I really liked this one told by multiple pov’s . It’s a classic type Rimmer novel with a dual timeline narrative told from differing perspectives of the history of Soe agents in WWII. But she does a good job of weaving it all together. Overall and engaging read
Thanks for letting me review this book from Netgalley and the publisher

This is an entertaining, well-written, WWII historical fiction novel which is written over a dual timeline. It vividly describes the actions of two strong and capable, courageous, female SOE operatives during the war, and the search for answers by the intelligent daughter of an operative in 1970. Its mystery, intrigue, and suspense will keep the reader engaged from beginning until end. There is bravery, suffering and heartbreak, and a satisfying conclusion.
NetGalley, Harlequin Trade Publishing and Ms. Kelly Rimmer kindly provided me with an ARC of this outstanding novel, and this is my honest opinion.

Riveting! Kelly Rimmer has established herself as a master storyteller, and she once again delivers with this moving and suspenseful page turner about English SOE spies. Featuring two timelines, the novel toggles between England in 1970 and the experiences of the spy protagonists primarily in France during World War II. The women characters are particularly relatable and well developed, and Rimmer’s plot and prose kept me flipping pages well into the night. Another excellent story well told by Rimmer!

A tip to future readers: Pay close attention to link the real and code names of the featured female spies early on to avoid the momentary confusion I experienced as to which character’s arc I was reading.

Highly recommended to fans of Rimmer and other authors of beautifully written, well researched WWII fiction, including Kristin Harmel, Kate Quinn, and Martha Hall Kelly.

Many thanks to Graydon House for the complimentary ARC. Opinions are my own.

This is one of my favorite genres to read, and I've enjoyed other books by Rimmer. This one, however, wasn't one of my favorites. There's a large cast of agents, who go by code names, and it was quite confusing to keep them all straight without flipping back or taking notes on who's who. I did enjoy the dual timeline. Things did come together a bit by the end, thankfully. However, I think the book could've benefitted from following just one mission and keeping things more focused overall.

The Paris Agent
By Kelly Rimmer
Pub Date: July 11, 2023
Graydon House
Thanks to the author, publisher and NetGalley for the ARC of this book in exchange for my honest opinion.
I begin by saying I adore Kelly Rimmer and kudos to her for her painstaking research,
However, this book is just too dense. If you are new to this genre I recommend Rimmer’s previous book The Things I Cannot Say.
This book is also better to read than to listen to.
4 stars

I am a huge fan of Kelly Rimmer’s books and always applaud the thorough research that goes into each novel. This Paris Agent is no exception, and I personally think this is one of her denser books as far as historical facts goes, making it great for those who love historical fiction but not the first I’d recommend if you only dabble in this genre. If the latter is you case read Rimmer’s The Things We Cannot Say first!!

The Paris Agent highlights the lives of multiple British SOE (Special Operations Executive) agents during WWII and jumps between the war years in France and post war (1970) in England. I truly loved how each perspective was woven together and how the story blended romance, action, history, espionage and mystery. It was easy to feel all the emotions you expect when reading about this time period and feel as though you are experiencing each triumph and battle with the characters.

Note: I will say this is a book I suggest reading over listening to as the characters switch between their real and field agent names within chapters and across perspectives, and I found myself needing to go back a reread sections to make sure I really caught on without missing key details!

Read if you like:
-WWII HF
-Learning about the SOE
-Side romance and mystery storylines
-Code Name Helene/ The Rose Code

Thank you HTP for the ARC. Pub date 7/11/23

Synopsis (from Netgalley, the provider of the book for me to review.)
*********************************************************
A family's innocent search for answers brings a long-forgotten, twenty-five-year-old mystery to light, in the riveting new novel from the bestselling author of The Things We Cannot Say.
1970—In the aftermath of his war-ravaged past, Noah Ainsworth is still haunted by memories of his time as a fearless British operative in France. But a critical head injury left Noah with frustrating memory gaps and a burning question that plagues him—who was the agent who saved his life during that tragic final mission?
Determined to find answers, Noah's daughter Charlotte embarks on a quest from their cozy home in Liverpool, leading her to the incredible lives of two ordinary women—Chloe and Fleur—who transformed into fearless spies on foreign soil. But as Charlotte unravels the heroic exploits of these women and their connection to Noah, she inadvertently stumbles upon evidence of a double agent lurking disturbingly close to home, drawing her into a treacherous web of secrets and unearthing a shocking story from those final days of the war.
Once again, Kelly Rimmer takes readers on a gripping journey, one that threads the lives of two remarkable women into the fabric of history, unveiling the power of courage, family and the indelible mark left by the darkest era of human conflict.

A great historical novel without the ubiquitous woman's back looking away from us on the cover ... okay, this one has a side view which is #2 on that guilty list. I actually have clients who look for books with women's backs on them as they know that they will be historical fiction! Wonderful characters and a great plot will keep you entertained for hours: highly recommended along with her other previous novels.
#shortbutsweetreviews

Going into this story I knew from the start that it might break my heart and make me feel all of the emotions,and this story does that right from the very start. From the fear of the unknown to the hunger the characters felt , to even feeling their pain of what they went through. And that one of the reasons I feel in love with this story, the author did amazing job bring her characters , as well as the places she mentions to life even though its told in multiple points of view and jumps time periods.

The Paris Agent by Kelly Rimmer chronicles the adventures of SOE agents during WWII. The story does have multiple points of view and jumps time periods. The SOE agents also go by code names so I had to flip back and forth to try to figure out whom was who in the beginning of the story. Overall, I enjoyed this novel and would recommend it to anyone who enjoys historical fiction, especially during World War Two.

I want to thank NetGalley for allowing me the opportunity to read an advanced copy and give my opinion in this review.

Told in alternating time lines and alternating characters, THE PARIS AGENT takes us from the WWII operations of the SOE to 1970.

We meet many characters in the back story which made the book confusing and not easy to get interested in.

The characters from 1970 were a bit easier to keep track of since they included Noah, Charlotte, Professor Read, and Theo.

Noah wanted to thank one of his fellow SOE members, but finds out his wife had been right to not look back just ahead.

THE PARIS AGENT introduces the reader to another part of WWII that I didn't know about, and of course has chapters about the Nazis and their treatment of others.

There are many tearful moments, horrible moments, secrets, beautiful detailed writing, wonderful sentiments at the end, and well-researched events.

I do have to say the WWII chapters were difficult to follow. 4/5

This book was given to me by the publisher via NetGalley for an honest review.

Exploring your family’s history can turn up shocking surprises—especially if that history includes the actions of British SOE (Special Operations Executive) agents. These agents, of whom 41 were women, gathered intelligence and mounted sabotage operations in Nazi-occupied France. Twenty-five years after the end of the war, the families of two of these women, code-named Fleur and Chloe, attempt to learn more about their deaths.
Rimmer shows us the isolation and terror of operating alone against a heartless enemy and collaborators, as well as the frustration of Lottie and Theo with SOE records still secret in 1970. The story moves easily from 1970 to 1942. Both sets of characters a sympathetic and true to life. The obstacles each character faces are compelling, and, with each change of scene, you’re left torn between finding out more and digging into the new scene.
The end of the story is satisfying without cheapening the sacrifices that the characters have made fighting the Nazis.

I have been a fan of Kelly Rimmer since I discovered her with The Things We can’t say. I also really enjoyed this book. I had a little trouble keeping track of the different women to start. I really enjoyed the story and cried at the end. I don’t think anything will beat Things We Cannot Say for me but this was a good book.

𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐏𝐚𝐫𝐢𝐬 𝐀𝐠𝐞𝐧𝐭
𝟑⚡️ 𝐇𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐢𝐜𝐚𝐥 𝐅𝐢𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧

I absolutely love this author and if you’ve been following me then I’m sure you know that! I’m sad to say that this book fell short for me. To me it was hard to keep the story line straight with the agent’s code names and the multiple POVs. I enjoyed the ending of the book the best and seeing how everything came together but getting there was tough. I think if the story line would have followed one mission more closely or possibly if it has been laid out more clearly, it would have been easier to follow. I always appreciate the research into true events for these novels to be written and I always end up in a rabbit hole after finishing them!

1940s - we follow the stories of fearless spies (Chloe and Fleur) serving for the Special Operations Executive (SOE): a secret British WW2 organization helping local resistance movements and conducting espionage in enemy territories.

1970- Noah Ainsworth is still haunted by his time as an agent for the SOE many years ago. While serving, Noah sustained a critical head injury that leaves memories from that time blurry. 30 years later, Noah can’t help but wonder about the agent that saved his life during their final mission. Charlotte, Noah’s daughter, is determined to help her father find his answers. Charlotte is lead to finding information about two heroic women and their connection to her father during their time in the SOE.

Through the lives of Chloe, Fleur, and Noah we find the power of courage, endless love, and the long lasting mark of betrayal and War.

Cheers⚡

The Paris Agent by Kelly Rimmer is another exceptionally written historical fiction by this author. Her books never disappoint and this one is no exception.

This dual timeline book alternates between the 1940’s during WWII and the 1970’s in Britain. It follows Chloe, Fleur, and Noah SOE agents during the war. In 1970 Noah and his daughter Charolette try to put the pieces of what happened to the female agents together. The heartache, challenges and risks they faced are clearly felt by the reader.

I highly recommend this book and found that it kept me wanting to read until the end to see what happened next. The story had a bit of everything in it from suspense, love, deception to heartbreak.

Thank you NetGalley and Harlequin Trade Publishing for an ARC copy of this book.

Another brilliant and heart-rending novel from Kelly Rimmer. Make sure you have some tissues on hand because this one is rough, although I've grown to expect nothing less. It took me a while to figure out all the characters in this one because so many of them switch between code names and real names interchangeably throughout but we got there in the end. Late in the book, a minor character says that one should never miss an opportunity to do a kindness for someone else, no matter how small and no matter if that person is a stranger, and I feel like that embodies this book. So many characters choosing to do acts of kindness in the face of evil, even when it cost them everything to do so. 4.5/5 for me.

The Paris Agent is a dual timeline story with the first timeline telling the stories of agents working for the British SOE (Special Operations Executive) organization, helping various resistance groups in occupied France during WWII. Each agent had their own chapters with their own voice, which I enjoyed, but I did get a bit confused at the beginning because agents were identified by both their real names and their operational names - it would probably have been helpful to have both names at the beginning of the chapter, not just their real name (for example: Josie a/k/a "Chloe"). The second timeline took place in 1970 with Charlotte dealing with the recent death of her mother and then learning that her kind and mild-mannered father, Noah, had been involved with the SOE - meaning that he had been a spy in WWII. The timelines do come together and about half-way through he book, I couldn't put it down. The characters were likeable and the novel gave me the happy ending that I love so much. Highly recommend!

The Paris Agent by Kelly Rimmer was an extraordinarily written, heart-wrenching novel. I have read many books by Kelly Rimmer and this is by far my absolute favorite. It spans between WWII and 1970-1972, with each chapter being told from a characters perspective. It tells the story of Josie aka
Chloe, Eloise aka Fleur, and Noah aka Marcel; all whom were operatives of the SOE during WWII and did missions for the SOE in Nazi-Occupied France. Another perspective that chapters are told by are the chapters set in the early 1970's by Noah's daughter, Charlotte.

Eloise and Josie are two female SOE operatives who's stories are beautifully intertwined as they do continuous missions in occupied France. Josie and Noah do many missions together as well, and along the way a strong bond and a once in a lifetime sort of romance evolves between the two of them, but the war has other ideas for them and they are ripped apart.

In 1970's, Charlotte looses her mother and while helping her father get over the loss of losing his wife, she finds out piece by piece about his past as an SOE operative and helps him find out what really happened to Josie and Eloise all those years ago. While doing so, she meets Theo, whom is tied to her fathers past in a way no one saw coming.

Before you read this book. have your tissues ready. War is not a beautiful thing and with it comes loss, tragedy fear, death and scars that remain on ones heart for the rest of their lives and Kelly Rimmer does a beautiful job at making her readers feel every one of those emotions as if you are a character in the story yourself. There are plot twists in this book that will make you smile. cry, and want to scream "NO!" - this is an unforgettable book.

Kelly Rimmer has become my go-to WWII fiction writer. She is brilliant, and leaves no historical stone unturned. Her latest is another example for why her books are so unputdownable - fascinating characters, excellent writing, and a plot that keeps you turning the pages. She is at the top of her game with this newest book, and I loved every second of it. I will definitely be ordering a paper copy to have on hand. If you love fiction, especially WWII - then you absolutely must read Kelly Rimmer and all of her books, including this one. Ten stars!

Engrossing dual timeline story about a former WWII British spy, who along with his daughter, is searching for the person who rescued him from a mission gone wrong. Their story is interspersed with the story of two female British spies during the war. This story includes a little bit of everything, including history, mystery and romance.

Kelly Rimmer never disappoints, and her latest, The Paris Agent was an incredible book!! The characters are so beautifully written and the heartache and challenges are so clearly evident, I felt every page so deeply. I've read many WWII books, but this one might be my favorite that was impossible to put down. Highly recommend for a book that will pull at your heartstrings and keep you turning page after page until the end!

Thank you to net galley for the arc in exchange for an honest review.