I'll Take Paris

Set amidst Paris' timeless beauty, I'll Take Paris is a novel about a journalist's journey into self, love and the true meaning of freedom. Ch rie gives up her luscious L.A. life to start fresh once again in Paris, the city of her dreams and where, in her early 20s, she once called home. Her tempestuous decision to pack up in search of new horizons iis also in honor of a promise she made herself back in her 20s: If she wasn't married with kids by the time she hit 40, she vowed she would return to the City of Lights and this time really give it her all. With the US economy in shambles and everyone she knows in foreclosure, the late 2000s offer a good excuse for her to honor her vow in search of a new lease on life and gainful employment. Shortly after landing in Paris, Ch rie, a film industry veteran and refugee, lands a plum writing assignment for the world-renowned Fodommer's guidebook. Her new declared passions, food, wine and the luxury life, are tailor-made for this kind of writing assignment. Before she knows it, Ch rie finds herself wining and dining her way through Paris, one of the gastronomic capitals of the world and the country whose wines have written history. Luckily, for her, it's all on her guidebook writing expense account dime. At the same time she adeptly wrangles a PR consulting job for one of the first boutique hotel chains looking to go green in the city. Ch rie is only too pleased to leverage her film industry ties to offer prestigious exposure to the elegant boutique hotels in Western Paris positioning themselves as the pioneer sustainable luxury hotels in Paris. Of course, food and wine aren't the only things that satisfy a woman's hunger. Ch rie soon turns her attention with gusto on the assortment of fine men she encounters in this international capital, only too ready to close the chapter on her L.A. ex, the one who was never quite ready to commit. One of the glorious things - besides the intriguing men she encounters - that Ch rie learns while exploring Paris through the magnifying glass of travel guidebook writing is that French wines are even better when paired properly with French food. Hence, exquisite food and wine pairings, and by natural selection, exquisite life pairings, become Ch rie's guiding principle in her new exciting life adventure that is now Paris, the timeless, enchanting City of Lights.