Primary Genre(s): Romance, Women’s Fiction
Published: 20 April 2021 by St. Martin’s Griffin
Page count: 304 (print length)
My Format: eBook via NetGalley (ARC)
Cover: Cute
Pacing: Good
Ending: Realistic
Do I Recommend: Yes
Commission Link (U.S.): Buy Maggie Finds Her Muse
My rating: ★★★☆☆
Synopsis
All Maggie Bliss needs to do is write. Forty-eight years old and newly single (again!), she ventures to Paris in a last-ditch effort to finish her manuscript. With a marvelous apartment at her fingertips and an elegant housekeeper to meet her every need, a finished book—and her dream of finally taking her career over the top—is surely within her grasp. After all, how could she find anything except inspiration in Paris, with its sophistication, food, and romance in the air?
But the clock is running out, and between her charming ex-husband arriving in France for vacation and a handsome Frenchman appearing one morning in her bathtub, Maggie’s previously undisturbed peace goes by the wayside.
My Thoughts
Being one myself, I enjoy reading books about older female protagonists. Here are my pros and cons for Maggie Finds Her Muse:
Pros
- As a lover of reading, I also love learning about the other side of the book I’m reading… the writing process. I’m always intrigued by writing rituals, processes, muses, etc., and this book didn’t disappoint in that area.
- Paris! What is it about Paris that is so appealing? Even just reading about it is awesome! The descriptions of Paris and Rennes were so amazing that I felt like I was there!
- I enjoy the “older woman takes a risk, learns something about herself, and blossoms into a better/happier person” trope. Perhaps, I’m living a little vicariously through these types of novels, but I could read them all day long. This book didn’t disappoint with the “transformation” of Maggie.
- I enjoyed the evolution of the relationship between Maggie and her daughter. It is a side story, but I found it to be more interesting that the main plot most of the time.
Cons
- Maggie Bliss? Really? That is like naming the lead cowboy in a modern western novel Duke Roughrider, or an MMA fighter Max Payne, or a teacher Ms. Apple. It is a nitpick but using Bliss as her last name felt corny.
- I didn’t really feel the connection between Maggie and either of the men. The so-called romance was pretty blah in my opinion. There just weren’t any sparks there at all in my opinion, and when the author tried to create some sparks it felt forced. (I’m not taking about sex, but about the connection or chemistry between two people.)
- I also felt like the romance between Maggie and Max happened way too fast. They hadn’t even spent a week together and she felt like she couldn’t live without him? Really?
Summary
This was a good book. It was a fast read and I generally enjoyed it (even considering my cons above). Sadly, it was the third book I’ve read recently with this same story (down to some almost identical plot lines) so it unfortunately suffered a bit by comparison.
I would recommend this book to anyone who loves Paris, books about writing books, or romance novels involving older adults.
Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin’s Griffin for providing an ebook, which I have reviewed honestly and voluntarily.
If you would like to read this book and form your own opinion, please consider purchasing through this link: Buy Maggie Finds Her Muse. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases at no extra cost to you. Thanks!
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(image from Goodreads)
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