Plum Blossoms in Paris (Jake Helman Files Series)

Post-grad neuroscience student Daisy Lockhart has never been short on brains, but after her longtime boyfriend, Andy Templeton, dumps her through e-mail, she is short on dreams. Alone for the first time in six years, Daisy allows herself to finally be an individual instead of half of a couple.

From Publishers Weekly

In her debut novel, Hina tracks a poetic Parisian romance between an American tourist and a French writer. Daisy, a 23-year-old neuroscience grad, has dropped her lab-rat life in Ohio for an open-ended trip to Paris after getting dumped by her longtime boyfriend. Named by her father after Henry James's novella, Daisy is "trying to outrun a broken heart" in her search for "the iconic bohemian chase" experienced by great 20th-century writers and artists in Montmartre. On her train ride to the city from the airport, she has a chance encounter with Mathieu, a writer and tour guide. They meet again by happenstance at the Musée d'Orsay and fall into a whirlwind affair. The lovers set out on one of Mathieu's city-wide tours, playfully debating current events, art, literature, and their disparate cultures. Hina's unrelenting lyrical composition may turn some readers off, but the tone brings a fantastical quality to the dreamer's idyll of a romantic tryst with an artistic Frenchman in Paris. (Aug.) (c) Copyright © PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.

From Booklist

When her longtime boyfriend Andy unexpectedly dumps her, Daisy Lockhart takes a break from her life and heads to Paris to try and put together the broken pieces of her heart. Daisy's romantic recovery in France happens more quickly than she expects, though, once she meets freelance tour guide and writer Mathieu. As the two explore enchanting Paris, they find themselves falling in love, but Mathieu has some emotional baggage from the past that threatens their romance. Rich in fascinating details about the art and culture of Paris, Hina's debut novel is a terrific literary love letter to the City of Light. While the plot—especially the ending—challenges the reader's willing suspension of disbelief, the writing itself is imbued with a stylish sense of wit. Plum Blossoms in Paris is chick lit with a très chic accent. --John Charles

About the Author

Sarah Hina is a former medical student. She lives in Athens, Ohio.

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