We all know how much I love to share my love of all things bookish, and with everything that’s going on in the world right now reading (to me) has never been so important. I am so incredibly happy to share my latest review with you all.
This time I have been lucky enough to read From A Paris Balcony by Ella Carey who has fast became one of my favourite authors over the past couple of months. I hope you enjoy my review..
Book Description:
The small green chest was concealed at the back of her father’s wardrobe. Its hinges were made of brass that must once have shone, but now the surface was roughened and dull. As she opened the lock, there was only one thing inside: a letter, postmarked 1895, Paris.
England, 1895. Louisa West, a young beauty from Boston, looks like she has it all: a handsome husband, she is lady of Ashworth Manor and one day she’ll be a duchess. But in truth, her life is falling apart. Louisa’s honeymoon is barely over when her husband deserts her, leaving her devastated and alone. She flees to Paris, longing to escape her grief, but finds only tragedy…
Boston, 2015. Life hasn’t been kind to Sarah West. In one year, she has lost both her parents and her marriage. After her father’s death, Sarah is sorting through his belongings when she finds a letter about her mysterious ancestor, Louisa. There have always been whispers in the family about Louisa’s suicide—from a high balcony in Paris—but as Sarah reads, she starts to question everything she was told. Desperate to leave her broken heart behind, she books a trip to Paris to find out more…
When Sarah arrives in the city of lights, the cobbled streets of Montmartre and the river Seine at twilight make her heart sing. Then, on the bookshelf of a beautiful Paris apartment, hidden inside the yellowing pages of an old novel, she finds a note about Louisa which shatters Sarah’s understanding of her family’s past. Did Louisa really throw herself from a Paris balcony? And when Sarah uncovers the truth, will it change everything about her future?
An utterly captivating and emotional historical novel from bestselling author Ella Carey that will transport you to Paris at its most glamorous. From a Paris Balcony will have fans of Rhys Bowen, Fiona Valpy and My Name is Eva totally gripped!
My Thoughts:
I adore a good historical story, and this book certainly did not disappoint. It captivated me right from the start with a storyline that is filled with so much emotion and depth.
I absolutely loved the double timeline that this book featured. Getting to learn about both Louisa and Sarah’s lives fascinated me, and watching as their characters developed throughout the book made the connection and empathy you felt for them stronger again.
Discovering a secret note that opens up the possibility that the past may now have gone quite as she thought, Sarah is shocked to the core, and makes it her own personal mission to try and uncover the truth about Louisa and what really happened on that balcony all those years ago.
Ella Carey brings Paris to life perfectly with her wonderful writing style, and really gives you a sense of what it would feel like to walk the streets and see there sights it has to offer. The characters are also wonderfully brought to life in my minds eye, and the unique qualities they carry with them and the ways in which these traits impact on their relationships throughout gives a whole new depth to the story.
With the underlying sense of mystery that this book carries with it, it captivates you from beginning to end. Full of emotion and discovery along the way, it is without a doubt a page turner and a definite must read for all historical fiction lovers out there.
Thank you once again to Sarah Hardy for allowing me to be a part of this book tour, and a huge thank you to Ella Carey for allowing me to read an ARC of this wonderful book.
Author Bio:
Ella Carey is the international bestselling author of The Things We Don’t Say, Secret Shores, From a Paris Balcony, The House by the Lake, and Paris Time Capsule. Her books have been published in over fourteen languages, in twelve countries, and have been shortlisted for ARRA awards. A Francophile who has long been fascinated by secret histories set in Europe’s entrancing past, Ella has degrees in music, nineteenth-century women’s fiction, and modern European history. She lives in Melbourne with her two children and two Italian greyhounds who are constantly mistaken for whippets.
Ella loves to connect with her readers regularly through her facebook page and on her website.
https://www.facebook.com/ellacareyauthor/
https://twitter.com/Ella_Carey
Buy Links:
Amazon: https://bit.ly/2TQf1Xq Apple: https://apple.co/34MvBxK Kobo: https://bit.ly/2TJrqN5 Google: https://bit.ly/34OQQze
Victoria Wilks 