Eight Weeks in Paris is a contemporary queer romance between two actors who find themselves dealing with simmering tension, and not just when the cameras are rolling.

Nicholas Madden is an established actor with a reputation for being difficult and whos has a contentious relationship with the press. In spite of this, Nicholas has no trouble getting work, and has managed to snag a coveted role as one of the leads in director Priya Chaudhuri’s adaptation of The Throne, a period piece of queer literature notable for its happy ending. The role means a lot to Nicholas, despite the buzz that he’s in it for the Oscar. Nothing will stop him from being a part of making such a meaningful film. 

Then Christian Lavalle is cast as the other lead. Chris is a model with a handful of TV appearances under his belt, a pretty face cast in the role to make his Instagram followers buy tickets. That’s the narrative the press runs with, and Nicholas believes it. Chris is young, he’s out, and he surprises everyone with his abilities as an actor, regardless of his relative inexperience. After a rocky start, Chris and Nicholas find a way to collaborate and bring such complex characters to the screen. But their chemistry on screen has translated into something off screen, despite a strict director and the all-seeing eye of the media. With a summer in Paris to shoot The Throne, anything could happen.

Nicholas and Chris are really interesting characters, because they share a surprising amount of similarities. Neither of them have strong family relationships, which leads to a certain amount of isolation. Both of them are devoted to their work, and though they are in different places in their careers, they collaborate really well together. The side characters interested me too, I particularly loved Antoine, though I was mixed on the director, Priya, who is something of a mixed bag. I bought her as a really strict and demanding director and taskmaster, but I felt like some of that was a tad contrived. No on-set romance is actually a pretty good work policy, but for someone who is pretty kind and generous to Chris at first only to throw him under the bus later without outside pressure?  I didn’t buy it. It is my only nitpick, though, so I would say this book has earned desert island keeper status for me. 

I adored Eight Weeks in Paris, partially because the writing style is so snappy. In some books written to take place on a tight timeline, it’s hard to get a feel for the pacing, but this one grabbed me right away. The characters also have a strong presence in the book, and while there isn’t a true villain, there are antagonists. The relationship of the public and the media to celebrities plays a huge role in the plot, and it’s well handled. The interstitials, in particular, stuck out to me, because though they are common in similar works, they serve a particular purpose here. The reader sees how the characters are, but they also see how fans perceive and objectify them, even as these same fans profess their love. It was an ‘abyss staring back at me’ moment when it comes to parasocial relationships.