Just having the word Paris in the title of this book grabbed my attention. After reading a short synopsis, I requested it through the Goodreads giveaway program. I love reading novels set in France and Italy so, I felt fortunate to be the recipient of this book – free of charge!Secrets of Paris is a story of friendship and a troubled marriage. Lydie, one of the main characters, moves to Paris with her husband Michael in a cultural exchange program. Michael is an architect with an assignment to redesign a room at the Louvre. Lydie is a photographer stylist. Both have their work but …c’mon….the city of lights and love is at their disposal for romantic date nights….they should take advantage of it!Lydie is still in mourning over her father’s death in a murder suicide where Dad kills his lover and offs himself. Naturally this affair comes as a total shock to Lydie and her mother. It just does not help to find out Michael knew of the affair. In his defense, his father-in-law told him about it one day and swore him to secrecy. What a rotten position to be put in. The novel progress with Lydie making friends with Patrice d'Origny ( a woman from Boston who is married to jewelry store owner) and Kelly (a Filipino woman who is Patrice's maid). These three women bond and become friends as they unite to help Kelly move to the United States . In the meantime Michael starts up an affair with a French biographer Anne Dumas. Lydie and Michael are absorbed with their own projects and work but still want to rekindle the spark of their marriage. From what I have heard from fans of Luanne Rice – this wasn’t their favorite novel. Sad for me that it’s the first one I have read by this author. It just didn’t engage me. I didn’t hate it but I didn’t love it. I was able to read it. There was my “French fix” in a literary form but…..I couldn’t warm up to the characters. This would be suggested as a “beach read” in my opinion. Since I was not engaged with the people and their problems I was not inspired to make much more than a chicken salad on croissant – the French twist being some of the ingredients.Cheers…uh…....I meant Bon Appetit!Shredded Chicken Fleur de Sel De Guerande (French sea salt)Ground black pepperA few teaspoons of white wine Dijon mustardMayonnaiseCroissants For photos see Squirrel Head Manor. Secrets of Paris by Luanne RiceThis is a story about Lydie who has moved to Paris with her husband. He's in the architecture business and she sets up shoots for photographing. She was reluctant to come to Paris as her father and mistress had died in a car crash a year ago and she wanted to console her mother.She did meet an American woman at a cafe one day and they became friends.Patrice's husband is into selling jewelry and he asks for Lydie's help in a ball at a mansion. She scurries the countryside for just the right props.Her husband, Michael in the meantime has taken up with Anne in an affair.Patrice's mother has arrived from US to stay a week and she's trying on her nerves.Michael has told her that he no longer loves her and does not think she loves him. He has fallen in love with another woman. Lydie is not sure if she loves him or not. She tries to focus on other things-to help the maid Kelly get to the US. Maybe now Lydie will leave Paris after the ball, with Kelly.Lots of choices and decisions. I felt not connected to this book, probably just the foreign location. Story line was great and few characters as others came in and out of the picture, very easy to follow the story.
What do You think about Secrets Of Paris (2011)?
Not my favorite Luanne Rice book. The setting was great, but the book was a bit flat.
—ladybird
It was good. Interesting relationships among characters.
—lilmiss
