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Author: Roselle Lim
Sub-genre: Women’s fiction; contemporary; magical realism
The more and more I read, the more and more I find I really am not suited to a couple of genres, magical realism being one of them. I want it to be all fantasy or no fantasy, I don’t seem to really love the in between. That being said, the lush details of this book saved it for me.
Vanessa Yu can see the future. Sort of. Whenever presented with ideal circumstances, usually around cups of tea, Vanessa receives uncontrollable premonitions and is unable to keep from blurting them out. It leads to some awkward situations, and makes dating nearly impossible. After she ruins her cousin’s wedding, Vanessa heads out of the country to Paris with her aunt, who also experiences the same kind of premonitions. Her aunt is opening a tea shop in Paris and along with her new business, plans to teach Vanessa how to control her visions. But Vanessa isn’t a particularly great student, and she would much rather be exploring the city with a handsome pastry chef named Marc, even though her aunt warns her she can never truly be in a relationship. Vanessa has to learn how to deal with her destiny, all while finding a way to get everything her heart desires.
First and foremost, I am having a Paris moment and I was here for experiencing Paris on the pages of this book. I am dying to be anywhere but here right now, so it was lovely to travel, even if only in book form. Roselle has a beautiful way with words, and it felt like I was actually experiencing the sights of the City of Lights. Second, don’t read this book on an empty stomach, because those beautiful descriptions also apply to all the food Vanessa consumes in Paris, and it is delightful. This is definitely one of those books that feels like a full sensory experience, and I loved that aspect of it.
The only thing I didn’t really love about the story was the love part. Since this is technically women’s fiction, the love story isn’t central, which is fine, but I felt like the hero didn’t really do enough to earn Vanessa’s love. It was one of the rare times that when they got together in the end, it was actually a disappointment. I didn’t feel like he deserved her, and so I thought she would have been better off alone. But since that isn’t the main focus of the story, I was able to appreciate all of the other aspects, mostly the gorgeous descriptions.
Overall Rating: 4.5 stars
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