Title: THE PARIS SECRET
Author: Karen Swan
Read: May 2021
My Rating: 🌟🌟🌟🌟
Book Description:
Somewhere along the cobbled streets
of Paris, an apartment lies thick with dust and secrets: full of priceless
artworks hidden away for decades.
High-flying fine art agent Flora from London, more comfortable with the tension
of a million-pound auction than a cosy candlelit dinner for two, is called in
to assess these suddenly discovered treasures. As an expert in her field, she
must trace the history of each painting and discover who has concealed them for
so long.
Thrown in amongst the glamorous Vermeil family as they move between Paris and
Antibes, Flora begins to discover that things aren't all that they seem, while
back at home her own family is recoiling from a seismic shock. The terse and
brooding Xavier Vermeil seems intent on forcing Flora out of his family's
affairs - but just what is he hiding?
My musings:
Missing travel? Karen Swan has become my go-to
author if I feel like a virtual saunter to gorgeous European locations. I love
the way her stories are so much more than just romances – in THE PARIS SECRET
she uncovers an old wartime mystery centred around a beautiful piece of art.
At times, reading THE PARIS SECRET I
felt like an anthropologist studying a foreign culture, so out of depth did I
feel in Flora’s world of the European art scene and the glittery, rich society
of the Cote d’ Azur. But unlike other novels where the main character inhabits
a totally different social scene and background to mine, I found Flora very
relatable and down-to-earth. Swan’s descriptive writing instantly transported
me to France as we walked the small alleys of Paris and sunbaked on the beaches
of the French Riviera. I was fascinated by the author’s knowledge of the fine
art scene and the information about urban explorers (being a country bumpkin I
didn’t even know this was a thing!). The wartime mystery surrounding the locked
Paris apartment and the mysterious painting was skilfully woven into the story
and added depth and mystery to Flora’s quest.
History, art, mystery and travel all
wrapped into a soft burrito of a sweet romance made THE PARIS SECRET a perfect
feel-good holiday read that left a warm glow of happiness behind. The armchair travel
component was exquisite and made me feel as if I was “on location”. I look
forward to reading more of Swan’s books when I need reminding about the good
things in life. Best enjoyed lying in a deckchair with a cold glass of French chardonnay
by your side.
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