Book Club Night Kit
Meet Me in Paris
Kristin Harmel
Cozy night
A tender, transportive novel that sweeps readers to Paris across time, weaving love, memory, and second chances into something you can curl up inside.
Meet Me in Paris (and Bring Your Slippers)
Come curl up for a warm, low-key evening of Kristin Harmel's newest novel, with hot chocolate, buttery pastries, and a soft playlist of French café tunes.
Reading level: Easy
Pages: 368
Best for: book clubs that love heartfelt historical fiction and a good happy cry
Discussion
Warm-up
- 1.Where were you when you did most of your reading, and did the book make that spot feel a little more magical?
- 2.What was the first image or scene that made you settle in and think, okay, I'm going to love being here for a while?
Digging in
- 1.Paris has a way of feeling like a character itself. What did the city's atmosphere in this book stir up in you, memory, longing, curiosity?
- 2.Harmel often writes about the quiet weight of memory. Was there a moment that made you think of someone in your own life you'd want to sit across a café table with again?
- 3.Which small, tender detail (a food, a street, a gesture) stayed with you after you closed the book?
- 4.The dual timeline lets past and present speak to each other. Which era felt more comforting to sink into for you, and why?
Going deep
- 1.Without giving anything away, was there a passage that made you put the book down for a minute just to feel it? What was rising up in you?
- 2.The story asks a lot of quiet questions about what we carry and what we let go. What did you find yourself thinking about long after you stopped reading?
On the table & to sip
To eat
Warm brie and baguette board with honey and jam
A no-fuss Parisian nibble that feels indulgent but takes ten minutes
Homemade croque monsieur bites
Cozy café comfort food, easy to slice into shareable squares
Madeleines or a simple tarte aux pommes
Buttery, nostalgic sweets that echo the book's tender, memory-soaked mood
To sip
French hot chocolate (chocolat chaud) (no alcohol)
Thick, velvety, and the definition of a warm hug in a mug
Rose and vanilla herbal tea (no alcohol)
Softly floral, gentle for readers who want something soothing
Kir (white wine with crème de cassis)
A classic Parisian aperitif that keeps things low-key and celebratory
Run of show
7:00
Arrivals and warm drinks
Greet everyone with hot chocolate or tea, keep music low and lamps on
7:15
Cozy check-in
Go around the room with the two warm-up questions while people settle with plates
7:35
Into the story
Move into the theme questions, encouraging tangents and personal memories
8:05
Dessert and deep questions
Bring out madeleines and slow the pace for the two deeper prompts
8:35
Paris trivia round
Light, low-stakes trivia with a small prize (a bookmark or a chocolate bar)
8:55
Scorecards and goodbyes
Fill in scorecards, share final one-word reactions, send everyone off with a bookmark
Host tips
- Layer soft lighting: lamps, candles, string lights. Overhead lights break the coziness
- Keep the food easy to eat one-handed so the book and conversation stay center stage
- If the room goes quiet during deep questions, let the silence sit. Cozy nights breathe
Playlist
soft French café, candlelit and a little wistful
- 01 La Vie en Rose - Édith Piaf
- 02 Comptine d'un autre été - Yann Tiersen
- 03 La Mer - Charles Trenet
- 04 Sous le ciel de Paris - Juliette Gréco
- 05 Que reste-t-il de nos amours? - Stacey Kent
- 06 Les Champs-Élysées - Joe Dassin
- 07 La Bohème - Charles Aznavour
- 08 Dernière danse - Indila
Trivia
- 1.Kristin Harmel is best known for writing in which genre? (Historical fiction)
- 2.What is the name of the famous iron tower that defines the Paris skyline? (The Eiffel Tower)
- 3.What Parisian pastry is a small shell-shaped sponge cake made famous by Proust? (The madeleine)
- 4.Which river runs through the heart of Paris? (The Seine)
- 5.In what year was Meet Me in Paris published? (2026)
- 6.What is the French word for a small neighborhood café or bistro? (Bistro (or café))
- 7.Which Parisian cathedral, damaged by fire in 2019, sits on the Île de la Cité? (Notre-Dame de Paris)
- 8.How many pages long is Meet Me in Paris? (368 pages)
Bookmarks
Print, cut, and tuck one at every seat, a small keepsake from the night.
“Some cities remember you back.”
Meet Me in Paris
Kristin Harmel
bookclubnight.com
“Steam rising, pages turning, hearts unfolding.”
Meet Me in Paris
Kristin Harmel
bookclubnight.com
“Save a seat for me at the little café.”
Meet Me in Paris
Kristin Harmel
bookclubnight.com
Rate the book
Coziness☆☆☆☆☆
Emotional pull☆☆☆☆☆
Sense of place☆☆☆☆☆
Characters you'd hug☆☆☆☆☆
Reread potential☆☆☆☆☆
One word for how this book made me feel: ______________________
The scene I'd like to live inside for an afternoon: ______________________
A person I want to press this book into the hands of: ______________________
That's a wrap
Thank you for coming
We hope the company was good and the conversation even better. Until the next chapter.