1940, French bookseller Madeline discovers that her late husband had a son in Germany, making the boy half Jewish and in danger under Nazi rule. Meanwhile she is also enlisted by the Resistance to save banned books. 2011, Olivia discovers a photo of her great grandmother with a Nazi and wants to find the truth about her heritage...
The Bookseller of Paris is the second book in The Paris Sisters series. I have previously read and reviewed the first book, The Last Day in Paris.
Madeline is adjusting to life as a widow as well as the occupation of Paris by the Nazis. She is shocked when she finds out that her husband had fathered a child that he never knew about. She wants to travel to Germany to see the boy and protect him if possible. She also has another secret mission which also puts her in danger.
Olivia spots a photo in an auction lot and recognises her great grandmother Ada. She knows very little about her family history and is estranged from her grandfather Kurt. She travels to Scotland to meet him properly and try to find out about his past. I enjoyed her exploration and investigation of the truth behind the family secrets, in tandem with events unfolding in the 1940s narrative.
I thought both timelines were equally vividly portrayed and effectively imagined. The use of the two timelines allows the plot to unfold and interlink, and I thought this was well executed by the author. The writing style was easy to read and the characters felt authentic. At the end of the book is an author's note which demonstrates the author's research and basis on real events and people. This added extra depth and emotion to the plot and character depiction.
The Bookseller of Paris is a hugely emotional and enjoyable historical novel based on real life people for added poignancy.

I was eager to delve into book 2 of the Paris Sisters series after loving book 1. The Bookseller of Paris is another unputdownable, yet heart wrenching novel about the bravery of two strong women, set during World War 2. This series is written well and is historical fiction at its best.

Thank you, Suzanne Kelman, Bookouture, & netgalley for my copy! All opinions are my own.

A truly wonderful book! A story worthy of the telling. World War 2 brought many tragedies and separations. Some separations came with the finality of death, but others had to be lived through along with the anxiety and anger that came with it. All of this is brought out in the real lives of Madeline; Jacob; Kurt and Ada against the backdrop of the war. A chance find by Olivia in 2011, brings with it emotions, joy, sadness and eventually reconciliation.
The story is well written and the suspense created make this a book worth reading. As the pages turn, as the story unfolds, keep your hankies close by, it’s a tear jerker. Once you start reading, you won’t be able to put it down.
Thank you Suzanne Kelman for writing this book, as always you made it real. Thank you to bookouture for publishing and NetGalley for this advance copy to read and review. This review is honestly written and freely given. Thank you.

The second book in The Paris Sisters series is about saving books from being destroyed when the Germans invaded Paris. The main character, Madeline, is based on Adele Kibre who smuggled over 3,000 reels of microfilm and other written material across enemy lines and risked her life on a daily basis to accomplish her goal.

Madeline Valette is the owner of a small bookstore in Paris. Her beloved husband has recently died and the bookstore that they owned helps get her through the long days without him. When the Germans invade Paris, life changes dramatically. She's given a list of banned books to remove from her store. When she's asked to join the Resistance to smuggle banned books from Berlin, she accepts, desperate to defy the Nazis. Because she still has an American passport, she can travel to Germany with no problems. Not only is she desperate to get books out of Germany but she has a personal goal as well. She received a letter from a woman claiming to be her husband's first wife and the mother of his only child. She never knew that her husband had a child but she vows to get him out of Germany to a safe place. She places her life in danger during every trip she makes to Germany and as the war continues, her trips become even more difficult. Will she find her husband's son and get him to safety?

Olivia is the main character in the present day time line. She works with old books and when she's at an auction, she finds a book with pictures of her grandmother in the back of the book. She feels a strong need to find out why her grandmother's pictures are there, despite her mother telling her not to look into it. Her grandfather is estranged from the rest of the family but she contacts him to find out more information which he is very reluctant to disclose. As in the first book, the World War II timeline is much more interesting and exciting than the present day timeline but they both work well together to show the effect that the past has on the future. This is another well written and well researched novel and I am looking forward to the next book in the series.

The Bookseller of Paris is the second book in the series of The Paris Sisters by Suzanne Kelman. We follow a dual timeline of Madeline’s powerful story set during WW2. A heartbreaking, unputdownable story of loyalty, discovery, love, courage and bravery. Both timelines are equally fascinating with strong independent characters. Although the book can be read as a standalone, I would highly recommend reading the first. I look forward to reading about the next sister in the series.
I would like to thank Bookouture, NetGalley and the author for the opportunity to read this complimentary copy for an honest review. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.
#TheBooksellerofParis #NetGalley

This book is told in two timelines...WWII and the present (2011). The premise is about saving books in Paris from the Germans who take over the city. It centers on one particular family, what happened in their lives during the war and finding that history in 2011. With two strong female protagonists we follow their trail to its conclusion. Well written and well researched. Suzanne Kelman is an excellent author and I have come to expect nothing less than excellence when I read her stories (no pressure!). My thanks to NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This is another heart-warming historical fiction novel from Suzanne Kelman. Though there are some minimal linkages to the Paris Sisters book 1, this is a stand-alone story and can be read independently even if you have not read the first book.

The theatres of action are the same as in book 1 – Paris, Germany and the UK. This is told in two timelines: 1940 to end of WW 2, and 2011 onwards.

In 1940, Paris, Madeline runs a bookshop ‘Elegance of Ink’ after her husband Alex has passed away. She has a regular set of customers such as Monsieur Deveaux who always buys a newspaper. She meets a lady Dominique who has moved here recently, and she joins the bookstore. One day, Madeline gets a letter addressed to Alex from a lady named Ada from Germany. The letter mentions their being married earlier and says they have a son Kurt. Ada and Alex divorced, and she later married someone else. Alex did not know of his son before he died. Kurt is half Jewish since Alex was Jewish. In the prevailing situation, Ada Implores Alex to save Kurt. Madeline is shocked and thinks about what her next steps should be. In her heart she knows that however dangerous, she has to help Ada and Kurt.

In 2011, England, Olivia (Livi) is an antiquarian bookseller. She is divorced and has a cat Tommy for company. At an auction she comes across poetry books and photos of her great-grandmother Ada in a consignment. She bids quite high, stretching her savings to acquire the package. Livi’s grandfather came to England as a war orphan and is reclusive, preferring to not speak of the past. Livi wants to know more about her family and takes a chance she gets to visit Germany. She makes multiple visits to uncover the details of her family.

As with many of her books, this has very strong and impressionable female characters, and a moving story. The final sections are somewhat predictable. The characters are all well-developed and the story captures the essence of the period very well – a sense of fear, rabid antisemitism, and the tragedy & despair of war. Above all, though, this is a story of love & relationships. The author mentions in the afterword that she based the story very loosely on real events & characters, and the references make for interesting reading. A book I very much recommend!

My rating: 4.5 / 5.

Loved it!! I really enjoy books with dual timelines and this was no exception. Loved learning more about the Valette family. All the sisters are truly amazing and put their lives in danger to help others. My favorite part of the book was Madeline's story. I don't know how she traveled back and forth to Germany so many times without being caught. I didn't mind Olivia, because without her, Kurt would have never known the truth about his family. I hope Charlotte's story will be next. I want to know what happened on the train ride. Did they ever reach their destination? Was Antoinette ever reunited with her son?

Definitely recommend the book. Loved the characters, story and writing style. The next book in the series cannot come out fast enough. Possibly Charlotte's story? Maybe there will be a reunion of the survivors from the War? I look forward to reading more books by the author.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from Bookouture through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

This was such a lovely story written in two different timelines. Olivia tells the story of finding a photo of her great grandmother with a nazi in a box of books at an auction. Madeline tells of her role during the war in Paris. How will the two worlds collide? You will have to read it to find out, but I promise it will be worth your while. Thank you to NetGalley for letting me read this book in exchange for my honest opinion.

What an amazing book that gripped me from beginning to end. Suzanne Kelman has a way of making the reader feel like they are there in the moment, feeling the emotions of the characters. I have thoroughly enjoyed the first 2 books, and hope there will be a number 3 soon! 5 stars out of 5 ⭐️

I knew as soon as I started this book, I wouldn't be able to put it down and it kept me reading until the wee hours of the morning.
This is a series which I strongly suggest you read in order. Book 0 is The Paris Orphans, book 1 is The Last Day in Paris and this is the Paris Sisters series.

I've read most all of the author's books, and I'm always so impressed by how well researched the books are. She adds little known facts about WWII into her books making them so realistic that I feel as though I could take the hand of the scared and crying child in the book and comfort them.

With this being a dual timeline at times you don't make the connection right away in some books, not the case here. I very much enjoyed meeting one of the characters as a child in one of the timelines and seeing them as an adult as well. We are shown how the effects of the war and all they had to go through affected who they became.

During WWII ordinary people, many of them women became heroes as they went exhibited extraordinary bravery far above what they though themselves capable of.
Highly recommended!

I was given a complimentary copy of this book.
All opinions expressed are my own.

As soon as I started this book I knew it was going to be a good story. I was completely hooked and read it very quickly. My thanks to netgalley and the publishers for giving me the opportunity to read this book in return for an honest review.

One New Revelation Can Change Everything. This is, ultimately, a tale of exactly what the title says. As a dual timeline tale, the linkage here is rare, but rare in the sense of the now-mythical banana chocolate chip cookie from Chips Ahoy - done once years ago, and *may* (HOPEFULLY, in the case of the cookie, I've missed it ever since!) eventually come back.

Discussing the 2010s era timeline at all is a spoiler in that it isn't mentioned at all in the description of the book (at least as it exists at publication in August 2024), but it was one that I could very much relate to given my own family's history. It was also the timeline where this book could be classified as a romance, but that is all that I will say here.

The WWII story is compelling, though we've actually seen its pivotal moment in at least The Last Day In Paris (Book 1 of this series), if not The Paris Orphans (Book 0). The story here is more both how we got to that particular moment and what happens after - both compelling, if at least slightly different, mysteries.

Overall this was a tense book full of both the peril of WWII in so many facets as well as the long tail of its aftermath in so many different ways. Very much recommended.

I love books about books. There’s been so many about wartime and the influence books had on helping people survive the terrible things they experienced. This one showed booksellers protecting banned books that the Nazis wanted out of people’s hands. I loved the concept of using books to hide messages. Not only do we get Madeline’s POV back during WWII, we also get Olivia’s POV. She finds a book that contains a picture of her great-grandmother and grandfather. She goes to visit her grandfather, determined to figure out where the picture came from and learn more about her family’s history. Suzanne’s books are always wonderful, and this one was no exception.

Thank you NetGalley and Bookouture for my ARC of this book.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
🌶️
Historical Fiction

Wow. Just wow. This had everything- mystery, a sprinkle of romance, intrigue, history, suspense. I loved it. This was a dual POV- a woman who was a spy in the war and a modern day woman whose estranged grandfather was a child in the war.

Madeline is a bookstore owner in Paris in the early 1940s. She receives a letter from her late husband’s first wife. She is living in Germany and needs help. Madeline gets into Germany by saving German books and taking pictures of important books being burned by the German soldiers.

Livi works for a book collector in London in 2011. When she is at an auction she finds pictures of her great grandmother and a Gestapo solider in a poetry book. She wants more information so she weasels her way into her grandfather’s life. She continues to unravel his past he has kept so tightly wound up.

The writing was whimsical and the characters had depth.

This book came out August 5! #netgalleyarc

#netgalleyreads #netgalleyreviewer #netgalleyreview #arcreader #arcreaders #arcreadersofinstagram

This is the 2nd book in the Paris Sisters series. This story ties together the stories of Olivia a modern-day book dealer and Madeline Vallete a Parisian bookseller in Paris during WWII. A chance find at an auction house turns out to have a connection to Olivia’s past and Madeline Valette. Madeline learns that her late husband had a child with his 1st wife, which neither of them knew about. That child is in Germany and danger because he’s Jewish.


I enjoyed the stories in both timelines. I thought the writer did a wonderful job of creating vibrant characters. Olivia’s grandfather’s story was especially poignant as he learned more about his history. I’m always amazed at the lengths that people went through to help others during WWII, especially those in the resistance, as well as the lengths they went through to save the writings and the arts. I’m looking forward to reading more of the stories of the sisters in this series.


Thanks to @bookouture, @netgalley, and the author for this ARC

No book set in a WWI or WWII setting is not intriguing. Each story with the background of the Resistance in whatever setting it is, has its human story of courage, endurance and loyalty to the country of their birth. This was no different.

Set in 1940 Madeline runs a bookshop in Paris but she can see the troubling signs ahead. She has lost her husband Alex and is struggling to live without him. A letter arrives from Germany indicating that Alex has a son Kurt, and this is heartbreaking news for Madeline who only then realises her husband has had secrets kept well hidden. Determined to do right for the boy, she embarks on a scheme of using her books as a cover to get into Germany and rescue Kurt.

Fast forward and Olivia discovers a cache of letters and photographs of her great grandmother Ada with a high ranking Nazi officer and her estranged grandfather Kurt also in the pictures. Trying to put the pieces of the jigsaw together and acknowledge that she may herself have Nazi ancestry is a hard pill to swallow.

Like Madeline, Olivia sets out on a journey of discovery to put the record straight and reconcile with a grandfather who up to now has not wanted any contact with the family.

A very emotional, heart breaking story of a family.

Madeline Valette owns a bookshop in Paris and when the Germans take over the beautiful city she loves, she is left with nowhere to go. She turns her beautiful, treasured bookshop into a safe hiding place for those that need it. Soon she is asked to join the Resistance and her mission is to smuggle banned books from Berlin. Madeline says yes and knowing that it was a way for her to begin searching for her husband in Germany as she travels back and forth. Madeline receives a letter from a woman named Ada who is the mother of her husband’s son. Ada is facing persecution, and needs Madeline to rescue them. Madeline risks everything to find and rescue Ada and her stepson. Soon they are all in danger of surviving this horrible war.

The Bookseller of Paris, written by author Suzanne Kelman is an emotional story of survival. This phenomenal unputdownable treasure kept me up late at night flying through the pages. This beautifully written story pulled me in at the very first page, and didn’t let me go until the very end. This amazing story is the second installment in a wonderful series but can be read as a standalone novel. I highly recommend this gripping and emotional story.

I liked the dual story lines, past and present. I wasn't quite expecting how much romance and spice was in this book, it kind of took me out of the story. However, the story itself was interesting and I liked the puzzles they were solving as they went. Pretty good read that moves fairly quickly.

I loved The Bookseller of Paris (The Paris Sisters Book 2) by Suzanne Kelman! It is a dual timeline book that follows main character Madeleine starting in 1940 and main character Olivia "livi" in 2011. While it may seem strange to "love" a book that includes life under Nazi rule in the '40's and long-lasting effects of life under Nazi rule still present in 2011, Suzanne Kelman has created characters and scenarios with so very much love in them that I felt at the end that I had just read a dual timeline romance novel. There are definitely heart pounding dramatic and suspenseful scenes that take place gving the reader information of what people experienced during WWII but it was the inner qualities of the main characters that captured my interest as the author shared their thoughts, emotions, and actions throughout the book. I loved the characters and I loved the book! I strongly recommend this to people who enjoy reading about women living in Europe during WWII. I received an advanced readers' copy of this book from NetGalley but all opinions are my own.