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A review by ketevanreads
Half-Blown Rose by Leesa Cross-Smith
4.0
I'm a huge fan of Cross-Smith and was hesitant to read this because, based on reviews, I thought this was a romance set in Paris, two things I generally avoid. While it is set in Paris (see below for my thoughts on how American writers just can't depict Parisian life accurately), it is NOT a romance. This is a romance like Doctor Zhivago and Lady Chatterley's Lover are romance.
For me, it's straight-up literary fiction with a bold feminist twist--so much so that I found it to be almost *too* obvious!-- but I guess that was a tough line for Cross-Smith to tread because I can see from the reviews here that it went over many heads.
We have an endless number of male-authored books featuring our male protagonist in a transitional space who processes by having sex with lots of women or lots of sex with one woman. Cross-Smith wrote that book, but with a female protagonist. Come on, she even gave her a man's name--was that not flashbulbs for everyone else? Oh and she's wealthy and Black, because why not inject some Black joy into the world? Some reviewers seem unhappy with that choice, but I found it extraordinarily intentional and successful.
A couple of other corrections to the many reviews stating otherwise: This is not an affair, our protagonist has very clearly left her husband. She ends the relationship, moves to a different continent for a year. I mean, sure they're still legally married, but it didn't occur to me once that this was an extra-marital affair until I read reviews expressing their discomfort over this (LOL). Second, the ending is clear as day. Sure, Cross-Smith doesn't literally spell it out for you, but like...reread the last few pages and it's obvious? So if either of those things concern you, don't worry about it.
As for writing Paris well, that's where this fell short. Although the French was largely accurate and lots of details were spot-on, there will always be some funny gaps that you'd never notice unless you were French or lived in France.
Realistic:
-American living in Paris buying their bread and produce from Franprix.
Getting catcalled because your coat covers your dress.
-Protagonist and her lover wait a very long time to say that they love each other. Not culturally accurate, but realistic portrayal based on the context.
Unrealistic:
-French people switch to franglais around Americans. LOL no.
-American protagonist befriends French woman and they are casually saying I love you to each other within months. Yes, even though they became BFFs in that timeframe, which is also unrealistic.
-Throuple/triad show up to a party and no one bats an eye. Perhaps this might be more realistic in The Arts crowd, but in general French people are VERY conservative in this regard.
-Protaganist calls out sick from teaching a class because of her period and is told nbd, get well.
-Most baffling: French lover says s’il vous plaît to protagonist? Why so formal, Loup??
For me, it's straight-up literary fiction with a bold feminist twist--so much so that I found it to be almost *too* obvious!-- but I guess that was a tough line for Cross-Smith to tread because I can see from the reviews here that it went over many heads.
We have an endless number of male-authored books featuring our male protagonist in a transitional space who processes by having sex with lots of women or lots of sex with one woman. Cross-Smith wrote that book, but with a female protagonist. Come on, she even gave her a man's name--was that not flashbulbs for everyone else? Oh and she's wealthy and Black, because why not inject some Black joy into the world? Some reviewers seem unhappy with that choice, but I found it extraordinarily intentional and successful.
A couple of other corrections to the many reviews stating otherwise: This is not an affair, our protagonist has very clearly left her husband. She ends the relationship, moves to a different continent for a year. I mean, sure they're still legally married, but it didn't occur to me once that this was an extra-marital affair until I read reviews expressing their discomfort over this (LOL). Second, the ending is clear as day. Sure, Cross-Smith doesn't literally spell it out for you, but like...reread the last few pages and it's obvious? So if either of those things concern you, don't worry about it.
As for writing Paris well, that's where this fell short. Although the French was largely accurate and lots of details were spot-on, there will always be some funny gaps that you'd never notice unless you were French or lived in France.
Realistic:
-American living in Paris buying their bread and produce from Franprix.
Getting catcalled because your coat covers your dress.
-Protagonist and her lover wait a very long time to say that they love each other. Not culturally accurate, but realistic portrayal based on the context.
Unrealistic:
-French people switch to franglais around Americans. LOL no.
-American protagonist befriends French woman and they are casually saying I love you to each other within months. Yes, even though they became BFFs in that timeframe, which is also unrealistic.
-Throuple/triad show up to a party and no one bats an eye. Perhaps this might be more realistic in The Arts crowd, but in general French people are VERY conservative in this regard.
-Protaganist calls out sick from teaching a class because of her period and is told nbd, get well.
-Most baffling: French lover says s’il vous plaît to protagonist? Why so formal, Loup??