Cynthia Morris’ fast-paced, intriguing romantic fantasy, Chasing Sylvia Beach, transports us to 1937 Paris where a twenty-something protagonist Lily Heller travels back in time from her modern, directionless life as a bookstore clerk in Denver to prewar Paris where she finds herself seeking out her heroine, Sylvia Beach. Sylvia founded the Shakespeare and Company Bookshop. Lily has researched the life and times of Sylvia Beach in her current life. The time travel becomes a metaphor for connecting with her dreams and finding her own way. The author has done a masterful job of weaving in the flavor of prewar Paris-its people, the conditions in which they lived, the social mores of the times, the architecture of the buildings, the clothing, the complexity and danger of the impending Nazi invasion. The reader feels they are a part of another time and place and the author’s love of Paris is evident through the story. Meeting Ernest Hemingway, Gertrude Stein and James Joyce certainly add authenticity and richness to the experience. Romance, mystery, conflict and suspense are all interwoven in as Lily finds herself falling for a handsome Frenchman, discovers she is being followed by an undercover league of bibliophiles and becomes involved with a Nazi agent. She is forced to make choices that will reconcile her past and help her find her way. This novel is an engaging page-turner that entertains the reader with vivid imagery, escalating tension, fascinating characters and a satisfying ending with a twist. It is a story that will stay with you and make you want to read her next book.