The Paris Dressmaker by Kristy Cambron is positively addictive! Once you start listening, you will not be able to stop. This is the first book I have ever read that is set in Paris during World War II. I was completely intrigued by the time period and what Parisians had to endure. The author’s love for this time period and hours of research shine through in her writing. I did not want The Paris Dressmaker to end!

Women were an important part of the French Resistance. Some of them made enormous sacrifices for their families and fellow Parisiennes. Stories highlighting the strength and sacrifice of women in history are important. Kristy, thank you for telling this amazing story.

Lila and Sandrine are the two points of view in The Paris Dressmaker. They both endure very different trials during the Nazi occupation before joining the French Resistance.

Lila is a couture dressmaker who loses her job, is jilted by her lover, and is eventually betrayed by her best friend. When she realizes that her lover’s family was killed because of her, guilt consumes her, and she vows to avenge their deaths.

Sandrine is a happily married mother whose husband is called to war. She is in the wrong place at the wrong time when she becomes the object of an SS Officer’s attention. Playing nice to save her family, she prays that she is not forced to consummate a non-existent relationship. Everyone believes that she is sleeping with the Nazi officer – even her mother-in-law. Hated by the very people who should be helping her, she walks a fragile tightrope to protect her family.

I love books with alternating POVs that tell two different stories at the same time. I was dying to find out how the two stories would come together. It is worth the wait and then some!

My favorite part of this book was Lila’s confession to Renee. Don’t forget the telephone in the bakery! Oh, surprises abound! No, no, no, I can’t pick just one. There are too many intriguing moments in this book to pick just one.

The pacing in The Paris Dressmaker is spectacular. Is it Historical Fiction or a Thriller? Maybe both! Just envision yourself as a woman in 1940s Paris in the midst of the Nazi occupation. Every move you make could lead to unwanted attention from Nazi soldiers taking too many liberties as it is. Then add in the mysterious world of the French Resistance. This is a nail-biter!

Barrie Kreinik narrates The Paris Dressmaker. Wow, she is incredible! First, she has incredible accents. Second, she has some of the best male voices that I have heard from a female narrator. How does she switch accents so effortlessly? I love her French accent! While listening to this book, I found myself wanting to speak with a French accent!

Source: I received a free copy of The Paris Dressmaker at my request in exchange for an honest review.

I listened to this book. I love to read historical fiction, especially concerning WW2 & they Holocaust. Was excited to start the book. It concentrates on 2 women. Very interesting. I felt that the middle of the book was a little bit draggy, but it did pick up speed. I did finish the book & am glad that I did. Was surprised at a what happened to a couple of characters. I was upset when some women declared one of the main characters was a collaborator. But. I do know that is what was done in history. The thing with is history is you can't change it, just learn from it.

Meticulously researched and with characters to cheer for. Cambron does a really good job showcasing the difficulties Paris women faced during the German occupation in WWII. Drawing on historical figures and records, the story follows two ordinary women fighting for the Resistance in different ways. Married with a young son, Sandrine works for the Nazis cataloging stolen works of art and trying to pass along any information she can while also struggling to fend off unwanted advances and search for her missing husband. Lila, on the other hand is a talented couture dressmaker who ends up working as a seamstress for Nazi officer’s wives and girlfriends living at the Ritz. In this way she is able to gather intelligence for the Resistance as “The seamstress” but things get complicated when her former lover turns up unexpectedly. Both women choose to do what is right instead of what is easy at great personal risk and danger. For fans of Natasha Lester, the Nightingale or Mistress of the Ritz. Thanks to NetGalley for an advance audio review copy!

Thank you to NetGalley and Thomas Nelson for the advance listen. Narrator did a wonderful job. Love when an audiobook hooks me from the very start which this one did. Enjoyed the dual timeline.

So many books are written that take place during the horrors of the Holocaust and I am always so impressed at the ingenuity of authors. Cambron has woven a unique story juxtaposing two intertwining tales. Her characters display all those traits that set them apart from others.
Resistance is the name of the game exhibited by the two main characters. Lila and Sandrine. Dressmaking skills play a crucial role in fooling the Nazi enemy. What shines through is the bravery and fierce determination to defy what is blatantly wrong. The undying spirit and attempt to save those you love proves that people will go to any extremes necessary to accomplish that goal.

I listened to the audio version of this book. The narrator was amazing. The tension kept building and building, which was conveyed masterfully by the narrator. The story was compelling on its own and listening to it enhanced it even more.

I throughly enjoyed The Paris Dressmaker. The story revolves around the brave women of the resistance in Paris during the Nazi invasion. Kristy Cambron does a wonderful job in writing a historical fiction weaving between the dressmaker and the art historian their lives, loves, loss and how each in their own way saved treasured Paris artifacts. The narration is very well done.

Thank you #NetGalley, #ThomasNelsonandZonderand and #Kristy Cambron for the advance audiobook copy for my honest review.

This was a wonderful story of the French resistance during World War II. I appreciated how the two stories and various timelines eventually were woven together. The narrator did a wonderful job, too. I love the added touch of the accents.

The Paris Dressmaker by Kristy Cambron is a historical, dual-time novel set in Paris in World War II. It follows two women as they struggle to find a way to live within the confines of German-occupied Paris and still maintain their morals and duty to their country.
This is the first novel I’d read from Kristy Cambron, although I’ve heard nothing but wonderful things about her writing. And after reading The Paris Dressmaker, I am hooked! This story combined a dramatic historical backdrop with the struggles of everyday life for people who had to live through a horrific time. The acute details of the occupation of Paris and its effect on the people, especially the women, left behind to endure the German’s reign were both fascinating and terrifying.
The author does an amazing job of using the dual timelines to create suspense and an overall sense of urgency and danger. It was difficult to talk myself out of the ‘one more chapter’ for this story. I needed to know what happened next to the characters!
And the characters in this story are all so vibrant, deep, and genuine--whether part of the Resistance or Axis Alliance. I felt the chill of having an SS officer look over your shoulder or the heart-pounding danger of walking through Paris after curfew. You will become completely immersed in this story, and you won’t want it to end.
My only complaint is it took me a few chapters to settle into the multiple timelines. This was mainly because I listened to the majority of this book, and it was difficult for me to understand where each scene was starting because it was in French. But once I was familiar with the characters and the timelines, this was no longer a problem. And I found I enjoyed listening to the amazingly beautiful voice of the narrator and her addicting accent.
Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed The Paris Dressmaker and will be adding Kristy Cambron to my list of must-read authors. Fans of Christian historical fiction will enjoy this story. Even if you aren’t a fan of dual-time stories, I believe the incredible historical detail and unforgettable characters make this book worth reading.
I was given a copy of this book by the publisher with no expectations of a positive review. All opinions are my own.

Based on true accounts of how Parisiennes resisted the Nazi occupation in World War II—from fashion houses to the city streets—comes a story of two courageous women who risked everything to fight an evil they couldn’t abide.………The Paris Dressmaker is my first Kristy Cambron novel. This is a review for the audio version. I wish that I had the paper back also to read along with it. The narrator did an excellent job, especially with doing the french phrases. I confess just by listening that I had a hard time keeping people and events separate. There are some famous persons mentioned in this novel and the part they played at this time in Paris. It was interesting to read of how the wealthy and the common folks resisted against the Nazis. How true love and devotion was rewarded, but also many sacrificed all even to losing family. Many resisted unto death. This books highlights two brave women who gave their all to help France during this war. Thanks to Thomas Nelson for this audio copy and my review is my own.

Is a slow steady burn. The intertwined stories of two heroines who are trying to survive in a time they never thought they have to survive in.

The strengths that is easily recognized within the writing brings so much life tot he story. The words flow flawlessly from one to the next.

I was excited to get to listen to this story since I heard it was based on a true story. However it was sooooo slow in the beginning and I couldn’t stay focused on the plot because the different timelines got very confusing after awhile. Maybe it would have been better to read the book versus listening. To the audio version. Because then at least I could go back to different sections and reread it if I got confused over what was happening.

This was so boring, that I almost have no idea what I read. The reading so sooo slow and not to my taste, and the plot was also very boring and I didn't like anything about this book.

I loved this book. I think it might be the best Kristy Cambron novel I have listened to yet (OK I might only have read one other to compare it to). The duel timeline story about two women caught up in WW2 in Paris was fascinating and exciting both get caught up in the French resistance for very different reasons.

The details about how the Resistance network took in people from every area of society, even those who were ostensibly collaborating with the Nazis, were fascinating. I also learned about how art and even fashion were used for the purposes of propaganda.

The everyday lives of the people "left behind", i.e. not on the front lines of the war were bought vividly to life in this novel in a sympathetic and realistic way. It is too easy for us, and a safe distance of 70 years to judge the actions and choices of people living at that time, but if we were fighting for our very survival and that of our families, one wonders what we would do, what compromises we would make.

I enjoyed Barrie Krienek's narration, and would listen to more books read by her. Aside from the few of the usual issues in regards to Americanisms being used by European characters in the 1930s, this book was almost perfect.

Thanks to Thomas Nelson for allowing me to listen to this audiobook. All opinions expressed are my own and freely given,

Although it is a Little disjointed, this is an interesting Story of women doing their best to survive in Occupied Paris during World War 2. Lilla is a dressmaker make high Fashion for the Nazi Mistresses, meanwhile passing Information to the Reisitance. Sandrine is working with the Nazis to send stolen art back to Germany, but also secretly recording all of it so they can be returned to their rightful owners. They are trying to help the resistance, but they also have to protect their families, so have to live double lives. The book jumps back and forth in time which can be confusing, however, once it catches up and starts Talking About Liberation, the Story flows better. What actually happened during the Transition period of Liberation was also very interesting, as most stories stop before that Point.

EXCERPT: “I have been asking myself who I intend to be when this war is over—the woman with much who gave little, or the woman with little who gave much. That is always the question, isn’t it, when we walk through the fire in our lives? And I now know my answer.”

ABOUT 'THE PARIS DRESSMAKER': Based on true accounts of how Parisiennes resisted the Nazi occupation in World War II—from fashion houses to the city streets—comes a story of two courageous women who risked everything to fight an evil they couldn’t abide.

Paris, 1939. Maison Chanel has closed, thrusting haute couture dressmaker Lila de Laurent out of the world of high fashion as Nazi soldiers invade the streets and the City of Lights slips into darkness. Lila’s life is now a series of rations, brutal restrictions, and carefully controlled propaganda while Paris is cut off from the rest of the world. Yet in hidden corners of the city, the faithful pledge to resist. Lila is drawn to La Resistance and is soon using her skills as a dressmaker to infiltrate the Nazi elite. She takes their measurements and designs masterpieces, all while collecting secrets in the glamorous Hôtel Ritz—the heart of the Nazis’ Parisian headquarters. But when dashing René Touliard suddenly reenters her world, Lila finds her heart tangled between determination to help save his Jewish family and bolstering the fight for liberation.

Paris, 1943. Sandrine Paquet’s job is to catalog the priceless works of art bound for the Führer’s Berlin, masterpieces stolen from prominent Jewish families. But behind closed doors, she secretly forages for information from the underground resistance. Beneath her compliant façade lies a woman bent on uncovering the fate of her missing husband . . . but at what cost? As Hitler’s regime crumbles, Sandrine is drawn in deeper when she uncrates an exquisite blush Chanel gown concealing a cryptic message that may reveal the fate of a dressmaker who vanished from within the fashion elite.

Told across the span of the Nazi occupation, The Paris Dressmaker highlights the brave women who used everything in their power to resist darkness and restore light to their world.

MY THOUGHTS: I struggled. I really wanted to like this, but it fell flat for me and I did consider abandoning the read.

The Paris Dressmaker is a book that would have worked better for me in a chronological timeline. It jumps all over the place. 1939, to 1943, then back to 1940. It was confusing and sometimes I had trouble remembering who was who, and who was related to who until I got well into the story. The chapters are headed with the date and the location, but not whose point of view we are reading. These problems severely impacted my enjoyment, and I never became invested in the storyline, or the outcomes for the characters.

The pace is agonisingly slow and I felt that the story was centred more on the characters relationships than their resistance work. It also felt rather 'sanitised'. I prefer a grittier approach. This was all the more disappointing as The Paris Dressmaker is supposedly based on true accounts.

I had a few other minor niggles too. The book is set in Paris, France, but Sandrine Paquet is often referred to as Mrs Pacquet. Surely it should have been Madame or, in the case of the Germans, Frau. I don't know why this irritated me so much, but it did.

The Paris Dressmaker was a disappointing read for me. None of it felt real and there is little connection between Lila's and Sandrine's stories until the very end. By then, it was far too late for me. I simply didn't care.

While the narrator, Barrie Kreinik, has a beautiful voice, I don't think it was well suited to this story.

Reading is a personal and subjective experience, and what appeals to one may not please another. So if you enjoyed the excerpt from The Paris Dressmaker, and the plot outline appeals, please do go ahead and read it. Just because it wasn't for me, doesn't mean that you won't enjoy this.

⭐⭐

#TheParisDressmaker #NetGalley

THE AUTHOR: KRISTY CAMBRON is a vintage-inspired storyteller writing from the space where art, history, and faith intersect. She lives in Indiana with her husband and three sons, where she can be found penning her next stories in a beloved coffee shop corner with kayaks on the wall. (She's only bumped her head twice...)

DISCLOSURE: Thank you to Thomas Nelson and Zondervan via Netgalley for providing an ARC of the audiobook of The Paris Dressmaker, written by Kristy Cambron and narrated by Barrie Kreinik, for review. All opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own personal opinions.

For an explanation of my rating system please refer to my Goodreads.com profile page or the about page on sandysbookaday.wordpress.com

This review and others are also published on Twitter, Amazon, Instagram and my webpage

I was reading two books about Paris during WWII at the same time, so it was interesting to see multiple perspectives at the same time (although confusing once in awhile -- haha!).

Anyway... this was a good book overall. I did enjoy getting to know the characters. I was invested in their stories and the outcomes of their actions. It was confusing to keep the plot straight many times as there is quite a bit of jumping around between timelines and people/perspectives. The two main characters' paths cross many times as well, so while that was interesting it was also hard to keep straight.

As far as WWII historical fiction goes, this is good. Especially for those who have an interest in Paris and women's roles in the war/resistance!

The Paris Dressmaker by Kristy Cambron contained two brilliant, well written stories. I read/listened to the book in one sitting.

The stories of two courageous women resisting the Nazi's in Paris, France were each unique and beautifully woven together. Cambron produces some of the most lyrical writing I have read/listened to in a long time. Lila and Sandrine are both integral to the story, but I found Sandrine's story a little more exciting.

I thought the book was well researched and different from a lot of other historical fiction set during World War II, which was refreshing. I found the setting of Paris, France a nice choice as well. It is important to World War II history, yet a lot of books do not feature or focus on it.

For the audiobook, I thought the narration and accents were fantastic. Barrie Kreinik did an amazing job, and I would easily listen to her again.

The only issue I had with both the eARC I was sent, and the advanced audio copy I was sent was keeping the timelines straight. Sandrine and Lila both have two story lines going during their respective parts of the story. On audio, it is a lot to keep track of without a whole lot breaking it up. The eARC had weird formatting throughout. It was spaced weird. It made it hard to distinguish as well. I am assuming this will be more organized in the final edition. So, no fault was on the authour, but just the poor formatting of the review copies.

Overall, this was a very enjoyable story, and I have already recommended it to family and friends. The narration really elevated an already beautifully written story. 4.5 stars from me.

I received an eARC and advanced audiobook copy from Thomas Nelson and Zondervan through NetGalley. All opinions are 100% my own.

Jump back in time to Paris, France, joining the resistance as they fight against the Nazi's during World War II

Fabulous! The Paris Dressmaker was an elegant and captivating novel about the horrors, risks, and hardships Parisians faced in the City of Love during the Nazi occupation. Taking readers into the worlds of espionage, couture, art, and everyday life, the story takes them on an epic journey, introducing them to courageous people who didn't allow the threat of the Nazi's brutality prevent them from doing what was right!

The Paris Dressmaker tells the tale of Lila de Laurent, a revered seamstress who worked for Chanel before becoming unemployed as the war intensified, and Sandrine Paquet, a mother who will do anything to protect her son while her husband fights against the Germans. Facing separate perils, these women must make significant sacrifices and decisions to save the ones they love.

“Before the war, a Parisian woman could not vote, work, or even open a checking account without her husband’s say so. To humiliate her now, propaganda posters fed the lie that she and her children had been abandoned in the necessities of life by the French men who’d run off to play savior by fighting a war they couldn’t possibly win. Now it was only the German soldier who could save her. It was not by a blitzkrieg that Hitler sought to take over. It was by a prolonged methodical effort to win the ravaged minds of the women left behind and to appropriate all that was distinctly Parisian - the arts, Haute couture, the very spirit of the French people - and repurpose it to become a higher form of the German ideal. In all of this flowed the callus and crafty undercurrent of fear.” ~ Kristy Cambron

War is not only a matter of life and death but allegiance and devotion. Lila and Sandrine learn this as they work under the Nazi's noses, collecting information and taking messages for the resistance as the Allied forces draw near. With their faith and love put to the test, they will question everything they once thought to be true as they witness and experience the perils of war firsthand. Nevertheless, it is not all treacherous as Lila and Sandrine find hope and light in the darkness.

Completely absorbed into the book, The Paris Dressmaker took me on a wild ride that only grew more action-packed the further into the story I dove. Kristy Cambron completely embodied the location, people, and message in her narrative. As I listened to the audiobook, I could picture every scene, feel every emotion, and experience every mission the women took to end the Nazi's reign in their city.

Historical fiction lovers are going to ravage this book! It is everything you could hope a novel will be — exceptional storytelling, intriguing characters, heart-melting moments, and patriotism for a people who refused to let the enemy destroy their desire for freedom. The Paris Dressmaker will have you gripping your seat until the final scene!

“What does it matter if I’m afraid? Paris is waiting for her freedom, and she’ll need all the help she can get to find it. Fear doesn’t get to go down with us. Not tonight.” ~ Kristy Cambron

Positive content: 5⭐️
Language: 1⭐️
Sexual content: 1⭐️
Violence: 3⭐️
Age: 14+

*Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with a pre-release copy of this book. My thoughts and opinions are entirely my own!*

Strong women protagonists, Chanel, a little romance, and outwitting the Nazis? What else could I ask for in historical fiction? Nothing, and I absolutely loved The Paris Dressmaker.

The audio version is narrated by Barrie Kreinik, and she is beyond perfect. Her voice is so melodic and soothing that it makes The Paris Dressmaker even more enjoyable. Every time I put in my earbuds, I’m back in WW2 France.

Thank you NetGalley for this ARC.

Like the premise of the book. But at times there were 4 different time lines for 2 different characters.. I got confused. As their professions were similar and their goals as well i sometimes got confused as to who was who etc.

I think that if i had the hard copy i could go back and situate myself a bit better. It was good nonetheless.. :)