TLC Book Tours Book Review: Moonlight Over Paris

About Moonlight Over Paris

• Paperback: 352 pages
• Publisher: William Morrow Paperbacks (January 19, 2016)

An aristocratic young woman leaves the sheltered world of London to find adventure, passion, and independence in 1920s Paris in this mesmerizing story from the USA Today and internationally bestselling author of Somewhere in France and After the War is Over.

Spring, 1924

Recovering from a broken wartime engagement and a serious illness that left her near death, Lady Helena Montagu-Douglas-Parr vows that for once she will live life on her own terms. Breaking free from the stifling social constraints of the aristocratic society in which she was raised, she travels to France to stay with her free spirited aunt. For one year, she will simply be Miss Parr. She will explore the picturesque streets of Paris, meet people who know nothing of her past—and pursue her dream of becoming an artist.

A few years after the Great War’s end, the City of Light is a bohemian paradise teeming with actors, painters, writers, and a lively coterie of American expatriates who welcome Helena into their romantic and exciting circle. Among them is Sam Howard, an irascible and infuriatingly honest correspondent for theChicago Tribune. Dangerously attractive and deeply scarred by the horror and carnage of the war, Sam is unlike any man she has ever encountered. He calls her Ellie, sees her as no one has before, and offers her a glimpse of a future that is both irresistible and impossible.

As Paris rises phoenix-like from the ashes of the Great War, so too does Helena. Though she’s shed her old self, she’s still uncertain of what she will become and where she belongs. But is she strong enough to completely let go of the past and follow her heart, no matter where it leads her?

Artfully capturing the Lost Generation and their enchanting city, Moonlight Over Paris is the spellbinding story of one young woman’s journey to find herself, and claim the life—and love—she truly wants.

Purchase Links

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Review: Jennifer Robson is a wonderful writer for the period around WWI. After The War Is Over was a particular favorite of mine that I reviewed last year here.

Moonlight Over Paris takes place in the mid-twenties. I felt like Helena was a little bit like Edith from Downton Abbey, only a little more spunky. She really took charge of her life after her illness. I especially liked how hard she worked for what she wanted.

There are a few personal things about this book that made me smile. One is the use of the word Allonsy!

Then there's the girl that she meets at art school, named Daisy Fields. I adored her and all of her friends, but Daisy happened to have the name of a song I've loved by Keith Harkin.

Etienne was another favorite character. I loved when she told him that she was glad she had a sheltered life because she hadn't been taught how to hate, when he told her he was homosexual. I wish more people could be like Helena.

Helena had some meetings with some fabulous people in Paris, like Fitzgerald, Hemingway and Stein. It was like a snapshot out of The Paris Wife by Paula McLain. This was such an exciting time and Jennifer Robson made you feel like you were really there.

I don't think there was a character in this book that I didn't like. Aunt Agnes was a spunky old lady who really broke with conventions, living with a man for years, before she was able to marry him. Oh and her little doggie, Hamish was fabulous too.

Sam is her love interest. It was nice that this was a slow relationship. It allowed you to see all relationships she builds in Paris and how she changes and grows as a person.

This book was a wonderful read

Rating: 5 flowers

About Jennifer Robson

Jennifer Robson is the USA Today and #1 Toronto Globe & Mail bestselling author of Somewhere in France. She holds a doctorate in British economic and social history from Saint Antony’s College, University of Oxford, where she was a Commonwealth Scholar and an SSHRC Doctoral FellowHere. She lives in Toronto, Canada, with her husband and young children.

Find out more about Jennifer at her website, and connect with her on Facebook and Twitter.

TLC Book Tours Book Review: After The War Is Over

Author: Jennifer Robson
Title: After The War Is Over
Publisher: William Morrow
Publish Date: Jan 6, 2015
Buy: Amazon

Book Blurb: 

After four years as a military nurse, Charlotte Brown is ready to leave behind the devastation of the Great War. The daughter of a vicar, she has always been determined to dedicate her life to helping others. Moving to busy Liverpool, she throws herself into her work with those most in need, only tearing herself away for the lively dinners she enjoys with the women at her boarding house.

Just as Charlotte begins to settle into her new circumstances, two messages arrive that will change her life. One, from a radical young newspaper editor, offers her a chance to speak out for those who cannot. The other pulls her back to her past, and to a man she has tried, and failed, to forget.

Edward Neville-Ashford, her former employer and the brother of Charlotte’s dearest friend, is now the new Earl of Cumberland—and a shadow of the man he once was. Yet under his battle wounds and haunted eyes Charlotte sees glimpses of the charming boy who long ago claimed her foolish heart. She wants to help him, but dare she risk her future for a man who can never be hers?

As Britain seethes with unrest and post-war euphoria flattens into bitter disappointment, Charlotte must confront long-held insecurities to find her true voice . . . and the courage to decide if the life she has created is the one she truly wants

Review: This book is a continuation of Robson's Somewhere In France novel, though this book can be read as a stand a lone. (I really want to read Somewhere In France now). It takes place after the Great War, which is one of my favorite periods in history.

This is a stunning novel that details Charlotte's life. How she came to be Lily's governess and her connection with Edward.(So though you might not have read the first book, You get a touch of suffrage as well as the upstairs downstairs aspect brought about by Charlotte being Lilly's governess.

Charlotte can best be described as a do-gooder. She wants to fix the world and sometimes she comes across as a bit holier than thou, but she is very likable. She is a hard worker and that's part of why you like her.

The story is also a bit of a romance, a'la Downton Abbey. Charlotte's heart belong's to her friend Lilly's brother Edward. It is a romance that really shouldn't be, as he's an aristocrat and she's a commoner. (much more common than you might think).

As the book progresses, you see Charlotte's relationship with Edward, and how it has developed since she was Lily's governess.

I think I would have been better able to accept this story, if Charlotte would have started a relationship with Mr. Ellis from the newspaper.

Edward, who was likable, and who you felt sorry for (He lost a leg in the war and is suffering from Shell Shock) just doesn't seem like the right match for Charlotte, but somehow you know these two are destined to be together.

This was a beautifully written novel that gives a snapshot of the time "after the war is over" and how they coped with the changes in their lives.

Rating: 5 flowers