I'm still not sure how I feel about this one. Wasn't what I was expecting to say the least. I still want to change so many things in this story.

Dual timelines follow the story of Noah Ainsworth, a British SOE (Special Operations Executive) agent during WWII. In the older timeline, he’s working in France for the SOE and his life is saved by another agent. The second timeline is set in 1970, when his daughter Charlotte is determined to help her dad find the person responsible for saving him. Noah is a recent widower and still struggles with memory issues from his wartime head injury. His sudden compulsion to locate the man he owes his life to, is surprising, and Charlotte is learning there’s a lot about her father she never knew.

But this is not really Noah’s story as much as it is about two women also involved with the SOE. Chloe and Fleur (code names) are the young women who put their lives at risk and who take center stage in the wartime story. One is instrumental in helping Noah get away and later is assigned to work alongside him. The novel really focuses on these women and the work they did to subvert the Germans.

In the second timeline Charlotte spearheads the effort to uncover any details about her dad’s savior. These attempts are complicated because the SOE records are sealed and it’s only through persistence and the help of Theo, a young historian, that she begins to discover her father’s real role during the war. Part of the problem is that many of the records were destroyed and there’s the continued need for secrecy. Compounding these difficulties is the fact that there was a double agent among the SOE and suspicions lurk about anyone involved in the network that Noah and the girls were part of.

The role of women during the war is getting a lot of coverage recently, and this book is another acknowledgement of their long-overlooked contributions. Though not fighting on the front lines, their extraordinary efforts showed their bravery and their impact on the war, including the lives they saved. There have been a number of recent spy fiction that have focused on the contributions of women. To name just a few, there’s Code Name Helene by Lawhon, The Alice Network by Quinn and The Golden Doves by Kelly.

The story of Chloe, Fleur and Noah speaks of the tremendous sacrifices made by those who were dedicated to fighting the Germans. Noah was saved by a man he barely recalls. Little attention is given to this man who deposits the injured Noah at a hospital. But the man’s actions are the impetus for the uncovering of the story and thus he is integral to getting to the truth.

Rimmer’s book is very readable. Her characters are sympathetic and courageous. Besides the tension of being surrounded by the enemy, there’s an undercurrent of threat from within the SOE. Noah’s failure to share his wartime activities is not at all surprising. Many did not discuss their exploits after the war, even if they were not part of intelligence. Of the two storylines, the wartime events are more riveting, but the later setting brings Noah’s life full circle. This is a robust, moving story of lives impacted by war and of women and men fighting a brutal enemy for justice.

Rimmer sets the course for a daughter to embark on a journey to help her dad sort out his past in the closing years of World War 2. Running into hurdles to uncover answers, Rimmer chronicles the journey of the Nazi's Night and Fog program and what it meant for those whose file received that fatal label. SOE agents caught in the line of duty, tortured, and then made to simply disappear while double agents work to cover their deceit. A love lost, a child sent away, and memories that are foggy due to injuries create an intricate story of paths crossing and uniting in both the past and the present. Rimmer captures the emotions felt by each character in the various moments of the journey and grips your humanity, wondering how one chose to be brave in the face of evil.

I have always enjoyed Kelly Rimmer as an author, and this novel was no exception. A well done rendering from a woman's perspective on the war and how vital women were to ending the horrors of WWII. I enjoyed the non-linear timeline and chapters from multiple viewpoints. There was somewhat of a "mystery" feel to the book as well. If you have enjoyed Kelly's books in the past, you will enjoy this one. Do yourself a favor and give it a chance!

Great historical fiction with a lot of heart!
I listened to this one on audio and really enjoyed the story for the three different perspectives. You get three amazing women, two of whom are in the middle of war in the 1940’s, and one trying to piece the history together in 1970’s. There was a couple times where i kept getting the women mixed up, but for the most part it was easy to know who we were following. Great job to the author for making me tear up at the end. So heartbreaking but what a remarkable story.

Thank you to the publisher, Harlequin Trade Publishing and NetGalley for providing me with an eARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Due to a head injury sustained in the war, Noah Ainsworth’s memories of his time as an undercover British operative in occupied France are quite muddled and fragmented. But one question has always plagued him – the identity of the agent who saved his life on his final mission – and with his daughter Charlotte, he sets out to find the answer. Their search takes them over twenty years into the past, to the untold stories of SOE agents Chloe and Fleur, two ordinary women who undertook dangerous missions and became spies in France.

Kelly Rimmer has become one of my auto-read authors for WWII historical fiction in the last couple of years, so I’ve been looking forward to this book for a while.

I’ve read many World War II resistance novels, and the ones that involve spies and undercover operatives have always been my favorite. That this story came with a subplot of mystery made it all the more thrilling a read. It was so easy to get caught up in this compelling tale of two strong women who fearlessly go behind enemy lines to gain valuable intelligence and carry out life-threatening missions, only to begin to suspect that there might be a traitor among them, giving away their plans to the Nazis.

This was a dual timeline narrative, a style I particularly enjoy for historical fiction novels, and the story flowed very well between past and present with the key revelations coming from both timelines and putting together the piece of the puzzle in such a way that the suspense was maintained until the end. It was well written and easy to read and also perfectly paced.

However, one major downside of this book for me was that I had a very difficult time keeping Chloe and Fleur straight with their real identities. The past timeline almost always used their real names with only a mention of their codenames while the present started mixing both after a while, and the chapter titles were always their real names. This slowed down my reading speed quite a bit as I always had to pause at chapter beginnings and sometimes in the middle too to figure out which character’s POV it was or which character was being talked about. In the end, I literally just noted down the characters and their code names on a piece of paper and referred to it whenever I got confused which was actually rather helpful.

Chloe and Fleur were both incredibly strong characters and their arcs were very well written. Reading their POVs was a very immersive experience and it felt like being right there alongside the agents through their victories and losses and every danger they undertook for their missions. Noah’s arc was no less fascinating as he jogs his memory in the present, recalling his time as an SOE agent, while in the past, the details of his missions and exactly how his path crossed with Chloe and Fleur unfolds.

The two timelines came together in the final chapters for a very emotional ending that will definitely have you reaching for the the tissue box. It wasn’t a huge surprise on either front – the women’s fates or the identity of the double agent since there was ample foreshadowing and information revealed on both fronts which made it rather obvious how things were going to end, but that in no way reduced the impact of those final chapters which were both heart-breaking and horrifying.

The Paris Agent is my favorite so far of all the books I’ve read by this author and I can’t wait to see what she will write next. This would be a great choice for anyone who enjoys historical fiction. Highly recommended!

Charlotte's father was a spy during WWII and he wants to thank the man who saved his life. Charlotte is determined to find the man and learn more about his time during the war. She gets a lot more than she bargained for when she starts to unravel a very tangled, and classified, web of secrets. The story bounces back and forth between Charlotte's timeline and the stories of two women spies during the war.

I have loved so many of Kelly Rimmer's books and I knew this would be no exception. She has a beautiful way of telling little-known stories from history that capture your heart and open your eyes. This story will keep you guessing, break your heart, and give you hope. If you're a historical fiction fan, definitely add this one to your list. You will love so many of these characters.

Thank you to NetGalley and Harlequin Trade Publishing for the ARC of this book.

I would first like to thank Net Galley for the advanced copy of this novel. I am a huge Kelly Rimmer fan and love the fictional spin she puts on such a devastatingly fascinating time period.

It took a while for this novel to grab my attention. I found the first chapter very abrupt; just out of nowhere the narrator's dad is spilling his guts with no preamble. It felt very forced, especially after the prologue seemed to lull on.

I also found the code names very confusing. They would call the same person by two different names and it was hard to focus on who they were talking about.

However, all that being said, around page 100 I was hooked. Although I got caught early on in the novel by the previously mentioned, I found the story well written and did not want to put it down. I won't say it wasn't predictable, but pleasantly so.

Overall, I will give this book 4 stars, as what it lacked in the beginning was made up for in the end!

Kelly Rimmer is a must read author for me and always guarantees a great book. This historical fiction book was well done. Dual timelines and perspectives offered some mystery woven throughout this WWII story.

I received an ARC in exchange for an honest review. The book was inspired by Violette Szabo and Diane Rowden who were part of a Special Operations unit (SOE) during the war.

I was excited to read this book as I absolutely adored The Things You Cannot Say, which was a five start read and one of my all time favourite books.

The book takes place over two different timelines, in the 1970s and 1940s during WWII. Charlotte’s mother (Geraldine) has passed away, and her father Noah is determined that he needs to reach out to a past colleague from the war to thank him for saving his life. While Geraldine was alive, her mom didn't want Noah to pursue or try to reach out to anyone related to his military combat days. Noah was severely injured in the war and had a brain injury that left him with some limitations. Geraldine was concerned it would be too much for Noah to handle and that it would stir up a lot of pain for him. Charlotte and her father reach out to Professor Read, who had been researching and tracking down the details of the different people involved in the operations to learn more and potentially connect with the person who saved Noah’s life.

The other narratives are from the perspectives of Eloise and Josie, and their experiences as spies in France trying to help bring about the end of WWII. We learn that Noah, Eloise, Josie, and Remi were all part of the SOE during the war. For Eloise and Josie we learn what happened and we learn about Marcel who they both work with during their missions.

This book was hard to put down once I started reading it. There were questions that kept popping up as I read that I was trying to figure out. I really enjoy historical fiction, as it often teaches you new things about history. If you enjoy reading historical fiction, I highly recommend it. I found the story very interesting, though sometimes I felt a bit confused when it came to the names because both Josie (Chloe) and Eloise (Fleur) had different names that they used during the operations, which I found a bit confusing. I enjoy reading books that represent women demonstrating strength and resilience.

Obsessed with this book Kelly timer has an uncanny ability to keep me turning pages long after it should be lights out . I love the writing style and the story here 10/10 I can’t wait to see what comes next from her

Kelly Rimmer brings yet another fabulous historical fiction book to readers. Two SOE agents are caught and held captive in the
Karlsruhe prison in Germany, and form strong bonds.
The author brings her readers sooo many powerful and moving messages throughout the book about relationships, and friendships that form even under the most dire circumstances.
The book moves beautifully through different time periods with
reflections and references from the present back to the past.Kelly Rimmer delivers very strong and powerful messages that can be applied to all aspects of life which is one of the reasons why she is one of my favorite authors. Her messages are very touching and profound. The storyline does deal with capture and imprisonment, so it is a very intense book. I thoroughly enjoyed reading it!
Many thanks to NetGalley and Harper Collins for providing an advanced copy of this book in exchange for my review.

I have loved prior books from Kelly Rimmer - The Things We Cannot Say is one of my all time favorites - so I was very eager to pick this one up! Sadly this one wasn't a favorite of mine. I don't think it was bad at all, it just never really drew me in and I never looked forward to picking it up. The second half of the book was much stronger than the first, perhaps because I finally had somewhat of a grasp on the characters and what was going on.

It could have been a me problem but I kept confusing the characters - the fact that they had names plus code names and then fake names depending on their assignments was really throwing me off. I liked the present day story best with Noah and Charlotte, I really just wanted to know Noah's full story. I also liked Josie's story, but the time jumps to different parts of 1944 was so confusing to me - between that and all the names I just couldn't keep up and it became kind of a drag to read. I really just didn't care about Eloise's story at all and found myself skimming her chapters to get back to the other characters. I do like how hers tied in at the end but it took way too long to get there.

I know this is an ARC and I shouldn't hold it against the book, but I read ARCs all the time and this one just had SO MANY mistakes. It really took away from my reading experience - words were misspelled or in the wrong tense and there was a space between the "f" and the "l" in any word that had those letters together (ex. - flour would be "f lour" in the book). Again, I tried so hard not to let this affect my experience with the book because it comes with accepting an ARC, but the mistakes were so excessive it was too hard to ignore. Sorry!

Despite no loving this one I would seriously read anything Rimmer puts out in the future! The three books of hers that I've read before this one have all been amazing and I'll stay tuned for what's next.

Kelly Rimmer has a way of taking some of the common WWII storylines and giving such heart to them. I don’t always read a WWII fiction, but when I do, it’s either by her or Kate Quinn.

I also really loved this one on audio, so check that out if you’re looking for your next listen!

Will I remember the details of this book in a month? Probably not. But I enjoyed the emotional ride while it lasted!

I thought I was burned out with reading WII historical fiction novels with dual timelines until I read this book by Kelly Rimmer. I cared as much about the 1970 timeline as much as I did the WWII one. The story about female agents in Paris during WWII was equal parts heroic and heartbreaking.

Ms. Rimmer did a great job revealing not just who they were as agents, but she also helped us see who they were as women and the great personal sacrifice they made working for the SOE. The afterward explains that some of the characters in this book were based on real women. That just made the book even more beautiful .

I highly recommend this book. 4/5 stars

Thanks to NetGalley and Harlequin Trade Publishing for an ARC of this book.

Two women Chloe and Fleur (their code names) decide to join the SOE. In 1943 SOE calls these two women up for a mission in France. The women had no idea of the danger of this mission as a double agent was causing chaos within the French circuits. The double agent will cause the outcome of their lives. What will happen to Chloe and Fleur? Will they survive the war? Noah Ainsworth is still preoccupied in finding out who saved him. He had received a head injury which caused gaps in his memories. He was an operative of SOE working in France. Hide daughter Charlotte decides to help her father by doing research for him. Charlotte looks at some overlooked clues which finds the double agent who lives close.to home. She also finds information about the last days of Chloe and Fleur. Does Noah get the answers he needs?

The author has written a historical novel about a part of World War 2. It is a fast paced thriller. The tension created as I read this book had me turning the pages. It is a fascinating read. The author shows a part of the darkness of World War 2 that is not often shown. It’s a definite must read!

An emotional read. A dual timeline. A historical that you need to read.
This author captured this era perfectly. Laid out the premise and captures your attention,

Well done.

Thank you NetGalley and Publisher for this arc.

Rimmer takes us on an exhilarating ride through occupied France - with heart-pounding danger, illicit love, and double agents. In 1970, Noah, one of the SOE agents, struggles to remember the day he was wounded with the help of his daughter and a historian who specializes in the SOE. But Noah gets more than he bargained for, as we travel the journey with Josie and Eloise through the last days of the resistance. Enough twists to keep you guessing, and the timelines are equally compelling.

3.5 rounded up.

I've been a huge fan of Kelly Rimmer's for years and was really looking forward to this latest one. While it was a solid WWII dual timeline historical fiction book featuring women who worked in the SOE (Special Operations Executive) it just didn't have quite the same emotional punch I've come to expect from this author. Still really well written and interesting, full of heart wrenching situations, bravery, cruelty, struggles with infertility and new love. Good on audio as well read by a full cast. Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an early digital copy. I voluntarily read and reviewed this and all comments are my own.

Kelly Rimmer’s latest historical novel cycles between three dufferent POVs. During WWII, we get the perspectives of two different women spies Eloise and Josie working for the British undercover in France on separate missions. And in 1970, it’s told from the perspective of Charlotte, whose father Noah suffered a traumatic brain injury during his WWII service and has always had hazy memories of what happened, but who decides all these years later that he wants to thank the man who saved his life which lead him and Charlotte on a quest to uncover more of his history.

I found this one a little confusing - the two women spy stories are taking place in slightly different times and places in France, but between that and the fact that they’re more often referred to by their code names than the names in their chapter endings, I often found it hard to keep track of which was which and found myself flipping back and forth frequently trying to sort out when/who I was reading about. That being said, I did find the stories compelling and read the book quickly.

I’ve read A LOT of WWII fiction over the years, however, so it takes a lot for a book set then to really wow me. Kelly Rimmer’s other two WWII books, The Things We Cannot say especially but also The Warsaw Orphan, brought new aspects to the table that really impressed me, but this one not as much - it’s not even the first novel about women spies in France that I’ve read this year alone. So it’s a good one, but not a stand-out.

3.75 stars