The Brightest Star in Paris is a magical love story.
Synopsis
It’s 1878, and Amelie St. James is the prima ballerina at the Paris Opera Ballet. Her adoring fans call her St. Amie because they only see her as the pious and darling ballerina they know and love. However, Amelie wasn’t always this adored. She felt she had to put on this amiable exterior to create a stable life for her and her sister after experiencing hardships.
Meanwhile, Dr. Benedict Moore, Amelie’s first love, has returned to Paris from America and is on a mission to present at a conference and recruit some new colleagues. But it’s all mostly just an excuse to see Amelie again.
The two meet under strained circumstances. And this is where murder and ghosts enter and start to thicken the plot.
Thoughts on The Brightest Star in Paris
The synopsis mentions ghosts of Amelie’s past, but I didn’t think they meant actual ghosts. Even though I wasn’t expecting them, I thought they added an entertaining element to this story. They were the perfect amount of funny and snarky, but also, their stories were heartbreaking.
This novel was a bit darker than I thought it would be. Some of the themes deal with grief, pain, and loss.
I think I’ll be in the minority with this one – I didn’t enjoy it as much as I had hoped. The plot dragged on and could use some editing to par it down a smidge. At one point, the ghost element dropped off and was picked up again later in the book.
I think other readers will love this; it’s just not for me. There are a lot of other positive reviews, so maybe you’ll want to check those out.
My Rating: ⭐⭐⭐/5
Publication Date: October 12, 2021
Thank you to Netgalley and St. Martin’s Press for the arc in exchange for my honest opinions.
See my Goodreads for regular book updates.
For past blog posts, click here.