THE INTERNATIONAL BESTSELLER
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 … 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.
more
The writing is good and the dual story is interesting to a degree. The Romance was a bit over the top for my taste .Why when a women is unhappy must she seek out a lover? But I flew through it and would read the next one too so there you have it!
I love the history, the love story both past and present. Understanding Paris during 1800a was so inspiring. I so enjoyed this book. Gable is a fantastic writer.
It was also great because it was based on true apartment! I researched it afterward!
This is my second time writing this review. I don’t know where the first one went — maybe another apartment. I had just finished the “The Paris Time Capsule” and noticed the obvious similarities. I was interested in some of the discussion of contemporaries of Marthe de Florian and her relationships (personal as well as heritable ) to Victor Hugo. The inclusion of a Genealogical chart at the end of the book took me back a bit. I like historical stories but hadn’t read this one on Victor.
I liked the story a great deal but for a minor point. I’m an “old fogy” I suppose but the crude language was disconcerting. As a kid I read Mickey Spillane
avidly and thought nothing of it — in that type of book — but with an highly educated multi lingual expert in art it was surprising. Maybe that’s the way everyone talks now. It was a good story though & I’d recommend it.
A great book. Couldn’t put it down. Story goes along at a good pace. This was a double narrative and I loved the story of the courtesan, Marte de Florian…but the second narrative of the girl who is the auctioneer is really immature. She is always drinking wine to get through the day and falling down and clutsy and full of personal problems. Not realistic. a very shallow character. But I learned a lot about Antiques and auctions.
I enjoyed this book. Martyr was an interesting character who seems be a sister under the skin to Scarlett O’Hara. About the only disappointment was that the issue that was causing her increasing problems was obvious with current knowledge.
Read the book, you’ll enjoy the trip.
This is spell binding! The concept, the plot the characters are all real. You know them. The story they find puts you into so many shoes. You gladly accept each shoe. This is one of those books you keep. Every time you see the cover you feel sudden goodness, happy and you remember the feelings you had reading this book.
April, a furniture specialist with Sotheby’s auction house, is sent to assess the contents of the Paris apartment once inhabited by the famous courtesan, Marthe de Florian.
The apartment has been locked up for seventy years, so April and her colleagues are in for quite a few surprises.
This book is a cleverly woven blend of fact and fiction; the past being tole through a series of journals.
I have always been fascinated by this abandoned apartment, and thoroughly enjoyed Michelle Gable’s version of the story.
What a fabulous story, based on a real event! I’m always fascinated by anything to do with Paris and the story of the closed-up apartment that is discovered 70-odd years later is intriguing and wondrous. Gable does a great job fictionalizing the account!
This is the second book this week that took place in two time lines and it A Paris Apartment engaged me from paragraph one. The ending was surprise and like that in a book. The only thing that jerked my chain was the… sorry no spoilers here.
Paris in the late 1800’s during the Belle Epoque, antique furniture and paintings, and journals from an apartment’s original inhabitant. All of these things made A PARIS APARTMENT a book that will keep you glued to the pages.
Who wouldn’t want to go to Paris? April was an art history major and an auctioneer. When her boss told her she would be going to Paris to put value on an apartment’s contents that had been closed up for 70 years, she couldn’t pass up the chance even though her marriage was a bit rocky.
When April found the journals of Marthe de Florian, they made the apartment’s contents even more valuable and the book quite enticing. The journals told about Marthe de Florian’s life and her connection and relationships with artists and other famous people.
Famous people such as Victor Hugo and Giovanni Boldini were part of the book’s intrigue. Marthe de Florian had quite a colorful life.
A PARIS APARTMENT was a bit rough getting started, but once the journals were found, they and the Parisian atmosphere drew you into the era and its living style.
A PARIS APARTMENT is based on a real apartment and a real person. Ms. Gable did a great deal of research and weaves the story so masterfully that you don’t even know it is history, but it definitely revealed a wonderful hidden part of Paris.
For a debut novel, the writing and storyline were marvelous. A PARIS APARTMENT has beautiful, descriptive writing, and the journals made it oh so good.
April’s rocky marriage seemed to be a side story, but the apartment, its contents, and the journals are historical aspects that I thoroughly enjoyed and what kept me reading.
The ending was marvelous as April met an eighty-seven-year-old family member of Marthe de Florian who fills in the gaps of Marthe’s life.
ENJOY, and don’t give up too early. 🙂 4/5
This book was given to me free of charge and without compensation by the publisher in return for an honest review.
A must-read for historical fiction fans who enjoy Paris (who doesn’t?), resonant explorations of the past’s connection to the present, and stories of secrets coming to light. Inspired by a real story and crafted beautifully by Gable with fictional elements that bring out fascinating themes for the modern-day reader.
A fun read if you enjoy antiques.
Loved it.
Great account of Paris in the late 19th century. Main character’s relationship to her husband, lover and friends were realistic and intriguing
Evoked the Paris I know, interesting contrasts between current time and historical time (as personal experiences). For those who like a bit of romance and personal ambivalence, it is a page turner.
Well told story about love, betrayal and family.
really enjoyed the setting and the historical perspective!
I love visiting Paris through a good novel and this was one of them.
An intriguing novel with some unexpected twists and turns; captures slices of life; relaxing