Three Weeks in Paris

by Barbara Taylor Bradford

During three eventful weeks in Paris, four friends visit old haunts, rekindle ties, and awaken in each other the sense of wonder, adventure, and possibilities they had shared so long ago. As students at the prestigious Anya Sedgwick School of Decorative Arts in Paris, Alexandra Gordon, Kay Lenox, Jessica Pierce and Maria Franconi share the challenges and excitement of developing their artistic talents to the fullest under Sedgwick's caring and demanding guidance. But once best friends, they part enemies, and after graduation they go their separate ways, pursuing careers and establishing lives in different corners of the world. Alexandra, a set designer, becomes a leading figure in New York's theatre world. Kay, who marries and moves to Scotland, designs a successful line of clothing. Jessica, an interior designer, makes her home in California, while Maria returns to her native Italy, where she continues to work in her family's textile business. For each of them, the arrival of an invitation to Paris to celebrate Anya Sedgwick's eighty-fifth birthday stirs up complicated nostalgic memories are coloured by poignant regrets and the reluctance to revisit their own pasts mixes with curiosity about the other women. It is ultimately their desire to deal with unfinished business that convinces all of them to attend the party. During three eventful weeks in Paris, they visit their old haunts, rekindle ties, and awaken in each other the sense of wonder, adventure, and possibilities they had shared so long ago.

Genres: Romance, Fiction, Chick Lit, Contemporary, Adult Fiction, France, Adult

444 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2002

About the author

Barbara Taylor Bradford was a British-American best-selling novelist. Her debut novel, A Woman of Substance, was published in 1979 and sold over 30 million copies worldwide. She wrote 40 novels, all bestsellers in the United Kingdom and the United States.

Reviews

[Rebecca · Rating 1 out of 5]

I decided to give some 'chick-lit' another try (with the hopes for a romantic story set in Paris) and found myself strengthening, not only my resolve never to read such trite nonsense, but also, my eyes, as I rolled them continuously with the reading.

[Tiina · Rating 1 out of 5]

Gosh, what a disappointment. I wanted to finish reading the book because I seem to remember liking one or two books by her before.

But here: everyone was incredibly beautiful, successful, talented, and well-to-do. Absolutely madly in love, or super tragically disappointed in love. Everything was exquisite and fabulous. What a load of gushing! Not an ounce of reality anywhere. I like to read to go to a different place, but this is not the place I want to be! Thank goodness this is now done!

[Pam M · Rating 2 out of 5]

My first Bradford book, and what a letdown. I picked up this book expecting a romantic love story against the backdrop of beautiful Paris, but I was disappointed. It is about 4 friends who had a falling out and who then got invited to the 85th birthday party of their teacher 7 years after. Readers will find out what caused the fight and will see these 4 reunite. The story was rather flat and the ending anticlimactic.

[KJ · Rating 3 out of 5]

I gave it three stars as it was very good as an audio book. The narrator is amazing! The story itself - meh. Half the time I was scoffing at the spoiled characters who were just soooo miserable with their perfect lives and the fact that they never had to want for anything once (well, outside of one of the characters who was the only one you really felt had feet on the ground at one time). On the other hand I was enjoying the 'escape from reality' that the story offered. It was a kind of 'how the other half lives.' The matronly character in all this is a kind of wealthy hippie who loves everybody including everyone in her extended family. The story got a ding right there when it went on and on about her extended family (whose characters never make another appearance in the whole book - so was that much detail really necessary?). And the matronly character just loved them all. Bullshit. No one loves everyone in their extended family. But it was total fluff and kept me entertained on long car rides home. I would never actually read the book but the audio book was great.

[Emilia Marzouk · Rating 4 out of 5]

The book three weeks in Paris is about four young women who once went to the same school in Paris. It was a prestigious art school owned by a beloved woman called Anya Sedgwick. These four girls with he names Jessica, Alexandra, Kay and Maria were Anya's favorite students of all years. The four bestfriends were were amzingly talented, each one in her own personal way.
Unfortuanately the quartet had a bad quarrel a while before their graduation from Anya Sedgwicks School of Decorative Arts, Design and Couture. They all left Paris and started their new lives.

Alexandra Gordon had a problem in doing so. When she was in Paris, she was together with the perfect guy. Tom Conners. But he ended their relationship because of some issues in his past that he couldn't stop thinking about. Now, seven years later, Alexandra had found a new boyfriend, Jack, that wanted to marry her but she wasn't over Tom so she couldn't decide.


Jessica Pierce also found it hard to move on. While in Paris she had a great relationship with a guy that she really loved named Lucien Girard. They were planning for their future together and they decided to get married. Then suddenly, Lucien disappeared and Jessica never heared from him again. They never found his body, so she never knew if he was dead or what could have happened to him. Now, seven years later, she had a boyfriend too. His name was Gary Stennis and he was an alcoholic and sometimes he used drugs. Their relationship didn't last long at all.


Kay Lennox didn't have any trouble moving on with her life after graduating in Paris. She found a great guy that she married. His name was Ian and he was the heir of the Andrews family and she became known as Lady Andrews.


Maria Franconi also moved on easily, but without a boyfriend. She was a big fan of cooking and she would usually invite her brother Fabrizio or some of her friends over for lunch.



One day, they all got an invitation to Anya's 85th birthday party in Paris. None of them had been to Paris lately and they were all nervous about going back to the city that would light up all the memories and in Jessica's case open up some old wounds that she barely has overcome. But they had to go. They didn't want to let Anya down.



They all went to Paris early in order to do some unfinished buisness in their designing cariers. They al planned for staying about three weeks. Anya knew that they all were in Paris and so, she wanted to end the quarrel that has been between them for seven years. She invited them all over for a drink and so they all sorted their problems out.

Jessica also got to know that Lucien was still alive but that his real name was Jean-Beauvais-Cresse and she went over to his place to get an explanation to why he had disappeared. Maria and Nicky , who is Anya's great nephew from her second husband started a relationship. Alexandra met up with Tom Conners and she knew that she wasn't over him and he told her that he had moved on from his issues and they got engaged the evening of Anya's party. Jessica became involved with a friend of hers called Mark and Kay's husband Ian came to Paris to go with her to the party.

Anya was so happy when she saw her four favorite students happy together again with their handsome men walking towards her during the party.


I liked the book because it had many mysterious surprises and it had a happy ending. It had very many descriptions but it was fun to read. I would recommend it to 16+ :)

[Angie · Rating 1 out of 5]

What a disappointing book. 4 friends who return to Paris for their mentor's birthday - one cannot get over a long ago love to find happiness now, another who can't get pregnant and thinks her husband will leave because of this, another who pines over a love who disappeared and found a new life and the last whose brother tells her she is too fat and shouldn't go to see her old friends. Really - is this the best she can come up with? What a crock!!!

[Jennielou · Rating 2 out of 5]

A Romance with many characters and mini stories. At one point the description reminded me of Nancy Drew, not sure why. My daughters would call this one a bathtub book. No great loss if it fallS in.

[Tamara · Rating 3 out of 5]

Het is dat ik wilde weten hoe het afliep en daarom het boek heb uitgelezen, maar eigenlijk is het een vrij oppervlakkig verhaal, doorspekt van enigszins ouderwetse opvattingen over vrouwen en hun uiterlijk.

[Kristi · Rating 2 out of 5]

The narrator did a good job taking on different voices and accents. The story was only mildly interesting. The plot moved too slowly, it was too obvious, and (usually) too cheesy.

However, I decided I really enjoy listening to audiobooks in the car!

[Redfox5 · Rating 3 out of 5]

Typical chick lit and I don't mean that in a bad way.

Four ex friends are invited to the 85th Birthday party of their favourite teacher in Paris. They all lead different lives but none of them are entirely happy. They are all nervous about seeing each other again but agree to leave the past in the past.

This leads me to my first issue with the book, the fall out. It was made into this massive thing and it turns out, it's not really anything and they all make up pretty much immediately.

I also didn't like that Alex had accepted to be Jack's fiancee, then hooks up with her ex in Paris (the one that got away, one true love etc) and then Jack is never mentioned again. I feel like there should have been a scene where she breaks up with him.

But other than that, this is a good escapism read and the pages fly by.

[Hannah Polley · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is about 4 women who were friends at college but then fell out and went their respective ways. Years later they are invited back to a birthday party for one of their teachers and have to face each other again.

I enjoyed the book and it was a quick, easy read. However, the feud didn't live up to expectations and neither did the reveal of Lucien's whereabouts. Also, all 4 women felt very samey to me. They weren't distinct characters.

Definitely a holiday read.

[Willa · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is probably something I would have never read on my own. But thanks to it being a bookclub pick with one of my 3 book clubs, I read it and truly enjoyed it. I'm not sure what I think of the forced old issue resolution per Anya's wishes. I had trouble thinking conversation was believable for 30+ year olds at first, but once they started talking to each other and started listening, it did become a bit more believable.

[Jorah · Rating 2 out of 5]

Read only for the setting (Paris). No real substance, all a bunch of fluff.

[Sidna · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book was a disappointment. I expect more than the typical romance novel from this author, but sadly, that is all this book is.

Bradford is the queen of superlatives. Clothes, settings, furniture, and food are described in great detail. I wonder if the author really wanted to be an interior designer since she loves to describe the fabrics used in upholstery and draperies, the paintings, and other decorations in every room. Of course, everything is very tasteful and expensive. The four young women in the book met years earlier at a school in Paris. Seven years after their graduation they are invited back to Paris to celebrate the 85th birthday of the woman who ran the school. They all have trepidations about returning because of a falling out shortly before graduation.

Of course, all four are absolutely beautiful and fabulously successful in their chosen fields. They also have money to burn. All their blouses are made of silk and they drink enough champagne to keep a French vintner in business. They men they are with are all extremely handsome. Bradford usually includes at least one sex scene in each of her novels. I wish she would not. I don't mind reading a sex scene in a book, but hers make me uncomfortable. The coup de gras that lets you know that a couple is meant to be together is that they climax at the same time when they are having sex. I guess if that doesn't happen for you, you are with the wrong person.

The reason for the four women falling out is finally explained at the end of the book and it is pretty trite, especially when it is the explanation as to why the women who were close friends did not speak to each other or return to Paris for seven years. There is also a mystery in the book that is quickly solved.

One of the four women is pretty fully drawn, two are less so, and the fourth might just as well not have been in the book. Little time is spent on her story and it is easily resolved.

From Bradford's past novels, I expected more depth than this book provided.

[Bolortuya · Rating 2 out of 5]

I read this little novel because one writer on youtube workshop recommended her books as a romantic novel that are better and different than others. But from the beginning this book was not that impressive, but continued it anyway as wanting to know what would happen at the end. Just like Hollywood movies, everything ends well and happy (too good to be true). There are some unexpected surprises, but overall all so predictable and plus unconvincing.

But her vocabulary was good though, as she used all thise fancy words which normally one wouldn't come across in mainstream fictions. She is way too descriptive, tells too much details of every single movement and gesture of the people in the scene.

The onky thing I liked about this book is that it has a lot of information, description, places and restaurants ., ect in Paris. And that made me want to go again to Paris and rediscover it.

I actually want to give just one star, but then, well, it entertained me somewhat and -yes - Paris was well-described, therefore INVITING!

[Charlotte · Rating 2 out of 5]

I picked this up as an audio book, and wasn't very impressed from the beginning, but I was in the car and ended up being curious enough for the outcome to hear it out. The four main characters had attended the same fashion design school in Paris and their close friendship was broken up by a quarrel. They return 7 years later to attend the 85th birthday celebration of the headmistress of the school, and each with a separate agenda. I didn't find the characters very realistic, and thought way to much emphasis was given on their stunning good looks, outrageously expensive fashionable clothes, perfect personalities, brilliant careers, and handsome boyfriends.

[Manuela · Rating 1 out of 5]

Lo spunto poteva anche sembrare interessante, ma lo svolgimento non mi ha soddisfatto per niente. Vicende e personaggi sono poco approfonditi, i protagonisti sembrano abbiano personalità tagliate con l'accetta, senza una sfumatura, che li rende inevitabilmente poco verosimili. Questa autrice d'altronde naviga tra alti e bassi, non è costante nella qualità dei suoi romanzi, e questo decisamente è uno di quelli meno riusciti. Se volete leggere qualcosa di suo ben più coinvolgente e appassionante, vi consiglio "Un segreto è per sempre" e la saga di Emma Harte.

[Suzi Andrade · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was ok. It was pretty predictable and everything is wrapped up in a little bow at the end. I had expected more from the book - I don't usually read romance authors, but this one sounded more like a mystery about what caused four friends to fall apart. The reason, once you finally get to it, is less than interesting. I gave it three stars instead of two because I had the audiobook and the narrator did a great job of it, except for the few parts when it sounded like she'd been reading a bit too long and was getting dry-mouthed...

[Robyn Gray · Rating 2 out of 5]

I really did not enjoy this book. The plot resulted in everything having a very corny happy ending - one character loses 50 pounds and poof! her life is all better. The writing felt quite forced, with "you see" in every single sentence and a ton of unnecessary adjectives ("suddenly" seems to be a key theme). However, I did enjoy the fact that there were numerous plots to follow and it was easy to see the relationships between each character.

[Pauline · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have always enjoyed Barbara Taylor Bradford from the very first book I read by her many years ago. This was enjoyable as well, and I liked being able to relate to the areas in Paris that I have visited.

[Amy White · Rating 1 out of 5]

I hated it. Every character is beautiful, wealthy, successful, talented. Several are even royal. Everything is FABULOUS. Plus, all four characters fall madly in love in with someone just as perfect, all within the same three weeks. Cotton candy, bubble gum, fluff.

[Jenelle · Rating 1 out of 5]

This book was so dumb. I expected it to be escapist trash, but it wasn't even well-written escapist trash.

[Diane Stultz · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a cute little story. Although this author has written many books, this was the first one that I have read by her. The characters are fun and easy to relate to.
The premise is that seven years after graduation from the Anya Sedgwick School of Decorative Arts, Design, and Couture in Paris, 4 former coeds who were once friends, receive an invitation to the 85th birthday party of Anya herself. Although these successful women loved Anya Sedgwick and owed their careers to her, each of them, for different reasons, were hesitant to accept the invitation.
The story dives into the background and current states of the four women. All of them are scattered throughout the world and have not been in contact with one another since graduation. An intense argument caused the once best friends to not speak to each other over the years. Feelings were hurt and everyone went back home with no resolution.
Each of the four women were hesitant to accept the invitation in spite of the fact that they loved Anya and owed their successful careers to her. There were loves left behind, and fiancés that disappeared into thin air. Each woman had her own reason and demons they did not want to face. All of the women do eventually decide to make the trip. In fact, most of them decide to make it a three-week holiday. The story unfolds from there. Some mysteries are solved, some romances are rekindled, there are new romances, and new understandings. The lynchpin is dear Anya herself.
This was a quick read with no unbearable or hateful characters and little drama to keep it interesting.

[Rachel Kennel · Rating 1 out of 5]

I really should’ve DNFd this book because it was such a waste of time.

There is barely a plot except for four women had a falling out and when you finally find out why it’s… because of a misunderstanding over a guy. Seriously?? There were also random history lessons throughout that seemed so out of place in the story.

This is not a book that aged well. One characters entire personality seemed to be based around her being fat and losing weight, and it’s the only thing the other characters could focus on. But lucky her, as soon as she gets thin she gets her dream guy and dream job.

TW: There was also a story of child rape?? Honestly if I had known that would be in the book I wouldn’t have picked it up in the first place.

Anya’s character spends the whole book thinking about how Alexa was her favorite student of all time, then suddenly when all four girls are together and talking about jealousy she is concerned that she was viewed as playing favorites??? Probably because you did play favorites!

Speaking of Alexa, she has been pining after this man for years, then as soon as they see each other again all their problems are solved and they are back together just like that.

All the women are successful, rich, and beautiful. And that’s apparently all that matters.

[Diana · Rating 2 out of 5]

To say I was disappointed would be too kind. While I am fine with sappy love stories, and entitled characters, and even with the ridiculous notion that everything ends happily for everyone...I am not fine with horrible writing. The stories flew forward with very little thought given to actually building true characters, conversations were fluffy, stilted and unbelievable. The way she attempted to convey thought process made each persons mind the same, and made them all seem the most surface of people. The incredible weight loss story of one woman would have been a fantastic opportunity to delve into a really difficult journey, instead it was brushed over as if it hadn't happened. The way we learned about all the heart wrenching events of the past, each time they were spoken about as if these things barely caused any emotion....I had wanted a light romance, instead I found a book rife with terrible writing, unbelievable characters, and and a rushed storyline, and barely a thought to the setting of Paris.

[Debby · Rating 4 out of 5]

Anya Sedgwick runs an elite artistic school in Paris and the class of 2004 included four very talented young women who were very close throughout their three years of school until something happened just before graduation and they each went their separate ways. Now seven years later, extremely successful in their respective fields, they all return for Anya's 85th birthday party, and to resolve issues. Anya forces them to discuss the falling out, and friendships are renewed as each finds/rekindles the loves of their lives.

I somehow have never read a Bradford before and was pleasantly surprised. I loved the French history/language/and culture that figured prominently in the story, and each of the "girls" stories were believable and heart wrenching. Not squeaky clean, but mostly clean.

[Theresa · Rating 3 out of 5]

Four girls from a variety of countries met together when they were studying Design, Photography, Fashion & Art in Paris, France. They were young and full of expectations about their future careers. Sadly their female quarrels grew so much that after graduation, they all went their separate ways! Until seven years later fancy invitations requested their attendance at their esteemed teacher's 85th birthday party! So Three Weeks in Paris, opened up the boxes of their current lives into love, passion, fear, self-doubt and will these lovely women be able to renew their friendships and trust of each other. There were mysteries everywhere .... that was interesting, but sadly when I came to the last chapter, each woman's future felt a bit flat, but still a relaxing read.

[Kamilla · Rating 2 out of 5]

Primeiro romance que eu leio de Barbara Taylor Bradford e senti muita falta de uma tensão real, no decorrer da história as quatro poderiam, em determinado momento, ter se fundido em uma só que teria feito pouca diferença, nenhum conflito foi aprofundado e tudo de interessante foi resolvido fora das páginas ou com bastante facilidade para ter causado o drama que causou a princípio, principalmente a briga das quatro.

No final das contas e um livro sobre pessoas magras, elegantes e ricas indo a lugares elegantes, exclusivos e caros e resolvendo problemas que poderiam ter sido resolvido com bastante facilidade se as pessoas sentassem e conversassem como pessoas racionais, o título da história deveria ter sido 'white people problems' que funcionaria bem mais.

[Jayant · Rating 5 out of 5]

Reading Three weeks in Paris has made me understood and made my belief even stronger about how life is distorted for everyone. Life is not perfect for anyone. As long as we have some bonafide people, and there are very few of them. Life is much better and prosperous.

A story of four friends who studied different forms of art in Paris, once very close with each other and later separated because of unwanted misunderstandings. How they come back on the trajectory of friendship is marvellous.

The story ends happily, albeit after a period of struggles.

Barbara! 85 and yet writing with the same charm, grace and elegance.

[Angie Todd · Rating 5 out of 5]

“Three Weeks In Paris” by Barbara Taylor Bradford was a lovely novel! I believe it’s my first time reading this Author’s work and I found her to be a delightful storyteller. I think I picked up this book originally because I had spent a week in Paris years ago and the memories sparked my interest. This book is based on the lives of 4 women who shared a past and connection with their beloved teacher, in Paris. Filled with intrigue, shaded and hurtful pasts, break-ups, beginning and closures to old wounds, woven beautifully together by the Author’s great attention to details, this was an enjoyable read, a page turner. I look forward to reading more from this Author. ~Angie❤️