the red notebook review

Book Haul: Five Books I’m Excited To Read » « Bella’s Scribblings: When Stupid Strikes!

Review: The Red Notebook by Antoine Laurain

Written by Antoine Laurain, this book has been translated from French by Jane Aitken and Emily Boyce. I’d previously read The President’s Hat so I had a small idea of what to expect. I loved that book so I was very excited and intrigued when The Red Notebook arrived. I love the covers of both this book and The President’s Hat. They are beautifully drawn and adds to the whimsical theme of the book.

This book isn’t very long. It is under 200 pages so I read it in a couple of sittings. It’s perfect for if you want a book for a train journey or a lazy afternoon. The style of writing is easy to get into and I was reading it not realising a huge chunk of time has passed.

Antoine, in my opinion, captures Paris so well. I’ve been twice before and I really do want to go back again after reading this book. The setting and atmosphere in this book is great.

It’s a lovely, charming story about two people who have never met. Laure especially seems a little lost. There were elements of her character I empathised and related with (aside from her name.) I lived in London for a while. I didn’t know many people there at the time and it’s amazing how lonely a large city can feel if you’re alone. Therefore, I wanted to know that she was going to be OK – especially when you read the events at the beginning of the book (I don’t want to say too much as I don’t want to give it away.)

Laurent sets about finding Laure and this adds mystery to the novel. The plot works well. I did have an idea of how I wanted it to end. There was enough mystery to keep me wanting to turn the page.

This is a mystery, detective, romance and self discovery novel all in one. There is an enchanting, magical air about it.

A lovely, charming book.

( The Red Notebook is available in paperback from most major bookshops. Thank you to Gallic Books for the review copy. Click here to view on Amazon UK . )

You May Also Like...

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Novel Kicks is a blog for story tellers and book lovers.

• Jenni Keer on Book Spotlight: At The Stroke Of Midnight by Jenni Keer
• Laura on Novel Kicks Book Club: The Lost Bookshop by Evie Woods
• Writers Forum Magazine
• Writing Magazine
• 12 Days of Clink Street
• 12 Days of Clink Street Christmas
• 12 Days of Clink Street Publishing
• 12 Days of Clink Street: Stars and Waves by Roberto Maiolino
• 25 Bookish Facts About Me
• 29 Seconds by T M Logan
• 750words.com
• A Moment with… Colin Garrow
• A Moment With… Rufus Purdy
• A Random Act of Kindness by Sophie Jenkins
• A Risk Worth Sharing by Mollie Blake
• A Stargazy Night Sky by Laura Briggs
• Alena Graedon
• Ali McNamara
• Alias Grace by Margaret Atwood
• Alison Baillie
• All The Good Things by Clare Fisher
• Amelia Mandeville
• Angela Jackson
• Anthony Ryan
• Aria Fiction
• Audible Audiobook Review: The Road to Cromer Pier by Martin Gore
• Audible Review
• Audiobook Review
• Audiobook Review: Murders of Old China by Paul French
• Audiobook Review: The Wives by Tarryn Fisher
• Audrey Davis
• Author Interview
• Author Interview & Review: Copycat by Alex Lake
• Avon Publishers
• Balham Literary Festival
• Bella Osborne
• Bella's Scribblings
• Ben Fergusson
• Beneath a Burning Sky by Jenny Ashcroft
• Beth Thomas
• Beth Underdown
• Blackbird by ND Gomes
• Blog Blast: Make Do and Mend a Broken Heart by Katey Lovell
• Blog Blitz Extract: A Hotel in Cornwall by Laura Briggs
• Blog Blitz: A Kiss in the Snow
• Blog Blitz: Black Matter by GD Parker
• Blog Blitz: Christmas at Aunt Elsie’s by Emily Harvale
• Blog Blitz: Christmas at the Marshmallow Café by CP Ward
• Blog Blitz: Eternal Forever by Syl Waters
• Blog Blitz: Hector's Perfect Cake by Lily Clarke
• Blog Blitz: Mistletoe and the Mouse by Elsa Simonetti
• Blog Blitz: Scavenger Art by Lexi Rees
• Blog Blitz: The Gathering by Bernadette Giacomazzo
• Blog Blitz: The Haunting of Hattie Hastings by Audrey Davis
• Blog Blitz: Trials and Tribulations of a Pet Sitter by Laura Marchant
• Blog Blitz: Wild Sky by Lexi Rees
• Blog Blitz: Winter Without You by Beth Good
• Blog Blitz: You Never See Rainbows at Christmas by Elaine Spires
• Blog Tour: A Killing at Smugglers Cove by Michelle Salter
• Blog Tour: #Galaxy Girl by Bev Smith
• Blog Tour: 10 Minutes 38 Seconds in This Strange World by Elif Shafak
• Blog Tour: 28 Days by Sue Parritt
• Blog Tour: A Breath of Fresh Air by Jessica Redland
• Blog Tour: A Certain Age by Beatriz Williams
• Blog Tour: A Christmas Carol with Grandfather Time by Rose English
• Blog Tour: A Christmas Gift by Sue Moorcroft
• Blog Tour: A Christmas Kiss by Eliza J. Scott
• Blog Tour: A Christmas Wish on a Carousel by Lottie Cardew
• Blog Tour: A Cocktail To Die For by Helen Golden
• Blog Tour: A Cornish Affair by Jo Lambert
• Blog Tour: A Cornish Daisy's Kiss by Laura Briggs
• Blog Tour: A Deadly Inside Scoop by Abby Collette
• Blog Tour: A Deadly Portrayal by LM Milford
• Blog Tour: A Family Holiday by Bella Osborne
• Blog Tour: A Leap of Faith at the Vineyard in Alsace by Julie Stock
• Blog Tour: A Lethal Arrogance by D.S. Lang
• Blog Tour: A Little Christmas Charm by Kathryn Freeman
• Blog Tour: A Messy Affair by Elizabeth Mundy
• Blog Tour: A Mistletoe Miracle by Emma Jackson
• Blog Tour: A Mother's War by Helen Parusel
• Blog Tour: A Nose For Mischief by K.T. Lee
• Blog Tour: A Not So Quiet Christmas by Suzie Tullett
• Blog Tour: A Notable Omission by Isabella Muir
• Blog Tour: A Perfect Cornish Summer by Phillipa Ashley
• Blog Tour: A Perfect Explanation by Eleanor Anstruther
• Blog Tour: A Perfect Paris Christmas by Mandy Baggot
• Blog Tour: A Postcard From Italy by Alex Brown
• Blog Tour: A Question of Us by Mary Jayne Baker
• Blog Tour: A Random Act of Kindness by Sophie Jenkins
• Blog Tour: A Rock 'n' Roll Lovestyle by Kiltie Jackson
• Blog Tour: A Scottish Island Surprise by Holly Wyld
• Blog Tour: A Shop Girl at Sea by Rachel Brimble
• Blog Tour: A Stranger’s Revenge by K.J. McGillick
• Blog Tour: A Summer to Remember by Sue Moorcroft
• Blog Tour: A Village Affair by Julie Houston
• Blog Tour: A Village Vacancy by Julie Houston
• Blog Tour: A Walk in Wildflower Park by Bella Osborne
• Blog Tour: A Way Back Home by Alison Sherlock
• Blog Tour: A Wedding at Sandy Cove by Bella Osborne
• Blog Tour: A Wedding in Cornwall by Laura Briggs
• Blog Tour: A Wedding in the Olive Garden by Leah Fleming
• Blog Tour: A White Christmas on Winter Street by Sue Moorcroft
• Blog Tour: A Wing and a Prayer by M W Arnold
• Blog Tour: A Winter Wedding at Mistletoe Gate Farm by Helen J Rolfe
• Blog Tour: A Winter's Sleep by Monica Cafferky
• Blog Tour: A Year of Mr Maybes by Judy Leigh
• Blog Tour: About Last Night by A.S. Kelly
• Blog Tour: About Us by Jon Rance
• Blog Tour: After The Storm by Isabella Muir
• Blog Tour: Agony Auntics by Julie Butterfield
• Blog Tour: All Grown Up by Catherine Evans
• Blog Tour: All She Ever Wished For by Claudia Carroll
• Blog Tour: All The Rage by Cara Hunter
• Blog Tour: All Your Little Lies by Marianne Holmes
• Blog Tour: Ally Hughes has Sex Sometimes by Jules Moulin
• Blog Tour: Almost Forever by Laura Danks
• Blog Tour: Altered Helix by Stephanie Hansen
• Blog Tour: Always and Forever at Glendale Hall by Victoria Walters
• Blog Tour: Always The Bridesmaid by Laura Carter
• Blog Tour: Always The Bridesmaid by Lindsey Kelk
• Blog Tour: Amazing Grace by Kim Nash
• Blog Tour: An Enchanted Moment on Ever After Street by Jaimie Admans
• Blog Tour: An Impossible Thing Called Love by Belinda Missen
• Blog Tour: An Italian Island Summer by Sue Moorcroft
• Blog Tour: An Unusual Boy by Fiona Higgins
• Blog Tour: At The Stroke Of Midnight by Jenni Keer
• Blog Tour: Baby One More Time by Camilla Isley
• Blog Tour: Beach Read by Emily Henry
• Blog Tour: Because Mummy Said So by Shari Low
• Blog Tour: Because You Loved Me by Beth Moran
• Blog Tour: Before The Rains by Dinah Jefferies
• Blog Tour: Before We Grow Old by Clare Swatman
• Blog Tour: Before You Go by Clare Swatman
• Blog Tour: Bells and Bows on Mistletoe Row by Emily Harvale
• Blog Tour: Beneath Cornish Skies by Kate Ryder
• Blog Tour: Beyond The Yew Tree by Rachel Walkley
• Blog Tour: Blood Loss by Kerena Swan
• Blog Tour: Blood on the Tyne: Red Snow by Colin Garrow
• Blog Tour: Blooming Murder by Simon Whaley
• Blog Tour: Book Review: The Perfect Daughter by Alex Stone
• Blog Tour: Bring Me Sunshine by Laura Kemp
• Blog Tour: Broadcast by Liam Brown
• Blog Tour: Brooklyn Monroe Wants It All by Karen Booth
• Blog Tour: Brothers of the Sword by Peter Gibbons
• Blog Tour: Brown Eyes by Frances Ive
• Blog Tour: Burnt Paper Sky by Gilly MacMillan
• Blog Tour: Can You Keep a Secret? by Jo Lovett
• Blog Tour: Chaos at Carnegie Hall by Kelly Oliver
• Blog Tour: Charles Dickens: A Life by Derwin Hope
• Blog Tour: Chasing Moonbeams in Merriment Bay by Emily Harvale
• Blog Tour: Christmas at Aunt Elsie’s by Emily Harvale
• Blog Tour: Christmas at the Cabin by Rebecca Boxall
• Blog Tour: Christmas at the Cat Cafe by Jessica Redland
• Blog Tour: Christmas At The Chocolate Pot Café by Jessica Redland
• Blog Tour: Christmas Cakes and Mistletoe Nights by Carole Matthews
• Blog Tour: Christmas in Chamonix by Sasha Wagstaff
• Blog Tour: Christmas Nights at the Star and Lantern by Helen Rolfe
• Blog Tour: Christmas on the Riviera by Jennifer Bohnet
• Blog Tour: Christmas Secrets in Snowflake Cove
• Blog Tour: Christmas Spirit by Nicola May
• Blog Tour: Christmas With The East End Angels by Rosie Hendry
• Blog Tour: Chroma by Oscar Wenman-Hyde
• Blog Tour: Clash of Kings by MJ Porter
• Blog Tour: Claudia Carroll – Starting to Write a New Novel…
• Blog Tour: Close To Home by Cara Hunter
• Blog Tour: Cloth of Grace by Rachel J Bonner
• Blog Tour: Clover Cottage by Christie Barlow
• Blog Tour: Codename Firefly by C. J. Daugherty
• Blog Tour: Cold Breath by Quentin Bates
• Blog Tour: Come a Little Closer by Rachel Abbott
• Blog Tour: Coming Home to Penvennan Cove by Linn B Halton
• Blog Tour: Coming Home To Puddleduck Farm by Della Galton
• Blog Tour: Confessions of an Alleged Good Girl by Joya Goffney
• Blog Tour: Country Lovers by Fiona Walker
• Blog Tour: Creative Writing Skills: Over 70 Fun Activities For Children by Lexi Rees
• Blog Tour: Creature Comforts by Trisha Ashley
• Blog Tour: Crikey A Bodyguard by Kathryn Freeman
• Blog Tour: Cuckoo by Sophie Draper
• Blog Tour: Cynthia Smart's Midwife Crisis by Liz Davis
• Blog Tour: Daisy Does It Herself by Gracie Player
• Blog Tour: Dark Days at the Beach Hotel by Francesca Capaldi
• Blog Tour: Date With Death by Julia Chapman
• Blog Tour: Dating Daisy by DaisyMae_224
• Blog Tour: Dating Little Miss Perfect by Cassandra O’Leary
• Blog Tour: Dating the It Guy by Krysten Lindsay Hager
• Blog Tour: Daughter of the Sea by Elisabeth J. Hobbes
• Blog Tour: Dead and Talking by Des Burkinshaw
• Blog Tour: Deadly Whispers in Lower Dimblebrook by Julie Butterfield
• Blog Tour: Dear Edward by Ann Napolitano
• Blog Tour: Death on the High Seas by Anna Legat
• Blog Tour: Decide To Hope by June A. Converse
• Blog Tour: Don't Turn Around by Amanda Brooke
• Blog Tour: Dreams Come True at Glendale Hall by Victoria Walters
• Blog Tour: Driven by Kerena Swan
• Blog Tour: Driven to Murder by Debbie Young
• Blog Tour: Dying To Bake by Helen Golden
• Blog Tour: Ember by Catherine Yardley
• Blog Tour: End Game by Liz Mistry
• Blog Tour: Escape To The Riviera by Jules Wake
• Blog Tour: Escape To Willow Cottage by Bella Osborne
• Blog Tour: Eve's Christmas by Julie Butterfield
• Blog Tour: Every Breath by Nicholas Sparks
• Blog Tour: Falling for the Competition by Jen Smith
• Blog Tour: Far Across the Ocean by Susie Hull
• Blog Tour: Far Across the Ocean by Suzie Hull
• Blog Tour: Feathertide by Beth Cartwright
• Blog Tour: Field Rules by Carla Luna
• Blog Tour: Finding Family at the Cornish Cove by Kim Nash
• Blog Tour: Finding Love on Sunshine Island by Georgina Troy
• Blog Tour: Finding Refuge in Bellbird Bay by Maggie Christensen
• Blog Tour: Fire on the Mountain by Jean McNeil
• Blog Tour: Four Christmases and a Secret by Zara Stoneley
• Blog Tour: Friendship Fails of Emma Nash by Chloe Seager
• Blog Tour: Gerard Philey’s Euro-Diary: Quest for a Life by Brendan James
• Blog Tour: Girl With Secrets by Carol Rivers
• Blog Tour: Gone by Ruby Speechley
• Blog Tour: Good Grief by Jon Rance
• Blog Tour: Gravity Well by Melanie Joosten
• Blog Tour: Greta Horwood
• Blog Tour: Growing Up For Beginners by Claire Calman
• Blog Tour: Hazard Night by Laura Vaughan
• Blog Tour: He Loves Me He Loves Me Not by Aimee Brown
• Blog Tour: Heading Home To Lavender Cottage by Alison Sherlock
• Blog Tour: Hellcorp by Jonathan Whitelaw
• Blog Tour: Hidden in the Mists by Christina Courtenay
• Blog Tour: Hidden Intentions by Dave Flint
• Blog Tour: High Tides and Summer Skies by Jennifer Bohnet
• Blog Tour: Higher Ed by Tessa McWatt
• Blog Tour: Highland Fling on the Whisky Trail by Margaret Amatt
• Blog Tour: Him With The Beard by Pernille Meldgaard Pedersen
• Blog Tour: His Guilty Secret by Hélene Fermont
• Blog Tour: His Other Life by Beth Thomas
• Blog Tour: Homewood Bound by Richard Smith
• Blog Tour: Honeybee Cottage by K.T. Dady
• Blog Tour: Hopeful Hearts at the Cornish Cove by Kim Nash
• Blog Tour: Horsing Around by Lexi Rees
• Blog Tour: Hotel on Shadow Lake by Daniela Tully
• Blog Tour: How Not To Be A Loser by Beth Moran
• Blog Tour: How To Marry Your Husband by Jacqueline Rohen
• Blog Tour: How To Save A Life by S.D. Robertson
• Blog Tour: Hungry For Love by Lucy Beresford
• Blog Tour: Hunted by Paul Finch
• Blog tour: Hush Hush by Mel Sherratt
• Blog Tour: I Can’t Tell You Why by Elaine Robertson North
• Blog Tour: I Don't Do Mondays by Colette Kebell
• Blog Tour: I Invited Her In by Adele Parks
• Blog Tour: I Love You Always Forever by Charlie Dean
• Blog Tour: I Love You Billy Langley by Monika Jephcott Thomas
• Blog Tour: I Spy With My Little Die by Helen Golden
• Blog Tour: I Wanted You To Know by Laura Pearson
• Blog Tour: I'll Take New York by Miranda Dickinson
• Blog Tour: I'm Glad I Found You This Christmas by CP Ward
• Blog Tour: I’ll Be Home For Christmas by M W Arnold
• Blog Tour: Idle Hands by Cassondra Windwalker
• Blog Tour: If Ever I Fall by S.D Robertson
• Blog Tour: If They Knew by Joanne Sefton
• Blog Tour: In The Dark by Andreas Pflüger
• Blog Tour: In The Mood by M W Arnold
• Blog Tour: In the Shadow of War by Adrienne Chinn
• Blog Tour: In Too Deep by Elly Redding
• Blog Tour: Insider by Owen Mullen
• Blog Tour: iRemember by SV Bekvalac
• Blog Tour: It's Not PMS It's You by Rich Amooi
• Blog Tour: Ivy & Abe by Elizabeth Enfield
• Blog Tour: Jane's Away by Clare Hawken
• Blog Tour: Just Bea by Deborah Klee
• Blog Tour: Just Date and See by Portia MacIntosh
• Blog Tour: Just For The Holidays by Sue Moorcroft
• Blog Tour: Just One Day – Autumn by Susan Buchanan
• Blog Tour: Just One Day – Summer by Susan Buchanan
• Blog tour: Keep Her Silent by Theresa Talbot
• Blog Tour: Keeping up with the Kershaws by Helen Buckley
• Blog Tour: Kill Me Again by Rachel Abbott
• Blog Tour: Lady Ludmilla’s Accidental Letter by Sofi Laporte
• Blog Tour: Landsliding by Mandy Jameson
• Blog Tour: Last Seen in Havana by Teresa Dovalpage
• Blog Tour: Lean on Me by Beth Moran
• Blog Tour: Learning to Fly by Jane Lambert
• Blog Tour: Let in the Light by Gerard Nugent
• Blog Tour: Let it Snow by Beth Moran
• Blog Tour: Let It Snow by Sue Moorcroft
• Blog Tour: Let Me Love You by Lasairiona E. McMaster
• Blog Tour: Let Your Lips Twitch by R.A. Clarke
• Blog Tour: Liar Liar by Mel Sherratt
• Blog Tour: Lil's Bus Trip by Judy Leigh
• Blog Tour: Little Boy Lost by J.P. Carter
• Blog Tour: Little Girl Gone by Alexandra Burt
• Blog Tour: Little White Secrets by Carol Mason
• Blog Tour: Living Your Best Life by Maxine Morrey
• Blog Tour: Local Girl Missing by J.A. Baker
• Blog Tour: Loki's Deceit by Donovan Cook
• Blog Tour: Love Among The Treetops
• Blog Tour: Love Blossoms at Puddleduck Farm by Della Galton
• Blog Tour: Love in the Wings by Ellie White
• Blog Tour: Love Like Blood by Mark Billingham
• Blog Tour: Love Me Like You Do by Aimee Brown
• Blog Tour: Love Punked by Nia Lucas
• Blog Tour: Love Quest by Camilla Isley
• Blog Tour: Love You From A-Z by Linda Corbett
• Blog Tour: Lucky Jack (1894-2000): Memoirs of a World War 1 POW by S Bavey
• Blog Tour: Lying in Wait by Liz Nugent
• Blog Tour: Lyrebird by Cecelia Ahern
• Blog Tour: Magic Under the Mistletoe by Lucy Coleman
• Blog Tour: Make or Break at the Lighthouse B&B by Portia MacIntosh
• Blog Tour: Marianne Kavanagh
• Blog Tour: Masquerade by Joanna Taylor
• Blog Tour: Maybe Baby by Carol Thomas
• Blog Tour: Meet Me in Cockleberry Bay by Nicola May
• Blog Tour: Meet Me on Platform 3 by Zara Stoneley
• Blog Tour: Mile High by Rebecca Chance
• Blog Tour: Million Love Songs by Carole Matthews
• Blog Tour: Miss Marley by Vanessa Lafaye
• Blog Tour: Miss Smith Commits the Perfect Crime? By Guy Rolands
• Blog Tour: Missing by Ruby Speechley
• Blog Tour: Monstrous Souls by Rebecca Kelly
• Blog Tour: Moonlight Kisses at Willow Tree Hall by Alison Sherlock
• Blog Tour: Mr Todd's Reckoning by Iain Maitland
• Blog Tour: Mrs Bambi Knows by Chris Mason
• Blog Tour: Mrs Morphett’s Macaroons by Patsy Trench
• Blog Tour: Mrs Sommersby’s Second Chance by Laurie Benson
• Blog Tour: Mulberry Lane Babies by Rosie Clarke
• Blog Tour: Mummy Needs a Break by Susan Edmunds
• Blog Tour: Mummy's Favourite by Sarah Flint
• Blog Tour: Murder at Merewood Hospital by Michelle Salter
• Blog Tour: Murder by Christmas by Lesley Cookman
• Blog Tour: Murder in Moscow by Kelly Oliver
• Blog Tour: Murder in the Multiverse by RE McLean
• Blog Tour: Murder on the Farm by Kate Wells
• Blog Tour: Murders of Old China by Paul French
• Blog Tour: My Best Friend's Secret by Danielle Ramsay
• Blog Tour: My Fake Italian Marriage by Romy Sommer
• Blog Tour: My Heart Went Walking by Sally Hanan
• Blog Tour: My Lucky Night by Olivia Spring
• Blog Tour: My Sister's Lies by S.D Robertson
• Blog Tour: My Sister's Secret by Tracy Buchanan
• Blog Tour: Mysteries at Sea: Peril on the Atlantic by A.M. Howell
• Blog Tour: Nadine by John Steinberg
• Blog Tour: Never Ever Getting Back Together by Phoebe MacLeod
• Blog Tour: Never Too Late by T.A. Williams
• Blog Tour: New Beginnings at Wynter House by Emily Harvale
• Blog Tour: New York Miracle by Margo Laurie
• Blog Tour: No One Cancels Christmas by Zara Stoneley
• Blog Tour: No Way Back by Kelly Florentia
• Blog Tour: Nobody Puts Romcoms in the Corner by Kathryn Freeman
• Blog Tour: Nobody's Wife by Laura Pearson
• Blog Tour: Not in a Billion Years by Camilla Isley
• Blog Tour: Not In My Name by Michael Coolwood
• Blog Tour: Not Just For Christmas by Natalie Cox
• Blog Tour: Number 10 by C.J. Daugherty
• Blog Tour: Odin’s Betrayal by Donovan Cook
• Blog Tour: One Christmas Star by Mandy Baggot
• Blog Tour: One Day in December by Josie Silver
• Blog Tour: One Day in Winter by Shari Low
• Blog Tour: One Down by Diana Wilkinson
• Blog Tour: One Family Christmas by Bella Osborne
• Blog Tour: One in a Million by Lindsey Kelk
• Blog Tour: One Last Greek Summer by Mandy Baggott
• Blog Tour: One Last Summer at Seabreeze Farm by Jo Bartlett
• Blog Tour: One Last Summer by Victoria Connelly
• Blog Tour: One Lucky Summer by Jenny Oliver
• Blog Tour: One Minute Later by Susan Lewis
• Blog Tour: One Night in Beartown by Nick Jones
• Blog Tour: One Night With Her Viking Warrior by Sarah Rodi
• Blog Tour: One Snowy Week in Springhollow by Lucy Knott
• Blog Tour: One Summer in Italy by Sue Moorcroft
• Blog Tour: Only Child by Rhiannon Navin
• Blog Tour: Orphan Sisters by Lola Jaye
• Blog Tour: ot So Perfect Strangers by L.S. Stratton
• Blog Tour: Ottercombe Bay Gin and Trouble by Bella Osborne
• Blog Tour: Ottercombe Bay: Raising The Bar by Bella Osborne
• Blog Tour: Our Little Secret by Claudia Carroll
• Blog Tour: Our Stop by Laura Jane Williams
• Blog Tour: Out For Revenge by Tony Bassett
• Blog Tour: Out of Bounds by Val McDermid
• Blog Tour: Out of Sight by Anna Legat
• Blog Tour: Paper Hearts and Summer Kisses by Carole Matthews
• Blog Tour: Partner Pursuit by Kathy Strobos
• Blog Tour: Patches Through Time by Sian Turner
• Blog Tour: Pluto’s in Uranus! by Patrick Haylock
• Blog Tour: Practice Makes Perfect by Penny Parkes
• Blog Tour: Pretending to Dance by Diana Chamberlain
• Blog Tour: Pride and Prejudice and Mistletoe by Melissa De La Cruz
• Blog Tour: Queen Bee by Nina Manning
• Blog Tour: Quilling Me Softly by Nigel May
• Blog Tour: Rare Objects by Kathleen Tessaro
• Blog Tour: Reach For A Star by Kathryn Freeman
• Blog Tour: Red Queen by Victoria Aveyard
• Blog Tour: Relativity by Antonia Hayes
• Blog Tour: Rembrandt's Mirror by Kim Devereux
• Blog Tour: Roar by Cecelia Ahern
• Blog Tour: Robert Ludlum's The Treadstone Resurrection by Joshua Hood
• Blog Tour: Rough Diamonds by Gillian Godden
• Blog Tour: Saving the Good News Gazette by Jessie Wells
• Blog Tour: Scotlander by Sheila McClure
• Blog Tour: Sea Holly and Mistletoe Kisses
• Blog Tour: Second Chances at the Log Fire Cabin by Catherine Ferguson
• Blog Tour: Secrets and Seashells at Rainbow Bay by Ali McNamara
• Blog Tour: See Me by Nicholas Sparks
• Blog Tour: Seven Days of Us by Francesca Hornak
• Blog Tour: Seventeen by Suzanne Lowe
• Blog Tour: Sewing The Shadows Together by Alison Baillie
• Blog Tour: Shaken and Stirred by Bella Osborne
• Blog Tour: Shelter by Sarah Franklin
• Blog Tour: Sign of the Times by Susan Buchanan
• Blog Tour: Sing Me a Secret by Julie Houston
• Blog Tour: Sisters Behaving Badly by Maddie Please
• Blog Tour: Sleep by C.L.Taylor
• Blog Tour: Sleep Tight by C S Green
• Blog Tour: Smoke by Joe Ide
• Blog Tour: Snowdrops on Rosemary Lane by Ellen Berry
• Blog Tour: Snowflakes Over Bay Tree Terrace by Fay Keenan
• Blog Tour: So Happy For You by Celia Laskey
• Blog Tour: Sometimes People Die by Simon Stephenson
• Blog Tour: Somewhere Inside of Happy
• Blog Tour: Son of the Moon by Jennifer Macaire
• Blog Tour: Space Taxies by A & H Frosh
• Blog Tour: Spandex and The City by Jenny T. Colgan
• Blog Tour: Spread: Tales of Deadly Flora
• Blog Tour: Starlight on the Palace Pier by Tracy Corbett
• Blog Tour: Starlight Over Bluebell Castle by Sarah Bennett
• Blog Tour: Starting Over at the Vineyard in Alsace by Julie Stock
• Blog Tour: Stolen by Paul Finch
• Blog Tour: Storm of War by Peter Gibbons
• Blog Tour: Stormy Days On Mulberry Lane by Rosie Clarke
• Blog Tour: Storytellers by Bjørn Larssen
• Blog Tour: Stranger Child by Rachel Abbott
• Blog Tour: Stranger in the Village by Kate Wells
• Blog Tour: Strangers by C.L. Taylor
• Blog Tour: Such a Good Mother by Helen Monks Takhar
• Blog Tour: Summer at the French Café by Sue Moorcroft
• Blog Tour: Summer Nights at the Starfish Café by Jessica Redland
• Blog Tour: Summer on a Sunny Island by Sue Moorcroft
• Blog Tour: Summer on the Italian Lakes by Lucy Coleman
• Blog Tour: Summer Showers at Elder Fell Farm by Liz Taylorson
• Blog Tour: Sunny Days at the Second Chances Sweet Shop by Hannah Lynn
• Blog Tour: Sunny Skies and Summer Kisses by Eliza J. Scott
• Blog Tour: Surviving Me by Jo Johnson
• Blog Tour: Sword of Vengeance by Peter Gibbons
• Blog Tour: Take Me Home by Beth Moran
• Blog Tour: Talking As Fast As I Can by Lauren Graham
• Blog Tour: Tell That To My Heart by Eliza J. Scott
• Blog Tour: Thalidomide Kid by Kate Rigby
• Blog Tour: That Certain Spark by Isobel Hart
• Blog Tour: That Girl by Kate Kerrigan
• Blog Tour: The 3rd Woman by Jonathan Freedland
• Blog Tour: The 6pm Frazzled Mums' Club by Nina Manning
• Blog Tour: The Affair by Amanda Brooke
• Blog Tour: The Afternoon Tea Club by Jane Gilley
• Blog Tour: The Alewives by Elizabeth R. Andersen
• Blog Tour: The Asymmetric Man by Alex Rushton
• Blog Tour: The Automobile Assassination by MJ Porter
• Blog Tour: The Beach House by P.R. Black
• Blog Tour: The Beauty of Broken Things by Victoria Connelly
• Blog Tour: The Bench by Cromer Beach
• Blog Tour: The Billionaire Behind The Headlines by Rachael Stewart
• Blog Tour: The Black Madonna of Derby by Joanna Czechowska
• Blog Tour: The Body at Carnival Bridge by Michelle Salter
• Blog Tour: The Book Ninja by Ali Berg and Michelle Kalus
• Blog Tour: The Brazilian by Rosie Millard
• Blog Tour: The Bridesmaid by Nina Manning
• Blog Tour: The Casanova Papers by Kate Zarrelli
• Blog Tour: The Chameleon Killer Mystery by Gina Cheyne
• Blog Tour: The Chapel by Jess B. Moore
• Blog Tour: The Chateau on the Lake by Charlotte Betts
• Blog Tour: The Choice by Nicholas Sparks
• Blog Tour: The Choir on Hope Street by Annie Lyons
• Blog Tour: The Christmas Calendar Girls by Samantha Tonge
• Blog Tour: The Christmas Love Letters by Sue Moorcroft
• Blog Tour: The Christmas Play Rehearsal by Sue Wickstead
• Blog Tour: The Christmas Trip by Sandy Barker
• Blog Tour: The Cocktail Bar by Isabella May
• Blog Tour: The Cold Killer by Ross Greenwood
• Blog Tour: The Coming Darkness by Greg Mosse
• Blog Tour: The Contraband Killings by Lucienne Boyce
• Blog Tour: The Corfe Castle Murders by Rachel McLean
• Blog Tour: The Courtesan’s Worth by Felicity George
• Blog Tour: The Cure by Patricia Ann Bowen
• Blog Tour: The Custard Corpses by M J Porter
• Blog Tour: The Daughter Francesca Scanacapra of Paradiso by
• Blog Tour: The Diary of a Nagging Wife by Donna Mensah
• Blog Tour: The Dressmaker of Draper's Lane by Liz Trenow
• Blog Tour: The Escape by C.L Taylor
• Blog Tour: The Ex Wife by Sally Rigby and Amanda Ashby
• Blog Tour: The Extremist by Nadia Dalbuono
• Blog Tour: The Fire Killer by Ross Greenwood
• Blog Tour: The First Date by Zara Stoneley
• Blog Tour: The Five Year Plan by Carla Burgess
• Blog Tour: The Flipside by James Bailey
• Blog Tour: The Flood by Steven Scaffardi
• Blog Tour: The Flower Arranger from JJ Ellis.
• Blog Tour: The Forever Night Stand by Bena Roberts
• Blog Tour: The Forgotten Sister by Nicola Cornick
• Blog Tour: The Foyles Bookshop Girls by Elaine Roberts
• Blog Tour: The Frog Theory by Fiona Mordaunt
• Blog Tour: The Game's Gone by Simon Barnes
• Blog Tour: The Gift of Cockleberry Bay by Nicola May
• Blog Tour: The Gingerbread House in Mistletoe Gardens by Jaimie Admans
• Blog Tour: The Girl in Seat 2a by Diana Wilkinson
• Blog Tour: The Girl in the Maze by Cathy Haywood
• Blog Tour: The Girl of Lost Petals and Possibilities by Laura Briggs
• Blog Tour: The Girl She Was Before by Jess Kitching
• Blog Tour: The Girls From Alexandria by Carol Cooper
• Blog Tour: The Good News Gazette by Jessie Wells
• Blog Tour: The Good Wife by Eleanor Porter
• Blog Tour: The Graveyard Killings by Wes Markin
• Blog Tour: The Happy Ever Afterlife of Rosie Potter by Kate Winter
• Blog Tour: The Heart of a Peach by Jess B. Moore
• Blog Tour: The Heart Warrior’s Mother by Marilyn Cohen de Villiers
• Blog Tour: The Helsingør Sewing Club by Ella Gyland
• Blog Tour: The Hidden Girl and Other Stories by Ken Liu
• Blog Tour: The Hiding Place by John Burley
• Blog Tour: The Highland Hens by Judy Leigh
• Blog Tour: The Highland Lodge Getaway by Julie Shackman
• Blog Tour: The Hit by Nadia Dalbuono
• Blog Tour: The Hopes and Dreams of Libby Quinn by Freya Kennedy
• Blog Tour: The Hopes and Dreams of Lucy Baker
• Blog Tour: The House Guest by Charlotte Northedge
• Blog Tour: The House of Hopes and Dreams by Trisha Ashley
• Blog Tour: The House of Secrets by Terry Lynn Thomas
• Blog Tour: The House Sitter by Elizabeth Drummond
• Blog Tour: The Housekeeper by Valerie Keogh
• Blog Tour: The Impossible Search For The Perfect Man by Debbie Howells
• Blog Tour: The Invisible Man From Salem by Christoffer Carlsson
• Blog Tour: The Invitation by A.M. Castle
• Blog Tour: The Island by C.L Taylor
• Blog Tour: The Juggle by Emma Murray
• Blog Tour: The Kill by Evie Hunter
• Blog Tour: The Landlord of Hummingbird House by Jane Harvey
• Blog Tour: The Last Day of Winter by Shari Low
• Blog Tour: The Last Days of You and Me by Debbie Howells
• Blog Tour: The Last Girl to Die by Helen Fields
• Blog Tour: The Last Mrs Parrish by Liv Constantine
• Blog Tour: The Last of the Bowmans by J. Paul Henderson
• Blog Tour: The Last Train from Paris by Juliet Greenwood
• Blog Tour: The Leopard at the Door by Jennifer McVeigh
• Blog Tour: The Letter – Kitty’s Story by Eliza. J. Scott
• Blog Tour: The Liar's Daughter by Claire Allan
• Blog Tour: The Light of Paris by Eleanor Brown
• Blog Tour: The Lights of Time by Paul Ian Cross
• Blog Tour: The Lily Garden by Barbara Josselsohn
• Blog Tour: The Little Bookshop on Rosemary Lane
• Blog Tour: The Little Teashop of Lost and Found
• Blog Tour: The Little Theatre on Halfpenny Lane by Clodagh Murphy
• Blog Tour: The Little Village Christmas by Sue Moorcroft
• Blog Tour: The Lodger by Valerie Keogh
• Blog Tour: The Lost Girls by Jennifer Wells
• Blog Tour: The Lost Letters of Evelyn Wright by Clare Swatman
• Blog Tour: The Lottery by Peter Venison
• Blog Tour: The Lumberjills by M W Arnold
• Blog Tour: The Matchmaker's Lonely Heart by Nancy Campbell Allen
• Blog Tour: The Memory Collector by Fiona Harper
• Blog Tour: The Million Dollar Blog by Natasha Courtenay-Smith
• Blog Tour: The Mistress by Valerie Keogh
• Blog Tour: The Mystery of the Homeless Man by Gina Cheyne
• Blog Tour: The Never Have I Ever Club by Mary Jayne Baker
• Blog Tour: The Newcomer by Laura Elizabeth Woollett
• Blog Tour: The Night We Met by Zoë Folbigg
• Blog Tour: The Note by Zoë Folbigg
• Blog Tour: The One by John Marrs
• Blog Tour: The One That Got Away by Annabel Kantaria
• Blog Tour: The Other Girlfriend by Alex Stone
• Blog Tour: The Other Gwyn Girl by Nicola Cornick
• Blog Tour: The Other Wife by Danielle Ramsay
• Blog Tour: The Other Woman by Jane Isaac
• Blog Tour: The Other You by J.S. Monroe
• Blog Tour: The Perfect Christmas Village by Bella Osborne
• Blog Tour: The Perfect Girl by Gilly Macmillan
• Blog Tour: The Perfect Life by Nuala Ellwood
• Blog Tour: The Perfect Victim by Corrie Jackson
• Blog Tour: The Perfect Widow by A.M Castle
• Blog Tour: The Personal Shopper by Carmen Reid
• Blog Tour: The Placeholder by Lynda Wolters
• Blog Tour: The Plus One Pact by Portia MacIntosh
• Blog Tour: The Postcard by Zoë Folbigg
• Blog Tour: The Promise of Summer by Bella Osborne
• Blog Tour: The Promise Tree by Elisabeth J. Hobbes
• Blog Tour: The Puppet Maker by Jenny O’ Brien
• Blog Tour: The Quality of Silence by Rosamund Lupton
• Blog Tour: The Ragged Orphan by Lindsey Hutchinson
• Blog Tour: The Rector's Daughter by Jean Fullerton
• Blog Tour: The River Home by Hannah Richell
• Blog Tour: The Rock 'n' The Roll. N' That..by Steven J. Gill
• Blog Tour: The Room in the Attic by Louise Douglas
• Blog Tour: The Santa Killer by Ross Greenwood
• Blog Tour: The Screenwriter by Amanda Reynolds
• Blog Tour: The Scribbler by Iain Maitland
• Blog Tour: The Second Chance Cafe in Carlton Square
• Blog Tour: The Secret – Violet’s Story by Eliza J. Scott
• Blog Tour: The Secret Cove in Croatia
• Blog Tour: The Sentinel’s Alliance by Suzanne Rogerson
• Blog Tour: The Shape of Lies by Rachel Abbott
• Blog Tour: The Shield by C.J Bentley
• Blog Tour: The Shogun's Queen by Lesley Downer
• Blog Tour: The Silent Friend by Alison Stockham
• Blog Tour: The Silent House by Nell Pattison
• Blog Tour: The Silent House of Sleep by Allan Gaw
• Blog Tour: The Silk Weaver by Liz Trenow
• Blog Tour: The Silver Witch by Paula Brackston
• Blog Tour: The Single Mums Move On by Janet Hoggarth
• Blog Tour: The Spark by Jules Wake
• Blog Tour: The Split by Amanda Brookfield
• Blog Tour: The Starlight Stables Gang by Esme Higgs and Jo Cotterill
• Blog Tour: The Stars in the Night by Clare Rhoden
• Blog Tour: The Summer Island Swap by Samantha Tonge
• Blog Tour: The Summer of Lies by Louise Douglas
• Blog Tour: The Summer of Serendipity by Ali McNamara
• Blog Tour: The Summer of Taking Chances by Lynne Shelby
• Blog Tour: The Summer Springsteen’s Songs Saved Me by Barbara Quinn
• Blog Tour: The Talisman – Molly's Story by Eliza J. Scott
• Blog Tour: The Three Loves of Sebastian Cooper by Zoë Folbigg
• Blog Tour: The Thursday Murder Club by Richard Osman
• Blog Tour: The Ticklemore Christmas Toy Shop by Liz Davis
• Blog Tour: The Time of Our Lives by Abby Williams
• Blog Tour: The Tuscan Contessa by Dinah Jefferies
• Blog Tour: The Twelve Wishes of Christmas by Ruby Basu
• Blog Tour: The Two Lives of Lydia Bird by Josie Silver
• Blog Tour: The Two Lives of Maddie Meadows by Sharley Scott
• Blog Tour: The Unlikely Life of Maisie Meadows by Jenni Keer
• Blog Tour: The Village Inn of Secret Dreams by Alison Sherlock
• Blog Tour: The Village Shop For Lonely Hearts by Alison Sherlock
• Blog Tour: The Waitress by Nina Manning
• Blog Tour: The Watcher by Ross Armstrong
• Blog Tour: The Wedding Cake Wish Little Duck Pond Cafe by Rosie Green
• Blog Tour: The Wedding Planner by Eve Devon
• Blog Tour: The Widow's Mite by Allie Cresswell
• Blog Tour: The Winter That Made Us by Kate Field
• Blog Tour: The Winter We Met by Samantha Tonge
• Blog Tour: The Witches of St. Petersburg by Imogen Edwards-Jones
• Blog Tour: The Witchfinder's Sister by Beth Underdown
• Blog Tour: The Wives by Tarryn Fisher
• Blog Tour: The Wronged by Kimberley Chambers
• Blog Tour: The Year That Changed Us by Helen Rolfe
• Blog Tour: There She Goes by Lynne Shelby
• Blog Tour: Things Are Looking Up by Maxine Morrey
• Blog Tour: Thor's Revenge by Donovan Cook
• Blog Tour: Through His Eyes by Emma Dibdin
• Blog Tour: Tick Tock by Mel Sherratt
• Blog Tour: Time Waits for No One by M W Arnold
• Blog Tour: To Kill a Consul by Robert M. Kidd
• Blog Tour: Trace – Who Killed Maria James by Rachael Brown
• Blog Tour: Tracer by Rob Boffard
• Blog Tour: Trials and Tribulations of a Pet Sitter by Laura Marchant
• Blog Tour: True Courage by Kathryn Barrett
• Blog Tour: Trust in You by Julia Firlotte
• Blog Tour: Truth or Die by Katerina Diamond
• Blog Tour: Twelve Nights by Penny Ingham
• Blog Tour: Two Metres From You by Heidi Stephens
• Blog Tour: Two Silver Crosses by Beryl Kingston
• Blog Tour: Two to Tango by Laura Carter
• Blog Tour: Two's Company at the Forest Light Show by Margaret Amatt
• Blog Tour: Under a Gilded Sky by Imogen Martin
• Blog Tour: Under A Starry Sky by Laura Kemp
• Blog Tour: Under The Italian Sun by Sue Moorcroft
• Blog Tour: Under the Mistletoe by Sue Moorcroft
• Blog Tour: Unravelling by Helen Forbes
• Blog Tour: Until We Meet Again by Rosemary Goodacre
• Blog Tour: Vets at Hope Green by Sheila Norton
• Blog Tour: Wait For You by Lianne La Borde
• Blog Tour: We Met in December by Rosie Curtis
• Blog Tour: What a Way to Go by Julia Forster
• Blog Tour: When Darkness Begins by Book Extract: When Darkness Begins by Tina O’Hailey
• Blog Tour: When Life Gives You Lemons by Fiona Gibson
• Blog Tour: When Polly Met Olly by Zoe May
• Blog Tour: When The Children Fight Back by Barry Kirwan
• Blog Tour: When The Children Return by Barry Kirwan
• Blog Tour: When The Rainbow Turns Black by Peter J. Venison
• Blog Tour: When The Time Comes by Adele O' Neill
• Blog Tour: When We Say Goodbye by Michelle Vernal
• Blog Tour: When We Were Us by Patricia Caliskan
• Blog Tour: Whistle in the Dark by Emma Healey
• Blog Tour: Who Do You Think You Are Maggie Pink? by Janet Hoggarth
• Blog Tour: Wild Blue Yonder by Mick Arnold
• Blog Tour: Wilde Like Me by Louise Pentland
• Blog Tour: Wildflower Park: Build Me Up Buttercup by Bella Osborne
• Blog Tour: Willow Cottage Part Three by Bella Osborne
• Blog Tour: Within The Silence by Nicola Avery
• Blog Tour: Would Like To Meet by Polly James
• Blog Tour: Wrapped Up for Christmas by Katlyn Duncan
• Blog Tour: You and Me on Vacation by Emily Henry
• Blog Tour: You Let Me In by Lucy Clarke
• Blog Tour: You've Got My Number by Angela Barton
• Blog Tour: Zero Kill by M.K. Hill
• Blog Tour:A Question of Country by Sue Parritt
• Blog Tour:Feed Thy Enemy by Sue Parritt
• Blogival: Addicted To Death by Matthew Redford
• Blogival: The Expansion by Christoph Martin
• Blogival: The Horse's Arse
• BlogTour: Hector's Perfect Cake by Lily Clarke
• Boldwood Books
• Book Birthday Blitz Tour: The Twelve Wishes of Christmas
• Book Birthday Blitz: Jana’s Brightly Coloured Socks by Sally Fetouh
• Book Birthday Blitz: Sherlock Holmes & the Singular Affair by M. K. Wiseman
• Book Birthday Blitz: The Secret To Falling in Love by Victoria Cooke
• Book Christmas Gift Guide 2021
• Book Corner
• Book Cover Reveals
• Book Extract
• Book Extract: Agent Pangolin by AC Bradburn
• Book Extract: Her Outback Driver by Giulia Skye
• Book Extract: Summer at my Sister's by Emily Harvale
• Book Extract: The Other Woman by Jane Isaac
• Book Extract: Through His Eyes by Emma Dibden
• Books Are My Bag
• Book News: Get 20% off Used Books with Novel Kicks and Awesome Books.
• Book Releases
• Book Review: A Million Love Songs by Carole Matthews
• Book Review: A Postcard From Italy by Alex Brown
• Book Review: It's Not PMS It's You by Rich Amooi
• Book Review: My Corfu Love Story by Effrosyni Moschoudi
• Book Review: The House in the Olive Grove by Emma Cowell
• Book Review: The Letter – Kitty’s Story by Eliza. J. Scott
• Book Review: The Seed of Rosewood by Massimo Rozzoni
• Book Review: The Visitors by Owen Knight
• Quick Spotlight
• Book Spotlight
• Book Spotlight: A Cranberry For Christmas by Charlie Dean
• Book Spotlight: The Pumpkin Pact by Charlie Dean
• Book Spotlight: Zero Kill by M.K. Hill
• Book to Movie Adaptations
• Book Trailer Reveal: Everything is Beautiful by Eleanor Ray
• Book Trailer: The Chase by Ava Glass
• Book Trailers
• Books Need Us
• Books Vs Film
• Bridget Jones' Diary
• Bridget McNulty
• Carole Matthews
• Cathie Hartigan
• Cecelia Ahern
• Charles Dickens
• Charlie Laidlaw
• Chick Lit Central
• Chris Parish
• Christmas at The Falling-Down Guesthouse
• Christmas Gift Guide 2019: Stocking Fillers for Writers and Readers
• Christmas Gift Guide 2023 – Ideas for Readers
• Christmas Gift Guide 2023 – Ideas for Writers
• Claire North
• Claudia Carroll
• Clemency Burton-Hill
• Clink Street Publishing Summer Tour
• Clink Street Spring Reads 2018
• Come a Little Closer Writing Challenge
• Blind Date With A Book
• Mystery Book Competition
• Courses and Competitions
• Cover Reveal: A Wedding at Heatherly Hall by Julie Houston
• Cover Reveal: Just One Day – Autumn by Susan Buchanan
• Cover Reveal: Just One Day – Summer by Susan Buchanan
• Cover Reveal: Magic under the Mistletoe by Lucy Coleman
• Cover Reveal: Never Saw You Coming by Hayley Doyle
• Cover Reveal: Somebody I Used To Love by Eve Ainsworth
• Cover Reveal: The Banjo Book Two by Elaine Spires
• Cover Reveal: The Beach House by P.R. Black
• Cover Reveal: The Bookshop By The Loch by Julie Shackman
• Cover Reveal: The Bridesmaid's Brother by Olivia Lockhart
• Cover Reveal: The Christmas Killer by Alex Pine
• Cover Reveal: The Hotel Room Mix-Up by Kathy Jay
• Cover Reveal: The Last Train From Paris by Juliet Greenwood
• Cover Reveal: The Mystery of Montague House by Emma Davis
• Cover Reveal: The Only Exception by Claire Huston
• Cover Reveal: The Secret Ingredient by Sue Heath
• Cover Reveal: The Summer Island Swap by Samantha Tonge
• Cover Reveal: The Venice Secret by Anita Chapman
• Cover Reveals
• Dani Atkins
• Daniela Tully
• Data Protection
• David Beckler
• David Joland
• David Nicholls
• Deborah McKinlay
• Diary of a Wannabe Writer, aged 32
• Diary of an Unsmug Married Blog Tour
• Discussions
• e. lockhart
• Effrosyni Moschoudi
• Elizabeth Crocket
• Ellie Campbell
• Elliott Light
• Elly Redding
• Emma Bennet
• Eve's Christmas by Julie Butterfield
• Farrell Keeling
• Film Reviews
• Fiona Gibson
• Forever by Charlie Dean
• Freya North
• Gift Guides
• Gilding The Lily by Justine John
• Giovanna Fletcher
• Graeme Simsion
• Guest Posts
• Guy Mankowski
• Hannah Vincent
• HarperCollins
• Harry Potter
• Helen Jackson
• Hélene Fermont
• Holly Martin
• Holly Tierney-Bedford
• How Not To Fall In Love Actually by Catherine Bennetto
• Howard Robinson
• Isabella Davidson
• J. Paul Henderson
• Jacqueline Harvey
• Jane Austen
• Jane Fallon
• Jane Lambert
• Jane Sanderson
• Jane Shemilt
• Jen Campbell
• Jenny Colgan
• Joanna Barnard
• John Burley
• John R. Bell
• Jonathan Freedland
• Julia Forster
• Julie by Jamie Anderson
• Julie Cohen
• Julie Gardner
• Kate Hughes
• Kate Riordan
• Kathleen Irene Paterka
• Kelly Florentia
• Kerry Fisher
• Kim Devereux
• Kimberley Chambers
• Laura Bradford
• Laura Briggs
• Laura Elliot
• Laura Parish
• Lauren Westwood
• Lee Cockburn
• Lenora Bell
• Lesley Downer
• Lesley Thomson
• Lilly Bartlett
• Lindsey Kelk
• Lisa Jewell
• Literary Fact
• Losses Break by Nia Lucas
• Louise Dean
• Luke Bitmead Bursary
• Lynne North
• Lynne Shelby
• Maggie's Kitchen by Caroline Beecham
• Magic Alley
• Mandy Baggott
• Marian Keyes
• Matthew Redford
• Megan Tayte
• Michele Gorman
• mick arnold
• Mick's Musings
• Miranda Dickinson
• Miranda Richmond Mouillot
• Moment With… D.B. Carter
• My 2016 Christmas Gift Guide For Readers
• My 2016 Gift Guide For Writers
• My Favourite Books
• My Favourite Christmas Books and Film Traditions
• My Favourites
• My Greek Island Summer by Mandy Baggott
• My Writing Ramblings
• My Writing Ramblings: 15 Things About Me
• My Writing Ramblings: September Favourites
• Nadia Dalbuono
• Nadine Matheson
• NanoWriMo Author Advice
• Natalie K Martin
• National Novel Writing Month
• Nicholas Sparks
• NK Chats To Emily Harvale
• NK Chats To… Eliza J. Scott
• NK Chats To… Evie Alexander
• NK Chats To… Farrell Keeling
• NK Chats To… Feyisayo Anjorin
• NK Chats To… Jessie Wells
• NK Chats To… L.M Brown
• NK Chats To… Laura Heffernan
• NK Chats To… Michelle Vernal
• NK Chats To… Patricia Ann Bowen
• NK Chats To… Pernille Meldgaard Pedersen
• NK Chats To… Sandy Barker
• NK Chats To… Stephen Clark
• NK Chats To… Tony DiGerolamo
• NK Chats To… Tracy Baines
• A Moment With
• A Moment with The Editor
• A Moment With… Catherine Curzon and Eleanor Harkstead
• A Moment With… Jessie Wells
• A Moment With… Nia Rose and Octavia J. Riley
• A Moment With… Steve Exeter
• A Moment With…Isabella Muir
• A Piece of Cake Blog Tour
• A Place To Call Home Blog Tour
• A Seaside Affair Blog Tour
• A Single Breath Blog Tour
• Blog Tour – What a Girl Wants by Lindsey Kelk
• Blog Tour: As Good As It Gets by Fiona Gibson
• Blog Tour: Campari For Breakfast by Sara Crowe
• Blog Tour: Cathy Kelly
• Blog Tour: Don't Mention The Rockstar by Bree Darcy
• Blog Tour: Liberty Silk by Kate Beaufoy
• Blog Tour: No Mercy by John Burley
• Blog Tour: Obsession in Death by JD Robb
• Blog Tour: Red Rose
• Blog Tour: That Part Was True by Deborah McKinlay
• Blog Tour: The Atlas of Us by Tracy Buchanan
• Blog Tour: The Curvy Girls Club by Michele Gorman
• Blog Tour: The Dying Place by Luca Veste
• Blog Tour: The School Gate Survival Guide by Kerry Fisher
• Blog Tour: The Summer Holidays Survival Guide by Jon Rance
• Blog Tour: This Family Life by Jon Rance
• Blog Tour: Where Love Lies by Julie Cohen
• Carla Caruso
• Cathy Kelly
• Charles Harris
• Chevy Stevens
• Christina Jones
• Claire Wingfield
• Deborah Lawrenson
• Emma Henderson
• Fiona Gibson/Take Mum Out Blog Tour
• Ghostwritten Blog Tour
• Going Back Blog Tour
• Half Bad Blog Tour
• It Felt Like A Kiss by Sarra Manning – Blog Tour
• Jill Mansell
• Joanna Hickson
• Jonathan Whitelaw
• Julie Shackman
• Katie Fforde
• Kerry Barrett
• Kevin Dickson
• Margaret James
• Marilyn Bennett
• Martine McDonagh
• Milly Johnson
• My Best Writing Moment
• N. Lombardi Jr
• Nicci Gerrard
• NK Chats To: Mick Arnold
• NK Chats To… Daisy Pearce
• NK Chats To… Helen Golden
• NK Chats To… Helen Taylor
• Nk Chats To… Jo Johnson
• NK Chats To… Nicola K Smith
• NK Chats To… Patrick Canning
• NK Chats To… Paul Nicholls
• NK Chats To… Rachel Walkley
• NK Chats To… S.L Briden
• NK Chats With… Fran Clark
• Peach Blossom Pavilion Blog Tour
• R.S Pateman
• Rob Sinclair
• Robin York/Deeper Blog Tour
• Rosie Blake: How To Get A (Love) Life Blog Tour
• Skeletons Blog Tour
• Susan Fletcher
• Talli Roland
• The Best Thing I Never Had Blog Tour
• The Illusionists Blog Tour
• The Novel That Has Made The Most Impact
• The Rosie Effect Blog Tour
• The Separation Blog Tour
• White Rose by Joanna Hickson
• Nora Roberts
• Novel Kicks Book Club: Fool Me Once by Harlan Coben
• Novel Kicks Book Club: Dash and Lily's Book of Dares by David Levithan and Rachel Cohn
• Novel Kicks Book Club: Malibu Rising by Taylor Jenkins Reid
• Novel Kicks Book Club: The House in the Cerulean Sea by Travis Klune
• Novel Kicks Book Club: The Last Days of You and Me by Debbie Howells
• Novel Kicks Book Club: The Two Lives of Louis and Louise by Julie Cohen
• Novel Kicks Book Club: The Woman Who Lied by Claire Douglas
• Novel Kicks Book Club: Then She Was Gone by Lisa Jewell
• Novel Kicks Fiction Friday: Family Matters
• Novel Kicks Visits
• Novel Kicks Writing Room
• Oceanic Dreams Series
• On This Day…
• One Hundred Views of NW3 by Pat Jourdan
• Patricia Furstenberg
• Penelope Jacobs
• Phillipa Ashley
• Portia MacIntosh
• Product Review: Pixel Scrapper – Digital Scrapbooking
• Product Reviews
• Publication Day Push
• Rachel Abbott
• Rainbow Rowell
• Rebecca Lim
• Recent and Upcoming Book Releases
• Reluctant Bride by Sun Chara
• Riley Sager
• Rob Boffard
• Romantic Novelists' Association
• Rosamund Lupton
• Rosie Millard
• Rufus Purdy
• Runaway Principessa by Sun Chara
• Sally Green
• Sarah Winman
• Sarah-Jane Stratford
• Sasha Wagstaff
• Sea & Sex by Greta Horwood
• Seré Prince Halverson
• Short Stories
• Sophie Tanner
• Sponsored Content
• Stationary Reviews
• Stationery Spotlight
• Stephen Clark
• Steven Scaffardi
• Sue Moorcroft
• Suzanne McCourt
• Tessa McWatt
• The Afternoon Tea Club by Jane Gilley
• The Choice by Nicholas Sparks
• The Harry Potter Series
• The Joan Hessayon Award
• The Letter – Kitty's Story by Eliza J Scott
• The Lost Notebook by Louise Douglas
• The Princess Bride
• The Sardinian Story by Francesca Scanacapra
• The Self Esteem Team
• The Witch and The Wardrobe by C.S Lewis
• The Word Exchange by Alena Graedon
• The Writers' Academy
• The Zero and The One by Ryan Ruby
• Thorne Grey and the City of Darkness
• Todd Lawton
• Tracy Buchanan
• Trisha Ashley
• Upcoming and New Releases
• Useful Links
• Vicki Wakefield
• Victoria Aveyard
• Victoria Fox
• When the Children Come by Barry Kirwan
• When The Sky Fell Apart by Caroline Lea
• Which Book Is This Anyway?
• Our Favourite Things
• Writers' & Artists' Yearbook
• Writing Advice
• Writing Process
• Writing Prompts
• Writing Quotes
• NK Fiction Friday

Privacy Overview

• Review Requests
• Review Archives
• Privacy Policy

Review: The Red Notebook by Antoine Laurain

I received this book for free from in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

Bookseller Laurent Letellier finds an abandoned  handbag sitting on top of a trash bin.  Its contents full, Laurent knows it wasn't intentionally left behind.  As he examines the contents inside, he discovers a wealth of information about the owner. Everything except her name. The item most interesting to him is a red notebook. Inside, the owner has jotted down her dreams, her wishes, her fears. Captivated with just this information, Laurent becomes even more determined to discover the owner's identity.. At his daughter's prodding, Laurent delves deeper into the woman's life, finding himself an uninvited, yet captivated witness to her most personal details. Laure is a gilder who spends her days crafting the most beautiful of pieces with gold-leafing.  well aware of her own hopes and fears, she struggles to find happiness. Upon walking home one evening, she becomes a victim of a purse-snatching. Wounded, everything she held dear torn from her hands, she is forced to beg for kindness to find a place to sleep in the hotel directly across from her apartment.  She sleeps, but doesn't awaken; a head injury sends her into a deep coma. Upon awakening, she learns from friends of a man who showed up at the perfect moment, a bit of salvation so desperately needed. He cared for her cat in her absence, returned her bag full of precious mementos. This act of kindness compels her to search for him when she is released. Two strangers, brought together by one horrific incident. Their fates, and futures, forever changed.

Sometimes, a reader comes across a book that captivates them so intensely that they feel lost the moment they turn the last pages.  This title is that book for me.  While brief in page count, it is filled to the brim with beauty and intensity, mixed with humor, mystery, and a touch of classic romance, that together create a truly monumental read.

This novel so expertly captures the very essence of two compassionate individuals.  Two strangers, both searching for something missing (both physically and emotionally) in their lives.  What this author captures and shares in his prose is simple in scope, yet complex in its beauty.

Laurent only recently succumbed to his passion to open a bookstore.

An existence devoted to reading would have been his ultimate fulfilment, but it had not been given to him…up until the day he had started to feel , dimly at first, then more clearly, that the man he had become was the absolute opposite of what he really was…the weight turned into an anguish which was succeeded by the intolerable idea that he was wasting his life – or even that he has already wasted it

This decision to change his life, to chase after his dreams, describes the very core of Laurent’s character. His passion for life, for love. His ability to comprehend the world and the opportunities we are granted in a way many others never see, or take for granted:

…we can pass right by something very important: love, a job, moving to another city or another country.  Or another life.  ‘Pass by’ and at the same time ‘so close’ that sometimes, while in that state of melancholy that is akin to hypnosis, we can, in spite of everything, manage to grab little fragments of what might have been.  Like catching snatches of a far-off radio frequency.  The message is obscure, yet by listening carefully you can still catch snipets of the soundtrack of the life that never was.

I could go on endlessly about the beauty contained within this novel, but I shall stop, instead focusing my passion on sharing this book with the world.  A book that will astound readers with its simple, quiet yet intense, beauty. One I guarantee you will cherish, as I have, endlessly.  Highly, highly recommended.

2 Responses to Review: The Red Notebook by Antoine Laurain

Leave a reply cancel reply.

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Notify me of followup comments via e-mail

Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment.

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed .

Check out My Accessories & Gifts Boutique!

Recent comments.

• Razib Paul Twitter: BeckyLeJeune on Book Club Favorites of 2023!
• Helen Murdoch Twitter: BeckyLeJeune on Book Club Favorites of 2023!
• November Reading Events – Chapter Adventure Twitter: BeckyLeJeune on 2023 Thankfully Reading Weekend!
• Melissa F. Twitter: BeckyLeJeune on 2023 Thankfully Reading Weekend Begins! #thankfullyreading
• Helen Murdoch Twitter: BeckyLeJeune on 2023 Thankfully Reading Weekend Begins! #thankfullyreading

Recent Posts

• Book Club Favorites of 2023!
• 2023 Thankfully Reading Weekend: Wrap-up #thankfullyreading
• 2023 Thankfully Reading Day Four: Small Business Saturday!
• 2023 Thankfully Reading Weekend: Day Three! #thankfullyreadingweekend
• 2023 Thankfully Reading Weekend: Day Two

Most Popular Popular posts

• Review: Sisters by Raina Telgemeier
• Review: Auggie & Me: Three Wonder Stories by R. J. Palacio
• Review: The Eleventh Plague by Jeff Hirsch
• Product Review: Evernote Triangle Commuter Bag
• Review: A Simple Favor by Darcey Bell

• Commenting Policy
• Advanced Search

Dear Author

Romance, Historical, Contemporary, Paranormal, Young Adult, Book reviews, industry news, and commentary from a reader's point of view

REVIEW: The Red Notebook by Antoine Laurain

Heroic bookseller Laurent Letellier comes across an abandoned handbag on a Parisian street. There’s nothing in the bag to indicate who it belongs to, although there’s all sorts of other things in it. Laurent feels a strong impulse to find the owner and tries to puzzle together who she might be from the contents of the bag. Especially a red notebook with her jottings, which really makes him want to meet her. Without even a name to go on, and only a few of her possessions to help him, how is he to find one woman in a city of millions?

Cher Monsieur Laurain,

This looked different and in truth I enjoyed a lot of the story but there is something readers will have to answer for themselves as they read it. Is Laurent a disturbing semi-stalker or is he a romance hero in the making? I weighed in more on the side of romance hero but a friend who read it in the original French never got over her feelings of unease.

The book jumps straight into the action with Laure’s mugging and Laurent’s discovery of her (now abandoned by the thief) handbag. Thwarted by police bureaucracy as he tries to turn it in, Laurent decides to go through the contents to see if he can discover to whom to return it. First he has to overcome his feelings about how men – from the dawn of time – have never felt comfortable opening and delving into a woman’s purse. Eventually he does and even as he knows what he’s doing is inappropriate, he can’t stop reading what she’s written in a red moleskin notebook. Laurent views the items in Laure’s bag as a bookseller would. An appointment book similar to the type his shop sells, a pen to jot her notes and then a book with an inscription in it from the elusive author who wrote it among other items.

Stop at this point and analyze your feelings about this. Because it’s going to get worse. So … en avant.

The search continues with little hints dropped here and there that are to keep one from thinking of Laurent as a stalker. We learn his life, meet his family and coworkers and watch the break up of his year long relationship with a woman obviously intended to be cold and dislikable. Then there’s Laurent’s buddy, Pascal’s cynical pursuit of women on dating sites – including Ashley Madison – to temper the reader’s unease at what Laurent is doing. Our sympathies are fully engaged for Laurent. While Laure isn’t physically present for most of the book, the very act of Laurent discovering things about her from her belongings keeps her front and center in our thoughts.

As she wakes from the coma, the mystery she’s been a (silent) partner in is gradually revealed to her. Meanwhile there comes a point where Laurent really crosses the line when he actively interferes in Laure’s life. This skeeved me notwithstanding the “get out of jail” card he gets when Laure’s opinion of the caller is revealed.

Even though Laurent feels all kinds of (justified) guilt over his (freely acknowledged) intrusion into Laure’s life, it is still disturbing. I think most women would be at least a little freaked out, which Laure is, but she’s soon enmeshed in trying to find Laurent in reverse. Does this excuse and balance part of what he did? The end is very Amelie-esque and I can say I liked a lot of the novel and the romantic ending yet that feminine unease never quite left me. B-

Share this:

Another long time reader who read romance novels in her teens, then took a long break before started back again about 25 years ago. She enjoys historical romance/fiction best, likes contemporaries, action- adventure and mysteries, will read suspense if there's no TSTL characters and is currently reading more fantasy and SciFi.

Dear Jayne, Laurent is not a stalker. This is a caring man who is intrigued by a woman to whom he begins to dream. The events go beyond and he is driven to go further than he thought (get into the apartment and feed the cat) but it is fate and it is for the best. There is an atmosphere of mystery in the book … the quest is mysterious and fraught with pitfalls … But it seems to me that there are also many passages with humor and sensitivity… here are some elements for an answer… have a good week-end. Sorry for my bad English.

Antoine Laurain from Paris

@ antoine Laurain : Good morning and thank you for visiting the blog and commenting. In the end of the story, yes all went well. The story is mainly told from his point of view and he is the hero. But as I mentioned, I believe readers will have to decide for themselves how to view Laurent’s actions.

Readers will always bring their varied feelings and viewpoints to a reading experience. As a woman reading the book, real life did color my perception.

Thanks for the review Jayne!

I read this almost a year ago and still have many conflicting feelings about it. I really hate that I enjoyed it! When I think back on the good feelings I have about the book, my other brain kicks in and tells me to just stop. Laurent was a stalker and his feeling guilty about it doesn’t absolve him of such egregious behavior. I’d have to take breaks after some of these behaviors but I give the author credit that this didn’t end up a DNF for me. It was well written and wondering if Laurent would ever comes to terms with some of his tactics kept me going back. I also became terribly invested in Laure’s life. It was almost like I was as obsessed as Laurent in finding her story. Maybe I was.

I ended up giving it a C because that was balancing the A parts with the F parts.

FTC Disclaimer

We do not purchase all the books we review here. Some we receive from the authors, some we receive from the publisher, and some we receive through a third party service like Net Galley . Some books we purchase ourselves. Login

Discover more from Dear Author

Subscribe now to keep reading and get access to the full archive.

Type your email…

Continue reading

The Red Notebook by Antoine Laurain

general information | review summaries | our review | links | about the author

- Return to top of the page -

B : has an easy-going charm

See our review for fuller assessment.

   From the Reviews : "It is a set-up worthy of an Ealing comedy. (...) This is in equal parts an offbeat romance, detective story and a clarion call for metropolitans to look after their neighbours. Rather than a version of Notting Hill for the St-Germain set, the story is more personal and jagged." - Christian House, The Telegraph Please note that these ratings solely represent the complete review 's biased interpretation and subjective opinion of the actual reviews and do not claim to accurately reflect or represent the views of the reviewers. Similarly the illustrative quotes chosen here are merely those the complete review subjectively believes represent the tenor and judgment of the review as a whole. We acknowledge (and remind and warn you) that they may, in fact, be entirely unrepresentative of the actual reviews by any other measure.

The complete review 's Review :

But all the tension and magic of the quest had vanished the moment they had spoken. The return to reality had signalled the end of the affair.

- M.A.Orthofer , 12 April 2015

About the Author :

       Antoine Laurain is a French author.

© 2015-2021 the complete review Main | the New | the Best | the Rest | Review Index | Links

• Reading Projects
• Pretty Things

© 2024 Elif the Reader

The Red Notebook – Antoine Laurain, A Wonderful Book!

• Post date 30/06/2021
• Post categories In Books

The Red Notebook was a light and charming book that my book club chose after all the heavy books. Unfortunately, I have never heard of Antoine Laurain before, but the author enjoys particular popularity in his country of origin, France and the countries he is translated into.

The Red Notebook is about Laurent, a bookseller you can’t help but love as you learn things about him, and Lauren, a woman whose mystery you’d want to know about as much as Laurent, but sadly in a coma. On the way to the bookstore one morning, Laurent sees a beautiful bag thrown aside. After a bit of tinkering around with the bag, he thinks it was probably stolen and takes it to the police, but when the police do not help much, he decides to hand the bag to its owner.

However, in Paris, a city where millions of people live, of course, he cannot predict how he will find the owner of this bag, which has no identity. As we glance over the contents of the bag and especially read the contents of the red notebook, one cannot help but think that the bag’s owner is a great person. This is the magic of The Red Notebook. The beautiful mystery combined with the charm of Paris and the beautiful world Laurain creates.

I read The red Notebook with pleasure from beginning to end. Thanks to it, I got to know a very different perfume, many new authors and a different Paris. It is almost impossible to find feel-good books that do not suck. The Red Notebook is a perfect example how a feel-good should be like. I’ll be reading a lot from Antoine Laurain . I’d recommend you do the same if you want to read a good book that’ll make you happy all the way. Enjoy!

The Red Notebook

Heroic bookseller Laurent Letellier comes across an abandoned handbag on a Parisian street. There’s nothing in the bag to indicate who it belongs to, although there’s all sorts of other things in it. Laurent feels a strong impulse to find the owner and tries to puzzle together who she might be from the contents of the bag. Especially a red notebook with her jottings, which really makes him want to meet her. Without even a name to go on, and only a few of her possessions to help him, how is he to find one woman in a city of millions?

The Red Notebook  has already been sold in twelve different languages. French TV is making a film of  The President’s Hat  and the movie rights of  The Red Notebook  have been sold to UGC.

Antoine Laurain  was born in Paris. He is the author of five novels, including  The President’s Hat .

‘In equal parts an offbeat romance, detective story and a clarion call for metropolitans to look after their neighbours. . . . Reading  The Red Notebook  is a little like finding a gem among the bric-a-brac in a local brocante’  The Telegraph

‘Resist this novel if you can; it’s the very quintessence of French romance’   The Times

‘Definitely a heartwarming tale’  San Diego Book Review ‘Soaked in Parisian atmosphere, this lovely, clever, funny novel will have you rushing to the Eurostar post-haste. . . . A gem’  Daily Mail

‘This tender and charming romance, written with characteristic Gallic flair, is part mystery and part love story. Flawlessly written, it does everything just right and, at the end, leaves a smile of satisfaction’  Foreword Reviews 

‘An instant, flawless masterpiece of Parisian perfection’  The Bookbag

Antoine Laurain

Antoine Laurain is a novelist, screenwriter, journalist, director and collector of antique keys. A truly born and bred Parisian, after studying film, he began his career directing short films and writing screenplays. His passion for art led him to take a job assisting an antiques dealer in Paris. The experience provided the inspiration for his first novel,  The Portrait , winner of the Prix Drouot.

Published on the eve of the French presidential elections of 2012, Antoine’s fairytale-like novel  The President’s Hat  was acclaimed by critics, readers and booksellers, who awarded it the Prix Landerneau Découvertes. The English translation was a Waterstones Book Club and ABA Indies Introduce pick, and a Kindle Top 5 bestseller. This novel, full of Parisian charm, was the winner of the Prix Relay des Voyageurs, a prize which celebrates the enjoyment of reading. Since then,  The President’s Hat  has been adapted for television in France.

Antoine’s novels have been translated into over twenty languages, including Arabic and Korean. Sales of his books across all formats in English have surpassed 180,000 copies, and  The Red Notebook  (2015) has become one of Gallic Books’ bestsellers both in the UK and the USA, and has been selected for HRH the Duchess of Cornwall’s Reading Room. Also published:  French Rhapsody  (2016),  The Portrait  (2017),  Smoking Kills  (2018) and  Vintage 1954  (2019).

Antoine’s latest novel  The Readers’ Room  was published September 2020 from Gallic Books and will be out in mass market paperback in June 2021.

Reading this book contributed to these challenges: 

Read Around the World, A Great Journey

• Tags Fiction

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed .

Related Posts

An Episode in the Life of a Landscape Painter – César Aira

Cesar Aira managed to put a 400-page novel in his 96-page book, An Episode in the Life of a Landscape Painter. I can say that it is a…

THE RED NOTEBOOK

‘He was about to commit a forbidden act. A transgression. For no man should rummage through a woman’s handbag.’  

Bookseller Laurent Letellier comes across an abandoned handbag on a Parisian street and feels impelled to return it to its owner.

The bag contains no money, phone or contact information. But a small red notebook with handwritten thoughts and jottings reveals a person that Laurent would very much like to meet.

Without even a name to go on, and only a few of her possessions to help him, how is he to find one woman in a city of millions?

more …

Read our interview with the author on the Reading Group Choices blog!

• Gallic Books
• 9781908313867

Buy the Book

• About the Author

About Antoine Laurain

A truly born and bred Parisian, after studying film, he began his career directing short films and writing screenplays. His passion for art led him to take a job assisting an antiques dealer in Paris. The experience provided the inspiration for his first novel, The Portrait , winner of the Prix Drouot.

Published on the eve of the French presidential elections of 2012, Antoine’s, fairytale-like novel The President’s Hat was acclaimed by critics, readers and booksellers, who awarded it the Prix Landerneau Découvertes. In the UK, it was a Waterstones Book Club and ABA Indies Introduce pick. Unsurprisingly, the novel quickly climbed into a Kindle Top 5 bestseller. This novel, full of Parisian charm, was the winner of the Prix Relay des Voyageurs, a prize which celebrates the enjoyment of reading. Since then, The President’s Hat has been adapted for television in France.

Antoine’s novels have been translated into 14 languages, including Arabic and Korean. Sales of his books across all formats in English have surpassed 155,000 copies.

“Laurain presents the story as if it were reportage, but with the confidence of an age-old storyteller.” — San Francisco Book Review

“Laurain’s gentle, satirical humor remind this reviewer of Jacques Tati’s classic films, and, no, you don’t have to know French politics to enjoy this charming novel. Fans of Muriel Barbery’s The Elegance of the Hedgehog will want this.” — Library Journal

“A hymn to la vie Parisienne . . . enjoy it for its fabulistic narrative, and the way it teeters pleasantly on the edge of Gallic whimsy.” — The Guardian

Read our interview with Antoine Laurain on the Reading Group Choices blog!

• Top Rated Books
• Top Club Picks This Week
• BOOK CLUB INSIDER
• New Releases
• Now in Paperback
• Reese Witherspoon Book Club
• Oprah's Book Club
• Read with Jenna
• Amazon Best Books
• People Picks
• Entertainment Weekly Picks
• Vogue Recommends
• Skimm Reads
• From Page to Screen

Member Login

Forgot your login/password?

BKMT READING GUIDES

The Red Notebook by Antoine Laurain

"Laurain presents the story as if it were reportage, but with the confidence of an age-old storyteller."— San Francisco Book Review

"Laurain's gentle, satirical humor remind this reviewer of Jacques Tati's classic films, and, no, you don't have to know French politics to enjoy this ...

Introduction

"Laurain's gentle, satirical humor remind this reviewer of Jacques Tati's classic films, and, no, you don't have to know French politics to enjoy this charming novel. Fans of Muriel Barbery's The Elegance of the Hedgehog will want this."— Library Journal

"A hymn to la vie Parisienne . . . enjoy it for its fabulistic narrative, and the way it teeters pleasantly on the edge of Gallic whimsy."— The Guardian

Heroic bookseller Laurent Letellier comes across an abandoned handbag on a Parisian street. There's nothing in the bag to indicate who it belongs to, although there's all sorts of other things in it. Laurent feels a strong impulse to find the owner and tries to puzzle together who she might be from the contents of the bag. Especially a red notebook with her jottings, which really makes him want to meet her. Without even a name to go on, and only a few of her possessions to help him, how is he to find one woman in a city of millions?

The Red Notebook has already been sold in twelve different languages. French TV is making a film of The President's Hat and the movie rights of The Red Notebook have been sold to UGC.

Antoine Laurain was born in Paris. He is the author of five novels, including The President's Hat .

Editorial Review

Discussion questions, notes from the author to the bookclub, book club recommendations.

Recommended to book clubs by 0 of 0 members.

Member Reviews

Yet to be read….

Now serving over 80,000 book clubs & ready to welcome yours. Join us and get the Top Book Club Picks of 2022 (so far).

Get Top Club Picks Delivered Weekly

• Contact Info
• For Authors & Publishers
• Privacy Notice
• Randy Susan Meyers
• Anna Quindlen
• AUTHORS & PUBLISHERS
• Feature your book on BookMovement!

© 2003 - 2017 BookMovement, LLC. All rights reserved.

ⓒ 2024 Foreword Magazine, Inc. All rights reserved.

• Book Reviews
• Foreword Reviews
• Translations

The Red Notebook

Antoine Laurain Emily Boyce (Translator) Jane Aitken (Translator) Gallic Books ( June 2015 ) Softcover $14.95 ( 159pp ) 978-1-908313-86-7

Parisian bookseller Laurent Letellier, on his way to enjoy a double espresso and study his notes for an upcoming book signing, discovers a mauve leather handbag, in excellent condition and obviously not empty, sitting upon a waste bin that had been left out for pick-up. This strikes him as very strange—no woman he had ever known would have tossed such a bag into the trash; most likely she had been robbed, he thinks. There is nothing in the bag to identify its owner, only some personal effects and a small red moleskine notebook filled with the intimate writings of a woman Laurent begins to feel he would really like to know. Meanwhile, the handbag’s owner, Laure Valadier, is lying in the hospital in a coma after having been mugged at the door of her apartment. An intriguing chain of events, fueled by his fascination with the mysterious woman, leads Laurent to become ever more entangled in her life.

This tender and charming romance, written with characteristic Gallic flair, is part mystery and part love story. Flawlessly written, it does everything just right and, at the end, leaves a smile of satisfaction.

Paris-born Antoine Laurain is a journalist, antiques collector, and the author of five novels.

Emily Boyce, from London, is in-house translator at Gallic Books; Jane Aitken, of Oxford, studied history at St. Anne’s College.

Reviewed by Kristine Morris Summer 2015

Disclosure: This article is not an endorsement, but a review. The publisher of this book provided free copies of the book to have their book reviewed by a professional reviewer. No fee was paid by the publisher for this review. Foreword Reviews only recommends books that we love. Foreword Magazine, Inc. is disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255.

Taking too long? Try again or cancel this request .

• Jul 21, 2022

The Red Notebook - a book review.

This is the first book by Antoine Laurain I’ve read. I do have French Rhapsody on my shelf to read as well. This one fit well with my July red/white/blue reads, and was so short I knew I’d be able to get it done over a day or two. Here’s my thoughts on this book!

“The gap between his ideal and his reality was too great. The weight turned into an anguish which was succeeded by the intolerable idea that he was wasting his life.”

One morning, during his normal routine, bookseller Laurent Letellier happens upon an abandoned women’s handbag. He wants to return it to its owner, so visits the police, but is told it will take a while. So, he finds himself playing detective as he goes through the bag for clues to the owner’s identity. The contents reveal no phone, address, or full name. There is a signed copy of a well known author’s book, as well as a small red notebook filled with thoughts and reminders, revealing an intriguing person Laurent wants to meet. Will Laurent be able to find this woman in all of Paris?

“‘William…’...’Tell me about this Laurent.’”

This is an enjoyable, quick read about a man and a woman who both seem not entirely satisfied with their current situations in life. They’re both in a career they enjoy, but are coasting in the relationship part of life. The story was intriguing, as I wanted to know if Laurent would find the purse’s owner. I enjoyed the character of Chloe, Laurent’s daughter, and the small insight into everyday lives and professions in Paris readers were allowed. As a doctor, I found reading about Laure’s situation interesting if not a bit alarming. I also found Laurent’s actions to give me mixed feelings of romantic inclinations and warriness at the lengths he was going. Overall, it ended up being a pleasant read with an interesting story that had me reading until the very end to see how things would turn out.

“‘There are mysterious beings, always the same, who watch over us at crossroads in our lives.’”

My 5 Star Rating in the Fiction Genre: **** (4/5)

Recommendation

This is a good book for anyone who’s looking for a short, quick, story about fate and determination working in concert to allow two individuals to connect. I consider this to be more of a fiction than a romance book, as it isn’t until the very end we get any hint of romance. Goodreads recommends this to readers who enjoyed Restless by Boyd, Girl by O’Brien, and The Architect’s Apprentice by Shafak.

“How many things do we feel obliged to do for the sake of it, or for appearances, or because we are trained to do them, but which ways us down and don’t in fact achieve anything?”

I hope this review of The Red Notebook by Antoine Laurain was enjoyable to read. I’d like to hear your thoughts on this book over on my bookstagram page . Until next time…happy reading!

For more info:

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/23129712-the-red-notebook

Image credits:

https://images.app.goo.gl/tCioyafJxo2nFYHT7

• Book Reviews

Related Posts

The Missing of Clairdelune - a book review.

The London Seance Society - a book review.

Georgie, All Along - a book review.

Advertisement

Supported by

‘The Notebook’ Review: A Musical Tear-Jerker or Just All Wet?

The 2004 weepie comes to Broadway with songs by Ingrid Michaelson and a $5 box of tissues.

• Share full article

By Jesse Green

Romantic musicals are as personal as romance itself. What makes you sigh and weep may leave the person next to you bored and stony.

At “The Notebook,” I was the person next to you.

You were sniffling even before anything much happened onstage. As the lights came up, an old man dozed while a teenage boy and girl frisked nearby in an unconvincing body of water. A wispy song called “Time” wafted over the footlights: “Time time time time/It was never mine mine mine.”

But having seen (I’m guessing more than once) the 2004 movie on which “The Notebook” is based, and possibly having read the 1996 novel by Nicholas Sparks, you perfectly well knew what was coming. That was the point of mounting the show, which opened on Thursday at the Gerald Schoenfeld Theater , in the first place.

It therefore cannot be a spoiler — and anyway this block of cheese is impervious — to reveal that over the course of the 54 years covered by the musical, the frisky boy, Noah, turns into the dozing man. And that Allie, the frisky girl, having overcome various impediments to their love, winds up his wife. Nor does it give anything away to add that Allie, now 70 and in a nursing home with dementia, will not remember Noah until he recites their story from a notebook she prepared long ago for that purpose.

So there’s a reason the producers are selling teeny $5 “Notebook”-themed boxes of tissues in the lobby. Love is powerful. Dementia is sad. The result can be heartbreaking.

Or maybe, seen with a cold eye, meretricious.

The movie, a super-slick Hollywood affair, did everything it could to keep the eye warm. Ryan Gosling and Rachel McAdams, as the young couple, could not have been glowier. The soundtrack relied on precision-crafted standards like “I’ll Be Seeing You” to yank at your tear ducts. The production design, like a montage of greeting cards come to life , celebrated valentine passion, anniversary tenderness and golden sympathy, releasing flocks of trained geese into a technicolor sunset to symbolize lifelong pair bonding.

The musical, unwilling except at the margins to alter a plot so beloved — or at least so familiar — tries to distinguish itself in other ways. It aims for a rougher, hand-hewn texture, befitting Noah’s career as a carpenter and the indie-folk sound of its songwriter, Ingrid Michaelson . The directors, Michael Greif and Schele Williams, have cast the couples regardless of race: a nice, universalizing touch.

In other updates, the book writer, Bekah Brunstetter, has shifted the period by two decades — Noah fights in Vietnam, not at the Battle of the Bulge. She adds a third, intermediate incarnation of the couple, crowding the stage with replicants and pushing the 27-year-old Allie (Joy Woods) into the star spot because someone has to be there. (The 29-year-old Noah is played by Ryan Vasquez.) And instead of the cliché geese, Brunstetter gives us … sea turtles?

No, I don’t get that one either.

In any case, the de-slicking was a mistake; it turns out that the Hollywood varnish was the only thing holding the picture together. In its place, the musical makes few convincing arguments for a separate existence.

Certainly Michaelson’s relentlessly mid-tempo songs do not; they are pretty but flyaway, as insubstantial as blue smoke. Except for a number in which teenager Allie and Noah (Jordan Tyson and John Cardoza) first see each other undressed, the lyrics are vague and humorless, often budding with clichés the book is trying to prune. “I wanna know that my old heart can grow like spring again,” sings Older Noah (Dorian Harewood) — an alarming thought, really, for a 72-year-old or for his cardiologist. Older Allie (the great Maryann Plunkett) barely sings at all, a great loss.

When songs provide so little information, barely differentiating the characters let alone advancing the plot, a musical tends to sag. And when a musical has gone to some trouble to accommodate those songs — the movie of “The Notebook” runs two hours, the show hardly 20 minutes more — the trade-offs are of the nose-versus-face variety.

So Brunstetter, hacking through the story with a scythe to make room, has left bald stumps everywhere. Allie’s meddling, disapproving parents are demoted to mere nasties, their motivations discarded with their back story. Her fiancé is a nonentity. What Noah and Allie do between their late teens (when they meet and separate) and their late 20s (when they are rapturously rejoined) is reduced to a throwaway: “Let’s see — heartbreak, graduation, many many Tuesdays, Thanksgivings, a war.” Flip lines like that break whatever spell the material, usually earnest to a fault, is trying to cast.

The staging is consistently more engaging. Unlike the movie, which keeps its focus on one couple at a time, here we often get all three together, in color-coded costumes (by Paloma Young) that clarify their connections. (The Noahs wear blue and brown, the Allies blue and white.) And though the switching among them sometimes feels mechanical, as the lights (by Ben Stanton) dim on Older Noah reading the notebook and rise on the younger characters enacting its story, the process creates a kind of time-lapse exposure that feels natively theatrical and thus occasionally effective.

On Allie’s side of the equation especially, the time-lapse provides information the movie did not. Because all three ages exist simultaneously, her impetuousness as a teenager is connected to her indecisiveness 10 years later and, perhaps less credibly, to her eventual dementia. In all periods, her relationship to home — “Home” is the title of the Act I finale — is usefully forefronted: the home she leaves, the home she dreams of, the home Noah builds her, the home she cannot get back to.

But only in this last stage does “The Notebook” achieve any real pathos, thanks to Plunkett’s uncompromising naturalism and the lifetime of stage savvy she inevitably brings with her. Her locked-down Allie, banging frantically on the doors of her memory, is an unexpectedly terrifying character to meet in an otherwise bland musical.

It doesn’t hurt that, for those who have followed Plunkett over the years, she is also banging down the doors of our memory. Her troubled Agnes in “Agnes of God” (her Broadway debut, in 1982), her insouciant Sally in “Me and My Girl,” for which she won a Tony Award, and her series of anxious dinner-table Americans in all 12 plays of Richard Nelson’s “Rhinebeck Panorama” help turn a barely there character into a moving one.

Whether that is sufficient to make me cry for a would-be weepie is a different matter. That the “Notebook”-themed tissues are so teeny says it all.

The Notebook At the Gerald Schoenfeld Theater, Manhattan; notebookmusical.com . Running time: 2 hours 20 minutes.

Jesse Green is the chief theater critic for The Times. He writes reviews of Broadway, Off Broadway, Off Off Broadway, regional and sometimes international productions. More about Jesse Green

• Georgia Holm

Review of The Notebook

The Notebook  is a heartbreaking yet hopeful romance movie about young summer love. The thing that makes it different from most classic romance movies is that the main character, Noah, recounts the story of their young love to Allie, his wife. In her old age, Allie has developed dementia and doesn't remember a thing about her life, including Noah. As Noah finishes reading their story, Allie remembers for a short time who Noah is. Every day Noah tells the same story of their love again and again just so he can have her back for a few short minutes. 

“I loved the notebook because it showed true love and was very cute. The ending was my favorite part because it makes me want to believe in soulmates,” said Rhetta Cummings (12). 

Sometimes it's hard to distinguish between life and death, between whether we are born just to eventually die, or whether we were born so that we could really live. It’s hard to know what will happen later in life, if everything you’ve been working towards will ever pay off. While watching The Notebook , it was obvious that the characters were really living their life. When I first watched The Notebook , I got so caught up in the story line and beauty of the movie, that I completely forgot that it wasn’t real, that the characters were just made up. Everything about this movie, from the actors and the script to the house with a giant wrap-around porch, made me smile, laugh and cry along with the characters. 

Noah and Allie’s relationship proved that they were the kind of people who were born to live, they lived their lives fully even when they were apart from each other and took advantage of every opportunity for adventure. I loved this movie so much and I would definitely recommend it to anyone who loves a good romance.  “I loved the notebook because it showed true love and was very cute. The ending was my favorite part because it makes me want to believe in soulmates,” said Rhetta Cummings (12). 

The Notebook  is a beautiful story of love, a heartbreaking demonstration of life, and a thrilling tale of adventure.   The Notebook  is one of my favorite movies that makes me want to believe in true love. After all, what  The Notebook  made me realize is that love is more than just three words mumbled before going to work, it is something that is sustained by the pattern of devotion we show every day to the people we love; like reading the same story every single day. 

Recent Posts

Review of One Love

Recommended Reading for Freshman and Sophomore ELA Independent Reading Assignments

Review of The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes

The Red Notebook › Customer reviews

Customer reviews.

The Red Notebook

Customer Reviews, including Product Star Ratings help customers to learn more about the product and decide whether it is the right product for them.

To calculate the overall star rating and percentage breakdown by star, we don’t use a simple average. Instead, our system considers things like how recent a review is and if the reviewer bought the item on Amazon. It also analyzed reviews to verify trustworthiness.

Top positive review

Top critical review

There was a problem filtering reviews right now. Please try again later.

From the united states, there was a problem loading comments right now. please try again later..

• ← Previous page
• Next page →

Questions? Get fast answers from reviewers

• Amazon Newsletter
• About Amazon
• Accessibility
• Sustainability
• Press Center
• Investor Relations
• Amazon Devices
• Amazon Science
• Start Selling with Amazon
• Sell apps on Amazon
• Supply to Amazon
• Protect & Build Your Brand
• Become an Affiliate
• Become a Delivery Driver
• Start a Package Delivery Business
• Advertise Your Products
• Self-Publish with Us
• Host an Amazon Hub
• › See More Ways to Make Money
• Amazon Visa
• Amazon Store Card
• Amazon Secured Card
• Amazon Business Card
• Shop with Points
• Credit Card Marketplace
• Reload Your Balance
• Amazon Currency Converter
• Your Account
• Your Orders
• Shipping Rates & Policies
• Amazon Prime
• Returns & Replacements
• Manage Your Content and Devices
• Recalls and Product Safety Alerts
• Conditions of Use
• Privacy Notice
• Consumer Health Data Privacy Disclosure
• Your Ads Privacy Choices