Daughters of Paris

Really great read. This is my first read by author Elisabeth Hobbes and it will not be my last. This storyline takes you in from the first page to the last. True to life historical fiction of the horrible experiences that families experienced in Paris in WWII. The characters are all true to life. Fleur and Collette grow in friendship, knowledge, faith in each other. This book has it all, romance, trials, tragedy, joy, righting of wrongs, love. Must read! I was given an advanced reader copy of this book by NetGalley and I am freely leaving my review.

Daughters of Paris
By: Elisabeth Hobbes
Review Score: 3 1/2 Stars

Five Key Feels

-I loved the evolution of Collette and Fleur’s friendship.

-You can feel the tension in Paris as the Germans occupy the city.

-Fleur is incredibly brave while working for the resistance movement.

-This story really shines a light on how everyone in Paris suffered, regardless of their social status prior to the war.

-I liked how this story wrapped up.

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Daughters of Paris was kindly provided as an ARC by Netgalley and Harper 360, One More Chapter . Thank you for allowing me to read this wonderful book!

Release Date: 3/28/23

I really enjoyed Daughters of Paris. It’s a historical fiction novel, with a good bit of romance, but it also gives a different perspective on the Nazi Occupation of Paris, and how it felt for those who lived there.

Hobbes does an amazing job of bringing you into that time, in a new and interesting way.


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This book starts in the late 1930’s in Paris. The two main characters are Colette Nadon and Fleur Bonnivard. They are the best of friends and self-proclaimed Secret Sisters. Collette comes from a wealthy family, while Fleur is the niece of Colette’s families maid. As war approaches and begins, the two embark on two very different paths. Colette insists on going to fancy cabarets whilst Fleur decides to subtly fight back by distributing leaflets.

Many life changing events happen to the girls throughout the war: love, mistakes, betrayal, murder, resistance and so much more. The beautiful part of the book was watching both Fleur and Colette blossom from teenagers into young women.

This is a really good book with a strong emphasis on duty to country, loyalty to your loved ones, finding yourself, and doing what’s right, all during the worst of times.

Fleur and Colette, friends from childhood are brought together by the dangers of war. They depend on each other for survival. Can they both find love and lifetime friendship.

ARC received by Net Galley. Thank you!

From start to finish Daughters of Paris was a page turner with well developed characters an an interesting plot that had me reading page after page. It begins in 1930s Paris with a pair of unlikely friends; Collette, a wealthy daughter of a French business man, and Fleur a member of the the household staff in Collette's home. They enjoy an innocent friendship oblivious to how their social standings will eventually present challenges to their sisterhood. Can they navigate these challenges alongside the eventual Nazi invasion of their beloved Paris?

Through learning some hard life lessons, loves found and lost, they found strength, courage and the way back to each other.

A well written book I highly recommend to any lover of historical fiction or stories about friendship and the experiences that bond people together for a lifetime.

Daughter of Paris is a historical fiction set in 1930s Paris, France. It follows Colette- daughter of a wealthy Parisian, and Fleur- the daughter of a maid in Colette’s household. We see their friendship blossom in the beginning but as time goes on and life changes for both of them their friendship and bond is tested.

This book was researched and written very well. It did a great job at transporting me into the story! The pace was slow in the beginning but once the pace picked up, I couldn’t pull myself away from reading!

Historical fiction is not usually my forte but I definitely recommend this for those who love historical fiction!

This author was new to me and I really liked her writing style. Daughters of Paris tells the story of two best friends who grew up together in Paris prior to WWII - Colette, who was born to wealth and Fleur, who was an orphan being raised by her aunt who worked for Colette's parents as their housekeeper. The girls are close as children, then grow apart as they get older and stop sharing their secrets, then become close again as the Nazi's invade Paris and the two women become involved with the Resistance. I felt like the characters really came alive. Colette matured from a self-absorbed girl into a woman who wanted to help others and Fleur came into her own as a strong woman. I highly recommend this novel!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC of this novel in exchange for an honest review.

A heart warming story of two girls from two different backgrounds fighting against the Germans occupying Paris during WWII. Fleur and Collette’s story is the story of a city.

A captivating story that draws you in from the first page. Focusing primarily on the lives of two women, with their friendship hanging in the balance of war. The historical fiction novel, while taking place during World War II Paris, focuses on the effort of living in Paris and the strain of relationships rather than the resistance movement or attempting to escape the turmoil of the city. As the novel progresses, time continues to move forward, and the evolution of friendship takes primary focus. While I never connected deeply with any of the characters, the heart of the book reminded centered around Colette and Fleur’s friendship, with love playing only a background character. There remained no overt depth of characters, with lack of details in certain developments. I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book, even though there felt like no real climax. The epilogue was a nice edition to tie the book together nicely. For those who enjoy historical fiction, I believe this book to be a wonderful example of thorough research for the creation.

My one major complaint for this book was it was just way too long. Other than that I adored the whole thing. Characters were amazing, relationships were amazing. also loved the full circle-ness of it all. Really good just wish it was shorter.

Daughters of Paris is a stunning historical novel that depicts the courageous journey of a young woman who risks her own life to save others. The story follows the plight of this brave protagonist as she navigates the treacherous streets of Paris during a time of great turmoil and upheaval. Hobbes' writing is captivating and poignant, drawing readers into the heart of the story and immersing them in the rich historical context of the era. Through vivid descriptions and masterful storytelling, she brings to life the sights, sounds, and emotions of a city on the brink of revolution. Daughters of Paris is a tale of bravery, sacrifice, and the enduring power of the human spirit. It is a must-read for anyone who loves historical fiction and a testament to the resilience and strength of women throughout history.

A beautiful story that spans the lifetime of two friends as they learn to survive through WWII in occupied France.

I loved the character development for both Colette and Fleur. They were so different but so close to each other. I was annoyed with Colette at first but was so glad she grew up and was able to stand on her own two feet. Her growth was the most satisfying. And as these two friends navigated their new life with Germans in Paris they learned how to trust each other with everything.

Although there was romance in this story it didn't feel life the main storyline. The romance was sweet but filled with tension since they were all involved in the Resistance in one way or another. Fortunately there is an HEA for everyone involved.

Overall a great historical fiction with suspense, romance, and unbreakable friendships. Great for fans of Kristin Hannah and WWII stories.

Trigger/Content warnings:
Attempted assault/rape, injury from torture, mentions of war, Jewish persecution, and the concentration camps.

I received an ARC from Netgalley and Harper 360. All thoughts and opinions are my own and offered freely.

Daughters of Paris is the story of Fleur and Colette and their lifetime friendship that takes place during the period before and during WW II. Fleur and Colette grow up playing together but their stations in life are very different with Fleur being the housekeeper's niece and Colette being the pampered daughter of the wealthy owners of the household. Neither character gets through life unscathed and their childhood friendship changes as their life paths take them in different directions. The Nazi occupation of Paris changes their world and their relationship as they face the new realities brought on by the war.
I enjoyed the story and appreciated how the characterization of their friendship was not too idealistic but instead showed the challenges brought on by their different worlds. All in all a good read for fans of historical fiction.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an advance copy in exchange for an honest opinion.

A beautiful story of growing up, learning to love and live as the world around you is torn to rags by war. While this story does have two wonderful, romantic connections, the true pull of the book is the connections of the main girls, the secret sisters. Two women from different worlds, grow closer together as they deal with the changing world in separate ways.

I highly recommend this book to anyone who loves well-structured, heart-felt WWII historical fiction. It checks all the boxes. Thank you, NetGalley for the digital arc in return for this honest review.

In Daughters of Paris, Elisabeth Hobbes explores the lives of Colette and Fleur, two friends from different social classes who have grown apart since their childhood days in their secret garden. The reader meets Colette and Fleur in the months before the Nazis arrive in Paris as they rebuild their friendship, develop relationships, and join the French Resistance. Hobbes’ characters are vibrant, and the friendship between Colette and Fleur is heartwarming and incredibly relatable. The many platonic, familial, and romantic relationships in the novel are well-developed, dynamic, and incredibly lifelike, and Hobbes’ prose is wonderfully descriptive, bringing her characters and settings to life. Hobbes uses the historical setting and the charm of Paris to her advantage, the locations almost becoming characters themselves. Her settings and descriptions are equally expressive, and the book is incredibly immersive and well-rounded. Hobbes’ attention to detail and character-centric story lets the historical events flow around the characters, and she does a wonderful job of bringing parts of occupied Paris to life throughout the text. A stunning example of female friendship, Daughters of Paris is a vibrant, descriptive novel about women in occupied Paris and the everyday struggles and perils of survival and resistance.

This story is very emotional since it has WWII in the background and life in occupied Paris. Diusplay's of how strong these women are is evident through the writing and I feel that people should read and understand the different perspectives of the war. The war changed so much but more importantly it showed the strength of the human spirit and how people can overcome no matter how difficult. This story takes place 1930 through 1945. At its core, it is a tale of perhaps an unlikely friendship of two very different women. One is from a wealthy household, Colette, and the other, Fleur, is an orphan living with her aunt who is the maid of that household and she is expected to help in the work. Colette is spoiled not having to earn anything she receives, while Fleur works for and appreciates every thing in her life. Due to living in the same house and being close in age, they do become friends and that is what I think this book is about, the bond of friendship. Sometimes regardless of backgrounds, people make the family they desire. This was also a new author for me, but her writing style, flow and character portrayal was so so good. Definitely a book you should pick up and read if you are a fan of historical fiction.Thank you to HarperCollins UK, One More Chapter and NetGalley as well as the author. 3.5 rounded up.

WWII historical fiction that was thought provoking yet entertaining. Two girls growing up together with vastly different backgrounds, one rich and accustomed to only the best life can offer, the other the niece of the housekeeper.
As these girls grow into women, they do their best to keep that childhood promise they made to stay in contact and be secret sisters. Besties for life. Paris, romantic, thrilling but then the war comes. Life will never be the same for these women, life throws curves at them they could not have seen. So many circumstances they experience together and apart. Life hits them hard but yet there is still joy to be find despite circumstances beyond their control. Romance is inevitable in a lovely book taking place in Paris but yet it is not the main focus. The sisterhood, a lifetime of changes, vast differences still the bond is unbreakable between these women.
Very much enjoyed this book.

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