To Capture What We Cannot Keep is a historical fiction novel written by Beatrice Colin that takes readers on a mesmerizing journey through 19th-century Paris. The story is set against the backdrop of the construction of the Eiffel Tower, which intrigued me. Unfortunately, it ended up falling flat for me.

I am positively in love with the Eiffel Tower and Paris as a whole, so To Capture What We Cannot Keep by Beatrice Colin grabbed my attention as soon as I saw the beautiful cover. And then the fact that Cait and and Émile meet in a hot air balloon floating over the city?? How romantic. I would love it if my love story started like that. I found the story surrounding the building of the tower to be so unique and interesting, and getting glimpses of life in Paris during that time was so much fun. The descriptions of what life was like, the fashion, and what Paris was like before and during the tower's construction were beautifully written. My only real issue wis the story is that Cait is not a very likeable character. She takes care of two children, and the relationships between her and the kids was not as impactful as I would have liked. I also would have liked more focus on the romance, but I knew going into this that the book is historical fiction and not historical fiction. A girl can hope, though! Those things aside, I really, really enjoyed this book!

This is one of those books that the cover drew me in and the writing kept me enthused as I read. Great character development and the setting was entrancing.

To be honest, I'm not a real fan of romance. It's often too predictable: a woman and a handsome man overcome all obstacles in the pursuit of true love. But then there are books like Outlander, and characters with unexpected traits come together in a fascinating time and place. I found this was the case in Beatrice Colin's novel, To Capture What We Cannot Keep. Set in 1880s Paris, the story plays out during the construction of the Eiffel Tower. The book is atmospheric, moving and offers a fresh take on this historical event. I recommend it.

Really lovely historical fiction. I can't resist a story about Paris, and this one is definitely worth a read if you want to be transported to another time and place. If you're heading to Paris or you just enjoy historical fiction I would highly recommend it.

The backstory of the Eiffel Tower is what stands out about this novel. I was cheering for Cait and Emile and this is what kept me reading when I felt the plot bog down in the middle. I wish there had been a little more description about Cait’s experience in Africa as this seemed more interesting than the lives of her naive and spoiled charges.

To Capture What We Cannot Keep by Beatrice Colin was a beautifully written book. It took place during the late 1800's in Paris and Scotland. This was the first novel I have read by Beatrice Colin. She was brilliant in writing this love story and inserting historic facts about the period and the construction of the Eiffel Tower. I was hooked as soon as I began reading and couldn't wait to find out what happened next.

Caitriona Wallace found herself widowed at a very young age. Limited in her choices to support herself she accepted a position of a chaperone to two young but wealthy Scots, Alice and Jamie Arroll, She was to accompany them on a tour of Europe. Cait's life turns on a dime when she brought them to Paris. In Paris, Cait meets Emile Nouguier, the designer of the Eiffel Tower on a hot air balloon ride. A secret and complicated love affair began.

Beatrice Colin was able to describe the genuine rich life of Paris during the late 1800's. It was easy to imagine life back then in her descriptions. I loved how she wrote about the conflicting emotions that dwell in both Cait's and Emile's hearts pushing them together and tearing them apart. I could see someone making this book into a movie. It would be incredible. I really enjoyed reading To Capture What We Cannot Keep and recommend it highly. Thank you to the author, publisher and Netgalley for affording me the opportunity to read this wonderful book.

To Capture What We Cannot Keep was a wonderful story about not only about the characters Caitriona and Emile but also about the Eiffel Tower. I love when I learn a bit of history while reading a work of fiction and appreciated the research and detail that this author, Beatrice Colin, put into the book. The Eiffel Tower was almost like a secondary character.

I'd definitely recommend this book to any lovers of literary or historical fiction!

The setting in Paris was so easy to get lost in. To meet in a hot air balloon above the city as the Eiffel tower is built is the premise of dreams.

Thank you for the chance to review this book, however, unfortunately, I was unable to download this title before it was archived

To Capture What We Cannot Keep
By Beatrice Colin

I admit, I judge a book by its cover. As a graphic designer, it comes with the territory, and a habit it's too late to change at this point. Having said that, I will also say that this habit has only rarely let me down. This book had the tremendous advantage of 1. featuring the Eiffel tower on the cover (compelling for me after staying within feet of it in Paris last summer), and 2. bearing a remarkable resemblance to the cover of All the Light We Cannot See, a huge favorite of mine. While I don't condone knock-off covers, this one, with a similar type layout to Doerr's book, subliminally convinced me it was going to be good. Normally I might feel manipulated, but Colin was able to follow through on the promise I felt when I first laid eyes on this cover, so I'll forgive her (and the cover designer).

I am a fan of historical fiction, inspired by real events with larger than life characters and their creations. Before I visited the Eiffel Tower, I didn't know much about the controversy surrounding its creation, and the fear of it being an eyesore is surprising knowing what an icon it has become for the city, many years after it was supposed to be dismantled. There are a couple of plotlines going on here, and of course a little romance thrown in for good measure, but the true story does not require a whole lot of embellishment to make for an interesting tale. The politics of the drawing room and the social scene in Paris provide a backdrop for what becomes a compelling story with a surprisingly satisfying untidy ending.




For Goodreads:

Why I picked it — I wanted to know more about the Tower's history.
Reminded me of… Loving Frank - Like Taliesin and other FLW creations, the Eiffel Tower is a character all its own in this story.
For my full review — click here

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.

Enchanting and moving story of the Eiffel Tower as it was built and the characters who were brought together in the process. Colin brought me back to Paris in 1887; all her descriptions of a bygone Paris, its society, culture, even the cafes and the food served, brought me to a place I have never been. I loved it!

Unfortunately, I was unable to finish this book. While I enjoyed the depictions of France amid an historical setting, I could not connect with the characters and decided to stop reading around halfway through the book. I felt that the dialogue did not flow well and that the characters, especially the minor ones, were not well developed.

I did not dislike the book enough to write it off entirely, but I will have to step away from it for now. Maybe I will come back to it one day.

I know that the readers in our library will love this book!

I'm a sucker for anything related to Paris, and especially the building of the Eiffel Tower? SOLD!

Two storylines that weaved together this narrative regarding the architecture and building of the Eiffel Tower and a Scottish family that is traveling to the city for vacation. Emile Nouguier was an engineer that helped design and build the tower during the late 1880's in time for the World's Fair. Enter in an extravagant family- the Arrol's and their chaperone- Mrs. Wallace. Alice & Jamie were flamboyantly embarrassing as they mingled with the French social scene. Cait (Mrs. Wallace) was widowed and did her best to wrangle these hooligans. Emile spots Cait for the first time above a hot air balloon tethered to the ground- le sigh! The novel opened with such promise and I was buckled in for a strong narrative. The storyline petered out- too many alternate storylines and characters to try to keep up with and too many dull paragraphs describing rivets and metal.

Overall, this one falls right down the middle for me- towards the end, the narrative was stronger and I could not put it down, but it took a long time to get to that point in this book for me. Looking forward to see what Ms Colin researches next.

Thank you for the opportunity read and review this title! I didn't enjoy it as much as I"d hoped, and rather than post a negative review, I chose to not feature it on my blog. I look forward to seeing what new releases you have in store!

Thanks to the publisher for an advance reader's copy.

How can you resist the year's most beautiful cover? The star of this lovely novel is really the Eiffel Tower, and its story is what will stick with the reader after the book is over. The decision to use a real historical figure (Nouguier) was so smart; I already love side characters who are fleshed out into full novels, but to have it be a little-known figure in the construction of the Eiffel Tower was brilliant. Beatrice Colin's details of Belle Epoque Paris, complete with the machinations of high society and the nouveau riche, drew me in and held me captive. The love story is haunting but less dramatic overall than the blurb would have you believe, although I did love how it ended.

I am a self-professed lover of Paris architecture, romance, and historical fiction, and this was a perfect read. As the Eiffel Tower is erected, this novel sped along with a cadence worthy of the subject matter. The descriptions of late 19C Paris were fascinating. I imagine this will be a book club favorite!

This was a historical fiction romance centered around the building of the Eiffel Tower. Unfortunately, I didn't love it. It was so slow (which is even stranger for a 300 page book), and the romance didn't even start until over 50 percent into the book. Also, I felt like the building of the Eiffel Tower was really a minor part in this story. It was a decent read, but not one I will go out of my way to recommend.