The Paris Dressmaker
It took me a while to get into the flow of this book but once I did I couldn’t put it down. There are two separate stories of women and their lives during the German occupation of Paris in the 1940s. The time line does go back and forth so you do have to pay attention to when and who the chapter you are reading is about.
Lila Du Laurent is an aspiring dress designer and dress maker who was working with Coco Chanel and then Nina Ricco but goes out on her own during the war which allows her access to the women of the German officers in Paris and to vital sensitive information.
Sandrine Parquet is recruited by a high ranking German officer to work on preparing shipments of art stolen by the Nazis and she, with others in the gallery, begins to catalogue the art and where it is going.
Both Lila and Sandrine become agents for the underground Resistance.
There is drama, suspense, romance, loyalty, friendship and above all patriotism. It is a story of how Parisiennes resisted the Nazi occupation.
I really enjoyed this book and if you like historical fiction with a little bit of romance and drama you’ll like it too.
Thank you to Thomas Nelson for a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

"Not another novel about Paris during WWII," you might think. I thought the same thing and put off requesting this one on Netgalley, as the market is so saturated with WWII historical fiction right now. But, as I've read novels from Kristy Cambron before (shout out to The Ringmaster's Wife), I eventually hit "request" and was granted the ARC. I'm so glad I did. While I do wish this novel read chronologically (reading on a Kindle really hinders my ability to "flip back"), I found the story of Lila and Sandrine to be magically told by Cambron. The story really picks up about 3/4 of the way through the book, as we learn what lead each character on their paths. If you love historical fiction or WWII, this novel should be on your reading list.

"An iconic city under siege during World War II and the bravery of two women who joined the Resistance to save it . . ."
Despite the looming darkness, the novel remains a wistful and romantic escape as readers roam streets that while desecrated and bombed retain their timeless and incomparable beauty. It's a timeless reminder that light conquers dark.

A hauntingly beautiful story of the bravery and resilience of the women of Paris who sacrificed everything to free their city of the darkness that fell under the German occupation. One of the most beautifully written books of this time I have ever read. You felt emotionally drained at the end.

THE PARIS DRESSMAKER by KRISTY CAMBRON is a WW11 novel that will take you on an emotional roller coaster ride.
The story takes place in Paris during the German occupation and the author brings in some actual historical figures as well as some interesting fictional ones. She has obviously done a great deal of research and paints a realistic picture of what was going on in this beautiful city at such a horrific time in history.
The story starts with Lila de Laurent, dressmaker to the wealthy and influential, in evening dress, running through the Forêt de Meudon with a bullet wound in her side, where she is rescued by René Touliard, who she thought was dead.
We also come across Sandrine Paquet, who is forced to work as a secretary at the Jeu de Paume by the arrogant Captain Josef von Hiller. Here she works with the Résistance to document and try to save the priceless art work stolen from the Jews. She has to walk a fine line as she is seen by many as a collaborator.
Another woman affected by the occupation is Lila's childhood friend, Amélie, who chooses a different path to the other two.
I mention the women as fashion plays a big part in the book, but we also come across some interesting male characters.
This is a story about courage, determination, sacrificial love and loyalty.
Things are not always as they seem and suspicion and deception are rife. We see how important it is to make the right choices in life and it is great to see how the members of the Résistance stand up against the inhumanity of the Nazi and Vichy régimes.
It is a worthwhile and inspirational read.
I was given a free copy of the book by NetGalley from Thomas Nelson. The opinions in this review are completely my own.

The years are 1939 to 1944, Germany has occupied France for the best part of those years and the French Resistance is working hard to liberate France. Two women, Lila Du Laurent and Sandrine Paquet, are working hard with the Resistance. Lila is a dressmaker working with CoCo Chanel and later on with Nina Ricci before going out on her own. She was designing dresses for the women who were paramours of the German officers in Paris.

Sandrine was ordered to work preparing for shipment the art the Germans were taking away from Paris. She keeps a catalogue of all the pieces the Germans are taking and which officers are taking which art.

Kristy Cambron has written an interesting book taking place during World War II, but I found the plot too disjointed because of the separate story lines for Sandrine and Lily. The stories do intersect but it takes a long time getting into the book before they do. The Paris Dressmaker is a bit misleading because the book is more than just Lily's story. I am not sure what a better title would be, or how to better bring the story lines together. I feel these separate stories would have been handled better as a series, or maybe two novellas. Three Stars.

Thomas Nelson and NetGalley.com provided the copy I read for this review. All opinions expressed are my own.

Paris during WWII...another war story, another resistance story, another story wherein the Nazis have taken over the city, and Jewish families are taken away and eliminated. I couldn't even give you a count of how many books of this nature I have read. Some a bit different with different experiences, but in reality they are all the same. And yet, I keep going back for more. This one gives us Lila de Laurent a dressmaker for Maison Chanel and the world of haute couture. With the closing of Maison Chanel, Lila, using her talent as a dressmaker, joins La Resistance sewing the secrets of the Nazis into her fashions.

Sandrine Paquet, an art expert, is forced into working with the Nazis evaluating the art they have stolen from both museums and wealthy Jewish families....all the while trying to gather information and find out what happened to her husband who disappeared.

Two brave women doing what was necessary to survive in the midst of cruelty and horror...decisions that were made as life or death consequences. Well written and well researched, you too are there in Paris, and at the same time you wonder what you would do under these circumstances. I will add this novel to the books about WWII that I have thoroughly enjoyed. Taken from a different perspective, it was an interesting read.

I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own. My thanks to NetGalley for the opportunity to read this ARC.

The Paris Dressmaker by Kristy Cambron is a World War 2 historical fiction set in Paris that focuses on two courageous women. Lila de Laurent was working as a seamstress at Maison Chanel when the war broke out, but when the salon closed she decides to remain in the city, finding a job at another fashion house while secretly dreaming of creating her own designs. When an old friend becomes the mistress of a German general , Lila gets the chance to create the dresses she has dreamed of, while also acting as a spy for the Resistance., and soon she is the go to designer for the wives and girlfriends of all the Nazi elite in Paris. She also has a more personal mission, to find out what happened to the family of the Jewish man she loved. As her past catches up with her she is forced to disappear before she is arrested, In a second timeline closer to the end of the war we follow Sandrine, an art expert who is coerced into working for the Germans ,evaluating the art they are looting from the museums and wealthy Jewish families of Paris. She is also desperately looking for information about what happened to her husband who disappeared at the beginning of the war. Eventually the two stories intersect as the book moves to a dramatic conclusion..
I think the research for this book was meticulous, the author does a wonderful job of evoking life in an occupied Paris, from the eerie quietness of the city as people fled to the determination of the women of Paris to stay chic and polished, always putting their best face and brightest lipstick forward. I also thought she captured the contrast between the decadence of the Nazi occupiers and their collaborators , and the ordinary people of the city who were often on the verge of starvation. The characters of Lila and Sandrine made them interesting protagonists and kept me engaged in the story. It was important to show the difficult decisions they faced and the tough consequences of those decisions.
I read and reviewed an ARC courtesy of NetGalley and the publisher, all opinions are my own.