I fell in love with the Moore family after reading The Widow of Rose House and was so excited to see that Benedict would be getting his own book. I couldn’t resist this childhood friends to lovers, second chance romance. The Brightest Star in Paris was an interesting mix of historical fiction with a paranormal twist. Diana Biller is a talented writer and she wove an intricate tale of lost love, survival, and second chances.

Ben and Amelie’s story unfolds thanks to a mix of present day and flashback chapters. I felt the story lost momentum around the middle, however, which made the book feel too long and the ending rushed. I grew frustrated with Amelie and all of the back and forth. After so much will they/won’t they tension and build up, the lone intimate scene felt awkward and out of character. The paranormal plot line was intriguing, but also quite confusing. The twist and reveal at the end was interesting, but I felt the ghost aspect overshadowed the romance too much. Diana Biller makes readers work for Benedict and Amelie’s happy ending and I’m not sure I was fully satisfied with how things ultimately played out. I did like seeing the Moore family again though, and I’m hoping for a book featuring Maggie and Henry in the future.

CW: death of parent (syphilis related, mentions and flashback scene), grief, food and shelter insecurity, poverty, murder, mentions of morphine use and overdose, discussion of death and post traumatic stress related to war, physical injury resulting in loss of job, prostitution, and severe illness. The author also has a list of content warnings on her website that I encourage readers to view as well.

*I voluntarily read an advance review copy of this book*

The beautiful cover with the Paris Opera house drew me to the book. But the story is darker than the cover conveys. Amelia St. James is a prima ballerina with the Paris Opera Ballet and performs at the Palais Garnier. She avoids scandals and lives simply so that she can support her 11 year old sister. Twelve years earlier she befriends Dr. Benedict (Ben) Moore. He was recovering from all he saw serving as an assistant surgeon in the Civil war. Returning to Paris he would like to renew their friendship.

Amelia is being haunted by three ghosts. One is a recently deceased young dancer from the ballet. Ben believes in her haunting and tries to help her figure out what the ghosts need from her. This is a sequel to another book, The Widow of Rose House, that involves Ben's brother. (I haven't read that one.) This book is full of the darker side of Paris. So many of its famous and tourist sites were places of thousands of deaths during the Franco-Prussian War and other revolutionary movements. If you know 1800s French history this book will be of more interest.

Both Amelia and Ben have seen hard things in their lives but I really didn't see the chemistry that drew them together. I did like the ghosts, although I think the blurb could make it clearer that the word ghost is used literally and not as a metaphor for memories. Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for an ARC ebook in exchange for an honest review.

I went into this book expecting a cute second chance romcom but what I got was so much more than I expected. Character driven. Set in Paris in the 1870s. A prima ballerina and a doctor. Ghosts. Banter. Fake dating. Second chance love. I absolutely loved this story. It was everything I didn’t know I needed.

Amelie St. James (aka St. Amelie) is a beloved prima ballerina at the Paris Opera Ballet. On the surface, she is positive, pious, and kind, but deep down, she feels alone in her financial struggles, hip pain, and failed romance. She pushes away her emotions and works tirelessly to support herself and her younger sister, Honorine, as their mother died of syphilis. When her ex-love, Dr. Benedict (Ben) Moore, returns to Paris for a business trip, she is shocked. Still harboring feelings for one another and drawn together like moths to a flame, they reconnect but agree to be friends only. Ben is more than happy to help her deal with a few of her troubles, including a potential murder and a group of ghosts that haunt her, and soon they can’t help but admit they were never suited to be just friends.

This book was set in the perfect city to re-kindle love! I also liked the common tropes that were included, such as second-chance romance, friends-to-lovers, and fake dating (er, courtship). However, this slow-paced book was not what I was expecting. It was filled with mundane details and conversations, and it featured a bizarre paranormal element that conveyed an, ultimately, confusing message. Also, I was not a fan of the insecure, in-denial, awkward characters, or the constant jumps in time, going back and forth from present to past (and back again). On the other hand, I did appreciate the dual POVs and I think that French history buffs would get more value from this book! The author clearly did her research and wove in historical events well. In the end, this book was not for me, but I am thankful to St. Martin’s Press/Griffin, Diana Biller, and NetGalley for sending me an e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I really enjoyed This book. Halfway in, I realized I read her other books with the brother and sister-in-law of the character but it was not necessary for the enjoyment of this bin which stands alone. The main character of the ballerina was likable and understandable. Her life was real, right until the ghosts appeared. Were they necessary? They enhanced my enjoyment of the story, so I didn’t mind them but they were not really integral to the story.

As a fan of The Widow of Rose House, I was entertained by The Brightest Star in Paris. I love how Biller paints a picture and sets a scene. I’m not usually a fan of historical fiction, but Biller’s work always pulls me in.

There was a great attention to detail put toward character and scene development. It wasn’t hard to connect with the protagonists at all. Each character is unique and flawed, yet enticing in their own way.

Although the character work really shined in this work, there were moments when the plot felt lacking. There were a handful of moments when plot shifts and conclusions were met so suddenly and ended so abruptly… it left me with a bit of whiplash. As much as I loved the character development, I wished there was just as much time spent on some of the heavier scenes.

There is one particularly steamy moment within this book, for those who want to know. However, the amount of dialogue utilized makes you rethink the energy in the room.

The best thing about reading a Diana Biller romance novel, is that the romantic cis gendered, straight male protagonist is legitimately a progressive feminist unicorn that doesn't exist in real life, but is fictionally perfect. I find it hard to find romances (historical) that don't seethe with toxic masculinity and problematic relationships. Each protagonist is a defined character with a full life, tragic backstories, dangerous situations, and the two heroes are honestly better together.

I LOVE the Moore family more than anything, and this novel truly comes alive when they invade Paris and sweep both heroes out of their miserable self sacrificing dynamic. Benedict is very different from Sam (and I really miss Sam as my hero), but readers will fall in love with Benedict and his true heart. Amelie is killing herself on the ballet stage, and off, to give her little sister a beautiful life away from the hard realities she suffered from privation, war, and the whims of terrible men. She is a true artist, but is drowning in her trauma.

I seriously cannot recommend this series enough. It is poignant, bittersweet, sexy, beautiful, picturesque, and funny.

An intriguing and unique Historical Romance. 

I picked this book solely based on the cover. I fell in love with the cover and knew I had to check this book out. While I'm not the biggest Historical Romance fan, I'm glad to have checked this one out.

I found the storyline to be refreshing and unique. I enjoyed the romance, mystery and Paranormal aspects. Speaking of Paranormal, I went into this book completely blind, so the Paranormal aspects were completely unexpected for me and added to the uniqueness of the story.

Overall, a solid read.

* I was provided an ARC copy of this book via the publisher & NetGalley, in exchange for an honest review *

I loved The Widow of Rose House and was really looking forward to this one. There are a lot of similarities, though this is a completely different book. Benedict is the same steady, solid, man you trust love interest as I expected him to be. Amelie is more complex, much like Alva was in Rose House. She has lived through some hard things, and those experiences have left scars. She's trying to both hide the scars and to figure out how to move forward. The twist (and it's early, I don't think it's a spoiler) is that Benedict and Amelie had had a fling? A moment? some years before the Siege of Paris. So it is a second chance romance, with two people that ultimately never forgot and never got over the other. And there are ghosts, lots of ghosts. We also have scenes with the Moore family, that loving circle of scientists that really shows how Benedict and Samuel came to be such great people.

Now the differences. Paris is not the Paris we know now. In fact, Paris is not the Paris of Amelie's youth. That is part of the push and pull of this book. Amelia is trying to find home, create home, and her city, her community, was literally torn apart. Now she has created a role for herself, both on the stage and in the public eye. She's playing a part and has lost part of herself along the way. Paris feels uncomfortable here, and I think it is supposed to. For me, that discomfort echoed how Amelie was making her way through the world. And maybe in some ways this is like the Widow of Rose House, where Alva never felt like she fit in NYC. How does a woman move through and in the world, if she doesn't fit the role that the world wants for her? Amelie has to figure out how to take control of her destiny in a way that isn't via a role for others but by pursuing her own dreams and desires.

Amelie has a different experience with the ghosts than Alva had. She sees them but it's not a haunting of a place. Instead, she's a medium for them as the ghosts try to find their way beyond. Some need a reason, some need permission. The ghosts are large part of the story at the beginning, but then for a big chunk in the middle they suddenly disappear. I wasn't quite sure what to think about the ghosts. At first they felt like symbols of things in Amelie's own life that she needed to address. But ultimately I don't think that was it. She was simply a medium and she figured out how to handle the ghosts. They were definitely not as much of a mystery as in Rose House, and definitely there was not (outside of one scene) as much drama in the plot around them. The ghosts felt like they were driving the plot in the beginning, then they disappeared, and then Amelie learned to live with them on her own. It felt like an original plot point was not exactly abandoned but definitely changed. We learn in the end something about how the ghosts fit in Amelie's larger story, even if (outside of the two ghosts early on) we're never really sure how or why they choose her.

Benedict is a good person. I don't think his character had as much growth as Amelie did, except in learning to let her come to him. The character was more dynamic at the beginning of the book, and then moved into a steady presence that supported Amelie.

There is one scene of sexy times but mostly I would call this book angsty, romantic, and atmospheric. It's a book that stayed with me and I'll definitely be rereading it. Fans of the Widow of Rose House should know going into it that while there are similar aspects, the overall story arc, feel, pacing, it's all very different.

CW: deaths, drug overdose, death of parent, war, executions, murder,

I thought the cover was beautiful. I knew I had to read this one!
Premise
She never expected her first love to return, but is he here to stay?

Amelie St. James is a fraud. After the Siege of Paris, she became “St. Amie,” the sweet, virtuous prima ballerina the Paris Opera Ballet needed to restore its scandalous reputation, all to protect the safe life she has struggled to build for her and her sister. But when her first love reappears looking as devastatingly handsome as ever, and the ghosts of her past quite literally come back to haunt her, her hard-fought safety is thrown into chaos.

Dr. Benedict Moore has never forgotten the girl who helped him embrace life after he almost lost his. Now, years later, he’s back in Paris. His goals are to recruit promising new scientists, and maybe to see Amelie again. When he discovers she’s in trouble, he’s desperate to help her—and hold her in his arms.
I love books that are set in Paris but also have a ballet element to them as well. This was a gorgeous love story and as someone who is loving Paris themed books lately “Emily in Paris”’anyone? You will love this one and it will keep you thinking about it long after you are finished reading. So so beautiful.

this book was so precious! i highly recommend this book to anyone that loves a good escape story! it was just so delightful to read and i enjoyed every single second! thank you again, netgalley!!!

DNF at 21%. I am clearly in the minority on this book, and I very rarely DNF books. I love the cover and loved the description of the book. However, I picked up the book several times and just could not get into it. I think there is very clearly an audience for this book, but this one just wasn't for me.

Thanks to Netgalley and St. Martin's Press for this ARC; this is my honest and voluntary review.

In the author’s notes, Biller mentions that this book is her heart on the page. And that is a perfect description of my feelings as well. This story is a heart in a book. There are lively moments thanks to the extended Moore family, but Amelie’s journey is heavy and dark and almost overwhelming. But there is the light, and she finds it. I feel grateful I was able to read an early copy of this absolutely beautiful book.

I received a copy of this book from the publisher through NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

Heat Factor: There’s a flame, but it’s more docile wood stove than raging inferno.
Character Chemistry: They really like each other, but are holding back.
Plot: Amelie has made a safe life for herself and her younger sister—and then Benedict comes back to Paris after twelve years away.
Overall: I really liked this book. A lot.

I know that I’ve read a book that I really enjoyed when I don’t highlight anything while I’m reading—it’s a sign that I’ve had an immersive reading experience. That’s what happened here, so I know that I liked this book. However. My lack of notes does make it more challenging to write a review with some substance to it, but I’ll try my best.

The blurb for The Brightest Star in Paris refers to “the ghosts of [Amelie’s] past who come back to haunt her.” So the first thing that you should know in deciding whether this book is for you is that we are talking about literal ghosts here. There are figurative ghosts as well, but a central impetus for the romance plot is that Amelie has started seeing ghosts, and Benedict’s brother is a renowned ghost hunter. I’m pretty sure my jaw dropped on the floor when the ghosts first appeared, I was so surprised, but I really shouldn’t have been, because the ghost in The Widow of Rose House was real as well.

In the first half of the book, Biller repeatedly ratchets up the tension—this section of the book reads like an atmospheric Gothic romance. Amelie spends a lot of time backstage in the newly constructed Palais Garnier, which is full of frenetic activity as dancers and costumers and stagehands get ready for performances.

https://tse2.mm.bing.net/th?id=OIP.MHdfYZrGofSjDFa2ea3OIgHaE7&pid=Api

But there’s an overlay of dread, caused by the aforementioned ghosts, Amelie’s secret hip injury, a lord who hangs out at the opera house with whom Amelie definitely has a history, and the background of a decade of turmoil in Paris. (This book is set in Paris 1878, so the Siege of Paris during the Franco-Prussian War and the Paris Commune of 1870–1871 are still shaping the lives of Amelie and her compatriots.) Amelie and her ghosts are processing a lot of trauma here, so please be forewarned that there’s some serious shit that has gone down here. (Diana Biller has a full list of content warnings on her website https://www.dianabiller.com/the-brightest-star-in-paris)

What I liked about this portion of the book is that it’s so historically rich. I loved reading a historical romance set in Paris, especially with all the details that Biller included. The romance unfolds quietly against this backdrop, as Benedict and Amelie slowly start spending time together as they work to uncover the mystery of Amelie’s haunting. They are technically pretending to be courting—Amelie gets a lot of press attention—but I would not call this a full-on fake relationship romance.

There is a pretty abrupt tonal shift about halfway through the book. After a Big Climactic Moment, Amelie goes to stay with Benedict’s family for a few weeks. And Benedict’s family are all loving chaos monsters, so the gothic dread that had been building for the first half dissipates. The ghosts who are haunting Amelie fade into the background, and the story focuses more on Amelie’s emotional healing and on the relationship between Amelie and Benedict.

While the romance between Amelie and Benedict is decent, the real star of this book is Amelie. I cared a lot more about her journey toward healing than I did Benedict’s—probably because her journey is a lot more interesting, given that it’s so tightly bound up in history and class and art and family. Plus, she’s the one who has the ghosts.

A final note: the ending is perfect. Biller ties everything together brilliantly, and brings Amelie and Benedict to their happy ending without Benedict saving Amelie. Just really lovely and cathartic.

I voluntarily read and reviewed a complimentary copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own. We disclose this in accordance with 16 CFR §255.

This review is also available at The Smut Report.

4.5-star read!

I fell in love with the Moore family from The Widow of Rose House, and was super excited when I got the ARC for this book. It's about another brilliant Moore brother, Dr. Benedict Moore, a Civil War veteran and a surgeon. This book is very emotional and heartbreaking, dealing with tough topics such as grief, surviving poverty, disease, and emotional scars from wars... So make sure you check the content warnings from the author's website.

Benedict Moore first met Amelie St. James when he came to Paris at 19 with his family, trying to recover both his physical and mental heath after the war. Their short summer together was achingly sweet and lovely. They fell in love with each other as naturally as their next breath. Benedict slowly became better thanks to Amelie. But as life threw them a curveball, Amelie had to let go of him...

Twelve years later, when Benedict returned to Paris for a neuroscience conference as head of a brand new institute in America, he ran into Amelie again, now a famous ballet dancer and a symbol of purity, sainthood, and kindness around the city. She's worked so hard to escape poverty and to make a good life for herself and her younger sister Honorie. It's an emotional second chance romance for Amelie and Benedict. It made me cry throughout the book for all the pain and heartbreak they were both suffering...

I feel like this book leans a lot more toward Amelie's journey, which is heartbreaking and admirable. While Benedict's struggles as a young man of 19 were well written during the flashbacks, I wish I could see more of him as an adult, and more of them working together to build up their romance again. We'll get fake relationship (or relationship of convenience), mutual pining, super slow burn romance (angry sex!!!), and GHOSTS! The appearance of the entire Moore clan made me squeal and all giddy! Their love and support for each other are palpable and sweet, and I just couldn't get enough of them!

Overall, I love all the main characters: Amelie, Benedict, young Honorie, even the ghosts! I love taking a peek into the history of Paris during this time. Ms Biller has given us a beautiful and emotional story about survival and learning to value oneself for who they are. I highly recommend this series and can't wait to meet Maggie Moore and Henry again!

*Special thanks to St. Martin's Press for sending me the ARC via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.*

-Release date: October 12, 2021-

The Brightest Star in Paris is a deeply moving story about Amelie, a ballet dancer who has survived the devastation of the last twelve years, and has two years to go to fund her retirement. Along comes Benedict Moore, whom she met and spent a magical summer with twelve years earlier. At the same time, along comes some ghosts that only Amelie can see.
There are some flashbacks to how they met and parted, but they do not overwhelm. They serve to put the pieces together of how that time haunts them both and why they connect as they do now. Both Amelie and Benedict have dreams they’ve been working on and now they have to ask: can they dream to be together?
I’m struggling not to overuse the word haunt in this review. But the story is haunting, and sad, and that small bit of hope that carries one through it all persists as they deal with their individual and combined problems. The character development for both is excellent; subtle, and continuously moving. I found the resolutions to their problems to be satisfying as well. Historical romance readers will be intrigued by the Paris setting, with the rebuilding, the arts, and the science that Benedict has returned to attend a conference for.

What a unique book!

This was not in my usual wheelhouse of books I read but the synopsis really grabbed my attention, and not to mention that the cover is GORGEOUS so I was super excited to give it a go! I'm so glad I took my time to read this book because it is truly special. I feel like it'll be one of those books that everyone will talk about once it's out since it's so interesting, it's a historical fiction with some amazing characters, some supernatural elements and ballet dancing, what more could you want??

I loved everything about this book, the supernatural parts, the second chance romance, the ballet dancing, Ben the best person ever. This book will really grab your interest and hold onto it, it was so easy to flow with the writing and to be in their world. I think everyone should read this book and to experience it for themselves because it is truly special.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the earc in return for an honest review.

Biller is such an incredible talent. The research and the character work in this historical romantic novel are outstanding. This was definitely a heavy, intense book, dealing with rage and grief--not always an easy read. But all of that was tempered by the wonderful, pure joy of the Moore family, whose reappearance in this book was an absolute delight. And of course--ghosts! I love that ghosts seem to be a signature of Biller's work, but that she took such a different route with them this time around. Biller's work is hard to categorize, exactly, but I respect it all the more for it. An incredibly gorgeous, moving, satisfying read.

This book is a lovely mélange of historical romance and ghost story that engaged me more and more with every chapter.

Dr. Benedict Moore first fell in love with young ballerina Amelie St. James in Paris, soon after he had recovered from injuries sustained during the US Civil War. In a matter of weeks he had to go back home to resume his career and his quest to become one of the first brain surgeons, but he never forgot the alluring and playful Amelie.

Twelve years later, Ben is back in Paris, attending a medical conference, when he is abruptly reunited with Amelie. Now the Paris Opera Ballet's prima ballerina, Amelie had struggled through financial hardship during the Siege of Paris, then tended to her mother through her terminal battle with a deadly disease. Amelie had then dedicated herself to being what Paris ballet fans wanted her to be, and to making sure her precocious sister, Honorine (now 11 years old) had the best care and education.

But Amelie doesn't understand why she can suddenly see and hear Lise, a young member of the company, who had been found dead in the river soon after the two shared a conversation, with other ghostly apparitions following and making demands of her. She is also confused about Ben. Although she loves him, can they ever fit into each other's lives?

In the author's first book, Ben's brother and sister-in-law were featured, but the books don't have to be read in order, as each has its own distinct plot. I highly recommend what I hope will be a continuing saga of this intriguing family.

My thanks to St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read this book and provide an honest review.

This book completely charmed me. I was expecting a beautiful, atmospheric second-chance historical romance, and while it absolutely is that, it also took me by surprise in more ways than one.

For starters: the ghosts. Ghosts! Not the “ghosts from their past” type of ghosts that’s really just dark memories interfering, but literal spirits of people who have died. I didn’t expect them, but man were they delightful. They also added a painful layer to Amelie’s journey of learning to grieve and to feel her anger and do something with it.

It’s also surprisingly funny! The Moore’s in particular had me laughing out loud practically every time they appeared, Ben included.

Speaking of Ben—my love, my life. Several times people commented on what a catch he was, and I wholeheartedly agreed every time. He’s genuinely a good and kind person, and very much a simp for Amelie, but he also has a backbone and his own issues to work through.

Amelie is one of the more interesting heroines I’ve read recently. There are so many layers to her, and she’s not always a good person, but she’s someone who’s learned to survive at any cost. I really grew to respect and sympathize with her as more and more pieces of her past came to light.

The atmosphere itself was perhaps my favorite part of the book, though. The Paris Biller created is beautiful but corrupt, full of contradictions and people struggling to survive; the city feels so real, like you’re really walking the streets with Amelie and Ben, crossing from crooked alleys into shiny new neighborhoods and back again.

And while I used to be a dancer myself and enjoyed going into the details Amelie’s life as a ballerina, everything is explained just well enough to be enjoyable for the readers who know nothing about ballet without be overwhelming or slowing the story down.