Jojo Moyes Gets to the Heart of the Matter in Paris for One & Other Stories

Who doesn’t dream of jetting off to Paris for a romantic couples weekend? Wine, cheese, the Eiffel tower—all in one beautiful place that simply oozes romance. This is exactly what Nell, the lead character in the title story of Jojo Moyes’ collection of short stories, Paris for One and Other Stories, can’t wait to experience. But in this charming novella, Nell’s dreams don’t exactly become reality. When her poor excuse for a boyfriend backs out of the trip just as Nell drops her bags in the City of Lights, she finds herself on an unexpected adventure that changes the course of her life.
Like many of the stories in this collection, “Paris for One” is a sweet, fun read that will fly by. It’ll also have you cheering for an appealing character to learn to trust love again and open her heart to new experiences. (And, naturally, salivating at all the culinary loveliness that comes from dining in Paris.) Nell has always taken the safe road in life, and to see her hop on the back of a stranger’s scooter and hold on tight, takes the reader on an exciting journey along with her. It’s delightful to watch as she begins to come out of her shell, living life the way she’s always wanted to live it; finding her strength, along with her voice.

The discovery of a hidden strength of character is also woven throughout the other stories in this collection. “Between the Tweets” features Bella, a female detective hired to figure out who is behind defamatory tweets about a television host. Not only is Bella a force to be reckoned with during her investigation, but so is the person secretly sending those tweets. And let me tell you, this story has one of those powerful endings that makes your jaw drop, and leaves you looking around for someone you can immediately tell about it.
My personal favorite of all the gems in this collection was the very last one, “The Christmas List.” It isn’t so much of a story, as much as an opportunity to be an extra passenger in a taxi cab currently occupied by an anxiety-ridden woman desperate to please all of the people around her. It’s through the kindness of a stranger, her driver, that she awakens to just how unhappy she is and what the true spirit of Christmas is really all about. The story is a wonderful reminder of how giving happiness to others doesn’t have to be at the expense of your own.

Just as she did in her enormously popular and resonant New York Times bestsellers, Me Before You, and After You, Moyes mixes a potent cocktail of humor, irony, and strong female protagonists and then shakes things up in this heady collection that fans—as well as new readers—will love.
Paris for One and Other Stories is available now!