Paris, My Sweet: A Year in the City of Light (and Dark Chocolate)

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Paris, My Sweet: A Year in the City of Light (and Dark Chocolate)

3.51 of 5 stars 3.51 · rating details · 1,522 ratings · 295 reviews

Part love letter to New York, part love letter to Paris, and total devotion to all things sweet. Paris, My Sweet is a personal and moveable feast that’s a treasure map for anyone who loves fresh cupcakes and fine chocolate, New York and Paris, and life in general. It’s about how the search for happiness can be as fleeting as a sliver of cheesecake and about how the life yo...more

Paperback, 280 pages

Published February 1st 2012 by Sourcebooks, Incorporated

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Nov 06, 2012 Bonnie rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: contemporary, non-fiction, foods-yum-yum, arcs-read, read-in-2011, adult, netgalley

Interested in more of my reviews? Visit my blog!

*sigh*… Paris.

And pastries. :)

What could be better?

‘I guess it goes to show that you just never know where life will take you. You search for answers. You wonder what it all means. You stumble, and you soar. And, if you’re lucky, you make it to Paris for a while. Here’s what happened when I did.’

On top of tales of wonderful sweets, the author shares her own personal story about finding her way in a foreign place, gaining a new perspective on life...more

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Sep 24, 2012 CC rated it 2 of 5 stars

I'm having terrible luck with books lately. For every good one I read, I'm stuck wading through five awful ones. Such was the case with this vapid memoir.

After leading a charmed life growing up in a Connecticut beach town, going to school in Boston, living with a boyfriend in San Fransico, and backpacking through New Zealand, ad-copywriter Amy Thompson ends up in New York. She loves her job, her friends, her apartment and her easy life. Because she's spent a semester abroad in Paris, and also g...more I'm having terrible luck with books lately. For every good one I read, I'm stuck wading through five awful ones. Such was the case with this vapid memoir.

After leading a charmed life growing up in a Connecticut beach town, going to school in Boston, living with a boyfriend in San Fransico, and backpacking through New Zealand, ad-copywriter Amy Thompson ends up in New York. She loves her job, her friends, her apartment and her easy life. Because she's spent a semester abroad in Paris, and also gone there for vacation, she says YES! when her ad firm recruits her to be the token English-speaking person in their Loius Vuitton Paris offices. Once there, she makes her way through bakeries and chocolate shops, eating.

I'm giving this two stars because the concept was appealing -- though the writing spoiled it. The main problem is the self-absorbed narration.

It's not so much what she says -- because, hey if that's your life more power to you -- it's how she says it. The book reads like a teenager's diary, not the thoughts of a money-making, successful, 37 year-old woman. It was all me, me, me! Why isn't someone giving me exactly what I want at every given moment?! And when she wasn't whining, she was bragging about how fabulous her life was.

The prose isn't up to par with the subject matter -- there's little sense of discovery or wonderment. Each tale of a treat or bakery is no different than the last. You have no sense of where you are or what's important about this tart, or this shop. She doesn't paint the picture.

The New York descriptions were a little better. You do get a feel for those streets. Yet, even there, she's disparaging the NY "Carrie Bradshaw" wanabes, while failing to realize she sounds just like them: 1) She literally whines when asked to write copy at her Paris job because in NY that was the assistant's job! or 2) She's astounded -- astounded! -- at the fact that there are not thousands of Frenchmen falling all over themselves to ask her out.

This cluelessness carried through every aspect of the book. I felt compassion for her when she faced a medical crisis in Paris and was desperate to find an English-speaking doctor. But, alas, in the next paragraph she admitted her own doctor in NY had recommended a prescription for this very issue before she left, but she didn't bother, "because she had to pack and say goodbye to her friends!!" Well, hell, it isn't really a medical crisis if it's of your own making.

I haven't read anything this self-centered in really long time. And what kills me is it could've been really good!!

ARRRGGGGHHHHH!!!!!
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Feb 06, 2012 Colette marked it as did-not-finish

I had high hopes for this book because I love all things sweet and have always wanted to go to Paris. (The closest I got was the Charles DeGaulle Airport.) I was able to over look this line: "...but it wasn't long before we became inseparable and I got to learn more key traits from my corn-fed friend from Iowa." Was it necessary to add that bit about corn??? I realize it's a book about food, but still it annoyed me. When I got to this line when she talks about her parents traveling to Europe for...more

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Apr 19, 2013 Dianne rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2012

This is Amy Thomas' personal tug-of-war between Paris and New York. Paris won a few battles; New York eventually won the war. This book tells us about the battles Paris won and how the authour indulged her love of sweet things and tried to experience as much of Paris as she could in the time she was living there.

Each chapter takes on a specific dessert: cupcakes, macarons, cookies, cakes, crumbles, hot chocolate, madeleines and muffins are all given equal attention. You get details of which bak...more

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Jan 16, 2013 Celia rated it 3 of 5 stars

Hmmm... glad I read it, but not as engaging as I'd hoped. I know this author is essentially a travel/fluff piece writer for a host of publications, but her descriptions of places, foods, desserts all started to run together after a while. Maybe that's the trouble you run in to with a book that's half memoir, half dessert review.
I don't mean to knock it completely- it did inspire me to make my first ever batch of macarons (fugly, but delicious), and I love adding awesome places to my list of swe...more

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Oct 16, 2012 Kandice rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: books-read-in-2012, memoir

This was an entertaining memoir about a woman who gets to live abroad in Paris for a year while sampling all things sweet. Given a dream job of writing marketing pieces for Louis Vuitton in Paris, Thomas also spends her time sampling sweets from all the restaurants, bakeries, and chocolate shops in Paris. By comparison, she also details some of her favorite sweets from her hometown of New York City. My only complaint is that a portion of the book is spent with the author bemoaning how she was lo...more

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Aug 01, 2012 Laura rated it 4 of 5 stars

This was the perfect book to bring with me on vacation. I read most of it as we drove from Montreal to the Atlantic provinces—and it got me excited about trying new sweets and foods just like Amy Thomas writes about in her memoir about living in Paris.

For a chocolate lover like me this book had me drooling through all the detailed descriptions of the mouthwatering treats at the patisseries and boulangeries the author discovered as she toured the shops and cafés in Paris. Thomas, a freelance writ...more This was the perfect book to bring with me on vacation. I read most of it as we drove from Montreal to the Atlantic provinces—and it got me excited about trying new sweets and foods just like Amy Thomas writes about in her memoir about living in Paris.

For a chocolate lover like me this book had me drooling through all the detailed descriptions of the mouthwatering treats at the patisseries and boulangeries the author discovered as she toured the shops and cafés in Paris. Thomas, a freelance writer in New York was offered to work in Paris to write ad copy for Louis Vuitton. She jumped at the chance to live in one of her favorite cities in the world. I loved following her on her delicious journey as she alternated between Paris and New York, sometimes comparing, but mostly sharing the best and beloved sweets in the world.

You cannot read this book without getting hungry. I looked for chocolate shops with new interest as we toured new places and towns on our travels, but although I found some good chocolate, nothing compared to the unique chocolate experiences Thomas wrote about. I have been craving the “strawberry balsamic truffle made with strawberry purée, eight-year-old La Vecchia Dispensa Italian balsamic vinegar, and 66 percent dark chocolate, which was dusted with freeze-dried strawberry powder”. I mean, c'mon, doesn't that sound amazing? One bite would bring me to heaven!

Interspersed between such heavenly descriptions are Thomas' reflections on her singlehood and what she wanted to do with her life. She speaks openly about being an expat, about loving both cities (NY and Paris) and how at times she felt she wasn't completely part of either. She writes about her struggles and frustrations with the French culture and how finally she comes to terms with all of this. I could relate to Thomas even though my situation is very different from hers.

Thomas writes about the chefs, (Pierre Hermé, Jean-Paul Hévin, Eric Kayser, to name a few...) and gives a brief history of their place in the chocolate or baking world, some of the baking secrets that make their treats so renowned, and where you can find their delightful creations. So in a way, this memoir is also a reference book, and therefore, a keeper on my bookshelf. It's one of the books you'll want to carry with you if you are heading off to Paris or New York and are interested in touring bakeries and chocolateries. This book has given me a newfound appreciation for chocolate bonbons, cakes, viennoiseries, and everything else to do with one of my favorite foods—chocolate.

Note: This book contains profanity (5 f-words and a few mild religious expletives).
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Jul 16, 2012 Deb (Readerbuzz) Nance rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: france, happiness, cooking, travel, moving-and-starting-over

(I’ve read so many great books about Paris during this wonderful month of Paris in July that I’m a little nervous about mixing up my plots. Paris My Sweet is yet another one.)

Amy Thomas (get ready for the swell of covetousness that is about to overtake you) goes to Paris to write ad copy for Louis Vuitton. That’s an actual job, people. And the job is in Paris.

But if you have read a single moving-and-starting-over book about Paris then you know the sad truth is that even in Paris one has trials....more

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Jun 02, 2012 Reid rated it 3 of 5 stars

Much like the macarons of which she is so fond, this book is sweet, light, airy, insubstantial and, in the end, not really all that satisfying. It is a very personal memoir that nonetheless doesn't go very deep, by which I mean that Thomas shares some of her conflicts and issues, but at the end of the day we don't understand who she really is any more than when we began. My sneaking suspicion is that she is far from the shallow person this would seem to imply and has chosen to share only so much...more

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Apr 21, 2012 Sandie rated it 4 of 5 stars

Amy Thomas fell in love with Paris on a trip in her late teens. She dreamed of living there, and after years of work in the advertising field, she was offered a dream job. She could take a contract to work on the advertising of Louis Vuitton, but would have to move to Paris and work there. Amy jumped at the chance as it was her dream come true.

Amy's other passion was quality desserts. She had, as a side interest, created a blog about sweets and where to find the best ones in New York. She dreame...more

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Apr 05, 2012 Sabrina rated it 4 of 5 stars

Yes, I know. This isn't really a romance but it is a love letter to Paris and New York and after my first trip to Paris last Fall I've been fantasizing about going back. I LOVED Paris and tried to soak up every second of time while I was there. So when this book came to my attention I just had to read it and I thought I would share it with you even if it isn't my typical book to review.

Amy Thomas writes in such a way that even though I spent an idyllic week in Paris, I could so easily see the n...more

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Feb 19, 2012 Cheryl rated it 2 of 5 stars

Paris My Sweet is Amy Thomas’s memoir of her moving to Paris for a job. Although, it was not just for any job. Amy was offered a job working for famed designer, Louis Vuitton. She wrote ad copies. Thus the journey begins for Ms. Thomas.

I could tell from this book just how much Ms. Thomas really loved (obsessed) over all things sweet. If I had to name a place to visit to indulge your sweet tooth, than Paris would instantly come to my mind. I am jealous of Ms. Thomas getting to call Paris her hom...more

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Feb 08, 2012 SOS Aloha rated it 4 of 5 stars

Good Americans, when they die, go to Paris. - Thomas Gold Appleton

Amy Thomas treats us to a culinary tour of both New York and Paris as she moves from the former to the latter. Along the way, she exposes us to cultural references from the perspective of a single woman leaving the security of her NY friends to embrace a dream.

I expected a light hearted tour of Parisian bakeries, confectionaries, and even bistros. As I dined on Thomas’ descriptions of macarons, I realized there is more to this bo...more

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Jan 30, 2012 Anne rated it 3 of 5 stars

Amy Thomas has written a memoir of a time in her life where whe finds herself torn between two cities, Paris and New York. While working in New York and enjoying a fun social life she is given the opportunity through her job to work in Paris. Thomas decides to go for it and shares all of the experiences she has there, the good and the bad. We get to read about what Parisians are really like and we get wonderful descriptions of the amazing food Thomas enjoyed while in Paris.

First I have to say t...more

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Mar 22, 2013 Ameem0 rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: library

I don't know what to really say about this book. I felt like I was reading something chopped up and shuffled together at times. I suppose it would have been nice to have a reference to the french vocabulary. I did like the underlying story, though. I wish somehow there was a bit more focus on that, to balance things out. I picked up this book because I dream of going to Paris, on a nice trip where I can take pleasure in exploring peacefully. I said DREAM, I hope one day it can be a reality. Anyw...more I don't know what to really say about this book. I felt like I was reading something chopped up and shuffled together at times. I suppose it would have been nice to have a reference to the french vocabulary. I did like the underlying story, though. I wish somehow there was a bit more focus on that, to balance things out. I picked up this book because I dream of going to Paris, on a nice trip where I can take pleasure in exploring peacefully. I said DREAM, I hope one day it can be a reality. Anyway, I understood her indecisiveness, hovering between two places in the world and being completely stumped as to which direction you should go. I also like how in the end, it came down to her and her alone. The base of this story is relatable, I think for a lot of women. Over the years our roles have changed and at some point in time we all begin to doubt whatever path it is that we've taken. I understood that, understood her in those moments. The place where everything was getting jarred a bit was the detailed "sweet spot on the map" pages where she would go into a blur of detail about certain desserts, their creators and where to find them. All of this crammed onto one page was confusing, very confusing especially with no translation of french words, desserts, etc. I will gladly admit I am not sweet/ chocolate driven. While I do enjoy them, I've never felt the need to learn and understand them down to the last excruciating detail; the process in which they are tested, made, what flavors are combined, etc. But I do know that if I were in Paris, somewhat long term, I would have wanted to learn those exact same things but most likely without her feverish need. That is something that I have learned from this book. I knew it was complicated this process but I never quite understood how extensive and individualized the dessert world was in France. To have places specializing in all different areas and from what I understood without much overlapping as far as uniqueness is something I can appreciate especially when where I live it's mostly a one stop shop for all or most. Now that my eyes have been opened I am sure my newfound appreciation for these sweet arts will boost my sugary state of bliss. (less)

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Mar 09, 2013 Suzanne rated it 3 of 5 stars

I was pretty much enjoying this book until I got to the third joke at the expense of individuals with disabilities, and then I was even more irritated when she wrote that her language difficulties in Paris enabled her to sympathize with those with special needs. If she'd been joking about African Americans or gays, I doubt that these passages would have made it through copyediting. Sourcebooks has actually published a number of books for parents of kids with special needs, so I find this lack of...more

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Nov 06, 2012 Riki rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2012-reading-challenge

Thomas tells a cute story and her adventures as a New Yorker living in Paris are enviable. Who wouldn't love writing advertising for Louis Vuitton in the beautiful City of Light? Unfortunately it was hard to fall in love with the author and her experience. Throughout the book Thomas is torn between going home to New York and staying in Paris, but her narrative comes across as selfish and whiny. The few times she acknowledges her good fortune are far overshadowed by her constant agonizing over he...more

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Feb 21, 2012 Kate rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: memoir, non-fiction, autobiography, food, chick-lit, set-in-france

Reading this memoir, it’s easy to fall in love with Paris as Amy Thomas sees it. She has a way of describing food not just as the fuel the body needs to survive but rather as something to be savoured and revered.

As a lover of all things sweet and a desire to travel all over the world, at times it felt like this book was speaking directly to me. Amy Thomas, a thirty-five year old career woman who enjoys the single life in New York City gets the opportunity to live in Paris for a year. With the he...more Reading this memoir, it’s easy to fall in love with Paris as Amy Thomas sees it. She has a way of describing food not just as the fuel the body needs to survive but rather as something to be savoured and revered.

As a lover of all things sweet and a desire to travel all over the world, at times it felt like this book was speaking directly to me. Amy Thomas, a thirty-five year old career woman who enjoys the single life in New York City gets the opportunity to live in Paris for a year. With the help of a Vélib, Amy travels all over Paris and experiences all the chocolate shops, bakeries and pastry stores that the City of Light has to offer. This book is part memoir, part guidebook. At the end of each chapter Thomas gives a brief selection of venues in both New York City and Paris that offer some of the delicacies mentioned previously in the chapter. There are a lot of French terms mentioned in story. I was over eager and looked up what they meant only to find a definition of sorts in the next paragraph. Whilst some may say there was too many foreign terms, I appreciated the chance to indulge my inquisitive side and felt better educated by the end of it. D’accord?

Amy as a narrator is fantastic. She’s romantic and shows Paris off in a way that you the reader can tell it’s a place she treasures. The beauty of the food and the city are written about with such passion and detail that I could almost believe I’d been there. At the same time, she doesn’t gloss over the negatives – like the pigeons and the unsmiling locals. She describes it in it’s whole. I also liked her attitude towards life – she’s practical and doesn’t take her situation for granted. I love how brave she was to take this chance and I also adored that despite the indulgence of the food, she doesn’t take it for granted.

Whilst reading this book I kept going online and sneaking peeks at Thomas’ blog, SweetFreak. Between the pictures there and the way the chocolates, cupcakes and other delicious morsels were written about, I was in food heaven. It’s a good thing that window shopping (so to speak) is fat-free. It was enough to both make me extremely hungry and at the same time dissatisfied with all the food options I had in my house. I was craving a Pain au chocolat from Paris, a banana cupcake from New York or another of other sweets that I’d just read about.

If I lived in New York or Paris (or was planning a trip to either city in the future) I’d be including at least one or two of the stores Amy Thomas wrote about!(less)

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Apr 27, 2013 bookczuk rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: bookcrossing, biography-autobiography-or-memoir, foodie

Paris: City of Light, macarons and perfect baguettes. Transplant a New Yorker to Paris and you get the the juxtaposition of madelein to muffin, gateaux to cupcake. Each has a place in the orbit of the universe (most readily in my tummy.) Amy Thomas takes the reader along as she lives abroad, in what could be viewed as the perfect job, and explores the city of her dreams, one bakery at a time. Yet she also loves New York, and having lived, written, and nibbled there, invites the reader on that jo...more

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Dec 06, 2012 Molly rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: borrowed-from-the-library, e-book-format, read-in-2012, non-fiction-memoir-autobiography, about-paris-and-france, about-food-and-cooking

This book is as light and airy as the French pastries the author writes about. I don't know how anyone could expect it to be anything else. It was a very enjoyable romp through not one, but two great cities, equally famous for their cuisines and ways of life. Although the author is about the same age as Elizabeth Gilbert and is undergoing a certain amount of soul searching, I thought this book was also nearly (and blessedly)completely free of the self indulgent BS and whining so heavily ladled o...more

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Feb 01, 2012 Sam rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: biography, europe, france, kindle, owned, review-copies, travel, food

Paris My Sweet is a memoir of a year in the life of thirty-six year old sweet-addict Amy, who gets the chance to work for Louis Vuitton in the city she has always dreamed about. Part guide book to the best bakeries in town, part love letter to Paris, part almost mid-life crisis, Amy must learn to live as an American ex-pat in an utterly foreign city. For readers with a sweet-tooth, there are many mouth-watering descriptions of the various pastries and cakes she tries, along with recommendations...more Paris My Sweet is a memoir of a year in the life of thirty-six year old sweet-addict Amy, who gets the chance to work for Louis Vuitton in the city she has always dreamed about. Part guide book to the best bakeries in town, part love letter to Paris, part almost mid-life crisis, Amy must learn to live as an American ex-pat in an utterly foreign city. For readers with a sweet-tooth, there are many mouth-watering descriptions of the various pastries and cakes she tries, along with recommendations and information about famous chefs and pastry trends.

Paris My Sweet is a light, cosy read. Although it is a well-written memoir, it's written with a light tone that makes it easy to breeze through and escape into. I must admit to not being a massive dessert fan myself (I'm more into savoury snacks), but I did enjoy the descriptions of all the food and imagine that someone who enjoys cakes would love them even more. My favourite part was the passion and joy with which Amy wrote about Paris, I've visited Paris only once and her descriptions made me want to visit again. After reading this book, you too will want to cycle along the Champs D'Elysses, stopping at cute patissiers whenever the mood strikes you.

The parts that I felt didn't work as well were the parts when things became tough for Amy and she starts to feel very isolated living alone in a foreign city. Her feelings are definitely understandable, but the tone of the book is so light (it's like a chick-lit memoir) that it's hard to connect with Amy and really understand what she is going through. The writing jumps from loneliness to cupcakes too quickly to have any real impact. There's also a lot about the ticking of biological clocks that again feels a bit shallow. Paris My Sweet was more about the cakes and the wonderful setting than it was about any real identification with the author.

Still, this is a fun read that's perfect for any armchair traveller or pastry enthusiast. It's quick, breezy and will make you want to travel to Paris and gorge on cake immediately(less)

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Mar 12, 2012 Kelly Lawrence rated it 3 of 5 stars

This is a lovely novel that anyone who has previously read "Lunch in Paris" by Elizabeth Bard will simply devour (it's also a pretty book that will add to any bookshelf! Kudos to the design team). If you have a penchant for sweets and desserts, this book is for you. However, I guarantee that your sweet tooth will be on high alert- I went through a box of macaroons, un pain au chocolate and a few Crumbs cupcakes before finishing this memoir. Guilty.

My major critique is that this book just ended....more

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Dec 30, 2012 Stacey rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I love sweets, I love Paris; I was definitely interested in reading this book! Amy Thomas tells the story of leaving her beloved New York for Paris for work (as a copy writer for Louis Vuitton) - a dream of hers since a semester abroad in college left her smitten with the city. Amy has a sweet tooth and has lots of experiences visiting bakeries in both cities which are interwoven throughout the book. All in all, I thought the book was interesting - the experience of an expat (with limited french...more

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Mar 24, 2012 Marg rated it 4 of 5 stars

Last year I very nearly tormented myself due to the strength of my longing, palpable longing, to renew my acquaintance with Paris. I read books, watched movies, participated in blogging events. I am pretty sure I dreamed of Paris. This year, I have managed to back away from that a little bit, which is probably a little more mentally healthy, but I very nearly had a relapse reading this book!

This book is the story of blogger turned author Amy Thomas swapping her fabulous life in New York for fabu...more Last year I very nearly tormented myself due to the strength of my longing, palpable longing, to renew my acquaintance with Paris. I read books, watched movies, participated in blogging events. I am pretty sure I dreamed of Paris. This year, I have managed to back away from that a little bit, which is probably a little more mentally healthy, but I very nearly had a relapse reading this book!

This book is the story of blogger turned author Amy Thomas swapping her fabulous life in New York for fabulous life in Paris for a year. Amy has a self confessed sweet tooth and so a lot of the focus on the book is about finding the best French desserts on offer.

The food descriptions in this book are fabulous. I was certainly left wishing that I had a cupcake or a cookie, a macaron or one of those delectable little cakes that seem to be popular in Paris by my side as I read through the pages.

One of the differences between this book and others, is that not only does Thomas talk about the new experiences that she is having in Paris, she also compares and contrasts those experiences with her New York memories. For example, in one of the early chapters she talks about how cupcakes are crossing the Atlantic from New York to Paris, but also that macarons have made the opposite journey and where to find the best of each in both of those cities.

If you had the good fortune to be heading to either city, you could use the author's experiences as a guide to finding some of the best indulgences, especially seeing as there are handy maps and also lists of websites, contact phone numbers, addresses etc for many of the places that were mentioned in both cities.

There was a point where I was a little concerned about the direction the narrative was taking when Thomas started lamenting her lack of a love life. Whilst I have no doubt that it was a very real preoccupation, I wasn't sure that I wanted to read yet another I moved to Paris/Tuscany/choose-your-own-destination and had a fabulous life and fell in love with a fantastic guy too! Fortunately, that was a short aberration!

One thing that I did think the author did a great job of was in explaining the feelings that come when you are living overseas for an extended period of time. I spent five years living in the UK, and I could totally relate to the feelings of knowing that you were lucky to be able to live where you are, but also wishing you were back at home some times too. And then when you do go back, you miss your life in your new location! It's like you are living in two places, never fully in either one! Even when I returned home, it took about 18 months to feel like I was fully at home again, and then within six months of finally achieving that feeling I ended up moving to a different city in Australia.

If you have a sweet tooth, if you want to live vicariously through the eyes of Amy Thomas as she spends time in both Paris and New York, then this may be a good choice for you. She certainly had me wishing that I could spend even just a couple of weeks in Paris exploring some of the culinary highlights!

Rating: 4/5(less)

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Feb 10, 2012 Patty rated it 2 of 5 stars

This is a light, frothy memoir about one woman's divided love for two great cities and decided passion for anything sweet. I was expecting it to be a younger woman's tale and was somewhat surprised to find it the story of a woman in her mid-thirties. Maybe I am just old but her seeming so lost at that age did not resonate with me; I had been married for 14 years by this age and well settled into my career although about to get the health shock that would alter my life in unimaginable ways.

The s...more

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Apr 15, 2012 Kristen rated it 4 of 5 stars

Each chapter focuses on a delicious sweet and we are taken on a decadent journey to find the best of the best found in either Paris or New York (or both) as Amy describes her move to Paris, what it is like to explore a new city, to be an expat in a foreign city, her struggles with language barriers and her sense of displacement. As Amy is having a love affair with the city of light, New York and Paris are having a mutual love affair with each other.

I admire Amy, she is living a dream, splitting...more Each chapter focuses on a delicious sweet and we are taken on a decadent journey to find the best of the best found in either Paris or New York (or both) as Amy describes her move to Paris, what it is like to explore a new city, to be an expat in a foreign city, her struggles with language barriers and her sense of displacement. As Amy is having a love affair with the city of light, New York and Paris are having a mutual love affair with each other.

I admire Amy, she is living a dream, splitting time between two of the best cities in the world, working for a famous designer, stuffing her face with sweets and still looking fabulous. For all of her doubts, I think what she did is courageous. She packs up and moves to a new city where she barely knows anyone and in her free time, takes trips to other cities or countries. Not something just anyone can do.

There are times when Amy waxes on about missing New York and feeling as if she doesn’t belong in either city or she gets a little bit snobby (a sign she is adapting to the Frenchie culture) when returning to NYC for a visit. Once I got over my insane jealousy and itch to scream, you are living the dream, take a stroll down the rue Montorgueil and grab a sweet and stop bitching, I applauded her. She calls herself out for whining and snobbery. But she has a point too, of course it’s a dream job in a dream city but she’s also an American living in Paris, it’s not all wine and roses all the time.

As Amy immerses herself in her new city, you are treated to glimpses of her wit. From learning French slang, to her forays into the dating scene to Parisian doctors, Amy is honest about her missteps and her experiences. Whether funny, sad, or saccharine, Amy opens herself to the reader and doesn’t glamourize every detail.

Interspersed with her immense knowledge of all things chocolate, Amy is a devoted Francophile and it’s a treat reading about her explorations in Paris.

I was lucky enough to spend a week in Paris a few years ago and I still miss it. It was a fabulous trip. Reading Paris, My Sweet leaves me feeling melancholy for my time spent there and yearning to go back again and instead of site seeing, taking in the culture. I agree with Amy, you can never spend enough time in Paris; there is so much to see and do. I can taste the Pain au Chocolats and the Crepes as if it were yesterday and I can imagine biting into the new deliciousness Amy opened my eye to in the book.

Overall, I think this was a great read, it was fast-paced and fun. The reader is able to indulge in a tantalizing mix of chocolate and Paris. If you have a love of Paris, and all things French (as I do), or a love of sweets, (or both), you will love this book. If you don’t, you will after reading Amy’s story. There’s a reason Amy writes Sweet Freak, the woman knows her sweets. (less)

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Feb 01, 2012 Allison (The Allure of Books) rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: non-fic, 2012, memoirs

Paris, My Sweet: A Year in the City of Light (and Dark Chocolate) by Amy Thomas is a really enchanting memoir, y’all (or is it primarily a travelogue? I don’t know…you tell me. Pin a tail on the genre). The super accessible writing style and charming chocolate addiction of Amy Thomas won me over immediately.

It is really ironic that I decided to pick up a copy of Paris, My Sweet at all. I actually spent three days in Paris a few years ago and was less than impressed. Of course, three days didn’t...more Paris, My Sweet: A Year in the City of Light (and Dark Chocolate) by Amy Thomas is a really enchanting memoir, y’all (or is it primarily a travelogue? I don’t know…you tell me. Pin a tail on the genre). The super accessible writing style and charming chocolate addiction of Amy Thomas won me over immediately.

It is really ironic that I decided to pick up a copy of Paris, My Sweet at all. I actually spent three days in Paris a few years ago and was less than impressed. Of course, three days didn’t really give the city a fair shake to impress me. All I got to do was the cliched touristy things. But, I was intrigued by Amy Thomas’ background and the mention of chocolate – so I let myself be lured. I’m oh-so-glad I did!

I’ve already used the words charming and enchanting – but allow me to just go ahead and say them again. Paris, My Sweet is nothing if it is not those things. Foodies: take note. Even if you have less than zero interest in reading a book about a woman living in Paris, this is still a book for you.

Chocolate isn’t our author’s only obsession. Seriously! Her orgasmic description of biting into a fresh baguette had me eyeing even my Sara Lee sandwich bread longingly.

Also, you will be insanely jealous of Amy Thomas in the first few chapters. From a life she loves in NYC to a dream job in Paris? Yeah. We can all feel free to hate her. On top of all that, she goes and writes an incredibly creative and witty novel. Now you can really hate her. (But then you have to feel bad when her love of two cities causes an identity crisis later in the book and you’re reminded she really is just human…)

Following her around the streets of Paris on her rented bicycle is an experience. Her down-to-Earth writing makes her feel like a friend that is showing you around. The things she is interested in (food, beautiful landscapes, people) are things I’m interested in.

Paris, My Sweet might be non-fiction, a memoir and a travelogue – but it felt more like a personal letter. I’m so glad that she is also a blogger! Just another level I can relate to her on.

I promise you guys – you will not regret letting Amy Thomas give you her Parisian tour in Paris, My Sweet. Grab a postcard of the Eiffel Tower and a few bars of chocolate and prepare to be transported! I might not have fallen in love with Paris when I visited, but I fell in love with Amy Thomas’ Paris!(less)

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Apr 15, 2012 Tracy rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: living-overseas, recommended, memoir

I'm recommending this book only for the wonderful descriptions of the bakeries in Paris and NYC. Amy Thomas gets a great gig in Paris for 6 months and then ends up extending her stay in the City of Light. The book follows her mid-life challenges, such as they are, as she realizes her friends are marrying and having kids and she remains unattached. She struggles with making friends in Paris and finding a place either as a Parisienne or an expatriate, fining it hard to find her place. When she ret...more

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Feb 08, 2012 Anna rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: non-fiction, reviews

Amy Thomas is a writer who lives in New York and owner of the blog Sweet Freak©. Paris, My Sweet is her story about how she got to live her dream. Not only living in Paris for a year, but also working for one of the top designers. And along the way checking out some of the best chocolatiers in the world.

I don't speak French nor have I ever been to Paris, but I have always want to visit. Like Ms. Thomas I'm a bit of a sweet fanatic. So, while this book isn't my normal genre - it was the perfect r...more

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Oct 17, 2012 Kate rated it 4 of 5 stars

This was a great book. Not only does this book take place in one of my favorite locations (Paris), but it's about one of my favorite things on Earth (chocolate, or, more broadly, sweets). She is a very funny author. I definitely connected with her...her humor seemed similar to mine which made it an enjoyable read.

I also liked this book because it wasn't just about how great Paris is. She truly had to learn how to cope with being in a new, foreign city with few friends and a language barrier. Sh...more

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About Amy Thomas

Amy Thomas is a writer based in Paris and New York.

It was during her junior year abroad at the American University of Paris that Amy's infatuation with the City of Light (and Dark Chocolate) blossomed into true love. But when she finished her degree at Babson College, it was to San Francisco that she moved. There, she started a career in advertising at J. Walter Thompson and Foote, Cone & Beld...more

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“I guess it goes to show that you just never know where life will take you. You search for answers. You wonder what it all means. You stumble, and you soar. And, if you’re lucky, you make it to Paris for a while.” — 15 people liked it

“But sometimes you want things just because you think you're supposed to. And sometimes it's the things you never even knew you wanted that give your life the most meaning.” — 7 people liked it

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Paris, My Sweet: A Year in the City of Light (and Dark Chocolate)

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