The Paris Secret

Our Review

Flora Sykes, a lovely lady and art expert, is in for an extraordinary surprise in the new novel THE PARIS SECRET. The illustrious Vermeil family commission Flora and her boss, Angus, to appraise a valuable treasure trove of art in a forgotten apartment in Paris. Behind the locked door is a pile of paintings so immense that it will take Flora weeks to research it all. It’s extremely important to the family to learn the history and the value of the paintings. However, Flora uncovers astonishing news about its provenance that answers why it was hidden in the first place. What does she discover? How will she spill the beans to her boss and to the Vermeil family as well?

Incidentally, Flora is dealing with family problems of her own right now concerning her brother and is extremely worried. She copes as best she can, even though she has a job to do, evaluating the newly found art treasures.

Drat it all! Flora is extremely exasperated, having to contend with the zany Vermeil family and their difficult demands, particularly the prickly, wealthy siblings, Xavier and Natascha. Xavier is strkingly good-looking but is incredibly discourteous, and Natascha is excessively rude. Flora is up to her ears with the drama and hostility from them, the consuming research, her brother’s terrible news and the burning attraction between her and Xavier. She denies it but it’s there all the same. Then, another man vies for Flora’s attention as well. Wow, two men! Lucky Flora, especially when she hasn’t had a date in eons!

THE PARIS SECRET is an explosion of intrigue, dramatic backdrops, a simmering romance, and an unveiled secret that shakes a well-known family to its core. The story reveals a seventy-year old sealed-up Paris apartment that contains priceless paintings. The ingenious plot is so suspenseful that it had me hooked from the start! I was instantly transported into the world of art and the beautiful scenery of Paris. The author does an exceptional job of describing the sights, as Flora travels while investigating the origin of the paintings. I especially enjoyed the heightened emotions between all the characters as the story develops and as the provenance of the artwork is revealed. There is unquestionable chemistry between Xavier and Flora, even though they fought it. Their romance simmers throughout the story, never quite revealing itself until just the right time, then pow, it explodes with full force! I absolutely loved the intense buildup of their relationship. I shed some tears too, as all is revealed in the end. If you like an emotionally charged story, then THE PARIS SECRET is just the ticket! A definite blockbuster!