Paris Time Capsule by Ella Carey is a historical fiction novel that I can say I enjoyed. Cat Jordan is summoned to travel from her home of New York to Paris, to visit her inheritance from her Grandmothers best friend, Isabelle. Her inheritance is an apartment that Isabelle and Cats Grandmother lived in until the Nazi's marched in. She arrives at the apartment and discovers a time capsule. Cat feels the family should have inheritated the apartment, not her but, when in Paris romance comes easily.
Ella Carey has based this book on a true story. An apartment was found in 2020, having been shut up since the 1940s and the owner was Isabelle. Ella has taken this information and based this very book upon it, obviously a fictional account.
Cat has every intention of passing the apartment back to the family of the apartments owner as she feels this is the right way to do it. The family feel that Isabelles dying wish should be fulfilled. They all attempt to find out why Isabelle fled her apartment together so they end up visiting many parts of Paris in order to do this.
We see Cat grow throughout the book and there is an attraction between her and Loic, Isabelles grandson, although she has a Fiancé at home. It really is crystal clear that Cat and her Fiancé aren't love's young dream and I was hoping Cat could assert herself enough to realise her path.
I enjoyed my travels around Paris, shrouded in mystery and romance and I was guessing all the way why Isabelle had left the city so fast, Ella held onto that thread until the end and I guessed pretty wrong too!
I was swept up in the history of this apartment and Isabelle. Cats determination was fantastic to see and the development of Her and Loic gives the Parisian romantic side to it all.
Thank you to Bookouture and NetGalley for the book for my review today.

I remember when news of this apartment broke about ten years ago with images of its amazing contents left undisturbed since World War II. This apartment captured the imagination of many, but none more so than Ella Carey who was inspired to write three novels based around this fantastic discovery. Paris Time Capsule is the first of the trilogy and is a delightful blend of fact and fiction.

When Cat Jordan receives a parcel from Paris containing a key, she is unable to grasp that she has been left an apartment in Paris. Cat travels to Paris at the urging of the solicitor, leaving behind her fiancé and her job in a photographic studio. None of her questions regarding the inheritance are answered to her satsifaction. She only knows that the connection is through her grandmother, which doesn't explain why Isabelle de Florian would leave property to Cat's family and not her own.

Cat is surprised when Isabelle de Florian's grandson, Loic Archer, arrives when she is about to view the apartment. The solicitor had assured her that there were no other claimants. Now that relatives have come forward, Cat believes she has no claim to the inheritance, but Loic disagrees citing that his mother will respect his grandmother's wishes. With Cat offering to share or hand over the apartment and its treasures, and Loic's mother determined not to accept Cat's generosity, it seems that they have reached an impasse until Loic's mother asks Cat to delve into the mystery. Not all the family is happy with Cat's decision to do this, and Loic, although he believes things are better left alone, agrees to help.

Spending so much time together it is inevitable that Cat and Loic become more than friends. Complicating the issue is Cat's fiancé who insists she come home as they have a wedding to plan, but she is reluctant to return to New York until she uncovers the mystery. So fielding telephone calls from New York regarding wedding arrangements and fighting her feelings for Loic, Cat follows the trail of Isabelle de Florian to uncover a sad but amazing tale.

Paris Time Capsule is a captivating story from Ella Carey, taking the reader back to the grand times of the Belle Epoch and the dangerous and uncertain times of the Nazi occupation. Not only does she deliver a heart warming romance, but also an intriguing mystery and a plausible explanation for the abandonment of this treasure-filled apartment.

A high point of this novel, thanks to Carey's vivid descriptions, is the moment that Cat opens the door to the apartment. The reader shared Cat's wonderment and incredulity of this Aladdin's cave, right down to the smell of musty air tinged with the scent of stale perfume, and the excitement of discovering that Boldini portrait of Marthe de Florian, the original owner of the apartment.

Overall, this was a quick and very entertaining read, which will appeal to readers of romantic fiction who also enjoy mysteries with links the past.

I am a huge fan of historical stories, and this book certainly did not disappoint!.
The author portrays the characters beautifully and makes you feel a connection with them, and the way in which she brings Paris to life in your mind is quite remarkable.

A poignant, romantic story that I didnt want to end. I absolutely adored this book!

It's not every day that you receive a mystery package from Paris,. When that is followed up by a phone conversation with a lawyer summoning you to Paris to claim a mysterious inheritance it's even more unusual, but that's what happens to Cat Jordan. Cat is a photographer living and working in New York City and life is good. She has a pretty good job, a successful businessman boyfriend, Christian, and an obsession with vintage clothes! When Cat drops everything to go to Paris, Christian isn't necessarily best pleased, but surely it will only take a couple of days to sort out a small inheritance.

It turns out that the inheritance is from a woman that Cat has never heard of, Isabelle de Florian, who was apparently friends with Cat's grandmother and it is not small. Cat is shocked to find out that her benefactor has left her an apartment in Paris that has been left untouched for more than 50 years, filled with a dust covered furniture, a glamourous portrait, personal items, books and more, mostly from the 1890's, during the famous Belle Epoque period. It doesn't make any sense.

It makes even less sense when Cat finds out that the woman who has left her the apartment has a surviving daughter and grandchildren. One of those grandchildren, Loic, is equally determined to find why his grandmother, who has lived a very frugal life, would not ever mention that she owned such wealth, and then wouldn't leave it to her own family instead of this American stranger, who doesn't want to accept an inheritance that should, by rights, be theirs.

Aided by a stash of letters found in the apartment, Cat and Loic join together to try and work through who all the Belle Epoque treasures, including a portrait of a courtesan, belonged to, why the apartment has been left deserted since WWII and how it all ties into Loic's grandmother's story. Paris in the early 1940's is a dangerous place. The Nazis are occupying the city, and for the young women who live int he apartment, there is danger around every corner.

All the while, Christian's patience with Cat's little adventure, grows thin. He needs her in New York, by his side where she belongs.

As Cat and Loic try to figure out these mysteries, Cat is bought face to face with his mother, Sylvie, who can't help but feel betrayed about the secrets that her mother was clearly keeping but is too proud to accept Cat's suggestion that the apartment should be hers. This was one of my favourite relationships in the book. I enjoyed how these two women, both with so many questions, were able to bond despite this strange situation.

The story that slowly unravels tells us who the apartment originally belonged to, why a famous artist painted her portrait, giving us a glimpse into the life of a courtesan during the Belle Epoque. Through the letters, we then learn about the events that led to the apartment being abandoned, what happened to the women who lived there before abandoning it, and how those events connected to Cat's family.

I love dual timeline books and to be honest, I assumed that this would be one, but it was different because it was more like a puzzle where our current characters have to follow the clues from the past to try and figure out what happened them.

I enjoyed watching Cat come into herself during this book. At the beginning she was a bit too blind to the way that Christian treated her, prepared to settle in her job, rather than really chasing her creative passion. She also took a bit long to really see Loic, but as they travelled from Paris to country France, she also had a chance to contemplate whether the life she had in New York with Christian where she needed to fit in was really the life that she wanted to live.



The idea of finding a flat in Paris that has remained untouched for decades may sound fanciful, but this book was inspired by just such a story. In 2010, the apartment of Madame de Florian, was opened for the first time in decade. Inside there were all sorts of items, including a painting that turned out to be by a famous artist by the name of Giovanni Boldini. You can read more about this fascinating story on Ella Carey's website or by reading this interesting blog post.

This book and the others written by Ella Carey have been on my radar for a long time. I think I first heard of them at at Historical Novel Society Australasia conference back in 2015, around when this book was originally published. I did purchase another book from this author, I hadn't read it, so this invitation to be on this blog tour was the encouragement that I needed to actually read one. Whilst it has taken 5 years to read my Ella Carey book, it certainly won't take me that long to read more. And that is not only because I will be reading the two connected books over the coming weeks, but that helps!

Thanks to Netgalley for the review copy and Bookouture for inviting me to participate in the tour. Please be sure to visit others on the tour to find out more about this book!

This enchanting novel by Ella Carey took me straight back to Rue Blanche in Paris. Reading it is the next best thing to going there!

The story begins when Cat is feeling a bit pushed about by her rich and handsome boyfriend Christian. Although she appears to have everything, Cat feels that she doesn't fit in with his snobbish moneyed friends. She comes from the 'wrong' sort of background, loves her small apartment in Brooklyn filled with vintage items and likes to wear vintage clothes but Christian finds it all hard to understand.

Suddenly, she is told that she has an inheritance in Paris, and understandably rushes there to see it. Cat discovers that the owner of the apartment on Rue Blanche, Marthe de Florian was a courtesan, and friendly with her grandmother. She didn't leave it to her own family, and Cat wonders why. When she meets Loic, Marthe's grandson, they set out to discover the history of the inheritance together. This leads her to an evocative tale of wartime adventure and sorrow. But how will she deal with her growing attraction to the charming Loic?

I found the plot of this story rather far-fetched, but Marthe really did exist, and her apartment was found untouched seventy years after she died. Cat and Loic are lovely characters, and the novel is riveting and hard to put down. I was sorry to finish it!

I received this free ebook from NetGalley in return for an honest review.

I've got to admit, I was intrigued about this book ages ago when I first heard mention of it. I immediately ran down and read every newspaper and magazine article I could get my hands on about the abandoned apartment. I was fascinated by all the pictures and was looking forward to reading this gem. Having had a father-in-law who fought in WWII for 666 days and remembering some of the many stories he had told of his travels through France, really tweaked my interest. Somehow, I missed it when it was released but just ran across a blog review and noticed the eBook was only .99 cents so I immediately grabbed a copy to read on my new Kindle Fire.
It was every bit as great as I thought it would be and then some. There was romance and mystery and for every question answered yet another pops up. This was a very quick read and the only thing missing would have been some color glossy pictures to go along with it. Luckily, I'd seen several from earlier newspaper reports and the author was very good at describing the stunning finds that had been locked away for 70 years.

A sweeping and evocative dual narrative, Ella Carey’s Paris Time Capsule is an enjoyable and poignant tale that makes for exquisite autumnal reading.

In 1940, the Second World War was raging through most of Europe and Paris was no different. For young Isabelle de Florian, the situation is getting more and more desperate with each passing day as she finds herself holed up in her Parisian apartment with her best friend, constantly aware that they need to seek shelter and refuge because the alternative simply does not bear thinking about. Isabelle had done her utmost to protect the people she loved and has been playing a dangerous game with the Nazis that could have terrifying consequences for all those she cares about. At long last, Isabelle finally manages to secure passage out of the city and as she packs her jewels and possessions, she takes a deep breath and sets out into the treacherous night and into an uncertain destiny. Will Isabelle find the safety and security she seeks? Or is she walking straight into a trap?

75 years later in New York, photographer Cat Jordan is shocked to her very core when out of the blue she receives a letter informing her that she is the sole heir of the estate of Isabelle de Florian. All Cat knows about Isabelle is that she was a friend of her enigmatic grandmother and that they used to live together in France before Nazi occupation had forced them to flee. The letters she receives are sketchy on details, but the one thing that is for certain is that Cat must come to Paris to claim this unexpected legacy.

On her arrival in Paris, Cat is blown away by the fact that Isabelle’s apartment is absolutely enchanting, but she cannot help but wonder what had possessed her to leave it to Cat, a perfect stranger? Determined to uncover the secrets of the past, Cat begins to dig deep into the hidden lives of her grandmother and Isabelle, but is she ready for what she will find? As Cat brings long-buried secrets to life, will her revelations end up challenging everything she has always known about the past? Can she lay old ghosts to rest? Or has her curiosity about the past only served to complicate matters even further?

Catherine Hokin and Suzanne Kelman fans will be swept away by Ella Carey’s intriguing, evocative and captivating tale, Paris Time Capsule. With a wonderful sense of place and an astounding ability to bring the horrors of Nazi occupation to life, Paris Time Capsule is an intricately plotted tale of past sins, old deceptions, awe-inspiring courage and survival from an exceptional storyteller.

A heart-warming read that cannot fail to move readers, Paris Time Capsule is an unforgettable read from a very talented writer.

The author based this on real life story about a Parisian apartment that had been locked up for 70 years and when it was opened it was found to be surprisingly well preserved and full of artifacts and paintings. Then she spun a beautiful tale of love and discovery around this.

I quickly got swept into the story of Cat flying to Paris to discover that she had inherited an apartment only to find that it actually belonged to Isabelle and should rightfully left to her daughter and children.

When she together with Loic, the grandson, enter the apartment they are surprised beyond measure at how it has been preserved and all the stunning antiques and art work there is there. The author's descriptions of the apartment are so vivid that I was almost transported there.

Together with Loic, Catstarts on a journey to discover why Isabelle left this apartment to her. As they uncover the mystery piece by piece, they are also drawn to each other. However, Cat is already engaged and fights her feelings. Loic challenges her to be true to herself, not just about her engagement to Christian, but also about settling for a life without passion.

Though the story of the apartment is uncovered gradually, it was so interesting that I just had to keep reading it right through. The book was a lovely mix of mystery, romance, fascinating history, great characters and very vivid descriptions. I found this a captivating read from start to finish.

The premise of the book is based on the real discovery in 2019 of an apartment In Paris which was left abandoned for 70 years and had been owned by the courtesan and actress Marthe d Florian famous during the period known as the Belle Époque..
A parcel with. key in it takes Cat on an adventure that will change her life forever and question what she thought was her future.
A beautiful love story which grips you from the very first page and you just can’t put it down.

I’ve become a huge fan of the author recently after reading a few of her book for blog tours recently. This is the first part of trilogy I’m taking part in a blog tour for and I look forward to reading the other two books. I loved this book. First off, Paris is my favourite city in the world. I went to Paris on holiday for a week about ten years ago and fell in love with the city. So I’m biased against any book set in the city. The blurb led me to think the book would have time shifts moving between Cat in 2015 and Isabelle in 1940. This structure isn’t used and the book set very much in 2015 with Cat uncovering Isabelle’s secrets and the reasons the house has been left to her. She also learns to listen to her heart and let herself be happy. I had such a good time with this book I didn’t want it to end.

I really enjoyed this author’s Beyond the Horizon. I thought it had interesting (and little-known) history and realistic characters. When I saw that more of her books were available, I was excited to see what else the author tackled.

On the surface, this one had a fantastic premise. Cat receives a mysterious letter and key in the mail; the letter urges her to call a lawyer in Paris. When she does, she is told that she has to fly to Paris to settle…something. But it’s mysterious.

Once everything is settled, she finds that she has inherited a Belle Epoque apartment that hasn’t been touched in decades. Everything from the furniture to the artwork and personal letters is just as the owner left it.

I loved these parts of the novel. The author vividly created the apartment and its furnishings so that I could practically feel the dust tickling my nose and see the moth-eaten fabrics. This was well-done.

I also liked how Cat was a bit “vintage” herself. She seemed to prefer dress styles from the 30s and 40s, which made her a throwback perfect for the era of the apartment. This was a nice touch and a clever connection.

I gather from looking at publishing dates that this was one of the first novels (if not the first) written by the author. It shows in the dialogue and plotting. The conversations between characters seems very stilted and unnatural. For example, there are times when a name is used repeatedly instead of a pronoun.

There was also overuse of some words. Christian calling Cat “honey” ALL of the time comes to mind. I mean, I know that it’s possible he was just one of those people who only uses a pet name and that reflects his actual lack of commitment or connection to Cat. But it was a little too much.

And while we are on the subject of Christian, I didn’t like him. He was a snob (as were his friends and family) and pretty much a jerk. I know that was the point, but it was jarringly obvious that he was not the one for her.

The plot also meandered a bit. Loic and Cat seemed to argue too much about who the apartment actually belonged to – at times, it seemed as if neither one actually wanted it (which was weird). The middle could have used some tightening and each character’s perspectives could have been clarified.

These are some things about the book that indicate it was an early attempt by the author because they seemed unpolished. I still liked the plot of this one, and (since I read a later book of hers) I know that she has improved over time, so I look forward to more from her!

The past comes calling!

Strangely compelling story of a young woman who inherits an apartment in Paris.
Cat Jordan travels from New York to Paris, clutching an old brass key as per a letter telling her of an inheritance from an unknown woman, Isabelle de Florian. It is only when the apartment is opened in 2015, having been closed since 1940, that an even more complex puzzle starts to unfold. There are many dead ends as Cat tries to come to grips with the path that has led to her.
Let my bias reign. The story half won me at Paris and totally clinched it for me with the references to vintage fashion. Top that off with the charming Frenchman and the brash fiancé, well what can I say? Bliss!
Based on a true occurrence, Carey has written a well crafted story that brims with hope, hidden secrets and mystery.
Engaged to a merchant banker, vintage clothes collector and photographer Cat couldn't be further from her fiancé's self centered, all white minimalist, deal brokering ideas. A man who never hears her.
Meanwhile there's the vintner grandson of Isabelle, a man who's followed his dream, is encouraging and an absolute dish. What is the connection between Asia belle and Cat's grandmother,
(What with Vespas, a wonderful Parisian apartment, vintage clothes and a secret to uncover, I started looking over my shoulder for Aimee Leduc to come into play.)
Really, the main story is Cat's determination to solve the puzzle she's been handed and to return the apartment to as she sees it, the rightful owners.
A heart warming romantic mystery, set in the romance capital of the world, with an historical bent and enough intrigue to make it more than an enjoyable read.

A Bookouture ARC via NetGalley
(Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.)

I remember in 2010 reading about the discovery of a Parisian apartment untouched by time and thinking what a fabulous backstory there must be. Well, that story has been written and what a story! I was entranced from the word go about how the discovery impacts on the lives of Cat in the USA and Loic in France and although this is pure fiction, never once did I suspend belief.

Ella Carey skilfully weaves the lives of Isabelle and Cat's grandmother with a mysterious secret history that Cat has to unravel. The story telling is first class, the historical backstory impeccably researched and the characters so real it's hard to believe they don't exist. I found myself thinking about them long after i finished the book.

What a dream come true it would be to receive a letter stating there is an apartment in Paris that you now own. I dream of things like this, and hence, this book was a nice escape for me. It wasn't my favorite book I have read this year, and the writing style was something that felt a little off for me, honestly. Christian, the main character's boyfriend, was a bit annoying as well. Loic, however, was a completely different story. A nice escape read for a couple of days.

My sincere thanks to the publisher and Ella Carey for providing me with an advanced copy.

A hauntingly beautiful love story that melds the lives of two people an ocean apart. An unexpected inheritance draws a young woman the abandoned apartment of a French Contessa and her search for the truth becomes an obsession that leads her to the arms of a dashing French man. The story will capture your heart. A lovely read.

I absolutely love this story and these characters... This story is filled with everything, from romance to mystery Absolutely stunning from start to finish.

A package comes in the mail with an old key and a letter? A mystery is already afoot for Cat because the letter is from a Paris attorney! It is claiming her grandmother is to receive something from a lady she had never heard of from either her grandmother nor her mother! Her family members have passed away and they are no help and no clues at the house. Who was this mystery woman and what was she going to find when she crossed over the ocean?

This book is truly a remarkable story and a journey for Cat! It has a lot of wonderful drama and romance!
The author has given us historical facts and taken the plot into a majestic dimension that just unfolds at the right moments that keep you wanting to turn the pages!

I would definitely recommend this book!

I received an advanced copy from NetGalley and these are my willingly given thoughts and opinions.

The starting journey of the Paris Time capsule starts off with Catherine who is a photographer in New York receiving a mysterious letter from France. Which has a notification of some family needs she needs to take care of. It takes her on a journey where she meets unique items and people when she goes to France and tries to find out what happens to them. Since she inherits an apartment that looks like it hasn't been touched in eons along with everything inside. Who is this person or people where did they go? A lot of cultural things are brought up like how much was lost during WW2. Things people, the french resistance and its amazing heroics. Alot of this book made me tear up and gasp in certain areas.

One of the characters in here and their story of their apartment is based upon a true story. It took me a while to realize that. Since I had read about that particular incident when it happened I just didn't realize I was reading about it the whole time in a way.

This Arc Paris Time capsule was given to me by Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

I needed a good read to escape, and the story, mixing a mystery and the life of a young lady, fulfiiled this purpose. I'm well acquainted with the Parisian arrondissement described in the book, and felt like being there again. I read the book far more quicker than expected, got hooked, and thoroughly enjoyed it. I will recommend the book, the plot is so logic that you wonder if not everything is real after all.

I wanted to like this so much, and it just kind of fell flat for me. This is the story of a New York city photographer, Cat that gets a letter stating that she has inherited an apartment in Paris. The apartment has been abandoned but paid for since WWII.

This story is based on true events and had so much potential. It is a quick read and there are some surprises that will make reading worth your while.

Many thanks to Netgalley and Bookouture for this advanced readers copy. This book is due to release on October 6, 2020.