*No Spoilers*
This book is like a Parisian fairy tale and, being a Francophile, I found this to be a Good Thing. Amy Plum conveys her love of this charming city so well that Paris becomes an integral part of the story -- the lovely bridges over the Seine, the smart cafes, those elegant buildings with black slate roofs, that distinctive smell while walking along the quay. Paris is not Every Town...it's the Enchanted Forest.
Kate & Vincent, then, are Sleeping Beauty & the Handsome Prince or Cinderella & Prince Charming or Buttercup & Wesley. The couple for whom we wish a Happily Ever After. The pair who must overcome obstacles (wicked step mothers and evil queens or pirates) to earn the right to be together. Kate & Vincent do this, and if Kate is a little reluctant at first to open herself up to love after losing her parents so very recently, well, it's understandable. And if Vincent is a bit too good to be true or too perfect, well, he's waited...a while, to find True Love & he's going to *dazzle* her.
Vincent's secret, which Kate uncovered fairly early & in a way that gave me goosebumps, is a doozy. Plum then turns your assumption on its head by *tweaking* things just a tad. In a good way. :) Can't say more without giving away what should be learned along side Kate.
* Vincent's buddies are likable & added to the story book feeling, think The Three Musketeers.
* Kate's grand-parents were sweet, but barely present in her life & they certainly had no impact on keeping Kate-the-orphan *safe* - another standard from folk tales.
* I found Kate's sister Georgia a nonentity until the end of the book, when a pivotal plot point revolves around her stubbornness and stupidity.
If you like your fairy tales sweet yet with a pinch of danger, international settings that make you want to buy a plane ticket and go there right now, your heroines plucky & your heroes handsome and honorable, then this tale is for you.
Grade 3 1/2 Stars
Two last points to mention:
Terrible first line -- Och, what were Plum and her editor thinking, allowing that awful line to remain?
GORGEOUS Cover! I'd like a print of it to frame, it's so pretty.
This book is like a Parisian fairy tale and, being a Francophile, I found this to be a Good Thing. Amy Plum conveys her love of this charming city so well that Paris becomes an integral part of the story -- the lovely bridges over the Seine, the smart cafes, those elegant buildings with black slate roofs, that distinctive smell while walking along the quay. Paris is not Every Town...it's the Enchanted Forest.
Kate & Vincent, then, are Sleeping Beauty & the Handsome Prince or Cinderella & Prince Charming or Buttercup & Wesley. The couple for whom we wish a Happily Ever After. The pair who must overcome obstacles (wicked step mothers and evil queens or pirates) to earn the right to be together. Kate & Vincent do this, and if Kate is a little reluctant at first to open herself up to love after losing her parents so very recently, well, it's understandable. And if Vincent is a bit too good to be true or too perfect, well, he's waited...a while, to find True Love & he's going to *dazzle* her.
Vincent's secret, which Kate uncovered fairly early & in a way that gave me goosebumps, is a doozy. Plum then turns your assumption on its head by *tweaking* things just a tad. In a good way. :) Can't say more without giving away what should be learned along side Kate.
* Vincent's buddies are likable & added to the story book feeling, think The Three Musketeers.
* Kate's grand-parents were sweet, but barely present in her life & they certainly had no impact on keeping Kate-the-orphan *safe* - another standard from folk tales.
* I found Kate's sister Georgia a nonentity until the end of the book, when a pivotal plot point revolves around her stubbornness and stupidity.
If you like your fairy tales sweet yet with a pinch of danger, international settings that make you want to buy a plane ticket and go there right now, your heroines plucky & your heroes handsome and honorable, then this tale is for you.
Grade 3 1/2 Stars
Two last points to mention:
Terrible first line -- Och, what were Plum and her editor thinking, allowing that awful line to remain?
GORGEOUS Cover! I'd like a print of it to frame, it's so pretty.
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