I loved this book! I had only read Reichl's memoirs, which I enjoyed. Who doesn't want to read about food? I was intrigued to see the author had written a novel and was delighted by how incredibly fun it was to read. I appreciated the author's notes for insights into how some of the more outrageous plot points came into being. The reader does need to suspend a bit of reality but the world you get to enter is entertaining and so enjoyable. The characters are real and lovable and there is enough realism to keep the plot afloat. This is definitely a one sit read. I appreciated the escape from winter storms to a bustling busy and magical Paris as portrayed through Reichl's excellent desciptions of food, art, fashion, along with a nice dose of history. There is even a little bit of a mystery to solve and we get to meet real historical figures and locations around the city. Thanks so much for this enchanting tale! I do hope Ruth Reichl continues her foray into the world of novels! I think, Stella and her new friends and family could become a series. They do need to stay in Paris!

This novel was a wonderful read. It follows a young girl whose estranged mother left her an inheritance that would make her realize to have a chance at achieving a fulfilling wonderful like you must take chances. Stella has had a traumatized childhood and does not take chances. It is a charming book and includes a mystery in the world of art. I highly recommend this book.

Despite the dull title, which seems like one an author would use for a work in progress, this is a wonderful book about a young woman's coming into her own life. Stella has always felt dull and unloved by her glamorous mother, and her mother's will is perplexing. She leaves Stella with money and instructions to go to Paris. That opens a world of beauty, color and fabulous food. Reichl's descriptions of clothes and meals are intoxicating and the book is a pure delight from beginning to end.

The Paris Novel was quite different from what I expected. I thought I was going to read a light, and enjoyable novel about a woman in Paris in the 80's - I thought I would experience the culture, food, and general ambience of this fascinating city. I was not expecting child abuse, dysfunctional-family-dynamics, and crusty characters. The writing itself was SO descriptive - especially when describing the delectable food. Ruth Reichl also described Paris with such eloquent verbiage - it was so easy to imagine myself experiencing it firsthand. Overall, I did enjoy the book, and would recommend it, with trigger warnings.

Stella did not take pleasure in many things. Growing up, Stela's mother had no interest in her and put her in harm's way. Upon her death, she left Stella money with instructions to go to Paris. One day, she tries on a dress in a shop, and the owner says it was meant for her. This begins an adventure that leads Stella outside of her comfort zone. She learns about herself and her past. I especially enjoyed Reichl's descriptions of Stella tasting food.

The Paris Novel is a fun and engaging book that takes its reader to mid-century Paris. Stella is as an only child to a highly social mother in NY and grew up spending her free time alone in art galleries. Her mother’s last wish for Stella to go to Paris. She begins her time in France lost until she tries on a vintage dress and then seems to take on a new glow. Jules, a wealthy older Parisian, takes on a “fairy godfather” type of role by pointing out bookstores, introducing to her French foods and wine, and teaching her about art and fashion. By the end Stella has a new found family and friends in Paris.

Ruth Reichl skillfully writes about food and wine in France. It was interesting to read fiction by her and this novel was a treat.

*I received a copy of this book on NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for this opportunity*

THE PARIS NOVEL is quite simply a love letter to life and all the beauty that can be found in the ordinary– food, clothing, architecture, art, and, perhaps the most importantly, company.

Following the timid Stella St. Vincent as she blossoms into her full potential, we are taken on a journey through 1980s Paris with a colorful and endearing cast of characters that each offer their own perspective. There’s mystery, there’s food (by god, the <i> food </i>), there’s fashion and love and the so much soul.

If you love food and France, you will love this novel. Ms. Reichl is a famous food writer, and her descriptions bring authenticity to this French-themed story. Some of the descriptions will leave your salivating, while others may make you...not want to eat for a while, but they are vibrant and full of detail.

This is a book for fashion lovers as well, and the author spins a tale weaving fashion, food, and France together. It's sophisticated and sweet, and it also touches on how women were poorly treated in French impressionist circles at the turn of the century.

Many people will love this book. It wasn't really for me, though. I didn't find the main character likable. She was weak-willed, and anything that happened in the story was because she was pushed into it. It's meant to be about a girl who's lost and how she finds herself, and her family, in Paris. But she's self-described as boring, and well, yeah. I didn't feel strong tension or emotion to keep me interested. The main character didn't rise above any challenges to discover her true self. It seemed to have simply been waiting to her in Paris.

3.5 stars rounded to 4.

Thank you to Netgalley and the published for an ARC of this novel.

In the delectable world of "The Paris Novel" by Ruth Reichl, culinary art intertwines with romance, creating a feast for both the senses and the heart. The narrative unfolds against the backdrop of Paris, a city pulsating with gastronomic delights and the magic of love.

DNF'd early, graphic depiction of child SA. I'm sure this book is fine but I could not get past that. I hope this review helps others who may be sensitive to those topics.

Thank you Netgalley for a chance to read this book!

The Paris Novel follows Stella, whose recently deceased mother left her money to travel to Paris. Stella's mom was not a typical mother - larger than life and lacking warmth or structure, causing Stella to grow up to be the exact opposite, living a very careful and small life in New York City.

After a Parisian boutique store employee spurs Stella to try an outrageously expensive (yet oh so perfect) dress with exact plans on where to wear it, Stella's world slowly opens up in ways she didn't expect.

This is my first Ruth Reichl book, and though I knew to expect a lot of food incorporated into the storyline, here's a warning for non-meat eaters - it gets very detailed at times! Bones and juices, oh my.

I liked the straightforward writing of this and the variety of characters that Stella meets, as well as the various storylines that keep her in Paris longer than she planned to be. I also love the scene setting and journey that we experience with Stella as she lives in Paris.

Recommended for armchair travelers and historical fiction readers, and those who love food writing, reading about friendships and/or a story about a protagonist learning who they are in a whole new world.

This was an enjoyable, if forgettable novel that follows a woman experiencing Paris in the 1980s as she learns to truly enjoy life (friends, fashion food, etc.) for the first time. To me, the first half was better as there was a little bit of conflict, but as our main character gets more and more comfortable in France, the conflict pretty much disappears and we just have vignettes of characters eating good food and having success after success.

This would be a great beach or airplane book, but there is so little substance that you are not left feeling any real accomplishment at the end. It is thoroughly fine, but nothing memorable.

The Paris Novel was an interesting read. At times a bit dark but it leads you on an incredible journey of discovery. The story was written with such detail of the sights, designs and food of Paris, that at times I thought I was in the kitchen/dining room. The main character, Stella, is seeking to find her true self on her trip to Paris but finds so much more. I enjoyed this book for the self reflection of the characters and the culinary world. Thank you to Net Galley and Random House for the advance reading.

I love Ruth Reichl and anything she writes about food. This book's descriptions of the food in Paris was simply yum! The story itself was just okay and kind of dragged in parts. But the descriptions of food, chefs and Paris are lovely.

3.5 stars

Thank you for the advanced reader copy Netgalley & Random House

Round up to 3.5…I love how Ruth Reichl describes, detains and reveals in food. Not just food but all things Paris was told in descriptions I couldn’t help reread. The journey was a little chaotic and confusing but it’s Paris so it was worth it! Thank you NetGalley for this preview.

#theparisnovel by #ruthreichl :

I really enjoyed this novel that is equal parts historical fiction, journey of self discovery, and love letter to the art and food of Paris. 🇫🇷
When Stella’s mother passes away in 1983, she implores her daughter to go to Paris. Stella sets off from her quiet, comfortable life in NYC on a journey of self discovery. Once there, a chance encounter with a vintage Christian Dior dress leads her to a whole cast of characters that help her learn about her past and discover her future. The author is an award winning food editor and restaurant critic, and her descriptions of food and wine are so appetizing they made my mouth water. 🤌🏻
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5
Publish date: 4/23/24

Thank you to @netgalley and @randomhouse for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

Ruth Reichl is still possibly the best writer that I know of on the topic of food and eating. Her memoirs are classics, and for years I have followed her non-fiction. This novel is no different. It is a sensual feast set in Paris of the 1980s—and its incorporation of historic characters interwoven into a fun plot about a young woman coming into her true self is a real treat. Every single scene that involves eating or cooking is a gem. The novel transports us to some of the famous, classic French restaurants that we have all read about and gives us a sense of what a meal there would have been like, likely based on the author’s real experiences. I loved those sections.

Unfortunately, for me the overall experience of reading this book was something of a mixed bag. All the elements are present: a great set of characters, a fun and enticing mystery to solve, food at every corner, and a promising romance to go along with perfectly pitched scenes that nail the sights and sounds of Paris, in its clothes, locations, restaurants, and homes. But at the same time, sections of the plot felt oddly slapdash, with noticeable plot holes, uneven character development, and erratic pacing.

My sense is that the novel needed one more round of deep structural editing to catch the inconsistencies and plot unevenness, and the sometimes really weird character wobbles. The pacing just should have been tighter given that so much of the writing was truly top-notch.

To give you one small example (that will not spoil the plot), in chapter 14 our main character--who has been drawn as fairly tightly wound and orderly, albeit beginning to loosen up a bit --walks one morning into an empty cafe room and sees a half-drunk, lipstick-smudged cup of café au lait that someone left laying on a table. She picks it up and drinks the rest of it. What?!! The act of picking up some random person’s coffee from a table and drinking it would be a strange action for anyone to do, but particularly this character. It certainly startled this reader and ended up feeling overly weird like a Starbucks cup appearing in a Game of Thrones episode.

There were several plot points that I grappled with: one involving the idea that a character could realistically jump from a lifelong lack of pleasure in food to transformation into a “natural” supertaster and professional chef with perfect instincts within a matter of only a few months, to a subplot involving “the Duchess” when we are told that there is a plan afoot to deal with her and an explanation will be following on a car ride, and then the car ride happens and the topic is completely dropped. I also found a deeply traumatic episode in the character''s early years to be too intense for the overall tone of the story and then it ended up serving as something of a trauma shortcut for the character's quirks--this did not fully work for me and I suspect that it will bother some readers..

All of this said, I loved the overall concept and writing, and I just wished that some of the wonkiness had been ironed away so that I could give this book the high rating that those amazing food scenes richly deserve.

My thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the ARC.

Have loved Ruth Reichl’s memoirs and columns and he words translate so well to fiction too! Loved the Paris Novel. The food and scenes of Paris jump right off the page.

I knew I wanted to read this book the minute I saw three things: the title, the cover, and the author. I have read Ruth Reichl's non-fiction, but this is the first of her novels that I have enjoyed. Set in Paris in the 1980s, this book is filled with art, books, and of course, lots of mouthwatering food! (No one can write about food the way Ruth can.) And much of the book is set in the famed Shakespeare and Co. bookstore in Paris which all book lovers will love. Your mouth will water and your heart will warm to this story is about missing art, finding family, and discovering new loves. If you're in the mood to travel to Paris, I highly recommend this book!

Thank you to NetGalley, the author, and the publisher for gifting me this lovely new book.

This book is a hidden gem. The story is absolutely wonderful, engaging, delightful. But the amount of historical detail and fascinating facts -about food, Paris, France, books, art, cooking- is fascinating and EXTREMELY well done. I couldn't wait to keep reading it every time I had to stop to do other things. Fantastic.