Paris for One and Other stories

A lovely story with a main character that evolves to become an empowered woman.Easy to read, very well written.

This was an interesting book of short stories by a fantastic author. The first story Paris for One is the length of a novella and the additional 8 are short stories. As with any short story collection, there were some that I really liked and others not so much. Instead of being all about 'happily ever after', these stories were a more realistic portrayal of life -- some had happy endings and some didn't but they were all about women and how they handled their lives and their marriages. My favorite was Paris for One. Nell, a shy English girl, plans her first trip to Paris with her boyfriend - who doesn't show up. Nell can either take the first train back home, stay in her hotel or go out and experience Paris. Her choices completely change her life and she is a different person at the end of the story.Read these short stories if you'd like a glimpse of the author's wonderful writing and then order one of her novels to find the wonderful characters she creates.

A novella-length story is first up and it is Nell “not the adventurous type” who embarks on a romantic trip to Paris, with Pete her beau. But at the Eurostar Terminal in London they engage in a text dialogue with makes it rather clear that Pete has no intention of joining her. She has even given up her girls’ trip to Brighton to spend a couple of romantic days with him. Arriving at the Gare Du Nord as you do on Eurostar – toute seule, of course – she has to sort out transport to her hotel but on arrival there she is dismayed to find the room has been double-booked. The first night sees her sharing with another woman. Such a grim way to start her weekend. She is more than ready to turn tail straight back to England.But of course this is the city of romance and she is soon enjoying the company of Frenchman Fabien… will the course of true love run smoothly?Then there is wittily titled “Between the Tweets” and tells of the machinations of Mr Travis, an erstwhile popular TV personality whose ratings have slipped. On Twitter he is being trolled by a woman who is claiming to have had a saucy relationship with him, denting his squeaky clean family-man image. A nice little twist ensues.In another story “Crocodile Shoes” the Yummy Mummies prevail, with a pair of red Louboutins that seemingly have magical powers (but then any girl knows that Louboutins can transform lives!). One woman encounters success whilst wearing a ‘borrowed’ pair.And a few stories later it is back once again to Paris for one of the longer stories. It is a dual timeline of two relationships 90 years apart, one set in 1912, the other in 2002. Both couples are newlyweds and the connection between the two becomes wonderfully apparent at the end. Liv, in the present, on her honeymoon with David, is very much a wife out of sorts. They are in Paris only for a few days, but he is intent on closing a work deal, leaving her to her own sulking devices. Back to the early 19th century and artist Édouard Lefèvre (no, not the French entomologist who specialised in coleoptera) marries Sophie, a country girl, perceived rather as a peasant sort by many of the people in his set. The cobbled streets and the bars and food of yesteryear, and the Paris of today are beautifully brought to life – from the magical Pont des Arts with all its love padlocks (the river below apparently has to be dredged regularly to remove the rusted tokens that have accumulated into the water) to the Louvre and swish hotels – this is a story to evoke Paris both past and present.This is an eclectic collection of short stories that will entertain and divert.

I was so pleasantly surprised by this wonderful gem of a book. It's a book of short stories, all from the perspective of women in some type of disturbed relationship. The first one, Paris for One, was my absolute favorite. It was also more of a novella than a short story. The others were about 15 pages each and were excellent. JoJo Moyes is a great writer who knows how to show a story and really engages the reader. I highly recommend this!!!

Nell Simmons isn’t known for being an impulsive girl. Her colleagues debated about how she was going to spend her bonus. Was she going to stash it in the bank or maybe splurge on a different sandwich selection for lunch? She would surprise everyone.She spends her hard-earned money on a holiday in Paris for her and her longtime boyfriend. It’s the first time she’s had the opportunity to travel and she’s filled with so much anticipation. Circumstances take an unexpected turn when she finds herself all alone in an unfamiliar city.She has a choice. She can either take the easy way out and the next train home or she can try to find out who she really is and exactly why Paris is always a good idea.Paris For One & Other Stories is another fine example of why we are so in love with everything Jojo Moyes!Each short story in this poignant compilation is overflowing with emotions that will grip your heart and then set it free in a way that only she can fashion.You will find yourself being moved to tears, laughing out loud and maybe even finding the inspiration to take a chance on love once again…

How extraordinary the mundane truly is. These everyday stories of ordinary people in everyday lives are completely compelling. I found myself reading many of the stories with an English accent in my head, jolly fun. Each short story was exactly the right length. I can't wIt to read more from this excellent author.