A good , clean story of Lucie, a ballet dancer turned bookstore owner, an automobile maker, at the beginning of World War II. Lucie buys her favorite bookstore when her trusted friends, who happen to be Jewish, have to go to America. She takes care of the bookstore, but soon learns the resistants are leaving messages in her books. She becomes a point of message trading, even though it is very dangerous. Paul in the meantime is viewed as a collaborator, even though he will purposefully sabotage his own trucks. They meet, and even though she doesn't immediately trust him because of his reputation, she can't help but like him, and she just loves his four year old daughter. It's a great story I enjoyed reading!

American Lucie Girard is a ballerina with the Paris Opera Ballet during the buildup to World War 2. As a favor to some friends who are fleeing Paris due to their Jewish faith, Lucie buys their bookshop. When the resistance wants to use the shop as a letterbox for passing messages in books, Lucie thinks ITV’s exciting. Paul Aubrey is a wealthy American car manufacturer. When he agrees to produce trucks for the Germans, he also agrees to pass along sensitive information when he turn in his weekly report to the US Embassy. A widower with a young daughter, Josie, Paul knows there will come a day when they both must free to America. When things start closing in, will Paul, Josie and Lucie escape to America in time and have a future together? Find out in this riveting tale by experienced World War 2 novel by experienced writer Sarah Sundin.

A likeable tale set during Paris in the early years of the Second World War. I enjoyed following the stories of Lucie and Paul and watching their growing love for one another. I was a little frustrated that some of the characters changed so much through something smaller that happened to them (Bernadette, for example) and I found it odd that the two other ballet dancers were mentioned frequently as being Lucie's roommates and yet she had next to no interaction with them for large chunks of the book, except when it felt as if they were needed again for plot points. If I was being particularly nit-picky, I would add that I disliked how very short the paragraphs all were - no more than two sentences and sometimes only one. I can understand that it helped to move the story along at a rapid clip, but it also gave the impression of it being a more slight story than it deserved.
Thank you, Revell, for this complimentary copy of Until Leaves Fall in Paris. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

Until Leaves Fall in Paris

by Sarah Sundin

Revell

Rated: 4

Back of the Book: “As the Nazis march toward Paris in 1940, American ballerina Lucie Girard buys her favorite English-language bookstore to allow the Jewish owners to escape. Lucie struggles to run Green Leaf Books due to oppressive German laws and harsh conditions, but she finds a way to aid the resistance by passing secret messages between the pages of her books.
Widower Paul Aubrey wants nothing more than to return to the States with his little girl, but the US Army convinces him to keep his factory running and obtain military information from his German customers. As the war rages on, Paul offers his own resistance by sabotaging his product and hiding British airmen in his factory. After they meet in the bookstore, Paul and Lucie are drawn to each other, but she rejects him when she discovers he sells to the Germans. And for Paul to win her trust would mean betraying his mission.
Master of WWII-era fiction Sarah Sundin invites you onto the streets of occupied Paris to discover whether love or duty will prevail.”

Impressions: Who can you trust? There is no easy way to determine friend or foe during the war. Lucie and Paul put their faith in the Lord as they navigate the Nazi’s invasion of Paris. Without knowing who to trust they find that showing love to others opens the door to an unexpected relationship with each other. I enjoyed the beginning and middle of this book but felt the ending felt too put together. The shift from being under Nazi control to having freedom would have been a very interesting transition. Having experienced the loss of freedom and then being immersed into a people who’ve not experienced such loss would be challenging. Overall this was an interesting book with intrigue, suspense, and romance.

Quotes: “’ Nothing of any worth lies on the easy path.’”

“’ Remember sometimes we have to lose what we most love before we can find what we most need.’”

“’ So embracing discipline is a way of embracing God.’”

“’ If I were to ban sinners from this church, the pews would be empty. So would the pulpit.’”

“’ You’re not stupid, not in the slightest. Do not confuse education with intelligence.’”

“’ If you can imagine it, you can work for it. And if you work for it, someday you might be able to achieve it.’”

I received an ARC of this book via NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for my honest review shared here.

Until Leaves Fall In Paris by Sarah Sundin is such a powerful WWII fiction to read. It is written so clearly that is is easy to see the fear the people must have lived through at that time. I kept reading this book to see what was going to happen. This story did a great job of showing how the Nazis slowly took control of Paris and how it got control of those living and working there. Lucie could not sell certain books and Paul was forced to make vehicles that could be used to benefit the Nazis. It was interesting to see how Paul and his daughter were treated by those from their church. And how Paul and Lucie had to hide their true relationship to survive.

I can’t begin to imagine what it was like for those who lived through these events, the strength the needed to survive. The trust they needed to have to survive while fleeing to safety and the faith they needed to know they would reunite with family. This is a great book that gives just a small glimpse as to what it may have been like for those who lived in Paris in the 1940. This story has suspense and a touch of romance.

I voluntarily received a complimentary copy of this story from Net Galley and Revell Publishing. This is my honest review.

Can two completely different Americans in Paris during 1941 learn to trust and love one another?

Paul is an engineer and owner of an automotive factory seeking his fortune in German-occupied Paris. He has no choice but cooperate with the Nazis, or does he? Lucie has been in Paris for many years as a ballerina but she chooses to help her friends who must leave France with managing their bookstore on the Left Bank. He is an industrialist. She is an artist. They have nothing in common, but a love for his daughter and a love for the Lord.

Through many twists and turns we see the difficult and dangerous decisions they must make to survive under Nazi command. They learn to trust one another and others in their lives who need their help. Eventually they realize they must return to America, but this brings even more dangers as America enters the war after the Pear Harbor attack.

I thoroughly enjoyed this story and the developing relationship between the two main characters. Paul is widowed and they growing love and understanding he has for his four year old daughter brought an even sweeter element to the story. The dangerous months required to leave Europe for America seemed quite rushed and I wished for more details, but overall I enjoyed learning more of the world of 1941 Paris.

As usual Sarah Sundin's book was amazing. You could actually feel the fear of living in Paris during the dark days of ww2. Love the symbolism and the fact that her characters arent all saints and sinners but people trying to do their level best is exacting circumstances. Five out of five stars all the way. Loved it.

Sarah sundin does it again! Get engrossed in the world War two Era, in France this time, with a ballerina turned bookseller! A story of love and mystery with excellent character development that leaves you breathless at times. I enjoyed this advance reader copy!

Lucie Gerard an American studying ballet in Paris, decides to stay in Paris as the Nazis march toward her beloved city. In order to help her Jewish friends escape, she buys their bookshop, leaves the ballet, and becomes the new owner and operator of Green Leaf Books. Lucie becomes aware of strange activities taking place in her shop. She inadvertently learns of a resistance group that is determined to stop the Nazis and must decide if she is willing to help. The problem is, who can she trust? Any of her friends or store patrons may be German spies. If she decides to help the Resistance, she may lose everything she holds dear, including her life. Paul Aubrey, a widower and also an American, decides to stay in Paris with his young daughter to continue running the car factory that he owns. He wants to defy the Nazis, but how is he to do that and keep his daughter safe as well as the men that work for him. Who can he trust to help him? What lengths is he willing to go to save his factory, his daughter, and the woman he is coming to love? Both Lucie and Paul are thrown together by war and must rely on each other to survive. Can love survive war and secrets? I thought that “When Twilight Breaks” was my favorite of Ms. Sundin, however this has been added to my favorites list as well! Ms. Sundin has an extraordinary way of seamlessly molding together fiction and nonfiction. The depth of detail found throughout the book, both historical and fictional are spellbinding. I found myself going down rabbit holes of looking up the real people portrayed in the book and reading about their lives as well as looking at pictures of the actual places and streets mentioned. It was a delight to be able to learn more about people, places, and events during that period in history. I was on the edge of my seat more than once, wanting to shout at the characters “run!” or “hide!”. I found myself gasping with surprise at the twists and turns that the book took. The characters had depth of emotion, strong conviction to do what was right, and the ability to stand firm even when things took a very bleak and tragic turn. Mystery, romance, intrigue, and espionage are all fashioned together into a book that mesmerizes and grips the reader. There were some slow parts in the book and also, I wasn’t sure why there were dates on every chapter. I’m not sure if they were helpful or necessary to the flow of the book (perhaps a date here and there to help the reader know when everything was taking place would have been better). However, none of that distracted from the overall movement of the book. I wanted this book to last but ended up reading it in about 3 days. I couldn’t put it down! My thanks to NetGalley and Revell Publishing for the ARC of this book. All opinions within this review are my own.

Sarah Sundin has done it again, an amazing page turner, that you never want to end!
Set in WWII France, and most before the American's are part of the war effort. We meet amazing people that put others before themselves, and help thwart the evil presence that is invading their lives.
We meet Lucie Girard, and her love for ballet, so much so she has spent most of her young life in France, but she cares for people more and ends up owning a bookstore. We also meet Paul Aubrey, and his owning a plant that now makes trucks for the Germans, a collaborator? Then there is precious Josie, Paul's daughter, and she steals the show so to speak!
We get to see how these lives get intertwined, and hope that somehow these people will survive.
I received this book through LibraryThing, and was not required to give a positive review.

In the late 1930s, Paris is occupied and people do what they must to survive. Lucie gives up her dream of being a prima donna to help others. Paul works with the Germans, even though he disagrees with everything they represent. They're from two separate worlds and don't seem to fit together except in the realm of books. When America officially declares war on Germany, everything will change for these two, but how will it all play out? Sarah has a way of writing that transports the reader to another place and time! While this book isn't necessarily a sequel to When Twilight Breaks, there is a link between the two male protagonists, who both attended Harvard together. They're stand-alone, but there's a teeny bit of follow up from the last book.

I have been eagerly awaiting the latest installment to Sarah Sundin’s newest series and was excited to get a chance to review Until Leaves Fall in Paris. The first half of the book moved a little slow for my taste, and I wasn’t sure if the romance would be too cliche. However, by the end of the book I was quickly reading to see what would happen. Lucie is a sweet ballerina who falls for a widower who she initially believes is aiding the Nazis in her beloved city of Paris. I love how her character grew throughout the story into a strong but sweet heroine. Until Leaves Fall in Paris is a excellent WWII novel, that entertains and is not too intense for sensitive readers.

Sarah Sundin has penned another excellent historical WWII romance novel. Though I believe this is intended to be a stand-alone novel, fans who have read "When Twilight Breaks" will be happy to see some familiar names included in this one. If you haven't read that book though, you won't be lost at all as this is technically a stand-alone novel. Taking place in occupied Paris before America enters the war, this book follows 2 American expatriates living in Paris as they navigate the "normal" of German occupation in a land that's not technically their own. Filled with great character development as well as intrigue and an action-packed climax, this book packed a punch. I liked how both Paul and Lucie fought back in their own unique ways, and the lessons they learned about God and how varying gifts can complement each other. I also adored little Josie, Paul's 4 year old daughter. This one had a fabulous story-line with wonderful characters, a solid faith thread and a unique look at history. This is one I'd definitely recommend to fans of historical fiction, particularly WWII fiction. Special thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for an advance e-copy of this book. I was under no obligation to provide a review and the thoughts contained herein are my own.

France in the beginning days of the occupation by Germany... A ballerina turned bookstore owner and a single dad who owns and runs an automobile factory. Both of the main characters attend church, pray, and seek to do the right thing. For Paul, that means earning the disdain of all his former friends and pitting the woman he's interested in against him. Thus we have a delightfully suspenseful enemies to lovers story. I pretty much liked every word and twist in this book. Although the situation for Paul and Lucie becomes dicey, I never really feared whether they would survive or have their HEA, which is fine with me. It had tense moments without being too intense, and I cried happy tears when good things happened. Because I liked them both so much, they broke my heart more than once. I admired them for their integrity and their willingness to take the hard road and grow. I also somewhat related to Lucie's character arc, being unsure of her own abilities but she was still willing to step our and do the scary thing.
I think you all will like this book. I read a copy from Netgalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review, and all opinions are my own.

I am frankly amazed at Sundin's talent to come up with unique and creative stories, all set within a fairly specific genre (WWII fiction). It seems (said the non-author :D) like a topic could be exhausted at a certain point--but _Until Leaves Fall in Paris_ happily proves me wrong.

I continue to learn things about WWII in this read that I didn't know before. I continue to be happily surprised at Sundin's skills as a writer and storyteller. And, I continue to get sad when the story ends, because I'm simply not ready to say goodbye!

This read is particularly poignant, making me noticeably, viscerally react at points (maybe I shouldn't read before bed or at certain times of the month? Oh, who am I kidding ... lol!). I really had to sit with it for a while after finishing!

While a standalone novel (best I can tell :D #storyofmylife), readers will see some familiar names from When Twilight Breaks - and apparently that will also continue in an upcoming book, per the author's note at the end! Yay! #squee I loved catching a glimpse of what those characters were up to after that book's end.

Fans of The Last Bookshop in London: A Novel of World War II will particularly enjoy this read.

I received an eARC of the book from the publisher via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

Until Leaves Fall in Paris by Sarah Sundin is a great WWII-era historical fiction that has it all: romance, history, suspense, mystery, and intrigue.

I have been a fan of Ms. Sundin for a while now, and this book is no exception.

Such a beautiful cast of characters, especially the two main characters: Lucie and Paul. Both from different walks in life, both living in Paris during the German occupation. Both finding themselves doing what they can to help save as many innocent people as possible under the radar, all while trying to find their own safety and love in life.

Such a beautiful, heartwarming, and of course at times, heartbreaking story. The inclusion of the underground network and resistance just added a fabulous component of heightened drama and stakes to this period romance. The slow burn of the chemistry and affection between the two characters was perfect and balanced well with the fevered pitch of the war, lives on the line, and being caught and worse…

The characters were well-written, likable and realistic, had great chemistry, strong moral compasses, and I am really glad they found the ending that they did.

It is so wonderful to find that ray of hope and to be able to hold onto that element of faith in such a devastating and dark time.

A beautiful and memorable book that I highly recommend.

5/5 stars

Thank you NG and Revell Publishing for this stunning arc and in return I am submitting my unbiased and voluntary review and opinion.

I am posting this review to my GR and Bookbub accounts immediately and will post it to my Amazon, Instagram, and B&N accounts upon publication on 2/1/21.

Until Leaves Fall in Paris by Sarah Sundin features a brave hero and heroine who are stuck in France and are willing to sabatoge the Germans at every step. The story features the resistance and the inner workings of how they actually worked. Learning about what they actually did to threaten the Germans was a delight to read and learn about. The overall plot idea was interesting and held my attention, but at times, the story did move at a slow pace to move the story along. Of course, Sundin's research was well-handled since it brought the story to life. I enjoyed the historical elements of the story. The romance, on the other hand, developed at a nice pace. Slow and steady won the hand of love. If readers enjoyed this novel, then they might enjoy reading The White Rose Resists by Amanda Barrett. The novels have the same resistance twist to the plot. Overall, Until Leaves Fall in Paris by Sarah Sundin is an interesting novel on the importance of standing up for what a person believes in. I believe this is a great novel to invest time in.

I received a complimentary copy of Until Leaves Fall in Paris by Sarah Sundin from Revell Publishing, but the opinions stated are all my own.

A very well written inspirational romance set in occupied France. Very good plot and character development. If you enjoy historical books I recommend this one. My thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for my advance ebook. This is my unbiased review.

This is a wonderful historical romance. Lucie Girard is a ballerina who has bought her Jewish friends' American bookstore in Paris to allow them to escape the Nazis. Paul Aubrey is a widower who runs a branch of his family's automobile manufacturing company in Paris. Both are part of the underground resistance, unbeknownst to each other. When the United States finally enters the war they are to be put into interment camps and it becomes imperative that they escape the country and flee back to the US.

There is so much history her but also a great family story. This book is culturally rich and a well crafted tale. I highly recommend it.

I have voluntarily reviewed a copy of this book that I received from NetGalley. All views expressed are only my own honest opinion.

Sarah Sundin is one of my favorite authors, and Until Leaves Fall in Paris is a great addition to her book catalog! I really enjoyed getting to know Paul, Lucie, and Josie, and learn more about Paris during the tumultuous years of 1940-41. The inspiration for Lucie’s story (see the author’s note) is especially close to my heart, and it was so cool to see that familiar story within this book. It was a treat getting to see old character friends, and I was intrigued by the teaser for Sundin’s next book. I can’t wait for more stories from her! 4/5 stars

I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.