Paris Apartment
Ratings2
Average rating3.5
15
Ratings2
Average rating3.5
The New York Times Best Seller! Now with an excerpt of Michelle's new book, I'll See You in Paris! Bienvenue à Paris! When April Vogt's boss tells her about an apartment in the ninth arrondissement that has been discovered after being shuttered for the past seventy years, the Sotheby's continental furniture specialist does not hear the words "dust" or "rats" or "decrepit." She hears Paris. She hears escape. Once in France, April quickly learns the apartment is not merely some rich hoarder's repository. Beneath the cobwebs and stale perfumed air is a goldmine, and not because of the actual gold (or painted ostrich eggs or mounted rhinoceros horns or bronze bathtub). First, there's a portrait by one of the masters of the Belle Epoque, Giovanni Boldini. And then there are letters and journals written by the very woman in the painting, Marthe de Florian. These documents reveal that she was more than a renowned courtesan with enviable decolletage. Suddenly April's quest is no longer about the bureaux plats and Louis-style armchairs that will fetch millions at auction. It's about discovering the story behind this charismatic woman. It's about discovering two women, actually. With the help of a salty (and annoyingly sexy) Parisian solicitor and the courtesan's private diaries, April tries to uncover the many secrets buried in the apartment. As she digs into Marthe's life, April can't help but take a deeper look into her own. Having left behind in the States a cheating husband, a family crisis about to erupt, and a career she's been using as the crutch to simply get by, she feels compelled to sort out her own life too. When the things she left bubbling back home begin to boil over, and Parisian delicacies beyond flaky pâtisseries tempt her better judgment, April knows that both she and Marthe deserve happy finales. Whether accompanied by croissants or champagne, this delectable debut novel depicts the Paris of the Belle Epoque and the present day with vibrant and stunning allure. Based on historical events, Michelle Gable's A Paris Apartment will entertain and inspire, as readers embrace the struggles and successes of two very unforgettable women.
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I can't remember when I've been this confused by a book. It started out clear; it was a story of two women, from two different times, one from the past and one from present day. April, the woman of present day, was assigned the task of preparing an abandoned apartment in Paris for auction. In the process she ran across the journal of the woman from the past, Marthe. April is conflicted; her husband has just admitted a marital transgression. She herself has befriended a fascinating Frenchman. Marthe is a courtesan, and the apartment filled with many riches was hers.
Things went along swimmingly for some time and then both Marthe and April do inexplicable things, things that seem random. The entire last section seemed very confused, with all the characters doing inexplicable things, perhaps simply to tie up the loose ends of the story.
This was not an ARC, sadly; it was a fully published book, taken from the shelves of my public library. Was there an editor? Do authors not receive any editing help these days? Do publishers just think people will buy any old thing with a lovely cover and a good start? Did the publisher really read the novel to the end? Very disappointed.
I love stories like this that switch back and forth between today and times past, but I didn't develop a love of the “Belle Epoque” character and I couldn't understand some of the actions the main character took. It seemed as if the book needed one more draft. But, it's Paris, it involves history and love and what's not to like about that?
