The sign on a pretty street in the heart of Saint-Germain reads: Luna Luna, Rosalie's Wishing Cards It is a boutique stationery shop that belongs to 28-year- old Rosalie Laurent, a graphic design artist. She sells stationery and has racks of beautiful all occasion cards, Pens, paper weights, gift wraps, and "wishing cards".These are her best sellers. She designs and personalizes "wish" cards for her customers Her constant companion in her newly decorated all-shades-of-blue shop is William Morris. A well behaved, adorable Lhasa Apso, named after the Victorian Painter, sleeps next to the front door in his little bed and is an added delight to Rosalie.

Her relationship of three years with Rene Joubet, a personal trainer, seems to be going nowhere. Rene disapproves of Rosalie's diet, lack of exercise and her love of croissants. Her daily croissants and walks to the park with her pet is her regime with no plans to change it. Her rocky relationship with her widowed and affluent mother is testy. The artistic life her daughter is leading is unacceptable to Catherine Laurent. She wants Rosalie to marry a rich, successful man and that does not include Rene. Rosalie loves her shop and is a romantic and a dreamer.

Max Marchais is a successful writer of children's books. At 70, he is a lonely widower in a big empty house in the country with more money than he ever dreamed of. He continues to grieve for his wife, Marguerite, who was killed accidentally when cycling. A car door flew open, causing her to fall and break her neck... Shattered, he is spending his golden age reading books and has no desire to write. His publisher, however, has other idea. He pursues him relentlessly to write another children's book. This time he offers a new creative illustrator and Max goes to Luna Luna to meet her. He and Rosalie join forces to create The Blue Tiger. An instant best seller, they become friends. American Professor Robert Sherman has returned to Paris after twenty-six years. When he visited the City of Lights with his beloved mother, they always planned to return together, but his mother died recently. His fiance, Rachel, has given him an ultimatum. Rachel insists he join his father's law practice and make some real money, but Robert wants to continue as a Professor, perhaps remaining in Paris. Wandering the streets of Paris, he stops outside a stationer's window and stares at a display of a book including The Blue Tiger. A story his mother read to him every night when he was five years old. That is his book. Who stole it?

I loved everything about PARIS IS ALWAYS A GOOD IDEA: the title, the cover, the story of Robert and Rosalie, Paris, The Pont des Arts, an old wooden bridge with one side facing the Eiffel Tower the other facing Notre-Dame. Romantic, you betcha! Already on my keeper shelf to be re-read, PARIS IS ALWAYS A GOOD IDEA stole my heart. I recommend it to everyone who believes in chance, fate and love. 5 stars. Nicolas Barreau is a new favorite author.

Book Summary

Rosalie Laurent is the proud owner of Luna Luna, a little post-card shop in St. Germain, and if it were up to her, far more people would write cards. Her specialty is producing "wishing cards," but where her own wishes are concerned the quirky graphic artist is far from lucky. Every birthday Rosalie sends a card inscribed with her heart's desire fluttering down from the Eiffel Tower - but none of her wishes has ever been fulfilled.

Then one day when an elderly gentleman trips up in her shop and knocks over a post-card stand, it seems that her wish cards are working after-all. Rosalie finds out that it is Max Marchais, famed and successful author of children's books who's fallen into her life. When he asks her to illustrate his new (and probably last) book, Rosalie is only too glad to accept, and the two - very different - maverick artists become friends.

Rosalie's wishes seem to be coming true at last, until a clumsy American professor stumbles into her store with accusations of plagiarism. Rosalie is hard pressed to know whether love or trouble is blowing through her door these days, but when in doubt, she knows that Paris is Always a Good Idea when one is looking for the truth and finding love.