I will never stop appreciating the level of research Pam Jenoff puts into her books. She captures people, places, and eras with such detail and clarity that I feel fully immersed in the world she's created. I had never heard of the Levitan department store and the way the Nazis transformed it during the war so the history lover in me was thrilled to learn something new.

The story employs alternating perspectives and dual timelines, which I enjoy, but this could be an issue for some. Unlike other books by Jenoff, it took me a bit to really get into the story but once I was in, I couldn't stop reading.

I received an electronic ARC from Harlequin Trade Publishing through NetGalley.
Told in two time frames from two characters' POVs. Helaine is a Jewish woman living in Paris during World War II; Louise is a wife and mother living in the 1950's with flashback memories from her time during WWII also. Both are connected by a piece of jewelry that belonged to Helaine, and Louise remembers seeing while working with the Red Cross in POW camps in Germany.
I appreciate how Jenoff intertwines their stories while providing historical information about their locations and lives. Is it a deep history dive? No, but it offers readers a look at the very real human costs during that tragic time and the aftermath. The book begins slowly and the characters reveal more of themselves as the story progresses. The pace is a bit too slow for my taste but by the end, I was invested in both characters. There are a few twists along the way but the "villain" is obvious from early on.

“Last Twilight in Paris “(arc)
by Pam Jenoff

5⭐️

Such a impactful and powerful story!🥺🩵💛
I haven’t read a historical fiction book in a while and this heartbreaking , yet beautiful story did not disappoint!🩵
This book was set during the pre and post WW2 era , and it’s duel POV’s of two strong women . One who is going through the nightmare of surviving and one who going through the effects of post war trauma.
I really enjoyed reading this book and while this is fiction, the story does parallel some true occurrences. And I did learn some interesting facts about WW2 that I didn’t know before.
This story did leave an impactful mark on me and I highly recommend you check this book out! 🩵💛
Thank you Thanks to NetGalley and Harlequin Trade Publishing for this ARC in exchange for honest review.

In the middle of Paris, Nazis imprisoned hundreds of Jewish people in an old department store, where the prisoners sorted through items stolen from Jewish homes to be resold to the German officers.

The story is told from three different POV. Helaine was a Jewish French woman who was imprisoned in Lévitan. Louise was a British woman who volunteered for the Red Cross, first packing care packages and then delivering the packages to POW camps in France and Germany. The third perspective is also Louise, 10 years after the war when she finds a necklace that she feels like she had seen before during the war. She will stop at nothing to find out the story behind the necklace.

At first the different POVs were quite confusing, and the story was slow to progress. But once I got into it, I couldn’t put it down and I finished in in two days. I was not familiar with Lévitan, so this was especially interesting. I would definitely recommend this to those who love WWII historical fiction.

I received a digital ARC of this book thanks to NetGalley and the publishers.

📖 Book Review 📖

📱 "Last Twilight in Paris" by Pam Jenoff

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Expected publication February 4, 2025

An interesting, a little slow in the beginning story about Paris in WWII.
A rather famous and extremely large Parisian department store Lévitan was turned into a German prison, that housed arrested Jews during the war. The imprisoned Jews sorted through stolen household items taken from Jewish homes when their owners were sent east to concentration camps. The Jewish prisoners were forced to display the
items for Nazi officials to buy. Dual timelines of during WWII and London in 1953 with Louise, a former Red Cross worker trying to figure out life after such misery and mass destruction. When Louise finds a unique necklace in a resale store in England, she swears she remembers this same necklace from her time with the Red Cross during the war in Germany. Louise asks her former boss Ian from the Red Cross for help and opens an entire can of worms. Helaine, the other main character is a young Jewish woman, born and raised with wealth in Paris. She was imprisoned at Lévitan, torn apart from her musician husband when the Germans invaded France. I did not know about the Jewish prison and how the Nazis sold Jewish items to fund the Reich. All the pieces of the story blend seamlessly together in the end and it shows the resilience of humanity.


Thank you @Netgalley and for the digital ARC

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Like all of Pam Jenoff’s books, this was another wonderful read! I love learning and this shared a story about something I didn’t know about WWII in Paris. There are still so many stories that have yet to be told and I hope one day all are brought to light.

Three women figure in this story. Louise, in post-war England, finds a necklace that brings back a wartime experience. One that resulted in the death of her friend, Franny. She decides to go to Paris to investigate. This leads to the Lévitan, a Paris department store for German occupiers staffed by Jewish prisoners. Here is where we find Helaine, the third woman in this story.

Last Twilight in Paris is a thrilling story that starts off in London, 1953. Louise is adapting to her postwar role as a housewife when she discovers a necklace in a box at a shop. The box is marked with the name of a department store in Paris, and she is certain she has seen the necklace before, when she worked with the Red Cross in Nazi-occupied Europe —and that it holds the key to the mysterious death of her friend Franny during the war. Following clues to Paris, Louise seeks help from her former boss and boyfriend Ian. The necklace leads them to discover the dark history of Lévitan—a once-glamorous department store that served as a Nazi prison, and Helaine, a woman who was imprisoned there, torn apart from her husband when the Germans invaded France. Louise races to find the connection between the necklace, the department store and Franny’s death. But nothing is as it seems, and there are forces determined to keep the truth buried forever. Inspired by the true story of Lévitan,

Jenoff does a wonderful job creating an inspirational story of resistance during World War II. Last Twilight in Paris had me turning the pages to the very end. This book is an easy 4 stars. I highly recommend this book for anyone who loves historical fiction.

I received a free advanced copy and all opinions are my own. I would like to offer my sincerest gratitude to Harlequin Trade Publishing and NetGalley for the advanced copy.

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

Pam Jenoff's new novel is almost the perfect Historical Fiction to me. It covers a part of WWII that is not well-known, making the story more captivating as I got to learn about something I never knew happened during the war while I was getting to know the beautifully-crafted characters. The switching time and perspective took a minute to get into, but it was worth pushing through the first few chapters to get really immersed and interested in both timelines. The pacing and plot lines are the reason I feel that, although it is a well-crafted story, this book would be best suited for avid readers of the Historical Fiction genre and/or like stories that read as almost character studies.

Overall, I really enjoyed the story, but I think the true magic of the novel is the exploration of two very relatable female characters. I am so eager to read more of Jenoff's work!

4.5/5 Stars!

This dual-timeline novel starts in 1943, in Paris. Helaine has just been arrested. Her husband Gabriel, a cellist, is missing in Germany and she realizes that coming from a wealthy, influential Jewish family has not protected her. The story shifts to 1953, England where Louise, a married mother of two, remains haunted by the time she volunteered for the Red Cross during WWII. In a secondhand store, she finds a heart necklace, which she recognizes as a piece of jewelry one of the prisoners in a German camp they visited had tried to have smuggled out by her friend Franny. After Fanny took the necklace, she was killed, allegedly in a car accident. Louise had suspected that her friend's death was connected to the necklace. Now, with the necklace in her possession, she is determined to uncover the truth about her friend's death. Her search takes her to the former building of Lévitan, a former luxury department store that was converted to a place where the Germans stored and sold looted possessions of Parisian Jews. It also served as a prison camp for those arrested and forced to work there. This was where Helaine was taken when she was arrested.

Pam Jenoff has written many riveting historical novels about WWII and its aftermath. Last Twilight in Paris is another powerful story that sheds light on a lesser-known aspect of the German occupation of Paris that might be unknown to readers - the story of Lévitan. Jenoff has created two strong female characters and an intriguing mystery. If you are a fan of historical fiction, chances are you are familiar with this author. If not, this book is a perfect introduction to one of the top authors in the genre, who writes stories that need to be told.

Rated 4.5 stars.

It took me a minute to get into this book, but when I did, I loved it more page by page. I love Pam Jenoff’s style of writing and, in this book, her untraditional take on presenting a mystery. Set in World War II and the time shortly after the war, this is a tale of hope and fears, unbelief at the horrors of life, and a desire to help and to serve, and then the nightmares once the war is over. I will recommend this very readable and enjoyable book to my friends who enjoy historical fiction, mysteries, and tales of World War II. Thank you to NetGalley for the advance read copy.

I was thrilled to get this newest book by Pam Jenoff.

The history in this story was just heartbreaking to me. The pain that this war caused is felt by the characters throughout the book and then flows down to the reader. I felt the suspense as Louise took the time and effort to make and find connections that coincided with the lost necklace. She knew she had seen it before, but where/how? I enjoyed this back and forth of her working to figure that out. This was definitely a page turner and I will be reading more Jenoff books in my future.

Thank you, NetGalley and Harlequin Trade Publishing, Park Row for the ARC.

A 4.5*

Last Twilight in Paris is another fantastic and memorable historical fiction by the very talented author Pam Jenoff. She always writes unique stories that grab your attention from the very beginning and deal with aspects of WWII that most readers are unaware of. This book has a dual timeline, going between WWII and 1953. I loved that this story was inspired by true facts.

The book is about a French woman, Helaine who is Jewish and the trials, persecution and hardships she endured during the war. The other timeline is about Louise, am English woman during the war and in 1953. The two women's stories connect over a lost necklace that is found years later. The plot was fast paced and the story's ending had some surprises in it with all the loose ends coming together.

I highly recommend this book, especially if you enjoy WWII fiction. Thanks to NetGalley and Harlequin Trade Publishing for an advanced copy of this novel.

Last Twilight in Paris is my first book by this author. I've been wanting to read a book by Pam Jenoff for awhile and I'm finally getting to it. And I realized that I've been missing out!

I thoroughly enjoyed this book and appreciated how well researched the topic was. While this is fiction, it is based on true happenings and I ended up learning something new in the WW2 era. Sometimes the WW2 time period can be overdone, but this book brings a fresh and unique perspective to the table. This story alternates between two female POVs and both stories were engaging. There's a mix of mystery and romance that is well blended together. This is an impactful story that will surely stick with you for a long time to come.

Thanks to NetGalley and Harlequin Trade Publishing | Park Row for a digital ARC in exchange for my honest review.

This was an amazing read as always. I will forever buy Pam Jenoff’s books! She just captivates me everytime. 5/5 stars.

A super great historical fiction book by one of my favorite writers. I gave this one all the stars on goodreads and Instagram! Great job!

Pam Jenoff delivers another captivating tale of love, survival, and buried secrets with Last Twilight in Paris. Set against the haunting backdrop of postwar Europe, this novel intricately weaves past and present as Louise embarks on a journey to uncover the truth behind a mysterious necklace and the tragic death of her wartime friend.

From the bustling streets of 1953 London to the shadowed remnants of Nazi-occupied Paris, Jenoff transports readers to a world of heartbreak and resilience. The story is deeply layered, connecting Louise’s postwar life to Helaine’s harrowing experiences at Lévitan, a once-glamorous Parisian department store turned Nazi prison. As Louise follows the trail of clues, the novel explores themes of resistance, sacrifice, and the indomitable power of love.

Rich in historical detail and inspired by true events, this gripping mystery tugs at your heartstrings while keeping you on the edge of your seat. Perfect for fans of The Nightingale and The Paris Library, Last Twilight in Paris is a testament to the strength of the human spirit in the face of unimaginable darkness.

This is a good historical fiction book. The author provides such wonderful descriptions. I learned a lot about how the camp prisoners were kept and more about the living conditions in Paris at the time.

I am always extremely excited to get my hands on a new Pam Jenoff book. They are all incredibly researched, the stories intriguing and unlike any other I have read before. Which is quite a feat since I have read hundreds of WWII books. This one immediately caught my attention. A Jewish prison within Levitan. A department store in the heart of Paris. How were they able to keep the prisoners within such a confided space for so long. Going through and sorting all the possessions the Germans stole from the Jewish. It is astonishing the insane things that the Reich did. This book was told in a dual timeline. Bouncing between 1938, Paris and 1953, London.

Helaine was always told she was fragile since the fever stole her independence and confided her to her parents' mansion. She has finally convinced her mother that she needs to go outside and take in fresh air, while staying close to their neighborhood. Never in a million years did she think she would meet a generous man that would take her breath away. Louise has never fully let go of her friend being killed within Germany during the war. They were meant to be protected by the Red Cross, yet Fanny still ended up dead. The cause is always striking a chord with Louise. When she comes across a necklace at her new job that looks exactly like the one Franny had on her during her death. Louise knows she must follow the leads and figure out what happened to Franny that horrifying night.

I wish this book went a little bit deeper. Had a more information on the department store and the characters. I never fully connected with either Louise or Helanie and I wish had had. This book is still a fantastic read, nevertheless. It makes you wonder what other secrets will be unearthed about the Reich and why they did the things they did. Thank you to Pam Jenoff and Park Row Books for my gifted copy.

Most casual readers and non-scholars are probably not familiar the Lévitan furniture store in Paris, which closed in 1941 and how it was reopened by the Nazis in 1943. I am grateful to Pam Jenoff for the complexity of her research, which is now available to casual readers in her historical fiction novel, Last Twilight in Paris, which I just finished reading. Jenoff's research brought to light information that most readers likely do not know. I do not want to review all the history about the Nazi's use of the Lévitan furniture store as a Jewish camp, but it is enough to know that in the Lévitan store, Nazi sold the furniture and goods stolen from the nearly 40,000 Jewish homes, which were seized when Jewish owners were arrested and deported. Jewish prisoners lived inside the store and unloaded and then sold furniture and household items that belonged to Jewish people, who had been sent to their deaths.

Last Twilight in Paris is a multiple timeline, dual POV novel. One narrator is a British woman in 1953, Louise, who seeks to understand how her friend, Franny, was murdered in WWII France. The other narrator is a young married Jewish woman, Helaine, who finds herself living and working at Lévitan. Jenoff gives both women a thoroughly established background and history. They each also have a husband. Readers learn about how the Red Cross ignored the POW camps, where British and American POWs were beaten and starved. The Red Cross also ignored what the Nazis were doing to Jewish prisoners. For the Red Cross, Jewish death camps did not exist, although by 1943, Allies and the Red Cross knew what was happening.

I do not want to give away any spoilers or relate anything about the terrific twist at the end of the novel. However, I was bothered by a lack of detail in what happened to Helaine's husband, Gabriel. This is a section of the novel that needs more clarity. The transition from musician to POW is a bit fuzzy. Espionage results in execution, even if not proved. Human lives meant nothing to the Nazis. Simply being suspected of revealing secrets to the allies, would results in a quick execution.

I did enjoy, Last Twilight in Paris, and I read it very quickly. Thank you to Harlequin Trade Publishing and NetGalley for providing me with this ARC, in exchange for my honest review. I am recommending Last Twilight in Paris.