A tense story, full of memories and anguish. A well crafted story with many twists and turns. A true page turner.

This book was a bit of a slow burner for me but once I'd found my stride, it was an interesting read. Jess Bright takes a break from serious journalism to be a mum and support her husband's career in journalism. After his affair, Jess decides the pair should separate & she tries to rebuild her career again. An opportunity arises,mainly due to mistaken identity,for her to ghost write the memoir of reclusive artist Adelaide Fox, this meeting is where the story really becomes interesting. 3.5*

Another enjoyable book by one of my favourite authors. Great characters who I quickly warmed to. I enjoyed getting lost in the story and was sad to say goodbye. Loved how the main characters helped each other to move forward with their lives

Lucy Diamond never disappoints. I loved this book and didn't want it to end. Enjoyed both female character's stories. Loved the setting. Loved the way both female lead's grew. With thanks to NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I have read almost everything Lucy Diamond has written and thoroughly enjoyed them all. The stories are engaging and easy to read. Perfect for anyone looking for a holiday read or a break from more literary tomes, yet they have far more substance to them than many of those books called 'holiday reads'. The characters and situations are real which makes them easy to relate to.

Three and a half stars.

This is kind of two stories in one.

Jess Bright is a recently divorced mother of three teenage girls. A journalist, her writing tends to be of the agony aunt/humorous blog about her family life which was always dismissed by her ex-husband (a sports' writer) as frivolous. So when she gets approached to write the biography of famous artist Adelaide Fox, who now lives in Paris, she jumps at the chance, she briefly lived and worked in Paris before she was married and has fond memories of the city.

Adelaide Fox was a ground-breaker, a rebel, an enfant terrible. Now old, her former husband dead for over twenty years and what appears to be impending Parkinson's disease, her life has become smaller and she has become less tolerant.

There are mysteries in both Jess and Adelaide's pasts. Did Adelaide's stalker really commit suicide, and in such a bizarre fashion, or was there something more sinister? Why did Adelaide fall out with her best friend and why have never spoken again? What happened to Jess' best friend in Paris, Pascale who disappeared one day and was never heard from again?

At first Jess and Adelaide have quite an antagonistic relationship, Adelaide wants to use the biography to settle old scores with everyone who has ever wronged her and doesn't appreciate Jess' questions about other things, or her suggestions that Adelaide should talk about happier events in her life as well. Nevertheless, as they work together Adelaide finds she sees the past with new eyes.

Although there is a romance, this is very much women's' fiction, two women revisiting their pasts and learning things about each other. I did enjoy it, and Lucy Diamond's writing is always excellent, but in some ways I felt having both Adelaide and Jess' stories somewhat diluted events. There were lots of little side episodes which didn't really go anywhere (like Jess' extremely irritating daughter who seemed to be a plot device), I wanted Jess to be an almost invisible presence, teasing Adelaide's life story out of her, and I just didn't feel we got enough of Adelaide's life.

I received an ARC from the publisher via NetGalley for an honest review.

For me this book took some effort to stick with it as I just didn't feel I connected with either Jess or Adelaide easily, it was more than halfway through before I felt I was reaching a depth with the plot and it all started to fall into place for me. This could well have been my own distracted reading this week, so I am sure it will not be the case for everyone and I'd just like to add that. There is definitely a darkness to the plot and some traumatic things that the characters relive from their pasts. I liked how there was character growth and a realisation that living in the past prevents joy. I felt I needed more from the characters to really understand them, especially Lucas who was lovely but a bit of background enigma for most of the book.

I Remember Paris by Lucy Diamond

Jess, a journalist and single mum, is offered the job of a lifetime - to go to Paris and ghost write the memoir of Adelaide Fox, a famous artist with a few secrets behind the scandals she's been the centre of during her almost 80 years. But things don't get off to a great start and it's a very bumpy road throughout the whole process as both Jess and Adelaide grapple with their pasts.

Oh I loved this book - loved the setting, the main characters, the other characters, the dog... everything! A fabulous story that keeps you turning the pages and a wonderful ending. Very VERY highly recommended.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC of this book.

Lucy Diamond is in my all-time top ten of authors, and once again has written an excellent book. I love her books and the characters that appear appear in them. This one was no exception.

An enjoyable read mostly set in Paris with some dips into the past along the way. Lucy certainly evokes Parisian life with this book with interesting plots which perfectly intertwine. Heartwarming, basically about lost friendships and second chances although I did think the story about Pascale was a little unbelievable. Plenty of family relationships intertwined along the way. One of the main characters, Jess, annoyed me at times but the other Adelaide was a sheer delight in her grumpiness but overall a good balance.

A lovely lovely book. Brilliant characters and a great story too. I loved the family dynamic. Highly recommended.

Having read quite a few of Lucy's books, this one certainly didn't disappoint.
Adelaide is an old lady who has a lot of grievances to get off her chest. She wants to write her memoir but is unable to find a writer who will put up with her.
By accident, Adelaide's nephew Luc employs Jess, who is the wrong Jess, so things get off to a sticky start. When Jess got a bit of backbone, she certainly fave as good as she got.

Jess is a single mother, navigating work and bringing up three teenage daughters. Jess spent some of her youth in Paris and is eager to explore past haunts. She also wants to find out what happened to her best friend Pascale, who disappeared.

I've never really wanted to visit Paris, but after reading this, it has changed my mind.
I loved how Jess embraced the whole culture, like sitting in cafes and people watching. Something I would definitely do.

I did end up liking Adelaide at the end. After being quite a cantankerous woman, she did mellow.

Fans of Lucy Diamond will not be disappointed

Thanks to Netgalley and Quercus for the invitation to read this in exchange for an honest review.

I missed the deadline for this book as I didn't get the chance to read it before then so don't feel right to be leaving a review when I haven't read it. It's now on my TBR list.

Unfortunately this archived before I got chance to read it! Absolutely gutted as I love this author! Please reissue so I can read and review 🤞

This story will captivate you and make you feel like you are sat outside a café in Paris with a charming waiter. You get absorbed by the art and the amazing characters like Adelaide, whom you may not always like, but you will always have love for. As her story unfolds and you find her true story, you realise why it was important to her, and what she behaves the way she does. It may not be everyone’s cup of tea, but you can see from the way she interacts with Jean-Paul that she is secretly a big-hearted woman, the heart is just covered in layers of paint and hurt. Jess was a different matter, I wanted to give her a push at times, and then she would surprise me by taking a leap, her storyline was well done and seeing her and her daughter start to understand each other as they discover Paris was really nice and made me desperate to go back and wander the streets again.

Jess is a recently separated, mum.of 3 with a career that is, frankly, less than ideal. When the opportunity to ghost write the formidable Adelaide Fox's autobiography falls into her lap, she grasps at it and discovers many truths along the way.


It took a long time for me to get into this story, longer than any of Diamond's other books but once you're into it, the characters are so well written that you do get hooked! I enjoyed the challenges of it, the swapping of time frames and voices, and the general mood of the story as a whole.

I'm not sure what I expected but this book was not what I anticipated at all, both female protagonists have faced their share of challenges, there is reference to rape, infidelity, death and abortion.
Jess can't believe her luck when she is approached to ghost write prestigious artist Adelaine Fox's memoir but is swiftly brought back to earth when she is told this was a case of mistaken identity.
The plot of this story was great and the characters were fascinating but I found it a bit of a slow burner, it took me longer to get into than other books by this author.

This is another fabulous read from Lucy diamond.
Soon to be divorced Jess, is in crossroads of her life. When she gets an opportunity to ghost write the memoir for the famous artist Adelaide Fox. The artist is now nearing her 80’s and has had a checkered life and lives in the beautiful city of Paris. Adelaide wants to take out revenge on the people that wronged her by writing her memoir and tell her story of all the that things that wet wrong in her life but the good things too and how she became esteemed artist she now is.
Jess can’t wait to go back to Paris. When she was 21, she came to live and work there. So, she can’t wait to go back to the places she enjoyed and hook up with old friends. But also, to meet Adelaide Fox. This opportunity will boost her career.
But when she meets her, the job is not straightforward as it seems, and Jess is not the first person that Adelaide has asked to write her story. Adelaide is a strong woman, and she knows what she wants, and she is difficult to persuade to do things differently.
Yet again, Lucy diamond writes an enjoyable read. I loved the sights and settings of Paris and the characters of Adelaide and her back story. I thought this was going to be a romance novel but, it was much more than that with telling of Adelaide artist history and the places she worked and visited. I was only disappointed with the ending; it was a flat for me personally. But still a great read 4 stars from me.

This was a thoroughly enjoyable read. I enjoyed my visit to Paris and getting to know the characters. There is humour, emotions and plenty of good descriptive writing. Lucy Diamond took me on a tour of Paris, the real Paris that the tourists don't see or experience. I got a sense of the sights, tastes and atmosphere of the city. I could almost taste the delicious pastries and the rich wines.

The two main characters are a great foil for each other. Adelaide Fox, a famous artist, is heading towards her eightieth birthday and wants to write her memoir and get her own back on all those who have hurt her over the years. Jess is a Mum of three, divorced and a writer who is hired to do a trial chapter of Adelaide's book. These two clash, and challenge each other and the results are funny, endearing and volatile, but it works. Add in the storylines from both their pasts and some other great characters, this story really gels.

This is an easy read but some difficult subjects are covered. It is a good read and one I would definitely recommend.

I had high hopes for this book as I always enjoy Lucy Diamond's novels and this was no exception.
Set mainly in Paris where Adelaide a famous artist resides. She had finally decided to publish her memoirs and reveal her many secrets and disgruntlements. She carefully selects a ghostwriter after trying out a few others but this doesn't go according to plan.
Along comes Jess, revisiting the Paris of her late teenage years but with much water under the bridge.
What follows is a tale of friendship, loss, betrayal and family. The only slight criticism if you could call it that is the annoying way Jess takes the blame for her failed marriage and allows her daughters to snipe at her for it. Also the story of Pascale feels like a stretch.

I very much enjoyed this book and the feisty women within and would definitely recommend it.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publishers for the ARC.