Cover Image: The Last Restaurant in Paris

The Last Restaurant in Paris

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Member Reviews

A dual timeline taking place in modern times of 1987 and WW11 years. A gentle back and forth storyline each one easy to follow. Sabine finds out she has inherited a restaurant business in Paris from her grandmother. She is shocked to find out family secrets she had known nothing about.
The author vividly brings the story to life, and it is based on true events. Finding out these secrets is haunting as we can easily visualize the restaurant full of life. While the young pretty owner of the Parisian restaurant smilingly serves the enemy German soldiers no one can guess the secret she harbors in her heart. Heartbreaking and thought provoking. The main plot of the story is the action taken that causes her to be labeled a traitor and murderer. I enjoyed reading Gabriel's thoughts as he actually knew Marianne during WWII. The book has the running of the restaurant as the main focus during the war, which is different than many books, I've read but it works well. This is a book that won't be easily forgotten.

Pub Date 18 Jul 2022
I was given a complimentary copy of this book.
All opinions expressed are my own.

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As many great WWII historical fiction reads, this is set along dual timelines in which Sabine is a restaurant owner in 1944 Paris having to serve the German soldiers. Then one day the restaurant closes, and Sabine disappears. Later, her granddaughter Marianne is left the restaurant by her grandmother, whom she has never met, and soon learns that her grandmother was considered a traitor, and that Marianne is not welcome. When she finds a passport with another name and picture of her grandmother, she begins to uncover much more than she expected. This was a classic historical fiction story where secrets are uncovered during the fight for freedom, and tales of bravery and courage become known. The story was well written, easy to become invested in, and the characters pull you in where you are anxious to see how the tale develops. Graham did a great job of bringing this to life, and should be on the tbr list for lovers of WWII Paris historical fiction. Thanks so much to Lily Graham, the publisher, and NetGalley for the opportunity to review this e-arc!

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I am a huge fan of historical fiction books based during WWII. And if there is a dual timeline aspect, I am even happier. This tragic story was a different focus than the books I have typically read in this genre. Rather than focusing on the imprisonments and war camps. It was a journey through love, sacrifice, loss, family, friends, social class judgments, and justice. The story takes place between the years 1926 through 1943 and 1987 through 1990. There is not a back and forth from the past to the more recent time period. But the chapters are clearly marked so you know before you start during if you’re in the “past or present.” Your heart will ache at times and sing for joy at others. There are so many incidents in the life of the primary character, Marianne (Elodie) that will tug at your heart. You will find yourself gasping in shock. The characters are well developed and the author’s prose is excellent … pulling you into the story and keeping you invested in the storyline and the lives of the characters from the first page. Such a heartwrenching read but well worth the time you will spend with Marianne, Gilbert, Sabine, Sister Augustine, and the other characters you will come to love … or despise. I cannot encourage you enough to get lost in the pages of this wonderful written story.

Thank you to NetGalley and Bookoutre for my advanced review copy. All opinions and thoughts are my own.

For more reviews, please visit my blog at: https://www.msladybugsbookreviews.com/. Over 1000 reviews posted!

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Thank you net galley for the advance reader copy of this novel. This was a historical fiction set in WWII. I couldn't get into this novel. The characters, writing, setting, etc. Usually I devour WWII historical fiction but this one was very slow for me and I didn't finish.

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“To save her people, she served the enemy”

..

Lily Graham is a multi genre author, who writes both contemporary and WWII novels, although I have so far only read books from the latter category, something I aim to address as soon as my schedule allows.

I marvel at authors who can still be inspired to write diverse, unique and interesting storylines in the world of WWII fiction, however, Lily takes things to a whole new level with this compelling saga. No! It wasn’t perfect, there were a couple of typos and other anomalies…

However… If you only have the opportunity, or desire, to read one WWII book in 2023, then please make it this one!

..

The story opens in 1987, in the Batignolles village of Paris. Antiquarian bookshop owner Gilbert Geroux, is one of the few remaining residents who can remember the terrors and horrors of WWII. The Nazi occupation of his beloved hometown and Country and the part which the still derelict restaurant Luberon, on the corner of the street, played in events during that fateful period. The restaurant where, as a teenaged boy, he had helped its then new owner, Marianne Blanchet, prepare the rundown building for business and make it the success it had gone on to be.

All, despite initial opposition from the local population, who on realising that Marianne’s backers were in part high ranking officers of the occupying Nazi party, had refused to believe that she was not a collaborator. Marianne is reluctant to take Gilbert and his hot-headed younger brother Henri into her confidence too much, as she fears for their safety. However, when it comes to her attention that Gilbert has joined the local branch of the Resistance chapter, their relationship subtly changes and an unwritten understanding is forged between them, when it is apparent that they are both fighting from the same corner, albeit in different ways and for separate personal outcomes. Until that fateful night in 1943, when a young man’s world is shattered twice in one evening, his trust in someone he had come to respect and admire is destroyed, and his faith in the ideal that all his fellow Resistance team are fighting for the same freedoms as himself, are tossed aside.

Into Gilbert’s still raw memories, steps one Sabine Dupris who, after so many years of searching, has been authenticated as Marianne’s granddaughter and only surviving family member. Sabine’s mother Marguerite has recently gone to her grave, not knowing that she had been adopted by the couple she had always believed to be her natural parents and who Sabine had always known as her only grandparents. The shock for both Sabine and Gilbert, of uncovering two entirely different lifetimes of events surrounding Marianne, about which neither knew anything of the other, is palpable and it takes some time for them to build any bond of friendship and mutual trust. Marianne, has however, left several clues to her past, which the two of them uncover together during their searches through the remains of the restaurant. So with the blessing of Sabine’s husband Antoine, the pair begin to piece together the life of a woman who was both selfish and single-mindedly focussed; whilst selfless, faithful and remorseful, until the end of her short life, and how that impacted on them both, and continues to do so.

Their search takes the reader back to 1926, when nine-year-old Elodie Clairmont, daughter of a French woman (who has just died) and her married English lover, is collected from her Paris apartment and taken to England, to her father’s home. His wife doesn’t want this cuckoo in the nest, although Elodie’s much older stepbrother Freddie and she, soon become firm friends, so Elodie is packed off to boarding school during term-time and is returned to Batignolles, France for the holidays, into the care of her maternal grandmother Marguerite Renaux, whom she has never met. The two soon become firm friends and fellow bakers for Marguerite’s small village restaurant business. Elodie also becomes close friends with Marguerite’s neighbour and his son Jacques Blanchet, who has also only recently lost his own mother, so knows exactly the turmoil Elodie is experiencing. Jacques is an avid ornithologist and bird befriender, so when several years have elapsed and his dream job comes along as an apprentice researcher at a Bird Observatory, on an island off the German coast, Elodie encourages him to follow his heart, much as he has already captured hers. Before leaving, Jacques, who is a Jew and can see the writing on the wall as WWII grows ever closer, obtains a forged set of identification papers, just in case he needs an emergency escape route home, and an engagement ring for Elodie. The pair marry quickly and on one his infrequent trips home from the island and following several miscarriages, a baby is conceived who will survive to full term. Tragedy strikes twice for Elodie and although baby Marguerite brings some joy to her mother, that is not enough to overcome the grief Marianne (as she is now known) has to endure from her double-hand of misery. She convinces herself that she will not be able to see through the fog of despair until she has avenged a terrible crime, so a distance between mother and daughter has to be established, to keep baby Marguerite safe and leave her mother free to do what she must!

Elodie had also befriended the nuns of the local Abbey, particularly Sister Augustine, who is her constant support and confidante, up to and beyond the time of her death, right into the current day, when she is pivotal to Gilbert and Sabine’s search for answers and closure. Can she shine a light on the woman who was Sabine’s grandmother, Marianne Blanchet and restore the good name of a once loved and respected mentor and friend for Gilbert?

..

This tragically inspiring, beautifully nuanced and textured storyline, is a multi-generational saga, narrated predominantly by Gilbert, Marianne (Elodie) and Sister Augustine. It is roughly divided into two timelines 1926-1943 / 1987-1990 and although the chapters do tend to meander between timeframes as the voice of the narrator dictates, you are always certain whereabouts you are, as each is concise and clearly signposted, with the reasons for any slight detours always relevant to the flow of the story.

The writing is evocative, poignant and totally captivating. A wartime City devastated, families divided and friendships torn apart, often in the name of faith and religion, by those who would appease and serve their captors in the hope of survival and eventual freedom, being pitted against their fellow countrymen willing to suffer and endure abject poverty in an effort to thwart the invaders at every opportunity and fight the battle for victory from within. It’s contemporary counterpart, is a Paris full of life and a population for whom the scars of war are a mere memory, fading with the passage of time. However, for the few remaining brave souls who have never forgotten, there are still some long-held secrets of heritage and heroism to be uncovered and wrongs to be righted.

Lily pays great attention to the detail and descriptive qualities with which she paints the physical location of this storyline. She teased the ‘armchair traveller’ in me, with a real sense of time and place I could almost step into, and an atmosphere which lingered long after I had closed the final page.

The entire, extensive cast of multi-faceted characters are wonderfully drawn and developed. Whilst they are all, by necessity of circumstances, often complex and emotional, volatile and passionate; they are addictively genuine, believable and authentic to the roles which have been created for them. Although Marianne is portrayed as someone with a strong sense of purpose, high moral fibre and an advocate for doing the right thing, I’m still not certain I can correlate that she allowed those beliefs to override the overwhelming desire she had shown to bear a child for Jacques, a daughter who she may now never see grow into a young lady, should her plans go wildly askew. The profound complexity of her motivations and the vying raw emotions she was experiencing, must surely, have somewhat coloured her judgement? Her fate and her bravery in accepting the inevitable price she knew she had to pay was never in question, however, the true actions of her crime (if ever there was one), are known only to one other living person, who has held their counsel and would have taken the knowledge to their grave had circumstances so dictated.

The dynamics of a family separated by a stretch of water and the anathema of class distinction, a tragedy so devastating that revenge and vengeance were the only antidotes, the abject guilt and grief of the accidental consequences of actions which were never intended to harm all their victims.

What typically makes reading such a wonderful experience for me, is that with each and every book, I am taken on a unique and individual journey, by some amazing authors who fire my imagination, stimulate my senses and stir my emotions. This storyline gave more than I could have hoped for on just about every front, so thanks for some lovely memories to treasure, Lily.

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I honestly cannot praise this book enough nor put into words just how exceptional it was. This is one of those books that stays with you long after you’ve read it. I recommend this book to everyone!!!! It is definitely on my keeper shelf for good.

Thank you for the opportunity to read and review! Had to buy the physical copy too.

I voluntarily reviewed this book provided by NetGalley.

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Sabine is surprised when she inherits a Paris restaurant from a relative she didn’t know she had, a grandmother. When she begins to look into her past, she encounters Gilbert, a man who knew the woman and knew part of her story. What once appears as a despicable act during WWII under the Paris occupation is a main part of that story. There are twists and turns, tears and redemption in this absorbing piece of historical fiction. Recommended. Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC.

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TW// mention of rape, miscarriage and cancer.

This book absolutely broke me, and it deserves more than five stars in my opinion. What a beautiful and tragic story. I didn't want to eat or sleep, I was just glued to the pages.

After being called to a lawyer's office, Sabine Dupris finds out that her mother was actually adopted, and her grandmother was Marianna Blanchet. Marianna was known for opening a restaurant during the occupation of France by Nazi officials, and poisoning many of these officials, including two Parisians. As most were alive during this time have sadly passed away, the lawyers reach out to Monsieur Gilbert Géroux, who just so happened to work with Marianne around that time. Thus begins a journey where Gilbert recounts his memories to Sabine, full of mystery, heartache and grief, the truth slowly uncovers, truth that even Gilbert wasn't aware of.

It's separated into three parts, as Sabine, her husband Antoine and her newly found friend Monsieur Géroux try to figure out more about the mysterious Marianne. It delves deeply into her past and how she came to be the person who poisoned so many Nazi officials.

This was beautifully and incredibly written, it's very immersive, picturesque and quaint, it feels like you've fallen through time right into the thick of it, alongside the other characters. It does flit back and forth between times as Marianne's past begins to reveal but it's easy to follow. The characters were fully realised and were definitely hard not to become attached to, as the story progresses, I liked how complex they all were, making it a thoroughly enjoyable read.

The relationships between the characters were so heart-warming and touching. From Sabine and Monsieur Géroux's warm and wholesome friendship that blossoms from a single letter, to Eloise and Jacque's charming and moving relationship as they move from friends to lovers. It's a tale about the beauty and warmth that can be found in friendship and the kinship that can be formed even within devastating circumstances, whilst coping with such loss and heartache. A truly beautiful , thought provoking and important read.

It was definitely a rollercoaster of emotions for me, as it just evokes so many, all at once. The companionship, heart, love and tenderness radiates through the pages, but the devastation, heartache, and pain is also so palpable and poignant to read. It's a story that truly stays with you, long after you've finished reading it. Definitely one of my favourite reads this year, a truly remarkable and moving story.

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If you’ve read any WWII historical fiction, or even have a passing knowledge of history, you know that Nazi-occupied France is still one of the biggest moments in the war. The stories that can be found are endless. Yes, the plot is a typical dual storyline/present-past weaving of the history; that’s common. And I will say that the beginning dragged a bit, even as I knew the groundwork needed to be solid for Marianne’s story to be truly revealed in its entirety. What I also found interesting was how easy it seemed for the people of the neighborhood to believe the worst…and to essentially rewrite history. It seems apparent that some people would rather believe an easy lie than a harder truth. Good lesson here. For more details, please visit Fireflies and Free Kicks. This review was written based on a digital copy of the book from Bookouture.

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This is a hauntingly beautiful and compelling read that I would highly recommend to many people. It truly was captivating from start to finish.

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⭐⭐⭐⭐.5 -- Such a beautiful cover on this one!

This was such an enthralling and quick read. Stories set during the world wars are not usually my jam, but this one had me hooked from the first chapter. It was very readable and wonderfully written. The author did such an amazing job capturing the settings. The flowers, the food, the atmosphere of occupied Paris. Just incredible. The characters were charming. I especially loved Sabine and Gilbert's relationship. And Elodie's and her grandmothers. The plot was engaging with three different time periods that we jumped around through. And this is where I had a tiny issue. Nothing major, but I felt the long section where we see Elodie as a child and growing up would have worked better for the flow of the book to be placed when the Nun was telling the story near the end. It just seemed like a more logical place, as I felt a little like we went from Sabine and Gilbert to this long section with no real lead in as to why...if that makes sense. In anycase, it was just a minor "me" issue. This one definitely deserves two huge thumbs up! 👍🏻👍🏻

**ARC Via NetGalley**

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During WWII at French, a collaborative restaurant owner Marianne suddenly poisoned her Nazi customers and some locals. Everyone was shocked expecially after she take all the blame and face the execution. Did she hidding some facts? Or all those acted only come from cold blood urges?

Told from dual POVs Sabine (Marianne's granddaughter) and Gilbert (former worker of Marianne) this story unravel beautifully heartbreaking. Both timelines present 1987 and past 1940 also complete the plot perfectl. Based on Gilbert's information, Sabine start to reconstruction the past and unravelled the mystery behind her grandma action. The pace slowly but in very good ways. For me this novel successfuly unlocked so many emotions. I love the storytelling style and feel connected with all characters. I enjoyed the story more than I expected.

4.5

Thank you Netgalley and Bookouture for provided me with this copy. I am truly grateful and my thoughts are my own.

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I loved this book. It was heartbreaking, and I cried a number of times reading it. A beautiful story, even more poignant because it's based on real events during WWII.

The story follows two timelines, both in Paris: one leading up to WWII, following Marianne, who poisoned a group of people in her restaurant during WWII, and the second in 1987, following Sabine, who learns she is actually Marianne's granddaughter. When Sabine visits where the restaurant is, she meets Gilbert, who worked there as a boy, and knew Marianne. He tells her the story as he knows it, and Sabine also investigates and learns more about Marianne.

The story unfolds slowly, but it never drags. Each piece of the puzzle of Marianne is doled out carefully. This novel showcases the best and worst of human beings.

Thank you Netgalley for the ARC!

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I loved this book. It had real heart and knowing it was based on true events made it all the more special. A real treat of a book in what is a market over run with WW11 books.

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1920s Elodie's mother dies and she is sent live with her grandmother, enjoying a simple life. 1940s Paris is occupied by the Nazis and Marianne owns a restaurant that serves the officers. 1980s Sabine inherits a restaurant with a haunting past...
The Last Restaurant In Paris is a triple timeline novel set across the twentienth century in France. I found myself totally submerged in each era thanks to the vivid descriptions and brilliant character development.
In the first part of the book, Sabine uncovers a mystery hidden for over 40 years and a shocking secret about the grandmother she was unaware existed. She meets an elderly man who knew Marianne but his memories raise even more questions and uncertainty about the past. Gilbert has been haunted by the events of the 1940s and is now forced to reconsider his opinions based on the discovery in the restaurant.
The middle third of the book then covers the 1920s and 1930s as Elodie grows from a child to a woman. The backdrop of European politics and the appeasement of the Nazis has a profound effect on her life. This era had been well researched by the author which gave an authenticity to the plot. On the fictional side, I was swept up in the love story of Elodie and Jacques and felt a fearful anticipation about the link to the 1940s.
The final part of the book revisits Gilbert's memories but from Marianne's perspective. This was a little bit repetitive and I thought there could have been more emphasis on her bravery at the end. The characters have nuances, vulnerability and flaws which bring them to life and make us identify with them. I was fascinated by the moral dilemma of committing terrible acts but for admirable reasons.
The Last Restaurant In Paris is an enjoyable and emotional historical novel.

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💫 𝐋𝐚𝐬𝐭 𝐑𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐮𝐫𝐚𝐧𝐭 𝐢𝐧 𝐏𝐚𝐫𝐢𝐬 💫 ⁣
By Lily Graham ⁣
Publisher: Bookouture (Aug 2.2022)⁣
Genre: Historical Fiction⁣

“𝘐𝘵’𝘴 𝘦𝘢𝘴𝘺 𝘵𝘰 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘬 𝘸𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘸𝘦 𝘸𝘰𝘶𝘭𝘥 𝘩𝘢𝘷𝘦 𝘥𝘰𝘯𝘦, 𝘪𝘯 𝘵𝘪𝘮𝘦𝘴 𝘰𝘧 𝘱𝘦𝘢𝘤𝘦 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘱𝘳𝘰𝘴𝘱𝘦𝘳𝘪𝘵𝘺, 𝘵𝘰 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘬 𝘸𝘦’𝘥 𝘣𝘦 𝘣𝘳𝘢𝘷𝘦 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘴𝘰 𝘧𝘶𝘭𝘭 𝘰𝘧 𝘪𝘯𝘵𝘦𝘳 𝘨𝘳𝘪𝘵𝘵𝘺, 𝘵𝘰 𝘴𝘵𝘢𝘳𝘷𝘦 𝘳𝘢𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘯 𝘤𝘰𝘭𝘭𝘢𝘣𝘰𝘳𝘢𝘵𝘦. 𝘉𝘶𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘦 𝘸𝘦𝘳𝘦 𝘤𝘩𝘪𝘭𝘥𝘳𝘦𝘯 𝘵𝘰 𝘧𝘦𝘦𝘥, 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘦𝘭𝘥𝘦𝘳𝘭𝘺 𝘵𝘰 𝘤𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘧𝘰𝘳-𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘵𝘳𝘶𝘵𝘩 𝘪𝘴 𝘮𝘰𝘴𝘵 𝘰𝘧 𝘶𝘴 𝘸𝘰𝘶𝘭𝘥 𝘢𝘤𝘵 𝘦𝘹𝘢𝘤𝘵𝘭𝘺 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘴𝘢𝘮𝘦 𝘪𝘧 𝘪𝘵 𝘩𝘢𝘱𝘱𝘦𝘯𝘦𝘥 𝘢𝘨𝘢𝘪𝘯. 𝘞𝘦’𝘥 𝘱𝘶𝘵 𝘰𝘯 𝘢 𝘴𝘮𝘪𝘭𝘦 𝘪𝘧 𝘪𝘵 𝘮𝘦𝘢𝘯𝘵 𝘸𝘦 𝘤𝘰𝘶𝘭𝘥 𝘬𝘦𝘦𝘱 𝘰𝘶𝘳𝘴𝘦𝘭𝘷𝘦𝘴 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘭𝘰𝘷𝘦𝘥 𝘰𝘯𝘦𝘴 𝘢𝘭𝘪𝘷𝘦”. ⁣

One man’s deep dive into memory may be the key to understanding another family’s past. The parts that she knew and the connections she did not. ⁣

This book covers WWII in Paris within the walls of a restaurant that hosted Nazi meals. But beneath those meals was an opportunity to help the people hurt around her and revenge the deaths of her beloved family. A woman so misunderstood that she was willing to risk it all even if it only helped a few. ⁣

I was hooked from page 1 until the end. The writing and flipping between the past and present characters kept the restaurant and emotions real in my mind. The heartache and destitution vividly described…⁣

When someone asks me why I can keep picking up books that deal with either of the wars, my answer is simply, it feels like another voice from the past. See (for me), each book (fictional or not) shares another piece of the War that destroyed lives and families. I’ve actively tried to read from every country involved or rather every spotlight that an author uses. It’s why I can keep coming back to HF books and still find them fresh. ⁣

If you’re new to HF or don’t read them a lot, I think you should try “Lily’s Promise” by Dev Forman. ⁣

And then pick up one like this one… 𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐡𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐢𝐜𝐚𝐥 𝐟𝐢𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐢𝐬 𝐚 𝐠𝐥𝐢𝐦𝐩𝐬𝐞 𝐢𝐧𝐭𝐨 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐞𝐦𝐨𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬 𝐨𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐩𝐚𝐬𝐭.

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Thank you to NetGalley, the publishing house and the author for the opportunity to read a complimentary copy of this book in return for a review based upon my honest opinion.

This was a wonderfully told dual timeline story. From the streets of Paris in the present, 1987, to the past in the years of WWII we follow the story of Marianne Blanchet, a women executed for her poisoning and murder of six people in her restaurant, four nazi officers and two French citizens including an innocent teen boy. Was it straight up Murder or is there more to her story.

Sabine has been contacted by a solicitor who informs her that her mother and now her have inherited a property and she is surprised to find out which property and confused because the solicitor insist that her mother was adopted and this property came to her from her biological mother. She is put together with Gilberte who worked at the restaurant who agrees to tell her his story.

I enjoyed the way the story was told and the characters were lovely. I would definitely read more books by this author.

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Paris 1944. To save her people, she served the enemy.



In enemy-occupied Paris, as the locals go to bed starving and defeated by the war, music and laughter spills through the door of a little restaurant, crowded with German soldiers. The owner Marianne moves on weary feet between its packed tables, carrying plates of steaming, wholesome food for the enemy officers. Her smile is bright and sparkling, her welcome cordial. Nobody would guess the hatred she hides in her heart.



That night, the restaurant closes its doors for the final time. In the morning, the windows are scratched with the words ‘traitor and murderer’. And Marianne has disappeared without a trace…



Years later, Marianne’s granddaughter Sabine stands under the faded green awning, a heavy brass key in her hand, staring at the restaurant left to her by the grandmother she never met. Sabine has so many questions about herself. Perhaps here she can find answers, but she knows she isn’t welcome. Marianne was hated by the locals and when Sabine discovers they blamed her for the terrible tragedy that haunts the pretty restaurant, she is ready to abandon her dark legacy.



But when she finds a passport in a hidden compartment in the water-stained walls, with a picture of a woman who looks like her grandmother but has a different name, she knows there must be more to Marianne’s story. As she digs into the past, she starts to wonder: was her grandmother a heroine, not a traitor? What happened to her after the tragic night when she fled from her restaurant? And will the answer change her own life forever?

This is a heartbreaking page turner. The author seamlessly goes from past to present. I was glued to the pages. It is a very well written historical fiction and I loved it! Thank you netgalley and bookouture for this ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.
#netgalley #thelastrestaurantinparis

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When Sabine Dupris inherits an abandoned restaurant from a relative she didn’t know about, she seeks out Jacques who is the only one that can tell her the information she needs.

I couldn’t put this book down! I loved how the author seamlessly moved between the past and present with everyone telling their side of the story. It is full of intrigue, mystery, and lots of emotion.

Thank you to NetGalley and Bookouture for the ARC in exchange for my honest review!

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Lily Graham excels at historical fiction! The Last Restaurant in Paris is a beautifully written story, intricately woven, weaving back-and-forth between decades. Beautifully written, haunting, heartbreaking, touching, unforgettable. A story about overcoming heartbreak and loss, love and more heartbreak and loss, a mystery and a quest, revenge and forgiveness. I loved this book!

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