The Paris Secret [EXTENDED PREVIEW]
by Natasha Lester

I do loath previews because you have just enough of the story to whet your appetite for the story then have to wait such a time got the rest!

However Natasha Lester does time slipping from era to era really well and this particular story was an exceptionally good read . I gave this 4.5/5 just because I loathe previews so much.

Wow! I am super excited to read the rest of this book after reading this extended preview! Natasha Lester is definitely my kind of writer! This preview only highlights the first 4 chapters, but I have already gotten a little choked up and there has been enough action where I want to continue reading the entire book. You will immediately fall in love with the sassy, capable, main character, Skye. Can't wait to see what happens next!

I was lucky enough to read a preview of this book. I read The Paris Orphan by Natasha Lester and it was great! This book also didn’t disappoint. I need to take it pour of my library to read the whole thing.
I would like to read another book by this author in the future. I was given a complimentary copy of this extended preview by NetGalley and the publisher.

Natasha Lester is an auto read for me. Smart books. Smart everything. Loved the preview and am looking forward to reading the whole book.

Thank you to #NetGalley. As usual, I didn't read that it was an extended preview before downloading. I wanted more. I hope to read the whole novel soon since it had a good plot and would be interested in reading it.

Thank you NetGalley for the extended preview of this book! I originally downloaded it because of the cover but found it to be very engaging and perfect for fans of historical fiction. Based on this excerpt, I recommend it!

I want to thank Netgalley and the author for gifting me the ebook. This was only the extended preview but I found it really engaging! The cover is also very beautiful.

(actual rating: 3.5/5)

While the central story feels a bit complex at the moment (after all, it utilizes three simultaneous timelines), I think that's an issue that can easily be resolved since the book is much longer. The characters are quite interesting, and I think there seems to be a bit of mystery woven into this as well. I absolutely love the concept that this book is written around, especially since it's historical fiction.

Sadly, not my cup of tea. First: I feel like the story has been over told. Second: Too many characters and undeveloped in four chapters. There are more basic questions than curiosity for the next page.

I will give kudos to the author, there was no profanity (4 chapter preview) and that I appreciate. I like to support authors who use their talents without profanity, and with a heavy heart I just have no interest in this book. I'm giving 3 stars because the story thus far is meh for me, and someone else may love it.

#Netgalley
#TheParisSecret
#NoProfanity

Unfortunately I was not able to view or download this book. I tried many times, but the link to download it into iBooks is corrupted and it just does not download. I am so sorry, but if you have another way to help me access it, I was so looking forward to reading it and giving my honest review. I will remain at your disposal as soon as teh link is fixed.
Thank you for this opportunity!

I absolutely loved this book and couldn't put it down! A beautiful and suspense-filled story of the brave actions of individuals during WW2 and the sacrifices made by many. I highly recommend to anyone who enjoyed The Alice Network and Lilac Girls. I look forward to reading more from Natasha Lester - I find her to be an engaging writer of well-researched books.

Thank you, Grand Central Publishing and NetGalley, for a digital ARC!

Having read the ARC of this novel and very excited to leave five-star reviews across the board when it is released. I was, am, happy to rate this the same. 5 stars. This extended preview grabs you and dials you on the grand novel ahead of you. A Great book club book, too.

This is different than books I usually read and it seemed very chaotic and confusing at times but I did enjoy the characters.

From the New York Times bestselling author The Paris Orphan comes another unforgettable historical novel.

England 1939 the Penrose sisters couldn’t be more different. Skye is a daring pilot and Liberty the one to defy her at every turn. Even though women aren’t allowed in the Royal Air Force, Skye is determined to help the war effort. She reunites with her childhood friend, Nicholas. She isn’t thrilled to learn that he is engaged to Margaux Jourdan.

Paris 1947, Designer Christian Dior unveils his glamorous first collection to the world after war and grief. He names his new fragrance after Miss Dior in tribute to his sister Catherine, who had a friendship with Skye and Margaux through her work with the French Resistance.

Present Day, Fashion conservator Kat Jourdon discovers a priceless collection of Dior gowns in her grandmother’s cottage. As she look into the past mystery and their Irgun, Kat doubts what she thought she knew about her grandmother.


An exceptional historical book. I loved it from beginning to end.

This is the second preview I read by Natasha Lester and I must say I was immensely engrossed in the story and enjoyed the plot so much as to I am looking forward to buy this book! Three timelines, four women, Christian Dior fashion makes this book a heart warming story of childhood soulmate, women pilot and fashion coutures during WW2 era!!

Skye is a free spirited girl residing in Cornwall, England along with her mother Vanessa and younger demure sister Liberty! She meets Nicholas who is visiting from New York with his mother to stay with his aunt in Cornwall. Skye and Nicholas become best of friends and childhood sweethearts, only to be separated as Nicholas moves back to NewYork with his ailing mother. Skye grows up and becomes a pilot, employed in one of the auxiliary Royal Air Force wing during the wartime.

In present day, Kat visits her grandmother Margaret’s inhabited house in Cornwall settled on a cliff very much like Skye’s old house. She finds 65 elegant dresses with styles and silhouettes from 1950 which all bear Christian Dior label! She is stunned and puzzled to see these couture pieces in her grandmother’s old house!

I am very curious to see what’s the connection of these dresses and Skye and how the story unfolds. Thank you NetGalley and ForeverPub for the gifted extended preview galley of this unputdownable galley!

It must be said once more for those in the back, I don’t read many historical novels. They just never seem to be my thing. Now I will say holy stars-5 of them to be exact. I loved this one.

I won’t tell a lot about the book because I don’t want to give much away. Three timelines, four women, England, Paris, and Dior- all these tie together to make a heartbreakingly beautiful story of love, sisterhood, and sacrifice.

The author has woven a tale involving couture and wartime flights, all while creating a story that I could not put down. I’m sad there aren’t more stars to give and I wish I had picked this up sooner. If you are a historical fiction fan, you will absolutely love this book. If you aren’t a historical fiction fan, like me, still pick it up. You will love this one.

I am having a little hangover from this one. I was hooked pretty much from the first time Skye walked, more like cartwheeled, into our life showing us her underwear. She was a troubled girl who seemed to overcome so much, except that boy. It is hard to overcome a special boy, no matter where life takes you. I loved how this book took us into the world of women flyers and how unfair this world was just because they wore a skirt. I love how Skye was determined to try and break those gender walls and tear them down. Most of all, I loved how the scenes with Skye and Nicholas played out. As a reader, you can feel every part of the tension between the two of them. What you can't figure out is the why......the why in everything. I just kept asking myself, "what is going to happen next" I don't think I am giving anything away by telling you this, it is obvious there is going to be some sort of secret by just reading the title.

There is a second timeline, this one takes place in 2012, here we see Kat struggling post-divorce to make things work. She feels everything is failing and she has to pull it together and finish this Dior collection conservatory work. How does this timeline connect to the past? That I will leave you to discover because it is beautifully orchestrated. This is a lovely novel, Natasha does not disappoint.

I was almost loathe to start this one because it is the last Natasha Lester preview available and I am fast becoming a fan of her work. Luckily I still have the full versions to read but these teasers were a delightful way to discover a new author.

There is a lot to digest in this preview, there are so many events that happen to Skye that it's almost hard to keep track of at times but Lester has such a wonderful way with words that everything still manages to flow beautifully. The research and dedication she must have put into this one is phenomenal. I believe in all her previous novels there were two timelines; in The Paris Secret there seem to be three? I'm not sure how they'll all play out but I'm very intrigued in how Lester is going to manage to weave them altogether!

Thanks to Forever (Grand Central Publishing) and NetGalley for the review copy. Opinions are fully my own.

This extended preview is a great way to peek into this story to see if it interests the reader enough to buy the book to continue reading. I find the subjects to be very interesting. After reading only the summary I wondered how the 3 stories will intersect.

The book opens with a fashion preview highlighting Christian Dior designs. The reader is briefly introduced to Margaux and Catherine, and I am anxious to get back to that timeline. The next timeline introduces Skye and Liberty, sisters who seem to have a complicated relationship and the author deftly leads you to believe there will be much more tension throughout the book with these two. During these first few chapter the reader is also introduced to Nicholas and there will certainly be further interaction between he and Skye throughout the book. I am looking forward to discovering more about their futures. Scenes begin to involve Skye and her flying. The final timeline is more recent, and the reader is introduced to is Kat, who finds several previously undisclosed vintage couture gowns in her grandmother’s cottage.

I am intrigued and want to find out how Skye’s love of flying is going to intersect with vintage Dior gowns. I am already curious about the several strong female characters. This preview gives just enough information about the book to see that the writing is eloquent and the characters captivating. I am definitely interested in reading the whole book.

I reviewed a preview copy of The Paris Secret. Based on this preview, I would not read this book. I love historical fiction especially fiction set during WW2. This story covered so much ground in the four chapters. The first chapter focuses on a fashion show after World War 2. The next two chapters focus on Skye's growing up and moving to Paris. The final chapter is in the present day where a granddaughter has found a collection of vintage gowns and wonders where they came from.

The reason I am not interesting is that it is so incredibly plotted heavy. In the two chapters with Skye, she grows up, loses her mom in an airplane crash, moves to Paris with her aunt, moves back to Sheffield, and then enlists in the Royal Air Force Domestic Air Transport - a group of women pilots who move planes around the country. There is so much I wanted to know more about - her mother's death, her tenuous relationship with her sister, Liberty, and what she was doing in Paris.

I do not plan to read this book. If you enjoy plot-heavy novels, this may be a great book for you. If you prefer more character building and world-building, this will likely not be your cup of tea.