La Vie, According to Rose: A Novel

by Lauren Parvizi

Overview

A heartfelt novel about self-discovery, grief, and a once-in-a-lifetime chance to start over.

Rose Zadeh pleases everyone, except herself. Memories of her late Iranian-immigrant father, who valued hard work and family, keep Rose in a dead-end job as a Silicon Valley copywriter, and tethered to her guilt-trippy mom and needy sisters. As much as it would disappoint her father, Rose needs an escape. Voilà! A mandated vacation gives her the chance. Three weeks on a long-dreamed-of trip to the City of Light.

Instead of landing in a Parisian fairy tale, Rose falls under the spell of a charming and possibly dangerous expat and encounters an old family friend keeping a surprising secret. With the aid of a French self-help guru, Rose really believes she’s blossoming. Until an unwelcome reminder of home proves that finding herself will require more than a change of scenery.

From Paris’s cobblestone streets to Provence’s sun-soaked hills, Rose embarks on a journey of adventure, betrayals, and even amour. For the first time, the directions she follows are up to her.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781662509858
Publisher:	Amazon Publishing
Publication date:	07/01/2023
Pages:	367
Product dimensions:	5.38(w) x 8.25(h) x 0.88(d)

About the Author

Lauren Parvizi worked for more than a decade as a digital editor and writer, including a stint as a love and relationship columnist, and earned an MFA from San Francisco State University. She lives in the San Francisco Bay Area with her husband and son. Find her online at https://laurenparvizi.com.

Editorial Reviews

An amusing escapist romp with moments of poignancy.” —Kirkus Reviews

“This enjoyable book is a testament to how embarking on new adventures can result in positive, life-affirming change.” —Booklist

“Rose's journey to self-acceptance and learning to balance her needs with those of others, and the blend of romance and tawdriness that is Paris.” —Midwest Book Review

“Filled with vibrant characters and family dynamics, La Vie, According to Rose is one woman’s story of leaving guilt, fear, and old patterns behind while reaching for a new life, love, and future—in Paris, no less! I loved it, and I know anyone who picks this book up will, too.” —Ann Garvin, USA Today bestselling author of I Thought You Said This Would Work

“With an irresistible cast of characters, a story of art and intrigue, and the perfect amount of romance, La Vie, According to Rose is every bit as charming as the City of Lights and a winning addition to women’s fiction.” —Camille Pagán, bestselling author of Good for You

“Lauren Parvizi deftly weaves romance and intrigue, hardship and humor, culminating in a clever, thoughtful novel that’s at once light-hearted and tender. La Vie, According to Rose reminds us that sometimes everything we’ve been searching for is right in front of us…or perhaps in Paris! A charming romp through Paris and Provence, a mysterious expat, a blossoming romance between two delightfully flawed characters—this novel has it all! Magnifique! A treat from start to finish!” —Lori Nelson Spielman, New York Times bestselling author of The Star-Crossed Sisters of Tuscany

“La Vie, According to Rose is the perfect escape for anyone who feels the tug of wanderlust and longs to book the flight. It’s a story about self-discovery, the multi-faceted bonds of family, and living a life without regret - all set in the lush surroundings of a wide-eyed traveler’s first trip to Paris. With a few laughs, and more than a few tender smiles, this novel will sweep you off your feet and charm you all the way through to the streets of the Marais and beyond.” —Kelley McNeil, author of A Day Like This

“La Vie, According to Rose is a fun and insightful journey through Paris replete with self-discovery, an art heist, family interference, and romance. As Rose spends her vacation exploring the sights of the city, she discovers truths we all need to learn.” —Marjan Kamali, author of The Stationery Shop

From the Publisher

2023-02-23
A young woman travels to Paris with dreams of finding herself.

Rose Zadeh, a content editor at a startup in San Jose, is not thriving. Her career is stalled, her mother’s worry is grating, and her status as the oldest yet most single of the three daughters in her family means that Rose often puts aside her needs for her sisters’. When Rose is passed over for a promotion, she takes her use-it-or-lose-it vacation days and hops on a plane to Paris. At the forefront of Rose’s mind is her late father, who, as a young man, left Iran to make a life for himself in the United States. Surely if her dad had been able to leave everyone he’d known and loved, then she could survive for three weeks in Paris, right? Unfortunately, on one of her first Parisian outings, Rose loses her keys, cellphone, and wallet and stumbles into the possibly too helpful hands of handsome American Kidridge Sweet. Despite warnings from a haughty Parisian model that Kid can’t be trusted, Rose throws caution to the wind and decides to adventure with him. Combine this dubious decision with her mother’s insistence that she meet up with Marco Dariano, a childhood friend who is now an art history professor in Paris, as well as a surprise and unwelcome visit from someone from Rose’s life, and Rose’s dreams of introspective clarity seem to be slipping away. Parvizi’s storytelling is dependent on clichés and coincidences: Does Paris only have two men? Are they both American? And why can’t this grown woman keep track of her keys? That being said, the plot is mostly lighthearted and fun, Rose is a sympathetic character despite her occasional inane choices, and the memories of Rose’s father sprinkled throughout provide emotional resonance: “I wanted to prove something to myself. To Dad. He was the bravest person I knew. Perhaps here in Paris I would discover he’d passed some of that down to me.”

An amusing escapist romp with moments of poignancy.

Kirkus Reviews