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3.5 AVERAGE
3.5 AVERAGE
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
This book was a relief to me—loved reading something with beautiful, poetic language that centered an artistic, sexual Black woman with desire, a complicated history, and the money to pursue her desires with some ease l.
Sensual. Sexual. Scenic.
Atmospheric. Romantic. Fulfilling.
I have the best-kind-of-complicated feelings about
Atmospheric. Romantic. Fulfilling.
I have the best-kind-of-complicated feelings about
adventurous
emotional
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
“She felt a lot of things, but never lonely. Lonely let can be a negative word. Alone is neutral. She likes feeling alone.”
This did not compare to The Idea of You at all and I am so bummed. Weird book
DNF at 50%. Great writing, great sense of place and character. But, spent a lot of time on "open door" thoughts and deeds - I would like to have had more about all of the arc the relationships than that much focus on desire.
I think this is a book I need to sit with for a while and think about to really accurately assess how I feel about it, and why I enjoyed it as much as I did. I can say I’ve never read a book quite like this, and I really think it will sit with me for a long time. The prose is incredibly beautiful, as a bonus.
The other day I said to my husband, “Do you think we’ll ever travel again? I want to visit Paris!” I know when we do make it to the City of Love, I will expect to run into Vincent and Loup, the main characters in this compelling story, because that’s just how real they feel.
Vincent (after Van Gogh) is an incredible protagonist who moves to Paris and has a passionate affair with 24 year old Timothée Chalamet lookalike Loup. We learn all about her passions, her talents, her desires, her family, and her estranged husband Cillian - and what drove Vincent to take space from him. I thought I would feel frustrated with her choices, but watching her embrace all parts of her life with openness and happiness was so fulfilling as a reader and as a woman.
Everything about Half-Blown Rose was gorgeous. The prose is as immersive as it gets, and at times I forgot I was reading a book because I felt like I was there with the characters. That sounds cheesy, but it so rarely happens to me that I felt the need to share it in my review.
Tense. Sexy. Propulsive. Beautiful. Complex. Character-Driven. Stunning.
I absolutely adored this book and will be back for more of Cross-Smith’s work because she is an extraordinary story teller.
Read if you like character driven stories full of self-discovery, sexual freedom, professional fulfillment, and true connections amongst the cast of characters.
Five glowing stars! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Thank you to Grand Central Publishing for my gifted copy. On sale 31/05!
Vincent (after Van Gogh) is an incredible protagonist who moves to Paris and has a passionate affair with 24 year old Timothée Chalamet lookalike Loup. We learn all about her passions, her talents, her desires, her family, and her estranged husband Cillian - and what drove Vincent to take space from him. I thought I would feel frustrated with her choices, but watching her embrace all parts of her life with openness and happiness was so fulfilling as a reader and as a woman.
Everything about Half-Blown Rose was gorgeous. The prose is as immersive as it gets, and at times I forgot I was reading a book because I felt like I was there with the characters. That sounds cheesy, but it so rarely happens to me that I felt the need to share it in my review.
Tense. Sexy. Propulsive. Beautiful. Complex. Character-Driven. Stunning.
I absolutely adored this book and will be back for more of Cross-Smith’s work because she is an extraordinary story teller.
Read if you like character driven stories full of self-discovery, sexual freedom, professional fulfillment, and true connections amongst the cast of characters.
Five glowing stars! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Thank you to Grand Central Publishing for my gifted copy. On sale 31/05!
There seem to be mixed reviews about this one and while I can understand why, I STILL LOVED IT. This entire novel was so detailed on Vincent’s overall experience in Paris, that it made me feel like I was there. So much art, culture, food, music - and did I mention her Parisian lover? Also the ending completely shocked me to my core and I NEED ANSWERS!!!! What a beautiful written story!
Leesa Cross-Smith has an almost uncanny ability to capture the complexities, flaws, and indescribable beauty of human relationships, particularly in the way new relationships (romantic or platonic) begin and develop.
In this novel, Vincent is a woman in her 40s (my exact age, incidentally) who has faced a very unexpected pivot in her marriage due to a long-held secret of her husband. Escaping to the Paris apartment owned by her artist parents, Vincent is equally surprised to find herself in an intense love affair with a much younger man.
The romance of Paris combined with the slow process of getting to know someone deeply makes this story both familiar and fantastical, and it emphasizes the humanity of shifting ideals, priorities, needs, and relationships throughout one's life.
In this novel, Vincent is a woman in her 40s (my exact age, incidentally) who has faced a very unexpected pivot in her marriage due to a long-held secret of her husband. Escaping to the Paris apartment owned by her artist parents, Vincent is equally surprised to find herself in an intense love affair with a much younger man.
The romance of Paris combined with the slow process of getting to know someone deeply makes this story both familiar and fantastical, and it emphasizes the humanity of shifting ideals, priorities, needs, and relationships throughout one's life.