Melanie Hudson

The Paris Affair is a standout WWII historical fiction novel. There are many stories focusing on people and events during WWII available to readers these days, and most of them are very good reads, but The Paris Affair is special. Sebastian is a complicated, complex man, changed by the horrors of the first World War and now wanting nothing more than to stay in his refuge with his small number of his patients and his garden. He is well-educated, a doctor, somber and thoughtful. He doesn’t feel love and traditional family life are for him and he plans to live out the rest of his life just where he is. Until another war comes along – and Sophie arrives. When the British leave and France is collapsing and the German Army is on the way, as a German doctor he will no longer be safe. Leave, fight or surrender? No good choice there. And his heart is not safe now, either. Against his will and his common sense he seems to have lost it to Sophie. He has choices to make there, too. And they are not easy, either.

The Paris Affair is enthralling, a compelling read that you won’t be able to put down. The action takes place from 1940 – 1945 and rotates among Paris, the Sark Channel Islands, and La Sante Prison where Sebastian is awaiting execution. The transitions are clear and understandable, and just enough information is provided each time to keep your interest peaked. This is the second book I’ve read by author Melanie Hudson and the writing is as excellent as ever. The characters are multi-layered and interesting, the descriptions of the Sark Channel Islands convey their beauty and the horror of war and the feeling of impending doom awaiting the German Army’s arrival feels real. The suspense waiting for Sebastian to be executed – or for there to be a miraculous reunion with Sophie – is nearly excruciating. But well worth the read.

Thanks to Harper Collins One More Chapter UK for providing an advance copy of The Paris Affair via NetGalley for my reading pleasure and honest review. This is a truly remarkable story. I recommend it without hesitation.… (más)