An exquisite WWII novel illuminating the strength of three women in occupied Paris, for fans of The Nightingale, The Alice Network and The Lost Girls of Paris.“A truly outstanding novel…reminds us of the power of love, hope and courage.”—Heather Morris, #1 bestselling author of The Tattooist of AuschwitzParis, 1944Celebrated singer Genevieve Dumont is both a star and a smokescreen. An unwilling … 1944
Celebrated singer Genevieve Dumont is both a star and a smokescreen. An unwilling darling of the Nazis, the chanteuse’s position of privilege allows her to go undetected as an ally to the resistance.
When her estranged mother, Lillian de Rocheford, is captured by Nazis, Genevieve knows it won’t be long before the Gestapo succeeds in torturing information out of Lillian that will derail the upcoming allied invasion. The resistance movement is tasked with silencing her by any means necessary—including assassination. But Genevieve refuses to let her mother become yet one more victim of the war. Reuniting with her long-lost sister, she must find a way to navigate the perilous cross-currents of Occupied France undetected—and in time to save Lillian’s life.
In this heart-wrenching novel, bestselling author Karen Robards showcases the extraordinary lengths one goes to save their family from a German prison. A web of spies, the resistance and a vivid portrayal of Paris in wartime.
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If you like historical romance, The Black Swan of Paris is for you. This book kept me up late two nights in a row to finish it. It’s a WWII novel that takes place in Paris in 1944, with all the players you’d expect: Nazis, the French Resistance, British spies, romance, family secrets, believable plot, with tension from page to page. It all combines to an enjoyable read that held my interest throughout. While it is somewhat predictable, I still enjoyed it. If you loved the The Nightingale by Kristin Hannah, you’ll love this one.
I was very sorry when it ended. I admit to loving to read but when I come across a book this good I truly don’t want to see it come to the end because I’m enjoying it so very much. Kudos to Karen Robards!
Very interesting and attention absorbing with constant challenges in avoiding Nazi traps
A page turner and realistic historical fiction.
Good book and fast read
I couldn’t put it down. If you loved Kristin Hannah’s “The Nightingale,” read this book written Naxi-occupied France. Ms. Robards has written a fabulous story with this backdtop..
The danger and suspense never really let up in this spy-type thriller about a prominent singer in Paris using her fame as cover for the French Resistance during WWII.
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…to see the brave and crucial work done by the underground network — especially musicians — during WWII. It shows how family bonds created through unconditional love provide the support one needs to survive even the harshest of circumstances.
• Suspenseful
• Romantic
• Heartbreaking
• Tender
{Thank you to Mira Books & BookClubbish for the free galley.}
I enjoyed Kristen Hanna’s Nightingale and this was a close second. All the books during Hitler’s reign are good reads and you cry because what you are reading I was true
I always love Karen Robards, but this historical action story was difficult for me to stick with.
The story setting is in Nazi occupied Paris in 1944 and central to this story is the beautiful singer and performer, well admired by German soldiers, Genevieve Dumont. Among the admirers, is the ruthless general Claus vonWagner, which Genevieve can use to garner information to help aid the Allied Forces as well as save the life of her captured mother, Lillian the Baroness de Rocheford.
The prose and writing style will make you feel the tension and suffering of the Parisians as well as the Jewish people as they starve and live in fear, while at the same time, you will feel disgust as the Germans are enjoying Paris to the fullest with lavish meals, drinking to their hearts content and enjoying the entertainment. Genevieve as a beloved celebrity enjoys some freedom from the Germans. Because of this, she is able to help the Resistance in plain sight with the help of Max who covers as Genevieve’s manager.
Karen Robards writes a grand story through the eyes of Genevieve. Robards writing is fully transformative as she paints the picture of Paris in the midst of WWII Nazi occupied city. What Genevieve goes through, I share those sentiments as the reader – feeling the danger, suspense, and palpitation as she plays her part as an espionage to beat the Nazis and save lives. The details of the story really captivated me with Robards’ expertly researched story that resonated in the writing of this amazing novel.
I highly recommend this book for fans of WWII historical fiction. The Black Swan of Paris is an incredible book full of suspense, action and thrill of a wonderful espionage story.
I also had the opportunity to listen to the audio book, which was fantastic as narrated by Nancy Peterson – Thank you Harlequin Audio.
a great World War II book about France during that period. Humbling to think about what those people endured.
This entertaining, fast paced, well-written, historical romantic suspense novel takes place during WWII. It is a real page turner, filled with intrigue, which describes some of the heartbreak and horror of this tragic period. The characters are engaging and likable. It has a strong, capable, and brave female protagonist, a compelling hero, strong female secondary characters, heart-warming romance and family bonds, and a happily ever after ending. Ms. Robards never disappoints her readers!
This book had me at the theater. The backstory unfolds slowly, which adds to the tension that is already felt through the setting. Not only was the general theatrical atmosphere accurate, but the author also managed to balance the ominous presence of the Nazis against the magic of the theater. As to the plot itself, has everything a good read should have. There’s intrigue, espionage, romance, and…oh yeah, don’t forget those Nazis. And everyone has secrets. I’m not going to spoil the plot, but let’s just say that it was all very movie-worthy. I always like finding unique settings in historical fiction novels, and this one certainly qualifies. For a detailed review, please visit Fireflies and Free Kicks. Thank you to NetGalley and Harlequin for a digital ARC of the book.
I received a free electronic ARC of this novel from Netgalley, Karen Robards, and Harlequin – MIRA. Thank you all for sharing your hard work with me. I have read this novel of my own volition, and this review reflects my honest opinion of this work. I highly recommend this historical jewel to those who enjoy a rich, historical novel, stories set in France in World War II, or romance novels. Karen Robards doesn’t ever disappoint.
The Black Swan of Paris is a remarkable tale with fully formed characters, and accurate and picturesque WWII background, plus a story that is fully-charged to keep you on the edge of your chair. Even the maid, Berthe Krawiek plays an important part in this tale of espionage and war, and I loved the singer Genevieve Dumont and Max Bonet of the French underground – or is he? Emmanuelle Granville – Emmy – and her mother Baroness Lillian de Rocheford play important and essential roles in this tale, as does Otto. This is a book you cannot put down until the very last word is read.
THE BLACK SWAN OF PARIS is one of the best World War II novels I have read in a long time. I read quite a bit of historical fiction, and this is a breath of fresh air in what sometimes seems like an oversaturated market. A glamorous yet flawed heroine finds herself in the perfect position to help the Allies by infiltrating the upper echelon of the Nazi regime. Things become quite personal when she learns that her estranged mother, part of the French Resistance, has been arrested, and she will do anything to ensure her survival. Author Robards weaves a suspenseful, richly descriptive tale of the days leading up to D-Day giving it an intimate focus, plenty of intrigue, and compelling characters. I was captivated and invested in the story from the first page to last sentence. THE BLACK SWAN OF PARIS is sure to be one of my best books of the year. Highly recommended!
Many thanks to Mira Books for providing an ARC of this book. I voluntarily shared my thoughts and opinions here
Absorbing, intense, and pacey!
The Black Swan of Paris is a suspenseful, thrilling tale set in Paris during WWII that takes us into the life of Genevieve Dumont a beautiful, Parisian performer who uses her charisma, fame, and desirability to acquire crucial information from high-ranking Nazis that will not only aid Allied Forces and the Resistance but also provide her with the intelligence needed to rescue her recently captured mother from the hands of the ruthless enemy.
The prose is descriptive and tense. The characters are committed, supportive, and courageous. And the plot is a compelling mix of life, love, loss, secrets, passion, heartbreak, betrayal, danger, tragedy, survival, friendship, and war.
Overall, The Black Swan of Paris is an emotive, action-packed, gripping tale by Robards that transports you to another time and place and immerses you so thoroughly into the feelings, lives, and personalities of the characters you can’t help but be fully invested and enthralled.
The Black Swan of Paris took me by surprise. I really didn’t expect to like it as much as I did. The story is full of intrigue and danger as I would expect from the time, but there are so many more layers to this one. It is a book about the perils of Paris during the war, but it’s also about family, specifically mothers and daughters, loyalty, friendship, and love. The story is very well written, and the time Karen Robards has taken with research shows in the wonderful descriptions throughout. Then we have the well-drawn characters to draw us in and hold on tight. Everything just comes together for a solid read in the genre, and this is one author I will be reading again.
This book was so good! I’ve read quite a few WW2 books lately and this is one of the best! It had espionage, it had romance and lots of adventure. I enjoyed the story. It’s a page turner! Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the early copy
This book grabbed me, I could almost smell the fear and see the horrors that were being perpetrated on Europe and in this book France during this terrible time in history.
The author gives us a young woman struggling with her grief, and thrown into the limelight as a star the German Regime enjoys seeing. As her manager is a man with many personas, and at times I wondered if Max was really for or against Genevieve. Well, we sure are given a lot of action and found myself looking for answers here.
This is a world at war time, and we don’t know from beginning to end who will survive the horrors that are executed here, and I found myself holding my breath during parts of this read. Praise that we really know how the war ends, but this puts you right in the heat of battle, and lets you know about those behind the scenes who helped at great costs, to bring victory.
We put faces on some of these people and the author did a great job of bring alive this part of a dark time in history.
I received this book through Net Galley and the Publisher MIRA, and was not required to give a positive review.
Genevieve Dumont is a well known star singer across Europe, but what they don’t know is she is also a smoke screen for resistance work. Genevieve left home at a young age, after she was found to have been pregnant and not married. Her parents sent her away to have the baby and she decided to not returned home after. This created a riff between her parents, and her and her sister had a falling out the night of her sisters wedding.
Genevieve, although she struggled at first made a life for herself. She sang for a while over in the US, and then came back to Europe and became a huge star. This is due to the help of her manager, Max. He does all the bookings, and arranging and anything else that needs to be taken care of. Genevieve just has to show up for the most part.
One night after one of her performances, they are traveling home when they get stuck by a convoy of vehicles, who then raid a building. They are stuck with no where to go, and Genevieve watches and listens in horror to people scrambling out of the building, Nazi guards screaming at these people, and gun fire going off. A woman sneaks out a side door and tries to get out of the gate. Genevieve sees she has a small baby in her arms. She does the unthinkable, gets out of the vehicle and attempts to help her.
Max is not happy, what the hell are they going to do with a baby. She can’t have a baby, that would bring down everything she is. People know she wasn’t pregnant and there is no way she can keep this a secret. Max will take care of putting the baby somewhere safe. This event brings up memories from the past and Genevieve feels she has to do something. How can she enjoy the food she is given, the hotel rooms she stays in and have no fear really, when all of these people don’t know when they will get their next meal, or if they will be forced from their home.
One night, she overhears some conversation between Max and another man. Names she hasn’t thought about in a while. Max she has found out, is more than just her manager. He has been using her to help smuggle things across borders because of her security. Max keeps everything close to the heart, and often she has no idea what he does but now she must know. This is her past and she can’t let anything happen to her family, no matter what happened between them years ago.
Genevieve does everything she can to get back into contact with her sister, and to do more to become part of the resistance. She goes so far as dining with the enemy for information. No one knows the truth of who her mother is, and who she really is. Not even Max, but her sneaking around resistance soon gets back to Max and almost costs her, her life. She then has to tell Max some of the story, will he help her?
This was another amazing WWII novel. It was so well written and the storyline just flowed. With as many of these as I read, I still cannot fathom fearing for my meals and life every second of every single day. Thank you to Shelf Pro Awareness and Mira books for the arc! Definitely one to add to your WWII list!