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    Paris Time Capsule
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    Paris Time Capsule
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    Paris Time Capsule
    Audiobook8 hours

    Paris Time Capsule

    Written by Ella Carey

    Narrated by Emily Sutton-Smith

    3.5/5

    ()

    Currently unavailable

    Currently unavailable

    About this audiobook

    New York-based photographer Cat Jordan is ready to begin a new life with her successful, button-down boyfriend. But when she learns that she's inherited the estate of a complete stranger-a woman named Isabelle de Florian-her life is turned upside down.

    Cat arrives in Paris to find that she is now the owner of a perfectly preserved Belle Époque apartment in the ninth arrondissement, and that the Frenchwoman's family knew nothing about this secret estate. Amid these strange developments, Cat is left with burning questions: Who was Isabelle de Florian? And why did she leave the inheritance to Cat instead of her own family?

    As Cat travels France in search of answers, she feels her grasp on her New York life starting to slip. With long-buried secrets coming to light and an attraction to Isabelle de Florian's grandson growing too intense to ignore, Cat will have to decide what to let go of, and what to claim as her own.

    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherBrilliance Audio
    Release dateMay 26, 2015
    ISBN9781501251313
    Unavailable
    Paris Time Capsule

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    Reviews for Paris Time Capsule

    3.5/5

    80 ratings21 reviews

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    • 5/5
      Catherine Jordan gets a package from a lawyer in Paris enclosed is a keythe Lawyer refuses to tell her anything over the phone . So she has to go to Paris once there she finds she has inherited the Beautiful and mysterious Isabelle de Florians legacy her Apartment which is full of old, unique and antique treasures. There is also a very valuable painting of her grandmother. Plus the apartment is full of love letters from some very wealthy and powerful men. When Loic Archer and his Mother turn up Cat isn't sure who is the rightful heir she is ready to give it all up but they refuse to take her inheritance. They just want to know why Isabelle kept it all a secret. She lived a very poor life and raised her daughter in poverty even though she had all this wealth stashed away ,And the main reason why is Cat Jordan the heir? Cat has to find out the truth for them as well as herself. So she embarks on a journey of self discovery by unearthing the truth it also brings her self discovery and what she really wants in her life. I was hooked from page one. An intriguing story. I highly recommend if you enjoy a romantic mystery.
    • 4/5
      For some reason, I imagined that this book would be about time travel. Instead, it's a modern-day story about an American woman who learns that she is the beneficiary of an estate in Paris. The descriptions of France and the characters (really, France IS a character in the story) are lovely. I had a pretty good idea how the romance part of the book would end, but that didn't make the reading process any less enjoyable. And the mystery part was a nice surprise! One criticism - the book could stand a bit of editing. I noticed a few typos, which were distracting.
    • 4/5
      I have received a copy of this book in exchange for my unbiased review.I liked this book. It is easy and kind of sweet. Light read with lovely descriptions and a touch of nostalgia. Story itself is a bit weak, more of a frame for the setting than story of its own. I would not recommend it to fans of true romance but it is a great read for those who love travel, vintage and France.
    • 5/5
      What a charming story. I loved exploring France with all of its antiquities, while Catherine solves the mystery of why she inherited Isabelle's abandaned apartment in Paris, instead of Loic's mother.
    • 5/5
      This book is beautifully written, wonderfully drawn characters with an exciting plot that spans three generations of women. Naturally, I was enchanted with the idea of a Paris apartment, closed, shuttered for 70 years, yet the lease has been paid by a woman who, for all appearances, can barely keep body and soul together. Ah, but there's a secret. A sad, dreadful secret that unfolds after a young American woman inherits the apartment. Told from the Point of View of the women most involved, it's about loyalty, passion, and finally love. Highly recommended!
    • 4/5
      well couldnt you tell from the first. Christian was not right for Cat. Had to keep reading and it was a wet day, to make sure she woke up to herself.love the book
    • 2/5
      Imagine receiving the most astonishing, surprising, and life-changing of items: a key, left in a will, to an apartment in Paris. Such begins Ella Carey's novel, Paris Time Capsule. The apartment is no ordinary Parisian flat, but truly frozen in time since 1940, locked and unopened for 70 years. The inheritor of the apartment is Cat Jordan, a Brooklyn photographer who just happens to love all things vintage from the 1930s and 40s. Cat travels to Paris not just to see the apartment, but to try to piece together the mystery of why she was designated the beneficiary of Isabelle de Florian's will, and not Isabelle's living relatives. Paris Time Capsule has an intriguing, straight-from-the-headlines story frame, sure to intrigue any Francophile. However, Carey's inexperience as a novelist shows almost from page one, dragging down what could have been a fascinating read. From the start, Cat is dating the wealthy Christian, whose upper-crust, Hamptons-vacationing lifestyle are in sharp contrast to her own. His character is so one-dimensional, however, we don't believe for one second that these two would ever make for a real couple. He possesses few traits other than to always ignore Cat when she's talking to him, and to call her "honey," often multiple times on one page (no one uses pet names for their intended that frequently in one conversation!). We know almost immediately that their relationship will probably not mature and last throughout the course of the novel. Plot holes continue to get worse from there. Indeed, upon arriving in Paris, the lawyer handling Isabelle de Florian's will tells Cat that he tried for six weeks to find a living relative, but could not. However, when Cat goes to Isabelle's apartment for the first time, she's met by Loic Archer, Isabelle's grandson. He claims he was out of the country after her death. As we learn more about Loic, he turns out to be the owner of a winery in France. Surely, even if he was out of the country on vacation, it would not be hard to verify his existence? Of course, as soon as Carey begins describing his "chestnut hair," "tanned face," and "brown eyes," we know a love triangle is to be unavoided.Without spoiling too much of the plot, Cat and Loic work together to learn about Isabelle's past and discover why she left the apartment to Cat and not her own living relatives. The explanation involves not only Isabelle's past, but her grandmother, a turn-of-the-century Parisian courtesan, and their maid, Camille. These three women have fascinating stories that could have made for a rich storytelling experience. One wishes Carey had dispensed all together with a side plot involving Cat's engagement to Christian, and instead invested in more flashbacks to slowly reveal to the reader about the tragic history of the Paris apartment. They deserve a better book than this.One final note: if Cat is American, she uses an awful lot of British terms: trying on "jumpers" instead of sweaters, and standing in a "queue" instead of a line. Such small errors in consistency are noticeable and annoying.
    • 4/5
      Cat Jordan is trying to make it as a photographer in New York City and engaged to the wealthy and hard-charging financier Christian when she receives a letter from a lawyer in Paris telling her that she has inherited a Paris apartment from a woman she has never met in Ella Carey's novel Paris Time Capsule.The lawyer insists that Cat must come to Paris to claim her inheritance and since Cat has always wanted to go to Paris, she makes the trip. She learns that the woman, Isabelle de Florian, was close to her grandmother, but that still doesn't explain why Isabelle would leave her apartment to Cat instead of her own family.As Cat visits the sumptuous apartment, she meets Isabelle's handsome grandson, Loic, who is astonished to learn that his grandmother owned such an ostentatious home. He and his mother Sylvie knew Isabelle to be a cleaning woman who struggled to make a living for her and Sylvie.They learn that there is a painting in the apartment that could be worth a million dollars, and after some research they discover that Isabelle's mother was a famous courtesan. Isabelle and Cat's grandmother lived in the apartment until the beginning of WWII, when Cat's grandmother's parents ordered her home to safety. No one had been in the apartment since 1940.Cat doesn't want to take the apartment, she believes that Loic's family are the rightful heirs, but Sylvie wants to follow her mother's wishes no matter how strange and hurtful it may be to her.Cat and Loic grow closer as they travel throughout France to discover the reason behind Isabelle's decision. She loves Christian, and he seems to love her, but he appears to be somewhat controlling in my opinion. (He even goes so far as to track her by GPS on her phone.)Christian's mother sends the wedding planner, a former girlfriend of Christian's, to Paris to help Cat shop for a dress. I liked that the wedding planner wasn't a typical vengeful ex-girlfriend out to sabotage the wedding. She and Cat even become good friends.It's also interesting that Carey chose not to tell her tale as two stories in two different time periods, as that is a popular construct that many writers use. We only see the story unspool as Cat discovers what really happened to Isabelle and her grandmother.Carey's story comes from a kernel of truth. There really was a Marthe de Florian who was a famous courtesan and actress during the Belle Epoque, and her apartment was discovered in 2010, untouched in 70 years. I enjoy when an author takes a true story and spins an interesting fiction out of it.Paris Time Capsule will appeal to fans of historical fiction and stories of woman finding their passion.
    • 4/5
      This was a Member Giveaway in exchange for an honest review. It's not a deep, intricate read. It's obvious as the story goes along who will be right for the lady in question, and who will be wrong. But overall, really great story. Sweet, interesting, fun book. There is a nice mystery to the apartment, very romantic storyline with that. I really enjoyed this book.
    • 3/5
      Good plot idea based on a true discovery, and well enough written, but the book begins almost as chick lit and ends dealing with some serious topics. Too large a shift in tone. I wish it had been more serious throughout.
    • 3/5
      Cat from New York receives a parcel with a mysterious key. This means she has to go to Paris as soon as possible as the matter cannot be dealt with on the phone. She has been left a flat which is exactly as it was in the 1940's. She is the only relative or is she? I loved all the French descriptions but the modern characters left me a bit cold. It will be interesting to see what the author writes next.
    • 5/5
      This is officially my second time reading this book, and I loved it as much as I did the first time; I was captivated.

      Based on a real apartment in Paris, the Paris Time Capsule was the perfect combination of mystery and romance - invoking a writing style that was reminiscent of Kate Morton.

      In terms of the setting, author Ella Carey was brilliantly descriptive. The images of big city Paris and rural France contributed beautifully to the overall elegance of the novel; I was about ready to hop on a plane, myself.

      As for the characters, I believe Carey did a fantastic job of creating a believable cast of characters. The author excelled in making you feel something for each of the characters in this novel; whether it was a good feeling or a feeling of disdain.

      Finally, in regards to the narrator, I believe that Emily Sutton-Smith excelled in bringing life into Ella Carey's characters. As a listener, I have no issues at all with any aspect of this novel's performance.

      Overall, "Paris Time Capsule" is a beautifully written and delightful gem - complete with a stunning cover. I treasured every moment of this book, and I can see myself reading it (yet) again in future. I look forward to checking out the other books in this series.
    • 3/5
      Although written first, "The Paris Time Capsule" was basically a continuation of "The House By the Lake" by the same author. While I thoroughly enjoyed the author's second novel, I found this one harder to connect with. I loved the concept and the storyline of this story and I loved the descriptions of the French countryside and the abandoned apartment in Paris. However, I hated the writing. It was clumsy and didn't flow. The dialogue was painful to read and often had me wincing, especially at the overuse of 'honey' and 'sweetie' as terms of endearment. I found Christian, Cat's fiancé to be a condescending, officious bore. As for the ending, it felt rushed and finished with a jolt. Overall, a quick but mediocre read.
    • 3/5
      *I received a copy of this book in exchange for an unbiased review as part of the Members Giveaway program. Brief plot spoilers may follow.*I was unaware that the skeleton of this story, an abandoned Parisian apartment with so many unanswered questions, was based in truth but I’m actually glad that I didn’t know; I didn’t go into the novel with any expectations or facts to check against. In brief summary, New Yorker Cat finds out that she has inherited an apartment in France from someone who is a complete stranger to her. Her journey to find out why she inherited the apartment unfolds into something much larger as she comes into contact with the family that was left out of the inheritance, an abandoned apartment which holds a great amount of history and hidden answers, and learns of her place in the entire complicated situation. Now that I’m aware that there is indeed an abandoned apartment in Paris, I have to say that I like how the author crafted an entire story around it and the very real people who played a part in this mystery—Marthe de Florian and her granddaughter. I think the apartment was given an extra layer of allure and mystery by the backstory that was created surrounding it, which amped up the intrigue for me. The revelation of how the apartment came to be Cat’s was one I wouldn’t have anticipated even if I’d tried and not only was it a testament to “Isabelle’s” intelligence, but it was also excellent storytelling on part of the author. It was such a complex backstory with so many twists and unanswered questions that even when I began to grow annoyed with the extra details and dead ends, I still had to keep going because I knew I couldn’t start another book until I’d found out what had happened in this one. As far as characters go, I liked Cat, although I wanted to shake her for her choice in men. Christian was completely dismissive of her as a person from his first line in the book and it amazed me that not only did Cat never notice it, when she eventually did leave him alone it wasn’t because she realized that as a whole, she didn’t matter to him. She was completely oblivious to that. He didn’t listen to her in really any conversation they'd had and this was obviously a recurring pattern as his friends and others in their circle did not listen to Cat either. She was completely passive with Christian, but hot and cold with Loic. Speaking of the latter, I think I would have been more interested in Loic if I had gotten to know him better. Unfortunately, because he was so closed off to Cat for a lot of the book, this closed him off to us readers as well. I knew a little about him and I knew that he was much better suited for Cat than Christian was, but I knew little else. Much of this book was surrounded in mystery and for some of the events it was fine, but I would have enjoyed getting to know Loic better. I also would have liked reading about Cat standing up for herself and honestly looking at Christian for who he and his circle were, who they embodied (and not just doing so when she was thinking about her father’s disapproval) and how much it clashed with her true self. As a fellow vintage enthusiast, I thought it was awesome that Cat preferred to dress vintage, not for the looks but because it was honestly how she felt most comfortable dressing. I think that added detail made the fact that the abandoned vintage heaven was willed to her even more accurate.There were a few grammatical errors and some of the red herrings in the story were a little much after awhile, but otherwise I can’t really say I had any major problems with the book. It’s a very slow lead up to the meat of the story, so if you’re looking for something that’s fast paced with equally fast results you won’t find it here. The story is allowed to build, almost at a snail’s pace (I’m speaking from a place of constant impatience lol) but once it has built, the truth makes some of the wait worth it. The final pieces of the puzzle are finally revealed towards the end and if you're expecting a certain type of finish, the manner in which everything is revealed might give you a bit of an anti-climactic feel, despite the bombshells that are dropped. I enjoyed reading this book; the fact that the skeleton of The Paris Time Capsule was non-fiction but a wonderful piece of fiction was created from it without disturbing the integrity of the true story was pretty cool to me and fun to read.
    • 4/5
      DISCLAIMER: I received this book as part of the Member Giveaway program.*spoiler alert*If you've ever read one of those books about a modern girl stuck in her favorite vintage era, you've got the tone of this novel down pat. Now add a mysterious will granting that girl ownership to a Parisian flat out of time, a hunky Frenchman who also has rights to that ownership, whispered rumors and myths of the intriguing and untouchable writer of the will, and a journey through France to discover the truth behind the woman, the will, and all the treasures it grants, and you’ve got quite the modern-historical mystery novel.First and foremost, I have to compliment Ella Carey on her tact with the love triangle. So frequently love triangles become cheesy and overdramatized, but Carey handled this one pretty well. There were maybe one or two instances where I groaned a little, but it was so much better than what I usually see. Kudos for that.The Characters: The main character, Cat, was a little bit of a frustration to me, honestly. As one involved with someone in a higher social and financial circle than she was brought up in, it's natural that she doesn't quite fit in. What frustrated me was her willingness to let people from her significant other's circle walk all over her. She acknowledges it to herself, but seems complacent to let it happen, and when she does speak up… I don't know. I would have found this component of the end much more fulfilling if Cat had shown signs earlier that she had issue with her treatment by these High Society people.The Plot: I did rather enjoy following Cat and Loic around France and unearthing little details and tidbits as they did. It was interesting and kept me rooting for them, which made the location of the final letter all the more disappointing. The pair travel the length and width of France hunting down clues, and in the end the letter is with the lawyer who first contacted Cat all along? Blower. The more I think about it, I'm not sure where I would have put it instead, but it just seemed to kind of undermine the greatness of the whole mysterious adventure. The reading of the final letter was also a whooooooole lot of block narration. I'm not sure how I would fix that either, but it was more trouble than it should have been -- especially considering how fascinating what the narrative narrated actually was. I would LOVE to read a story based off of what the letter described.I also very much like that Cat struck out on her own, establishing herself WITHOUT Loic. The entire duration of the novel she's had people running her life and telling her what to do, but now (although Loic did tell her she SHOULD do these things for herself) Cat begins anew, on her own and for herself, with no one there to hold her hand. It depicts a huge moment of growth for her, and I love that.Last, the grammar, punctuation, and overall structure: It feels kind of awful to mention this at all, but if it was something I noticed and was annoyed by, other readers will see it, too. Carey appears to have a moral opposition to the word "and," which really broke the flow of sentences. Periods seemed exceedingly abrupt, and I oftentimes went back and reread sentences to make more sense of them sans "and." A noticeable portion of the commas weren't right either, and there were numerous instances of oddly placed question marks (sentences posed as questions that didn’t seem like they should be, but perhaps this is just my inaccurate interpretation). Some of this novel just looked like it hadn't been proofread at all, with silly blunders in sentence structure. I'm more inclined to look at the publishers for this, rather than Carey, though, and all in all, these are not things I find damaging enough to the novel to knock it down a star.
    • 3/5
      In 2010, the newspapers trumpeted the real story of a long shuttered large Paris apartment having been discovered, relatively unchanged. It transpires it belonged to a Belle Époque courtesan, who died in 1939. Her granddaughter never appeared to claim it. Author Ella Carey imagines back story to this bare bones set of facts. Young New York photographer Catherine 'Cat' Jordan receives a mysterious key in the mail with instructions to appear at Parisian lawyer's office for further details as to a mysterious inheritance. The key leads to a beautiful apartment -- apparently last opened in 1940 -- and an equally attractive grandson of the last owner. Romance lovers will savor the conflict between Cat and Loic. I was more intrigued by the historical perspective and seeing how this creative author turned an interesting newspaper piece into an intriguing and satisfying novel.
    • 4/5
      Cat Jordan, a free-spirited photographer from New York finds out that she has a mysterious inheritance from a friend of her grandmother waiting for her in Paris. She quickly packs up her life and jets to Paris, but the inheritance isn’t quite cut and dry as it should be; the inheritance is an apartment that hasn’t been opened in at least 40 years and the handsome grandson, Loic , of the actual owner shows up last minute to claim it. As Cat and Loic explore the apartment, it becomes apparent that there are many important pieces left there and that Loic’s grandmother, Isabelle de Florian was someone of importance. Cat and Loic have to figure out just who Isabelle was, who is going to keep the inheritance and what they are going to do about each other, especially when Cat’s very straight laced boyfriend shows up to propose to her.This was a really fun blend of historical fiction and modern romance. I loved Cat’s character and I could feel her vibrancy and kind heart leaping off of the page. The apartment and the mystery of Isabelle caught my attention right away. I wanted to dig in and explore everything along with Cat and Loic. I was very intrigued by Isabelle de Florian; I wanted to know all about her life and her relationship with Cat’s grandmother. While reading and trying to decipher Isabelle’s life through letters and artifacts, I felt like something magical was happening, the vivid descriptions of the apartment and Paris itself added to this feeling. I even liked how Cat and Loic’s relationship developed with Paris as the perfect backdrop. This book was received for free in return for an honest review.
    • 4/5
      I just finished an intriguing tale called The Paris Time Capsule by Ella Carey. The year is 2010 and starts in Brooklyn, New York. Cat Jordan is a photographer at a local studio. She loves all things vintage especially clothes. She wears vintage fashions much to the dismay of her boyfriend, Christian. Christian is rich and the opposite of her controlling father (Christian controls in a different way). Cat Jordan receives a package and letter from an attorney in Paris. Inside is a beautiful old key and a letter. Cat’s grandmother, Virginia Brooke was the inheritor of the estate of Isabelle de Florian. Virginia Brooke passed away in 1978 and Cat’s mother, Bonnie, in 2003, which left the entire estate to Cat. When Cat talks to the lawyer, Monsieur Gerard Lapointe, he insists that Cat has to come to Paris. Cat arrives in Paris and discovers she has inherited an apartment. When she goes to visit the apartment, she meets Loic Archer. Loic is the grandson of Isabelle and he owns a winery. He just found out about the inheritance (the laws are different in France). They agree to look at the apartment the next day. When they open up the apartment, they discover that no one has been in it since 1940 when Isabelle left. There are beautiful antiques, a gorgeous painting, and so much more. Cat wants to sign everything over to Loic’s mother. But Loic and his mother refuse. They feel if Isabelle never changed her will, there has to be a reason. Cat sets out to find out what happened when Isabelle fled Paris with the help of Loic (and against her boyfriend’s wishes).Christian flies to Paris and proposes to Cat. Cat accepts the proposal even though she is attracted to Loic. Christian flies home and immediately starts plans for their engagement party. While Cat is searching for answers, she is bombarded with calls about colors, dresses, information about apartments, and much more. (I do not know why they could not wait until she gets home to plan an engagement party and the wedding). The party planner happens to be Christian’s ex-girlfriend and lover (how considerate of Christian!). Cat seems determined to give away her inheritance and go back to the job she hates and the controlling fiancé.What will they discover about Isabelle? Will Cat give away her inheritance? You will have to read the Paris Time Capsule to find out what happens with Cat, Loic, Christian, and the beautiful apartment full of treasures. Paris Time Capsule is based on a true story. If I had been given an apartment full of vintage treasures, I would have been thrilled. I love antiques and would have been exploring everything! How could Cat resist especially since she loved all things vintage (can you imagine the gorgeous clothes left behind)? That part of the story made no sense to me. I give Paris Time Capsule 4 out of 5 stars. I enjoyed the story and how it played out, but I found Cat’s character a contradiction (see reasons above). I received a complimentary copy of The Paris Time Capsule from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. The review and opinions expressed are strictly my own.
    • 4/5
      Cat Jordan is a photographer in NYC with a successful boyfriend and a life all planned out when she receives notice from a lawyer in Paris that she's inherited the estate of someone in Paris that she's never met. She flies to France and plans to put everything up for sale until she sees the apartment and meets the man who is the real grandson of the original owner. The apartment has been locked up since 1940 and under all of the accumulated dust are treasures from the Belle Époque era. Cat is determined to find out more about the original owner - a renowned courtesan of the era. During the historical chapters we learn all about the life of Isabelle de Florian and why she left the apartment to flee the Nazis who were invading Paris. This book had a little mystery, a little romance and a look at two women who have never met but share a connection over time.
    • 4/5
      The past comes calling!Strangely compelling story of a young woman who inherits an apartment in Paris.Cat Jordan travels from New York to Paris, clutching an old brass key as per a letter telling her of an inheritance from an unknown woman, Isabelle de Florian. It is only when the apartment is opened in 2015, having been closed since 1940, that an even more complex puzzle starts to unfold. There are many dead ends as Cat tries to come to grips with the path that has led to her.Let my bias reign. The story half won me at Paris and totally clinched it for me with the references to vintage fashion. Top that off with the charming Frenchman and the brash fiancé, well what can I say? Bliss!Based on a true occurrence, Carey has written a well crafted story that brims with hope, hidden secrets and mystery.Engaged to a merchant banker, vintage clothes collector and photographer Cat couldn't be further from her fiancé's self centered, all white minimalist, deal brokering ideas. A man who never hears her.Meanwhile there's the vintner grandson of Isabelle, a man who's followed his dream, is encouraging and an absolute dish. What is the connection between Isabelle and Cat's grandmothers.(What with Vespas, a wonderful Parisian apartment, vintage clothes and a secret to uncover, I started looking over my shoulder for Aimee Leduc to come into play.)Really, the main story is Cat's determination to solve the puzzle she's been handed and to return the apartment to as she sees it, the rightful owners.A heart warming romantic mystery, set in the romance capital of the world, with an historical bent and enough intrigue to make it more than an enjoyable read. A Bookouture ARC via NetGalley
    • 3/5
      I was utterly fascinated, when, in 2010, an apartment in the ninth arrondissement in Paris, was rediscovered, completely intact, complete with an unknown Boldini portrait, as it had been when its owner abandoned it to flee Paris in WWII. The pictures were amazing, and the suppositions and stories equally so. Apparently, Ella Carey was also fascinated. This is her novel, built with her own characters, around the occurrence.