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The Little Antique Shop Under The Eiffel Tower
Rebecca Raisin
’Oh, how I loved this book!’ - Reviewed the BookEscape to Paris this summer and prepare to be swept off your feet…Anouk LaRue used to be a romantic, but since she had her heart well and truly broken her love life has dissolved into nothing more than daydreams of the perfect man. Retreating to her extraordinary Little Antique Shop has always been a way to escape, because who could feel alone in a shop bursting with memories and beautiful objects…Until Tristan Black appears at an auction and throws her ordered world into a spin.Following your heart is a little like getting lost in Paris – sometimes confusing and always exciting! Except learning to trust her instincts is not something Anouk is ready to do when it comes to romance, but the city of love has other ideas…What reviewers are saying about The Little Antique Shop Under the Eiffel Tower‘The perfect escape if you can't get to France this summer – just add a glass of vino.’ – All Things Bookie‘This is a brilliantly written story, but then I have come to expect nothing less from the author. A definite read for fans, and also those who like a great mystery read.’ – Fiona Wilson (Goodreads)‘What a wonderful story, its French, it has a kooky shop owner, it's got some bad guys, a fabulous mystery at the heart of the story, and some eccentrics too. What more could you want from a new romantic comedy’ – Rachel Gilbey (Goodreads)‘a thoroughly entertaining story of love, trust, friendship, and family, and I was completely entranced by it.’ – Books of All Kinds (Goodreads)‘This really is contemporary romance at its best. And although this may be the first time Rebecca Raisin has been in my “to read” pile, it definitely won’t be the last.’ – Zoe (Goodreads)
Escape to Paris this summer and prepare to be swept off your feet…
Anouk LaRue used to be a romantic, but since she had her heart well and truly broken her love life has dissolved into nothing more than daydreams of the perfect man. Retreating to her extraordinary Little Antique Shop has always been a way to escape, because who could feel alone in a shop bursting with memories and beautiful objects…
Until Tristan Black bursts into an auction and throws her ordered world into a spin.
Following your heart is a little like getting lost in Paris, sometimes confusing and always exciting! Except learning to trust her instincts is not something Anouk is ready to do when it comes to romance, but the city of love has other ideas…
A wonderful Parisian romance perfect for fans of Debbie Johnson and Cressida McLaughlin
Praise for REBECCA RAISIN (#ue2c2d852-43f8-5bda-a53e-40cd596f12bc)
‘This novel is a love letter to Paris, and even more so a love letter to books; it is absolutely a must-read book for book lovers.’ – Rather Too Fond of Books, The Little Bookshop on the Seine
‘Easy to read and devoured quickly, I literally could not get enough and I was so sad to finish it. It was a truly captivating, spellbinding tale of taking chances and living life to the full that I am sure will ring true with many readers.’ – Compelling Reads, The Little Bookshop on the Seine
‘I love love love this author, and this book cements the fact that this series is a winner!’ – Fiona, The Little Bookshop on the Seine
‘I loved every second of The Little Bookshop on the Seine, easy to read, with words oozing charm and good feeling, that just made me feel warm and cosy.’ – Rachel’s Random Reads
‘Simply divine, with stunning writing slipping between being utterly romantic, charming and fun-filled and a little emotional.’ – Reviewed the Book, A Gingerbread Café Christmas
‘Drama and romance, but most of all it’s got a more general sweetness and love and happiness that is often hard to find these days.’ – Love Reading Romance, A Gingerbread Café Christmas
‘Fun, quick, festive reads that’ll leave you glowing from within (or in my case a puffy mess).’ – Into the Bookcase, A Gingerbread Café Christmas
Also by Rebecca Raisin (#ue2c2d852-43f8-5bda-a53e-40cd596f12bc)
Once in a Lifetime series
The Gingerbread Café trilogy
Christmas at the Gingerbread Café
Chocolate Dreams at the Gingerbread Café
Christmas Wedding at the Gingerbread Café
The Bookshop on the Corner
Secrets at Maple Syrup Farm
The Little Paris Collection
The Little Bookshop on the Seine
The Little Antique Shop under the Eiffel Tower
The Little Perfume Shop off the Champs-Élysées
The Little Antique Shop under the Eiffel Tower
Rebecca Raisin
Copyright (#ue2c2d852-43f8-5bda-a53e-40cd596f12bc)
HQ
An imprint of HarperCollinsPublishers Ltd.
1 London Bridge Street
London SE1 9GF
First published in Great Britain by HQ in 2016
Copyright © Rebecca Raisin 2016
Rebecca Raisin asserts the moral right to be identified as the author of this work.
A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library.
This novel is entirely a work of fiction. The names, characters and incidents portrayed in it are the work of the author’s imagination. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, events or localities is entirely coincidental.
All rights reserved under International and Pan-American Copyright Conventions. By payment of the required fees, you have been granted the non-exclusive, non-transferable right to access and read the text of this e-book on-screen. No part of this text may be reproduced, transmitted, downloaded, decompiled, reverse engineered, or stored in or introduced into any information storage and retrieval system, in any form or by any means, whether electronic or mechanical, now known or hereinafter invented, without the express written permission of HarperCollins.
E-book Edition © June 2016 ISBN: 9781474035514
Version date: 2018-07-23
REBECCA RAISIN
is a true bibliophile. This love of books morphed into the desire to write them. She’s been widely published in various short-story anthologies, and in fiction magazines, and is now focusing on writing romance. The only downfall about writing about gorgeous men who have brains as well as brawn is falling in love with them – just as well they’re fictional. Rebecca aims to write characters you can see yourself being friends with. People with big hearts who care about relationships, and, most importantly, believe in true, once-in-a-lifetime love.
Follow her on Twitter @jaxandwillsmum (https://twitter.com/jaxandwillsmum)
Facebook https://www.facebook.com/RebeccaRaisinAuthor (https://www.facebook.com/RebeccaRaisinAuthor)
Website rebeccaraisin.com (http://www.rebeccaraisin.com)
I want to thank the women in my family who, like Anouk and Lilou, have shown me what quiet determination can achieve. Without their guidance I wouldn’t be the person I am today. I know anything is possible, if you only believe in yourself.
For my Mum, who went without so we could have it all
Contents
Cover (#ua75ae271-47b8-555b-aae9-0509e4c4fc72)
Blurb (#u44686659-9d6b-5e39-86f7-9bb2661287a2)
Praise
Book List
Title Page (#ud1f7923f-4e47-5649-ba2b-0f273948aa67)
Copyright
Author Bio (#u10f1249b-4a92-5318-97ea-208ec84df9d9)
Acknowledgement (#u2a4a72de-9573-5f3c-94aa-a20be7636008)
Dedication (#uc6f028f9-5757-5a20-90a9-fa6b34e620fa)
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine
Chapter Ten
Chapter Eleven
Chapter Twelve
Chapter Thirteen
Chapter Fourteen
Chapter Fifteen
Chapter Sixteen
Chapter Seventeen
Chapter Eighteen
Chapter Nineteen
Chapter Twenty
Chapter Twenty-One
Chapter Twenty-Two
Chapter Twenty-Three
Chapter Twenty-Four
Chapter Twenty-Five
Chapter Twenty-Six
Chapter Twenty-Seven
Chapter Twenty-Eight
Chapter Twenty-Nine
Epilogue
Excerpt (#litres_trial_promo)
Endpages (#litres_trial_promo)
About the Publisher
Chapter One (#ue2c2d852-43f8-5bda-a53e-40cd596f12bc)
A forget-me-not scented breeze ruffled the pages of my newspaper, obscuring the headline that had caught my eye. The fragrant sky blue flowers spilled from planters on the balcony above, perfuming the spring air sweet. Impatiently, I snapped the pages taut, hoping I was mistaken, and there wasn’t bad news on the horizon. For our foreign neighbors, at any rate.
“What is it?” Madame Dupont asked, holding a tiny cup of café noir to scarlet-painted lips. “You’ve practically got your nose pressed against the ink. It’ll come off you know, and you’ll walk around all day with the French Enquirer text written backward across your skin.”
I shook my head ruefully. Only Madame Dupont could think of such a thing. She was a vivacious seventy-something woman who still wore a full face of heavy makeup, with rouged cheeks that were so pink they were almost purple. Her deep hazel eyes were outlined thickly with kohl, and framed by false lashes that looked like exotic ebony fans. Still the twinkle in her eyes was that of a woman half her age, and she had a vitality and spark that was hard to match. Plumes of smoke swirled around her carefully coiffed gray hair, which she pointedly didn’t color, claiming the silvery streaks suited her skin tone. She was never without a lit cigarette encased in an ivory holder, a relic from another era. I’d found it for her at a flea market by the bank of the Seine, and she cherished it.
Of course, when I nagged her about her addiction she laughed high and loud, declaring her vices kept her young. Madame Dupont cast most people in the shade when it came to the business of living, with her beguiling charm, and French sophistication, she was an icon in Paris. In her youth she’d been a famous cabaret singer, and rubbed shoulders with artists around the world, and that glamor had never left her. Sought out by men and women alike who were desperate to be part of her life, and know her secrets. I found it amusing, the way people clamored for her attentions. However, our morning tête-à-têtes were taken on a quiet avenue in Paris, so we could gossip in private without a local spotting Madame Dupont and striking up conversation.
The black and white pages ruffled insistently once more as if reminding me about the article and the distressing headline. “There’s been a spate of robberies in Sorrento, Italy,” I said, handing Madame Dupont the newspaper. “The Dolce Auction House, and the Rocher Estate.”
“What? But we were just there!” Madame Dupont said, donning her diamond-encrusted spectacles and skimming the article.
“Oui,” I said. “Can you imagine?” We were well abreast of our Italian counterparts and what they traded in the antique world. I’d accompany Madame Dupont for an adventure in exotic locales; I couldn’t resist the idea of stepping onto foreign soil and breathing in different air, sitting under different stars. We’d go on buying jaunts when a dazzling collection beckoned. More so, Madame, who owned the Time Emporium, and traveled extensively to source unique clock work. I specialized in French antiques, and only bid for pieces that were from my native country but had lived elsewhere for a while. Between estate sales, auctions, flea markets, and my sources, I had enough in Paris alone to keep me busy, but a little wanderlust in my veins justified the travel.
