Last Christmas in Paris: A Captivating Tale of Love and Loss During World War I

BNichols: This book was so well crafted, and I couldn't put it down! It really felt like I was falling in love with the characters as they fell for each other. If you love historical fiction, you need to read this book!

United States on Oct 23, 2023

Rebecca: Great book. I couldn't put it down. Very well written. Ir had some twists I wasn't expecting. I recommend you read it too.

United States on Oct 23, 2023

Michele: The format of this book makes it such a delightful read! The story will touch your heart! I finished it in one day—didn’t want to put it down! You will cry—you will laugh—your heart will be touched!

United States on Aug 13, 2023

Sherry Sharpnack: This book was a good cry and I have such a book hangover that I can't start a new book until tomorrow.
"Last Christmas in Paris..." is written in the back-and-forth-in-time format which is the de rigeur format for wartime historical fiction these days, apparently. This novel is unique in that it is almost completely epistolary, which makes the story more immediate, IMHO. Only the present-day (1968) chapters are not in letter form. I feel like I am living the story of Evie, a privileged young woman in 1914 London, as she writes to her friend Alice and to her brother and her brother's friend, Thomas, who have both left for the war in France, which everyone believes will be over by Christmas. As we all know, WWI dragged on for four years of slaughter. Uniquely, we read not only of the nastiness of the war, but also of the propaganda and hiding of the true facts from the home front, as Evie finds out as she begins writing a "women's column" for Thomas' family newspaper.
I can't say much more about the plot as it unfolds w/o spoilers, so I will just give the book a full 5 stars for a really enjoyable Christmas read.

United States on Dec 22, 2022

Michele: After getting used to reading the story via posted letters, I really enjoyed and was pulled into the story.
Thoroughly enjoyed the story thread and writing style.

United Kingdom on Dec 05, 2022

Jennifer Lowd: I so enjoyed this book! We can hardly remember what it was like to write letters and anxiously await the mail to be delivered, hoping for a reply....imagine how precious letters to the front from home and vice versa were! How on earth did letters get through so efficiently over years of war? What a beautiful story of love and war, so cleverly written through an exchange of letter.

Canada on Feb 26, 2020

Guylou: This dynamic duo writer team did it again. They delivered a wonderful love story that takes place during WWI. Thomas knows that his days are counted, and he wants to be in Paris to read the last letter from the love of his life. But before he does, he rereads all the correspondence written between 1914 and 1918 by him, Evie, Will, Alice, and many others. The letters offer the reader a beautiful picture of friendship, courage, despair, and love.

This novel is beautifully written, and the characters are superb. Each letter brought me closer to understand their feelings and struggles. I love the gallantry of these times, and how respectful people were to one and another. The story did not hide the ugliness of the war, but it shined a light on the men and women who courageously served their country even when it no longer made sense. If you are a history novel lover, this is a must-read.

Canada on Jan 20, 2020

Angart: This was an enjoyable novel. Perfect for a wet Sunday afternoon. Written as a series of letters, primarily between Evie, a privileged young woman living in London, and Tom, her brother’s best fiend, who is fighting in the trenches in France, during World War One. I have read a lot of novels set during this period, so I did not learn anything new, but I did enjoy the stylish writing. I did however feel this is very much a ‘Woman’s book’ and it does a good job of portraying Evies sentiments, but Tom’s situation was not as well conveyed. The book was constrained by it’s ‘correspondence’ format. Tom’s letters had to be censored, so the authors were unable to write much about the battles, nor even say where Tom was. ‘Somewhere in France’, was just too vague! So if like me, you are looking for a bit more realism and drama, I recommend you read ‘Good Sons’ by Greg Hall. It is the best World War One novel I have read. A real ripping good yarn!

Australia on Oct 16, 2019

nitasha nayaknitasha nayak: 📜Book Review 📜
📜 Last Christmas in Paris by Hazel Gaynor and Heather Webb.
📜 Genre : Historical fiction, Romance.
📜Storyline :
Q. Did the story have a good beginning?
A. The start was slow and it was a very slow book altogether.
Q. What was the most exciting moment in the book?
A. When Evie's mother turned out to be an angel rather than a devil I was thinking her to be.
Q. Did you want to read the book to the end? Why?
A. It was very slow and it took me ages to complete it. But then again the story won't allow you to drop the book.
Q. Were you happy with the ending?
A. This book has the happiest of happy endings ever unlike all the historical fiction i had read.
📜Setting :
Q. When and where is your novel set?
A. London and Paris during 1914-1918.
Q. Was there anything unusual or different about it?
A. It not only covers the struggles of the ones who were fighting at the front, but also has a take on the struggles of their loved ones go through.
📜Characters :
Q. Pick up the main character in the novel you studied .
A. Evie, Thomas, Alice, Will, John, Delphine, Margaret.
Q. If you could ask them any...

India on Jan 04, 2019

teachlz: Last Christmas in Paris by Hazel Gaynor
Last Christmas in Paris: A Novel of World War I
by Hazel Gaynor (Goodreads Author), Heather Webb (Goodreads Author)
9286778
Linda Zagon's review Oct 01, 2017 · edit
it was amazing

MY REVIEW OF "LAST CHRISTMAS IN PARIS' by Hazel Gaynor and Heather Webb

WOW! Can you imagine reading a book about "The Great War" World War 1, and not only absorb the devastation, emotional and physical distress of both the men and women involved, and yet feel the love, friendship, faith and hope?

Authors Hazel Gaynor and Heather Webb have teamed up to write "Last Christmas in Paris". The Genres of this book are Historical Fiction and Women's Fiction. with a dash of Romance. The timeline of this novel takes place during World War 1, a few years after and then in 1968. The story takes place in England, France, Paris and Scotland.

I appreciate the authors' historical research to clarify the details during the war and this time period in history and the political events surrounding this.

The authors describe the characters' personalities, and how they change during these complex and complicated times. Evie Elliott, a...

United States on Oct 03, 2017