First of all, have the tissues nearby because you are going to need them. This story will break heart and put it back together again. It’s a story of love and loss and is by far one of the best books of this year in Historical Fiction. This is a can’t miss read!

This is the first book I have read by this author and no doubt will not be my last. If you loved The Nightingale or the Alice Network, you will love this book.

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

#lilygraham, #thelastrestaurantinparis

I have no other words except : Absolutely. Simply. Outstanding. Brilliant.
I need to read more from this author.

Love! Love! Love this book!
When Sabine’s mother passes away, she discovers that she has inherited a property that was once a restaurant during WWII. But it’s not just any restaurant. It’s the infamous restaurant, Luberon, where 4 Nazi officers and 2 locals were poisoned by the owner, Marianne Blanchet. As Sabine goes through all the documents she also discovered that her mother was adopted. With so many unanswered questions she begins a journey to find the answers.
Monsieur Geroux is the brother of one of the locals killed at the restaurant, 14 year-old, Henri. He and his brother both worked at the restaurant for Madame Blanchet. Monsieur Geroux has buried his feeling of sadness and anger for years. When he is contacted by the law offices asking if he would be willing to meet with Sabine, who has questions about what happened, he initially wants to decline. After a night of restless sleep due to dreams and memories of the past he agrees. Once he starts to tell Sabine the story he finds it therapeutic. He and Sabine become friends and he helps solve the mystery of her grandmother.
Told through the view point of Sabine, Monsier Geroux, Marianne Blanchet and other characters in the story the pieces come together to tell a tale of love, devotion, and ultimately, sacrifice. For lovers of historical fiction, mystery, romance, family and redemption-this is the book for you.
#NetGalley #TheLastRestaurantInParis Bookouture # LilyGraham

If you aren’t aware by now, I ADORE historical fiction novels, especially those set during the war, and ‘The Last Restaurant in Paris’ ticked all the boxes for me.

Once again, Lily Graham’s emotive writing style took centre stage as she delivered a tale about survival, trust, hope and fear. Many families have hidden secrets in their past and Sabine’s family were no different, however the secrets hidden were life or death. Or, putting it bluntly, revenge.

Sabine’s grandmother loved hard, yet she loved even harder and heaven forbid people got in her way. Granted what she did during the war wasn’t the most wholesome of things, to a certain degree I could see why she did what she did. Like I say, I don’t condone her actions, but there was a lot more to what happened that night than first thought.

Lily Graham has an incredible way with words, and I was captivated by this story from the very beginning until the very end. There was so much grit to sink my teeth into, and I loved how I was able to find out the truth at the same time as the characters. It was as though we were connected if that makes sense.

I can’t fault ‘The Last Restaurant in Paris’ at all. It had suspense, emotion, power, strength, but most of all it had a heart. A captivating, wholesome and poignant novel – highlighting the importance of finding out the truth of a situation before a judgement is made.

On a quiet street in Paris stands an abandoned restaurant. Is it cursed or haunted? For the effects of what occurred there during the German occupation of the city are still being felt today. What caused the owner Marianne to serve German soldiers during the war? Surely that was an act of betrayal. The legacy of a certain event that happened there has left a deep and indominable mark on those that were present at the time. The words murderer and traitor are scratched on the windows. Monsieur Geroux, the owner of the antiquarian bookshop, can still remember that time very well. Each time he looks at the restaurant it casts a shadow over him for it was there that he lost his brother Henri. But now as the closest relative to Marianne has been discovered 40 years after the war a story of secrets, lies, deception, revenge, betrayal, justice and sacrifice comes to the fore. Now it is 1987 and Sabine, who turns out to be Marianne’s granddaughter (although she never knew this until a lawyer contacted her) stands before the restaurant with a key which will unlock an incredible and enthralling story that is heart-breaking and gripping in equal measure.

The opening to Lily Graham’s new book, The Last Restaurant in Paris, was very much a teaser for what was to come. The reader is sucked in instantly as information was provided that has you asking lots of questions and of course wanting the answers immediately but one must be patient and wait until the time is right for all the strands to come together and yes the wait was definitely worth it in this case. Admittedly, I found the first quarter of the story slow going and I thought there was too much focus on Gilbert and his recollections of the war and the restaurant. It was like we were observing Marianne’s story from afar and I kept thinking when will we hear from her? It very much felt like the reader was disconnected from her when she was meant to be the main character in the book.

It was like things were very much one sided and I found myself taking everything at face value because we were hearing from Gilbert’s viewpoint too much. I found there was slightly too much repetition in part one but then things slowly started to make sense and motives became clearer. In general, I needn’t have worried because Lily Graham knew exactly what she was doing and it’s only when I reached part two and then went on to finish the entire book that I truly appreciated this. The slow start was needed to set up the overall story and once we get to hear from Marianne things took off at a great pace and a thrilling and emotional story unfolded.

The dual timeline worked well throughout the book and Sabine certainly did become caught up in the arms of the past as she sought to discover the truth behind what her grandmother did and what became of her? Is she as bad as people made her out to be? Why did she commit such an act? Were the personal sacrifices worth it? Was she a woman filled with courage, loyalty, devotion and strength which all helped serve justice or had she just gone totally mad? Gilbert, opened up his heart and soul to Sabine and although he didn’t have all the answers he set Sabine on the right path to seeking the ultimate truth.

The main question that is threaded throughout the book is, what made Marianne change from a kind and brave woman into someone who opened a restaurant in Paris at a time when people were scared and starving and then subsequently went on to serve German officers and soldiers and ultimately then a horrific event occurred? To discover the answers the author took us right back to the childhood of Marianne and it was completely gripping and helped me really understand where she came from and what motivated and drove her on to the actions that transpired in that restaurant in Paris on that fateful night.

Part Two is where things really picked up, although as it began I felt things were regressing a bit as we venture back to Marianne’s childhood. I thought we’re going backwards instead of moving forwards and at one point it felt like I was reading a different story from what I initially thought the book would be about. But again, I was completely wrong and the further I progressed through the latter half of the book, I realised that every element and every bit of backstory was essential to the overall plot development. Gaining such a deep insight into Marianne’s childhood and then subsequently following her as she grew up and faced many challenges and developed into a woman was fascinating. To say much more about this time for her would give far too much away. But suffice to say her experiences shaped and motivated her and I found her story completely riveting and engrossing.

Marianne was a complex and very clever woman whose love and loyalty shone through time and time again. People may have felt she was mad awful for her betrayal but was well able to play a carefully executed game and with every step that she took she knew it brought her that little bit closer to that end goal. Marianne, was a character who should not be judged on first impressions for to do so would be too write her off far too early. Allow yourself to become completely immersed in the story and you will be richly rewarded for Lily Graham has written a terrific, dramatic story full of raw emotion, hidden secrets, vendettas with love, faithfulness and devotion at its centre. The Last Restaurant in Paris is a story that I won’t forget that easily and without doubt it’s the best book that Lily Graham has so far written.

A very compelling and fascinating story. If you're looking for a book that will keep your interest to the very last page this is a great choice.

Told in dual timeline format, in 1944 and modern day France, The Last Restaurant in Paris was so beautifully written, and the story within its pages immersive and utterly compelling.

The plotline was intriguing and certainly didn't disappoint. I found the book evoked so many emotions.

Characterisations are well presented and I loved following the mystery that shrouded Marianne, the was she/wasn't she a murderer scandal. As the story unfolds we get to see more of her as a person, her life, losses and choices.

I couldn't put this book down and it's definitely one I would highly recommend.

Many thanks to Bookouture for my tour spot.

Rating ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Thanks net galley for letting me read this amazing book, loved it and could not put it down.
The story starts in Paris in 1987, and then goes back to 1942.
Three woman all one family and they all loved cooking, and had an amazing story to tell.
A story of revenge, love and tragedy .
Would greatly recommend this story to anyone who loves an old fashioned love story and what love can make you do.

Set in 1987 and 1940s France this is a heartbreaking story of Marianne, who owns a restaurant in wartime Paris where a great tragedy unfolds. Marianne is now dead but there are a lot of unanswered questions about her life.
Sabine, a young librarian living in Paris in the 1980s, learns that her late mother was adopted when a lawyer contacts her about a property she has inherited. It appears that she is actually Marianne’s granddaughter - her own Mother was Marianne’s daughter.
After she has been told about the awful events that occurred at her late grandmother’s restaurant, the property she now owns, Sabine decides to try and find out what really happened and if there is any explanation for what Marianne did. She meets Gilbert, an elderly book shop owner who knew Marianne during the war and together they try and solve the mystery of why she took the action she did.
I loved all the characters in this book, particularly Marianne who suffered so many losses in the course of the story. She was so brave and it was incredible how she managed to carry on her life after all that happened to her.
A recurring theme seemed to be the loss of mothers as most of the people in the book had suffered this trauma and it obviously affected them in different ways. Even the evil Nazi, Otto, was brought up as an orphan although the reader felt little sympathy for him.
The author is able to move effortlessly between the two time periods as she fills in Marianne’s back story and there are one or two surprises along the way.
I completely lost myself in this book and after reading it late at night I even lay awake thinking how it could all come together and Marianne’s actions could be explained. It was a really engrossing and page turning read and I definitely recommend “The Last Restaurant In Paris”to all readers who enjoy well written Second World War fiction.
Thanks to NetGalley and Bookouture for my arc.

I was first drawn to this book by the beautiful cover which I think is fabulous. This is a Historical Fiction book with a dual timeline and I absolutely loved this book. From the very start this book had me completely captivated and for me it was one of those books I just had to keep on reading. This book was heartbreaking and poignant at times and it’s one that will stay with me for a long time. I highly recommend this book for fans of Historical Fiction. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

An absolutely gripping dual timeline set in present day Paris and in 1944. I loved watching Sabine try to unravel her grandmother's past. Of course, as she discovers Marianne's secrets, so does the reader. The story of the price one woman will pay for revenge is heartbreaking but is Marianne a heroine or a traitor? The ending will have you gasping and make sure you have plenty of hankies.

I enjoy historical fiction, especially when I need a break from my normal choice of crime fiction. After reading this I’m starting to realise that I need to read it more. This was a novel that I really enjoyed.

Initially it is set in the 1980s when Sabine is handed the keys to her inheritance. She is baffled and then horrified when she realises that the grandmother she hadn’t known had been executed during WW2. When she meets up with Gilbert, who knew her grandmother well and suffered because of her actions she digs deeper and uncovers the truth about what happened. The narrative then switches to Marianne and takes place from the 1920s when she first moved to Provence as a child until the events that took place that led to her death. It was this part of the novel that I liked the most, showing not just the horror of the war but also the love, friendship and determination to get justice.

I have read quite a lot of books that take place during WW2 but very little that shows the hardship suffered by those who aren’t fighting and are just trying to cope the best that they can. The life that many were forced to live during the occupation gave me an understanding of the hatred towards Marianne for her business dealings with the German officers.

Marianne was a character I adored. Her love for her grandmother, husband, child and brother. Her friendship with the nun and her passionate fury for revenge. It was so sad that despite all of that there were others who had to suffer.

I loved everything about this novel and Lily Graham is another author who I’m looking forward to catching up on.

It was 1987 when Sabine Duchelle was told by a solicitor that her recently deceased mother had been adopted and he had the forms to prove it. The solicitor also had information on her biological grandmother who'd lived and worked in France during the occupation. There was one person left alive who could fill Sabine in with the details - if she wanted them.

Gilbert was fifteen when he worked for Marianne Blanchet, owner of the new restaurant which the Germans had helped her open. She was feeding good wholesome food to the Germans and locals, like her grandmother used to make. Gilbert's tale was one of much sorrow and both he and Sabine weren't sure they wanted to talk about it. But Gilbert, feeling the loosening of his burden, led Sabine down a path she'd had no idea existed.

Marianne's story was a dark one, with her mother dying when she was nine and her father not wanting her, she went to her Grand-mere, whom she'd never met but within days, loved deeply. Grand-mere taught her to cook in the small restaurant the locals visited daily. But when she was in her teens, her father sent her to England for boarding school, where she met her half brother Freddie, who was to feature further in her life. In 1944, Marianne moved to Paris to befriend the enemy...

The Last Restaurant in Paris by Lily Graham was an excellent read. Heartfelt, poignant, sad and gutwrenching - I needed the tissues in this one. It's a different take on the war years than I've read, recently at least, and I thoroughly enjoyed it. It's one I won't forget in awhile. Highly recommended.

With thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for my digital ARC to read in exchange for an honest review.

Paris 1944, Paris is occupied by German soldiers. As the streets of Paris begin to empty of people. The people of Paris are tired, hungry and feel as if there is no hope. The war has taken its toll on so many and continues to rage on across Europe. Marianne owns a restaurant in Paris and it is a popular place for the enemy German Soldiers to eat. She hides her feelings as she serves the officers their dinner. Marianne closes the restaurant, never to open again. Many years later in 1987, Marianne’s granddaughter Sabine finds out that she has inherited a restaurant in Paris. Marianne left Sabine the restaurant she once loved. In the blink of an eye she finds herself standing at the front door of the once thriving restaurant. Sabine knows that the locals don’t want her there and to this day, they still blame Marianne for such a horrible tragedy. Sabine desires to re-open the restaurant and serve people the wonderful food from recipes from long ago.

Oh my goodness I almost don’t know where to begin with this phenomenal story. I absolutely love time slip novels, especially when they are written as good as this one. The characters of this story were so heart-warming and charming. This fascinating story of mystery, intrigue, courage, sacrifice, strength and love was utterly emotional on every level possible. I was so unbelievably captivated and inspired by this story. This book was completely unputdownable and is definitely not just a must read but needs to be re-read. I loved this book and I highly recommend it.

Thank you Lily Graham for such a wonderfully written time-slip, historical fiction. This story was so well written and I was completely captivated from page one through to the end. I thoroughly enjoyed it and I definitely recommend it.

My thanks to Bookouture for the tour invite and copy to review from Netgalley. This was my first Lily Graham book, although I have bought a few previous ones. The premise was something that so interested me – I love WW2 fiction and the mystery of the story appealed greatly, not least because it looked rather different to the usual stories set during that time.

Told over three timelines, including the early 1940s and 1987, The Last Restaurant in Paris is a tragic and engrossing story with love, revenge and retribution being at its heart. Frenchwoman Marianne Blanchet, the owner of the said restaurant known as ‘Luberon’, was regarded as being a collaborator with the Nazis and also a murderer by her fellow citizens. However had they been in knowledge of all the facts, I wonder whether she would have been judged so harshly.

Sabine, her adult granddaughter and in receipt of an unexpected inheritance, knows nothing of her grandmother’s past but with the help of someone who was closer to Marianne than she, sets out to discover why Marianne’s memory is so reviled and what exactly took place that fateful evening. Because of the passage of time, there was no guarantee she would find all the answers but all the way through I was hoping that somehow she would discover her grandmother’s incredible story.

I really enjoyed this and was completely captivated by the entire story however the part for me that stood out the most was Marianne’s story. This was actually my favourite part because you get a real sense of the person and their motivations. It delves into family relationships, the effects of grief, and includes the horrific consequences of the Nazi occupation and the separation of France between ‘free’ and occupied territories.

There are plenty of family secrets to discover in this story of wartime occupation and whilst it is in some ways a heartrending read because you know almost from the outset the consequences of Marianne’s actions, other aspects are gradually revealed which form an enthralling story of secrets and deceit. There are so many characters to sympathise with and the author has done an excellent job in bringing them to life through the pages. Good and evil is not black and white with this story but has shades of grey.

A fabulous read and definitely recommended for readers of this genre.

Lily Graham is such a fantastic author. I can't begin to describe how much I admire her and her writing.
I am a huge fan of historical fiction, books set in the second world war.
With Last Restaurant In Paris, Lily created a story that kept her readers engrossed to the very end to see what became of her characters.
I loved how it was told between the different timelines.
I fell in love with Elodie & Jacques's story and it brought a tear to my eye.
I loved how Elodie's grandmother created a beautiful restaurant with her gorgeous recipes and isn't it beautiful that her customers would turn up every day not knowing what was on the menu just happy to be there.
A beautiful, yet heart-breaking story that will hold you tight..

I am on the blog tour for this one so I will come back and post the link to it later

First of all many thanks to Netgally and Bookoture for this Advanced Reader Copy. Bravo to Lily Graham for this incredible story!

Told between a woman living through German Occupied Paris during WW2 and her granddaughter who inherits from her a boarded up restaurant with a chilling story she knew nothing about. Sarah sets out to find out more about her grandmother and what actually happened one fateful night when her grandmother poisoned her patrons and disappeared.

This book will pull you in and take you on and unforgettable emotional roller coaster ride,

🌻 This is one for my historical fiction lovers! The Last Restaurant in Paris by Lily Graham releases tomorrow! 4⭐

🇫🇷 This book spans several settings but is primarily focused on occupied France during WW2. In 1987, an old restaurant in Paris has been abandoned for decades. Two strangers who are both connected to the restaurant meet and work together to find answers about what happened in 1943 that led to a mass murder at the restaurant.

🥐 We get flashbacks from the main characters spanning almost an entire century. Each chapter is clearly labeled with the time, place, and person who is narrating, which made it fairly easy to follow. I liked that we eventually heard the same events described from several perspectives.

🍷The book was somewhat slow-paced, but in a pleasant way that reflected the French countryside where much of the story takes place. It is a fairly dark book and was sad in a few places.

🌾 Many of the books I read from this time period are written through the lens of characters who are on the front lines. This book focus on the French women, children, and elderly people who stayed in Paris while it was occupied. I found it very meaningful to consider their perspectives and their motivations for how they survived or even fought back in their own ways.

Thank you for the eARC, @bookouture and @netgalley, in exchange for my honest review.

⚠️ war, murder, espionage, miscarriages (on- and off-screen)

Shareability: readers who enjoy WW2 novels, with a focus on France

Spice: n/a

Pairs well with: ratatouille, cassoulet, or lemonade + "La Vie en Rose" playing in the background 🌹

An unknown grandmother, a life filled with secrets and mystery,
To solve it all it needs a search back in history.
As Sabine discovers a past she never knew,
She's unsure what is to come or what she should do.

What a fascinating story this proved to be
With dual timelines sharing their history.
Uncovering a tale of love, revenge and war
Collaboration, resistance, murder and so much more.

A fascinating read, with so many surprises in store,
Including the revenge someone was searching for.
With great characters and family dramas, too,
Making this a great read I highly recommend to you!

For my complementary copy, I say thank you,
As I share with you this, my honest review

This book has such a good story. It took place during the German occupation in France, with the main character Marianne, opening a restaurant in Paris, offering Hearty country meals, that her grandmother had taught her to make. With this she hoped to lure certain German soldiers to frequent it. With a bright smile and friendly demeanor, they never knew how she really felt.
In 1987 we follow Sabine's story, Sabine, who turns out to be Marianne's Granddaughter, but knows not very much about her own past until she inherits the restaurant and meets some people, who actually new her grandmother.
There are so many twists and turns in this story, and amazing backstories on both sides, and wonderful characters to meet.
It's a mystery of sorts, and a story of love, hate and revenge. One ends up with a story that, I couldn't put down.
I would like to thank NetGalley and Bookouture for a copy of this book.