Tag Archives: historical fiction

The Paris Model: A Book Review

Book Reviews October 12, 2020 Leave a comment

50496928

By Alexandra Joel

Genre: Fiction, Historical Fiction
Pages: 352
ISBN: 9780063031968
ASIN: B083SN921G
ISBN (Audio): 9781799940357
Format: Paperback, Ebook, Audiobook
Publication date: September 2020
Publisher: Harper Perennial
Type: Book, Novel, Historical

I received a free paperback copy in exchange for an honest review. No compensation has been given and I write this book review willingly. A big thanks to Harper Collins and Harper Collins Canada Frenzy!

Introduction:

When I was offered the opportunity to review a historical fiction book for Harper Collins via the Harper Collins Canada Frenzy program, The Paris Model’s cover and title caught my eye. “What is this beautiful, beautiful book about?” I wondered. As I read the blurb, I knew I couldn’t pass this one up. I’m a fashion lover and a huge France fan, so this was the book for me. I knew it! I was so psyched when my request was granted and I received this beauty of a galley in the mail. Huge thanks to Harper Collins and the author, Alexandra Joel, for this jewel!

Now, how about we explore this book together in more details? You’ll see, it’s full of elegance, twists, and travel. But mostly, it’s a humane story full of emotions that will leave you breathless but with a feeling of satisfaction.

Blurb:

Grace Woods, a hard-working woman raised on an Australian farm, moves to postwar Paris to work for Christian Dior as a model after her disastrous marriage. Left with more questions about her past and her parents, Grace tries to go on a normal life, putting the past behind her. As she does so, she meets with colourful characters such as Julia Child and Jackie Kennedy. Yet, she’s still on a quest to find answers, and a young man she meets, Philippe Boyer, will help her in this endeavour. But she’ll have to help him too, and all of France. Will she be up for the challenge?

The Positive Sides:

The first great thing that jumped at me when I opened the book was how the writing is lush, enchanting and elegant, just like the world of fashion and modelling seems like. Don’t believe me? Here’s a quote:

She was in a jurisdiction of her own. Her mind, her very being, was fixed upon a single resolution. No matter the hour, nor the exquisite agony, she would continue until her child was born—healthy, safe, whole.

At last, her body surrendered its possession. Only then did she experience a sweet release. Happiness was her narcotic; she felt intoxicated with pleasure and relief.

It’s from the beginning, which simply grabbed my heart and made me tear up. Also, let’s be honest here: what a gorgeous cover! All those deep colours, the look of the historical fiction, and the cursive fonts used. GOR.GE.OUS! I love the French quotes and words throughout the book; it’s not overwhelming, yet it gives you a taste of the language and culture while being understandable from the context and attitudes of the characters (I speak French, so I always enjoy finding my language in a book—it’s pleasant and makes it even more home to me). Another great point is how this book is divided: sections within chapters and chapters within books for one book. They’re all short too and smooth to read. It’s a breeze! So pleasant.

Speaking of the story itself, there were tense, gripping moments when she was young. I didn’t get why we saw her childhood, but the family relationships are important, and it makes sense as we get bits of the issue at hand through Grace’s eyes. Plus, I love how clothes are important even outside of the fashion storyline; they’re all described in accurate terminology, which is a feat in my opinion (hey, I work with terminology what with being a translator, and this perfect use of terminology makes me glow with happiness!) Personally, I love how Grace wishes to travel, dreams of a life untethered to some place/someone and out and about around the world. I relate so much despite the era! I can feel Grace’s ache to explore.

Something that hit me hard is how the awful realism of the married life before is well depicted along with how women had to shut up and only do “women’s work”. I was so upset I put the book down. It was hard to read, but so true. I applaud the author’s dare. The despicable and awful sex scenes hit my heart hard. So many women suffered that and against their will… and I have strong issues with sex, being asexual myself, and this was a nightmare described in words. Thanks for showing this old reality in women’s lives.
On a more cheerful note, I found so cute the serendipitous way Grace hears about the job and becomes a model! Lovely! Such things happen in real life, too. People’s reactions are realistic and true, so it is charming to read. Outbursts, false beliefs, happiness, dreams… I like how her quest to find Siddy is reinforced by a certain meeting and how the absence of action on Grace’s part is explained right when her motivation is renewed. It didn’t ignore the issue! Great! It’s fantastic to see models and beautiful women in action, to see them being intelligent and not stupid like most deem them just because they “show off” in expensive clothes. They’re women, they’re more than just that! Really loved it, this different perspective.

And if I may add: OH, THE EMOTIONS! The FEELS! I am so invested in Grace! Everything she feels, I feel. Ohhh, the ending got me crying like a poor fountain. I relate so much to Grace’s thoughts about a second set of parents. My grandparents were so close to me, they were and always will be my second parents.

In addition to those feelings, I love all the clever historical inserts and references such as the Duchess of Windsor, Vogue (which existed back then), the Viscountess de Noailles, and locations, and news in the paper like Dior’s clothes are “revolutionary” and old laws like how a woman can’t get a passport without her husband’s approval in Australia (what even is this? Yew!) I adore how celebrities of the time in all fields (Julia Child, imagine that!) make an appearance. Some play an even bigger role :). The author even goes all in with historical figures—she writes them closely and often, like a certain friend of Grace’s, Jacqueline. Have fun discovering who she is like I have!

This is genuinely the perfect read to be surrounded by fashion instead of reading only magazines and articles! So many references, allusions and oh, the ambiance.

I thought this was just a novel about fashion and possibly romance, but wow, it is so much more! And the best thing? It’s based on a true story!!

The Negative Sides:

There were a few things that I noticed. Oftentimes the transitions between paragraphs, time, and locations feel clunky or rushed. Alas, I was disappointed that Grace isn’t asexual because I swear she was every bit like me in the first half of the book… This could have been awesome representation, but of course, it ended with her just not being with the right man for her… What’s new? I’m left sour and disappointed after being so hopeful and despite how much I related with her sexuality at first. Also, it’s a bit too telling at some points throughout the book, almost preachy, but with good values and honesty. I can tell the author wants to make a point with good intentions, but sometimes it feels contrite or too much. Lastly, maybe the story is a bit too fairy tale-like in the end to my taste. But hey, it is sweet sometimes, isn’t it? Once in a while, a happy ending doesn’t hurt…

In Conclusion:

Despite its few flaws, and mostly thanks to the sheer engrossing read it became to me, I give this fantastic book, The Paris Model by Alexandra Joel a rating of 5 stars out of 5! I loved it so much I am going to purchase a final copy for my own “favorites” bookshelf at home. Trust me, this is a great and poignant read with lots of historical references and figures. It was delightful! And though it ended a bit soapy to me, we need happy endings from times top times, don’t we? Go ahead and make yourself a favour: read this book!

If you want to learn more about the author, you can visit her Web site, you can also follow her on Facebook and Instagram. You can also add The Paris Model to your bookshelves on Goodreads and LibraryThing.

The Vault of Verona: A Book Review

Book Reviews September 4, 2019 Leave a comment

(Copyrighted Catherine Girard-Veilleux, 2019)

The Literature Factory

Genre: Fiction, Young adult, Fantasy, Romance

Pages: 282

ISBN: 9780648127918

Format: eBook, Paperback

Publication date: July 5th, 2017

Publisher: Marissa Price (Literature Factory)

Type: Fiction, Novel (Series)

*I received this free ecopy in exchange for an honest review. No compensation has been given and I write this book review willingly. A big thanks to BookTasters and Marissa Price!*

Introduction:

I was browsing the selection of books by BookTasters when I stumbled upon this gem: a Romeo & Juliet retelling! You have to know that it's my favorite love story, ever. And yes, I know it's not realistic (don't care) and it's a tragedy (exactly why I love it). I read the blurb and… a modern girl who goes back to 14th century Verona?! As Juliet?!

You guessed it: I chose The Vault of Verona as this month's book. Let's be honest here: I couldn't have possibly scrolled past it. Not with my love for the play, retellings, AND such a good idea with a modern girl facing the Middle Ages as one of them!

The Blurb:

Harriet Hunter, a modern Australian and teenage student, has to write a homework about Shakespeare's romantic tragedy Romeo and Juliet. Harriet's feminist personality doesn't like this story, nor weak Juliet much, and she draws a picture of what she'd look like if she existed. Overnight, Harriet is transported back in time to Verona with Paris, Romeo, Friar Lawrence, and other play characters… but she finds herself as Juliet! And so the race begins to try and end the play (or is this real life?) in another manner than the original and to find a way back home.

The Positive Sides:

For a start, the MC, Harriet, oozes feminism and equality as the pop references and the story itself do. This story has strong beliefs and stands up for women. I enjoyed how it paints women from earlier times just like us but without the means and rights to be who they were, as well as how other people aren't magnified, but simply human and humane (for the most of them, that is). Also, I love, love, love Harriet's feminist interventions with the ladies in Verona. It's so funny and empowering! In summary, it's undoubtedly a novel written by a woman for women and lauding their strength.

Speaking of Harriet more precisely, I loved her! She's intelligent and cultivated. She thinks quickly. All these elements are so hard to pull off. Her intelligence and the deft writing that shows it believably. I so rarely see this in books that I read—I'm just awed! FINALLY that's a smart character and not one-whose-author-tried-to-make-them-like. The three only other intelligent characters done well (in my opinion) are Hermione Granger in Harry Potter and Thomas from the Maze Runner, and Annabeth Chase from Percy Jackson. So, cheers to the author for this feat! Moreover, I loved how Harriet cared about saving Juliet and the lives of those around her in the 14th century. Her gradual understanding of Juliet's character and own strength by being in her shoes is beautiful and inspiring.

On a character side note, I love the Nurse character. Her love for Juliet is clear to see and so heartwarming. I also appreciated the switch of POV to Paris and other characters we either saw very little of in the play, or not at all. It allowed us to explore their thoughts and personality as well as situations.

As for the realism of the Middle Ages, I liked the details of life in that time such as the velvety black sky with twinkling stars that is so much different from the one we see in cities nowadays. Also, the short breaths because of corsets and the very pale lights due to only the moon and a candle. Nice ones!

The friendships were on the spotlight in The Vault of Verona. I loved the talk of equality between one of the main characters and Harriet and her interest about marriage equality as well as the truth of women's equality and how it had to be fought for. It filled me with pride and hope for women and other marginalised people.

As for her writing, the vocabulary is well chosen and not childish, but often literary. Admirable. Indeed, she has good writing, mostly in metaphors and comparisons (as well as her literary words). For example, "against the hunger of the dark" (I find this beautiful, poetic and poignant.) The descriptions of her settings are precise and gripping without being overwhelming. Also, the transitions are smooth between thoughts, actions, events and chapters. The hooks at the chapter ends are awesome and make you want to find out the famous "What happens next?"

But what about the rhythm and coherence? Well, the tension and action imposed by the situation and Harriet's actions are fun and engrossing. You feel the ticking bomb. Something else that pleased me was how every little thing or mention finds meaning at some point in the story. It's beautiful. Another thoughtful thing is how the author talks about all the characters' new situations at the end. There is a real satisfying closure.

All in all, this book messes up with your expectations and there's an excellent middle plot twist!! It was a long time since I was so hooked to a book, thinking about it even when I wasn't reading, while doing banal chores (I'm looking at you dishes and showering). I had a blast!

P.S.: There is such a good hint about where she's headed next towards the end.

The Negative Sides:

Now, there were a few mistakes that I can't just toss away such as how the dialogues are a bit too revealing about information the characters should already know. Also, the Harriet's main setting (Wineglass Bay, Australia) was hard to grasp before a good thirty pages. The author gives such small crumbs of info it was hard to piece them together until she mentioned the name of the city later so I could google it. This was more annoying than a real mistake per se, mind you.

Also, I found a few spelling mistakes ("focussed", for example), but the real problem was the editing. Let me explain with examples. There is an instance where Juliet's father is called "Lord Montague" instead of "Capulet". Wrong family. Moreover, there's this part where it says "Taking a deep breath (…), she took a deep breath." in the same sentence! And such other editing issues appear throughout the book. Has this been edited? Because I'm sure an editor would have caught them and it would have made this already awesome book into a perfect one.

Lastly, Romeo doesn't seem to care about the murder of his best friend, Mercutio—he only has eyes for Juliet. And I noticed a bit of head-hopping, but it's always introduced with the name of the following head-hopped character in a sentence right before it. So this doesn't really count as a mistake, but more of a technique to improve, I think?

In Conclusion:

Seriously, this read was captivating and thrilling! Like I said, it's been a long while since I was so hooked to a book. Despite its editing flaws, I think this book is a gem in terms of historical fiction, retelling, and feminism; it makes you care. I took out a point for the editing, but I can't give The Vault of Verona any less than a rating of 4 stars out of 5 for how fun reading this book was and how many emotions it made me feel.

I'll gladly recommend this book to everyone I know, mostly if you have tastes in these genres! Also, I'll keep myself updated about the author and her books because this is certainly not the last of hers I will read! In fact, I'm staring at the second volume. I'll try to get it as a review copy (because more promotion for this great series!), but if I can't it's a sure purchase!

If you want to learn more about the author, you can visit her Web site and The Literature Factory. You can also follow her on Twitter and Goodreads. You can also add The Vault of Verona to your bookshelves on Goodreads and LibraryThing.

The Gentleman ‘ s Guide to Vice and Virtue: A Review

Book Reviews February 23, 2018 Leave a comment

I still have nightmares about trying to read Moby Dick for a college literature class. Seriously, that book is my great whale. Despite many (many!) attempts to read it, I still haven't been able to get through it all. Consequently, I believe it is on

By Mackenzi Lee

Genre: Historical Fiction, LGBTQ, YA, Romance

Pages: 513 (Hardcover edition)

ISBN: 9780062382801

The Story:

Henry “Monty” Montague was born and bred to be a gentleman, but he was never one to be tamed. The finest boarding schools in England and the constant disapproval of his father haven’t been able to curb any of his roguish passions—not for gambling halls, late nights spent with a bottle of spirits, or waking up in the arms of women or men. But as Monty embarks on his Grand Tour of Europe, his quest for a life filled with pleasure and vice is in danger of coming to an end. Not only does his father expect him to take over the family’s estate upon his return, but Monty is also nursing an impossible crush on his best friend and traveling companion, Percy. Still it isn’t in Monty’s nature to give up. Even with his younger sister, Felicity, in tow, he vows to make this yearlong escapade one last hedonistic hurrah and flirt with Percy from Paris to Rome. But when one of Monty’s reckless decisions turns their trip abroad into a harrowing manhunt that spans across Europe, it calls into question everything he knows, including his relationship with the boy he adores.

My Favourite Points:

Two things really stood out for me in this book: the quality of the writing and Monty. This book was very well written. The drama was there as well as humour and intriguing plot points. As for the characters themselves, I found them to be quite unique and they even managed to develop over the pages. Although I'd have wanted for Monty to grasp things more quickly and change more than what he did, but it was simply realistic so I can't really talk against that aspect. The plot was fun and interesting, though it sometimes lacked realism or high stakes. My favourite character was Felicity (hands down!). She's strong, independent, determined and impressive in her own way. She's pursuing medecine in her free time despite what her father and society think of a woman having a passion (or the wits!) for it. I can't wait for the sequel, which is all about Felicity!

My Lesser Points:

However, Monty didn't sit well with me. At all. He's such an idiot from beginning to end. Yes, okay, at the end he's a bit more open-minded and kind, but since the characters were done realistically, people will often come back to behaving just like they used to so with very few differences… He's arrogant and careless and doesn't even put himself in Percy's shoes for… EVERYTHING. It's always others' fault and he's so oblivious. I know he has a hard past, but he's really just blind or plain stupid. Either way, I don't like him. It's his personality I dislike. Reading this book wasn't a lot of fun because he was in it, see? I don't even know why I finished it. Probably because Felicity is awesome and Percy is so cute. But Monty? Thank God the sequel isn't about him!

Conclusion: But not everything is lost for there's a special treat in this book: interracial homosexual love. Like, why don't we see this more often? In all possible combinations: interracial love, homosexual love, and interracial homosexual love. It's cruelly missing and this book gives it to us. Lastly, the realism surrounding epilepsy and madhouses is heart-wrenching. But well done! Oh, I forgot: it's set in 18th century, so that's pretty great. All in all, the book and story themselves weren't bad, but Monty ruined it for me. I hated picking up the book and having to read HIS point of view. If it had been Percy's, now, that would have been perfect and sweet, I'm sure of it. I guess it's 4 disappointing stars for this one. I can't rate it less than 4 because a character didn't sit well with me, right? Let's say I'm judging the overall product as a 4 stars.

If you want to learn more about Mackenzi Lee and her books, head over to her Web site or her Twitter account.

The Gentleman’s Guide to Vice and Virtue: A Review

Book Reviews, LGBT February 23, 2018 Leave a comment

By Mackenzi Lee

Genre: Historical Fiction, LGBTQ, YA, Romance

Pages: 513 (Hardcover edition)

ISBN: 9780062382801

The Story:

But as Monty embarks on his Grand Tour of Europe, his quest for a life filled with pleasure and vice is in danger of coming to an end. Not only does his father expect him to take over the family’s estate upon his return, but Monty is also nursing an impossible crush on his best friend and traveling companion, Percy.

Still it isn’t in Monty’s nature to give up. Even with his younger sister, Felicity, in tow, he vows to make this yearlong escapade one last hedonistic hurrah and flirt with Percy from Paris to Rome. But when one of Monty’s reckless decisions turns their trip abroad into a harrowing manhunt that spans across Europe, it calls into question everything he knows, including his relationship with the boy he adores.

My Favourite Points:

Two things really stood out for me in this book: the quality of the writing and Monty.

This book was very well written. The drama was there as well as humour and intriguing plot points.

As for the characters themselves, I found them to be quite unique and they even managed to develop over the pages. Although I’d have wanted for Monty to grasp things more quickly and change more than what he did, but it was simply realistic so I can’t really talk against that aspect.

The plot was fun and interesting, though it sometimes lacked realism or high stakes.

My favourite character was Felicity (hands down!). She’s strong, independent, determined and impressive in her own way. She’s pursuing medecine in her free time despite what her father and society think of a woman having a passion (or the wits!) for it. I can’t wait for the sequel, which is all about Felicity!

My Lesser Points:
However, Monty didn’t sit well with me. At all. He’s such an idiot from beginning to end. Yes, okay, at the end he’s a bit more open-minded and kind, but since the characters were done realistically, people will often come back to behaving just like they used to so with very few differences… He’s arrogant and careless and doesn’t even put himself in Percy’s shoes for… EVERYTHING. It’s always others’ fault and he’s so oblivious. I know he has a hard past, but he’s really just blind or plain stupid. Either way, I don’t like him. It’s his personality I dislike. Reading this book wasn’t a lot of fun because he was in it, see? I don’t even know why I finished it. Probably because Felicity is awesome and Percy is so cute. But Monty? Thank God the sequel isn’t about him!

Conclusion:

But not everything is lost for there’s a special treat in this book: interracial homosexual love. Like, why don’t we see this more often? In all possible combinations: interracial love, homosexual love, and interracial homosexual love. It’s cruelly missing and this book gives it to us.

Lastly, the realism surrounding epilepsy and madhouses is heart-wrenching. But well done!

Oh, I forgot: it’s set in 18th century, so that’s pretty great.

All in all, the book and story themselves weren’t bad, but Monty ruined it for me. I hated picking up the book and having to read HIS point of view. If it had been Percy’s, now, that would have been perfect and sweet, I’m sure of it. I guess it’s 4 disappointing stars for this one. I can’t rate it less than 4 because a character didn’t sit well with me, right? Let’s say I’m judging the overall product as a 4 stars.

If you want to learn more about Mackenzi Lee and her books, head over to her Web site or her Twitter account.