Marc Levy: PS from Paris and Those Things We Never Said

 

OK so I have a thing for French writers. It’s not a disease, or even a virus – more of an obsession. Living of the cusp of this wondrous Isle, and lucky enough to spend 6 weeks a year emerged in all things French, their culture sort of grows on one and it’s no coincidence that words like chic originate from the French – something to do with a little man called William in 1066. Last year I literally fell in love with two Frenchmen, well on paper at least, and Black Water Lilies has moved from my favourite book of 2016 to my top ten of all reads, with Antoine Laurain’s The Red Notebook on my shortlist.

Marc Levy is French, but lives in New York (or so I’ve heard 😆) and this mix shows up in his writing. He’s an architect/ writer and has published now in double figures, the only sad thing being I’ve only read two, but all the more to look forward to then.

All Those Things We Never Said (out November, but on pre order – here’s his author page for more).

Days before her wedding, Julia Walsh is blindsided twice: once by the sudden death of her estranged father…and again when he appears on her doorstep after his funeral, ready to make amends, right his past mistakes, and prevent her from making new ones.

A cross between Cecelia Ahern and Carrie Hope Fletcher. To have to bury your father on your wedding day is bad enough, especially as you didn’t even like each other let alone love. And then you find he’s reinvented himself as a robot, a robot that for 7 days tries to make amends while on the road trip of a life time. Suddenly her fiancé, waiting in the wings isn’t such an attractive proposition. Such an unusual premise. Paranormal fiction isn’t usually my bag but this is done with style and panache. If you like odd (in a good way) but well written…

PS from Paris

On the big screen, Mia plays a woman in love. But in real life, she’s an actress in need of a break from her real-life philandering husband—the megastar who plays her romantic interest in the movies. So she heads across the English Channel to hide in Paris behind a new haircut, fake eyeglasses, and a waitressing job at her best friend’s restaurant.

I can’t tell you just how much I loved this book (oh yeah, I just have, duh!) It’s only August and already, let me tell you, this is my favourite read of 2017 ( not so easy when, already I’ve read 211 books). Reading is a very personal endeavour. It’s the only way one can ever truly know what’s going on in someone’s head at any one time (knowing when your partner wants a cuppa doesn’t count). For me this book ticked all my personal boxes with regards to what a good read should be. It had a strong beginning. A good voice. Page turning quality and a flawless ending. Because I read so much it’s rare an author gets to surprise me ( I’m the irritating best friend that’s guessed the plot of a The Sixth Sence ten minutes in) but there’s a huge surprise here that was handled beautifully.

Finally, a huge congratulations to Marc, No 1 US charts is a huge achievement. Continue writing, dear sir – enchanting… 

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