Secrets at Maple Syrup Farm by Rebecca Raisin

I found the characters in this book to be more interesting and fascinating than the characters back in Ashford (as much as I love them) because they didn’t give off warm and fuzzy vibes, they had more complex personalities, probably due to the busy and hectic lifestyles they’re used to rather than the serenity in Ashford. I loved getting to know the other members of staff at Once Upon a Time – most of them were less than accommodating of Sarah and I was desperate to know why and see whether Sarah could befriend them. Unlike the peacefulness, the relaxed nature of her bookshop back home, the bookshop in Paris is packed full, busy all the time and generally feels a lot less friendly and comforting than Sarah would like. Life in Paris for Sarah is not exactly what she was anticipating – especially in Once Upon a Time, the bookshop she is managing for six months. The idea that Sarah would be spending six months in the romantic, beautiful location of Paris – where surely so many of the books she loves are set – had me expecting a fairy-tale like, romantic new lifestyle for Sarah but instead, Rebecca delivers a more realistic, well-drawn story which made the uplifting ending all the more sweeter. I loved the concept of this book – for Sarah and her friend Sophie to exchange bookshops for six months. She’s happy with her fictional book boyfriends and her own dreamy boyfriend, Ridge. Knowing Sarah from The Bookshop on the Corner, we know she likes living vicariously through her books – the characters inside the pages have the exciting adventures, not her.

I wish I could live in one of Rebecca’s books!įor fans of Rebecca’s previous books, the story in The Little Bookshop on the Seine might not transpire exactly the way you expect it to.

Set in Paris instead of the comforting Ashford, this felt like a book that had taken Rebecca out of her comfort zone – but of course she doesn’t disappoint and this book had a feel to it just as entrancing as the rest.

Although it was only partly set at Christmas (towards the end), rather than being a Christmas novel like the synopsis suggests, it still had that sparkly, wintery glow to it – an ideal book to snuggle up with in the cold winter months. The Little Bookshop on the Seine is the start of Rebecca Raisin’s new series, although we do get the added bonus of familiar names and characters from Rebecca’s previous books.

Secrets at Maple Syrup Farm by Rebecca Raisin