The time-travel historical romance A Tryst in Paris: The Carousel Time Traveler by Anne Armistead paints an entrancing portrait of 1900 Paris, including a thrilling mystery. When Mirabelle “Mira” Montgomery visits her Aunt Sylvie in Paris, she is drawn to a Paquin gown hanging in the window of a shop. She enters the shop, encounters a mysterious old shopkeeper, and is soon after thrust into 1900 Paris, where she has to right the wrong that could destroy a man’s destiny for her to be able to return to her current life. Mira encounters Bernadette and her handsome guardian, Jacques Thibaut, who had lost the woman he loved and was dismissed from the police force over unfounded accusations. Mira resolves to help Jacques, but he does not trust her, and her feelings for him threaten to derail her mission. Still, she longs to solve the puzzle and return home.

Through vivid descriptions of the city during the era and intriguing details about the culture, politics, and events in Paris, Anne Armistead brings to life the setting in the story. The mystery and the brewing romance between Jacques and Mira are wonderfully interwoven. The questions Mira faces, and her determination to solve the puzzle heighten the tension in the plot, creating an absorbing, unexpected tale. I loved the story’s compelling main characters and found the ending gripping and rewarding. The first installment in The Carousel Time Traveler series, A Tryst in Paris, is a fascinating read with rich descriptions, a delightful mystery, and realistic, well-rounded characters.

A Tryst in Paris by Anne Armistead takes place in 1900, in Paris, France at the time of the Paris Exhibition and the first moving walkway. The author allows her main character Mirabelle Montgomery to interact with some of the most famous people of that time like Mary Cassatt, as well as Alice Guy Blache, Gustave Eiffel, and Joseph Vallot. This is one of the most unusual romances I have ever had the pleasure of reading; an exciting, riveting story. The author holds the reader's attention from the very first line in her book to the very last, and I mean line for line. The author uses her characters, both the main ones and all the minor ones, to the very best advantage without making them seem unbelievable. They come across as just down-to-earth people trying to live their lives, taking the good with the bad, and hurting when the ones they love are hurting.

All these delightful characters make the telling of this story an adventure that leaves the reader wanting to have a similar experience, especially as it involves time travel. The main character thus must be careful not to make too many butterflies flap their wings. Anne Armistead captures the reader's imagination in the way the story unfolds with twists and turns, obstacles, and interesting places and sights of Paris. The reader is drawn into the story and the end is one that they could not predict or expect. This is the type of book that holds your imagination and will have you planning a trip to Paris to see how many of the landmarks and beautiful sites explained in the book are still around and if they continue to hold the magic of yesteryear. It was an exciting read and I enjoyed it tremendously. Thank you, Anne, for the privilege of reading this wonderful story.