The first time I caused terrible harm to the people I love it was an accident. The second is the reason I'm here.
When Alexandra discovers that her husband Philippe is having an affair, she can't believe he'd risk losing the love that has transformed their lives.
Still in shock, she finds herself powerfully attracted to a much younger man. Jean-Luc is twenty-three, intense and magnetic. He's also the son of Philippe's best friend.
With every passionate encounter, Alexandra is pulled deeper into a situation that threatens everyone she holds dear.
Paris Mon Amour by Isabel Costello was published in paperback on 22 May 2017 by Literary Sofa and is the author's debut novel.
This novel is beautifully presented, the cover is delicate and very inviting, and the blurb is intriguing. I was especially taken by the first line: "The first time I caused terrible harm to the people I love it was an accident. The second is the reason I'm here." This is a bewitching opener and the beginning of a story that is beautifully written, with care and feeling.
Alexandra is an English woman, living in Paris with her husband Philippe. They have a busy, fairly glamorous life and when Alexandra's waspish Mother slyly implies that Philippe is having an affair, Alexandra reacts in an unusual way.
It is Jean-Luc, seventeen years younger than her, and the son of Philippe's best friend who becomes her answer and she embarks on a sensuous and compulsive affair with him.
Isabel Costello's writing is stylish and accomplished. Paris Mon Amour is not just the story of an affair, it is a detailed examination of complicated and tense family relationships, all set against a wonderfully imagined Paris. I especially enjoyed the examination of the female relationships; Alexandra and her mother, and then later in the novel between her and her stepdaughter Vanessa.
Paris Mon Amour is an insightful story, deftly written and filled with characters who complement the setting perfectly. I enjoyed it very much and look forward to reading more from Isabel Costello.
With thanks to Literary Sofa who sent my copy for review.
Isabel Costello is a writer and avid reader of contemporary fiction, a keen traveller and a lifelong francophile.
Originally from Wiltshire, after studying modern languages she moved to London where she lives with her husband and teenage sons. Five years ago she started the Literary Sofa blog.
Her other interests include art, photography, theatre, cooking and wine. Isabel is also a great believer in the restorative powers of a long swim and a long bath.
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