I wanted to like it.
But the characters were okay, but i did not love them. Their chemistry felt forced and slightly odd. I adored Jasper however.

Thank you to netgally and the publisher for sending me an arc to review. All opinions are my own.

This book was so lovely to read. Normally I’m not that into romance but this is an amazing book to get into the genre.

The story really took me into the story and I had a hard time putting the book down. I think I will buy a copy for myself in the near future.

This story was beautifully told and had likeable characters. It’s not my usual genre, but I enjoyed this and look forward to more from the author.

I enjoyed reading this book quite a bit. It was well written and i enjoyed it. The characters were likable.

‘May leaves stars’ won me over with its attention to detail and beautifully told romance. This book was really interesting! It is filled with romance, steamy moments, and both heart-wrenching and heart-warming scenes.

The story follows Amelie, a young woman rising from humble beginnings working in a laundry to become a star in Moulin Rouge. Her life changes when she meets Jasper, a man conflicted by hist past.

This is the first book I have read by Ms. Heywood, and I so pleased to find another author to follow. She has managed to evoke magic into a time period that was unknown to me beside the idea of the Moulin Rouge. There is tremendous depth and detail to the characters, and I loved that they were both realistic characters but that there was such amazing chemistry to their relationships. Without revealing the storyline, this is an amazing read and definitely one to savour.
I received an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.

Thank you to NetGalley for providing this eARC in exchange for an honest review.

I have to say, I am quite picky about historical fiction, and I truly enjoyed this book! Although it took me 5 or 6 chapters to really feel connected, I couldn't put it down once I did. Although I'm familiar with Moulin Rouge through the ballet of it (and visiting Paris), I am not an expert by any means. Heywood has created a dazzling but dangerous Paris, with two flawed (and realistic) characters. I will be on the lookout for more fiction on the period, thanks to her!

I really enjoyed this full of romance, a few spicy moments , an emotional rollercoaster read that is full of joy and heart wrenching moments in equal measure. The characters are so well written and fleshed out, the authors attention to detail is amazing and she clearly researched her novel really well. You could be back in Paris yourself as a Victorian when you fall into this book. A brilliant read, thoroughly recommended

Thanks to netgalley and the publisher for a free copy for an honest opinion

I enjoy historical fiction and this book certainly creates a vivid world of the late 1800s; the world of the female and society's judgements and expectations. Of power, control, passion, troubles and hardships.
At the heart of this story is a talented woman, Amelie Audet, who dreams to become a performer. Her physical allure makes her into an unwilling muse and into the object of desire from more than one man. It is her relationship with Monsieur Jasper Degrailly that dominants the novel, as much as he wants to dominate her as their relationship becomes physical. His dominant need in their relationship is handled well, as is Amelie’s submissiveness.
There are two versions of this book available, one is the writer’s cut which does not hold back and contains explicit content with descriptions of bondage and consensual power exchanges. So, if you are looking for something milder then you can read the mainstream version.
I enjoyed the writer’s descriptions of 1880s Paris, the performance halls and the start of the Moulin Rouge and the less unsavoury side of life beyond Paris’s high society. The writer crafts a believable love story with a difference, and I really became invested in Amelie’s story.
Recommended for reader’s seeking a different kind of historical love story.

This book was really interesting! It is filled with romance, steamy moments, and both heart-wrenching and heartwarming scenes.

This is the first book I have read by Ms. Heywood, and I am excited to read more. I absolutely love her attention to detail, and her historical research is so clear. She really makes the world of late-19th century Paris come to life, and I am so excited to do more research and learn more about this period in history.

If you like historical fiction and / or historical romance novels, I recommend this book!

Thank you so much to NetGalley and Marais Media for an ARC of this book, all opinions are my own! I enjoyed it!

Note: This review is for the "Mainstream Edition" of this book. There were a few moments in the book that I would consider references to explicit material. However, It mainly was not shown as the publisher said. The publisher also states that the "Writer's Cut" edition is more explicit.

I received a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review. Thank you NetGalley..

Let me start by saying the cover to this book is gorgeous.
This isn't my typical genre, so I wasn't sure what to expect. But overall, it was an easy to follow story. The author's writing style is unique. I would definitely read more by this author!

I enjoyed reading this book. It was well written, concise and made sense. The characters were likable.

My first ever Catherine C Heywood book and I was pleasantly surprised by how much I liked it.
A huge thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for this book. I liked the synopsis and was very excited to plunge into a historic romance and all the drama that involved the main characters. I was not at all disappointed. For me, this book certainly exceeded all expectations. Not only it was classic with all the terms used in that period, the author took care of great details while writing this. It was different from all the books in similar genre. This one was really special. From the unique book cover to the admirable female protagonist last to an great chemistry between these two characters put me through a lovely time. I want to keep it spoiler free but I will definately suggest it to all the fans to historical romance genre with great characters and an interesting plot , enought to put you through a great experience that is this book. A kudos to such a talented author and I certainly am looking forward to more of her work in the future.
And the drama was definately worth it in the end.
Happy reading!