I have never read a World War II book quite like The Paris Understudy. Typically I read a lot of books where people are fighting with the resistance and trying to help, but this was just a little different. A new twist from a different viewpoint was refreshing and heartbreaking at the same time.

I had learned before that the Nazis loved music. This story follows Yvonne and Madeleine, two opera superstars, as they take two very different routes to survive the German occupation in Paris. I know people had to do what they had to do to survive, but this one hurt my chest a bit trying to understand the logic in some decisions. Thiele did such a good job bringing out all the emotions I was feeling. I also enjoyed the different personalities and what they were willing to do for some things and not willing to do for others. Madeleine bothered me at the beginning and I was cheering for Yvonne, but by the end that had reversed and I enjoyed going through that transition.

This story was heartbreaking, painful, and intriguing with all the different moments and transitions and I thoroughly enjoyed it. There were a few times I felt it lagged and I wanted it to flow a bit quicker, but other than that I had no complaints. I look forward to reading more from Thiele.

What a wonderful debut novel by this new author and one I thoroughly enjoyed. Set in Paris in 1938 where we find opera legend Madeleine Moreau fighting to keep her fame and notoriety in tack and keep an up and coming new opera star, Yvonne Chevallier, from taking her place. But as war looms and Madeleine escapes she leaves Yvonne to pick up the pieces in Germany. Things of course don't go to plan!

This is a very interesting and intriguing story of making hard decisions, living and even surviving during war, jealousy and so much more. This is a dramatic, emotional and tension filled story that kept me reading. The author has done some great research and written a great story with wonderful and deep characters.

A great book and read and I look forward to seeing what this new author has in line for her next book.

Thank you NetGalley and Alcove Press for giving me the opportunity to read and review this book.

Readers who like World War II history will enjoy this story featuring two opera singers. Taken place in Paris, Madeleine Moreau and Yvonne Chavallier face hard decisions in the midst of the Nazi regime. Madeleine wanted to shine as she grew older verses Yvonne just a chance to prove her talent. The story is a bit slow but interesting. Enjoyed the author's note. Not my favorite WWII novel but enjoyable.

1938 Paris was precarious. Most Parisians thought the Nazi operations was going to be something that would not impact them. By the time it did, it was too late for many of the elite and definitely for the Jews. Madeline Moreau was the current star of Parisian opera, a position she zealously guarded against all newcomers. Her biggest competitor was Yvonne Chevalier, brilliantly talented and poor but kept firmly out of selection for any role, by the powerful Madeline.

When Yvonne does manage to catch the attention of a high flyer in the Nazi regime he promotes Yvonne much to Madeline’s anger and chagrin. The highlight was singing at the Austrian town of Bayreuth for high ranking officials of the regime, including Hitler. Yvonne sitting down at Hitlers feet was a photograph that went viral, cementing Yvonne’s fate with loyal French who barely concealed their animosity towards her. It also spelt doom for her career post Nazi occupation. It was the final blow in her relationship with her son, who publicly said she was a traitor to her race.

The story is portrayed vividly as the competition for a position. Madeline to maintain her position but for Yvonne it was survival and started as a means of getting her son out of a Nazi prison. Sadly her son never realised the sacrifice she made, but only saw it as a betrayal. The detention and treatment of Jews is also a part of the story, because many artistes were Jewish and those that could not escape, became victims of the Nazi aggression. Madeline helped many, not knowing that her own husband turned informer through jealousy of a former lover. That was another chapter because his denouncement came from Yvonne, not Madeline because Yvonne had proof on paper.

The story was intense and emotional. What else could it be when you are literally dealing with life and death whilst living under circumstances which are precarious and which you know can crumble at any minute.

Set mostly in Paris in the lead up to and during WW2, it is the story of an up & coming opera singer who just can't get a break due to a jealous opera diva until she ends up singing for Hitler. The story looks at what a person might be willing to do for their dreams to become a reality. It's also looks at what a person is forced to do for the love of family and how it can go wrong. It was an interesting read.
I received an ARC copy from NetGalley and the publisher. All opinions are my own.

A different WWII novel- one that indeed looks at the hard choices people made during those years but it's set in the Opera. Madeline, an established star, is so jealous of the talent of the younger Yvonne that she makes her her understudy and then, when they learn Hitler is coming to a performance in Germany, she abandons her. A photo of Yvonne and Hitler changes her life but not for the better. And then her son is captured and the only way to free him is to cooperate with the Nazis. Don't miss the afterword which includes information about the real women on whom this is based, Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. It's a well written and immersive novel for fans of historical fiction.

It’s 1938 and Yvonne Chevallier has dreams of the stage. For Madeline, her dream is to prevent Yvonne from outshining her. France is on the brink of war, but these 2 women only have eyes on themselves. They will be forced to make decisions with deathly repercussions.

The Paris Understudy is a story of family, greed and ultimately sacrifice. This was a captivating read, it was well written and as much as it was entertaining it was also educational. Loosely based on a real historical figure added to the heartache. I actually didn’t realize the opera was still running during the war years, I kind of felt everything came (or should have) to a standstill during the war years.. However, when you have the attention of the Germans life is a little easier in terms of rations and accommodations.

Told from the point of view of both women tells their struggles as well as their strength and lengths they will go to save those they love. It’s actually a story that will stay with me.

Debut author Aurelie Thiele has written a story that is well researched, can't wait to see what she comes up with next.

My thanks to Alcove Press (via Netgalley) for a digital arc in exchange for honest review.

A fascinating book that asks the question what would you do for the people you love. I flew through this book.

Madeleine is the long standing soprano star of the Paris Opera scene. Yvonne is a long suffering aspiring soprano. After initially agreeing to perform in Germany in 1939, Madeleine soon changes her mind leaving Yvonne to step into the role. Months later, the Nazis invade Paris and the two women are left to decide how to survive under occupation. What I liked about this book was that it shows both how people can be a victim of their circumstances but only to a certain extent.

I do think it could be more fleshed out at points. Particularly towards the end, I think Yvonne’s thought process could use more detail while Madeleine’s story felt like we were playing catch up. There is a final question of justice that lingers after you finish the book - what is it enough, was any of it too much, and who decides? It is much easier to look back and judge than to make the choices ourselves.

Thank you NetGalley and Alcove Press for this ARC!

“The Paris Understudy” is a debut WWII fiction book by Aurelie Thiele. This book follows two opera singers - Madeleine (established and popular) and Yvonne (newcomer). With WWII dawning, both women make sacrifices for their art, families, and political beliefs. At first this book was a bit slow but as the story progressed the pacing picked up. The book starts off with the two as rivals and they remain that way for most of the book, but over time the rivalry (for one person) becomes respect and in the end the women aren’t what I’d call close friends, but there is a symbiotic relationship between them. If, like me, you are not an opera fan (or know much about opera), don’t worry - while opera singing is their profession, you don’t need to know much about opera to enjoy this book. I felt for Yvonne and the choices she made regarding her son, but at the same time I felt like she was playing the long game incorrectly - rather like an Eve Harrington (“All About Eve” movie) but without the smarts. For a debut novel, I found this book to be fantastic and I look forward to reading the next book by this author. I do recommend reading the Author’s Note in the back of the book where Ms. Thiele explains how she came up with the idea for this book - it was quite interesting.

Madeleine Moreau is a French Opera singer, she wants keep her position as the leading lady at the Paris Opera House and where her husband Henri is the conductor. Yvonne Chevallier is talented, younger and her main rival and Madeleine doesn’t want her taking the spotlight. Madeleine is invited to sing at Germany’s Bayreuth Festival, she’s honoured and then she discovers Adolf Hitler will be in attendance, she knows she’s made a big mistake and Madeleine flees.

Yvonne finds herself given the main role, her voice is sublime and it soars, and at the after party she tries to hide from Adolf Hitler and Winifred Wagner. Unfortunately Yvonne is cornered, a newspaper photographer takes a group shot and it looks like Yvonne’s gazing at Hitler in admiration, it’s not true and she despises the man. Yvonne has no idea this one moment will change her life and what people will think about her and her career.

The Germans invade Paris, both Madeleine and Yvonne must decide what they will do to survive, keep their loved ones safe and to sing at the Paris Opera House.

I received a copy of The Paris Understudy by Aurélie Thiele from Alcove Press and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Wow, what an amazing debut novel by the author, it starts in 1936 and ends in 1948 and is based around real facts.

The narrative’s set in Paris during the Second World War, it’s a well written and engrossing story about survival and sacrifice, resilient and strong women, good versus bad, and an unlikely alliance. Five stars from me, and it made me think what I would do if I was in the main characters situation, did she have a choice and I admired her courage.

The Paris Understudy is the story of two opera singers and the choices they have to make — or fail to make — when Paris is occupied by the Nazis. Yvonne is a nobody struggling to “make it” while Madeleine is at the top of her game, the most famous opera singer in Paris, and is also determined to keep Yvonne off the stage. Until Madeleine learns that Hitler will attend her performance in Germany; then she beats a hasty retreat and Yvonne ends up thrown into the limelight.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. The writing is beautiful and it’s easy to sink into the French world. Author Aurélie Thiele is French American and the book reads like it was well-researched. I often found myself rooting for the characters to make the right choice even when they seemed utterly trapped.

The pacing is quite slow, but the characters are fascinating and the Nazis made my skin crawl. It was an unexpected, great read.

Thank you to Alcove Press and NetGalley for the eARC in exchange for my honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

“The Paris Understudy” by Aurelio Thiele is a throughly engrossing novel about Opera Diva Madeleine Moreau and newcomer Yvonne Chevalier. The story takes place in Paris during Germany's occupation of France during WW2. The two women travel to Germany where Madeleine is to perform at a coveted German festival when she is told Hitler will attend. Without informing anyone she leaves the country and understudy Yvonne is forced to make her debut and becomes an instant sensation.

The story is about the horrible choices these two women were forced to make in hopes of preserving their art form, and to survive. The ruthlessness of the Nazi domination over these women and the French people was palatable on every page. This was a view into the war which I did not know before and was captivated by the honest and beautiful way it was written. The authors notes at the end are a must read!

Thank you NetGalley and Alcove Press for the ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review.

A historical fiction novel about the rivalry of two French sopranos during the French occupation of Paris in WW2, The Paris Understudy is as enchanting a story as it is complex as it explores just how far a person will go to protect the ones they love when everything is at stake.

The story opens at a voice competition at a conservatory where the primary protagonist, Yvonne Chevallier is singing in hopes of beginning her opera career and impressing her heroine soprano, Madeleine Moreau. Feeling threatened by her stunning performance, Madeleine, the paradigm of diva, insists the award go to another. Yvonne, not knowing of her betrayal, waits for Madeleine and asks for advice on how to pursue her career in opera and Madeleine offers her the position of her understudy, without any intention of ever letting her sing.

Two years later, Yvonne is little better than Madeleine’s servant, and her career seems permanently stalled when by chance, they travel to Germany where Madeleine will sing a coveted role as the first French woman to sing the principal soprano in a German festival. At the last moment, she discovers Hitler is to be in attendance at the premier and without so much as a warning, Madeleine leaves Yvonne to sing as understudy. Disgusted and left with little options, Yvonne makes her debut far behind enemy lines. Hitler dubs her an enchantress and a photographer snaps an infamous photo of the two of them for the following days papers. France is collective repulsed by this image and upon return home, Yvonne is ostracized and Madeleine’s role as the lead female soprano is secured.

Years later, when Yvonne discovers her son is a POW, she will stop at nothing to save him- even if it means consorting with the loathed Nazis. There was so much I wanted out of this story, and without spoiling the ending, I found most of my questions answered in the author’s note at the end. I was tremendously impressed by the writing and how effortlessly I found myself cheering for both Yvonne and Madeleine despite their fierce rivalry. The ending was such a bittersweet thing- it’s one that will sit with me for a while. I’d have loved for it to end differently on at least one score, but c'est la vie. Life is rarely simple or easy.

I’d like to thank Alcove Press and NetGalley for the eARC in exchange for my honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

I read a few chapters. Put it down. Picked it up again. There was so much personal drama in the life of a character I wanted to see succeed ... that I couldn't read it all at once.

For all the underdogs, those pushed back time and time again, this is your story. Enjoy! Get ready for a lot of tears and sighs - and getting your hopes up.

The Paris Understudy was a solid four star World War II novel for me. I always love when an author writes about an aspect of WWII that I haven't already encountered, and Thiele succeeded with that. Interstingly, I struggled with the main character Yvonne, and after reading the Author's Note at the end, I can understand why! Thiele based Yvonne on real life French opera singer Germaine Lubin who sang for Hitler as Yvonne did in the novel. But as Thiele points out, after reading Lubin's memoirs, she actually was NOT an interesting character in real life, because she was single-mindedly concerned only with her singing career and expressed no remorse for associating with Nazis. As a result, Thiele attempted to make Yvonne a more complex character who was conflicted about her decisions. I felt as though she was just a very wishy-washy character though, and I didn't necessarily feel as though her thoughts and choices were authentic. In my opinion, the character of her son Jules was similar but on the opposite end of the spectrum - being so staunch in his extreme choices that he felt a bit flat. The most convincing character from my point of view was Henri - completely and believably spineless. Overall, I found The Paris Understudy an interesting read. I feel like it needs to come with accompanying music!

The Paris Understudy is a story of 2 women opera singers during WWII. One, Madeleine Moreau, is a diva and has been around for quite some time. The other, a younger woman, Yvonne Chevalier, is just starting out and wants to make a name for herself before she gets too old. The story takes place in Paris and in Germany and focuses on the relationship and rivalry between the two women. It also shows the choices one makes during the war; to side with the German army ( Nazis) or try to stay true to the French and then what happens after the war. At times the story gets bogged down and seems to repeat itself. The characters are very defined; at times you want to love them and other times despise them for their actions.

Thank you to NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this book. The story of two opera singers, Madeleine Moreau, a diva in her declining years and her understudy Yvonne Chavallier a younger woman desperate to obtain star status before she herself gets to be too old. This story takes place mostly in Paris during World War II with some of the story taking place in Germany, the book focuses on the relationship between these two women , their rivalry, their respect for each other, the choices each one makes during the war with ultimate outcomes. This was a good story, it seemed a bit slow in the beginning but then the paced picked up and became very interesting. I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys historical fiction.

I really enjoyed reading this book. The setting was very immersive and it was very well researched. I would highly recommend this book.