THE PARIS ASSIGNMENT is Rhys Bowen's latest historical novel set during World War II. Madeleine is a student at the Sorbonne when she meets Giles Martin, a journalist with radical ideas. They fall in love, eventually marry, and give birth to a son, Olivier. But when war breaks out, Madeleine loses everything. Back in London, alone except for her father and loveless stepmother, the British government approaches her about becoming a spy. With her knowledge of France, they think she has the makings of an undercover agent. While initially reluctant, Madeleine eventually accepts the assignment. Thus begins a series of adventures in Nazi-occupied France, where she befriends other female agents while facing the horrors of the war.

While I enjoyed the storyline, the writing was often awkward and undeveloped. Bowen produces two to three books per year, and it's beginning to show. However, I think the story is strong enough to overcome the weaknesses. If you enjoy WWII fiction written from a female's perspective, you will probably enjoy this book. In addition to the war plot, there is also a section of the book set in Australia.

Thank you to Net Galley and Lake Union for providing me with an ARC in exchange for my opinions.

As an avid reader of Historical fiction and noels of this time periods I was blown away with this book! I could not put this down! Living your life in this time period, not knowing if your husband is dead or alive...sending your son to "the country" to be safe, only to wonder if he really was. This book has everything in it that a reader wants. It has suspense, love, and comedy. I loved this book!

Fans of Historical Fiction will enjoy this book about the female spies during WWII. I was overwhelmed by the amount of training they did, and I am pretty sure I would not have made the cut. This book also brought to my attention the plight of orphans during this tumultuous time.

🎖What I liked:
-Female spies.
-Page turner full of suspense.
-Learning about children left behind when parents died.
-Emotional but not unbearable

🎖What wasn't my favorite:
-I didn't like Giles. I just didn't understand the attraction.
-The book covers a very long time span, causing some jumping ahead. I felt like I was missing something important.

🎖Put this one on your radar! Available August 8th.

If you enjoy reading about women in World War Two, this is a good book for you. Madeleine is Hal French/half English. She lived as a youngster in Paris but her mother died and her father remarried after their move to England. Her stepmother was not fond of her and she was sent to boarding school and then college. During a semester at the Sorbonne, she meets Giles Martien. Her life takes a turn when they marry due to her pregnancy. They live a comfortable life until the war knocks at their door. Madeleine moves back to England with her child. Then begins a story of horror, tragedy, and courage. I will not reveal more than that. However, women played significant roles during the war, and this is another of those stories.

Madeline Grant, who attends school in London, is fulfilling a requirement to study abroad for one term by attending classes at the Sorbonne University in Paris, France. She meets Giles Martin and falls in love. What will happen to that love? How will the war affect Madeline and Giles?

This is the story of Madeline, her life, and the French Resistance. I must admit that I am not usually drawn to books that deal with World War II, but I like other books written by Rhys Bowen and decided to give this novel a try. While I prefer Bowen’s HER ROYAL SPYNESS series, I’m glad I gave this book a chance. I recommend this book to readers who like historical fiction. The characters are well-developed, and the plot is well-crafted with two interesting threads. THE PARIS ASSIGNMENT is a good read. Thank you, Lake Unit Publishing and NetGalley, for giving me the opportunity to read and review the e-arc of THE PARIS ASSIGNMENT.

This was my first novel by this author and I enjoyed it. I liked the characters and historical fiction is my favorite genre. I enjoyed this book and would recommend to a friend.

📖 Book Review 📖

📱 “The Paris Assignment” by Rhys Bowen

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Publication August 8, 2023

My first Rhys Bowen novel, but not my last. A historical fiction read about the ravages of war and the depth of a mother’s love. Well researched and beautifully written.

Madeleine Grant is studying at the Sorbonne in Paris when she meets charismatic French journalist Giles Martin. A fast romance, they marry and welcome son, Olivier. As German soldiers close in on France, Giles begs Madeleine to take Olivier to London, where her family is while he joins the French resistance. To survive and bring home some money Madeleine trachea French at a secondary school, while constantly worrying about Olivier’s safety. After a devastating twist of fate resulting in the loss of her son, Madeleine accepts a request from the military to aid in the war effort, in France.

Madeleine’s perseverance, defiance, and heart will be tested and no risk is too great . She is determined to fight and survive against inconceivable odds. This novel had several twists. It was emotionally captivating and very fast paced. The end wrapped up a little too nicely but that is what happens so often in books. The character portrayals of women in “men’s” jobs, were written in such realistic ways. They were recruited by British Intelligence to train and work behind the lines in France during WWII.

Thank you NetGalley (@netgalley) and the publisher for the e-ARC

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Review in progress and to come.

I received a free copy of this book via NetGalley and am voluntarily leaving a review

THE PARIS ASSIGNMENT by Rhys Bowen

Amid the terrible waste of war, we find courage, compassion, love, and loyalty.
In despair after the loss of her only child, Madeleine accepts training and assignment as a courier (spy) in Nazi-occupied France. While many are weeded out, she is deemed to have “the right stuff” as are her closest cohorts in the training group . . . vital to have trusted people in that work. War brings out the best and the worst in people, and one can only hope to have the courage and wits when required. 
This was a most compelling book to read, keeping me up late to finish, and lingering in my mind after. Some was familiar information, still gripping in this telling of it, but the sending of orphans to Australia was new, horrifying, and well documented.
There’s some very poetic justice also, but details would be spoilers, so trust me and read on.

This book grabbed my attention from the start and kept it until the end. It is beautifully written and really delved into each characters development. My first book by Bowen, but will definitely not be my last! Highly Recommend!

Thank you to net galley for the arc in exchange for an honest review!

The was a great book. We get to see how Madeleine grows as a person. I thought she was pretty weak when we first meet her. She was in Paris for a semester but was out of her depth. She meets Giles and things progress and she starts to come in to her own. The war comes and her life is changed, and she is challenged in all ways. She and Giles both fight in the war but we see Madeleine figure out her own way. I don't want to give away the story, but Madeleine goes through a lot and comes out a much stronger person and open to experiences that she would not have expected. She faces loss and still wants to help and keep her humanity. I would recommend this to anyone. The arc of her life experiences is hard, but she always has hope. This book will not disappoint. Well worth the time.

I received this book for free for and unbiased review.

Another absorbing historical read from Bowen.

*Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for providing an e-galley in exchange for an honest review!

A beautiful written historical romance giving us not only an interesting glimpse of historical France, but an insightful glimpse into the main character.
Thank you to Rhys Bowen, NetGalley and Lake Union Publishing for the arc of this book

A sweeping, page-turning tale! Rhys Bowen’s latest is a fascinating, twisty, suspenseful if heartbreaking World War II spy story that kept me flipping pages well past my bedtime. I loved reading about savvy heroine Madeleine Martin, who braved the atrocities of war and loss and fought for those she loved in various locales, and Bowen’s sense of place is often superb, as is her sense of justice. This book is not perfect. The pacing is a bit uneven, with far too much detail regarding spy training, for example. Much of the story is not all that distinguishable from other WWII fiction I’ve read. And events near the end of the book and a few other plot points are far too coincidental to be the least bit credible. All in all, however, this is a good story, well told, and one I’m glad to have had the opportunity to read.

Recommended to fans of Rhys Bowen and to those who enjoy WWII fiction featuring independent, strong, intelligent women.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Lake Union Publishing for the complimentary ARC. Opinions are my own.

Loved this book, exhilarating, very descriptive and had all the emotions to keep you wanting to read more. Thoroughly recommend this.

Another five star read from Ms Bowen. She is quickly becoming my favorite go to author. This is not your normal Word War 2 historical fiction. The Paris Assignment takes you to London, Paris, Sydney, and the country side of France. It gives you a look at what Europe was like during The Great Depression, during and after the war. You get to see training for women’s espionage and how dangerous it really was. This will no doubt be a favorite book of 2023 for me and I can’t wait to see where Ms Bowen takes me next.

This was my first read by this author. I did enjoy it and am thankful to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC. Heads up to readers that at times this book was difficult to read as parts have instances of abuse and torture. It does portray a realistic view of the sadness and tragedy of war.

I really enjoyed this book. The author did a good job describing the main character and the other women she trained with to help the resistance against the nazis. The heartbreak and pain that they went through was told so we felt the fear and emotions as if we were there. Everything Olivier went through was so awful and sad. The ending of the story was well written and I felt hope that they all would be together again one day and be able to put their horrific experiences through the war behind them.

I was really excited to read this book and I’m so disappointed! It would have been a DNF but I felt like I had to finish it since I got it through NetGalley. The writing was so basic and hollow. The dialogue was cringeworthy. The plot was full of so many events that could have been exciting or emotional but they just passed by without making me pay attention or form a connection. Things worked out too conveniently, and their resolution could be seen from miles away. There are so many incredibly WWII books, but this book isn’t one of them.

I really enjoy the Royal Spyness series that this author writes but this is a stand alone book and it’s really good! Gobbled it up over a long weekend and was sorry to finish it. Would really recommend.