Lost and Found in Paris

A Novel

By: Lian Dolan

Narrated by: Brittany Pressley

The thinking woman’s ultimate escapist adventure in Paris, told with wit, style, and a touch of intrigue, by the popular and dynamic author of The Sweeney Sisters.

Joan Blakely had an unconventional childhood: the daughter of a globe-trotting supermodel and a world-famous artist. Her artist father died on 9/11, and Joan—an art historian by training—has spent more than a decade maintaining his legacy. Life in the art world is beginning to wear on her—and then one fateful afternoon her husband drops a bombshell: he’s fathered twins with another woman.

Furious but secretly pleased to have a reason to blow up her life, Joan impulsively decides to get out of town, booking a last-minute trip to Paris as an art courier: the person museums hire to fly valuable works of art to potential clients, discreetly stowed in their carry-on luggage. Sipping her champagne in business-class, she chats up her seatmate, Nate, a good-looking tech nerd who invites her to dinner in Paris. He doesn’t know she’s carrying drawings worth hundreds of thousands of dollars.

But after a romantic dinner and an even more romantic night together, Joan wakes up next to her new lover to discover the drawings gone. Even more shocking is what’s been left in their place: a sketch from her father’s journals, which she thought had been lost when he died on 9/11, and a poem that reads like a treasure hunt.

With Nate as a sidekick, Joan will follow the clues all over Paris—from its grand cathedrals to the romantic bistros to the twisty side streets of Monmarte—hoping to recover the lost art, and her own sense of adventure. What she finds is even better than she’d expected.

©2022 Lian Dolan (P)2022 HarperCollins Publishers

This novel had me from the 1st paragraph!

The storyline, the characters, and the well-crafted descriptions and dialogue spirited me swiftly from one paragraph to the next. I am so sad that it had to end. I would love a sequel!

So much exposition

There is a ton of telling in this story. Soooo much about her father and 9/11. The theft/mystery and half-baked romance were disappointing, unfortunately. Nate was just a rebound fling in the end, which definitely wasn’t what I expected. Good narrator.

Cute but not my thing

I don’t read girl lit or romances but enjoyed the Joan of Arc references and the descriptions of Paris. There were some enjoyable story twists and it held my attention but I didn’t gain affection for any character and I’m annoyed by stories where everyone is rich and privileged. If these things don’t bother you and you are looking for pure escape then it’s a fine choice.

Fun story but….

Maybe I’m wrong, but I would think that people who love France, the french language would be especially drawn to this novel. I certainly was. So I was really annoyed by the narrator’s mispronunciation of so many words and places in France!! I get that “Joan” isn’t fluent in french, but it is insulting that the author, the narrator and the editor allowed SO many incorrectly pronounced words, names of streets and famous places be said over and over. It shows a lack of respect for the language, which I’m sure was unintentional. I also felt that the narrator, as bubbly and emotive as she was, was always rushing through the read, as though the director was telling her to go faster. Her ability to change voices, pitch and pace was excellent, though. You knew who was speaking at all times. There were some loose ends that were not tied up sufficiently, but overall, the story was a fun caper!

Throughly Enjoyed

Think Nancy Drew as a world traveling fashonista and it will sum up this book. Great story line and great fun

Hits The Spot

This book is just what I like. It isn't too literary as to make me feel like I am in class with a paper due soon. And it is not too fluffy either. I loved the references to fashion, art, and general fabulousness. And the setting in Paris.....how can one resist that! The cherry on top is the narrator, one of the best in the business. I just bought another book by Lian Dolan with Brittany Pressley narrating and can't wait to start listening!

Fun!

Really great elements in this well-written, enjoyable story . A caper, a romance, a glitzy Hollywood couple and international who’s who. Compelling (albeit entitled) characters. Highly entertaining! Great narration too! Highly recommend!

Escapism at its best

What’s not to love about a book set in Paris. Likable characters, mostly, fun story line, no gratuitous violence or nastiness. Great book!

Art & Love in Paris

Art mystery, romance, family grief, and rebirth in Paris - and a woman’s journey to find herself and find out what matters most.

Now I really want to see Paris.

We can feel every possible emotion with Joan as she experiences them in her far from normal life. Delightful details are shared about each character. Helen, Elizabeth, the sisters Sweeney, Joan, who will Lian Dolan bring us next? I'm anxious to meet them.