England, 1895. Louisa West, a young beauty from Boston, looks like she has it all: a handsome husband, she is lady of Ashworth Manor and one day she'll be a duchess. But in truth, her life is falling apart. Louisa's honeymoon is barely over when her husband deserts her, leaving her devastated and alone. She flees to Paris, longing to escape her grief, but finds only tragedy...
Boston, 2015. Life hasn't been kind to Sarah West. In one year, she has lost both her parents and her marriage. After her father's death, Sarah is sorting through his belongings when she finds a letter about her mysterious ancestor, Louisa. There have always been whispers in the family about Louisa's suicide-from a high balcony in Paris-but as Sarah reads, she starts to question everything she was told. Desperate to leave her broken heart behind, she books a trip to Paris to find out more...
When Sarah arrives in the city of lights, the cobbled streets of Montmartre and the river Seine at twilight make her heart sing. Then, on the bookshelf of a beautiful Paris apartment, hidden inside the yellowing pages of an old novel, she finds a note about Louisa which shatters Sarah's understanding of her family's past. Did Louisa really throw herself from a Paris balcony? And when Sarah uncovers the truth, will it change everything about her future?
An utterly captivating and emotional historical novel from bestselling author Ella Carey that will transport you to Paris at its most glamorous. From a Paris Balcony will have fans of Rhys Bowen, Fiona Valpy and My Name is Eva totally gripped!***
The small green chest was concealed at the back of the wardrobe. ONE
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(@bookouture, 11 November 2020, 298 pages, ebook, #ARC from the publisher via # NetGalley and voluntarily reviewed, #BlogTour 11 November)
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Ella Carey has now become one of my favourite, go-to writers. I have a few books from her back catalogue to read which I look forward to becoming immersed in over the next few months. I had high hopes for From a Paris Balcony after reading the first two books about the apartment in Paris. This book is only loosely linked to the other two via the courtesan who owned the apartment and her connection to an unhappy married couple in 1895. A couple of the characters from Paris Time Capsule put in an appearance. Like the other books featuring the apartment in Paris, I really loved this. The structure is similar with chapters bouncing between 1895 and 2015 as the links between Louse and Sarah are gradually revealed and old secrets and pain and brought into the open. I loved every word of this book. I fell in love with the characters and the setting. This is a remarkable book.
