What a joy this was to read! I savored this novel because it was the perfect recipe (pun intended) for mystery and whimsy. If the reader were to dig too deep into certain details, they might find the story incredible; I would say 'magical'. The story is well developed, tenacious, and has a tidy ending leaving me wanting to read more stories by Ruth Reichl!

I did not finish this. Trigger warning for child sex abuse. That turned me off completely and I didn’t want to read anymore. I received this as an ARC from NetGalley.

Excellent writing per usual. This is the story of Stella whose estranged, single mother recently passed away and left her money for the explicit use for travel to Paris. Once she arrives and somewhat settles in, Stella is introduced to a world of food and wine, fine vintage clothing, art and Shakespeare and Comany where she temporarily resides for a time. A painting sparks her interest in a female artist whose artwork seems to have disappeared. This starts her search for information about the artist’s life and paintings. She makes friends along the way, discovers a lot about herself, learns much about the artist and solves a lifelong mystery. The story is a little reminiscent of Delicious, but is its own and certainly a must read for fans of Ruth Reichl. Highly recommend. Thank you to @netgalley and the publisher for allowing me to read this beautiful book.

Ruth Reichl is a master of food descriptions in both her fiction and nonfiction, so don’t pick up this book if you’re hungry. Do pick up this book if you need a little escape to Paris, a bit of mystery, a few quirky and endearing characters, and a masterclass in eating as an art form.

Prepare to be whisked away on a Parisian adventure! Set in the 1980s, The Paris Novel follows Stella, who takes a life-changing trip to Paris at the request of her estranged mother, who has recently passed away. Alone in a new city, introverted Stella is determined to find a sense of routine and structure in an unfamiliar place. Her trip just might force her to step outside of her comfort zone as she embarks on a journey of self-discovery, with the help of some unexpected new friends along the way.

The Paris Novel is such a well-written, atmospheric read! This book really shines in its depiction of the setting. I loved the descriptions of the fashion, art, culture, and especially the food. Ruth Reichl is truly a masterful food writer! I also just enjoyed following Stella's overall journey, and getting to see her discover a new life for herself. However, I wished we got a little more backstory and insight into Stella's past, and even more details about her life in NYC before she went to Paris. Readers learn about a traumatic event that shaped Stella's childhood early on in the story, which was a little jarring to read about, but I still wanted to know more about how it affected Stella's life. I thought including more discussion about Stella's life in the city would have further emphasized the contrast between "NYC Stella" and "Paris Stella," and how she grew throughout the story. Still, I loved the wonderful, engaging world Reichl created, and would recommend The Paris Novel! Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.

Ruth Reichl’s memoirs are some of my favorites out there, so when I saw she wrote a book set in Paris in the ‘80’s, I had to request it right away! This book immediately whisks you away to Paris and does an amazing job with the setting and descriptions of the food. The story about friendship and opening oneself to new experiences was also just wonderful. I loved it.

Amazing book about transformation and growth.

Stella's aloof and estranged mother dies and leaves her a ticket to Paris. Stella is an introvert who has routines and structure. Yet she embarks on a trip of self-discovery as she meets and befriends several Parisians who take her under their wing.

It begins with a dress she finds in a vintage dress shop that gives her courage to venture out. She meets Jules, a widower with whom shares art, literature, and French cuisine. She also meet George Whitman, the owner of the Shakespeare and Company bookstore. He takes in "tumbleweeds," Stella being one of them. We follow Stella through France as she finds her voice, her love for food, a mystery of the art world, and a family for which she has been longing.

Ruth Reichl's description of the art world and most especially the French cuisine were amazing. The spectacular descriptions of the food and Stella's transformation left me wanting more.

I would highly recommend this book for those who love food, Paris, and self-discovery. You should pre-order. This book will be published on April 30, 2024.

Thank you to @netgalley and @randomhouse for the e-ARC.

I requested this book expecting to absolutely love it, based on the description and the author's background in food and travel. Unfortunately, it fell a bit flat for me. Like others, I was taken aback by the graphic description of sexual assault of a child, which was then not mentioned again for most of the book and therefore seemed unnecessary to the plot. The character's psyche and troubled relationship with her mother could have been explored without this seemingly gratuitous scene. The love interest also seemed to have been included as an afterthought, and i wish that the relationship had been developed more if it was going to be included at all - again, it seemed unnecessary to the main plot.

The descriptions of Paris, and especially of the food, were truly beautiful and immersive.

Thank you to Netgalley and Random House for this advance reader copy in exchange for my honest review.

I love Ruth Reichl’s memoirs, but remember thinking her first novel was just so-so. So I was very pleasantly surprised by this one. Set in 1983, thirty year old Stella, a copy editor who has never really felt loved by her eccentric mom Celia, is left with money and instructions to go to Paris when Celia dies. Not sure why, Stella goes anyway. And the adventures begin…. Filled with a group of can’t-help-but-love-them secondary characters and the most amazing Ruth Reichlian descriptions of sumptuous meals and delicious food, this was just a pleasant easy read.

Note: thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for a free advance readers copy in exchange for an honest review.

I always enjoy her nonfiction writing and while I enjoyed the food passages in this one, I felt a lot of the book felt a little flat. I didn't really "get" why Stella was so passive for much of her life. I know the author had an interesting mother so those parts felt more realistic but Stella herself didn't feel real to me.

Discover Paris with Ruth Reichl as your tour guide in the incarnation of 33 year old Stella. A book editor, by trade, Stella is left money after the passing of her mother, with who she had a complicated relationship. The catch is that Stella must go to Paris and spend all of the money.

Reluctantly, she travels abroad and experiences all that Paris has to offer - food, fashion, friends and maybe even family. Stella finds out more about herself and her mother as the Paris reveals itself.

Readers will love the touchstones of Yves St. Laurent , Shakespeare and Company, Manet and the real star, the food. You should be aware that there are also passage that are explicit concerning sexual abuse - not something that I expected.

My thanks to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group for the ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review.

Another good filled novel by Reichl.
Stella is on a journey to fulfill something that her mother wanted her to do and along this journey she learns more about herself and that it's okay to let go and be yourself.

Thanks NetGalley for this ARC.

Thanks to Net Galley for the ARC! I’ve been a Reichl fan for years- from her food writing & her memoirs to her cookbooks- so I was I was excited to see her delve into fiction. The Paris. Novel did not disappoint. The story toggles back & forth between Stella’s fatherless childhood with a cold & distant mother Celia & the present. When Celia dies, she leaves her with a small inheritance &strict instructions to go to Paris. Stella leaves behind her safe & mundane life in New York City for reasons unclear, but she honors her mother’ last wishes & heads to Paris. What unfolds is a woman who finds herself in discoveries of pleasure she’d never experienced: the bites taste of a briny oyster, the smooth richness of fois gras & of course champagne! ( I mean, it is Paris!) Reichl’s food descriptions are famous & in abundance. You can almost smell & taste Stella’s meals. Along the way, Stella meets a wonderful older man who befriends her & encourages her to live & as she begins to give herself permission to indulge, she finds herself & something else unexpected. The Paris setting, the lovable characters & the food makes The Paris Novel is an escape for the reader & left me wanting more!

The Paris Novel is about food, fashion, love, companionship, friendship, and yea about food, have I mentioned it already?

This is the first novel my THE one and only Ruth Reichl, known as a food writer, cook and eater. Naturally, she has embedded her passion and knowledge about food in this novel that makes it the more enjoyable!

The story is about an endearing protagonist, Stella St. Vincent, who is on her journey to find herself by breaking free from her deceased mother’s past. But it’s also her mother’s will that inquires her to leave everything behind in New York and take a trip to Paris.

Hence, I loved striding through Paris in ye 80’s with Stella whilst she discovered the meaning of fashion with Yves St. Laurent dresses, indulged in French food and made friends for the first time in her life. Stella’s obsession with Manet’s painting “Olympique»
has led me to avenues and appreciation of art.

I was positively overwhelmed by the erudite information Reichl provided about the famous Shakespeare & Co. bookstore in Paris in the 80’s, the history of the Arrondissements as well as the sociocultural hierarchy of women in art in Paris in the 19th century. Thereby, Reichl has masterfully narrated an enchanting story that appeals to all six senses of her readers as she stimulates your imagination with her impressive writing style.

Can’t wait to read more of Ruth Reichl!

Easy 5 stars 😍

Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

i've never read anything by ruth reichl, though it turned out that i did know of her because of save me the plumbs. i enjoyed this story immensely, and didn't find many flaws with it – it was engaging, and i enjoyed the way all of the characters wove together. honestly, i'm reading for a good time so all i look for is enjoyment and i enjoyed the majority of this book!

Stella goes to Paris after her mother left her a ticket and note and finds help in a bookshop and a man who she befriends.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an advanced copy of this novel. This was a lovely story about unexpected life turns and new experiences. I very much enjoyed living vicariously through Stella. Highly recommend.

This was a truly beautiful novel. The reason why I give it 4 stars is because I found the first half of the book quite slow. The second half, though, I finished in one day. The story of Stella finding herself, finding a family (blood and adopted), and finding Paris was remarkable. I loved the Victorine mystery (more than the mystery of her father). I thought that the romance snuck in at the end of the book was unnecessary - and that the novel could potentially have been stronger without it, a true demonstration of a woman discovering her identity without a man! But I saw it coming from the first time we met her love interest’s character about a third of the way through the book. The incorporation of real people into this novel was very well executed, and fun! Would definitely recommend this book.

LThis book was such an unexpected joy. There are no other words for it than charming, moving, and utterly enticing. The food descriptions are pristine perfection and the characters have so much heart, you don’t want their stories to end. I couldn’t put this one down and there are at least three friends I am buying this book for immediately once it’s published. This book is a little trip to Paris. Read it!

No one writes food fiction like Ruth Reichl. Acclaimed cookbook author, food critic and magazine editor, she has written several non-fiction books and one previous fiction novel, Delicious. Her prose is easy reading and full of descriptive passages that are so well written, you can almost taste the dish. This historical fiction story is set in the 1980s, when the top chefs in Paris were redefining how to prepare dishes, with new techniques like sous vide. She incorporates the worlds of fashion and art into her story of a young woman coming to grips with her mother’s passing, and trying to find a way forward in her life and career. As she meets new people, she gets drawn into the lives of two patrons who want to help her find a direction. Be sure to read the authors note at the end, as you may be surprised how much is based in research and fact. Beautifully written, with a compelling story, highly recommend.