The Paris Secret by Natasha Lester
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
From the New York
Times bestselling author of The Paris Orphan comes an unforgettable
historical novel about a secret collection of Dior gowns that ties back
to the first female pilots of WWII and a heartbreaking story of love and
sacrifice.
England, 1939: The Penrose sisters couldn't be more
different. Skye is a daring and brash pilot, and Liberty the one to defy
her at every turn. Even if women aren't allowed in the Royal Air Force,
Skye is determined to help the war effort. She's thrilled when it
reunites her with her childhood soulmate, Nicholas. She's less thrilled
to learn Nicholas is now engaged to an enigmatic Frenchwoman named
Margaux Jourdan.
Paris, 1947: Designer Christian Dior unveils his
glamorous first collection to a world weary of war and grief. He names
his debut fragrance Miss Dior in tribute to his beloved sister
Catherine, who forged a friendship with Skye and Margaux through her
work with the French Resistance.
Present Day: Fashion conservator
Kat Jourdan discovers a priceless collection of Dior gowns in her
grandmother's vacant cottage. As she delves into the mystery of their
origin, Kat begins to doubt everything she thought she knew about her
beloved grandmother.
Sometimes when you are loving a book you want to read as fast as you can and you cannot wait to get to the ending. Sometimes, on the other hand, you can bear the thought of finishing a story either because you do not want it to end or because you know that the book will break your heart and you are not ready for that.
The Paris Secret is under the second category. It is a heartbreakingly beautiful story about love, loss, and strength. It is the story of brave women and me who fought for their countries and their beliefs during a time of war. Since it talks about women in the air force and their crucial role, I believe it is a story that needed to be written.
Historical Fiction is one of my favorite genres and even though it is not something easy to read, I think it is a way of knowing more about what happened. Each HF book I have read has given me different pieces of history. This might be fiction in the way that some characters were not real or some events did not happen in the same way but we know is not fiction in the most relevant aspects and that is what makes it heartbreaking. I had no idea about the role of women in the air force or Ravensbrück, or even about Catherine Dior, so it was good to read about that.
I liked the love story too. Not too sugarcoated, just the amount of sweetness and reality. The ending had me sobbing for ages and even when I still do not like one of the characters (you know who) I think it was a good ending.
Natasha has a beautiful writing style that takes you back, and she can write amazing characters (I loved Skye and Nicholas… and Kat and Elliot!) that you can easily love. Besides, the fashion component she introduces is very appealing to me.
However, what I like the most about her books (I read The Paris Seamstress a while back) is not only the historical component or the strength and survival she always depicts in her stories but the feelings her stories can evoke. The Paris Secret is definitely on my top list and I will surely read Natasha’s upcoming books.
The Paris Secret is under the second category. It is a heartbreakingly beautiful story about love, loss, and strength. It is the story of brave women and me who fought for their countries and their beliefs during a time of war. Since it talks about women in the air force and their crucial role, I believe it is a story that needed to be written.
I liked the love story too. Not too sugarcoated, just the amount of sweetness and reality. The ending had me sobbing for ages and even when I still do not like one of the characters (you know who) I think it was a good ending.
Natasha has a beautiful writing style that takes you back, and she can write amazing characters (I loved Skye and Nicholas… and Kat and Elliot!) that you can easily love. Besides, the fashion component she introduces is very appealing to me.
However, what I like the most about her books (I read The Paris Seamstress a while back) is not only the historical component or the strength and survival she always depicts in her stories but the feelings her stories can evoke. The Paris Secret is definitely on my top list and I will surely read Natasha’s upcoming books.
Digital ARC provided by Netgalley and publisher
View all my reviews
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