Review Detail

Ben is about to spend a week in Paris with his high school’s French Club. He’s eager, but also a bit nervous in part because of the presence of his former best friend Tyler. But Ben is determined to make the best of it, and to finish the bucket list he made for this trip. LIKE WE WERE IN PARIS follows Ben and Tyler around the city when they get locked out of their hostel one night.

The romance between Ben and Tyler is sweet. It feels a bit one-sided at first, primarily because we only ever get to see the story from Ben’s POV, but flashbacks and conversations help open the relationship and feelings up more. It wasn’t the most engaging romance for me, but I did enjoy it and thought that the two characters worked well together.

If you’re looking for a light-hearted story, this is a solid choice. There are moments of seriousness, but for the most part the book is free of tension and angst. Enough to keep the novel moving, but not too much so as to overwhelm the sweet vibe of the book. The cover manages to capture the essence of the book well: simple and sweet with a cute romance.

This book is a bit fast-paced, but that seems fitting for this story. This entire book takes place over one fateful night when Ben finds himself locked out of the hostel with Tyler. It’s a bit strange to say that something takes place over one night and is fast paced. The book doesn’t speed to its conclusion, but it also doesn’t dawdle. There constantly seems to be things happening that keep the plot and characters moving. It’s an adventure in a foreign city that draws the two boys closer.

The author does a fantastic job at describing Paris and the many sights that Ben and Tyler see. He doesn’t linger on details to the point of the story feeling bloated but describes the views enough that the story feels immersive. You can see and experience Paris alongside Ben.

The use of French names felt realistic and frustrating. Some language classes seem to use these to feel immersive, or something like that. However, in this book it was just a bit strange. It wasn’t enough to completely put me off of reading the book, but I did get confused a few times when I couldn’t remember who was who.

LIKE WE WERE IN PARIS is a gay romance that is well-suited for YA readers looking for something light-hearted and fun. The author describes Paris wonderfully and it’s fascinating to see the city brought to life.