The Lost Carousel of Provence jumps between current times and the late 1800's. I'm not always a fan of this, but I loved it in this book. Both main characters where intriguing and made this book a page turner. Juliet Blackwell's writing is very similar to Frances Mayes. This book reminded me a lot of Under the Tuscan Sun.

After losing everything Cady Drake sets out for Paris to photograph a book of the Parisian carousels. For Cady the fascination with carousels started with her beloved Gus who was gifted to her by a woman that was as close to a mother that she ever had. When this job comes up she can't help but go and see if she can find Gus' story.

When it turns out that the great carousel maker that Cady believed had produced Gus turns out to be wrong she must dig deeper. In digging deeper Cady comes across the Clement family and all of the drama surrounding them.

A portion of this book is based in the Chateau Clement. I loved imagining it in it's glory days and even in the current times state of disarray. I couldn't help but dream of living in a Chateau in the French countryside and fixing it up. Such a delicious read!

Brought to you by OBS Reviewer Daniele

The Lost Carousel of Provence is an enjoyable book full of heartache, loss, and hope for the future. Blackwell paints a vivid picture of France, and her love of the country and its people shines through with every word.

Told from three perspectives and taking place in three different eras, it weaves a memorable tale of overcoming difficult circumstances. In the present day, photographer Cady, after experiencing two great losses, hopes to distract herself by working on a book about carousels in France. She is especially interested in finding the provenance of her own carousel rabbit and answers to the secrets it contains. Readers also learn about an ambitious carver who worked on a carousel in the early twentieth century and a tragic story of German occupied France during World War II. All three threads are related and come together to form a cohesive narrative.

I am a great fan of historical fiction so I was surprised to enjoy the present day storyline the most. Cady definitely carries baggage from her rough childhood, and it affects her personality, perceptions, and interactions with people. She is likable in an awkward way. Elderly Fabrice is prickly and reclusive, but he and Cady make an endearing pair. Even though all of the characters are interesting, I had the most trouble connecting carver Maelle and the other carousel makers and the Clements.

The carousel theme that ties the three eras together is fascinating. I enjoyed learning the history of how carousels came to be and the craftsmanship that went into making the whimsical landmarks. I can easily see how Cady came to love them so much. Being an armchair traveler to Paris and the French countryside is also a highlight of the book. I can smell the lavender on the gentle breeze and taste the wonderful baked goods.

The Lost Carousel of Provence is a heartfelt story of the profound effects the little things we do and how they can alter others’ lives. Recommended.

*OBS would like to thank the publisher for supplying a free copy of this title in exchange for an honest review*

Amazon did not list this book as historical fiction -- but I do believe it falls under that category!! Juliet did an amazing job weaving in details about the history of carousels. Everything I loved about it -- title, cover, beginning, different time lines and the ending was perfect!!

(Thank you to Netgalley! I received the book for free. That did not influence my review.)

The Lost Carousel of Provence by Juliet Blackwell is a multi-POV novel set in multiple time periods: early 1900s, WWII, and current day.

Because the early part of the book jumps around so much between characters and time periods, it’s hard to get engaged. In particular, the current day character, Cady, is introduced with both forward moving chapters and chapters that slip into her backstory. Perhaps it’s supposed to give the whirling up-and-down feeling of being on a carousel, but it was frustrating to read at first. The lack of cohesion got tedious. Eventually, the different stories intersected and the novel clicked. This is a novel that rewards patience as it draws to a close as a rich, emotional, multi-generational tale.

Cady Drake is a young female photographer who has difficulty connecting with people, largely due to her foster care upbringing. She was a troubled youth, who was fortunate to find stability living with an older woman, an antique store owner named Maxine. When Maxine dies, Cady is devastated. At the urging of her only friend, Cady embarks on a trip to Paris to photograph carousels for a coffee table book. This idea is inspired by the gift of an old carousel rabbit she had once received from Maxine. Inside the rabbit was a box with a photograph of a young woman from long ago, standing in front of a carousel. Cady becomes obsessed with learning who made the rabbit and the identity of the mysterious woman.

Maelle Tanguy is a young Breton woman in turn-of-the-twentieth-century France. She is a talented sculptor who yearns to make carousel animals. She bravely sets out on her own to apprentice with Monsieur Bayol, the acknowledged master carver. Although he refuses to take her on at first, she impresses him with her spunkiness. He hires her to help his wife with housework, but gradually allows her to take on menial tasks in his workshop, and finally help make the animals. Unfortunately for Maelle, there is a handsome charmer in the workshop, Leon, and she is very gullible.

Finally, there is Fabrice Clement from Provence. During WWII, he was a young resistance fighter in Paris. He survived, barely, to become a writer known for difficult post-modern novels in the war’s aftermath. He then retired to an inherited, falling-apart chateau back in Provence, where he became a cranky recluse.

Fabrice’s chateau was once known for a carousel built for its aristocratic owners by the master Bayol. And, this is the carousel in the photograph Cady found in her rabbit. Maelle is the woman in the photo.

There is a good deal of mystery surrounding all these elements. And the author does a lovely job of piecing it all together. Cady blossoms in France as she never could in her California home.

The novel also beautifully describes the carousel making process in fascinating detail.

I tend to enjoy these types of multi-period novels less than historical novels that follow a more chronological plot line. I don’t like having the flow of a narrative interrupted so frequently. I’m not thrown off by different POV characters so long as their stories are moving in the same direction at the same time, but when the stories are all unconnected for too long, even when I can see that they will eventually connect, I lose patience. That said, I’m glad I stuck with this one until it all came together to its satisfying conclusion.

This was a really quick and engrossing read by Juliet Blackwell. I've read her "Haunted Home Renovation" series and enjoyed it so if you've also read her mysteries you will likely enjoy this novel that steps away from the cozy mystery theme but still maintains some mysteries.

The main character is Cady who is an orphan and a bit out of sorts after the closest thing she's known to a mother passes away and she has no where to go. She eventually finds herself in France and can't leave without looking into the past of an antique she's owned and is looking for answers about.

Though the main story is told from Cady's point of view there's a few other characters that have their turn as well that come as the story unfolds. All three voices are distinctive and honestly I could have done with more story from the minor characters - I felt their stories were quickly glossed over at the end when I felt they could have been beefed up a bit more.

Overall it is an enchanting read and I liked the story even with its rushed ending.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for an ARC copy in exchange for a review.

The Lost Carousel of Provence is a historical fiction novel about the old carousels in France. Cady Drake, the principal character, is a photographer who was brought up in the foster system and has no family. Passed from family to family and always in trouble, she did end up living with an elderly woman, Maxine, who taught her how to restore antique items. She has an obsession with carousels that leads her to Paris and to the Chateau Clement where a grumpy elderly man, Fabrice Clement, lives. Cady comes to the chateau with the idea to restore the carousel that she finds there.

Other characters in the novel are:

Fabrice Clement (1945) Fabrice is a cantankerous old man who lives in the chateau, whom family disputes actually belongs to him. Fabrice has guilt that he is living with about something he did as a teenager during the war.

Maelle Tanguy (1900) Maelle is a young woman who is a wood carver who is given a position as a domestic servant to Gustave Bayol, the original carver of the carousels. She desperately wants to be a carver, that is what she lives for. She forges a friendship with Josephine, the wife of Gustave. She becomes embroiled in deceit that leads her to a series of life choices.

Jean-Paul, present day, is the nephew of Fabrice who wants to restore the Chateau to its glory days, but that takes money and Fabrice is adamant that the Chateau not be sold. He acts as the go between with her and Fabrice. Fabrice wants nothing to do with Jean-Paul.

The story is told in different characters point of view and also in different eras. I found the story to be fascinating, I never knew anything about carousels. The author's descriptions and characterizations made this book very readable. The reader learns about Cady's early life, Maelle's relationships and her desire to be a carver, and what happened to Fabrice during the war that makes him such an unhappy man. Can Cady help seal the rift between the family members? Well you will just have to get a copy and read it!

I really enjoyed the book and highly recommend it if you are into historical fiction and WWII.

A great reason to love this author in a genre that isn't mystery. I was a bit nervous to read this book as I love this author greatly, and my nerves were not necessary. It is beautiful, it is stunning and it had me asking "why did she take so long to write this story?" It was a sweet story that held many of the author's flare for words and her writing style that will make this a story that her fans will love.

A book with two storylines that converge at just the right spot. The current storyline is about an American photographer named Cady Drake that has hit a few snags in life and is given the opportunity of a lifetime to go to Paris and France to photograph carousels. Interspersed throughout that narrative are chapters from the past from a few view points and they tell the story of the inhabitants of this chateau in Provence. Cady learns a lot of life lessons from this chateau and the older man currently living in it.

What a beautiful story. I love when a small piece of history, in this instance a carousel is the catalyst for a whole bigger story of the time and the place and life in the present day. I loved how Cady became a researcher and journalist through her photography and I loved hearing about how taking photos informed her life and made her literally see things differently.

This book made me google carousels and Paris and watch youtube videos and sent me down a few rabbit holes! I absolutely love it when books prompt me to do the google searching. I always find I learn more when a book sends me into research mode.

This was my first Juliet Blackwell book and will most definitely not be the last. I will be on the hunt for her other books and will have to read and review them here.

I downloaded this title to write a feature and giveaway post for the publisher. I will include the link when I provide feedback directly to the publisher.

I admire the author's effort in researching this book of the history and making of carousels; the description was very detailed. I thought each of the sections of the book--the Cady's current life, the Resistance against the Nazis in WWII and the making of the Clement carousel could have been their own book and I think I would have preferred that. Although I don't necessarily mind going backwards and forward in time in a book, in this case it didn't flow for me.

Thanks to NetGalley for an digital advance review copy of this book. My review is voluntary.

Juliet Blackwell tells the story of Cady, present time, and the 1900’s in France using a dual timeline format. While it can sometimes get confusing which time you are reading, Juliet does an amazing job keeping the two storylines separate while weaving them together a little bit at a time. I liked finding out how Gus, the carousel rabbit, Cady, and the Clements would all come together. I wasn’t surprised at how it all ended up but I did enjoy seeing how it all worked out.

Usually, I find myself connecting to a certain character or a certain storyline but with this one I was thrilled with the descriptions and the characters of the 1900’s. I am also curious about wartime living and many of the characters were active in the war efforts. The present storyline was just as amazing. The food Cady ate, the towns she visited, the carousels she photographed, and the people she met were alive to me. I could taste, see, and enjoy all that she did.

I really enjoyed The Lost Carousel of Provence. I learned about the making of carousels and all the tedious precision work that goes into their making. There was enough fact that I felt informed but not overwhelmed with facts that I didn’t need or want to know. Pick up your own copy and travel to Paris, visit the carousels, eat the food, and meet the wonderful characters.

A French Chateau, Family Secrets and Romance

Cady Drake, a photographer, never had a family and doesn’t know how families behave. The only person she trusted, Maxine, is dead and Cady doesn’t know how to go on. Maxine taught Cady how to restore antiques. Now Maxine’s store is all Cady has left. In an angry outburst, Cady kicks her antique carousel figure, a rabbit she’s named Gus. Gus breaks, and inside Cady finds a photograph and a mysterious note.

Through the help of her friend Olivia, she gets an assignment to photograph carousels in France. Although undecided at first, she goes and starts the adventure of her life, tracking down the mysterious carousel located at a crumbling chateau in Provence.

For me, the most interesting part of the book was learning about carousels and the fantastic animals carved by Gustave Bayol, a master carver, who had a studio where many of the carousel animals were carved. I also enjoyed the descriptions of France, particularly Provence.

The book has an interesting theme about how difficult it was for a woman to be accepted in the 1900s by a studio like Bayol’s. One of the main characters wants desperately to be a carver, but it’s a difficult road for a woman to succeed.

The book is broken up into relatively short chapters. Some take place in the 1900s, others follow Cady in the present day. Although I often find books written with two time lines difficult to get into, I enjoyed this one. Both stories were equally interesting.

If you enjoy stories with family secrets, you may like this book.

I received this book from Net Galley for this review.

Cady takes pictures of carousels, She's got a contract to do a picture book of them. When she finds a burned and broken one, she suggests a book on the condition of it and the restoration. They say they'll think about it. Now if the old grouch will let her do it, she'll have it made...

Berkley and NetGalley let me read this book for review (thank you). It is being published today.

Being in Paris is a new experience for her and she finds she likes it. She also likes the man she meets but they have different agendas. He will inherit the chateau she's staying at and he intends to sell it. She thinks he should keep it and rehab it over time. The old man living there just wants to be left alone. She's allowed to stay because she walks his dog and cooks his meals. She still gets thrown out twice since he has a bad temper and was crossed in the past.

You read about the past as well as the present. I found that interesting. I also sympathized with the characters.

Will Cady go home with her dream unfulfilled? Or will the old man let her stay again? Read it and see.

Who wouldn’t want to go to Paris and photograph carousels?

Cady was excited to head to Paris when she received the assignment especially since her interest in carousels had begun when she was a child and found Gus.

Gus was a carved carousel rabbit with a secret Cady found hidden inside Gus when he accidentally broke open. The hidden secret had a story of its own, and turned into a mystery that haunted Cady to solve.

Cady was used to mysteries and secrets since her childhood was spent in the foster system. She was moved from one foster home to another with no parents to be found. When she met Maxine and found Gus, though, they seemed to give her some stability and interest in antiques.

THE LOST CAROUSEL OF PARIS follows Cady back and forth from her childhood to present day with the history behind the carousel rabbit marvelously added in as well.

I enjoyed the history of European carousels and learning about a famous carousel maker Monsieur Gustave Bayol and his company in Angers, France.

THE LOST CAROUSEL OF PARIS allows the reader to get a free trip to Paris and to experience the beautiful landscape and people of Southern France both present-day and past.

This book will appeal to those who enjoy France, antiques, warm-hearted characters, the Provencal countryside, chateaus, and European history during WWII.

A charming, heart-warming read.

The characters were lovely, and the story line was creative, uplifting, and positive.

France, carousels, lovable characters, and a marvelous story line.

LOVED the book...ENJOY if you read it...I know you will. 5/5

This book was given to me free as an ARC. All opinions are my own.

Orphan Cady Drake grew up in Oakland, in foster care and group homes, until, finally, stealing something from an antiques shop, or trying to, throws her into the path of Maxine, the antique store owner. Now Maxine has died, Cady has lost her unborn, accidental baby to a miscarriage, and even finding new photography assignments seems too much.

Her only other friend, Olivia, is unwilling to leave it at that, though. Cady has an antique carousel rabbit Maxine gave her, believed to have been made by French sculptor and carousel maker, Gustave Bayol. Cady is fascinated by its past and by carousels, and suggests she go to France to photograph French carousels for a book on the history of carousels in France. And as it happens, she's already pitched the idea to a publisher her magazine works with. It's approved; Cady just has to agree.

Cady is not initially enthusiastic, in part because she finds coping with people challenging in the best of circumstances, never mind in a foreign country where she knows no one, and her mastery of the language is imperfect. But she has no other plans, and has to do something...

Her travels in France lead her to an architect whose family, early in the 20th century, bought their own carousel from Gustave Bayol. Then World War I, the aftermath of the war, the Depression, and World War II, seriously damaged the family's fortunes. Chateau Clement is in serious disrepair, occupied only by one old man, Fabrice Clement, grandson of the couple who bought the carousel. There's a huge rift between Fabrice and the descendants of his great-uncle, who think his grandmother was unfaithful, his father was illegitimate, and that they should have inherited the chateau.

And there's also the question of what happened to the carousel, which no one has seen in a very long time.

Jean-Paul, the architect, is a descendant of the other side of the family. He'd like to mend the rift, but Fabrice is distrustful. Cady, more than anyone in the Clement clan, understands Fabrice's distrust--and unexpectedly connects with him.

But there are several family mysteries, the mystery of Cady's own carousel rabbit, a troubled teenager, and the tricky shoals of damaged people trying to connect. I like Cady, I like Jean-Paul, I like Fabrice. None of them are easy people.

And interwoven with all this, we get glimpses of Cady's troubled childhood, and the life of a young woman from Bretagne, who, in 1900, defies custom to travel to the town of Angers on her own to seek to use the carving skills her father taught her to become an apprentice in Bayol's carousel factory. The stories all matter, and they are all compelling. People connect despite differences.

I really enjoyed this book. Recommended.

I received a free electronic galley from the publisher via NetGalley.

The Lost Carousel of Provence is a beautiful story that alternates between modern day France and from around the time of World War II. The story centers around a forgotten Carousel in a small town in France. The mystery was intriguing and pulled me into the story. The main character finds a box inside an old carousel animal and sets out to figure out what it means, as well more about the carousel rabbit. I love books that have a focus on art and its provenance, so I was excited to start this one and it didn’t disappoint. The only part of the book that didn’t really do it for me was the ending. I thought that it could have been a little more fleshed out.

Intriguing, atmospheric, and uplifting.

The Lost Carousel of Provence is an alluring tale predominantly set in the majestic southeastern region of France during the early 1900s, as well as present day, and is told from three different perspectives. Maelle, an independent, hardworking young woman struggling to showcase her talents and prove her worth in a male-dominated environment. Fabrice, a lonely, elderly man who has sacrificed, endured and lived a life weighed down by deception, regret, and unrequited love. And Cady an intelligent, independent, young woman who endeavours to photograph all the lost carousels of France and uncover all the stories and secrets that surround them.

The prose is expressive and eloquent. The characters are scarred, complex, and authentic. And the plot is a sweeping saga filled with familial drama, introspection, love, loss, life, family, friendship, community, mystique, heartbreak, romance, secrets, passion, loyalty, as well as a little insight into the designing and building of some of the most famous merry-go-rounds of all time.

Overall, The Lost Carousel of Provence is an informative, romantic, mysterious tale that is a well-written, exceptionally researched, beautiful, picture postcard of the history, landmarks, culture, culinary fare, and lost art forms of a country Blackwell obviously loves and knows well.

Opening line:
"No one has seen."

Cady Drake grew up in the foster care system, bouncing from homes until she is taken in by a antique shop owner. She learns a useful trade and useful life skills and she isn't afraid of anyone. She is a little afraid of becoming close to people so she tells all who meet her that people really don't like her.
She follows the advice of a friend to go to Paris and take pictures of carousals for a book and Cady does just that.
She meets many interesting and varied people on her journey and it's fun to follow the mystery of the Carousel of Provence and why it's brings pain and sadness.
The story is told in three different eras and add to the story. There are a couple of twists and one twist of the knife in the proverbial gut. At times I felt the author was 'telling' me what I needed to know or understand and not letting me figure it out on my own.
Also, now I want to go to France and eat all the food!
Lovely read. About 10 swear words, some kissing and 'next morning' sexual innuendos.

Thanks to netgalley for the early read!

A sweet, lovely read. The Lost Carousel in Provence by Juliet Blackwell is one of those books that will make you want to travel to France, look for antiques, and start taking a daily trip to the grocery store. I really loved this book and wanted to stay within the pages and journey to France!
Told from multiple points of view, we travel back and forth in time from the early 1900s France, to WWII France, and then to modern-day Oakland, and also modern-day Paris and Provence. This back and forth with multiple third-person POVs was handled well, and I wasn’t ever confused about which POV I was reading or which setting I was in. I counted five different POVs, and usually with different time period POVs I gravitate more towards the older, more historical point of view. In The Lost Carousel in Provence however, I really enjoyed Cady’s viewpoint, our modern heroine, the most. Cady reminded me a lot of Emma from the television series Once Upon A Time. I even pictured her wearing a red leather jacket a’ la Emma Swan. She’s grown up in the foster system; she’s had a tough childhood, and emerged as a strong, capable heroine. As the book bounces back and forth between her upbringing and her in the present, you really get a sense for how her childhood and those she came into contact with helped shape her.
One of the other POV characters is Maelle Tanguy, and she’s back in the early 1900s France and works for the famous Gustave Bayol carving carousels and assisting him. Maelle was a good character and her story was interesting as it really talked a lot about how much went into making a carousel. From the carving to the mechanics, to the painting of the animals, there was far more going on than I ever expected! Maelle had probably more of a modern mindset than girls in her time actually did, and while this felt a bit forced to go with the plot, it wasn’t so far off the mark to be distracting.
There is some romance here, and while the romance was sweet and charming, some of the prose was too flowery for me. Every kiss seemed to be earth shattering, and this was just a bit too much for me! There wasn’t anything graphic at all here, and there really wasn’t very many of these scenes, there was just more romantic flowery prose than I really care for.
Overall I really enjoyed this book and learned a lot about carousels. Before reading this, I honestly didn’t think twice about carousels, but now I’m intrigued and I’m eager to head to Paris and see all of the carousels that are placed around the city. If you needed any other encouragement to read The Lost Carousel of Provence, there’s also a chateau in desperate need of refurbishment. Be still my heart.

Bottom Line: A beautiful book that will inspire you to learn more about carousels and travel to France. I already want to re-read it!

I gave this book a 4.5 out of 5 stars.

I requested this book as the plot sounded so intriguing to me. Historical history is one of my favorite genres to read, so I knew I had to give this book a chance.

The biggest thing that drew me was the back and forth between the past and the present. I feel this format of writing makes the story move along better. (The time are present day and world war II)

Our main character Cady, was a girl with an imperfect past and a not so great present. So it was fun to root for her throughout the book as her life improved. Although at some points it seems that her life is almost getting to the point of being too perfect.

I love stories that have a puzzle/mystery to them, and this story definitely had that. Cady has a carousel rabbit and finds a hidden object in it. The entire rest of the story is about the carousel and who made it. I loved the parts of the book that mentioned the various carousels around France and their makers. It made me want to go back to France to find them!

I would highly recommend this book to lover of historical fiction.