Yay or Nay?: Paris is Always a Good Idea (Novel)

I cannot tell you how long I’d been waiting for this book to come out! It looked to be the perfect travel fiction novel for a time when we can’t travel, and a perfect beach read! Oddly enough, I’ll probably be rating this lower than I expected though, for a couple reasons. That said, overall I am enjoying the book. I still have yet to finish it, but I’m on the home stretch—let’s say. And…I like it, but it is certainly not the book I expected. So, let me explain more about that! 

This is my review of Jenn McKinlay’s Paris is Always a Good Idea. 

THE STORY

Chelsea Martin’s father is getting remarried. To a woman at least thirty years his junior. After losing her mother to cancer seven years ago, this was not the news she was looking forward to hearing. 

Realizing that the last time she can remember being happy was when she was traveling through Europe on a gap year when she was twenty-three, Chelsea reembarks on a journey to connect with the three boys she knew while traveling: Colin from Ireland, Jean-Claude from France, and Marcellino from Italy. From some small mishaps to the recurring annoyance of her arrogant coworker, Jason, Chelsea is hoping she can find the happiness, and love, that she’s missed. 

So, this is a story that deals with a number of difficult themes— grief being a big one, and I can relate because, like Chelsea, I’ve also lost a close relative to cancer. A lot of Chelsea’s development has to do with that, and I also understand the allure, and freedom of traveling, having done it many times myself. So I was a little confused as to how this book would play out—not to mention how McKinlay would introduce and tie in Jason, Chelsea’s competitive and irritating coworker who works with her at the American Cancer Coalition. 

My thoughts on the story itself is that it’s good, and I think, could even be an uplifting and inspiring story. But, I think that a lot of key moments could have been more expanded on, for greater impact plot-wise, as well as, some points of the story (I felt) made the ending that I think is going to happen redundant. 

Spoilers below— I feel the need to warn you since this book just came out. So if this is something you want to read do not read further! 

MY THOUGHTS

So, like I hinted above, I did enjoy the story. It was good, captured my interest almost immediately, and I liked the main character, Chelsea. I actually felt she was the sanest of her family. Especially in the beginning when she was shocked that her father was getting married to a twenty-four-year-old— two weeks after knowing her, and they didn’t tell her until they sprung the surprise at a bridal shop. That said, I felt the story glossed over a lot of key moments between characters—between some of the men, such as Marcellino when she reaches Italy, and most importantly, Jason Knightley. 

Given that I think he is the main love interest (surprise—and don’t worry, I will talk about that more in a moment), I have been feeling that their relationship, which did not start out even remotely amicable, I feel the need to mention, progressed very quickly and out of nowhere. I may be biased because I very much hoping she would end up with Marcellino, but I felt that the points they bonded on (her and Jason, that is) were either rushed or dropped all at once towards the end. I didn’t feel their relationship was built up or paced out very well. So in the end, I wasn’t exactly rooting for Jason. I’m still not. I didn’t really see a need to—even given knowing the back story about him that I do now. I just wasn’t convinced. There were some scenes—moments even, throughout the book that I think could have been expanded or deepened, and then maybe, I could see that relationship working out in a way that I would be rooting for it. But I just didn’t, and I felt even the scenes with the guys she reconnects with, as Chelsea travels from place to place, were also rushed. 

Going with that in mind, a lot of what I think will happen at the end, given Chelsea and Jason’s relationship, I think makes the journey redundant. She goes into this to find herself, only to realize what she was looking for was in front of her all along? It felt a little cliche to me, and redundant. It made reconnecting with these guys—looking for herself in the last place she can remember being happy seems like the journey meant nothing. That and just, Jason’s character. He starts off being your cliche asshole who bothers Chelsea to no end.  Then…he becomes this soft, vulnerable, and amazing guy all around. Or at least that is what it felt like, once again, in terms of pacing. There are scenes that do set up their relationship, and why they do grow close, it just didn’t feel like what we had was enough. I found myself constantly asking for more there. I also didn’t quite see the chemistry—sure they become good friends, but to me, it also seemed to jump from friends quickly to lovers. 

MY RATING 

Overall though, I would recommend you buy or borrow this book. While it’s not exactly what I expected, it is still a good book that you should enjoy. I would completely recommend it! 

Give it a look-see!

My Rating: ⭐⭐⭐ 1/2 (3.5 stars) 

~Meghan