Dear Diary, today was the day I met the love of my life.No, not my ex-husband, Bill. Not him—But let me start from the beginning.My marriage had grown stale and I was at a crossroads in my life. Stay here in Minneapolis with my pork-chop-eating-insurance-selling husband of 15 years.Or, pursue that urge deep inside me to go hunting for the life I truly wanted.That’s when I replied to an ad for a … wanted.
That’s when I replied to an ad for a bastide in the south of France titled, “For the right person.”
And wouldn’t I be so happily greeted by this beautiful sculpture of a man, Darius Wilde.
Mysterious, poetic, considerate, and most importantly, had eyes only for me.
Unlike my ex-husband, whom I found out was in an affair with the neighbor next door.
Good riddens.
And that was that, I suppose all I needed was a divorce to push me in the right direction.
Now I was free to be with him—Darius.
He spoke words to me so sweet, not only with his mouth—and he could do some sweet things with his mouth—but with his desire.
And I was the lucky little vixen to make my Adonis yearn for more than just my pink lips.
He yearned for much more and I was willing it all to give it to him.
To say that I had fallen hard and fast, well—that would’ve been a metaphor for much more than my life.
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I was totally hooked on page one and was rooting for Alma to RUN!! She finds someone who compliments her instead of sorry Bill who shows more interests in finding steak and when to put out the flipping trash!! Darius needed to get out of his head and LIVE and Alma helped him do just that. If only ALL divorces were REALLY this amicable…
A Deep Story About Reflection, Recognition, And Renewal. One Party Is Married, But It Is Handled Thoughtfully.
Passion In Paris is the first book in the French Kiss: A Second Chance At Love Box Set. Although part of a series, it reads nicely as a quick stand-alone with a HFN ending.
This is not a typical love story because one party is married. While that may make some uncomfortable, it is handled thoughtfully. As the story unfolds, the inevitable dissolution of the marriage becomes obvious. The only thing holding it together so long has been cowardice and complacency.
Cecilia Winter, thirty-three, a Julliard-educated professional cellist with the
Minneapolis Philharmonic Orchestra for ten years, hadn’t lived up to her full potential. While her Julliard friends had gone on to exciting careers around the world, she had taken a job back home in Minneapolis, where her husband was more comfortable.
Bill, forty-five, had fallen for Cecilia when she came of age and even sacrificed his career to follow her to Julliard. He is a good man. She agreed to marry him at nineteen, and thought she had been happy with him until fifteen years later, when she realized that she wasn’t. She had tried, but could never motivate him to love her as she wanted to be loved.
Feeling rejected, Cecilia decides to take a trip to France in fulfillment of a teenage dream with the hope of returning home renewed. Bill refuses to join her but doesn’t object. She finds the perfect place to rent a room for a month and reaches out to the owner. That the American recognizes her name and claims to have seen her play is flattering.
Darius Wilde, mid-thirties, has lived as a recluse in his Provincial home for ten years. He wrote for a time, but for the last five years has had great difficulty producing as he is so overcome by his father’s disappointment in him that his confidence has suffered.
When he recognizes Cecilia Winter as his potential guest, he is thrilled. Learning her need for renewal and rejuvenation, he offers to keep his home free of other guests during her stay, allowing her absolute peace and quiet for her and her husband, should he decide to come.
When Cecilia arrives, it only takes one look into one another’s eyes for Cecilia and Darius to recognize their connection. It is the fullfullment of their dreams. They make one another whole. And together, they can face the world. Cecilia and Darius earn a HFN.
This is a deep story about reflection, recognition, and renewal. But beyond renewal, it is a story of being reborn into a new consciousness and a deeper human connection than ever known to be possible. It is a journey from loneliness to renewed hope. Of soul mates finding one another in their thirties and saving one another from the self-imposed walls and isolation that resulted from the mistakes and circumstances of their younger years. Of giving everything to one another. Of the courage to face the world and to live life to the fullest.
One thing that may bother some readers is that Cecilia speaks too freely with Charlotte, Darius’s employee. It is bold and inappropriate, and she admits as much. That Charlotte, who only worked there one year, knew particulars regarding Darius’s father – including his whereabouts and email address, is surprising and feels unrealistic.
This story is a nicely written quick read. It is generally written in Cecilia’s POV, but some in Darius’s POV is awkwardly intermixed. Given the length, the plot is well-developed and the characters are thoughtfully defined. I rate this book four stars.
I received a free advance copy of this book and am voluntarily leaving a review.
Reawakening
I admit to reading Book 2, Lovers In Paris, first and was compelled in seeking out book one in the series. I wanted to find out how Alma Palmer made her life choices that ultimately brought her to Paris and found love with Darius Wilde. How she became complacent and trapped into a marriage empty in passion and love.
I did enjoy the part where she finally grows a spine and pursues her dream of traveling to France. Alma finds renewed energy as she travels from her Midwestern roots to Paris. She meets another American in Paris, Darius Wilde. She just never expected to find herself in this new adventure. This man reawakens every fiber of her being. She has never felt so admired, respected and desired before. Alma also learns a painful truth about her 15-year staid marriage.
Passion In Paris is a sweet and sensual story of Alma’s sexual reawakening for life, love, and music. Well written with plenty of musical description.