The Muse

Lauren Blakely

Mar 2021 · Lauren Blakely Books

About this ebook

Midnight in Paris meets Night at the Museum! A gorgeous standalone forbidden romance with magical elements! Fall in love with The Muse, a sweeping romance set in a modern day Paris that’s full of magic, art, mysteries, and passion from #1 NYT Bestseller Lauren Blakely! 

The first time a woman stepped out of a painting, I thought I was seeing things.

The second time, I thought I was going mad.

The night she emerged from a Renoir, I felt something else entirely — a deep stirring of desire, and the wish to get to know the brilliant beauty who’s been trapped inside a painted garden for years.

She can only come out at night in the Musée d'Orsay, where I work. There, after hours, we wander through galleries, with the Van Goghs, the Monets, and the Toulouse Lautrecs the only witnesses to our midnight kisses and, soon, our trysts.

She opens her heart to me, and I learn her story. 

But she keeps secrets too, ones I hope to unravel. Why she was trapped. Why Renoir is hunting her. And why artwork in famous museums across the world is starting to disintegrate.

Why I, too, seem to be the only person who can repair the masterpieces.

As I fall deeper for the woman who’s trapped in a museum, I’m caught up in another side of Paris after dark, one inhabited by forgers, ghosts of famous artists and, impossibly, by Muses.

But someone is after the woman I’m falling in love with, and it’s up to me to save her…even if it means losing everything I’ve found with her.

Ratings and reviews

THE MUSE is the first instalment in Lauren Blakely’s contemporary, adult BEAUTIFUL MAGIC paranormal, romance series. This is Musee d’Orsay tour guide and art historian Julien Garnier, and lady in the painting Clio’s story line. Told from first person perspective ( Julien) with a couple of final chapters by Clio, THE MUSE follows art historian student and museum guide Julien Garnier as he struggles to make sense of craziness that has become his life. Late night visits to the Musee d’Orsay in Paris, France finds Julien Garnier ‘talking with’ and watching the paintings come to life but more specifically the ‘Woman Wandering in the Irises’, a canvas painted by Renoir featuring Monet’s garden. Enter Clio, the woman in question, and the woman with whom Julien will fall in love. What ensues is the building romance and relationship between Julien and Clio, and the potential fall-out as Clio’s love for Julien begins to affect a number of famous paintings throughout the world. Julien Garnier has no idea his life is about to change. With the ability to see what no one else has the ability to see, and repair the damaged masterpieces that are being destroyed at an alarming rate, Julien will have to confront the possibility of ghosts inhabiting the body of friends, the Muses, and art forgers desperate to take control of the world’s most expensive paintings. Clio is a woman with a secret, a secret that is about to affect the Classics, and Masterpieces, and in this, Clio struggles with what has to be done but our heroine has been targeted by someone from her past, someone who refuses to accept what happened years before. The relationship between Julien and Clio is predicated upon Julien’s powers to see the paintings come to life, and talk with the characters featured in the museum’s Masterpieces. Magic plays a large role in the relationship between our leading couple as Clio and Julien embark on a journey into the some of the most famous paintings around the world. The $ex scenes are mostly implied. There is a large ensemble cast of secondary and supporting characters including Julien’s sister and museum curator Adaline; art collectors Remy and Rafe; Julien’s friend Simon, and his new girlfriend Lucy; Clio’s sister Thalia; as well as several characters that come to life, or inhabit the bodies of people whom Julien knows. The requisite evil has many faces. THE MUSE is an enchanting and magical story line with a little bit of real history and the art world woven together. The premise is detailed and charming; the romance is sweet and passionate; the characters are colorful and charismatic. THE MUSE and the Beautiful Magic series is a departure for author Lauren Blakely, a departure that is sure to resonate with fans of the paranormal genre.

4 star review of The Muse (Beautifully Magic #1) by Lauren Blakely This is certainly a departure from Lauren Blakely’s other books. It was well written with characters whose story you cannot help but become invested in. The blurb for The Muse was intriguing and I jumped at the chance to listen and review as it reminded me of Night at the Museum which is one of my favourite moves to watch so. I will be honest, it took me a while to get into it this one and I am not sure why, I can’t really put my finger on it but there it is. This is told predominantly from Julien Garnier’s perspective and is set in Paris where Julien, an art history major works at the Musée d'Orsay. When paintings start to come to life before Julien’s eyes, a magical experience takes place. Initially he thins he is going mad but soon realizes that it is really happening. He quickly becomes infatuated with Clio and that’s when the real adventures start. There is more to Clio that she lets on and the secrets that she hides will put them both on a path neither saw coming. The writing was descriptive and I could easily see myself visualizing the paintings and Paris as I read this book. Although not my favourite from Lauren Blakely it will draw you in and keep you invested.

Book one in the new Beautiful Magic Series and what a great start The Muse proved to be. This is a very different read to what I’m used to by this author but that doesn’t mean this isn’t a beautifully written adventure. The blurb intrigued me but the story went one better and captivated me..... Julien Garnier’s story is set in Paris where he works at the Musée D’Orsay, his love of history means he has the perfect job until paintings start coming to life and that’s when the magic starts. He thinks he is going mad, well wouldn’t you but he becomes infatuated with Clio and that’s when the adventure begins but Clio is hiding secrets so how will Julien react when he really gets to know her. This is a magical adventure and if you loved Night at the Museum, this should certainly be a must read, it’s a romance mixed with magic and adventure, honestly I struggled with the first few chapters but I was so glad I persevered because once I got into this adventure there was no putting down. The writing is very descriptive and you can really imagine yourself watching the magic.

About the author

A #1 New York Times Bestselling, #1 Wall Street Journal Bestselling, and #1 Audible Bestselling author, Lauren Blakely is known for her contemporary romance style that's sweet, sexy and witty. She also writes red-hot, ultra-steamy romance for her Lauren Blakely After Dark line. She'd love to give you a free book today! Check out her web site to grab your free read: https://laurenblakely.com/one-free-book/ Connect with Lauren here ➜ WEBSITE: laurenblakely.com ➜ NEWSLETTER: laurenblakely.com/newsletter ➜ FACEBOOK: www.facebook.com/LaurenBlakelyBooks/ ➜ INSTAGRAM: https://www.instagram.com/laurenblakelybooks/ ➜ TWITTER: www.twitter.com/laurenblakely3