Publishers Weekly
02/15/2021
Ernst (Stealing Jason Wild) delights with this leisurely paced tale of a romance author who sets out to find a cure for writer’s block in Paris and discovers the possibility for a happy ending of her own. To help 48-year-old Maggie Bliss meet her tight deadline, her agent, Lee, sets her up in his idyllic Parisian apartment to focus on her novel. But distractions abound, among them the delectable Max Varden, a banker in his 50s who also happens to be staying at Lee’s apartment with his mother, Solange, Lee’s housekeeper. Simultaneously, Maggie’s ex-husband, Alan, whom she divorced 23 years earlier but with whom she has remained friends, comes to visit their neurodivergent daughter, Nicole, in her home in Brittany. As both Solange and Nicole play matchmaker, Maggie begins contemplating romantic futures with each man. Ernst’s fully developed supporting characters and mature lovers prove dynamic and appealing, particularly Maggie, whose humorous narration, enthusiastic dedication to her craft, and appreciation for Paris’s gastronomic delights, make her a charming companion. This welcome getaway to the City of Light offers much satisfaction. (Apr.)
From the Publisher
"A fun escape." —Kirkus Reviews
"Dynamic and appealing... This welcome getaway to the City of Light offers much satisfaction." —Publishers Weekly
"Amid the sparkling backdrop of Paris, a romance novelist with writer's block discovers the perfect complement to wine, cheese, and family — the inspirational magic of a dashing man. Maggie Finds Her Muse is a delightful, uplifting, page-turner of a novel." —Tracey Garvis Graves, New York Times bestselling author of The Girl He Used to Know
"An emotional, honest, and delicious ride with characters who feel like best friends. Dee Ernst delivers a wonderfully moving story. You'll love her characters and her warm, engaging style." —Shirley Jump, New York Times and USA Today bestselling author
"Maggie Finds Her Muse is just like the dream vacation to Paris it centers around... This book will make you want to catch the next plane to Paris, eat kouign amman and drink cafe crème, and tour the City of Light with the thoughtful, self-deprecating and delightful Maggie Bliss as your friend and guide." —Natalie Jenner, international bestselling author of The Jane Austen Society
Kirkus Reviews
2021-01-27
What happens when a romance writer’s life becomes a romance novel?
Maggie Bliss is stuck. She's a 48-year-old novelist with crippling writer’s block facing an upcoming deadline—not to mention facing a dead-end relationship with a self-obsessed man. Maggie’s agent, Lee, suggests she leave her New Jersey apartment for his pied-à-terre in Paris and finish the third novel in her romance trilogy surrounded by the inspiration of the City of Lights. Maggie jumps at this chance for adventure, breaks up with her boyfriend, and flies to Paris determined to finish her novel: “I’m there to write....No distractions. At all.” But distractions are exactly what she’s going to get, whether it’s from her daughter, Nicole, a resident of nearby Rennes who also happens to be in Paris; ex-husband Alan, in Paris visiting Nicole; or Lee’s housekeeper’s handsome (and newly single) son, Max. The novel is smartest when Ernst is at her most self-aware, playing with the tropes of the genre: “Every romance writer worth their salt knows what happens when a man and a woman who have never met before encounter each other in a bathroom when one is in the shower or tub and one is not.” And while Maggie’s story is utterly predictable from the moment she lands in Paris, Ernst nonetheless creates a world with amusing characters, an entertaining plot, and delicious descriptions of Parisian food and landmarks.
A fun escape.
