A Montmartre Photoshoot with Lily Heise of Je T’Aime Me Neither

Here at Your Paris Photographer, we love Montmartre! With it’s cobblestones, winding streets, and the charm around every corner, it’s easily our favorite neighborhood. We may be biased as quite a few of us live here… but, it’s given us the chance to meet some amazing neighbors like Lily Heise! Lily Heise is a Canadian writer who has been living in Paris since 2000 and has literally written the book on Romance in Paris. Twice! We were so lucky to meet up with her for a fantastic Montmartre Photoshoot and we needed to get her insight on her blog, her books, her best recommendations for romance in Paris and more. Read on for more of our fantastic interview with Lily of Je T’Aime Me Neither.

1. Where are you from originally and where are you located now?

I’m originally from Canada. After studying here at university, I fell in love with the city and have now lived here for over 20 years. For most of that time, I’ve been living in Montmartre, which is a wonderful neighborhood to live in.

2. Tell us about Je T’Aime Me Neither, what inspired you to start a blog?

I started my blog 11 years ago when I was working on my first book, which has the same name. My first two books were funny tales of my romantic misadventures in Paris — which isn’t always the City of Love like it’s considered to be! Little by little the site started to take on another form and I started sharing my best tips to help locals and visitors alike experience the best of romantic Paris. It has articles on great romantic spots, from secret gardens to enchanting museums, and lots of tips on bars and restaurants. I also write articles for local and international press and links to these are also on my site.

3. How did it feel to write your books Je T’Aime Me Neither and Je T’Aime Maybe? How does it feel to put your whole romantic life out there? What was the reception? 

The books aren’t completely “tell on” but they did reveal a certain amount about my personal life which I was aware they would do. I also wanted to do a non-conventional book on Paris so taking it from the angle of romance was a bit more original. My goal was to help readers who’ve maybe made similar blunders not feel bad about their own mistakes. So I do think it was well received by that audience. The books are intended to be funny, but some readers didn’t realized this and so they didn’t enjoy them quite as much. If you read them with the right angle, then I hope they are fun and enjoyable reads.

4. There’s Only One Paris is a bit of a departure from your first two books, tell us how you were inspired to write that one?

It all happened at the beginning of Covid. So maybe Paris lovers were upset about not being able to come here, so I helped them travel to the city virtually. Followers of my Facebook page told me their favorite places in the city, and I wrote a fictive short story once a week and read them out live at the end of the week. Afterwards, I realized that I could do a story per arrondissement and connect the stories together. So I finished up the collection, edited them and put them together as an anthology of short stories. It was a lot of fun to do and a positive escape from those difficult times.

5. Where is the most romantic place you’ve ever been?

PARIS of course! but if I had to pick the most romantic place in Paris, I’d say the Marais, it just has so many treasures, secret gardens and overall a great romantic ambiance.

6. What is your dream romantic getaway, if money was no object, of course!

Ohhhhh… I think I’d go to Tahiti. It’s been a dream and it’s an expensive one! I think it would be a very romantic place!

7. What’s your perfect date?

Honestly, I don’t need anything necessarily fancy! If the weather is nice, I love long strolls followed by a picnic (or bottle of champagne) in a romantic place along the Seine. watching the evening come over the river, is really romantic — and the perfect occasion to steal a kiss!

8. Favorite restaurant in Paris?

That’s a tough one, but if I had to pick the most romantic, I’d say Laperouse. It’s very chic and historic. It has a very seductive decor and private dining rooms where gentleman of the 19th century used to entertain their mistresses, so it also has a bit of a sexy past!

9. Favorite city in France?

Other than Paris, I really Aix-en-Provence. It has a beautiful historic center, many gorgeous squares and is full of life thanks to a high student population. There are also quieter romantic places to discover and stroll. 

10. What is next for you and Je T’Aime Me Neither?

I’m actually working on a new book project, it’ll be something a little different — so stay tuned!

Want to book your own Montmartre Photoshoot? Drop us a line at info@timb343.sg-host.com or fill out our contact form here to get in touch!