Honeymoon in Paris: A Novella
by Jojo Moyes
Viking Adult, 2013
101 pages
source: purchased ebook
Description (from amazon):
At the heart of Jojo Moyes' heartbreaking new novel, The Girl You Left Behind, are two haunting love stories—that of Sophie and Édouard Lefèvre in France during the First World War, and, nearly a century later, Liv Halston and her husband David.
Honeymoon in Paris takes place several years before the events to come in The Girl You Left Behind when both couples have just married. Sophie is swept up in the glamour of Belle Époque Paris but discovers that loving a celebrated artist like Édouard Lefèvre brings undreamt of complications. Following in Sophie's footsteps a hundred years later, Liv, after a whirlwind romance, finds her Parisian honeymoon is not quite the romantic getaway she had been hoping for. . . .
This enchanting self-contained story will have you falling in love with both young brides, and with Paris then and now, and it is the perfect appetizer for the The Girl You Left Behind, a spellbinding story of love, devotion, and passion in the hardest of times.
My thoughts:
Honeymoon in Paris, a prequel to The Girl You Left Behind, is really more an extended short story than novella... and is well worth reading even if you've already read Moyes' popular novel.
For me, reading Honeymoon in Paris was like visiting with old friends and discovering something new about them. I was surprised to learn that neither of the great marriages presented in The Girl You Left Behind had particularly auspicious beginnings. In fact, both honeymoon couples struggled through rocky situations involving differing expectations and miscommunication .
Moyes uses alternating chapters set in 1912 and 2002 to tell their stories and set the stage for what is to come in The Girl You Left Behind. If you haven't read that novel, you'll definitely want to pick it up after finishing Honeymoon in Paris.
Reading this lovely story felt like a mini-vacataion in Paris and is a perfect way to spend an hour or two some Sunday afternoon!
Huh. I don't know where on earth I've been hiding, but I didn't realize this was a prequel. I actually think it would have served me better to read this one first! I had a hard time investing in Sophie, and I think getting to know her would have helped. I love Moyes' writing though. She is a talent.
ReplyDeleteSandy - Moyes is a huge talent. I plan to work my way through her entire backlist. I actually had a harder time investing in Liv's story ;)
DeleteI haven't even heard of this one yet! Though I'm excited to get to know more about Sophie as I loved reading those bits in The Girl You Left Behind. I think part of it was the time period but I also loved her steadfastness and devotion. Glad you brought this to my attention!
ReplyDeleteTrish - This is an ebook only novella,but for $2.99 it's worth every cent!
DeleteI love the idea that you can finish a book you've loved and then there's a chance to meet the characters again. Angela T. had the right idea!
ReplyDeleteAudrey - She sure did... It's definitely time for me to revisit her world with Wild Strawberries!
DeleteOh wow --- I should buy this "prequel". Thanks for sharing.
ReplyDeleteDiane - It's very short, but I think you'll enjoy it.
DeleteWhich would you recommend reading first? Is it better to read this one after the full-length novel?
ReplyDeleteLes - I really think this would work either way. I loved meeting the characters again and learning more about their beginnings, and the novel certainly doesn't suffer from not reading it beforehand. But it could also be a nice introduction to the flavor of the novel, too.
DeleteThanks for your review. I enjoyed The Girl You Left Behind. It sounds like I would enjoy this prequel.
ReplyDeletePat - If you liked the novel, I'm sure you would enjoy this, too!
DeleteI've got this and really want to get to it especially after reading The Girl You Left Behind. I'm glad it was so good!
ReplyDeleteDarlene - It was so good. I almost hated to spend $2.99 on something s short, but I know it was worth it.
DeleteI'm still not sure how I feel about these pre or post nevellas. I kind of just want to let the book stand on its own, you know? BUT I did love this book so I am tempted to give this one a look, more for Sophie than for Liv.
ReplyDeleteStacybuckeye - I don't usually go in for this sort of thing either, but it was really nice to 'meet' Liv's husband. Especially since he was dead when the novel began. Wish I could loan my kindle copy...
DeleteI'm curious how she managed to tie the two stories together in this one - still the painting?
ReplyDeleteLisa - They're still tied together by art... not the painting, but a sketch this time.
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