Caitriona Wallace, a widow charged with chaperoning two siblings during their European Tour, meets engineer Émile Nouguier during a hot air balloon ride over Paris. Caitriona and Emile are drawn to each other, even though everyone around them tells them they can't be together. Emile needs a young, rich wife, like Cait's charge Alice, who can give him heirs and help prop up his family's company. Cait's options are much more limited.
Although this book was a romance, I didn't really care for the relationship between Cait and Emile. Emile courts Alice as an excuse to see Cait, and I couldn't really pin down Cait as a character; her personality and actions seemed to change by the chapter.
Much more interesting to me in this book were the descriptions of late 19th century Paris and the construction of the Eiffel Tower, of which Emile is a lead engineer. It was funny to hear the characters of the period refer to the Tower as a temporary structure for the upcoming World's Fair, knowing today that the Eiffel Tower is such an iconic symbol of Paris. 3 stars
A dual timeline and a Paris setting? There was little chance I wasn't going to read this book!
Back in 1910, a love affair begins between a high society lady and a man working in her father's patisserie. In 1988, a student finds out her grandfather had some connection to the couple and wants to find out what happened almost 80 years before, before a potential scandal erupts.
I love a good dual timeline - although sometimes one of the stories suffers a bit, here they both worked. The older story had a bit more of a poetic, romantic feel, while the "present-day" story was more analytical and even a bit frenzied. The way the two stories came together was a bit surprising; I was glad the author didn't take the typical route, especially since the love story wasn't breaking any new ground.
Oh, and don't read this story on an empty stomach - the descriptions of the pastries, sugar, and chocolate are mouth-watering! 4 stars
That's too bad about the romance between Cait and Emile; however, the descriptions do sound great! I think it'd be fun to hear about the construction of the Eiffel Tower. The Confectioner's Tale pretty much has me sold by the pretty cover and title. Plus any book that involves food descriptions is a book that I need. Great reviews!
ReplyDeleteThank you! The Confectioner's Tale was definitely the better read of the two.
DeleteThat's a bummer that the first book didn't work out better for you. I've been eyeing that one for a while because of that beautiful cover, but I think I might pass on it and try the second book instead, especially since I love dual timeline stories too. Great reviews!
ReplyDeleteI know, I had really been looking forward to it for awhile. I think you would like the second one, though!
DeleteThe second one sounds good! I love a dual timeline too. Great reviews!
ReplyDeleteThank you, Grace!
DeleteI like the sound of the construction of the Eiffel Tower, that would be interesting. And I love that cover too!
ReplyDeleteI know, such a gorgeous, simple cover!
DeleteGreat reviews!
ReplyDeleteThanks, Erica!
DeleteI love dual timelines too! It seems like it must be a challenge to balance the stories, but it's wonderful when you find an author who can do that well.
ReplyDeleteI love dual timelines, too, although yeah, sometimes one story seems to suffer or can feel like just an add-on. In The Confectioner's Tale, it really worked!
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