French Trysts: Secrets of a Courtesan

If you dream of Paris, have an adventurous soul and love erotica, this book is for you. See, smell and feel Paris as a funny, spirited, average American girl who embarks on a dizzying, eye-opening roller-coaster ride through French culture, the beau monde and the lifestyle of a courtesan. This book contains amazing insights into life in Paris as well as into life in general. It is a must-read for anyone with a passion for passion and a lust for Paris. (French phrases are interspersed throughout so it helps if you know a little French. If not, go to www.freetranslation.com and you can muck through.) Warning: explicit sex and language.

I have been to Paris twice ths year and have fallen in love with the city. I thought this would be a nice complement to my newfound obsession with all that is Parisian. (It was!) Loved the mixing of the French and English and the little lessons throughout the book. Loved learning about the courtesan lifestyle. Loved learning about Alexandra's struggles and how she dealt with them. Now I am on to read Ms. Lobe's first book!

Being a huge Francophile, I picked up this book because of the cover and the description, and I'm so glad I did! I felt compelled to write this review after reading the negative reviews here. The protagonist herself admits at several points throughout the book how lonely the life as a courtesan can be and how she wishes for a steady, monogamous relationship, so it's not as if she's completely without morals. But what I loved most about this book is that it's FUN! Reading this book was a vicarious experience for me. I took my time reading it because I felt as if I was transported back to Paris. This world of power and luxury was a place that many people (including myself) will never experience, and it was just a great escape for me. If you're a Francophile and love the City of Lights, I highly recommend this book, as well as PARIS HANGOVER.

"French Trysts" is pure trash, but I loved every paragraph! This is the story of Alexandra Ward, a young American graduate student who is studying in Paris. When her fiancé walks out on her, Alexandra attempts to blot out her feelings of depression by engaging in what at first appears to be a harmless flirtation with an extremely wealthy businessman. However, Jean-Albert (a.k.a. "The Zillionaire") has other things in mind, and Alexandra soon becomes his courtesan (which is another term for high-class mistress). Soon Alexandra finds herself immersed in a world where the finest things in life are at her disposal, and she hones her skills as a courtesan who caters to the richest and most powerful men in France. Abandoning her studies and her crappy old apartment, Alexandra is dazzled by diamonds, couture clothes, and credit cards with unlimited balances, all of which are provided by her various lovers with virtually no strings attached. Jean-Albert even presents Alexandra with the deed to million-dollar apartment. Although Alexandra enjoys every bit of her glamorous new surroundings, she eventually questions whether the life of a courtesan is worth the price of sacrificing true love. I wasn't sure if I'd like this book at first. The narration can be annoying at times, especially because the author chooses to punctuate every fourth or fifth sentence with an exclamation point! Seriously, there are probably a million exclamation points in this book! It gets really freaking annoying after a while! (See what I mean?) However, I really warmed up to Alexandra, and what I once considered an annoying narrative eventually became rather charming. My only other major complaint is that I was able to predict the ending of the book from the very first chapter, but oh well. I still enjoyed the book tremendously. One thing I must mention: This book contains a lot of graphic sexual descriptions...a LOT! If there is a single prude bone in your body, then don't even think about reading "French Trysts"...trust me, you'll regret it! However, for those of you who can handle all the sex talk and are looking for a refreshing new spin on the chick lit genre, this book is definitely for you.

I generally don't like chick lit but I loved this book! It was a great escape, offering insight to a totally extravagant lifestyle few ever know. The novel is full of hilarious, laugh out loud anecdotes, not to mention being loaded with interesting (and useful) sex tips, opulent settings, French history and sage advice. While the main character's ascent to being the "It Girl" of Paris was rather speedy (and therefore, a bit implausible) for my taste, I admit I could not put this book down and would recommend it to any Francophile or lover of lusty literature. It was a sexy adventure in Paris, the "City of Love", like no other.