Absolutely brilliant news for The Paris Cooking School: it is the featured Great Read in the Australian Women’s Weekly latest (December) edition! That means a full page review in Australia’s most beloved and bestselling magazine–a real accolade! It’s an absolutely lovely review, too, here’s a short extract:
Learning to live and love again in the streets of Paris, city of romance, is not a new idea, but there is a freshness and vivacity to this cooking school novel that is utterly beguiling. Maybe it’s the mouth-watering and intricate food descriptions that send readers into a reverie, because be warned: You will be reaching for the frying pan, cracking eggs and slicing in decadent shards of butter and handfuls of fresh herbs in no time. Or maybe it is just the possibility of abandoned amour that follows our characters along every street…
For the information and enjoyment of readers of The Paris Cooking School, I’ve created a new page on this blog which highlights particular locations in the novel, in Paris and outside of it, with links to websites about each place where you can read more about it. Check it all out here. Hope you enjoy!
It just came out yesterday, but already, The Paris Cooking School has received some wonderful reviews! On the Better Reading site, for example, readers have contributed lots of fabulous reviews, including many 5 star ones, you can check them all out here. Just a few lovely examples below:
A tale of Sylvie (owner of The Paris Cooking School), Gabi (a talented artist suffering creative block), and Kate (searching for peace and reprieve after a deep betrayal from her ex-husband). Each character is on a separate journey of looking within, finding what sets their soul on fire, and learning to believe in themselves, discovering their inner critic doesn’t always accurately depict the truth. Sylvie, Kate and Gabi, while on very different paths, gain a deep understanding of who they really are, what they need to be happy and how to allow that happiness to impact the hope for a beautiful, soul-satisfying future. A great read, hard to put down and written in such a way that you become invested in each character’s outcome. Pennie, QLD, 5 Stars
The Paris Cooking School was a joy to read. I loved the descriptions of Paris – I want to go back, and I want to eat all those lovely dishes and drink the wine and taste the cheese. The characters and romance were delightful – a really great holiday read, or light read if you need a break from mysteries and murders and heavy subjects. Sophie Beaumont’s descriptive writing made one feel as if you were there, picnicking on the banks of the Seine, watching the people and sights. I could almost taste the strawberry tart. A story of hope and looking forward, I loved it. Joy, VIC, 5 Stars
The Paris Cooking School is a beautiful read about three women who meet at The Paris Cooking School. Two Aussie students from rival capital cities and each running away from their own suffocating lives. One the elegant owner and teacher facing unsettling issues of her own. As the book unfolds, it is amazing to see all three characters develop, grow and flourish. Is it all smooth sailing? No, but every step gives you more understanding and love for the characters. They become real so you will cringe at their outbursts and cheer for their successes. Sophie has created gorgeous and relatable characters and given us the dreamy setting of a month in Paris. It will surely be a hit! Mary, SA, 5 Stars
Many more lovely reviews from Better Reading contributors here.
Reviews have appeared on Instagram, here’s extracts from some below:
From the very beginning, l was hooked to the point that every page had my taste buds come alive. The description of the food seriously came alive through each page. It was like, l too,could taste every bite the characters were tasting. YUM! The novel centres around three gorgeous ladies who have relationship issues. Enough to have them wanting to escape reality. What a perfect way to deal with those issues by enrolling in a four week French Cooking School to learn to cook – the French way! The story links these beautiful women with perfect descriptions of delicious food as well as the sceneries of Paris with love, hope, adventure, and some good old soul searching for second chances and new beginnings. I particularly loved how the postscript takes place a year later and into their futures. This beautifully written novel is about friendships and the most incredible Parisian food. It is undoubtedly the perfect holiday read that will leave your heart bursting with all the magical feels. (Lisa at Coffee and Pages)
The Paris Cooking School is a sumptuous feast for the senses that illuminates the delectable art of combining storytelling with food. As you meander through the streets of Paris, you are immediately drawn into its living culture and realise that the City of Light itself, is a dynamic character in the novel. The cooking school provides the perfect backdrop for the characters to explore their motivations and various relationships while expressing their obvious love of French food culture with all the trimmings. There are flirtatious and romantic entanglements for Gabi, Kate and Sylvie, who are all in the midst of personal uncertainty. The paths of each of the women, although very different, intersect seamlessly, and we journey alongside with them as they navigate new paths for themselves. This novel provides a lighthearted escape for anyone who enjoys reading about love, food and travel. (The Organised Classroom)
It’s heartfelt, so beautifully written, and will make you want to fling yourself into the kitchen and onto a plane to Paris, probably both at the same time! The weaving together of stories of the three protagonists is sensitive and seamless, and I hope to revisit their Paris again! Félicitations Sophie! It’s a triumph! (Lorena Carrington)
There’s also very nice reviews on Goodreads, for example:
Reading this novel made you want to go to the Paris Cooking School for both the food and the enriched human relationship experience. There was carefully woven backstories into the novel and as well as some romances that all varied in their intensity, and an unexpected twist or two. It left me wanting mouth-watering food, more Paris, and to follow the characters as the story unfolds following the ending of this book. It was a marvellous balance between relaxing and hard to put down. Bon Appetit! (Larissa Collins)
Author Sophie Beaumont, who was brought up in France and Australia, has an exquisite knowledge of both Paris and French food, and she has used that delightfully in this novel. It’s an expertly crafted tale of twists and turns that draws the reader in as the characters’ lives are transformed. The story is simply a feast, a perfect concoction of secrets, heartaches and love. (Don Baker)
“The Paris Cooking School” creates a mood which stays with you as the characters in the story come to life. This includes Paris herself; her sights, sounds, tastes and smells….A perfect holiday read, for lovers of Josephine Moon, Monica McInerney and Maeve Binchy. (Christine)
And finally, a beautiful review, in French, by Sydney-based French novelist Olivier Vojetta. Here’s a short extract:
Déjà, ce qui est formidable avec ce livre, c’est qu’en le lisant on se téléporte à Paris, on y est, on redécouvre un Paris ancien et moderne à travers les yeux de tous les personnages, et il y en a un certain nombre, c’est un roman choral…Sous les airs de lecture d’été facile, il y a beaucoup de contenu et de matière très intéressante, le tout mêlé et brodé avec talent et subtilité dans les interstices de l’histoire, en creux….. C’est un livre aussi passionnant que savoureux. Tous les personnages partagent des histoires, tristes, gaies, des histoires toutes différentes, mais qui se rejoignent en un bouquet final dans le dernier chapitre, pour ensemble créer le plat parfait.
Well, the big day has come for The Paris Cooking School, which is officially released by Ultimo Press today. This has been such a special, wonderful book to write, and an exciting new direction for me into full-length contemporary adult fiction. I am so happy that the novel is available in bookshops right across Australia now. And I very much hope that readers will enjoy going with Gabi, Kate and Sylvie, my main characters, on their journey to new purpose, new happiness–and new recipes!–in the heart of the most beautiful city in the world…
Huge thanks to the wonderful people who have helped make this book a gorgeous reality: my fantastic agent, Margaret Connolly who has been so encouragingly excited about this story from the start, my fabulous publisher Alex Craig, who believed in it straight away and provided such thoughtful and perceptive guidance, and to all the lovely team at Ultimo Press, for all your much-appreciated care in editing, design, publicity, and more. And a special thanks to Cheryl Orsini for the strawberry tart 🙂 It’s been a truly wonderful experience working with you all, and I thank you from the bottom of my heart.
To my husband David, and my children and children-in-law, Pippa, Joe, Xavier, Maryam, Bevis and Jacquie, much love and thanks for understanding why this book was so very special for me, and for being so excited for me. And to all the rest of my beautiful family, in France, Australia and the UK, lots of love and thanks for your support and encouragement always. My birth family is from south west France so though I’ve known those regions well since childhood, we never went to Paris, and I first got to know it only in my early twenties. So, a special thank you to my Paris-based family members for the many engrossing hours over many years, helping us to really get to know the City of Light from the inside, knowledge which was enriched by a six month residency in the Nancy Keesing Studio in Paris, generously awarded to me by the Australia Council. And another special thank you goes to my sisters in law in Britain whose lovely little pet provided the inspiration for a very special character in The Paris Cooking School!
Over the next few weeks, I’ll be sharing some more about the book, including special features for readers, but right now, hurrah for publication day, and here’s to The Paris Cooking School!
PS: If you would like to read some reviews of The Paris Cooking School (there’s already quite a few advance reviews!), head over to my website, where you’ll find extracts of quite a few of them. And if you’d like to drop me a line about The Paris Cooking School, contact me here.
The Paris Cooking School, my new novel for adults, written under the pen-name of Sophie Beaumont, is being published by Ultimo Press on November 1, and to celebrate it, here are three wonderful events coming up, centred around the book!
First up, on Thursday October 26 at 8pm Australian Eastern Daylight Saving time, I’ll be talking about my book, and books generally, with the fantastic writer Suzanne Leal on her popular online Thursday Book Club. The Book Club is held weekly, but once a month Suzanne invites a guest author to talk about what they’ve been writing, and reading, and this month, that’s me! It’s free to listen in, from anywhere, you just need to go to Suzanne’s Book Club page here where you will find the Zoom link to join (just scroll down).
Next, there’s an in person event with a difference in Sydney, 6.30 pm on Wednesday November 8, at the Alliance Française’s NSW headquarters in Clarence St in the Sydney CBD. I’ll be the guest speaker at the November edition of the Alliance’s fabulous Philo Bistro event, which features discussions, in French, with French-language writers, artists, film-makers, musicians, and more, moderated by Sydney-based French novelist Olivier Vojetta. Join us for a fun evening of discussion around my book, French food, Paris, and much more–with the added bonus of a glass of delicious French wine! It’s $10 for Alliance members, $15 for non-members, and you need to book here.
And then, on Saturday November 11 at 2pm, there will be another in person event, in my hometown of Armidale, northern NSW. It’s going to be a launch with a difference too, as it will be held in the Cafe Patisserie, Armidale’s fabulous French-themed cafe which features the most divine and delectable cakes created on site–patisserie that would definitely not be out of place in Paris itself! Some of those creations will feature on the menu for the launch, our lovely local independent booksellers from Reader’s Companion will be on hand to sell the book (you can also pre-order) , and I’ll be on hand to talk and sign! It’s free to attend but it would be useful to RSVP–more details on how to do that soon, but for the moment, do save the date, if you live in the region or might be there at that time!
A lovely surprise arrived yesterday: a box full of my advance copies of The Paris Cooking School. So good to hold it in my hands! It looks absolutely gorgeous, and feels it, too, with lovely embossing on the title with the satiny feel of the cover..can’t stop touching it 🙂
Thank you so much to all the wonderful Ultimo Press team for such a beautiful production–I am so delighted and just can’t wait for it to come out and for readers to hold it in their hands! (Publication date is on November 1).
The arrival of the box also coincided with the first (advance) Goodreads review of the book: and it’s a lovely five-star one, by Marianne Vincent. Thank you so much, Marianne!
Here’s a little video on the Ultimo Press You Tube channel in which, as Sophie Beaumont, I talk about The Paris Cooking School, its characters and settings. Hope you enjoy!
Yesterday afternoon, I went to my mailbox and found this lovely surprise: a copy of the ARC (advance reading copy, or uncorrected proof) of The Paris Cooking School–thank you, Ultimo Press! Very exciting to see it bound, even if not yet in final form! And here’s hoping that everyone(booksellers, librarians, reviewers etc) who are going to be getting the ARC enjoy reading it 🙂
Today is the publication day of Secrets of the Good Fairy House, my new Pardalote Press production with Lorena Carrington. It’s been a real passion project for us both, and we’re so delighted to see the book out there! We hope lots of readers will take it to their hearts.
The book is available from any good bookshop across Australia, and can also be ordered directly from our Pardalote Press website, here. And to whet your appetite, here’s a beautiful review of the book, by writer and reviewer Ashleigh Meikle, of the popular Book Muse blog.
Sumptuous…Romantic..Escapist: The Paris Cooking School is now available for pre-order via the Ultimo Press website. Exciting! The book will be released in November. On the pre-order page there’s also a new author photo of me, one of a portfolio of several fabulous new author portraits, in both colour and black and white, which the very talented Lorena Carrington has created for me.
Feathers of the Firebird 