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Book Summary and Reviews of The Witch of Painted Sorrows by M. J. Rose

The Witch of Painted Sorrows by M. J. Rose

The Witch of Painted Sorrows

A Daughters of La Lune Novel

by M. J. Rose

  • Critics' Consensus (4):
  • Readers' Rating (21):
  • Published:
  • Mar 2015, 384 pages
  • Rate this book

About this book

Book Summary

Possession. Power. Passion. New York Times bestselling novelist M. J. Rose creates her most provocative and magical spellbinder yet in this gothic novel set against the lavish spectacle of 1890s Belle Époque Paris.

Sandrine Salome flees New York for her grandmother's Paris mansion to escape her dangerous husband, but what she finds there is even more menacing. The house, famous for its lavish art collection and elegant salons, is mysteriously closed up. Although her grandmother insists it's dangerous for Sandrine to visit, she defies her and meets Julien Duplessi, a mesmerizing young architect. Together they explore the hidden night world of Paris, the forbidden occult underground and Sandrine's deepest desires.

Among the bohemians and the demi-monde, Sandrine discovers her erotic nature as a lover and painter. Then darker influences threaten - her cold and cruel husband is tracking her down and something sinister is taking hold, changing Sandrine, altering her. She's become possessed by La Lune: A witch, a legend, and a sixteenth-century courtesan, who opens up her life to a darkness that may become a gift or a curse.

This is Sandrine's "wild night of the soul," her odyssey in the magnificent city of Paris, of art, love, and witchery.

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Reviews

Media Reviews

"This bell époque thriller is a haunting tale of obsessive passions." - People Magazine Pick

"Starred Review. Rose's unforgettable full-bodied characters and richly detailed narrative result in an entrancing read that will be long savored." - Booklist

"[A] haunting tale of possession." - Publishers Weekly

"Rose's new series offers her specialty, a unique and captivating supernatural angle, set in an intriguing belle époque Paris - a perfect match for the author's lush descriptions, intricate plot and mesmerizing storytelling… Sensual, evocative, mysterious and haunting." – Kirkus

This information about The Witch of Painted Sorrows was first featured in "The BookBrowse Review" - BookBrowse's membership magazine, and in our weekly "Publishing This Week" newsletter. Publication information is for the USA, and (unless stated otherwise) represents the first print edition. The reviews are necessarily limited to those that were available to us ahead of publication. If you are the publisher or author and feel that they do not properly reflect the range of media opinion now available, send us a message with the mainstream reviews that you would like to see added.

Any "Author Information" displayed below reflects the author's biography at the time this particular book was published.

Reader Reviews

Write your own reviewwrite your own review

Doris Wilson

Witch of Painted Sorrows
I enjoyed her writing style and found it very atmospheric and appealing. It was a delightful blend of the historical with a very skillful rendering of the paranormal. Something unique in my experience.

YvonneJ

Perfect for Read/Listen
I enjoy listening to audiobooks while reading along with the print or ebook edition of a book and this book was perfect for this. One of the things I enjoyed most was the separate narrators for the male and female characters. If you are looking for a book with non-stop action this is not your book. If you want a book that you can savor because of its beautiful and descriptive writing with a bit of erotic romance and intrigue to keep things interesting, then this is the book you've been looking for.

Marcia C. (Jeffersonville, PA)

Passion and Possession in Paris
Paris in the late 1800's, with all of its mysteries, darkness, cults and adventures becomes the backdrop for this tale of seductive love. Sandrine Salome, a New York Socialite, flees her abusive husband after the untimely death of her father. She feels pulled to return to her grandmother's mansion in Paris. However, her grandmother warns her that this home is much too dangerous a place for her.
Sandrine embraces Paris totally and completely. She discovers new depths in herself--a passion for painting and an obsession for her lover. She also comes to know the untold story of certain women in her ancestry and then comes to experience that same story for herself.
I've read all of M. J. Rose's novels and was looking forward to this one. I wasn't disappointed. This novel gripped me from its opening pages and didn't let up until the end. The author weaves an atmosphere that brings this time period in Paris to life with its colorful characters and city landmarks. Read the Witch of Painted Sorrows and be transported to another world--one of love, possession, passion and the occult. It's a great journey!

Gary R. (Bolingbrook, IL)

protect her from love!
Alright, I admit it, it's my first time reading M.J. Rose. Where have I been?

It's Paris in the late 1800's,and this is the story of Sandrine,who has run away from her husband in the States after some shady banking deals and the suicide of her father caused by said deals. She has gone to Paris to seek the comfort of her grandmother and the house that she hasn't been to since she was fifteen. Now you are going to have to get a copy and read it yourself. This book has everything: A great setting (you can hear the winter rain on the sidewalks), romance, the occult, art, and characters that you care about. I really liked this book and you will too. Now to find her other books!

Patricia S. (Chicago, IL)

The Witch of Painted Sorrows
I was very excited to receive my copy of M.J. Rose's newest book, The Witch of Painted Sorrows. Rose is one of my newest favorite authors, and this book did not disappoint. In an atmosphere of old mansions, family sorrows and secrets, played out against a background of 1890s Paris, Sandrine arrives in Paris, fleeing a tragedy in New York. She plans to stay at her grandmother's ancient mansion, which she remembers as full of art and elaborate salons, while she decides the direction of her life. But the house is locked and her grandmother won't allow anyone in it.

Sandrine begins a new life, studying as the first woman to attend the Ecole des Beaux Arts with Gustave Moreau and develops her painting skills surprisingly quickly. But her grandmother forbids her to continue with her art and orders her to leave Paris, warning of danger if she stays. I found this book a perfect addition to my gothic collection, with its background of witchcraft and possession, and Rose vividly recreates the underground occult world of Paris, and the lively art world Sandrine joins.

The characters are believably developed, including Sandrine's awakening as a sensual creature instead of a frozen wife. And I must say a bit about the absolutely gorgeous cover—moonlit Paris superimposed on the gauzy dress of a mysterious woman. Perfect. This is the first in the series "La Lune" and I look forward to more.

Diana C. (Delray Beach, FL)

A novel of Belle Époque Paris
This story has everything: the occult, Kabalists, demonic possession and famous painters of the Ecole salon, all seamlessly weaved inside a family curse involving a 16th century courtesan. I enjoyed escaping reality as I became immersed in this page turner. I look forward to her next novel, having previously read this author.

...15 more reader reviews

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Author Information

M. J. Rose Author Biography

M.J. Rose grew up in New York City mostly in the labyrinthine galleries of the Metropolitan Museum, the dark tunnels and lush gardens of Central Park and reading her mother's favorite books before she was allowed. She believes mystery and magic are all around us but we are too often too busy to notice... Books that exaggerate mystery and magic draw attention to it and remind us to look for it and revel in it.

Rose is a New York Times, Wall St. Journal and USAToday bestseller as well as an international best seller. She has published more than nineteen novels and 3 books on marketing. She has been published in more than 30 countries and sold over 1.5 million books. The Fox TV show Past Lives was based on Rose's novel, The Reincarnationist.

Rose is a founding member of International ...

... Full Biography
Link to M. J. Rose's Website

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