“I need to burn it all in my memory banks. I need to remember that no matter where I end up, Paris will always go on and on. It will be here even if I am not. Eternal Paris. Paris ever after.” – A quote from the book, Paris Ever After by K.S.R. Burns

In many romantic stories about Paris, a move to the City of Light winds up being the final destination – the reward for hard work or self-realization or love newly understood. The place where it all makes sense.  But what happens when you move there in a fog of confusion about life, escaping a perfectly acceptable marriage back home in the States (for reasons you don’t even understand yet) only to discover that the magic spell of the city doesn’t instantly decide your future? What happens when you get there and feel comfortable and safe but have no direction and no support and your carrying along the biggest bit of baggage from your old life imaginable, a baby in your belly?

That’s the situation in which we are introduced to Amy Brodie, a food blogger, wife and newly pregnant mom from Phoenix, Arizona in the novel Paris Ever After. In the opening pages, we find Amy at a crossroads in her life,  processing the fact that she can move in any direction – forward to a new independent start in France or backward to the familiarity of Phoenix with her baby’s father. Both are viable options and she spends the book deciding between the two with both her head and her heart.

Other characters emerge… William, her husband left behind in Arizona… Manu, the Frenchmen who offers her a job in Paris… Margaret, the British ex-pat who offers her friendship… and Herve who offers her the ultimate place to stay when all her decisions start unraveling.  At the beginning of the book, Amy prefers the lifestyle of France over Phoenix and feels more in tune with herself there.  But as William comes to Paris looking for her, we learn more about Amy’s complicated relationship with him, both the good and the bad and her feeling of ease in the city starts to dissolve. She juggles the natural desire to have a father for her baby’s life and a romantic partnership for herself while fighting feelings of dread and despondency when thinking of her home back in Phoenix.

William’s got his own reasons for going in search of Amy though, carrying a secret with him that he’s not exactly rushing to share.  As the story progresses we learn that life going forward with him in the future would never be the same as what Amy knew of it in the past. Margaret and Manu and Herve also have their own dramas to contribute, each turning out to be not quite what they seemed in the beginning. As their peculiar situations evolve, Amy’s decision becomes more weighted. With her ultimate goal of choosing a lifestyle that is suited for both her and her baby, taking up residence in France isn’t necessarily the fairytale incubator it once seemed.

K.S.R. Burns (aka Karen), the author of Paris Ever After, takes readers on a twisting journey full of surprises as each new chapter unfolds. A pure escapist read for anyone who wants a break from their own complicated realities, Karen’s novel will whisk you away quickly into Amy’s dramatic world, where big decisions have to be made in a small amount of time before baby arrives and before Amy loses her total sense of self. Readers will be able to relate to the pressure she puts on herself to get things right – to make the best possible decision that ensures a successful new beginning for her and her family.

Can such a momentous feat be conquered in a matter of months?  I won’t say any more to spoil the story, nor to interrupt the flow of dramatic twists and turns, other than to say surprises abound and just when you think Amy has it finally all figured out, new obstacles arise to alter her course of direction.  In addition to surprising plot points, there is also a surprise recipe in the back of the book for Madeleines  – a very French dessert that offers comfort and satisfaction to Amy in the story.  It is a fun addition that will enable you to truly taste a little bit of France while you also read about it.

As part of a collaboration between Karen Burns and the Vintage Kitchen, we are very excited to announce a giveaway of a signed copy of Paris Ever After for one lucky reader. Enter for your chance to win by subscribing to our kitchen shop newsletter here before Wednesday, May 2nd at 12 noon (CST). One winner will be selected at random and will receive notification via email as well as here on the blog and on Instagram.

While you wait to hear the results of the contest, stop by Karen’s website. She is one of Amazon’s bestselling authors and has lots of stories to share including the prequel to Paris Ever Afer. 

Paris Ever After is a thoroughly complete book on its own, but it also happens to be part two to her 2016 novel The Paris Effect, which dives into the life of Amy’s friendship with her best friend Kat and offers backstory on Amy’s life in Arizona. Although you don’t need to read The Paris Effect in order to understand the characters of Paris Ever After, it’s a great opportunity to learn more about Amy’s foodie past and the decisions that drive her to seek refuge in France. Find out more about The Paris Effect here. 

Cheers to Karen on her new book launch! And cheers, good luck and bonne chance to all you readers!