Paulette Leblanc was a foolish young girl. When the Germans arrived in her village she was taken in by the attentions of an SS officer. Her actions led to the arrest and disappearance of her mother, who she believed had died at the German’s hand. As a result, her sister Gabrielle banished her from their home and sent her to Paris. A position was arranged with designer Sabine Ballard, a friend of her mother. Paulette was a daughter of privilege who had gone to the Maison de Ballard for fittings in the past, but now she was to become a seamstress. Shunned by the other workers, she is mentored by Nicolle Cadieux, a young widow. What Paulette does not know is that Sabine also runs a resistance network and Nicolle is her passeur, guiding Jews and downed Allied pilots to safety. As Paulette comes to terms with her mother’s disappearance, becomes more confident and develops her friendship with Nicolle she becomes more aware of the activities around her and Sabine recruits her. At first she attends parties attended by high ranking Nazis. With her aristocratic bearing, she blends in and is able to bring rumors and intelligence back to Sabine. She is accompanied by the husband of Sabine’s late daughter to keep her safe. When she observes him talking to the German who arrested her mother she questions the feelings that have been growing between them. One of Nicolle’s missions goes horribly wrong and it is up to Paulette to finally take on the role of passeur.

From a flirty teen to a capable designer and seamstress with the confidence to face the danger of discovery in her role for the resistance, Paulette is a wonderfully developed character. This is a story of second chances, as Sabine offers shelter to her workers who have nowhere else to go and works to rescue as many Jews as she can. It is also a second chance for Paulette to prove herself and find love. At times it displays the joys of friendship yet there are also moments of suspense and danger. Renee Ryan’s story is beautifully told and will stay with you long after the last page. I would like to thank NetGalley and Harlequin/Love Inspired for providing this book.

Once, Paulette Leblanc spent her days flirting, shopping and drawing elegant dresses in her sketch pad. Then German tanks rolled into France, and a reckless romance turned into deep betrayal. Blaming herself for her mother’s arrest by the Gestapo, Paulette is sent away to begin a new life in Paris, working as apprentice to fashion designer Sabine Ballard.

I am in the minority on this one. My friend over at Silvers Reviews loved this book. You can see her review here. We usually agree on most of the books we read. In my opinion, this is more of a 3.5 stars rounded up. This is why I always say…read the book yourself.

This story dragged a good bit for me. And because of the holiday season and the festivities, this is probably my fault. I just had a hard time connecting to this story. Plus, I have read several WWII books lately and it may mean I need a change. Now, I did enjoy it. It was just a tad slow.

All of that being said…this has family drama, secrets. and intensity. Sabine is tough, smart and connected. Paulette starts out a bit naïve. But, she soon turns into a good resistance worker with a unique flair.

Need a good French Resistance tale…THIS IS IT! Grab your copy today.

I received this novel from the publisher for a honest review.

Whenever I read a book about the German occupation in France during WWII, my heart just breaks for the people that had to endure such hardships at that time and what they were forced to become at a time the world turned upside down for them. Who knows what we would do ourselves to keep ourselves and our loved ones alive? I think just about anything! The author has meticulously researched this time in history and has written a few books about this time period. This is the latest one. I loved the characters and the emotions it made me feel. I connected with them on such a deep level. I ached for them when they had to do things they never would have done otherwise but for their country and their love of other humans, they did it. The French Resistance saved so many people and some who participated in it gave their lives for it.
We meet 3 women in this story - Paulette, Simone and Nicholle. Simone was the owner of a large fashion house in Paris that was allowed to continue operating during the occupation because it supplied many of the wealthy Germans and others with its clothing - both men & women. However, Simone, underneath it all, used it as a cover for French Resistance and was able to get many Jews and downed British pilots out of France. Paulette, after an affair with a Nazi and arrest of her mother, was banished from her home and sent to Simone to learn to work in the fashion industry but becomes a stronger woman as she works for the Resistance and overcomes her foolishness. Nicolle works in the fashion house and has a sad back story. She also works for the Resistance and becomes friends with Paulette. The lives of these 3 women intertwine as the war rages on and the threat of betrayal comes closer. Who is friend and who is foe? Wonderful story!

I mostly like historical fiction because I like to read about people enduring. If it is also about fashion or a bookshop, then all the better.
In The Last Fashion House in Paris both Nicolle and Paulette are troubled by their pasts. They've both made it, through separate paths, into the fashion house of Sabine de Ballard. The young ladies are ateliers and become friends. Though there is much more at stake than dresses. It is WW2 and there are rumors of round-ups in Paris. Can the resistance saves lives before it's too late? How can Nicolle and Paulette fit into the efforts?
There are men who help the cause. And while there's mutual interest between characters, there is no sex. No language either. Many people will appreciate this. The bad guys are super bad, and conniving, but it's not graphic--this is also appreciated.
I enjoyed this first time of reading from author Renee Ryan. The writing was easy to read, even though the themes were intricate. At the end, I found out there is a book before this featuring Paulette. I'd like to also read that one. Five stars for The Last Fashion House in Paris.

Paris, France 1942. The Germans have taken occupation of Paris and has closed many businesses and removed the Jewish men. The fashion house, Maison de Ballard, owned Mademoiselle Sabine is known for her high standards io haute couture and is permitted to stay open. She employs a few Jewish seamstresses and keeps them hidden. The Nazi’s are unaware that Mademoiselle is the head of a large underground resistance group that assists getting British pilots and Jews to safety. Seamstresses, Nicolle and Paulette, are spies gathering information and taking the escapees to safe houses outside of Paris. They learn that the SS is planning a roundup of women and children. Life and death decisions about who to trust as no one is who they appear to be.
This novel is fiction drawn from a combination of actual events and the authors skillful writing.

Thank you Harlequin Books and NetGalley

An excellent book about what happened in Paris, France during WW2. A story of hope and survival. Of betrayal and loss. The things that happen when you fall in love with the wrong person. Or even the right one. This is a story of one young woman's journey to forgiveness. And a story of three strong women who helped so many during a horrible time in history...

This book is told from three women's povs. A young lady, Paulette, who did a terrible thing and caused her mother to be sent away. Possibly to a Jewish concentration camp. How Paulette was sent to Paris to work in a fashion house owned by a dear friend of her mother's and make amends for what she did. To find self forgiveness. Paulette worked hard. She learned so much. She helped many.

Nicolle also worked in the same fashion house. She also worked for the resistance helping wounded soldiers get to safety. And she helped get Jewish people out of the country and to safe places. Nicolle had lost her husband in the war and was doing all she could to help as many others as she could.

Sabine owned the fashion house. She was the one who designed the beautiful dresses and suits. Made sure they fit to perfection. She also helped get people to safety. Though she did it through Nicolle and others. She worked tirelessly to make sure things ran smoothly. Sabine had lost her daughter and was determined to never lose any one else.

This book gives you a look at how things happened in Paris, in the fashion world. When the Nazi's invaded and when some of the people in Paris turned against the Jews. How they were gathered up and sent away. Not knowing what was going to happen. It's a very emotional story of how three women worked to help others. Each for their own reasons but together for the good of humanity. Throw in a bit of a love story and you have a book that you can't put down.

Thank you to #NetGalley, #HarleqinTrade, #LoveinspiredTrade, for this ARC. This is my own true thoughts about this book.

Five big stars.

The Last Fashion House is set in Paris during World War 2. I read The Secret Society of Salzburg last year, and even though this isn't listed as a sequel, I found that there was some overlap in the characters, which I really enjoyed! As the title implies, this book is set in a fashion house in Paris that manages to create designer gowns during the war, and make plans to help vulnerable families escape the city for safety. Its a fantastic book that shows how scary WWII was for the families in Paris. \

Thank you to the author and NetGalley for the advance copy of this book. A review was not required.

This is a well written novel that will capture your attention from the first page. I truly enjoyed this spin on the resistance efforts in WW!!.

I mean, wow. There are literally no words for the intricacies of this book. A powerful read that veers from the cookie cutter WW2 novels and takes the reader on a journey they couldn’t see coming. Absolutely loved this book!

This story of French resistance workers aiding downed Allied airmen to get out of occupied France and ultimately back into the air by using their connections to the Maison de Ballard fashion house as cover is extremely well written. It is emotionally charged in a way that invites readers to exist in 1940s France. It is a story of sacrifice and redemption, a story of seeing past false realities and seeking to embrace truth, truth about others as well as oneself. Readers will likely feel led to examine some of their own choices and reflect on their personal growth, to let go of the past, and to seek a brighter future.
While The Last Fashion House in Paris works well as a stand-alone read, fans of Renee Ryan will be thrilled to be reconnected to characters from a couple of her previous novels. AS this story is following up one book and running concurrently with another, it is very interesting to connect the dots between them. I am grateful to have received a complimentary copy of The Last Fashion House in Paris from Love Inspired via NetGalley without obligation. All opinions expressed here are my own.

The Last Fashion House in Paris has such lovely characters- Renee Ryan is an expert at creating these strong, complex woman that you just want to root for their survival and future. She weaves together characters from her other novels in this series to create a gripping tale of the resistance in Paris under German Occupation. I didn't want this story to end and yet it did. There was a two year time jump at the end and it left me wanting more development during that two year time period. But the epilogue was lovely and fitting, I just wished it showed more than told it...especially in regards to the conclusion of Nicolle's storyline. Overall, just a wonderful installment in WW II historical woman's fiction (with of course, romance weaved through it).
Thanks to #NetGalley and Harlequin - Romance | Love Inspired Trade for the ARC.

I have read another book by this author and was pleased to see characters from that book included here. I got to see a bit more of their story. This author told a great tale of French Resistance and transporting people out of enemy occupation.
It seemed that I was right there with Paulette as she sought refuge with Mme Ballard in a famous Paris Fashion House under German rule. Lots of danger and intrigue as Paulette not only proved herself as a seamstress but as a person who guided refugees to safety. All to make up for a horrible mistake that had her banished from her home. She made a friend in Nicolle and was soon embroiled in subterfuge in order to help the helpless.
A fascinating look into WWII occupation in Paris. There are a few romances depicted that bloomed despite the problem of not knowing who to trust.
This was an interesting and engrossing trip back in history. I enjoyed it very much.
*A complimentary copy of this book was provided by Love Inspired Trade via NetGalley. All opinions are mine alone.*

I really enjoyed this propulsive book set in the fashion world of Paris during WWII. From making dresses for Nazi mistresses-turned-spies to finding a mole who has infiltrated the network to get Jewish people and Allied soldiers out of occupied France, this novel brings to life the many life or death challenges that the brave French Resistance fighters faced. I have read countless books about this but each one teaches me something new. I love Ryan’s descriptive writing that pulls you immediately into the story and how she includes Easter eggs from her previous books. Highly recommend for WWII readers!

Blaming herself for her mother’s arrest by the Gestapo, Paulette is sent away to begin a new life in Paris, working as an apprentice to fashion designer Sabine Ballard. Maison de Ballard creates couture gowns while making clandestine deals and working with resistance fighters. Paulette is recruited as a spy, and she hopes to earn redemption for past mistakes. But the SS closes in, coworkers are missing, and Paulette must make life-and-death decisions.

Paris in WWII was supposedly run by the French, but the Nazi regime was essentially in charge. This meant resistance groups sprung up to save the ordinary people from being starved out or stolen from, and networks developed to hide Jews and enemies to Germany or get them to safety. There were also the greedy or selfish people that collaborated with the Nazis, profiting from others' pain. This is the world Paulette lived in, and the mistake that sent her to Paris was revealing that her mother forged paperwork to hide that one parent was Jewish. In Paris, Paulette was determined to do better than before and help others no matter what. Sabine Ballard and her coworker Nicolle had a resistance network, and Paulette gradually was drawn into it. Along the way, she tried to dodge the gangsters and profiteers that Sabine was forced to work with, as well as the same German agent who arrested her mother.

This book is more of a historical thriller with a romantic thread. Nicolle went on dangerous missions and the risk of getting caught was death. The intensity of the time period meant it wasn't safe for a relationship, and even friendships could be suspect. Paulette and Nicolle have a growing friendship with each other, as well as romantic interests, and a mentor in Sabine. The story really sucks you in, so you feel the ladies' hopes, fears, and despair. But they pushed through and continued to do the right thing, so Paulette more than redeemed herself.

This is a story about French resistance fighters, more specifically, a network of men and women who ferried downed British airmen, Jews, and other people who needed to leave France, to the South of France. From there they could escape to Spain or onward to England.

Paulette is from a wealthy, respected family that owns a renowned vineyard and winery. They make a renowned champagne. She had fallen in love with a German soldier and had mistakenly revealed that her mother was a Jew, as defined by Nazi rules. She is sure that she's responsible for her mother's death. Her older sister sends her off to Maison de Ballard, a highly regarded fashion house in Paris. It is run by a very good friend of her mother. Mademoiselle takes care of the girls and women who work for her, but she's deeply involved in the network. Slowly, Paulette learns how to sew and she becomes aware of goings on that are secret. She worries about what she sees happening to innocent people and wants to do more.

This is a touching story about the hardships, both physical and mental, of the people in Paris under the brutal oversight of the Nazis. It's also about the bravery and heroism of the people who helped to win the war by putting their own lives on the line.

The book is not too brutal, that is left to the imagination of the readers. What shines through is the selflessness of people of all classes.

This is a review for the Last Fashion House in Paris by Renee Ryan that will be released on 12/24/24. This is a review for NetGalley who sent me an ARC in return for my honest opinion.  Rarely do I close a book, and just sit there in awe, thinking wow, what an incredible story!  This story seeped into my very soul with its characters and storyline.  I was engaged immediately, and felt like I was literally there, walking through it right along with them. 

It is set in Paris, France during WWII, and tells the story of three incredible women, who in the midst of darkness and evil, through horrendous mistakes and consequences, through loss and hardship, stand up, and work together to save lives during the Nazi occupation of France, even though it means daily risking their own.  Each one is drawn to the resistance for their own personal reasons, and by working together, they find the courage and strength they each need to continue on after tremendous tragedy, and also find healing, love and grace that leads to strong friendships, even with all the chaos and death that was surrounding them at that time!

The story begins with Pauline LeBlanc, a young debutante, whose family produces the infamous Fouché-Leblanc champagne, who has just realized that her love affair with a Nazi officer Friedrich Weber was all a lie, and because of her, her beloved Jewish mother has been arrested, their chateaux is being searched, and she believes it is all her fault.  With the whereabouts of her mother unknown, a guilt-striken Pauline is exiled by her sister to Paris, to stay with her mother's dearest friend, Mademoiselle Sabine Ballard, who is the owner of a famous fashion house in Paris, but who is heavily involved in the resistance.  Paulette goes to Paris with a heavy heart, but faces the reality of her choices, and in searching for the redemption she so desperately desires, she gives all she can to do a good job for Madam Sabine, and soon finds herself not only becoming quite the seamstress, but someone who can turn her own life around by helping rescue those who are just like her mother.

Next we meet Nicolle Cadieux, code name: Odette. She is one of Madam Sabine's most trusted staff at the fashion house, but she has become like a daughter to her, and also works as a passeur, escorting English airmen trapped in Nazi territory, get back home.  Before the war, Nicolle had a husband, and a baby boy, but her husband died while in the army defending the Maginot Line, prior to the Nazi occupation, and had to place her son with a couple in the country for his safety.  She found a job with Madam, and began working in the dark to serve the light, as Madam always said. She must do all she can to keep her son safe, and to keep her deepest secret, which if found out, could cost her everything.

Mademosielle Sabine Ballard is not all she seems. She has watched her beloved France be conquered, not only the land, but the people, and she decides she will do everything she can, because so many will not.  She becomes involved in the risky game of rescuing Jews and English airmen by providing a network to get them out of France, but at times she must make deals with the devil, and even loses her own daughter Giselle to a Nazi pistol. So now, she has taken in other girls like Nicolle and Pauline, trying to help them while also helping rescue France, one life at a time...all in memory of her beautiful Giselle.

This book was an incredible read. I know it is fiction, but knowing some about WWII, I know the situations in this story were true.  It was very well written, realistic, and amazing to read every page!  This story really touched my heart in a way that really few do.  I highly recommend it, and am grateful for the real people like Madam Sabine, Nicolle, and Pauline, who even though they had great tragedy in their lives, they didn't let that stop them from helping others.  They didn't stay quiet, and just look out for themselves, but worked together, and thru love, friendship, and unity, they pushed back the darkness, one rescue at a time. All the reward they wanted was safety and freedom for others.  In our current climate, we should remember what hatred does to a nation and people.  This book gets 5 stars for me, but that doesn't seem enough. Highly recommend it!!!

I recently discovered that The Last Fashion House in Paris was the fourth connected book. It definitely reads as a stand alone, but I wish I had read the first 2 (I did read number 3). This story was full of hardship & heartbreak. 3 different stories, each one unique and connected. I couldn't pick a favorite but I did really enjoy Nicolle. The ending produced tears in my eyes. It wasn't a fast paced book, especially being from 3 point of views but it was a good story nonetheless and everytime i picked it up to read I loved it.

While I love my rom-coms, I have always been fascinated in WWII era stories and how people escaped the German regime during that time. So when I saw this fictional book on NetGalley it grabbed my attention. This story involves 3 FMC and how their stories intertwine in order to successfully smuggle Jews out of German-invaded Paris.

This book is very intriguing and you are always wondering when the truth about the fashion house will be found out. There is some romance in two of the women's stories but it isn't the main focus of the book, which I was okay with. I was so caught up in the story because of how fast paced it was and how well written it was, I didn't miss the romance that I usually read. I also learned that Paulette is actually in another Renee Ryan book told from the perspective of other members of her family and I've now added that book to my TBR.

I highly recommend this book if you're looking for a good WWII novel or enjoy the fashion scene around that time. It was a great read for me, as I wanted a break from my normal rom com reading.

Renee Ryan hits it out of the park again! A fantastic, fast-paced historical fiction from beginning to end. I loved and adored this. The cover is gorgeous, and Ryan's writing is as beautiful as ever. Thank you so much for the opportunity to read and to review this book! I am excited to feature this book for my Bookstagram audience.

Riveting story! This book is a wonderful conclusion for The Widows of Champagne and The Paris Housekeeper by Renee Ryan. It can easily be read as a standalone. I did not realize it was linked to the other books until I was halfway finished and recognized a couple of characters from the second book.

The story follows three women as they seek to provide hope and light during the darkest days of WWII. Each plays a vital role in the resistance. I was initially not a fan of Paulette. I found her to be young, spoiled and foolish. I quickly discovered she had committed a great wrong and is sent to the fashion house in Paris to escape the repercussions at home. But through skillful character development, I found her journey of redemption to be compelling. I was immediately drawn to Nicolle and Sabine. Their roles with the resistance were vital in leading many to safety. Each woman faces difficult choices, questioning whom they can trust. After facing betrayal, they each question love and loyalty as their work becomes compromised.

With a well-paced plot and expert character development, readers will be sitting on the edge of their seats for the suspenseful conclusion.

I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book from Netgalley and the author/publisher. I was not required to write a review. All opinions expressed are my own.