A story of love, betrayal and war. Written in two timelines by the talented Ms. Kelman whose stories are filled with passion, bravery and forgiveness. They are based on great women of the past. And true to form, once again, Suzanne has enchanted, inspired and educated me with her latest outstanding war rendition The Bookseller of Paris with characters that lept off the page, found a way into my heart and made me feel a multitude of emotions.

In the historical timeline, we meet Madeline who is modelled after real life heroine, Adele Kibre, an exceptional spy chosen to preserve knowledge by the Allies during WW2. This woman successfully and bravely carried important material across enemy lines. She had numerous connections with bookstores, libraries and underground groups and navigated through some dangerous territory. Microfilm was the key and Adele learned micro-photography to take shots of important documents. She had an amazing life of service and it is easy to see why she sparked Ms Kelman’s story.

Fictional character, Madeline is a symbol of bravery and resilience. She is a Parisian bookseller. But she is so much more. She is a preserver and protector of stories, history and other important reading material—keeping hope alive in readers’ hearts. Which is why she gets the code name Story Keeper when she becomes a Resistance agent. She is a woman of action and we witness her dedication. Besides her Resistance duties, she also is on another mission that involves her late husband. After receiving a letter from a German woman named Ada, she learns her husband was married before and has a son. After recovering from the initial shock, she vows to find Ada and her part-Jewish son, Kurt, and save them. What follows are some nail biting events that kept me on the edge of my seat!

In the more recent timeline, we learn about this boy who is now an old man and a grandfather to another point of view character, Livi. His scars are evident from the events he witnessed. Much healing is needed. His granddaughter, in pursuit of answers, discovers who was his father. This knowledge will set him free from the torments of his greatest fears. And Livi will uncover the missing piece of her own life.

I have not mentioned the romantic elements of this novel. But yes, there are some wonderful relationships in both timelines of couples that I admired. I won’t delve into that area for the review, though, but rather leave it for the reader to enjoy! There are some beautiful and heartbreaking moments romantically.

During the reading of this novel, I was reminded of an article ‘How the American Librarians Helped Defeat the Nazis’ and was amazed at how they used their skills to gather and share intelligence with Allied forces. These women played an important role that we must never forget for they have left behind a great legacy of knowledge as a result of their courageous acts.

The Bookseller of Paris is another excellent story by Suzanne Kelman that provides an unforgettable experience. This is a glorious tribute to the story keepers of the past. The cast of characters are memorable, the plot has many twists and reveals and many scenes are haunting. The poetic prose is beautifully rendered. I had to keep a box of tissues close by as my eyes were constantly fighting back the tears. It is obvious this story is close to the author’s heart as her sincerity and love for her characters shine through. 5 Stars for an Epic reading experience. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Thanks to Bookouture and Netgalley for a review copy.

historical-fiction, historical-figures, historical-places-events, history-and-culture, historical-setting, widow, friends, friendship, relatives, dual-perspectives, dual-time-frames, due-diligence, France, Germany, books, bookseller, grief, London, resilience, resistance-efforts, self-identity, smuggling, women's-fiction, fiction****

The story of each woman is compelling and convincing. For Madeline it is the years of WW2 and her smuggling of books between Germany and Paris. For Olivia it is 2011 and primarily in London where a chance encounter with a book at auction makes her question her own past. In each story, there is the need to find a young Jewish boy to whom she has ties. The struggle for each examines how self-perceptions changed for each woman. But. I feel they might have been more moving if sequential rather than entwined.
I requested and received a free temporary EARC from Bookouture via NetGalley. Thank you.

The Bookseller of Paris is the gripping story that has two strong women featured.

Its 1940 in Paris and Madeline grieving for her late husband continues to run their bookshop hoping that books will continue to give people comfort and a distraction from the stress of the war.

Madeline is recruited to smuggle books out of Berlin as well as putting herself in even greater danger hiding people from the Nazis.

In 2011 we met Olivia who is finds a photo of her grandmother during the war which raises many questions and she is on a mission to learn more of heritage.

Both women have remarkable stories and I cheered for them both, I cried for them both but most of all I admired them.

The tension mounts with every chapter.

Suzanne Kelman is a master of bringing history to life and The Bookseller of Paris is no exception.

Highly recommend The Paris Sisters series or any book by Suzanne Kelman.

Thanks to NetGalley and Bookouture for the privilege of reading and reviewing The Bookseller of Paris.

An enjoyable read. An original WW2 story based on real events and characters. The actions of those involved show how brave some of these people were. A nice link between WW2 and current day. A god summer read.

Wow, what a gripping and intense book this was. It was set in such a tragic time in history.
The moral dilemmas, the tension, and the bravery of the characters make for a captivating story.
Madeline's journey from a bookseller to a Resistance fighter as she smuggles banned books was heart-wrenching.
The stakes are high, with lives hanging in the balance. Madeline had so much courage and determination.
It was such a emotional rollercoaster to read Madeline's story.

I enjoy a good WWII historical fiction novel with strong female characters who are spies. Suzanne Kelman’s The Bookseller of Paris (Book Two in the Paris Sisters series) did not disappoint. The book’s traction and plot would have been better served without the dual timeline writing style. It seemed like I was reading two books, both detracting from what is a great story about a female spy in WWII tasked with helping the Allies preserve books, newspapers, and history that the Nazis destroyed. Based on some real-life heroes, I think the author could have given readers more by keeping this story in the years of WWII and not flip-flopping back and forth between 2011 and the war years. This practice took me out of the war years with each new chapter, interrupting the flow of the story. And honestly, I was not at all interested in the drama created by Livi. It seemed forced and out of place in what could have been an exciting novel. Now, do not get me wrong. I loved the book. I could get to like Madeline, but her backstory left us hanging. How could she not know her dead husband Alex was married before to a German woman? What did it have to do with this story? This question followed me throughout the reading but was never explained. I found the characters during the war years engaging, but none of the characters in the present era grabbed me. Two storylines and two romances seemed to be the plot. After reading the book cover information, I was hoping for a great spy novel that brought the efforts and sacrifices of Madeline front and center. Instead, her character dangled, teased, and suddenly appeared in her nineties. Although the story resonated and was an easy, quick read, it seemed to flip and flop, dropping storylines or character arcs right and left. Although the story resonated and was an easy, quick read, it seemed to flip and flop, dropping storylines or character arcs right and left, leaving room for improvement in the well-developed setting in Germany and the bookstore in Paris. The author had so much research at her fingertips, and I felt she should have focused on the bookseller in Paris and her spy work. The story was more a tale of two romances after loss than a true WWII spy mystery. Although I enjoyed the book, there were a few instances where I got lost, which was aggravating because the author never provided a proper reason for Alex's backstory not being explained. Three stars. Thank you to Net Galley for the free ARC. This review is voluntary and mine alone.

Madeline Valette is a bookshop owner who is asked to become part of the Resistance to smuggle banned books from Berlin to Paris. She accepts and starts her journey into espionage. A driving force for this decision is a letter that she received for her late husband, Alex, from a German woman called Ada. She claims that her son, Kurt is Alex’s son, making him half Jewish. Madeline is driven to help them escape Germany.

I loved the dual timeline aspect of this book and how the stories tied together so well with the character of Kurt. Even though this book is the second book in The Paris Sisters series I read it as a stand alone novel. I have downloaded The Paris Orphans so that I can find out what happened to Kurt on his journey to England.

I really enjoyed the characters of Madeline and Livi. They have a connection through time as they are both in the book selling industry and they are both grieving in their own way, Madeline is grieving the loss of Alex and Livi is grieving in a sense that she is trying to overcome an abusive marriage. I also love Kurt, as an old man, he is still vulnerable and lost, he wants answers, but he is scared of what they may reveal. He has pushed away his family and Livi teaches him that he can trust people again.

The plot was really thought out. Herrenhaus Eichenwald was a museum in 2011 and it is used to teach about the Holocaust. There are many of these sites in Germany that are now Documentation Centres. The descriptions of the manor were so detailed that I really visualised the place and the decor. I also enjoyed how much research the author did into how things changed as the war went on, the description of how the coffee changed over the years was very clever. This attention to detail meant that it was easy visualising everything as I read.

I feel this book is about overcoming obstacles and helping those in need. I found the book hard to put down and I had several very late nights with it. I really enjoyed this book and I will definitely read the other books in the series.

Thank you NetGalley and Bookouture for sending this book for review, all opinions are my own.

A story set during the world War, we have a brave bookseller trying to save her husbands son trapped in Germany. She is also secretly recovering the books that the Nazis are destroying.

In a typical world war style, the story has a good dose of courage, and a need to thwart the enemy. Olivia's storyline in 2011 was okay. Mildly interesting.

Okay book, but nothing exceptional.

I read this in an evening, perfect light entertainment which left me wanting more……. Such a delightful read, which I absolutely loved!

Loved this one! Great and fun read. Highly recommend.
Many thanks to the publisher, Netgalley, and the author for my ARC.

THE BOOKSELLER OF PARIS by SUZANNE KELMAN is a well written WW11 novel in which we follow Kurt, a half Jewish boy from 1940 in Berlin until 2011 in Scotland. I like the sensitive way in which the author tells the story of the young widowed bookseller, Madeline, who risks her life by going to Berlin to find Kurt, who is her late husband’s child by his first marriage, whilst smuggling banned Jewish literature out of Germany, and filming information that could help the Allies. She is extremely brave as she stands up against the horrors of the Nazi regime……
In 2011, Olivia, an antiquarian bookseller from Oxford, comes across photos and a book of poetry that raise questions about her family heritage. After contacting her grandfather in Scotland, she goes to Berlin to uncover the truth…….
I really enjoyed the literary theme, the well rounded characters, and the clever way in which the story played itself out.
This is an excellent read and one I highly recommend.
I was given a free copy of the book by NetGalley from Bookouture. The opinions in this review are completely my own.

An interesting story of a woman searching for her step-son and saving books threatened by the Nazi’s attempt to censor books. I was less impressed by Olivia’s story even though she helped Madeline succeed in one quest in the end. I think her obsession with possibly being a descendant of a Nazi and the story of her search takes away from Madeline’s story.

A novel that did fail to grip me. Two timelines (WWII, 2011) which completely destroyed the tension one might have felt during the war. I actually feel this novel is more about romance than anything else. The characters were very predictable in their development. This was particularly obvious in the modern timeline when the main character, a woman with not only a traumatic past, but also falls in love as it so often happens in the two timelines novels. This story might appeal to younger readers.
I received a digital copy of this novel from NetGalley and I am leaving voluntarily an honest review.

“Love can drive us to do the most courageous things, especially in the darkest of times.”

There’s nothing quite like a reality check to make one embarrassed for whining! Just when I thought I was having a hard week, I read this book that made me realize I know nothing about difficult days! I welcomed the chance to pivot after reading “that hardships are sent to allow our bravery to shine as well as reclaim a part of us that is unloved.” Olivia Stapleton and Madeline Valette reminded me to love myself more fiercely - even the parts I once deemed unlovable. Like these women, I discovered that building defensive walls of protection and wallowing in the pain of disconnection helps nobody. Both Olivia and Madeline dug deep and found the strength they didn’t know they possessed, allowing them to offer solace to helpless victims of a ruthless regime.

Madeline is an antiquarian bookseller in Paris who sets aside her grief to help a little boy in Nazi Germany who needs her help.

Olivia Stapleton finds old letters that lead her to believe she has a dark legacy. Her determination and her love for her grandfather allow them to process the weight of the past and consider that they are descendants of a member of the Gestapo.

Both timelines were equally compelling, the tension was high and the setting, especially Herrenhaus Eichenwald, was realistic and immediately pulled me into the story. I loved the connections to the rest of the Valette family towards the end of the book. Heartbreaking at times, this book will remind you about the power of love.

I was gifted this copy by Bookouture and NetGalley and was under no obligation to provide a review.

This book had it all. Just so well done! I absolutely devoured this beautiful story. The characters, the setting, the plot, and just all the heartstrings pulled throughout this story. Well done! Wonderful read.