I really liked Amelie's character, and the setting she was in. I chose to request the Writer's cut because I felt it was what the author envisioned, I really enjoyed the writer's cut.

This is a really good book set in Belle Époque in France. Where people still live in some kind of prudent life, yet here we have two people from different worlds - laundry lady and businessmen. Very unlikely to meet right?
Yet with one thing that changed that their path started in discovering each other's desires (even the darkest ones) and how they can cooperate in the world that says they can't be together?
Amelie and Jasper are a duo that would never cross one's mind in any way as they seem too different to start anything, yet Jasper tries to pursue her, but will she let him?
I really enjoyed this story in Writer's Cut edition. This one was really detailed in the matter of how the sexual relationship between characters developed. I was not exactly cheering for them, as they had their own problems but I saw why they suite with each other.
Will they end together in May Leave Stars: The Writer's Cut it's up to them, but you will have to read this intriguing story to find it out!

Thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for allowing me to read an advanced copy of this book.

A historical romance fiction set in France. Heywood's writing is very well done! She is informative and descriptive in a beautiful way that lends well to the story. Unfortunately, I realized that the sheer amount of sex in this book is a bit too much for me. I find it does take away from the story for me. Regardless of this personal opionion, I would say it is a solid read and if you too prefer just a bit less raunchiness in your read, perhaps grab the regular edition rather than the writers cut.

Overall a great read!

Thank You NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to review this book.
I was so excited to get started on this book ... but unfortunately I just couldn't get into it. I struggled to finish so I had to put it down. I do have hope to pick it up and start it again but at this time I can't seem to.

I received a free digital copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

This was just a great well written novel. I loved the story. It was so deeply rich with world building. The characters were so well thought out and engaging.
This one DOES contain sexual content, so please be aware. The sexual content doesn't really add to the story so I could take it or leave it.

Overall, good story and well thought out characters.

This book was received from the Author, and Publisher, in exchange for an honest review. Opinions and thoughts expressed in this review are completely my own.

Amelie Audet, riveting like unfolds in this compulsively impressive entertaining read.
Irresistible and statuesque, Amelia, struggles with the her desire for the stage, and her devastating allure has on the opposite gender. She captures the notice of most men.
When a chance happens that may unlock a door to another life for her, will she take it. Even if it cost more than what she bargains for.
A luscious book set to the decadently and delightful backdrop of the late 1800’s, with the lights and sounds of the vibrant dancehalls of Paris. Also, the dark and seedy underworld. A romantic book of trust and untimely boundaries in partnerships.
This richly textured book and it’s engaging characters that immediately hooked and kept me completely immersed.

There are two lovely versions of this book available, one is The Writer’s Cut.
This detailed version holds nothing back, and contains explicit content with descriptions of bondage and consensual power exchanges.
So, if you are looking for something more toned down, read the Mainstream one.


PLEASE BE ADVISED: This title is available in TWO editions. The mainstream edition with virtually no explicit content. And the “Writer’s Cut” edition, which contains graphic sexual content.

I have been quietly obsessed with the idea of a romance set among the bohemian set in late 1800’s Paris. It is not something I have actively been hunting but have kept my eyes peeled. So when I saw the ARC for this, I was intrigued. Finally, here it is, though I was a bit trepidatious. The author’s bio states she is a writer of romantic historical fiction. Does that guarantee an HEA like an historical romance does? I wasn’t sure and there were certainly times it felt less than certain.

Amelie, the heroine, is a laundress with dreams of being a star singer/performer. At the start of this novel she is trying to catch the eye of Jasper, a business partner in the soon to be opening and casting Moulin Rouge. She finally catches his attention, and to her mortification, he recognizes her as the elusive subject of a famous nude painting from two years prior. The painting had been created and submitted without her consent by her former lover. Jasper is able to track her down and they begin a relationship based on mutual desire that quickly evolves into something with finer feelings.

This story is the writer’s cut, which means it is the explicit version. I think it confusing to have two versions. From what I garner, the mainstream version is not explicit at all or very minimally. This version is erotica. There is quite a bit of sex on the page with some crude language. It is a BDSM story, and I don’t know enough to comment on how well that lifestyle is portrayed. I would note that the sex was an important part of their relationship development.

The setting and historical backdrop were well told and immersive. I wish there were more such stories. I didn’t love the h or h but they did mostly make sense. Overall, I really enjoyed this story and look forward to what the author does next.

I received the Writers Cut version of this book as a ARC. The premise was intriguing and it is a very well written story. However, and this is just my personal opinion, I don’t particularly enjoy a book that has so much sex in it. I actually felt it detracted from what was a otherwise interesting story. I also felt the book lost its way towards the end with certain characters seemingly changing personality.
Not one for me I’m afraid.

This book was amazing. This is the way historical fiction should be done, with enough romance and drama to keep the reading going! Loved it!

2.5 stars

This book had so much potential and I was loving it until the last 30%. Jasper’s actions during his separation from Amelie weren’t of a man desperately in love and completely cheapened their reunion. And then Amelie became so annoying not being able to make up her mind. She started out so strong and was so weak by the end. This is really just a story about two people who enjoy each other in bed.

I decided that this year I’d read more historical fiction and this was my first read of the year in that genre! The pieces of history and Paris were exceptionally alluring and very intriguing. However, this book wasn’t necessarily what I thought it was going into it. Don’t get me wrong, I don’t mind steam in a romance. It’s quite nice when built up properly, and I’m a sucker for a good love story. However, and this is very much personal preference, I’m not necessarily someone who leans toward a book that is arguably half sex. Therefore, this wasn’t my favorite read. Beautifully written (and quite a sexy book), just not necessarily my cup of tea.

This whole world of nineteen century paris was so fun to read about. You can also tell how the author has taken time with it and wanted to make sure she got the details right.

May Leave Stars is all about Jasper and Amelie's romance. They agree to a no-strings affair as they are both struggling with their former relationships. However, how long will this no-strings attach love affair last if they start to fall for one another? The Writers Cut gives us the full explicit version and I knew what I was signing up for but at the same time wow! Sometimes caught me off guard but most of them did kinda flow in the story.

I will say that sometimes the problems and drama in the romance did annoy me. I hate it when there's over the top stubbornness and drama thrown in. There were so many times when I was reading and thinking "you both love each other, get together!" but then that's just me. I understand not all love stories are straight forward but still it annoyed me.

The atmosphere and chemistry of Jasper and Amelie were so good. I was not let down from the summary.

Wow! What a fantastic book. I would give it more than 5 stars if I could.
It was so incredibly hard to tear myself away from this to do anything else.
Once I got into Amelie and Jasper's story, I had to know more and more.
Not only did I care about the characters and the story was interesting and evolving, but I learned so much about Paris at the end of the 19th century.
How laundresses were treated, assumptions made about female artists or entertainers, the intricate politics between women and their suitors - it all made my head spin but still at the heart of it is a love story between these 2 characters, which binds the reader's emotions and carries you through everything.
I want to read more books by Catherine Heywood.

I was on the fence for most of this book, sometimes I really enjoyed it and others I really didn't. I think the setting and descriptions of setting were the best part. The characters were ok but the dialogue between them wasn't to my liking and that's what really brought the book down for me.

I was interested in reading this book because of the romance set in the late 1800s while in France. The atmosphere really came through and it was refreshing to see a different setting.

I wanted to like this book, but I could not get behind the characters. All of the supporting characters were incredibly judgmental of the two love interests being together. They had a point because I could not see the chemistry between them.

You have Amelie, who is trying to get recognized for her singing, and Jasper, who is the ticket to getting that recognition. Jasper instantly makes his move on her upon meeting. Amelie repeatedly (and stubbornly) denies him on multiple occasions for his sexual advances. Jasper continues pursuing her anyways and they start their sexual relationship from there. Their relationship basically continues with him telling her what to do, her refusing and then doing it anyways due to his sexual manipulations. They continue this cycle until they both admit to themselves that they're in love. What? I don't believe it.

Did I mention that at the beginning of this book that Jasper is still in love with his ex-wife and had other lovers he regularly interacted with? Yet he pursues Amelie because he saw her nude in a painting her former lover published without her consent.

I don't need a feminist plot line to be happy with the story, but these characters were giving me whiplash with everything going on between them. The plot wasn't strong enough to carry the lack of chemistry.

I was pleasantly surprised by the book. I loved having a peak at the glamorous world of Paris that the author serves us from the nineteenth century. It took me some time to get used to the author's writing but I came out of the read as a happy customer.

The book centers around Jasper and Amelie, and how they fall in love after what starts as a no-strings attached fling. Add to this a universe of Moulin Rouge and courtesans. And why is it a no-strings attached affair? Because Jasper is still in love with his ex-wife and Amelie with her first love Aubrey. Aubrey also happens to be a painter who considered Amelie his muse. His nude painting of her is the reason that Jasper first notices Amelie and is enchanted.

I loved Amelie's personal journey. She wants to perform in Moulin Rouge and emerge as an empowered woman from her impoverished life. However, at one point her stubbornness started to grate on my nerves. They both that they know they love each other and yet are letting their ego stand in the way. And when I say 'they', I refer to Amelie. Jasper was the quintessential alpha who went after what he wanted. But at the some time, I liked that while he chased Amelie a little too hard, it didn't ever seem to go over the line. There was a chapter centered on the influenza at the very end which also felt a little convoluted to me.

But at the end, I loved Jasper and Amelie as a couple. Their chemistry was tangible. The erotic scenes were quite explicit but they never felt unnecessary or overdone to me. The pace was also tight. But it's the backdrop and setting that makes the intense romance stand out.

Writer's cut version:

My first ever Catherine C Heywood book and I was pleasantly surprised by how much I liked it.
A huge thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for this book. I liked the synopsis and was very excited to plunge into a historic romance and all the drama that involved the main characters. I was not at all disappointed. For me, this book certainly exceeded all expectations. Not only it was classic with all the terms used in that period, the author took care of great details while writing this. It was different from all the books in similar genre. This one was really special. From the unique book cover to the admirable female protagonist last to an great chemistry between these two characters put me through a lovely time. I want to keep it spoiler free but I will definately suggest it to all the fans to historical romance genre with great characters and an interesting plot , enought to put you through a great experience that is this book. A kudos to such a talented author and I certainly am looking forward to more of her work in the future.
And the drama was definately worth it in the end.
Happy reading!

After reading this book, I encountered some additional notes from the author, which made me pause and add more weight to a book that could be classified as the historical equivalent of '50 Shades of Grey'. I have ordered one of the books from Heywood's bibliography to discover more about the world of the 19th century Courtesan. I'll also admit at this point I've never actually read 50 Shades, but I've heard enough and seen the film trailers to get the gist and make the connection.
I enjoy historical fiction and this book certainly creates a vivid world of the late 1800s; the world of the female and society's judgements and expectations. Of power, control, passion, troubles and hardships.
At the heart of this story is a talented woman, Amelie Audet, who dreams to become a performer. Her physical allure makes her into an unwilling muse and into the object of desire from more than one man. It is her relationship with Monsieur Jasper Degrailly that dominants the novel, as much as he wants to dominate her as their relationship becomes physical. His dominant need in their relationship is handled well, as is Amelie’s submissiveness. There are two versions of this book available, one is the writer’s cut which does not hold back and contains explicit content with descriptions of bondage and consensual power exchanges. So, if you are looking for something milder then you can read the mainstream version.
I enjoyed the writer’s descriptions of 1880s Paris, the performance halls and the start of the Moulin Rouge and the less unsavoury side of life beyond Paris’s high society. The writer crafts a believable love story with a difference, and I really became invested in Amelie’s story.
Recommended for reader’s seeking a different kind of historical love story. I’d be interested now in reading the mainstream version to see how it changes the storytelling and central relationship.