What can I say? I loved this book from beginning to end.

WW11 story with Paris taken over by Germany and the horrible actions that occurred, this is a story of hope. love and sacrifice.
The story of a newly married couple and their survival and determination to help liberate France. You will be transported back in time and follow along with the dangers, the highs and the lows with tears in your eyes, a lump in your throat and a story that you will not want to put down.
A truly wonderful read!

Thank you NetGalley and the Publisher for letting me read a copy of this book.
This was a great story, a little slow at times. I can't imagine how people survived what they went through.

A thoroughly enjoyable book set in two timelines. We go back to 1940 where we find Jacques and Mathilde a newly married couple coping with the German occupation of France. Jacques owns a bookshop in Paris which is frequented by the Nazis. Mathilde cannot stand by and watch the Germans take over her beloved city, Paris. Together Jacques and Mathilde decide it best that she leaves Paris and goes to the Southern region of France. Jacques, not being able to stand by letting the Nazis dictate what books he can sell, creates a hidden closet where he stores forbidden books as well as taking in several people, among them children, keeping them hidden until they are able to escape.

Fast forward to the present day, Juliette and Keven are touring Paris. Kevin is not enthusiastic as his wife, can't wait to go home. Juliette, however, feels somewhat connected to the city, a picture that has been in her family entices her to seek further information. With her marriage on the verge of ending when she discovers her husband was having an affair with a neighbor, she stays in Paris while he goes home. It is there that she finds the bookshop Jacques owned in 1940. Taken by this find, not only does she decide to stay in Paris, but also decides to buy the bookshop.

This book had me mesmerized from the beginning. The dual timeline was interesting and for the first time the two stories kept me involved. While I have read many WWII novels with dual timelines, this is the first time I enjoyed the connection between them. The book kept me engaged from start to finish, the research on point, the characters drew me in and the writing was perfect. This is one WWII story I would highly recommend. Kudos to the author, Daisy Wood!!!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

The Forgotten Bookshop in Paris is a dual timeline story, with the first timeline being during the Nazi occupation of Paris with Mathilde and her husband Jacques, owners of the bookshop La Page Cachee in Paris, and the second timeline being in the present day with Juliette, whose marriage is falling apart after her husband had an affair and she decides to stay in Paris, where her grandmother was born and raised, and open a bookshop in the same location where Jacques had his bookshop decades prior.

Daisy Wood's characters are interesting and likable, and I especially enjoyed the WWII timeline after Jacques began hiding people who needed help in the storeroom hidden behind a bookshelf in his store. No spoilers - but it took a while for the two stories to merge and when they did, it all made sense. I loved it! I was quickly immersed in this story as soon as I started reading, and would recommend this book to others who enjoy dual timeline historical fiction.

The Forgotten Bookshop in Paris is a dual timeline story, with the first timeline being during the Nazi occupation of Paris with Mathilde and her husband Jacques, owners of the bookshop La Page Cachee in Paris, and the second timeline being in the present day with Juliette, whose marriage is falling apart after her husband had an affair and she decides to stay in Paris, where her grandmother was born and raised, and open a bookshop in the same location where Jacques had his bookshop decades prior. Daisy Wood's characters are interesting and likable, and I especially enjoyed the WWII timeline after Jacques began hiding people who needed help in the storeroom hidden behind a bookshelf in his store. No spoilers - but it took a while for the two stories to merge and when they did, it all made sense. I loved it!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

The Forgotten Bookstore in Paris by Daisy Wood was captivating from the beginning. In a dual timeline story, Juliette & her husband travel to Paris to see the place in her grandmother’s painting. Juliette stays in Paris & begins to uncover the story behind the bookstore in the painting.

Jacques is a mild mannered man whose dream was to run a small bookstore and marry Mathilde, a vivacious woman who worked at a museum. His dreams came true at the same time Hitler is beginning his rise to power. Mathilde wants to help with the resistance, but Jacques is fearful of the repercussions. When Mathilde is forced to leave Paris, Jacques steps up to use his bookstore to hide numerous people. The intertwining of the two stories makes for a fascinating read.

5 stars

It is 1940 in Paris. Mathilde and Jacques are nearly newlyweds living an idyllic life. Mathilde works at a museum while Jacques operates a bookstore.

Then the German Army arrives. Paris falls. Life for these two people will never be the same. Mathilde is a firebrand. She wants to resist. Mild mannered Jacques is terribly afraid of her getting into trouble with the Nazis. He doesn’t want to lose her. As time passes, Mathilde must leave Paris for her misbehavior. Fortunately a German officer who has been haunting the bookstore gets her a pass to the south of France. But trouble follows her.

Henry, Jacques’ good friend, builds a secret room in the bookstore. Jacques has finally seen the need to do something. He and Mathilde take awful risks.

Juliette and her husband Kevin are visiting Paris in 2020. She loves everything about the city and being fluent in French, she gets by admirably. Kevin is bored and wants to go home. She discovers quite by chance that he is not being faithful.

Kevin flies home. Juliette stays. Her grandmother Meme had a picture in her bedroom of an old bookshop in Paris. Juliette is overjoyed to discover the little shop. It is now vacant and she wants to open a bookshop there again.

This book moves from 1940-1945 to 2020. The reader learns about Jacques and Mathilde’s lives. In 2020, we learn about Juliette’s struggle to open the bookshop and the discoveries she makes.

This is a wonderful novel. I especially liked the descriptions about Mathilde and Jacques. Their story is filled with hope and is heartbreaking at the same time. The book is brilliantly written. The reader is transported in time to wartime Paris. The fear of the citizens, the “disappearing” Jewish people and the strength of the human spirit to hope and resist in the face of terrible odds.

I would recommend this novel to anyone who loves to read about WWII, the invasion of Paris or just wants to read a heck of a good story.

I want to thank NetGalley and Avon Books UK for forwarding to me a copy of this most remarkable book for me to read, enjoy and review. The opinions expressed here are solely my own,

The Forgotten Bookshop in Paris is a nicely-written historical fiction following two timelines, the present and Paris during World War II. In the present, Juliette and her husband, Kevin, have taken a trip to Paris, an event she is more invested in than he is. While there, it comes to light that he is having an affair with their neighbor down the street. Juliette decides to stay in Paris to think over her life. The pretext they give their friends is that she is doing some research on her family history, and indeed, her grandmother grew up in Paris. Using a painting that her grandmother kept in her home as a guide, Juliette searches every little square in Paris until she finds the one depicted in the image, and that discovery sets off unimaginable changes in her life.

In the 1940s timeline, Jacques has everything he needs to live a complete life: wife Matilde and his bookstore, Le page cachée. But the Nazis have taken over Paris. Jacques is instructed to remove certain illicit books from his store. Matilda, much more of an activist that Jacques, goes to the south of France to work with the Resistance. As Jacques witnesses more and more Nazi atrocities, he understands his wife’s need to take action and becomes stronger than he thought he could be.

There is a nice balance of male and female points of view in the two timelines. Though the outcome is somewhat predictable, the main characters have nice character arcs and the minor characters are well-rounded.

1940 Sets the scene in Paris as war is declared
Jacques and Mathilde start married life. He a lowly bookshop owner and her a worker in the museum

2022 Kevin and juliette are having marriage issues and juliette moves to Paris to find her grandma's favourite place.
It's an amazing book, full of twists and turns. I couldn't put it down and the ending is brilliant.
Definitely recomended.

The Forgotten Bookshop in Paris is an engaging dual timeline story. Modern-day Juliette is elated to discover the place depicted in a painting inherited from her late grandmother, who left France to move to the US with her GI husband just after WWII. When Juliette decides to extend her stay in Paris she spends time in the place, meeting others who live nearby. One of them is Nico, who rents her an apartment in a building with a vacant store on the ground floor. When Juliette learns that it had once been a bookstore called The Forgotten Page she works to revive it. Eventually she unearths the story of Jacques and Mathilde, their work with the Resistence, and the tales of heroism that should not be forgotten. This book is both historical fiction and romance, and the two timelines are woven together well. I was quickly immersed in this story as soon as I started reading, and would recommend this book to others who enjoy dual timeline historical fiction.

I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own. Many thanks to Netgalley and the Publishers for this opportunity.

This is a beautiful read that is set in two time zones of 1940 after the invasion of France and present day with Juliette and husband Kevin.

Present day, Juliette at long last has managed to get Kevin to Paris, the money for this trip has come from her mother's estate. Juliette is in her element however, sadly, Kevin doesn't share her enthusiasm and would rather be at home at his country club and with their friends. When Juliette suggests anything like a real French experience Kevin isn't at all interested. While he is showering in readiness to go out to have a meal, one he can recognise and at a posh restaurant a call comes through on his mobile which is answered by Juliette who with some recall and investigation realises that her husband of twenty-five years has a secret for which now she has just been alerted to. Amazingly calm; fifteen minutes before their airport taxi arrives the following morning she drops the bombshell, typical though, he turns it round to make out it's all her fault! Just like Kevin to do this, a pompous self indulgent man. Juliette suggests he return back home alone while she stays in Paris to continue her lifelong wanted experience. Kevin just can't compute this decision for Juliette has been a compliant wife, not one to make waves and now he's hit with this!

Juliette has a copy of a scene of a painting that had been in her family's home and her desire is to find out the history behind the painting.

It's 1940 Jacques and Mathilde, married just one year are celebrating at a restaurant when two Nazi officers walk in. Much to the dismay of Jacques he realises he knows one of them, who in turn recognises Mathilde from the museum where she works, Herr Schmidt. They are in a difficult situation but manage to leave into the now blacked out streets of Paris.

Jacques has a bookshop and during its renovation he had designed a secret hide hold, a tiny room. Herr Schmidt is a regular customer, a man with a keen interest in collactable books for which Jacques is able to supply, unbeknown to the German from an unlikely source. This is very dangerous for Jacques who also hides banned books in his basement.

The occupation continues and the couple witness atrocities to their fellow Parisians, Mathilde is determined to become involved with any sort of resistance. However, after she is taken in by the Police and brought home by Herr Schmidt, he makes it perfectly clear that she leave Paris and for which he has arranged a pass. As things turn out the couple are already hiding a woman in the secret room and it's decided for Mathilde to take her on the train south with her. Jacques stays in Paris to look after his ailing mother as well as running his bookshop.

Jacques is no hero, he has had a constrained lonely upbringing enduring recurring illness. He fell in love at first sight with Mathilde and was surprised that she felt the same way. However, this inept bookshop owner surprises himself when only after a short time he begins to understand Mathilde's need not to be a passive spectator but to be proactive in resistance and he puts aside his fears and becomes a man of real compassion and great bravery.

All the events of 1940 with this young couple become intertwined with present day Juliette's search that leads to an extraordinary discovery regarding her family's French history.

This book was a delight to read.You are transported to the 1940’s in Paris and the Nazi takeover of France.You get so involved with the characters that you feel you are actually there. I would highly recommend this addictive book.

Jacques has finally got everything he wanted, a wife, Mathilde and his beloved bookshop La Page Cachee, but it’s not safe in Paris in 1940. Concerned when his wife is forced into hiding, he knows he can’t just idly stand by anymore.

Present day, Juliette has finally made it to Paris, determined to find the square from her grandmothers painting, whatever her husband might think. But that’s not all she finds when she realises she has a real connection to the place.

This is a really good read, with the past and the present beautifully woven into a tale that has you gripped from start to finish. It’s obviously well researched, with the atmosphere of wartime France caught well, catching the bleakness of the time for Jews and anyone who didn’t toe the line, often being betrayed by friends or neighbours. I really liked the characters, particularly Jacques, who just really wanted his life to carry on with no hint of the war affecting it, but who was braver than he thought he could be. Another historical must read.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read and review this book.

Absolutely loved this story of, how the past can be linked to the future and how people feel a connection to a place and then find out why, couldn't put this read down and loved how it was a duel timeline, wonderfully written with good characters and a lovely story
Highly recommend

Juliette came to Paris going through the motions of life. There she finds a certain “je ne sais quoi ”, a passion, a purpose and love.

After discovering her husband’s affair while on vacation in Paris, Juliette finds herself unable to leave the city. Drawn to an abandoned bookstore, Juliette discovers its secrets and how they entwine with her family history. It was as if she was meant to be there.

The story is told in a dual timeline and also features the story of Jacques and Mathilde, who married on the day WW2 broke out. They risked their lives as part of the French Resistance. Theirs is a story of love, perseverance, courage in the face of evil, sacrifice and betrayal.

It’s a story that reminds us that change is always possible and that taking risks can provide rewards.

There is an element of mystery in the story, which I enjoyed as I read, but if I’m honest, it did seem to be resolved rather abruptly. I think a little more time could have been spent on the unraveling. But, I enjoyed the story and the characters were relatable and likeable. I also enjoyed the descriptions of Paris. It made me feel like I was there sitting in a cafe taking in the sites, sounds and smells. A great effort by the author, indeed.

Thank you NetGalley and Avon Books for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

It’s 1939 and Jacques has everything he’s ever wanted: a bookshop where he can share his love of books with his fellow Parisians, and Mathilde, the love of his life. Jacques and Mathilde marry on the day war begins, however, and their happiness will not continue forever. Both get involved in resisting the Germans in Paris and Mathilde has to leave the city. In 2022, Juliette and Kevin have been visiting Paris because Juliette’s grandmother was born there. Juliette finds out Kevin is having an affair and sends him home without her. She decides to follow her dream of staying in Paris and starting her own bookshop—in the same space where Jacques had his 80 years earlier. As time goes on, she begins to unravel the mystery of her bookshop, Jacques, and her grandmother.

I enjoyed this read. I connected with the characters, especially Jacques and Juliette as they navigated the difficulty of their situations. One minor criticism I felt was that the book ended rather quickly. I think Juliette unraveled the mystery too fast—there was more focus on the development of her bookstore and her failing marriage than the research involved in finding answers. I believe the book would have benefited from a longer development of the mystery. It seemed like more of an afterthought than anything else, when it should have been more of a focus since the author was juxtaposing the two stories next to one another.

Overall, however, I would read this book again. It’s probably my love of bookstores that would encourage me to do so—and the distant dream I have of someday running my own!

The Forgotten Bookshop in Paris" is a tale of love and loss in war written as dual time-line novel that switches between WWII and the current day. This is such a stunning read, it is one of those books you genuinely just can’t put down!

Thank you to NetGalley and Avon for the opportunity to read this stunning ARC

A brilliantly crafted novel combining past and present. The author carefully entwines the story of a bookshop in Paris during WW2, how it played a pivotal part and those whose lives were affected by the atrocities caused by the Nazis with those in the present day.

I could not put this book down as it had me hooked from the first page.

I thoroughly have enjoyed Daisy Wood's books in the past. The Forgotten Bookshop in Paris is no different. I loved it! Five stars.

This was a truly riveting read. Love historical fiction and this ticked all the boxes. Dual time line, characters you can’t help but become invested in, a love story, a betrayal, secrets that spans generations and a story of WWII events that should never be forgotten.
Juliette has always wanted to travel to Paris from her home in the States as it is where her grandma was born and now that her mother has passed away she and her husband make the trip. Juliette finds ‘the square’ in Paris that her grandma had a painting of and this sets her on a discovery of who and where she has come from. She makes the decision not to return home to her old life but start a new life alone in Paris. An abandoned shop in ‘the square’ calls to her and she decides to open a bookshop - The Forgotten Bookshop.
It is 1940 Paris and Jacques has fallen deeply in love with Mathilde. His bookshop La Page Cachèe - The Hidden Page - is his second love and although his wife is forced to flee the city due to her outspoken views about the Nazi invasion of France he believes they will reunite after the war. Life is not easy in Paris when the Germans take control but Jacques does what he feels he must do.
The past and present collide when Juliette opens her bookshop.
A 5/5 read.