First, thank you NetGalley and Harlequin Trade Publishing for an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.
I have read quite a number of historical fiction books centered around the events of WWII and I am continually amazed at the number of different experiences shared in these stories. Pam Jenoff introduced me to another such story. Last Twilight in Paris is inspired by the true story of Levitan, a department/furniture store in Paris that was converted into a warehouse used to house goods stolen from the Jews. This former store also served as a Nazi prison for privileged Jewish prisoners who were put to work unloading, cleaning and refurbishing these items, which were then displayed for sale to German officers during the war. Many of the prisoners were later transferred to Drancy where they died.
It is a dual timeline that takes place in the 1940’s and 1953. One storyline follows Helaine, a Jewish girl who falls in love with a cellist and has a difficult relationship with her parents. Helaine’s non-Jewish cellist husband is traveling when she is captured and put to work at Levitan. In the later storyline we meet Louise, a British woman, who worked for the British Red Cross, and now is a wife and mother in post-war England. Louise stumbles upon a mysterious (but somehow familiar) necklace and embarks on a journey to determine it’s history.
Pam Jenoff touches on many themes in this book: friendship, family, romantic relationships, resiliency, love, and hope. I enjoyed both storylines and the unfolding mystery. This is a well-written, engaging story and another reminder of the unthinkable events from WWI that we must never forget.

Set in London in 1953, this is the story of a woman trying to find out about the dead of a friend. Louise discovers a necklace in a pawn shop and knows that she has seen it before and it might help her solve the mystery. This is full of twists and turns in post war Europe. Definitely a must read.

LAST TWILIGHT IN PARIS begins after the war has ended and Louise is trying to adjust to life as a mom and wife even as she finds herself struggling to deal with her wartime activities and the loss of her friend, Franny. With each twist, Louise delves head long into the past as she tries to find answers of the necklace, what Franny’s death has to do with it and the little-known history behind the department store, Levitan’s use as being a Nazi prison for Jewish prisoners. This was one book that sounded interesting and at times was really good, but it dragged in several spots within the story. I really enjoyed seeing how Louise’s past work at the Red Cross during the war and what happened to her at that time. What I really enjoyed was seeing this little-known aspect of World War II that I didn’t know about. The writing is fast, and the storytelling is very well done. The area I struggled with was Louse’s interactions with her old boss, Ian, in the present time and I really didn’t connect all the way with her as a character at times. It took me several days to get through this book as I kept getting tossed out of the story with the aspects of Louise and Ian’s substory within LAST TWIGHLIGHT IN PARIS.

Pam Jenoff delivers a story about the aftermath of World War II and the Nazi’s despicable pattern of stealing possessions from the Jewish people they were imprisoning and killing among others. I highly enjoyed Helaine’s story as the dual storylines played out within the pages of LAST TWILIGHT IN PARIS. There was a hint of mystery, interesting actions from Louise & Helaine’s lives that captivated me. If you haven’t read one of Pam Jenoff’s books before, you might want to try this one. I look forward to seeing what this author delves into next for her readers.

I’ve read many books of historic fiction set during World War II where the story is told from a woman’s perspective. This one doubles the technique by following two women — one a young well-to-do Jewish woman in Paris and the other a British woman serving as a Red Cross volunteer in Germany during the war. The two stories are woven together as the narrative jumps to 1953 and the English woman tries to solve a mystery surrounding a lost and found necklace.
The most interesting part of this story was learning about the Parisian department store that served as a prison for Jewish women of a certain influence.
The least interesting part was the pedestrian writing which really dragged the story down. Each sentence and clause was packed with way too many adjectives… The dialogue was stilted and the coincidences that moved the story forward were terribly contrived.
Frankly there are so many gripping narratives of this era, I would not spend my time on this one.

I always enjoy how much research Pam Jenoff puts into her novels. I always learn something new from her and Last Twilight in Paris is no exception. I enjoyed this book and loved the audio too!

Pam Jenoff writes great historical fiction. Unfortunately, this title fell a little short for me. Perhaps it caught me at the wrong time.

It’s 1953 and the war is over but many are still haunted by the damage to the country and to their psyche. Louise is married and has a family, but things are a bit unsettled. In a London thrift shop where she works parttime, she finds a necklace that brings the war memories rushing back. She saw this same necklace the night her good friend died. Franny was a singer who entertained the troops by volunteering to sing for the Allied POW’s when the Red Cross was delivering care packages. That meant going into enemy territory to the prisons where the men were held. Franny befriended Louise who was a Red Cross volunteer and Louise was devastated when her friend died suddenly. Now the necklace Franny held that last day has just resurfaced and brought back all Louise’s memories of the brave singer.

Louise is now on a mission to find the matching half of the necklace. When it was created, there had been a second half that was shared with a close friend or partner. Now that Louise has found Franny’s half, she is determined to discover who had the other half. Perhaps she might uncover some clue that will help her figure out if the necklace had anything to do with Franny’s mysterious death. In her pursuit of the other half of the necklace, Louise goes back to Paris and re-connects with the man who was her boss at the Red Cross. She had a brief fling with him during the war and still finds him attractive. After Franny’s death, he dismissed Louise’s concerns about it being a possible murder and tried to get her to move on. But now Louise won’t let it go and she is determined to follow all clues to the necklace and to the night Franny died.

Louise’s commitment to finding the truth is linked to some guilt she has always felt over refusing to help Franny out. She’s also torn over her troubled marriage and the recent meeting with her old boss. As she investigates, she learns more and more about a women’s prison in a former department store, the Levitan, that was used by the Nazis to incarcerate women. Louise thinks there might be a connection between the singer, the necklace, the prison and Franny’s actions prior to her death.

Jenoff leads readers along by connecting the dots as Louise doggedly pursues the truth. One piece of information leads to another and still there are roadblocks along the way. The characters are nicely drawn and much of the story focuses on Helaine and her cellist husband who are integral to the investigation. Readers will be invested in their stories and seek the same answers as Louise. The author was inspired by the real Levitan and ultimately brings everything together as the facts are uncovered. Though the ending was a bit rushed, the overall conclusion was satisfying.

This is my first Pam Jenoff novel, and I will definitely be reading more by this author. This is a well-written, entertaining, dual timeline historical fiction novel set during World War II that draws from actual places and events. I loved this new perspective on WWII that I was not aware of. and this book is the perfect example of why I love to read historical fiction!

I loved this book. The dual timeline/dual main character format really worked here. A young woman who goes after love and then is heartbroken by her husband's departure and her estrangement from her family. Another young woman who wants to help during WWII and escapes her own life of uncertainty.
I was unaware of the story of the Paris department store Levitan where Jewish residents of Paris were detained and imprisoned. There is so much history in the streets of European cities and the atrocities that took place during WWII. This book is part mystery, part love story, part strong female characters.
Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for access to this eARC.

In Last Twilight in Paris, Pam Jenoff gives us something new to learn about the Holocaust. A former high-end department store in Paris called Lévitan, had been converted to a Nazi prison during WWII where prisoners were forced to rummage through stolen Jewish belongings and showcase them in the department store setting. Nazi officers would then be escorted through the showcased wares and take what they wanted.
Surrounding the historical aspect of the prison in Lévitan is the story of Louise in post-war 1953. During the war, Louise had worked for the Red Cross in Nazi-occupied Europe and was present for the mysterious death of her friend and Red Cross coworker, Franny. The story unfolds years later when Louise finds an old necklace in a thrift shop in London, in a box marked with the department store's name. Louise believes the necklace is related to her friend's death and follows the clues to put two and two together. Through her search, we learn about Franny's death, but also about Jewish prisoner Helene and her non-Jewish husband, who were torn apart from each other during the war. Helene was imprisoned in Lévitan, so we see the prison through her eyes and learn about her and her husband's connection with Franny, and ultimately, Louise.
I enjoyed this as a historical fiction work, but the connections between Louise and the necklace and how she put the pieces and stories together seemed a bit unrealistic. If you can suspend belief on just a few of the details, this book provides additional insight on war-torn Paris during the Holocaust in a fast and interesting read.
Thank you NetGalley for an ARC.

What a great addition to the historical fiction genre! I loved the dual timelines. It was a unique touch to add a timeline that was only a decade after the war, not generations later.

4.5 stars.

One of the most fantastic reads I've ever had in a long time. Full review coming soon.

‘Last Twilight in Paris’ was another gripping read from Pam Jenoff about World War II. We learn so much when she brings to light these little known stories.

The narrators, Thérèse Plummer and Saskia Maarleveld, were excellent, easily differentiating the two main characters. The author weaves the two timelines together seamlessly.

Another wonderful historical fiction by this author. I enjoyed both the ebook and audio versions. I look forward to reading her next book.

Thank you to NetGalley and Harlequin Audio/Harlequin Trade Publishing, Park Row for an Audio and eARC for my honest review.

What is the genre of the book you are currently reading? I am currently reading a historical fiction novel.

In 1953, Louise discovers a necklace in a secondhand shop that brings back memories from her time in France working for the Red Cross during WWII. Her friend had the necklace from a musician, and she was killed immediately after Louise last saw her holding the necklace. Will Louise be able to solve the mystery of the necklace?

Helaine is estranged from her Jewish parents for marrying a non-Jew, cellist Gabriel. Gabriel goes missing when he is forced to play in concerts by the Nazi around Germany. Helaine is arrested and forced to work in Levitan. Will Helaine and Joe be reunited?

My thoughts on this novel:
• This was a dual timeline novel. I enjoyed the characters and both storylines equally.

• This was a good strong story and very engaging.

• This book was also a story of marriage for both couples. Joe and Helaine have been estranged due to war experiences and not wanting to talk about them. I like how they work on their marriage and come to an understanding.

• The intriguing mystery of what happened to Louise’s friend Fanny during the war had a satisfying conclusion.

• There was a great authors note on Levitan, a real store in Parish where Jews are forced to sort plunder from Jewish homes and get it ready to sell. Also, it was disturbing about how the Red Cross had a checkered past in WWII. They knew what was going on in the concentration camps but did nothing about it.

• I read this book mostly on my Kindle, but I did finish it on audiobook. It was engaging in both formats.

• This was the February pick for the Brenda Novak Book Group. There was a great virtual book club with the author on Brenda Novak’s Facebook page. This book group meetings are always enjoyable.

Overall, Last Twilight in Paris by Pam Jenoff was an engaging dual timeline WWII historical fiction novel. I liked the unique storyline.

A novel set in WWII about a lost locket and how that piece can bring hope and life back to a person as well as a community. As the war hits Paris, a Helaine is taken to a prison camp set within the glamour of a department store. Her husband is nowhere to be found. As the Nazi regime begins to come to an end, Helaine is worried about what will become of her and must try to escape. Of course, nothing is as it first appears and the survival of many depends on that wild card. Thanks to NetGalley for the read.

The Last Twilight in Paris by Pam Jenoff is a captivating historical novel that masterfully weaves together the lives of two women across different timelines. I found the struggle of Louise, a working woman torn between motherhood and her own identity, particularly compelling.
Set in 1953 London, the story follows Louise, who stumbles upon a mysterious necklace in a secondhand shop. This discovery leads her back to her past as a Red Cross volunteer in Nazi-occupied Europe, where she worked alongside her friend Franny. The necklace holds the key to unraveling the mystery of Franny's death, prompting Louise to return to Paris and seek help from her former boss, Ian.
The novel alternates between Louise's post-war life and the harrowing experiences of Helaine, a Jewish woman imprisoned in the Lévitan department store, which was repurposed as a Nazi prison. Helaine's story of survival and resistance adds depth and emotional weight to the narrative.

Jenoff's portrayal of Louise's internal conflict is both realistic and relatable. As she navigates her roles as a mother and a working woman, Louise's journey highlights the challenges many women face in balancing personal ambitions with family responsibilities.

I ended up reading this on the Barnes and noble exclusive I purchased and all I can say is WOW!!! I absolutely loved it. Loved it so much I purchased another book by this author!

Although WW2 has many historical fiction novels, I still appreciate when it's done well and when there is a part of the story I had never heard before. What happened to the belongings of all the Jews once they had been removed from their homes by the Germans? This will tell you, in a heart wrenching story of survival and the lasting impacts of war.

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.

Life after the war is quite an adjustment for Louise, who volunteered with the Red Cross and she is finding returning to domestic life quite dull in comparison. When she discovers a necklace in a crate at a thrift store, she is startled to find that she recognizes it from her time with the Red Cross when she was in Nazi-occupied Europe, and she is certain that it holds some clue about the mysterious death of her friend Franny that occurred there. Following the clues to Paris, Louise turns to her former boss Ian for help and begins to uncover the story of a woman named Helaine who was imprisoned in a Paris department store, Lévitan, that served as a Nazi prison. Louise is determined to find the link behind the necklace, Helaine, Lévitan and how they all connect to Franny’s death, but though it has been years, someone is determined to make sure the truth is never discovered.

Pam Jenoff is fast becoming a favourite author in this genre for me. I’ve been requesting ARCs for the past several years now for her books because I know I’ll enjoy them, so I was excited to pick up this book.

The reason I’ve always enjoyed historical fiction so much is that despite how much you know about a certain time period and the events that took place then, there is always a new story to be told. Even after reading so many WWII novels set in Paris, I had never heard about Lévitan. I’m certainly going to be doing some reading on the historical context surrounding this story now that this book has introduced me to it.

While Louise’s quest was intriguing, I certainly didn’t expect the necklace that she found to blow up into a whole hidden conspiracy, and I enjoyed that arc thoroughly, much more than I expected when I initially thought all the action would be on Helaine’s timeline.

I’m hardly new to reading books with dual timelines, and I usually enjoy them, but I was a bit unsure when I saw that this was dual timelines within both POVs. I found it a little hard to keep track in the initial chapters, particularly with Helaine’s POV as both timelines were during the war, whereas with Louise, it was a bit easier to differentiate, but as the story became more clear, it was easier to follow.

This book was a fast paced read, and though Louise’s POV took a while to become properly interesting, the story kept me turning the pages right until the end.

Helaine and Louise were interesting characters and their perspective of connecting events from different situations and viewpoints were fascinating to follow. They were both equally strong MCs in different ways and it was easy to get invested in their stories.

In this genre, the ending is more often than not unhappy, or at the very least bittersweet, so it’s really nice to read one with a happy ending once in a while. These characters may be fictional, but the way they were written had me rooting for them all the way through.

Another amazing read from Pam Jenoff! I thoroughly enjoyed Last Twilight in Paris and would highly recommend it to fans of the genre!

4.5 stars — a moving depiction of lesser-known events during WWII

Inspired by the true story of Lévitan, a department store that was turned into a Jewish prison in occupied France, this novel uncovers a piece of history that was almost buried. Pam Jenoff perfectly weaves factual events with fictional characters who pull the reader in from page 1.

Louise, a former volunteer with the British Red Cross, rushes to solve the mysterious connection between a familiar necklace and the devastating events she’ll never forget. Helaine is a Jewish French woman who navigates an unfamiliar world before ultimately trying to survive her imprisonment at Lévitan.

The dual perspectives and dual timelines are easy to keep track of and well-structured. Combined with a fast-paced narrative and gradual reveals, these elements create a gripping story. Although there are many historical fiction novels surrounding the events of WWII, this one is a must-read because of its realistic portrayal of how these events unfolded and their lasting impact. I felt deeply connected to the FMCs and inspired by their resilience.

Despite the upsetting parallels between that time and ours, their stories remind me of the strength within all humans and our determination to survive and fight for what’s right no matter the odds. May we all keep the lessons that history teaches us in mind and continue to protect the rights for which so many fought and lost their lives.

📖 Thank you to The Hive, Harlequin Trade Publishing, and NetGalley for an ARC of this book

🎧 I read the audiobook at the same time and the compelling performance by the narrators, Thérèse Plummer and Saskia Maarleveld, made this an immersive experience that kept me reading for several hours straight!