This was a brilliant read. As soon as I started reading this book I just knew I was going to love it. Highly recommended

This story is so quaint .

It flips from one to the other but superbly done so not losing the reader along the way.

I got a real closeness with Paris reading this, I’ve never visited but would love to one day. Not forgetting g the era this was set in though.

The era of the Nazis and the unforgettable experiences that Valie remembers cannot be crystal clear at the age of three.

Returning now she needs to piece together the events and secrets that she’s plagued with as a grown woman.
Returning to Paris, can she get answers, can Vincent her Grandfather reveal or shed light on her questions?
Will it help them both to move on?

My fist read by this author and loved it.

I am a huge fan of books about WWII as well as those written with a dual timeline. This one fit the bill! I really enjoyed getting to know Valerie and the supporting characters. They were so well developed and in discovering the history of Valerie’s mother and the Nazi occupation was done well. This was an emotional read but there were also moments of joy amidst the angst of the way people were treated during the invasion. The reader gets a glimpse of how far some individuals were willing to go to make a difference and hasten the defeat of Hitler’s regime.

I cannot wait to read another book by this author. I love her writing style and ability to pull me into the story.

Thank you to NetGalley and Bookoutre for my advanced review copy. All opinions and thoughts are my own.

This book was a nice, quick read, and although I didn't LOVE it, I did enjoy it. It's nice to not have my heart ripped out while reading a historical fiction book. My only complaint is that I didn't feel as connected to the characters as I would have liked. I would give it 3.5 stars.

Lovely feel good summer read. What’s not to love sun sea and sadly ur reading about it instead of living it. Easy to read and flowed well. Perfect summer book

This book captured me from the beginning and I couldn't put it down. It was a great historical fiction with a bit of mystery as well.

I would like to thank Netgalley and the publisher for providing me with a copy of this book free of charge. This is my honest and unbiased opinion of it.

In 1962 Valerie has just learnt that she has a grandfather alive and living in Paris. She was brought up by her aunt in England and told that she had to flee the Nazi's in Paris when Valerie was three and that all of her family were dead. Determined to find out the truth she applies for a job in her grandfather's bookshop without revealing her true identity.

A great book that I couldn't put down, I loved the way Valerie won over her gruff old grandfather and managed to piece together the whole tragic tale. I have enjoyed all of the books by this author and would definitely recommend them.

This book got archived before I had a chance to download and read it. If I get chance to read this book, I would come back and provide a more appropriate review

I have just finished reading this book, wow what an amazing story. It is not often I finish a book so quickly but found I couldn't put it down! The story is set between 1962 and 1940, it is about Valerie who has just found out she has a grandfather living in Paris. Valerie was sent to live with her Aunt when she was 3, her Aunt then moved to England and brought Valerie up believing all her family had died.

This is a well written story, I loved all the characters even grumpy DuPont! An author I will be looking out in the future.

What a fabulous book.
This book captured me from the very beginning and I found it hard to put down. A really fantastic read.

This is my absolute favorite kind of story. Historical fiction, a bit of mystery, and a sprinkling of romance all rolled into one. Bonus points to this one for being set in a bookstore.
When Valerie returns to Paris to take on a job at a bookstore, she has one goal in mind – find out the truth about what happened to her parents. You see, her grandfather Vincent owns the bookstore. Of course he has no idea he’s hiring his granddaughter. He does, however, take an immediate liking to Valerie despite his gruff demeanor.
Slowly but surely, she begins to put together the pieces of a puzzle. This puzzle will tell the story of her childhood and why she was sent away at such a young age. But it’s a painful story to tell with more secrets than she’s expecting to learn.
Such a great, great story. I adore historical fiction set in this era. And this one has such a heartbreaking family component to it that I just couldn’t put it down. A definite winner!

A very compelling story that I was unable to put down. The story of an elderly woman who meets a young woman on a train and ends up telling her the story of her life from evading the Nazi's at the young age of 3 to attempting to find any remaining relatives to connect to and all the events along the way. If you are looking for a very interesting story of loss, reconnections, love and so much more. An interesting take on life during the occupation in Paris and how life goes on afterwards. A really great read and I am looking forward to exploring more into books by this author.

This is a charming book set in a Paris Bookstore that starts during the Nazi occupation. It has a wonderful description throughout of the occupation and of the time. I loved the bookstore and the endearing charcters. The book then moves into the the 1060's era and the reader is swept away into the decade and the bookstore with Paris as the backdrop .
I loved this book and found it utterly charming. I look forward to further books by this author.

Thank you for the ARC which does not influence my review.

Where to start? Dual, no it's a Trio storyline, and it worked really well. You know what time you were at, who you were with, and what was happening.

This is the first book by Lily Graham that I've read and it was a great little read. We got drama, we got romance, we got a dash of fear, and a few twists along the way.

I really liked Valerie. She only wanted to get to know her family. She wanted to find out where she was from. She came across as innocent and vulnerable. The chemistry between her and other characters works really well and you believe in them.

This is a story of finding out who you really are and where you come from. Its discovering family, and hidden secrets as well as finding love and where you belong.

I loved this story and look forward to anything else by the other.

If you love Kate Morton novels, pick this one up. Such a sweet book set in a Paris bookshop. Loved it.

Many thanks to NetGalley, the publisher, and the author. All opinions are my own.

Amazing book. Loved it from beginning to end.
Well written which kept me captivated throughout.
I will definitely be reading other books by this author

In “The Paris Secret” you’ll follow Valerie as she discovers the family secrets that led to her being raised by a distant relative. While I wasn’t surprised by the plot, it was still an enjoyable and quick read.

My Thoughts

‘He gave you away for a reason, Val. I know that you want this fairy-tale reunion but I’m just not sure you’re going to get it.’

What a great little read this turned out to be! A Parisian bookshop during the Nazi occupation - it has heartbreak written all over it! I enjoyed so much of this tale, the writing so was wonderful that you felt yourself sitting anxiously in the bookshop awaiting the vile Nazi officer’s arrival. Detailing the story of Mireille during the occupation and later with Valerie in the 1960s, you will find much to admire in this mother and daughter duo.

‘None of us knew what would happen –we’d hoped they’d be here a few months and then be gone, driven back by the allies … we couldn’t know what was to follow. In a way that was a blessing, and a curse.’

Loving all things Parisian and booky, you cannot help but get swept away in the misadventures that take place in this bookshop. You will be drawn in by the well described characters and most certainly find a special affinity for Vincent - a seemingly grumpy old man on the outside, but just look at all he has had to bare throughout with his daughter and granddaughter. I especially enjoyed his commentary on the range of book titles offered.

My only disappointment is that the book was too short! At just over 200 pages, I read it in a day! So whilst on the one hand it was great to have the story move along at such a cracking pace, I could not help but wish for just a little more detail. The characters were certainly inviting, but to have been given the opportunity for greater depth towards more of the thoughts behind their actions - especially Valerie’s father or Vincent’s anguish and loss - would just have provided the icing on the cake!

‘This is about me, or the man I used to be, before my country went mad –the world, really – and when I’m with you I think maybe I could be that man again, some day…’

It truly packed a punch for such a short read. It was enlightening to be provided with such a strong insight into the horrific bullying that took place during the Occupation, to then witness the bravery and sacrifices of those who fought in the resistance - simply heartbreaking how so many lives were irrevocably altered.

‘The city wanted to rid itself of every last reminder of the Occupation. To punish all those people who had collaborated with the Germans.’

This was a wonderful weekend read with the alternating timelines working well. For its length it was so focused in depicting this one family’s tale during a distressing time in history. I only wished it could have gone on for longer as I was saddened to leave this cosy Parisian bookshop.




This review is based on a complimentary copy from the publisher and provided through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. The quoted material may have changed in the final release

I enjoyed this tale of Valerie who returns to Paris the city of her birth. Valerie fled Paris at the end of WW2 with her aunt and was brought up in England. She returns to work at her grandfather's bookshop but doesn't tell him her real name because she has never found out what happened to her mother and why she had to flee Paris. The story of this is revealed in flashbacks and forms the main story. It's a nice book - an easy read with lovely descriptions of Paris and the grumpy but lovable grandfather and a good plot nicely tied up at the end.

Wow loved it . . This book grabbed hold of me and wouldn't let me go . what was going to be an hours reading ended up being picking it up at every opportunity and reading very late into the night ! A full 5 starts from me ! .