Eight Weeks in Paris by S.R. Lane

I absolutely loved this book! Surprisingly much actually! It had the same kind of vibes as The Charm Offensive, wonderful characters to root for, a slow burn romance (which is my favorite) and so much angst and pining! Extra plus for the ending that avoided the usual clichés and any potential cheesiness.

This is a story about the filming of a fictional literary classic (‘The Throne’) about a scandalous and tragical gay relationship during the Belle Epoque era (late 19th century). The filming takes place in Paris and stars the big Hollywood star Nicholas Madden (known as the ‘Big Bad Wolf’ for his short temper and arrogant ways) and the French influencer and model Chris Lavelle in his first real actor role.

For Nicholas, being a closeted gay, The Throne, means more to him than just another filming job and he wants it to pe perfect. Hence, he’s quite skeptical (to say the least) to the young and inexperienced Chris in the important role as his love interest. But the initial loathing soon turns into fascination and yearning, and the fictional and the real world risk getting mixed up, when the heat picks up both on set and off it. But is Nicholas willing to risk his career and let the world know the true him?

I really loved this story! It had the same kind of vibes as The Charm Offensive, which is one of my favorite reads so far this year. I loved the strong and fleshed-out characters. Not just the two main characters, but all of the characters in the book were so real and full of flaws, and so easy to root for. And I loved the bantering going on at the set and between the actors and the director, but of course especially the wonderful dialogues between Nicholas and Chris. I also loved the slow-burn romance. This was not a linear love story, but a romance with rather bumpy roads with up and downs, back and forths, and so much doubts and questioning, which made it much more relatable and gripping.

The story is told from dual POVs, which really added to the understanding for what the main characters were going through. It was so amazing to get to know Nicholas’ more vulnerable sides and see beyond his bad boy reputation, as well as to get to see Chris’ depths and learn about his family struggles. There was also almost a third POV in the way each chapter started with fictional blog posts, interviews or tweets. I enjoyed these external/social media posts for most parts, but sometimes they made the narrative feel a bit off track. But nothing too much to make this read any less enjoyable. And of course, Paris… who doesn’t love a story taking place in Paris and with croissants for breakfast?

All in all, this was an absolutely wonderful, sweet and heartwrenching gay romance story about daring to be vulnerable to get a chance of true love and happiness! Highly recommended!
​
Thank you to Carina Adores and Harlequin Publicity Team for the ARC and bookstagram tour invitation for this gem! All opinions are my own and I am leaving my honest review voluntarily.

Rating:
5 stars

Get your own copy:
Harlequin
Amazon
Add on Goodreads