This book is not at all what I was hoping for. It's was a first for me by this author and I'm so disappointed.

Parts of it was very good. The parts about the trip to Paris and the foods. The people Stella met. The fact that she finally met and liked her father. The descriptions were great. But the story itself drove me nuts. Stella was, in my opinion, very childish about things. There is caution then there is just stupid. She spends the day with an older man then freaks out that he may be nefarious with things. She describes him as much older too. I understand as she was molested as a young child and that plays a part. Kind of. It didn't bother her when she spent the whole day with him though and later when she meets men. Not that she is loose in any way. She's a very uptight woman. She had an awful mother. Though said mother didn't abuse her. But she was cold and still dated the molester. I didn't like her at all.

The dress sounds beautiful and I guess that is what made Stella feel so different. Like she was truly beautiful instead of plain. Though she did apply some makeup and if memory serves me she fixed her hair a bit. That helps. I just didn't like her. I didn't like any of the characters.

The Shakespearean Bookstore sounds great. Thought you won't fine many that let you just take up residence there. Sleep there. I understand that this bookstore was real and that the owner did allow people to read free and sleep in it.

I can sum this one up as a DNF and didn't enjoy what I did finish. I read enough to write a review and to say that this book was just not for me. I understand that most loved it. I didn't.

I think it was well written and the author put her heart and soul into it. That makes it worthy of the stars I gave it. The Author's Note is worth reading. Please do that. I'm so sorry for this author's loss. That was sad. I feel awful that I didn't like this book but it happens.

Thank you #NetGalley, #RuthReichl, #RandomHousePublishing, for this ARC. This is my own true thoughts about this book.

3/5 stars for me.

Rating 4.5⭐🩶                                                 *netgalley arc*

Before I even say anything else I would encourage you to check trigger warnings as there's a scene that could be very triggering within the first few chapters. It is this scene that has me hesitating to rate this book 5 ⭐. Though I do see the points the author was trying to make, they fall flat compared to the gravity of the scene. To my point, by the time I made it to the end of the book, it had slipped my mind. It is upon reflection of the book that I remembered that that had even happened. I believe that the same points could have been made with other less triggering but still impactful choices.

With that said, I'm obsessed with the book. This book is like a form of a love letter to Paris. A love letter to lovers of art, books, food, culture, adventure. I generally don't pick up historical fiction but I'm also a reads every thing type of reader so I guess they cancelled out hahah. I can already see the literary girlies being obsessed with this one!

The Paris Novel is a beautiful adult coming of age story about finding yourself in places you least expected. From early 1900s high society New York to the late 1900s Paris art scene and everything past and in between, Ruth takes you on a Parisian adventure and on a larger scale, a historical adventure. Her writing is so tangible. Even if you've never been to France, it feels familiar. I would imagine it would be a very nostalgic experience for people who've been. If you love books, arts, food, culture really this one's for you. I'm obsessed with the fact that the mc is an exceptional copy editor and that this books' copy editor absolutely slayed.

*Spoiler Corner*
Loved: Various famous authors, chefs and artists made cameos. I wanna be a tumbleweed so bad 😭 I want to meet James Baldwin and live in a bookstore with fellow creatives and cook with famous chefs ahhhh😭
I loved that the author anticipated when I was starting to have doubts/questions and met me right there
Did not love: Although one of the characters intrigued me they also annoyed me. I generally do not like pushy characters who don't respect boundaries but that may very well be just a me thing
Misc: Stella's reunion with her father made me so mad that Celia had taken that from both of them😭

I already miss them 😭. I think I've found another one of my favourite books. I Will definitely be checking out more of Ruth Reichl's work

I’ve loved every one of Ruth Reichl’s memoirs so was absolutely delighted when I saw she had written a work of fiction. It’s a fantasy about food (how could it not be?!??), friendships, family, a famous bookstore, so recipes, and mid-century art in Paris, but of course. It’s a quick read. I read it while on vacation in a glass house overlooking Puget Sound. Two thumbs up!!

I loved this story. It started a bit slow, but once the protagonist found her rhythm, the story did too. It moved at a slow and smooth pace that was very easy to read. It was well-written and felt very true to life. I was a little surprised to learn there are many real life details here. I don’t know much about Paris and I’ve only visited once but this makes me want to go back. This book is filled with beautiful descriptions but they don’t overwhelm the plot.

I’d never read the author before and it feels like I found a hidden gem in a garage sale. I might have to pick up her other books now!

Mostly, the story takes place just about 50 years ago in the early 1980’s. The way it’s written, it feels like a golden age. A place before social media, the internet, but also modern feminism.

We follow Stella who is drab. Her mother was flighty, colourful and ostentatious. Stella modelled herself on the complete opposite. When her mother dies, she leaves her a little money, but requires her to go to Paris and spend it. Stella seems to understand the inclination and although a touch resentful, she does go. Her whole world changes in Paris and this makes up the bulk of the novel.

My only criticism is that Stella is a bit of a Mary Sue. Everything falls into place for her as if by magic and it isn’t the most realistic portrayal. It didn’t bother me too much, but it may bother other readers. If you’re looking for the next “Great American Novel”, this is not it, but it was fun to read. Mary Sue’s are often described as a bit of wish fulfillment for their author’s. I’ve no idea if that’s the case here, but it was nice for me.

In the end, it’s a happy novel and it brought me much joy to read it. I tried to savour it but it was too delectable to put down. Reading the afterword and acknowledgements heightened that experience.

This is what I always think of when I think of a beach read. Not something fluffy and forgettable, but something a little more weighty. A story that enriches your experience, brings you pleasure and peace and feels like finding an old friend.

I highly recommend this book and hope everyone who picks it up will derive the same delight I did.

Ruth Reichl has conjured a novel -- rich in texture, color, flavor -- in the same manner that the novel's Chef Django improvises a meal. Some of the dialog feels a little overstuffed, but who doesn't love a novel of self-discovery, stuffed with all the most Parisian of Parisian images, characters, tropes? If you've read any of Reichl's extraordinary foodoirs, you'll recognize and appreciate this fictional story that incorporates so many Reichlisms. A novel about Paris, art, books, wine, food and food? Yes, Chef. Oui, bien sur.

[Thanks to Random House and NetGalley for an opportunity to read an advanced reader copy and share my opinion of this book.]

I've been a fan of Ruth Reichl since she was writing memoir pieces including about her time as a restaurant critic. She had published her first novel Delicious! in 2014 and most recently before this work, Save Me the Plums, a memoir about her time as editor of Gourmet. No one can bring to life the delicious smells and flavors of dishes the way Reichl can.

The Paris Novel is broken into three distinctive sections that feel as if they could of each satisfyingly be separated into their own individual pieces, but together form the evolution of Stella, a damaged young woman into a happier life by following in the footsteps of two Parisian women before her. The novel is set in the 1980's. The first section deals with Stella's discovery of a beautiful couture dress in a shop that once belonged to women named Severine; a chance encounter with someone from Severine's life leads Stella to many new friends and experiences in the city of light. In the second section Stella looks into the mystery of Victorine the famous muse for artworks like Manet's Olympia whose own paintings were lost for years and only recently have works like her self-portrait been again displayed. Through these other courageous women, Stella finally explores her own history in third section of the book and through this exploration finds a love of cooking and what could just be the love of her life.

Ruth Reichl is one of my favorite authors. The Paris Novel was my first exploration of her fiction and it did not disappoint. This felt like it was partially written for me with lush food writing, the Parisian setting and an underlying mystery about art. There's high fashion, family dynamics, and coming of age.

This novel follows Stella and prim and proper copy editor who does nothing exciting for herself. When her mother dies, Stella is left with a plane ticket to Paris and the remainder of her mother's savings. There Stella has a chance encounter with a dress that fits her perfectly and she decides to wear it, and be Parisian for a day. This leads her to discover a story of a female artist who was forgotten by men, and launches her into a community of found family, and an adventure to find this female artist's work. Through this found family, she experiences so much French cuisine, which really shows Reichl's talent for describing and writing about food.

This was just a fun novel that I needed at the time and was Ruth Reichl at its' core. I loved it.

I could have used a content warning at the beginning, so please be aware that there is SA and that it is a hard scene to read.

The descriptions in this book are perfect. From describing the different parts of Paris, the bookshop, the fashion and the food - I could easily imagine every single part. The characters were kind of bland to me - the personality of Stella, the main character, was annoying in my opinion. The story line also dragged on for me a bit. I almost wished there was more drama and less description at times. Reichl has an unbelievable talent for transporting a reader to another place, time and meal - and I loved being taken to Paris in the 80's, I just wished I felt more invested in the characters and storyline. 
Thank you Netgalley for my advanced reader copy.

I read a previous book by author Ruth Reichl, SAVE ME THE PLUMS, and I absolutely loved it. I could not put it down. THE PARIS NOVEL, is a decidedly different book and perhaps I should have explored its description more fully before I offered to read/review it. It really wasn’t my cup of tea, to offer a phrase that fits Reichl’s themes. Food, its fragrances, tastes, presentations and history, is still a major part of her writing but this tale revolves around a character previously adrift from all of life’s pleasures. And due to a change in circumstance, now forced to sample them in Paris, a city with more than enough for even the most shut-down human to sample just a few. I received my copy from the publisher through NetGalley.

Stella St. Vincent has a small life. As a copy editor in New York, she has scheduled her time very carefully. She works long days at a job she loves and spends her weekends reading. She doesn’t own a television and never goes to movies. She eats to survive. It’s a schedule she has adhered to since she was a child. Her mother, Celia, wasn’t cut out for motherhood, so it was up to Stella to set her own structure, and she never learned any differently. Until Celia died.

Celia didn’t want a funeral. She had a little but of money set aside, and all she wanted was for Stella to take that money and go to Paris.

Stella hadn’t wanted to go to Paris, but her boss at the publishing house caught Stella working late one too many times. She ordered Stella to go away, to take a vacation for at least 6 weeks. So Stella decided that it was time to go to Paris.

But she stayed in a small hotel and ate cheaply, wanting to life as quietly and frugally as she did in New York. And then she was introduced to the dress. She had been called into a small vintage shop by something she saw in the window, and once she was in there, the owner of the shop made her try on a gorgeous vintage designer dress. The dress was not Stella’s style at all, but the dress fit like it had been made for her.

The shop owner told her the story of the dress. It had been designed by a young Saint Laurent shortly after he started working at Dior. But the dress would cost Stella almost all of the money she had left to live in Paris. So the shop owner made a deal with her—buy the dress, wear it for the day, go to the places she told Stella to go, and if she wasn’t happy with what happens, then Stella could return it for a full refund. Stella is reluctant, but she can’t deny that the dress has awoken a part of her soul that she’d never experienced.

Stella wears the dress out to a café for a lunch of oysters and Chablis, and she is immediately struck by flavors she has never known. She makes the acquaintance of an older gentleman who then takes her to a museum. At the museum, Stella is overcome by a painting by Manet of a woman. She is naked but is not ashamed, and seems to offer a challenge to anyone who would shame her for her life choices. Stella can’t stop thinking about her and decides to try to find out more about the woman.

The next day, Stella returns the dress to the shop. The owner is surprised to see her back, thinking that experiencing Paris in a designed dress would change Stella’s attitude about it. Instead, Stella has decided to stay in Paris and needs her money back in order to finance her journey. As she tries to find the identity of the woman in the painting, Stella discovers the flavors and textures of Paris, she makes friends, she finds new interests, and she finds people who had known her mother. She finds a family. And maybe, if the serendipity of Paris works in her favor, she will find a whole new life.

Ruth Reichl is a master of flavors and of words. As a bestselling writer, she has crafted recipes and stories that blend food, love, place, and a touch of magic to create craveable results. She brings Paris to life as Stella meets the city for the first time, trying the food, drinking the wine, walking the streets. There is even a cast of real characters from culinary, literary, and artistic realms, along with some genuine French history.

I will admit that I had some misgivings about this book early on. It starts in Stella’s childhood, and as her mother was not much of a mother, there are some difficult things in her early life. But when we skip ahead and get to know Stella as an adult, she is a strong, independent woman. And when she goes to Paris, it seems like her life truly begins. There are a lot of strong women in this story, even at times when strong women were not favored in history, and it’s lovely to see them being celebrated.

But I think it’s the details of this story that make it so accessible. It’s like you can taste the flavors, you can see the colors, you can smell the fresh-baked bread and the dusty bookshelves and the cheeses. This book is a beautiful journey, and I recommend it to anyone who is feeling the itch to get away for a weekend.

Egalleys for The Paris Novel were provided by Random House through NetGalley, with many thanks.

Ruth Reichl is a well known and respected food journalist, and this is her second fiction book. I enjoyed the story, especially when she’s describing the incredible food of Paris.

Stella lives an unexciting life in 1980s NYC as a copy editor. Her mother was perpetually disappointed in her, and refused to tell her about her father. After her mother’s death, she receives a small amount of money and a note that tells her to go to Paris.

After she gets there, she meets an unusual older woman who sells her a dress that “was made for her”, and gives her directions to go to certain restaurants and order specific foods. She meets an old gentleman who becomes her Paris guide and opens her mind and palate to the wonders of French food and wine. She eventually finds the famous Shakespeare and Company bookstore and becomes part of its family while listening to readings from famous poets of the time.

Her journey takes her to places she could never imagine in NYC. It’s a delight to watch her discover new people, places, and food. I thoroughly enjoyed this book, 4.5 stars.

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley, I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

The Paris Novel by Ruth Reichl was a delightful story!
I had so much reading TPN!
It was very well written and such an engaging read.
The characters are wonderfully developed.
With the best setting.
I really enjoyed this heartfelt book.

Thank You NetGalley and Random House for your generosity and gifting me a copy of this amazing eARC!

Love Ruth Reichl's memoirs and her nonfiction so I was super excited to read this one! Chock full of food and unforgettable characters including Paris which is a character all of its own. I enjoyed it throughout - it was a bit slow to start but picked up after a few chapters- there is a trigger warning for sexual assault in chapter 2 but its brief and I think can be skipped for sensitive eyes.
Thank you NetGalley and Penguin for this ARC. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Stella St. Vincent’s mother, Celia, announced to her young daughter that “I was not born to be anyone’s mother.” That announcement helps explain how Stella, who was abused by one of her mother’s wealthy and elegant paramours as a young girl, grew up to be shy and reclusive, fading into the background at a small publishing company. When Celia dies after being hit by a taxi that ran a red light, Stella receives a small inheritance with instructions to purchase a ticket to Paris and convert the remaining funds to traveler’s checks. Stella assumes that the bequest was Celia’s “final attempt to turn me into the daughter she wanted me to be.”

Although prepared for her trip, Stella felt like an alien in Paris who didn’t understand the language and didn’t know anyone. She lived cautiously, frugally, and cowardly, desiring to return to the comfort of home, until she stumbles into a dress shop and, at the direction of the proprietress, tries on a 1950s dress that was Saint Laurent’s first design for the house of Dior. The dress turned Stella into a “woman of such voluptuous promise that it transformed every feature.” The shopkeeper makes Stella a bargain: “Buy the dress, wear it today, and do exactly as I tell you. Tomorrow, if you have a single regret, I will return every franc.”

Reichl has penned a modern Cinderella tale. Although Stella seems naive and unsophisticated, she has an innate ability to appreciate food and art and, in Paris, she finds herself being appreciated or the first time. As a Reichl reader might expect from the acclaimed chef, food critic and editor, the novel is laden with sumptuous descriptions of the food Stella enjoys in Paris (oysters, foie gras, ortolans, escargots). But Reichl also serves up adventures in art and fashion in 1980s Paris. Reichl has written a most charming fairy tale. Thank you Random House and Net Galley for an advanced copy of this mouthwatering novel.

The Paris Novel” by Ruth Reichl is a narrative that transports readers to the vibrant streets of 1980s Paris through the eyes of Stella St. Vincent. After the death of her estranged mother, Stella embarks on a life-changing journey to Paris, fueled by a mysterious note and a funded trip. The plot weaves through Stella’s self-discovery, culinary adventures, and encounters with historical and literary figures, culminating in a search for a forgotten 19th-century woman painter.
In conclusion, Ruth Reichl’s “The Paris Novel” is a charming and heartfelt addition to the genre of food-centric fiction. Its strengths lie in the evocative writing and the journey it offers readers, despite some criticisms regarding plot and character believability. Whether you’re a foodie, a Francophile, or simply in search of a novel that celebrates the joys of life, “The Paris Novel” is worth savoring.

I'm a longtime fan of Ruth Reichl's work, from her cookbooks, to her nonfiction and memoirs and was SUPER excited to hear she was trying her hand at fiction with this latest book! The Paris novel did not disappoint! It was full of food, an unforgettable cast of characters, a complicated mother-daughter relationship, a mystery all sorts of Parisian charm!

Great on audio with an author's note included at the end about her inspiration for writing this book. I loved all the real life literary and chef cameos, the family drama, the fashion and art references and so much more! Highly recommended!! Many thanks to NetGalley and Penguin for an early digital and #gifted finished copy in exchange for my honest review!!

CW: sexual assault/rape of a minor

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House for this ARC. The book was released today April 23, 2024.

Ruth Reichl is one of my favourite food writers. I adore her memoirs. This was my first time reading her fiction. The novel was set in Paris in 1983 and featured a woman's adventures in Paris after her estranged mother's passing. I enjoyed most of the food moments and grew to appreciate the characters. I found the novel slow to start and did not warm to the characters until at least half way. Content Warning as there is a brief but intense traumatic event in chapter 2 which I am not sure added much to the character or story. If it was necessary to the character's background, it happened very suddenly and is not dealt with much later. All in all, a nice little novel. I heartily recommend Reichl's nonfiction writing.

I am not a cook or a foodie, but I enjoyed this novel by Ruth Reichl. It’s a mix of real people and places with fiction. Set in Paris, this is an interesting story with likeable characters, and of course much food appreciation. Makes me want to go to Paris again!

When Stella's mother passes away, she is left her inheritance in a rather unorthodox manner - buy a one way ticket to Paris and don't return to New York until every last penny is spent. For structured, reserved Stella this is almost unthinkable until her life in book editing starts to feel mundane and Paris suddenly does seem like a good idea.

Set in the 1980s, the reader gets to experience Paris through Reichl's descriptions of food, the setting, and art pulling you into Stella's experience in a way few authors can achieve. I could read Reichl describe plain oatmeal and be absolutely drooling. A bit of mystery, a bit of romance, and a bit of overcoming childhood trauma come together to make for a fun armchair trip to Paris.

My one reservation with this book is the on-page molestation and implied sexual assault of Stella as a child. I understand the childhood trauma was a motivator and explanation for why Stella is who she is at the start of the novel. That being said, I do feel a trigger warning would have been welcomed.

Ruth Reichl knows how to write about food, whether in memoir or fiction format. She's just so, so good at it. This, her second novel, is no exception. Her descriptions of the meals made and eaten in The Paris Novel are fantastic. If I were solely judging this book on her way with words about food, this would be a five-star read for me. But with that said, I don't think I ever felt connected to Stella the way I wanted to. I feel bad saying that because, as you may have seen from other reviews, chapter two was really hard to read (TW: child sex abuse). The graphic nature of it didn't feel necessary to me to get us to understand why Stella was the way she was.

The story follows Stella, who has made her way from New York to Paris to fulfill the last wishes of her estranged mother. She has spent her time in Paris doing the same mundane things she would have done had she been home. On one of her last days in Paris, she's ready to go home until everything changes when she tries on a dress at a vintage shop. Life becomes more interesting. She's thrust into the art scene when she learns of a mysterious woman who modeled for a famous painting. Stella hopes to find out more information about her, but her story is a bit of a mystery. Stella might just have to stay in Paris a little longer to see how it all plays out. Along the way, maybe she'll figure out why her mom sent her to Paris in the first place.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the arc in exchange for an honest review.