This book was a fun little palate cleanser from all of the thrillers and fantasy reads I’ve been into lately. You quickly feel as if you are right in the heart of Paris, experiencing all of its charm, culture, and (most of all) food!

I would have liked there to be a little more plot to this story, as it mostly felt like continuous descriptions of food, art, fashion, and literature throughout without a whole lot of plot. That said, it was still enjoyable and had fun and clever historical aspects woven into the story throughout.

Thank you to Ruth Reichl, NetGalley, and Random House Publishing for the ARC! All opinions are my own.

Having read Reichl’s memoirs it was so much fun to read a book that was obviously part her own life experiences, part careful research and part imagination. I was caught unawares that this was historical fiction until I began the book, but other than not understanding all of the cultural references without having to look them up, it didn’t affect my enjoyment of the novel. I really enjoyed Stella’s coming of age story and the ways in which she found herself through her research. The Paris Novel features an eclectic cast of characters and they all contribute to Stella’s growth and the woman she becomes. I loved that she didn’t set out to go to Paris to find herself, but that is in fact what she did. The food descriptions are evocative and make me want to book my own trip to Paris immediately.

I really enjoyed this book. It was different than anything else I've read recently. I couldn't put it down! I will keep an eye out for this author's future work!

Why did her mother want her to go to Paris?

Stella liked her quiet, solitary life and her predictable job at the publishing house.

She wasn’t a spender.

She wasn’t one to be extravagant, and she definitely wasn’t someone that liked to socialize like her mother did.

After her boss forced her to go on a vacation, she decided she might as well head to Paris. She didn’t like it at all.

Or she didn’t like it until she was enticed by an eccentric woman to buy a very expensive dress created by Dior that made her feel amazing in all ways.

She didn’t know this dress would make her see things differently and meet wonderful people or was it just Paris itself?

Is this what her mother wanted her to feel and where she wanted her to be?

Besides loving how Stella is able to find herself you will love all the name dropping of fashion icons, famous artists, places in Paris, and the mystery Stella was trying to solve and a mystery she was not trying to unravel, but so happy she did.

You will love the characters - eccentric, sweet, and loving. And of course you will fall in love with Paris.

A delightful, breezy read, but don’t read this book if you are hungry. 5/5

Thank you to the publisher for a copy of this book. All opinions are my own.

Ruth Reichl writes about food in a way that no one else can, full stop. Her memoirs are delightful and the descriptions of food in this novel are no exception. However, her fiction writing is…not my favorite. This was fine, I finished it for the food and setting descriptions, but I wasn’t invested in this story and the plot felt very secondary to the food descriptions that are Reichl’s comfort zone and strength. I think I’ll let myself skip her novels going forward.

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House for the free ARC in exchange for an honest review. All opinions found within are my own.

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Like many readers, I picked up this book because I was in love with Ruth Reichl's food writing. And true to form, Reichl's descriptive prose has a wonderfully sensual and synesthetic quality, breaking time and space to carry the reader to 1980s Paris with every morsel of food Stella eats and every vista she lays eyes on.

As for Stella herself, I found her to be an okay protagonist. Likable enough, but a bit of a pinball. Normally, this would have been a serious mark against her. I prefer protagonists who drive the plot. But in this case, at least part of Stella's job was to serve as vessel for my vicarious Paris trip, and in this, she did a marvelous job.

There are some aspects of her characterization I wish to comment on in particular, however. Firstly, I don't know how to feel about the fact that throughout the entire book, almost every meaningful connection Stella makes is with a man. These men, in fact, drive the story far more than Stella does. And don't get me wrong. They are lovable. They are charismatic. But combined with Reichl's comparative paucity of female characters and her treatment of the most notable of them, it left a bad taste in my mouth.

The two most notable women in the book, Stella's mother, Celia, and her mentor's gold digger daughter-in-law-to-be, Eugenie, are both portrayed in a generally negative light. Eugenie, in particular, is a caricature: Terrible, one-dimensional, and easily vanquished.

To her credit, Reichl does try to infuse Celia with some humanity, at least through Stella's eyes. But here's the thing. It is entirely through Stella's eyes. We never get to meet Celia alive. She is, in essence, only characterized posthumously. I wish Reichl had drawn more of a parallel between Stella's search for the missing history of Victorine-Louise Meurent and her metaphorical search for her mother. It might have deepened the narrative and enriched the themes. But, to go back to my original point, the only adult women Stella formed a deeper connection with were dead. The negative space speaks volumes, and I doubt its words are what Reichl intended.

The other aspect of Stella I wanted to go into a bit has to do with her history of childhood sexual abuse. I admit, that plot beat was one of the first things I learned about this book, when I peeked at the reviews that came before me. So I knew, going in, that there would be a flashback dealing with this subject in chapter two. First things first: the abuse is not described graphically. Certainly nothing like similar content in, say, I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings, or She's Come Undone. It appears in a flashback, which then fades to black. Secondly, the resulting trauma is touched on and dealt with throughout the book, leading to Stella's backstory isolation, damaging her ability to trust, and leading her to panicking for her safety in situations which prove innocuous. It's not gratuitous or irrelevant to Stella's character arc. With that in mind, I think Reichl handled the subject with decent grace and respect.

I do wish, however, that the marketing for this book had been clearer in indicating that sexual assault - especially that of a child - might be a theme. The story is overall a fairly fluffy one, and the use of this extremely dark subject matter is likely to sucker-punch the reader. I get where the blurb is going with "a childhood trauma has kept her confined to the strict routines of her comfort zone." However, "childhood trauma" is simply too vague. It could be a car accident, or witnessing the death of an elderly relative, or so many other things. Even something like "childhood history of abuse" might have served better.

In short, I think Reichl did her due diligence here, but the marketing might have done better.

That all being said, I know what I came to this book for: food porn. And food porn I got, with a side of dress porn and genuinely fascinating art history. However much the critical side of my brain might grouse, I can't deny I enjoyed what I read. And I did enjoy it. Which, altogether, averages out to three stars.

I’ve eagerly awaited another Ruth Reichl novel since Delicious, this one does not disappoint! Her characters are vivid and so alive. The novel’s main character Stella leads such a quiet and invisible life with a mother that clearly wasn’t meant to be a mother. I don’t want to give away any spoilers, but life events take her to Paris. Here her life is transformed through the people she meets and the chances she dares to take. The descriptions of the experiences and foods she encounters take me there with her. It certainly inspires me to cook with abandon! I loved this book. I only gave it four stars because I wish it had gone on just a bit longer. I would’ve loved to continue on this journey with her and all the wonderful people she met.

Thank you Netgalley and Random House Publishing for the opportunity to read The Paris Novel by Ruth Reichl.

How can you not enjoy a book that begins with a dress designed by Saint Laurent for Dior?!?!

The Paris Novel is like traveling to Paris with the most magical guide.

I appreciate all of the fine details in the book, including why Stella was named that. (Gotta read the book to find out why!)

Very few have the talent to write about food the way Ruth Reich does! Per the author's note, the meals Stella eats prepared by the top French chefs was Reich recalling her own transcendental meals.

It's important to note the book takes place around 1983 before the invention of the Internet.

I learned about the traditional way French gourmands art ortolans (and am very happy this is now outlawed). I also learned about snail farming, Shakespeare & Co book store, George Whitman and Tumbleweeds.

I adore Jules! He might be one of my favorite characters ever. Stella reminded me a bit of
Belle and Jules her dad in Beauty & the Beast. Parts of the book had almost a magical. Fairy tale component to it.

I need to know what perfume Severine wore that had an apricot & vanilla scent.

Thank you so much to NetGalley for an ARC in an exchange for my honest review.

What a delightful story of a women finding herself on a journey to Paris in the 1980s. When Stella's mom passed away, the only thing she got was a plane ticket to Paris and couple thousand dollars to use there. Well Stella took a leave of absence from her job as a copy editor and went to Paris for what she thought was just a couple of weeks. Stella loved her new routine and schedules but it wasn't enough. She found herself in a vintage shop and is talked into buying a dress that was meant for her, according to the shopkeeper. That one event leads Stella to eventually finding the people she would call friends and family. Stella meets so many interesting people at the famous Shakespeare and Company bookstore and even stays there between hotels. She ends up going on adventures to find the model in a famous Manet painting from the late 1800s and finds some amazing details. I loved the quirky, fascinating characters Stella interacts with and how she turns her live upside down to become a better version of herself. I felt I was walking through Paris or living in the bookstore or lounging in the chalets. I could smell the meals cooked, as you would expect from this author. If you are looking for a book to take you away on a sensory adventure, I would recommend this book!
#TheParisNovel #NetGalley
Thank you to Random House Publishing Group and Net Galley for a complimentary copy. All opinions expressed are my own.

This is a fun story of a single woman’s adventure in Paris of the 1980s. An exploration of French food and art with many fun touchstones for Francophile readers.

Reichl has done it! I totally transformed into a new alive person living in Paris! I was able to experience all the senses through this book ! It was delicious and made the reader feel like a fashionista! Will read Reichl’s book Delicious next!

Simply delightful!
I wasn't sure what to expect from Ruth Reichl when she wrote a novel, as I do enjoy her nonfiction books. This book is charming and enchanting. It follows the story of Stella, who has grown up safely ensconced in her routines that she has created so that she will have comfort and consistency. Her mother is chaotic, self-absorbed and not really nurturing. She goes to Paris and against her better judgement finds herself and an entirely different life.

The Paris Novel captivated all my senses with the wonderful descriptions of food, fashion and art. I was transported to Paris and did not want to leave.

Stella’s journey of self discovery, new friendships and family is one I could not put down. The second chapter was a bit shocking and I felt not needed for the story. Don’t let the incident stop you from reading the rest of the book. It is not a main storyline and as more lovable characters are introduced, it is forgettable. Chapter 2 is the only reason I gave this book a 4 star instead of 5.

This is the first book I have read from this author and the author’s notes at the end made the book more special to me. I want to know more about Victorine and the chefs she wrote about. I am really hoping there is a sequel to the Paris Novel. I want to encounter these characters again.

Thank you for allowing me to read and review this novel. It is a book that I will remember for a long time and Ruth Reichl is now must read author for me.

When Stella's mother dies, she lives her a little money with the instructions that it should be used for a trip to Paris. They weren't close and Stella sees it as a way for her mother to continue and try to control her from the grave. But in Paris Stella finds herself wanting more- fashion, food, literature, to uncover the history of a famous portrait model, and friendship.

Reichl is known for her food memoirs (of which I've read and loved many) but this is her first jump into fiction. I feel like this is the book she has been working on her whole life. It is full of humor, trauma, discovery, and heart. Paris and food feature prominently as does the famous Shakespeare and Co. bookshop. If you didn't want to visit Paris, you'll want to after reading this book. Another excellent book from Reichl- a departure for her but she clearly knows what she is doing.

Thank you to Netgalley for the advance copy for review.

Ruth Reichl's The Paris Novel follows Stella on a path of self-discovery through her exploration of art, food and fashion in the early 1980s of Paris. Reichl's descriptions of food and wine throughout the book were mouth-watering...by far my favorite parts of the story. Her creation of the community that Stella found within the Shakespeare and Co. Bookstore was another highlight of the book.

However, I found the opening chapters and overall flow of the plot to be a bit choppy. While I appreciated the character growth that Stella goes through, the story felt a bit disjointed to me.

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Publishing for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

The most wonderful Parisian novel - an absolute delight to read! So many beautiful descriptions of France's food and art and fashion - made this francophile's heart very happy. I loved following Stella's journey of self-discovery and I loved all the kind characters she meets along the way. Good reminder to slow down & savor the little joys in life.

Thank you @netgalley for an advanced copy!

If you're not familiar with Ruth Reichel, she's been a restaurant critic for The New York Times. It comes as no surprise that the food descriptions in a book about Paris are superb! She did an amazing job of bringing the reader right into the sights and sounds of finding yourself in Paris.

What didn't work for me was a lack of focus. Stella goes in a lot of directions: looking for her father, solving an art mystery, discovering a "found" family, cooking, fashion. It became a bit of a Ratatouille and Emily in Paris mashup. Because of this, I think the pacing is a bit off with a long middle and a very abrupt ending. Also, heads up that there is a very jolting child SA scene at the beginning that quite frankly just wasn't really needed for the plot.

Bottom line: An ok story that will transport you to Paris.

Thanks to NetGalley, the Publisher and Author for an ARC of this book in exchange for my review.

I found this story absolutely enchanting, with beautiful writing which transports the reader straight to Paris, which has always been a bucket list place for me. The food descriptions were mouth watering and interesting too.

The Paris Novel by Ruth Reichl is a good fit for readers who enjoy stories about self-discovery through food, travel, and immersion in a new culture, set against the backdrop of historical Paris.

The author's note at the end really explains a lot so don't miss reading it for sure. This was not my first read by the author, and definitely won't be my last.

Reading how this book came about, gives it so much more depth and adds to the love you can feel coming off the pages. Truly inspired by Reichls own story of her YSL dress found in a vintage shop and her editors literal dying wish to write a story around it. This is why I love stories like this; the layers! The food, the art, the music (I have Jaques Brel playing now) m, the self discovery. Truly enjoying life, as Stella deserves. The beginning of the book is so sad and miserable that as Paris comes alive in Spring so does the world around Stella and Stella herself. I love that Reichl throws in ppl she actually knew, those she didn't and fascinating history. Loved this

This was an enjoyable read. I loved Ruth’s memoir Save Me the Plums so I knew I had to check out her fiction work.

The food and fashion descriptions are the best part of the story. Don’t read this on an empty stomach. The plot was predictable but that wasn’t a bad thing. I kept reading for the writing style more than the plot. Even though I was just in Paris last year, reading this made me want to go back right away.