Seven Letters from Paris: A Memoir

I really liked this book, it was good reading, no boring parts. My only thought was after 20 years and there was still that "spark". It made it almost unbelievable, almost fairy tale. I may suggest it to my book club, thats where I got the name and author, in Good Housekeeping magazine a book club had read and discussed this book and I had to read it!

This was a funny, delightful and emotional read. The highs and lows of the author's life are genuinely felt through her wonderful and witty writing. I am giving it to my 23 yr. old daughter to help her think about the decisions she makes in life and how they can impact one's future!

I just finished Samantha Vérant's "Seven Letters from Paris," a fine romantic memoir of what can go right when a person allows passion to flourish in her life.

I wanted to read this book because my story is so similar to Samantha's: in my late 30's with a second marriage experiencing unrepairable faults in its foundation, I reconnected with a man I had first met when I was almost 18, my best friend's oldest friend. He lived in Paris, an American who went there because of a French woman and stayed for his children and his job after his marriage ended. We didn't have a romance when we were young (he long-distance dated my friend for a time), but through his blog and letter-writing 20 years after first meeting, we bonded. There was something there, I thought, that was of soul and substance. After more explosions in the second marriage and its demise, I went to France at 40, too, just a year before Samantha did, in the hopes of pursuing the romance of a lifetime. I married the object of my affection, just like she did, but when life circumstances and situations became too hard, my husband chose not to continue the marriage. This is where Samantha's and my stories diverge.

Happily, even if with struggles along the way, Samantha and her Prince Charmant, Jean-Luc, wed in 2010. Samantha and Jean-Luc are still happily wed and living in Toulouse, France. I stayed in Paris until 2012, my third marriage barely off to a start before it ended. It's been a painful time to recover from yet another marriage loss, but Samantha Vérant's story taught me a little bit about why my story ended so differently from hers, and part of the reason why the other two ended as well.

Here is what I learned through this engagingly-written book, which came to life for me through the wonderful and romantic descriptions: He, the man, needs to have passion for you. He does not necessarily need to lead a passionate life nor be a poet in rocket-scientist disguise (as is Samantha's husband, Jean-Luc), but he does indeed need to have passionate feelings for the woman he is with, or else it is just friendship with benefits, or some kind of roommate situation, staying with someone out of obligation. Not that "friendship with benefits" is something *wrong*, if that is truly what both people want and need. But for something grand, spiritual, committed, romantic, and beautiful, he's gotta be into you, babe. This is what I really finally understood from reading this book.

People have been telling me for years that there is something to a relationship where the man thinks his woman hung the moon and treats her like it. The lightbulb in my head finally turned on when reading "Seven Letters in Paris": hold out for what is the extraordinary in a romantic relationship and do not settle for that which is dull and passionless, or, god forbid, outright abusive. Hold out hope for the one who *knows* you are "the one" and who makes sure you do not disappear from his life -- especially not a second time. Samantha discovered this same truth after hitting rock bottom, and writes about it in a humorous, hopeful, and passionate way.

I recommend this book if you enjoy realistic but romantic stories, stories about recharging and rebooting your life, or if you want to read a tale of hope of recovery after living a disconnected and passionless life. You'll find it an encouraging read.

Call me old-fashioned but there is nothing more romantic than a love letter; a real, tangible, penned by hand, sealed with a kiss, love letter! Samantha Verant's, Seven Letters From Paris, is an endearing tale of how seven such letters, bridged a 20 year gap between a woman of a certain age and a Frenchman she long left behind in Paris. It's a tale of how a once, unrequited love, found its way out of a shoebox and reawakened heart's desire. But Seven Letters from Paris is more than just a love story, it's a tale of transformation, it's a soul-searching journey into the unknown. Samantha Verant, finding the courage to walk away from a life that's not her own, overcomes many obstacles, inside and outside of herself to reclaim her own life and to reclaim a very charming Frenchman that she once left behind in Paris! As she journeys into the unknown, Samantha Verant opens up her heart to her readers, brushing up against: fear, anger, loneliness, uncertainty, frustration, excitement, passion, joy, love and contentment. As you journey to the shores of California, to Paris, to the South of France with Samantha, you are reminded along the way, to steer your own ship, be the navigator of your own heart and to seize life's second chances. It's a beautiful, romantic journey in life and love, one that you definitely will not want to miss!

The author supplied an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This is the romantic story of Samantha, a career gal from Chicago who has lost her job, given up on her loveless marriage,turned 40 and moved back in with her parents. (I'm not sure it all happened in that particular order.) Somewhere along the way she uses the internet to reconnect with a man she met 20 years prior, when visiting Paris with a Eurail pass. He wrote her seven wonderful love letters -- all of which she ignored. At which point, he ceased writing.

Cue the romantic violins. Jean Luc gets the email, and responds ‎immédiatement. He is in the midst of his own marital troubles, and the romance picks up with all the intensity of 20 years ago. He sounds like a wonderful guy and is clearly smitten with Samantha. The book doesn't spend much time on the gritty details of finances and failed romance, but focuses on her feelings, and details as she gets to know Jean Luc in the present day. It has a the comfortable, intimate tone of a friend dishing on her new beau.

Very occasionally Samantha can come across as whiny, and I do hope she is using any riches from the book to make right the debts she discharged in bankruptcy. Jean Luc's letters are enough to warm the most jaded of hearts, and I'm glad she included them. I hope the finished book has photos (my review copy did not) but if not, author Samantha Verant has pictures on her website (www.samanthaverant.com).

To the happy couple, I say bonne chance and ‎félicitations.

Samantha Verant's Seven Letters from Paris takes you on an amazing journey. Following the breakdown of her then marriage the Author finds the seven letters from Jean-Luc that had been sent to her some 20 years previously from his home in France following a very brief encounter they had when Samantha left America for a trip to Europe.
Taking a 'brave' step the Author starts the search for Jean-Luc (using the internet) to at least respond & apologise for not having replied to his beautiful letters at the time. Well….. I don't want to give too much away obviously - but this is such a good read, it's written well and keeps you captivated. From divorce & bankruptcy to love & laughter & everything in-between. There are sad as well as heart-warming, humorous & romantic moments - some of the Author's faux par's in France are hilarious - I hope other readers will love this Memoir as much as I have. I am happy to recommend.

Everyone wishes for romance, love in their lives. What happens if you had a chance at love only to let it pass you by? Would you be tempted to see what happened to that person later on in life and better yet would you be willing to give that love another chance?

Seven Letters From Paris is a memoir that has 40 yr old Samantha at a turning point in her life. She’s about to ask for a divorce when she comes across some love letters from her past. Twenty years ago, she met a handsome Parisian only to leave him at the train tracks. He wrote her 7 love letters. After Samantha comes across them she feels she needs to find him and apologize. What happens next is the stuff of fairy tales. Only this is real!

Loved this amazing memoir that is the stuff of Hollywood love stories. It’s filled with memories of 1989 Paris and Samantha’s courage to go after her heart. I loved the flash backs to 1989 Paris but I also loved her journey to recapture something that had been painfully missing in her present life: passion.

This love story is like a real life Disney tale complete with magic, love, and hope. I mean, seriously, who wouldn’t fall in love with a handsome Parisian guy who writes love letters? There’s also friendship woven through the pages along with the support of Sam's family, even when she doubts if she’s making the right choice.

The lush France countryside is shown through the eyes of Jean-Luc and Samantha as they recapture the connection/passion they had twenty years previously. Sure there are some snags along the way but nothing some courage and hope can’t conquer.

A magical romance that is sure to sweep readers off their feet as they follow Samantha on her journey of the heart.

Seven Letters from Paris is a memoir by an American woman now living in south-western France, Samantha Verant. Moaning to her closest friend Tracey about her life’s latest terrible turns (jobless, deep in debt and her marriage on the rocks), Samantha Platt, almost forty, is reminded about a European holiday twenty years earlier, and a chance encounter with a Frenchman, Jean Luc Verant. She digs out the seven letters he sent her from Paris. And what letters they were: full of romance and promise. Letters to which she never replied….

With the wonders of the Internet, Facebook and Google, Samantha tracks Jean Luc down, apologises, twenty years late, for her lack of reply, and sends him a link to her seven-part blog describing their Paris encounter. Dare she hope for a civil reply, let alone something more? Obviously, since, in the opening passages, Samantha refers to Jean Luc as her husband, she can. But after an interval of twenty years, there are more than a few obstacles, psychological, logistical and bureaucratic, to be overcome before this true romance can properly develop from its initial spark. This is an enjoyable read: at times moving and often hilarious, with a true happily-ever-after ending.

This is Samantha Verant's memoir of overcoming a bad marriage, debt, and starting over. She decides to reconnect with an old beau who wrote her seven letters 20 years earlier. Together they begin over again together.

I enjoyed this story. She's a likable person who has hit bottom. She's afraid of the future but knows she has to go back into her past for closure so she can move on. She meets the obstacles in her way, handles them, and moves on. The story flows nicely. I wanted to know what happened to her. I wanted to see her succeed. I loved the wedding cake. That is when I knew she would make it. A fun story full of courage and hope.

This is such a beautifully written, honest story about overcoming the immense loss that is divorce and moving on to find true love. Samantha’s willingness to open her heart to someone she’d met so long ago and then share their incredible story in her memoir has certainly given me hope and has warmed my heart. Samantha’s love story with Jean-Luc really is a fairy-tale come true, but not without its own challenges of course! The financial stress after divorce, the paperwork insanity of getting married in France, becoming an instant mother, and learning the ever-beautiful, ever-challenging French language are all obstacles Samantha faces in her story. But she does so with passion, grace, and love in her heart and in her prose. Bravo for sharing your beautiful story, Samantha, and for giving divorced women everywhere (including me!) the hope that true love is not only out there, but it is better than we could’ve ever dreamed it to be.

I picked up SEVEN LETTERS FROM PARIS expecting to love the book based on its premise: a 40-something American woman suffering through a bad marriage rediscovers seven letters a French man sent her 20 years earlier and sets out to apologize for never responding to him all those years ago. It sounds like such a romantic story, especially with the Paris setting (which actually is only a part of the story), and twenty-four hours after I started it I can say that it did not disappoint in the slightest.

Samantha Verant is a witty, down-to-earth writer who engages the reader from the very beginning. I love how she disperses Jean-Luc's letters throughout the book, which tell a story within a story. I also love unique book structures, and this one worked very well. Besides being a passionate love story, this book also shows how people can have a second lease on life and follow their dreams, even when the future is scary and unknown. Highly recommended!

Reading Seven Letters from Paris is like traveling to France with a good friend — the journey revolves around laughter and angst, food and wine, new and cherished connections. Throughout this memoir, I commiserated, I laughed, I cheered our brave heroine on.

Samantha Verant is a women who had the courage to take a chance in life; she took the proverbial lemons and made French-pressed lemonade. Her witty writing is in a similar vein as Peter Mayle, in A Year in Provence (Mayle also endorsed the book, too).

Seven Letters from Paris is a delightful look at a woman who rebooted her heart and created the life she deserved. In addition, this charming tale is certain to inspire legions of letter writers bent on romance.

Five stars for this courageous writer; I’m certainly hoping for more from Samantha Verant as she continues her life adventures.

If you adore really unique love stories, and all the romance of France, and weddings (!) ... then this book is for you.

Samantha Vérant's life is all but shattered as she approaches forty. Saddled with debt and in a crumbling marriage, she finds a bundle of letters she received twenty years ago from a man she kissed in Paris. He had sent her seven of them in is his hope that their fleeting romance would turn into something deeper. She never answered.

Now, with nothing to lose, she decides to respond - if nothing more than to close that door and give him the respect he deserved. Unexpectedly, they find that their passion was only dormant and not dead - and a whirlwind ensues. Mme Vérant is a veritable phoenix, and her story gives hope to the tender-hearted that it's never too late to find true love.

I highly recommend this book.

* I was given an Advanced Reader Copy in exchange for my honest review.

This was such a romantic, hopeful memoir. Samantha Verant's world is crumbling in on her. Her marriage is lifeless, her debt staggering, her career stagnant. When a close friend dares her to start blogging about a set of old love letters, just the motion of dragging those twenty year old letters out of storage changes everything.

Samantha decides to apologize to the writer of those letters, Jean-Luc, through a series of blog posts. They reconnect and Samantha takes us on the journey through her renewed friendship, inevitable divorce, renewed passion with Jean-Luc, to their marriage in both France and California.

It is funny, and swoony, and so full of giddy hope that I blazed through this book in two days. This book will make you believe in fate and have you wishing for a French rocket scientist of your own!

(Author supplied ARC in exchange for an honest review)

Having read this life-affirming call-to-love in under 72 hours, I'd wholeheartedly recommend this sweet memoir to anyone with a romantic bone in their body.

It's a true "Eat, Pray, Love" without the big advance prepaid to fund her research into 'living life to the fullest.' Samantha Vérant is a brave soul who takes us on her journey to avoid sinking into a bottle of Pinot Noir in utter despair of how her life was panning out as she approached 40, but instead to choose to believe and open her heart. And it's funny. I loved the French faux pas and Samantha's little freak-outs at every turn.

To be read if you've derailed yourself and want to get your groove back on track... :)

Author supplied an ARC for my honest review.

Samantha Verant tells us right at the start of her utterly charming memoir that there's going to be a happy ending: she gets the guy. And that's part of the charm. Even though we know that she will ultimately marry the French rocket scientist she spurned 20 years earlier, she manages to keep us engaged through a combination of suspense, self-deprecating humor and good old fashioned romance. When she's down and out and stumbles across the seven love letters he once sent her, will she have the guts to reply two decades too late? When she tracks him down via Google and sends off an email, will he answer? When they finally meet up again -- in Paris, the city of love -- will she still like him? The answer, as Molly Bloom said, is 'Yes, yes, yes!' Even though we know from the outset that this couple is going to reunite, we find ourselves rooting for Samantha, a modern American everywoman whose misadventures in love can seem painfully familiar, and whose triumphs we savor. I read the first half of this book in one sitting and then finished it in smaller bites for a simple reason -- I didn't want it to end. It's a delicious, playful, satisfying read. Highly recommended!

A wonderful, big-hearted, light-hearted, and deep-hearted modern love story, about a woman who opens herself to love -- twenty years after finding it in a Parisian café. Samantha Vérant explores, among other things, what took her so long, and how the other men in her life, over the course of her life, influenced her sense of self - and belief in love - in both negative and positive ways. I won't say more as I don't want to be a spolier, especially as I got an advance copy from the publisher and the book doesn't come out until later this year. I'll just summarize by saying Seven Letters was a great read, so put it on your fall reading list. Five stars!

Instead of accepting a loveless marriage for the rest of her life, the author forges ahead into unknown territory. The decision to dramatically change her life takes courage as does searching for her long-lost love. I felt as if I were with Sam every step of the way, living this fairy tale romance.

If you're looking to read a too-good-to-be-true love story, this is the book. I was engaged throughout and want to keep reading about this couple into the future. Very rarely does one come upon such a wonderful, intimate love story. I wanted this book to keep going.

The author supplied an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

A real life love story. I think this experience of rekindling with a past love is one that many readers wish they could experience. Through Ms.Verant's writing, the reader can experience that rekindling as her story unfolds. I enjoyed this real life fairy tale immensely and have purchased the book for others to enjoy. Love letters in our own hand are one of the most precious ways for us to express ourselves to people we love. I am so happy to have read this memoir and to have shared in their love story.

I liked how this wasn't your traditional love story. You'd think with an American girl meeting and falling in love with a Frenchman that it'd be a walking cliche, but then she dumps him and doesn't reconnect until 20 years later. I quickly became absorbed in her story--why did she dump him, how had it all started, and how would it end up? I enjoyed reading about her path to happiness, and of course a handsome French guy and the inherent romance of France never hurts!

Heartwarming and honest, Samantha Verant's 'Seven Letters from Paris' is an affirmation that love will find a way - even if it's years later. Verant's writing takes us on a journey, from divorce and bankruptcy to a new life in France. Told in a clear, direct manner, it's a book that will leave you with a smile on your face. Highly recommended!

*I received a copy of this book from the author in exchange for an honest review.

I loved, loved, loved, this book! This book was given to me by my sister Monique. Samantha, I am so glad you found true love and passion. It is every girl's wish to be a princess and marry her Prince Charming. You have done just that! This was truly a delightful story. I can't wait to read your sequel.

I was actually partway into this story before I twigged it was a true story. This simply made it better for me. I even did a big of a google search and was happy to see things were still going well for the characters. Such an uplifting story as I'm sure a few of us have 'what if' people in our past.

Heartwarming and honest, Samantha Verant's 'Seven Letters from Paris' is an affirmation that love will find a way - even if it's years later. Verant's writing takes us on a journey, from divorce and bankruptcy to a new life in France. Told in a clear, direct manner, it's a book that will leave you with a smile on your face. Highly recommended!

*I received a copy of this book from the author in exchange for an honest review.

I loved, loved, loved, this book! This book was given to me by my sister Monique. Samantha, I am so glad you found true love and passion. It is every girl's wish to be a princess and marry her Prince Charming. You have done just that! This was truly a delightful story. I can't wait to read your sequel.

A romantic book that proves that true love does still exist, even if it takes you 20 years to find it. Life has ups and downs, and the author certainly had a lot of downs, but she always holds out hope that things will get better, and she works to make her dreams come true. An enjoyable read, made all the more enjoyable by the fact that it's true--who doesn't like a good love story?

I was actually partway into this story before I twigged it was a true story. This simply made it better for me. I even did a big of a google search and was happy to see things were still going well for the characters. Such an uplifting story as I'm sure a few of us have 'what if' people in our past.

I never really thought of myself as a romantic, and I'm slightly embarrassed to say that I found my cheeks wet, from both sadness and happiness, during many a beautiful moment in this book. Samantha's story is not only heartwarming, offering hope to women in a similar situation, but ... it's a damn good read! Perhaps it's "the truth" that makes this book so compelling and hard to put down. Or perhaps it's merely the fact that Samantha is a master storyteller. Most likely, it's a combination of the two. I loved every moment reading this book, and I'm sure you will too. Even if you're "not" a romantic like me.

Note: The author supplied an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I absolutely love a book that makes me feel good. This honest story about a Girl who meets Mr Perfect, but then goes away to discover who she really is, what fairy tales are made of. Samantha shares with us everything about her self discovery, including us at her wedding and a mini tour of her beloved France. If you are a romantic, a cynic or a believer that all things French are roses, red wine and love....this book is for you! I just ordered my send copy today, (it is the perfect gift my best friend's birthday!)

I loved this book. It just reminded me that there is hope and it's never too late to make things right. It was romantic, real and uplifting. Take the second chance when you're offered it. Create a second chance when you need it. Just be happy. Samantha's story is told with charm and honesty. It's not preachy, just a real memoir that makes you smile. I

"Seven Letters..." is so much more than a love story - it's a story that reaches out to everybody on all levels and shows them that regardless of background, circumstances, etc, it is possible to turn your life around.
Verant has a very self deprecating style of writing, which makes you warm to her. Yes, sometimes you get frustrated and think 'Why did you do that?!" but this is testament to her ability to warm you to and make you feel as if you know the character.

The author supplied an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I wish I could share the enthusiasm of the positive reviewers, but I really did not like this book. The idea is wonderful - a rekindled romance after 20 years. But I couldn't get past how self absorbed the author was - and were we supposed to feel sorry for her that she messed up her life and went bankrupt? I ended up feeling sorry for Jean-Luc.

This is a lovely and light-hearted story that will make you believe in romance and second chances. It falls somewhere between a travel book and a romantic novel which makes it all the more fun as the author takes you through different parts of France. It should definitely restore everyone's faith in the idea of following you heart! (I'm so hoping that someone will make a film out of this...)

A charming story - I enjoyed it because it was based on a true life experience. Many of us can identify with holiday romances in our youth, decisions made which turned out to be not for us, financial problems for which solutions had to be found, adapting to a whole new extended family with a different culture... I enjoyed the writing style - it was amusing, poignant and attractive.