Charlotte and Noah Ainsworth, London 1970, twenty five years after the ending of the war, and only a few short
Many thanks to NetGalley, Harlequin Trade Graydon House for gifting me a digital ARC of the latest historical fiction novel by Kelly Rimmer - 4.5 stars rounded up!

In 1970, Charlotte is struggling with the grief of losing her mother, and her father, Noah, has been devastated. When he decided to search for a man he said saved him during the war when he was a British SOE agent, Charlotte was shocked because she knew nothing of that part of his life. But she was determined to help him and enlisted the aid of a professor and his researcher.

During the war, Fleur and Chloe were both recruited into the SOE and were parachuted into France. Their short training did nothing to prepare them for what would await them. But they soon became suspicious that one of the men they dealt with was a double agent.

Kelly Rimmer has once again written a heartfelt, meticulously researched book that skillfully intertwines these two story and timelines into a seamless tale that is hard to put down. You will feel for all the characters as well as their family members as so many sacrificed so much. Be sure to read the author's note for the real-life connections. Highly recommended!

Read if you like: female spies/WW2
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The book follows three perspectives: Charlotte, Chloe and Fleur. Charlotte is trying to figure out her fathers mysterious time as an SOE agent during the war. Chloe and Fleur were agents that worked with him.
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This was a heartbreaking account of the sacrifieces made during wartime. The fact that Noah couldn't remember what happened added a fun mystery element to the plot and I enjoyed the book!

I enjoyed this historical mystery. It took me a big to get into; there are a few characters who are interchangeable for a while, but once I was about 50% in I was able to keep everything and everyone straight.

I received an advance copy in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts are my own.

In 1970, Charlotte Ainsworth and her father are struggling after the death of her mother. When her father, Noah, reveals to her that he was involved with the SOE (Special Operators Executive) group for the British during World War II, Charlotte can’t believe it. Her dad wants to find the person who saved his life during that time but Noah sustained a serious head injury in the war and many of his memories are foggy. He doesn’t know if any of the agents he worked with are still alive . Hoping that by helping her dad they will both begin to heal from their loss they meet a young historian who is helping other people with their family history. As they dig deeper into his past in 1944 they are not propared for what they will uncover.

Based on true events and people, Kelly Rimmer, author of The German Wife, has written another wonderful WWII novel aboutfamily secrets, heroes, sacrifice, loss, double agents and the things people will endure to make the future better for everyone.

The Paris Agent is available to purchase now from Harlequin Trade Publishing, Graydon House. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the advanced reading copy.

I began to write this review about 30 minutes ago but got sidetracked by learning more about the Special Operations Executive and the women who inspired this book, Violette Szabo and Diana Rowden.

While this story is written as fiction, there are many historical elements that are true and fascinating to read about. This book goes back and forth between three women, two SOE agents during the war, and the daughter of an SOE agent in 1970. It depicts the missions and struggles of Chloe and Fleur as they go on missions in occupied Europe. Charlotte is the daughter of Noah Ainsworth and learns about her father's involvement in the SOE and goes on a journey to find more information about the agents there.

I really liked the story and everything that I learned while reading it. It has been a while since I read historical fiction but I still love them! This was my first Rimmer book and now I want to read more of her books.

Thank you to NetGalley, Harlequin Trade Publishing, and Graydon House for this ARC in exchange for my honest opinion and review.

I have been a big fan of Kelly Rimmer for a long time now. I get so excited every time that I see that she has written a new book because I know that I am in for a unique and exciting experience. The Paris Agent was no exception. It was told in a duel timeline. The female protagonists, Chloe and Fleur (code names for SOE operatives Josie and Eloise) conveyed the parts of the book that occurred during the years of World War II through their POVs. Charlotte Ainsworth, daughter of Noah Ainsworth, a SOE agent that was stationed in France during WWII, was the third female protagonist. She conveyed the events that unfolded in the 1970’s from her POV. The Paris Agent was engaging right from the start and very captivating as well. It was fast paced and so well researched.

In her latest book, The Paris Agent, Kelly Rimmer focused on portraying the roles of female SOE operatives during World War II. These brave and courageous women were originally recruited as couriers and wireless operators, vital roles during World War II. Eventually, the SOE recognized how intelligent, willing and capable these women were. The SOE soon began to utilize these brave young women in acts of sabotage and espionage. They became skilled in the use of explosives and weapons. These brave women became a vital part of winning World War II for the Allied forces.

In the midst of these brave men and women SOE operatives, a double agent lurked. Those in the SOE suspected that the double agent was someone in their upper echelons but no one knew for sure who it was. All that they knew was that their agents were disappearing throughout France. That double agent was also responsible for the fate of two of the SOE’s best female agents, Chloe and Fleur (code names for Josie and Eloise).

Charlotte Ainsworth had recently lost her mother and she sorely missed her every day as did her father. After Charlotte’s mother’s death, her father confessed what his role had been in World War II to Charlotte. She had always believed that her father had been a mechanic in the Army. Unbeknownst to Charlotte, Noah Ainsworth had been a SOE operative in World War II. Noah had been hurt during his last field operation. He had with-stained a head injury that ended up playing havoc with his memories of that day. Certain details of that day were still fuzzy and Noah still could not recall all them. Noah had never been able to remember exactly what took place on that day. All he remembered was that someone called Remy had brought Noah to a hospital and had therefore saved his life. Noah was not even sure if Remy was his real name or a code name. He wanted desperately to find this man, Remy, so he could personally thank him for saving his life by getting him to the hospital. Eventually, Noah tracked Remy down with Charlotte’s help.

As Charlotte and Noah slowly pieced together the missing parts of Noah’s life as a SOE operative and what happened during that last operation, Charlotte also learned about Chloe’s and Fleur’s brave acts. Charlotte and Noah had also sought out and received help from a historian that taught and worked at the University of Manchester and one of his former students. Together they were able to connect the events that occurred during the war with the present. It was revealed that the suspected double agent was ultimately responsible for all the tragedies, deaths and disappearances that unfolded during the last year of the war. Who had betrayed the SOE and placed its operatives in peril? Was the identity of the traitor ever discovered? Was justice served? Did Noah finally get the closure he so desperately needed and for so long?

The Paris Agent by Kelly Rimmer was a beautifully written historical fiction novel. The characters in the book were inspired from real people. Kelly Rimmer brilliantly explained in her author’s note what was real and what she created. Her research was impeccable. I really enjoyed the ending and found it to be completely satisfying. Some of the scenes that described the torture and atrocities that the Nazis inflicted upon the SOE agents was hard to read. I believe that as hard as it was to read, it was vital that their senseless and brutal actions be a reminder of what happened so that it can never be repeated ever again. I am glad that I learned about the roles of the female SOE operatives and their brave accomplishments during World War II. These women should be honored and recognized for all their courage, sacrifice, dedication and achievements. The Paris Agent explored the themes of family, love, hope, resilience, secrets, traitorous behavior, heartbreak, war and espionage. I highly recommend The Paris Agent by Kelly Rimmer if you enjoy reading good historical fiction books.

Thank you to Harlequin Trade Publishing for allowing me to read The Paris Agent by Kelly Rimmer through Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

I enjoyed this book. I do like historical fiction and this was a great story about world war 2. There were lots of characters and it took a minute to understand each of their stories. It was a clean read without a lot of harsh language.

It seems like I am reading more and more WWII historical fiction centered around little-known women who literally changed the course of the war. This is the story of Chloe and Fleur, two spies who risked their lives in the face of evil itself, because they wanted to do their part to see the Nazis defeated. One was a widow who left her toddler son in the care of her mother, to join the resistance. What courage and bravery!
This book has it all...forbidden love, betrayal, double agents, murder, commitment to family...all the things! It is based on a true story, and I am grateful to Kelly Rimmer for fleshing out their journey for us. This is the second book I've read of hers, and it will definitely not be the last!
Thank you to NetGalley and Graydon House Publishers for letting me read this advanced copy!

As expected from this well established author, this is an affecting and detailed story. Told from several perspectives and in two timeframes, it is clear that Kelly Rimmer put the time in to research the subjects she writes about in this one.

Excellent historical novel about two female SOE agents serving in France during WWII. I enjoyed this book. It had some nice twists and surprises. The writing moved along nicely and kept me interested. The more modern frame story worked nicely and was set in the 1970s, as an elderly man seeks to thank a fellow SOE agent who saved his life during the war. Working with his daughter Charlotte, he finds much more than he bargained for. Long buried secrets are revealed, and many lives are healed and reconciled.

For sensitive readers, the end of the book is a bit difficult to read. The Nazis were pretty nasty to allied prisoners.

This was another SOE/Female WWII era spy novel. I have read several of this type of book over the past few years, and after awhile they all tell the same story, just in different ways.

I really enjoyed the dual timeline.. I really love the discovery part of the story - instead of just being told the story we get to experience it as Charlotte learned more.

What I didn't enjoy were all the characters and code names. I thought it was just too confusing.

A solid story worth reading if you are a fan of this genre.

This book was a slow start for me but once I got hooked I could not put it down. 

Told from the 1970s perspective of Charlotte, who is helping her father find someone who helped him in the war, and the perspectives of Eloise and Josie during the war, who were both with Charlotte's father Noah at one time. 

As Charlotte and Noah learn the truth about what happened to him, we are seeing it all play out in real time through the narration of Eloise and Josie. I really enjoyed this split narrative and ability to see multiple sides to the same situation. I was racing to finish it and find out what actually happened, as well as watching how that played out in the present day timeline.

Parts of this book are truly horrific, and remind me why I am not usually drawn to war books. The author clearly put a lot of thought into the book and I enjoyed each of the characters and their wartime motivations. 

I will definitely check out Kelly Rimmer's backlist, and anything she writes in the future! 

Thank you to NetGalley for the advanced copy of this book!

In 1970, Noah's daughter, Charlotte, is determined to help him discover the missing pieces from his time as an agent during World War II.

As a member of the Special Operations Executive (SOE), Noah suffered an injury that affected his memory. Decades later, he still yearns to know who saved him that fateful day. What secrets will he and Charlotte uncover in their search? Would they have been better off not knowing the truth?

I typically love everything this author writes but this time, the alternating timelines made the story feel a bit disjointed, especially in the beginning. Overall, there was nothing wrong with this story (and I ultimately gave it 4 stars), but in my opinion, it was missing the emotional pull of her other novels.

If you want to read more books about female SOE agents, then I would highly recommend: Sisters of Night and Fog (5 stars) and The Invisible Woman (4 stars) by Erika Robuck and The Alice Network (4 stars) by Kate Quinn.

Truths I Never Told You (5 stars) and The German Wife (5 stars) remain my favorites by this author.

Location: Liverpool, England and Germany

"Let's go somewhere lovely together." - Chloe's trick for staying calm

"Every mark life makes upon us creates a new version of our identity because there is simply no going back to who we were before those experiences."

I received an advance copy of this book. All opinions are my own.

This historical fiction novel, set mostly in France during WWII, concentrates on agents of the secret British organization Special Operations Executive (SOE). It follows many of the agents - men and women - who with very little training, worked as agents to sabotage the Nazi efforts in many European countries. The author weaves several of their individual stories in two timelines, the 1940s and the 1970s, which eventually get tied together as the story evolves.

As a historical fiction reader, these were events I had never heard about and they sent me Googling to learn what was historical and what was fiction. I love reading about ordinary people who need to be brave and sacrifice so much to do extraordinary things. I have no doubt that without these agents and others, WWII would not have ended when and as it did.

It took me a little bit to get into the various threads of the story, but once the storylines intersected, I was hooked and needed to know what happened! I recommend this book, which came out on July 11th, not only to historical fiction readers but also to readers who love strong female characters.

Thank you to #Harlequin #GraydonHouse #NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Kelly Rimmer’s The Paris Agent is full of endearing, fearless characters you’ll connect with. A search for answers and closure brings mystery to this addictive and poignant tale.

I love historical fiction, especially when it’s based on actual events and people. The Paris Agent is based on the true story of agents Violette Szabo and Diana Rowden, along with others who risked their lives in WWII. This story will grab you from the beginning.

The story is told from dual timelines. The first begins in the summer of 1970 with Charlotte and Noah Ainsworth in Liverpool, London. Charlotte learns that her father, a mechanic, was a secret agent during the war. A British SOE who was injured. Now that her mother, his wife, is gone, he wants to find the man who saved him in France twenty-five years ago. Noah suffered a traumatic brain injury and has only a name and the hospital where he awoke. Charlotte’s efforts to aid her father lead her to Professor Harry Read and his junior researcher, Theo.

The second timeline shares Chloe and Fleur’s perceptive while they were serving in France and on leave in England. These young women willingly were thrust into danger after three months of intense training. The author did a phenomenal job of pulling the reader in as they took risks, dealt with possible double agents and took on more tasks than they trained for. These heroes were so brave and you cannot help but admire them. Carriers and wireless transfers became missions of sabotage, reconnaissance, and espionage. They learned how to use and deploy weapons and faced danger at every turn. I became caught up in their story and the rich historical facts.

The characters, mystery, and the history of these British SOE agents provided an addictive story. I connected with the characters from both timelines and finished this story in a few sittings. The two threads intertwined as the present looked for Remy. It was brilliantly done with great pacing and build up.

Fans of historical fiction, WWII stories, and heroes will want to add this memorable story to their must read pile.

Loved it and would give the book 4.5 stars. Kelly Rimmer's book never disappoint and I always look forward to reading them. I enjoyed how the book alternated between Josie and Eloise during WWII and Charlotte in 1970. There were many sad scenes, but the one that really got me was when the four female agents finally reached their destination. What they endured was horrific, especially Jocelyn. It was a bit confusing keeping track of the characters with their code names and real names. When I read books about WWII, I can't imagine the atrocities that people endured. The SOE Agents voluntarily put their lives in danger. The men and women were so brave. Then to find out their is a traitor in the midst. I couldn't believe what happened to Eloise's son and the lies that she was told. From the start I couldn't wait for Noah's story and what happened to him during the war.

I definitely recommend the book, especially if you are a fan of WWII historical fiction. Loved the characters, story and writing style. I look forward to reading more books by the author.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from Harlequin Trade Publishing through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

The Paris Agent is such a thrilling story. Since I started the book, I was lost within its pages, following the three different but yet connected stories of Josie, Eloise and Charlotte. I was intrigued by the connection they had and by all the questions that appeared as I was reading the book.
I love historical fiction and I am starting to feel drawn to spies’ stories during the war. It is so interesting to know more about their work, their stories so amazing. In this case, we have to remarkable agents who did their best for their countries and the people they loved. It is also hard to know the hardship they went through.
Overall, it was a very enjoyable read, and although it was sometimes difficult to keep all the names and dates straight, I remained hooked throughout the book and I highly recommend it, especially for historical fiction lovers.

"Sometimes courage simply means letting someone else feel peace for as long as they can."

Kelly Rimmer does it again, this is my third book by her and the third book I absolutely loved.

In 1970, Charlotte's father shares with her how he finally feels ready to face his past and thank the person who saved him when he worked as a British SOE agent during World War 2. The problem is he doesn't know the man's real identity since they all used code names.

In the 1940s, Josie and Eloise are also working with the SOE as two of the few women working undercover.

To me, the perfect historical fiction novel takes events from the past and humanizes the story in a way that moves me, and helps me to learn about the real people who inspired the story. Kelly Rimmer does this wonderfully.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher Harlequin Trade Publishing for a free digital copy in exchange for an honest review.

The Paris Agent by Kelly Rimmer
Historical fiction. Two times frames between 1970 and the end of the Second World War.
In 1970, Charlotte tries to help her father research the man who saved his live at the end of the war. He remembers only a name. Charlotte’s investigation uncovers the stories of two brave women that that sacrificed everything for their country, as well as the fact that her father was actually a secret British agent.

Based on the research of two women, evidence of their work and lives, and sacrifices. Reading the author notes at the end of this fictional story, brought home the bravery of the thousands of men and women that lived through, fought and sacrificed for their families and country. This story is filled with the passion of suspense, danger and loyalty of the times. It saddens me that these stories are lost and I’m grateful to the author for bringing these to life.
It’s of course sad in the end simply because it’s historical and mostly lost to history.
Chloe and Fleur will live on in memory of the bravery.

I received a copy of this from NetGalley and the publisher.

I enjoyed this WWll historical fiction tragedy about the women and men who were agents of the S.O.E. . I really liked the story but I did have troubles remembering who each of the women agents were since they had to change there names so often. I liked learning about what these brave women and men went through to keep the world free. I received a copy of this book from the publisher for a fair and honest opinion that I gave of my own free will.