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The Paris Apartment

By: Kelly Bowen
Narrated by: Polly Lee, Marisa Calin, Gemma Dawson, Steve West
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Summary

This heart-wrenching novel about family and war unearths generations of secrets and sacrifices - perfect for fans of The Paris Orphan and The Lost Girls of Paris.

London, 2017: When Aurelia Leclaire inherits an opulent Paris apartment, she is shocked to discover her grandmother’s hidden secrets - including a treasure trove of famous art and couture gowns. One obscure painting leads her to Gabriel Seymour, a highly respected art restorer with his own mysterious past. Together they attempt to uncover the truths concealed within the apartment’s walls.

Paris, 1942: The Germans may occupy the City of Lights, but glamorous Estelle Allard flourishes in a world separate from the hardships of war. Yet when the Nazis come for her friends, Estelle doesn’t hesitate to help those she holds dear, no matter the cost. As she works against the forces intent on destroying her loved ones, she can’t know that her actions will have ramifications for generations to come.

Set 75 years apart, against a perilous and a prosperous Paris, both Estelle and Lia must summon hidden courage as they navigate the dangers of a changing world, altering history - and their family’s futures - forever.

©2021 Kelly Bowen (P)2021 Forever
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Critic reviews

“Bowen draws on the lives of Nancy Wake and Josephine Baker and the 2018 discovery of a Paris apartment untouched since WWII in this rich historical tale. The stories unearthed in the apartment pique from the first page in this magnetic novel full of tragedy and rich characters.” (Publishers Weekly)

"Kelly Bowen creates an evocative and thrilling glimpse into the lives of two heroic women risking everything in occupied Paris during World War II. A dual-timeline connects past and present; a painting of a house, two matching pendants, and old photographs of a woman act as pivotal clues that bridge between the two, and fine works of art and a heartfelt love story between two people who were destined to meet brings the story full circle. A lovely aha moment at the end and the reminder to make one's life count will make this book and its characters linger long after the last page is turned. A beautiful novel for fans of The Nightingale." (Karen White, New York Times best-selling author of The Last Night in London)

“'A beautifully written cast of characters unraveling the mysteries and humanity of war. Enticing.” (Mandy Robotham, USA Today best-selling author)

What listeners say about The Paris Apartment

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  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
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Stick to one narrator

Loved the story but the overall experience was let down by the use of multiple narrators one of whom almost had me giving up on this listen. Worth persevering if you don’t have time to read the book.

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  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
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Enjoyable WW2 fiction

An array of characters kept pace with an interesting story which held my interest Narration was really good the male narrator was a bit stilted but others where fine

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  • Overall
    1 out of 5 stars
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    1 out of 5 stars

Stilted emotionless narration. Excruciating!

Overall story was mildly interesting but I really cannot recommend this book. Having more than 2 main characters meant that none of them were fully developed. In fact the entire book felt undeveloped. For a novel set in Paris, there were very few references or descriptions of the city. This would be a great Mills & Boon type book. It has that superficial, stereotypical shallow feel to it ~ the women are all stunningly beautiful and the men are all over-the-top handsome. Additionally, there are too many unrealistic scenarios that simply would never have happened. The female narration was dreadful. The performance was totally lacking in emotion, with each word being stiff, overblown and pompous ~ great if that's what's required for the book, but it was not. The female narration was like a visit to a speech therapist or a teacher speaking to a class of five year olds. Male narrator was great, but ultimately not enough to save the book. Waste of money. This is definitely a ZERO star review.

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