I absolutely adore Kristin Harmel. She has been an auto purchase for me ever since The Book of Lost Names. I wasn't ready for this book to end and will be purchasing it as soon as I can get my hands on a physical copy.

When you follow an author that has written powerful, historical novels that have made an impact on thousands of readers, it’s pretty much of a given that her next book will also be an exceptional success. This is one that doesn’t disappoint. It’s a heartfelt story of three mothers and their children.

Elise met her husband, Oliver, in 1935 when she lived in NYC. She felt like she won the lotto when he proposed as he was an artist getting noticed throughout Europe with his dramatic brush strokes. After they got married, they moved to Paris. She was thrilled when she found out she was pregnant. However, on a walk in the park one day, she fell. Juliette who was with her two toddlers and also pregnant saw what happened. She asked her to immediately come back to their home, connected to their bookstore, where a doctor could examine her. Reluctantly, Elise went with her. And then, she was relieved to find out everything was okay.

Elise and Juliette became instant friends. They both were happy to have baby girls. Elise often would walk to “La Librairie des Reves” -- interpreted as “The Bookshop of Dreams” -- to visit with her friend. Juliette said, “I’ve always believed that books are simply dreams on paper, taking us where we most need to go.” The third friend was Ruth. She was customer of the shop, a Jewish widow, with two young children.

In 1939, they could see that everything was changing at an accelerated pace. Hilter invaded Poland and then the war began to spread rapidly throughout Europe. A year later, the Germans reached parts of France and it was becoming known that parents were giving their children to organizations to keep them free from danger during this time. When all Jewish males between 18 and 50 were arrested in Paris, it was time for Ruth to send her kids away to be safe. She said to her friends, “The world is crumbling all around us, and no one is doing a thing to stop it.” Elise and Juliette decided to stay in the city with their families.

The story is beautifully written and emotionally heart-breaking. The plot went deep into the feelings of the mothers at the time of how treacherous it was to worry about their children, their day-to-day lives and the unpredictable future. Many in Paris wanted to look the other way when the Germans invaded their communities. It was easy to feel the pain of the people with the settings and characters in the book.

In the Author Note, Kristin Harmel revealed her personal thoughts on the complexities of the past and current affairs. “I think when we know more about the past, we are better prepared to face the future, whatever comes our way…There is always light in the darkness even if that spark is sometimes hard to see.” This brought tears to my eyes. In the story, there was always hope that one day, we would all live in a better world.

My thanks to Kristin Harmel, Gallery Books and NetGalley for allowing me to read this advanced copy with an expected release date of June 6, 2023.

love love love any book by Kristin Harmel, this was a wonderful story set in Paris during World War II. the story will stay with you long after you finish the book.

Wow! Kristin Harmel does it again! I loved The Book of Lost Names and I loved this new book just as much! The story of Elise and Juliette and the decisions they are forced to make during the Nazi occupation is a MUST read! The story flows so well and even- there wasn’t a chapter where I felt things were slow or redundant. I read this in 2 days and felt myself slowing down because I didn’t want it to end! A wonderful, well written book that I will read again at some time. Highly recommend!!! Thank you to Kristin Harmel,Simon & Schuster and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this ARC. Thoroughly enjoyed it.

It’s 1939 and Elise is new to Paris. Recently married and an ex-pat, the artist enjoys exploring the city on foot, looking for inspiration outside of her renowned painter-husband’s shadow. One afternoon, these explorations led to a chance encounter with Juliette, another American wife, that would forever knit their families together. The Paris Daughter follows the ladies as they navigate difficult choices in the struggle to keep their families safe through the coming German invasion and the War that would follow.

The author of other historical fiction gems such as The Book of Lost Names and The Forest of Vanishing Stars, Kristen Harmel’s newest work is a haunting inside view of life in Paris during and after World War II. Harmel’s extensive research into Parisian life is reflected in the details that breath life into her characters and make their stories authentic. The author paints vivid mental images in every scene with these carefully researched and written touches.

I give The Paris Daughter 5 out of 5 stars. I found myself connected with these characters and emotionally invested in their storylines. I was captivated by the narrative and found it hard to put down, reading the book in one day. While I understand Kristen Harmel prefers not to revisit characters with sequels, this novel has left me wanting to know more about their lives after the close of this book.

I suggest this novel to historical fiction fans, as well as readers looking for a great weekend escape. Readers will fall in love with the characters from the onset and be caught off guard by a twist towards the end. Typical of Harmel’s works, this book brings history to life in a way classroom learning never can.

**Thank you to NetGalley and Gallery Books for sending this book for review consideration. All thoughts are my own.

Wonderful descriptions of Paris in the lead up to and during WWII. The friendship between Elise and Juliette was believable and heartbreaking, as were the choices and consequences of their actions. However the final section felt a bit contrived with a few too many coincidences. Overall though, I loved the book and it kept me reading late into the night. Thanks to author, publisher and NetGalley for a preview copy.

thank you netgally and simon & schuster for this arc copy of the paris daughter.
kristin harmel is one of my favorite authors. the book of lost names is in my top three books of all time. she never fails to break my heart and give me hope and make me feel so many emotions.
the paris daughter was no exception. it is a tale of love, sacrifice, friendship, and forgiveness. it is a beautiful story.

I was engrossed in this story right from the beginning and could not read fast enough! I have read a lot of books taking place during WW2 and this one is top of my favs! Without giving any of the story away, learning how the characters are together and then what happens to them later on, I thought was done well. So much empathy for anyone who has to live through a war and the experiences they go through. It takes a strong will and perseverance.

Absolutely loved this beautifully written WWII novel. Kristin Harmel is quickly becoming my favorite author. Her writing style complete captivates me and has me quickly turning page after page. The story, characters and setting are all so well done and could quickly make this my number one Kristin Harmel book.

Thank you to net galley for the arc in exchange for an honest review.

I would like to thank Netgalley and Gallery Book Publishers for my ARC copy of The Paris Daughter. I want to preface my review by saying that I am a fan of Kristen Harmel's work. I will always read her next book but this one fell flat for me. I was more drawn to the storyline of Elise's work to save the children but we only got a small of her time there. My heart broke for how broken Juliette became by the end of the war and I am sure she represent many French women after the war. Three words from the summary ("But which little girl—" ) just gave away too much and I was able to guess the ending far too early which I did not find to be original. When the final reveal happened, I found myself signing and hoping Ms. Harmel would prove my hunches wrong but sadly she only confirmed them. One of Ms. Harmel's strengths is in her descriptions of France especially landmarks in Paris and her research capabilities for details from World War II. In Ms. Harmel's description of motherhood for both Elise and Juliette, the reader knows that is how she feels about her own son, Noah, and it is beautiful prose. I finished the book in record time but sadly I would give this book a C+ for the storyline.

This was such a wonderful book. Once I started I could not put it down. It is a haunting book, one that will stick with you long after you are done. WW2, Paris, friendship, Art, love and devastation. Those are the words I would use to describe this book. One of the best I have read in a while. .

A touching and emotional novel that takes place in Paris during WWII, and in New York post war. This well paced novel has excellent character development and beautiful friendships and was heartbreaking at times. This was my first novel by Kristin Harmel and I will be sure to read more by this author.

Thank you NetGalley and Gallery Books for this digital arc in exchange for my honest review which is not affiliated with any brand.

Another fantastic novel written by Kristin Harmel. The Paris Daughter was a beautiful story! Very deep and emotional, yet suspenseful as well. I loved the characters and captivating storyline. This one is sure to be a big hit with all historical fiction readers!

Thank you Gallery Books and Netgalley for providing me an ARC of The Paris Daughter by Kristin Harmel in exchange for an honest review.

That feeling when you look and see that you are 88% through the book and you feel completely shattered because you don’t want it to end. That’s what I felt. The characters become so personal. So real. The descriptions make it so easy to picture it in your head as though you are watching a movie. That’s the feeling I always get when reading Kristin Harmel’s books. The Paris Daughter was no different.

The German invasion of France is a story that’s been told many times. We know about the horrific events that happened in the homes. The senseless killing of so many innocent lives. We know the labor camps. We know of the mass murders. The heart wrenching stories. Kristin brings other stories to light. The separation of families done out of love and desperation. Parents sending away their children with known acquaintances and strangers. In the hopes of keeping them safe and reuniting one day. Not knowing what the future holds.

The Paris Daughter is a story like that. A mother feeling that she has no choice but to send her daughter to live with someone else to keep her safe. The details describing the pain that this mother feels. I couldn’t wait to see what the outcome was, but I also wanted to prolong the end at the same time.

Incredibly written novel by Kristin Hamel. Interwoven story, as there are many, during WW!!, describing the misery, heartache, loss and overwhelming shattering of lives. And why? Because of man’s inhumanity to man. Kristin Harmel is a descriptive writer, who can take your breath away with her prose. Imaginative yet totally believable story line. Riveting and heartfelt. Thank you Netgalley and Gallery Books for sending this book for review consideration. All opinions are my own. #NetGalley #TheParisDaughter @locustvalleybookstore @kristinharmel.

I have read several of Harmel’s books and enjoy her research for historical fiction. The Paris Daughter is a bit weaker in my opinion, The main “twist” is highly predictable. The beginning of the book is extremely detailed and follows a timeline of consecutive months. Then it skips to years which does help advance the story well. I had trouble sympathizing with Juliette who is extremely troubled due to the many losses she suffers during the war. I needed to be able to really feel her pain to understand the things she did. Harmel is excellent with description and making the reader see and feel the words on the page. If you enjoy historical fiction, you will like this book. I don’t think it’s possible to understand what life was like during and post WWII for so many people but Harmel has a talent for taking you back in time.

5 stars! I have read this author before so knew it would be a good story, but it was better! Well written storyline, WWII story set in Paris with a surprise appearance from a character from another of her stories. Characters are well written and defined, they feel like people you'd want to be friends with in real live and I teared up in several places.

The Paris Daughter should not be missed! The story follows two mothers trying to keep their children safe and live through WWII and then its aftermath. Kristen Harmel’s book captures the gut wrenching emotional losses suffered by those who managed to survive. How these traumatic situations were processed also plays a huge role. The fact that this reader sort of guessed what the outcome would be in no way distracted from my complete enjoyment while reading. If you are a fan of WWII stories and haven’t already read, please get a copy of “The Book of Lost Names” by this author. I voluntarily reviewed an advance copy of this book from NetGalley. Most highly recommend.

This is easily one of the best books I have read this year. It was a heartbreaking, beautiful story that was hard to put down. I liked the tie-in to The Book of Lost names, which was also excellent. I so appreciated the research that went into this book. I do wish there had been a little more backstory on a couple of the characters. I have questions! And, I really, really wanted an epilogue! But those things in no way change how wonderful this book was. Highly recommend.

The Paris Daughter by Kristin Harmel is heartbreaking and hopeful and, ultimately, a fantastic novel. I never tire of a World War II era novel. This one, like Harmel's Book of Lost Names, puts a unique spin on the subject. It's got art, books, friendships...all the ingredients of a good book. The book will break your heart. You'll guess the ending fairly easily but rush to complete the book just in case you're wrong. So good...