Rating: 
Summary: Rather boring
Review: This is a novel that I began b/c I adore books about Paris. Plus, I have read some other Bradford books and enjoyed them. This novel feels incomplete; characters are flat and the storylines are are wrapped up too neatly for my taste. In particular, the Alexa character gets on my nerves- too perfect to be true. Bradford presents us with scenarios that could be interesting (all the women have great careers) but are undeveloped. Only one plotline truly touched me and even that was rushed through. Paris isn't even that integral a part of the book! Thankfully, the book reads quickly. I recommend THe Last Time I saw Paris by Elizabeth Adler instead of this book if you are looking for something romantic, interesting and with more vivid Parisian scenes.
Rating:
Summary: Rather boring
Review: This is a novel that I began b/c I adore books about Paris. Plus, I have read some other Bradford books and enjoyed them. This novel feels incomplete; characters are flat and the storylines are are wrapped up too neatly for my taste. In particular, the Alexa character gets on my nerves- too perfect to be true. Bradford presents us with scenarios that could be interesting (all the women have great careers) but are undeveloped. Only one plotline truly touched me and even that was rushed through. Paris isn't even that integral a part of the book! Thankfully, the book reads quickly. I recommend THe Last Time I saw Paris by Elizabeth Adler instead of this book if you are looking for something romantic, interesting and with more vivid Parisian scenes.
Rating: 
Summary: DO NOT BUY THIS BOOK
Review: This isn't the worst book I've ever read but it's very close. The story is about four former friends who haven't spoken to each other in seven years but will be reunited when they celebrate their mentor's eighty-fifth birthday. What makes this book so bad is the fact that you don't care about any of the characters. All of their tribulations are all summarized so you don't experiance them with the girls.The feud that tore apart their "strong" bonds was juvenile and pathetic, worthy of only junior high students. One of the biggest beefs I had with the book is the fact that Alexa leaves America engaged to a fabulous guy and then hooks up with her old flame. Suddenly they're together and you never hear another word about Jack. In fact by the end of the book you're not sure she's even called him to break off the engagement.
If you feel like you absolutely must read this monstrosity, borrow it from the library and don't waste your money.
Rating:
Summary: ...and second prize, Four Weeks in Paris
Review: What a letdown! What a poorly written book! I had enjoyed A Woman of Substance several years back, and I love books about Paris anything to transport me back to that beautiful city when I cant get there in person. So I thought this book couldnt help but be an enjoyable read. But no. Non! The plot lines are cliched, contrived and formulaic even for this genre of book. The main characters are boring, two-dimensional, uninvolving. We are presented with four beautiful girls, former friends at school, each troubled in her own way with unresolved issues from the past; the mysterious, and of course beautiful, older Russian woman, Anya who brings the girls back together; and for love interest, four or five male ciphers. They all come together in Paris, issues are raised, issues resolved and everybody ends up in love...we learn that because of someones actions, lives were about to be changed irrevocably? and would never be the same again.? Isnt that what irrevocably means... And some information is actually repeated, such as the fact that the German General von Cholitz did not have the heart to blow up Paris? historic monuments (see pages 134 and 185).
The there?s the shameless flogging of the Hotel Meurice in Paris, paragraph after paragraph of puff for the hotel, where Ms. Bradford, as I have observed during my own stays there, is a frequent and apparently frequently comped guest. Finally, we also have the dismal descriptive writing, particularly in portraying characters in dialogue. Most dear to Ms. Bradford are the eyebrow images.
Rating:
Summary: JUNK
Review: When deciding to listen to this book on audio cassette, I paid
more attention to the title (Paris being a place I love) than to the author. I have never actually read anything by this author before, but I know she is in the romance genre, which I do not read. But this has to be the bottom of the barrel even for this genre. Everyone is gorgeous, a fact that we are told nearly every time a particular character comes onto the scene; everyone is
highly successful; even though Maria had been fat, she lost 38
pounds in 3 months, and kept it off (everyone who has had that experience, please raise your hand!), a feud that broke up the
friendship of the four women seven years previous was mended
after a bitchy screaming match that lasted about 15 minutes and
then they all became great pals again. I often had the impression that this book was written primarily
for 1) money, and 2) to show off the knowledge of Ms. Bradford
in all things "cultured" from clothes to art to cuisine to wine.
Unfortunately Ms. Bradford does not believe that her readership
are members of the culturally elite because she finds it necessary to explain to them (for instance) who Gainsborough and Turner are. I guess mentioning that the character was looking at paintings was not a broad enough hint. I suppose that among some die hard "Dallas" fans there might
be a person or two who could actually love this book, but I
think you would have to dig pretty deep. What I find particularly sad, or perhaps irritating, is that
Rosenblatt is such a talented narrator. Why does she find it
necessary to take on such drivel?
| 
