Blog Tour Review & Giveaway ~ The Witch of Painted Sorrows ~ M.J. Rose

Welcome to my stop on the blog tour for M.J. Rose's The Witch of Painted Sorrows. My stop includes all the details on this first installment in the Daughters of La Lune series, my review, and a giveaway. Enjoy!

THE WITCH OF PAINTED SORROWS (Daughters of La Lune #1)

by M.J. Rose

Gothic Historical Fantasy

Published by Atria Books on March 17th, 2015

Possession. Power. Passion.New York Times bestselling novelist M. J. Rose creates her most provocative and magical spellbinder yet in this gothic novel set against the lavish spectacle of 1890s Belle Époque Paris.

Sandrine Salome flees New York for her grandmother’s Paris mansion to escape her dangerous husband, but what she finds there is even more menacing. The house, famous for its lavish art collection and elegant salons, is mysteriously closed up. Although her grandmother insists it’s dangerous for Sandrine to visit, she defies her and meets Julien Duplessi, a mesmerizing young architect. Together they explore the hidden night world of Paris, the forbidden occult underground and Sandrine’s deepest desires.

Among the bohemians and the demi-monde, Sandrine discovers her erotic nature as a lover and painter. Then darker influences threaten—her cold and cruel husband is tracking her down and something sinister is taking hold, changing Sandrine, altering her. She’s become possessed by La Lune: A witch, a legend, and a sixteenth-century courtesan, who opens up her life to a darkness that may become a gift or a curse.

This is Sandrine’s “wild night of the soul”, her odyssey in the magnificent city of Paris, of art, love, and witchery.

Praise for The Witch of Painted Sorrows

“This bell époque thriller is a haunting tale of obsessive passions.” —People Magazine

“Provocative, erotic, and spellbindingly haunting…will have the reader totally mesmerized cover-to-cover….a ‘must-have’ novel.” —Suspense Magazine

“A haunting tale of erotic love…. M.J. Rose seamlessly weaves historical events throughout this story filled with distinctive characters that will keep the reader captivated to the end.” —Examiner.com

“Rose has a talent for compelling writing, and this time she has outdone herself. Fear, desire, lust and raw emotion ooze off the page.” —Associated Press

“Haunting tale of possession.” —Publishers Weekly

“Rose’s new series offers her specialty, a unique and captivating supernatural angle, set in an intriguing belle epoque Paris — lush descriptions, intricate plot and mesmerizing storytelling. Sensual, evocative, mysterious and haunting.” —Kirkus

“Mixes reality and illusion, darkness and light, mystery and romance into an adult fairy tale. [Rose] stirs her readers curiosities and imaginations, opening their eyes to the cultural, intellectual and artistic excitement that marked the Belle Epoque period. Unforgettable, full-bodied characters and richly detailed narrative result in an entrancing read that will be long savored.” —Library Journal (Starred Review)

“An elegant tale of rare depth and beauty, as brilliantly crafted as it is wondrously told….melds the normal and paranormal in the kind of seamless fashion reserved for such classic ghost stories as Henry James’ The Turn of the Screw.” —Providence Journal

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I admit I'm not well-versed on French history, art or alchemy but my ignorance of these subjects didn't hamper my enjoyment of The Witch of Painted Sorrows. I think that speaks to the talent of the author. Ms. Rose weaves a story around the mystery of an ancient family curse, art, a Paris very curious about the occult, and robust characters to create a lush, atmospheric, provocative, and riveting story.

Sandrine is a young woman recently arrived in Paris seeking the safety of her grandmother and her family home following the death of her father. Her grandmother isn't thrilled with her arrival since she believes Sandrine is in danger. And Sandrine's arrival sets into motion events that have her, and those surrounding her, questions the existence of angels and demons, their beliefs, and even Sandrine's sanity.

Ms. Rose truly built an incredible setting for this series. Not only was I fully engaged with Sandrine but I was also fully entrenched in Paris at the turn of the twentieth century. I was swept away in the mystery of La Lune and in all the events that symbolized her existence. I especially delighted in the detail with which Rose described Sandrine's painting. It was a vivid experience. As was the entire story.

**I received a complimentary copy from the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

New York Times Bestseller, M.J. Rosegrew up in New York City mostly in the labyrinthine galleries of the Metropolitan Museum, the dark tunnels and lush gardens of Central Park and reading her mother’s favorite books before she was allowed. She believes mystery and magic are all around us but we are too often too busy to notice… books that exaggerate mystery and magic draw attention to it and remind us to look for it and revel in it. Rose’s work has appeared in many magazines including Oprah Magazine and she has been featured in the New York Times, Newsweek, WSJ, Time, USA Today and on the Today Show, and NPR radio. Rose graduated from Syracuse University, spent the ’80s in advertising, has a commercial in the Museum of Modern Art in NYC and since 2005 has run the first marketing company for authors – Authorbuzz.com. The television series PAST LIFE, was based on Rose’s novels in the Reincarnationist series. She is one of the founding board members of International Thriller Writers and currently serves, with Lee Child, as the organization’s co-president. Rose lives in CT with her husband the musician and composer, Doug Scofield, and their very spoiled and often photographed dog, Winka.

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