Falling in Louvre

by Fiona Leitch

3 out of 5

Synopsis

Bertrand is King of the Pigeons…

Unofficially. From his perch atop a gargoyle on Notre Dame cathedral, he surveys his kingdom. He sees Sylvie Cloutier, art lover and ex-antiques dealer, making dinner for her bullying husband Henri, trapped in their loveless marriage like a bird in a gilded cage. He sees security guard, hopeless romantic and bookworm Philippe Moreau cycling through the streets of Paris in his crumpled uniform, late (again) for his night shift at the museum.

When Sylvie begs her husband to let her go to work, he gets her a job as an evening cleaner at the Louvre. He thinks such a menial position will dispel any ideas about independence she might have, but his plan backfires when she falls in love with kind, gentle Philippe. They decide to run away together, but there’s a major problem: neither of them has any money.

One stormy night in the Louvre, the answer to their prayers falls into their lap… But is it really the solution, or just another, even bigger problem?

What follows is a romantic, wistful but madcap adventure through (and under) the city of lights, involving a stolen painting, an art heist in reverse, and Eric Cantona. Will love find a way?

Review

Sylvie is trapped in an abusive marriage; she finally gets a little freedom when she gets a night job at the Louvre, and meets sweet Philippe.

I received a free copy in exchange for an honest review.

The story is split between Sylvie and Philippe.

Sylvie is a ghost of her previous self. Her husband Henri is a terrible bully, who has worn her down.

Henri agrees to let Sylvie get a part-time job, and arranges a cleaning job at the Louvre, thinking she will be insulted by something so menial. Instead, Sylvie starts to find little pieces of herself, and new friends.

Philippe is a lost young man, coasting along with the bare minimum. He had to move back in with his mum, and managed to secure a job as a security guard. It's only when he meets Sylvie, that he starts to want more from life.

The first half of the book slowly builds the picture of Sylvie's miserable life with her husband. It feels realistic, and you can't help hating Henri and his manipulations.

Philippe is such a contrast, he's so gentle, and does everything he can to make Sylvie smile and believe in herself again.

The second half takes a somewhat kooky turn, as they try and fix a poor, hasty decision.

It was quite fun to watch them cope, and kept you guessing how everything would be resolved.

The not-so-good.

I personally thought that the first half was a little bit slow to get going, but eventually becomes a sweet romance, and all about Sylvie regaining her mental freedom.

I found the transition in storyline quite surprising, and I didn't think they gelled well. Both halfs were well-written, but it just shifted from serious to kooky in a blink.

This is written in third-person omnipotent, which is my least favourite type of narrative. I didn't like how it shifted between characters, and even different scenes without a pause.

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