Thanks to Black Stone Publishing for my review copy. I had such mixed feelings reading this book, in a good way. I hated Chanel who is a ruthless, shrewd woman who will do whatever she needs to in order to succeed, even becoming a nazi spy. I felt no sympathy for her, only disgust… and yet….⁣
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The writing drew me in. I don’t agree with Chanel’s choices, but I was intrigued by her life during the war and all she did to try to save her own skin. It was fascinating to read about regardless of my personal feelings about the heroine of the story. She’s not written to be liked, but rather to be examined.⁣
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I’d recommend this story if you are looking to uncover the more sinister side of the renowned icon. 3 stars.

The Queen of Paris is a novel about Coco Chanel during WWII.  We do get glimpses of her early life.  Her mother died when she was young.  Her father abandoned her at a convent after that.  She had a horrible early life.  Then she becomes a mistress to a wealthy older man and begins an affair with one of his friends.  We find out Coco was very complicated.  She was very vain, had a drug addiction to morphine, gave up the son she had due to the men she was involved with, was anti-Semitic, had a relationship with a German higher-up, lived with Gestapo in the same hotel, and became a spy for the Germans.  The only reason I continued reading?  The author did a wonderful job in convincing me that her redeemable quality was the fact that she loved the son that she could never claim was hers.  Some of the things she did was for her son.  Thank you to Netgalley and Blackstone Publishing for the copy.  All opinions expressed are my own.

The name Coco Chanel evokes thoughts of high end designer wear and the classic fragrance, Chanel No. 5. Not many who adore the products know the history behind the woman whose name is synonymous with classic high style, nor the vile associations she forged to keep her company and herself alive during World War II. 
Gabrielle “Coco” Chanel was born poor and abandoned along with her sisters at a convent at a young age. After she aged out of sheltering there, she learned to use any means possible to make the right associations, leading to friends in high places. She began with a career as an entertainer of sorts, which led to the role of mistress of one after another wealthy young man. During this time she began to design hats for other women who traveled in her circle. Quickly displaying a head for business, she moved from casual hat designer to budding entrepreneur. 
She was a well established haute couture designer by the time World War II began. The Nazis arrived in Paris, and rather than join the resistance, or take leave to the country, she forged alliances with those who would protect her while she lived in close quarters with German leadership at the Hotel Ritz. Particularly friendly with Baron (Freiherr) Hans Günther von Dincklage, her association with him may have been the catalyst to serve as a spy for the Germans. Her politics were aligned with theirs in several significant instances, and while it was not established until well after the war, evidence did emerge proving that she was a collaborator.
Her associations were also cultivated for her personal benefit, as she sought to have control of her company taken away from other partners and given to her alone. The business aspects of her story reveal the ruthless and determined personality that provided her means to security and success throughout a tumultuous career.
Was she a likeable protagonist in this historical fiction? The reader will have to decide. Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC and opportunity to provide this review.
#NetGalley #thequeenofparis

A fascinating tale of what the life of Coco Chanel may have been during the German occupation of Paris during WWII.  The story is compelling and beautifully written, however I found myself feeling nothing but disdain for Chanel.  As a anti Semite and Nazi collaborator, doing whatever she needed to maintain her lifestyle, fight for her wealth and position and having complete disregard for what was happening around her, she appears to try to appear the victim.  So disturbing to see of this side of the war, but an excellent read.

Everybody loves Coco Chanel. We adore her personality, her input into fashion and female "revolution." The great deal of books are written about her life and work. I've read few of them. The Queen of Paris by Pamela B Ewen is another book written about the life of the famous couturier. However the author shows us a short period of time in Chanel's life, the war years, to be exact.  Reading this book was like learning about Coco from a different point of view. This lady had a very mysterious life. From the book we learn about her work for the Germany, her relationships with Nazi officers, her battle for her famous Chanel N 5, and her personal suffering.
The book was written portraying Chanel as a woman first.. Any reader would be able to feel empathy for this great persona who is no matter what a human, with feelings, mistakes, regrets and desires.
I am very thankful #netgalley  and Pamela Ewen for the opportunity to read this book and know Chanel's story better.

This book is great! Would definitely recommend. Thanks so much to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.

Queen of Paris was so much better than I expected.  It moved so quickly and I enjoyed the fast pace.  First, I wonder how much was actually "real" so now I need to read a biography of Coco to learn what what she was really like after she left the orphanage/convent.  Something tells me I am going to prefer this story based on the truth!!!
I wore Chanel No. 5 and it was my favorite perfume 60 years ago. I thought that was the only kind to wear.  After all, my mother had worn it for years!!!!!   I was familiar with Chanel's dresses, etc and remembered her as the fashion designer who designed "the littlel black dress." and always had to have pearls!   It just seems like that bit of Coco history never dies.  
 It was interesting how Ms. Ewen developed Coco over the years.  I never once thought she was selfish or snobbish.  I just think she enjoyed  the upper class life, but  she still remembered where she came from and how poor she was at one point.  I was proud of her for  her hard work and did feel sad that she only got 10% of her company even though the dresses had her name and her perfume carried her name also.  Yes, it was  all hers, but noone realized it.  So glad she even fought for it.  
I realy enjoyed the descriptions of France and learned about the high ranking Nazis taking over the Ritz and Paris.  This is my latest genre and it amazes me what people went through during World War II.   
Thank you NetGalley for letting me have an ARC and I really did enjoy it.

Wow!  Such an interesting perspective on Coco Chanel - her life and struggles during wartime and German rule.  She appeared ruthless and determined in her pursuit to win at all costs. And amazingly is recruited by the Nazis as a spy.  Who would have thought!

Thank you Netgalley, Blackstone Publishing and Pamela Binnings Ewen for free e-ARC in return of my honest review. 

Coco Chanel is a very controversial figure in history. Acknowledged fashion designer, seamstress, business women and creator of the most sold perfume in the World, Chanel #5, She is also a possible Nazi-collaborator and traitor of France. Or she is a member of French Resistance. She is also a mother of a son who is was a Prisoner of War in Nazi camps. Her story will always be fascinating as we probably will never know the truth. 

First of all, I am biased as I love Chanel, as a designer and as a historical figure. No matter who she was, I believe her to be a strong-willed woman and one of a kind seamstress. Thanks to Chanel, women started to wear pants ans said goodbye to uncomfortable garments. 

I enjoyed reading The Queen of Paris. I feel like Pamela Binnings Ewen did a great job building Chanel's character from all the information available. The volume of research the author did is enormous. Ewen choose to explore Chanel's war years in Ritz, Paris, her struggle to save her son from Nazi camp and her battle for her perfume, Chanel #5. The author manages to show Chanel's stubbornness and desire to win through the pages. Chanel came alive in this book. 

As for the plot - I find it quite interesting and intriguing at parts. It made me ask questions to myself about patriotism, motherhood and protection of one''s intellectual property. 

if you love historical fiction, please give it a go, you would find some interesting facts and their interpretations.

I enjoyed this novel about Coco Chanel and the city of Paris.  I look for books such as this due to the setting.  Thank you to Netgalley for this free ebook in exchange for an honest review.

This a story about Coco Chanel and her collaboration with the Nazi Regime that Occupied Paris. Regardless Of the glitz and glamour Coco had a lonely and selfish life. Some people believe this way of living is a way to survive but, in my opinion, she was traitor. And as a strong believer in karma I think she well deserved the lonely life she had. What everyone know about Coco Chanel is different from what her real life was about. Coco’s resiliency to beat poverty is admirable however I don’t think being abandoned by her father and all the difficulties she went through in her life, gives her the permission to betray her country.
As much as I disliked the main character, I was eager to read the book. the story is very well researched and creatively penned. It is a very well transcribed historical fiction and the author did an amazing job with the plot. It is very difficult to dislike the main character yet wanting to read the story and find it interesting.
Many thanks to Blackstone Publishing and Net Galley for providing me with a copy of this book.

There is so much to Coco Chanel’s story that amazes me. She’s of course known for her contributions to fashion including the infamous Chanel No. 5 and the Little Black Dress, but she was also at one time a little orphan girl named Gabrielle who grew up to be a Nazi spy. While this book is primarily set during Workd War II, the focus remains on Chanel and her part in it. I have also read Mademoiselle Chanel by C.W. Gortner but enjoyed this book far more because I felt that the narrative was more descriptive and intriguing.

I have read many book on Coco Chanel and this is by far one of my favorites.  The author writes with such detail, you can't help but get drawn into Chanel's world.  It has already become one of my favorite books to recommend to friends and family.

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC!

Gabrielle Chanel has been enjoying success as a designer and creator of the legendary Chanel No. 5 perfume, until she learns that her longtime business partner, Pierre Wertheimer, has taken the formula and plans to develop the perfume in America. Coupled with the Germans recent occupation of France, Chanel's livelihood, fortune, and brand is at stake.

The novel jumps between two periods in Chanel's life -- as younger woman growing up orphaned and then befriended by Boy Capel, eventually launching her line, and then as the more established designer living in Nazi-occupied France.  Binnings Ewen's prose is wonderful, capturing the decadence and illusion of Chanel's lifestyle.

Prior to reading this novel, I had minimal knowledge about Coco Chanel as a person outside of hearing the claim that Ms. Chanel was a Nazi spy. What Binnings Ewen does with this well-researched historical fiction is present a fuller picture as to the why Chanel was a Nazi spy. Mostly set during the late 1930s/early 1940s of Nazi-occupied France, Binnings Ewen presents the idea that Chanel's actions were to prevent her business from failing, specifically losing control of and the formula of Chanel No. 5 to her business partner, Pierre Wertheimer. It's important to note that Binnings Ewen doesn't paint Chanel as a sympathetic character; she simply imagined how Chanel acted to survive, allowing readers to reflect on the designer's legacy.

The Queen of Paris looks at the life of Coco Chanel during the Nazi occupation of Paris during World War II. Coco Chanel makes the perfect protagonist – a complicated business woman that will do anything to retain control of her perfume business, even if that means cooperating with the Nazi’s. Coco lives at the Ritz in Paris, which became the headquarters of high ranking German officers. She is recruited as a spy for the Germans, but her motivations are quite complex. 
Coco is a fascinating character and those that wish to learn more of her motives and actions during World War II will enjoy the book – she comes alive in the book. The author does a good job describing her flawed character and ugliness of the time period. I have read other books about her and this was one of the best.
Thanks to Blackstone Publishing and NetGalley for allowing me to read and review the book.

interesting look at choices that are made during wartime  in order  to survive.  This book evidences that while we might like black/white scenarios, during difficult, especially, most decisions are in a grey area.

I thought to give this book a chance, it is a different kind of historical fiction based on a controversial figure than I am used to but it was hard to get into. It was written very well but it was hard to keep my interest.

THE QUEEN OF PARIS by Pamela Binnings-Ewen follows Coco Chanel as she tries to reclaim ownership of her company amidst a dramatic backdrop of Paris’ occupation during WWII.  Living with the “enemy” in the Hotel Ritz in Paris, she becomes a collaborator to save a family member from a Nazi death camp.

Holy drama. I knew nothing about Chanel’s background. I found her to be proud, selfish, and full of malaise toward the injustices happening around her. It is quite a testament to the compelling writing of this book that I even finished it, I so despised Chanel by the end of the book. If you are okay with unsympathetic characters, I’d pick up this book to see a different kind of take on a WWII historical fiction.

Thank you to Netgalley and Blackstone Publishing for a chance to read this complimentary advanced reader’s copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own.

I am posting this to my Goodreads and Amazon accounts immediately. Thank you!

Unfortunately, I was excited about reading this books The Queen Of Paris because I am a hug fan of fashion and I wanted a different take on the story of Coco Chanel. However, for me this book was too boring for me to enjoy. Also, Coco in the beginning of the books she was an exciting character but as the chapters went on it got too boring for me personally. If you want a more historical take on her story you will like this book but if you are more into the fashion side of Coco Chanel than to me this book is not for you.

The Queen of Paris by Pamela Binnings Ewen is a brief snapshot of Coco Chanel's life in Nazi occupied Paris. Ewen does a phenomenal job of weaving an incredibly interesting story about a person who I found, to be honest, quite detestable. I am eager to read more by her!

Thank you, NetGalley for my review copy.