Wow- what a perfect read to allow me to escape into the beauty of Paris, a mouth-watering food scene, and unforgettable characters! I loved the creative storyline and rooting for Stella as she took risks and followed her heart.

I want be gallivanting around Paris in a Dior dress eating oysters! Such a fun and cute read

Trigger warning: child molestation

Thank you NetGalley for an arc in exchange for my review!

Thanks to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group for this advance readers copy, in exchange for an honest review. The Paris Novel is a story about Stella, who’s let life pass her by and is semi-haunted by memories of her estranged mother. But, when her mother passes away and leaves her with a ticket to Paris, her life takes a fun turn and she has fantastical new experiences, meets a host of exciting people, and takes some wonderful leaps of faith.

This is a beautiful story about the unexpected pleasures of life and what happens when you open yourself up to new experiences. I am a sucker for any book set in Paris and Ruth Reichl really brings the reader straight there. I appreciated the many references to actual locations and the fleshed out Parisian characters she encounters. We were very much in Stella’s shoes throughout this trip and I was rooting for her to find some fresh meaning and excitement in her life, despite her initial reluctance. I also think it’s worth mentioning how absolutely spectacular the author describes Stella’s newly discovered passion for food and just the overall thoughts that she has while eating these dishes. I’ve never read a book that places so much emphasis on describing a characters culinary experience but, it is so well done here and I think appropriate for a book set in Paris! This book was well written and enjoyable to read, I was able to finish it quickly!

I would recommend this book to any Paris lovers or fans of self discovery fictional novels! If you’re in need of a trip abroad, this novel will certainly give you a visceral feel of Paris and will make you feel like you’re living vicariously through Stella!

Sigh.

Did this really have to end?

I savored every word of this. I am always partial to Ruth Reichl’s writing, but this book just takes you away and lets you disappear into its own beautiful world.

A little bit “Midnight in Paris” and a lot about food I can only dream of eating, “The Paris Novel” is dreamy.

Thank you, Ruth, for this gift of a book!

Thank you NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Wow.

Unlike Reichl, I do not have the beautiful, descriptive words to tell you how much I loved this book. I am blown away. I don't even like oysters and this book makes me want to taste them.

I was swept away and transported into Stella's life by this novel. Each smell, emotion, taste, and sight were vivid for me. Currently, I am experiencing a feeling of Fernweh (farsickness). Never having been to Paris, I can see the streets, smell the butter, and feel the longing for inclusion. I can feel the heaviness of the stories the old books hold at Shakespeare and Co, and the determination to find more about Victorine. I can picture Jules' bright eyes, and feel the skepticism and joy Stella feels in meeting him.

Though it begins (and remains to some extent) very heavy, this book is one that will change the way I see the world for a long time. Definitely will read again. Thank you for writing this beautiful novel Ruth Reichl.

Imagine meeting Baldwin the author, in his prime. The famed Richard Olney, cooking for and with you in his modest cottage. Eating in Alain Passard’s restaurant before the lines wound around the block. It is these moments, the description of the meals alone are worth the price of this newest novel from celebrated Ruth Reichl. Stella had a famous or infamous mother Celia, a mother who Stella didn’t know , a mother who insists in her will that Stella take the money she leaves her and she is to spend it all in Paris. Stell leads to this point a solitary, ordered life. She eats the same thing day after day, devoid of spice, imagination or inspiration. Reluctantly Stella compiles, bringing her schedule and discipline with her. Once in Paris, the city of light , weaves its magic, and Ruth takes on an this magical tour in the guise of a mystery, A muse of famous artist,Henri de Toulouse- Lautrec, Matisse, the muse becomes an artist in her own right , outshining the male counterparts. It is one of her paintings that acts as the catalyst for and adventure in food , fashion and life. The reader is privy to meals that are with out parallel. It is a treat to the heart and the stomach. I was so thrilled to read an early copy of this adventure into a world of food, words and wisdom. Happy reading

The way I would describe this book such as a painting is color. When Stella "lived" in New York, her life was bland as she ate the same foods, immersed herself in work as a means not to have a social life and followed a strictly regimented schedule. Even when she first went to Paris, a city full of magic, did she carry on the same existence. It is only through the chance encounter with Jules did she begin to shed that persona and emerge as the person she was meant to be. She discovers color and the richness and taste that surrounds it. Like Victorine in her work and as a model in the paintings, Stella did not let how she behaved in the past and the emotions surrounding it further define her. One of the best lines is how first she discovered Victorine, then her father and her calling which thanks to all of that, she was able to fall in love. Like the restaurant her and Django created, her senses were heightened and food was there to be enjoyed. All of the characters in this book were very eloquently captured and I found this book to mirror why people go to Paris and fall in love with it. Celia truly gave Stella a gift and she realized she was made for beauty such as the Christian Dior dress.

The Paris Novel was exactly what I needed to read. I felt like I had been transported back to Paris. The story centers around Stella, a women who comes into her own and creates a family in a new country while discovering herself. The novel was a quick and pleasant read; the description of food and wine was impeccable.

I've been addicted to Ruth Reichl's writing for a long time now and when I saw this in NetGalley, I was delighted! I have a lot of trouble staying focused on one book and had resolved this year to finish books before I started another and it took all of my willpower not to jump right into this one. IT WAS WORTH THE WAIT. Ruth spins a beautiful tale of finding yourself and blossoming from nothing when put in the right places. I loved every moment of this novel and loved how beautifully everything wrapped up. I can't wait to see what else Ruth spins up! 100/10!!!

Celebrated food critic and magazine editor Ruth Reichl has written her second work of fiction, following an impressive string of memoirs. In The Paris Novel, book editor Stella lives her life according to self-imposed rules and schedules. Having suffered a traumatic childhood, she is reluctant to stray from the sheltered life she has created. So, in 1983, when her estranged, very inattentive and flamboyant mother dies and leaves her a one-way ticket to Paris, it takes a lot of courage for Stella to take a leave from her job and embark alone on a journey to an unfamiliar city. As she makes new acquaintances who recommend places and things for her to experience, she finds herself gradually becoming more willing to expand her world and explore what she really wants to do with her life.

Reichl excels, of course, at writing about food and restaurants and making the reader feel hungry and immersed in the sensual experience. She also beautifully describes some highlights of the City of Light, including Les Deux Magots and Shakespeare & Company, inviting the reader to savor these delights and many others. Where I had trouble with the story was in establishing a connection with the character of Stella. Also, I felt that the events of the last couple of chapters were too abrupt and not grounded in the story. However, I did enjoy Stella's quest to find out whether a real-life artist's model portrayed in a number of paintings ever succeeded in fashioning her own artistic career.

Those who live for stories about food and Paris will undoubtedly enjoy this book. I respect Reichl as an author and have enjoyed many of her books, especially her outstanding 2014 foray into fiction, Delicious!

My thanks to Random House Publishing Group and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and provide an honest review of this book.

I so wanted to love this as the plot sounded so interesting to me. I love Paris, and I love food so this seemed like something I’d really click with. But I just didn’t love the characters and I wasn’t able to connect with the plot—I was bored most of the time. It’s disappointing as I was really hoping to enjoy this one, but I can see other people having a lot of fun with it where I didn’t.

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

The authors love of anything French and fabulous cuisine are vividly described throughout the story. This was an enjoyable story of a grown woman coming of age in Paris. Stella’s life will be forever changed in a good way. I enjoyed the delightful characters and the amazing food interwoven throughout. I loved reading about the famous Shakespeare and Company bookstore where Stella found her true passion. This was an enjoyable quick read.

An enchanting tale of Stella finding herself and her place in the world. She grew up with no knowledge of her father; raised by a self-centered mother she never measured up to, no matter what. When her mother dies, she leaves Stella a little money and the declaration that she must go to Paris. Stella doesn't understand why this is her mother's wish but eventually complies. Ever cautious, Stella finally finds herself in Paris living a similar cautious, stringent, scheduled life to that of her life in New York. She feels called to enter a vintage boutique where she finds an amazing Dior dress that the shopkeeper insists was made for Stella and that she must buy it and follow explicit directions for lunch and dinner. At lunch she meets Jules: octogenarian, art expert, and pseudo grandfather. He introduces her to the worlds of art, music, food, and more as he helps Stella evolve into the woman she was meant to be. Many of the characters in this historical fiction are real poets, authors, and chefs as well as the famed bookstore, Shakespeare & Company. Reichl expertly weaves her fictional characters with their historic counterparts seamlessly. Finally, Stella understands her mother and why she sent her to Paris: to understand her mother and find herself.

A lovely, tender story for fans of food, fashion, found family, and fabulous writing.

Stella hasn’t had an easy life. When her estranged mother, Celia, dies, Stella finds out that Celia left her some money on the condition she flies to Paris. After a few hours of walking around the city, Stella spots a beautiful dress in a shop window and this dress changes the course of her life.

I read this from start to finish while on a plane and was definitely wishing my destination was Paris (with a bottle of Champagne waiting for me at Chez Django’s)!

Thank you very much to Random House Ballantine and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this novel.

I’ll start by saying I enjoyed this book. It definitely is just a simple fairy princess story. Not much depth but is an easy read. I did enjoy some of the characters . Can see it as a hallmark movie in the future.

An irresistible novel for those who like fashion, food, wine, romance, Paris and all kinds of love. Such a lovely book about Stella, a young woman who is sad, rigid and alone but is prompted to go to Paris when her cold, thoughtless mother dies. Despite her hesitation, she goes for a few weeks and her life blooms!

The catalyst is a dress that she wears on impulse and the advice of the shop owner who puts her on a path that changes her destiny. Oh, it’s a charmed path, full of friendships and food that is so well described that the reader can almost taste it. In her exploration, she is fascinated by OLYMPIA at the Jeu De Pomme and seeks the model who sat for the iconic picture.

Additionally, it is a time for her search for her unknown father. This proves to take the reader on another romp through the French culinary world.

Reading this book is a beautiful journey that, I loved as a reader. I highly recommend this to all my reading groups. Pure Delight!

Thank you NETGALLEY and Ruth Reichl for this delicious book.

Stella, a copy editor who likes rules and order is semi-estranged from her flamboyant mother. Her mother dies leaving Stella money that can be used only for one purpose: to go to Paris. Stella isn’t thrilled with this instruction but has never taken a vacation and is instructed by her boss to do so she, reluctantly, goes.

After several uneventful weeks of rather staid sightseeing she comes upon a small dress shop and sees a glorious creation in the window. Impulsively she goes in and tries it on and that leads Stella on an amazing adventure involving the dress, wonderful friends, lost art and artists, food and a lost piece of herself.

What a fun book. Reichl’s prose and her absolutely amazing descriptions of FOOD elevate what would have been nothing more than a rather sweet, if expected, tale into something more. And, oh, the food! The description of Stella eating oysters! The bird she and Jules eat! The markets! The cooking! No one writes about food like Reichl. Highly recommended and make sure you have quality snacks available while reading!

I’ve been a fan of Ruth Reichl for a long time. I read all of her memoirs and then her first foray into fiction with her novel Delicious! which was so enjoyable. I am pleased to say that The Paris Novel is even better. I loved this story. A young woman coming into her own in 1980s Paris. Rich in well developed characters that I felt like I got to know and descriptions of food that I could practically smell and taste, this book was such a pleasure to read. I couldn’t wait to see how the story would unfold, but at the same time I was sad when it was nearing its end. Five stars for this supremely enjoyable novel.

Thanks to @netgalley and @atrandomhouse for opportunity to read this novel
I loved Stella and her journey of self discover.y. The Paris setting, details of the city and food were perfect. Made me feel like I was right there on the journey with her.

This is the second novel, I’ve read by this author and it’s quite lovely. The book centers on a woman getting out of her routine, and out of her own head. We journey along her adventures and can’t help but cheer her on. Lush and written with such care. Great book