“The chief danger about Paris is that it is such a strong stimulant.”
Ah, Paris. The most romantic and glamorous city in the world, the capital of France is one of the world’s premier hubs for diplomacy, culture, fashion and gastronomy. From the Arc de Triomphe and Eiffel Towel to the Palais Garnier, Paris attracts over thirty million tourists every year, making it one of the most visited cities in the world. And the abundance of history, style and culture across the region has naturally inspired countless authors for their stories over the years. So join us today at What We Reading as we trek along the Seine and through the City of Light delving into some of the best books set in Paris!
Les Miserables – Victor Hugo
No list of books set in Paris would be complete without mentioning Victor Hugo’s timeless Les Miserables. Famed for its adaptations on the big screens and theatre stage, Hugo’s tale of injustice, heroism and love follows the tumultuous journey of Jean Valjean, an escaped convict determined to put his criminal ways behind him.
Nevertheless, his efforts to reassimilate as a respected member of the community are constantly put under threat by his own conscience when, thanks to a case of mistaken identity, another man is arrested in his place. However, it isn’t just for himself that Valjean must remain free for; he has vowed to protect the infant daughter of Fantine, a woman driven to prostitution by the poverty of the time.
Anna And The French Kiss (Anna And The French Kiss #1) – Stephanie Perkins
Anna is looking forward to her senior year in Atlanta. She has a perfect job, a loyal best friend, and a crush who is on the cusp of becoming something more. Which is why she is less than happy when she is shipped to a stuffy boarding school in Paris.
That is until she encounters Etienne St. Clair. Smart, sophisticated, charming and impossibly beautiful, Etienne seemingly has it all. Including a long-term girlfriend. But, in the City of Light, fate has a way of revealing itself. Will a year of romantic near-misses end with Etienne and Anna signing off with a French kiss? Stephanie Perkins’ Anna and the French Kiss is one of the best YA romance books set in Paris.
The Nightingale – Kristin Hannah
In the quiet village of Carriveau, Vianne Mauriac says goodbye to her husband, Antoine, as he sets off for the frontlines. She doesn’t believe that the Nazis will invade France. But, invade they do. When a German captain requisitions Vianne’s home, she and her daughter must live with the enemy, or risk losing everything they own. Without money or food, danger ramps up around them, leading to Vianne being forced into a series of impossible decisions to keep her family alive.
Vianne’s sister, Isabelle, is a free-spirited and independent eighteen-year-old searching for purpose. While thousands of Parisians march into the terrors of the Second World War, she meets Gaetan, a partisan who believes the French can fight the Nazis from within. She falls in love, as only young people can. But, when he betrays her, Isabelle joins the Resistance, risking her life time and time again to save those around her.
The Room On Rue Amelie – Kristin Harmel
If you love historical fiction books set in Paris like The Nightingale, Kristin Harmel’s The Room on Rue Amelie is a great follow-up read. When newlywed Ruby Henderson Benoit arrived in Paris in 1939 with her French husband, Marcel, she pictured lazily strolling down the grand boulevards awash in the afternoon light. But, following the German invasion in 1940, both Paris and her marriage threaten to break apart. Charlotte Dacher is eleven when the Germans roll into the capital. After Jewish restrictions come into force, she can’t imagine things getting any worse. But then the mass deportations begin, and her life is upended forever.
Thomas Clarke joins the British Royal Air Force to protect his country. But, following the death of his mother in a German bombing run, he wonders if he’s actually making a difference. He finds himself in Paris, under the shadow of the Eiffel Tower, and discovers a new reason to keep fighting. A poignant tale of three strangers, The Room on Rue Amelie follows Ruby, Charlotte and Thomas as they struggle to defy the Nazis, open their hearts and fight to survive.
Perfume: The Story Of A Murderer – Patrick Suskind
In the slums of eighteenth-century France, Jean-Baptiste Grenouille is born with an extraordinary gift – an absolute sense of smell. Growing up, he lives to decipher the many aromas across Paris. He becomes an apprentice to a prominent perfumer, who teaches him the art of mixing precious oils and herbs.
Only Grenouille’s genius is so profound that he isn’t content with stopping there, and he becomes obsessed with capturing the fragrances of objects like brass doorknobs and fresh-cut wood. Then, one day, he catches a whiff of a scent that drives him to an even more chilling quest: capturing the scent of a beautiful young virgin. A dazzling and haunting tale of murder and sensual depravity, Patrick Suskind’s 1985 book Perfume is an acclaimed international bestseller and one of the most gripping Paris books.
Someday In Paris – Olivia Lara
In 1954, fifteen-year-old Zara met Leon for the first time. During a power cut in one of France’s many small museums, the two spend a short hour in the dark talking about their love of Monet, the arts and Paris. Neither of them knows what the other looks like. Both know their lives will never be the same again.
Fast forward to Paris in 1963, and Leon no longer believes he will ever find the girl he let go of that night. After dreaming about him for years, Zara thinks she has already found him. When they meet at an exhibition, they don’t recognise each other. Yet, the way they feel is so familiar. Another one of the best romance books set in Paris, Olivia Lara’s Someday in Paris follows Leon and Zara over two decades as they fall in love over and over again, struggling to find a way of ever being together.
The Little Paris Bookshop (Jean Perdu #1) – Nina George
Monsieur Perdu calls himself a literary apothecary. From his floating bookstore in a barge on the River Seine, he deals books as remedies for the hardships of life. Over the years, he has honed the ability to sense the exact book a reader needs and has mended broken hearts and souls. The only person he hasn’t been able to heal through literature is himself. He is still haunted by his great love who disappeared, leaving him with only a letter that he has never opened.
After Perdu is finally tempted to read the letter, he hauls the anchor and departs on a mission to the south of France. He hopes to put to bed his loss and finally discover the end of this particular story. Joined by a bestselling but blocked author and a lovelorn Italian chef, Perdu travels along France’s rivers, sharing his lessons and his books and showing how the literary world can take a human soul on a journey to healing itself. Nina George’s beloved The Little Paris Bookshop captures the beauty and culture of both Paris and France and is filled with warmth, adventure and the power of stories in shaping our lives.
Check Out The Best Books Like The Little Paris Bookshop
Part-time reader, part-time rambler, and full-time Horror enthusiast, James has been writing for What We Reading since 2022. His earliest reading memories involved Historical Fiction, Fantasy and Horror tales, which he has continued to take with him to this day. James’ favourite books include The Last (Hanna Jameson), The Troop (Nick Cutter) and Chasing The Boogeyman (Richard Chizmar).
