4.5 stars
“If it’s real love, you’ll find a way to support each other’s dreams. Otherwise, what’s the point?”

The Paris Wedding is the fifth novel by Australian author, Charlotte Nash. No way was Rachael West going to the Paris Wedding, even if it was all expenses paid. In fact, she’d already thrown out the fancy invitation. She was still grieving for her mother. How could she go to see Matthew Grant, her ex-boyfriend, her high school sweetheart, married to a society belle? Bonnie Quinn’s rich father was footing what had to be a hefty bill: a week in Paris with airfares and accommodation for guests included.

Matthew was the man she didn’t follow to Sydney, electing instead to stay on the farm with her mother, finally nursing her to the end, just weeks before. Matthew may have left her broken-hearted ten years ago, but she realised she was still in love with him. Her best friend Sammy suggested that maybe watching it happen would cure her of that and let her get on with her life. “And that was how Rachael ended up sitting on a Parisian rooftop after midnight with her ex-boyfriend’s new fiancée while wearing a pyjama top.”

Nash gives the reader a story with a plot that looks predictable: are these characters going to behave in disappointing ways and cause sadness to third parties? Will they make better choices and realise their potential? Nash’s characters are certainly very human with all their flaws and foibles. But, while some behave quite predictably, others surprise. She gives some of her characters wise words, succinctly expressed, and perceptive observations: “Think of nerves as a give-way sign on the road. Pause, have a look around, make sure there’s no danger. They’re not a sign to stop.” is one example.

“…most of us aren’t good at grieving, particularly in western countries. We’re so conditioned to think sadness and sorrow are bad, that they should be fixed as soon as possible. But you can’t fix them. Someone you loved has gone, and nothing will replace them. You can only carry the sorrow. You shouldn’t feel like you have to make it go away, especially before you’re ready.”

“Journalism is about cause and effect. And it’s most powerful when the cause is universal – war, disaster, governments - and the effect is hidden. The journalist’s job is to uncover and connect the causes and effects. A photojournalist can do it in one picture.”

Nash renders for the reader country NSW, the dust and heat of summer, as easily as she captures Paris in the spring. Her enthusiasm for the art of creating a fashion masterpiece is also apparent. Her descriptions of Rachael’s creations are certainly evocative but some readers might wish for illustrations. This edition also features the first three chapters of Nash’s earlier novel, The Horseman. A very enjoyable romance.