At some point I swore off reading any more WWII novels. And then another one turns up that I MUST read and I regret ever thinking that. After reading Beantown Girls and The Secret Stealers by Jane Healey, she became a novelist on my auto buy list.

Goodnight from Paris is based on American actress Drue Leyton who married a Frenchman and moved to Paris. Jacques was sent to work as a British liaison leaving Drue in Paris on her own, and she was recruited to work on a radio show for programs broadcast to the US. The goal was to bring Americans around to feeling empathy for the French as Europe was approaching the war.

Her efforts with the Resistance through the war were remarkable and incredibly brave. I learned so much while reading this and loved Drue’s story. I am always amazed at the research that goes in to writing an historical novel and this one was vibrant and unforgettable.
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⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

The author took factual history with re-imagined fiction and blended them together. This made for a wonderful story.
I loved it from the first page. I went into this book not knowing Drue Leyton was an actual Hollywood actress or the part she played in WW2.
I don’t what to give too much away.
Read this book if you what a different look at the ww2 historical fiction with wonderful characters !

I would like to thank the Publisher and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this ARC !!

In Nazi-occupied France, an American film star takes on the most dangerous role of her life ...

Paris, 1939. Hollywood actress Drue Leyton, married to Frenchman Jacques Tartière, lives as an expat. She is happy, and feels safe. Until her husband is sent to Brittany to work as a liaison for the British military, Drue finds herself alone with her housekeeper, she feels lost and alone, with her career and fame forty-five hundred miles away, Drue accepts an opportunity that will change her life forever.

She becomes friends with Dorothy Thompson ( seasoned wartime journalist) and urged on by political operative Jean Fraysse, Drue broadcasts radio programs to the United States.

She needs her home country to understand what is going on in Europe and spur them in to action.

As the Nazis encroach and France is occupied, Drue's mission is clear.

But as Drue and Jean fall under suspicion, Hitler sends his own message: when Drue’s adopted country is conquered, she will be executed.

In a Paris that is no longer safe, Drue’s political passion is ignited. She’s prepared to risk anything to fight the enemy no matter how dangerous it gets—for her, for everyone she loves, and for everything she’s fighting for.

This is a wonderful book, highly recommended.

Jane Healey has written an incredible novel of historical fiction based on the life of American actress Drue Leyton. Drue's amazing courage and bravery are tested time and time again, but she doesn't give up her efforts to aid those in need during World War 2. The lovely descriptions of Paris in the beginning of the story give way to the brutality and need to survive as the war goes on, and Drue survives loss in so many ways, yet continues to fight for others. Her efforts are so inspiring and the author's notes at the end are fascinating.

A novel based on the true story of a Hollywood actress who became a resistance heroine in WW2 France. Slow in parts, readers will enjoy the historical setting and narrative.

I am not a huge historical fiction reader, but this one grabbed me from the start. I love a great WWII read! Highly recommend if you love a great historical fiction!

*Thank you Lake Union Publishing for the copy in exchange for an honest review."

Jane Healey, the Author of “Good Night From Paris," has written a riveting and captivating novel. The Genres for this book are Historical Fiction, Fiction, Women’s Fiction, and World War Two. The author did base her novel on some of the characters.

The timeline for this story is set during World War Two, mostly in France. The author describes her dramatic characters as complex and complicated. Some are courageous, defiant, and loyal. There are betrayals, threats, adventure, danger, and death. The Nazi occupation in France has proven very dangerous to many people. An American film star residing in Paris, Druy Leyton is married to Frenchman Jacques Tartiere. While Jacques is away, Druy takes a dangerous job as a radio broadcaster in France, hoping to make America aware of what is occurring in France. This does make Drue a target for the Germans. Drue and her co-patriots are fighting with the resistance to keep France free. They need America's help.

Drue faces dangerous obstacles and personal losses. The author vividly describes the events and characters. This would make an incredible screenplay. I am a fan of Jane Healey’s novels and have read each one. “Good Night From Paris” is another example of the author’s talent in writing and storytelling. I would highly recommend this amazing and memorable book.

Based on real people. Was interesting to read the choices that Drue made. Being in a war area she could have escaped but decided to stay. There is always more history and stories to share on the wars and this was a good one. .

4.5 stars!

📖𝙂𝙤𝙤𝙙𝙣𝙞𝙜𝙝𝙩 𝙁𝙧𝙤𝙢 𝙋𝙖𝙧𝙞𝙨
✍🏻Jane Healey
🗓️3.7.23
🕰️Historical Fiction
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️✨

I’m a historical fiction lover, and I’ve read my share of WWII stories, but I always love discovering a new book that features a tale of strong women and friendship, and highlights a part of history I didn’t previously know about.

Goodnight From Paris is set in Paris during 1939
in Nazi-occupied France, an American film star takes on the most dangerous role of her life in a gripping novel about loyalty and resistance, inspired by a true story.

In a Paris that is no longer safe, Drue’s political passion is ignited. She’s prepared to risk anything to fight the enemy no matter how dangerous it gets—for her, for everyone she loves, and for everything she’s fighting for.

I loved this story inspired by true events, that was full of bravery and dedication to helping the French Resistance’s Underground Network, and the attention to detail and research was great!

✨Thank you @getredprbooks @healeyjane #gifted and Netgalley

Jane Healey has another historical fiction hit with Goodnight From Paris! Centered on a strong woman pulled into Resistance life due to circumstance, this book features Drue, a former Hollywood starlet now residing in Paris with her husband, as WW2 breaks out and Paris is occupied. My favorite thing about Healey’s books is how full and real her characters are. I feel like I truly know these people and am glimpsing their lives.

I love a good WWII set historical fiction but also one that is actually based on actual fact! So here we are - my thoughts?! I really enjoyed this read. It had the right amount of adventure with romance. I was captivated. I was on an emotional rollercoaster throughout the development of Drue. Her absolute boldness and drive to continue her boundary breaking conversations.

I will also say that while reading all I could picture was Anne Shirley and Gilbert Blyth when he went to WWI & she went to go find him. I pictured Anne somewhat in Drue. Different scenarios, true, but for some reason the drive that was Drue made me picture the similarities.

Overall, really enjoyed this one! Jane Healey has an absolutely amazing writing style, gripping you in intrigue and feels from start to finish! Now I need more!

Thanks to @getredprbooks for the digital copy of this book. #gifted

It always amazes me the number of stories that can come from WWII and how I learn something new every single time. This is a biographical fiction of Drue Leyton, a Hollywood actress turned WWII hero.

Her story is yet another fascinating account of bravery shown during this time period. Author Jane Healey does a great job of telling this story in such a vivid and detailed way. Whenever I finish a book like this, I can’t help but think about all the stories that have yet to be told. Truly incredible how much bravery was shown by so many.

What I appreciated about this book: The story was certainly intriguing and kept me interested. I appreciated the author's details and how the setting of the story was so vivid.

What I struggled with: This book, at times, moved very slowly and as a result took much longer to finish. I feel like the book could have been a little shorter but still manage to capture the significant events in a meaningful way.

Overall, I'd give it 3.5 stars.

Goodnight from Paris
It took me a while to finish the book because I got busy, but that doesn’t mean the book is bad at all. In fact, it’s so beautiful that I wanted to take my time reading it. Goodnight from Paris tells us the story of Drue Tartiere, an American actress who lived in Paris after falling in love with a Frenchman. The book brought me to her life during the German occupation - how she lost her loved ones, the struggles she faced for being an American and the role she took in the Resistance.

I like that Jane Healey made sure to include a lot of facts about Drue. Though this book is a historical fiction, she made sure that it is close to what really happened. She also used The House Near Paris, Drue’s autobiography, for her reference.

I was so fascinated by the book that I wanted to read her autobiography, but I failed at finding anything sold online. Luckily, the Cleveland Public Library (Main) has a copy.


Im giving this book 5 stars! It’s a must-read if you’re into Paris WW2 books. Thanks to Netgalley for the copy, btw!

I was really hoping to like this book more than I did. The character of Drue Leyton Tartiere was an interesting one. Her role on Paris Mondiale, bringing news to America and urging them to get involved was such a gutsy one and I loved it.

I also enjoyed her role in helping people to safety, in keeping them hidden from the Germans. Her willingness to take such drastic chances to help even one person was very inspiring.

Jean, Nadine, Claude and so many other characters helped make this story a good one.

At times though, this story felt too long, with too much detail. I kept having to refer back to earlier chapters to help keep the characters and storyline straight in my head.

I do think this difficulty with the story is more about me than the story as I have seen so many good reviews about this book. This will not stop me from reading another book by the author.

Thank you to Lake Union Publishing for the copy of this book. All views are my honest opinion.

Jane Healey's Good Night From Paris is a WWII historical fiction book based on a real person, Drue Leyton Tartière. Drue was a Hollywood actress who married a Frenchman, prior to the war. While this book is fictionalized, there is so much that was very accurate as to the situations and painful stories of WWII. Good Night from Paris focuses on Drue's work at the radio station Paris Mondiale, then her shift into helping the French Resistance.

This book hooked me in almost immediately with the deep emotions of all of the characters and how they fought to make it through such a tumultuous period.

Rating: 4/5 stars

Disclosure: I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher. I was not required to write a positive review. All opinions expressed are my own.

Secrecy and hidden tactics. I felt it slow to start but by the midway I thoroughly enjoyed the plot. Characters were very real, you felt as if you know them. Loved the twists and turns of the novel. Recommend read.

3.5 ⭐️
I enjoyed this WW2 historical fiction book, though it’s not one of my favorites. I liked that many of the characters, including the MC Drue Leyton, were real people. It was an interesting perspective of an American in France during the war & I enjoyed learning about the network of hidden airmen, and finally the liberation by the Allies.
It was a little slow in parts and there wasn’t really a lot of tension…they *talked* about all the danger they were in, but I just didn’t feel it.

I,loved this book . Very interesting and I was immediately hooked by it. The story was so interesting and well written and I loved the characters and the way the story unfolded. My thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for giving me the opportunity to read this book in return for an honest review.

Goodnight from Paris
Author Jane Healey

Thank you, @getredprbooks, @healeyjane, @amazonpublishing, and @netgalley, for my #gifted e- arc of this gorgeous historical fiction novel!

I am just amazed at the number of historical fiction novels that I've read and loved and how these incredible authors can write such unique and memorable stories! And Goodnight from Paris was certainly no exception!

Beginning in Nazi- occupied Paris in 1939, Drue Leyton, an American actress and Frenchman Jacques Tartiere, are newlyweds. Jacques, out of duty for his country, must leave his new bride to work as a liaison for the British military, and Drue, a beautiful expat now living with her housekeeper, decides to stay in Paris to be closer to her husband and take a job broadcasting on the radio in attempt to open America's eyes and encourage them to fight with them against the Germans.

What follows is an amazing story based on the real- life Hollywood actress, Drue Layton Tartiere, and of bravery, resistance, friendship, survival, hope, and more than anything else, love.

I was inspired by Drue's courage, in awe of the risks that she took, and of the pain that she endured in order to survive this devastating time in our history. This real- life heroine and Healey's secondary characters were remarkable as they defied the Nazi occupiers again and again and fought for their freedom.

Goodnight from Paris is a fantastic story of heroism and loyalty at its finest. An absolute must- read for historical fiction fans!

4.5 stars!

I really enjoyed this historical fiction. The pacing was excellent, as we followed American Drue through the war. It is not a perfect pretty story and that makes it different than many similar books. Instead Drue loses people that she is close to. And still she continues to fight against the Nazis, both through her broadcasts and then through concrete actions. Even when she is threatened, she continues. It's a different take and view than so many historical fictions and I found it an interesting and compelling read.