A French Girl in New York

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A French Girl in New York
Author(s)
Publisher
Age Range
13+
Release Date
October 15, 2024
ISBN
9781998854622
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From debut author Anna Adams, this delightful YA romcom is all about finding yourself, your family, and perfect harmony in the big city.

Maude Laurent is an orphan. Raised in Carvin, a small town in northern France, she’s always wondered about her parents—who they were and what happened to them. Her foster family, the Ruchets, certainly won’t tell her anything. For them, she’s someone to cook meals, clean their house, and look after their twin boys, but Maude dreams of much more—she dreams of becoming an opera star and singing on the great stages of Paris.

Her Cinderella moment arrives when she’s livestreamed playing the piano and singing in a café during a school trip to Paris. Suddenly she’s an internet sensation and music studios are pursuing her with promises of stardom. The only problem? They all want her to sing pop, but that’s not what Maude wants...

When Terence Baldwin and his daughter show up on Maude’s doorstep, they promise to help her find her own unique voice. Maude accepts the challenge: six months in New York to write and record three singles that become hits. If she succeeds, she can stay and record an album. If she doesn’t, she’ll return to Carvin.

Maude knows she has the drive and talent to succeed but she also knows that her father used to live in the city. Perhaps, just perhaps, she can have it all: a successful music career and a chance to learn more about her family. It’s perfect! However, there’s one big problem—her collaborator Matt Durand. He’s annoying and arrogant, a popstar on a break, and he’s determined to force Maude out of her comfort zone.

With rival artists determined to see Maude fail and the clock ticking, Maude and Matt have to put their bickering aside if they’re going to succeed. Then a sudden revelation about Maude’s parents changes her perspective on everything and leaves her wondering if she can ever find the perfect harmony.

Editor review

1 review
Music + Romance
(Updated: June 04, 2026)
Overall rating
 
3.3
Plot
 
4.0
Characters
 
3.0
Writing Style
 
3.0
Illustrations/Photos (if applicable)
 
N/A
A FRENCH GIRL IN NEW YORK by Anna Adams is a YA Romance à la Cinderella. Maude has been raised by the Rucherts in the French countryside. Her parents passed away when she was a baby and as such, she’s never felt like she belonged anywhere. To escape the Rucherts’ increasing demands, Maude hides away in the library teaching herself opera, until one day she’s accidentally discovered and whisked away to New York City under the mentorship of Terence Baldwin. There, Maude gets to explore who she could be as an artist, but it isn’t easy since she’s forced to work and write with the very rude popstar, Matt. However, if she hopes to stay in New York, she needs to figure out a way to make it work.

What is most successful about this novel is the story’s arc. Naturally, it is a tried-and-true plot that has been used time and time again, but the newer elements infused into it, such as the classical music, the world of record deals, and Nigerian culture make it fresh and interesting. I also really enjoy exploring the ecosystem that is created for these young musical stars, how they interact and know each other, what they do to get signed, or how they’re from rival labels but train and go to school together. I also tend to like the love triangle trope that Adams puts to use in this story.

More attention to dialogue and tone would’ve made the narrative truly shine. At times, the dialogue feels more suited for a middle-grade audience than a YA one. Maude comes across as a very young sixteen, which doesn’t make sense considering the level of maturity she’s had to take on from a young age. This is noticeable particularly in her conversations with Matt when the dialogue is more idealistic than realistic. What could have helped, especially since there are a lot of missing details, like why the Rucherts are so cruel to Maude, would have been leaning more into the fairytale of it all, adopting a comedic tone, or bolstering the prose with more description and nuance.

That said, I still had fun going on this journey with Maude and am excited the author has a second book A FRENCH STAR IN NEW YORK on the horizon. I read the sneak preview and am looking forward to more adventures from Maude, Matt, and the Baldwins. I’d recommend this book to anyone who is looking for a light read and has an interest in music.
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