Robin’s Comments (group member since Jan 04, 2017)

Robin’s comments from the Nothing But Reading Challenges group.

looking forward to discussing with everyone! i enjoyed this!

1.) What do you think about Dannie's obsession with planning her life down to minutes or other numeric measurements? How do you think she'd handle a curve ball?
I can’t plan every aspect of my life like that. I don’t think she would handle a curve ball well when she had everything so planned out - I think if that were to happen it will make her question so much about her life

2.) So cray-cray sexy times with Dream Aaron and not interested in having boring sex with David. If you were Dannie what do you think you would of done? Would of you told David about the dream?
I don’t think I would tell him about it. It complicated things a lot just THINKING those things but I guess it also helped her put certain things in perspective...

3.) Do you think Michael's death (Dannie's brother) is the main reason for her careful and rigid approach to life? Like in her mind if she sticks to the rigid plan, she can control the chaos from disrupting her life? Also, anyone else think she should of gone more than twice to therapy?
Possibly but you can’t always plan everything out so systematically and you have to be able to adapt when things don’t go how you plan/ expect them to.

4.) Do you think David and Dannie will make it down the aisle? Do you think they should?
No because I don’t think they are really still truly in love – they are together because it is what is expected of them after dating all this time

1. Lucy Foley has been a very popular author over the last few years starting with The Book of Lost and Found in 2015, this is her sixth book. How many have your read? Have you a favorite? What is it about her writing style that keeps you coming back? And if you are a newbie what are you expecting from The Paris Apartment?

aside from this one, i have also read the guest list, the hunting party, and the one above is on my to-read list. i liked them for the most part so expecting similarities with this one

2. Ahhh.. Voila. Paris the city of love and light. 💕 How important do you think the apartment's location will be to the story? Have you been to Paris or is it on your travel bucket list? Any memories/stories you want to share.

i hope to visit there one day. i assumed it was an important factor but yeah....

3. And now to the prologue. Does is set the scene? What are your initial thoughts of Ben and what is to come? PS Isn't the key so cute with the Paris landmarks on it. I want one!

it definitely set up the creepiness factor and it makes me think he did something that had someone out to get him. i think the key sounds cool.

4. It's a bit of a femme fest with all the main characters at this stage women. Jess, Sophie, Mimi and the mysterious Concierge - all seem to be full of subterfuge and secrets. Compare and contrast these women and what do you think their ongoing role in the novel will be?

yes, there seem to be a lot of females in this story so far - maybe ben slept with all of them and they are all out to get him not just one? lol.

5.) This section opens with Jess and Nick meeting which provides more insight into Ben and his relationships with friends. The conversation Nick and Ben had about the apartment rent seemed really odd, why was the rent for that apartment so cheap? And how could Nick really arrange it?

as to someone who is familiar with the high cost of rent in several cities, it definitely seems suspicious to me. maybe nick has some connection or is helping out with the cost?

6.) More layers added to the Concierge, she seemed to like Ben because he treated her like a person. Anyone else think he had an angle there and he wasn't just being a decent person? However, she's following Sophie's instructions about Jess and vaguely threatened her. Any thoughts as to why?

he seemed to be a bit of a conman or charmer so i am not sure there wasnt an angle, but maybe he did actually like her as a person. i also think it is important to her to do so because her home and job and her connection to her daughter

7.) Things are not looking good for Ben, I'm back to pondering the freshly planted flower bed in the courtyard. Any guess at what he's been up to? The blackmail of Sophie?

yes, it seems like everyone wants him dead but so far, no body has been found so i am not convinced that he is actually dead yet

8.) The police station. Do you think Nick told them what Jess think he told them? Or do you think he told them "this is my friend's nutter sister who thinks he's missing when he's off getting laid".?

the second part seems likely being how they treated her

9. Now, we know they are one big (not so) happy family. What do you think of the family dynamics? Do you think it is odd to live in an apartment in someone else’s house? This also means that anyone could have a key.

wow! i wasnt honestly expecting them to be related. they dont act like they are at all in most aspects. i dont think ben and jess knew this at first

10. We have learned about the father and his view on sex/chastity with two of his children (“becoming a man” and his daughter’s outfit). How do these two scenes reflect on the family and character development?

i guess it makes sense as to why there are so many issues with them as a family

11. Ben seems to have been investigating the family business. What do you think is really going on and is represented by the “wine” transactions? I think there is one obvious choice, but I will wait for others to comment.

i agree that it was obviously something like the actual situation and wasnt surprised at all by that revelation and figured that had to do with why ben disappeared

12. Finally, do you have a favorite character so far? Do you think the characters have developed much or are they still mostly defined relationally?

not really

13. There is a lot going on in this section with many twists. First we head to Amsterdam and the Ben/Nick encounter was this expected. What are your thoughts on how Ben treated Nick when he moved into the apartment?

i think nick and ben are not on the same page at all with "feelings" and it definitely feels like ben used nick, but i still view him as a charmer/ conman

14. Ben and Sophie embark on illicit rendezvous courting danger, while Mimi is on an obsessive mission to seduce Ben. Where do you see this ending?

ugh bad bad bad. and is ben really so charming that the entire family seems to be obsessed with him? lol

15. Jess and Theo succeed in gaining entry to the exclusive club owned by Jacques but are thrown out when they attempt to access the locked room, with one of the dancers being fearful when she spots them down there. Ideas on what is behind the door?

i think we all know something illegal is going on here that they dont want jess and theo to find out about. it was bad enough ben was already investigating, they seemed to have made him disappear, and now more people want to know all about it?

16. We learn a lot about Mimi’s heritage and her connection to the Concierge. Do you think she’s aware of the connection

no she had no reason to know the truth unless she found her adoption papers or something to that extent

17. The wrapping up of this was very hectic, with bonus tear-gas fueled bathroom sex! Was the ending satisfactory to you?

not entirely but i have read worse. at least it still had an ending and closure and didnt leave a lot of things hanging. also, i was glad that it ended differently than i expected

18. Jess blackmails Sophie into helping out the sex-trafficked girls. What did you think of this plot line?

i thought it was justified but it goes to show that jess also isnt the nicest, sweetest person either

19. Any changes in your view of the characters over the course of the book?

not really. honestly, most of them were not very likeable

20. Finally, do you think the inversion of the normal view of Paris as the city of love was effective here?

while a lot of people view paris as a romantic place, i have also heard some people refer to it as seedy so i am not sure it really mattered what city we were in

3 Apr. - The Day before - Jules, the Bride 90-182
"Dad!" I say, "You terrified poor Hannah!" - I'm the bad thing. What I've done.

5. Jules keeps stating that she loves Will. However, I think she loves the idea of him and how they look as a couple. It seems she is in love with Charlie and wants him to be jealous. Do you think Jules truly loves Will?
i think she and will are both very much about appearances and how great they look together and how they are famous and feel a need to have to make a big show-off type wedding more so than actually make a wedding out of their love each other.

6. We have POV’s from Jules, Johnno, Hannah, Olivia and Aoife. Is there a reason why we hear from these characters and not some of the others? Do you think this makes them more likely to be the victim or even the murderer?
i feel like their characters all have more of a story than some of the others who are just kind of there and that each of them have reasons that could make them be either the victim or murderer

7. Who do you think sent the note to Jules warning her against marrying Will? I think it was Olivia. I think the older man that Olivia was seeing was Will. On a side note I also think that Will is the ex-boyfriend of Hannah’s sister Alice. The one who she had the bad break-up with while she was at University. I think he is a bit of a predator.
i agree that it was probably Olivia or Hannah and that it seems like Olivia and Alice both also probably dated Will. i agree with all of that.

8. Johnno is haunted by something that happened while he was at the boarding school. Something tied up with boy that died. It appears the boy died as a result of that prank they used to play ‘Survival’. Do you think this will be the key to the mystery or is it a red herring?
it seems likely to be related so yes, i do.

9. So far we don’t know much about Freddie, even Aoife hardly mentions him. He kind of fades into the background. But suddenly he looms out of the darkness on the wedding night. Do you think he means the ushers harm or is he there to help them?
i feel like that was done to make you suspicious.

10. So we have finally learnt the rest of Olivia's story. And I had to laugh at myself for thinking there had been a knife-fight or an actual murder involving Steven. (It's a crime novel so the thought seemed logical haha.)
An abortion is not an easy experience and Olivia sees herself as a monster. Is the fear of Jules not believing her the only reason why she hasn't talked to her sister? What do you make of the relationship between the sisters now that we know a little more?
i am not surprised - i had decided he either attacked her or got her pregnant and this situation kind of evolved. these sister arent exactly close and this is a pretty personal thing to have to go through so i can see why she might not have wanted to tell her, especially once she realized who her sister's fiance actually was. it might make them closer but i dont know that it wont drive them apart.

11. Johnno is still confusing me but man, what a, pardon the expression, dick-move to steal his best friend's idea for a show and then manage to get him kicked out of it all the while pretending that it hadn't been his decision. What does this little episode tell you about their friendship or rather the dynamic thereof?
holy moly what a douchebag!!!! how can you be so selfish being that this is supposedly your best friend? talk about back-stabbing!!!

12. Charlie seems to have a bit of an aggressive and/or violent streak in him, which only seems to come out when he's been drinking heavily. For the rest, he seems like a bit of a doormat. I can't quite decide what to make of him. What about you? What do you think of this man? Do you think he has it in him to actually kill someone if the booze gets to him enough that this other part of him gains the upper hand?
he seems very anxious and wants to be liked but i dont think it is him

13. Now that we know that Freddy was not a psychopathic murderer out to get all the ushers, and after that very, very odd best man speech and the guys taking off with a blind-folded Will, who do you think is the victim? What do you think happened? A true murder? Another accident that may not quite have been an accident?
it is crazy how almost everyone has motive here. there are a lot of reasons it could be so many people!!!!

14. We finally get Will's perspective of some of the events. Did you think that this worked in the story to build up to the end?
i had already started to see him as a total jerk but dont think most of his reasons for his actions were warranted.

15. The author has changed the pace a bit and we are now getting a lot of shorter sharper chapters before the perspective switches. I found this built up the tension; did it di the same for you?
yes, most definitely! it kept me wanting to keep going.

16. The big reveal! I hadn't quite put together how Aoife was connected (but had wondered why she had been so determined to host this wedding). I felt like Johnno got a raw deal, and was surprisingly accepting - I suppose this feels like his punishment fir the death at school. Did you work it out?
yes there were a few reasons i started to realize the truth

17. I've added some more books by the author to my tbr. Will you be doing the same?
yes! i have already read a couple others but still have others on my tbr list

1. I loved The Hunting Party and this book also immediately has me hooked. There's something about her style which keeps the fast pace and consistently drops little hints about secrets or things to come. I also love her use of imagery. What do you think of the style? Have you read any other of her books?
i have read the hunting party also and am also liking this book. both definitely had me interested right away in seeing what was going to happen.

2. I'm getting And Then There Were None vibes. I think the idea of the isolated island with a small list of invited guests. Do you like the setting?
i havent read that one yet so maybe i should check it out if it is similar

3. Is there any character you are particularly drawn to or relate to?
For me, I'm really intriguied by Hannah as there are parts of her character I relate to - especially that feel of discomfort being thrown into a situation out of the day-to-day and with all those rich/glamorous people.
i definitely didnt find the wealthy couple relatable but i like olivia and hannah so far

4. Any guesses as to who died? And who was the person that mouthed BOO at the window to Hannah (talk about creepy!)
not 100% sure yet but there are a couple people i am already suspicious of. i dont want to reveal my spoilery thoughts yet though until i read a lil more.

@Laura agreed with everything you said and to answer your question to all i do think it is possible. regardless of whether someone is alive or not, people don't always remain the same person they were years ago and as they grow older sometimes change enough that they cant be who they were when they first got together with someone. i kind of just went through this with my ex-husband and that is part of why we aren't together anymore. so yes, i feel it is definitely possible to have more than one true love even if it is for different reasons.

and maybe in another life was good so hope you get to read it soon!

@Laura oh i wouldn't do that or would've spoiler cut if i felt what i wrote was too spoilery. sometimes i am bad about posting as i read so i just kind of tried to sum up my thoughts without giving away anything just in case. i still to this day ask myself what you do in a situation like that because i think it would be a very difficult decision to make.

i found it difficult to side with one love over the other and truly had no way of knowing what the outcome was going to be. i knew i was going to be sad regardless of the decision since i honestly liked both couples together. i think it is possible to truly love more than one person throughout your life, but i also think it would be hard to make a choice if there is a possibility of being with more than one person at the same time. when someone dies, you have to go on living still and try to move on. but to have more than one person you love available to be with at the same time just seems like an impossible decision. how do you decide which person is right for you? i was definitely captivated by this story.

hi back, Geri & Laura! i am almost done with the other book so hopefully you all won't be done before i even start! :)

oh yay i have this on my to-read list so i am glad to see it is a pick this month. i will hopefully join in as soon as i am done with the book i am currently reading.

i was planning to as soon as i finish the library book i am currently reading - almost done so hopefully i will have time to finish it later or tomorrow if not today.

i enjoyed it, too, and would definitely love that! :)

exactly!!!!! :)

nope not just you, Tahmina. i felt that way, too, about most of what you wrote. everyone was manipulative and while a few things did seem to be wrapped up so much seemed unanswered. i hate that, too. i don't want to be left wondering about lots of unanswered loose ends or to make my own determinations about what happened.

yes Akos's whole plan or lack thereof didn't make a ton of sense to me either. he just thought he was going to walk in, take care of business, and no one was going to stop him? yah right. nor did the cyra leading a bunch of exiles who didn't even like her. i still thought the whole switching for their own good thing was horrible, too. i dont know if there were too many/ too many perspectives or what, but i didn't really feel a strong connection to most of the characters. at least things ended more positively than they were going throughout the book.

And I get it, I would have liked a better ending too but I think the whole book was problematic.

exactly. same here for both the book and movie for the first two. it wasn't just the way the series ended - i could have accepted that ending if certain things didn't happen the way it did. i disliked pretty much the entire book for numerous reasons.

i was glad when it was revealed that both their fates had been fulfilled too since so much was weighing over what they had thought to be their fates before learning the truth. i guess akos still felt betrayed and that was part of why he acted the way he did.

as a sidenote i thought the divergent series was much better/ faster-paced/ more interesting. i really enjoyed the first two books and even reread them prior to the last book's release, and while i would still recommend reading the series, the last book of the series was a big letdown for me. after reading others reviews, i saw that a lot of people agreed with me, yet some people didn't have the same issues i had with it so i guess it is just a matter of opinion really.

i only finished a couple days ago so not super-far ahead and sounds good to me! :)

totally agree with everything you wrote, Tahmina! i just didn't want to say anything too spoilery. i had to read ahead because it was a library book and due back but yah the part you spoiler cut seemed weird to me, too. there were a lot of things about this story that seemed illogical.

so true. i absolutely loved divergent and insurgent and all the shorter stories about four. i so looked forward to allegiant coming out for the longest time and was SO disappointed after reading it (and not just because of the ending - i really didn't like much about the entire book). it was such a letdown and probably why i waited to get these from the library.