All Signs Point to Paris

June 1, 2022
A Los Angeles real estate agent's memoir about her journey to Paris to find her soul mate. A divorced, single mother of two children, Sizlo worked for a high-end real estate company that caters to celebrities and business executives. In LA, she writes, "Appearances mattered." To that end, despite admittedly living paycheck to paycheck, she felt compelled to purchase expensive, trendy accessories to appease her potential clients. For her 44th birthday, her best friend bought her a reading with a "sought-after" astrologer even though she admits that she did not believe in astrology. When the astrologer stated that her soul mate was born in Paris on Nov. 2, 1968, the same birth date and location as her ex-boyfriend, Sizlo became intrigued. Over the course of the book, we see her intrigue turn to obsession as she jets off to Paris with the goal of meeting all men (and perhaps women) born on that date. The author also shares the poignant story of her father's recent death and her promise to meet him in Paris on her quest to find true love. "My father bravely faced his destiny on his own terms," she writes, "the perfect balance of fate and free will." At the beginning of each of the 12 chapters, Sizlo includes a passage related to the relevant house of the zodiac. While the storyline is captivating on a soap-operatic level, the author's often self-centered behavior--especially multiple instances in which her relentless pursuit caused her to ignore the interests and feelings of her sister and friends who accompanied her--may strain readers' ability to feel compassion. Furthermore, in the early stages of the narrative, Sizlo provides little meaningful information about herself, making it difficult to be engaged in the outcome of her quest. The author eventually arrives at some level of self-realization near the end of her trip, but the overall narrative lacks depth or memorable insight. Largely superficial, perhaps a guilty pleasure for fans of stereotypical beach reads.

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June 13, 2022
Emily in Paris meets Celebrity Astrology Investigation in L.A. real estate agent Sizlo’s humorous debut memoir, which follows the quest for love that sparked her romantic journey to France. Grieving her father’s death and a painful breakup from “Mr. Not-So-Right-After-All,” Sizlo, a 43-year-old divorced single mom, reluctantly acquiesced when her best friend gave her a reading from a popular astrologer to the stars. Though previously a skeptic, Sizlo was stunned by its accuracy and even more perplexed by the astrologer’s conclusion that based on her ex, Philippe’s, birthday and place of birth—November 2, 1968, Paris—he was, in fact, the One. Determined to debunk this, Sizlo embarked on a search for “as many men as possible” from Paris with the same birthday, beginning first on Instagram and later winding up on a grand Parisian adventure with her sister and two close friends. The clumsy escapades that arise from her “serial-killer wall of Tinder profiles and maps of Paris” are often obscenely funny, but readers looking for a charming distraction from life online may tire of her preoccupations with gaining social media clout (“I had almost three thousand followers now, and that meant something to me”). Nevertheless, when Sizlo’s stars align, it’s impossible not to cheer for her. This adventurous romp will enchant romantics and astrology-lovers alike.

July 29, 2022
Natasha Sizlo got divorced, closed her business, and declared bankruptcy within a few short years. As she found her footing, she fell in love with a charming Frenchman named Philippe. They broke up, but for her birthday a friend gave her a reading with a famous astrologer, who told her that her soul mate was a man born on November 2, 1968 in Paris: Philippe's birthday and hometown. In the wake of her father's death, Sizlo threw herself into a quest for love: if Philippe wasn't her soul mate, then another man born on the same day in Paris must be. She began matching with Parisians on dating apps and started an Instagram account for further outreach. After gaining momentum, she flew to Paris with her sister and two friends to see what the universe had in store for her. All Signs Point to Paris is an enjoyable memoir of one woman's search for destiny. While some readers may struggle to remain sympathetic during some of the author's less self-aware moments in Paris, her conversational writing makes for a fun and escapist read.

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