Paris Never Leaves You does a nice job of weaving two periods of time in the life of the main character and her daughter. The writing and weaving of time reminds us how events continue to influence our lives, in both positive and negative ways. I enjoyed the spook and could empathize with the characters.

Paris Never Leaves You is a story about WW II. Author Ellen Feldman’s Paris Never Leaves You is a different type of WWII story. The setting flips between 1944 Paris and 1954 New York. The primary character is Charlotte. During the ten year span of the book we follow Charlotte and her young daughter Vivi’s during the war in Paris and ten years later when they are safely living in New York City. We learn very early on in the book that Charlotte and her daughter survive the war. Part of the story’s dilemma is will Charlotte ever fully escape her secrets and her survivors guilt.

I loved this story. It did find myself devouring this book late into the night because I just couldn’t put it down. It moves at a delightful pace and really keeps you interested until the very last page. It is a truly moving read. If you like to read WW II historical fiction, I suggest reading Paris Never Leaves You and I am absolutely sure you will enjoy it as much as I did. Well Done!

I would like to thank the publisher, author and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you to NetGalley for an ARC copy of this book.The opinions expressed are my own.

What I liked: The story covered the pain and guilt still felt after the war is over and 'regular" life resumes. It also shows what lengths a mother will go to protect their child. I found this to be a really good story. The plot and writing grabbed me from the beginning and held my interest throughout. The characters were interesting and well written.

What I didn't like: It made me uncomfortable. Most of us have it so good because we have never had to go hungry and see our children starve, have bombs dropped on our heads or see people beaten in the streets or dead bodies just left everywhere.. But sometimes feeling uncomfortable is good and reading about such things makes you strive for peace and feel grateful for what you have..
Wonderful book 4 stars

Written in dual timelines, in 1944 Paris and then the 1950's in America, Charlotte is a woman trying to raise and protect her daughter Vivi. While working in a bookshop, she meets Julian, a Nazi soldier, who soon becomes her savior, bringing much needed food and supplies to help them survive. She falls in love with him, a fact she's ashamed of once she escapes to America after the war.
This book was good, and I would have liked it better if I hadn't just finished a book called Those Who Save Us last month. The storylines were too similar.
Thank you to Netgalley for the opportunity to read this book.

This is a war story of a woman and how she gets through the war with her young daughter and the struggles they face together. Enjoyed this book very much. Thank you to Netgalley and St. Martin's Press for my honest review

Thank you NetGalley, St. Martin’s Publishing and author Ellen Feldman for the ARC.

I throughly enjoyed this historical WWII novel. The book is cast in two different time periods and locations. The early days are in Paris and the latter in New York City. It’s a compelling take on this time period. The story starts out with the Nazi occupation in Paris, a bookstore, a young widowed mother. The story is beautifully written and the characters come to life. The story is heartbreaking and loving..

Paris Never Leaves You, by Ellen Feldman is a beautifully written historical fiction novel! Charlotte and her daughter live in a Paris bookstore during WWII. The Germans occupy the area and all stores are monitored to make sure they comply with rules. When a German soldier starts hanging out in the bookstore, Charlotte is alarmed. Will her partner get her in trouble, will she do something wrong? Things aren't always as they seem and Charlotte's German soldier proves that. A few unexpected twists and a hopeful future. I thoroughly enjoyed this one! Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin's Griffin for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This was a very enjoyable book. A well written tale of a middle class family, living in a small English suburb. Emily is a Professor of Communications at the local University, Eric is an engineer currently working in London and home on weekends. Their son Daniel is a talented and up and coming tennis star, while his younger sister Zara is a introverted teenager, struggling to make friends and get out of Daniel’s shadow. The marriage is rocky and damaged by
Eric’s drinking and the job away from home.
A work colleague Janet is fixated on Daniel, dangerously so, and her willful daughter Brittany is a bad influence on the impressionable Zara. Many secrets and lies have infiltrated this cast of characters and a blowup is bound to happen.
Carol Mason is a skillful storyteller and has brought strong characters into this book. The tale of lies and deceit festers to a breaking point and the result is a real page turner.
My thanks to #LakeUnionPublishing and #NetGalley for my ARC. All opinions are my own. A book worth the journey!

Paris Never Leaves You by Ellen Feldman is the first book I have read by this author it won’t be the last. This was a very enjoyable read. Ms. Feldman wrote a wonderful story which drew me right in and did not let me go until I turned the last page. I could not put this book down. The story was well written the characters well developed. I highly recommend this boo for historical fiction fans.

This book is absolutely fabulous. I loved every minute of reading this story. Feldman keeps your attention from the very first sentence because you just need to know what happens with Charlotte. Even twenty-four hours after finishing this book I cannot stop thinking about the story. Ellen Feldman is a master of story in characters, plot, and wording. Even those who do not typically enjoy World War Two stories will enjoy this one.

“Paris Never Leaves You,” is Ellen Feldman’s latest novel, and I came to it with high expectations. A World War II novel is a bookshop in Paris? What is not to love? Unfortunately, while there was a lot in this novel to like, I walked away from it less then satisfied.

Alternating between New York in the 1950's and Paris in the 1940's, Paris Never Leaves You is about a bookseller, Charlotte and her baby daughter, Vivienne, who survive occupation during the war and are sponsored by acquaintances to find a new life in the United States. But as Vivienne grows older, she begins to ask for information about her family history. Charlotte wrestles with what to tell her daughter regarding some of the choices that she had to made during the war.

The novel presents some good moral issues, such as what a mother would be willing to do, including befriend Nazis, to keep her daughter safe.

I did not mind the parallel narratives, but the shifts between the time lines were somewhat jarring. I also thought the first quarter of the book moved very slow, but if you are willing to get past that, you will be well rewarded. Warning, this is not an easy read and certain scenes in this book are quite chilling. Had the novel focused on the Paris storyline alone, I would have given this novel five stars. Instead, four because history like this should not be forgotten.

I received a copy of this book through Netgalley. My thanks also to the publisher and the author.

I enjoyed this story. It's a bit different than the other WWII novels that seem to be quite popular these days. This book jumps between occupied Paris and New York a few years later. The story of Charlotte and Viv, how they survived and ultimately escaped from occupied Paris, then how those decisions and events affected the rest of their lives was interesting and engaging.

This story was so rich and beautifully told, it made a perfect escapist read during these crazy times, I can't wait to share it.

I am generally drawn to books from this era after the war and was looking forward to this one. Although I ended up enjoying #parisneverleavesyou I was probably at least a third through before I was hooked. This story about survivor guilt, love, second chances and forgiveness was told simply and straightforwardly and this enhanced the telling for me. Thank you to #netgalley and the publisher for the ebook in exchange for a review.

I really liked the dual storyline and the WWII setting. I really liked Vivi's story a lot. A great read!

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

Unfortunately this story was not my favourite read - especially in the historical genre. It was well written for a time piece romance, but lacked the details and feeling of the wartime, in my opinion. It was hard to follow at times between the 2 storylines and right from the get-go I did not feel connected with the characters. Because of this, my attention was often lost and I found myself skimming the book more than being invested and reading it.

Thank you NetGalley for my eARC of this novel in exchange for my honest review.

Charlotte Foret bears tremendous self hatred. She is a French woman who escaped the occupation of Paris with her toddler daughter, Vivi, and made it to New York City, emotionally traumatized but otherwise unscathed. The story shifts between her life in occupied Paris and 1950’s New York, flitting between narratives as seamlessly as our thoughts drift into daydreams. Throughout both timelines, Charlotte struggles with shame and self hatred for the actions she takes to get through the war alive.

Charlotte finds comfort in two men over the course of the story, first Julian in Paris, then Horace in New York. Like Charlotte, both Julian and Horace carry burdens of guilt and self hatred for their actions during the war. Each of the men ultimately take different paths to deal with their inner turmoil. One responds with self forgiveness and the other with utter despair. Their story arcs symbolize the two tracks for Charlotte’s fate - she either accepts what she did and moves forward, or she lives a life full of hate.

While the story itself centers around Charlotte, Horace, and Julian, the cities of Paris and New York are central characters as well. Paris is dark. It’s scary. We get a taste of what it’s really like to live in occupied Paris as an ordinary citizen - not one that’s organizing a rebellion or leading the charge. It’s frightening, and you can’t help but support Charlotte for doing whatever it takes to survive. In contrast, post-war New York is light and airy, people are happy and carefree, and the sound of sirens signals that help, not trouble, is on the way. It is the opposite of Paris in every way. Dichotomies like this always lead me to comparison with my own life, and from this one I find myself unfathomably lucky to live where I do, when I do, enjoying the freedoms I do.

Thank you to Ellen Feldman, St. Martin’s Press, and NetGalley for the advanced review copy.

I struggled with this one and did not finish. Left at 30%. The writing between past and present (which i usually enjoy) did not flow for me and it was too hard to follow the storyline. Perhaps I'll give it a go at a later time.

Thank you to netgalley.com for this ARC.

I enjoyed this different take on a WWII story set in Paris. I have read a lot of the current WWII fiction that it out that are all kind of similar in tone but this had a different plot line and situation. I liked the switch between Paris during the war and NYC during the 1950's. The characters were well developed and believable. I also like the perspective of a French women telling her story from the inside. While there were some uneasy moments, there was nothing too graphic or difficult to read.

Great and informative story. I feel like a learned another new piece I didn't know before.

I made several attempts to read Paris Never Leaves You and unfortunately I did not get very far as the book does not interest me. I'm sure the writing is fine for another reader.

Recommend with caveats given.

Review written after downloading a galley from NetGalley.