It Started with Paris by Cathy Kelly

Of course I had to read this book when I saw that one of my absolute favorite authors, Elin Hilderbrand, enjoyed it so much. I have to agree with Elin, I too, “savored every page.” The book is highly character driven, which makes for a fast paced read. The only slight fault I would find with the book is that there are a ton of characters to try and keep straight. In the beginning, I got a bit confused as I was getting to know all of the characters, but the way the story was written worked very well. Readers are able to meet characters a little at a time throughout the story so they look forward to going back and forth between and finding out more details. The story takes place in Ireland, and it all begins when Kate and Michael become engaged in Paris. Soon, the reader meets both Kate’s and Michael’s parents and siblings, as well as some others connected to the young couple in some way or another. There is sweet, well-timed romance without any steamy scenes or rotten language. At times, I found myself laughing out loud about the predicaments the characters found themselves in. And in other moments, I had tears rolling down my face for the beautiful moments, especially during Michael’s wedding speech. Well done, Cathy Kelly! I hope you write many more novels for us to enjoy. This story will be published on August 4, 2015 by Grand Central Publishing.