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thenovelbook 's review for:

Under the Stars of Paris by Mary Burchell
5.0

Hmm.
This book will most appeal to you if you have a toleration for the Mr. Rochesters and M. Paul Emanuels of the world of fiction.
In other words, a romantic interest who is a bit of a jerk. Indeed, Charlotte Bronte would have been all over this plot.
There's no getting away from it. There were multiple times in this book where I sighed a little bit and thought, "Ah. So we're doing this, are we?"
The autocratic man who's rather too old for the heroine. Who keeps her guessing the whole time as to whether he dislikes her or is just indifferent (hint: it's neither).
What can I say? Mary Burchell handled it with skill and thrill.

Plot summary: Anthea is on her own in Paris, jilted by her fiancé, and with dwindling finances. A chance meeting gets her an opportunity to model at a luxurious fashion show, where she meets Florian, a prestigious dress designer. The rest is moments of catty girl drama, enigmatic conversations with her employer, dinner dates with a "just a friend" who wants to be more, and very Jane-Eyre-like amounts of concealed longing for the inscrutable employer.

If it sounds like your thing, it probably is. Yes, I gave it 5 stars. Yes, even though I wouldn’t be on board with it in real life, I really liked it and was totally invested by the end.