I have read another book by this author and was pleased to see characters from that book included here. I got to see a bit more of their story. This author told a great tale of French Resistance and transporting people out of enemy occupation.
It seemed that I was right there with Paulette as she sought refuge with Mme Ballard in a famous Paris Fashion House under German rule. Lots of danger and intrigue as Paulette not only proved herself as a seamstress but as a person who guided refugees to safety. All to make up for a horrible mistake that had her banished from her home. She made a friend in Nicolle and was soon embroiled in subterfuge in order to help the helpless.
A fascinating look into WWII occupation in Paris. There are a few romances depicted that bloomed despite the problem of not knowing who to trust.
This was an interesting and engrossing trip back in history. I enjoyed it very much.
*A complimentary copy of this book was provided by Love Inspired Trade via NetGalley. All opinions are mine alone.*

I really enjoyed this propulsive book set in the fashion world of Paris during WWII. From making dresses for Nazi mistresses-turned-spies to finding a mole who has infiltrated the network to get Jewish people and Allied soldiers out of occupied France, this novel brings to life the many life or death challenges that the brave French Resistance fighters faced. I have read countless books about this but each one teaches me something new. I love Ryan’s descriptive writing that pulls you immediately into the story and how she includes Easter eggs from her previous books. Highly recommend for WWII readers!

Blaming herself for her mother’s arrest by the Gestapo, Paulette is sent away to begin a new life in Paris, working as an apprentice to fashion designer Sabine Ballard. Maison de Ballard creates couture gowns while making clandestine deals and working with resistance fighters. Paulette is recruited as a spy, and she hopes to earn redemption for past mistakes. But the SS closes in, coworkers are missing, and Paulette must make life-and-death decisions.

Paris in WWII was supposedly run by the French, but the Nazi regime was essentially in charge. This meant resistance groups sprung up to save the ordinary people from being starved out or stolen from, and networks developed to hide Jews and enemies to Germany or get them to safety. There were also the greedy or selfish people that collaborated with the Nazis, profiting from others' pain. This is the world Paulette lived in, and the mistake that sent her to Paris was revealing that her mother forged paperwork to hide that one parent was Jewish. In Paris, Paulette was determined to do better than before and help others no matter what. Sabine Ballard and her coworker Nicolle had a resistance network, and Paulette gradually was drawn into it. Along the way, she tried to dodge the gangsters and profiteers that Sabine was forced to work with, as well as the same German agent who arrested her mother.

This book is more of a historical thriller with a romantic thread. Nicolle went on dangerous missions and the risk of getting caught was death. The intensity of the time period meant it wasn't safe for a relationship, and even friendships could be suspect. Paulette and Nicolle have a growing friendship with each other, as well as romantic interests, and a mentor in Sabine. The story really sucks you in, so you feel the ladies' hopes, fears, and despair. But they pushed through and continued to do the right thing, so Paulette more than redeemed herself.

This is a story about French resistance fighters, more specifically, a network of men and women who ferried downed British airmen, Jews, and other people who needed to leave France, to the South of France. From there they could escape to Spain or onward to England.

Paulette is from a wealthy, respected family that owns a renowned vineyard and winery. They make a renowned champagne. She had fallen in love with a German soldier and had mistakenly revealed that her mother was a Jew, as defined by Nazi rules. She is sure that she's responsible for her mother's death. Her older sister sends her off to Maison de Ballard, a highly regarded fashion house in Paris. It is run by a very good friend of her mother. Mademoiselle takes care of the girls and women who work for her, but she's deeply involved in the network. Slowly, Paulette learns how to sew and she becomes aware of goings on that are secret. She worries about what she sees happening to innocent people and wants to do more.

This is a touching story about the hardships, both physical and mental, of the people in Paris under the brutal oversight of the Nazis. It's also about the bravery and heroism of the people who helped to win the war by putting their own lives on the line.

The book is not too brutal, that is left to the imagination of the readers. What shines through is the selflessness of people of all classes.

This is a review for the Last Fashion House in Paris by Renee Ryan that will be released on 12/24/24. This is a review for NetGalley who sent me an ARC in return for my honest opinion.  Rarely do I close a book, and just sit there in awe, thinking wow, what an incredible story!  This story seeped into my very soul with its characters and storyline.  I was engaged immediately, and felt like I was literally there, walking through it right along with them. 

It is set in Paris, France during WWII, and tells the story of three incredible women, who in the midst of darkness and evil, through horrendous mistakes and consequences, through loss and hardship, stand up, and work together to save lives during the Nazi occupation of France, even though it means daily risking their own.  Each one is drawn to the resistance for their own personal reasons, and by working together, they find the courage and strength they each need to continue on after tremendous tragedy, and also find healing, love and grace that leads to strong friendships, even with all the chaos and death that was surrounding them at that time!

The story begins with Pauline LeBlanc, a young debutante, whose family produces the infamous Fouché-Leblanc champagne, who has just realized that her love affair with a Nazi officer Friedrich Weber was all a lie, and because of her, her beloved Jewish mother has been arrested, their chateaux is being searched, and she believes it is all her fault.  With the whereabouts of her mother unknown, a guilt-striken Pauline is exiled by her sister to Paris, to stay with her mother's dearest friend, Mademoiselle Sabine Ballard, who is the owner of a famous fashion house in Paris, but who is heavily involved in the resistance.  Paulette goes to Paris with a heavy heart, but faces the reality of her choices, and in searching for the redemption she so desperately desires, she gives all she can to do a good job for Madam Sabine, and soon finds herself not only becoming quite the seamstress, but someone who can turn her own life around by helping rescue those who are just like her mother.

Next we meet Nicolle Cadieux, code name: Odette. She is one of Madam Sabine's most trusted staff at the fashion house, but she has become like a daughter to her, and also works as a passeur, escorting English airmen trapped in Nazi territory, get back home.  Before the war, Nicolle had a husband, and a baby boy, but her husband died while in the army defending the Maginot Line, prior to the Nazi occupation, and had to place her son with a couple in the country for his safety.  She found a job with Madam, and began working in the dark to serve the light, as Madam always said. She must do all she can to keep her son safe, and to keep her deepest secret, which if found out, could cost her everything.

Mademosielle Sabine Ballard is not all she seems. She has watched her beloved France be conquered, not only the land, but the people, and she decides she will do everything she can, because so many will not.  She becomes involved in the risky game of rescuing Jews and English airmen by providing a network to get them out of France, but at times she must make deals with the devil, and even loses her own daughter Giselle to a Nazi pistol. So now, she has taken in other girls like Nicolle and Pauline, trying to help them while also helping rescue France, one life at a time...all in memory of her beautiful Giselle.

This book was an incredible read. I know it is fiction, but knowing some about WWII, I know the situations in this story were true.  It was very well written, realistic, and amazing to read every page!  This story really touched my heart in a way that really few do.  I highly recommend it, and am grateful for the real people like Madam Sabine, Nicolle, and Pauline, who even though they had great tragedy in their lives, they didn't let that stop them from helping others.  They didn't stay quiet, and just look out for themselves, but worked together, and thru love, friendship, and unity, they pushed back the darkness, one rescue at a time. All the reward they wanted was safety and freedom for others.  In our current climate, we should remember what hatred does to a nation and people.  This book gets 5 stars for me, but that doesn't seem enough. Highly recommend it!!!

I recently discovered that The Last Fashion House in Paris was the fourth connected book. It definitely reads as a stand alone, but I wish I had read the first 2 (I did read number 3). This story was full of hardship & heartbreak. 3 different stories, each one unique and connected. I couldn't pick a favorite but I did really enjoy Nicolle. The ending produced tears in my eyes. It wasn't a fast paced book, especially being from 3 point of views but it was a good story nonetheless and everytime i picked it up to read I loved it.

While I love my rom-coms, I have always been fascinated in WWII era stories and how people escaped the German regime during that time. So when I saw this fictional book on NetGalley it grabbed my attention. This story involves 3 FMC and how their stories intertwine in order to successfully smuggle Jews out of German-invaded Paris.

This book is very intriguing and you are always wondering when the truth about the fashion house will be found out. There is some romance in two of the women's stories but it isn't the main focus of the book, which I was okay with. I was so caught up in the story because of how fast paced it was and how well written it was, I didn't miss the romance that I usually read. I also learned that Paulette is actually in another Renee Ryan book told from the perspective of other members of her family and I've now added that book to my TBR.

I highly recommend this book if you're looking for a good WWII novel or enjoy the fashion scene around that time. It was a great read for me, as I wanted a break from my normal rom com reading.

Renee Ryan hits it out of the park again! A fantastic, fast-paced historical fiction from beginning to end. I loved and adored this. The cover is gorgeous, and Ryan's writing is as beautiful as ever. Thank you so much for the opportunity to read and to review this book! I am excited to feature this book for my Bookstagram audience.

Riveting story! This book is a wonderful conclusion for The Widows of Champagne and The Paris Housekeeper by Renee Ryan. It can easily be read as a standalone. I did not realize it was linked to the other books until I was halfway finished and recognized a couple of characters from the second book.

The story follows three women as they seek to provide hope and light during the darkest days of WWII. Each plays a vital role in the resistance. I was initially not a fan of Paulette. I found her to be young, spoiled and foolish. I quickly discovered she had committed a great wrong and is sent to the fashion house in Paris to escape the repercussions at home. But through skillful character development, I found her journey of redemption to be compelling. I was immediately drawn to Nicolle and Sabine. Their roles with the resistance were vital in leading many to safety. Each woman faces difficult choices, questioning whom they can trust. After facing betrayal, they each question love and loyalty as their work becomes compromised.

With a well-paced plot and expert character development, readers will be sitting on the edge of their seats for the suspenseful conclusion.

I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book from Netgalley and the author/publisher. I was not required to write a review. All opinions expressed are my own.

Thoroughly enjoyable, this tense drama of the French resistance during World War II, follows the dangerous intrigue in a Paris fashion house. Young Paulette, sent into "exile" in Paris after her mother is taken by the Gestapo, finds herself working as a seamstress in her family friend's couture business. Once a daughter of a wealthy family, she is more familiar with the other side of the fashion world -- in fact, she's now working in the midst of the shop where her own clothes were fitted when being in the height of style was within her means. Working hard to adjust to her new lot in life becomes much more than sharpening her skills as a creator of high style. Paulette soon learns that there's far more to her new job than the frivolities she used to enjoy. As the Nazi grip on France tightens, she joins with her newfound friends in their dangerous efforts to help enemies of the Reich escape to freedom. Facing danger to help her countrymen and aid in the downfall of the evil German regime, Paulette finds her true worth and lasting love even as she succeeds in her mission.

THE LAST FASHION HOUSE IN PARIS by Renee Ryan is an engrossing story of friendship, resilience and survival set in the early 1940s in Nazi-occupied Paris. As a young woman from a wealthy family, Paulette LeBlanc is accustomed to spending her time, flirting, shopping and socializing. She has little interest in her family’s generations-old and renowned wine empire, Chateau Fouché-LeBlanc. After a dangerous relationship with a Nazi soldier leads to devastating consequences for her family, Paulette is sent away to Paris to work as an apprentice to her mother’s friend and famous fashion designer, Sabine Ballard. Little does she know that behind elegant fashion house is a secret resistance network working to save as many lives as they can from the Nazis. Her guilt over betraying her family leads Paulette to join their efforts, taking extraordinary risks to redeem herself. The story is beautifully-written and thoroughly engaging. I didn’t want to put it down. In fact, once I learned that Paulette was a character in a previous book by Renee Ryan, THE WIDOWS OF CHAMPAGNE, I had to get that book and read it immediately. I highly recommend both books and everything I’ve read by this author. Thank you to the author, publisher and NetGalley for the chance to read and review an early copy of THE LAST FASHION HOUSE IN PARIS.

The Last Fashion House in Paris was such a great story and was really well written! I truly enjoyed all of the characters and felt their bravery throughout the book.

Paulette is sent to work in a Fashion House in Paris owned by her mother’s best friend. As she is learning to sew, she becomes part of the resistance group that helps downed airmen and Jews escape to safety. This is such a wonderful story about taking care of those around you and doing all that you can to help one another.

I loved seeing how Paulette’s character changes from the beginning of the story to the end. Her friendship with Nicolle is so sweet and endearing.

This book was easily a great stand alone read but I am excited to go back and read The Widows of Champagne, where we first meet Paulette!

This is an amazing story with emotion, friendship, and grit that truly showed the strength of those who lived through period of history and all they had to endure together. I highly recommend!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for my eARC! All thoughts are my own.

Very interesting WWII fiction book based on a Paris fashion house whose owner is part of the French Resistance. The main characters Paulette, Nicolle and Mademoiselle Ballard are all intriguing characters. The story moves a bit slow at times but builds to a fascinating ending in the last 1/3 of the book. There is intrigue, family drama, a bit of mystery and romance in this one. Paulette goes from someone you wouldn't want to be friends with to a heroine in her own right.

This book is part of a series and I hadn't read the other books in the series but was able to pick right up with this one with no issues. I can see this one being good for ages 14+. There are some scenes with French gangster and Nazi's but the story is both historically accurate and not too descriptive for younger readers. It is a clean historical book, light on romance with a small amount of chaste kissing but nothing more descriptive.

Thank you to Netgalley and Harlequin for an opportunity to read an ARC of this book. All opinions expressed are my own.

This is an exciting and page turning story about a young spoiled French woman who finds redemption working for the resistance in Paris. The author did extensive research about the way that the resistance worked and about dress shops during the war. They were one of the few French businesses that were allowed to stay open because the German wives wanted clothes designed for them by a Paris designer.

Paulette was a spoiled young woman who spent her days partying and flirting with the available men in her family estate outside of Paris. Since there were few eligible French men available, she began to flirt with the Germans who occupied her home. She erred by trusting the wrong person and she and her mother ended up in prison. She was released and when she got home, her sister banished her to Paris to work for her mother's best friend as an apprentice seamstress. She blamed herself for her mother's arrest and was willing to go to Paris were she went from a well to do person who had clothes fitted at the salon to a worker who sewed the designer dresses. She made few friends in the beginning but eventually became friends with Nicolle who often disappeared from the salon. Paulette started to pay attention and realized that Maison de Ballard was more than a fashion shop. The owner controlled a huge network of resistance people who helped downed flyers return to their country and helped Jewish people escape. She wanted to become part of the resistance so she was assigned to start attending parties to pick up information that the network could use. Soon she finds herself in situations that are very dangerous but she is able to use her new skills to keep herself out of danger. When her friend disappears, she realizes how much danger she is in and has to make some important decisions on who to trust and how she can help the resistance the most.

This book was a real coming of age story for Paulette - she changed from being a spoiled brat only interested in herself to putting herself in dangerous situations to help save other people. One of the most difficult things was learning who to trust - she had made a mistake with trust when she lived at home and had a lot to learn about trust when she joined the resistance. This was another wonderful World War II story about a strong woman who puts her life on the line to help save her country and the people she loves.

One of the plot points I liked in Renee Ryan's WIDOWS OF CHAMPAGNE was when Paulette Leblanc accidentally betrayed her mother and was subsequently banished from her home. Banishing Paulette and leaving her fate unknown demonstrated how WW2 divided families, often forever. You couldn't help but wonder what happened to Paulette once she left home.

Three years later, in THE LAST FASHION HOUSE IN PARIS, Ryan finally shares with readers Paulette's fate and does so in magnificent fashion.

The book opens immediately after Paulette's betrayal. We immediately learn of her deep regret. One youthful indiscretion has destroyed her family. Her mother has disappeared after being arrested by the Nazis, her grandmother is lost to dementia, and her sister hates her. She's sent to Paris where her family hopes she will grow up and start anew. Meanwhile Paulette wants is to fix the past and atone for her sins.

Enter the House of Ballard where Paulette goes to work as a seamstress. Sabine Ballard is Paris's premier fashion designer and a member of the Resistance. She takes Paulette under her wing and turns her into a spy for the organization. In my opnion, Sabine Ballard is the book's most interesting character (more so than Paulette) as she works both sides of the street. She harbors Jews from the Nazis but is business partners with a notorious German collaborator. She spends the entire novel on borrowed time.

The other POV character is Noelle Cadieux, a Jewish seamstress who works on the escape line and who is dangerously close to an emotional breakdown from the stress. I loved her storyline as well because it broke my heart.

In fact, while I loved all three, if I was pressed, I would say that Paulette's redemption arc was #3 compared to the others - which is ironic since her redemption is why I wanted to read the book.

Regardless, Ryan weaves the three women's stories brilliantly. To fulfil their missions, all three women find themselves taking greater and greater chances. Ryan doesn't let up the tension, and by the time you reach the climax, you'll wonder how the women will make it out alive.

Bottom line: This is a wonderful story of redemption, forgiveness, adventure, and sisterhood. The writing is top notch. The research is spot on. The only mystery is why haven't more people haven't discovered Renee Ryan's books?

PS: Readers of THE PARIS HOUSEKEEPER will be excited to see a few Easter Eggs as well.

Disclaimer: I am a friend of Renee's, but that doesn't change my opinion of her writing. It's awesome.

Disclaimer #2: I received an advanced copy from Netgalley in exchange for this honest review.

A compelling story of a young woman, Paulette, who makes a terrible choice, and is sent to Paris to work in the fashion house of her mother's best friend. It is WWII, and Paulette finds more than couture work; she becomes part of the atelier's support for the French Resistance helping Jews and downed Allied pilots escape the Nazis. Unputdownable!

Completely engaging story with mystery, intrigue, guilt (both warranted and unwarranted), secrets, devastation and hope, set in Paris during the Nazi takeover of WWII. Kept me wondering, guessing, and on the edge of my seat throughout. My first Renee Ryan book - but certainly not my last!

Historical fiction readers will not want to miss this story set during WWII. Paulette, having destroyed her reputation was shipped off to Paris to work for her mother’s friend at her fashion shop. The undercover operation at the shop plus the fashion industry makes for an interesting story. Loved that Madame helped so many and Nicolle became Paulette’s close friend. Recommended!

Title: The Last Fashion House in Paris
Author: Renee Ryan
Genre: Historical fiction
Rating: 4 out of 5

France, 1942

Once, Paulette Leblanc spent her days flirting, shopping and drawing elegant dresses in her sketch pad. Then German tanks rolled into France, and a reckless romance turned into deep betrayal. Blaming herself for her mother’s arrest by the Gestapo, Paulette is sent away to begin a new life in Paris, working as apprentice to fashion designer Sabine Ballard.

But Maison de Ballard is no ordinary fashion house. While seamstresses create the perfect couture gowns, clandestine deals and secrets take place out of sight. Mademoiselle Ballard is head of a vast network of resistance fighters—including Paulette’s coworker and friend Nicolle Cadieux—who help escort downed military men and Jewish families to safety.

Soon Paulette is recruited as a spy. Working as a seamstress by day, gathering information at glamorous parties by night, Paulette at last has a chance to earn the redemption she craves. But as the SS closes in, and Nicolle goes missing, Paulette must make life-and-death decisions about who to trust, who to love and who to leave behind…

I really enjoyed this read! I felt so sorry for Paulette from the very first page. Yes, what she did was horrible, but I can’t imagine living with such guilt. The goings-on at the fashion house were fascinating, and the clandestine errands were riveting. I loved all the main characters, and really enjoyed how it tied in Ryan’s other book.

Renee Ryan is from Florida. The Last Fashion House in Paris is her newest novel.

(Galley courtesy of Harlequin/ Love Inspired in exchange for an honest review.)

Book Review: The Last Fashion House in Paris, by Renee Ryan


(Blog link live 12/24).

I loved my first experience with Renee Ryan's writing two years ago, and I've been looking forward to read more of her work ever since. I was going to get a copy of one of her backlist titles, but somehow I never ended up doing so... When the opportunity to read her newest story The Last Fashion House In Paris arose, I decided to give in and read this book first. What I didn't realize is that this is actually a companion novel to both The Widows Of Champagne and The Paris Housekeeper, because I would have read those books first otherwise... I can confirm that this story can easily be read as a stand-alone as well though, and it was without doubt another excellent piece of WWII historical fiction!

The Last Fashion House In Paris is set in WWII France, both in Paris and the free zone. The main focus is on the French resistance during the war, which has been done before of course, but the focus on fashion helped making the story stand out for me. I could appreciate the fact that this story was based on true events, and the incorporation of historical facts and references helped the story feel more authentic. The Last Fashion House In Paris uses a multiple POV structure, switching between the three women most important in the plot (Paulette, Nicolle, Sabine). This structure helped creating a multi-faceted plot with each focusing on different aspects of the war.

I admit that it took me a little while to properly warm up to Paulette, but once she shows her strength and determination I was fully on her side. Nicolle's POV was probably the most intense with her job of being a passeur and her complicated past... And I loved Sabine's POV for the fashion angle it provided as well as more insight in the resistance network. The main focus of the plot is on female friendship, overcoming hardship and resilience... There is even some romance, but it isn't the main focus of this story (something that is always a bonus for me).

There is just something about Renee Ryan's writing that is extremely engaging, and combined with the intriguing plot and lots of dangerous moments it is impossible to stop turning those pages. Especially the second half, where more and more complications arise, things start moving at a record speed... And I couldn't put this book down. If you enjoy well writting and engaging WWII historical fiction stories that offer a little something extra, I can definitely recommend The Last Fashion House In Paris. I can't wait to return to some of the characters when read the two related books!