Unbecoming by Rebecca Scherm In a dusty corner of Paris, Grace works in an antique repair shop. She fixes the tiny baubles on chandeliers, the cracking of gilt frames and the prongs of antique jewelry. But Grace is not just a woman having a youthful adventure. But behind her small tools and magnifying glass,…
REVIEW: BLOOD ROYAL by Eric Jager
Centered around the brutal and shocking assassination of the Duke of Orleans, brother to the King of France.Returned home one night, he was set upon by a gang of mounted ruffians who bashed in his skull and left him for dead on the cobblestone street of Rue Vieille du Temple. Jager’s retelling of the incident…
ACCENT: THE HOTEL ON THE PLACE VENDOME
This is a must-read across the board, but especially for history enthusiasts. It’s one of those topics that everyone has vaguely heard of but when you start delving into the details that you realize just how entangled and incredibly interesting it is. The Hôtel Ritz was always *the* place in Paris. Once the Nazi Occupation…
ACCENT: THE SIXTH by Avery Hays
Aside from having a gorgeous cover, this book is full of lush prose. The heroine, Florbela Sarmentos, has moved from her native Portugal to pursue a career in art. She joins the bohemian lifestyle of 1900s Paris and immerses herself in the culture. Still, she is unable to forget the wrongfully-imprisoned father she left behind —…
REVIEW: THE WOMAN BEFORE WALLIS by Andrew Rose
Before Edward took up with American socialite Wallis Simpson, before he gave up the crown and eschewed his duties as the King of England, the young prince was involved in an even more scandalous relationship. A antsy and angsty Prince is assigned to duty in France during WWI. Seeing as he was poised to take…