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andalucia's review
dark
emotional
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.5
Content Warnings
Moderate: Child death, War, and Violence
kerrygetsliterary's review
emotional
informative
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Injury/Injury detail, Death, Antisemitism, Pregnancy, Violence, Murder, War, Death of parent, Grief, Abandonment, Child death, and Suicidal thoughts
bradybri's review
challenging
emotional
inspiring
reflective
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
Content Warnings
Moderate: Violence, Child death, War, and Death
maggiestraveledbookshelf's review against another edition
emotional
informative
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
“They would do it together, a mother and daughter, emerging from the ashes like a pair of phoenixes, though [she] feared grief would tether her to the ground no matter how wide she spread her wings.”
Rating: 4.5 stars ⭐️
Spice: 0
This book is heavy and heartbreaking, but it carries such an important message.
Let’s Review:
•Set during WWII and the following decades
•Follows two mothers and their families
•Occupied France —> NYC
•Impossible decisions made under harrowing circumstances
•Themes of grief and family and art
•Compelling writing + well-researched
The entire book, I just wanted to hug my daughter and never let go.
Also - The author’s note at the end was particularly interesting and appreciated. I love getting further insight into the research done for historical books! I’ll always say: Never skip the author’s note!!
If you enjoy reading historical fiction, I highly recommend this book!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death and Violence
Moderate: Genocide
Minor: Suicidal thoughts
sarahflanders's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: War, Child death, Grief, Antisemitism, Gaslighting, Abandonment, Blood, Death, Death of parent, and Violence
kelly_e's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.25
Title: The Paris Daughter
Author: Kristin Harmel
Genre: Historical Fiction
Rating: 3.25
Pub Date: June 6, 2023
I received complimentary eARC from Simon & Schuster Canada & Gallery Books via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own. #Gifted #Ad
T H R E E • W O R D S
Harrowing • Idealistic • Predictable
📖 S Y N O P S I S
Paris, 1939: Young mothers Elise and Juliette become fast friends the day they meet in the beautiful Bois de Boulogne. Though there is a shadow of war creeping across Europe, neither woman suspects that their lives are about to irrevocably change.
When Elise becomes a target of the German occupation, she entrusts Juliette with the most precious thing in her life—her young daughter. But nowhere is safe in war, not even a quiet little bookshop like Juliette’s Librairie des Rêves, and, when a bomb falls on their neighborhood, Juliette’s world is destroyed along with it.
More than a year later, with the war finally ending, Elise returns to reunite with her daughter, only to find her friend’s bookstore reduced to rubble. Surviving neighbors tell her that Juliette and a little girl survived. But which little girl—and what happened in the bookstore’s final moments?
💭 T H O U G H T S
I have come to know and love Kristin Harmel's writing style and WWII stories, so her 2023 release The Paris Daughter was an automatic add to my TBR. The premise sounded intriguing, but unfortunately this one missed the mark for me.
There's no denying how meticulously researched and detailed oriented Kristin's writing is. In this novel, we explore themes of grief and loss, friendship and motherhood, especially the unthinkable choices one is forced to make to survive. While the WWII historical fiction sub-genre is fairly saturated, I appreciated the focus on the post-war years and Elise's journey in search of answers. I also loved the bookstore!
While I've loved many of Kristin Harmel's books in the past, this one just came across overly idealistic and quite predictable. These two factors kept my interest from being fully engaged in the story. The idea was solid, yet the execution just didn't pan out. I saw the 'twist' coming a mile away leaving the ending abrupt and underwhelming. Overall, The Paris Daughter didn't pack the emotional punch I've appreciated in some of her other works.
📚 R E C O M M E N D • T O
• Kristin Harmel fans
• WWII fiction devotees
🔖 F A V O U R I T E • Q U O T E S
"'I think,' he said slowly, 'that sometimes, the roads we don’t know we’re walking are the ones that lead us to exactly where we’re meant to be.'"
Author: Kristin Harmel
Genre: Historical Fiction
Rating: 3.25
Pub Date: June 6, 2023
I received complimentary eARC from Simon & Schuster Canada & Gallery Books via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own. #Gifted #Ad
T H R E E • W O R D S
Harrowing • Idealistic • Predictable
📖 S Y N O P S I S
Paris, 1939: Young mothers Elise and Juliette become fast friends the day they meet in the beautiful Bois de Boulogne. Though there is a shadow of war creeping across Europe, neither woman suspects that their lives are about to irrevocably change.
When Elise becomes a target of the German occupation, she entrusts Juliette with the most precious thing in her life—her young daughter. But nowhere is safe in war, not even a quiet little bookshop like Juliette’s Librairie des Rêves, and, when a bomb falls on their neighborhood, Juliette’s world is destroyed along with it.
More than a year later, with the war finally ending, Elise returns to reunite with her daughter, only to find her friend’s bookstore reduced to rubble. Surviving neighbors tell her that Juliette and a little girl survived. But which little girl—and what happened in the bookstore’s final moments?
💭 T H O U G H T S
I have come to know and love Kristin Harmel's writing style and WWII stories, so her 2023 release The Paris Daughter was an automatic add to my TBR. The premise sounded intriguing, but unfortunately this one missed the mark for me.
There's no denying how meticulously researched and detailed oriented Kristin's writing is. In this novel, we explore themes of grief and loss, friendship and motherhood, especially the unthinkable choices one is forced to make to survive. While the WWII historical fiction sub-genre is fairly saturated, I appreciated the focus on the post-war years and Elise's journey in search of answers. I also loved the bookstore!
While I've loved many of Kristin Harmel's books in the past, this one just came across overly idealistic and quite predictable. These two factors kept my interest from being fully engaged in the story. The idea was solid, yet the execution just didn't pan out. I saw the 'twist' coming a mile away leaving the ending abrupt and underwhelming. Overall, The Paris Daughter didn't pack the emotional punch I've appreciated in some of her other works.
📚 R E C O M M E N D • T O
• Kristin Harmel fans
• WWII fiction devotees
🔖 F A V O U R I T E • Q U O T E S
"'I think,' he said slowly, 'that sometimes, the roads we don’t know we’re walking are the ones that lead us to exactly where we’re meant to be.'"
Content Warnings
Moderate: Child death, Abandonment, Pregnancy, War, Death, and Violence
death of partner
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