A Paris Apartment

By: Michelle Gable

Narrated by: Erin Moon, Saskia Maarleveld

Length: 16 hrs and 1 min

Publisher's summary

Where Moulin Rouge meets The Paris Wife lies The Paris Apartment, a rich and colorful work by debut author Michelle Gable. When her boss tells her about the discoveries in a cramped, decrepit apartment in the ninth arrondissement, Sotheby' s continental furniture specialist April Vaught does not hear "dust" or "rats" or "shuttered for 70 years". She hears Paris. She hears escape. She cannot board the plane fast enough.

When she arrives, April quickly learns the apartment is more than just some rich hoarder' s repository. Beneath the dust and cobwebs and stale perfumed air is a literal goldmine - and not just in terms of actual dollars. First, there' s a portrait painted by one of the masters of the Belle Epoque. Then there are letters and diaries and a thousand indications the woman who lived there was more than a renowned courtesan with enviable décolletage. Suddenly it's no longer about the bureau plats and Louis-style armchairs that will fetch millions at auction. It' s about a life.

Two lives, actually. With the help of a salty Parisian solicitor and hundreds of private documents, April tries to uncover the secrets buried in the apartment. As she digs her fingers into one woman' s life, April can' t help but take a deeper look into her own. When two things she left bubbling back in the states begin to boil over, the problems she thought she had suddenly look quaint, more ancient than the shuttered flat. April starts to wonder if in this apartment, in this life, she' ll ever find what she' s looking for.

©2014 Michelle Gable (P)2014 Recorded Books

Critic reviews

"With its well-developed, memorable characters and the author's skillful transitioning between story lines, finding similarities in the lives of two women decades apart, this stunning and fascinating debut will capture the interest of a wide audience but particularly those interested in stories about women behind famous men like Melanie Benjamin's The Aviator's Wife and Nancy Horan's Under the Wide and Starry Sky. Highly recommended." ( Library Journal)

Lovely, but disappointing to me.

April stayed with her husband who is mostly absent from the book, except to be an asshole. It is unrealistic that the protagonist should find herself in love with a man one day and then not in love a few days later. It cheapened the emotions that the author took 60 chapters to build. Disappointing.

At first it was hard to capture,but it all came

At first it was hard to capture but it all came out and it was definitely not what I was expecting. I won't give it away but, I do love the storyline and content. It is definitely worth the credit. It does leave you lacking for more storyline with these characters that is now established. Come on Novel #2, there is more story to tell.

interesting story! narrator annoying !

Too long, and too much bad French accent . But a great story about the apartment. The story about the art lady and her husband was melodramatic and teenager ish.

Story of relationships past and present

Slow beginning but got better as the character development unfolded. I particularly liked the relationship between Luke and April. It had sizzle and wit. Luke, as a handsome Frenchman, could of been a shallow character but the author bucked the stereotype and gave him a witty and caring personality. April's story is set in the present but alternates with the woman who lived in the apartment a hundred years earlier. Both stories were engaging and worth the read.

Great read unless you've had a cheating husband.

The author makes the main character incredibly relatable. The story will draw you in and keep you there until the last word spoken. Again, my warning, if you've had a cheating husband, you may revert to some past anger as you listen to the main character navigate through her struggling marriage. Otherwise, enjoy this easy and entertaining read.

Interesting story

The story was very interesting but I was disappointed in the narrator. She should have been fully bilingual.

Great Story!! Kept my interest!

Where does A Paris Apartment rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

It's very much up there with my favorites. It held my interest and the characters were very fascinating. Michelle Gable did a wonderful story and I loved Paris and the emotion!

What was one of the most memorable moments of A Paris Apartment?

Many! April's interest in the memoirs and connecting them with the art for a star showing. Her marriage with Troy and her family history. Her interest in Luke.

What does Erin Moon and Saskia Maarleveld bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

They made each character unique and alive! Excellent work!

If you could take any character from A Paris Apartment out to dinner, who would it be and why?

Luke because he always seemed to know more than he put forth. He seemed knowledgeable as well as romantic with a sense of humor. He made things happen.

Any additional comments?

I very much loved the authors book. I can't wait for her next one!!! Thank you Michelle Gable!!!

Okay

Disappointed with ending I felt she settled more than going with her heart that's all say without spoiling the story.

A Glimpse of Life in Paris - Now & Then

I enjoyed this book and its premise. The characters were well written and the conversations in present and past flowed naturally. It was fun to daydream about finding an apartment like that, filled with expensive treasures that told a story. My only struggle was April - her character started to get on my nerves the second half of the book. Overall, I'm glad I read it.

Such an enjoyable book!

I always like when historical figures and events are fictionalized, and it’s done well here. Especially with the alternating timelines and relatable, dynamic cast.

My only complaint was how stereotypically exaggerated some of the accents are read, which is a minor distraction more than anything else.

I loved it and didn’t want it to end, Highly recommended!