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Florian #1
Under the Stars of Paris
"Just pretend that the man you wish to marry is standing before you," the designer instructed Anthea as she waited to model the wedding dress in the grand finale of his Spring Collection.
But the man Anthea wished to marry was out there in the salon-with the woman who had taken Anthea's place as his future bride!
But the man Anthea wished to marry was out there in the salon-with the woman who had taken Anthea's place as his future bride!
188 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1954
About the author
Mary Burchell
167 books85 followersIda Cook was born on 1904 at 37 Croft Avenue, Sunderland, England. With her eldest sister Mary Louise Cook (1901), she attending the Duchess' School in Alnwick. Later the sisters took civil service jobs in London, and developed a passionate interest in opera. The sisters helped 29 jews to escape from the Nazis, funded mainly by Ida's writing. In 1965, the Cook sisters were honored as Righteous Gentiles by the Yad Vashem Martyrs and Heroes Remembrance Authority in Israel.
As Mary Burchell, she published more than 125 romance novels by Mills & Boon since 1936. She also wrote some western novels as James Keene in collaboration with the author Will Cook (aka Frank Peace). In 1950, Ida Cook wrote her autobiography: "We followed our stars". She helped to found the Romantic Novelists' Association, and was its president from 1966 to her death on December 22, 1986.
As Mary Burchell, she published more than 125 romance novels by Mills & Boon since 1936. She also wrote some western novels as James Keene in collaboration with the author Will Cook (aka Frank Peace). In 1950, Ida Cook wrote her autobiography: "We followed our stars". She helped to found the Romantic Novelists' Association, and was its president from 1966 to her death on December 22, 1986.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 63 reviews
November 30, 2016
Such a sweet, chaste, romantic little surprise of a book. It reminded me a lot of the film Funny Face starring Audrey Hepburn and Fred Astaire, with a similar storyline of a young girl being swept up by total chance into the world of high fashion.
Anthea is a young English girl who has recently been abruptly jilted by her self-centered, cold, fiance and simultaneously abandoned by her already quite neglectful, artist father, so that she finds herself penniless, with no prospects, living in a cold attic room, in Paris, with only a few days before the end of both her lease and her meager savings. At the eleventh hour, she is "discovered" randomly by the executive assistant of Florian, one of the most famous fashion designers in Paris and whisked to his fashion house to see if she will be a good "fit" (pardon the pun) for the show-stopping finale of his collection, the bridal dress, since the model he was going to use has had an unexpected, ill-timed accident.
He stopped suddenly and stared at Anthea, who was standing at the far end of the platform. Then, in a very quiet but completely carrying a voice, he said,
"Walk towards me-as though you liked me-and were coming to greet me."
I thought the author did a fantastic job of capturing the fantasy of that golden era of Paris haute-couture fashion houses, where a new collection could make headlines, every garment was a museum-worthy work of art, and every fashion show a breathtaking performance as dramatic as a Puccini opera.
Besides the love story, in which the author cleverly keeps the reader guessing as she slowly and meticulously sets up a love triangle, the design world, with all its intrigues, artistic temperaments, cut-throat competitiveness, backstabbing and jealousies were a hoot to read about, without going over the top. There is one garment in particular, an exquisite cloak of white mink, that plays a central part in one of the most emotional episodes of Under the Stars of Paris, which shows that clothes can not only be merely decorative, they can be used as instruments of revenge, scorn, defiance, and yes, even understanding and love.
All in all, I really enjoyed this book. Its romanticism, elegance, and sweet, old-fashioned vibe were definitely different from the usual Harlequin books that are so over-the-top and filled with punishing kisses and grabby hands. I enjoy those too, mind you, but this was a very nice breath of fresh air.
Anthea is a young English girl who has recently been abruptly jilted by her self-centered, cold, fiance and simultaneously abandoned by her already quite neglectful, artist father, so that she finds herself penniless, with no prospects, living in a cold attic room, in Paris, with only a few days before the end of both her lease and her meager savings. At the eleventh hour, she is "discovered" randomly by the executive assistant of Florian, one of the most famous fashion designers in Paris and whisked to his fashion house to see if she will be a good "fit" (pardon the pun) for the show-stopping finale of his collection, the bridal dress, since the model he was going to use has had an unexpected, ill-timed accident.
He stopped suddenly and stared at Anthea, who was standing at the far end of the platform. Then, in a very quiet but completely carrying a voice, he said,
"Walk towards me-as though you liked me-and were coming to greet me."
I thought the author did a fantastic job of capturing the fantasy of that golden era of Paris haute-couture fashion houses, where a new collection could make headlines, every garment was a museum-worthy work of art, and every fashion show a breathtaking performance as dramatic as a Puccini opera.
Besides the love story, in which the author cleverly keeps the reader guessing as she slowly and meticulously sets up a love triangle, the design world, with all its intrigues, artistic temperaments, cut-throat competitiveness, backstabbing and jealousies were a hoot to read about, without going over the top. There is one garment in particular, an exquisite cloak of white mink, that plays a central part in one of the most emotional episodes of Under the Stars of Paris, which shows that clothes can not only be merely decorative, they can be used as instruments of revenge, scorn, defiance, and yes, even understanding and love.
All in all, I really enjoyed this book. Its romanticism, elegance, and sweet, old-fashioned vibe were definitely different from the usual Harlequin books that are so over-the-top and filled with punishing kisses and grabby hands. I enjoy those too, mind you, but this was a very nice breath of fresh air.
November 14, 2012
Mary Burchell has such a unique style in her writing. I was shocked to say that up till the end of the book, I wasn't quite sure who the hero was.
I'm not sure I have ever read a book, where I didn't know which man was actually the love interest. At least, not in a category romance. But in typical Burchell fashion, this book is about so much more. About life in a large, beautiful city for a young woman entering the fashion world and all the pettiness, hatred and jealousies that exist in that world. This was an absorbing, entertaining read.....
I'm not sure I have ever read a book, where I didn't know which man was actually the love interest. At least, not in a category romance. But in typical Burchell fashion, this book is about so much more. About life in a large, beautiful city for a young woman entering the fashion world and all the pettiness, hatred and jealousies that exist in that world. This was an absorbing, entertaining read.....
November 14, 2012
What a surprise this one was! You're not going to get much out of me. I can't tell you anything or it'll ruin it. Don't read any spoilers and just go in and see where it goes. It's an older story so not a lot of hot lovin'. A lot of filler about life as a "mannequin" (oldie for model) but I found it interesting. I just thought it was really clever. No hard limits (unless a book without a lot of dark action is a hard limit ;D). But I do recommend this. Very unusual.
December 10, 2016
Cute little romance. Though when I say 'cute,' I'm well aware of my own jaded tastes for flamboyant bodice-shredding & melodrama. ;)
This was originally published in the mid-1950s, & taken in that context one could almost call it edgy. Though it's squeaky-clean in terms of romance & language, all the sparkly trappings (Parisian streets, fashion houses, glam clothes, opera, backstabbing, cocktail parties, gossip, suggestions of mistresses, & broken engagements) must have seemed like June Cleaver's version of Danielle Steel. The prose, also, was clean & competent, but not dumbed down like too many modern trash authors (or even those awful 'inspirational' romances *barf*); rather, it has a definite Audrey Hepburn feel, both in character & story.
4 stars, sweet & entertaining. I'll try this author again when/if the mood strikes for something different from my usual fare.
This was originally published in the mid-1950s, & taken in that context one could almost call it edgy. Though it's squeaky-clean in terms of romance & language, all the sparkly trappings (Parisian streets, fashion houses, glam clothes, opera, backstabbing, cocktail parties, gossip, suggestions of mistresses, & broken engagements) must have seemed like June Cleaver's version of Danielle Steel. The prose, also, was clean & competent, but not dumbed down like too many modern trash authors (or even those awful 'inspirational' romances *barf*); rather, it has a definite Audrey Hepburn feel, both in character & story.
4 stars, sweet & entertaining. I'll try this author again when/if the mood strikes for something different from my usual fare.
July 1, 2021
What a lovely story! I was about to DNF at around 15%, because I didn’t quite know what I wanted to read atm, but I’m so glad that I didn’t. Lovely!
June 2, 2023
4.5🌟 Wow, what an entertaining read! I've never been one to read Harlequin romances, but I was hooked from the very first page. I guess I had this idea that most romances were overly frivolous or saccharine, but I was wrong. This book was really fun, quick-to-read and cheered me up.
Thanks to Lil's (Lil's Vintage World) book recommendation, I found this book on ebay and started reading it right away. So glad she shared this one! I've already bought the sequel in the duology and I'll be embarking on that one tonight. Very excited.
If you love Susan Scarlett's books (Noel Streatfeild), especially the ones on shops and fashion, you would love this book. It's short, interesting and so much fun. I'll have to find more books by Mary Burchell to read. If I can find some of these romances where there are mostly cozy domestic details, I'd be in heaven! Please recommend titles below if you have any you think I'd love.
POSSIBLE SPOILER BELOW
I was very surprised at the ending. It must have been a conversation in the very last chapter that made my mouth fall open and had me rereading the section I just read. If you've read this already, you know what I mean. I don't like knowing that there's a twist at the end, but it's possible that some readers wouldn't mind. Anyway, I had no idea things were going in that direction. Perhaps I was a little dense and also preferred the other main male character more?
Thanks to Lil's (Lil's Vintage World) book recommendation, I found this book on ebay and started reading it right away. So glad she shared this one! I've already bought the sequel in the duology and I'll be embarking on that one tonight. Very excited.
If you love Susan Scarlett's books (Noel Streatfeild), especially the ones on shops and fashion, you would love this book. It's short, interesting and so much fun. I'll have to find more books by Mary Burchell to read. If I can find some of these romances where there are mostly cozy domestic details, I'd be in heaven! Please recommend titles below if you have any you think I'd love.
POSSIBLE SPOILER BELOW
I was very surprised at the ending. It must have been a conversation in the very last chapter that made my mouth fall open and had me rereading the section I just read. If you've read this already, you know what I mean. I don't like knowing that there's a twist at the end, but it's possible that some readers wouldn't mind. Anyway, I had no idea things were going in that direction. Perhaps I was a little dense and also preferred the other main male character more?
September 20, 2017
3.5 stars
I'm absolutely loving these vintage gems I'm finding on Kindle Unlimited. The quality of the writing totally shames today's authors. It's amazing what these authorial whizzes could pack into such a tiny space. Plus, they're usually about career girls (of the 50's and 60's natch) so there's a really great insight into what life was like then for my mother (and aunts & grandmothers too). The exotic locations are always fun to read about too.
After reading my way through the Warrender Saga (highly recommended, btw) and learning a LOT about opera et al and the music business of that era, I was chuffed to find this one which seems to be the first in a fashion-based series. At least I hope so! I sure hope whoever owns the rights to Burchell's backlist keeps releasing these, because I'm snapping up every one I can get my hands on.
This one with it's inside look into a fashion atelier, populated with the drama queen genius designer, many models, and the rest of the back stage crew is totally fascinating.
I love fashion and fashion history so this gave me a real glimpse into how things have changed. I don't know about Burchell's research methods but this felt authentic, to my knowledge, and I thoroughly enjoyed that. While reading, I kept flashing back to this nonfiction favorite of mine A Guide to Elegance: For Every Woman Who Wants to Be Well and Properly Dressed on All Occasions and comparing Madame to Genevieve.
Possible spoilers...
I'm absolutely loving these vintage gems I'm finding on Kindle Unlimited. The quality of the writing totally shames today's authors. It's amazing what these authorial whizzes could pack into such a tiny space. Plus, they're usually about career girls (of the 50's and 60's natch) so there's a really great insight into what life was like then for my mother (and aunts & grandmothers too). The exotic locations are always fun to read about too.
After reading my way through the Warrender Saga (highly recommended, btw) and learning a LOT about opera et al and the music business of that era, I was chuffed to find this one which seems to be the first in a fashion-based series. At least I hope so! I sure hope whoever owns the rights to Burchell's backlist keeps releasing these, because I'm snapping up every one I can get my hands on.
This one with it's inside look into a fashion atelier, populated with the drama queen genius designer, many models, and the rest of the back stage crew is totally fascinating.
I love fashion and fashion history so this gave me a real glimpse into how things have changed. I don't know about Burchell's research methods but this felt authentic, to my knowledge, and I thoroughly enjoyed that. While reading, I kept flashing back to this nonfiction favorite of mine A Guide to Elegance: For Every Woman Who Wants to Be Well and Properly Dressed on All Occasions and comparing Madame to Genevieve.
Possible spoilers...
September 17, 2022
Hmm.
This book will most appeal to you if you have a toleration for the Mr. Rochesters and M. Paul Emanuels of the world of fiction.
In other words, a romantic interest who is a bit of a jerk. Indeed, Charlotte Bronte would have been all over this plot.
There's no getting away from it. There were multiple times in this book where I sighed a little bit and thought, "Ah. So we're doing this, are we?"
The autocratic man who's rather too old for the heroine. Who keeps her guessing the whole time as to whether he dislikes her or is just indifferent (hint: it's neither).
What can I say? Mary Burchell handled it with skill and thrill.
Plot summary: Anthea is on her own in Paris, jilted by her fiancé, and with dwindling finances. A chance meeting gets her an opportunity to model at a luxurious fashion show, where she meets Florian, a prestigious dress designer. The rest is moments of catty girl drama, enigmatic conversations with her employer, dinner dates with a "just a friend" who wants to be more, and very Jane-Eyre-like amounts of concealed longing for the inscrutable employer.
If it sounds like your thing, it probably is. Yes, I gave it 5 stars. Yes, even though I wouldn’t be on board with it in real life, I really liked it and was totally invested by the end.
This book will most appeal to you if you have a toleration for the Mr. Rochesters and M. Paul Emanuels of the world of fiction.
In other words, a romantic interest who is a bit of a jerk. Indeed, Charlotte Bronte would have been all over this plot.
There's no getting away from it. There were multiple times in this book where I sighed a little bit and thought, "Ah. So we're doing this, are we?"
The autocratic man who's rather too old for the heroine. Who keeps her guessing the whole time as to whether he dislikes her or is just indifferent (hint: it's neither).
What can I say? Mary Burchell handled it with skill and thrill.
Plot summary: Anthea is on her own in Paris, jilted by her fiancé, and with dwindling finances. A chance meeting gets her an opportunity to model at a luxurious fashion show, where she meets Florian, a prestigious dress designer. The rest is moments of catty girl drama, enigmatic conversations with her employer, dinner dates with a "just a friend" who wants to be more, and very Jane-Eyre-like amounts of concealed longing for the inscrutable employer.
If it sounds like your thing, it probably is. Yes, I gave it 5 stars. Yes, even though I wouldn’t be on board with it in real life, I really liked it and was totally invested by the end.
July 6, 2019
I was browsing through the Kindle unlimited books looking for ones that I can match for my summer reading challenge. I saw the title, read the summary, but what made me pick up Under the Stars of Paris is Mary Burchell's (Ida Cook) biography.
The book is sweet and clean Harlequin romance. It is a book that you need to read without reading any reviews, pick it up, and read it. It's incredible what these authorial whizzes could pack into such a tiny space.
I have another book of Mary Burchell's books on my kindle to be read maybe for another challenge.
The book is sweet and clean Harlequin romance. It is a book that you need to read without reading any reviews, pick it up, and read it. It's incredible what these authorial whizzes could pack into such a tiny space.
I have another book of Mary Burchell's books on my kindle to be read maybe for another challenge.
March 29, 2023
I loooved this one. Vintage 1954, but could apply to modern times. Sweet, well written book set in Paris in a fashion salon in that era. Read it in one go. Second half has the nuancing & subtlety of the Duke of Falconbridge in What I Did for a Duke. (Ending was too quick though.) 5-star
Read
April 10, 2023This is a clean romance. I'm not sure if you can even call it a romance. The writing has depth and the story sucked me in. And it's in Kindle Unlimited!
February 5, 2022
In a sense, this book reminded me of The Duke's Wager by Edith Layton. They're really quite different books, except that both are character-driven, not steamy at all, and feature a love triangle with two plausible endings for the heroine -- and I really like them both. The heroine here is also newly striking out into the world on her own, because her father has remarried and she isn't particularly welcome under her stepmother's roof. While looking for work in Paris, she has a chance meeting with a man who becomes a good friend and lucks into a job as a mannequin working for a somewhat eccentric designer. The story is told in third person from the heroine's perspective, and she's charming, a genuinely good person but not saccharine or cloying. I'm not particularly interested in fashion in real life, but I enjoyed seeing the fashion world through her eyes. I also loved watching the heroine come into her own as she comes to understand herself and the people around her more clearly. And how could I not love a hero who's first described as ?
February 17, 2012
Ha, ha! Another Mary Burchell romance from my misbegotten youth...a guilty pleasure. Burchell is a hoot to read...her characters are always principled people, there is NO hanky-panky, ideals are high...and the writing itself is so old-fashioned as to be charming. I read a Burchell aloud to Janna just last night, and we were laughing so hard at her turn-of-phrase. Who says things like, "Aunt Ellen seemed impressed by her sister's vehemence, even to the extent of admitting a glimmer of light into the general gloom of her prognostications"? The writing style reminds me of the old Nancy Drew mysteries I used to love as a kid...where they used words like "roadster" and "frock."
I think I read Burchell occasionally because it's a safe place and time.
I think I read Burchell occasionally because it's a safe place and time.
November 24, 2021
Well, that did not go quite as I'd expected—a rarity for Harlequins, and one that delighted me. It's not a brilliant book (or even a brilliant Harlequin), but assuming that there's some degree of accuracy, it's a fascinating insight into the 1950s modelling world. Anthea is contracted to a single designer's fashion house, where he is god and the 'mannequins' (models) display the latest 'models' (designs), both at fashion shows and more or less on call whenever a potential client is around.
This one is somehow available through Kindle unlimited (the new cover is not an improvement). I can't actually recommend the book, but the ending is fascinating and I can't be sorry that it's been digitised for a modern audience.
This one is somehow available through Kindle unlimited (the new cover is not an improvement). I can't actually recommend the book, but the ending is fascinating and I can't be sorry that it's been digitised for a modern audience.
August 17, 2013
Another vintage romance from a gentler time (published in 1954). I'm going through an old box of Harlequin romance novels from when I was a kid, and I needed one after reading descriptions in Publishers Weekly of the "romance" books due out soon. Today's "romances" are more about the shock factor than they are about the romance. I'm so over the erotica trend!
Anyway, this was a pleasure to read, as it was written by Mary Burchell, even though it's not one of her best.
Anyway, this was a pleasure to read, as it was written by Mary Burchell, even though it's not one of her best.
August 1, 2020
A lovely engaging tale.
This is the first Mary Burchell romance that I have read and I enjoyed it thoroughly. What the tale lacks in modern style (goofy humor, continual angsting, and sex) allows for deft character development and dialogue. In particular, the main female lead is a truly engaging and unique character. Her quiet strength of character is refreshing. I will be reading more by this author.
This is the first Mary Burchell romance that I have read and I enjoyed it thoroughly. What the tale lacks in modern style (goofy humor, continual angsting, and sex) allows for deft character development and dialogue. In particular, the main female lead is a truly engaging and unique character. Her quiet strength of character is refreshing. I will be reading more by this author.
Want to Read
January 23, 2022Spooooooooooooooilers
I now understand a little why some people avoid spoilers like they’re bad luck jinxes, because reading a spoiler before even opening this book, can, SOMETIMES mind you, not always, completely change the way one reads a book from the beginning. And it’s not always a good thing.
Another reviewer mentioned that being from the age and era we are, it’s quite obvious that the heroine is in fact And I’m afraid I agree with them. Therefore no matter how much I tried I couldn’t shake that perspective and I’m afraid the book was hardly romantic as far as I was concerned.
I now understand a little why some people avoid spoilers like they’re bad luck jinxes, because reading a spoiler before even opening this book, can, SOMETIMES mind you, not always, completely change the way one reads a book from the beginning. And it’s not always a good thing.
Another reviewer mentioned that being from the age and era we are, it’s quite obvious that the heroine is in fact And I’m afraid I agree with them. Therefore no matter how much I tried I couldn’t shake that perspective and I’m afraid the book was hardly romantic as far as I was concerned.
March 9, 2023
Many thanks to Iris, one of my new GR friends, who brought this author to my attention. I really enjoyed reading this sweet story which is similar to the books by Elizabeth Cadell and Susan Scarlett (Noel Streatfeild).
This is the kind of book to curl up with in a comfy chair with a cup of tea and just enjoy a nice, HEA story.
This is the kind of book to curl up with in a comfy chair with a cup of tea and just enjoy a nice, HEA story.
April 25, 2025
Reallllly solid category romance from the 60s. The arc is very different from modern romance, which is part of what made it such a great read. It is definitely as much about our heroine coming of age--which in this case, means growing into her career--as it is about the romance.
Perhaps my deep enjoyment of it comes from all of the reading of 60s era books/ romances I did as a kid in the 80s. Anyway, I'm right in my enjoyment, this stuff is just fantastic.
Seriously, high fashion in Paris and she lucks into a career as a model. You should read it.
Perhaps my deep enjoyment of it comes from all of the reading of 60s era books/ romances I did as a kid in the 80s. Anyway, I'm right in my enjoyment, this stuff is just fantastic.
Seriously, high fashion in Paris and she lucks into a career as a model. You should read it.
May 8, 2018
Very very good writing. Only thing made it less than perfect was that the actual romance left to the last pages.
October 10, 2022
A simple confection in book form. Demands little of the reader except to relax and enjoy the story. Which suited me perfectly. :-)
August 29, 2026
3.7 stars
Under the Stars of Paris has left me strangely conflicted. For about ninety-five percent of the book, I thought I understood exactly what romance Mary Burchell was writing, and I was thoroughly enjoying it. It was well paced, nicely written and had an immensely sympathetic heroine whose new life in Paris and gradual recovery from heartbreak made for a very enjoyable vintage read. At one point I thought this might reach four and a half stars.
Then, at virtually the last possible moment, the book pulled the romantic rug out from underneath me.
One of the fundamental rules of storytelling, in my opinion, is that if you establish a contract with the reader, you need to fulfil it. If you promise me a pear, you cannot suddenly hand me a pickle. This book spends almost its entire length apparently developing one romantic direction and then, at around ninety-five percent, reveals that I have supposedly been reading a different romance altogether.
I consider myself a fairly experienced reader of subtle vintage romances, and I genuinely didn't see this coming.
What makes this particularly strange is that the apparent romantic interest is very convincingly written as the hero. He seeks Anthea out, persistently spends time with her, supports her when she is struggling, shows concern for her welfare and helps her recover emotionally from the man who broke her heart. Their relationship appears to deepen naturally, and I interpreted Anthea's growing happiness in his company as the development of romantic feelings.
Meanwhile, the eventual direction of the romance is written in a completely different register. There are enough interactions scattered throughout the book that I can now look backwards and wonder whether there were clues I failed to recognise, but at the time I read them as the attentions of a avuncular mentor rather than a man falling in love.
That distinction matters. I don't think a romance should simply tell us at the end that apparently all these earlier actions were romantic. I want to experience the hero's developing feelings while reading: the jealousy, the need to seek the heroine out, the possessiveness, the moments when his normal self-control begins slipping because she matters too much. Here, virtually everything that I instinctively read as romantic came from one man, while the other man's behaviour could easily be interpreted in an entirely non-romantic way.
The heroine herself doesn't help prepare us for the switch. For most of the book, she doesn't appear to think of the eventual hero romantically either. Then, very late indeed, 95%! the emotional interpretation of her relationships suddenly changes. A man whose company she has apparently been enjoying becomes inexplicably less appealing, while her feelings towards somebody else abruptly reveal themselves as love.
It felt less like a romantic revelation than a bait-and-switch.
And yet—surprisingly—I didn't hate it.
There is just enough groundwork that I now want to reread the book knowing the ending and see whether I missed something. Perhaps some of those interactions will look very different once I know what I'm supposed to be looking for. That alone says something positive about Mary Burchell's writing, because a genuinely incompetent twist would simply make me angry rather than curious.
The eventual hero is also an impressive enough man that the ending has some appeal. He is enormously successful, talented, powerful and considered virtually impossible for any woman to capture, so there is something satisfying about seeing Anthea become the woman who finally reaches him. The final public acknowledgement of their relationship is sweet, and I liked seeing this formidable man visibly happy because of her.
My greater problem is that the book never convinces me strongly enough that these two actually belong together. We aren't given enough insight into an emotional emptiness in his life that Anthea uniquely fills, nor enough development of why her particular qualities overturn his established world. There is potential in the contrast between his cynicism and worldly sophistication and her sincerity and comparative innocence, but it isn't explored deeply enough before the ending.
SPOILERS AHEAD
There is also one episode involving an opera singer from his past that becomes much more troubling once the romantic reveal occurs. His behaviour towards this woman is calculated and deliberately cruel, yet his reasons are never properly explained. If this is the man whose happiness I am supposed to care about, I needed considerably more understanding of what drove him to such spite. Instead, that unresolved incident leaves a large question mark over his character and over how he can supposedly love the heroine and still care enough about an ex lover to treat that woman with such spite.
And I felt rather sorry for Roger, the man the story had apparently been building as the romantic interest. He is thoughtful, kind, emotionally mature and consistently good to Anthea, only to be dismissed remarkably easily once the story decides that her feelings for him were never particularly romantic after all. I didn't find that entirely fair or convincing.
So I still don't really know what to make of Under the Stars of Paris. It was genuinely enjoyable to read, and for most of its length I thought it was an excellent vintage romance. Even the ending wasn't disastrous. It was more a bewildering sense of: Oh. Apparently this is the romance I have been reading.
What I wanted from the ending was the deep satisfaction of seeing two people whose emotional journey I had followed finally earn their happiness together. Instead, I felt as though the book suddenly informed me that I had been following the wrong journey.
I'm giving it 3.7 stars because it was too well written, interesting and enjoyable to rate lower. I am also curious enough to reread it knowing the truth and see whether the clues were really there.
But as a first-time romance reading experience, I can't help feeling a little cheated.
PLOT SUMMARY (CONTAINS SPOILERS)
Anthea is a young Englishwoman whose father has recently remarried. Although her new stepmother makes her feel unwelcome, Anthea expects soon to have a home of her own because she is engaged to a man she loves.
Her fiancé then abruptly tells her that he has fallen in love with someone else and intends to marry the other girl instead.
Heartbroken and uncomfortable remaining in her father's household, Anthea goes to Paris hoping to find work as a governess or teacher. After two unsuccessful months, her money is almost gone and she is struggling to afford food and rent.
While walking through Paris, she unexpectedly encounters Roger, the cousin of the woman her former fiancé is going to marry. Roger, a diplomat, remembers Anthea warmly from an earlier meeting and is delighted to see her, but the connection to her broken engagement makes Anthea uncomfortable and she escapes into a nearby hairdressing salon.
Paris Fashion Week is underway, and the salon is crowded with models. A woman connected with the famous fashion designer Florian notices that Anthea closely resembles an important model who has recently broken her leg. Anthea has the right colouring and figure to substitute for her and is offered an audition.
At Florian's fashion house, Anthea meets Florian himself: a world-famous French designer in his late thirties who is authoritative, demanding and intimidating to his models. He asks Anthea to model the spectacular bridal gown intended as the finale of his new collection and tells her to walk towards him as though she were approaching the man she intends to marry.
Anthea imagines her former fiancé and produces exactly the expression Florian wants. He hires her.
Her first fashion show is a great success, although Anthea is shocked to discover her former fiancé and his new bride-to-be sitting in the audience while she models the bridal gown. Roger is also present.
Afterwards, Roger invites Anthea to dinner. He is kind and perceptive about her situation and even gently offers to lend her money until she receives her first wages. He also tells her that he has experienced heartbreak himself, a fact over which they bond.
Over the following weeks Roger repeatedly seeks Anthea out. He takes her to dinners and social events, supports her through problems at the fashion house and becomes an important source of friendship and emotional reassurance. Through knowing him, Anthea gradually realises that she no longer loves her former fiancé.
Meanwhile, Anthea develops a complicated relationship with Florian as her employer.
One jealous model deliberately tricks Anthea into believing Anthea has permission to borrow a current-season dress for an evening out with Roger. Anthea wears it to a party, only to learn that Florian never permits current designs to be borrowed.
Before she can leave, wine is spilled over the dress and Florian arrives.
Furious, Florian nevertheless takes Anthea aside rather than publicly humiliating or immediately dismissing her. He tears away the damaged portion and rapidly redesigns the dress using material from its skirt so that she can continue wearing it.
When Anthea later explains that another model deliberately deceived her, she refuses to name the culprit. Florian independently tricks the guilty woman into revealing herself. Rather than punishing Anthea, he even gifts her the altered dress, astonishing the other models.
Another important incident occurs when Florian takes Anthea to the opera. Anthea initially believes she is simply modelling a magnificent white fur cape in public for him.
The leading opera singer, Peroni, is rumoured to be Florian's former mistress. She appears on stage wearing an inferior white fur garment, and Anthea realises that Florian has deliberately positioned her in the audience wearing the far more spectacular cape so that Peroni will see it and be humiliated.
Anthea is appalled at being used in his revenge. She removes the cape before Peroni notices and refuses Florian's demand that she put it back on.
Afterwards, Anthea angrily tells Florian that she had thought him a decent man and cannot believe he used her in such a malicious scheme. She becomes tearful, and Florian is unexpectedly affected by the sincerity of her reaction. He never fully explains what happened between himself and Peroni or why he wanted to hurt her.
Anthea nevertheless continues working successfully for him. Florian can be intimidating and demanding, but he repeatedly listens to her explanations, protects her from unfair treatment and occasionally intervenes in difficult situations. Anthea interprets this largely as the behaviour of a formidable but increasingly supportive employer and mentor.
Roger, meanwhile, continues appearing to be the obvious romantic interest. He spends time with Anthea, supports her and openly wants her company.
Eventually Roger proposes that Anthea return to England with him and transfer to a London fashiin house. Anthea is furious at him for making assumptions about her future and argues with him. She is torn at the idea of betraying Florian by leaving his fashion house.
She later confides in Florian that Roger wants her to leave, and is upset Florian doesn't much care. The famous model whose broken leg originally created Anthea's opportunity has recovered, and Florian tells Anthea that she may leave without worrying because the other model can simply resume her old position.
Instead of feeling relieved, Anthea is unexpectedly miserable.
She is more hurt that Florian appears completely unconcerned about losing her, than concerned with being parted from Roger.
Only at this very late stage does Anthea recognise that her attachment to Roger has never developed into romantic love and that the person whose absence she cannot bear is Florian.
She confronts Florian and discovers that he has been in love with her.
The attentions Anthea had interpreted as those of an exacting employer apparently had a much more personal motive, although Florian had kept his feelings deeply concealed.
Anthea realises that she loves him too.
Florian then openly claims her as the woman he wants, including showing his affection in front of the other models. The formidable designer who has always seemed emotionally untouchable finally allows himself to show happiness because Anthea has chosen him.
Roger, despite having apparently occupied the romantic position through most of the story, is left behind as Anthea accepts that her feelings for him were friendship rather than love.
Anthea and Florian end the book together.
Under the Stars of Paris has left me strangely conflicted. For about ninety-five percent of the book, I thought I understood exactly what romance Mary Burchell was writing, and I was thoroughly enjoying it. It was well paced, nicely written and had an immensely sympathetic heroine whose new life in Paris and gradual recovery from heartbreak made for a very enjoyable vintage read. At one point I thought this might reach four and a half stars.
Then, at virtually the last possible moment, the book pulled the romantic rug out from underneath me.
One of the fundamental rules of storytelling, in my opinion, is that if you establish a contract with the reader, you need to fulfil it. If you promise me a pear, you cannot suddenly hand me a pickle. This book spends almost its entire length apparently developing one romantic direction and then, at around ninety-five percent, reveals that I have supposedly been reading a different romance altogether.
I consider myself a fairly experienced reader of subtle vintage romances, and I genuinely didn't see this coming.
What makes this particularly strange is that the apparent romantic interest is very convincingly written as the hero. He seeks Anthea out, persistently spends time with her, supports her when she is struggling, shows concern for her welfare and helps her recover emotionally from the man who broke her heart. Their relationship appears to deepen naturally, and I interpreted Anthea's growing happiness in his company as the development of romantic feelings.
Meanwhile, the eventual direction of the romance is written in a completely different register. There are enough interactions scattered throughout the book that I can now look backwards and wonder whether there were clues I failed to recognise, but at the time I read them as the attentions of a avuncular mentor rather than a man falling in love.
That distinction matters. I don't think a romance should simply tell us at the end that apparently all these earlier actions were romantic. I want to experience the hero's developing feelings while reading: the jealousy, the need to seek the heroine out, the possessiveness, the moments when his normal self-control begins slipping because she matters too much. Here, virtually everything that I instinctively read as romantic came from one man, while the other man's behaviour could easily be interpreted in an entirely non-romantic way.
The heroine herself doesn't help prepare us for the switch. For most of the book, she doesn't appear to think of the eventual hero romantically either. Then, very late indeed, 95%! the emotional interpretation of her relationships suddenly changes. A man whose company she has apparently been enjoying becomes inexplicably less appealing, while her feelings towards somebody else abruptly reveal themselves as love.
It felt less like a romantic revelation than a bait-and-switch.
And yet—surprisingly—I didn't hate it.
There is just enough groundwork that I now want to reread the book knowing the ending and see whether I missed something. Perhaps some of those interactions will look very different once I know what I'm supposed to be looking for. That alone says something positive about Mary Burchell's writing, because a genuinely incompetent twist would simply make me angry rather than curious.
The eventual hero is also an impressive enough man that the ending has some appeal. He is enormously successful, talented, powerful and considered virtually impossible for any woman to capture, so there is something satisfying about seeing Anthea become the woman who finally reaches him. The final public acknowledgement of their relationship is sweet, and I liked seeing this formidable man visibly happy because of her.
My greater problem is that the book never convinces me strongly enough that these two actually belong together. We aren't given enough insight into an emotional emptiness in his life that Anthea uniquely fills, nor enough development of why her particular qualities overturn his established world. There is potential in the contrast between his cynicism and worldly sophistication and her sincerity and comparative innocence, but it isn't explored deeply enough before the ending.
SPOILERS AHEAD
There is also one episode involving an opera singer from his past that becomes much more troubling once the romantic reveal occurs. His behaviour towards this woman is calculated and deliberately cruel, yet his reasons are never properly explained. If this is the man whose happiness I am supposed to care about, I needed considerably more understanding of what drove him to such spite. Instead, that unresolved incident leaves a large question mark over his character and over how he can supposedly love the heroine and still care enough about an ex lover to treat that woman with such spite.
And I felt rather sorry for Roger, the man the story had apparently been building as the romantic interest. He is thoughtful, kind, emotionally mature and consistently good to Anthea, only to be dismissed remarkably easily once the story decides that her feelings for him were never particularly romantic after all. I didn't find that entirely fair or convincing.
So I still don't really know what to make of Under the Stars of Paris. It was genuinely enjoyable to read, and for most of its length I thought it was an excellent vintage romance. Even the ending wasn't disastrous. It was more a bewildering sense of: Oh. Apparently this is the romance I have been reading.
What I wanted from the ending was the deep satisfaction of seeing two people whose emotional journey I had followed finally earn their happiness together. Instead, I felt as though the book suddenly informed me that I had been following the wrong journey.
I'm giving it 3.7 stars because it was too well written, interesting and enjoyable to rate lower. I am also curious enough to reread it knowing the truth and see whether the clues were really there.
But as a first-time romance reading experience, I can't help feeling a little cheated.
PLOT SUMMARY (CONTAINS SPOILERS)
Anthea is a young Englishwoman whose father has recently remarried. Although her new stepmother makes her feel unwelcome, Anthea expects soon to have a home of her own because she is engaged to a man she loves.
Her fiancé then abruptly tells her that he has fallen in love with someone else and intends to marry the other girl instead.
Heartbroken and uncomfortable remaining in her father's household, Anthea goes to Paris hoping to find work as a governess or teacher. After two unsuccessful months, her money is almost gone and she is struggling to afford food and rent.
While walking through Paris, she unexpectedly encounters Roger, the cousin of the woman her former fiancé is going to marry. Roger, a diplomat, remembers Anthea warmly from an earlier meeting and is delighted to see her, but the connection to her broken engagement makes Anthea uncomfortable and she escapes into a nearby hairdressing salon.
Paris Fashion Week is underway, and the salon is crowded with models. A woman connected with the famous fashion designer Florian notices that Anthea closely resembles an important model who has recently broken her leg. Anthea has the right colouring and figure to substitute for her and is offered an audition.
At Florian's fashion house, Anthea meets Florian himself: a world-famous French designer in his late thirties who is authoritative, demanding and intimidating to his models. He asks Anthea to model the spectacular bridal gown intended as the finale of his new collection and tells her to walk towards him as though she were approaching the man she intends to marry.
Anthea imagines her former fiancé and produces exactly the expression Florian wants. He hires her.
Her first fashion show is a great success, although Anthea is shocked to discover her former fiancé and his new bride-to-be sitting in the audience while she models the bridal gown. Roger is also present.
Afterwards, Roger invites Anthea to dinner. He is kind and perceptive about her situation and even gently offers to lend her money until she receives her first wages. He also tells her that he has experienced heartbreak himself, a fact over which they bond.
Over the following weeks Roger repeatedly seeks Anthea out. He takes her to dinners and social events, supports her through problems at the fashion house and becomes an important source of friendship and emotional reassurance. Through knowing him, Anthea gradually realises that she no longer loves her former fiancé.
Meanwhile, Anthea develops a complicated relationship with Florian as her employer.
One jealous model deliberately tricks Anthea into believing Anthea has permission to borrow a current-season dress for an evening out with Roger. Anthea wears it to a party, only to learn that Florian never permits current designs to be borrowed.
Before she can leave, wine is spilled over the dress and Florian arrives.
Furious, Florian nevertheless takes Anthea aside rather than publicly humiliating or immediately dismissing her. He tears away the damaged portion and rapidly redesigns the dress using material from its skirt so that she can continue wearing it.
When Anthea later explains that another model deliberately deceived her, she refuses to name the culprit. Florian independently tricks the guilty woman into revealing herself. Rather than punishing Anthea, he even gifts her the altered dress, astonishing the other models.
Another important incident occurs when Florian takes Anthea to the opera. Anthea initially believes she is simply modelling a magnificent white fur cape in public for him.
The leading opera singer, Peroni, is rumoured to be Florian's former mistress. She appears on stage wearing an inferior white fur garment, and Anthea realises that Florian has deliberately positioned her in the audience wearing the far more spectacular cape so that Peroni will see it and be humiliated.
Anthea is appalled at being used in his revenge. She removes the cape before Peroni notices and refuses Florian's demand that she put it back on.
Afterwards, Anthea angrily tells Florian that she had thought him a decent man and cannot believe he used her in such a malicious scheme. She becomes tearful, and Florian is unexpectedly affected by the sincerity of her reaction. He never fully explains what happened between himself and Peroni or why he wanted to hurt her.
Anthea nevertheless continues working successfully for him. Florian can be intimidating and demanding, but he repeatedly listens to her explanations, protects her from unfair treatment and occasionally intervenes in difficult situations. Anthea interprets this largely as the behaviour of a formidable but increasingly supportive employer and mentor.
Roger, meanwhile, continues appearing to be the obvious romantic interest. He spends time with Anthea, supports her and openly wants her company.
Eventually Roger proposes that Anthea return to England with him and transfer to a London fashiin house. Anthea is furious at him for making assumptions about her future and argues with him. She is torn at the idea of betraying Florian by leaving his fashion house.
She later confides in Florian that Roger wants her to leave, and is upset Florian doesn't much care. The famous model whose broken leg originally created Anthea's opportunity has recovered, and Florian tells Anthea that she may leave without worrying because the other model can simply resume her old position.
Instead of feeling relieved, Anthea is unexpectedly miserable.
She is more hurt that Florian appears completely unconcerned about losing her, than concerned with being parted from Roger.
Only at this very late stage does Anthea recognise that her attachment to Roger has never developed into romantic love and that the person whose absence she cannot bear is Florian.
She confronts Florian and discovers that he has been in love with her.
The attentions Anthea had interpreted as those of an exacting employer apparently had a much more personal motive, although Florian had kept his feelings deeply concealed.
Anthea realises that she loves him too.
Florian then openly claims her as the woman he wants, including showing his affection in front of the other models. The formidable designer who has always seemed emotionally untouchable finally allows himself to show happiness because Anthea has chosen him.
Roger, despite having apparently occupied the romantic position through most of the story, is left behind as Anthea accepts that her feelings for him were friendship rather than love.
Anthea and Florian end the book together.
April 4, 2012
Mary Burchell is one of my stand by authors that I can read over and over again. I'm not sure how many times I've read this one but it's lovely and I never get bored with it.
Anthea, the heroine, is still stunned from being dumped by her fiancé a couple of months prior to the start of the book. Her father has remarried to a woman who doesn't want her around so she goes to Paris to make a fresh start which doesn't work out.
Until the day she uses her last few francs for a hairdo and is spotted by a woman who works for the great clothes designer Florian. They need a particular type to replace a model with a broken leg only a few days before a major show.
Anthea is drawn into this new world and intrigued by Florian, the slight, rather world weary designer. Nothing at all like the modern alpha males we are used to seeing.
She is also befriended by Roger Senloe, the cousin of the woman who is to marry Anthea's ex. He is a charming and friendly Englishman who makes her life in Paris a happy one.
Anthea, the heroine, is still stunned from being dumped by her fiancé a couple of months prior to the start of the book. Her father has remarried to a woman who doesn't want her around so she goes to Paris to make a fresh start which doesn't work out.
Until the day she uses her last few francs for a hairdo and is spotted by a woman who works for the great clothes designer Florian. They need a particular type to replace a model with a broken leg only a few days before a major show.
Anthea is drawn into this new world and intrigued by Florian, the slight, rather world weary designer. Nothing at all like the modern alpha males we are used to seeing.
She is also befriended by Roger Senloe, the cousin of the woman who is to marry Anthea's ex. He is a charming and friendly Englishman who makes her life in Paris a happy one.
December 8, 2011
The book was a good read. i enjoyed it and the love was quite unexpected from the chosen couple. Again I applaud Mary Burchell for her choice of character and the very subtle love that stems from understanding and respect.
Anthea, who has only fifty bucks left, by chance gets at being a model after being dumped by her ex-fiance. Florian is the designer who hardly shows his feeling to anyone beside being angry but he shows kindness to Anthea although not very gentle. I actually love how Mary Burchell portrays her characters love for each other. no 'i love you because i lust so powerfully for you' is the kind of love that makes her book stand above all others.
Anthea, who has only fifty bucks left, by chance gets at being a model after being dumped by her ex-fiance. Florian is the designer who hardly shows his feeling to anyone beside being angry but he shows kindness to Anthea although not very gentle. I actually love how Mary Burchell portrays her characters love for each other. no 'i love you because i lust so powerfully for you' is the kind of love that makes her book stand above all others.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 11, 2021
A vintage harlequin romance showcasing a Parisian fashion where models were called mannequins parading around during fashion week. I really enjoyed this book. I love that the author kept the reader guessing where the HEA would fall. It was more of a 4 star slow burn read but the characters read well even after so much time which is remarkable since this book was written in 1954.
June 9, 2009
Ah, a romance from my youth! I would read it again with a smile. To be wooed by a rich and charming man . . . the stuff daydreams are made of when you're young. I like this author's characterizations. Her books are charming fantasies without pretension.
August 30, 2019
A lovely romance set in beautiful Paris among amazing designer dresses. Dazzling in every way. The heroine is beautiful with a lovely nature, and the hero is complicated but adorable. A perfect comfort read.
April 18, 2021
Pleasant and undemanding, exactly the sort of book I think my grandmother would have loved reading back when it was published. Bonus points (I guess?) for having a love triangle where I genuinely couldn't figure out the hero.
November 8, 2019
Always a fan of Mary Burchell
My first Mary Burchell was A Song Begins and I've tried to read as many as possible. Her stories are gentle and interesting.
My first Mary Burchell was A Song Begins and I've tried to read as many as possible. Her stories are gentle and interesting.
February 14, 2026
Thoroughly enjoyed this one. It was delightful.
The Hero ended up being slightly surprising, for reasons I will expound on later.
Backstory is: Heroine is an English girl whose beloved, widowed famous artist father has remarried to a woman who has made it clear that h is not really welcome in their home. At the same time, her ex-fiancee dumped her for a friend named Eve.
Heroine decided to move to Paris and see if she could make a life for herself there, but at the time of the book had not found a job and was down to her last 50 francs.
She runs into an attractive English stranger one morning who turns out to be an acquaintance who is unfortunately the cousin of Eve, the woman who stole her ex-fiancee. So not an auspicious beginning, but they get over it.
Later that day the h uses her last 50 francs to get her hair cut/done at a fancy beauty salon, where a woman connected with a famous fashion designer, The Great Florian (I think that's his name right? lol) notices her and that she closely resembles a "mannequin" (i.e. our modern idea of fashion model) who had to leave work, and that all the clothes designed for her would look great on h.
So h comes out of this beauty salon with a brand spanking new job.
Her first day of work, she meets The Great Florian, who turns out to be, let me consult my notes, a "slight, fair-haired man with beautiful hands, thinning hair, and the air of an exhausted and impatient schoolboy." This entire design studio belongs to him.
Anyhow, [spoilers ahead], instead of the handsome semi-stranger being the H, it's the beautiful-handed, balding, skinny impatient schoolboy man who ends up capturing the h's heart.
I KNOW!
So the rest of the story unfolds with h not really knowing much about anything, but doing her best to be the best mannequin possible while navigating the hazards of the fashion industry, jealous conniving coworkers, evil OW, etc.
I found it fun because of the bait-and-switch thing with the hero being not the square-jawed tall handsome musclebound man, but the balding small fashion designer with a petulant air when he's crossed lol.
I felt a lot of call-backs to Georgette Heyer's heroes with their deceptively mild appearances. A lovely romance with the addition of being a time capsule of a very specific time and place in history.
The Hero ended up being slightly surprising, for reasons I will expound on later.
Backstory is: Heroine is an English girl whose beloved, widowed famous artist father has remarried to a woman who has made it clear that h is not really welcome in their home. At the same time, her ex-fiancee dumped her for a friend named Eve.
Heroine decided to move to Paris and see if she could make a life for herself there, but at the time of the book had not found a job and was down to her last 50 francs.
She runs into an attractive English stranger one morning who turns out to be an acquaintance who is unfortunately the cousin of Eve, the woman who stole her ex-fiancee. So not an auspicious beginning, but they get over it.
Later that day the h uses her last 50 francs to get her hair cut/done at a fancy beauty salon, where a woman connected with a famous fashion designer, The Great Florian (I think that's his name right? lol) notices her and that she closely resembles a "mannequin" (i.e. our modern idea of fashion model) who had to leave work, and that all the clothes designed for her would look great on h.
So h comes out of this beauty salon with a brand spanking new job.
Her first day of work, she meets The Great Florian, who turns out to be, let me consult my notes, a "slight, fair-haired man with beautiful hands, thinning hair, and the air of an exhausted and impatient schoolboy." This entire design studio belongs to him.
Anyhow, [spoilers ahead], instead of the handsome semi-stranger being the H, it's the beautiful-handed, balding, skinny impatient schoolboy man who ends up capturing the h's heart.
I KNOW!
So the rest of the story unfolds with h not really knowing much about anything, but doing her best to be the best mannequin possible while navigating the hazards of the fashion industry, jealous conniving coworkers, evil OW, etc.
I found it fun because of the bait-and-switch thing with the hero being not the square-jawed tall handsome musclebound man, but the balding small fashion designer with a petulant air when he's crossed lol.
I felt a lot of call-backs to Georgette Heyer's heroes with their deceptively mild appearances. A lovely romance with the addition of being a time capsule of a very specific time and place in history.
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