An author discovers a perfect new apartment after her life takes a turn and immediately starts to feel paranoid. In the near future, Clarissa lucks into an artist's residency in a super modern apartment that comes with a virtual assistant, like Alexa but times 100. No sooner does she settle in that she feels unsettled, but given the end of her marriage and the ruin of Paris before her due to some sort of attack, there's no wonder. As the heat gets worse and her paranoia intensifies, she enlists not only the help of her granddaughter, but of her first husband, What secrets is Clarissa keeping - or is there something sinister in the apartment.

A literary mystery with a dash of science fiction, this will reach out into many genres and bring in readers with its captivating hook.

We’re some years into the future, and temperatures are consistently beyond what is comfortable. Technological advancements have grown by leaps and bounds, and life is easier using such technology. But what if those advancements are being used for nefarious reasons? That’s what we look at in this novel.

I must confess that I almost didn’t finish this. I found the impossibly long paragraphs hard to get through. But I stuck with it, and I’m glad I did. If there was anything I didn’t love, it was the slow unveiling of Clarissa’s past. Even though the secrets were unpredictable, I didn’t feel it was necessary.

I requested to read this because I had the feeling things were going to go fantastically awry in Clarissa’s new home. I wanted to see how de Rosnay was going to write such a home, and what horrors awaited Clarissa. Overall, this is told at a leisurely pace and makes for an enjoyable read. Thank you, St. Martin’s, for sending this along.

Flowers of Darkness by Tatiana de Rosnay is a Black Mirror episode in book form that keeps you guessing from page one. The book opens with Clarissa, an older woman moving into an artists residence because she can no longer stomach her husband’s infidelity. This book is set in futuristic Paris, sometime after a series of terroristic attacks. The world is falling apart, as global warming caused the extinction of bees and other pollinators. Those two futuristic elements aren’t the basis of the book however. Our protagonist moves into CASA (the artists residence) and immediately feels that something is wrong. As this is set in the future, she has an AI assistant who is constantly interacting with her. That doesn’t seem too bad, but Clarissa becomes convinced that they are spying on her for nefarious reasons.

This book took a lot of topics and ideas and tried to weave them together in a way that didn’t always make sense. Bilingualism, environmental concerns, Virginia Woolf and Romain Gary are all mentioned, along with hypnotism, sex robots, and moving on from past traumas. I feel that the book would have been more enjoyable if the author focused on a few of these topics instead of mixing them all together and calling it a book. I kind of feel that this story could have been split into two different books, one about CASA, and one about her marriage problems.

Going into this book I thought it would be science fiction, not some sort of romance novel that just happens to be set in the future. I didn’t mind reading about how Clarissa’s relationship with her husband fell apart, it was just not what I was expecting. I did enjoy the prose, which had a few lines that I will continue to think about.

I was provided a free advance reader copy from Saint Martin’s Press in exchange for my honest review on Net Galley. The opinions shared in this review are my own.

This is compulsively readable. I was invested from the beginning thanks to the beautiful prose. I love the way de Rosnay writes. She's also a master at dropping hints of a storyline that will unfold, but in her time. Her previous book, Sarah's Key, did this beautifully and heartbreakingly. There wasn't as much as stake in this book but I couldn't wait to find out what was going on. Hints of dystopian and futuristic, this book is very much a character-driven narrative. Clarissa is utterly relatable in a world that's unrecognizable. With the "attacks", climate change, as well as artificial intelligence, Paris is a different place. But the characters are still very human and empathetic. My heart started racing towards the end but the actual climax packed less punch than expected. It remains a solid 5 star read for me.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martins Press for the opportunity to read this book.

We meet Clarissa who is an amazing author, who loves Virginia Wolf and Romain Gary. Her pen name is the only name we read about, I was thinking to myself, this woman is amazing and such a mystery. Anyway, she is seeking a new apartment since she is leaving her second husband. This new apartment has to be perfect; she finds out that there is an apartment complex being build for artists, and she wants in. The setting of this book was a little confusing, its set in Paris, in the FUTURE??

So, she feels that she’s being watched, but clearly, she knew about this when she signed over her life to move in here, and there are crazy things going on as well. I felt she was an intelligent woman, but then the book after being almost done, I felt like the book maybe should’ve gone longer. We find out the secrets to why she left her second husband, which is crazy, but judging by the setting, it being Paris in the FUTURE, I was not shocked, and then there is global warming being introduced, then a doctor going rogue, then her apartment being a trap, oh goodness it was soo much, the way it ended I am still confused.

Regardless of that the plot was great, I read a little like a thriller-ish/sci-fi-style of book, then it just fell flat, wish it was longer or maybe cut back on everything that was happening, thank goodness there was no multiple POV’s I would’ve lost it.

I received an advanced reader’s copy in exchange for an honest review

I didn’t get the ending and it was a bit of a slog. You can pass

3.5 stars
Thank you NetGalley for an ARC of this book.

I'm still not sure what to make of this book.

It is situated in near future Paris, France. Clarissa is struggling with writing her latest novel, in the aftermath of leaving her husband after a heartbreaking betrayal, in a Paris reeling from recent terrorist attacks and the devastating affects of global warning. Clarissa is also struggling with an old heartbreak and a battle with AI/possible attack of the robots in her new residence.
So obviously there is a lot of interesting undercurrents to the story of author Clarissa Katsef - I'm just not sure it is executed to the usual standard of Tatiana de Rosnay. It took me about 1/4 of the book to become really invested, and after that I felt let down by the unresolved ending.

I don’t like two things, one is a bad review, the other is to start out a review with the word unfortunately, but unfortunately this book is going to get both of them. This is the third book I’ve read by this author, Sarah’s Key was great, but the next two have been just kind of weird.
This story had the possibility of being a great book, it had the creepy factor, had the storyline and had the character development. Clarissa was the perfect person to take this to the next level and for the first half of the book, she had it going on. Then the tale takes a dive, it never comes back to the surface and finishes with a bad ending. One of those that I was so glad for it to be over. The best I can do is 3 stars for the first half. I can come up with so many different ways this story could have finished out, I wish it would have happened.
I was given the opportunity to read an ARC from St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley for my honest unbiased review. This one comes in with 3 stars,

I found this to be a subtle, other-worldly read. It is set in near future, one it is possible to foresee, albeit not happily. A writer has recently left her husband after a mysterious betrayal. She is attuned to the relationship between authors and their environments. She also needs a particular environment in order to write thus she ends up in a high tech apartment with a “smart” assistant she christens Mrs. Dalloway. This is the set up for the reader’s questions —. What was the betrayal? What is going on with the apartment? What is real?

This was an okay book. Not great, but not terrible, about an amalgamation of present and futuristic AI elements. It was a look at relationships, commentary on art and the process of making art, and commentary on the nature of surveillance culture via AI, technology, and health applications. It was about a lot and not a lot at the same time, taking part much of the time in the mind and in thought.

Some things that didn't entirely work for me: I could not understand how the 14 year old granddaughter was constantly talking/behaving like a 30 year old woman. I found her dialog completely unbelievable and unlikely and odd. I also didn't really understand the use of "missy" for the granddaughter - not capitalized like a nickname, but as the end of a question, like "What are you doing, missy?" but it was used so often and in weird, stilted dialog places. There were also a million exclamation points - who needs that many exclamation points? Who speaks with such exclamation all the time? So I suppose the author's written dialog and style of writing was not for me.

On the whole, the attempt to cover so many things at once made the book feel very disjointed and not really about any one thing. The nature of the apartment and what was going on there ended up feeling secondary, in a way, when I think the book would have been better had that been the main focus of all the author's energy.

I received this from Netgalley.com.

"Clarissa Katsef has had ominous discomfort, the feeling of being watched. Who is behind CASA? Clarissa is still haunted by the betrayal that led her to divorce."

Set in the near future Paris, the first half of the story was interesting enough but then started to lag. There were so many different topics introduced into this story that each topic could have been a whole story on its own, it was all over the place. Bilingualism, terrorism, global warming, family, divorce, loneliness, suicide and a rogue AI (Artificial Intelligence) building. Just to name a few.

Flowers of Darkness is a creepy bizarre read. Clarissa moved into a new apartment in Paris that is high tech, complete with a virtual assistant. Except strange things keep happening. She can’t write, has weird dreams, and is constantly watched. It reminded me of a movie many years ago where the owner spies on all his tenants. The weirdest part of the book was when she stumbled on the truth behind her husband’s affair and his fetish. Creepy, weird, and just bizarre. I didn’t really enjoy this book and was glad when it was finished.

This is a unique and interesting story of loneliness and sorrow, love and courage. The writing is lyrical and inviting. There is a little mystery and intrigue as well. Overall, an enjoyable story.

Set in a near-future Paris, Clarissa Katsef, an author, has just left her husband of 20 years, Francois. In looking for a new place to live, she gets accepted into an artist community called C.A.S.A. which has some strange rules, but Clarissa is willing to agree to them.

Clarissa and her first husband, Toby, are still close friends. They have a daughter together, Jordan, who lives in London. They also had a son died in the womb, but Clarissa still had to go through birthing him. Her sorrow and ability to handle it was the source of Clarissa and Toby's divorce. Jordan has a daughter, Ariana, who goes by Andy. Clarissa and Andy are very close and spend time together whenever they can.

Since moving into C.A.S.A., Clarissa becomes suspicious of being watched. And there are other little things that add to her suspicions that something is going one that shouldn't be. She enlists her granddaughter, Andy, to help investigate.

I really liked the writing and most of the story. But there was a part of the story that didn't feel complete enough for me and I found that frustrating. Don't get me wrong - it's a really good story and I enjoyed my time with the book.

Thanks to St. Martin's Press through Netgalley for an advance copy.

I have only ever read Sarah’s Key by this author. I loved that book. I knew nothing about this one but assumed it would be historical fiction. Boy was I wrong! This is sci fi that takes place in the near future in Paris. It was so strange to read about our present as the past, and their present seems far off. I don’t like to spoil stories in any way, so the only thing I’ll say is that I have never read a book like this before, and I lied it! Thank you to Netgalley for my ARC! I have only ever read Sarah’s Key by this author. I loved that book. I knew nothing about this one but assumed it would be historical fiction. Boy was I wrong! This is sci fi that takes place in the near future in Paris. It was so strange to read about our present as the past, and their present seems far off. I don’t like to spoil stories in any way, so the only thing I’ll say is that I have never read a book like this before, and I liked it! Thank you to Netgalley for my ARC!

I loved Tatiana de Rosnay's "Sarah's Key". I was excited to start the Flowers of Darkness. The first half of the book was amazing, but I got lost in the last half or so. I generally enjoy a good thriller or suspense novel, but this one goes in a direction that I was not expecting. The premise is promising: Clarissa is an older woman who discovers her husband is cheating on her. She moves into a new, high tech, high security apartment. At first she is thrilled with her find, and great new location until she discovers there is more sinister going on. The books starts out as a thriller, suspense, but evolves into something else which completely lost me at the end. Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC.

What a freaking page turner. Book had me guessing from page to page and I never wanted to put it down. Literally did not see the end coming. At all. I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

I struggled with this book. I read the reviews and they made me want to sink my teeth in to this thriller, but it took me months to get through and I wanted to rush reading the end. This was not for me.

This book was just okay for me. As many other readers mentioned, I had a hard time connecting with the main character and the story. I just could not get immersed. I think this book had an interesting premise, but it did not quite deliver. Since I have read a few other books with a similar AI "house" concept, perhaps there was just not enough "new" to grab me. Thank you to NetGalley, St. Martin's Press, and Tatiana de Rosnay for providing me with this ARC.

Unfortunately I did not enjoy this book very much. Although the genre isn't what I typically read, I thought the description sounded really interesting and decided to give it a try.
But, I found myself not really engaged or interested in what I was reading, and I realized I kept getting distracted. I personally didn't care for the characters or the plot, but again, this isn't a genre I usually read, so the book just wasn't for me!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Imagine moving into a smart virtual apartment with an Virtual Assistant, this is exactly what Clarissa does when her life is falling apart. When Clarissa decides to take a break from her husband, Francois because she think he is having an affair, she secures an apartment reserved for artists. She convinces the property management that writing is an art. The only caveat to the apartment is that it comes with an Virtual Assistant that can do things like turn on/off lights, open blinds, read emails aloud, send messages to other residents, provide security, monitor your metal/physical health, etc. Clarissa is skeptical of this assistant, but goes along with it as she likes the apartment. Can she handle a virtual assistant or will she fall apart? This is interesting account of a writer’s journey of navigating the uncertainty of life that includes artificial intelligence. A unique story that will transport you to Paris, France, but will have you turning the pages to figure out Clarissa’s fate.