Read 2 books lately. Same theme, American girl moves to Paris. There the similarity ends. I really loved one and only liked some of the humor and french references in the other. Thought it'd be a good exercise to dissect a bit the reasons why.
Book One:
LUNCH IN PARIS A Love Story with Recipes, Elizabeth Bard
RIGHT OFF in the subtitle "W/ RECIPES!!"
Straight on biographical a la Peter Mayle.
Heroine a New York Jewess. Much like some of my best friends, but not me.
A writer.
Visits Paris (from London, where she's working) to have lunch with a man met at an educational conference. Begin serious dating after that first lunch/sleepover. They
navigate the usual cultural divides as they date, she moves and they marry. Lots of back and forth, observation, about/between the French and the American cultural differences as she has occasion to observe her husband and in-laws not only in Paris and their natural habitat - a smaller village - but also in the States.
She learns to love the French approach to food.
Book Two:
PARIS HANGOVER, Kirsten Lobe
Well, hangovers are not traditionally viewed in a good way to start.
Written in a pseudo fictional style, the heroine as well as the author is a pretty, blonde with a fashion background, but, the author protests in the notes,"it's fiction!". Her fiction.
Heroine a NY transplant, midwest(?), very type A with major fashionista job and clothes.
Drops everything (in an unbelieveably quick, easy way) and moves to Paris, alone.
Navigates in a series of oddly timed coincidences to get a great apartment, her paintings in a gallery, etc. And her sex drive is on the border wild.
In book One the writing is far superior and the style of the first heroine rings better with me. Of course the food component rocks. Love books with recipes - will certainly share some in my book:) Tried the cod/leeks/mayo recipe - very good.
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