This review can also be found at Carole's Random Life.3 StarsI have mixed feelings regarding this book. I was so excited to read this book since the description held such promise. I saw that this book was set in Belle Époque Paris during the late 1800s and it just sounded wonderful. I thought that it was beautifully written with wonderful detail in many ways. I also found myself waiting for something to happen and thought the book seemed to drag in some places. Sandrine goes to Paris to be with

"Love was the only reason to do anything. The only value worth living for. A goal truly worth making any sacrifice for." 1890 France, an eloquent portrayal of the so called courtesans, fine exhibition of *ahem* erotic paintings, wild and passionate display of something more than just erotic paintings *double ahem* plus *blushes*......a touch of mythology, a stroke of witchcraft and dark magic, sprinkled with paranormal all blended in a very exquisite art of storytelling and spellbinding writi

Darkly enchanting, M.J. Rose’s The Witch of Painted Sorrows follows a young woman’s escape from a loveless marriage to the home of her courtesan grandmother’s mansion in the dazzling and magical city of Paris in the late nineteenth century. But has she traded one danger for another? In an era where the occult flourishes, the arts are the rage and women are still banned from a venerable artist’s college, Sandrine will find her true self, true love, true passion and true terror. Are the tales of L...

Setting: 1894 Paris3 1/2 StarsAfter the tragic death of her father, New York Socialite Sandrine flees to her grandmothers mansion in Paris to escape the husband that was the cause of her fathers death and his abusive behavior towards her as well. A famous courtesan, Sandrine's flamboyant grandmother, has had this mansion for a long time and it has been home for a long line of courtesans. When Sandrine arrives and finds her grandmother doesn't live in the mansion anymore she is curious as to why,...

The Witch of Painted Sorrows by M.J. Rose was a good story. Unfortunately this story did not speak to me as the previous books that I had read by M.J. Rose. My problem probably is that i read recently Erotic Exchanges: The World of Elite Prostitution in Eighteenth-Century Paris and that's why I could not enjoy the story as I should, since I inadvertently compared the information.But the story itself is interesting. It's not like the usual overpowering spirit stories. Sandrine Salome is a descend...

Oh, man.What was I thinking? How'd I even get my hands on this book?After three chapters, I knew I was very much in the wrong place.That cover? It looks YA. I think that plus the title may have been what mislead me. It's not YA. It's also not the type of magical-realism/witchy book I enjoy. Oh, yes, I know everyone else drinks this kind of thing right up but me? Nah, it's not my cup of tea.This tea is made of rose petals, starlight, belladonna, and some arsenic. It is served with sugar, cream, a...

“They say a good love is one that sits you down, gives you a drink of water, and pats you on top of the head. But I say a good love is one that casts you into the wind, sets you ablaze, makes you burn through the skies and ignite the night like a phoenix; the kind that cuts you loose like a wildfire and you can't stop running simply because you keep on burning everything that you touch! I say that's a good love; one that burns and flies, and you run with it!” ----C. JoyBell C., an American au

*I gave this audiobook a B for the story and A+ for the narration at AudioGals*If you’re looking for an audiobook that is unique, defies romance sub-genre conventions, and has a fantastic, theater like narration performance, then The Witch of Painted Sorrows may well be a great choice for your next listen. This story combines a number of my favorite romance sub-genres, including historical and paranormal romance, to produce an interesting combination that will likely appeal to lovers of either s...

A Paranormal Romance Set in Belle Epoque FranceSandrine Verlaine flees her New York home after her father's death leaving behind the husband whose corrupt business dealings were responsible for her father's suicide. In Paris, Sandrine is surprised to find that her grandmother, a famous courtesan, has left her lovely stone house and gone to live in a hotel. Sandrine's grandmother warns her against going to the house, but Sandrine is drawn to it. There she finds love and discovers a talent for pai...

I can appreciate a good ghost story, and The Witch of Painted Sorrows does not disappoint. It's historical, cultural, artistic, mysterious, supernatural, suspenseful, seductive, passionate, erotic...shall I go on? Author M.J. Rose writes with a dark and gothic tone, and I honestly didn't expect to like this novel so much but I was intrigued from the first chapter. I don't want to spoil any of the storyline because how it all plays out is part of the big reveal at the end, so I'll just say that I...

Set in 1890s Paris, The Witch of Painted Sorrows is an irresistibly atmospheric, flavorful and intensely captivating gothic novel. I was thoroughly impressed with M.J. Rose's smooth and spellbinding writing style and the amount of historical and cultural detail she included in this story. The combination of the sensual, sexually charged plot line, the gripping intrigue, the emotionally powerful and deeply intimate details of the main character's life and the breathtakingly painted historical tap...

M.J. Rose’s new novel, The Witch of Painted Sorrows, feels more like a very long draft of a novel rather than a fleshed-and-thought out story. Along those lines, Sorrows does not pick up until the last 100 pages or so. Up to that point, it’s a horrible slog, not just a slog like the last 100 pages.Furthermore, the plot elements introduced at the beginning to propel the main character to Paris, where the book takes place, feels haphazard at best and the very first draft at worst. Her husband is d...

The cover and the description of this book lured me in like a witch's spell of compulsion...I have to admit that I'd previously read one other book by this author, and I really didn't like it very much. This one is silly and melodramatic to the extreme - but I enjoyed it.Sandrine Salome Verlaine (the name right there tells you a lot about what this book is like) arrives in Paris, fleeing personal tragedy and a bad marriage. Arriving unexpectedly upon the doorstep of the grandmother she hasn't se...