This post was originally published at Novelicious.com and is now at WritingTipsOasis.com. WritingTipsOasis.com acquired Novelicious.com in June 2022.
Reviewed by Jennifer Joyce
When sculptor Jessie Lipscomb moves to Paris in 1884 to learn from the renowned artist Rodin, she is taken under the wing of fellow artist Camille. The pair become close friends, but when Jessie discovers her new best friend is having an affair with their tutor, their friendship becomes strained. The pair lose touch and 40 years pass before they are reunited again. Jessie tracks Camille down and finds her living in an asylum. The vibrant and passionate Camille that Jessie left behind has gone and in her place is a frail and aging woman. Camille is suspicious of all those around her and is paranoid that her former lover, Rodin is out to get her, despite the decades that have passed. She has been keeping a secret while she has been locked away, but now that her friend has found her again, it’s time for Camille to reveal what happened all those years ago.
Paris Kiss is set mainly in 1880s Paris, but I liked that it started out 40 years later with Jessie and Camille reuniting as it created intrigue right from the very beginning. Camille is such a damaged woman now, but how did she find herself confined to the asylum? The Camille from Jessie’s past is so different from the woman we meet, the woman who is frenzied by paranoia, so I wanted to delve back into her story and find out what happened to change her so radically. Camille is so full of life and dedicated to her art when Jessie first meets her, so it is quite poignant, knowing what will become of her.
Although I did like Maggie Ritchie’s writing style and felt myself being immersed in the time period, I never really fell in love with the story or its characters. I was intrigued by Camille and her secret, but it wasn’t the explosive secret I was hoping for. For me, it fell a little flat and I wasn’t completely satisfied with the ending as it ended too abruptly after such a huge build up.7/10