Who would relate WW2 with stories of incredible fashion? This story is everything.., totally different than any other historical fiction novel out there. You won’t be able to put it down,
Thank you to Net Galley for an advanced copy of this book. My review is my own and is in no way required by the publisher.

Out of all three of Natasha Lester's books, I think I like this one, The Paris Secret, the best! 

In The Paris Secret, we get a glimpse of three different stories / parts with different timelines. The book begins with a prologue in the year 1947 in Paris and includes Margaux Jourdan, a model modeling clothes for Christian Dior, post WWII. Part One is the story of flying-loving Skye Penrose which begins in 1928 Cornwall. Part Two fast forwards to the future in Cornwall in the year 2012 and features Margaux's granddaughter, Kat, who visits the cottage that her grandmother owns (and coincidentally was once lived in by Skye and her family). There, Kat makes an astonishing discovery of sixty-five haute couture gowns. Part Three is about Skye in Paris, in the year 1939 during WWII, where Skye becomes one of eight woman to join the Air Transport Auxiliary (ATA). She soon finds herself being labeled as the poster girl of the ATA. That is where the extended preview of the book ends.

Now I'm so curious to see how how these stories converge. The Paris Secret reminds me of The Nightingale by Kristin Hannah. They both revolve around Paris during WWII and feature past and present timelines whose stories converge at the end. However, the stories in each book are different and interesting in their own right. I'm really looking forward to reading the rest of The Paris Secret.

Thank you NetGalley and Forever (Grand Central Publishing) for providing this extended preview in exchange for my honest review.

Natasha Lester is writing some of the best historical fiction being written today.  She is a master as research, and at bringing history alive through interrsting, engaging and multi-dimensional characters.  I have bought and read The Paris Secret, when you will too after reading this snippet.  I learned a lot while reading this book, while shedding a few tears.

I really don't understand the point of being a NetGalley member when you're supposed to get these books before they're released.  Since I already have "purchased" this book, my review here on NetGalley, on Goodreads, Amazon and my blog doesn't seem to count.  Ms. Lester may be an excellent author, however, it really doesn't  matter when the publisher plays games like this.  There are many books out on the marketplace, there are many other books not on this site, but are equally as good!!!!  I will not be reviewing this book as mentioned above and to be honest, the need to be a member of NetGalley (for me) is being downgraded.

This book appears to have many elements that will make it an engrossing read. I will certainly buy the book so that I can spend more time with this book’s characters and story lines.

After an opening set in the days after WWII, the novel moves to the year 1928 when Skye and Liberty Penrose are children being raised by their single mother. Their mother Vanessa, who predicts the future for clients, is a pilot who has passed on her love of the skies to her aptly named older daughter.

When the reader first meets Skye, she is ten and unconventional. Younger sister Liberty appears prone to temper tantrums and may be less than stable. Skye meets Nick during this summer and it is clear that they will have connections throughout the entire story.

The book jumps to 2012 in the following section. In this, a descendant of one of the main characters, Kat, travels to Cornwall to visit her grandmother’s house. Grandmother Margaux has ties to Nick and Skye as I think will become clearer.

This is another story with sections set before, during and after WWII. Illuminated through Skye is a story of the women who flew planes during the war. There is a sense that Liberty and the other main characters will face many threats as the novel continues. It also feels like the past and present will tie together by the end of the book.

This appears to be an involving and interesting novel. As noted above, I will be purchasing it so that I can see how it ends.

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this preview. All opinions are my own.