Take a photo of a barcode or cover
4.18 AVERAGE
4.18 AVERAGE
adventurous
emotional
inspiring
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
adventurous
challenging
hopeful
informative
inspiring
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
emotional
inspiring
reflective
sad
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
I came across this book last year, added it to my tbr but never got to read it. I kind of wish I read it then & there because damn what a book this is.
Let's start about the good first:
Kelly is a great writer when it comes to conveying emotions. You can feel every emotions, every heartbreak, every fear the characters are experiencing. It feels so real and intense. During the few scenes where the nazis were searching estelle apartment (that she used to hid a jewish child & allied airmen) I was biting my finger in anxiety & holding my breath the whole time.
The characters she wrote seems real & they could be people we met in our lives. I totally love Estelle & Jerome. They are brave individuals that cared so much for people around them. They could very well just live their lives & do nothing about the whole nazi stuff but they didn't. The sacrifices they made my eyes watery multiple times throughout the book.
I know from bits & pieces that they eventually got married after the war but alas he died young (health problems caused by prolonged tortured at the concentration camp). I wish we could at least get to see their reunion in the epilogue. I know I would cry a bucket.
I also love their first scene together. Jerome is like all tough & strict. Shouting orders & demand others to be efficient etc but change to his kind self when Estelle almost collapse out of exhaustion & shock.
Sophie's life is a tragedy but at least in the end she got to reunite with her beloved husband, Piotr and the mare they met that morning 😢
Now the bad:
The dialogue. Some of them are so unrealistic it feels like I'm reading a textbook conversation they taught future teachers in English course. However, in shorter dialogue it's much better.
The modern day characters aren't that likeable. I hate that Lia is very quick to jump to conclusion & being emotional about it when she's supposed to a rational person (really girl?). I like Gabriel in the beginning but as the book progress he becomes whiny & annoying. At least he knows how to apologise.
This book also feels like a debut (it's not right?) by the amount of excessive description the author penned. The pages could be reduced significantly simply by cutting these unnecessary words off. I don't know what was going on in the editor's head.
To be honest, if not for the emotional wreck it puts me in, I would give this much lower rating. Now, this book is all I'll be able to think about for at least a week.
slow-paced
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
informative
sad
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
emotional
informative
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
medium-paced
adventurous
dark
emotional
hopeful
informative
inspiring
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
challenging
emotional
hopeful
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
I've been a long time fan of Kelly Bowen's romance novels, so I was definitely excited to read The Paris Apartment. Especially since historical fiction isn't my usual genre, but I felt like it would be good to try out with an author I already enjoy. World War II history has always been an interest of mine, and I think this book did a good job of showing female POVs of the war which is often overlooked. Having four narrators worried me at first, but each one was so unique and I didn't feel like I got anyone mixed up. And I loved how all of the stories got interwoven between the past and the present. Overall this was an enjoyable read and despite the heavy topics, Bowen was still able to interject moments of humor that still felt appropriate. I think anyone interested in historical fiction would enjoy this book.
Thank you Forever Romance and NetGalley for the ARC.
Thank you Forever Romance and NetGalley for the ARC.
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
N/A
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No