Eight Weeks in Paris

by S.R. Lane

Lost novel of Bell Epoque Paris, The Throne , comes to the silver screen with an A-list cast. But will on-set drama doom the filming of this gay love story before it starts?

Nicholas Madden is one of the best actors of his generation. His personal life is consistently a shambles, but he'll always have his art—and The Throne is going to be his legacy.

Then his costar walks off the runway and into rehearsal. The role of a lifetime is about to be sunk by a total amateur.

Chris Lavalle is out, gorgeous and totally green. He has thousands of Instagram followers, a string of gorgeous exes and more ad campaigns to his name than one can count. But he’s more than just a pretty face, and T he Throne is his chance to prove it.

If only Nicholas wasn’t a belligerent jerk with a chip on his shoulder and a face carved by the gods.

Eight weeks of filming, eight weeks of 24/7 togetherness bring Nicholas and Chris closer than the producers had dared to dream. Chemistry? So very much not a problem. But as The Throne gets set to wrap and real life comes calling, they’ll have to rewrite the ending of another love their own.

Carina Adores is home to romantic love stories where LGBTQ+ characters find their happily-ever-afters.

Genres: Romance, LGBT, Contemporary, M M Romance, Contemporary Romance, Fiction, Queer

320 pages, Paperback

First published June 7, 2022

About the author

S. R. Lane lives in Paris, where she alternates between teaching high school English and strolling from bookstore to bookstore, looking for more books to add to her already-towering shelves. After studying Shakespeare, gender, and sexuality at the Sorbonne, she fell in love with romance and romance scholarship. She is especially drawn to queer love stories, messy characters with a sense of agency, a strong setting, and a truly deserved HEA.

Reviews

[Anniek · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love when it pays off to take a chance on a book. I was just wondering when I'd find a new romance to obsess over, like The Charm Offensive last year, and I think this will be this year's God Tier Romance. I was just SO invested!

To be honest I am, in general, a huge sucker for any book with famous main characters, and it was just so well done here. We have Famous Actor, Nicholas, who's such a huge grump that he's known as The Big Bad Wolf of Hollywood. And we have Famous Model/Influencer, Christian. They are co-stars in a movie adaptation of a long lost queer classic novel, and Nicholas does not think Christian is up to the task, since he has no acting experience. But then they start rehearsing and he's like: OH.

One thing that makes me SO invested when I'm reading a romance is a good amount of yearning, especially when the writing style matches it. And this book's writing style is sort of reminiscent of a historical romance in all the good ways.

I'm a little surprised that I'm the first person to really review this and that I haven't seen more hype around this, because it deserves it so much! I absolutely adored it.

[Mariah · Rating 5 out of 5]

ARC provided by the publisher via NetGalley.

Oh, so you’re expecting me to actually talk about this book? Well, that seems rude but okay I guess.

This is a hard book to recommend. Please don’t misunderstand, I say it’s hard to recommend not through any fault of its own but because it’s akin to offering someone a piece of my heart for judgment, to be weighed and have the possibility of being found wanting. It feels like exposing a raw nerve, and if I ever directly recommend this book to you please know that means I trust you with the tenderest and most vulnerable parts of me.

“Eight Weeks In Paris” takes us to the City of Lights just as production is about to start on the long awaited movie adaptation of the novel ‘The Throne’, a Queer story from the Belle Époque with a cult following for its rare and cherished (though fraught and hard won) hopeful tone.

Nicholas “The Big Bad Wolf of Hollywood” Madden, A-list actor, 2 Golden Globes, Closeted.
Christian Lavalle, model, 1.5M instagram followers, out and proud French hearthrob.
In short, a recipe for disaster you won’t want to miss.

This book was very personal for me. Not only did I see myself in Nicholas and Chris both but the nostalgia of my beloved Paris was almost too much for me. Set in the Grands Boulevards, a place I have called Home at multiple times in my life, this could’ve gone very much awry if it hadn’t been written, quite clearly, by someone who lives or has lived in Paris.

I was drawn in from the first. With beautiful prose, cutting insight into the human condition and so much heart, this was a truly stunning debut for S. R. Lane. I find myself in that Mr. Knightley conundrum of “if I loved it less I could talk about it more.”

“Eight Weeks In Paris” by S.R. Lane is out today! Thank you Carina Press for one of my favorite reads of the year, and you can bet I bought myself a physical copy.

[Jane (whatjanereads) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Actual rating: 4,5 stars

A lost novel, a queer historical love story between two men, a forbidden romance. A bold choice to make it into a movie, there are more and more queer stories now, but a big buget adaption is still not very common yet.
Nicholas, a notorious American actor, known as the Big bad Wolf of Hollywood, famous for his moods and his bad temper is set to play the main role in it.
As his characters love interest, a young French Instagram model is cast. Nicholas is not pleased to hear that one of his favourite books should be adapted with an inexperienced actor like that, much less his direct opposite. Nicholas is a professional and expects nothing less but perfection.
He instantly dislikes Chris.
He is charming, cheerful…and openly out and proud. Everything Nicholas is not.
But the more the two men work together, the more the epic romance unfurls, the more the lines start to blur.

This was written in such a beautiful and poetic kind of way, I wasn’t able to put it down.
I loved how we slowly got to get to know both Nicholas and Chris, they both had so much more depth to them then everyone thinks from the first glance and everything the press writes about them.
Both dive deep into their movie characters and I loved how their own relationship development and their discussions change their opinion and vision of the movies characters.
I loved how their own experience and relationship development fit that of the movie scenes that were shot.
I loved the way Nicholas’s own thoughts and feelings changed.
The yearning!!! I love a good slow burn!
They were so sweet together.

I loved the little chapters with the fan discussions online. They were hilarious, but also showed how the public mostly knows nothing about what’s really happening behind closed doors.
Celebrity news and paparazzi are mostly disgusting, making money from creating drama and dissecting peoples private lives.
Being closeted and famous at the same time must be hell.
I also loved how realistic this was. There are more and more openly out celebrities and more queer characters on shows and movies. But sometimes it just feels like we live in this cute, queer bubble. Because the percentage compared to big budget and big money earning straight movies and stars is very low in reality. Openly out actors have to fight to get jobs that will earn them an award, they WILL get declined by producers.

I loved the way the story develops and also the conclusion.
It was a very intense and romantic read.
I think this one is absolutely for people who enjoyed RWRB or The charm offensive.

[yaishin · Rating 4 out of 5]

is it just me or did Nicholas Madden's personality do a 180 after the first few chapters😭.

i loved the drama at the end. the actualy writing though felt very sparse to me. like as if trying to make the book smaller i guess? could've done without that.

[Kristel (hungryandhappy) · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved it!

The writing is very poetic and it shines. In my eyes this was so very romantic, with heartbreak and heartdoubt, hearthope, heart everything. It was emotional in a way I'm not used to. This is an unconventional love story. Talked in gestures, body language, the little things. And it’s not as linear as one might hope. They don't kiss and everything grows from that, with one or two obstacles along the way. The journey is bumpy, full of back and forth, but it's worth every second, every push and pull, and every smile that feels just right, no matter how long it takes to get to it.

The book is about famous actor Nicholas, who is very temperamental, is closeted, and is acting as the lead in the adaptation of one of his favourite books, a book he holds dear. He wants perfection and he fears he won't get it when the role of his lover is given to french model and influencer, Chris, who is young and inexperienced. Little did Nicholas know that working with Chris and getting to know him will not only bring them closer, but it will change the way he looks at the characters of the book and it will change himself as well. They will open up to each other and explore who they are in front of people and who they are behind closed doors, where every vulnerability gets out and fears can't be hidden. They both have much to lose, and things aren't as easy as one may think, but what if it was? What if it was simple?

I didn't expect to love this book as much as I did. I don't know how to explain it.

[tara · Rating 5 out of 5]

i'm..... confused why this book isn't getting any hype and have so little review/ratings???????

THIS WAS SO GOOOOOD

i'm in love with Nicholas Madden. i love how he's always blunt and honest, i love how BIG he went out.

i also love seeing Chris grew confident with his acting. i hate seeing others hurt him with their actions, unknowingly or not, i wanted to see more apologetic actions towards him. he deserved better!!

them being happy together makes me sooooo fullllll. i want more of them being together and happy.

[ancientreader]

Make your blurb tell potential readers that you don't really care about what you're selling them, without telling potential readers that you don't really care about what you're selling them:

Bell Epoque Paris.

Bell Epoque Paris.

Bell Epoque Paris.

What else, really, do you need to know about a book premised on the filming of a movie about Paris between the 1870s and 1914? The, um, Belle Époque? (Though I'm being fussy about that acute accent over "Époque": typographic convention in English is that you can drop diacriticals over capital letters. OTOH, if I were incorporating the era, and Paris!!!, into my setting, I'd leave that little beret on the E. It looks so much more Paris!!! that way.)

And yes, okay, lots of smart people without a special interest in European history, or a knowledge of French, won't know that it's "Belle." But you don't invoke a historical period without doing readers the minimal courtesy of getting basic information right.

ETA: I was so mad about Bell Epoque, I didn't even get to the appositive commas around the "lost novel"'s title. Here's a free correction: "The Throne, a lost novel [wait, it's being filmed, so how can it still be "lost"?] of Belle Époque Paris ..." I wouldn't rag on most writers for screwing up commas; almost everybody does, which is how people like me earn their living. But look at this author's biographical note and tell me she has any business not getting her commas right.

[Sarah · Rating 4 out of 5]

The cover doesn‘t fit the book, as the writing style is quire severe/heavy, and somewhat poetic. It felt like they had the same conversation 3 times instead of getting to know each other better, but otherwise I loved reading it.

(yes, there are sexscenes, but they are glossed over, so if you are looking for something super steamy, this ain‘t it 😉)

[Mitchell Clifford · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thank you to NetGalley, Carina Adores, and S.R. Lane for this ARC. I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

I initially wanted to read this book immediately because the blurb seemed to have many interesting and fun elements for a romcom with it taking place in Paris, in the 1990s, and following a gay celebrity love story.

Unfortunately, overall I found the story fell flat and is what contributed to this book taking 3.5 months to read something that would normally take me 3 days.

I don’t think the plot, romance, or characters were bad, but I never fell in love. The filming of the movie scenes were fun, but many felt inconsequential to the plot. I never bought into Chris and Nicholas’ relationship (sometimes confusing who was who), but found the side characters to provide a good amount of humour. Lastly, the romance that existed was good, but felt lackluster overall.

I’d rate this 3.5 stars because it was a lax and chill read, but unsure who specially this book may for for reccomending.

[Kirsten · Rating 2 out of 5]

Florid, too fancy
prose (used poorly) wrecks romance.
Messy timeline, too.

[Caz · Rating 3 out of 5]

I've given this a C at AAR.

The publisher’s blurb for this début romance from S.R. Lane drew me in immediately. Eight Weeks in Paris revolves around filming the big-screen adaptation of The Throne, a classic queer novel set in Paris during the Belle Époque, and it promised an enemies-to-lovers romance between the two stars – one a Hollywood bad boy, the other a model and influencer with little acting experience. It’s a great premise and I really wanted to love it. But I didn’t, for a number of reasons.

The Throne, thought lost and only re-discovered in the early 1990s, captured the imagination of movie star Nicholas Madden the moment he read it, and he’s been waiting for years for a movie to be made of it – and to star in it. Finally, his dream is coming to pass; a fantastic director has been hired and filming is about to begin, when he learns that the man cast to play the complex and pivotal role of Angelo, his character’s love interest, is a virtual newbie. To say he’s not pleased is an understatement; this project is very close to his heart and he’s furious at the thought of it being torpedoed by a complete amateur.

When Christian Lavalle – beautiful, charming, openly out-and-proud – arrives on set, Nicholas dislikes him immediately, but is told that the two of them are going to have dinner together that evening so they can get to know each other a little. Nicholas agrees very reluctantly – not that he has much choice – and is very surprised to see a certain quality in Christian that may well mean he’s not such a bad casting choice after all. He’s still not convinced Christian has the acting chops necessary to carry off such a difficult role, but he realises the man is not the “brainless, vapid airhead” he’d expected him to be.

I liked those opening scenes, and I liked the characters and the way Christian keeps overturning Nicholas’ expectations. The author sets up the animosity between them well and there’s the hint of some decent chemistry there – but somehow, I reached the end of the book and found myself wondering what I’d just read. There’s an HEA, but I honestly couldn’t tell you how Chris and Nicholas get from their initial dislike to falling in love, or even why they fall in love. The writing style is vague and, dare I say it? rather pretentious, and while I was totally on board for the idea of the two love stories – the one in the book and the one between Nicholas and Chris – running concurrently and mirroring each other – neither romance is particularly convincing, and the real life one is severely underdeveloped.

The characterisation is similarly obscure. When I started reading, I found both protagonists intriguing and looked forward to getting to know them better, but that never happened. I felt as though I was reading the book through a fog, where everything I was looking for – story, character and relationship development – was behind some sort of opaque veil and always just out of reach. It was really frustrating!

Where the book does score is in its exploration of the disadvantages of fame – how hard it is to have a private life when you’re forever in the public eye in this age of social media – and the ins and outs of filming and all the industry entails; the power plays, the on-set drama, the PR, the media, the deceptions (Nicholas is not out and his agent wants it to remain that way) and all the work that goes into film-making.

But as a romance it falls flat. Eight Weeks in Paris should have been a terrific read – a slow-burn, opposites-attract romance between two actors filming a classic queer love story in the world’s most romantic city – but unforunately, it’s none of those things.

[Kaye · Rating 3 out of 5]

Nicholas Madden is a bankable movie-star and has landed his dream role. It is a period piece and a gay love story set and to be filmed in Paris. Is is not happy that is co-star is Chris Lavalle a 25 year old fashion model and social media influencer. It will be Chris’s first acting role. Chris is out and proud but Nicholas is not and has a history of dating starlets and being private. He wants the film from a classic book to be the best it can be. Nicholas is a jerk at first but softens to Chris when he sees there may be a reason he was hired more than his pretty face.

Normally I love grumpy actors and love on the movie set. But it took a long time to warm up to the very pretentious Nicholas. The book includes acting out scenes in the movie which is interesting. And the story is set two years in the future and I’m not sure why other than to maybe move it away from the pandemic. It took me a while to catch on to the writing style as well. If you aren’t writing for the New Yorker you don’t need to use so many pompous or ostentatious words. Also each chapter begins with social media, or news feeds which I usually enjoy but it took me out of the story trying to figure out who was commenting or writing. The romance itself is sweet and overall it was a good story but I wasn’t really rooting for the characters to have a HEA.

Thank you to NetGalley and Carina Press & Carina Adores (Harlequin) for an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

[Nadia · Rating 3 out of 5]

I love romance stories and to cheer along with the possibilities of new love. That being said I had a hard time getting into this story. I didn’t understand the love between the two men. I honestly didn’t see much of a connection or chemistry until the end of the book. Nicholas and Chris were actors in a movie that I didn’t really grasp but that wasn’t the main story. Which was strange because I was more interested in the movie storyline. I loved the location of Paris since I love Paris so much that reading about that was wonderful. Overall, it was an okay story.

Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for my ARC in exchange for my review.

[Sarmat Chowdhury · Rating 3 out of 5]

RTC to come

[CrabbyPatty · Rating 4 out of 5]

Nicholas Madden is an intensely private closeted Hollywood actor, known as the Big Bad Wolf for his short-fuse temper during filming. He is passionate about his work and starring as Frederick in the film version of The Throne has been his dream for years, He is committed to the production and less than thrilled that the crucial role of Angelo is played by Chris Lavelle, a model/influencer in his first role.

The Throne is a (fictional) literary classic about a non-tragic gay relationship set in Paris' Belle Epoque era (1880's or so) and the movie is filming in Paris. So far, so good. I happen to adore books that center around the film industry, and the author does a great job of telling the story with the use of fictional blog posts, tweets, EW-style interviews, press releases, etc. It's a great way to provide all sorts of information and details without long info-dumps.

It's hate at first sight for Nicholas, while Chris is intrigued by the man behind the mask and myth. And of course, this wouldn't be a M/M romance novel if there wasn't a happy ending in the offing, but the way the two MCs slowly begin to respect one another, and eventually find a deeper connection is really charming and fun to read.

Nicholas and Chris get to know each other in the most personal way possible - while filming passionate love scenes and dramatic fights. Their eventual off-camera relationship feels a bit rushed and unfleshed out after all the lead-up; however, overall I liked the way the author carefully revealed the kind and caring core that Nicholas hid so well, and especially the strength of Chris' character. And of course, the Paris setting is nicely done.

4 stars for Eight Weeks in Paris and I hope to read more from S.R. Lane!

I received an ARC from the Publisher, via NetGalley, in exchange for a honest review.

Visit my blog, Sinfully Good Gay Book Reviews

[Jade · Rating 5 out of 5]

To start off I did not have hugely high hopes for this book I am absolutely guilty of judging a book by its cover and this cover did not inspire a lot of positive hopes for an adult romance about two men. However looks can be deceiving and as soon as I started reading this book I was absolutely hooked. This book is a fantastically engaging read, I read it all in one day and only put it down when absolutely necessary.

Nicholas and Chris are truly darling characters and while I have a favorite (Chris) they were both wonderful. This love story is a sort of a slow burn I didn't know I wanted where they acknowledge the attraction, and slowly with no pressure or explosiveness deepen the intimacy between them until the conclusion feels natural and perfect. I am not usually a person who adds a lot of annotations to a book the first time I read it but I could not help myself with this book and highlighted a bunch of passages I just Loved so much. This book quickly made itself contender for my book of the year and I despite my ARC copy I have already preordered a physical copy to share and re-read.

As I texted to Ashley (my podcast partner) gushing about how this is probably a new all time favorite book "Its all about the terrifying intimacy of being seen." That kind of deep real emotional experience is difficult to write but S. R. Lane pulls it off and I will be recommending this book everywhere I can until she writes the next one.

Thank you to Net Galley and Carina Adores for early access to this book in exchange for an honest review.

[Laura · Rating 4 out of 5]

A story of a seasoned actor and a model/influencer starring in a popular adaptation of an LGBTQ book.

This was like an enemies to lovers romance as Nicholas the actor did not think the model Chris would be able to handle the role. But after the first time he touched his hand to prove he knew the role the ball had already been set in motion. They had such strong chemistry on set and off.

I enjoyed so much the acting and how close they grew as they developed their characters. The great storm was also a highlight 🥵🔥 There were also lots of online chatter and tabloids articles that would start chapters so you knew what the Internet was blabbing about but we know the real story.

This book touched on so many topics with the pressure of being closeted to get better roles in Hollywood, internalized homophobia, and the press hounding you for any bit of salacious gossip when you do push hard for a LGBTQ part. As well as shutting things down and pushing them under the rug instead of supporting them and their be relationship.

Our movies should reflect our society and I love all the queer books I see now but we need more in the visual media as well.

Thank you @HarlequinPublicityTeam + @HarlequinBooks for the gifted copy!

[Sebastian · Rating 2 out of 5]

Thank you NetGalley and Carina Adores for the eARC I received of this.

This book was just really not for me. I really disliked the narrative style and found it to be too focused on embellishments and sounding elegant instead of just moving the story along and letting the voice come out organically. I also found basically all the characters incredibly unlikeable with few redeeming qualities, which didn't make it any easier to push through the prose.

I did find the initial concept pretty neat and seeing some of the other reviews on here, I'm sure lots of other people will enjoy it, but I just didn't click with this one.

[John · Rating 5 out of 5]

I edited this book so I am extremely biased!

There's so much to love about this queer romance. The writing is poetic and evocative, the chapters open with segments from social media and news clips, and there are story-within-a-story elements that add depth to the world and to the celebrity setting. The romance is subtle yet deeply emotional, and it depicts queer cis men in a way that I think is complex and doesn't search for easy cishet markers of characterization.

This won't be for everyone. I've seen readers wish the writing was more casual, or wish there was less detail. This isn't a story where every emotional beat is spelled out (which isn't good or bad, just a stylistic choice). This book is a great example of something being great because it's special and singular, but it's likely going to invoke strong feelings one way or the other. That's why I loved it so much (and why I hope folks give it a chance!)

[JennyBuysBooks | Find me on Fable!]

DNF at 15%. Just really could not get into this one and I don’t see a reason to force it when there are so many wonderful romance novels out there.

[True Loveislovereview · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 stars. Chris Lavalle is a beauty, a model, and a huge influencer, but not an actor. Still, he got the leading role in The Throne.
Nicolas Madden is the famous actor and leading actor of The Throne, the film adaptation of the same name queer novel. He’s pissed, why give the other leading role to an incompetent influencer, ugh!
Yes, he hates Lavalle and everything he stands for!

If they can’t play these characters the movie will fail.
You get it, the dynamic between them has to be right.
Nicholas is bluntly rude. Chris is used to being spit at, still, it hurts and it’s tantalizing!

Nicholas is closeted, Chris the opposite. But there are similarities and they recognize and acknowledge them.
What we can follow here is how two lonely souls choose the get to know each other, how they get close, as a perfect fit, it’s a slow burn a very slow one, with longing and yearning, the dynamic is intimate and palpable, just like the chemistry. The characters are not what I expected from the blurb, they were so much more. There are several situations to enjoy, the hurt, the love, the commitment, the world of fame, the social media, the mess of scandals, everything was quite entertainingly expressed.

The story felt like poetry, with soft breaths, and tentative touches, against a Parish background, imagine the romantic environments, sigh! Even the moments with ugliness were beautiful.
At some point I disliked Nicholas hugely, but…. he made up for it!
A widely written story, a beauty for the eye, a caress for the soul. It was a long sit, a little shorter, and maybe a little less about the whole movie business would have been also okay with me.
The story takes place in Paris, one of my favorite places!

Read and reviewed for LoveBytes - LGBTQ bookreviews

[Carrie]

DNF at 18% and feeling some very real pain about it because LGBTQIA+ romances and the Carina Adores line are normally my jam.

The narrative style didn’t really work for me. I felt like it was a little too focused on sounding fancy in a way that didn’t fit with the contemporary time period. Maybe it wouldn’t have bothered me as much if this were a historical romance?

But also I truly did not care about either of the main characters, any of the side characters, the movie they were shooting, or the book the movie was based on. And I say this as a person who will occasionally hate read. I didn’t even care enough for that.

This might be a case of wrong book/wrong time but I doubt I’ll revisit to find out.

[Alec ⚣]

I just love reading romances set in Paris. Thank you so much HarperCollins and Carina Press for the ARC. Mhua, mhua. Pub date: 31 May 2022.

[Cody James · Rating 3 out of 5]

When I read the summary for this, I was so intrigued. I loveee a gay celebrity romance so much. This, though, fell a bit flat for me. While I enjoyed the characters of Nicholas and Chris, and liked how their story ended…everything in between felt a bit pretentious. I wasn’t a big fan of the writing style used. This is set a tad bit into the future but was written in this very stiff, proper way that I don’t feel like fit the time of the story. The way the characters spoke at times felt like i was reading a time piece from hundreds of years ago. And objectively, if you look at the story from that point of view, it’s actually a very good story. I just was so disconnected from the writing style I found myself trudging through and that’s never a good sign. I also found the progression of the romance odd. When the two finally come together, I had to go back and double check that I didn’t miss something cuz it felt like it came out of nowhere. Was it bad? I wouldn’t go that far. It just wasn’t for me unfortunately.

[Linda Smith · Rating 4 out of 5]

Nicholas Madden is an established Hollywood actor who has been living a lie for his entire career. His agent has assured him that he should wait until he is older to confirm that he is gay. Probably due to sexual frustration, Nicholas has a reputation as the big, bad wolf of the movie industry. His temper tantrums are legendary. But Nicholas is thrilled that he has been cast to star in the movie version of one of his favorite books with one of his favorite directors. The Throne is set in Bell Epoque Paris and tells the story of two star-crossed lovers. He is happy with most of the cast. But, of course, the most important role will be that of his partner. Nicholas is horrified with that casting decision. Chris Lavalle is a gorgeous model with thousands of Instagram followers but very little acting experience. Nicholas is sure that his role of a lifetime is going to be ruined by an amateur. However, Nicholas has underestimated the star quality of his costar and his undeniable attraction to this beautiful man. Soon there are two parallel troubled romances - the one on screen and the one backstage. This is a very sexy book and it was impossible not to root for these two guys.

[Kelly Colabianchi · Rating 4 out of 5]

I grabbed this book off a library shelf just because of the cover. I had no idea what it was about and was pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoyed it!

[BOOKEDBY SUNSHINE · Rating 3 out of 5]

Eight weeks in Paris by S.R Lane was a gift from one of my favourite people because they know Paris is my dream destination 🥺. I absolutely loved reading about both Chris and Nicholas and how poetic the book seemed. I loved reading how romantic this book felt because it was classified as a “unconventional romance”. Although it was predictable at times, because they fall in love on set, but it is beautiful to see the love blossom. I do think that this cover doesn’t match this book at all because some of the topics are quite heavy. It is definitely a cute read if you are interested/obsessed with Paris like I am 😜

[Ditte · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really wanted to love this book but sadly, it fell a bit flat for me. The setup was great in theory, two men starring in a retelling of one of the greatest queer love stories meet, initially hate each other, but end up falling in love while shooting the movie despite how different they are.

In reality, I felt like the movie took over the book, and I didn't feel we got enough of Chris and Nicholas' own love story. Some of their dialogue felt weirdly stilted, and while I saw the chemistry between their characters, it was a bit more on and off for me regarding the actors portraying them, and it didn't feel fully believable to me. There were definitely chapters I really enjoyed and this book had all the components to make me fall in love with it and its characters but it just never fully got there.

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC

[Lauren · Rating 4 out of 5]

Don't let the cutesy cotton candy cover fool you. There is definitely some heartbreak in this book. It took a bit to get into the story and it takes itself a bit too seriously, but Nicholas and Chris are great. I love a good faux-celeb story and this one didn't disappoint and very glad it had a HEA ending. I wish The Throne was real though, haha, the pining between these two during filming was intense. I am glad it was a slow burn because that made it more worth it in the end.

[Linda O · Rating 5 out of 5]

Beautiful, absolutely beautiful. This book definitely belongs on my favorites shelf!

Second read, 6/2023 - left me feeling sad because just like the first time, this story is so beautiful I don't know how to move on to the next read.