Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

My Selling Pitch:
Do you want to read a pointless short story that only has a quirky narrative voice going for it?

Pre-reading:
Amazon first reads is so nice. I LOVE this cover.

Thick of it:
It’s reminding me of Anxious People.

Literally so pointless.

Post-reading:
The narrative voice is ironic and fun but it just feels borrowed. And there’s no plot and no romance.

Nothing gets solved. It doesn’t feel like a complete story. Don’t waste your time.

Who should read this:
Quirky narrator fans

Do I want to reread this:
Nope

Similar books:
* Anxious People by Fredrik Backman-quirky narrative voice, bumbling detectives

What an intriguing short story! The descriptions were so Vivid and enthralling. We may never know what happened to those lovers, but we wish them the best. Thank you, Netgalley for giving me a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review

5★
“A night watchman found the lovers sleeping in a knot of arms, legs, and tulle, enveloped in the foam of a ruined wedding gown in one of the galleries of the Guggenheim Museum in Bilbao.“

That opens this quirky little fantasy by noted Chilean-American author Isabel Allende. She writes in both Spanish and English – this began its life in Spanish and she translated it into English. As a result, it has the interesting cadence of a translated work, which I enjoy.

To understand what makes this particular fantasy (almost) believable, do a virtual tour of the Guggenheim Bilbao in Spain.

https://www.guggenheim-bilbao.eus/en

Surely anything could happen in a place (or palace, as the girl insists) like this. She is wearing a wedding dress, but the fellow is starkers, still with the obvious signs of arousal, which a thoughtful policeman tries to hide by hanging his hat on it.

Why was she clothed? ...she was in her white dress because I couldn’t unfasten the little buttons, tiny as fleas.’”

She was escaping her wedding, saw this guy, was instantly smitten, and off they raced together, straight into the museum where the fellow said ” ‘we did it like rabbits all over the place.’ “

But how did they get in? Apparently everyone knows the building has magical properties. The detective investigates.

“He was determined to be delicate with the girl so as not to frighten her. ‘Are you a whore?’ he asked.”

Allende tells this story with such heart-warming affection that I’m prepared to believe anything . A bit of bewitching and floating through palaces can’t be all bad. It’s the tonic I needed.

Thanks to #NetGalley and Amazon Original Stories for a copy of #LoversAtTheMuseum for review. It’s free for Kindle Unlimited subscribers.

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC!
This was my first story from Allende (but definitely not the last). I loved how Bibiña described the museum at night and how she knew they were meant to each other <3 I picture, this is how love at first sight happens!
It's also interesting how the sceptic Detective Larramendi starts to believe in magic because, yes, it's the only explanation left.

Firstly I would like to thank Isabel Allende, Amazon Original Stories and NetGalley for providing me with a copy of ' Lovers at the Museum ' to read and review. Having heard of this author very positively in the past , but not having the opportunity to read any of her previous works I was very excited to delve into this new short story.

The novella follows the tale of Bibiña Aranda - a runaway bride who wakes up in the Guggenheim Museum still wearing her wedding dress and draped in the arms of a naked man whose name she doesn’t know. The Museum should be impenetrable at night due to the many security measures in place. Nobody including the perplexed Detective Larramendi can understand how the couple could have entered undetected as they try to unravel the enigma that defies explanation.

Whilst the story is a short and impactful read it is told in such a quirky writing style that captured my attention from the very start.
It is a book that can be interpreted very differently and left me with more questions than what it gave answers , but this is part of its whimsical appeal and what kept this tale in my mind long after the last page had been turned.
With elements of magic and fantasy one has to wonder whether the lovers were even in the Museum at all . The reader's mind is set upon a journey of imagination and thrown into a make-believe safe space of pleasure and self indulgence. For me visions of Greek Gods such as Aphrodite were conjured.

When both Bibina's and Indar's recollections of the night before matched completely , the reader can only imagine that celestial forces may have intervened. Overall it is a beautiful story of lust and living for the moment.
My only criticism is that it ended much too abruptly and harshly and the conclusion seemed very rushed hence I reviewed it at 4 stars instead of 5 . I wish the novel had been longer as it was so captivating and unlike anything I have read previously . Imaginative , poetic and well written I will certainly be recommending it to friends and family.

#LoversattheMuseum #NetGalley

This short story was interesting!
A night guard comes across two young lovers in a museum who can’t seem to remember where exactly they are and how they came to be there! They open a case for indecency and try to troubleshoot how the two lovers entered and got past the guards. The lovers, questioned about where they ended up meeting, describe a room that is not even in the museum, which raises a mysterious investigation.

Such a beautifully written short story!
Two lovers are found one morning in the Guggenheim in Bilbao, and according to the cleaning lady who found them, they looked like art- the woman in a beautiful wedding gown, the man bare naked, both with their limbs intertwined. The detective who finds them believes they were drunk, but how did they get inside the museum without alerting the alarms or being picked up on camera? The couple describe their experience, and it sounds like pure magic!
So beautifully written!

A short story set in a fantastical and magical museum? Yes, please! I loved the premise of Lovers at the Museum, a short story by Isabel Allende. Gorgeous cover artwork/design too. I only wish the story was longer - would have enjoyed reading more about the goings-on inside the mysterious and quirky museum. Fans of magical realism will enjoy this quick read.

What a delightful short story by Isabel Allende! When two young lovers are found inside the Guggenheim Museum in Bilbao after a night of passion, an inspector nicknamed The Hound of Bilbao takes the case. He has a fierce determination to solve his cases and this one should be no different. But the two young lovers are full of romance and describe their night as magical! What is the hard nosed detective supposed to do when nothing shows up on security footage? A fun and funny little story that will make you smile and reflect on young love! I would love to know more but the story ended!

Very short story I was kind of confused by this ending, it could have been executed better, but I enjoyed it nonetheless.

Isabel Allende knows how to paint a beautiful picture, and this short story is just that. A beautiful moment in time, filled with mystery and romance!

Isabel Allende, Lovers at the Museum, Amazon Original Stories, April 2024.

Thank you, NetGalley, for providing me with this uncorrected proof for review.

The magical nature of this short journey into Isabelle Allende’s world recalled my treasured memories of reading House of the Spirits many years ago.

For interlopers, Bibina Aranda and Indar Zubieta, the Guggenheim Museum becomes magical; for the police inspector who must interview them after they are found, a new world opens up. For him it is a creaky awakening, but nevertheless an impact on his world encased in protocol, law and moral imperatives. The museum director and a psychic learn nothing. Bibina and Indar prosper from their magical encounter. The press moves on to the other story that has accompanied the lovers’ tryst.

Images of a wedding dress that cannot be divested because of the meticulous buttoning, a naked man whose clothes offer no impediment, and a stiffly clad inspector vie with those of the Guggenheim as others see it, and as it is experienced by the lovers. There are delicious comic moments interwoven with the romantic story line, each offering a unique approach to love, institutions and interpretations.

Isabelle Allende’s short story is a pleasurable encounter with feelings and ideas.

Love should be this magical. A fun, weird and absurd short story about a instant love match, that only Isabel Allende can offer.

This was a very short story by Isabel Allende, and while the premise was good, there wasn't a lot of depth, so I was kind of left feeling like, hmmm, what did I just read? I kept waiting for some revelation that never occurred. That said, Allende is a beautiful writer, I just wish this had had a lot more depth.

Quick 25 pages filled with Allende's magical realism. Not quite as a full length novel, but was fun to read none the less.

Loved the writing and the idea of a magical museum but it was just way too short for anything to be explored.

[3.5 stars] This was a quick 25 page story from prolific Chilean author Isabel Allende. She writes in the magical realism tradition, so I knew this would be a little absurd, a little lighthearted given the summary. The story itself is simple: we start with a young couple discovered in a museum, one naked, the other donning a wedding dress, who go inexplicably undetected during an evening tryst. What follows is the gradual unraveling of the night’s details, more a study of their romantic encounter than a dissection of the mysterious.

The themes are subtle and creeping, even if they aren’t necessarily complex; the lovers surrender to their romantic fervor, enfolded in a moment in time where love dislocates them from a rigid external world. While it’s simple, the lightheartedness was so appreciated. It won’t be the best thing you’ve read, but it was a fun peek into Allende’s work.

Magical, intense and love at first sight

Set in Bilbao, Spain, the story revolves around Bibiña and Indar, who are found at the Guggenheim Museum in a compromising situation (her, in a wedding gown; him, completely naked). The kick is that the museum should have been empty. The inspector soon gets involved and questions are raised. How did they enter? How did they pass the guards? What did they do? But most importantly, how do they know each other?

“It was as if we had known each other always, Inspector, as if we had been together in another life. Do you believe in reincarnation?”

Full of magical realism and snippets of historical events from Spain’s 20th century, this short story was simply enchanting. Full of love, this story transports you to a cozy and alluring place, where magic and strange things are possible. If you want a short and easy read full of love, check this one out.

Overall, I would give this story a 4 / 5 simply because I would love the story to be longer. If this was turned into a novel, I would buy it 100%.

This short story by Isabel Allende was filled with wonder and curiosity. While I enjoyed it, I was left wanting more explanation.

Sort of a strange story that is well written but feels like it ends exactly how it began. It had some humorous moments but I never really got into it and the characters were only fleshed out to a certain extent. Obviously it’s a very short story there was only so much time but it was just an okay read for me. I guess I was hoping they would actually find an answer instead of just shrugging it off. 3 stars.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the arc.