Wow this book is excellent! It weaves together three different stories from three different times. It was really hard to put it down. I did have to take notes to keep the characters straight but that’s mostly because it’s harder to flip back in an ebook. I really love historical fiction especially about WWII and this book was so good.

All the Ways We Said Goodbye is a three-way split-time novel written by three different authors Beatriz Williams, Lauren Willig, and Karen White. This particular book ties the stories of three women who lived during World War I, World War II, and the 1960s. The three women are connected to each other through a variety of ways but I can't tell you more as that would ruin the story. The authors do a marvelous job of connecting the three stories so that the overall story continuously unfolds providing more information about the connections between the characters and so that it is one over-arching story. The book also provides a wonderful glimpse at the horrors of war for those who lived through it and for those who help others pick up the pieces afterwards.

I received an ARC via NetGalley and was not required to provide a positive review.

First I would like to thank HarperCollins Publishers and NetGalley for letting me read and review this book. When I first found out that Williams, Willing, and White were all co-writing another book together I was really excited. I loved The Glass Ocean, and couldn't wait to see what story they were going to put together. However, once I read the description of book, I was less excited. The description sounded confusing and like the story was going to be all over the place. But know that these authors had created magic before, I thought I would give it a chance, and I'm really glad I did.

I absolutley loved this book. It grabbed my attention with in the first few chapters, and I had a hard time putting it down and concentrating on other tasks. It took me only one weekend to read through it, but only because I needed to focus on other things that weekend. If I had had a day to just sit back and read a book, I would have finished it in a one day, it sucks the reader in that much. As mentioned above, I was really concerned that the three story lines were going to be all over the place, and not cohesive. This was not the case however, and the authors do an amazing job of overlaying characters into the different story lines. While it is three different story lines, the overlay of the characters makes it feel like one big family story just told through different generations of family members. In the background of each story is the Ritz in Paris, which almost is a character of itself.

With World War I and World War II books being popular right now, sometimes it can feel like all these books are very similar and tell the same story, they all blend together. This is not one of those books, instead it is a book that shines through and will leave a lasting impression. I enjoyed that one story takes place in World War I, and one in World War II. I have seen this very few times, and I enjoyed reading and finding parallels in the story.

All the Ways We Said Goodbye is not the sort of historical ficiton that I usually gravitate towards since I tend to prefer predominantly pre-1960s historical fiction, but I'm glad I decided to give it a chance because it turned out to be a really satisfying story of three women as they navigate war-dampened settings. This was also one of the few novels depicting a WWII timeline that I decided to read last year and I am so glad I did because it was a lot more than the typical World War-based books out there.

We follow three different perspectives of women currently living in France: Aurelie in 1914, Daisy in 1942, and Babs in 1964. In the beginning, I had a bit of a hard time distinguishing between the three characters. They were all obviously in three very different settings, but I still had to keep reminding myself who had said what, what each one's personality was like, and take a moment to stop and remember each woman's background. Fortunately by the halfway mark I was much clearer on each character and more immersed in each one's story, which made it so much easier to enjoy and distinguish between each individual character.

Aurelie is a stubborn, strong young woman whose home is overtaken by soldiers in the first world war. Neither her, her father, or the servants working at their home are pleased by this turn of events and Aurelie is as confrontational as possible without causing anyone to come to harm. I didn't immediately warm to Aurelie's narrative sections as much as I did with the others, but as the story progressed I found myself more and more interested in her story.

Then there's Daisy, wife of a man who begins working with the Nazis, who eventually becomes her own form of resistance fighter. Daisy was a joy to read and by far one of the more compelling narratives of the three. I found her character development wasn't quite as smooth as it could have been, but I didn't have any major issues with her as a character.

Lastly is Babs, which is the least "action-based" of the narratives and is more about Babs discoveries and research into her husband's past during the war. Babs was a bit of an unpredictable character--and I'm not sure if she's unpredictable in a good or bad way, perhaps neither--who I found it difficult to connect with at times. Her actions made it difficult to remember her age and role in this multi-layered overarching narrative, but despite this I still liked joining her as she looked into who the mysterious "La Fleur" was that her husband knew.

By the halfway point or so I had some ideas of how these three narratives would tie together, but by the end I was still impressed by how well these three authors managed to tie everything together. It's a little complex in some ways and I struggled at times remembering all the different people and roles involved, but at the end of the day I found it to be a perfect combination.

This book is slightly on the slower side as far as pacing goes, but it's a steady pace that made this an easy book to pick up and keep turning the pages. I found the writing of these three authors highly engaging--it isn't said which author writes which narrative, but I found that they all meshed together really well and it's obvious that they have a great collaboration together.

If you're looking for a historical fiction book about the World Wars that really focuses on the action and general war itself, then this probably isn't what you're looking for. Although the first two narratives depicted women who were active during the wars and did their part, this book is much more about the relationships of these women and how they have created their own lives amidst the turmoil of war backdrops.

Overall, I've given All the Ways We Said Goodbye 3.75 stars. This was a really enjoyable historical fiction that I'd absolutely recommend to anyone who enjoys multiple perspectives, timelines that span multiple decades, or a focus on characters and relationships.

All The Ways We Said Goodbye was my first 5-star read of 2020 and I know it's one that I'll be recommending all year to others who love historical fiction. I always enjoy stories with multiple timelines and these three worked so well together. I loved the way that they both paralleled and intersected with each other as the story went on. It was refreshing to have historical fiction not just set in WWII - this one also took place during WWI and the 60's.

I was instantly engrossed in each woman's story, which made the 400+ pages seem to fly by. This isn't a novel that fills you with a ton of suspense or gives you some big twist at the end; rather it slowly leads you where it wants to go and gives you nuggets of information and foreshadowing along the way, which I thought worked well for this story and was helped by the beautiful writing of all three authors. Even knowing how certain story lines were going to end, the book was still able to pack an emotional punch at the end, a sign of some truly wonderful writing in my opinion.

5/5 stars

Thanks to the publisher for a gifted copy in exchange for an honest review!

I have read many books with dual timelines, but I do believe this is the first book I’ve read that covers three different time frames, the 1914’s with Aurelie, the 1940’s with Daisy, and then we go into the 1960’s, with Babs. I will say right up front, Babs was by far my favorite storyline.
On a positive note, the chapters are clearly marked as to who is speaking and which years they are covering, this makes a difficult situation much easier to follow, it does still require a little concentration to keep the characters and the timelines straight, but in the end the authors tidy it up with a neat little bow.
On the downside, with multiple characters and the stories switching back and forth between years, I needed to jot down and keep track of who was who in what timeframe they were in. This helped keep it all straight, using this system as a visual aid, the story made a lot more sense, easier to follow.
There is a lot going on with this story but it has humor, love and a lot of historical settings and certainly gives us a lot of education on the Ritz. A very pleasurable read.
I was given an advance copy from HarperCollins Publishers/William Morrow through Net Galley for my honest review, this one gets 4 stars… Well worth the read.

4 stars but would have been 5 If the beginning hadn't been so slow. It takes a while to understand who the players are and in what time period you are seeing them Although the authors start the beginning of each chapter with the character name and date, it takes a few chapters to keep them straight.
After you figure out who the characters are and what time period they fall into, it flows nicely and for the most part, it is difficult to tell that there are three authors involved with this book.
The historical influences were quite interesting. It makes one appreciate what our grandparents and great grandparents experienced during war times. Even though the European landscape and population experienced much more loss and destruction than in the US, ,most of the world felt the economic impact.. There is excellent descriptions of day to day life in those times,
Even though you can guess at the outcomes, it still keeps you reading long into the night. Make plenty of time to read this book as you won't want to miss the details and experiences of that time and be thankful !its of us have not had to live in those circumstances .
I received this book as a complimentary copy for an unbiased review.The opinions expressed are my own. Thanks to NetGalley,publisher and authors for the ARC.

This was my first read by any of these authors and I can definitively tell you it will not be my last. I loved this book! Historical fiction can be a hit or miss genre for me, but I love how the added a little bit of mystery and romance into this story. All the Way We Said Goodbye spans three generations, two during WWI and WWII and the third 20 years after the war. The story follow the POV of three women; Daisy, Babs and Aurelie. Each are strong women in their own ways and are all connected via the Ritz Paris (and other ways). A lot of the connections and plot was pretty guessable, however I still found myself loving it.

I believe I’ve developed an addiction to these dual timeline historical fiction masterpieces from Beatriz Williams. All The Ways We Said Goodbye sucked me in from the very first page and kept me captivated. Babs to Daisy to Aurelie were all three dynamic, formidable, and flawed women that made me fall in love with their stories and lives.

I found this to be a deeply moving piece with fantastic characters that I loved. The way that the narratives are set up- allowing a chapter for each along with name and timeline/location made things a lot easier for me, personally. In the beginning of the book the different narratives and timelines seem a bit jumbled, but then we realize how each one ties together to create a beautiful story. I adored Babs and Precious, both their characters and the interactions between them.
I also found myself feeling for Daisy, married to a man that she can't respect, trying to protect her grandmother and children while still feeling like she is in the shadow of her legendary mother. While I like Kit, I firmly believe Max was my favorite male character- he has such warmth and character! Honestly, I couldn't put this book down! I had to see how everything played out! Without spoiling too many of the surprises ahead for the reader I will say that while in the beginning the writing style seems sloppy, it ties together well toward the half way point and finishes perfectly. ( I was working with an eBook, so I ended up using different color highlights to keep the character storylines in place for the beginning). All in all, this was beautifully written book with a fantastic flow to the storytelling, despite the separate narratives and collaborative efforts. For me, this is a four star book.
On the adult content scale, there's language, violence and sexual content. While it is certainly geared toward a more adult audience, I would still say that it's still acceptable for older teens- say sixteen and up. Let's give it a six.
I was lucky enough to recieve an eARC of this book from Netgalley and HarperCollins Publishers in exchange for an honest review. My thanks!

This novel takes the reader on the historical journey of three women whose lives unexpectedly become intertwined in France from 1914-1964. With alternating chapters, the lives of Daisy, Babs and Aurelie are played out during the war years and end up at the Ritz in Paris. Fraught with mystery, romance, and a rich taste of history, this novel well showcases the talent and writing styles of its three authors.

All the Ways We Said Goodbye follows three separate women as they live through WWI, WWII and the years following. As you watch the story lines come together you also get to watch these women find their own strength. Women who fought for their freedom and fought for their loves while also learning so much about themselves. This story will break your heart and give you strength all at the same time. I highly recommend this book to anyone who loved The Nightingale or any multiple POV WWII novels.

I was provided this eARC by Negalley and HarperClollins in exchange for an honest review.

A trio of authors tell a trio of stories about women taking control of their lives. 1914: Fierce heiress Aurelie finds herself falling for a German soldier. 1942: Helpless Daisy, wife of a Nazi collaborator, decides to join the French Resistance. 1964: Recently widowed awkward Babs searches for a mysterious woman from her husband's past.

The story alternates between the three timelines, which means that at first, it's difficult to keep the story straight. Plus, if you happen to stop reading for a while, it's hard to want to start again. All three stories interlink in extremely predictable ways, with connections so obvious you guess them at the slightest hint.

Aurelie's World War I tale was the only compelling one of the lot. Watching her struggle with her emotions and finding her voice kept me reading. Timid Daisy with her caricature of a husband was mildly interesting, though all the characters fell flat. On the other hand, Babs's story was cheesy beyond belief, and I ended up skimming her chapters. 

If you aren't expecting brilliance from the plot or writing, I think you'll find this an acceptable fluffy historical fiction read. However, if you like well-written books, this one's not for you.

I received this book from NetGalley for an honest review. I will admit the first few chapters seemed to start out rather slow, though I later realized they were setting the stage for the rest of the book. Once I got into the book I couldn’t put it down. I had to find out what was going to happen to the characters and how their stories were going to come together. Aurelie, Daisy, and Babs were all strong women who made difficult decisions throughout their stories. They all made difficult decisions during the World Wars.

This was exactly what I have come to expect from these three authors - an engrossing, multi-layered historical fiction that leaves me feeling satisfied. Spanning from WWI to the 1960's, it tells the story of three strong women and one legendary treasure. Also really enjoyed that characters from the authors' previous novels were included. Highly recommended.

All The Ways We Said Goodbye is a sweeping family saga of three strong females and their heroic men that’s centrally located in different time settings at The Ritz of Paris Hotel and a beautiful century’s old French Chateau. This book easily transported me back in time to each different era. I didn’t want to put it down. With so many genres rolled up into one entertaining story; romance, humor, mystery & suspense, to secrets and tragedy from wartime France in 1914 & 1942 to the flip hair style and mini skirt era of 1964, this book is not to be missed. I really enjoyed it! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
I received an ARC from the publisher via NetGalley for an honest review.

4.5 stars, rounded up!

I’m very impressed with the co-authors of this book and how seamlessly their three storylines fit together. I was fully transported into this novel from the beginning and couldn’t put it down. I especially enjoyed that this book didn’t have the heaviness that a lot of historical fiction books set in the WWI/WWII era do. I’d go so far as to say that this book borders on a historical romance—which I loved! That aspect of it really kept me invested and made the pages fly by.

This isn't a book that attempts a big reveal at the end to shock the reader at how everything ties together. As you read, breadcrumbs are intentionally dropped to give clues about what will come next. This foreshadowing was done masterfully, a little at a time, and made the writing all the more enjoyable. Additionally, the strong female characters are beautifully written and leave a lasting impression. I loved the growth of all three women as their stories progressed and felt very invested in their stories.

My only minor criticism is that Aurelie’s chapters were a bit slow in the first half of the book, whereas Babs’ and Daisy’s chapters hooked me from the beginning; but Aurelie’s story definitely reached the level of the other two in the latter half. I’d recommend this one to all of my historical fiction fans.

A beautifully interwoven story of three women living in three different times whose lives converge around the Ritz Hotel in Paris. Each woman rises to the challenges presented to her during war and/or widowhood. Full of romance, taut historical tension, and period detail, this book was hard to put down and very compelling.

Three intertwined stories of Aurelie in 1914, Daisy in 1942, and Babs in 1964 are all connected to The Ritz hotel in Paris. The two world wars come to life through these fascinating women. Highly recommended for readers of historical fiction featuring strong

Novels with dual storylines are more and more common. I love the way they intersect. In All the Ways We Said Goodbye, three strong women drive the plot in three different eras while staying at the Ritz Hotel.
In 1914, Aurelie slips away from her mother at the Ritz Hotel to join her father at their estate. The Germans claim the estate. Aurelia knows one of the German officers from her time spent in Paris with her mother. Is it right to have a relationship with him?
In 1942, Daisy is stuck in a loveless marriage with a man who is determined to be of value to the Nazis. Daisy was brought up by her grandmother in the Ritz. She becomes a courier for the resistance.
In 1964, Babs' husband Kit died without telling Babs about his war years in Paris. Babs decides to find out about someone her husband knew during the war named La Fleur. Babs stays at the Ritz and meets an older woman who helps her spread her wings and discard her frumpy, doudy appearance while investigating La Fleur.
As the plot developed, I looked forward to learning more of each woman's story. the suspense built steadily throughout the book. As the connections were revealed, I loved the story more and more. I will be recommending this to my book club members who love historical fiction.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher Wm Morrow for the arc in exchange for an honest review.