Guest Review: I Remember Paris by Lucy Diamond

Jess Bright, single mum and journalist, feels her life has stalled. So when she's offered a writing job in Paris for the summer, she leaps at the chance to go. Hasn't she always felt that she left a piece of her heart in the city years before?

Her subject is the iconic artist Adelaide Fox, whose personal life has been steeped in scandal and intrigue. Now approaching eighty, she's ready to tell her side of the story - and serve up some scalding-hot revenge in the process.

Amidst a stormy working relationship, Jess and Adelaide must face up to their pasts. As passionate affairs, terrible betrayals and life-changing secrets surface, there may be more surprises in store than either of them dared imagine . . .

I am a great fan of Lucy Diamond’s writing and was looking forward to being taken on a trip to Paris with her latest book. It certainly didn’t disappoint; I was quickly immersed in Parisian life and missed the city when the book was finished. I love the bright yellow cover, which invites the reader into the city with its well known landmark. 

The story features writer and journalist Jess Bright who has recently separated from her cheating husband and is currently trying to relaunch her career while bringing up her teenage daughters single handed. When she is given a chance to travel to Paris for an assignment, she jumps at the chance to return to the city where she lived for a while in her youth. The job involves writing the life story of artist Adelaide Fox, who is now in her 80s and ready to ‘tell all’. It turns out she has had a life peppered with scandal and rumour, and that revenge is one of her main motives for writing her memoirs at this point in her life. Adelaide is not the easiest person to work with and Jess finds herself involved in many confrontations with the artist. Fortunately Adelaide’s nephew, Lucas, is on hand to smooth things over as necessary. As her summer in the city progresses, Jess finds herself being drawn to Lucas and wonders if her feelings are reciprocated. She also thinks back over her time in Paris as a younger woman.

I found this a powerful and well-written story that stayed with me long after I finished the book. It has so many facets to it, from the simple development of the relationship between Jess and Adelaide, to their intriguing and eventful individual stories from the past, and then the possibilities for their futures. Of course, through Lucy Diamond’s excellent descriptive writing, I also enjoyed a tour of the sights of Paris and could almost smell the garlic and taste the wonderful French dishes Jess herself was experiencing. I can definitely recommend this book to any other readers looking for an escape to another world and another time. 

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