Tag: historical fiction

Book Review:  The Last Fashion House in Paris, by Renee Ryan

Image belongs to Harlequin.

Title:  The Last Fashion House in Paris  
Author:  Renee Ryan        
Genre:  Historical fiction       
Rating:  4 out of 5

France, 1942

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.

But Maison de Ballard is no ordinary fashion house. While seamstresses create the perfect couture gowns, clandestine deals and secrets take place out of sight. Mademoiselle Ballard is head of a vast network of resistance fighters—including Paulette’s coworker and friend Nicolle Cadieux—who help escort downed military men and Jewish families to safety.

Soon Paulette is recruited as a spy. Working as a seamstress by day, gathering information at glamorous parties by night, Paulette at last has a chance to earn the redemption she craves. But as the SS closes in, and Nicolle goes missing, Paulette must make life-and-death decisions about who to trust, who to love and who to leave behind…

I really enjoyed this read! I felt so sorry for Paulette from the very first page. Yes, what she did was horrible, but I can’t imagine living with such guilt. The goings-on at the fashion house were fascinating, and the clandestine errands were riveting. I loved all the main characters, and really enjoyed how it tied in Ryan’s other book.

Renee Ryan is from Florida. The Last Fashion House in Paris is her newest novel.

(Galley courtesy of Harlequin/ Love Inspired in exchange for an honest review.)

Book Review:  The Sunflower House, by Adriana Allegri

Image belongs to St. Martin’s Press.

Title:  The Sunflower House  
Author: Adriana Allegri         
Genre: Historical fiction        
Rating: 5 out of 5

In a sleepy German village, Allina Strauss’s life seems idyllic: she works at her uncle’s bookshop, makes strudel with her aunt, and spends weekends with her friends and fiancé. But it’s 1939, Adolf Hitler is Chancellor, and Allina’s family hides a terrifying secret—her birth mother was Jewish, making her a Mischling.

One fateful night after losing everyone she loves, Allina is forced into service as a nurse at a state-run baby factory called Hochland Home. There, she becomes both witness and participant to the horrors of Heinrich Himmler’s ruthless eugenics program.

The very idea of this eugenics program is horrifying to me, but the author did an excellent job of capturing bits of hope amidst such darkness. Allina experiences true horror the night her life fell apart, and she took a long time to heal from it, but she did. I appreciated the hope that part of the story illustrated. This was well-written and so moving—and I loved every page of it.

Adriana Allegri lives in Arizona. The Sunflower House is her newest novel.

(Galley courtesy of St. Martin’s Press in exchange for an honest review.)