The Brightest Star in Paris is the second book by Diana Biller, the first being The Widow of Rose House. I loved that book...I mean truly loved it! This new book is connected to the first via the very eccentric and brilliant Moore family. I thought there was no way the second book could ever come close to the excellence of the first, but I was totally mistaken. I was totally enthralled and didn't want to put it down. I inhaled it. Yes, Diana Biller is a new favorite of mine, and I will never get enough. Yes, I'm gushing. But I can't help myself!

Amelie St. James is a prima ballerina for the Paris Opera Ballet. She is known as "St. Amie" by her admirers and the press; however, it's an act she's perfected over 7 years, in an attempt to protect her young sister Honorine. Her first and only love reappears in Paris, and the new life she's built for herself may be in danger. Twelve years ago Dr. Benedict Moore was there with his family, recovering from almost losing his life in the Civil War; Amelie helped return him to life, but then she sent him away. Now he's once again in Paris to attend conferences and to try to recruit brilliant scientists to work at the new brain institute in New York. He runs into Amelie and finds out she's in trouble, so they disguise their time together with a fake courtship to fool the press. However, it doesn't stay fake. So what happens when Benedict must return to New York and leave Amelia once again?

The above description sounds like a fluffy little romance, doesn't it? However, it's so much more than that! This story takes place in two different periods: Post-Siege of Paris after France's defeat in the Franco-Prussian War, and in 1866 when Benedict and Amelie first meet. Quick note...unless I wasn't paying attention in school, I haven't heard about the Franco-Prussian War until I read about it here. What a horrifying time that was! As in Ms. Biller's previous book, we had ghosts in this one, too. Sounds silly, but it wasn't, not in the least. How this author managed to blend humor, family, death and destruction and ghosts into such an amazing story and it not be a joke is beyond me, but she's done it, and twice now! Both Amelie and Benedict were amazing characters, and simply perfect for each other. Both had horrible events in the past but have overcome. Their romance was sweet, passionate and heartbreaking and oh, so wonderful. Supporting characters were also well drawn, especially Lise, Rachel and Violette, all of whom were ghosts. Honorine was a smart child whom Amelie shielded from the darkest parts of life. However, my favorite parts of this book centered around the Moore family. You could just feel the love rolling off of them; they were also hysterical. The family snowball fight was the highlight of this book to me. It was a much-needed break after all my sobbing at the saddest parts of the story. I just can't say enough good things about this book, and I hope Ms. Biller is busily working on the next Moore story and won't keep me waiting!

I received an ARC of this book courtesy of the publisher and NetGalley. I received no compensation for my review, and all thoughts and opinions expressed are entirely my own.

I have Aarya to thank for introducing the gem that is Diana Biller into my reading life. No one could have anticipated just how hard I fell for her debut historical romance novel, The Widow of Rose House! But here we are! I have been waiting for her next book with bated breath. I’m not proud of this but I begged for a copy of The Brightest Star in Paris until Diana’s poor editor took pity on me – thank you, Vicki! If you know me at all then you know that’s pretty much out of character for me. It speaks to just how much I needed the book in my life.

Having now read the book, I’m convinced that Diana Biller’s writing is laced with magic. I tried not to have any expectations going into the book especially because I loved that first book so much and I didn’t want to risk being disappointed. However, I had nothing to worry about because Amelie and Benedict’s story packed just the kind of emotional punch I needed.

A COMPASSIONATE AND EMPATHETIC HEROINE
While at its core The Brightest Star in Paris is a second-chance romance between two people who are meant for each other, the story belongs entirely to Amelie. I didn’t think it was possible for me to love Amelie more than I loved Alva, but I did. There’s something about her voice that drew me in and had me rooting for her happiness. When we meet Amelie, she is a famous ballet dancer in Paris and a single parent to her young sister, Honorine. For Amelie, someone who had to work like a dog to leave a life of poverty behind, nothing is more important than ensuring Honorine is fed and taken care of. Amelie is also battling all kinds of ghosts in The Brightest Star in Paris, both literally and figuratively. Diana Biller writes Amelie’s journey with a lot of compassion, crafting an empathetic character who firmly lodges herself in your heart. Your chest will ache alongside her but fret not as Biller also beautifully mends that heartache with a story of love and hope.

FRIENDLY GHOSTS WHOSE JOURNEYS MIRROR AMELIE’S
Speaking of ghosts, can I just say how much I love their inclusion in these books. It can be jarring if you’re not expecting them, but they serve a purpose in the main character’s arc. Here, Amelie begins to see ghosts who are unable to move on from this world when cracks show up in her own life. As she works towards helping free these souls, she also learns to come to terms with her own vulnerabilities, finding her own strength in them. The ghosts were a great bunch and all had sparkling personalities that made them interesting additions to the story.

IN WHICH ANOTHER MOORE SIBLING IS ADDED TO NICK’S LIST OF FICTIONAL HUSBANDS
Benedict Moore offers the perfect balance to Amelie. Friends, I’ve penned poetry in my head dedicated to Benedict’s brother, Samuel (hero of The Widow of Rose House). So I wasn’t convinced that Benedict could ever outrank Samuel as my favorite Moore sibling. He came very close to it. Oh hell, who am I kidding? I’d say he and Samuel occupy the same position in my heart. Like his brother, Benedict is also kind, protective, and incredibly patient. Unlike his brother, however, he was more of the silent and broody type. It didn’t take a very long time for me to fall in love with him. It happened the moment he was ready and willing to help Amelie, no questions asked, when she finds a dead body in her changing room.

A ROMANCE WRITTEN JUST FOR ME
The romance in The Brightest Star in Paris is an angsty second-chance romance with a lot of mutual pining. I think that should give you an indication of how this book felt like it was written just for me. I loved the flashbacks of a young Amelie and Benedict meeting and spending a short but memorable time together in Paris. The evolution of the romance from something sweet and innocent to something a bit more emotion-filled and mature when they reunite was beautifully done here.

Benedict was ready to do anything for Amelie and that just ripped my heart out for some reason. There are so many simple but poignant romantic moments in this book that I’ve highlighted. I was living for every second of their angst-filled relationship. Diana Biller makes these two work for their happily ever after, but what an incredible journey that was for me as a reader. There’s a reason this book was an easy 5-stars for me and Amelie and Benedict’s love story is that.

THE BEST FICTIONAL FAMILY
I can’t review a book that features a Moore sibling without mentioning the Moore family. I love loving and meddlesome families in fiction and the Moores take the cake of the best fictional family. There’s a wonderful scene with the whole bunch being chaotic here. I love them so much and I am going to be begging the author for more Moore family crumbs.

I can count on one hand the number of books I’ve 5-starred this year, so I’m very pleased that The Brightest Star in Paris is one of those. There are just some books that are special from start to finish and that you immediately click with. The Brightest Star in Paris is that book for me. Diana Biller is a breath of fresh air in the historical romance genre. I can’t wait to see what more she has up her talented sleeves.

I received an ARC of this book to read through NetGalley. All opinions are my own.
The Brightest Star in Paris by Diana Biller is the second book about the delightfully quirky Moore Family. When I first heard that the author was writing a book featuring Dr. Benedict Moore as the hero, I was over the moon excited because I loved the first book, The Widow of Rose House, so much. I also wondered if any book could stand up to the very high expectations I had for this book, and I am happy to say YES, IT DOES !!! I could very likely write an essay about how much I loved this book, but I don't want to spoil it for you and will just mention a few of the things I adored. Ghosts... I love ghost stories. I don't actually believe in them, but I love the stories, and I love how Diana resolves their being on this plane. Prima Ballerina, Amelie St. James, is a most excellent heroine. She's brave, kind, talented and willing to sacrifice for those she loves, and she rescues the hero. Ben Moore is a wonderful hero because he respects her agency. As much as he loves her and would love to sweep in and save her, he allows Amelie to make her own choices and will accept those choices no matter the cost to him. The angst, so much angst, and so much sorrow balanced by lighter moments and for all the darkness, there is so much hope in this second chance at love book. I highly recommend this book, and if you have not yet read The Widow of Rose House, most definitely add it to your TBR. Steam Level: light side of medium
CW: Characters who are sex workers and parts of the story occur during the Prussian Seige of Paris, so terrible things happen. Publishing Date: October 12, 2021. #TheBrightestStarInParis #DianaBiller #StMartinsGriffin #StMartinsPress #SMPRomance #HistoricalRomance #HistoricalRomanceReader #RomanceReader #Bookstagram #Bookstagrammer

Reading The Brightest Star in Paris got my travel bug itching to go. The descriptions of Amelie’s Paris, moving from the medieval city to its modern self is gorgeous. Plus the last time I was in Paris, I stayed right by the Palais Garnier, which plays a major role in this story. I’m a sucker for a good reunited lovers book and this was it. I’m not usually a fan of flashback scenes but the ones in this book are short and add so much to the story.

Amelie and Benedict shared a summer together twelve years before and she helped him overcome the horrors of the American Civil War. When they meet again, Amelie is the star ballerina at the Palais Garnier and suddenly being haunted by ghosts. Benedict has experience with ghosts from his brother and sister-in-law in The Widow of Rose House. These ghosts aren’t malevolent, however, and they are people from Amelie’s life. Amelie is such a complex character. Amelie has a saint like reputation which used to make the unsavory rich patrons of the opera acceptable. She is scarred by the fate of her mother, and lived for the events of the Franco-Prussian War in Paris and the subsequent Commune. These are unique events and a time period that we don’t often see in romance novels. I think makes this story even more appealing. Plus there’s a fun cast of additional characters, from the interesting ghosts to Amelie’s adorable sister and Benedict’s family.

Honestly, the only reason this book isn’t five stars is that the actually romance scenes were few and I wanted more of that. Amelie has a tendency to push Benedict away and with their history and a limited timeline as a ballerina, I didn’t full get her reasoning behind that. This book was certainly less spooky than the previous book but I think the interesting setting and story more than makes up for that. Diana Biller’s writing is engaging and addicting to read!

It’s been a while since I’ve read historical romance, but I’m glad I picked this one up. It also has a hint of the paranormal to it making it a great October read.

This one drew me in pretty quick, but also had me going “ghosts? Say what now??” 😂 Mostly because on the blurb it mentions “ghosts of the past.” I took that figuratively, and it was meant literally 🤣. All that to say it was a pleasant surprise, and that combined with the setting of 1870s Paris had me sucked right into the story. 100 pages flew by in a wink as I was desperate to see where the story of Amelie, Ben, and the ghosts was going to go.

I loved that this was a second chance romance and there was this history to build off of always making any tension or angst more significant between Amelie and Ben. Ben’s family and any scenes with all of them were my absolute favorite. Even though this was very slow burn, it’s very 🔥🔥.

If you watch Bake Off you know Mary Berry hates a soggy bottom. The thing that bothers me most is a slogging middle. This started out with two major plot points (ghosts and blackmail, essentially) that didn’t go anywhere until the last 25 pages of the book and were quickly resolved. I felt the middle dragged when there were these great plot lines to build off of that could have created more drama and tension.

Overall, I really enjoyed this one. I am also very intrigued to check out the first book in this series which I haven’t read yet.

Thanks to the publisher & Netgalley for the complimentary ARC. All opinions provided are my own.

📖 Q: I’m personally uncertain about the existence of ghosts. If you had the chance to see a ghost (& potentially know they were real) would you take it? (Or have you seen a ghost before)?

Ghosts + Paris + compelling & tragic backstories + a rekindled romance. Diana Biller’s The Brightest Star in Paris is a rich tapestry of a gothic romance broken at times with humor & always very aware of its humanity.

Prima ballerina Amélie St. James has started seeing ghosts…just in time for the arrival of Dr. Benedict Moore, the man she loved & lost 12 years ago.

In those 12 years so much has happened. Now, Amélie feels responsibility for things Benedict isn’t aware of—a state of affairs not alleviated by the ghosts she’s started seeing.

Is there a way for the two of them to be together?

The author tells a sweeping, lush story that shows again what a talented storyteller she is. But I did wish their was more focus on Amélie and Benedict’s relationship, more development of what they have in the present, outside of their current ghostbusting task.

The Brightest Star is a romance that’s heavy on setting, atmosphere, & history—broadly speaking & its personal effects—with a chills-inducing & also arresting ghost story—& a romance that’s steamy & touching (but maybe not immersive). All in all, a great pairing for fall.

4.5 ⭐️. Out today!


CWs: attempt to sexually extort the heroine. Men who take advantage of women, manipulate them, & then discard them. References to death by syphilis and a woman executed for arson. Death & murder.

It's been a tough twelve years since Amelie and Benedict parted but now it's 1878 and he's back in Paris. He didn't intend to see her but....Now he's a physician and she's a star ballerina but they both carry scars from the wars of the intervening twelve years. And Amelie is haunted by ghosts. It's an unusual love story and mystery with good atmospherics. It also kept me guessing. Well, I was certain Amelie and Benedict would be together at long last but how they got there- there are twists. Thanks to netgalley for the ARC. I loved the first book but don't worry if you missed it- this will be fine as a standalone. A good read.

I was so excited to find that Biller is continuing the adventures of the delightfully wacky Moore family, a family of brilliant scientists at the turn of the century, and also keeping the ghosts along for the ride. Ben and Amelie are perhaps not as fun a couple as Sam and Alva were, but they have a more tragic history in some ways to overcome. I also found the setting, turn of the century Paris in the process of being destroyed and rebuilt, made a more appropriate backdrop for a ghost story than I expected. Amelie as a prima ballerina also meant the wonderfully spooky Palais Garnier could also feature prominently. I enjoyed the mystery and setting thoroughly. I look forward to more Moore Family adventures (with ghosts!) to come!

Diana Biller's The Widow of Rose House was one of the best books I read last year. I just fell in love with Sam and the rest of the Moore family and the paranormal historical elements were creepy and atmospheric.

Well, the Moores are back and they are as delightful as in the first book. This book centers on Sam's brother Benedict, a doctor and a sufferer of what we would call PTSD today. In flashbacks, he spent some time recovering from malaria and arsenic poisoning in Paris in the late 1860s but what he's really recovering from is the American Civil War. It's there that he meets Amelie St. James who wakes him up and makes him row her across a lake and takes him dancing. She brings him back to life and of course, they fall in love.

But Amelie has another life he is unaware of and when they part, she goes back to her world of dance and the Paris Opera House. The intervention of the Franco-Prussian war and the siege of Paris transforms Amelie's life and even though she survives her ghosts haunt her.

Meeting again in 1878, Ben finds a haunted Amelie and in the attempt to help her banish her ghosts (quite literally) he begins to crack open the careful facade she has built around herself.

Ben wants to save her but she wants most of all to save herself.

This book was emotional, haunting, and a beautiful love story. My thanks to NetGalley for a review copy. Now I want more of the Moore family's stories!

Releases 10/12/21

I first saw this book advertised in a monthly issue of Book Page that I picked up at my local library and I was intrigued by it. This is the first book I've read by Diana Biller. Although this book takes place in the 1800s, it reads almost like a contemporary. I cannot quite put my finger on exactly why, but I think I would have been more open to the twists and turns of the story if it was classified under women's literature. I am a recent avid historical romance reader, and this book seemed to have the romance on the back burner and was a very very slow burn.

While I had high hopes for this book, I found it to be somewhat boring and some aspects of it confusing. Amelie is the esteemed prima ballerina for the Paris Opera House. She encounters her long-lost love, Ben Moore, who has returned to Paris after being gone for twelve years. I wish that there had been more heat between Amelie and Ben and that the book had focused a lot more on their romance.

Like many other reviewers, I was a bit blindsided by the "haunting" from Amele's past meaning actual ghosts and it threw me for a huge loop. This is not your usual historical romance, but if you're in the mood for something different I would say give it whirl.

Thank you to Netgalley and St. Martin's Press for an ARC of this book in exchange for my honest opinion. All of the above opinions are of my own.

Another amazing story from Ms. Biller! I absolutely loved The Widow of Rose House and had such high hopes that The Brightest Star in Paris would be equally amazing. And it is! I so loved Benedict and Amelie. Their second chance love story is just so magical and heartfelt and tragic and beautiful, all at the same time.

Benedict and Amelie met 12 years prior while the Moore family is in Paris. Benedict is still recovering after almost dying in the war and is still haunted by what he perceives to be failures at not saving more men while he was serving as a doctor. Amelie kidnaps him one day in the park and a friendship quickly forms. All too soon, it's time for Benedict to return to the states, but his hopes of a future with Amelie is quickly dashed when she bids him goodbye and sends him back home.

I thought Benedict was an intriguing character when we first met him in The Widow of Rose House, and he turns out to be that and so much more. Being back in Paris for a medical conference, he is torn by his feelings for wanting to see Amelie, but not see her at the same time. Fate decides for him when his friend Victor plants him smack dab in the middle of Amelie's world.

I loved Amelie and her sister, Honorine. They've survived some brutal times in Paris with the Prussian war ravaging their city. Amelie has now become the Prima Ballerina of the Paris Opera Theatre and has made a name for herself as St. Amie, the darling of Paris. Even as shocking as it was for her to see Ben, she is also desperate for her friendship with him again.

The ghosts from Amelie's past do indeed come back to haunt her, literally, and Benedict doesn't seem at all surprised by this turn of events. After all, his brother Sam is a renowned ghost hunter in his spare time. I thought Ms. Biller did an incredible job of layering the stories of these ghosts, along with the horrors of the war and what everyone suffered through, especially Amelie, her mother and sister, into this romance between her and Benedict.

For the most part, this is a lighthearted story, and I absolutely loved the banter between Amelie and Benedict. I wanted so much for Amelie to just give in to her feelings for Ben, but that would have muted so much of the story that needed to be told, the story of how she needed to finally put all those ghosts to rest, and how she needed to finally start living as her true self, and not the one the world wanted to see.

The Moore family, as always, was such an entertaining part of this story. I really, really hope we are soon going to get Maggie's story. Her character just seems to jump off the pages, and I am dying to see if there is a love match for her in the future with a certain "adopted" brother/slash lawyer who the family seems to keep quite busy with their constant exploits.

Another amazing story, Ms. Biller!!

Many thanks to St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for providing me with an advanced review copy of this story in exchange for my honest and unbiased review.

Amelie St. James emerged from the horrific Siege of Paris to become the lauded Saint Amie, prima ballerina of the Paris Opera Ballet. Amelie is the face of an institution that has a lot more dark secrets, so they hide behind her grace and beauty. Being considered a Saint is not a role she cherishes, but it's what she has to do in order to be able to take care of herself and her younger sister. When the ghosts of the past, literally, begin haunting her and when her first love shows up again in Paris, Amelie begins to take a look at the life she's living, the life she's fought so hard to give her sister, and sees that maybe a life without happiness is not a life really lived.

Dr. Benedict Moore has always remembered Amelie after she brought him back into the land of the living after he almost lost his life. He left her all those years ago and has regretted it ever since knowing the trials that Amelie faced during the Siege. His feelings for her have remained unchanged in all these years. This time, Ben is not going to leave Amelie to face the ghosts of the past on her own.

Diana Biller's debut [book:The Widow of Rose House|43263486] was such a surprising delight when it came out a couple of years ago. I've been eagerly anticipating a follow-up ever since. I'm so happy that we get to continue to see more of the Moore family.

This time around, however, the Moores kind of take a backseat for a majority of the story as the main focus is on Amelie.

I liked how Diana Biller continued the figurative idea of hauntings. In the first book, it is a place that is haunted by its past. And this time around it's a person being haunted by the past.

What Amelie lived through during the Siege was traumatic. Not only for her, but for all of Paris which is on the cusp of rebuilding yet cannot seem to fully move away from its past. And how can you when there is so much left unsaid, so many people gone without acknowledgment?

This story moved at a slower, more languid pace for me than the first book. Whereas in the first book I was surprised by the lightness and humor throughout, Brightest Star evokes a more somber tone. I felt like it was a lot more contemplative of a story as Amelie grapples with what she wants her life to be as well as the weight she carries in being a beacon of light and hope for an entire city.

Diana Biller absolutely nails the beauty and heartbreak of Amelie's relationship with ballet. Her talent and love of dancing are complicated by the role she's been designated to play as well as an injury that threatens the facade she's built around herself. I could completely identify with Amelie in wanting so badly to be able to dance and perform the way in which her heart is calling for her to, yet physically being unable to do so. These moments brought tears to my eyes. You could definitely tell through Diana Biller's words and the way she wrote these portions that she too can identify with Amelie in this regard.

Of course, I can't leave Ben completely out of the review! When we're talking about people being haunted by their past, Ben most certainly fits the bill. He's still haunted by almost losing his life, and having to get himself to a place where he wanted to go on living. Amelie helped him with this. He holds a lot of guilt about leaving her in her time of need. So he kind of comes back into her orbit with a sense that of assuaging that guilt. He certainly cares for her more than platonically, but it gets clouded by the fact that he sees it as his job to make sure she's safe now. His reasoning may be slightly misguided, but it comes from a place of love and caring. He deeply respects Amelie, he sees her talent and he wants to support her, but he's begun doing things for slightly the wrong reason. They have to individually battle their ghosts on their own in order to be together for the right reason: because of love.

Overall, despite the slower pace of this book, I thoroughly enjoyed it. Ben's family does make an appearance in the latter half of the story and brings a bit of levity. Diana Biller really got and understood the dancer's emotional connection to their art through the movement of their bodies. As Amelie's views on her art change, I kept waiting for her to fully embrace this idea despite it being outside of the St. Amie box, and I was certainly not let down.

This series is highly recommended. The ghost theme also plays well going into this October month. Here's to hoping Diana Biller is not yet done writing about the Moores.

*ARC provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

Diana Biller’s The Brightest Star in Paris has made the list as another favourite of mine for the year!

The book is set in Paris, a few years after a siege that has devastated the city and impoverished its people. The city is finally rebounding and people have luxury again to care for more than basic survival. Amelie, a prima ballerina at the Opera Garnier, is close to having enough to retire. She just needs to keep pretending to be bland and pious, while praying that her injured hip holds out.

However, plans fly out the window when Ben comes back into her life… And she starts being haunted by literal ghosts.

This book was simply incredible. Atmospheric, mysterious, thoughtful, hilarious, and unpredictable wrapped up with the loveliest slow-burn romance and delicious banter. I just adored Amelie and Ben and all their interactions with each other. They genuinely LIKED each other and their chemistry and mutual pining blazed off the page even as Ben and Amelie tries to figure out how to transition the ghosts.

The author has a really deft hand at writing likeable and relatable characters and I enjoyed each one in the book. (I really want books for all them!) Even the ghosts themselves were very personable and if you had to be haunted, they would probably be the best of unwanted guests.

This book was such a joy to read. From the well-developed setting, the thoughtful social commentary on the class system, the absolutely DELIGHTFUL characters, the swoony swoony romance, to the hilarious hijinks of the Moore family, I was entranced! I absolutely cannot wait for everyone to read this!

Release: 12 October

Thank you to the publishers for the arc.




#DianaBiller #TheBrightestStarinParis #GothicRomance #historicalromance #romancenovel #bookmages

There was nothing wrong with The Brightest Star in Paris. It was mysterious and cozy paired with some supernatural elements and a second chance romance, but it didn't knock my socks off.⁣
⁣
WHAT WORKED:⁣
- Setting: Paris 1878
- Historical fiction elements
- Glimpses of characters from Biller's debut- The Widow of Rose House (which I loved)

WHAT DIDN’T⁣
- There is a lot going on- between timelines and storylines it started to feel cluttered. I wanted a bit more focus.
- In my opinion, this should have been a historical fiction novel without the romance/sex scene. I am here for a good love scene, but in this case it totally pulled me out of the story.
-Pacing: It was a bit slow.
⁣
So- I didn’t love it and I didn’t hate it. But I enjoyed it enough to pick up the authors next book.

I loved reading Ms. Biller’s debut novel, The Widow of Rose House, and was thrilled to see another book. I didn’t realize it had been two years since I read her first book and that the Moore family would also be a part of this story.

Amelia has lived through a terrible time in Paris with bloody siege, the majority of citizens without food, housing or health care. The story moves back and forth between when she first meets Ben and certain details of his life that I don’t recall from the first book, to parts of her desperate childhood and as an adult and meeting Benedict again.

This story has a dark, grittier aspect as we read about the terrible historical aspects of the Prussian siege and what it takes many to survive. It was heartbreaking to read about the suffering and how the wealthy took advantage of the poor. Amelia, as a prima ballerina, walks a tightrope to keep herself and her sister safe. What brought this story to life for me was realizing that Ben was part of the Moore family, the wild and crazy scientists, known throughout the world with their inventions, blowing things up as they worked and their intriguing personalities. I loved seeing them again and how Amelia and her sister felt a part of the family.

This story has such compelling characters, a heartbreaking but inspirational storyline along with a paranormal aspect, that at times seemed difficult to believe. Benedict’s brother, Samuel (from the first book) was thrilled with the ghosts and it was so funny to see him as the almost ‘absent minded professor’. I loved that Amelia and Benedict had such an enduring love for each other even though they hadn’t seen each other in years. He also had to understand that he couldn’t just ‘fix’ things for her and while it broke my heart, he had to let her do things as she needed. Amelie is bound and determined to bring justice to those that have caused so much pain and hardship and I just wanted her to be with Benedict!

I did find it a bit odd that Amelia’s sister said ‘huh’ and possibly a couple of other things that didn’t seem to fit the 1870s. The medical and scientific fields seemed more modern than I would expect but it was interesting to see how the various fields were progressing.

Thanks to the author, publisher and Netgalley for allowing me the opportunity to read this new work. I look forward to more of Ms. Biller’s work.

They met twelve years ago and Amelie couldn't leave Paris. Now Ben is back in Paris for a medical convention and hopes to reconnect with Amie. Amelie is the prima ballerina and is well admired for acts of charity throughout Paris. Amie keeps a facade in place so no one will know about her past, the pain in her hip, or her emotions. I received a free copy of this ebook from the publisher through Netgalley. This is my honest and voluntarily given review. This book pulls so many emotions from the reader. The story is told from both Amie and Ben's point of views with flashbacks of their past. Amie has dealt with so many heartaches and hardships since Ben's initial visit. Ben and the ghosts of her past help her to start regaining herself. Though her almost hopelessness is hard to read at times, I am so glad that I picked up this book. The setting is in the late 1870's and alludes to a part of history that I was not familiar.

I am a big fan of historical romance when it’s mixed with some mystery and suspense, I’m an even bigger fan of historical romances with mysteries when they have some gothic, ghostly elements. I’m happy to report that The Brightest Star in Paris gave me all that and more.

This is a follow-up to the very popular The Widow of Rose House. If you enjoyed the love story between Alva and Sam, I think you will be just as happy with Sam’s brother Benedict’s romance and HEA. His heroine is Amelie St. James, a woman he met during a healing period in France shortly after he served as a surgeon in the Civil War. The bright, beautiful Amelie sweeps him away into a special friendship just when he needs her positive energy the most. She saves him from himself and helps him find a renewed sense of purpose. Then, right before the Prussian war, Benedict leaves France with his family to go back home to America. He has no idea just how profoundly the war will affect Parisians and Amelie.

Now it’s 12 years later and Benedict is back for a medical conference. He is in the process of starting a practice in New York dedicated to the study of the brain and is looking for doctors interested in joining him. He doesn’t plan on seeing the woman he fell for when he was a naive 19-year-old, but he runs into her the very first day. And this Amelie isn’t the same woman he remembers, the war that tore apart Paris almost broke her and now she is doing whatever she has to do to take care of her 11-year-old sister. Even if that means constant pain and acting a certain part to remain the Prima Ballerina of the Paris Opera Ballet.

Let’s just say she isn’t exactly thrilled to see Ben again, even though she still loves him. Until she starts seeing ghosts that is, and then it’s Ben (who has experience with this kind of stuff) who volunteers to help her figure out why.

This was such a poignant, emotional, second-chance romance. Ben and Amelie’s romance was so beautiful. I loved the flashback scenes of when they first met and the start of their relationship, it helped me understand them and their current feelings for each other better. They have a wonderful friendship as well as a deep love for each other. I do think Amelie’s personal journey was just as important to this story as the central romance. Her experiences during the war and relationships with her deceased mother and younger sister were driving factors in many of her decisions and how she views her place in the world. She is still working through the grief and anger over her mother’s death and how she was treated at the end of her life. She is also determined to live her life differently and not depend on anyone.

There are paranormal elements in the form of ghosts that Amelie sees, and they do serve the purpose of bringing Amelie and Ben together and for Amelie to see a way to connect with her mother in a different way when she realizes something about herself toward the end.

This was a pretty dark, heavy book, but the effervescent Moore family do bring bright spots with their antics and teasing and I am just as in love with this family as ever. I can’t wait to see them again. This was a wonderful historical romance and I am so looking forward to whatever journey this author takes her readers on next.

CW: Grief, illness, death, remembered scenes of war

Grade- B+

Rating: 4.5/5

The Brightest Star in Paris is probably my second historical romance that I’ve read and to say the least I was not disappointed at all. I was so drawn by the cover, title, and the description. This book is set in 1878 in Paris, seven years after the Siege of Paris and the Paris Commune. It follows prima ballerina Amelie St. James and Benedict Moore who had a history together and after twelve years he comes back to Paris.

Before reading this book I was expecting fluff and all that romantic stuff because of the title and the cover but I was in for a ride. I really enjoyed how character driven this book was. The author knew how to bring her characters to life as well as adding real life issues. She really meant it when she mentioned ghosts of the past coming back. It added a nice layer to the book. There was a nice balance between the romance and the ghost aspects in the book.

I really enjoyed the author’s writing and how beautifully written this book was. The way things were described made the book *chef’s kiss*. The connection between Amelie and Benedict made me collapse and the way things continued to grow between them was everything to me. I love second chance romance so much and Diana Biller delivered that and so much more.

*For me it was kind of slow in the beginning but it does pick up pace. Overall, I really did enjoy the book like it was something different but a good type of different.

Thank you to the Netgalley and St. Martin’s Press for this arc.

I liked this book. This book is about Amelie is a ballerina who has a ghost that comes to haunt her with her first love reappearing and Dr. Ben Moore a guy who never forgot about the Amelie so he decides to help her with her troubles. I enjoyed the concept of this book and the pacing. I just didn't enjoy the author's writing as much as I felt the story didn't flow as much. It was a little bland to my liking and not as vibrant. I liked the whole concept of the characters who fell in love before and coming back together also how this historical romance had paranormal to it.

I enjoyed the characters in this book which is written in both Amelie and Ben's pov. I enjoyed both characters and there character development in the book. I especially enjoyed Amelie's story as there is a ghost haunting her which I thought was very cool and brought the story together. There are also some great side characters in this book that I enjoyed but they weren't very involved in the story. There is instant love in this book with this book with one steamy scene.

The ending was very well done and I enjoyed it. The only major problem I had was with the writing style of the story but the characters were very well done. I think there could be some changes done to this book especially with the tone and vibe of the book. I think there are other readers who will especially love this book especially if they love books with historical romance.

After loving Biller's first novel, I was really excited to check this one out. While I found myself flying through it (always a plus!), I didn't love this one quite as much.

The setting of Paris and the Opera Ballet were really compelling and some of my favorite parts of the story. The setting really began to feel like a character in the story, an element I always love. Unfortunately I didn't connect with the actual characters in the same way! Amelie and Benedict didn't feel very fleshed out as individual characters and so I didn't really feel or believe their connection throughout the novel. Likewise, the plot points didn't work collectively as a whole. Individually there were a lot of events to hold my interest (ghosts, ballet, mysterious past, etc.), but put together and it made the story feel choppy.

All that being said, I did enjoy the writing and found myself flying through the book! I still count myself a Biller fan and hope that her next one will be a bit more pared down to allow for more plot and character connections.