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The Parisian Chapter by Janet Skeslien Charles

  • Writer: Brittani
    Brittani
  • May 5
  • 2 min read

Updated: May 7



A book cover for The Parisian Chapter by Janet Skeslien Charles

It’s been 5 years since Lily and her best friend Mary Louise moved from Montana to Paris. Both women moved with the goal of becoming great artists, but these five years have not been kind to them or their friendship. When Mary Louise decides to move out of their shared apartment, leaving Lily on her own, Lily realizes she needs to get her act together.


Lily is hired on at the American Library in Paris (ALP), a place she’s heard about all her life from an elderly neighbour in Montana. But the library may soon close if more donors and patrons don’t come on board. How can Lily save the library’s future?


This book comes out TODAY, May 5, and I had the opportunity to read it early because I am part of Simon & Schuster Canada’s Influencer Program. So, first and foremost, thank you to Janet for writing this book, and to Atria Books / Simon & Schuster Canada and to NetGalley for sending me this ARC!


My rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️


My thoughts


I actually read the first book in this duo back in 2023, and it’s called The Paris Library. I had no idea that a second book was being written and released, so when I was asked to read this ARC, it was a very nice surprise.



Books with Brittani holds up a book with a cover that reads "The Paris Library" and an eReader with a book cover that says "The Parisian Chapter", both by Janet Skeslien Charles.

In the first book, we had a character named Odile in Paris during WWII, working at the ALP, and secretly delivering books to Jewish library patrons who were no longer allowed into the library due to the Germans. There was a lot of conflict in that book that drove the plot forward.


Unfortunately, I think that is exactly what was missing from this sequel. Of course, instead of following Odile, we’re following Lily, Odile’s young neighbour from Montana, whom we met in the first book. Now Lily is all grown up, and she’s in Paris and working at the ALP, but there’s no true conflict that ensues to drive the book forward.


It’s a lovely, feel-good story, and sometimes we need those. Just make sure you know going in that the two books are very different. But either way, I still recommend this book! Remember, it’s OUT NOW!


Question of the day


What are you reading most these days? Feel-good stories, or stories with a bit of conflict and (hopefully) resolution? Let me know!



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