This is my second Sarah Jio book and it won’t be the last. I enjoyed the dual timelines equally... the modern day storyline of Caroline’s accident was very compelling, and the past characters of Celine and Cosi were so heroic.

Thanks to NetGalley for the digital copy.

I always eagerly anticipate a new release from Sarah Jio, and All the Flowers in Paris was worth the wait. It's the kind of story that is both heartbreaking and restorative, with dual timelines focusing on WWII era Celine and her family, and contemporary Caroline, who has lost her memory after an accident but discovers some connections to Celine's story. The writing style is distinctly Jio's, and having loved every one of her previous stories, I thoroughly enjoyed it.

Well written and thoughtful, this is a lovely story of family, love and survival. The story follows Caroline in present day and Celine in the past, connected over time by place circumstance. 


The characters were realistic and the story compelling. The stories of both women were both heartwrenching  and filled with hope. This story will stay with you long after you've finished reading it

Wow - what a ride! I just loved All the Flowers in Paris. The story and characters will be front and center in my mind and in my heart for some time to come.

There are two alternating timelines in this book. One takes place in Nazi-occupied Paris in the early 1940s. It centers on Céline who is of Jewish descent and her young daughter Cosi. It is a story of survival and the lengths a mother will go to for her daughter.

The second timeline is the present day Paris and tells the story of Caroline who is in an accident and as a result, has amnesia.

“‘Hello?’ I call out, both to anyone who can hear me and, I suppose, to myself. I am deeply and sorely lost. I am a strange soul trapped in an even stranger body. The only thing I know is that I am alive, and that I am, in, well, Paris.”

“...I am currently a person without a story. But I feel more like a person without a soul.”

Caroline feels lost though people tell her how much happier and friendlier she is since losing her memory. She wants to remember her life yet does not want to return to being sad and miserable.

“What if my memory comes back and I hate my life, or worse, hate myself? From all I can tell, I was miserable before. I don’t want to be that woman.”

While these two timelines tell two disparate stories, Jio eventually and effortlessly joins them together, which makes for a very satisfying outcome for the reader.

These stories touched me on several levels - the horrors of the Nazis and their occupation of Pairs, a fight for survival, coping with loss, second chances, and a mother’s determination to protect her daughter.

For most of the book, the present day story seemed somewhat mundane compared to story taking place in the 1940s. As such, they felt mis-matched - a life and death thriller juxtaposed with a humdrum romance. I found my emotional response varied between disgust and almost indifference depending on which timeline I was reading. Ultimately they do fit and in fact, join together nicely.

“To think that all around me—the letters in my apartment, Monsieur de Goff—are remnants of such an ugly time in history. It makes my amnesia pale in comparison. In fact, for those who suffered trauma, as Monsieur de Goff reportedly had, amnesia could even be a gift.”

I was unable to put this book down. It was extremely well-written with highly developed characters that will live in your heart.

“I’ve always loved the city in winter, particularly the way the rooftops look as if they’ve been dusted with a heavy layer of confectioner’s sugar, turning the formerly anemic balcony gardens of winter into scenes straight out of a fairy tale.”

“.... sweeping a few stray rose petals off the cobblestones in front of the shop. I always feel bad for fallen petals, as silly as that sounds. They’re like little lost ducklings separated from their mama.”

All the Flowers in Paris was both heartwarming and heartbreaking. I cannot recommend it highly enough!

“..the truth is, these days we’re all in trouble.” He’s right, of course. We’re all sailing in a ship that’s taking on water. Life rafts are sparse.”

“We will see her again. That’s what love does. It binds people together with ties that are stronger than time, stronger than war and destruction, evil, or pain.”

Thank you to Random House Publishing - Ballantine Books and NetGalley for an advance reader copy in exchange for my honest review.

This story alternates between current day in Paris and Paris during the German invasion of WWII. The past story is about Celine, her daughter Cosi and Celine's father. Celine and her father run a successful flower shop until they are marked as Jews. When word comes that Cosi and her grandfather are to be taken, Celine knows that fleeing is the only thing they can do. The present day story is about a woman named Caroline who has a bike accident and wakes up with no memory. As she tries to piece together who she is, she discovers letters Celine had written to her fiance' hidden in a secret room in her Paris apartment.
This book was so captivating, I got lost in the pages. I don't know that I looked up once. Beautifully written, this is not only fiction, but also a love story with a bit of mystery thrown in for good measure. You can't go wrong with this one!

🌺 5 bright shiny stars! All the Flowers in Paris is an amazing, heartbreaking, and redemptive story that comes around full circle.

The setting is Paris with two women, two different timelines; one with Celine during the Nazi occupation of Paris in 1943; and Caroline in the present who’s been in a terrible bicycle accident resulting in amnesia.

Celine has ties to an apartment at 18 rue Cler. Caroline’s home is at 18 rue Cler, where she finds hidden letters dated 1943 written by Celine to her love, Luc, during Paris’s Nazi occupation. Caroline’s curious as to what happened to Celine and Luc in the letters. A woman researching her own story surrounding Caroline’s apartment, shows up unannounced at Caroline’s door. Together along with another missing piece, a diary, they begin the trek toward solving the mystery. As I read on the answer’s to 18 rue Cler and of Luc, Celine and her letters then begins to unfold. I couldn’t help but get pulled in to the place, time and sights of WWll Paris 1943, Celine’s world.

Family, survival, incredible sacrifices.. I loved this story.. it has all the intrigue and mystery that made this unputdownable for me. Sarah Jio’s beautifully written words will have you reaching for the Kleenex as some parts just broke my heart, the losses and atrocities committed against Celine, and Caroline’s losses just as traumatic. You can’t help but pull for these women. I *sighed* with relief seeing it all come together so perfectly at the end. Was the icing on the cake so to speak. This is a wonderful, detailed-well-thought-out story that kept me turning pages, and one I plan to buy and gift to my friends. It’s incredible. You can’t walk away after reading this without learning something. I can’t recommend it enough.

Thank you to Ballantine Books via NetGalley and Sarah Jio for sharing an e-copy of the book in exchange for my honest review!

Many thanks to NetGalley, Ballantine Books, and Sarah Jio (one of my favorite authors) for the opportunity to read her latest book - 5 stars for a heartbreaking yet hopeful book.

Told in dual time periods and perspectives - in 2009, Caroline wakes up in a hospital after a bike accident and has no memories of who she is. She returns home to her apartment in Paris to heal and try to regain her memories which start coming to her in bits and pieces. She also discovers that she was not the same person before the accident as she is now. In 1943, in Nazi-occupied Paris, Celine, her father and her daughter, Cosi, own a small flower shop. Celine is in love with Luc, a childhood friend, who is in the Resistance. When Luc is gone, a German soldier takes a liking to Celine - he ruins their business and kidnaps Celine, while her father and Cosi are sent away. Cosi escapes and finds her mother who must hide her. These two story lines intersect when Caroline finds old letters Caroline wrote.

The beautiful writing and compelling storylines made this book impossible to put down. Another story of Nazi atrocities with the human spirit winning over evil.

This book is beautifully written but heart-wrenching. Chapters alternate between Caroline (2009) and Celine (1943-44). Caroline has lost her memory after a bike accident, and Celine is trying to keep her family safe in Nazi-occupied Paris. Caroline tries to remember her life, but everything feels different, and the people she encounters who knew her before all seem surprised at her changed demeanor. She finds Celine's letters in her apartment, and her memories start to come back at the same time that she begins to piece together what happened to Celine all those years ago. The story is well-told, and the way the characters are interwoven is very interesting.
I received an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

A beautifully written story about two different women in two different time periods. Celine, a young woman forced to live with a brutal Nazi officer in Paris hides her eight year old daughter, Cosi beneath the floor. Caroline, an American woman who tragically loses her memory due to an accident in present day Paris searches for her memories. Celine and Caroline's stories are woven together in this tale of love and loss. I loved the mother-daughter bond between Celine and Cosi. Highly recommend!

Another wonderful book from Sara Jio that was beautifully written. The story was set in occupied Paris in WWII. The book goes from past to present and the author does a fantastic job of weaving these two stories together. There is heartbreak, mystery and history in this story that keeps you turning the pages. Caroline and Celine are both captivating characters with strength and resilience that I came to love. They each have a heartbreaking story to tell! I would highly recommend this book to anyone who enjoys historical fiction!
Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Can't decide between 4 and 5 stars, so I rounded up. I ended up loving this story.

This one is set in two time periods: WWII Paris and present day Paris. Same apartment, but completely different times, for sure.

In WWII Paris we meet Céline, daughter Cosi, and her Papa then follow their tale through that Nazi-occupied time. Always so much heartache when reading about that time period.

Present day we have Caroline who loses her memory in a car accident. I loved following her journey as she discovered who she was and who she wanted to become.

And of course- the ultimate gift is at the end when we get to see it all come together. Maybe at times predictable, but still a lovely story.

Thank you NetGalley for an ARC of this book to review!

All the Flowers in Paris by Sarah Jio came at the perfect time for me. Having just gotten back from Paris, I couldn't wait to let this book take me back to the beautiful City of Lights. I was hooked from the beginning, but probably not for your typical reason. The story starts in 2009 in Paris with one of the main characters, Caroline, getting into a horrible bicycling accident that causes her to have memory loss. I too had a bicycling accident while in France, and although not as bad as Caroline's, I felt an instant connection to Caroline regardless.

Set in both 2009 and during the German occupation of WWII, the book alternates between the stories of Caroline, her memory loss and subsequent struggle to figure out who she is, and Celine, running a flower shop with her father and daughter, Cosi, in German-occupied Paris. Slowly it is revealed their stories are somehow connected through an apartment on the posh rue Cler. Their stories are filled with heartache, tragedy, and loss, as to be expected with historical fiction. At times I found their stories to be somewhat predictable, but not so much so that I was compelled to stop reading. Quiet the opposite. There were small twists to the story that kept me hooked and invested in these characters. A fast-paced read, however, I wished at times for more details and descriptions. I really wanted to give it a five-star review, but for these reasons, I'm sticking to four and a half stars. If you love stories set in Paris, historical fiction, and stories filled with equal parts heartache, love, and forgiveness, you will definitely enjoy this book!

Thank you, Net Galley and Ballantine Books for giving me the opportunity to read an advanced copy!

This was my first Sarah Jio book, the writing was excellent, the storyline was good, and the character development was done well. I liked the past and present chapters, I found Celine, Cosi, Luc, Caroline and Victor all likeable characters. I would not say this was a fully believable story, you need to have a little sense of magic and de jevu in order to get the full feel.
I liked the way she depicted the scenes of war time life for Celine, her father and Cosi. I think she hit the mark on that. As for Caroline, we had a few far stretches, but I loved the way she tidied it all up in the end. The ending was heartwarming and well done. I would recommend.
My only negative take away would be the love scenes, not that I am adverse, but lately it seems the WWII novels seem to dwell more on the sex than the actual story. I believe the storyline could have held its own without adding in that little tidbit. I did not find them offensive, just unnecessary.
This one comes in with 4****’s. I thank Random House Publishing and Net Galley for allowing me the privilege of reading this book for my honest review

I was hesitant about reading this at first because I usually find novels set in World War II very sad and depressing, but I love Sarah Jio. I’m really glad I did. I truly enjoyed the dual story lines and while, yes it was sad in parts, it’s really about the resilience of the human spirit. I highly recommend this great read! #netgalley #alltheflowersinparis#sarahjio

*Book received from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review*

When Caroline wakes up in a Paris hospital with no memory of her past, she's confused to learn that she's lived a sad, reclusive life for years in a sprawling apartment on the Seine. Slowly regaining vague memories of a man and young child, she vows to piece her life back together--though she can't help but feel she may be in danger. A budding friendship with the chef of a charming nearby restaurant takes her mind off of her foggy past, as does a startling mystery from decades prior...

In Nazi-occupied Paris, young widow Celine lives a quiet life with her father, the local florist, and her daughter, Cosi. When a ruthless German officer discovers the family's Jewish ancestry, he blackmails Celine, forcing her to become his mistress in exchange for the others' safety. The trio plans an escape, but their mission goes horribly awry and Celine's beloved father and daughter are sent away to a cruel fate. Initially distraught, Celine fears the worst. Yet she soon discovers that Cosi has snuck away and followed her into captivity. More motivated than ever, Celine must now fight to hide and protect the person she loves most.

Parallel timelines intersect when Caroline discovers Celine's diary tucked away in a closet, and it is revealed that the walls of her apartment harbor dark secrets. With the help of a local student from the Sorbonne, she realizes that she may have more in common with Celine than she could ever imagine.

This was a bit of a letdown for me as I was expecting history to be a good part of the plot and I barely got any at all.

CW: Nazi occupation, the Holocaust, rape, death of a child

All the Flowers in Paris is a dual time frame historical, told in first person POV, with the World War II story of Céline and the modern day story of Caroline. The narrative begins with Caroline, who is upset at an unknown/unseen male, which leads to her having a serious accident. We then move to Céline, and are introduced to her, her daughter, Cosi, and her father, who owns a flower shop. Like many in Paris, the horrible treatment of Jews by the occupying Nazis, has lasting and devastating impacts on Céline and her family. For Caroline, she suffers memory loss in her accident and must rediscover her memories and figure out how to move forward. The connection between the two? An apartment in Paris on Rue Cler.

This is an emotional story, for both Caroline and Céline. As with all WWII stories, there is so much sadness and just dread because you know the worst will happen, but you hope it doesn't and you want the good characters to survive and the bad characters to be held accountable. In the modern day story, Caroline and Victor's growing relationship is charming but I also pushed back against some failed communication and I could see where the story was going. In spite of what I felt were obvious plot developments, I still felt swept up in the stories. And the final piece of conflict in Céline's story, left me both heartbroken and hopeful. Similarly for Caroline, I wanted to see her be happy and was so hopeful that we'd get there. So even when I felt like I knew where things were going, I could not help but keep reading.

There are some factual issues with the story, relating to the city of Paris, and I'm hopeful those can be corrected easily by the publisher, For those very familar with Paris, they may be distracting, as they were for me. For readers who don't know the city, they may not notice. They are at least consistent.

Lost in this narrative, is the pure devastation that existed for residents in Paris under Nazi occupation. Early on I found this to be a poor choice; for example, there are scenes with Céline going out to a meal with a friend during a time when residents were reportedly starving or attempting to escape. It felt historically off and discordant and took me out of the story a bit.. Later, the story is solely focused on Céline and her own survival and the details of what is happening outside of her situation, are completely absent. We don't know where we are in the war, until the war is almost over. It mostly works overall, to have Céline's story be in such an isolated bubble. It added to the starkness of her situation for sure.

For Caroline, I questioned whether anyone in her condition would just be left to their own devices, in the way she was. I chose to suspend belief and just go along with Caroline's own joy of discovering the here and now. Caroline's recovery covers the spectrum, both recovering her memories and dealing with the past and the future. It is a full journey.

This is a solid 4.5 stars, full of emotion and two characters that you care about.

I feel in love with this book right from the first page!!!! I so highly recommend reading this book!!!! An amazing heartbreaking story!!!

Two women, two timelines, one apartment...

2019, sunny and warm Paris.
A terrible accident leaves Caroline without a memory. After returning from a hospital, she finds herself in a glamorous apartment in Paris... all alone. Between the flashbacks of her memory, Caroline rediscovers herself in today's world. She uncovers the love for painting, delicious french cuisine... and french man. During one of the sleepless nights, Caroline explores her large flat only to stumble on old wartime letters hidden in one of the bedrooms.

1943, Nazi-occupied Paris.
Cecile's world turns upside down when she sees a yellow star painted on the window of the flower shop owned by her father. To top that, she catches the eye of a tyrant German officer. There is only one way to avert the destiny that hovers over all jews in Paris - run. But her plans are discovered, and Cecile becomes a prisoner in the Nazi's home.

All The Flowers In Paris is a bittersweet novel of two women that at some point in their lives share the same apartment on rue Cler. Their stories are heartbreaking and full of grief, but, in the end, it teaches a valuable lesson - the ability to forgive, love and be thankful for good times and bad.

Thank you NetGalley and Orion publisher for an advanced free copy of the novel, and Sarah Jio for a wonderful story.

I loved everything about this book. The story is expertly told and I loved how it unraveled. There was a touch of suspense involved and in the end it was perfect. I was extremely lucky to receive a digital copy of this book from the publisher through Netgalley.

Fans of the dual time line historical novel will like this one not only for the heartfelt stories but also for the way they link up. Set in 2009 and 1943 Paris, it's about Caroline, an American living in Paris, and Celine, a young widowed mother. Caroline loses her memory when she's hit by a truck; getting it back means learning a lot about herself. People she meets note the changes in her, not the least of which are those at Jeanty, the cafe where Victor is a chef. Celine and her father have a flower shop and a secret which will mean so many bad things for them in occupied Paris. She dotes on her daughter Cosi and is in love with Luc, the son of Jeanty's owner. Unfortunately, for Celine, she comes to the attention of a horrible, horrible German officer. Celine is able to secrete Cosi in Reinhardt's apartment but their lives become sheer awful. While some of this is a tad lighter for Paris in 1943 (odds are people in Celine's position were not able to buy chocolate croissants regularly), other parts, especially the situation with Reinhardt and Celine's friend Suzette are just hard. While one of the twists was easy to figure out, I didn't make all the connections. The end - no spoilers. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. A good read that was a page turner for me.