This was a lovely saga set during the invasion of France due the Second World War. It showed how the French helped each other during this very difficult time. It was a dual time-line and was easy to read. My thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for giving me the opportunity to read this book in return for an honest review.

I so wanted to enjoy this book but sadly never connected with any of the main characters. I found Juilette just unbelievable. Fine to leave the marriage but to not return to the US to at least pack up your life and collect belongings just didn't seem real. I appreciate in the modern world much can be done online but "paperwork" still exists and to be able to purchase a business in France without a long-term address in the country and perhaps only her passport as evidence of her identity didn't seem right.

Equally I found the characters set in WW2 to be wishy-washy and how they got away with what they did for so long seemed an unrealistic miracle. Gathering up children like they were stray cats and dogs on the street didn't seem accurate. To keep the bookshop running at all when people didn't have money to buy basics like food also seemed unlikely.

I persevered to the end but sadly it is not a title I would recommend to others.

‘He will call his shop La Page Cachée - The Hidden Page - because he knows the magic that is to be found within the covers of a book.’

The Forgotten Bookshop in Paris is the second book I have read by Daisy and I absolutely loved it! To have a combination of Paris, WWII and a bookshop in past and present timelines was wonderful. There is a love of literature woven throughout and setting up a bookstore in Paris is a dream for many. With themes of love, war and betrayals, it all comes together for a riveting read.

‘Bookstores and libraries were her spiritual home, so quiet and calm and full of knowledge - and now here was the ghost of a bookstore on her doorstep.’

The two past and present storylines meld together in a surprising mystery. Included are the tragedies of WWII with the Nazi occupation of Paris and Daisy does a superb job of telling not only the love story of Jacque and Mathilde but also his evolution throughout this experience. The contemporary tale, whilst a well worn trope of marriage breakdown and moving to a new country for rediscovery is well used, with the addition of setting up a bookstore and discovering family heritage, Daisy does a solid job of it. All up is a poignant tale told from many aspects with engaging characters and tribulations to overcome.

‘All my life, I’ve been making decisions based on what other people wanted.This adventure is just for me. Is that selfish? Maybe, but I don’t want to wake up in thirty years’ time and realise I’ve wasted my life. We only get one shot–might as well make the most of it.’

My only wish would have been more focus on the unfolding of the family mystery as opposed to the setting up of the bookstore in Paris. The story came to a close quickly, whereas I wished to be immersed in the discovery for longer. The two timelines weave together well with the historical narrative being slightly stronger - I really appreciated the evolution of Jacque’s character and the risks taken as being part of the French Resistance.

‘Books were his livelihood, his passion, his raison d’être; how could he allow them to be destroyed? He had already accepted so much humiliation from the Nazis but this was a step too far.’

The Forgotten Bookshop in Paris is a story of love and courage, sacrifice and surrender. It’s a tale of heartbreak and hope as the two lead characters from both timelines are on a journey of self discovery. I highly recommend it as I found it a moving and memorable story.

‘Here’s to you and The Forgotten Bookshop. May she soon be remembered.’







This review is based on a complimentary copy from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own. The quoted material may have changed in the final release.

I enjoyed the story. An amazing tale of the present discovering the past. A story filled with bravery and sacrifice in war time.
But it was also full of contemporary people taking control of their own life and destiny.
The author made it all seem so real that the reader felt attached to the characters.
Thank you Daisy Wood for being this to us and thank you NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read this book.

This was a lovely book. I really enjoyed reading it and had to finish it in one day. The story line was so wonderfully and easy to connect with and follow. It definitely kept my attention throughout. It was also thrilling, exciting, heartwarming and heartbreaking. The characters were amazing and worked really well allowing me to form great connections with them. I also loved how lifelike and believable they were. It was certainly well wrote and flowed really well creating a real page turning novel. I loved the theme of this book trying to save Jewish children it definitely took you on a roller coaster ride of ups and downs. The author did a wonderful job at creating such a fantastic sense of atmosphere and tension that felt so fitting for its genre. I definitely recommend reading this ww2 historical fiction novel I'm sure you won't be able to put it down. 

So much praise goes out to the author and publishers for creating such a wonderful story. I will definitely be looking out for more great books from this author. 
The above review has already been placed on goodreads, waterstones, Google books, Barnes&noble, kobo, amazon UK where found and my blog today https://ladyreading365.wixsite.com/website/post/the-forgotten-bookshop-in-paris-by-daisy-wood-avon-books-4-stars either under my name or ladyreading365

This dual timeline book was a lovely read. Juliette is going through a time of change in her life and discovers an old bookshop that she is drawn to. She discovers the shops past and her own are linked. This is a story about overcoming obstacles, courage, betrayal and love. The descriptions of Paris were also wonderful.

This book was amazing, I really loved it! Such a heartwarming story. I highly recommend it if you enjoy historical fiction.

Thank you Netgalley and Avon for the chance to read The forgotten bookshop in Paris by Daisy Wood.

This book alternates between the present day with Juliette in Paris and 1940’s Nazi-occupied France with Jacques and his wife Mathilde. After Mathilde goes into hiding Jacques stays behind to watch over their bookshop. One night he risks everything when he allows a mother and child to seek refuge in his beloved shop.
Juliette has been dreaming of going away to Paris, and finally gets her wish; however as the holiday goes on she discovers her marriage is not what she believes it to be, and when she runs across an abandoned shop for sale she takes a chance on starting a new life.
While I enjoyed this story, I probably would have enjoyed it more had I not read it right after another dual timeline book about Paris. It was unfortunate that I was comparing the two, but I do recommend this to those who enjoy historical novels in the WWII era with a dual timeline. 31/2 stars.

The Forgotten Bookshop in Paris by Daisy Wood. All I can say is, if you are a fan of historical WWII fiction, then you need to get this book and read it! Captivating from the start and beautifully written, it will draw you in and keep you craving more. It is told in a dual timeline, following Jacques and Mathilde's story in the early days of the war, and Juliette's story in present day. Jacques and Mathilde are young and in love, but war is in France and they must do their part to resist. When Mathilde has to leave, Jacques goes on, assisting the resistance any way that he can, while running his book store also. Juliette went to Paris with her husband, only to discover that he has been cheating on her. When she stays in Paris, she discovers more about herself and her family history than she could have imagined, culminating in a beautiful promise for the future. A lovely book that feels like it will stick with me. Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley.

This is my second read of Daisy Wood and I enjoyed it just as much as the first. I’m a big fan of historical fiction, and of course books too, so this was a winner for me! The bravery that these men and women had to show in occupied France when they were living amongst the enemy is hard to comprehend, not to mention those who played any part in the resistance. Maybe it’s because I’m a new mum, or maybe this is the way I’ll always feel now, but the references to parents handing over their children to strangers in a bit to spare them as they head to the concentration camps is really hard to take. The modern day parts of this story brought the beauty of Paris to life and made me miss the city, and who wouldn’t love the idea of opening a bookshop!? I really enjoyed this book and thank you to @harpercollinsuk for the copy.

Historical Fiction is my favorite genre, and this story was a very enjoyable and interesting read. The characters, Jacques and Mathilde I felt where well defined and a pleasure to get to know however while I did enjoy the story, I found the romance a but sappy for me!
I would like to thank Netgalley and the publisher for an ARC in return for an honest review.
I give this story 3 1/2 Stars

This was amazing!!! It was everything in a historical fiction that I love! Going back to the past and then going to present. Loved how it ended!

I did not have time to write before it reviewed. Since its archive date is not set, I will read in the near future

This is a duel timeline WWII historical fiction novel. I read tons and tons of these books and I must say this is one of the better ones that I have read so far this year. I usually don't care much for dual timelines as I find myself always wanting to read the historical parts way more than the scenes set in the present. This wasn't the case with this book. I enjoyed both the past and the present stories.
I was proud of Juliette for being brave and starting a totally new and independent life for herself. That took a lot of strength and courage. As for the past, Jacques' story touched my heart, both heart-wrenching and uplifting. I loved Jacques' character.
When Jacques' wife is arrested by the gestapo and subsequently leaves town and then is said to be arrested yet again, although there is no record of her, he finds himself unwittingly pulled into working with the resistance himself.
I don't like giving spoilers so I will go no further only to say you need to read Jacques' story and see how it eventually ties into Julliette's story. Tyng the two stories together was done seamlessly and I totally enjoyed both. I would recommend this book to all historical fiction fans.
Thank you to Avon Books and to Net Gal;l;ey for the free ARC, I am leaving my honest review in return.

A great dual timeline read. I almost always learn something new when I read a story about this time in history.
Thanks for the advanced copy. I really enjoyed it

I have read quite a bit of historical fiction about WW2 and Paris. However, few books have touched my heart the way that The Forgotten Bookshop in Paris has. Daisy Wood impeccably weaves together a dual timeline focusing on Juliette, an American housewife starting over in Paris, and Jacques, a Parisian bookseller who finds himself an unlikely member of the French Resistance. I found myself equally enamored by their two stories. Jacques was a particularly enigmatic character who will stay with me for some time. Once I started this book, I could not put it down and found myself racing to find out what the connection was between their stories. If you love books, history, and tales of strength, this book is for you.
I received an ARC from NetGalley and all thoughts are my own.

A duel time-line novel of Paris during WWII and present time.
A heartbreaking yet heartwarming story of love and hope.
A unique and interesting story with a bookshop theme that kept me intrigued.
Many thanks to NetGalley, the publisher and author for the opportunity to read this book for my honest review. All opinions expressed are my own.

Jacque has a bookshop but its 1939 and soon his wife is in hiding and Jacques fears for his bookshop and his life.
One night a young women and child appear on his doorstep begging for help and they are only the first.
In modern times Juliette is in Paris searching for the square of her grandmothers painting.
How are the two connected and will Juliette find the answers she wants.

This is an easy read, a page-turner even.

There are two narrative strands, both taking the reader to Paris. The first one to Paris under German occupation in the 1940s where we meet young Mathilde and Jacques, who are just about to fall in love with each other and Jacques fulfilling his dream to own a little book shop on one of the little picturesque Parisian Squares. Both, in different ways, get involved with the Resistance movement, which results in their separation, with Mathilda moving to the South and Jacques continuing to utilise his bookshop for his many good deeds.

The second strand plays out in 2022. An American couple, Juliette and Kevin, visit Paris. Juliette however is on a special mission. She travels with a picture of Paris, that she inherited from her grandmother and of which she believes that it carries the key to an important part of her family’s history. She sets out to find this place on the picture in order to learn what it had meant to her gran. When she finds out that Kevin has been unfaithful, she spontaneously decides to stay in Paris and starts a journey of emancipation and discovery.

Her discovery of the old book shop in her gran’s picture tells the tale of Jacques, a good and brave (too good and too brave?) man who helped those persecuted by the German occupiers. His selfless actions and also his deep love for Juliette’s grandmother, Mathilde, form a very moving part of the story, which – in my view – gets slightly marred by the many clichés used in plot and language.

Despite the plot being highly predictable and in its predictability also highly unlikely, all in all it turned out to be a satisfying read.

I am grateful to NetGalley and HarperCollins Publishers for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This was such a good book. I love historical fiction, especially when it is about eras/ situations that I previously knew nothing about and this was definitely one of those books. It was so well researched and so compelling in its narrative that not only did I love reading it but I felt that I learned too. A really enjoyable read and perfect for any fans of historical fiction. This is a first for me by the author and one I enjoyed and would read more of their work. The book cover is eye-catching and appealing and would spark my interest if in a bookshop. Thank you very much to the author, publisher and Netgalley for this ARC.