One Paris Summer

I am a big Denise Grover Swank fan and was so happy to get my hands on this book. Denise is so versatile in her writing that she is apt in any genre. My books are normally mystery romance, but I do love a sweet YA book as well. And you will find it here with this book. Sophie and her brother Eric are sent over to their father who now lives in Paris, living his dream job. They are to spend the summer with him, his new wife and her daughter. But Camille is not as accommodating with her step siblings as Soph and Eric are. She is determined to make their summer, especially Sophie's, a living hell. Only one thing will keep Sophie sane, the piano. Well actually, make that two things, the owner of said piano, Mathieu. The sweet French boy she meets out on the street after her father's wedding. There is only one problem, Camille. She is not happy that her former boyfriend is now with her step sister and will stop at nothing to ruin it all. I love it when a book has so many elements that make me happy. A great story with a touching romance for one, with the main character having plenty of growth. I also loved that this book described Paris and it surrounds that I felt I could travel there now, and know the places that Soph visited. Also, she learnt some French on her holiday, that I was happy to read and learn along with her. I think I am going to use je t'aime from now on instead of the boring english "I Love You". I highly recommend this book to any romance lover, its truly endearing.

I don't think I've ever been so invested in a Young Adult Contemporary Romance before. However, this book is so much more than that. There is the teen angst and drama, but more importantly it explores many different relationship and familial dynamics. I loved how Sophie grew and changed through the book. She became a more confident, strong young woman. She knows what she wants to do with her life and is practicing and working hard to achieve it. I especially loved how Sophie and her brother, Eric, grew closer during the book. Eric starts out as her annoying older brother, but quickly became the overprotective big bother and made my heart melt. He also was good for a few laughs at the way he reacted in certain scenes. He does not like the idea of his sister dating a french teenage boy. But that french teenage boy swept me off my feet along with Sophie. I have always wanted to go to Paris and even more so now after reading this. Denise does a fantastic job describing Paris, I felt like I was there with Sophie. I loved the little bit of French that was throughout the book. (It was like getting free French lessons). I went through many emotions during my read. I laughed, got angry for Sophie (really wanted to slap her stepsister multiple times) and I even cried a few times. Denise always pulls me into the story so that I'm so engrossed in it that I sometimes forget that the characters are not real. Warning: If you didn't want to go to Paris before, you will after you read this.

This is much more than a Young Adult genre, it starts out with two American siblings having to attend their fathers wedding in Paris. and unfortunately for Sophie she has to share a room with her new stepsister Camille who makes it her mission to bully Sophie and use her ability of being bi-lingual to her advantage something that Sophie is unable to do. the story develops with Sophie's love of the piano and the need to practice, as usual with Denise's books I find myself reading faster and faster to gather all the information and then left feeling with a book hangover, there are only a few words to accurately describe this....Simply Beautiful!