Paris For One and Other Stories

Smooth performances by narrators Fiona Hardingham, Susan Duerden, Jayne Entwistle, Olivia Mackenzie-Smith, and Katharine McEwan bring out serendipity's sweet surprises and sometimes ironic influences in these stories about love and self-discovery. In the title story, 26-year-old Nell's seemingly doomed weekend in Paris leads to a serendipitous meeting. Nell's initially anxious tone denotes loneliness and shame, but her tone becomes light and excited as she gains the confidence to experience France with Fabien. In "Holdups," a straightforward delivery and well-timed pauses bring out the irony as a forthright and predictable hostage named Alice captures the heart of her captor. In "A Bird In Hand," listeners are privy to an uneasy reunion between two people that is effectively conveyed through the their strained conversation, which alludes to the irony of the moment when fate swooped in and changed their lives. M.F. Winner of AudioFile Earphones Award � AudioFile 2016, Portland, Maine

September 12, 2016
In this vibrant collection containing one novella and eight short stories, Moyes (Me Before You) once again focuses primarily on heroines who discover their deeper strength and learn about themselves during periods of emotional strife. The stories all deal in some way with romantic entanglements. New passions, old trysts, a Twitter scandal, a heist, and even Louboutin shoes fill up these short but sweet tales. The jewel of the collection is the title novella, “Paris for One,” in which Nell has uncharacteristically splurged on a romantic weekend getaway to Paris for herself and her boyfriend. He fails to arrive, and Nell—a micro-manager who is known to make pro-and-con lists before deciding what sandwich to eat—finds herself suddenly alone in a foreign country. In fewer than 150 pages Moyes creates a fully dynamic and compelling leading woman. In the face of rejection and adversity, Nell begins to learn exactly who she is and what she is capable of. Other stories include a jewelry-store robbery with an amorous twist, the tale of a middle-aged woman who spends a day literally in someone else’s shoes, and a Christmas shopping frenzy that reveals to a harried wife what is really important in life. Bold, humorous, and genuine, the stories in this collection are classic Moyes and will appeal to fans of her novels and newcomers alike. Agent: Sheila Crowley, Curtis Brown Creative.