The Paris Match by Kate Clayborn: My Book Review

Check out my book review of The Paris Match by Kate Clayborn to see what I think of this emotionally deep, new romance!

*Disclosure: This post may include affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.

The Paris Match Summary:

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.

The Paris Match: My Review

If there’s one thing that I’ve learned from reading Kate Clayborn’s work, it’s that she writes with gravitas – a depth of feeling that can be conveyed in just a few words or a scene that leaves you breathless.

While the cover of The Paris Match conveys a lighthearted romcom, this book actually has a weight to it that keeps you glued to the pages between the uncomfortable situation Layla is put into, the tension between the intendeds, and the chronic pain that plagues Griffin.

Putting aside the short timeframe (they fall in love in less than a week), I loved the connection between Layla and Griffin. Two people thrust into a week of Paris wedding festivities that neither want to attend but do so at great personal cost. They are two people that end up existing in their own orbits, seeing the truth each other either is hiding or trying to ignore but they SEE it.

This is actually a hard one to review because, although I loved Kate’s writing which is wonderful, I had a hard time in the first half because I really resented the secondary characters and how they were using Layla and Griffin and neglecting their comfort and needs for their own benefit.

If you loved someone as a sister or brother, how could you ask them to do what Emily and Michael did? And don’t get me started on how much Griffin sacrificed. But alas….

While this could have been a typical romcom of two people trying to get the groom and bride to the altar with crazy shenanigans ensuing, Kate created a truly unique story with main characters that really captivated. I loved Layla’s backstory that unfolds with a really intriguing topic and Griffin was equally as fascinating even if he made my heart break.

I also really appreciated how the ending unfolded with such emotional awareness from both Layla and Griff.

Plus, if you love Paris, you will feel like you are exploring the city right along with them. Check it out this April!

*Thank you to Netgalley for the advanced copy. All opinions are my own.

More by Kate Clayborn:

• Georgie All Along by Kate Clayborn

Related Book Lists:

• Romance Books That Inspire Travel
• Romance Heroes With Wounded Hearts
• Most Anticipated New Romance Books of 2026

Pin This: