As always, Rhys Bowen never disappoints!! This book is engaging. The characters are multi-faceted and real.

historical-novel, historical-places-events, historical-research, history-and-culture, family, family-history, espionage, endurance, romantic, orphaned, Australia, France, England, grief, grieving, WW2, fiction, loss, love, abuse*****

Madeleine was a British girl who came to France in 1931 as a student at the Sorbonne where she fell in love with a young journalist who had Jewish roots. In time they had a son, the German army made life intolerable for them, mother and son return to England, and father stays in France to join the Resistance. Madeleine is recruited into the rigors of British intelligence for work behind the lines in France, and their son is abducted into one of the infamous “orphanage farms” over in Australia. It is a riveting account that could have happened. Another moving tale by one of my favorite authors.
I requested and received an EARC from Lake Union Publishing via NetGalley. Thank you

Book 12: Another good #historicalfiction novel from @authorrhysbowen. Thanks to @netgalley for the opportunity to read #theparisassignment which will be published in August. Madeline falls in love with not only Paris during her #studyabroad at the Sorbonne but also Giles. Once she makes the decision to leave London for good to make a life with Giles the war interrupts their lives and forces Madeline back to London. When more tragedy strikes and Madeline thinks her son is lost, she applies for a risky assignment with the British government to fight the enemy who has taken her happiness. A follow up assignment to Australia after the war might provide Madeline with another chance at happiness. A ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ book for those who can’t get enough #ww2historicalromance novels. 📚📚📚 #netgalleyreads #netgalleyreview #netgalleyreviewer #netgalleyrecommendations #my2023readingchallenge #bookstagram #booksbooksbooks

I love everything Rhys Bowen's story and this one was no differeny. This book is fast paced, you will experience all range of emotions; but most of all will grab your heartstrings

A powerful book that I recommend
Thanks Netgalley and publisher

All thoughts and opinions are my own and aren't influenced by anyone else

Madeleine, a half-French British woman visiting Paris, falls in love with Giles Martin and the two marry and have a child together, Oliver. When the Nazis take over Paris, Madeleine and Oliver return to England while Giles joins the Resistance. The novel is presented in the voices of Madeleine and Oliver. "The Paris Assignment" was when Madeleine trained as a spy/courier and returned to France to help with the Resistance herself. I enjoyed The Paris Assignment although I found it hard to read at times as the characters were being mistreated.

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

I enjoy Rhys Bowen’s books immensely, but consider the stand alone a special treat. This book follows the story of Madeline whose father is British and mother is French, so she spends a good amount of her childhood in France at her mother’s aunt’s Paris apartment. Later in her life, after her mother has passed away, she attends university in Paris reconnects with her aunt and falls in love with a fellow student named Giles., they marry and have a son, Olivier. When the Nazis descend on France Giles insists on Madeleine and Olivier going back to England where they will be safe. Giles stays behind to help the resistance. In England Madeline teaches French in a high school while Olivier adjusts at his own school. During the worst of the blitz she reluctantly agrees to send him the country where he will be safer. Shortly after his departure she receives devastating news and coincidently she is recruited by the government as a spy due to her fluency in French. Details of training are
fascinating and intimidating. She is assigned a position in Paris along with a few fellow recruits. In Paris she gets involved with the resistance and reunites with her husband. Heartbreak ensues and more devastation, yet our heroine perseveres. I have purposely left out plot spoilers, it is such a great read. Thank you to @netgalley for the opportunity to read this book.

I have read a lot of Rhys Bowen's books, including the entire Royal Spyness series. I've enjoyed the other series and the stand alones, but none of them are as engrossing as the Royal Spyness books. This book is no exception. It has an excellent premise, and the main character is spirited and independent, but I never felt fully caught up in the story.

The last few books that I have read from NetGalley have been awesome. This one is included in the group. This book is about WW II. The heroine of the book is Madeleine. The characters are well developed and the storyline is captivating. I have read several other books from this author and she doesn’t disappoint. I stayed up late reading because I wanted to know what was going to happen next. The book starts with Madeline in college and rather naive about “worldly things “. But by the end, that has all changed. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for allowing me to read an advance copy for my honest review.

An interesting take on Europe during WW2. Strong characters, different roles, a story of loss, depredation, suffering and love. The main character, Madeleine, chooses to train as a courier after she is told that her son Olivier was killed by a bomb falling on a train evacuating children from London to the countryside. To say more, would give away the story! An enjoyable read although it was a shame that the author skipped over events between Madeleine’s escape from Fontainebleau and the intervening years up to her onward journey to Australia. It felt like the author was in a hurry to finish the novel.

My thanks to NetGalley and the publishers Lake Union for this advance copy.

Rhys Bowen’s new historical novel, the Paris Assignment, traces the path of Englishwoman Madeleine Grant through the atrocities of world war two, highlighting the powerful endurance of the French resistance fighters who survived it. Parts of the book aren't easy to read, but Rhys Bowen excels at describing brave heroines in terrible situations making difficult choices and coming out on the other side.

When Madeleine arrives in Paris for a semester abroad, she doesn’t expect to meet the love of her life, changing her whole future trajectory. Meeting Giles will lead her to stay in Paris, give birth to a son, and then, when WW2 breaks out, take on a dangerous assignment to resist the Nazis in the country she loves.

Bowen is expected to produce several books a year…and it shows. Her recent stand-alones, The Paris Assignment included, have felt a bit haphazard. There’s a lot of telling instead of showing, the pacing is off, and something lacking that makes the story feel less than cohesive. There is a lot covered in this book and sometimes it feels like she’s just trying to reach her word count. We spend so much time on Madeleine’s training for undercover work, not all of which seems necessary. We don’t get to the assignment (which isn’t in Paris by the way) until over halfway through the book.

I never felt like I knew Madeleine as a unique individual, even though I spent so much time with her. I did find the ending satisfying, if unrealistic. I think this book would have benefitted from further editing and more focus on important parts of the story. I think I’ll probably stop lunging for the ARCs of Bowen’s stand-alones as I have been disappointed in them every time. I’ll stick with Her Royal Spyness.

I liked this, it just didn’t wow me. I enjoyed the story and plot I just never really warmed up to the main character for some reason.

I wanted to like this one more than I did. For the entire book, I kept trying to find the positive but, overall, it ended up being just okay. I feel like I'm in the minority on this one. It got some really great reviews but as someone who reads a lot of historical fiction from this time period, this one fell very short. The plot and storyline had real potential but I felt like there was just too much going on. There were several stories taking place at the same time and the whole story covers a very wide timeline. This made it feel superficial to me. We were scraping the surface of some very good topics but never digging deep enough to really grab a hold of me. I was not familiar with the Australian orphan farms and I would have loved to have spent more time there.

There were some parts (even entire chapters) that I felt provided no value to the story. For example, there is an entire chapter where we follow Madeleine as she walks through the streets of London, eats lunch, contemplates going shopping, worries about some decisions she's made, etc. It felt like fluff and would benefit from serious trimming. It also felt really slow at times. I like historical fiction that is a little more fast paced. It just didn't capture my attention in the same way as other books with similar plots.

The dialogue felt stilted and constrained. It just did not flow in a relaxed or natural way. I think this affected my relationship with the characters. I felt a strong emotional connection with Olivier but felt little connection with any of the other characters. They just didn’t feel real or relatable. I was also a little disappointed in the ending. It felt very rushed and a little too neat, tidy, and unrealistic.

I am grateful for having received this advanced copy from NetGalley in return for my review. Although it didn’t feel like a 5 star read for me, I feel it deserves a recommendation as others have seemed to really enjoy it.

I read several books by Rhys Bowen in the past and I usually enjoy her historical fiction world. However this time I should have looked more closely to the reviews and content. Because the topic is rather very sad and overwhelming. A bit too much for me. I am currently looking for more feel-good content. So more a matter of timing than anything else.

Another great read by this author; I love everything Rhys Bowen writes. This was a great historical setting set in the World War II era. Madeline is the main character; she is a strong woman that works against the Nazis. The book is fast paced, yet will let you experience all range of emotions; certain elements certainly will tug at your heart strings.

I received this from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Madeline intends to spend 1 term studying in Paris - until she meets a charming Frenchman who changes her life. When war breaks out her life is again changed and events continue to take those she loves from her. However, she is a fighter! A story evoking both tears and smiles.

Rhys Bowen is an author of such versatility and skill that I always welcome her books with pleasurable anticipation. She excels at recreating historical events and settings, and weaving them with believable, carefully drawn characters who evolve to cope with and overcome their challenging situations.

In "The Paris Assignment" Rhys Bowen is on top form and tells a tale at once heartwarming and heartrending - illustrating the speed with which lives can be transformed from peaceful and idyllic to strident and harsh when war breaks out and its chaos ensues.

The range of characters show how loved ones can be erased, and how cruelty and hatred arise, and may be avenged, ultimately to be overcome by the power of love.
Highly recommended.

Another compelling read by Rhys Bowen! I love her books! The characters and settings are always so well done. The stories themselves are always interesting and fun to read. The Paris Assignment is no different. I highly recommend this book!

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC. I could not put this book down, had me at the edge of my seat at times and brought me to tears at one point. This book was one of the best WW2 historical fiction novels that I have read. It was obviously very well researched. Definitely recommend.

Although I typically enjoy books written by Rhys Bowen, I found The Paris Assignment to be a disappointment. The plot moved slowly as so much time was spent on the introduction, background and lead up to the actual “assignment”. Further, the wrap-up at the end seemed rushed and very unrealistic.