4.5/5 Stars.

First, yes, another dual timeline novel. However, as I’ve said before, while I’m getting a bit bored with the use of this mechanic, there are some novels where it works well. This is one of those instances where, although this could have easily been two connected novellas, I did find the combining of the two to be nicely done. There’s nothing where in the more recent timeline that someone goes searching for the secret in someone else’ past, which is what annoys me about most dual timelines. Instead, we have two stories about two women from the same family, and we watch each of them unfold, and see their parallels. Yes, there are things that Micheline does discover about her ancestor Lisette during the course of the book, but that’s not the focus, and thank heavens for that.

In fact, the “discovery” that Micheline makes takes the form of Lisette’s journal which started out as a book where she wrote down her recipes for breads and pastries, but also included notes about her life and experiments with baking! Well, I can promise you that I took down a few of these, and I hope to try a few one day (in fact, I’m taking a bread baking course right now, so…). But that’s not the point. The point is, these recipes are what connect these two women, and thereby making the two timelines more meaningful and equally as important to the story. If I have one (not so small) niggle about these recipes it’s that they’re set out in pounds and ounces. You see, the French were the ones credited with inventing the metric system, and they started using it officially some 80 odd years before the start of this book. I’m guessing this is because the ARC I received is meant for the US market (and maybe the recipes for the rest of the world will be in metric measurements), but seeing the imperial measurements listed, just felt wrong to me.

IMPORTANT UPDATE: Aimie read this review and contacted me about this. Apparently, the famous pastry chef Carême himself used imperial measurements in his recipes, and Runyan just translated them directly. So, I stand corrected!

That said, the main part of this book is how this bakery began, and the two women for whom it meant so much. Lisette leaves behind a life of luxury to be with the revolutionary man she loves, her getting the bakery and helping feed her neighborhood during the battles that raged in France, was her main objective. Micheline is a survivor of WWII, orphaned and alone with her two younger sisters, for whom she needs to provide. Both of them are strong willed women, and both of them are principled in the ways they wish to lead their lives.

Honestly, I really liked them both very much. However, I’m not sure I bought a couple of things that happened with Lisette, and one or two things with Micheline were a touch too convenient for my taste. Despite these little things, admittedly, I just devoured this book (pun intended), and I can very warmly recommend it. I think that for all this, I can give it four and a half stars out of five. Well worth the read, but make sure you’ve got a sandwich nearby while you’re reading it because the recipes will make you hungry!

1870: The Prussian army have reached the gates of Paris, the city is completely surrounded and they enforce a blockade and try to starve the population into surrendering. Lisette Vigneau parents are from one of the oldest and wealthiest families in Paris and they live in the centre of the city. Lisette is rather unconventional and headstrong and she sneaks into the kitchen to watch, help and learn from the families cook.

One day Lisette is without a chaperone, her mother would have a fit if she knew and Lisette meets National Guardsman Theodore Fournier. Lisette runs away from home and to be with Theodore, she opens a small bakery and to bring hope and sustenance to the poor neighborhood of Montmartre. Soon the Parisians are starving, only rich have stock piled food and can afford the black market prices, Lisette could return home, she decides to stay with her beloved Theo and her new friends.

The story has a dual timeline, it’s told from the points of view of the two main characters Lisette and Micheline the women are related and it kept my attention.

1946: Micheline Chartier lost her father early in the war, her mother disappeared without a trace two years ago, and at nineteen she's looking after her younger sisters. Madame Dupuis her kindly neighbour has helped Micheline, she pays for her to attend the prestigious baking academy and so she can open a bakery in the empty bistro below their apartment. Laurent Tanet started at the academy before Micheline, he’s a very nice young man and is there for her when she struggles during lessons, they both develop feelings for each other and with her mother still missing Micheline feels guilty.

I received a digital copy of A Bakery in Paris by Aimie K. Runyan from William Morrow and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. The narrative highlights how both Lisette and Michelle had to deal with the brutality of war, cope with the loss of loved ones, overcome obstacles and they shared fondness for baking and Micheline finds solace and inspiration in grandmothers journal. I loved how Ms. Ruyan included throughout the book, recipes for the delicious French baked treats and ones you would find in a patisserie.

I didn't know a lot about the Franco-Prussian War and in 1871 the Prussia army defeated France, ending French dominance in continental Europe, creating a unified Germany and causing political tension in France. Once again Aimie K. Ruyan has written a really fascinating book, about two strong and resilient women and five stars from me.

I received an advanced copy of this book from William Morrow Paperbacks via NetGalley.

Set in two different time periods, the book follows the stories of two resilient women as they navigate challenges, loss, and the pursuit of love in the ever-changing city of Paris.

In 1870, Lisette Vigneau, a headstrong young woman from a wealthy family, finds her life upended by the Prussian invasion of Paris. Drawn to the cause of the people, she abandons her privileged existence to join the fight for a better Paris. Through her determination, she opens a bakery to provide much-needed support to the impoverished community. As famine and rebellion grip the city, Lisette's resolve is tested, and she must confront the sacrifices she's made.

In 1946, nineteen-year-old Micheline Chartier grapples with the loss of her father and the absence of her mother. Left to care for her younger sisters, Micheline feels trapped and ill-equipped for the responsibility. When she enrolls in a prestigious baking academy, her life takes an unexpected turn. Alongside her classmate Laurent Tanet, Micheline searches for her missing mother while discovering her own path forward.

Both women encounter profound sorrow, but they find solace in the transformative power of love and make courageous decisions. They believe that through the act of baking, which combines simple ingredients like flour, yeast, and sugar with a touch of love, they can ignite personal revolutions. The strength and resilience displayed by both women are truly remarkable and go beyond what can be easily understood.

I received a free e-arc of this book through Netgalley. I am drawn to books set in Paris and this one is excellent. It has a dual timeline of a young woman in the early 1940s whose mother disappeared two years ago just after the war ended. She tries to look for her mother while also raising her two young sisteers. The other timeline is in the 1870s with a young woman raised in wealth and privilege while many in the city are starving to death. She does not wait for fate to intervene, but seizes her future. Both stories kept my attention and made me care about the characters. Lots of bakery recipes are interspersed throughout the book which is great since my mouth was watering after reading the descriptions.

Told in two timelines, women from the same family, generations apart find their calling in the same bakery using the same recipes. Lisettes story is from the 1870s when the Prussians intend to overtake Paris and Michelline is post WWII and the city is rebuilding. After Lisette runs away from her "gilded cage" of a family to be with the people of Paris, she falls in love and opens the bakery feeding those who are starving while the war rages on. Michelline, forever waiting to see if her mother will come home from war, doesn't know how to raise her sisters with no income.

A beautifully woven and thought-out story through the thick of two wars and how two women overcame their hardships. I love everything Aimie Runyan has written.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC. Opinions are my own.

Have a croissant and coffee on hand as you read this book because it'll make your hungry for French bakery items! A Paris bakery is the setting of a family story that highlights women in 1870 and post-World War II. I enjoyed learning more about life in France during the 1870s and seeing how the family bakery played a role in igniting hope for the characters.

I received an advance copy of this book from the publisher and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

As I devoured Aimie K. Runyan’s latest novel A BAKERY IN PARIS, never have I ever so fervently wished to be part of an author’s Beta reader group. Blackberry Clafoutis! Croissants! Croquembouche! Oh my! Did Runyan test her recipes on friends, family, and colleagues as she perfected her pages? Her novel made me hungry to taste every recipe, including the tempting variations her 19th century bourgeoise-cum-renegade baker Lisette suggests!

Recipes for those treats and many more delights and delicacies, both sweet and savory, that one traditionally finds at French boulangeries and patisseries are included as amuses-bouches between chapters in Runyan’s clever dual storyline of a multigenerational family in Paris, proprietors of Le Bijou, the titular bakery in Paris.

The narrative cleverly juxtaposes the occupation of Paris during the Franco-Prussian War (1870-71) and the short-lived but valiant effort of the citizens known as the Communards to install an egalitarian form of self-governance, against the end of the German occupation of the city during WWII. In the 20th century storyline, the mother of seventeen-year-old Micheline has mysteriously left home without a trace, leaving Micheline, who is keen to follow in her 19th century ancestor Lisette’s footsteps as a baker, on her own to raise her two younger sisters while navigating a morass of bureaucratic red tape as she valiantly searches for her missing maman.

In each narrative, the author provides her heroines with understanding, kind, and supportive men to appreciate them: a contemporary recipe for the perfect man. But A BAKERY IN PARIS is wholeheartedly a women’s story with a refreshing feminist slant. Apart from each heroine’s respective lover and an intriguing Communard clergyman, the men are often absent, paper-pushers, or blowhard chest beaters. Even in the 19th c. storyline, it’s the women who rise to the occasion as the rescuers and problem solvers.

In both threads, secrets are long held; and desperate sacrifices are made—for the greater good, or so the characters believe. In wartime, morals can be fungible when the stakes are literally life and death and survival is at the other end of the bargain. And women have always paid the highest price, even when the reward is as messy, sticky, and complicated as a croquembouche. A BAKERY IN PARIS is a bijou—a jewel—of a novel. Savor it with a croissant and a creamy cup of bittersweet chocolat chaud.

~Leslie Carroll/Juliet Grey, author of the acclaimed Marie Antoinette trilogy

[**I received a complimentary copy of A BAKERY IN PARIS from NetGalley in exchange for my uncompensated review. My opinions are entirely my own.]

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this advance reader copy in exchange for a review. This will appear on goodreads before the publishing date.
I’m just going to lead with, I feel a sequel coming on!
I say that because this was rather glorious, and you just wanted to hear the stories of the women in between the two in this story. Is it bad to lead with wanting more?
1870 owns a historical event in Paris I never knew. The 1940s, well, I know too well.
What ties them together is a small bakery, some recipes, and a fighting spirit.
I thought I would like one side more than the other but I enjoyed both narratives. I learned more from the first, but for both I was rooting for them to succeed. Nothing brings people together like food, and what better food in the world than what comes from a French bakery?
I’ll cut to the chase. I’ll be using this book in my book club. I found it heartwarming, moving, well paced, and, as I mentioned earlier, ripe for a sequel. Ms Runyon, are you in?
A solid 4* from me. I read it in two sittings. Excuse me while I go bake a Clafoutis. I smiled that I just saw this dessert mentioned on a cooking contest show and now have to try it!

Two women in two different time periods find hope for the future in a tiny Parisian bakery. Théodore opens the bakery in 1870 as Paris is under siege. Micheline in 1946 finds employment as she cares for her younger siblings and searches for her mother. Sure to be a popular book discussion title.

A Bakery in Paris by Aimie K. Runyan is about the struggles of two Parisian women in the same bakery during and after war separated several generations. The fight to help the neighborhood while they heal and find love is immersed in historically accurate conditions for both conflicts drawing the readers deep into the quagmire of their lives. One of the most profound things I have read in a long time.

I read a lot of books in this genre, and I love dual timeline stories, so I was excited for this book. I loved the unique angle with the Paris bakery, which added nice visuals to the storyline. I didn't connect with the main characters as much as I'd hoped. Some parts felt more like the reader was in Great Britain vs. France.
Micheline's character was somewhat childish. I didn't care for Theo. I preferred Lisette's story. There were some lulls in the storyline, and it could've perhaps benefitted from a tighter edit. I really enjoyed the recipes between the chapters, as well as the notes on each recipe, which added a personal touch. The ending tied up a bit too neatly.

Pub date: 8/1/23
Genre: historical fiction
Quick summary: Wealthy Lisette, who gives up everything for love in 1870, and Micheline, struggling to raise her two younger sisters after WWII, are connected by a small bakery in Montmartre, Paris, and their belief that baking can make the world a better place.

I discovered Aimie K. Runyan's writing with her last book, THE SCHOOL FOR GERMAN BRIDES, and the description for this book made me so excited! Most Paris-set historical fiction deals with WWII French Resistance, so I loved that this one tackled two different time periods. Both Lisette and Micheline were strong, well-drawn characters, determined to make the best of their situations and working hard despite long odds. Both experienced self-discovery in addition to their romantic storylines.

My one critique of the book is that it felt a little long, but it was still a really enjoyable, strong 4 star read for me. I think historical fiction fans and bakers will enjoy it too!

Thank you to William Morrow for providing an e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.

A Bakery in Paris is one of the most heartfelt historical fiction novels I’ve ever read. This captivating book revolves around two characters, Lisette and her great-granddaughter Micheline, and the bakery which sustained them during the worst of times. Lisette’s timeline takes place in 1870, a time of turmoil in Paris—a time I had little knowledge of, to be honest. I was instantly swept up by the events of that time, and its impact on all the citizens of Paris. Micheline’s story takes place in 1946, when she and her sisters are still recovering from the horrors of war. Each of these women suffered great hardship and loss, but they met each challenge with spirit, determination, and courage. I felt for each of these characters deep in my heart, and it was obvious that the author pored her love for the characters and their stories into this incredible novel. The author has included many wonderful recipes between chapters, as the bakery is a huge part of the story, a mouth-watering detail which I loved!

This book is tells about two women connected by a bakery in Paris. Lisette's tale takes place in the 1870s, the Prussians are threatening and the Paris commune is rising up. The times are turbulent and Lisette is aware of the need for change. When she flees from an arranged marriage she has to find a way to reinvent herself and make a living. Fortunately, she knows how to bake. Moving forward to 1946, Micheline's father is gone and her mother has disappeared leaving her to care for her younger sisters. Their one asset is the building her family has owned for decades. This provides them with an apartment and rent from the downstairs cafe. Then the cafe tennant leaves and there is no more rent. Can baking save them? And what happened to her mother?
This is a review of an ARC provided by NetGalley.

I was excited to read this because I was moved by The School for German Brides and wanted to read the author's latest work. Also, I was intrigued by the concept of two different generations of the same family running a bakery during crucial periods in Parisian history.

I haven't seen 1870 Paris represented much in literature, so it was nice to see it here.

I loved the recipes between chapters and the little personal notes the bakers made on the recipes.

Both Micheline and Lissette were kind-hearted, good people, in my opinion a little too good to be believable. I didn't much like Theo as I found him to be a zealot.

I'm not sure how I feel about the ending, especially to the 1870 story. It felt a bit too neat to me.

Overall, this was an interesting read that should appeal to those who enjoy historical fiction.

Thank you to NetGalley and William Morrow for the early read.

A BAKERY IN PARIS is a moving family saga centering two women and two wars, separated by generations, but connected by their shared love of baking. Lisette and Micheline are indomitable and fiercely principled characters who will sweep you into their richly-drawn Parisian world: one of pastries, passion, and pride. You won’t want this book to end! The recipes throughout are an especially enchanting touch.

This book is being reviewed for Historical Novels Review Magazine for the Historical Novel Society. A full review will be published after September 1, 2023.

Who doesn’t love a bakery?

A family bakery from one generation to the next is even better.

We meet Lisette in 1870 who left the wealth of her family to marry her true love and to use her recipes to help the poor and recipes that carried on to the next generations.

We meet Micheline, the great granddaughter of Lisette, living in the aftermath of WWII and caring for her two sisters since her father was killed and her mother disappeared a few days before the end of the war.

She needed to find a way to make a living and support herself and the girls.

Her neighbor and friend of her great grandmother told her she had talent in the kitchen and paid for her tuition at a culinary school.

We follow both women as their skills in the kitchen help them survive.

You will love both of them and all of the characters. I wanted to be there with them.

Readers will also be treated to delicious recipes and the beautiful pull-you-in writing and storyline Ms. Runyan has given us.

It is a heartwarming read you won't want to miss. 5/5

This book was given to me by the publisher via NetGalley for an honest review.

This is a dual timeline historical book written by Aimie K. Runyan. It goes between 1870 and 1946. This historical masterpiece will keep you entertained from beginning to the end. Lisette Vigneau is a headstrong, willful young lady and Micheline Chartier is struggling to deal with the loss of her father. These two character will go through loss, love and choices that will help them bring about a revolutions of their own.

This dual timeline historical novel tells the stories of two fierce, strong women who were generations apart in the same family. It's set in nineteenth century and post-World War II Paris. Both women find that their futures lie within the four walls of a simple bakery, in a tiny corner of Montmartre. In 1870, the Prussians are at the city gates, intending to starve Paris into submission. Lisette Vigneau is headstrong, willful, and often ignored by her wealthy parents. She is awaiting the outcome of the war from her parents' luxurious home in the Place Royale in the very heart of Paris. While on an excursion, she finds herself in the path of revolutionary National Guardsman Theodore Fournier and her destiny is changed forever. She gives up her life of pampered luxury to join in the fight of the people of Paris. She opens a small bakery in the hopes of being an asset to the impoverished neighborhood. When the city falls into famine, Lisette finds her determination to give up the comforts of her past life being tested. In 1946, Nineteen year old, Micheline Chartier, is struggling to cope with the loss of her father and the disappearance of her mother. In their absence, she is raising her two younger sisters. To help her find a way to to support her siblings, a neighbor helps her enroll in a prestigious baking academy and Micheline finds herself with her life mapped out for her. Feeling trapped and not nearly up to the task of raising two young girls, she becomes obsessed with finding her mother, even when all the official channels say they can't help her. It seems like her classmate, Laurent Tanet, may be the only one who can help her move on from the past and create a future for herself.

Most dual timeline books I've read include the present so it was refreshing to find one that has two very different periods in history. Both women were strong and intelligent as they dealt with incredibly challenging situations that they weren't sure that they were brave enough or capable of facing. Aimie's meticulous attention to historical detail and heartfelt characters characters turned this into a page turner that I couldn't put down. Aimee did an incredible job of weaving both timelines together and creating two distinct settings. I enjoyed both stories a great deal and found myself completely immersed in the story.