Ruth Reichl has had an amazing career in the food industry. The former editor of the late great Gourmet Magazine, and author of many non-fiction books, has now written a gloriously delightful story in The Paris Novel. It is uplifting, charming and magical and ripe for the picking!

When Stella's mother Celia dies, she sadly is not very upset. Estranged from her and never having been pleased with her life choices, along with some terrible childhood memories, she barely has any feeling for the woman who raised her. Stella never knew who her father was and quite frankly was embarrassed by her mother's lifestyle.

So, when Stella receives her inheritance from her mother, a one-way ticket to Paris, she immediately decides this is just Celia trying to control her from the grave. But when Stella's boss convinces her to try and accept the ticket and maybe live outside of her very strict and routine oriented life, Stella agrees to go.

So as Stella arrives in France and is roaming the streets, she sees finds a vintage shop and sees a black Dior dress. She is somehow mesmerized by it. As she walks in the owner looks at her and say this dress has been waiting for you! And Stella does something she never would have ever done. She tries the dress on and buys it for an extraordinary amount of money. But...there's something about this dress that makes her feel different.

And with that in mind, she goes to dinner with the dress on and has the most incredible experiences of her life eating oysters and enjoying a meal she never imagined existed. There, she meets an elderly gentleman named Jules who is a wealthy art collector who has lost his wife. He begins to tell her imaginative stories of his and his late wife's lives. Stella is spellbound. They become friends and Jules begins taking her to place she never imagined going, eating at restaurants she had only heard about and looking at art she witnessed only in books.

Jules introduces her to the owner of a famous bookstore where writer's and such work there, assist at the shop and sleep and eat for free. He calls then his "tumbleweeds". There, she meets famous writers including some who knew her mother. She then begins to go down the rabbit whole of her mother's life and even though she didn't know she was really searching, discovers answers to questions she never even though about.

The Paris Novel is a one of kind extraordinary read. The reader is taken on a delicious journey of food, art, life and love. The backstory as to why Reichl wrote the book is just as incredible and heartwarming as the story itself.

Thank you #NetGalley #RandomHouse #RuthReichl #TheParisNovel for the advanced copy.

I enjoyed the story, but it did not really go where I thought it was going to go. It was a nice story about finding yourself in a way you didn't think you might. I did enjoy the found family aspect of this book and the Paris setting. I wish the ending was a little bit longer because I did like that part of the story (I don't want to spoil for people who have not read it), and thought the ending was a little bit rushed for me. There was a graphic child sexual abuse scene, so please check trigger warnings. I did find that the middle dragged on a little bit for me, but overall I enjoyed the story.

Thank you to net galley for access to this book in exchange for an honest review.

I was excited to read Ruth's newest novel and while The Paris Novel is more than a bit predictable, it still was a fun read. There is also a good bit of name dropping, but it works in this story for the most part.

A word of warning though! In the beginning there is some graphic (and completely unnecessary) sexual abuse of Stella by her mother's boyfriend. It is quite disturbing and should have been edited out, imo. A reader could understand Stella's difficult childhood without this scene.

I really enjoyed Ruth's "Afterward" tremendously (hint... skip to the back and read this part first, it will make the novel more enjoyable!)

I would like to thank Netgalley and Random House Publishing Group for providing an advance digital copy of this book. The book was published on April 30, 2024.

I will be honest, books like this are what make reading such a joy! This was such a delightful and delicious story about a woman becoming the person she was always meant to be, one exquisite Parisian meal at a time! I enjoyed this novel so much it made me wish I could buy a one-way ticket to Paris just so I live out this novel in real time. Highly recommended!

A charming book about Stella, who recently lost her estranged mother, on a journey through Paris. What she is supposed to find out, she doesn't know and events slowly bring important people into her life. A great story of self discovery and finding your place, along with some historical figures of the time. I love how Reichl interweaves this fictional story with historical places and people, I can' t wait to go back to Paris!

Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC

Upon her death, Stella's mother leaves her very little except instructions to go to Paris. Stella who has had a very small life in comparison to the life her mother had lived, reluctantly goes. The beginning of her trip follows much of her life at home, not really experiencing the city or what it has to offer. All of the changes when she tries on a dress in a small shop and follows the instructions of the shop owner to allow the dress to direct her day. Everything changes after she meets an older gentleman in a cafe and tasting the first of the amazing food of Paris. This is full of the food and scenery of Paris and I felt transported. It's wonderful storytelling.

A sumptuous depiction of Paris in the 1980s, complete with food, art, fashion, and urban legends. Ruth Reichl enters the world of fiction with her story about Stella, a play-it-safe woman who finds herself on a whirlwind trip to Paris. When she finds an almost magical dress in a random shop, her whole life begins to bloom. Suddenly, she's tasting food like a chef, joining a community of expats in a bookstore, and befriending the locals. Inspired by an artist and model that she finds in an impressionist painting, suddenly Stella is tracking down the artist, and simultaneously tracking down her biological father.

While the plot is prone to wandering, the strength of this novel is the feelings evoked. Readers will become fully immersed in Parisian food, culture, and art, and will savor every last page.

Stella did not have a great relationship with her somewhat free-spirited mother and sought structure in her childhood and often played things safe. When her mom dies, she leaves her daughter some money with the caveat that it must be used for a trip to Paris. Stella finds this to be a frivolous request but goes on the trip anyway. Once in Paris she discovers the power of good food and in her search for new dishes and the paintings of an artist, also finds herself looking for her unknown father with the help of her new acquaintances. Overall, a story about a woman trying to not only discover part of her past, but also find a way forward and take more chances.

I am sorry for the inconvenience but I don’t have the time to read this anymore and have lost interest in the concept. I believe that it would benefit your book more if I did not skim your book and write a rushed review. Again, I am sorry for the inconvenience.

The Paris Novel was a richly written novel that so heavily focused on Paris I felt like I was living it. While some of it felt like overkill, it was still a fantastic read!

When Stella's estranged mother dies, she discovers the only think her mom left her was some money and a note that said, "Go to Paris," and the rest of the story tells of her adventures there. Stella spends most of the first part of her trip living frugally, but when she passes a small vintage boutique, she goes inside. The saleswoman insists she try on a particular Dior dress then gives her instructions for the rest of her day there. Stella discovers a whole new Paris - and a whole new Stella. She eventually visits Shakespeare and Co and becomes a "tumbleweed" there - helping out at the famous bookstore and sleeping there. There was a lot of name-dropping, which I mostly didn't mind, and there was a lot of specific description of Paris, Having never been there, I couldn't quite picture the scenes, and I did skim over those sections. But Reichl's descriptions of food were fabulous, as expected from a food writer, editor, and chef. Thank-you to NetGalley, Random House, and Ms. Reichl for the ARC of this title.

In The Paris Novel, Reichl leverages her descriptive powers most beautifully in depictions of the sights, sounds, smells, and tastes of Paris. Unsurprisingly, her descriptions of dining experiences, eating, and cooking are delightfully rendered. Throughout the book, the reader is immersed with Stella in exploration of her personal/familial history, and a simultaneous exploration of the senses as she learns to inhabit new aspects of herself in an entirely new landscape of belonging.

Thank you to Net Galley and Random House for this ARC copy for review.

I thought this was really cute! Would be a fun beach read/airplane book. Had similar vibes to Eat, Pray, Love but was lighter (and fictional!)

This novel was a fun romp through Paris.
Stella, the main character was Celia's only child, a lonely wallflower without friends. Celia was a larger than life woman and when she dies, she left Stella a round trip ticket to Paris and instructions to convert her remaining funds into travelers checks. Thus began Stella's Paris adventure where she checked into a modest hotel and pretty much kept to herself , following her safe predictable life.
Her first adventure was going into a designer resale shop where she found a gorgeous vintage YSL dress that was the first dress that he designed for Dior. The proprietor told her to wear it and return it the next day if it didn't change her life. Well, it did change her life as she met the man whose wife had originally purchased the dress and he introduced her to another side of Paris and the France. Without any spoilers - their story brought Stella self-discovery and confidence that she never possessed before. Coupled with her experiences with George Whitman and the Shakespeare & Co bookstore, Stella's transformation was great to follow. I must admit however, that I thought there were too many coincidences to the story. Also, I doubt that Stella would have had a palate sophisticated enough to discern the nuances of the French dishes that she ate. With a nod to the author - she did a masterful job describing these epicurean encounters.
The secondary story in this novel was Stella's research and discovery. Although this was not the main story, I found it more interesting than the adventure through Paris. I liked her search for paintings by a female artist as well as her search for her father.
I received an ARC from NetGalley and the publisher and liked this novel; the opinions expressed are my own. Rated 3.5

Ruth Reichl's Save Me the Plums is one of my all time favorite books. Finding out that Ruth Reichl had written a novel, I was all in and requested it from Net Galley right away. There were some things I really loved about this book. It is truly a love letter to Paris. Reading about some of the classic Parisian places (Shakespeare and Company) and neighborhoods was like taking a trip. The descriptions of food and dinners are what Reichl does better than almost anyone. That said, I think this novel may have been better as a short story. I found it dragged in parts, which I never normally feel about Reichl's writing.
3.5 stars

Truly just a sweet, earnest treat of a novel that made me smile and also made me very hungry! perhaps much of what happens in this book is implausible, and maybe there's not much in the way of plot, but it can't be denied that i had an absolute blast with this book. just a really easy and delightful read

Ruth Reichl's books are a warm hug and this was no different! The setting, the food writing, it swept me off my feet. Recommend to anyone who needs a comfort read!!

While some of the dialogue and plot points felt forced, overall lovely sumptuous descriptions of food, fashion and Paris. A great escape.

I have read one of Reichl’s memoirs and thoroughly enjoyed it. The Paris Novel is a work of fiction. Overall, I enjoyed the story, but I thought that the plot was a bit contrived.

Reichl transports the reader to Paris in the 1980’s: its neighborhoods, its restaurants, and its museums. The famous Paris bookstore, Shakespeare and Company, and its owner, George Whitman, play a large role in the story.

The novel has a cast of quirky and likeable characters as well as the inclusion of real-life literary figures and chefs. Stella, the main character, is in her early 30’s. She had a very lonely childhood. Stella never knew the identity of her father. Her mother was self-absorbed and thought of Stella as an inconvenience. With this upbringing and the fact that she was sexually abused by her mother’s boyfriend, Stella developed a lot of coping skills and rituals which enabled her to function in society.

The bulk of this coming-of-age story takes place in Paris after the death of Stella’s mother. Her mother’s will leaves Stella some money with instructions to take a trip to Paris. Going to Paris is not in her comfort zone, but eventually, Stella takes time off from her job at a publishing house in New York City and goes to France. In Paris, Stella makes friends and has some adventures. She is intrigued by the woman in one of the paintings by Manet and she embarks on a quest to discover more about her. Stella also discovers a passion for food.

Overall, a good book. I found it to be a light and quick read. Reichl is masterful with her descriptions of food, fashion, art, and setting. I felt like I was in France!

Thank you to Netgalley and to the publisher for providing me with an advanced review copy in exchange for an honest review.

3.5 stars.
I did so much love the idea of Ruth Reichl writing a piece of fiction based in Paris, visiting so many of my very favourite haunts. I think possibly, I favour her memoir writing more. This isn’t to fault the author-I imagine I just put my previous experience with her wonderful non-fiction food writing into my expectations of this book. Ultimately, the character of Stella felt too young or undeveloped for my tastes. I’ll be curious to see if she tackles another novel. I do hope she does!

By the way, I wound up purchasing this novel as an audiobook and thought Kiiri Sandy did a wonderful job at narrating.