Editor Reviews:

Product Description:
When English society beauty Genevieve Shelby King spots the most exquisite lace slippers on the feet of her archrival, she covets a pair of her own. But the exclusive designer, Paolo Zachari, denies her request -- and no amount of money from her wealthy American husband will change his mind. Soon Genevieve's desire for a pair of unobtainable shoes develops into an obsession with their elusive creator -- threatening her marriage. Zachari awakens her to a passion beyond anything she has ever known, forcing her to confront the emptiness of her elaborately designed life and a secret buried deep in her past.

Rating : - The type of book I hate to hate
The Shoe Queen is a beautifully written book set in 1920's Paris. The author is a master of word craft. Oddly enough, what I liked most about the book was the structure. I don't usually even notice structure, but it was so well done (mixing the present/past/pov's) that I often couldn't wait to find out where/who/when I would be next. (The chapter that ended with Robert opening the hotel room door and the chapter that started with what he found was absolutely and completely brilliant. I laughed out loud. And it wasn't because of the story. It was how the author wrote it.)

The story is of a young, married girl who is trying to escape the physical and emotional control of her life and find meaning. I really, really wanted to love the story. I couldn't.

There wasn't a single character in the entire book that I liked. I kept hoping that the author would give me something, anything to make Genevieve likable. But even as I came to understand her history and the reasons for her behavior, all I felt was anger. How could anyone be that completely self-centered? I get that that was the point of the book. I just feel like I need to have some relationship or some stakes in the characters so that I care that they change and learn (little as it was).

At the end of the day, I'm not sure I'd really recommend this book. I spent the whole time hoping for something that wasn't there. And while I felt the ending fit the book, I was left disappointed because I just didn't care.

On a different note... I have never been so utterly aware of how ugly my feet are in my life. ~G.