Cover Image: All the Flowers in Paris

All the Flowers in Paris

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Member Reviews

This was a beautiful, but sad, book. I some trouble getting into it but kept with it and the story picked up.
It's set in two timelines. In the present, a woman named Caroline wakes up from a coma with her memory gone. She gets back to her apartment and finds a box of letters from WWII and starts investigating. In the WWII timeline, a girl named Celine runs a flower shop and lives with her father. Her father is taken away for being Jewish and she is imprisoned by the German officer who takes over the house.

Again, beautifully written but a sad story.

Thanks to Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine for the ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

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I received an advanced digital copy of this book from the author, Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine and Netgalley.com. Thanks to all for the opportunity to read and review. The opinions expressed in this review are my own.

To read a Sarah Jio novel is to leave the world behind and enter a new one where there is pain and discomfort but also true healing and growth. All the Flowers in Paris is no exception to this opinion. A dual story/timeline that works perfectly. All the characters are well developed and relatable. Readers should be aware that there are extremely sensitive scenes in this book that could be triggering, ie sexual assault, child death. Though even through the darkest of themes, Jio shows us the light in the indomitable spirit of the human heart.

5 out of 5 stars. Highly recommended.

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Courtesy of NetGalley, I received Sarah Jio's new novel, All the Flowers in Paris. This is a compelling historical tale set in Paris during the Nazi occupation of WWII. The past and present are woven together, presenting emotional and heartbreaking situations dealing with loss, relationships, and trust. I couldn't put it down!

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I loved this book! Read until 2:00 am because I just had to find out how it ended. The author does a great job of alternating between two different time frames, two different people - - that are connected somehow .

My heart ached for Celine and what she went through - and for her wonderful daughter Cosi and her Papa. The chapters featuring Celine took me to a place I've never been and a time before I was born - but it all seemed vivid and real. The chapters with Caroline required us to believe she had truly lost all her memory. That would be a horrible feeling! I had glimmers of what might happen throughout the book but wasn't sure of the connections and outcome until they were revealed.

There was both joy and heartache in this book - as in life. A very enjoyable read.

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I enjoyed this book by Sarah Jio. I liked how the present and past stories came together and how Caroline found herself in the end. I don't want to spoil the book but if you you enjoy books set during WW2 and in Paris I think you would also enjoy this book!

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Net Galley gave me this book to read and I really enjoyed it,the characters they are so believable the travels that this woman had to go through,her life. The history was well researched and the story line was so good. Love the style of writing and the time difference was well done where you didn't get confused. You will really enjoy this book,I don't tell what happens in a story be a I feel like I'm writing a book report and if so why read the book? Warm hearted,mystery and heartache and history you have it all!

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All the Flowers in Paris is Sarah Jio’s tenth novel. I have read all nine of her works, and I was eager to devour All the Flowers in Paris. Ms. Jio said she has been wanting to write a novel set in Paris and this was her love letter to that city. It is a dual timeline novel that goes between 2009 and 1943. I was more attracted to the historical story than the modern day tale. I thought Caroline’s narrative played out in an expected manner, though, it is a sweet, romantic story. Celine’s tale is heartbreaking and spoke to the violence of some of the Nazi soldiers. We also see how neighbor’s and friends would turn on other people especially if it would curry them favor with the German’s. I wish the author had taken the time to capture the era. The story lacked historical details. I did enjoy the descriptions of Paris in 2009, the apartment on rue Cler and Madame Jeanty’s café. I liked the flower motifs woven throughout the story. The last 20% of All the Flowers in Paris was the most intriguing as the action increased and we see how the various threads tied together. I thought All the Flowers in Paris lacked that special magical touch that I found in Sara Jio’s earlier works. Unfortunately, All the Flowers in Paris was reminiscent other World War II novels that I have read. I did find a couple of inaccuracies in the story (an example is that at one point it is mentioned Caroline dislikes espresso and then it states she had one every day). I believe I was let down by my expectations. All the Flowers in Paris has hidden letters, nasty Nazis, blooming flowers, lost memories, the city of lights, and a woman searching for answers.

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Wonderful, wonderful book. The characters were believable and the story was so sad and heartwarming. So, so glad I can ad this to one of my favorite books.

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All the Flowers in Paris is the 2nd book I have read by Sarah Jio. Her books are very quick reads. I was easily sucked into this book and enjoyed reading about all the various characters that are part of this story that alternates between 1940's Nazi occupied Paris and present day Paris. At first it reminded me a little too much of Sarah's Key, and I was worried that it wasn't going to hold up, but <i>All the Flowers in Paris was just as good in different ways. Each timeline has a some harrowing plot lines and horrific passages, but among the tragedy, there is a beautiful love story. And a wonderful homage to the city of Paris. I could almost taste the pain du chocolat from the local Parisian bakery and smell the breathtaking flowers from Celine's flower shop. I was expecting the two timelines to line up in a different way, but I enjoyed waiting to see how the stories finally connected. There are so many interesting characters...maybe too many...and some characters are not fully fleshed out, in my opinion. I found myself wanting to know more about Luc Jeanty and Nic and even more about Caroline before she lost her memory. Overall, it's a fantastic read and I even lost the title of the book!
Many thanks to Netgalley for the opportunity to read this ARC.

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I ran into a surprising block when I searched for Sarah Jio’s Web site. My McAfee AntiVirus protection blocked access. Since I trust McAfee’s judgment, I did not continue to the site, but I am curious!
I received a copy of All the Flowers in Paris by Sarah Jio through NetGalley. Jio is a completely new author to me. She has published a number of other books including The Violets of March which won a Library Journal Best Book of 2011, The Bungalow Blackberry Winter which was “an instant New York Times and USA Today bestseller.
I also saw that Christina Baker Kline, a favorite author, wrote, “Sarah Jio weaves past and present in this eminently readable novel about love, gratitude, and forgiveness. I tore through the pages.” Kline’s recommendation drew me to read All the Flowers in Paris.
Admittedly, I have been reading a great deal of fiction and nonfiction set in WWII: The Nightingale, The Zookeeper’s Wife (a reread), Girl in the Blue Coat, The Chilbury Ladies’ Choir, and The Orphan’s Tale (another reread).
I also like stories that intertwine the past and the present, often told by two narrators from those two time periods.
In present day, Caroline finds herself in a hospital in Paris with no memory of the past. A nagging feeling of danger keeps her alert to her surroundings and those around her. Then a mystery of the past serves to distract Caroline from her fears when she discovers a cache of letters in her apartment.
The letters are from WWII and the Nazi-occupied Paris. Celine, a young widow of Jewish ancestry, must save her daughter and she hopes herself from a brutal Nazi officer who discovers her secret.
What could a modern Caroline have in common with Celine, a young Jewish woman in WWII? Sarah Jio takes readers on a distressing ride through pain, terror, and danger. What will the outcome be? The way to discover all these secrets is to read All the Flowers in Paris!

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This book is heartbreaking and beautiful. I loved the dual storylines and seeing how Caroline's present day story line intertwined with Celine's story in occupied Paris. While some of the detailed felt over simplified at times, they were woven beautifully in both stories to bring them together. Many times I found myself gasping as something came to light and even teared up a few times. WWII historical fiction tends to be the time frame that I'm drawn to time and time again and All the Flowers in Paris didn't disappoint. I would have loved to see more of Luc's story. Perhaps in a sequel?

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I want to start by saying Sarah Jio is one of my favorite authors right now and I have read and LOVED each and every one of her stories. However, this story read differently than her previous stories and I can't quite put my finger on why. It is a WWII historical fiction with a contemporary mystery and a past mystery being uncovered in alternating viewpoints between Celine and Caroline. I just didn't connect at my core with these characters like I usually do. I usually find Ms. Jio's writing to be atmospheric and you just sort of sink into her world and her characters. I still enjoyed the book very much and would highly recommend this author. I own each one of her books and have re-read several of them. I think I just prefer when she sets her book in the Pacific Northwest (which is her home) and where I live as well. She brings a really special voice when writing about Seattle and the surrounding areas.

I received a copy from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review

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As a fan of Sarah Jio, I was extremely excited to get my hands on this book!

All the Flowers in Paris follows two timelines, one in present day, one in WWII Paris - this is a format I have come to expect in Sarah Jio's books and I really enjoy it.

What I Liked:
I really cared about Celine and Cosi and their wellbeing. I really enjoyed that this book was about women in WWII, but that it followed a different path than the concentration camps. I loved the dual timeline and how the characters connected together in the end.

What I Didn't Like:
This book was short. Normally that is not a complaint for me, but when following two characters in two different timelines, I think a longer book could have helped develop the characters further.

As a whole, I enjoyed the story and the way it was written. The stories just seemed to wrap up rather abrubtly, which is why I think the book could have benefitted from being longer.

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What if you woke up one day and had no idea who you were? Caroline has just that happen to her in Paris, France in 2009. She goes back to an amazing apartment with a surly doorman and tries to piece who she is together.

As she seeks, Caroline comes across old letter while searching her apartment but the letters are from the 40s and appear to be love letters. Now her quest to find out who she is also becomes a quest to find out more about the letters involving Celine and Luc.

As this is a dual timeline book, Celine and Luc are in 1943 and the war is years in and seems to not want to end. Celine's father owns a flower shop until someone decides he is Jewish. Celine also has a daughter Cosi and her father being found out to have Jewish blood rips their lives apart. The letters are written after the lives are ripped apart and as Celine struggles to come to terms with the new world she is in.

The amount of time that transpires in 2009 with Caroline still trying to figure out who she is and no family, employer, or friend coming forward just seemed a bit off and impacted how I felt about that part of the storyline. It really was noticeable towards the end of the book.

I wavered between 3 and 4 stars and decided on 3 because the Caroline part could have been written better and still captured all the heartache. I found myself thinking too many times there is NO way it would go like this.

Thank you Netgalley for the ARC.

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This touching book by Sarah Jio pulled at my heartstrings from beginning to end and I was unable to put it down as I was so anxious to find out what happened to the characters.
As the story flips between Nazi-occupied Paris in 1943 and Paris in 2009 and the two women brought together by a box of letters found decades after they were written (but never sent)
This heartfelt story pulls together the true meaning of family in one of the darkest times in history that had me sobbing- whether I was reading about Celine in 1943 or Caroline in 2009.
Sarah Jio never fails to disappoint and I was thrilled to have an ARC to enjoy! Thank you to NetGalley, Ballantine Books and Sarah Jio for an ARC. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

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All the Flowers in Paris is a story of past and present. The story is told of two women - one who lived in Paris in during WW2 and another, living in Paris in 2009. For me, each woman's story would make a good story but I was terribly distracted by the constant flipping between the two stories. I began to see where the book was going about a third into the book and was afraid that I would lose interest. However, the book is well written and kept my interest even when I was fairly sure I knew the outcome. I enjoyed the book and would've given it a higher rating but I didn't like having to recall each of the different women's stories.

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Don’t you love when a book draws you immediately in? ‘All the Flowers in Paris’ had me from the opening chapter. We learn the stories of Céline and Caroline; two strong women who are just trying to survive the hands they’ve been dealt.
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Céline is a florist in Nazi-occupied France, where she lives with her father and daughter. The author not only showed aspects of the darker side of this time period but also included characters who were sympathetic and when needed, helped. I feel the world could use a lot of empathy and good people so liked that there were positive characters.
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Caroline’s story is wrapped in a mystery that she has to uncover. I enjoyed her journey and really liked her character. 💐
This is a book that’s full of hope and while aspects were sad, it did not leave me sobbing or feeling overly sad.
If you want hardcore history then this probably isn’t what you are looking for.
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There are two main characters in two different timelines and everything is clearly labeled. I love differing POV’s so I enjoyed the layout. 💐
Overall, I recommend! Solid 4.5 stars, as I would have loved a bit more on Cosi's story (but no spoilers). My deepest thanks to @netgalley @sarahjio @randomhouse for the ARC, I am grateful. 💐

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Thank you net galley for the advance reader copy of this novel. I just finished reading this novel and what a dramatic finish. My goodness ! Celine, Cosi, and Luc WWII story twined with Victor and Caroline story present day so beautifully. The themes of love, thankfullness and forgiveness flow throughout and are wrapped beautifully in the final quote from Vosi's journal. An excellent read!

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All the Flowers in Paris, by Sarah Jio, is an entrancing novel of two very strong women who suffer horrific loss. The novel is structured around two timelines, the first set in Paris during the WWII occupation. The second story is set in modern-day Paris where the connection between the two is finally uncovered.

Jio writes beautifully. The City of Lights can be heard, seen, and felt through her words. Her characters are multi-dimensional and authentic. I will certainly be on the prowl to read her other novels.

I am a bit conflicted about the dual timeline device as I have now read three recent releases about WWII that have used it and fear that it is becoming a bit over-employed. On the other hand, I enjoyed each book thoroughly, and was glad I had the opportunity to read it. I feel the same way about this book, and highly recommend it.

Thanks to NetGalley and Random House Publishing – Ballantine for the opportunity to read an electronic ARC in exchange for an honest review.

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All of the Stars! Sarah Jio has always been an author I have enjoyed reading, but this is her best book yet. Taking place in Paris with dual timelines and characters I wanted to know more about had me flying through the pages. I loved Caroline and Celine's (Cosi too)stories and while there was heartbreak it was a beautifully written book and I finished it feeling inspired. This is historical fiction at its best! I loved how the title All the Flowers in Paris not only played a role in the book but was intertwined in the story. Highly recommended!

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