“Words are power. They can bring you down, lift you up, make your heart soar, make you fall in love. Or make you hate."

This quote from the description and book are forever embedded in my heart and for that reason I am grateful to have read and own a copy of this book.
Dual timeline books from the WW2 era are one of my favorites and this one fits the bill. The characters and writing is very well done.

I voluntarily reviewed a copy of this book provided by NetGalley.

This is the second book of Druart's that I've read. Both books were set in France. The Last Hours in Paris
drew me in and had me completely captivated from the very beginning. A fantastic story set mainly in Paris towards the end of World War 2 and England / Brittany in 1963. The book is well written with great detail and well developed characters. I highly recommend this book to those who enjoy historical fiction.

Ruth Druart has done it again! This is a dual timeline story that is well written and easy to follow. This is a story of love and loss, secrets and war. The Paris setting is always one of my favorites when it comes to WWII and this book delivers with beautifully descriptive writing so you feel as if you can see and imagine what is happening.

I definitely recommend this book!

Thank you to #netgalley and #grandcentralpublishing for allowing me to read the eARC of this book. All opinions expressed above are my own.

#ruthdruart #thelasthoursinparis

Although WWII ended in 1945, the memories were still fresh in the minds of the Frenchin 1963. Josephine is eighteen and tired of her life in a small village. Raised by her mother, she was always told that her father was a French soldier who died in the war. When she finds her birth certificate it lists her father as Sebastian Kleinhaus, a German. Her mother hid his identity y to protect her but now she wants the truth.

Ruth Druart takes you back to Paris in 1944, a city occupied for the last four years where the citizens lived in fear of the Germans. Elise Chevalier works in a bank during the day and helps a group that shelters Jewish children in the evening. She also passes Jewish children to those who can smuggle them out of the country. Sebastian’s. mother was French and he now works translating the letters that denounce the people of Paris. He loves the city and hates what he does. He finds moments of peace in the bookstore owned by Monsieur Le Bolzic, where he meets Elise. While she has nothing but contempt for the Germans, Sebastian saves her from the Gestapo and later helps her save the children, allowing her to see the man he really is.

Sebastian and Elise know that their relationship puts her in danger of being labeled a collaborator if they are discovered. When the Allies land in France they know that their days together are numbered. Tragedy strikes Elise is forced to leave Paris and she is taken in by Soizic, Le Bolzic’s sister, in the small village that will become her home with Josephine. This is a beautifully written story that takes you from the dark days of the occupation to the exhilaration of liberation and the repercussions against those who collaborated. It is also a story of love and betrayal that will appeal to historical fiction fans. I would like to thank NetGalley and Grand Central Publishing for providing this book for my review.

Josephine's world- and that of her mother Elise- is turned upside down in 1963 when she pulls her birth certificate from a suitcase under her mother's bed. This dual time line novel moves between 1963 Brittany and WWII Paris, where Elisa lived and mourned her fiance until she met Sebastian by chance in a bookshop. Sebastian, who had been folded in first the Hitler Youth and then the Germany Army, is working as a translator, an unhappy translator who hates war and everything the Nazis stand for. And that's how he becomes involved with Elise's effort to smuggle Jewish children out of Paris. As is so often the case, it's the earlier part of the story that's more compelling. Druart has done a good job with Sebastian and with pulling at the reader's heartstrings. Thanks to netgalley for the ARC. For historical fiction fans.

Secrets always have a way of coming to light and this story is an example of that. I really liked the character development, and it’s a great example of finding love and happiness amidst the chaos of war. Ultimately, I would have loved to see a different ending, but not everything works out as we would wish, particularly in war times. I would definitely recommend this to others who enjoy historical fiction.

If you love historical fiction, you will love this book. It's incredibly descriptive and really takes you back to Paris during WWII. I enjoyed this one.

Thank you NetGalley for this e-arc in exchange for my honest review.

3.5/5 ⭐

This was the first book that I have read by this author and I really enjoyed it. I love historical fiction and this books was right up my alley! She describes Paris and everything in her book with so much detail! I can’t wait to read her other book!

DISCLAIMER: I received an advanced digital copy of this book through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

RATING: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

BOOK: The Last Hours in Paris
AUTHOR: Ruth Druart

REVIEW: What an amazing book! The character development and dual timeline of the story captured me right off the bat. It was one of those works of art that I absolutely did not want to put down. The shorter chapter format was convenient because it allowed me the freedom to take breaks when other things had to be done. I would highly recommend this novel to anyone who enjoys WWII historical fiction. For me, it rates right up there with novels such as The Nightingale, Lilac Girls, & Eternal.

RELEASE DATE: July 19, 2022

The Last Hours in Paris, by Ruth Druart, is an historical fiction novel that will touch your heart. Told from several points of view and over two different time lines, it is a powerful WWII story of love, secrets, forgiveness and prejudice.

Elise lives in Paris with her family during the Nazi occupation. In 1944 she crosses paths with a German soldier , Sebastian, stationed in Paris as a translator. As the story progresses, suspicion turns to trust, loathing turns to love, and a relationship blossoms. As the war comes to a close they get separated and must face the fact that they may never see each other again.

Nine month later, Elise gives birth to Josephine and must keep the truth about her father a secret. When, in 1963, Josephine needs her birth certificate to travel on a school trip, the truth starts coming out.

Believable characters, intense emotions, and a powerful story line makes this a must read for all fans of WWII/ historical fiction fans. This is my first novel by this author I have read and I will be looking for more. You don’t want to miss this one.

This was a riveting read. Full of the romance of two people who are brought together by war, and a mystery of what happened so many years ago discovered by a daughter, this dual time novel was expertly written and plotted to keep the reader interested and turning the pages. I love books set during WWII, and this one is definitely a keeper!