Set in 1944 and alternating chapters in 1947, this is the story of two sisters working independently for the Resistance after Paris was taken over by the Nazis. They live with their mother and work as apartment superintendents- an apartment that also houses Catherine Dior, sister to Christian, the designer. Yvette, has also worked as a manakin for the House of Dior while Gabby has worked with her mother.

This book is too long! I really enjoyed the first half or so, but then it began to dray (perhaps it was also my reading time). The plot involves Catherine Dior's work which is based on fact. The girls become involved through various means, some of which seem a stretch. The ending is also way too pat.

Probably would not read more by this author. ( )

Alternating between 1944 and 1947, this book follows sisters Gabby and Yvette in Paris. During the war, both sisters secretly helped the resistance, until Yvette was forced to flee over the mountains. Riddled with guilt, Yvette reluctantly returns to Paris to testify in the trial of a woman being tried for treason.

This book caught my attention instantly. It was well written, the characters were dynamic and the story was well paced. The back and forth timelines worked really well and came together beautifully in the end. Overall, highly recommended. ( )

Thanks to the author for this book.

I usually enjoy WWII books set in Paris or anywhere for that matter but this one didn't do it for me. I liked the plot of Christian Dior and his sister Catherine but was bored with the rest. It didn't get to the point fast enough for me. I dnf at my usual page 100. ( )

The war; it's ugly with pieces of beauty thrown in.

The book draws attention to the past. A big fear at the time was the Nazis taking control of Paris in 1940. But there's another fear just as dangerous with a group of French thugs who wanted power and they got it from the police and support of the Third Reich. The "Gestapo" was known to search for Jews and interrogate them. Nothing stopped them from taking property and valuables in this city of love and romance.

Within this craziness, two sisters, Yvette and Gabby, worked in the fashion industry and helped Christian Dior's sister, Catherine, with the WWII French Resistance in different ways. Yvette was a delivery girl. She said, "the only good Nazi is a dead Nazi" as she dropped off packages on her bike route and helped a movie star, Louise Dulac, to get ready for the evening's events. Gabby worked with her mom as a concierge of an apartment building. One of her tenants was Catherine Dior who was secretly hiding Jews. Gabby was there to offer assistance.

While both sisters were involved with the war, Yvette was more daring and found herself in a dangerous position. She had no choice but to escape to New York. In another timeline of this book, 1947, Yvette returned to an all-paid trip to be a witness for Louise Dulac's trial who was locked up in a prison as a traitor. The question is: will she help someone that is the most hated woman in France? And did I mention romance? Yes, love, fashion and everything you can expect from Paris is in the book.

There has been an overwhelming amount of historical fiction novels recently on WWII. Each one helps us learn a piece of what happened because of the words written by an author. My thanks to Christine Wells, HarperCollins Publishers and NetGalley for allowing me to read this advanced copy to be released on June 8, 2021. ( )

DNF ( )