This book was captivating. I had never heard of American actress Drue Leyton Tartière prior to reading a blurb for this book, but her story is amazing. I loved the way this book followed her through World War II and all of the ways she helped the Resistance. This was a really powerful, well-written book. It felt like I was there with Drue in Paris and in the French countryside. Highly recommend this book.

I hadn’t heard about the American actress Drue Leyton Tartiere before - this novel is inspired by her role as a radio broadcaster in Paris speaking out about Nazism in France, then as a Resistance fighter during WWII. This is compelling historical fiction about a gutsy, brave woman who stood up for her beliefs and stayed in France throughout the war to help the Resistance, turning down several opportunities at the outset to return to safety in America. There are a few moments in the novel that appear coincidental but it is unclear if they are fiction or actually based on true events. Nonetheless, the writing is very strong, the characters are interesting and I was pulled in from the first chapter. I am very glad that I learned about Drue and her role in WWII. A very good historical fiction read about a courageous woman who risked her life at great personal cost to fight against Nazism. The author’s notes at the end of the novel are also very interesting.

Thanks to Lake Union Publishing and Netgalley for this ARC. All opinions are my own.

It's no secret I love a WW2 story and it had been awhile since I'd read one. Good Night From Paris is based on a real person, Drue Leyton. She was a Hollywood actress who married a French man prior to the war. The story details her work in the resistance.

As with all WW2 books it's crazy to read about all they had to endure and remember this really happened to people. So horrible. The book was very well researched and I enjoyed it although parts felt a little long and the ending felt abrupt to me.

What a read! During a time when everything was uncertain, this one woman takes on a life changing role. It really pulled me in from the beginning and held me the entire book. There are twists and turns on every page. I would highly recommend to anyone who love historical fiction or stron female leads.

Goodnight from Paris
By: Jane Healey
Review Score: 4 1/2 Stars

Five Key Feels

-Healey does such an amazing job of immersing you into Drue’s life.

-You can really feel the tension of occupied France during World War 2.

-Drue’s evolution in this story is so well written.

-I learned about the Vittel Internment camp, which I was not familiar with.

-This story really has everything; love, friendship, sadness, resistance work, and an incredible ending.

——

Goodnight from Paris was kindly provided as an ARC by Netgalley Lake Union Publishing. Thank you for allowing me to read this wonderful book!

Release Date: 3/7/23

Wow. I was blown away by how engaging Goodnight from Paris was. There are so many layers to this story as we follow Drue, an American Actress turned Radio Personality turned Resistance Member under Occupied France.

Healey really brought you into Drue’s story, and I enjoyed every moment I spent reading this book. It was a different twist on Historical Fiction set in World War 2, and I really enjoyed that.

I highly recommend you check out Goodnight From Paris!


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Wow! This is another fantastic WWII read.
Drue, an American actress, recently married to a Frenchman, chooses to stay in Paris after her husband, who had weak lungs, marches off to interpret for the British forces.
First by radio and then later as a Resistance worker, Drue navigates through the long years of war and occupation including a death warrant hanging over her, relying on her acting skills.
It is difficult to justify America always coming to the aid of those in wars far away from home. However, thanks to Japan declaring war on the US, we don’t have to read of Hitler finishing his dastardly plans.

Goodnight from Paris is an absolute gem of a read - the pacing is perfect, the featuring of lesser known WWII history is excellent (I had no idea that American women in France were put into internment camps after the USA entered the war) and I can’t recommend this more.

The novel centres on Drue Leyton Tartière, an American actress married to a Frenchman, who stays in Paris despite the expectation of a German invasion. She ends up broadcasting for Paris Mondiale, reporting on Parisian life to those in the USA, and trying to share what life is really like in occupied France.

While I was fairly certain much of the novel was based on fact, I didn’t realise quite how much until I read the Author’s Note. I didn’t want to ruin the book by accidentally reading about what happens to them (been there done that!) so I didn’t learn until after that Drue Leyton Tartière was an American actress married to a Frenchman and living in Paris, and - in fact - almost everything that happens to her throughout the novel is true. The majority of secondary characters are also real people, and not just simply based on people she may have known.

Healey manages to wend fact and supporting fictional narrative so perfectly that I hadn’t even realised that so much of the book WAS fact. The fictional aspects simply serve to bring the details, the minutiae that gets missed in historical archives. The story is powerful and should be on any historical fiction fan’s bookshelf.

5 stars!

A rollicking good read! Jane Healey’s inspiring, well researched Goodnight from Paris is itself inspired by the quite amazing life of Hollywood film star Drue Leyton Tartiere, who married a Frenchman and opted to remain in France for the duration of World War II, despite the fact her husband had left Paris to contribute to the war efforts. Madame Tartiere initially puts to use her skills and well established contacts by broadcasting to the USA from midnight to 6 am Paris time to give her fellow Americans a sense of life as an expat in Paris - and to advocate for American aid to French and British Allies. Following the USA’s entry into WWII, she flees with her Alsatian maid Nadine and her radio boss Jean to the charming French village of Barbizon, where they become active members of the French Resistance. I’ll refrain from including a number of spoilers, but will say I was astonished to read in the well written Author’s Note following the story that several of the occurrences I surmised were surely fictional in nature had actually been experienced by the real Madame Tartiere.

Healey is a good storyteller. The character of the brave, persistent and strong-willed Drue Leyton Tartiere is well drawn, and Healey expertly describes the many locations in which the story is set. I did feel the novel would have been more impactful and better paced if about 15-20% of the content had been edited out to create a tighter story. The tale meanders a bit here and there. Also, the ending felt a bit awkward and out of sync with the narrative and pacing. And I wished Nadine’s character had been more fully developed. All that said, this was a very enjoyable bit of histfic that kept me turning the pages, and I am happy to have learned about Tartiere’s life and heroic escapades. I’ve read all of Healey’s novels to date, and look forward to her next. Three and a half stars, rounded up.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Lake Union Publishing for a complimentary ARC. Opinions are entirely my own.

Needing a good escape book, I was so excited for this ARC from Jane Healey. This historical fiction novel based on the real-life of Drue Leyton Tartiere is immediately captivating! I felt like the pages flew by and it was an enjoyable read. Through so many incredibly difficult times, she is a protagonist to truly root for, and I was happy to see her prevail. This will be an easy recommendation when it is published in March! Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC!

In 1939, Hollywood actress Drue Leyton is married to a Frenchman who is off fighting the war while she is left alone with her housekeeper. With her career and family an ocean away, she is eager and willing to take an opportunity at a radio show. She befriends a famous wartime journalist and is urged into a political type of role. When it is no longer safe in Paris, she is willing to risk it all for everything she loves, and everything she’s fighting for.

This book was stunning and all I was looking for in a historical fiction book. My only complaint with it, is that at time it felt slightly long and drawn out. Like we spent too much time in areas that weren’t very relevant to the main plot. But the book was amazing, and I did enjoy it. I enjoyed that the author did her research into the real life Drue Leyton and crafted a fictional, yet believable story based in facts. I was rooting for Drue the entire time and loved her journey.

If you are looking for a powerful historical fiction from an American based in Paris during World War 2, then check this one out March 7th! Thank you to Lake Union Publishing, @getredprbooks, the author, and @netgalley for a copy of this e-arc in exchange for this honest review.

"I know the risks of this journey, but there are more dangers in not doing enough right now in the face of such a brutal enemy. My love for my country is stronger than my fear of what might happen to me."

Put Good-night from Paris on your reading list now! This is the 3rd book I've read from Healey and it's (IMO) her best work! I've enjoyed all of her books and have come to put a lot of trust in her as an author - she tells a great HF story without giving me nightmares! I love that her stories are real, fascinating, and compelling without being traumatic. I could not put this book down, and I haven't stopped thinking about it since I read it in November.

This is the true story of Hollywood actress Drue Leyton, an expat living in France in 1939. When her French husband is deployed, she has two choices - return to her super cushy lifestyle in America, or become a radio broadcaster, joining forces with journalists, political operatives, and activists, to help shake America into fighting in the war. What follows is a dramatic and amazing story of bravery and ultimate victory for good. I absolutely loved this one and am so excited for bookstagram to devour it! This releases March 7, 2023! Thank you to netgalley and the publisher for a chance to read this one in advance ❤️

Content: one fade-to-black intimate scene between a married couple

4.5 stars

BRILLIANT! (Love Makes the Difference!)

I have a short list of authors who write novels set during WWII and I cannot wait to read their next release. Jane Healey is on my list because her novels have been researched extensively, they are typically based on a true story, and her characters are larger than life and invite you to be a part of the story and make you want to know more about them.

Healey’s latest release, Goodnight from Paris, is the extraordinary story of former Hollywood actress Drue Leyton, married to Frenchman Jacques Tartière, now living as an expatriate in Paris in 1939. They are newlyweds but her husband feels compelled to do his part in the War and volunteers as a liaison for the British Military. Drue is asked to serve as well in a capacity she has no experience in but she is a quick learner and soon becomes quite a sensation. She broadcasts radio programs to the United States to shake them out of their apathy and get them involved in helping France! As she embarks on her new career, she begins to receive all manner of threats because of her political passions.

It is at this point that Healey once again showcases her impeccable writing skills as she takes readers on a harrowing journey of what life was like during the bombings of Paris, as well as other parts of France, and what life was like for the French during the occupation. She writes of the despair of the separation of families by death, capture, and imprisonment (and what life was like in different prisons), deprivation of food, cruelty, and disdain for human life, and she also writes of the opposite way people respond in the darkest of times by treating one another with a smile, a kind word, sharing what meager resources they had, mercy, and, yes, love. Love can always be found even in the darkest moments! Healey uses her character, the ex-pat Drue, to communicate the needs of France to the United States. Drue’s love for France is what made the difference in saving so many other people's lives before the War was over!

I was provided a complimentary copy of this novel by Lake Union Publishing & NetGalley. The opinions expressed here are entirely my own and without influence.

Thank you to the author, publisher, and Net Galley for an ARC of this book for my honest review. Any Historical Fiction that Jane Healey writes, I will read. I first read Beantown Girls and was crying by the end of it. When I saw that Goodnight from Paris was available to request, I had to get my hands on it.

Drue Leyton, a famous Hollywood actress from the United States. is living in Nazi-occupied France with her husband. When her husband goes off to fight with the British Army, Drue is offered a once of a lifetime chance to report on the war to back home through the radio. She is adamant to stay in Paris to relay everything that is occurring in Europe during this time. Her fight along the resistance's other characters is truly remarkable and will leave you in awe.

I was never aware of Drue Leyton and her story before Jane Healey chose to write about it. This is what I find so amazing about Jane. She really showcases the World War era in a realistic way. As a Veteran myself, I resonate so much with these characters and what they endured. It leaves my heart in shreds and my eyes watery. The love, passion, courage and sacrifices that were made by these characters makes them so authentic. I finished this book in one sitting and felt like I was transported back in time. Thank you, Jane Healey, for showcasing the bravery that women have, that is often overlooked when speaking about the military!

ARC received by the author via NetGalley. Thank you so much for the opportunity!

A 5 out of 5 must read for 2023!

Jane Healey consistently delivers on phenomenal historical fiction with a strong female lead; Goodnight From Paris was another slam dunk. The book follows the story of Drue, an American actress turned French Resistance Fighter during the Nazi occupation. The best part? It is based on a real woman's life, Drue Leyton Tartiere.

Drue's new husband, Jacques, a Frenchman, deploys to fight with the Allies leaving her in France. Soon after she is given the opportunity to host a radio broadcast to the U.S. highlighting the struggles that France is experiencing under the ever growing threat of Nazi invasion. She uses the broadcast as an opportunity to open America's eyes to the plight of France and the world. America's help was needed and she was willing to do anything in her power to get this point back to the states. Unfortunately, this leads to her being added onto the Nazi hit list as someone opposing their rule. Does this stop our strong and amazing, Drue? Nope! She instead digs in her heels and does what needs to be done (to the extreme at times!) and continues to fight for what she knew was right.

From a zoo, to an imprisonment to multiple scrapes with danger Goodnight from Paris will have you turning page after page following this passionate and patriotic woman's story.

My only complaint? I wanted more! An epilogue. A sequel. Something more to continue learning more about Drue and her companions. My only suggestion for my fellow readers? Don't start reading this book unless you have a hot cuppa next to you and plan on staying up past midnight to finish the book. Oh, and don't forget the tissues because there will be tears.

The magic of Jane Healey's book Goodnight from Paris is her captivating story of the bravery and strength of Drue Leyton, an American film star living in France during WWII. When Drue's husband decides to enroll in the French military, she seizes the opportunity to work for a radio show, using her on-air interviews to compel America to come to France's aid. Germany responds by issuing a death warrant which changes the trajectory of Drue's life. The author does an amazing job of putting the reader in Paris during that tense time before occupation.

As the war progresses and Drue's life is in danger, she is forced to flee Paris under a new identity, navigating the perils of daily life under German occupation. Drue and her circle of friends who are like family become an integral part of the French resistance. Every day making impossible decisions that risk their lives while saving others.

This book was compelling and well-written. The author's notes answer your questions about what is fact and what is fiction. I was surprised by how much was historically true even if every fact was not. Drue Leyton was an amazing woman and Jane Healy created this enjoyable read to learn about why.

Thank you to NetGalley for an advanced copy of "Goodnight from Paris" in exchange for an honest review. I loved this book and couldn't put it down. I thought that all the characters were great and that the plot moved along really well. I especially enjoyed the perspective of an American in France during the German Occupation. Even more impressive to me was that this book is based on the life of the real Drue Leyton. I've never heard of her before so I was glad obtain more knowledge of her contributions to the war effort. I highly recommend this book for anyone interested in WW2 fiction.

Goodnight from Paris by Jane Healey is an excellent WWII-era historical fiction
I read this book in 1.5 days.This is a well researched book I found this book engaging from start to finish, highlighting those willingness to risk their lives to free their country from the Nazis. I always love a good European war historical books, Drue Leyton is a name which was new to me so I appreciate the authors notes. I also loved Beantown Girls by Jane so I knew her kind of writing style, looking forward to her future books.

Thanks netgalley for the ARC.

I absolutely loved this book. It had wonderful settings and enticing characters. Every step of the way was an adventure. It will pull at your heart strings, but so worth the enchanting read.

Thank you to NetGalley and and lake union Publishing for providing me with a copy of Goodnight from Paris for my review.
The book is about an actress Drue Layton who moves to Paris and gets married to Jacque Tartieres just before the war. He went to help the British as an interpreter. She is offered a job in the U.s. but chooses to stay to help her new country of France. She is asked by Jean Fraysse to do broadcasts on Paris Mondale. She speaks her mind to tries and tries to get the USA to help in the war.
Jean gets sick was told to broadcast for the Germans without Drue, an American.. They are advised to leave Paris and stay in a villa and lease a farm nearby. Drue leaves with Nadine, her maid.

The story of how she preservers thru the resistance to help the French people during the German takeover was so well written and an eye opener to the detail. There is so much love, fear, power, commitment to the story. The research was so carefully put into this historical fiction.

I recommend this story for those who like WWII. Stories and the bravery of those who gave their all to help the French. I totally enjoyed this book.

Excellent story based on a real American actress and her work for the French resistance during WWII. At one time she was incarcerated at th zoo in the Moneky house. Peopled with interesting characters danger and daring - this is a page turner