Paris, Rue des Martyrs by Adria Cimino Book Review

I received this book for free from Author for review consideration, opinions expressed are 100% my own. This post contains affiliate links as indicated by an asterisk. Purchases from these links provides a small commission to me at no extra cost to you.

Paris, Rue des Martyrs by Adria Cimino
Setting: France
Pages: 284
Format: eARC
Source: Author
Amazon
Goodreads

Synopsis from Goodreads:

“Some encounters make a difference.

Four strangers in Paris. Each one is on a quest: to uncover a family secret, to grasp a new chance at love, to repair mistakes of the past. Four stories entwine, four quests become one, as their paths cross amid the beauty, squalor, animation and desolation of a street in Paris, the Rue des Martyrs.

Rafael’s search for his birth mother leads him to love and grim family secrets. Cecile’s view of herself as an unsatisfied housewife is radically changed by the promise of a passionate liaison. Andre, an aging actor, troubled by the arrival of the son he abandoned years ago, must make a choice, to either lose his son forever or put aside pride and seek redemption. Mira travels to Paris to begin a new life and forget about love… or so she intends.

Four strangers, four stories, one riveting novel.”

 

My Thoughts:

During my last Remicade infusion, I brought along this book. Remicade days are like mini read-a-thons for me, I can’t do much of anything else so I read, eat or sleep. I was so riveted by this book that I stayed up until 3 am to finish it and read it in one sitting.

 

I really enjoyed how complex the characters were, each one had a dramatic backstory and vastly different personalities.

Rafael: A son trying to find answers for his parents’ murder and is drawn back to the emerald mining family business he tried to avoid.

Cecile: A desperate housewife and mom whose family life is less than perfect.

Andre: The arrogant, retired, once-famous actor who bosses around those he encounters at the local cafe.

Mira: A heartbroken artist who escapes Naples and comes to Paris to start her new life and ambitions.

I enjoyed getting to know their backstory enough to understand why they make their decisions. It really helps the reader get inside the characters’ minds, empathize with them and Adria did this very well. The main characters’ interactions with the supporting cast is what really tied their stories together, in the most unexpected ways. I loved Hugo’s character while Septime and Laurel drove me crazy.

 

The plot was fast-paced, suspenseful and with plenty of surprises. Each chapter switched from one character’s life to another and ended with a cliffhanger. I was most surprised by the story surrounding Rafael and the dangers of the emerald-mining industry. Since I was emotionally drawn to the characters, I couldn’t wait to see what happened next. Of course, that’s WHY I stayed up until 3 am to finish it, I’ve never read an entire book all at once before! It made me wonder, how well do I know the people who live on my street?

 

First line of the novel: “Rafael Mendez arrived like a thief in the night at 120 Rue des Martyrs.”

[bctt tweet=”PARIS, RUE DES MARTYRS by @Adria_in_Paris will make you wonder how well you know your neighbors? 5*” username=”momsvictories”]

Other Blogger Reviews:

See what some of my favorite book bloggers had to say about this book!

The Book Musings
Love at First Book
My Life in Books

 

Challenges Satisfied:

Around the World in 80 Books Reading Challenge – France

Which books have you read all at once or simply couldn’t put down? What books surprised you?