When I was starting out, I kept thinking it was a YA book because the writing seemed so underdeveloped (overly descriptive, doesn’t get straight to the point etc). Also the title is on the cringey side.

The writing needed some getting used to too. I’m not sure if it’s just a Paris thing (is the author even Parisian?) but it seemed almost Victorian with the way everything was romanticised.

The build up was very slow and I wasn’t a fan of neither Maxime nor Sarah from the get-go. Maxime seemed like the extreme kind of bad boy to me while Sarah was too mousey even for a shy introvert like myself. Suffice to say, I couldn’t relate to either of them.

But once they finally met and there were interactions between the two (albeit stilted), the pacing seemed to pick up because I found myself invested. I looked forward to their relationship development and although the whole premise seemed very Stockholm Syndrome to me, I still think they have quite the chemistry.

The supporting characters were lovely. I liked Damien and Anita (and most of Chatereunard’s residents except Frederic) and was so sad about Simon’s death despite not knowing too much about him. They all proved to be great friends who stick by you throughout any ups and downs and we all need these kind of people in our lives.