A Parisian reunion With the one that got away! Celebrity chef James Harrington never expected to find himself face-to-face with Chloe, his first love, again… Especially with her working as a chambermaid at his luxury hotel! Their chemistry’s as strong as ever, but it’s clear she’s hiding a secret. This Christmas, can James convince Chloe that their love is worth taking a chance on–again?
Christmas Reunion in Paris
By lizfielding
A sweet and sexy tale with all the romance of its French setting. Even in a dilapidated flat, Liz Fielding manages to make the emotion and the passion burn bright. It’s a beautiful story and dare I say it, rather naughty too
The chemistry between James and Chloe is delightful, the sex is passionate and the tale gripping and emotional. They have much to overcome together, their backstories are believable and make for a conflict that has you rooting for them to get together, but at the same time, you’re not sure they ever will. You know they love each other, but the will they/won’t they keeps you on the edge of your seat.
I loved the sites they visited, I loved the chateau and the way their careers were woven into their conflicts leading up to an ending that isn’t just satisfyingly perfect, but also had me desperate for a sequel.
Please, please, please can we have Eloise’s story!!!
Originally posted on Tales to Tide You Over: https://margaretmcgaffeyfisk.com/category/reviews/
I started reading Harlequin category romances in my early teens. They’re not as long as many other books, so there isn’t as much time to get into a lot of complexity, but they’re still a comfort read for me. I like seeing what tropes they use and exploring how the author makes that trope shine.
Christmas Reunion in Paris hits on several I enjoy, especially second chances, one of my favorites. Chloe and James were boarding school sweethearts ten years earlier. We learn this much in the beginning with a blend of the past and present to bring us up to date. The early chapters even begin with news clippings and text conversations, a neat way to bring up what isn’t covered in the scene.
If this were the total of their past’s influence, my initial impression of being rushed would have held. I didn’t know how many critical details both Chloe and James had suppressed as they dealt with the shock of a chance meeting, each in their own way. Instead, we get a sense of who they were and who they are now, both because of their past and despite it. This forms the story’s grounding, while the rest is trickled in when appropriate.
Each time I thought I’d figured out the major obstacle they’d face in getting back together, another fragment, consequence, or influence of the past would add a new twist. At the final confrontation, though, everything came together and made sense. The block wasn’t easy to solve. If anything, it was harder to overcome because of all the pieces building the wall. Nothing felt pointless or drawn out. Each bit we learned either consciously or sub-consciously forms an almost impassable barrier.
I’m writing more about the plot than the characters because they are so tightly integrated that specific character notes would add up to spoilers. I enjoyed when Chloe and James relaxed and explored together, along with how the two of them sparked off each other’s creativity. As people, they had their rough spots, weaknesses they sometimes considered strengths, and so came to life on the page.
The novel develops along with the characters, offered a depth I wasn’t expecting in a quick comfort read, and addressing some weighty topics. Chloe and James are pushed to look within as well as for external sources of their problems. This creates moments of personal growth necessary for them to be ready to brace the future.
There were several open-door intimate scenes, with some level of detail, but nothing particularly graphic. The punctuation, and likely more, follows British English stands for those who care.
As a quick read, this story hit the spot, but there was more to it than a speedy love story. The theme beyond recovering lost love of loving what you do resonates, as does taking ownership of your life. I could list off the tropes used, but it’s what the author does with those that’s important, and I think Liz Fielding did quite well. It makes me curious about the rest of the series. I think I want to see more of James’ twin and their big brother, too.
P.S. I received this Advanced Readers’ Copy from the publisher through NetGalley in return for an honest review.
Wonderful characters and such an emotional read! Loved it!!!
An unexpected second chance at love
A Christmas Reunion in Paris is book #1 in the Christmas at the Harrington Park Hotel series.
Chloe was finishing cleaning up one of the hotel rooms she worked at when a guest came in, and she recognized James on the window reflection. Her first instinct was to flee the scene. Ten years had passed, and there was nothing left to say.
The story is intricated. James and Chloe went to an expensive boarding school together, fell in love at sixteen, and were separated by her parents because he was not titled nor wealthy enough for her.
He tried to look for her but failed.
Ten years later, she was in his hotel room, a rich heiress working as a cleaning lady.
I don’t want to give spoilers, so I’m not going to enter the details, but these two had many unsolved issues to settle, so they took a Paris holiday.
The story was very passionate and romantic. Chloe was trying to find her way in the world, and she needed to do that on her terms. James was lovely and maybe a tad overbearing, but it was clearly due to his desire to protect Chloe after all that had happened to her.
The setting was charming with a cruise on a Bateaux Mouches’ boat, meals in little cafes, and even a stay in a French castle.
A Christmas Reunion in Paris is a short second-chance romance filled with passion and Parisian charm.
Trigger Warning: Parental separation.
I received a copy of this book for an honest review.
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Young love is torn apart by her controlling parents. Chloe met James (Jay) when she was at boarding school. When her parents found out she was pregnant they took her out of school, away from Jay, and the only way they would allow her to not terminate the pregnancy was if she would agree to put the baby up for adoption. One day she was holding her baby and the next it was snatched away from her arms.
Fast forward a few years and Chloe meets Jay again when she is cleaning up his hotel room. The shock that his princess was working as a maid makes him bribe a fellow employee to find her. She left her controlling family behind and was working 2-3 jobs in order to live in Paris. Even though they find their way back to each other they find that they need to work through many obstacles in their past and their current path in order to move forward.
4 1/2 STARS
A breathtaking reunion! With the first book in the exciting new Christmas at the Harrington Park Hotel trilogy, Liz Fielding spins a magical tale of reconnection and healing when celebrity chef James Harrington stumbles across his first love working as a chambermaid at his family’s luxury hotel. The characters are divine and their story is swoon worthy. I’m looking forward to book two by Kandy Shepherd, coming soon!
James has his mind on business and family when he stumbles across the one that got away and instant spark reignites them instantly. He’s a good hearted character and easy to sympathize with.
Chloe has learned that struggling to survive is a way of life when you’re out on your own, and seeing James again just reminds her of why she’s doing it. An over-controlling family got in the way of her happiness once and she won’t allow it to happen again.
I highly recommend this story to anyone who enjoys a reunion with secrets to uncover and love to relearn. I’m looking forward to the rest of the trilogy.
Loved this story and the characters – James Harrington and Chloe Forbes Scott – had a story that had a real life struggle, something that “real people” may need to deal with in their lifetimes. Well, minus the wealth part, at least for me. Seriously, though, I loved James. He was such a caring, loving man and he was head over heels in love with Chloe. He had family struggles to overcome, in his background, so the road to an HEA had both he and Chloe trying to come to terms with their lives.
Chloe has a whopper of a father. Let’s just say Ms. Fielding wrote this character perfectly – yes, I loathed him. And yes, he deserved it, imho. Chloe has her own troubled background, especially dealing with her family, and she needed to work thru much before she could begin to think in terms of an HEA.
But an HEA does happen, I don’t think that’s much of a spoiler. These two had a touching, loving, sometimes very sad story but apart from the wealth part – it could happen to anyone. Loved it and looking forward to the next books in this trilogy.
What more could you want in a story it is set in Paris, it is Christmas Time and written by the wonderful Liz Fielding who never disappoints me with one of her stories, this one is a second chance story that had me cheering Chloe and James on and getting a little cross with them as well, filled with emotion, this is a beautiful story I do hope you read it and enjoy it as much as I did.
James Harrington is a celebrity chef and doing very well for himself, when he was younger him and the love of his life Chloe made plans for the future they were always going to be together and work hard at what they wanted to do, sadly life doesn’t always work out the way you want and circumstances change when Chloe is taken away from school and no matter how hard James tried there was nothing he could do to find Chloe, until eleven years later when he discovers Chloe making beds in his hotel, and that love was still there.
Chloe comes from a very wealthy family and at boarding school she meets the love of her life James, they had so many plans for their future, but her father changed all of that, she eventually got away from her dominating father and moved to Paris found work as a chambermaid and working in a bistro. But when she runs into James in an awkward position she is whisked away by James and ends up in a fabulous apartment and spending a lot of times with James and yes she loves him but she is not convinced they should be together.
There are a lot of ups and downs in this story a lot to talk about and come to terms with as Chloe makes a few decisions to finally be who she wants to be and James is determined to convince Chloe that they should be together for always. Will there be a second chance for them both?
Liz Fielding’s stories will pull you in her characters are fabulous her stories have emotion and lots of love and this one is one that I highly recommend. Thank You MS Fielding for another keeper.