I typically don’t post on the weekends (as of late) but I had a little scheduling mix-up, so here we are! Hello and happy Sunday!
I usually try to start a series with the first book, but when I was invited to participate in this book tour, I jumped right into the middle. Despite this, I absolutely fell in love with the characters in Susanne Dunlap’s expertly crafted world, full of intrigue, romance, and excitement!
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Find out more about how I review books here.
The summary:
The Paris Affair
by Susanne Dunlap
Publication Date: September 30, 2020
Paperback & eBook; 244 pages
Series: Theresa Schurmann Mystery, Book 3
Genre: YA/Historical Fiction
Apparently, false rumors about Marie Antoinette are all the fashion in 1783.
Marie Antoinette is facing hostility from the populace, inflamed by rumors circulated in pamphlets throughout Paris. The rumors claim that she has dozens of lovers, drinks the blood of poor people, holds satanic masses at Versailles, and more, when nothing could be further from the truth. On the advice of the handsome, enigmatic Captain von Bauer, Joseph II–emperor of Austria and Marie Antoinette’s brother–decides that mystery-solving violinist Theresa Schurman is the ideal candidate for a spy to discover the source of these vile slanders.
Theresa is only too glad to get away from Vienna for a while, unwilling to commit herself yet to marrying Zoltan–a Hungarian baron she met when she was fifteen–and running out of reasons to postpone her decision. She is eager, too, to explore a new musical scene and broaden her artistic education. But when the captain confounds her expectations and places her as a bookkeeper in the establishment of Rose Bertin, milliner to the queen, she begins to lose hope that she will ever achieve her musical aims–or the emperor’s goal of exposing the pamphleteers.
A chance encounter with the Chevalier de Saint-Georges, an extraordinary black violinist and expert swordsman, sets Theresa on the path to unraveling the mystery. But will the chevalier’s patron, the powerful duc de Chartres, confound her efforts and put her–and the captain’s–lives in danger?
Be prepared for music, mystery, love, and murder in this riveting tale of pre-revolutionary Paris.
“The settings and situations are enchanting and varied; Dunlap is adept at on-the-fly description and at lacing intrigue with romance…Dunlap proves an arresting tour guide through this rich milieu, summoning up the past without slowing down the storytelling. Author and protagonist alike boast an epigrammatic wit. The touch is light, but the scenery and chatter are sumptuous…Theresa stands as a fascinating protagonist, a woman whose nimble navigation of society’s expectations and several burgeoning romances are exciting and inspiring, even more so than the sleuthing that drives the novel’s plot. The people she encounters are likewise memorable, complex, and surprising, especially the chevalier…This sparkling historical mystery conjures up the salons, fashion, and gossip of Marie Antoinette’s Paris, with a winning emphasis on the power of music and the roles that society allowed women.” – The BookLife Prize
Amazon | Barnes and Noble | IndieBound
Buy The Paris Affair on Amazon.
And don’t miss the first two books in the series!
I love historical fiction, and when done well, I love “real people” historical fiction even more. Theresa, an Austrian girl with experience as a spy, is sent to Paris with Captain von Bauer, a man she has worked with before, to find out who is printing and spreading pamphlets with vile rumors about Marie Antoinette, the sister of the Austrian emperor. During her time there, Theresa stays in a brothel, works as a bookkeeper for the queen’s tailor, stays in the Bastille, and befriends members of the aristocracy, all while uncovering what information she can about the pamphleteers.
While Theresa meets a number of real historical figures, included the queen herself, it is her friendship with the Chevalier de Saint-Georges that is the most interesting. The chevalier was a renowned Black violinist and swordsman (and Theresa is a violinist, too). It was really interesting to learn about him, and more information is provided in the afterward.
I most enjoyed reading about Theresa’s relationships with her friend Sophie and also with the captain. Sophie is an aristocratic girl, a few years younger than Theresa, whom Theresa befriends. She has an interesting past and seems a little frivolous, but her motivations make sense for her character and the time period. And I was so intrigued about Theresa’s relationship with Captain von Bauer. They worked well together but also butt heads all of the time. It was so entertaining. I really felt a romantic tension between them and as she was younger in the first two books, I wonder how their interactions were in the earlier novels.
While I didn’t read books one and two in this series, book three was easy enough to get into. The Paris Affair can be read as a standalone, though I did find myself wishing I had read the first two books. Dunlap provides just enough information on the backstory from the first two books that I don’t think readers of them would get bored with the recap, and I, a new reader, was able to understand what was going on. But I do plan to visit those first two books! I want to know more about Theresa’s relationships with her family and what seems to be a childhood sweetheart. I also want to watch her grow up and become the woman she is, because Theresa is a young adult in The Paris Affair but quite a few years younger, fifteen, in the first novel! I also have to say that despite not having read the other books, I grew very emotionally attached to these characters. I found myself crying during a particularly tense part towards the end of the novel.
All in all, this was a 5 star read for me. My thanks to the author, publisher, and Historical Fiction Virtual Book Tours for giving me a copy in exchange for my honest review. I have too many books on my TBR for 2020 to read the first two in the series this year, but I am eager to read them when I get a chance, hopefully by next spring.
About the Author
Susanne Dunlap is the author of nine works of historical fiction. A graduate of Smith College with a PhD in Music History from Yale University, Susanne grew up in Buffalo, New York and has lived in London, Brooklyn and Northampton, MA. She now lives in Northampton with her long-time partner, Charles, has two grown daughters, three granddaughters, a grandson, a stepson and a stepdaughter, five step-grandsons and one step-granddaughter—that’s a total of four children and eleven grandchildren!
In her spare time she cycles in the beautiful Pioneer Valley.
For more information, please visit Susanne Dunlap’s website. You can follow author Susanne Dunlap on Facebook, Twitter, Goodreads, Instagram, Pinterest, and BookBub.
The Paris Affair by Susanne Dunlap
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
I LOVED this book despite never having read the first two in the series – and now I want to. But even more than that, I want a Book 4! The characters, both real historical figures and fictional, were wonderful, and I was a SUCKER for the romantic tension. Theresa is such a fun narrator and I want to revisit this series ASAP. Look out for my full review at https://bitchbookshelf.com on October 11! My thanks to the author, publisher, and Historical Fiction Virtual Blog Tours for giving me a copy in exchange for my honest review.
Find out more about how I rate books here.
Blog Tour Schedule
Wednesday, September 30
Excerpt at Coffee and Ink
Review at Little But Fierce Book Diary
Thursday, October 1
Review at Pursuing Stacie
Friday, October 2
Feature at I’m Into Books
Review at Gwendalyn’s Books
Monday, October 5
Review at Chicks, Rogues, and Scandals
Tuesday, October 6
Review at YA, It’s Lit
Wednesday, October 7
Review at Amy’s Booket List
Review at Books and Zebras
Thursday, October 8
Excerpt at Turn The Page
Friday, October 9
Review & Excerpt at Bookworlder
Sunday, October 11
Review at Bitch Bookshelf
Monday, October 12
Review at Nursebookie
Tuesday, October 13
Review at Rajiv’s Reviews
Wednesday, October 14
Review at Book Bustle
Thursday, October 15
Guest Post at Novels Alive
Review at Historical Fiction with Spirit
Friday, October 16
Review at Passages to the Past
Guest Post at The Intrepid Reader
Saturday, October 17
Review at Reading is My Remedy
Giveaway
During the Blog Tour, one lucky reader will win signed copies of all 3 books in the Theresa Schurmann Mystery series! To enter, please use the Gleam form below.
The giveaway is open to US residents only and ends on October 17th. You must be 18 or older to enter.
Interested? Buy The Paris Affair.
And don’t forget to add me as a friend on Goodreads!
Megan | Bookstacks 'n Golden Moms
Ooh this one sounds great 🙂 I love historical fiction, as long as it is well done. Great review!
Kate
Thank you!
Empress DJ
This looks lovely – I entered the giveaway as I’m greedy 😉
Shelleen Toland
Glad that you enjoyed this.
yourwordsmyink
I love the cover!
Vidya
i do love historical fiction too; and this sounds perfect for my next such read; maybe in between all the nonfiction reads i have to do for the Cybils over the next few weeks
Kate
It was absolutely lovely.
Robin Loves Reading
Now I sort of wish I took this one.
Kate
Lol it’s good! If you get a chance I would check the series out!