Thursday, May 20, 2021

Books from the Backlog -


Today I'm linking up with Carole from Carole's Random Life of Books for Books from the Backlog.  I really enjoy the chance to feature a book that's been hiding in the piles of books for far too long!

Goodreads:  A Paris Apartment by Michelle Gable

Blurb:  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 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 pĆ¢tisseries tempt her better judgment, April knows that both she and Marthe deserve happy finales.

Why It Needs to Come Off the Shelf: This has been on my library list since it came out and when I found it on Book Outlet last year I knew that was a sign that it was time to read it.  And it's still on my shelf!  It sounds absolutely fabulous!


11 comments:

  1. Oh, this one sounds really good! Marthe sounds fascinating! I cannot wait to see what you think of this one.

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  2. Didn’t this really happen a few. years ago? That is, discovery of a hidden and walled-up apartment in Paris? It’s a fun idea, though you didn’t convince me that I would like this particular interpretation.

    best... mae at maefood.blogspot.com

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  3. LOL, this has been on my reading list forever, too. It sure sounds greast.

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  4. I like the premise of this one. Just my type of read! I struggle a bit to get Books from the Backlog. Wednesdays are my crazy busy day and I normally have catch up work to do on Thursdays. Will need to pre-schedule my posts more!

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  5. That is a great description and I think I need to add it to my Goodreads list!

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  6. I would love to explore an apartment like that! I hope you enjoy this one when you read it, Katherine. I may have to read it too.

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  7. Oh, this one sounds so good! Thanks for sharing.

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  8. Hope you enjoy it, so many good books sit lurking on our shelves because of so many other good books!

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  9. A historical mystery is never boring.

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  10. My dream home...a Paris apartment. šŸ—¼

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