Review ~ Paris Mon Amour by Isabel Costello

Canelo
13th June 2016

A bit of blurb:

The first time I caused terrible harm to the people I love it was an accident. The second is the reason I'm here.

When Alexandra discovers that her husband Philippe is having an affair, she can’t believe he’d risk losing the love that has transformed both their lives.

Still in shock, Alexandra finds herself powerfully attracted to a much younger man. Jean-Luc Malavoine is twenty-three, intense and magnetic. He’s also the son of Philippe’s best friend.

With every increasingly passionate liaison, Alexandra is pulled deeper into a situation that threatens everyone she holds dear.

My thoughts:

I wasn't sure what to expect when I started to read Paris Mon Amour. Initially, I  was sold on the idea that it was going to be a Mrs Robinsonesque scenario, that is, older woman attracted to a younger man who takes revenge in the sweetest sort of way. But overall, it was a more exacting look at the pitfalls that life throws at us, and that by being drawn into situations which are beyond our control, we can very soon lose sight of what's important.

I was quickly drawn into the story and felt a certain amount of sympathy for Alexandra who is an interesting character. Angst ridden and filled with self doubt she embarks on a journey which , you sense from the beginning is not going to end well, however, how it all ends is for you to find out by reading the story for yourself.

I enjoyed the way in which the author immerses the reader into the story and makes the developing situation seem very realistic without being too emotional or demonstrative.  Time and place is created very well and France, and perhaps more importantly, Paris, really comes alive in the reader's imagination. There is much to take in and parts of it get very emotional and I thought that the ending, when it comes, is entirely appropriate and well thought out. 

So all in all a good story....enjoyed it.

Best Read with ....a buttery croissant and a large café au lait

About the Author

Isabel Costello is the host of the Literary Sofa blog, which features authors from new talent to New York Times bestselling novelists. Guest writers on the blog have included Patrick Gale, Linda Grant, Tracy Chevalier and Karen Joy Fowler. She read Modern Languages (French and German) at Oxford, before pursuing a career in marketing and communications. She is now a full-time writer, and lives in London.

Twitter @isabelcostello

My thanks to Heloise at edpr for my e-copy of this book.

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