Review & Giveaway: The Witch of Painted Sorrows by M.J. Rose

Author M. J. Rose

on Tour March 15-April 3, 2015 with

The Witch of Painted Sorrows

(historical suspense / paranormal) 

 Release date: March 17, 2015 by Atria Books/Simon & Schuster

ISBN: 978-1476778068 

Hardcover, 384 pages also available as ebook

Author’s page | Goodreads

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SYNOPSIS

Possession. Power. Passion. New York Times bestselling novelist M. J. Rose creates her most provocative and magical spellbinder yet in this gothic novel set against the lavish spectacle of 1890s Belle Époque Paris. Sandrine Salome flees New York for her grandmother’s Paris mansion to escape her dangerous husband, but what she finds there is even more menacing. The house, famous for its lavish art collection and elegant salons, is mysteriously closed up. Although her grandmother insists it’s dangerous for Sandrine to visit, she defies her and meets Julien Duplessi, a mesmerizing young architect. Together they explore the hidden night world of Paris, the forbidden occult underground and Sandrine’s deepest desires. Among the bohemians and the demi-monde, Sandrine discovers her erotic nature as a lover and painter. Then darker influences threaten—her cold and cruel husband is tracking her down and something sinister is taking hold, changing Sandrine, altering her. She’s become possessed by La Lune: A witch, a legend, and a sixteenth-century courtesan, who opens up her life to a darkness that may become a gift or a curse. This is Sandrine’s “wild night of the soul,” her odyssey in the magnificent city of Paris, of art, love, and witchery.

My Review

MJ Rose has a style really engaging and captivating: it really seems to be with Sandrine and explore the Paris of the Belle Epoche. She has been able to mix in an excellent way  mystery with passion, historical elements with paranormal. I was completely glued to the pages.

Sandrine is alone and desperate in New York: has just lost the man she loved most in the world, her father, and found out that her husband is dangerous, greedy and cruel. The only way out of she sees requires much courage: to reach her grandmother in Paris, she had been there only once, ten years ago. You venture alone in a very long journey and arrived at grandma's house makes a bitter discovery: the house is empty. What to do? Where to go? She's a girl of 24 years, on the run from her husband and the only person who knows in the whole city is not found. It rains and is attacked by a robber who attempts to steal her luggage. Fortunately intervenes grandmother's neighbor and brings her to Grandma. She is living in a hotel because she's restoring her house but doesn't mention it willingly and doesn't want Sandrine visit it. The curiosity of Sandrine however, is too strong and visit the house alone. She meets Julien, an architect who is cataloging the objects of her grandmother to turn the house into a museum. Julien brings Sandrine to discover a different Paris, made up of mysteries, treasures but also magic, witchcraft and so much passion. It seems that house is haunted by a witch who wants to own Sandrine .... Will grandmother protect her?

The characters are very strong. Grandma is a very famous courtesan and a person very considerable in the social life of Paris. She had an illegitimate child who always wanted to hide his origins. The son, Sandrine's father, tried to make a new life in America becoming a banker very important and building a bright future for his daughter. Until in their lives came Benjamin and ruined everything. The relationship between Sandrina and her father is very strong: he sent to his daughter the passion for art and museums. It's this passion that drives Sandrina doesn't listen to her grandmother and to visit the house and its treasures. Sandrine is a very strong woman, determined and courageous, is a woman who wants to know and learn and love so much art and historical pieces. Living in Paris also brings out her passionate side.

It's a must-read for anyone who loves Paris, romantic suspense and historical novels.

I received a copy of this book from Atria via Net Galley for an honest review. 

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

New York Times Bestseller, M.J. Rose grew up in New York City mostly in the labyrinthine galleries of the Metropolitan Museum, the dark tunnels and lush gardens of Central Park and reading her mother’s favorite books before she was allowed. She believes mystery and magic are all around us but we are too often too busy to notice… books that exaggerate mystery and magic draw attention to it and remind us to look for it and revel in it. 

Please visit her website, her blog: Museum of Mysteries
Subscribe to her mailing list
 Follow her on Facebook and Twitter
Buy the book: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Indiebound

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You can enter the giveaway here or on the book blogs participating in this tour. Be sure to follow each participant on Twitter/Facebook, they are listed in the entry form below.

Entry-Form

Visit each blogger on the tour: tweeting about the giveaway everyday of the Tour will give you 5 extra entries each time! [just follow the directions on the entry-form] 5 winners Open internationally $20 gift card

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