Started out so promising. April, ugh. ( )

This was a richly imagined book that paralleled two women's lives--one from 1800s France and the other a contemporary American--with art and architecture and the streets of Paris all woven in. Loved the Frenchman Luc in the story; very satisfying ending. ( )

I had no idea this was based on a true story, which made the book even more interesting. Honestly I would have loved April's story by herself but the historic ties made it even more interesting. At times, I did find myself not as interested in Marthe and Luc as I was in April and her family history. I did enjoy the fact that the story wasn't wrapped in a similar bow as April had thought, but that there was more intrigue to the Marthe's history. ( )

What a surprise this book is! I borrowed the audiobook from SimplyE, thinking it would be a delightful, romantic romp through Paris and what I call a “popcorn read.” Something light and fluffy that I can consume quickly and greatly enjoy.

To my great surprise, A Paris Apartment was not a popcorn read. It was nuanced and detailed, containing mysteries all throughout that didn’t unfold or resolve in two pages, so it kept the reader wondering.

The main character, April, had a lot of baggage, quirks and issues. She wasn’t always likable. I find that important in a book, because rarely do we ever like or agree or sympathize 100-percent with someone in real life. It makes for a more realistic character, in my humble opinion.

The mysteries and family drama that unfolds in this book is CRAZY. It had me shouting updates to my roommate, who periodically tuned into the audiobook by default. :)

I spent a fair amount of time googling names I didn’t know, to find that they were real people! The author clearly did a ton of research for this book.

For example, did you know that fartiste was a real profession? It’s a professional farter. I can’t believe that I’ve only just heard of that for the first time!

Also, if you really want to be immersed in the book, buy some cheese and champagne, because those staples get mentioned. A lot. And now I crave a cheese platter.

Really enjoyable read and jaunt through Parisian history and a Parisian family, through the good, the bad and the laide.

Have you ever looked at a painting or a piece of antique furniture and wondered about its back story? Loosely based on an actual event, Michelle Gable took a story about the discovery of an apartment packed with valuable antiques in Paris France that had been closed up for 70 years, and weaved a poignant tale of fiction that sends the reader back and forth in time. This was the best book I've read in a long time. I wouldn't mind if they made a movie based on it. Definitely worthy of the big screen. ( )