Tag: Paris

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The Last Restaurant in Paris: Completely heartbreaking and gripping World War 2 fiction

332 pages Bookouture publisher Pub Date 18 Jul 2022 

ABOUT THE BOOK

Paris 1944. To save her people, she served the enemy.

In enemy-occupied Paris, as the locals go to bed starving and defeated by the war, music and laughter spills through the door of a little restaurant, crowded with German soldiers. The owner Marianne moves on weary feet between its packed tables, carrying plates of steaming, wholesome food for the enemy officers. Her smile is bright and sparkling, her welcome cordial. Nobody would guess the hatred she hides in her heart.

That night, the restaurant closes its doors for the final time. In the morning, the windows are scratched with the words ‘traitor and murderer’. And Marianne has disappeared without a trace…

Years later, Marianne’s granddaughter Sabine stands under the faded green awning, a heavy brass key in her hand, staring at the restaurant left to her by the grandmother she never met. Sabine has so many questions about herself. Perhaps here she can find answers, but she knows she isn’t welcome. Marianne was hated by the locals and when Sabine discovers they blamed her for the terrible tragedy that haunts the pretty restaurant, she is ready to abandon her dark legacy.

But when she finds a passport in a hidden compartment in the water-stained walls, with a picture of a woman who looks like her grandmother but has a different name, she knows there must be more to Marianne’s story. As she digs into the past, she starts to wonder: was her grandmother a heroine, not a traitor? What happened to her after the tragic night when she fled from her restaurant? And will the answer change her own life forever?

A haunting and compelling story of love, strength, and sacrifice in Nazi-occupied Paris as one brave young woman risks everything to save the lives of those around her. Fans of The Nightingale, The Paris Library and The Alice Network will lose their hearts to The Last Restaurant in Paris.

Photo by JOHN TOWNER on Unsplash

MY THOUGHTS

A dual timeline taking place in modern times of 1987 and WW11 years. A gentle back and forth storyline each one easy to follow. Sabine finds out she has inherited a restaurant business in Paris from her grandmother. She is shocked to find out family secrets she had known nothing about.


The author vividly brings the story to life, and it is based on true events. Finding out these secrets is haunting as we can easily visualize the restaurant full of life.

While the young pretty owner of the Parisian restaurant smilingly serves the enemy German soldiers no one can guess the secret she harbors in her heart. Heartbreaking and thought provoking.

The main plot of the story is the action taken that causes her to be labeled a traitor and murderer. I enjoyed reading Gabriel’s thoughts as he actually knew Marianne during WWII. The book has the running of the restaurant as the main focus during the war, which is different than many books, I’ve read but it works well.

This is a book that won’t be easily forgotten.

Pub Date 18 Jul 2022
I was given a complimentary copy of this book.
All opinions expressed are my own.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Lily Graham is the author of the bestselling, The Last Restaurant in Paris, The Paris Secret and The Island Villa, among others. Her books have been translated into numerous languages, including French, Italian, Polish, Portuguese and Turkish.

She grew up in South Africa, and was a journalist for a decade before giving it up to write fiction full time. Her first three novels were lighter, women’s fiction, but when she wrote The Island Villa, a story about a secret Jewish community living on the tiny island of Formentera during the Spanish Inquisition, she switched to historical fiction and hasn’t quite looked back since.

She lives now in the Suffolk coast with her husband and dog.

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Blog Tour For The Paris Spy’s Girl: An utterly breathtaking and heartbreaking World War II novel, inspired by true events by Amanda Lees

ABOUT THE BOOK

Paris, 1943. I stare at Charlie across the crowded room. Working deep undercover, we’re surrounded by Nazi high command. Slowly, he smiles at me and my breath catches. I have to trust him, or we’re both dead…

As war rages across France, English exile Christine has become the most deadly asset the British Secret Service has in occupied Paris. But when Suzanne, her best friend and the sole agent who knows the details of the top-secret D-Day landings, is betrayed to the Nazis by someone at the heart of their spy network, she is devastated. Going undercover with Charlie – a handsome but elusive American spy with an agenda of his own – is her only chance to catch the traitor in their midst.

Pretending to be not only Nazi collaborators but lovers too, they must save Suzanne from almost certain death and prevent the D-Day landing plans from ending up in the wrong hands. But as Christine and Charlie’s pretend desire turns to true love, her past – and the real reason she had to leave England forever – puts their whole mission in terrible danger.

With the Nazis closing in and Suzanne’s life on the line, Christine is forced into one last, desperate act: heading back into deepest, darkest enemy territory, knowing her disguise could have been exposed. With even her trust in Charlie shaken, will Christine have to choose between her love for him, her best friend’s life, and freedom for France? And who will pay the ultimate sacrifice…?

MY THOUGHTS

I catch my breath every time I read a historical fiction book by Amanda Lees. I love the fact that they are based on actual events and characters. The intense research the author has done has me appreciating her time. I was truly lost in the story vividly imaging the goings on while reading.


Set in wartime Paris, Christine, working as an agent for the British Secret Service knows how to hide in plain sight. She also knows who to associate with and who to avoid. Filled with wartime tension, I always hold my breath reading these types of books because the spies no matter how good they are at times their senses fail them and they are double crossed thinking they can trust someone, and they are on the other side.

I think Christine is my favorite character, she uses her beauty to seduce men to give up their secrets as they are convinced, she is part of the Nazi collaborators. She is strong, brave and doing what she feels is her part by staying one step ahead of the Nazis.

I think I fell a little in love with Charlie, Christine’s love interest. She is not sure if he can be trusted at first, he is an American spy, she is with the British Secret Service they must lay aside doubts and form a trust as they become Nazi collaborators and eventually lovers.


This book is gripping and when I wasn’t reading it, I was thinking about it. Unputdownable, you’ll feel the tension rising off the pages. Don’t read this at bedtime if you want to get any sleep. This book brought me to tears more than once. Heartbreaking and realistic we see that light shining at the end of the tunnel.

I was given a complimentary copy of this book.
All opinions expressed are my own.

A totally compelling, page-turning historical novel of love, bravery and sacrifice in the darkest of times. Set in wartime Paris, this is an utterly gripping and tear-jerking read perfect for readers of Kate Quinn, Rhys Bowen and Mandy Robotham.

Buy link: https://geni.us/B0CLKV2LPVsocial

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Amanda Lees is an author, broadcaster and an actress. She has written for, or contributed to, the Evening Standard, The Times, US Cosmopolitan and Company Magazine, as well as numerous online publications. Amanda appears regularly on BBC radio and LBC and was a contracted writer to the hit series Weekending on Radio 4.

As well as her new World War Two romantic thriller series, she has published two bestselling satirical fiction novels, a YA thriller trilogy and a number of non-fiction titles including The Dictionary of Crime.

Author social media:

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amandalees.com

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https://www.facebook.com/AmandaLeesAuthor

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The Little Village of Book Lovers by Nina George the bestselling author of the Little Paris Bookshop

252 pages July 25,2023 publication date Randon House Publishing Group-Ballantine

Grab a copy here

About The Book

A young woman with the extraordinary power to bring soulmates together searches for her own true love in this tender, lyrical standalone novel inspired by the “bona fide international hit” (The New York Times Book Review) The Little Paris Bookshop

In Nina George’s New York Times bestseller The Little Paris Bookshop, beloved literary apothecary Jean Perdu is inspired to create a floating bookstore after reading a seminal pseudonymous novel about a young woman with a remarkable gift. The Little Village of Book Lovers is that novel.

“Everyone knows me, but none can see me. I’m that thing you call love.”

In a little town in the south of France in the 1960s, a dazzling encounter with Love itself changes the life of infant orphan Marie-Jeanne forever.

As a girl, Marie-Jeanne realizes that she can see the marks Love has left on the people around her—tiny glowing lights on the faces and hands that shimmer more brightly when the one meant for them is near. Before long, Marie-Jeanne is playing matchmaker, bringing true loves together in her village.

As she grows up, Marie-Jeanne helps her foster father, Francis, begin a mobile library that travels throughout the many small mountain towns in the region of Nyons. She finds herself bringing soulmates together every place they go—and there are always books that play a pivotal role in that quest. However, the only person that Marie-Jeanne can’t seem to find a soulmate for is herself. She has no glow of her own, though she waits and waits for it to appear. Everyone must have a soulmate, surely—but will Marie-Jeanne be able to recognize hers when Love finally comes her way?

My Thoughts

The book has a open, flowing sense to it. It’s fun, whimsical and different. Our story starts out with a young female orphaned baby in the South of France in the 1960’s.
The story is told in Love’s point of view. It touches people, blows in the wind, it’s in the trees. It’s free flowing, all surrounding. It’s not just romantic love, parental love, friends love.
Marie-Jean is a matchmaker and sees love all around her, but will she find her own? Will love freely flow to this gentle soul and send her soulmate to her? Very open, seeing, seeking and encouraging book. Well written.

Pub Date 25 Jul 2023
I was given a complimentary copy of this book.
All opinions expressed are my own.

The Author

Born 1973 in Bielefeld, Germany, Nina George is a prize-winning and bestselling author (“Das Lavendelzimmer” – “The Little Paris Bookshop”) and freelance journalist since 1992, who has published 26 books (novels, mysteries and non-fiction) as well as over hundred short stories and more than 600 columns. George has worked as a cop reporter, columnist and managing editor for a wide range of publications, including Hamburger Abendblatt, Die Welt, Der Hamburger, “politik und kultur” as well as TV Movie and Federwelt. Georges writes also under three pen-names, for ex “Jean Bagnol”, a double-andronym for provence-based mystery novels.

In 2012 and 2013 she won the DeLiA and the Glauser-Prize. In 2013 she had her first bestselling book “Das Lavendelzimmer”, translated in 27 langues and sold more than 500.000 copies.

In November 2011, Nina George established the “JA zum Urheberrecht” (YES on Author’s Rights) initiative, which supports the rights of authors, artists and entertainers and is dedicated to resolving issues within the literary community as well as establishing fair and practical rights-license models for the web-distribution. 14 writers’ associations and 27 publishing partners have since joined the JA…-Initiative. George supports the “Initiative Urheberrecht” (Author’s Rights Initiative—www.urheber.info) as well as the “gib 8 aufs Wort”-campaign of the VG Wort.

In August 2014 George initiated the Amazon-protest in Germany http://www.fairer-buchmarkt.de, where overs 2000 germanspeaking authors – Nobelprizewinnig Elfriede Jelinek or Bestsellingauthor Nele Neuhaus – sign an open letter to Jeff Bezos and Amazon, protesting against the banned-book-methods of the giant retailer in the Hachette/Bonnier-dispute.

In 2015 George is the founder of the Initiative Fairer Buchmarkt e.V., which supports questions of law in daily business of authors – for ex in contracts, fees or author’s rights and e-Business.

George is Member to PEN, Das Syndikat (association of German-language crime writers), the Association of German Authors (VS), the Hamburg Authors’ Association (HAV), BücherFrauen (Women in Publishing), the IACW/AIEP (International Association of Crime Writers), the GEDOK (Association of female artists in Germany), PRO QUOTE and Lean In. Nina George sits on the board of the Three Seas Writers’ and Translaters’ Council (TSWTC), whose members come from 16 different countries.

Nina George teaches writing at Literaturbüro Unna, Alsterdamm Kunstschule, Wilhelmsburger Honigfabrik, where she coaches young people, adults and professional authors.

George also moderates (bilingual) readings and works as a speaker.

http://www.nina-george.com

find me also on Facebook:

https://www.facebook.com/NinaGeorge.S…

http://www.ninageorge.de

DE

Die mehrfach ausgezeichnete Publizistin Nina George, geboren 1973, veröffentlichte bisher 23 Romane, Krimis, Science-Thriller sowie ca. 88 Kurzgeschichten und über 500 Kolumnen.

Ihr Pseudonym Anne West gehört zu den erfolgreichsten deutschsprachigen Erotika-Autorinnen.

Für ihren Roman Die Mondspielerin wurde George mit der DeLiA 2011, dem Literaturpreis für den besten Liebesroman des Jahres, ausgezeichnet. Mit dem Wendekrimi Das Licht von Dahme war George 2010 für den Friedrich-Glauser-Preis nominiert. Sie gewann ihn 2012 mit dem in Nigeria angesiedeltem Fußballkrimi „Das Spiel ihres Lebens“.

George gründete 2011 die Initiative „JA zum Urheberrecht“, mit der sie sich aktiv für die Rechte aller Kreativarbeiter und Kulturschaffenden gegen die Mentalität der Gratiskultur im Internet einsetzt.

Sie ist Mitglied im Syndikat, den Mörderischen Schwestern sowie des Verbands deutscher Schriftsteller.

Nina George lebt im Hamburger Grindelviertel.

Bio and photo from Goodreads.

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Bookouture Blog Tour for The Paris Maid by Ella Carey

About The Book

Paris, 1944. “Traitor!” yells the crowd as they push me down onto a stool. “Nazi collaborator.” Tears blur my vision as the razor grazes my scalp, waves of blonde hair falling to the ground. As men paint a swastika across my face, I hold onto one small glimmer of hope. They have no idea who I am.

Louise Basset works as a housemaid at The Ritz Hotel, home to the most powerful Nazis in France. As she changes silk sheets and scrubs sumptuous marble bathtubs, she listens and watches, reporting all she can to the Resistance. The only secret she never tells is her own.

Everything changes for Louise on the day a young Allied pilot, hunted by the Nazis, is smuggled into the hotel. As he and Louise share a small carafe of red wine hidden amongst her cleaning bottles, she feels her heart begin to open. But if Louise trusts someone with the truth, what will happen?

Years later, her granddaughter Nicole looks up at the ornate façade of the infamous Paris hotel. She is reeling from her recent discovery: a black-and-white photograph of her grandmother as a young woman, head shaved, branded a traitor. Devastated by her new legacy and about to start a family of her own, Nicole searches for answers.

When a French historian calls Louise by a different name, Nicole realizes there must be more to her grandmother’s story. Was the woman who taught Nicole so much about family and loyalty a resistance fighter, or will her granddaughter have to live with the knowledge that she is descended from a traitor? And will Nicole be able to finally move forward with her life if she can uncover the truth?

An utterly heart-shattering and gripping novel about love, betrayal and how one courageous young woman paid a terrible price to save those she loved. From top-ten bestseller Ella Carey, fans of Fiona Valpy, The Nightingale and Rhys Bowen will never forget The Paris Maid.

My Thoughts

I just love Ella Carey’s historical fiction books.
The author writes with such passion you can tell how well researched the book is as well. Based on some actual people and events and I love how realistic this makes the books she writes.
This is a dual timeline book taking place in Paris 1944 and modern times.
Modern times, Nicole a young woman ready to start her own family is a happy woman. A shocking discovery about a woman she thought she knew so well has her taken aback.
A young woman stares back at her from a black and white photo, the face so familiar, the features so like her own. It’s her grandmother, head shaved, tears in her eyes and branded a traitor. Nicole is shocked and saddened.
With the help of a French historian Nicole makes discoveries about her grandmothers’ life when she was younger.
As a young woman she is a housemaid at the fancy Ritz Hotel, home to the most powerful Nazis in France. Right under their noses in their hotel a young Allied pilot, that the Nazis are searching for is someone Louise can open up to. As he’s hidden Louise feels just may be able to trust him with a secret. If this trust is misplaced it could mean her life though.
Absolutely heartbreaking! This story is just amazing and kept me in its grips. I couldn’t put it down.

Pub Date 06 Apr 2023
I was given a complimentary copy of this book.
All opinions expressed are my own.

Visit other blogs on the tour

The Author

Ella Carey is the international bestselling author of The Things We Don’t Say, Secret Shores, From a Paris Balcony, The House by the Lake, and Paris Time Capsule. Her books have been published in over fourteen languages, in twelve countries, and have been shortlisted for ARRA awards. A Francophile who has long been fascinated by secret histories set in Europe’s entrancing past, Ella has degrees in music, nineteenth-century women’s fiction, and modern European history. She lives in Melbourne with her two children and two Italian greyhounds who are constantly mistaken for whippets.

Ella loves to connect with her readers regularly through her facebook page and on her website.

http://www.ellacarey.com/

https://www.facebook.com/ellacareyauthor/

https://www.instagram.com/ellacarey_author/

Sign up to be the first to hear about new releases from Ella Carey here: https://www.bookouture.com/ella-carey

Buy Link:

Amazon: https://geni.us/B0BRQQXRZRsocial

Audio:

UK: zpr.io/HUt3bRnq9dNZ
US: zpr.io/hK8UezPXf6Et

Listen to a sample here:

You can sign up for all the best Bookouture deals you’ll love at: http://ow.ly/Fkiz30lnzdo

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Can’t Wait Wednesday

Can’t-Wait Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted at Wishful Endings, to spotlight and discuss the books we’re excited about that we have yet to read. Generally, they’re books that have yet to be released.

I am looking forward to…………..

Pub Date 06 Jun 2023 Gallery publisher

Description

From the bestselling author of the “heart-stopping tale of survival and heroism” (People) The Book of Lost Names comes a gripping historical novel about two mothers who must make unthinkable choices in the face of the Nazi occupation.

Paris, 1939: Young mothers Elise and Juliette become fast friends the day they meet in the beautiful Bois de Boulogne. Though there is a shadow of war creeping across Europe, neither woman suspects that their lives are about to irrevocably change.

When Elise becomes a target of the German occupation, she entrusts Juliette with the most precious thing in her life—her young daughter, playmate to Juliette’s own little girl. But nowhere is safe in war, not even a quiet little bookshop like Juliette’s Librairie des Rêves, and, when a bomb falls on their neighborhood, Juliette’s world is destroyed along with it.

More than a year later, with the war finally ending, Elise returns to reunite with her daughter, only to find her friend’s bookstore reduced to rubble—and Juliette nowhere to be found. What happened to her daughter in those last, terrible moments? Juliette has seemingly vanished without a trace, taking all the answers with her. Elise’s desperate search leads her to New York—and to Juliette—one final, fateful time.

Would this be a book you would read?

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The Paris Sister by Adrienne Chinn Blog Tour

The Paris Sister

Three sisters separated by distance but bound by love

The Fry sisters enter the Roaring Twenties forever changed by their experiences during the Great War. Now, as each of their lives unfold in different corners of the globe, they come to realise that the most important bond is that of family.

Desperate to save the man she loves, Etta leaves behind the life she has made for herself in Capri and enters the decadent world of Parisian society with all its secrets and scandals.

Celie’s new life on the Canadian prairies brings mixed blessings – a daughter to adore, but a husband who isn’t the man who holds her heart.

In Egypt, Jessie’s world is forever changed by a devastating loss.

And back in London – where each of their adventures began – their mother Christina watches as the pieces of her carefully orchestrated existence begins to shatter…with implications for them all…

The Paris Sister Blog Tour 1st-7th February @Rachel’sRandomResources

Purchase Links Amazon

My Thoughts

An emotional family drama set during the Roaring twenties.
I have not read the first book in this series, instead jumping in at book two of three. I absolutely need to read book one now.
The book is very wordy at 480 pages, and I loved it. The more descriptive for me the better.
Set during the 1920's we can see woman are starting to stand up for themselves and not be dominated by men anymore.
There is strife, there is drama, as there is in every family but at the end of the day there is the love of family.
This book features three sisters and their mother. The women all live in different parts of the world, one in Canada, one in Egypt and one in Paris.
There is a lot going on in this story as it takes place over years. What I found to make it easier to follow is if you concentrate on each woman and their story rather than concentrate on too many characters at once.
I really enjoyed this historical fiction and learning about the different foods, languages and customs of each country.
The widowed mother has a secret her daughters must not find out. It happened during her younger days when she was not married. Living in London she must now face her past.
One of the daughters lives in Alberta, Canada amongst the wheat fields.
Another daughter lives in Cairo running a health clinic. Another daughter lives in Paris trying to forget her past.
I enjoyed seeing how the women and their mother communicated by letter. Though they may not agree on everything there is always love, communication and encouragement.
The book is very well researched. I felt as if I were right there in the story experiencing all this with the characters.
This is a wonderful, wonderful book. The next book can't come out soon enough for me!

Pub Date 03 Feb 2023
I was given a complimentary copy of this book.
All opinions expressed are my own.

Visit other blogs on the tour here

About the Author

Adrienne Chinn was born in Grand Falls, Newfoundland, grew up in Quebec, and eventually made her way to London, England after a career as a journalist. In England she worked as a TV and film researcher before embarking on a career as an interior designer, lecturer, and writer. Her debut novel, The Lost Letter, a timeslip love story set in Morocco, was published by Avon Books UK in 2019. Her second novel, The English Wife — a timeslip story set in World War II England and contemporary Newfoundland — was published in June 2020 and has become an international bestseller. Her third novel, Love in a Time of War, the first in a series of four books in The Three Fry Sisters series, was published in February 2022. The second book in the series, The Paris Sister, will be published in February 2023.

Social Media Links –

https://www.facebook.com/adriennechinnauthor/

Home

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The Man Without Shelter by Indrajit Garai-Review

About The Book

Lucy, a young lawyer, is on fast track to partnership in her firm. Arnault, a convicted felon, leaves prison after two decades through a piece of evidence in his favor. The two of them come together during a rescue operation at the centre of Paris, and then they go on with their separate lives.

Months later, their paths cross again at a camp for migrants on the edge of Paris.

My Thoughts

I have enjoyed every book I have read by Indrajit Garai. The writing is clear, concise and always thought provoking.
I would think the author would be a deeply contemplative person because of his writing style.
We see two stories here, two topics going their separate ways until they mesh and become entangled.
The main story line features Arnault, a Middle Eastern-French man just having been released from prison after two decades after DNA evidence exonerates him. That is a long time in life to waste that you’ll never get back. We get a real taste of what life is like in Paris for the downtrodden, the homeless, the invisible ones living in migrant camps. He just wants to integrate back into polite society but with none having his back we see the highs and lows of his new life. Crime in many forms is abundant on the streets, will he be an easy target?
We also meet Lucy, a young and impressionable up and coming lawyer, worlds apart from Arnault socially but she’s determined to find him to serve papers that will erase his time in prison.
The book will resonate with many as Parisians face the same problems we face here in America and many countries, homelessness, despair, violence, and a host of other issues.
The book kept my rapt attention, the plot is fascinating and relatable to many.

I was given a complimentary copy of this book.

Sep 5, 22 publication date
All opinions expressed are my own.

Grab A Copy Here

About The Author

Indrajit Garai, an American citizen now, was born in India in 1965. After his Bachelors degree from Indian Institute of Technology and Masters from Harvard, he worked as a corporate strategy consultant and as an investment banker in America, Spain, and England, while studying parallelly Ayurveda (ancient medicine of India) for stress management. In 2001, after the birth of his daughter, he moved to Paris, opened his private practice of stress management, and then authored six books in this field (five in French and one in English).

Authoring these books on stress management gave him a deep love for writing. Since 2015, he has devoted himself full-time to creating literature.

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The Last Dress From Paris by Jade Beer-Book Review

My Review

This is a most delightful book with it’s dual time-line you’ll get pulled into two delightful stories that just seamlessly mesh.
Lucille has a special and loving relationship with her Grandmother Sylvie and will do anything for her.
When her grandmother asks her to go from England to Paris to find a priceless Dior dress she believes she’ll be home quickly and easily with the task completed.
What she doesn’t count on is needing to rent a French apartment and finding a side of her grandmother she had never know about.
The book kept me spellbound while reading about the 1950’s glamour of the fashionable Dior gowns,an opulent lifestyle a forbidden affair,well kept secrets and a heartbreaking betrayal.
So many glamorous Dior gowns each representing a special time. You can practically feel the heaviness and sumptuousness of the velvet and other lush materials of the vintage gowns in your hands.
Secrets and heartbreak comes alive in this book I was unable to put down!

Pub Date: 21 Jun 2022
I received a complimentary copy of this book.
All opinions expressed are my own.

GoodReads Synopsis

London, 2017. There’s no one Lucille adores more than her grandmother. So when her beloved Granny Sylvie asks for Lucille’s assistance with a small matter, she’s happy to help. The next thing she knows, Lucille is on a train to Paris, tasked with retrieving a priceless Dior dress. But not everything is as it seems, and what Lucille finds in a small Parisian apartment will have her scouring the city for answers to a question that could change her entire life.

Paris, 1952. Postwar France is full of glamour and privilege, and Alice Ainsley is in the middle of it all. As the wife to the British ambassador to France, Alice’s job is to see and be seen–even if that wasn’t quite what she signed up for. Her husband showers her with jewels, banquets, and couture Dior dresses, but his affection has become distressingly elusive. As the strain on her marriage grows, Alice’s only comfort is her bond with her trusted lady’s maid, Marianne. But when a new face appears in her drawing room, Alice finds herself yearning to follow her heart…no matter the consequences.

The City of Light comes alive in this lush, evocative tale that explores the ties that bind us together, the truths we hold that make us who we are, and the true meaning of what makes someone family. 

Grab A Copy Here

About The Author

Hello!

I’m Jade. I’m a novelist, a mother to two young daughters and I live in the beautiful English countryside. After decades working in glossy magazines in London, I now live in the Cotswolds. It’s where my husband and I used to spend romantic weekends plotting our future together, long before children came along, and is now where I write my books.

My latest novel, The Last Dress From Paris, is inspired by a visit I made to the Victoria & Albert museum back in January 2019 for the Christian Dior: Designer of Dreams exhibition. When I left the museum that day, I knew so much more about the work of Christian Dior and how he defined an era of fashion. Much has been written of his legacy. But what of the women he dressed, I wondered. What happened to all of them and their beautiful gowns when they left the boutique for the final time? What would the women, Dior’s clients, whisper from behind the glass cabinets if they could? What would they tell me about the occasion on which they wore these dresses?

Women have always fascinated me. I think it comes from seeing first-hand how truly brilliant we can be and how wonderfully flawed. I’ve been lucky enough to work with some incredibly talented women throughout my career as a journalist and editor – ones who juggle the most all-encompassing careers with family and friendships and everything else that life throws at them. They often make it look so easy. But we all know it’s not. And that need to present one version of yourself to the world, while keeping the grittier, less polished reality under wraps, is a thread that runs strongly through all my novels and especially The Last Dress From Paris.

In my former job as the editor of Conde Nast Brides, I shared my working life with editors of some of the glossiest magazines in the world – Vogue, Tatler, Glamour – and I had the enormous privilege of travelling the world and sitting front row at beautiful fashion shows and working with the world’s leading florists, cake makers and stylists. But I also took a daily peek into the lives of young women who were experiencing one of the most intense times of their lives – planning their wedding days. This, above everything else, was the fascinating bit. Hearing their thoughts, fears, worries and ambitions for the future. This really powerful cocktail of glamour and reality is there, I hope, on the pages of all my books.

Take a peek inside my life on Instagram @jadebeerbrides or at http://www.jadebeer.com

Does this sound like a book you’d read?

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Can’t Wait Wednesday

I can’t wait for……….. The Last Dress From Paris by Jade Beer

Can’t-Wait Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted , at Wishful Endings, to spotlight and discuss the books we’re excited about that we have yet to read. Generally they’re books that have yet to be released. It’s based on Waiting on Wednesday, hosted by the fabulous Jill at Breaking the Spine. If you’re continuing with WOW, feel free to link those up as well! Find out more here.

This is a new to me author but I love historicals, especially ones set in Paris.

Pub Date 21 Jun 2022

Historical Fiction, Womens Fiction

Berkley Publishing Group

Description

The secret is hidden within a collection of Dior dresses…

London, 2017. There’s no one Lucille adores more than her grandmother. So when her beloved Granny Sylvie asks for Lucille’s assistance with a small matter, she’s happy to help. The next thing she knows, Lucille is on a train to Paris, tasked with retrieving a priceless Dior dress. But not everything is as it seems, and what Lucille finds in a small Parisian apartment will have her scouring the city for answers to a question that could change her entire life.

Paris, 1952. Postwar France is full of glamour and privilege, and Alice Ainsley is in the middle of it all. As the wife to the British ambassador to France, Alice’s job is to see and be seen—even if that wasn’t quite what she signed up for. Her husband showers her with jewels, banquets, and couture Dior dresses, but his affection has become distressingly elusive. As the strain on her marriage grows, Alice’s only comfort is her bond with her trusted lady’s maid, Marianne. But when a new face appears in her drawing room, Alice finds herself yearning to follow her heart…no matter the consequences.

The City of Light comes alive in this lush, evocative tale that explores the ties that bind us together, the truths we hold that make us who we are, and the true meaning of what makes someone family.

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