In a word, disappointing. I was happy to review this through Netgalley but this isn’t my sort of story. Primarily a work of historical fiction bouncing between occupied France in WWII and a by the numbers romance set in 2022. Normally historical fiction is my favorite genre but the modern romance is straight out of a Hallmark movie. If you like those cliches and light romances, you’ll most likely enjoy this. It’s very heavy on tropes like a woman fresh out of a bad marriage, starting her life over in the city of romance and meeting a man she’s immediately drawn to. However they end up hating one another when they first meet, getting close while fixing a sink that suddenly bursts, and almost derailing the whole relationship twice because of simple misunderstandings.
At first I was intrigued by how this cliche romance was going to intersect with the story of a couple in occupied France standing up to the Nazi’s. The main link is the bookshop owned initially by the couple in WWII. It lies abandoned now and is taken on by our novel’s heroine. The era and bookshop feel like set pieces for a predictable plot. Part of what bothered me in this story is the privileged and almost oblivious nature of the author and main character. The heroine is asked not to touch the bookstore because of its sad history, but does so anyway. To me it felt disrespectful and clueless. We’re asked to just accept the premise that this woman belongs here. That she’s destined to start a new life in Paris opening this bookstore and anyone who disagrees just doesn’t understand her. As if the other people’s feelings and personal histories weren’t worth as much as the gut instinct of this woman who’s sort of inserted herself in their community. and the end of the story felt rushed. I was left feeling cheated and a bit bitter.
The writing itself is nice, but feels generic in its phrasing. The author clings to the same phrases over and over again. “Chewed her nails to the quick” is written several times as a way to show a physical manifestation of long term anxiety. I was also unable to ignore a few overwhelming coincidences and subtle plot holes. None of it felt real and as a result I was left bothered by the feeling that this era in history wasn’t being treated seriously. Ultimately, I see good intentions but little understanding and an author with promise. This just isn't my cup of tea.

The title alone had my hooked and the story is a simple but beautiful one demonstrating the lengths people will go to for love. Love of a partner, a friend, a child or even a country.

It’s definitely more of a tale of love and loss than a work of historical fiction, don’t read it if you’re looking for details of Paris during the war and occupation or an in-depth look at the work of the resistance. But if you’re looking for something which highlights the wonder of humanity and the bravery of one man and his bookshop then this is a perfect read.

“I was afraid to look back but it's right he should be commemorated here. This shop was his passion and it cost him his life.”

Jacques, the owner of the book shop La Page Cachee loses those he loves when the Germans reach Paris in the 1940s. Despite this, he insists on maintaining his bookshop and staying in the city. Against Nazi rule, he hides fugitives in the storeroom and maintains and sells banned books; crimes that are punishable by death if discovered.

Present day Juliette finds herself at a crossroads when she discovers her husband’s affair while on a romantic getaway in Paris. Distraught with this news she finds herself on a quest to understand the historical background of her Parisian grandmother.

A love of Paris and bookshops nicely weaves these two stories together in a tale of loss, love, and hope. I enjoyed this read as a lover of historical fiction, Paris, and bookshops. While I appreciated Juliette’s gusto in leaving her life behind to pursue a new one, parts of the story seemed farfetched to me. I.E: Going on vacation and never returning home when you have a marriage to dissolve, children, animals, a house etc. I was also a little disappointed that the Hallmark movie love story at the end was included.

What a lovely story. An unfolding of (fictional) events from war time Paris and their link to 21st century Paris. It’s told beautifully and really made me think about how hard life must have been during the war. How difficult it was for people to stay safe while trying to lead an ordinary and normal life.
I loved how the two separate times in history were seamlessly joined so that we could follow the characters and their histories down the decades. It really is a lovely, easy to read book and will appeal to those interested in history and those who love a bit of romance and a good story too.

"A life without freedom is no life at all."

The war bring out two faces of people: the best and the worst. It is during the hard times that people will be kind or cruel to one another. But hope and love conquered the war.

This book is a magical time machine as it unfolded two parallel stories in different timelines. It brought me back to WW2 and witnessed how a bookshop saved lives of children, soldiers, women, and families of different races. And how the same bookshop, decades after, saved a life of a woman by giving her a new beginning and a new chance in love.

Some parts of history are too sad and tragic to be remembered but the future and the present have the chance to become the happy endings one desires. And that is the fate of Juliette as she embark on a new journey in Paris as she brought back to life the Forgotten Bookshop, La Page Cachèe.

Another historical fiction feat to boot! It's a bonus that it also talks about books and bookshops--- two things that I love the most.

This book was so good I read it within 1 day. It goes from the past to the present which is easy to follow. The story centres around a bookshop during the german occupation and then later on after the war. Jacques owned the shop and when his wife was taken for being a jew it became his mission to help hide others. Skip to the present and Juliette who has a photo of this shop when in France makes it her mission to find this shop. as her grandmother was born and raised there. With the help of others her family history and those around her were no longer a secret to her as grandmother wouldn't talk about it as the memories were too painful for her. A lovely story which will keep you wanting to read on.

This is such a very well thought-out book. It must have taken alot of time and research to find out all of the historical information that this book has running throughout it. I loved the sweeping-ness of the read. The characters and the storyline and especially the ending.

What a lovely story. I got lost in the pages, swept away in Paris at a wonderful bookshop. I enjoyed the characters and thought the story was very well written throughout.

The end is the best part, but you have to start at the beginning to fully understand what happens in Paris during WWII. Daisy Wood did it again with her extraordinary story.

This is Paris, the city of romance, beautiful fashions and architecture. The bookseller, Jacques, of “The Hidden Page” has a wonderful space in 1939 “where magic is found within the covers of a book.” The reader is totally engaged in the comings and goings from the viewpoint of those in the shop and surroundings. He falls for a most beautiful lady, Mathilde, hoping he has a chance. In the meantime, Juliette and Kevin are in Paris in March 2022 for their marriage celebration of 25 years. We all know that anything can happen in this city with its glorious grace.

In the Author Notes she says, “It’s important to remember the past, no matter how painful the process might be.” We remember in 1940 what happened when the German soldiers marched in and took control of the people and performed public executions in Paris. It was a dangerous time and people working for the resistance were brave. But even after the war was over, there was much anger from trust issues that were broken. It was a bookstore that gave supporters a breath of calmness in the outside world of destruction. In the beginning, the President of Paris succumbed to the German Nazis leaving the architecture, whereas the city of London was in shambles. “Is it better to die gloriously for the sake of freedom or live under enemy occupation?”

It's all very thought-provoking as it relates to the present time. Many readers have voiced their opinions of being overwhelmed from the popular WWII books on the market. However, I think the more we learn, the better we can understand where we are now. The author did an incredible job providing details of the war and making it an engaging story with the two timelines.

My thanks to Daisy Wood, HarperCollins Publishers and NetGalley for allowing me to read this advanced copy with the expected publication date of October 27, 2022.

Paris 1940, war and a bookshop.
Modern Day, a couple, a trip to Paris and a bookshop for sale.

And so the story begins. Bringing the past and present together. The story of the past, the effects of war on a loving and newly married coupe. The heartbreak, loss, courage, sacrifices made.
The story of the present where life is not always as good as it seems, the struggles of a woman who has to start life again and does so by opening a bookshop in Paris.

Secrets of the past come to light and so the story of Paris 1940 become a story the entwines her life with that of the past.

This is a wonderful book and is so well written. It draws you in and makes you live this story through the pages. You feel the heartache, the courage, the fear.

I highly recommend this book to all Historical Fiction lovers.

Delightful historic fiction read! Easy to read, beautifuly woven with two storylines from different times, slowly connecting into a knot - full story at the end of the book.
The topic is rather well written about, so it's excellent read for someone into a personal stories which could have happened during the WWII under German Nazi occupation.
It's lovely book, with a beautiful story, which involved quite a few people. However, there are so many books on this very topic, so the book does not stand out much as an original one.

I loved this book from the first page to the last.The characters drew me in the dual time line was wonderful.Daisy Wood is an excellent author one I willbe following.#netgalley #avonbooksuk.

A fantastic read!
Split between two timelines; 2022 and during the second world war this novel tells the story of a book seller during WW2 and an American women who has come to Paris on holiday. I loved the way the story rotated between the two storylines and I was eager to find out what would happen in both timelines.
The story is historical fiction but really made an impact on me on how the French, particularly French Jews and those who helped them in anyway were treated.
I would highly recommend this book and will be looking for more by this author.

This was a fantastic one, spanning two generations of women- one surviving in WWII and one surviving in 2022.
Love, heartbreak, danger and resistance combined to make this a completely engrossing and quick read. I especially loved how it started and ended with the bookshop!

I absolutely loved this book and it has been one of my favourite reads of the year. I loved the dual storylines that worked seamlessly together.

I'm sorry I won't be able to give feedback as I have lost this title on my Kindle and cannot resend it.

My apologies, I now have it back on my Kindle and will submit a review at a later date.

After a bit of a miss-start, I have now completed this story. A dual time story set in 1940 Paris and also 2022 Paris, the secrets of the bookshop are gradually revealed.

In 1940, Jacques is, against all difficulty and in view of the invading Germans, holding on to his bookshop, la page cachee.

In 2022, Juliet and her husband have come on a long desired visit to Paris but all does not turn out for them as they may have wished and Juliet decides to stay for a little longer in Paris, to spread her wings and experience something of life that she previously has not.

I enjoyed this story and recommend it to other readers.

THE FORGOTTEN BOOKSHOP in PARIS

DAISY WOOD




I am not a big fan of novels that jump from one time frame to another as this one does, but Ms. Wood has transitioned this story superbly from the 1940's to the present day with an ease and smoothness seldom seen. Her attention to detail leaves no gaps and the plot is complete. Her characters are created with insight and thought and emit the emotions necessary for the intended flow. Created in her mind and not on actual facts, as many of these period stories are, you will find this one captivating. It will linger with me for some time to come.


Spencer Birt

I really enjoyed reading this book for the most part. It was a bit slow in some places, but it was still pretty good!

This book was sent to me by Netgalley for review…thanks to the publisher for the electronic copy. I liked this book. I really liked this book…although I don’t like dual timelines, the talented author made this work. The characters are likable…intriguing family dynamics…the history reads like true life…which it was…the bookstore is almost a character in the book…

It grabs you from the start to the finish. Easy read, great characters
Thank you to Daisy Woods, NetGalley and Avon for the arc of this book