Paris Time Capsule

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Photographer Cat Jordan receives a package from Paris and finds that her grandmother (now deceased) inherited an apartment in Paris. Cat jets off to Paris to inspect the apartment and find how this woman and her grandmother were connected during WWII.

Upon arriving in Paris to inspect her inherited apartment, Cat discovers that there are numerous treasures within. She has also inherited the acquaintance of Loic -- the deceased's grandson and therefore logical heir to the possessions.

Cat loves vintage clothes with a special fondness for the 30s and 40s. How convenient that the apartment she inherits hasn't been touched since then! Upon entering the apartment, they discover that the items inside are actually older, and the apartment was likely furnished before World War I.

The story is interesting, even though only the apartment's contents are discovered halfway through the book and not the connection to Cat. The story focuses on Cat and her relationships while she's on her fact-finding journey. I was disappointed because the cover and blurb make the book seem like historical fiction, but the book is entirely set in the 2010s.

The WWII story isn't revealed until the very end of the book and was a predictable conclusion. Revealing the meat of the story in a letter seems too easy; this was a missed opportunity for a dual timeline story switching between Cat and WWII.

The writing is almost conversational which makes it easy to read. The dialogue, however, is elementary and feels more like stating the obvious. Loic says Cat over and over in his speech; instead of asking a question, he always says something like "what do you think, Cat?" as if the reader has forgotten who he's speaking to. This makes the dialogue seem more simple and repetitive than it actually is.

Readers of contemporary women's fiction who like Paris, history, and/or antiquities will enjoy this novel.

Ella Carey writes fiction primarily centered around women in France. She began studying French at the age of five.

Publisher: Bookouture

Length: 277 pages

Release Date: October 6, 2020 (originally published in 2014)

I received an electronic galley copy of this title from the publisher through Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.

Note: I debated whether or not to tag this book as "based on a true story." Marthe and Isabelle de Florian were real people, as was the Paris apartment that was left untouched until 2010. The rest of the story is entirely fictional.