THE PARIS SECRET is such a fabulous book. From the start, the story engrossed me as Flora, a fine art agent from London, arrived in Paris together with her boss to visit an apartment that has been locked since World War II. What secrets does the apartment have? Why has the apartment been locked and forgotten for so long time? But as Flora begins investigating the history of the paintings that are found in the apartment, she realizes maybe the apartment was left that way for a reason.

The most amazing thing is that this is just not a make-believe story. The story in this book may be fiction, but they have actually found an apartment in Paris that was locked and forgotten since World War II. That is such an eye-catching situation that I'm not at all surprised authors want to write books about it. THE PARIS SECRET is not the first of its kind, but the richness of the story just kept me going the entire time.

This story does not jump in time or rely on flashbacks. Everything that happens takes place in present time. And, despite being a big fan of dual storylines was I pleased about it since I liked the storyline in the present so much and enjoyed discovering the past together with Flora. Now, the one thing that bothered me was the obvious love story, or rather the fact that Flora's brother is in some legal trouble that will cause a problem in her life later on. Now, I know this is in the story to cause some drama, but the main story about the paintings was interesting enough that I would have preferred Flora's love life to take a less central role in this book. I'm not totally against her romantic entanglement, but it gets so over-the-top with her never before being in love, and suddenly he's there; dark and mysterious. I was so fascinated with the Vermeil family's past that the sideline story about Flora's brother often felt like a distraction, especially since she is told early on in the book what the problem is, but the reader is kept in the dark. It annoyed me more than thrilled me.

Nevertheless, despite my objections to Flora's love story, THE PARIS SECRET is a great book. It's a tragic story that captivated me all through. I loved discovering the truth together with Flora and seeing the apartment's treasures through her eyes. I definitely want to read more Karen Swan books.

Book Summary

In this glittering tale of forgotten treasures and long- held secrets, international bestseller Karen Swan explores one woman’s journey to discovering the truth behind an abandoned apartment and a family whose mysteries may be better left undiscovered

When high-powered fine art agent Flora Sykes is called in to assess objets d’art in a Paris apartment that has been abandoned since WWII, she is skeptical at first—until she discovers that under decades of dust the treasure trove of paintings is myriad…and priceless. The powerful Vermeil family to whom they belong is eager to learn more and asks Flora to trace the history of each and every painting.

Despite a shocking announcement that has left her own family reeling, Flora finds herself thrown into the rarified and glamorous world of the Vermeils. But she soon realizes that there is more to this project than first appears and as she researches the provenance of their prize Renoir, she uncovers a scandal surrounding not only the painting, but a secret that goes to the very heart of the family itself. The fallout will place Flora in the eye of a storm that carries her from London to Vienna to the glittering coast of Provence.

Xavier Vermeil, the brusque scion of the family, is determined to separate Flora from his family’s affairs in spite of the powerful attraction that propels them to one another. Just what are the secrets he is desperately trying to hide? And what price is Flora willing to pay to uncover the devastating truth…?

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