Dancing with Paris

City Of Light #2

by Juliette Sobanet

In Paris, a past life promises a second chance at love.

Straitlaced marriage therapist Claudia Davis had a plan—and it definitely did not involve getting pregnant from a one-night stand or falling for a gorgeous French actor. She thinks her life can’t possibly get more complicated. But when Claudia takes a tumble in her grandmother’s San Diego dance studio, she awakens in 1950s Paris in the body of Ruby Kerrigan, the glamorous star of a risqué cabaret—and the number-one suspect in the gruesome murder of a fellow dancer. As past lives go, it’s a doozy…especially when an encounter with a handsome and mysterious French doctor ignites a fire in Claudia’s sinfully beautiful new body.

But time, for all its twists and turns, is not on her side: Claudia has just five days to unmask the true killer, clear Ruby’s name, and return to the twenty-first century. To do so, she must make an impossible choice, one that will change the course of both of her lives forever.

Genres: Romance, Time Travel, Historical Fiction, France, Chick Lit, Mystery, Mystery Thriller

393 pages, Paperback

First published July 16, 2013

About the author

Juliette Sobanet is the award-winning author of five Paris-based romance and mystery novels, five short stories, a book of poetry, a bestselling memoir, and the screenplay adaptation of her first novel, SLEEPING WITH PARIS. Under her real name of Danielle Porter, she is the author of a new thriller titled, ALL THE BEAUTIFUL BODIES. Her books have reached over 500,000 readers worldwide, hitting the Top 100 Bestseller Lists on Amazon US, UK, France, and Germany, becoming bestsellers in Turkey and Italy as well. A French professor and writing coach, Juliette holds a B.A. from Georgetown University and an M.A. from New York University in Paris. She lives between France and the US, and she is currently working on her next novel. Visit Juliette’s website at www.juliettesobanet.com. She loves to hear from her readers!

Reviews

[Songül · Rating 4 out of 5]

3,5-4 yıldız arası çok düşünsem de o yarım puanıda Antoine ve Eduard sayesinde yükselteyim. Sürükleyci idi . Reannkarnasyon ile bir önceki yaşamına gidip yanlıiları düzeltmeye çalışan Claudia ve çevresinde onu öldürmeye çalışan gizemli karakter arasında geçen polisiye-aşk-geri dönüşler ve kazanımlar üzerine kurulu güzel bir hikaye olmuş ...

[Müjde · Rating 5 out of 5]

Yorumum için:

https://birumuthayal.blogspot.com/202...

[Meltem (ruyalarkitapligi) · Rating 5 out of 5]

Bu puan ne Goodreads ailesi ?! Resmen bu güzelim kitaba haksızlık ediliyor burada 😠 Başından sonuna kadar gizemli,aksiyonlu harika bir kitap diyebilirim özellikle reenkarnasyon konusuna ilginiz varsa tadından yenmez 🤫 Arkadyanın klasik duygusal kitaplarına göre daha farklıydı kesinlikle ama yine de çok güzeldi ayrıca içinde duygusallık öğeleri de vardı 🙊 Ben çok sevdim bence sizde çok seversiniz mutlaka bir şans verin 🥺💖

[HÜLYA · Rating 5 out of 5]

Yagmur da dans en az Siyah Kar kadar güzel bir roman idi.
Bu seride kahramanlarımız zamanda yolculuk yaparak kaderlerindeki kötü bir olayı şansızlığı düzeltiyorlar. Bu romanda Claudia gecmiş hayatındaki Ruby'e dönerek ailesinin ve kendisinin hayatını iyi yönde değiştirmeyi başardı. Hem de ruh eşi ve sevgili aşkını kazanarak.
Keşke böyle bir şansımız olabilseydi.. Serinin yazılışına yazarın kalemini çok ama çok sevdim. Keşke daha önce okusaymışım...
Bu tür konuları seviyorsanız kaçırmayın..

[Sophia · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was eager to read this book when I learned that it involved time travel and that it was set in 1950's Paris. I've read another book by the author set in modern day Paris and loved it. This one jumped right into matters without much of an introduction to circumstances in the present before sweeping the main character off her feet and sending her back into the past where things were confusing and exciting. Because it was told first person, I got to experience all that confusion and excitement with the heroine, Claudia.

Claudia lives in 2012 San Diego. She is pregnant with one man's child while in love with another, Eduardo an actor, whom she still has to share this interesting fact. Before she can do much more than discover a magazine showing her a picture of Eduardo with his fiancé on the cover, she is mysteriously whisked away to the past.

Claudia wakes up in the body of a dancer, Ruby, who is the star in a Paris nightclub act. She is the number one suspect in a murder investigation. As Claudia tries to adjust to what is happening, life goes on full speed. A mysterious woman whom she remembers meeting in her present just before she time-traveled meets up with her again and explains that there is an event in her past life that she has been sent back to change and it will affect many lives including her own in the future. Claudia-Ruby stumbles along experiencing deja vu moments of Ruby's life like she's lived it already which helped her piece together things as she encounters them. It gets really complicated when she recognizes people whom she will know in her future and meets Antoine, the man of her dreams who is so much like her Eduardo in the present. While Claudia-Ruby seeks to clear herself of the murder, untangle the mess of Ruby's life and come to terms with what has happened to her, someone works to make sure all the clues for the police lead back to Ruby so that past and future will be in jeopardy.

The plot on this one left me dizzy at first trying to wrap my brain around what happened since it jumped into the time travel/reincarnation stuff so quick. I barely got a chance to meet Claudia before the layer of Ruby's life was added to it. Normally, I find being immersed in what the character is experiencing the most fun and I did here too to a certain extent, but I do wish that I had time to know Claudia and her circumstances a bit better so I could connect with her more before the fun began. I liked meeting the other characters around Claudia-Ruby, but it is like they drift in and out as smaller bit parts until nearer the end with Antoine when he got a little more page time. Not that I thought this was awful, but it just wasn't as strong as other aspects.

As to the strong points, the background of 1950s Paris was a big hit. The descriptions just made me wish to travel to Paris for real and at times I could actually see it all so clearly. The murder mystery connected with the plot was pretty exciting too. I think I changed my mind three times and was only half right by revelation time.

The romance between Claudia-Ruby and Antoine sparked quickly, but I didn't mind because she recognized Antoine was her present-day Eduardo in all but looks. I loved how tender, giving and protective he was. He had a generous soul that didn't care about her past and saw the good in her when no one else except her friend Titine did. The romance was sweet, but it was also passionate leaving me biting my lip when Claudia felt the push and pull between the present and this past which was her new present.

So in the end, I was intrigued by my first past life time travel romance along with a desire to read more from this author and her books featuring Paris. Those who like spicy time travel romance or romance set in Paris should definitely give this one a try.

[Tara Chevrestt · Rating 3 out of 5]

"I, Claudia Davis, a single, thirty-five-year-old therapist who wanted noting more than than to marry Edouard Marceau and have my baby girl, had been a prostitute in my past life. The only comfort was in the fact that even though Ruby had been a full-blown prostitute in the past, she sure as hell wouldn't be one now that I was running this show."


And there you have it. Modern-day pregnant therapist is torn from the arms of the man she loves and time-travels back to 1959 Paris where she's a murder suspect, a dancer, a prostitute, and best friends with her future grandmother. And she has to change fate...or lose her life and baby girl forever. After all, she hasn't been born yet...and what if she isn't?

It's extremely exciting and fast paced. Everyone is just dropping dead around Ruby, the past-life heroine and she has to save herself, change what's to come without even knowing what's to come, and figure out who's killing people. I was wholly entertained and dying to know what happened next. It's more mystery than romance, I think, and I like that I wasn't able to figure out whodunit by page 50. Matter of fact, I thought I had a pretty good idea toward the end, but I was wrong.

The first-person narrative worked well, but I am disappointed that there wasn't more historical data. Traveling from 2012 to 1959 can't be peachy. A part of me couldn't help comparing it to another recent time-travel romance I read that jumped similar dates, Hindsight by Sarah Belle. While that author had details about trying to LIVE and perform what in 2012 are much easier tasks (Imagine not having a modern-day washing machine all of a sudden!), this book didn't even touch on that stuff.

It also tied up too quickly and too cheesily in the end. I was left with a lot of questions and it being such a long book, it's not like it didn't have the time to tie them up.

-"When I kill you, your soul won't ever be reborn."

Why not?? Huh? She was killed the first time around and still lived in another life.

-The wife following Ruby around...I seriously doubt she knew Ruby would be in that office and got there before her in time to plant that photo. No... The timing here was all off.

-How could you not notice you haven't had a period in four months? Get real.

-I was also slightly alarmed that the heroines always seem to go for taken men, in both lives, except for in the case of JP. I laughed when Claudia said this, "I'm not normally like this, running from one man to the next."

Errr. Married lover fathered your baby, and three months later the man you love is engaged and then you time travel and a mere three days after you have sex with a married politician in that life, you're having sex with another taken man.

One more quibble. Read it on Book Babe: http://wwwbookbabe.blogspot.com/2013/...

[Emily · Rating 4 out of 5]

Claudia Davis was not expecting to be pregnant, unwed, and having to tell her one night stand he is about to be a father. Before she can even utter the words, her whole world shifts and she finds herself in the 1950's as Ruby Kerrigan. Ruby is a dancer and also tied to a murder. Claudia is finding herself embroiled in a love affair, solving a murder, and finding out Ruby has prostituted herself on several occasions. Claudia is torn between the past and the future, time is running out and Claudia's choices are narrowing.

Intriguing story, I thought it was quite unexpected and difficult to put down. Time Travel is not normally on my radar, but I thought this was a fantastic book for the genre. Will be checking out the other books by this author.

[Isabell · Rating 5 out of 5]

A woman awakens in another body in the 1950s in Paris with a new name, new identity and complete new life. And she has to change fate too.

Claudia, who wakens as Ruby Kerrigan, a glamorous dance star in a Paris nightclub act, finds herself being a number one crime suspect in a recent murder investigation. As Claudia tries to understand what is happening, life is a whirlwind. She needs to find out what has happend to Ruby and answer the question why she has been send back in time.

Claudia is torn between the past and the future, time is running out and Claudia's choices are narrowing. While she seeks to clear herself of the murder suspect, someone works to make sure all the clues for the police lead back to Claudia-Ruby so that past and future will be in danger.

Lately I fly through books at a rapid pace, devouring them in two or three days at most but it took me over two weeks to read this one. It’s not what you think though. I didn’t struggle to stay engrossed, I wasn’t uninterested in the story but rather I wanted savor each page, each word of this gorgeously written book.

I really enjoyed Dancing with Paris – it was fast and totally addictive. One more page was never just one more page and I thought the book got better and better as it went on. I was almost dreading turning the final page because I wasn’t ready for it to end. Dancing in Paris is a very well developved book with interesting and complex characters. I’m looking forward to read more of Juliette Sobanet books.

[Ceren Köse · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ay Allahım asla bitmek bilmedi asla zor okudum valla. Aslında bakınca kötü bir kitap değildi ama ilk kitaptan sonra beklentimi asla karşılayamadı. O yüzden geç okudum sanırım bilmiyorum

[Stella · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 Romantic French Stars!



Ooh, time traveling baby!...And TO PARIS!



San Diego, 2012: Claudia Davis is pregnant with one man's child and completely in love with another; Hollywood actor, Édouard Marceau. And 'today' is the day to tell him the truth and confess her love, BUT a portal is opened and Claudia is sent back to the past and finds herself in the body of another woman. Woman whom she needs to help in order to go back to her present life with her baby and the man she loves.

Paris, 1959: Ruby Kerrigan is a Cabaret dancer whose beauty and talent is very well known and appreciated on as well as off stage by very powerful men. She is being accused of a hideous crime, and there are very few people she can rely on: herself (or Claudia Davis), Titine (her best friend) and the sexy French doctor, Antoine.



I really liked the book. The story is entertaining and well-paced. I loved the main characters and totally rooted for them and for their H.E.A. It worked for me.
The narrative in first-person worked perfectly. Kudos to the author who totally delivered it! Ruby/Claudia didn't sound even a bit annoying or whiny. Really loved her.
And the mystery, Ha! I would have never imagined. In the beggining I was like "Oh, I have this figured out already!" and then Bam! Surprise! Awesome!
I would love to have had a little more of Claudia and Édouard's relationship (in the present), though. I think it would have made me relate to the story even more.
The only point against IMHO, It was kind of hard to keep up with all the names and characters.The closer to the truth Ruby seemed the more new characters appeared. At about 70% I was a bit dizzy. But I didn't find it something unnecessary, though, since there were two different (in time and space) lives 'happening' at the same time.
I'm definitely reading more book of Juliette Sobanet. Loved her style and Oh-la-la loved Paris.

DEFINITELY RECOMMEND!

***ARC given in exchange for an honest review.*** Pub Date Jul 16 2013

[Alyssa · Rating 4 out of 5]

Having just finished Juliette Sobanet's last book, Midnight Train to Paris, and enjoyed it very much, I couldn't wait to dig into this one. And I was delighted to find out that, like the former, Dancing With Paris was a time-travel romance. (I'm not a huge fan of time-travel romances in general, with the exception of Outlander and The Time Traveler's Wife, but I am always glad to find one that is well-written and intriguing.)

Naturally what caught my attention was that the book is set in Paris--or at least, the past is. Claudia Davis travels back from present-day San Diego into 1950s Paris, via a ruby necklace and a mysterious woman. Once there, she finds that she's become a dancer named Ruby Kerrigan, and Ruby is wanted for murder. What Claudia doesn't realize at first is that Ruby has had to prostitute herself, and has done so with several men. Not only does she have to find the murderer, but she has to sort out her love life…and she only has five days.

The twists and turns had me guessing, and I only put this book down under duress (work, sleep), wanting to know what would happen next. I loved the setting, the vivid picture Ms. Sobanet paints of the Parisian cabaret, and of Paris in general. It was a bit like watching a film. Her mix of suspense and romance is just right, and I look forward to reading her next book! (By the way, if you have some francophile tendencies like I do, you'll enjoy her previous books as well, all contemporary romances set in Paris.)

[Jaylia3 · Rating 5 out of 5]

Time travel where you go back to 1950’s Paris and slip into the body and life of a risqué burlesque dancer? Sign me up.

Straight-laced Claudia Davis finds herself in an awkward predicament. Pregnant from a one night stand, Claudia is now in love with another man, a suave but kindhearted French actor she meets at her grandmother’s ballroom dancing studio, but before she gets a chance to tell him how she feels she falls and bumps her head, waking up back in time inside the body of a gorgeous young dancer accused of murdering a fellow cabaret star. Scared and desperate to get back to her old life, Claudia has just a few days to straighten everything out, or else . . .

In spite of the dangers Claudia can’t help enjoying her lithe new body, the sensual pleasures of the City of Lights, the racy dance routines she can suddenly perform, and the solicitous attention of a handsome Parisian. Dancing With Paris is written in a bright lively style that sweeps you up, allowing you to feel the swirling wind on the boulevards, see the sparkling snow on the Tour d'EIffel, and smell the buttery croissants in the boulangers. I haven’t been to 1950’s Paris so I can’t tell you if that city is accurately evoked, but either way this book version of it is a fun destination.

[Celia Bonaduce · Rating 3 out of 5]

Dancing With Paris had an interesting storyline and great characters, but ultimately, I was disappointed. Going into the details of the story would reveal too much of the plot, but there were just too many implausibles (and I was perfectly happy to accept time travel). One of the characters, a wise old woman who is Ruby's guide through 1959 Paris, tells Ruby not to question everything - there are mysteries we can't explain. I'll buy that - and it certainly could apply to any story about time travel - but when you have holes in the plot big enough to drive a truck through, an author has a responsibility to come up with solutions - not have one of her characters tell the audience "oh, don't worry about that - just go with it."

[Barbara Gordon · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was definitely a new premise for me. First, you have to feel for the heroine's situation... being such a goody goody and then making a mistake only to find out that you have gotten pregnant from said mistake and said mistake is married already?? That's got to be rough! THen falling and awakening in the past in a new body? I've never read that before. I've always secretly (though I guess not so secret anymore) wanted to be a professional dancer, so I love reading about dancers. Add the murder and mystery... you've got yourself a fantastic story! Will she be able to find out who did it and return to her own time?

[Jennifer Johnson · Rating 2 out of 5]

I didn't mind this until the last hour of this book- and then EYEROLL. A happy ending to a book is totally find, but this was SO OVER THE TOP that I just couldn't be happy for anyone. The story itself is somewhat flawed- and regularly I got annoyed at how the author seemed to feel the need to explain her idea over and over. I'm not even sure the author understand what she was trying to do with the time travel.

This fell flat for me- next time I'll probably just avoid the Audible sale... it's likely on sale for a reason.

[Julia Overton-Healy · Rating 1 out of 5]

Promising premise; excruciating execution. AVOID THIS!

[Maeve · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was cute and enjoyable but a little forced and overtly meta (as opposed to wittily meta).

[Senagg · Rating 3 out of 5]

Bu yazar ile Siyah Kar kitabı sayesinde tanışmıştım ve o kitabı aşırı beğenmiştim. Ve yazarın bir diğer kitabı olan Yağmurda Dans'ı aldım, okudum. Dediğim gibi kitabı beğendim ama şu anda okuduğum zamanla mı yoksa kitapla mı alakalı çözemediğim bir durum var ki; ilk kitap kadar aşırı beğenmedim, tat alamadım. Ama o derece olmasa da yine de merakla okuyup sevdiğim bir kitap oldu.
Zamanda yolculuk içeren kitaplarını çok severim ve bu yazar iki kitabında da bunu işlemiş, tam benlik.🤗 Claudia Davis, bekâr bir annedir ve büyükannesinin dans stüdyosunda yaşanan bir durumla kendini geçmişte, 1950 yılında, dansçı Ruby Kerrigan'ın bedeninde bulur. Bu durum yetmezmiş gibi, yaşanan bir cinayetin baş şüphelisidir.
Aslında Claudia'ya bir şans verilmiştir ama bu, kolay yoldan elde edilen bir durum olmayacaktır.

Kitabı okurken Ruby'den bile şüphe duyarak okuyoruz. Hele ben bir kişiden öyle çok şüphelendim ki ama o kişi çıkmadı.☺ Kitabın ilerleyişi falan güzeldi ve insan durup bir düşünüyor: Bize de böyle bir şans verilse neleri değiştirirdik veya değiştirmek ister miydik? Gerçi kitabın geneline bakarsak zorlu bir kitaptı ama o kadar geçmişe gidilmiş, gerisi de kolay olmayıversin dimi ama.🤣 Kitaptaki aşk bana yeterince geçmedi, ne yalan söyliyeyim, daha çok katil kim çıkacak mantığıyla okudum ama yine de güzeldiler.

[Sandy Samuel · Rating 5 out of 5]

Different from the first

But just as good. Unlike the first book, this heroine didn't intend to travel back in time. By changing Ruby's history, Claudia changed her own as well. Some what sad, this is also a very sweet story.

[Carol · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow, what a cool story

As always, it took a bit to get into it, but I am so impressed at how stunningly the author wove a compelling story that involved my favorite city. I can hardly wait to start the next book.

[Chele Kispert · Rating 4 out of 5]

as an audio book, I think it flowed well. the time transitions worked. in and out. good story, great detail. Good Job.

[Kozmokitap · Rating 5 out of 5]

Yazarın ilk okuduğum kitabı. Konuyu , karakterkeri ve yazarın kurguyu ele alış tarzını çok sevdim.

[Sharon · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another time travel romance, in Paris, that I adored. I can't wait for Ms. Sobanet's next one!

[Melanie Sears · Rating 4 out of 5]

INTEResting Time Travel Romance.

[Sabi · Rating 1 out of 5]

How can a promising book be so extremely boring? The plot sounds quite promising, but the execution... nope, I'm giving up on the 15% mark.

[ekin · Rating 4 out of 5]

bu kitaba taylor swiftten timeless sarkisini armagan ediyorum ve cok degisik sürükleyici bir kitapti begendim

[coriolis · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5

This was actually pretty goood once I got into it. Once I got into the mystery, I finished it rather quickly. And it actually kind of made me tear up... that's impressive.

[Romancing the Book · Rating 5 out of 5]

Reviewed by Allison
Book provided by Publisher
Review originally posted at Romancing the Book.

Review: Ever gone somewhere you’ve never been before, but it’s familiar anyway? It can be a very creepy feeling. What if you were there, but not as the you of today, but as the you of a past life. That’s the premise of Dancing with Paris by Juliette Sobanet.

The story opens with Claudia waiting at her grandmother’s dance studio for the French actor she’s fallen in love with. It’s past time to reveal her secret to him: she’s three months pregnant with a former lover’s child. This will make or break it with Édouard, but it’s the right thing to do. As she waits for him, a mysterious woman speaks to her, and hands her Claudia’s grandmother’s ruby pendant. She puts the pendant on and feels a spark of electricity. Édouard arrives, but before she has a chance to tell him, she sees a People magazine with his picture on the cover…and the newsflash that he’s engaged to an actress. Heartbroken, Claudia tries to get away from him, but feels a sharp pain in her stomach and faints.

When she wakes up, Claudia finds herself backstage at a club, surrounded by people speaking French. Piecing things together, she realizes she’s in someone else’s body, an American dancer named Ruby, and she’s in a show in 1959 Paris! While she’s never been to Paris, and doesn’t speak French, she begins remembering bits and pieces of Ruby’s life. The worst part of all this, she’s no longer pregnant, and she’s a suspect in the murder of a fellow dancer named Gisèle.

The mysterious woman from her grandmother’s dance studio shows up and tells Claudia she’s in one of her past lives, and there’s something very important she must do. Something so vital it will affect not only Ruby, but Claudia’s future history. As she searches for answers, she falls in love with Antoine, the brother of the murdered dancer.

This story fascinated me on so many levels. First for the concept of past lives. Not only has Claudia been sent to her previous life as Ruby, but she retains her memories and identity as Claudia. So she’s really two people in one body. While I’ve not read a great deal on past lives or past life regression, I feel this author took the concept and added a great twist to it. I do like the idea of going back into the past in order to change the future.

The author has a very strong voice, and I was drawn into the story from the very beginning. I felt as if I were in Paris, surrounded by the sights and sounds of the romantic city. The story is so well-written that I could see it playing out vividly in my mind, as if I were watching a movie. (And if this were to ever be made into a movie, I would definitely go see it!)

The story is told from Claudia’s point of view in first person. It’s interesting to see her struggle and cope with the strange life she’s been thrust into, and then eventually come to embrace her life as Ruby.

I don’t want to give away any part of the mystery or the way the story ends, so I’ll sum it up to say this is a must-read novel for several reasons: the past life concept, a beautiful love story, a mystery with twists and turns, and a very well-written story.

[Gaele · Rating 4 out of 5]

In an interesting twist on my usual time-travel / romance trope, we are introduced to Claudia in 2012 San Diego. She is mildly dissatisfied with her life at the moment, pregnant by one man while desperately in love with another: who truly does seem to be the one for her. Very quickly, we are removed to 1950’s Paris, where Claudia awakens to find herself in the body of Ruby, a Parisian cabaret headliner who also happens to be Claudia’s grandmother’s best friend. Confused yet? I was at first – for we don’t have a great deal of time to know Claudia and gain a solid sense of her situation and character before we are whisked off to Paris and need to make sense of the situation that Claudia is currently embroiled in.

Not content to make this a simple parallel lives story: Ruby/Claudia is the primary suspect in a murder that she did not commit, and she must find the real killer and save Ruby from her current fate before she can return to her own life in San Diego. As if that wasn’t enough stress: with new situations, a new view of her grandmother and the Paris to rediscover in its past form, she has only five days in which to solve the mystery and set lives on a new path.

A complex and highly ambitious plotting arc and storyline for any author, but Juliette Sobanet is certainly up to the task. While there were moments of confusion, it gave me the feel of being Claudia/Ruby and the pacing, characterization and narration all aided in my getting up to speed, much as Claudia/Ruby needed to do. Then, since I mistakenly thought I had the mystery and murder pieces sorted out, the quick twists and turns proved to me that I was wrong, yet the answer was there, just awaiting discovery.

The city of Paris is just gorgeous and so very present in the story: from the descriptions and feel to the sense of ‘difference’, it fed every memory I have of the city at that time from photos that my grandmother had tucked into a scrapbook from when my aunt first moved there in mid-1950. Sobanet’s prose is lush and well-suited to the city and the story. The interwoven romance from present to past, while bringing a sense of Claudia’s current love to the character of Antoine, with their similar behaviors and concerns and their obvious affection for her was a smooth transition that gave more insight into Claudia and her modern life, while maintaining a true feel to the past.


While it will seem from this review that the story was hard to follow, or overly complex – I truly apologize. It was an exceedingly smooth read that never let up on the entertainment, and kept me involved and engaged with each page. Although I do wish that there was more sense of Claudia in the present and a sense of a solid conclusion for her story, it left me satisfied and smiling. I now want to read the author’s other titles, and have put them on my list.

I received an eBook copy from the publisher via NetGalley for purpose of honest review. I was not compensated for this review: all conclusions are my own responsibility.

[Jennie Shaw · Rating 4 out of 5]

Last week, my mind was blown when a woman working for Amazon emailed me with an offer for an ARC of DANCING WITH PARIS, which is one of my favourite author's latest novels. Naturally, I was all up in her grill five minutes after she sent the email and by the end of the day, I was the proud recipent of Juliette Sobanet's fourth novel. And like the previous two I've read (KISSED IN PARIS and SLEEPING WITH PARIS), this one did not disappoint because, just like a flaky croissant, DANCING WITH PARIS has lots of delectable layers and the well-written mystery component acts like a stick of semi-melted chocolate, turning what would usually be an above-average croissant into a pain au chocolat. And there really is nothing better than a pain au chocolat because, as we all know, chocolate makes everything awesome-r.

To start with, DANCING WITH PARIS has a pretty cool premise: Claudia, a thirty-something and recently-pregnant woman travels back to one of her previous lives as Ruby, a twenty-five year old burlesque dancer in 1950s Paris. But that's not all, because not only does Claudia have to figure out the lesson she must learn in order to return back to her life in 2012, but she also has to solve a murder while avoiding being murdered herself. I know, she really does have her work cut out for her. Ha!

It's an ambitious plot, to say the least, and Juliette totally nails it. Her trademark descriptions have you can-canning in your seat as you flip through the pages and you can practically smell the butter radiating out of the boulangeries that line the cobblestoned streets. There were sparkles, short dresses and ample cleavage all over the place and it made me want to stick a feather in my hair and find a piano to crawl seductively across while singing "Fever." Seriously.

There are a few cool characters who help Claudia/Ruby along the way and they're all unique in their own right. However, my favourite would have to be Antoine, who has now joined the ranks of my Fictional Hottie lineup. And it's not just because he's French, although that helps (haha) but between his smoky grey eyes and determination to find his sister's killer, I had no choice but sashay on over to my oscillating fan because my body temperature was off-the-charts. Especially after one of the steamier love scenes that are scattered throughout the book. So really, DANCING WITH PARIS may be a more appropriate read for colder months, although don't let the hot flashes deter you from picking it up now. Just, you know, have some ice ready or something. Haha!

So, if you like your romance with a side of mystery, are drawn to the Parisian way of life in the 1950s, and love books that make you want to drape a boa across your shoulders and shimmy across a stage, then DANCING WITH PARIS is the book for you!