A charming British hero, the woman who tempts him, and a hands-off arrangement that’s oh-so-hard to maintain.My bags are packed and I’m ready to go. All I have to do is board a plane, and I’ll be on my way to fulfilling a promise I made long ago. Bonus points — my last week in Paris looks to be even better when I meet a gorgeous, clever American woman and make plans to take her back to my flat … back to my flat that night.
But before we can get together for what would surely be a fantastic final fling, my boss hits me with a double whammy. My previous client didn’t pay, so the trip’s postponed, and the new client I now desperately need is none other than the tempting American I’m about to take home. Time to keep my hands to myself. And as I do, we get to know each other while we wander the streets of Paris together, where I discover she’s witty, kind and has a delicious zest for life. Trouble is, I’m taking off for the other side of the world any day now.
What could go wrong with falling in love in Paris? Everything, if one of you is leaving…
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Loved the Paris described in this book! Having been there myself, it felt like I was right there with them! The description of different scents seem spot on, as a chef, I could really relate. The romance and sexiness was delishesly hot!
A story about coping with loss, learning to love in finding how to live with one’s truth.
for Joy & Griffin’s lovestory!!! What can go wrong when your living in Paris & your translator has a sexy British accent?!? Well, you just have to read to find out!?! Promise, You won’t be sorry!!!
Wanderlust is one of my anticipated books for the month of March. The moment I heard the story was going to take place in Paris I was all over this story! Lauren Blakely did such a wonderful job with her description to detail throughout this story. I felt like I was transported to Paris and I’ve never been there before! I love when I can see myself in the story as I’m reading and it made the reading experience more enjoyable.
Joy is in need of a change after ending a long term relationship. Paris is where you go to reinvent yourself. While in Paris, Joy meets up with Griffin. I have to say I loved when they met and how they interacted with each other throughout the story. This was a slow burn romance which made it even sweeter and hotter when they finally come together. The story is told in dual points of views and I loved seeing how both characters felt given the circumstances and deadline of their agreement.
“My body is begging, crying for him to fill me. I’ve never ever felt like this. Never wanted someone in this kind of bone-deep, soul-crushing way. I can’t take it anymore.”
As the story progress the inevitable happens and in true Lauren Blakely fashion it’s never dragged out and drama filled. I love when couples can resolve their issues in a timely manner. The book also mentioned two secondary characters Christian and Elise who peeked my interest and I’m so happy we are getting a book about them as well! If you are looking for a sweet romantic book that will have you booking your next flight to Paris look no further!
Wow, just Wow.
Wanderlust by Lauren Blakely, now in print and ebook too – YAY!
” Don´t mix business with pleasure. ” that´s Griffin´s motto.
Joy Danvers – Lively is a successful scientist. She works for a cosmetic company and currently transfered to Paris, France. She starts new. New job, new apartement, new life. New man ? Maybe.
Griffin Thomas is a interpreter with roots in France and Britain. He gets assigned to her. While Joy is career driven, Thomas has his own plans and dreams. He wants to travel the world.
Both meet and they sinply ” click “.
This wonderful touching love story is set in the City of Lights and that suits the characters , perfectly.
I started reading and wqas captivated. I smiled my way through the book.
Wanderlust is a swoonworthy 5 star read and so worth the wait. I can´t express how much I love the story, the writing and the characters. I highly recommend this very romantic standalone novel.
4
So swoony Brit living in Paris, yeah I am all about that. I love that Wanderlust takes place in Paris and that its a good part of the story and not some side thought. I loved the romanticism from that. Joy and Griffin meet in such a romantic place, but things aren’t that simple. They have a professional relationship first and that creates some wonderful tension and budding friendship. I really enjoyed their build up a lot, it was a little slow burn and I loved it. They have a fun energy about them through out. I really liked their storyline and loved reading in this world.
Wanderlust is Lauren Blakely’s newest adventure. I have read all, yes all of Lauren’s books, and I have to say this is up there with my favorites! It’s one of her more romantic books. Yes, it’s set in Paris, but along with the city, the characters are just swoony and fun and sexy. An American and a Brit in Paris. Both living there temporarily for two very different reasons. They meet and there’s instant attraction and electric chemistry. Griffin is working as a translator and he’s pretty much a local now. He loves the city and believes he’s seen it all. Joy is a chemist working for a perfume company. She loves Paris. Everything about it. The streets, the sights, the smells. But she can’t speak the language. When Griffin is hired as her translator for work, she enlists his help on a personal level. Help her learn the language of love. It’s probably not a good idea to get involved with him, but he’s just so…perfect. The sexy accent, the handsome face, his attitude. Their attraction is palpable! A rainy day and an umbrella brings them together. The kiss books are written about. The kiss to end all kisses. The kiss that ruins you for all other kisses. The perfect kiss. There’s no going back now. Joy shows Griffin so many small things about Paris that he never knew. He’s seeing this city from her eyes and he loves it. Griffin is teaching Joy more than just the language. She’s learning things she never would otherwise. But there is a timeline on this affair. Griffin is leaving. He has dreams to fulfill. Joy is working in Paris, trying to achieve her dreams. But what happens when dreams change? When things shift and your heart begs to make decisions? Can you have it all with the person you love in the most perfect city in the world? Yes, the answer is yes. You just have to jump. Put faith in yourself and the other person. Take the risk. I loved this story. So much. As I said, this is one of my favorite books by Lauren. She can write anything. Steamy, sexy, erotic. But her swoony romances with extra heat always seem to be my favorites. And, just because it’s romantic doesn’t mean it’s not hot. Oh, it’s HOT! Griffin. I can’t even with him. He’s so sexy with his accent and his words. He’s the perfect man. Joy is funny, smart and sassy. I want to be friends with her! Paris is the third character in this love story. I’ve never been, but this is the first time that I really want to go. I need to walk those streets. Eat all the chocolate. Shop. Find a pink door…Overall, I absolutely loved it. I laughed, cried, swooned and was fanning myself!
Her bluntness makes me want to thread a hand in her hair and kiss her lipstick off. Then again, everything I know about her makes me want to do that.
Here it is – the great admission that we weren’t just heading toward a date. We were going to explore aimlessly together, with that exploration being conducted in a clothes-free mode. Le sigh.
A sensationally sweet, humorous and addictive romance that’ll leave you desperate for more…
I feel really happy right now. I’ve listened to Kelly over at Readers Together rave about this book since she listened to it. I have to say that I was slightly jealous that it was out on Audiobook way before e-book, however I think that the Audio community deserve some love and it was nice to see them being put first. Still, my green eyed monster had me in a right state. The blurb for this book is just everything, it promises so much and I can confirm that the book delivers. It is humorous and sweet and so very sexy.
The plot for Wanderlust is so effortless. It is everything that a romantic comedy should be and more. I’ve come to expect this from Lauren Blakely as standard, but this book is just a whole new level of easy to read. The monologues is witty and conversational and it really makes you feel like Griffin and Joy are talking directly to you rather than just telling you their story. I love this. Like really really love this. It just made the story so personal that even with the humour it felt sultry and it just had that come hither feel. I was completely and utterly enthralled by the romance in this book to the point that even if it hadn’t been set in good old Paris Paris, the city of lights and love and romance and—well, you get where I’m going with this—it would’ve still felt every bit romantic. Personally I give the credit to sexy Brit hero. Ugh, I love a sexy Brit. Especially when they’re done as well and authentically as Ms. Blakely has. Believe me, I’ve had many a whinge session with Kelly over so called British heroes that are anything but. Look, not only am I hard to please on that front but I’m also a Londoner which means I can sniff out any unBritishness in a British character.
I feel like this story is so well thought out and followed through. You get completely beguiled by the banter and the humour so that you have this false sense of everything is going to be alright security. The she hits you with it and the rug is pulled from underneath you and you can’t do anything but just ask why? I may be exaggerating a little bit here, although I don’t think I am when I say that Lauren Blakely is a naughty lady and she made me cry on the Tube. Seriously? My poor heart felt so betrayed by all the romance and sweetness and the sex…the chemistry between Joy and Griffin is potent and virile and exciting, and the twist the story took completely messed me up. My heart still hasn’t recovered and I swear it’s not beating irregularly. I know…a tad melodramatic, but trust me she pulled the wool over my eyes!
Overall Wanderlust not only did it for me but it just did it or me. And not in a dirty way, although…ugh. I think my cold is making me go a little doolally with this, but this is exactly how I felt the whole way through the book. I was excited going in, I was excited all the way through it and at the end I was excited with the experience and journey of this story. Having been to Paris I can totally feel that pull that the city has within the story and the romance, and it just added that extra realness to it. This felt like a real story, not a brilliantly written piece of fiction. I loved that it wasn’t a jump straight into the dirty kind of story, but again, Lauren Blakely has a way of teasing you along through the wooing that makes it feel somewhat dirty even through the sweetness.
I honestly just loved this book. I could read it and reread it again and again and it would be guaranteed to make me feel good. The characters are brilliant and so personable. The story itself is flawless down to the setting and the drawn out and languid insta-lust. This is a book that will make you swoon and smile and drool. Just freaking perfectly brilliant!
Wanderlust if the beautiful story of two people, finding love in Paris. An American woman and a British man, brought together in one of the most beautifully written books I’ve read this year. I’ve never been to Paris but through this book, I came to know everything there is to know about this magical city. The sites, the sounds, the emotions really came through like nothing I’ve ever read before.
The story of Joy and Griffin was stunning, I fell head over heels for both of them. Two people, looking for healing in the most romantic city in the world. Their relationship blossomed throughout the book and I was transfixed on every single detail.
Hands down, Wanderlust is most definitely one of the most romantic books I have ever read. Lauren Blakely has outdone herself with this book!
I’ve never been to Paris, but I took four years of French in high school as well as four more years in college, and when the lectures and/or assignments turned to Paris and its overwhelming beauty and sensual atmosphere, my wanderlust for seeing it in person dominated my mindset and made me long for a time in my life where I could visit the City of Lights & Love and revel in all that it has to offer.
Unfortunately, that time has not yet occurred, so while I wait to make my dreams a reality, I’m glad that I can dive into a story – one set in one of the most romantic locations on Earth – and experience all that is Paris, France, through the eyes and ears of two fabulous main characters and an author who knows just how to ‘romance’ readers, inviting us to immerse ourselves in the wonder and awe that a city like Paris brings.
What I love most about Griffin and Joy’s story and how Lauren Blakely presents it is that readers take this amazing journey of love and adventure with the hero and heroine; we get to witness the build-up of attraction between them and the path that they take from strangers to workmates to friends and then finally to lovers, and boy is it an entertaining dance Griffin and Joy take as they try to temper that lust due to the nature of their professional relationship, but readers know it’s only a matter of time before they give into what’s been developing from the start and because Blakely does such an amazing job of bringing readers with her as Griffin and Joy’s professional interactions become much more private, readers can almost pinpoint when the characters’ lust-filled feelings no longer remain hidden and not acting on them is no longer an option.
Through Blakely’s descriptive writing, my love affair with Paris flourished and because she constructed such multifaceted characters my love affair with her stories continued, and anytime a writer can make her readers feel like they are part of the cast of characters who surround the hero and heroine and watch their connection grow into something amazing, she’s done an incredible job of bringing not only her characters but the romantic and sensual atmosphere to life in unforgettable ways.
Griffin and Joy’s story is a whirlwind romance of epic proportions, and it’s one I’d gladly take over and over again because not only is it one hell of a love story, it’s also an amazing way to experience a foreign city in all its splendor because Lauren Blakely captures all that Paris is and all that it means to those who live and travel there, and that kind of description cannot happen unless it was experienced firsthand, and I love the fact that Blakely got to experience wanderlust as she brought Griffin and Joy’s book to life because, to me, it makes it that much more powerful, giving Blakely every advantage in order to showcase a love story between two people and for the city that is all about love, romance, and beauty.
4.5 Poison Apples
What a dreamy, romantic world Ms. Blakely has given us with Wanderlust- the sights, sounds, and scents of Paris are brought to life with her storytelling. Griffin and Joy are a true delight, they’ll make you believe in love, in soulmates, in the happily ever after. You’ll wish to be transported to Paris to travel the side streets, visit the bakeries, and drink wine on a rooftop.
Between this book and Melanie Harlow’s Frenched, I really need to find my way to France. Although, knowing me, I’d get there, wander around for a day searching for angels and sundials, and then spend the rest of the time in my hotel room reading and ordering room service, with snacks on the bed all around me. I’d never find myself a Griffin or a Lucas, but I’d have gained 10lbs and read a bunch of good books. Heck, now that I think about it, that sounds kind of perfect! *runs off to book a flight*
I listened to this audiobook first and then still read the book because it was that awesome!!! I feel like I have just returned from the most magical, fun and romantic trip to Paris courtesy of Lauren Blakely! It was absolutely fabulous!! The narrators were phenomenal and really brought Griffin and Joy to life in the most wonderful of ways. I definitely have a trip to Paris on my bucket list now, but I want to do it Griffin and Joy style!!
Griffin and Joy are so warm, genuine and real and I just adore them both so much! The depth of each of their characters is very apparent from the beginning and you just have to get to know them. From the moment we meet them in the story and then they meet each other, you just know it is going to be everything and so much more! It’s funny, emotional, steamy, sweet, sexy, witty and charming and just so unique and special just like Joy and Griffin. I just can’t say enough about this book or these characters and the cleverness of the story line itself, it’s positively amazing! This is a must read or listen if you want to hear Griffin read by Richard Armitage and his sexy British accent and Grace Grant was fantastic as Joy as well!!!I loved this book so much I did both!! It’s definitely in my top 3 this year so far!!!
I absolutely loved everything about this romance! This fun, witty, sexy love story transformed me into the heart of Paris, and in turn, nestled Joy, Griffin and Paris into my heart as well! Joy is looking for a fresh start from her life in Texas, when she takes a new job in Paris. She is so excited to experience all that the city has to offer. When she meets a sexy Englishman at a bakery on her first day, their banter is fun and sexy. The sparks fly, but the timing isn’t right. Unfortunately, Joy discovers this sexy Englishman is her translator for work. Griffin needs this job as a translator to continue his wanderlust and complete his list. But this smart, sexy, American in Paris will turn his world upside down and make him question his purpose.
As they navigate their working relationship, they can’t stop their witty, flirty banter, while fighting their forbidden desires. Joy and Griffin are great characters and I was cheering for them all through their thrilling, moving, and romantic journey. I loved visiting all the wonderful Parisian areas. Blakely not only brought the famous locations of Paris to life, but she skillfully brought out all the subtle touches, smells, and tastes that will make you fall for the city of love & lights.
I loved every minute of this moving, romantic, and seductive love story!
*4 Stars*
ARC kindly received in exchange for an honest review.
I always enjoy Lauren’s books. They’re light and fluffy with a tinge of angst, and a lot of fun.
The premise of this one, starting anew in a whole new country, learning to be yourself again, and living your dreams, is a fun storyline.
Joy and Griffin’s initial meetings are hilarious, and then when they realise they will be working together, watching them get to know each other, but fight their attracting is such a build up to the events you know are bound to happen.
It’s easy to connect with Joy and the fact she has a lot to adjust to in a new place, particularly the language barrier. And Griffin is so damn adorable, and even his name is sexy. Add in some fun friends, some serious past issues that they both need to work through, and you get a great story that for the most part is very easy to read.
I read this one fairly quickly and enjoyed it. I also look forward to seeing what comes for both of their best friends.
This will bring out the Wanderlust in us all, whether you have been to Paris or not, it will spark the inner travel bug in everyone.
When Joy is offered a new position with her employer in Paris, she really can’t see a reason not to embrace it, her love life is currently a joke, and with having lingering memories all around her she is beginning to feel a little smothered by her past, so it’s time for something new. But nothing could prepare her for what she discovers on the other side of the pond… a certain British something that has a lethal accent with the power to weaken the knees of women in a fifty mile radius.
When Griffin Thomas meets his new client he is instantly taken with her, she is a breath of fresh air in his mundane world, but he can’t get wrapped up in his attraction for her, because he has big plans for himself and relationship would totally derail that. But he loves spending time with her, and discovering all her fascinating traits…
Wanderlust is a gratifying story of adventure, self-discovery, healing and falling in love… it’s one that will make you smile, move you beyond words, and leave your knees a little weak!! I thoroughly enjoyed this newest offering from Ms. Blakely, it had her trademark sexiness, but also had a softer emotional side too, that really stirred up the feels. And I have to mention these exquisitely crafted characters of hers too, Joy was downright admirable, the way she decided to step out of her element and brave a whole new world. It was not only inspiring, but also a lot of fun to watch her maneuver through and adjust to all the changes. And then of course their is the mesmerizing Mr. Griffin Thomas, not only was I taken with his accent, but also his genuine personality, and his outlook on life… he was so much fun to dissect and follow throughout this literary journey. If you are looking for a heartfelt read, that is heavy on inspiration and the feels, and of course sexiness too, then I highly recommend you take a chance on Wanderlust, it is sure to leave you satisfied!!
I requested an advanced copy of this title from the publisher, and voluntarily read and reviewed.
Lauren Blakely is a master. All she needs is a pen and paper to set my imagination ablaze. Wanderlust is a bit old time Hollywood with modern day adventure. Joy and Griffin take readers on an escapade fueled by beautiful scenery, sexy banter and a passionate attraction that sets the pages on fire. For Joy a change of scenery lands her in over her head. She came to Paris to find herself and may end up leaving her heart behind. Griffin is every woman’s fantasy. The look, accent and attitude are enough to steal your breath, but the way he treats Joy is hard to resist.
4.25 stars–WANDERLUST by Lauren Blakely is a stand alone, contemporary, adult, erotic, romance story line focusing on American perfumer/ chemist Joy Danvers-Lively, and British marine biologist/language expert Griffin Thomas.
Told from dual third person perspectives (Joy and Griffin) WANDERLUST follows the building relationship between American chemist Joy Danvers-Lively, and British chemist and translator Griffin Thomas. Joy is a woman on a mission when the perfume company for whom she works offers her a position in their Parisian labs –a position that comes with a sexy interpreter. Enter Griffin Thomas, a British marine biologist who specializes in several languages and the man with whom Joy will fall in love. What ensues is the slow burn of sexual attraction, and the potential fall out when their time together draws to a close.
Griffin has a bucket list of things to do; a list to honor his brother’s final wishes but with it comes the responsibility of completing the list against all odds. Falling in love was never on the agenda but falling for a spunky American woman meant a change in direction Griffin never saw coming.
The relationship between Griffin and Joy is one of immediate attraction. An accidental meeting between strangers that turned into something more. Griffin knew to fall in love with a client could only result in disaster at the very end but falling in love meant spending what little time left in Paris with the woman that called to his heart. Joy would never keep Griffin from completing his list so when the time came to say good-bye her heart knew she was losing the one. The $ex scenes are intimate, erotic and seductive. The sexual banter is fun and flirty.
We are introduced to Joy’s friend back home Allison; Elise –an American living in Paris, as well as Griffin’s pal and fellow translator Christian; and Joy’s Parisian boss Marisol. Christian and Elise’s story line is next in Part Time Lover (June 2018).
The world building follows Joy and Griffin as they take the reader to the sights and sounds of Paris-the usual tourist attractions as well as the local bakery, shops, cafes and more. Paris comes alive on every page and description narration The perfumes, the scents and the building aromas are tangible and real-you can almost detect the subtle hints of floral and citrus bouquets.
WANDERLUST is a sweet and sexy story line with two sassy characters. The premise is spirited and tender; the romance is heartwarming and provocative; the characters are colorful, energetic and inspiring. WANDERLUST is a story of romance, butterflies and happily ever afters.
I have been panting for this book for months. An American “girl” in Paris with a gorgeous, rugged handsome British translator…It’s as if Lauren Blakely and I share the same fantasies. I took French at 13 for the very moment I would find a French man to marry. As I got older my need to stop and listen to accents that put me on edge increased and to this day a sexy foreign tongue has me losing my mind. (Just ask my south American hubs)
Wanderlust is exactly the vacation from my snow covered New Jersey life. It’s Paris. It’s new and exciting. It’s an adventure. A romance in the City of Lights! What could possibly hold you back from the ultimate fantasy…
Wanderlust only needs the British accents whispering in your ear to bring you to completion and I’ve been told the audio book does just that. So take it from a lady who lusts after accented encounters, this book will give you the vacation to wander and explore right from your favorite reading spot. No passport or language lessons required.
Reviewed for Sweet Spot Sisterhood
Le livre entier a touché mon coeur et mon âme. C’était un beau, romantique, émouvant périple à travers Paris et les coeurs de 2 personnes qui étaient destinés. **
Have you been to Paris? If you have, you will smile your way through this book, as it is as much a love note to one of the world’s amazing cities as it is about the romance between Griffin and Joy. If you haven’t been to Paris, this book will make you feel like you have…reading this book feels like Paris. All of the details are right, the little French shrugs, the scarves, the cafes where you sit on top of one another, drinking coffee and wearing black, the narrow streets. You are transported to Paris. And, it is magical.
Lauren Blakely has a way with words, and she is a gifted storyteller. I love her books, and I am always one of the first in line to tell anyone who will listen how amazing she is. But this book.
This.
Book.
I have no words. It took the perfection of her previous books and it raised the bar. It’s the absolute best thing I have ever read by Lauren, and it is the best book I have ever read set in Paris.
I smiled the entire time. My heart was engaged from the beginning and I felt the genuine joy of the story, the characters, and the setting. And, even in the parts that were a little sad, or more emotional (one specifically where I was literally crying too hard to keep reading) my heart was engaged. To write a story that captivates you this completely, it’s stunning. I am in awe of the writing, and of her ability to make me connect this deeply with the words on the page.
The story itself, from a plot angle, works. Joy is in a position in her company where bringing her over to Paris, even though she is not fluent in French and needs a translator makes sense. From their first meeting, where they do not know who one another is, to the disappointment when they realize their attraction can’t be acted on because of their work relationship, to their slow romantic burn of their growing attraction and their happily ever after, your heart is engaged.
Books just don’t get better than this.
5 stars aren’t enough. 10 stars *might* be getting closer.
**The whole book touched my heart and soul. It was a beautiful, romantic, emotional journey through Paris and the hearts of 2 people who were meant to be.
***ARC Provided by the Author***
What an amazing book!!
Joy is an American working in Paris trying to escape from her past and her heart. she is not looking for anything, specially not a sexy man with an English accent. She just wants to experience Paris and learn the language.. but she wasn’t prepare to meet him.. him the sexy man, with the sexy accent.
a man that will change her life forever.
Griffin is in paris working as a translator. Trying to fulfill a bucket list and achieving some personal goals that lead him to meet her.. The American that will change his plans and a promise he made to someone he love..
Circunstances will keep them closer together, no matter how much they keep fighting their feelings..
What i love about the story is that not only the characters are mature, they know what they want.. and even if both swear that they weren’t interested in finding something more than a friendship.. life kept messing around in a good way with their feelings.. because no matter if they both thought that they shouldn’t let their feelings flow.. love will be stronger than their will..
a great story to laugh and fall in love with a beautiful city and a beautiful couple..