On the back jacket cover of Paris: A Love Story, Barbara Walters writes… “I stayed up last night and read this book cover to cover. I can’t remember the last time I did that.” I had the identical experience! Paris: A Love Story is a deeply moving and totally engaging memoir by award winning journalist and author Kati Marton. It is a story written by a graceful, passionate and compassionate woman who has had a front seat to unfolding world events — as a foreign correspondent and as the wife of Peter Jennings and uber diplomat Richard Holbrooke. At every stage of her journey, Marton’s life has been punctuated by exciting and critical moments spent in Paris, the city she most loves. It is in Paris that, as a young student, she came of age. It was to Paris that she retreated to sort out how to extricate herself from her troubled marriage to Jennings. It was Paris where she found and fell in love with Holbrooke — the man she considered her true soul mate — and most recently, after Holbrooke’s sudden and untimely death, she again returned to Paris to seek solace and a chance for a new beginning. Marton writes with eloquence and honesty and her story, told so intimately, is irresistible. You will fall in love with her — and if you haven’t already, you will fall in love with Paris.

This was a disappointing read. Having recently taken a trip to Paris the notion of a love story set in one of the most romantic cities in the world was appealing. The fact that it was a 'Heather's pick' and the number of big name endorsements all seemed like positive indicators of an enjoyable read. This was not my experience. Instead of a beautiful love story what I found was a boastful description of a very public life. The constant name dropping is nauseating and makes it hard to even continue reading the story. I regret buying this book and the time I wasted reading it. If I still had my receipt I would return it.

Story Description: Simon & Schuster|August 14, 2012|Hardcover|ISBN: 978-1-4516-9154-2 This is a memoir for anyone who has ever fallen in love in Paris, or with Paris. PARIS: A LOVE STORY is for anyone who has ever had their heart broken or their life upended. In this remarkably honest and candid memoir, award-winning and distinguished author Kati Marton narrates an impassioned and romantic story of love, loss, and life after loss. Paris is at the heart of this deeply moving account. At every stage of her life, Marton finds beauty and excitement in Paris, and now, after the sudden death of her husband, Richard Holbrooke, the city offers a chance for a fresh beginning. With intimate and nuanced portraits of Peter Jennings, the man to whom she was married for fifteen years and with whom she had two children, and Holbrooke, with whom she found enduring love, Marton paints a vivid account of an adventuresome life in the stream of history. Inspirational and deeply human, Paris: A Love Story will touch every generation. My Review: Paris: A Love Story is an unbelievably candid, open, honest memoir with no holds barred. Kati Marton and her husband, Richard Holbrooke were deeply in love. Kati had previously been married to news anchor Peter Jennings for fifteen years with whom she had two children – Lizzie and Chris. Richard died from a dissected aorta but following twenty-one hours of surgery his life could not be saved. Kati was totally grief stricken in every sense of the word. Her friends, including Bill and Hillary Clinton and her children from her previous marriage to Peter Jennings rallied around her. Richard also had two children from a previous relationship – David and Anthony. Paris was their home, their life, and their love. Paris represented to them everything in life that one holds dear. However, the book had more of an “all about me” ring to it and “who I know that is famous”. I felt at times as though Marton had flipped through her datebook looking for things to write. Although I did enjoy the book very much, and it truly was a love story as far as Kati and Richard went, a more appropriate title might have been: Paris: A Story About Me & Who I Know.