What do readers think of The Paris Winter by Imogen Robertson? Write your own review.

The story line was very interesting and I read this book as fast as I could-- yet did not want it to end. The author's descriptions of 1900's Paris and its art world are from a woman's prospective and very enlightening. The plot line is exciting and twisty. I am going to recommend this one to all of my friends! Thank you BookBrowse!

Who wouldn't want to spend the winter in Paris? Maud was in Paris starving and freezing as an art student when Tanya, a wealthy woman, befriended her and helped Maud obtain a position in a home to take care of a young lady.

Maud found out the accommodations brought about more than a warm place to stay and good meals. Sylvie, the young lady she was taking care of, smoked opium and stole things, her "brother" wasn't very honest, and nothing was what it seemed. What else was going to happen, and what did she get herself into?

What was supposed to be a life-changing winter turned out to be a winter of lies, danger, deceit, and murder.

The beginning of THE PARIS WINTER was a bit slow, but as the tale unraveled, there was nothing slow, nothing short of deviousness, and nothing short of
intrigue. Don't give up too soon.

You will feel sorry for Maud, you will love Tanya and Yvette - they are actually comical and so loyal to Maude, you will hate Sylvie and her "brother," and you will question all that goes on with them and question their motives.

I thoroughly enjoyed THE PARIS WINTER because of the well-developed, unlikeable, devious, corrupt characters and the unpredictable, twisted plot with a marvelous, thrilling ending. This thrilling ending was set during the Paris flood of 1910 and was a perfect connection to Maud's intentions.

Don't miss reading THE PARIS WINTER. You will be pulled in just like the flood waters of Paris pulled in its citizens. THE PARIS WINTER is an alluring, captivating historical read.

Received this book from BookBrowse, an online book club, to read and then discuss starting on Feb 18. I found the story interesting sometimes but at other times long and drawn out. The first part of the book, especially, was slow moving and I really didn't understand the ending at all.

While the situations of the three girls who form the central characters of the " good " people were fairly well defined, the girls themselves were not well developed. The second part of the book then took off and the plot was moving smoothly and much of the confusion of the first part was cleared up. Yet, eventually, the plot began to drag again and my interest waned. The " evil " plotting characters were even less defined, especially Sophie.

There was much background information missing--such as, how was it possible Tanya fell in love with and became engaged to the handsome American? We never saw very much of him. How did Sophie and Morel meet? Were Maud and Yvette romantically involved? And why did Robertson make the two American characters so brusque and somewhat less refined than the Russian, British and even the street urchin, Yvette?

All in all it was an okay read, but not a book I'd find myself recommending to friends or rereading. For that matter, it will probably not be one I'll even remember in the next few months

I thoroughly enjoyed this historical mystery. It is set in Paris in 1909/1910 among the artists. There is a mixture of the “poor starving artists” and the higher class clientele. Young, naïve Maud Heighton came to Paris’ Academie to study painting and to get away from her small town life. Maud soon falls into poverty. She comes upon a golden opportunity. Christian Morel hires her to teach his sister Sylvie English. She can board with them and earn a generous salary. However she soon learns that the Morels are not who they claim to be. Maud is soon drawn into the dark, dangerous underworld of Paris. Friendships are tested, lives are endangered.

I found the book to have a very slow start (hence the four stars, instead of five). I almost gave up on it but am very glad I did not. Once it got going (around page 142) it kept me engrossed. I love the characters – derelict Yvette, aristocratic Tanya, the Countess. It was a delightful blend of personalities. I could easily envision these very different personalities interacting. It is the perfect blend of female friendships, love, greed, and especially revenge.

I really liked this book! After a bit of a slow start, it kept me very engaged. I liked the plot line, setting of Paris, and thought the characters were well drawn and had depth. I enjoyed reading about this period in history and liked the depictions of women artists and the struggles they had. I would definitely recommend this book but probably only to people who enjoy reading about art and this period.

A young English woman is in Paris to become an artist in 1909. Of course she is poor and struggling, because otherwise where would the story be? She becomes a paid companion to a young women in poor health. Then comes something I absolutely didn't see coming and the whole novel turns on its head. Very evocative of the Parisian Belle Epoque age and bound to appeal to historical fiction fans.

I very much enjoyed the start of The Paris Winter. The story of Paris in the early 1900's and the art world was very descriptive. Strong characters, especially female, were introduced. Then I started to feel that the story was not going anywhere. I'm glad I continued with it because very soon the story line was able to draw me in again and I found it hard to put down.

The Paris Winter is a historical novel of human obsession in which the reader will experience the the early 20th century population's opium problem, the catastrophic Great Floods of 1910 and most prominently, the Paris art world. The prologue and many chapters conclude with the description of a painting dating from 1910 - a clever way to impart an art lesson providing authenticity to this tale.

The novel begins at a Parisian art school in 1908 with characters that may seem stereotypical (the starving art student), but emerge as fully formed characters the reader will grow fond of. Deep friendships result from these associations.

The novel's crisis presents as a major betrayal, one that compels its betrayed to risk everything to pursue revenge. The obsession is such that dangerous plans (for everyone) must be enacted so the betrayed may personally witness each bit of revenge carried out.

While the first part of the novel is slightly formulaic, and the reader may wonder why these characters continue to risk their own lives to enact another's revengeful plan, the reader does become immersed.