Reviewed by Tracy A. Fischer for Readers' Favorite

Delightful, delightful, delightful! That is the best way I can describe the new work by author Elizabeth Cooke, A Tale of Two Hotels. Following our protagonist, Elizabeth, as she returns to her beloved Paris and the Hotel Marcel, we see the infighting between two established hotels that share the same Parisian street. The first is the Hotel Marcel, the favorite ‘coming home’ spot of Elizabeth, the place that personifies all that is expected from Paris, from its wonderful customer services to its simple elegance. The other, the Hotel Majestic, is an example of all that is negative in modern day hostelry, huge and impersonal. As they stand right next to each other, they are in constant comparison and competition. And Elizabeth, a lovely American woman of a certain age, watches it all from her vantage point.

It is so nice to read a book that exists in a world of lovely manners, fine food, and proper decorum. The descriptive work of author Elizabeth Cooke is fantastic, and this book brought me right to the streets of Paris, a city I’ve always wanted to visit. The story is fun and intriguing, and is short enough so that it can be easily read in one evening, while curled up in your favorite chair, drinking your finest wine. A Tale of Two Hotels was the first book in this series of four that I have read, and while I had no trouble following the storyline and enjoying it completely, I will certainly go back to read the others in this very lovely series.