Love’s a gamble, why not go all in?There was only an entire ocean between us. Actually, time zones too.We were both at the epitome of our careers. We were both in love with each other and equally in love with our fame. Crazy how we met right at the beginning of our journeys. Right on that very first day our eyes met — It was love at first sight. And now, for a whole year, I won’t get to see him. … year, I won’t get to see him. He’ll be on the road, and I’ll be performing on tour.
He’s willing to do anything to keep us together and anything else to keep me satisfied. Darius, that’s so sweet. Knowing you can still make me want you so much from across the whole dammed globe.
But come on baby, are we really gunna make this work?
“For you my love, anything.”
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A Review of Climax In Paris by Allie Hayden
Alma and Darius – 4 Stars
A great story about how two people, who are mad about each other and have great chemistry, can be tested when they find out they have to be apart for a year. Throw in the twists and turns where other people try to come between them and you have a story that will keep you on the edge of your seat, just waiting to find out what will happen. The story moves slowly in some parts, but it is worth reading the entire book to get to the ending.
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**Honest review voluntarily provided from a Complimentary Copy**
This was about the sexual journey of Alma that began when she met Darius. It is also about the a symbiotic relationship between the power of music and words. It was an interesting read and made me think and look at a different perspective.
Red Robin
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
Tours Keep Cecilia And Darius Separated For Six Months. Both Disappoint. Difficult To Read To The End, But Has A Brief HEA.
Climax In Paris is book three from French Kiss: A Second Chance At Love Box Set. Although this could be read as a stand-alone, it is recommended to read this in order.
The first two chapters of this book find Darius ready to leave for his book tour in the US and Cecilia prepared to embark on a tour of international concert venues as a solo cellist. The couple has fallen in love at first sight and been together for several months, but must face a six month separation since they both believe it is important to pursue their individual careers. They agree to keep in touch daily, and that modern technology will make the separation more bearable.
Beyond that, they each make a series very poor choices that unfortunately make the story difficult to stomach. Some things are problematic within this story, and others are problematic in relation to what is written in earlier books in the series. The list is too long, but a few follow.
Cecilia should have hired an assistant instead of recruiting a travel companion. And she knew that Charlotte was jealous, so it was horrible judgement on her part to recruit someone she hardly knows and that has an ax to grind. Darius agrees that Charlotte would make a good travel companion for Cecilia, then later warns her that drama follows Charlotte, yet both see fit to send Charlotte off with Cecilia.
Cecilia sets up Darius for six months of travel with a hot young cellist to take Cecilia’s place during readings. When she recognizes the mistake she doesn’t speak to Darius and offer another option. She instead hands over her contact info.
Cecilia takes her mentor on tour despite knowing it will cause Darius to suffer from jealousy. She also states children are a non-starter but when they met, Cecilia saw their future and babies together.
Needless to say, the couple fails to keep their promise to keep in touch, going as long as a few weeks before reaching out.
Charlotte raises red flags throughout the book in every conversation she has with Darius and Cecilia. Darius has been her employer. He looks horribly weak when he doesn’t try to get her fired for causing routine stress for Cecilia, for sending him naked pictures…. Be prepared to yell at the book when neither Darius nor Cecilia send Charlotte packing – on repeated occassions. It is pathetic when Darius credits her for helping him near the end. It is unknown what becomes of her at the end.
Darius’s cellist Natalie makes a pass at him twice, wears a neglige for him and strips for him. Somehow after that he likes her, thinks she is great, and blames Charlotte even though Natalie is an adult and knows Cecilia – was recommended for the job by Cecilia. Natalie was disloyal to Cecilia and he keeps her, not telling Cecilia! At least he mentions Charlotte’s naked pictures to Cecilia. To cap it all off, after the couple struggles to be faithful, at the end Darius gives Cecilia permission to sleep with whomever she feels good about! The very last chapter sees the completion of both tours and reunion in Minneapolis, where they marry. An HEA is suggested but no details are provided.
This story is tedious to get through. The POV alternates between Cecilia and Darius, with the last chapter in third person, about both Darius and Cecilia. The plot feels chaotic, simply a series of poor decisions. The characters in this book are not terribly likable. I rate this book three stars.
I received a free advance copy of this book and am voluntarily leaving a review.
Second chances even come to those concentrating on their careers.
Two people starting their lives over. Darius already living in France and Alma an accomplished cellist taking her chance to play her cello in France. She meets him there at him home where he is renting a room. Plus he’s working on writing his book as he is an author.
There is a meeting of souls upon first seeing each other as she arrives at his home. A friendship forms and elevates to lovers quickly. Each one completes the other. He loves they way she plays the cello and she is enraptured by his knowledge in writing as an author.
Life progresses and Darius must travel to promote his book and Alma will be traveling all over the world playing her cello. A great accomplishment for the both of them but they are not sure how they will make it not seeing each other or the physical aspect of their relationship. As they are so in love that being apart for the length of time in their travels is like ripping a piece of themselves apart.
Darius is traveling in the US reading at bookstores with a young backup French cellist who is trying to create a rift between him and Alma. While Alma in her worldwide travels has the woman they hired to translate, set up accommodations and just help, is trying to break up Darius and Alma’s relationship. Charlotte was working for Darius prior to Alma arriving and him falling for her.
The two lovers must make due with texting and FaceTiming while separated and things get stressful as there isn’t always service where Alma is at times. Things get challenging and they start using text and FaceTime to continue as if they were together and in the same room.
The story is interesting. As it takes two people that didn’t have anyone and end up meeting in a different country from they were born. What brought them together was their career aspirations. And through all the challenges of long distance, they remained faithful to each other though at times there were some temptations.
I’m glad I kept reading the book since I almost put it down after the second chapter. Just give it time and read through it. An endearing second chance romance.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
This wasn’t really a second chance romance. Alma and Darius are lovers that are torn apart by their careers (both are traveling for their jobs). While they do love each other, they have a long distance relationship. I’m not sure if it was just me but I couldn’t “get into” their story. Virtual sex was the way they stayed in touch but it just didn’t ring true to me. The book might be great for someone else but it didn’t do it for me. (I voluntarily reviewed an ARC).
I struggled to finish
Climax In Paris is the third book in the Worlds Apart series and the final installment of Alma Palmer and Darius Wilde’s love story. It can be read as a standalone as the author catches you up on the detail of the romance thus far. Alma is a professional cellist whose passionate playing takes her career to a new level with performances on a world tour, and Darius career takes him on a writer’s tour to America. The separation brings plenty of obstacles between the lovers.
Allie Hayden weaves a difficult story full of jealousy, loneliness, intrigue, and drama. Intimacy for most of the story between Alma and Darius takes place through FaceTime. It’s not until the very end of the story where they reunite and celebrate do we see anything of them together.
So, I wanted to like this final book but I could not connect to the characters and plot. The story, for me, came across as an autobiography where Alma and Darius both encounter different places, people, foods, and on, and on about long descriptions. It just became very cumbersome and I lost interest altogether with that along with the FaceTime and phone sex parts of the story. Ms. Hayden’s writing style is unique and poetic, and beautiful. But this long-distance relationship did not translate well as a romance for this romance reader.
I received a copy via Booksprout and voluntarily reviewed an advanced reader copy of the book.