advice and encouragement. When you are faced with circumstances in life that make you unhappy, what can you do about it? The answer is not ‘fly to Paris’ (although many of us would be satisfied with that) but it is about communication and staying true to self. A very poignant message to be found at the heart of this novel.

I recommend taking the time to read of Kate, Shannon and Laura’s time in Paris. Great characters and story to be had. You are sure to appreciate being part of their journey of self ‘re’ discovery.

“What was she going to say? That she felt… lost? Finding yourself was something that happened on a gap-year break in Asia at eighteen. It was more than a little careless to be forty-one, married with kids and a mortgage, and realise you’d lost yourself again.”

This review is based on a complimentary copy from the publisher and provided through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. The quoted material may have changed in the final release