I like to start by thanking the author and the publisher for the chance to read this book. My friend and I both enjoyed this book and throughly enjoyed it. Great beach read.

This was a absolute joy to read. A young woman who had not been close to her recently deceased mother, goes to Paris at the directive of her late mother. There she learns what it is to really live. It was a delight to hear all of the details of French cuisine, vintage fashion, art history, the infamous Shakespeare & Company bookstore, and literary personalities. A cast of colorful characters, the French culture, and the fascinating plot made this a delight!

I struggled with this review, and have ultimately decided not to post it. I have loved Reichl's memoir and a novel of hers in the past, so truly looked forward to reading this.

I do not generally post bad reviews. I will give the book a rating if I read it (I rarely have a DNF). As a writer, I know how difficult it is to craft a story, so anyone who completes that task and publishes a book earns my respect. If I don't like the book, I don't feel the need to pile onto criticism online.

Having said that, I feel that the publisher should be aware that there are some deeply disturbing problems with this book. First, the completely graphic and gratuitous description of a child's sexual abuse in chapter two. At this point, if I hadn't read other books by Reichl, I would have stopped. This is not to say that the topic doesn't need exploring, understanding, etc., but a book positioned as a light fluffy romp through the Paris food scene is not the place for it.

Aside from this, I found the similarly graphic inclusion of the main character eating an ortolan—a practice that was made illegal in the EU in 1979—in a book that takes place in the 80s, abhorrent. I am a wide and varied eater, a carnivore, but this chapter was revolting.

The storyline, sadly, did not make up for any of this. The idea that someone becomes a food lover on the scale of the main character (replete with Ruth Reichl's extensive vocabulary to express it) was beyond implausible. Honestly, it's been a long time since I've been so disappointed in a book for so many reasons.

I enjoyed this book but fair warning it will leave you hungry and eager to book a trip to France as soon as possible. What a delightful story

I am a fan of Ruth Reichl and was excited for this book. I enjoyed all of the vivid setting details of Paris and following Stella through her journey. The pacing dragged a bit, that's why I'm not giving it five stars. Enjoyable nonetheless.

I really struggled with this one and ended up not finishing after multiple attempts. I just sadly could not connect with the characters and the plot line was a bit chaotic. I will definitely try again, but for right now - it was just not for me.

I’m not Paris lover. I’m not a Francophile. But damn, this book could make me one. The way the food was described (Ruth Reichl effect) and the environment was set made me like France tad bit 😅. I couldn’t say if this was a love letter to food or friendship or coincidences or bohemian spirit of the times.

I tasted the food, I smelt the aroma, and I saw the display as I was turning the pages. It was more than a book but an experience. I rarely have this feeling about a book in the recent years. Those who are Francophiles, you will love this book because it will speak to you like nothing else. Those who are like me, you might find new appreciation.

"I think it's the most perfect house I've ever seen," she told Django after her first night there. They had finished shopping and were back at the restaurant, feverishly testing recipes, stirring stocks, and rolling pastry. "My one fear is that this will spoil me for ordinary life. I can't live at Le Sauvage forever, but how will I ever be happy anywhere else?" "Your problem" he pulled an onion tart from the oven "is that you always look for reasons to be unhappy." He handed her the warm, savory pastry and she inhaled its spicy scent. "When fortune smiles, you immediately start to worry about how it will end. Why not enjoy the moment?"

Ruth Reichl is a favorite author of mine so I was so excited to received a copy of her latest novel. Her descriptions of Paris wanted me to travel there immediately. I loved watching the transformation of Stella as she discovers who she really is through the people she meets and the food she eats. As always, Reichl’s culinary descriptions shine throughout the novel. This had a lot of heart and I thoroughly enjoyed reading it.

Just the summary alone makes me want to travel to Paris! I can at least live vicariously through this book.

I appreciate the publisher and NetGalley for giving me an ARC.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the ARC of this book. I have to be transparent and say that I did DNF this book.

I was thrilled to read this book because the premise hooked me! I've always wanted to visit Paris, studied French for five years, and love French food. This book seemed perfect until an early chapter revealed a graphic and unexpected description of child sexual abuse with no warning. This was disappointing as I was so excited about the story. I tried to continue, but couldn't. It's unfortunate because the plot sounded ideal for me.

I hope others find it more enjoyable and accessible! I dislike not finishing a book because I know how much effort authors put into their work. It might have just been a personal issue for me.

Ruth Reichl did not let me down with this story, which is filled with rich descriptions of Paris and sumptuous food. I enjoyed Stella's character and the quirky, lovable characters she met on her adventure in Paris. This book is a sweet treat and an ideal beach read.

Could not finish this one. I thought this was going to be a beautiful novel, but chapter two literally turned me away from this book so quickly (just as quick as I requested this book...)

Chapter two has a very upsetting and explicit child sexual abuse. This was a huge turn off for me, as this book had nothing ahead of time telling you this would be happening or even mentioned.

So, as a heads up - if you aren't cool with that, either don't read this one or skip chapter two. I wish I would have. I don't know why this much graphic description was needed for this novel, as usually other books do a light brush over a topic like that...

Because of that, this gets one star, and was also a DNF @ 7%

Thank you NetGalley and Appetite by Random House for my DRC.

I love books set in France! I loved how The Paris Novel made you feel like you were eating the food, seeing the asset and wearing the clothes!

If you love food and Paris you will love this novel!

3/5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️

Stella’s childhood was rough. Her mother didn’t take care of her as she should have so when she passed Stella doesn’t grieve. Her mother has left her only one task and that is to go to Paris. Once Stella arrives it takes her a bit to be immersed in the city. What starts with a dress leads her through an adventure with food, art, and making many friends along the way.

Ruth Reichl is such an amazing writer when it comes to descriptions. The way this book is written really does transport you to Paris. You feel like you are tasting the food as Stella eats and you can totally picture the city as Stella explores.

While I loved all the descriptions I did feel like there was a lot going on in this book. Ruth did a good job to connect everything but I could have done with maybe a few less characters or one less story line. While I loved all the people Stella met along the way I couldn’t help but be a little nervous with all the traveling with strangers. Which is probably a me thing LOL

I would still recommend this novel simply because I love Ruth and I love the descriptions!

After the passing of Stella’s mom, she is left with a strange inheritance. A plane ticket to Paris, and money for an adventure there. She is very unsure about this trip, but when she stumbles upon a dress shop and tries on a Dior dress that everyone agrees was made for her. There is only one thing to do….buy the dress and go on the adventure of a lifetime.

I loved this adventure through Paris! I mean what booklover among us wouldn’t want to live in a bookstore? Seriously, sign me up! The descriptions of the food, the ambiance, city, and people was so well done I felt like I was living this adventure along with Stella! I truly enjoyed following along in Stellas trip and it made me want to go to Paris!

Such a delicious story! I loved this one from start to finish! Ruth Reichl has a way of making you taste the words as they jump off the page! Paris is always a good idea! I feel like I’ve just Retturned from a trip to Paris where I ate the most deliciously rich food!

Thank you, Netgalley for this early read.
I wanted to love this book but just didn't. I love all things Paris and was intrigued by the title and description, but this one fell short for me. The descriptions of the Parisian culinary scene were so intense, that it took away from my enjoyment of the storyline. I quickly lost interest and became bored.

Thank you Netgalley for this ARC of The Paris Novel by Ruth Reichl. This was my first fiction read by Reichl and I loved it. The Paris Novel follows Stella, who after her mother passes, heads to Paris per her mother’s last wishes. As fun as this may sound to most, Stella wasn’t super excited to go. Her and her mother had a strange relationship and one that wasn’t close, so being told that she needed to go to Paris, I think in part irritated her because her mom was the one to tell her to go. Before going, Stella led a very organized and stable life, one that she loved and considered different from her childhood. This trip to Paris seemed to embody everything she wanted to avoid in her life, as if it really felt chaotic in comparison to her life in New York. That being said, she goes and it’s a pure adventure from there, not to mention great descriptions of mouth-watering food. Such a fun read, I highly recommend.

I loved this book so much. Ruth Reichl crafts an enjoyable novel where you want to jump into the story, if not to experience the experiences of living in Paris, then to taste all the delicious food she describes. This story follows shy Stella as she moves to Paris after her mother's death. She learns about love and courage and the joys of living abroad. The characters are developed, the dialogue is engaging, and I truly love Reichl's ability to describe food in text in a way that you can taste what she is describing. I highly recommend this book.

This review is entirely my fault. After I started reading it, I knew the author sounded familiar so I looked up her prior work and discovered I didn't like Garlic and Sapphires or her writing style. This book had a lot of the "food critic" vibes she is known for. I saw a lot of complaints about the graphic scene from Chapter 2 but it did not seem over-the-top graphic to me. I liked the way the book wrapped up and while I will not read more from this author, I thought this was ok.