An intriguing historical fiction novel about women who went to France during WWII as radio-operators for covert operations. I was worried that this would be very similar to "The Alice Network" which I had recently finished, but it is a very different book. The characters never felt completely 'real' to me, perhaps not as fleshed out as they could be, and I felt that sometimes a character did something or changed their opinion about someone much too quickly to be believable. But overall, an interesting read that I'm sure many will enjoy reading.

Went to sleep at 2:00 up at 6:00 because I had to get back to reading The Lost Girls of Paris by Pam Jenoff. A must read, page turner about women radio operators who were trained in Britain and sent into France during World War II. The lost girls of Paris were heroes and the book will keep you up all night. Thank you NetGalley and Harlequin for the ARC. I will continue to read all Pam Jenoff books, she continues to engross the reader time and time again.. This book is out the end of January, put it on your TBR list now!

The Lost Girls of Paris is based very loosely on Vera Atkins and her "girls", women who were trained as radio operators by the British and dropped into France during WWII to help the local Resistance. Set partly in 1946 New York, Grace finds pictures of 12 women in a lost suitcase, and the mystery starts there as to what happened to these women. Flashbacks tell the story of Eleanor Trigg and one of her main SOE recruits , Marie, who is one of the 12 female agents dropped near Paris who disappeared without a trace during the war. Some of the plot contrivances were a little thin, and the denouement of the story is based on speculation, because the truth is still not known. However, I had not read anything about Vera's girls prior to this, and found that portion of the story fascinating and ultimately tragic - it makes me want to read more about them. It's not perfect, but it's a nice addition to the WWII historical fiction genre. Many thanks to Netgalley and Harlequin for the e-arc. I definitely need to read more about these women!

Fabulous historical fiction, concentrating on the women of the SOE in Paris during WWII. We see the conception of the women's unit from when Eleanor first initiates the program to it's final takedown and how it all ends. There is a jump in time from 1943/44 England/Paris to 1946 NYC after the war, when a young woman finds pictures of some of the women that were part of the SOE in a suitcase left at the train station.

Both sets of lives and circumstances are interesting and I never found myself wishing I was in the other timeframe. I did work out some of the mystery and had an idea or two about the ending, but it was all done well, even if there was a lack of red herrings to twist the story another way.

Definitely recommended for fans of historical fiction.

Another beautifully written heartbreaking novel by Pam Jenoff. . I read WWII novels to remind me as Americans how lucky we have been not to have these world wars happen on our door steps and to honor all those lost.
Pam writes holocaust and war genre better than any author I know. You are always moved to tears by the sacrifices by so many people during WWII that were just citizens.
This is such a moving story of the women of WWII that played such important roles but were forgotten. I hope everyone read this one and enjoys it as much as I did. A very strong 5 star book.

This is an excellent book! You may have read other books set during the World War Two era, and you may have read other books about female spies during that era, but The Lost Girls of Paris is unique and will reward you with an engrossing and thrilling read.

Although this is firmly and delightfully a work of fiction, some events and characters were based on historical facts. I was effortlessly immersed in the stories and situations of the three main characters, Grace, Marie, and Eleanor. Their related stories unfolded throughout a span of years encompassing the height of the war and a period afterwards. The action takes place in several different countries, including Britain, France, Germany, and the USA. After the setup of the first few chapters, I was completely hooked and invested.

I highly recommend that this be given a top spot on your To Be Read list. This book will appeal to so many readers, especially those who enjoy historical fiction, intrigue, and strong female characters.

Jenoff told a remarkable story of a part of WWII that most of us have never heard. Going back and forth between the wars years and the period immediately after, she wove an intriguing tale of supreme sacrifices by women. Through her character development, the women became alive to me, even though I had a hard time understanding why Marie would leave her daughter. Eleanor, especially, was a complex character, and Jenoff masterfully described her, leaving me wondering if she was, in fact, a traitor or merely a pawn. The settings were rich with description, transporting me into the heart of the war. Grace's story, however, lacked the strength of the other characters. I had a hard time understanding why the photographs became so important to her. I realize that is what propelled the story forward, and it was a necessary tool in which to do so, but I had a difficult time understanding her intentions. As I was reading, I kept thinking that we were going to learn some kind of connection that she had to one of the women spies, but that was not to be. Her story ended very weakly. The suspense of the covert missions kept me intrigued, even though the descriptions got a little too technical. I became too bogged down trying to follow them. I was very disappointed that Eleanor's death was an accident. I had assumed, by telling us of her death so early on, it would have been a big part of the story, the accident in which she lost her life somehow tied to the SOE.

I am a lover of historical fiction, but more specifically the subgenre of WWII fiction. I highly enjoy reading from dual time lines/multiple POVs and this book did a brilliant job with it.

Originally, I had little to no knowledge of what circumstances and risks female spies went through during the war. I always cherish historical novels that craft a wonderfully immersive storyline while simultaneously drawing you into a history lesson.

From the very beginning, I was completely enthralled with all three POVs. I found it so interesting reading perspectives from both during and after the war. I was left at the edge of me seat eager to find out how all three storylines wove together in the end.

The power of females and friendship represented in this book was both inspiring and encouraging. I fully connected with all three of the main characters. In the midst of learning the obstacles and situations they were put through in their present day, the author slowly unspools their past experiences and it was so beautifully well done.

This novel has so much depth, it’s rich in history, and filled with heartache but it’s a story you won’t want to put down.

I don't usually enjoy post-war books but Jenoff created a very interesting and entertaining story line that I just couldn't pull myself away from.

The Lost Girls of Paris is yet another testament to why author Pam Jenoff continuously stays at the forefront of the historical fiction genre. In her capable hands, us readers are gifted with a story that while, still fiction, reflects the genuine emotion and range of such a time in history.
Fan girl always.

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/2417322359

One day in 1946, during the aftermath of World War II, Grace Healey finds a suitcase in Grand Central Terminal while taking a detour to work. Inside she finds twelve photographs of women who were secret operatives in France in 1944. Intrigued by the photos, Grace takes them and leaves the suitcase. As Grace investigates the owner of the photos and what happened to each of the girls, she will help uncover a horrible betrayal while finding out what she should do with her future. Told from the perspective of Grace, Eleanor (the owner of the photos), and Marie (one of the operatives), this story reconstructs what happened in France two years earlier.
I enjoyed this book very much. The narrative drew me right into the story, and I sympathized with all three main characters. The ending was not what I was expecting, but it also seemed very realistic. I didn't care for the profanity and thought that it was unnecessary to the story. That being said, this very compelling and heartbreaking fictional account was well written and definitely makes me want to read more of the author's books. I love books that delve into war spies, operatives, mysteries, and political intrigue. I highly recommend this book to anyone who enjoys historical fiction and suspense.
I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher through NetGalley. A positive review was not required, and all opinions expressed are entirely my own.

I absolutely LOVED this book! I have read quite a few novels in the historical fiction genre and this one is by far one of my top favorites! It presented some topics and areas that I haven't read about previously and I was captivated. I love that the focus was on women and what role they had, other than staying home with the children while the men and husbands were at war. The characters were beautifully portrayed and I wholeheartedly cheered them on, especially the women that were part of SOE, the ones who endured brutality, disrimination, sexism, and doubt; yet still demonstrated their strength, courage and determination. Though set in the past, there was a tone of the present which, to me, made the story flow even more easily. I flew through this novel and hated that it ended. This is, by far, one of my top favorite books of all times.

An enjoyable historical fiction story about British women serving in the SOE in France before Normandy. The story is told from three perspectives and all three women have strong, unique voices.

The Lost Girls of Paris
I received this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. I was excited to get this book because I have read and enjoyed Pam Jenoff’s previous novels. This one didn’t ring true for me at all. I couldn’t understand why Grace took the pictures from a stranger’s suitcase in the first place and why she needed to go to all the trouble to find out who they were and what their story was. Marie’s story also felt far fetched to me, why would she leave her daughter and sign on for a dangerous life risking assignment with minimal training. Both of the romantic story lines, Grace’s and Marie’s were predictable and unrealistic. Overall, this book was a disappointment for me, no more than three stars.
Thanks NetGalley, the publisher and Pam Jenoff for the advanced copy.

What an amazing story of incredibly brave courageous women during World War 2. Eleanor Trigg is in charge of an all female spy group sent to France to help the war effort as couriers and radio operators. Marie is one of Eleanor's spies who is sent to be a radio operator. She quickly becomes friends with Josie. Josie is only 17 years old. The strength and braveness of the women are simply incredible. They know at any given time if they are caught by the Germans they will be killed. After the war, 12 of the women are missing and feared killed. Eleanor is in New York when she is killed. Grace Healey finds Eleanor's suitcase in the train station and becomes obsessed to find out what happened to the women. The story is told during the war and what the women endure and after the war as Grace is trying to find out information. I loved the characters in this book. Marie was my favorite. She goes from an unsure young woman to a brave and courageous woman. This is an amazing story of friendship, bravery, courage, and above all hope. I received an advanced readers copy from NetGalley and Harlequin Park Row. All opinions are my own.

The narration of how a few young people, some in their teens, served as agents behind enemy lines during the German occupation of France is fascinating. They were in constant danger yet sometimes they just had to let loose with a few hi-jinks. The overlaid story of a young widow shortly after the war ended has some great angles too. She has escaped from the dulling propriety of her family and works for an altruistic immigration lawyer in a tiny office where he does his best for a flood of truly needy clients. This is also a romance novel but the relationships were somewhat undeveloped.

The story starts in 1946 Manhattan with the story of Grace, a woman who lost her husband in a tragic car accident during the war.  She's already late for work and finds her route blocked by an accident; a woman has died aftering being hit by a car.  Grace takes a shortcut through Grand Central Station where she trips over an abandoned suitcase under a bench with the word Trigg written in chalk.  She opens the suitcase to search for identification and finds photographs of twelve different women, which she takes on an unexplained impulse.

Throughout her day she looks at the women and finds their names written on the back of each photo.  Grace feels compelled to learn the story of these women and finds herself drawn in to their story when she discovers the woman who died in the accident that morning was a British citizen named Eleanor Trigg.  The suitcase -- the photographs -- had belonged to Eleanor.

Eleanor Trigg worked as a secretary for Special Operations Executive (SOE), an agency created to sabotage the Germans by sending agents in to the field to collect information and set up special operations.
Trigg has earned the trust of the Director with the skills and knowledge she has displayed and gained the role of an advisor, though most of the men seated at the table with her are skeptical.
She makes the bold suggestion of recruiting and training female agents to deploy because the Germans would not expect female spies.  To her surprise, Trigg's suggestion is not only approved but she is placed in charge of recruitment and training.

One of the women recruited is Marie, a single mother who has left her daughter in the care of an aunt as the dangers of air raids rages on too close to home.  Marie is approached by a man impressed by her French and he leaves her with a card for Eleanor Trigg, promising important work and excellent compensation.

Marie not only immediately respects Eleanor but trusts her too, leading Marie to say yes to the offer.  She finds herself one of several women under Eleanor's leadership to be deployed to Paris as a radio operator.

In alternating chapters from the perspectives of Grace, Eleanor and Marie, we learn the fate of the women in the photographs Grace found in the suitcase.  

The Lost Girls of Paris is an incredible tale inspired by the true story of Vera Atkins and the female SOE agents during World War II.  Jenoff did a fantastic job of finding a balance between fact and historical fiction, creating a sense of urgency for readers and delivering a captivating story of bravery and betrayal!

Thanks to Park Row and NetGalley for providing me with an ARC in exchange for my honest review.  The Lost Girls of Paris is scheduled for release on February 5, 2019.

I’ve read several nonfiction books about the SOE, and several novels featuring the organization. The SOE was an organization set up to facilitate sabotage and chaos behind Axis lines, to set Europe “on fire.” Even with all the reading I’ve done, it was a confusing organization. Apparently, it had many sections and subsections and was constantly changing in its organization and leadership. You might read a book on the SOE and it barely mention the women that were involved with the organization at all, then read another and it sounds like sending women spies to Europe was its chief activity.

The Lost Girls of Paris is an excellent addition to this body of historical fiction. Through the lives of several fictional women, it tells the story of the betrayal of the women radio operators in France in 1944, which continued to operate after it was clear that it had been infiltrated. There have been several theories about who was responsible; one of the major ones is that the British knew the spy network was compromised, but sacrificed their own agents to protect the secret of the coming invasion. This novel takes this view. The organization of the SOE is much simplified for the book, but there are some satisfying details, such as how a character exactly included “checks” in their radio messages: she encoded the 35th character as a “p” and substituted a “k” for every other “c”. I’ve seen “checks” mentioned many times in relation to radio messages, but have never been given concrete examples.

I was a bit disappointed in the ending. Confusingly, the 1946 character gives her lover $10K and tells him it’s for the funeral of another character; it’s unclear why she thinks he would be in any way able to pay for this woman’s funeral better than herself, especially since the dead woman had been killed weeks earlier. Also, two characters formerly associated with SOE had been killed in car wrecks, and I thought the book was going to grow into a murder mystery – someone’s killing the survivors of the SOE, but no, it just ended.

Thanks to #netgalley for an advance copy.

“The Lost Girls of Paris” is a novel of historical fiction that weaves two stories together to look at the brave and courageous women of the SOE, and their treatment by the British government. The SOE was a British operation created during WWII to disrupt the progress of German Army in such ways as blowing up bridges, destroying train tracks etc. While the women, for the most part, were to be telegraph operators they often ended up doing much more than that and often much more dangerous work. I struggled with two aspects of this book. The first was the premise of the story, that of a woman finding what appeared to be an abandoned suitcase in a train station, opens the suitcase and then actually takes photographs out of it. This seemed like a real stretch for me, who would steal photographs from someone else’s suitcase? The second thing that I found was somewhat disappointing was that the book seemed very light on history. It seemed like the author used a very broad brush historically without much historical detail. I was surprised by the very few historical references cited at the end of the book. Because of this it almost seemed that this should be classified more as Women’s Fiction (or "Chick lit"), than historical fiction. I think if I had known that up front I would have approached the book differently. That being said, I enjoyed “The Lost Girls of Paris” exploration this very interesting British government operation which until very recently was unknown to me. And regardless of my hesitation, I was thoroughly engaged in the book and the intersecting journeys of the main characters kept me reading well into the night! No doubt, Pam Jenoff is a gifted storyteller! I was honored to receive a free copy of the book by NetGalley and the Publisher, HARLEQUIN – Trade Publishing in exchange for an honest review.

The Lost Girls of Paris by Pam Jenoff is Historical Thriller Fiction set in World War II and just after. I loved this book as I have every book Pam Jenoff has written. The characters and settings are well written, the reader is immediately drawn into their world and lives. This book has non stop action, thrills, tragedy, mystery and love. The girls work in conjunction with various groups and citizens to thwart the Nazi forces.. It is a story of their strength, bravery, hardships and sorrows that they endured. I received a complimentary copy of this book through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own. My thanks to the author, the publisher and netgalley for the privilege to read, review and enjoy this book.