Based on a true story, this is an enlightening and eye-opening book about two brave women who during the nazi Occupation of Paris risked their lives for their country, to free France they defied all those around them in the process. I hadn't heard the story of Lila and Rene before this and it feels a shame that two incredible women are not as known for their bravery as maybe others are. I really enjoyed this book, though at times it felt a little heavy at times and it did take me a while to fully sink into the story but that's all to do with what was going on in my life att he time of reading and nothing to do with the writing, but I did hugely enjoy it. I enjoyed learning about these two women and their actions and will definitely be looking into reading more from this author.

I enjoyed the dual time lines and different perspectives in this story! Having the characters tell their stories at different times during WWII painted a broader picture.

Just take me to Paris so I can enjoy everything about it while reading this book again lol. Cambron takes readers on such a vivid journey that you truly do feel like you are there. This is some of her best work to date!

I received a complimentary copy of this book. I was not required to write a favorable review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

The story of two courageous women fighting to help their own country to finally be able to get the freedom they lost in the hands of the nazis...

The story of Lila started with her dreams of fashion and dressmaking she was becoming already very well known around the fashion industry as well as women of society but her life changed so drastically when she decided to start helping the resistance, her life was in danger, her best friend and people close to her will start showing their true colors putting her in even more danger but nothing will stop Lila to fight hard for those who really needed, not even when her best friend turned to be the worst.

Sandrine story was the one that really captivated me, she was a very empathetic woman, she was trying to survive the war taking care of her son and waiting for the return of her beloved husband but things will start to get very dangerous for her when someone from the bad side set his eyes on her, he is determined to make her his, even if that meant to lie and pretended that she wasn't married.

These two women made me cry so much, I was on edge at all times because they were living on a thin line constantly. they were trying to fight and help at all costs even if that meant sacrificing many things they work so hard to have, like Sandrine she was in constant danger sacrificing her time with her son.

This was a good story a good book, I really love how these two women show us the courageous part of some of the women who were constantly trying to help their country to be liberated from the Nazis.

So many great secondary characters and other stories that made this book great and more enjoyable.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for giving me a free advanced copy of this book to read and review.

I have no idea why I waited so long to read this book but I’m sorry I didn’t start earlier. This book is a fascinating WWII story about how regular people resisted the Nazis. It’s a well written book that I couldn’t put down. 4 stars

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed as in this review are completely my own.

This was such a good book! Bouncing between 1939 and 1943, we see the lives of two different women fighting for what's right during the Nazi occupation. I enjoyed both Lila de Laurent & Sandrine Paquet's story very much. Both women were strong, and normal. I liked that i could relate to them both and wanted to know what was going to happen next.
I didn't know a lot about fashion and dress design until I read this book. It was fascinating to read about how dresses were made and the effect the war had on the industry.
Kristy Cambron writes such great stories that you cannot put down. I look forward to reading more of her books!

I recommend this book to my family and friends.

I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book which I received from the publisher. I also purchased a copy for myself. All views expressed are only my honest opinion.

I tend to appreciate a good WWII fiction book--there are just so many stories to tell and so many moments to learn about. This book was good, but I found myself struggling at times to settle into it and sort of lose myself in the story. I think the pacing felt a little off. Nonetheless, I do look forward to reading more from this author in both her backlist and new titles.

Thanks to NetGalley for my gifted copy of this book in exchange for my honest opinion.
I really wanted to like this one. Great premise, started strong then somehow lost its way. I wanted to like it but ended up DNF ing it.

The Paris Dressmaker has been sitting on my Kindle for awhile and I finally got a chance to read it.

This WWII story was both engaging and … confusing. I loved Lila de Laurent and René Touliard. Once I realized their story was split between present and past, I found myself focusing more on the present scenes. I struggled with Sandrine Paquet and didn’t find her story as captivating. I might have followed better if the story was more linear than jumping around.

Overall, I think I wasn’t the reader for this story. It was fascinating history and well written, the style just wasn’t for me.

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I received a complimentary copy of this book from NetGalley. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with FTC guidelines.

Paris is under siege by the Nazi's and the citizens are doing their best to survive. Lila de Laurent makes couture dresses for the mistresses of the Nazi officers living at the Ritz, gleaning information from their idle chatter, passing it on to those who can benefit from the knowledge. Sandrine, determined to keep her young son safe, is conscripted into cataloging the artwork stolen from Jewish families. Her neighbors believe she has betrayed her country, but Sandrine is secretly keeping records of the art and where it is sent in hopes of it being returned to the rightful owner.
Based on the lives of real heroines, both women risked their lives to fight for their beloved city and county.
While I enjoyed the stories of Lila, Sandrine and the others who fought for the Resistance, the flow of the timeline and the characters was disjointed at times.

I received this book complimentary from NetGalley but all opinions are my own.

I struggled to read this. I love the premise and I love Paris. But the story dragged. There was lots of detail, some interesting and some not. It was heavy. I do wish it moved a bit faster plot-wise. I recommend it as it was interesting but moves slow.

While I can tell this is a well researched novel, the multiple POV across multiple timelines made this a more challenging read than it should have been. The plot is intriguing, but reader beware! If you get caught up when switching among timelines/POV, this may not be the story for you.

I received an advance copy. All thoughts are my own.

I couldn't get enough of this book! I love how it is based on true events during WWII and how women played a part in the French resistance. The author also made Paris jump off the pages with their wonderful descriptions. I found it hard to put down.

Richly detailed and based on true accounts of how Parisiennes resisted the Nazi occupation in World War II. This novel encompasses the time span of the Nazi occupation. Two courageous women in Paris 1939-Paris 1943 defy the odds bringing light into a very dark time historically.


Pub Date 16 Feb 2021
I was given a complimentary copy of this book.
All opinions expressed are my oRichly detailed and based on true accounts of how Parisiennes resisted the Nazi occupation in World War II. This novel encompasses the time span of the Nazi occupation. Two courageous women in Paris 1939-Paris 1943 defy the odds bringing light into a very dark time historically.


Pub Date 16 Feb 2021
I was given a complimentary copy of this book.
All opinions expressed are my own..

I ended up actually listening to this one on audio mostly and switched between the e copy and audio.

I enjoyed both mediums.

I find myself drawn to historical fiction that is centered around fashion and textiles so this book was a perfect fit for me.

I loved the way the story intertwined and unfolded!

Wow! Confession...I've had this book to review on my NetGalley shelf for a little while *cough, cough...almost a year* and have put it off. At first I was so excited to read it because I absolutely love Kristy Cambron's books. I haven't read them all but I have read several and have thoroughly enjoyed them. But every time I went to pick this one up, my brain just wasn't ready to dive into war and duel times and multiple characters. Then life took some twists and turns and I just didn't get back to it. *face palms* I'm very happy to say (as if you can't see for yourself) that I did it! I read the book! My brain was ready for it.

I couldn't put it down. I was fully and completely immersed in it. The history, the characters, the setting, the struggles, the war, the fashion, just everything! Wow! The author has captured me again and solidified once again as to why I am drawn to her books time and time again.

First, if you haven't read a book by this author before, you need to know to watch the date and location at the beginning of EVERY chapter. It will truly keep you in the right time and characters, as the characters can be having scenes in the past and their present, or our present. So watch careful.

There are two main female characters and I was equally captivated by their stories. And how the author wove their lives and story together, especially into the final chapters and epilogue. The book is rich with history and the struggles and courage of the Parisiennes to live under Nazi control for several years.

I have studied about World War II a lot. I've found it very interesting, and sad, about all of the stolen artwork and artifacts. This was amazing to think about the people who worked to track many of the items taken and restore them to the rightful owner.

This was a wonderful historical fiction filled with well developed characters. I really enjoyed the sweet love stories between the two couples. It was very tender and touching. I kept turning the pages as quickly as I could hoping that they would be safe, escape and find each other.

I saw that the author has another book coming out soon that seems like it might be a companion book or in the series. I truly hope it is. I'm very much so looking forward to reading it. And yes, I'll be faster this time!

Content: Clean. This book does deal with war and fighting. There is nothing graphic about it. The author wrote it very tastefully. There is some kissing and an implied scene with a married couple but nothing described or shown as the scene ends long before. There are some secondary characters who are mistresses to Germany officers but nothing is talked about other than the knowledge that they live in the hotel with the officers. There are also some Christian elements where the characters are thinking/praying in their minds about/to God and asking for His help and guidance. It was very tastefully done and didn't detract from the story.

I received a copy from the publisher, Thomas Nelson -- Fiction, via NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions in the review are my own.

Happy Reading!!!

This book was too much for me. I stopped almost halfway through and couldn’t do it anymore. It jumps back and forth between timelines and it is extremely confusing trying to keep track of everything when they are only a couple years apart. It also jumps between POV and I had to concentrate hard to try and figure out whose POV I was reading at which time. I love historical fiction so this was a major bummer for me but I just couldn’t get into it. I wasn’t connected to any of the characters and it was just wayyyyyy too slow for me. I’ve seen many good reviews on it so maybe it gets better but It just wasn’t for me.

Two women. Two lives. Two heroines.

This is the story of Lila and Sandrine. Two women who live very different lives—Lila works in the fashion salons creating wearable masterpieces for the wealthy and stylish Parisiennes, and Sandrine, who works in her husband’s family book shop. That is until the Vichy government collaborates with the Nazis and their lives turn on a dime.

Ms. Cambron weaves a beautiful tale of strength, betrayal, treachery, wits, glamour, depravity, but above all, faith.

The story revolves around Lila, who starts in Paris’s fashion houses designing beautiful apparel for the French elite and falling in love with a wealthy Jewish socialite at the cusp of the Nazi expansion and invasion.

And Sandrine, the wife of a missing French soldier who, along with her son, lives with her in-laws and works in their family bookstore.

After the French capitulation in 1940 by the Vichy government, both lives would be forever changed. The fashion houses would close, and the bookstore would be destroyed. Both women would be forced to work for Nazis in ways they could barely stomach, teetering on the edges of collaboration to feed information to La Résistance, and for Sandrine, saving precious art pieces right under the Nazis’ noses.

The author takes us from past to present, to different perspectives on a wild and wooly ride through the ravaged streets of Paris and countryside beyond. Ms. Cambron did an excellent job creating multi-dimensional characters—from main characters to ancillary. There wasn’t one I wasn’t fully invested in and eager to discover their fate.

As Lila and Sandrine struggle to survive without being detected by the Nazis, the stakes are raised evermore, and duplicity is their constant companion. Sandrine relies heavily on her faith to sustain her through the ever-darkening abyss, and it is that faith that preserves her.

Ms. Cambron is a virtual master of her trade and understands the art of both character development and setting the scene. Her ability to weave several powerful storylines was executed with utter brilliance, sensitivity, and knowledge of the period and the people living through those most turbulent times.

I highly recommend The Paris Dressmaker for those who love historical fiction and those who love tremendously well-written books on the human condition. There is heart, strength, love, and faith that knows no bounds. Bravo, Ms. Cambron, Bravo!

This book was interesting and had a good storyline. I did not like the different points of view from different timelines in the characters lives, but I see why they chose that as a the way to tell this story. Overall this was an enjoyable book.