Natasha Lester is a historical fiction queen. I haven’t picked up a book by her that I didn’t love. As a photographer myself, I poured over the storyline and imagined what it would be like to not only take the photos in Nazi occupied France but discover them in the 21st century. The duel timeline, the discovery of family origins and struggles, another home run by Lester.

I thoroughly enjoyed this dual timeline historical fiction novel that was loosely based on the life of Lee Miller, an American photojournalist and war correspondent for Vogue during WW2.

It’s not often that I thoroughly enjoy both past and present plot lines equally, but the author does a good job stitching together the threads with well developed characters and capturing the details of the time period lending authenticity. This was a perfect blend of contemporary with historical, mystery and romance. I’d hoped for a different ending, but that’s life.

This one sparked my interest to learn more about Lee Miller. I enjoy looking further into her life and checking out some of her famous photos.

A hearty thank you to NetGalley and Forever (Grand Central Publishing) for the opportunity to preview this extended review copy. All opinions expressed above are my own.

This amazing historical fiction is a must read for all historical fiction fans. This powerful and riveting World War II story was very captivating and engaging. I found it to be unputdownable. Loved it.

THE PARIS ORPHAN by Natasha Lesser is historical fiction that evocatively take the reader into the life of a strong woman during the time of World War II. An unusual heroine, Jessica is independent & determined. Leading an unusual life, she’s a character who take the reader along as she makes unusual & daring decisions. It’s an interesting, engaging story.

Thank you to NetGalley for the complimentary copy of the book in exchange for my honest review.⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀

I love historical ANYTHING and love Natasha Lesters' book because she pays great detail to her characters and the settings they are in. She adds in the backdrop--often WWII--almost as a character in itself. BUT this time around with the Paris Orphan, the actual characters are numerous and a little more difficult to keep track of. But hey, war, life, and family is messy. Ok, so I keep reading it, loving, but then there is this moment, not sure exactly where it landed, but I felt like I crossed over into a different book along the way.
I loved the family is who you want it to be and the bonding of the characters despite the world around them but then it kind of became a 'whoa is me' love story that changed the tone of the book overall.
Nothing that will stop me from reading the author's next release RIGHT away.

I want to thank Netgalley and the author for gifting me the ebook. This was just a sample of the book and so it seems to be an interesting book. I would read the whole book.

This is a great start to this book. I wanted to keep reading to get more of it and am so thankful I was given the opportunity to have a peek of it with this sample of this wonderful one. Ready to read the rest.

I am a huge fan of historical fiction books which are set during WWII. While the main character is Jessica May, the book really was based on the true story of Lee Miller, a U.S. photojournalist. It is obvious how much research the author conducted. Even more amazing is how she was able to weave the facts into a pleasant read. Miller was an amazing woman and her efforts to overcome the manner in which women were discriminated against were admirable. The dual timeline was handled well and kept me invested in the story.

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

This was a good intro to this story. It grabbed my attention from the very beginning. I am loving, and hoping for, the friendship and possible relationship between Jess and Dan. I am anxious to continue this story and see how it turns out. So far I will give this book a 5 based on the beginning.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this extended preview for an honest review.

Thank you for this extended preview in exchange for an honest review! This author is well-known for her historical novels and this one seems to fit the bill perfectly. The premise is unique, which I enjoyed, and it's written very well. It's also very interesting and seems like a great story! I hope to read the entire book someday.

A powerfully emotional story following a former model turned photojournalist on the front lines in Italy. This story had me hooked from the very beginning. A compelling storyline with well developed characters. I could see myself there with the main character and imagining what she was seeing and experiencing. I've only read the first five chapters as a preview but I now find myself needing to know more. Will definitely need to finish this story now!

The author has brought historical events to life in this brilliantly wrote WW2 historical fiction.
In the beginning the authors note stated she researched and based her fictional writing on life events of photojournalist/former model Lee Miller.
This book has you turning pages, poignant, beautiful but heartbreaking and so many truths of how things were during that time.
I highly recommend this book.

Frustrated to realize that this is a "preview" and not the full book. Seems like a great story so I will look for the book locally. 3 stars only because it's too hard to judge the whole book from the short preview.

Something that is a constant in Natasha Lester's book is how she tastefully blends multiple characters' perspectives, and timelines, to present a holistic novel perfect for losing yourself in. Going off of what I've read so far in the preview, this book is the same, which I really love.

Seriously, I drop a star rating for filthy foul language; and I will stop immediately for using God's name in vain. The first shows a person has little self-respect. The latter defies logic, blatantly insulting me. I have standards.

I find troubling the time period where women are fighting for themselves, and authors choose fiction as their genre, with women swearing like drunken sailors. I would like to see the two vile swears taken out of fiction.


#Netgalley
#DNF
#TheParisOrphan
#NatashaLester

This book draws you into World War II from the start! Jessica May is a model turned war. correspondent. We see how she is treated by the officers and enlisted men during the war. She has to fight harder than the men to get her stories and pictures published. The author doesn’t shy away from the brutal sexism and horrors of war.
The author included real female correspondents, and many of the events did happen to then. Jessica May was loosely based on Lee Miller, a model turned photographer and correspondent. Martha Gellhorn, once married to Ernest Hemingway, was also in the story. This a part of history that I knew very little about, so not only was the book entertaining, it was also informative!
If you enjoy reading about WW II and woman’s history, you will love this book.
I would like to thank Forever Publishers and NetGalley for this sample. I had to buy the entire book because I had to find out what happened!! All options expressed in this review are my own.

Another triumph for Natasha Lester. Solid story with interesting characters make it hard to put down. A big plus for me is the setting and the color it brings to the story.
Thanks to #NetGalley and #TheParisOrphan for this advanced digital copy of the extended preview.

I enjoyed the preview and I would like to continue reading this book. I am looking forward to finding this book at my local bookshop.

I was very intrigued by this book because it shows us exactly how women were breaking barriers in trying to prove that they could have careers. This book was loosely based on the life of Lee Miller who did just that. Jessica is our heroine that breaks down those walls and becomes a journalist in a mostly man-filled world.

In the modern-day timeline, we meet D'Arcy who has struggled with her life and over the course of time learns something about her mother that changes everything for her.

I found this book a great weekend read.

I didn't realize this was only a preview and as such I can't give an honest review. What I have read so far has been a bit shallow and the story was just getting good when the preview ended. If I find the book locally I will finish and update my review :)