I adored this audiobook. The author transported me back to occupied France and followed the lives of two young women . Moving in the society of dressmakers and Germans.
The narrator was so easy to listern to and the story was engrossing. If you like historical fiction then this book is for you.
Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for the opportunity to listern to this arc

Let’s start this review with the obvious, that stunning cover! GAAHHH!!!

The colors, the Eiffel Tower, and that dress just jumped out and grabbed me. I didn’t have any choice about reading this book, because the cover just wouldn’t let go of me.

So, I snapped up The Paris Dressmaker and soon found that the story of these women wouldn’t let me go either. In fact, I’m sure it will stay with me forever.

Every time I read a WWII book, I’m amazed at the change that took place within the cities and people of France. From the occupied streets of Paris, The Paris Dressmaker is the story of two women who do what they can with their own skills to resist the Nazi invasion and survive the third reich.

Beyond the captivating and often mysterious plot, Kristy Cambron uses her thoughtful storytelling gifts to paint an almost magical scene of Paris during the war. With every page, I could sense the beauty and bleakness come over me, setting up my understanding of this time and these women in a particularly unique way.

Conclusion
Using two different women and two different timelines threaded together, The Paris Dressmaker weaves the fabric of a beautiful and tragically accurate story of art, fashion, and resistance in the occupied City of Lights.

Historical fiction fans will adore this.

I love historical fiction and I'm usually a sucker for dual timelines. The dual timelines didn't really work for this story - not sure if it's because they were only a few years apart. This may have benefitted as being written as a story told from two point of views in real time rather than the dual timelines. The story itself did a great job of presenting life during the war for ordinary people trying to make a difference and it was good. It just wasn't that interesting. I wanted it to be so much more but I found the two voices to be too much the same to be able to tell the difference.

I received a copy from #NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

#TheParisDressmaker #NetGalley

As a lover of historical fiction, I really loved Lila and Sandrine’s stories! These Parisiennes did everything in their power to subvert the Nazis. Resiliency, love, and the strength of women combined for a wonderful story. The narration was excellent.

This is another book set in France during WWII. Before you think that you’ve read enough of these, give this one a chance. It is an engaging and involving read.

The Paris Dressmaker follows several women and the men and families that surround them. Lila is a talented dressmaker and designer. Lila’s closest friend is Amelie, another seamstress. Then there is Sandrine and her close friend Michelle. Sandrine works at the Jeu de Paume. Each of these characters faces moral decisions, choices and moments of fear and courage.

The settings in this book are wonderfully rendered. There are the dress salons, a bookstore, the Jeu de Paume, a bakery, The Ritz..and the list goes on. Each is vividly portrayed as are the streets of wartime Paris.

This is a novel that tells moving stories of love, friendship, resistance, traitorous behavior, courage and consequences. The narrative moves back and forth in time from 1939 and into the 1940s.

I became quite involved in the lives and stories of these characters. I think that readers will as well.

I alternated between reading this book and listening to it. The narration was excellent with characters well delineated and the French accents of the characters.

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this title. All opinions are my own.

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The cover art pulled me in. The excellent narration of the audiobook kept me listening. With two different storylines going, it can be challenging for a narrator to clearly delineate the two stories. Lila de Laurent is a designer for the House of Chanel, and with the German Occupation of Paris, life has become a nightmare and she finds herself being forced to design for the mistresses of the German officers. In this role, she finds herself drawn into the French Resistance as she uses her dressmaking skills listening to the gossip of these mistresses. Sandrine Paquet, the other heroine of the story is forced to catalog the stolen art being sent to Berlin. As she is doing it she is secretly recording what is being sent. If you watched “The Monument Men”, it was women like her who helped in the return of stolen art to rightful owns. I appreciated this different look at World War II, showing the courage of the French Resistance, and the importance of their work. I also learned how Josephine Baker was an important part of the Resistance.

The Paris Dressmaker by Kristy Cambron was a brilliant historical novel that was beautifully written. I listened to the audiobook that was pleasantly narrated by Barrie Kreinik. Years ago, I had read Kristy Cabron’s book, The Butterfly and the Violin and had thought at the time that it was one of the best books I had had the opportunity to read. The Paris Dressmaker made a great impression on me as well. The characters in The Paris Dressmaker were so well developed and most memorable. Kristy Cambron developed strong women characters in her book. They radiated courage, defiance, strength and conviction. The Paris Dressmaker was based on true accounts of actual situations that occurred during the Nazi occupation of Paris. Parisienne members of La Resistance risked their lives every day as they helped to stop the Nazis from accomplishing a multitude of evil acts. In The Paris Dressmaker, two extremely brave women risked all that was important to them to separately fight the evils of the Nazi regime. This book was written in a dual time line that effortlessly flowed from chapter to chapter.

In 1939, many of the couture dress houses were closing all over Paris. House of Chanel was among those that closed their doors. When that happened, Lila de Laurent found that she was out of work in a most compromised time. With the Nazi invasion of Paris there was more and more restrictions being placed on the people of Paris. Food and necessary everyday necessities were being rationed. Lila found that her talents as an experienced dressmaker were being sought out by the wives, girlfriends and mistresses of the German elite. Most were housed in the exclusive Hotel Ritz which had become the official Nazi headquarters. In this capacity, Lila found that she had became privy to revealing conversations and guarded secrets. Lila soon found herself tangled in the web of the French resistance. It was during that time that Lila also rediscovered Rene Touliard. He had swept her off her feet years ago and then had disappeared once the war began. All that time Lila had thought Rene was either dead or gone, he had become an intricate and important member of the resistance. Their love for each other was rekindled upon their discovery that they were both working for the resistance.

In 1943, Sandrine Paquet found herself living with her husband’s parents and her young son. Her husband had gone off to fight with the other French soldiers. Sandrine worried endlessly about her dear husband’s fate. News was extremely hard to come by. Sandrine was cataloging priceless pieces of art for the Nazis. She was forced to accept this position. Sandrine and some of the other women she worked with were determined to get the information they were finding to the underground French resistance. The Nazis had stolen countless pieces of extremely valuable art from prominent Jewish families and were determined to send them to Berlin. Sandrine and her coworkers were trying to prevent this.

As the Nazi regime crumbled, the determination of these women was so apparent. Their unrelenting courage allowed them to expose the treacherous acts of the Nazis. These endeavors became their focus. The Paris Dressmaker was a most compelling book. Revealed within the pages of this book were some of the horrific atrocities the Nazis committed during their time in Paris and how these brave women and men worked tirelessly to undo them. The author’s note at the end of the audiobook gave insight to the actual events that took place and the consequences they brought.

Thank you to Thomas Nelson and Zondervan Publishers for giving me the opportunity to listen to this advanced copy of the audiobook of The Paris Dressmaker by Kristy Cambron through Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

The cover is very pretty and the blurb interesting. The audiobook is pleasant to listen to. The narrator has a very warm and nice soothing voice. The accents were a good touch. However, I didn't connect with the plot, so it is a miss for me.

Thanks NetGalley, Thomas Nelson and Zondervan for the advanced copy of the audiobook for honest review.
Set in the premises of WWII, the story of two brave French women who worked for resistance is woven in The Paris Dressmaker.
The concept of presenting such a story through designer gown seemed interesting. The skilled narration of Barrie Kreinik in various accents made this story livelier. Still the story was not engaging. The time line changes were confusing at times. I could not relate to the emotions of the characters. Overall, the book was so so.

The Paris Dressmaker by Kristy Cambron
Narrated by: Barrie Kreinik
Publication Date: February 16, 2021
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Description from NetGalley...
“Paris, 1939. Maison Chanel has closed, thrusting haute couture dressmaker Lila de Laurent out of the world of high fashion as Nazi soldiers invade the streets and the City of Lights slips into darkness. Lila’s life is now a series of rations, brutal restrictions, and carefully controlled propaganda while Paris is cut off from the rest of the world. Yet in hidden corners of the city, the faithful pledge to resist. Lila is drawn to La Resistance and is soon using her skills as a dressmaker to infiltrate the Nazi elite. She takes their measurements and designs masterpieces, all while collecting secrets in the glamorous Hôtel Ritz—the heart of the Nazis’ Parisian headquarters.

Paris, 1943. Sandrine Paquet’s job is to catalog the priceless works of art bound for the Führer’s Berlin, masterpieces stolen from prominent Jewish families. But behind closed doors, she secretly forages for information from the underground resistance. Beneath her compliant façade lies a woman bent on uncovering the fate of her missing husband . . . but at what cost? As Hitler’s regime crumbles, Sandrine is drawn in deeper when she uncrates an exquisite blush Chanel gown concealing a cryptic message that may reveal the fate of a dressmaker who vanished from within the fashion elite.”
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Thank you to @NetGalley @thomasnelson @zondervan for the ALC in return for my honest review.
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My thoughts...
This book was told across the time span of the Nazi occupation. It was actually based on true accounts of Parisiennes who resisted the occupation of their city. I wasn’t sure if I was going to like this book because I’m not big into fashion but, I like historical fiction, so I gave it a try. I was pleasantly surprised. If you’re interested in reading this book, know that even though there were two main timelines with two women respectively, each timeline folded onto itself. That is, each woman had their personal timeline as well. It’d take some concentration if you’re listening to the audiobook. Having said that, the story was really interesting, suspenseful and the narrator was great, especially the different accents utilized.

While I usually enjoy audiobooks, I found that the accent of the person reading was a bit too much for me, and did not finish listening

Trigger warnings: war, violence, antisemitism, murder

(2.5 stars, rounded up)

In 1939 Paris, World War II is beginning and the legendary house of Chanel is closed. Lila de Laurent finds herself without a job. She starts making dresses for Nazi's wives at the Hôtel Ritz and collects Nazi secrets for the Resistance while sewing.

In 1943 Paris, the Nazis are deporting Jews and taking their property. Sandrine Paquet is tasked with cataloging the works of art being sent to Germany to Hitler's museum. Her husband went to war, and she hasn't heard from him in a long time.

When Sandrine is offered a job working for the Nazis, she has no choice but to accept. Without a working man in the household, they have resorted to selling their valuables to survive. Her neighbors notice the attention she is given by a Nazi officer and label her a collaboratrice.

Lila and Sandrine's stories merge when Sandrine receives a Chanel dress with a hidden message sewn into the hem. Her usual acquisitions are works of art so the gown is a surprising delivery. The message is signed LDL, which are Lila's initials.

Each woman's timeline isn't linear, which makes the story harder to follow in audio format. Thomas Nelson, a Christian fiction publisher, publishes the novel but the book isn't overtly religious.

Barrie Kreinik narrates the story in a British accent and adds French and German accents to dialogue. I would have preferred two narrators with one reading Lila and one reading Sandrine.

Only recommended for devotees of World War II fiction. There is a sea of WWII titles out there; readers would have a better experience with titles like The Nightingale, The Alice Network, or The Book of Lost Names.

This book is based on several true accounts of the resistance in Paris. Well-written and engaging with a smattering of romance thrown in, Cambron has provided a heart-rending and satisfying historical novel featuring daring young women in the fight against the Nazi occupation.

This was a fascinating story about two women fighting to preserve the art and culture as Nazi's invade Paris. The two stories meshed well. Although it was hard at first to remember which women I was with only because I was listening to it and not reading, soon I was able to distinguish the narrator's voices for each and really separate the storylines.

I had no idea how the French had fought to preserve this culture, especially women. I'd heard of clothing being used but never this way with such a beautiful dress. To think about all the art that was saved and fought for. It was all fascinating and I loved learning about it! This was a great story, I'm so glad I gave it a try!

It is really hard for me to review this book without thinking that it just simply wasn't for me. But woof- this was rough for me.

Thank you Netgalley for this ARC of The Paris Dressmaker for my honest review.

I am partially to blame for why this book was a flop for me. I didn't read the description fully before requesting this one to review. The cover is a stunner and honestly, I broke the carnal book lover rule: never just a book by its cover.

First off, I am a hard sell when it comes to historical fiction. Especially Nazi WWII books. Something always falls short for me. It is rather the plot feels recycled, the characters feel thin because there is such little time for development when there is a war going on, or it ends up feeling more like a history lesson and less entertainment. Regardless, this book was featured around two women living in Paris during WWII fighting for the resistance against the Nazis. One is a dress maker and the other works with art to protect it from being destroyed during the war. That's about it.

The ending never really goes anywhere. It is the definition of lackluster plot completed with a blah ending. When I finished the last minute of the audiobook I thought to myself, will someone who loves historical fiction like this better? I am sad to report, I doubt it.

I have received this ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review

Oh man. The Paris Dressmaker just made me miss Paris so freaking much. The food, atmosphere, and places. So diving into this little historical gem just made me smile. Mostly because it's Paris and not because of the Nazi's.

In it, you will meet Lila and Sandrine. Both are in Paris.. but their POV's are from different times - 1939 vs 1943. I really liked getting to meet these two and seeing their lives while in this precious city. I also really enjoyed seeing them fighting for something that they completely believed in. No matter what the cost was, they fought.

The only thing I probably would've liked more was a smoother transition between the time lines. Luckily for me, I had the audio and ebook version of the ARC. So whenever I got confused I just dove into the ebook for more clarification. So I feel like for someone who doesn't have both available might get confused about who is talking unless you hear about art or clothes.

In the end, this was a really interesting story to dive in to. The characters themselves went through a lot and it was really cool to learn about all the stolen art and stuff. I just feel like the switching of the timelines could've been better (for me).

This is an audiobook review for The Paris Dressmaker by Kristy Cambron. This is the Second World War and the Nazis have occupied France. We meet two women who are in Paris. Lila who is a dressmaker and works for Coco Chanel and Sandrine who works cataloguing the artefacts that the Germans are taking. The stories flick from one to the other and there is a romance and some gripping moments in this book. Their stories appear separate and later on the novel they entwine together. You can see the auhor has done a lot of research. Barrie Kreinik does a fabulous job with this audio book slipping seamlessly between British and French accents adding to the authenticity of this book. Thank you to Thomas Nelson and Zondervan and Netgalley for the chance to read this book.

This book is written beautifully and has great engaging story.Thank you for the audiobook.It is perfect for read on a lazy sunday.The characters are amazing

The Paris Dressmaker is a great story of the struggles of World War II in Paris, France. This is my first historial fiction set in Paris during World War II. Kristy Cambron did awesome job of telling a story of the women' s struggle, loss and bravery during this time. Great Read.

I appreciated getting a glimpse into life as a woman in Paris during the occupation, the push and pull of walking the different lines of both the occupiers and the resistance. I listened as an audiobook and it was often difficult to keep track of the storyline between the two narrators and the jumps between years and scenes at times.