Delightfully Hillarious,March 21, 2012

I just loved this book. The first words that come to mind to describe my inner feelings: hilarious, delightful, and original.
Ms. Herlevi did a fine job creating the characters. They totally made the story. In fact, they’re quite memorable.
Agnes is an arts journalist in San Francisco. She’s been sent on assignment to interview French artists who dwell in her city. Unfortunate for her, she loathes the French. It all stemmed from her adolescence days when she lived with her mother in Paris. Memories of her mother’s many lovers makes her mental stomach churn. After interviewing a couple French artists, she writes an insulting piece for the art magazine she works for which leads to a rift in the art community and a lot of humiliation for her.
Not long after this story, she finds herself in an awkward moment while playing the PR person for her magazine. The next day when she arrives at work, her boss fires her. This gives her the opportunity to throw caution to the wind, following an old lover to Spain who doesn’t feel the same as she.
Yves is an artist who lives in Paris but his inspiration has dried up. His muse refuses to pose for him. He can’t seem to paint because of the pressure his muse/lover puts on him about marriage and getting a REAL job. The last thing on his mind is getting tied down in a relationship that’s sinking and into a job he’ll hate. He’s a free spirit who loves Pablo Picasso, St. Francis, fish, cheeses, french baguettes, croissants, and fine wine. (NOTE: I loved her food descriptions, the smells, and how oil could drip down chins. I could taste the food myself.)
Ann-Marie is Yves muse/lover. She’s shallow. High maintenance. Revengeful. Manipulative. She does everything to corner him into marriage and a job at a shoe store.
I don’t want to give the details away to this story. So I’ll leave you all with this. There is an unexpected romance, plenty of twists, and a surprise ending.

Woof!