This was a wonderful mother daughter survival story set during WWII in Paris. Very slow burn, but I liked Charlotte a lot and loved to read about her life. It was more romance than historical fiction.

I picked this book up a couple of years ago and put it down because there is a scene at the beginning that was difficult to read. I thought the whole book might be similar and I was not prepared to read something like that at the time. I finally picked the book back up and though there are some tense scenes and situations, the story wasn't as graphic or difficult to read after that initial scene.

I thought this book was interesting as it was told from a different perspective than what I'm used to. However, there is something in the writing style that left me feeling a bit disconnected from the characters. The scenes from France were heartbreaking and there was concern for the characters on some level, yet the characters themselves felt a little flat. Still, I thought it was a decent story overall.

This is historical fiction with descriptions than keep the reader interested. The author has a way with words to say the least. However, it was difficult to keep up with the changing time periods. I wasn’t always sure where and what the characters were and were doing. I had to stop and contemplate often to discern this. This took away from the smooth reading I enjoy when reading historical fiction. That being said, this is a good book and true-the past stays with us. This book was sent to me electronically for review by Netgalley.

Paris Never Leaves You is a story of survival during World War II told through a dual timeline, alternating between wartime Paris and 1950s New York publishing. It asks the tough questions about what is right and wrong when survival is at stake not just for yourself but your child as well. It’s a story that will stay with me for a long time.

I love dual time line and WWII historical fiction and this book has both! Win-win! And bonus a book that has books in it? Yes please! Love historical fixation that has amazing women features too! Charlotte was so strong! Really enjoyed this book!

I enjoyed reading a WWII book set in occupied France that also dealt with the aftermath of the war as a Jew in the United States. I thought these were both unique perspectives that you rarely see in WWII historical fiction books. Unfortunately beyond that the story fell a bit flat for me and I found myself skimming to get through to the end. Lacked tension, issues too easily resolved, didn’t care for the characters, and sadly it just didn’t capture my attention.

2.5 stars. Full disclosure: I only read this book because I'm trying to improve my percentage. I don't remember what caused me to request it in the first place!

This book was incredibly mediocre. I had a difficult time keeping up when the narrative switched from Paris to New York and back. There weren't really any cues in the audiobook, which would have been nice and made for a better listening experience.

An interesting story that has really stuck with me. The author flips the story and shows how some Jews hid in plain sight in France during the war. She did a really good job building an original story by focusing on their identities. Main character, Charlotte never really considered herself a Jew, and she feels as if Hitler made her a Jew. The story jumps forward 15 years later to America and we see the impact that has on her daughter, who is interested in the Jewish faith but is afraid to reveal that those around her due to the way Americans felt following the war. It made me think about this from a whole new perspective.

Unfortunately this book wasn't for me - I have tried several times to get into it and just can't. I even tried listening to audiobook. Thank you for the opportunity to read it though

Review coming soon. Thanks to the author, publisher and NetGalley for the ARC; opinions are mine.

5 of 5 Stars
Pub Date August 4, 2020
#ParisNeverLeavesYou #EllenFeldman #NetGalley

Why? Why? Why? Why do they have to ruin things by adding a love story to these historical fiction books? Ugh! So frustrating.

PARIS NEVER LEAVES YOU

I really enjoyed this beautiful book. Set in 1954 New York City, Charlotte Foret is an editor with a publishing company, raising her teenage daughter Vivi. Woven into the story are flashbacks of mother and daughter in Paris during the German occupation, where Charlotte runs her father’s bookstore on rue Toullier. Decisions made to ensure their survival continue to haunt Charlotte into her current life.

I thought this was a extremely good and well written story, with depth and sensitivity of a mature nature. Themes of identity, religion, bigotry, and censorship are presented through the characters’ interactions.
Survivor guilt and the things people did to live through the war are addressed throughout the book. Surviving, and moving on - with a moral compass.

I would like to thank NetGalley, Ellen Feldman, and St. Martin’s Press for the opportunity to read and review this book.

I have mixed feelings about this story. It was good overall, and well-written, but I found that the parts set in the 1950s lacked tension and the characters fell a bit flat. The glamour of the publishing industry wasn't really captured and the chemistry between the characters wasn't always believable.

This is my first experience with this author's writing and overall, it's a fast-paced and engaging read. Set during WWII in Paris, as well as ten years after the war in New York City, Charlotte's story of survival unfolds. She carries quite a bit of guilt and her teenage daughter starts pushing for more information about their past. This is just the sort of book that my book club is drawn to and so I couldn't help but read this one in that mindset, keeping track of things that I wanted to discuss later. And I think that this could definitely spark some lively discussions on lingering guilt, the survivor's instincts and opening up to others.

Charlotte may not always be the most likable main character, but her story is an interesting one. The romance (more so the secondary romance) feels a bit forced at times - or maybe it's just the timing of everything with Horace. They have been in close proximity for so long that it seems unlikely that they would suddenly fall in together. Plus, the ending is a bit abrupt and doesn't exactly address their future. Still, this captured my interest from start to finish. There are some thought-provoking ideas here and I think this would make a solid book club pick!

Courtesy of Netgalley and The BookClubCookbok, I received a copy of Paris Never Leaves You by Ellen Feldman. This dual timeline historical novel covers Nazi occupied Paris during WWII and NYC immediately after the war, with a bookshop and a publishing house as settings for this complex story. I was mesmerized by this courageous tale of choices, doing anything necessary to sustain a child, with deception and secrets that go from Paris to New York. A different way to look at surviving! Well researched and well written, highly recommend!

This is the story of Charlotte and her survival of the Paris occupation and German troop withdrawal. She has an infant daughter to protect and feed on close to zero rations when a German soldier approaches her with kindness and she has a decision to make. What I liked most about this book was its lack of sentimental nostalgia sometimes found in books about this era. Though it’s a challenge to sort her feelings, Charlotte has no illusions about what she did and why she did it. She spends a fair time beating herself up for her choices, but ultimately understands that every choice is problematic. There is good and bad in everyone, and things are not always as they seem. It was clear that Ellen Feldman did extensive research for this book, and I’ll be exploring more of her thoughtfully-written historical fiction. Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for providing an e-galley in exchange for an honest review.

With the historical fiction section being saturated with WWII narratives lately, I thirst for a refreshingly different perspective with each read, and Paris Never Leaves You had a premise that was promising.

A dual timeline attempts to weave the past and present of Charlotte Foret, a New York publishing editor that was a different person leading a different life in Paris during WWII. Both storylines highlight relationships, “Love” that feels forced, neither relationship feeling organic, leaving me sickened and detached by the graphic sexual depictions and overall hollow feeling.

The more I read the more I disliked Charlotte. I understand she was doing what she could to survive, but I was hoping for a deeper connection with this character, but I was left wanting. This book is inspired by the ordinary women who did their best to survive this unimaginable war, and it is those who my heart goes out to the most.

There were scenes that were incredibly hard to read, with the narrative beginning with a very graphic scene, showing the horror of the concentration camps after the war had ended, and this is just the beginning!

Paris Never Leaves You is an incredibly depressing read, to say the least, and not just due to the subject matter. The overall flow feels disjointed and sluggish, and the dual timelines can be confusing, further hindering the story. The writing itself is decent, but the language and crudity was not to my taste, and took away from the overall experience for me.

I truly wanted to love Paris Never Leaves You, but it was a lackluster and disappointing read, landing in the middle of the road in the historical fiction genre for me, leaving me to continue my quest to find something different.

The premise sounded very interesting. However, it was a hard read. The plot was slow, and I could not get into the characters. Still, it was well-written! I recommend this for fans of Heather Webb!

I was not able to finish this book. The plot and characters were not able to grab and keep my attention and care enough to keep reading.

3.4 - the historical half of the book was excellent, but I found myself troubled by the current timeline (seemed a little stalker-y)