Review: The Paris Match by Kate Clayborn

 

The Paris Match by Kate Clayborn

Publication Date: April 7th 2026 by Berkley

Pages: 464

Source: Publisher

Rating: ★★★★½

Links: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Kobo | Libro.fm | Audible | Goodreads

My Thoughts:

Layla is heading to Paris for the wedding of her ex‑husband’s younger sister, Emily, the little sister she promised to stay close to after the divorce, even if keeping that promise has been harder than she expected. Learning that her ex is bringing his new girlfriend only adds another layer of awkwardness to an already difficult trip.

 

Griffin, the groom’s best friend, just wants to see him happy after everything they’ve been through. So, when he discovers Emily has cold feet, thanks to something Layla said, he insists Layla help fix the situation.

 

The Paris Match begins with Layla and Griffin firmly at odds, but I loved how quickly they become each other’s quiet defenders. Whenever Emily or Michael’s family made things uncomfortable or painful, they stepped in for one another without hesitation. Layla’s “amicable” divorce clearly left deeper wounds than she lets on, and being around her ex and the family she lost stings. Griffin had his own issues dealing with chronic pain from injuries sustained in a tragic accident and the emotions tied up with that event. I felt for both of them.

 

Watching these two slowly come together, supporting each other, challenging each other, and softening toward each other, was genuinely moving. Even from their first prickly interaction, the chemistry was unmistakable, and I was completely swept up in their romance. Despite the messy circumstances, they still paused to soak in the magic of Paris with its beauty and history. I loved “revisiting” the city right alongside them.

4.5 Stars

Book Description:

A woman tests the limits of her so-called amicable divorce when she flies to Paris for the destination wedding of her former sister-in-law, only to butt heads with the deliciously gruff best man, in a poignant and romantic novel from Kate Clayborn.

Physician Layla Bailey has spent over a year telling herself she's moved on from a painful but amicable divorce from her college sweetheart. Staying friends with her ex seemed like the mature thing to do, but when Layla is invited to her former sister-in-law’s destination wedding in Paris—where Layla once spent her own romantic honeymoon—she knows her commitment to maturity might be her worst enemy…especially since her ex isn’t attending alone.

The only thing that could make the week more difficult is getting through it without the distraction of the wedding.... But when what Layla thought was a harmless conversation about the choices of her younger self leads to the bride getting cold feet, Layla finds herself facing down the groom’s mysterious, taciturn best man, Griffin, who will do anything to make sure this wedding happens.

Since she broke it, Griff demands she help him fix it. Going along with his plan to alleviate the engaged couple's doubts seems like Layla’s best chance at maintaining a good relationship with a family she once called her own. But as she learns more about the past heartbreak that’s driving Griff to help his friend, she gets closer and closer to confronting the true depth of her own pain…while finding herself more and more willing to risk it all again for Griff.