Thank you for allowing me to listen to this audiobook.
This was an outstanding story of historical fiction of World War II. The audiobook and narrator were really good. It's my first read of this genre, and I was truly invested. I was so emotional listening to this and I love the two stories of Helaine and Louise and how both of their stories come together. I tandem read it because I bought the book as well and at the end I like reading about the real history of Levitan.

I enjoyed this audiobook so much. I thought the narrators really bought the story to life and I felt like I was living it with them. I was obsessed with this story and the twist and turns at every angle. I loved the historical fiction aspect and usually this genre is hard to keep my attention but I was hooked from chapter 1. Will be checking out more books by her !

Also loved that it was based on a true story!

A deeply moving and fascinating story about a niche / not told story of Paris during WWII. The multiple timelines are handled well and LAST TWILIGHT IN PARIS crosses genres deftly, touching historical fiction, mystery, thriller, and a little romance too. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the advance copy.

Thanks to NetGalley and Harlequin Audio for the ARC copy of this audiobook!

It's been a minute since I've been able to slow myself down enough to pay attention to an audio book. I've tried a few others throughout the last few months, but simply just couldn't get through more than a chapter or two before giving up. However, Last Twilight in Paris by Pam Jenoff drew me in and held me there for several days of listening this week! Yay!

The audio narration was great and the story itself was wonderful. It didn't feel overly dramatic like some WWII hist fic can be. This whole story is based around locket necklaces that connect two women across countries and time. It's told from dual POVs, Louise and Helaine. I was sucked into Helaine's story and proved having a harder time keeping up with Louise's for some reason. By the end, I was equally invested in both, but the start was a little rocky! All in all, a very good novel that I'd recommend to anyone that enjoys WWII hist fic. This was right up my alley and I'll definitely be reading more from Pam Jenoff now!

Beautifully written with intricate details, giving glimpses of life in Paris and London, during wartime — under Hitlers regime….

Two different timelines. One in 1953. The other smack dab in the middle of the war.. so early to mid 1940’s.

Louise is now a married woman with kids. The year is 1953. She’s living in London. Her husband, Joe, is a war veteran.
BUT…during the war, she helped out by delivering Red Cross Packages to the prisoners. During that time she made many acquaintances, and a few close friends.

One was her then boss, Ian. In another life, and another time, she thinks they could’ve been much more than friends…

Another was her close friend, Franny. She was a beauty, and a true entertainer. She traveled to many camps to entertain the troops, as well as the prisoners… those who were taken, against their will… some, just because they were Jewish….

In the 1940’s timeline, we have Elan (Helaine ??…not sure as it was an audiobook…)
She was very sick as a child, and was completely SHELTERED…until she turned 18… and finally escaped her home to start taking walks… alone.

On one of her walks she meets a gifted Cellist named Gabriel… and they become inseparable!

This is JUST THE BEGINNING. Just an introduction to what’s ahead!

I will say that Louise finds something, while working, hidden in a crate… and it reminds her of something she pretty clearly remembers from the war…

And so, she sets out to find out where it’s from, and who it belonged to… and that my friends leads us to the creation of this Beautiful Novel!

Sad but yet heart-warming. Scary, and also…beautiful. Seeing both the best and the worst of people… and what some will do when faced with very hard times…

5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ for me!

#TwilightInParis by #PamJenoff. Narrated beautifully by #Thérèse Plummer and #SaskiaMaarleveld.

Thanks so much to #NetGalley and #HarlequinAudio for an ARC of the audiobook, in exchange for an honest review.
*** Release date was in February, so look 👀 for it on shelves now!! ***

You can find my reviews on: Goodreads,
Insta @BookReviews_with_emsr and/or
My Facebook Book Club: Book Reviews With Elaine

Thanks so much for reading! And if you ‘liked’ my review, please share with your friends, & click ‘LIKE’ below… And, let me know YOUR thoughts if you read it!! 📚⭐️

This was my first time reading/listening to this author. I really enjoyed this book.

I have read a lot of books about World War II. I like that this book had a different twist of those who were Jews and those in the Red Cross. The different aspects of viewpoints of the war. This book went between two women skipping back and forth. I can't imagine being Jewish and having to unpack items from other Jewish families that were taken away. Then to find your own family's items with the crates.

I was excited to receive this as an ALC! Thank you Harlequin Audio. I adore any and all books set during the WW2 time period!

Until this book, I had no idea that Levitan, a department store turned into a prison where Jews were forced to sell goods plundered from the homes of fellow exiled Jews, existed. How absolutely horrific.

The love story of Helaine and Gabriel was quick; however, it was beautiful. Having the sweetness of Helaine and Gabriel at first juxtaposed against Louise and Joe.

One of the most illuminating parts of the book was the sad statement that objects were given more consideration that people during this time period. May we always keep this lesson from history in mind: people are more important than things, and all humans should be treated humanely.

There is so much more I want to say, but I do not want the ruin the beauty of this book!! The ending was so satisfying. Helaine and Gabriel are seriously my new favorite couple.

This review will be posted on my booksta, toomanyfivestarreads, soon.

Book review: 3.75/5 ⭐️
Genre: historical fiction
Themes: WW2, POWs, holocaust, women in war
📖 Read if you like: The Women,

Told in two voices, this story connect two women through a necklace and the path it may have taken. Most unexpectedly it involved a Parisian department store with a dark history of involvement in the imprisonment of Jewish Parisians, while also enabling the sale of stolen goods taken by the Nazis.

Louis bounces between the present in 1953 and her time with the British Red Cross during the war. Now a housewife who resents the expectation to simply return mothering, Louis helps out in a second hand shop in her spare time. It is there that she discovers a necklace, but she is sure it is not the first time she has seen it. For the very necklace is forever connected to her dead friend, the enigmatic actress Franny who made her way through occupied Europe under the cover of entertainer while she was really helping POWs with intelligence.

Her mystery will lead to Helaine. Growing up in a wealthy Parisian family, Helaine had been sheltered all her life. After a childhood illness she was all but kept prisoner in her palatial home. Yet as she grew, so too did her curiosity and sense of adventure. As her explorations of Paris as a young woman lead to the music of a young man, her fate is sealed with a rapid romance with the cellist Gabriel. When the Germans invade Paris and life becomes increasingly dangerous for the Jews, Helaine inadvertently gets herself arrested as she searches for her missing husband.

As the mystery unfolds, a unique piece of history is revealed. This is a time and story that has been told through many lenses, yet it is always a wonder to learn something new. It makes sense that the Nazis would need an avenue to sell their pilfered goods and that they would of course use the labour of a people they deemed as good for nothing but free labour. I also liked Louise as a woman expected to return to a version of normality that no longer fits with her experiences and ability.

I thought Helaine was a little contrary in her opinions and behaviour prior to imprisonment, but then again her youth and general inexperience with the world play into this. In contrast, Louis was a really well developed POV and I was very much invested in her mystery and the connection to Helaine. Overall, this was another well researched and emotional piece of historical fiction. I did find both women to be a little naive given they were both living through a war, but the ending was sweet to match. A little piece of forgotten history weaved into fiction

🎧 it is a pet peeve of mine when a period piece taking place in Europe only features actors with an English accent. So, I really appreciated that the two narrators had different accents. More than that they did the voices of other characters flawlessly and kept a nice pace similar to the way I read.

Thank you to Netgalley and Harlequin Audio for a copy of this audiobook.

Thank you Harlequin Audio for the ALC!

Last Twilight in Paris was a little out of my normal selections for WWII books with the little bit of mystery in it, and I’m glad I read it! It was just enough intrigue to keep me glued to the story without overtaking the rest of the plot and characters. The narration on this was superb, I felt like I traveled across the world and was standing there next to Louise and Helaine as their stories unfolded. Beautifully written and wonderfully voice acted!

We’ve read & loved so many WW2 stories. I was particularly taken with this tale of life not only after war but the beginning of parenthood and all the expectations that go along with it. Add in a curious mystery and follow along as the covers are pulled back and things are dusted off and brought into the light.

Last Twilight in Paris by Pam Jenoff is a historical fiction novel set in 1953. The story follows Louise, who finds a necklace in a shop that reminds her of her time during World War II. The discovery leads her to investigate the mysterious death of her friend Fanny. As she digs deeper, she learns about a dark chapter in history involving a Parisian store used by the Nazis. The book is mystery and romance, with a well written plot that keeps you hooked until the end. This story deals with themes of love and loss and resilience and survival.

Thank you to NetGalley and Park Row for the advance listening copy in exchange for my honest review. These thoughts are my own.

I received this book as an audiobook from NetGalley. I love hearing about the history of WWII and am pleasantly surprised when I still learn new things. Thanks for the opportunity to hear this book. I love the narration and love the accent.

What appealed to you the most in this story?

This book is the perfect example of why I love to read historical fiction! It's about the little known Levitan, a former Parisian furniture store where during WWII Jewish prisoners were forced to sort and sell what was stolen from Jewish homes. Jenoff took this little-known piece of information and built a dual timeline (around 1943 and then about 1953) story around it. Not only did I learn about Levitan, but I learned terms such as oflags and stalags and learned some things about the Red Cross as well. It reminds us of the evils of war as well as the aftermath. In my opinion, it's also a story about the power of love and the lasting effects of human choice.

What to expect:

Dual Timelines
Dual POV
Suspense
Mystery
Family drama
Historical Fiction
All the emotions

How was the pace?

Steady

Do you recommend this book?

If you are a lover of historical fiction, then dive into this story and get ready for an emotional ride!

Pam Jenoff writes an interesting story based back during the WWII era and the early 50’s It moves around in time and character. Both the current book era with Louise's unquenchable thirst for closure in finding the owner of a necklace she is sure she saw once while helping during the war. The other character was Helanie and her experiences during the Holocaust in Paris.
I both read and listened to the audio of this book. The narration done by Thérèse Plummer; Saskia Maarleveld, was better for me as a listener because the pronunciation of names and places was accurate and not my interpretation. It helped keep in the mood of each character. The book was harder to differentiate the switches from one character and era to another it it left me confused at times. The narration was done extremely well and made the story for me.
The story portrays the war-torn Paris and its atrocities to a small degree, (it was not overly descriptive that might trigger a reader), and the way it affected the folks of Paris plus the transformation that was happening to the women's place in the home in the early ’50s
I do recommend this book but caution it's not my normal type of genré and it seemed to drag for me. I could not relate at first and that is another reason I tried the audio as it kept my interest more.
I appreciate the chance to read and listen to this book this is my honest opinion. Thank you, NetGalley and Harlequin Audio, and Harlequin Trade Publishing.

I don’t read a lot of historical fiction but I was mesmerized by this book! Full of intrigue, mystery, romance, and friendship spanning decades and multiple countries backlit by the start and end of World War II, Last Twilight in Paris is a stunning novel.

Told in alternating POV’s and timelines, I was captivated by the characters’ journeys and the way this story unfolded. Based on true events, this book had sweet moments, shocking moments, tearful moments, and was overall a beautiful exploration of two characters’ experiences and resilience during a horrific time in history.

I really enjoyed Jenoff’s writing style and will definitely be reading more of her work!

🎧 The alternating narrators for Louise and Helaine did a lovely job, bringing emotions befitting the story. I really felt like they made the story come alive.

Fantastic story! Such a well researched and beautifully written book. I’m pretty burned out on ww2 fiction and this was so powerful that I’m glad I listened. Pam Jenoff was so respectful in writing about an unknown to me history in Paris.

I have never read any books by this author before, but I know this one will not be my last. I was enthralled with this story! It was heartbreaking but I loved it.

“…because I was waiting for you.”

“People’s stories matter, and how they end matters.”

“I swore I would never forget.”

“A prison in a department store? Who would believe it!?” (This was a truth of WWII that is seldom told (except it was a furniture store), I’ve never heard of it until now)

Betrayals are uncovered and in spite of this horrific & shameful time in history love remains.

Pam Jenoff does a really good job of setting the tone for this novel and the unease with which people would awake each morning, never knowing what atrocity would come next and then layering on that you really never could tell who you could trust.

I loved the “small acts of defiance” it made me cheer for the women “working” in the store.

I also liked the incorporation of the musical elements and the necklace’s travel across many years.

The way everything comes full circle made everything tie up nicely in the end.

This was a really good audiobook but I think for my own brain I would’ve done better reading the physical book. I still really enjoyed it, it’s just a reading preference thing. The audio narrators did a great job.

So the displeasure I have with this book is the breathy and romantic sequences of the narrator. Look up the details of who is the narrator, I discovered that there are two. Honestly, I could not distinguish between the voices as it only seemed like one to me. I have read another book by this author and been very pleased. I like that she takes history and turns it into a story. I guess I have only myself to blame for not seeing that this book has been listed in the category of romance and women’s fiction. I assiduously avoid those kind of categories but based on the author, I just assumed this was historical fiction. Thanks to NetGalley for a complimentary copy of the book in exchange for my honest review

I can't believe it has taken me so long to read a book by Pam Jenoff, but I am so glad I finally did! Last Twilight in Paris touches on a piece of WWII that I was not aware of (the Lévitan furniture store) and takes the reader on an adventure through two viewpoints and dual timelines. I was thoroughly invested in both Louise and Helaine’s stories though Helaine’s ending felt more unsure throughout and thus provided more tension. I liked the way Jenoff tied up the two storylines, and the mystery of the necklace and what happened to Franny made for quite the ending.

The audiobook for Last Twilight in Paris is phenomenal and definitely the way I recommend reading it. Thérèse Plummer & Saskia Maarleveld are both fantastic narrators in their own right, and having the two of them for Louise and Helaine was the perfect choice. They were a match made in heaven, and I got completely lost in the story thanks to them. I will say this didn’t hit me as hard as I thought it should given the horrific subject matter of the Holocaust, and there was an emotional disconnect somewhere whether from the writing or something else. Extremely well-researched though and the author’s note is a must read!

Read this if you enjoy historical fiction blended with mystery, learning about little known pieces of history, and touching endings.

Book Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Audiobook Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐