High Heels und Gummistiefel

by Muriel Zagha, Marie-Luise Bezzenberger (Übersetzer)

Die junge Engländerin Daisy und die französische Studentin Isabelle könnten nicht unterschiedlicher sein und haben doch eines gemeinsam: Sie wollen ein Jahr im Ausland verbringen. Daisy geht nach Paris, um sich in der Stadt ihrer Träume in die Welt der Mode zu stürzen und vielleicht sogar Monsieur Right zu treffen. Die ernsthafte Isabelle zieht es nach London, um Leben und Werk einer englischen Krimiautorin zu erforschen. Die beiden jungen Frauen tauschen für die nächsten zwölf Monate allerdings nicht nur die Wohnung, sondern damit auch Mitbewohner und einen ganzen Freundeskreis. Das führt zu einigen Überraschungen, vielen Turbulenzen und jeder Menge Herzklopfen...

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

416 pages, Paperback

First published January 21, 2010

Reviews

[Christina · Rating 3 out of 5]

I won't start describing the content. The first 200-250 pages were so boring. You can't imagine. And there's so many French words. Even whole e-mails in French. The end was good, though. I would never have dreamt what happened there, but it was still reasonable to do it this way. Nice book, but less French in future, please.. And more action from the beginning... If I read a romance, I'd like the romance to start very early, not only in the last half of the book

[Nadi · Rating 3 out of 5]

2,5 Sterne
Kein Buch was man nicht aus der Hand legen kann, aber doch unterhaltsam. Vielleicht wäre es ganz gut französisch zu können, da häufiger französische Sätze vorkommen, die im Buch selbst weder übersetzt noch anderweitig erläutert werden.

[Lindsay · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received this book through the First Reads offers, my first ever, so thank you goodreads.

I really enjoyed it! It is an easy, warm-hearted read, but it has got soul. I suppose it could be classified as 'chick lit', but it is intelligent and and has got more to it than that. The premise is a house swap for a year, with Daisy going form London to Paris, and Isabelle vice versa. Daisy is a fashion lover and Isabelle a chic student. The story covers the experiences they have, mainly governed by the people they meet, during this year. And principally it is about falling in love, and finding love in very unexpected places.

There is much to smile about as Isabelle meets Daisy's flatmates, and to enjoy as Daisy enjoys Parisian life. It is an interesting comparision of some aspects of the two differing cultures, though as a light hearted novel it is not by any means an in depth comparison. I liked the sub plot involving Isabelle's studies into fictious writer Meredith Quince and the hunt for her forgotten work, this was very enjoyable.

This is an enjoyable novel, well written, with a nice feel to it, and would be perfect holiday reading, but it is deserves more than to be labelled chick lit. It is compared on the cover to Sophie Kinsella and I think that is a fair comparison.

[Coral · Rating 4 out of 5]

I brought this book mainly because i liked the cover, but upon reading the back I thought it sounded really good. I wasn’t disappointed. :)

On the back of the book it says:
A TALE OF TWO CITIES,
TWO GIRLS
AND A LIFE-ALTERING SWAP...
Daisy’s just landed the perfect job:
Spending a year in Paris writing about fashion.
Swapping homes with French student Isabelle
Seems like the perfect arrangement.
Studious Isabelle, however, finds London bewildering.
But all her assumptions about crazy English guys are
Overturned when she meets hunky gardener Tom.
Meanwhile, fun-loving Daisy discovers that Paris
Is the City of Love, and there could be more than one
Monsieur Right...
It then says:
If you like Sophie Kinsella,
You’ll love Muriel Zagha’s funny
And charming
Romantic Comedy!
And so being a Sophie Kinsella fan I just had to have this book.

I really enjoyed reading finding monsieur right, but I found it a bit difficult to get into at the beginning but as i read more of it the more i just couldn’t put it down.
I loved the way the book was written and how all the characters came across, there are some characters that you don’t like that much but then others that you can’t help but love. :)

[Ella Parkett · Rating 5 out of 5]

I like stories set in Paris anyway but this novel offers a fairly unfamiliar perspective on the city and Parisians - there's a great scene set in the catacombs (I didn't even know these existed). There's also a brilliant mystery subplot featuring the Quince Society and the works of a famous Thirties detective novelist (including Death of a Lady Ventriloquist!) - very Dorothy L. Sayers (a favourite of mine). It's funny, touching and, in places, pretty raunchy too - an interesting and satisfying mix.

[Stacey · Rating 3 out of 5]

A fun and frivolous novel set simultaneously in Paris and London, following two girls who have swapped flats for a year. Although it isn't ultimately all that original within the chick-lit genre, I did enjoy this book a lot and am encouraged to read Zagha's other work in future.

Foremost, I enjoyed the author's writing style. Both Isabelle and Daisy had distinctive personalities and voices, and the content doesn't take itself or its plot too seriously. In fact, it zips along at quite a speed with some rather silly situations, however was very enjoyable overall.

[Jirinka (sony08) · Rating 4 out of 5]

9/10. This was my first First Reads win and I loved it. First couple of chapters was hard to get into but as you get to know the two characters of French academic Isabelle and English fashion lover Daisy, you start to love the book. The too girls swap flats, friends and countries for a whole year. And with that the hunt for Mr Right begins.

The whole concept was great and the ending even thought expected was brilliantly written.

Will look out for Muriel's novels in the future.

[Pamela Todd · Rating 4 out of 5]

With two female leads, both of which get in trouble with the opposite of sex, you can guarantee this is an interesting read!

Neither woman held any particular sway with me, as I was fairly fond of both. I did, however, favour one romance over the other, but was not disappointed when it wasn't their chapter!

A must read for any lover of chick-lit, though this is perhaps more then high end than a fun romp.

[Anne · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really loved this one - lovely characters, breakneck speed, some fascinating ideas (fashion and the academic, the shy Goth, the wonderful search for the lost work of Meredith Quince, Raoul and his models, Savage's fashion show...). Chick lit at its very best, and a perfect one for everyone's holidays...

[Katie · Rating 4 out of 5]

SUCH a sweet book about a life swap between a fashion-crazed woman in London and a very studious Parisian. Really lovely summer read.

[Emma · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a great summer read: easygoing, fun. Of course, we know how it will end, but it was so fun to read about Paris and a little about London.

[Leonel · Rating 4 out of 5]

The book read and sounded very British, which is what I loved most about it.

http://luhathoughts.blogspot.com/2013...

[Kate · Rating 4 out of 5]

I like the story and twists, though predictable.

[Nette · Rating 3 out of 5]

Eher 3,5 Sterne!
Ich fand die Story an sich ganz gut. Isabelles Geschichte Fan sich eindeutig besser. Durch die erste Hälfte des Buchs habe ich mich etwas quälen müssen und ich habe auch sehr lange gebraucht um es zu Lesben. Habe es immer wieder für einige Zeit weg gelegt.
Das was mich am meisten gestört hat, waren die französischen Sätze in diesem Buch. Da ich diese nicht verstanden habe wusste ich nie ob sie zur Geschichte betragen oder nicht. Daher musste ich mir diese immer erst übersetzen lasse was echt nervig war.

[Kimmy · Rating 3 out of 5]

ill be honest .. i found this book pretty boring and the characters one dimensional !!

[Mariana Martinez · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5

[Sofia A · Rating 4 out of 5]

i think it’s a really sweet romantic comedy, definitely a sweet escape from the world :)

[Leah · Rating 3 out of 5]

Finding Monsieur Right is Muriel Zagha’s debut novel and came to my attention whilst I was browsing Amazon one day. I love books set in foreign countries and even more so books that have life-swap-type plots. I was looking forward to reading the book and finally managed to get my hands on a copy. I loved the cover when I first saw it and I was eager to start reading the book.

The Prologue of the book is very intriguing and it drew me in immediately. The Prologue is only three pages long but I adored it. I thought it was a fast-paced start to the book and I was intrigued to find out why Daisy was on top of a building and why Isabelle was rushing around Paris on a scooter. The book then takes a bit of a turn – the fast-paced and enjoyable start to the book doesn’t continue but that’s not to say I didn’t enjoy the book; it was a bit of a let-down after such a frantic start but I did still enjoy reading the book.

The book is told in third-person from both Daisy and Isabelle’s perspectives and each chapter alternates between Daisy and Isabelle without fail. It was an interesting way to read the book as the change in perspective between both girls was quite outstanding. Daisy and Isabelle are nothing alike; Daisy is fun-loving and adores fashion whereas Isabelle is studious and a bit uptight about things. It made their house-swap interesting as I could see Isabelle’s shock when she first came upon Daisy’s room. Their character dyamics were incredibly different but having two such contrasting personalities made the book all the better.

As far as the characters in the book go, I loved Isabelle. Yes she was uptight and studious but I really quite liked her. Each time Isabelle’s chapter came to a close, I was desperate to read about her again. I thought Daisy was OK, I struggled to understand totally why she was so desperate to go to Paris as there didn’t seem to be a sufficient explanation. I liked Daisy though, I thought her chapters were shorter than Isabelle’s and so were easier to get through. I didn’t like many of the supporting characters. The French contingent irritated me. I couldn’t stand Isabelle’s boyfriend Clothaire. He was a chauvinisitic pig and always patronised Isabelle. Isabelle’s friends weren’t much better bar Marie-Laure. I quite liked the London contingent, Jules and Chrissie, Daisy’s best friends and Isabelle’s temporary flat-mates. Chrissie was a bit over-the-top constantly stressing his words, which got on my nerves but apart from that I really liked him. I quite liked Tom Quince, Meredith Quince’s newphew, he seemed really nice and so so different from the awful Clothaire.

The Quince mystery was an intriguing part of the book and is what kept the book flowing. I thought the conclusion to the mystery was OK but I thought it all ended rather abruplty. Isabelle’s part of the story ends so quickly, it really surprised me. I would have liked an extra chapter to conclude Isabelle’s story. It was concluded satisfactorily but she could still have had an extra chapter. Another problem I had with the book was how slow the whole book moved along. Nothing truly happens in the book and it is rather slow-paced. Saying that, though, I did find myself ploughing through the book quite quickly. The main thing that ruined the book for me was the writing. Muriel has lived in England for 20 years (as per the interview in the back of the book) so I wouldn’t have expected her writing to be so stilted. Some of the time her sentences didn’t make sense and they were written in such a way that it felt as if Muriel was writing it as if she’d only just learnt English rather than having spoken it for roughly 20 years. I can appreciate the fact English isn’t her first language and I do think her editor could have picked up on those wrong-sounding sentences and corrected them. It would have let the book flow a bit better.

Finding Monsieur Right is an enjoyable enough read and I did enjoy reading the book, I just had a bit of a problem with the writing of the book. The back of the book describes it as charming and I certainly felt it was a charming read. I liked the feel of the fish-out-of-water tale and it was hugely appealing. The book is really enjoyable and I loved the descriptions of Paris. Finding Monsieur Right is well worth a read and for all I’ve said I did enjoy it.

[PrettyFlamingo · Rating 3 out of 5]

The best thing about this book is the ending.

And that is not meant to be facetious, in spite of the fact that it was just over an OK read for me. The ending was absolutely lovely, and just so perfect. If a little improbable!

It’s a life swap story, featuring early-twenty-somethings (maybe why I found it just a little TOO frivolous), ditzy Daisy and intelligent Isabelle. In the manner of the film The Holiday, they do a Kate and Cameron and swap countries, cities and residences for a year. Isabelle is a studious postgrad who has never heard of eBay and Daisy is a fashionista writing a fashion blog for a year, which is her dream. Daisy goes to live in Isabelle’s Parisian flat and Isabelle takes up residence in Daisy’s London house share, taking the opportunity to research an obscure author and attempt to locate a missing manuscript that would take her research in a brand new, original and groundbreaking direction. They don’t just swap houses, they swap friends too, and find lasting friendships through this. Isabelle is shown the way to her new home by a little cat, which I thought a charming touch.

There was much I enjoyed about the book; the central idea, the descriptions of Parisian life, the striking contrast between our two main players, and most of all the research Isabelle was undertaking. This intrigued me, as I am working on something similar, and I found it immensely appealing. Another good concept was switching the characters’ personalities to what would be expected; having the English girl as a fashionista and the French girl as bookish worked very well.

Isabelle is in a relationship with a pompous, arrogant guy with no redeeming features I could see at all, and I couldn’t understand what she saw in him. Single Daisy, who has never been in love, works her way through a few Gallic charmers on her own personal journey.

What I wasn’t so keen on was the shallowness of some of the French characters – though I suppose this was intended to show the French attitude to sex and relationships, but it didn’t sit well with me and even the ultimately good relationship Isabelle finds herself in started with sex with a stranger and took off too quickly for my taste. Though, I suppose, there is only so much time an author has to develop a plot. I found the designer, Savage, rather ridiculous with her habit of referring to herself in the third person (was the author taking the mickey here?) And, though I do have a weakness for fashion, I don’t like it as an industry and this was something of an expose in some ways. Some of the characters were a bit on the stereotypical side too, but they were all contrasts and I liked that.

Ultimately, both Daisy and Isabelle find their lives changing in ways they never imagined as they live through a year in their new homes. Dizzy Daisy is taken seriously, yes, even as a fashion blogger – and Isabelle’s research all comes together in a marvellously serendipitous way. It’s an interesting read, and I completely loved the book jacket though. I have a dress just like the front cover drawing (but in blue) so it appealed straight away. It’s worth getting simply for the wonderful cover art.

3.25.

[I Read · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book actually surpassed my expectations! The blurb enticed me to enter the giveaway (English-French relations are always interesting, plus I have a bit of both in my heritage and have visited the two cities involved), but as I often find chick-lit somewhat ‘a bit of fluff with no real plot’, I was prepared to have my hopes crushed, but no! There was substance to the story, things I didn’t see coming and most importantly it was well written.

I always feel that if one misses the characters’ names, but can still identify the speaker purely from what they are saying, then the author has defined them well and this was the case while I was reading ‘Finding Monsieur Right’. Also, the details surrounding the cast were all thought out to fit with each personality correctly. I grew to love and loathe the various people included in the pages, which is definitely important concerning the reader’s involvement.

It’s always nice to gain an insight into different worlds through reading. This book provided that for me and knowing that the author had real experience to draw on gave the text credibility.

The bilingual aspect was done perfectly and added to the experience – just enough French to give the cultural feel, but not so much that things become confused or the reader weary. Plus, all credit to Zagha, because the English was flawless and I would never have guessed (without knowing) that it was her second language.

The technique of short chapters, alternating between the two countries, giving small bites of each girl’s life (plots separate, yet still connected) was very favourable, because it meant the story remained fresh the whole way through. I usually find it difficult to sit solidly for a long time with a book, but didn’t find this to be the case with ‘Finding Monsieur Right’ which I put down to the construction, ease of reading and incentives incorporated within to continue on.

The only slight negative in my opinion was the very last realisation Daisy had, which I thought was a little cheesy and improbable. However, this is a very minor and personal qualm, so all in all, a brilliant, relaxing read.


** I received this free of charge through Goodreads First-Reads **

[Maria · Rating 3 out of 5]

I won this book in the giveaways. On the whole I liked it, and for a debut novel I would say it's very good.
Daisy, an English fashion writer, and Isabelle, a French academic, swap flats for a year, and at the same time they seem to swap friends and lifestyles.
My issues with the book started on page 1 of the first Chapter, where there is a whole email written in French. As this is an English language book, I would have liked a translation. There are also sentences in French scattered throughout the book, with no translation, which could leave the reader feeling lost.
By about page 200, I was getting bored and almost stopped reading the book. I was having a hard time dealing with the stilted humour and the one dimensional, unoriginal, stereotypical characters. For example, Chrissie, the over-the-top gay fashion designer, and Jules, the depressed Goth. Perhaps a better skilled comedy writer could have pulled these off, but comedy is not easy to write, and in this case most of the book reads like a bad BBC sitcom.
Also, at one point in the novel (probably because the author has not accounted for the passing of time clearly enough) there seemed to quite a lot of bed-hopping, which left me feeling a bit nauseous.

By now, you are probably thinking I didn't like the book, but that's not true. I'm pleased to say, that as the book progresses the quality of the writing does get better, and you can even get used to the odd characters. They grow on you.

On the plus side, there was a good storyline, which kept me interested. I was intrigued by the story about the writer Meredith Quince, who had written a lost, unpublished book, which Isabelle was trying to find. I loved the Epilogue, which in my opinion, was the best part of the book. If I was reviewing that on its own, I would give it 5 stars; it is very romantic and a lovely ending to the book.
All in all, I would say 'Finding Monsieur Right' is quite entertaining, and if you can get past the first half of the book, there's lots to like about the novel.

[Jane · Rating 3 out of 5]

I picked this book to read for a couple of reasons. Firstly, it's been a while since I have read a chick-lit book, and secondly, I needed a Z author for my A-Z Challenge. So when I saw this book with it's lovely cover, I decided to give it a go.

The story follows two young women; Daisy and Isabelle, who decide to swap homes for a year. Daisy lives in London and works in fashion, while Isabelle is a French academic, living in Paris. Their personalities are completely different; Daisy is portrayed as a bubbly, frivolous person who isn't necessarily the brightest spark, while Isabelle is very intelligent, but somewhat reserved and serious.

I enjoyed the book in the way that I enjoy most chick-lit novels; it's fun and entertaining while I am reading it, but it's not something that I would necessarily ever reread. My main problem with Finding Monsieur Right is that the characters are written in such broad strokes. In the notes at the back of the book, the author states that she wanted to subvert expectations; instead of having the French character be a sex kitten, and the English character be reserved, she wanted to reverse the stereotypes. As a French woman now living in England, I suppose she's in the perfect position to do this, but something about it grated. All of the French characters were the same sort of repressed, conservative person, and all of the English characters were stereotypes of their own, whether it was the eccentric members of the literary group, the goths, or the gay housemate.

Having said all of that, things evened out as the novel went on, with both Isabelle and Daisy going on personal journeys in order to find happiness. Also, although he was something of a stereotype, Chrissie, the gay housemate was probably my favourite character, and did actually make me laugh out loud at one point.

I was veering towards giving this book two stars, but I'm inclined to be a bit more generous than that and bump it up to three.

[Jane · Rating 2 out of 5]

Take two cities: London and Paris.

Take two girls: Daisy, a fashion PR who has landed her dream job writing a Paris fashion blog, and Isabelle, a French student needing to come to London to further her literary research.

Mix them together: Daisy answers Isabelle’s advertisement for a flat-swap and the pair exchange homes for a year.

And so you have Meeting Monsieur Right: a lovely confection, light as air.

The story switches between the two girls as they adapt to new cultures and lifestyles, and it is lovely to watch. The author is French-born but British resident, and it shows. She understands both sides of the story, observes just the right details, and gently pokes fun with great warmth and wit.

There’s plenty of plot too, as Isabelle bonds with Daisy’s housemates and finds her research takes her in some quite unexpected directions and Daisy meets quite a number of Monsieur Rights between fashion shows.

And lovely set pieces – a Goth rock concert, a cutting edge fashion show, and a literary society jamboree - offer fine entertainment.

A diverse supporting cast is lightly drawn, but excellent value.

The book strolls gently along and I turned the pages quickly, wanting to keep up with both Daisy and Isabelle.

Suddenly there is a fast paced conclusion and it is all over. Well, nearly…

Meeting Monsieur Right was a lovely, undemanding light read, and a nice change of pace for me.

Entertaining, and great fun,

[Tali · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a tricky book to review for me because I really didn't like the first half of the story, found it hard to bond with any of the characters and didn't really get the point of the whole thing. I was still a bit confused at the end too, but by that point I was kind of enjoying the story. It would've definitely been a better read though if it had started out that was it finished. I definitely preferred Isabelle's half of the story compared to Daisy's which I found rather flat and dull, despite her being the character having adventures in Paris and I know the author's French, but strangely I found most of the French characters to be awful and dull. For once, the Brits seemed more exciting which was definitely not what I was expecting from this book. Also, Daisy's unexpected romance at the end of the book came completely out of nowhere and so even though she got her happy ending, I didn't really understand where it came from or if it was just thrown in so both characters got their HEA.
A boring first half was thankfully livened up by an interesting second half. Worth sticking with if you can bear it. 2.5 stars.

[Bayansa · Rating 1 out of 5]

such a waste of time ! Silly and boring are the two words in my head right now to describe this novel! beside ,, how could you compare this novel with Sophie Kinsella's novels.. there's no comparison ,, i can describe Sophie's novels with the word "Delicious", while for this one it's like something tasteless . :( i'm pretty disappointed.
what is it that i didn't find in this novel ,, i didn't find the funny side in it ,, i'm pretty sure that i read some lines where i can see she's trying to be and i just can't .. as for the other thing ... the interesting factor ,, the factor which keeps me excited to see what will happen next and i just couldn't feel it ,, the range of vocabulary is pretty good but the way of connecting the dots together is.. well .. couldn't catch my interest , and i think it's much MUCH important than the way you choose your vocabulary !

[Jacqui · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was lucky to win this book as a goodreads giveaway and thoroughly enjoyed it.

Muriel Zagha says that the book is loosely based on her own experiences of working as an academic and as a fashion PR. Like Isa belle she is a french expat in London. The book alternates between fun loving Daisy an English fashion PR in Paris and Isabella a French academic in London and how they interact with each others groups of friend.

Muriel builds the characters really well you can see them coming to life on the page. You get to know their personalities and I really wanted to know if the main characters did find their 'Monsieur Right'

its a chick book along similar lines to Sophia Kinsella, Marian Keyes and Cecila Ahern

[Hayley · Rating 2 out of 5]

I won this novel in a First Reads giveaway; I'd only just started entering these giveaways so was really excited to win one. I'd not heard of this novel or the author until I read the info on the contest but I love hearing about new authors. I started reading this as soon as it arrived and finished it the following day. I did find it a little difficult to get into but once I'd read the first two chapters and learnt a little about Isabelle and Daisy I was hooked; this book was unputdownable. It's chick lit but it's really good chick lit. On the cover Zagha is compared to Sophie Kinsella; now I adore Kinsella's books and not many novels in the genre live up to her in my opinion but I have to say Finding Monsieur Right was up there. I now can't wait to read the next novel by Zagha!

[Tahmina]

This was an absolute waste of my time, I still can't believe I read it to the end, thinking that it wold improve with time. Nope! The characters were weird and unlikeable, the plot pointless and extremely rushed. Why does Daisy all of a sudden find love in the last what ..2 pages of the book with a guy we(as a reader) don't even remember the name of let alone any other distinguishable characteristics.

I wouldn't recommend this to anyone thinking that this will be a cute chick flick. This book can't even achieve that!Not very impressed with Muriel Zagha

[Anna · Rating 3 out of 5]

A nice and entertaining read, light and pleasant, quick-paced, with likeable characters, but... There was something missing however... Was it the abrupt and not very well-made ending? Or was it the lack of any plausibility whatsoever? The concept is actually really promising, but the book itself somewhat lacking in places. It could have been a really awesome novel - and it really did have the potential to be - but unfortunately, it only gets as far as 3 stars for me.

[Jess · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a fun bit of fluff to pass the weekend, and it was doing so well with its fun supporting characters (Chrissie, especially), and its unique combination of lampooning fashion and academia...and then there was that ridiculously sentimental epilogue. Le sigh.

Despite that, this is still a fun read and fairly good for its type.