The Paris Inheritance: An utterly heartbreaking and addictive WW2 historical novel

by Natalie Meg Evans

A family heirloom, handmade in Paris. A wartime sacrifice that changed everything. And a secret kept for generations.

Paris, 1940. Clutching a delicate silver dove-shaped brooch – the last gift from her beloved Otto, with a message of love engraved in the back – Lally flees her home in Paris. With her closest friend by her side, she dodges the Nazi gunfire echoing all around the city streets. But as they become more and more desperate during the darkest days Europe has ever known, one must make a terrible sacrifice for them both to survive…

France, 2014. After her father’s death, grieving Hope starts a new life in France. All she knows of her father’s family is that they were separated in World War Two. And her only inheritance is a unique, dove-shaped brooch.

Exploring an antique market one day, Hope’s breath catches in her throat at what she finds. A wartime picture of a green-eyed girl, a silver brooch pinned to her dress, shaped like a dove in flight. Hope has only ever seen one like it before.

Certain it’s her family heirloom, Hope is desperate to find the woman in the portrait. But it soon becomes clear that some wartime secrets are dangerous to uncover…

Will Hope’s discoveries change everything she ever believed about her father? And even if she does find the truth, will it bring her healing – or tear her apart?

Fans of The Letter, The Nightingale and We Were the Lucky Ones will be utterly swept away by this heartbreaking and unforgettable tale about family secrets in World War Two and the bonds that held people together during terrible times.

What readers are saying about The Paris Inheritance:

‘From the very first page, I was stunned, mesmerised. Written with a ferocious passion that'll knock the wind out of you! I’m so sad it's over. I could have read another sixty chapters… Fantastic!’ Goodreads reviewer, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

‘Heartbreaking and beautiful… Loved… Superbly researched… Made me weep… An amazing read.’ Goodreads reviewer, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

‘I couldn't put the book down… Kept you to the pages, as you are eager to find the outcome.’ Goodreads reviewer, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

‘LOVED THIS BOOK!! It captivated my attention… I looked forward to picking this book back up.’ Goodreads reviewer, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

‘Wonderful... A fabulous story from cover to cover… Phenomenal… I was heartbroken… emotional… Captivating and very inspiring. I highly recommend it.’ Page Turners

‘Sucks you in to the story even when you know you are going to have your heart ripped out and stomped on… Love… Wow… Raw and hard-hitting.

Genres: Historical Fiction, Historical, World War II, Fiction, France

394 pages, Kindle Edition

Published October 22, 2024

About the author

Being a published writer has been Natalie Meg Evans’ goal from an early age. Having achieved her dream, she extracts maximum fun from it by writing the kind of books she has always loved reading. Mother to one son and currently guardian to a rescued Labrador and a Malinois (Belgian Shepherd), Natalie lives in rural Suffolk, England’s easternmost county.

In 2012, Natalie won the prestigious Harry Bowling Prize and was a Romance Writers of America Golden Heart finalist. She was longlisted in the Mslexia new women novelists
competition, and shortlisted for a Daphne du Maurier award for romantic suspense. The Dress Thief won the readers award for the best historical novel at the Festival of Romance and was nominated for a Romance Writers of America RITA.

Her latest novels are The Locket and The Paris Inheritance, both split timeline novels with a wartime theme.

She has achieved another life-goal, as a published author of country house crime. As Kay Blythe, her first novel in this genre comes out in February 2025. Look out for Murder at Merry Beggars Hall.

Reviews

[Lisa Carlile · Rating 4 out of 5]

I very much enjoyed this book.its a bit of a love story with intrigue and a bit of a mystery to solve.
Good reading style that was easy to follow and I recommend you give it a read.

[Melissa · Rating 4 out of 5]

Natalie Meg Evans has written a captivating, page turning book, keeping me up all hours as I gripped to both dual storylines. The book flows easily between the timelines and it was a brilliant idea the way Lally’s story was written as a memoire. The twists and turns to solve the mystery, the self-sacrifice, vendetta, love, loss, betrayal and forgiveness made The Paris Inheritance a highly recommend read with the perfect ending. 4 ½ stars
I would like to thank the author, Bookouture and NetGalley for my free copy of this novel, in exchange for my honest review.
#TheParisInheritance #NetGalley

[Melissa * bookedwithmel · Rating 4 out of 5]

Comparing this book to The Nightingale sealed the deal for me to pick it up. Yes, it’s another WWII book, but it’s unique too. This book centers around a silver dove-shaped brooch. It was Hope’s father’s most prized possession, the one thing of his mother’s he had. When Hope finds a picture of a woman wearing the brooch, she has to connect the dots. Buying the picture leads her to Yves.

I liked that the past POV was told as a memoir. Hope and Yves read pages of the memoir in their search for their histories. I can’t choose which POV is my favorite. Lally’s POV puts so many pieces together, but Hope experiencing all of Lally’s emotions while she reads the memoir, plus her own, pulls more on the heartstrings.

This was my first book by Natalie Meg Evans and I definitely want to read more.

Thank you NetGalley and Bookouture for my ARC of this book.

[Claudia Magnus · Rating 4 out of 5]

*Thank you NetGalley and Elliott & Thompson for an ARC of this book.

3.5/5
The premise of this novel by Natalie Meg Evans intrigued me. A historical novel set during the Second World War and the reconciliation of Hope’s identity with her family’s past is right up my alley. From chapter one I was curious to see how the lives of some of the characters intertwine. I was curious to see why there was so much hostility in the twenty-first century timeline and what would happen to the girls in the past. This curiosity did not disappear until the end which makes an overall strong novel. Nevertheless, I unfortunately never felt immersed in the novel.

One reason for the disconnect to the characters could be that language-wise I do not find elements of the novel awfully well written (i.e. “Ah,…” or “Jeez, that was close” or “Shepherd, as in sheep?”). I cannot even quite put it into words but I guess I am missing a certain finesse in drawing the reader in and connecting the reader to the characters without it being very obvious. While especially the chapters set in the past are highly interesting and thrilling, the use of modern language and among other things rhetorical questions does not work for me. The language used as well as the manner in which the things are said and narrated create no sense of immersion in me whatsoever. After all this is a story set at least partly in the past. The language, however, is the same in the 21st century as well as in the 20th – clumsy in both timelines unfortunately.
Another element which I felt was unnecessary was the repetition of plot elements such as the departure of Yves’ waitress which is mentioned as a side note too often or the “decoding” of Ash’s email. Give the reader some credit, they will understand words such as “NDA” and tend to pay attention if not the first, definitely the second time around.

Overall though, the novel kept me hooked until the last page. While semi predicable it was still a good read.

[Christine · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this dual timeline novel very much! Even though the historical timeline (WWII) was definitely more interesting than the modern one, both showed tension and suspense. I enjoyed about reading about the beautiful Gascon countryside. The historical details were very interesting, and reflected some facts very realistically showing a well researched work. What irritated me in the modern timeline is the relationship between Hope and her boyfriend Ash. This relationship was for me utterly unnecessary, and the way it was dealt with was not subtle at all. Overall, a great novel that kept me turning the pages with impatience and no time limit!!
I received a digital copy of this novel from NetGalley and I have voluntarily written an honest review.

[virginia · Rating 3 out of 5]

Natalie Meg Evans's The Paris Inheritance inspired me with the book cover and blurb. Written as a dual-timeline novel, the stories flip-flopped between WWII and 2014. Although I enjoyed the book, starting it one evening and finishing the next, I never felt any attachment to Hope and her relationship drama with Ash or her subsequent new love, Yves. I don’t feel the 21st-century timeline added anything to the story.

The chapters set in France in WWII, as many fled Paris as the German war machine advanced, were well-written, and the settings came alive from the page.

I often felt like I was reading two different novels and struggled with present-day character development and tie-in to the WWII chapters. The breakup between Hope and Ash was written like a dump of unnecessary chapters. In contrast, the WWII chapters explored a tale I thoroughly enjoyed, written from Lally’s perspective as she and Pauline meandered the horrors of WWII after the German occupation. These chapters were written as little journal entries from Lally’s perspective, and I enjoyed these scenes. However, there was a disconnect somewhere, as the writer never seemed to tie any of the details between timelines together until the end.

The present-day timeline relationship between Hope, Ash, and Hope's new love interest, Yves, never resonated. The tales would have been better if the author had written them as separate standalones. Neither Ash nor Yres's backstories or characters evoked any empathy in me.

What inspired me about the novel was my compassion for Lally as she assumed responsibility for Joseph, her wartime friend Pauline’s baby (if you can call her a friend), after she died in childbirth—however, the how and why of Lally and Pauline’s friendship was missing. I did find myself sympathizing with Lally and despising Pauline.

Dual-timeline novels can be difficult to connect sometimes, and that was the challenge here. Keeping the vengeful family feud details straight between timelines interrupted the flow, as I had to keep backreading to keep the stories straight.

However, the author's research shined through, redeeming a plot I feel could have been better without the flip-flopping dual timeline writing style. Sometimes, I could almost picture the WWII settings, walking beside Lally, Pauline, and the easy-to-dislike Norma Rose Foster. Yves's bed-sit friend Claudia hit the page without much to recommend her to readers.

This book just needed some rearrangement to make it a great story. Despite the few difficulties in style, misplaced modern-day lingo, and missing backstory details, I read the book from start to finish. If you are a fan of dual-timeline WWII novels, give this one a whirl and see what you think. It is an easy read, but set aside the time to jot down characters' names and story details while you read on a Kindle or E-reader.

The book has great potential, and I read it in two days with that in mind. Overall, it is a good novel, an intriguing tale of love, loss, treachery, and the horrors of WWII. I give it three stars because the author evoked empathy in me for Lally's plight as a Frenchwoman raising a German man’s baby in a small village in war-torn France during WWII.

I want to thank Net Galley, Bookouture, and the author for the opportunity to read another book by Natalie Meg Evans, an author with a permanent place on my Kindle and hard-copy bookshelves. I received this as an advanced copy. This review is voluntary and mine alone.

[Caroline|Page~Turners · Rating 4 out of 5]

Hope Granger has begun a new life in France, after recently losing her beloved father. She inherited from him a beautiful silver dove-shaped brooch. It had been in his family for years. But the only thing she knows about her ancestors is that they were all separated during World War II. As she is wandering the through an antique store, an old picture of a young girl with a silver dove brooch pinned to her dress, catches her eye. Who is the young girl and how could it be that Hope has the brooch all these years later? Hope doesn’t waste any time, and she immediately begins to find out everything she can about her father and his family. Is what she uncovers about her family, something she wants to know or is it what she should leave in the past.

The Paris Inheritance, written by author Natalie Meg Evans is a wonderful time slip story of family, wartime secrets and uncovering the truth. This was a fabulous story from cover to cover. Evans did a phenomenal job of research to make the reader feel like they were walking through the pages. I was heartbroken as I read this story and I was cheering for Hope to find the answers to all the questions she had about her family. This emotional read was well written, well researched, captivating and very inspiring. I highly recommend it.

[V · Rating 5 out of 5]

LOVED THIS BOOK!! And this is coming from somebody who wasn’t a huge fan of history class, but with the Paris Inheritance, I felt myself immersed in the settings of this book and engrossed in the storyline that unfolded. This storyline is about Hope and Yves where they work together to uncover the connection between the grey eyed dove pin and the mysterious women in the self-portrait painting. The writing style was riveting and it captivated my attention as I navigated the pages of this e-arc on my Kindle. It is a dual POV, where it takes place in the present time and the past in WW2. I would say 2.5 pov’s because it was still through the past but it was when they were reading the book (this would make sense once you read it). I appreciated the character development of this book and you could see how everything played out and how nicely it wrapped up. I looked forward to picking this book back up when it came time to read! I’d read this if you’re unsure about whether or not you’d enjoy a historical fiction read because this would be a great book to give you that exposure! There may be some sensitive content, so I’d check the trigger warnings beforehand, if available.

Thank you Netgalley for providing me with an opportunity to read a copy of this e-arc.

[Ynaiita Warjri · Rating 4 out of 5]

In 1940, clutching a silver dove-shaped brooch, a final gift from her beloved Otto, Lally flees France with her closest friend as Nazi gunfire fills the streets.

In 2014, grieving her father’s death, Hope moves to France with only a single clue about her family: a unique dove-shaped brooch left behind from World War II. While exploring an antique market, she discovers a wartime photo of a green-eyed girl wearing the same brooch. Certain of its connection to her past, Hope sets out to find the woman in the portrait, unaware of the wartime secrets she will uncover.

This tragic yet beautiful book captures the personal struggles and complexities of those who both survived and perished in the horrors of World War II. The author’s well-crafted characters are deeply relatable, and the dual timelines are balanced perfectly, allowing each character their moment to shine. The 2014 timeline adds an engaging contrast, giving the story a warm, summer-holiday feel. The narrative flows seamlessly, leading to a painfully climactic revelation for Hope. However, I wished for more backstory on Pauline, Lally, and Otto before the war to provide greater context.

[Charlotte · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a thoroughly enjoyable dual timeline story. The 1940s chapters were told via a memoir written by a young English woman caught behind Nazi lines in 1940s Paris. I'd never heard of Besançon, and wasn't really aware that English women were imprisoned by the Nazis, although it seems obvious so maybe I knew without knowing any facts.

I really liked Lally. She was brave, foolish, a bit naïve, and in love. She also lived in a time and place where she had to make hard decisions in order to survive.

I also liked Hope. I found her romance storyline to be predictable, but that doesn't bother me in these historical fiction books as there's always enough "other stuff" happening that an air of predictability is welcome.

Hope's and Lally's stories were beautifully entwined, although exactly how wasn't entirely clear. The reveal of how was perfectly paced and kept me reading late into the night.

I don't think I've read anything by Natalie before, but I'll definitely be adding her previous works to my TBR.

[Ink · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Paris Inheritance by Natalie Meg Evans is a captivating, dual POV/ dual timeline saga of sacrifice and secrets

Based in Paris in 1940, as World War II rages and the Nazi's invade the city of Paris, Lally makes a desperate effort to escape before the city is overrun. All she has with her to remember her beloved Otto, is a brooch, a little dove with a message engraved on the back

Decades later, Hope decides to relocate to France following the death of her father. The only memento left to her in his will, is a little silver dove, which in turn, will open a whole new world to her, a world that had been hidden for a lifetime. Hidden for a reason.

A stunning story which was very well researched and written. I was enthralled throughout with the character development, the drama and the historical accuracy

Outstanding

Thank you to Bookouture, NetGalley and Natalie Meg evans for this awesome ARC. My review is left voluntarily and all opinions are my own

[CoCoBug · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 Stars rounded to 4

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC!

I found myself immersed in this story - not Hope's 2014 narrative so much (especially in the beginning), but Lally's memoir really shines through the pages.

The drama between Hope and Ash, Manon's thievery, and Yves' mood changes are hard to discern at first, and that storyline doesn't find it's flow until 30-40% of the way through the book. I felt disjointed in that storyline and was hoping it was just the preview format of the book.

As a reader, I was lost in Lally's memoir immediately, and loved being there. The horrors of what she went through and the mostly terrible luck through the years was heart wrenching. I enjoyed Hope's and Yves's story so much more as the timeline went on and we were able to delve into their connections and the past parallels.

Definitely recommend.

[Melinda · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really liked The Paris Inheritance by Natalie Meg Evans a lot. It's WWII in Paris with dual timeline. Hope Granger has come to France with her boyfriend Ash and finds a painting with a dove-shaped pin like she has from her father. He has recently passed and didn't know his parents. After Ash leaves suddenly for a new job, Hope meets Yves who wants the painting back as it was painted by his grandmother. Hope discovers she has a journal that was written by Lally, the grandmother. The story goes back and forth as both Hope and Yves learn more about their families. I was captivated by the story and loved and hated the characters and was surprised by the ending. One of the best WWII books I've read lately and it's 5 stars from me.

[Betti · Rating 4 out of 5]

A beautiful dove in flight brooch and a painting start Hope’s search for providence and where her family originated. Finding a memoir of an English girl in occupied France during WW2 under the painting that already brings questions and you have a place to start.

The author has obviously done a great deal of research allowing the reader to learn much about what it must have been like to try to leave an occupied country. Plenty of action, emotions and detail will keep you reading to see how this can possibly end.

An early copy was received through Bookouture and NetGalley. These thoughts are my own and were in no way solicited.

[Mystic KT · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was another one of those books which sucks you into the story even when you know you are going to have you heart ripped out and stomped on. And yes I love these types of historical dramas, I think it is a combination of heavy hitting storylines with well rounded and research characters. If these two elements click then wow this is a book for me. I enjoyed that this was a WW2 novel which was set somewhere else than in the UK as it allows you to get another perspective and countries turmoil during this tragic time. I want to thank the author for making her characters so believable and adding them to a raw and hard hitting storyline.

[Rachel · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow! You learn about the lives of Hope and Yves in the present day and Lally, Pauline and Otto in the past. Hope is looking to find out who her grandmother is and goes back to the town that her father had spoken about previously with her partner and they set up a business in the town. She starts to find out bits and pieces. Reading about the lives of Lally, Pauline and Otto was hard. The experiences they went through trying to get out of Paris. There lives are changed forever by the different things they go through. I would love to read more from this author. Thank you to Netgalley, Bookouture and Natalie Meg Evans for the ARC of this book which I received for free.

[Kim Ullrich · Rating 5 out of 5]

I found the book initially difficult to get into trying to understand everyone's context and character. Once I hit a nice reading groove, I started to thoroughly love the book and had a hard time putting it down. The book is very picturesque in the descriptions of the locations in France, mostly exploring the rural villages with windmills and beautiful hillsides. For art lovers, this is a wonderful read.

The story unfolds with characters of today, of wartime friends, and memoirs discovered and read. It's heartbreaking and affirming, plus I shed a few tears towards the end.

[Pam · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a great book. It is one of searching for people after WWII is over. It tells her story as she follows the clues to find out who she really is. The other part is the diary she follows which tells the story as it unfolds and shows the connections to people living today. It was a little confusing to me as I was reading it on Kindle and my Kindle kept messing up and switching multiple pages on me either while I was reading it or when I closed it for the evening. I did finally solve that by reentering the app and disposing of the one that was malfunctioning.

[Rebecca · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great dual timeline novel. Delves into the backstory from the epilogue onwards which I like, intrigues you straight away.
This book stretches from the beginning of WWII in Paris and tells us a story of British girls in France then war internment, forbidden love, and a story of love and friendship which spans decades. A time of love and betrayal, heroes, villains and traitors. And how events of the past can still stamp down hard on the ancestors in the future.

[Sally Trabulsi · Rating 4 out of 5]

Anotheer WWII story that covers a search for relatives lost during WWII. I had to keep looking back to remember who was related to whom and found it a bit difficult to keep track of the different generations and families. . .a reccent failing of mine, a lack of concentration, I guess. Anyhow it all turned out okay, lost family discovered and a bad romantic relationship ended and it looks like a new one may begin (won't spoil the ending.) I gave it a 4.

[Don · Rating 4 out of 5]

Publishes 10/22/2024, I read an advanced copy. Well written novel with two timelines, one in the present and one during and shortly after WWII. Two young English women are caught in France when the war breaks out, their stories unfold through discovery by their grandchildren. A tale of war, resistance, fortitude, and also relationships - both loving and not.

[gregory d osler · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved the Book

Wonderful story of what innocent people did to survive. Sadly for many families they never knew what their relatives had to endure during that awful time in history.

[Pauline · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have read many stories of resistance, the camps, horizontal-collaborateurs, and this is another heart-breaking novel. It appears to be simply a novel I waited to
The end to see any author notes. Gripping story, twists and turns and beautiful setting.

[Katie O'Brien Ceccarini · Rating 3 out of 5]

There was great potential here and a few things caused me to dock stars. First, editing/typos slowed my roll more than a few times.

I wasn’t a fan of the Hope/Ash storyline and found that extra drama unnecessary. If the whole book had been Lally’s story, that would’ve been great.

[sally whitfield · Rating 4 out of 5]

Well written story

I found this book slightly slow to start with but once I got into the story it was really good. I liked hope and her story in the present. Lally's story in the past was very moving.

[Grace Lauren · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5⭐ rounded up.
Once I started I couldn't put it down. In this case, I liked both story lines, but Lally's pulled at my heart strings. It was full of loss and heartbreak and made me cry a couple of times. I think this book will stay with me for a while.

[Erin R. J. · Rating 2 out of 5]

The Paris Inheritance is a dual-timeline historical fiction novel based in France. The two point of views are from a memoir written during the German occupation of France during World War II and present day. It involves mystery, family dynamics, self-sacrifice, generational wounds, and other thought-provoking themes.

Because this is published in the U.K., takes place in France, and has several British characters, it makes sense that there is a lot of British and French dialect. Some of the word choices were challenging as a U.S.-based reader, but I could definitely still follow the story. I did find the present-day story confusing and difficult to follow at times, but I really enjoyed the memoir chapters and looked forward to them. The story had a slow start for me, but it picked up around one-third of the way through.

Overall, I gave this book 2.5 stars and would recommend it for readers who are specifically interested in France during World War II. Thank you to Bookouture and NetGalley for providing this book in exchange for a review. These opinions are my own.

[Simone · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book. It’s told in two storylines, one during world war 2 and the other in the current time. There is a beautiful dove shaped brooch that Hope has had handed down to her from her father, but she doesn’t really know anything about it or anything about her father’s experiences during the war, apart from the fact that he was adopted. When Hope sees a picture at an antique market of someone wearing the exact same brooch, it leads her down the rabbit hole of a lady named Lally who lived in Paris during the war. Well worth the read. Thank you to NetGalley for letting me read this book in exchange for my honest opinion.

[Gillian taylor · Rating 5 out of 5]

I COULDN'T PUT MY BOOK DOWN READING THIS

[Margaret Wray · Rating 4 out of 5]

This story started off slow but became more interesting as the story developed.