2023 LOL BOOK CLUB

When Claire returns home to care for her ailing grandmother, she unearths a beautiful sculpture that her great-grandfather sent home from Paris after World War II. At her grandmother's urging, Claire travels to Paris to track down the centuries-old mask-making atelier where the sculpture, the Unknown Woman, was created. With the help of a surly sculptor, Claire discovers a cache of letters that offer insight into the life of the Belle Epoque woman immortalized in the work of art. As Claire uncovers the unknown woman's tragic fate, she begins to discover secrets of her own.

This was a gentle mystery with 2 storylines: present day with Claire in Paris trying to discover the story of the “unknown woman” sculpture and the past, which tells the story of the unknown woman. The story kept my interest throughout and the descriptions of Paris were lovely. The ending was surprising and tied up the loose ends. I enjoyed it. ( )

A Cajun woman who escaped her rough childhood to live the corporate life in Chicago, returns home to take care of her dying grandmother. While she's there she rediscovers an old death mask in the attic (death masks were made from plaster moulds taken after someone died - it was a thing about a century ago), that leads her to Paris, searching for answers about the elusive face of L'Inconnue.

I really enjoy Juliet Blackwell's writing and this book did not disappoint. It's not a perfect read; there are moments that aren't followed through at all or very well in the first half of the book, but overall, I thoroughly enjoyed the story.

I bought this for the mystery and the setting; I've read her other book The Paris Key and remembered how vividly she brought Paris to life in my mind. Paris came to life again here, although the mystery sort of fizzled. (I don't know how to explain it without spoiling so I'll leave it at that.)

The big surprise (for me) was the romance. It was excellent! I expected it to be more a suggestion of romance (as she did in her last Paris book), but here it was much more a part of the plot, and it made the book so much better.

What can I say? I liked it - I'd recommend it. ( )

Perhaps a bit over dramatic in the ending, but I loved it anyway. ( )

I should never have started this book but the Paris locale intrigued me, and I didn't realize it was a romance.

I might have been able to stomach the romance if had not been for the string of improbable coincidences that set it up. Still, the Paris/France elements kept me reading to the end. ( )