Reviews

Last Christmas in Paris: A Novel of World War I by Heather Webb, Hazel Gaynor

cmcclure9's review against another edition

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4.0

3.5 rounded up. I listened to the audio version and the varied narrators added to the experience of the book.

insearchof_wonder_'s review against another edition

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emotional slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.0

I don't see it as a Christmas read because it's too heavy for that, so I read it in January. Excellent epistolary novel set in WW1 between a British lieutenant and and old family friend. Friends-to- lovers,  wonderfully told. Interspersed with some flash forwards to the hero's last Christmas in Paris at the end of his life. Or are the letters the flashbacks...? Huh. 

Anyway, great book. 👍

josee_butler's review against another edition

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5.0

I’m not crying, you are.

smalltownbookmom's review against another edition

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4.0

I loved this WWI historical fiction love story told in letters. The authors did such a great job highlighting the different experiences people went through over the course of the first World War, from women finding new independence working outside the home, to the ones serving on the front and the men's experiences as both soldiers and wounded/recovering invalids. Highly recommended and great on audio with a full cast. A heartwarming Christmas tale perfect for fans of authors like Jojo Moyes or Mary Ann Shaffer's The Guernsey literary and potato peel pie society.

serenitylive's review against another edition

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5.0

A lovely epistolary novel set in WWI, a great love story, and a glimpse into what the war seemed like in the papers compared to what it really felt like at the front. My heart broke a few times. It was mostly mended in the end.

kristif's review against another edition

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funny hopeful inspiring reflective sad medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes

5.0

catbookishlife's review against another edition

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3.0

Last Christmas in Paris: lido durante a época natalícia e sendo um romance epistolar, ainda que passado na I Guerra Mundial, fez-me querer voltar a escrever cartas e a esperar por resposta.
Por um tempo em que o próprio tempo passava mais devagar.

Conhecemos uma personagem principal feminina muito forte, cheia de ideais e convicções.
Evie quer ser escritora, não quer que o seu propósito de vida seja unicamente o casamento, mas a Inglaterra está em guerra e o seu irmão Will e o melhor amigo Thomas, alistam-se pensando que a guerra terminará no próximo natal.

Nisto começa uma troca de cartas frenética entre Evie e vários correspondentes, mas a que se mantém com mais intensidade é entre Evie e Thomas, o melhor amigo do irmão. Acompanhamos o desabrochar desta bonita amizade que vai tornando-se cada vez mais forte e em algo mais, mas também cada vez mais impossível, com todas as atrocidades que se vivem em tempos de guerra.

Depois de ter amado com todo o meu coração "The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society", e de não me cansar de falar dele, uma amiga recomendou-me este romance, por também ser num formato muito idêntico.
Tem algumas partes narrativas, por ter dois espaços temporais, mas no passado, toda a duração da guerra, é escrita em cartas e ainda que tenha gostado, não senti tanta naturalidade.
Talvez por ter lido os dois muito próximos e por ter amado o primeiro, este ficou mais á quem das expectativas.

Ainda assim, foi uma boa experiência de leitura

hudsonpeeps's review against another edition

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4.0

Beautiful love story. Not really a Christmas book though.

knynas1's review against another edition

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This book has heart and I give it a solid 4.5 stars! I truly enjoyed the main characters, Tom and Evie. The story follows their journey through all four years of World War I in the letters that they wrote to one another, their family and their friends. At times it was funny, and at others it was heartbreaking. I appreciate the research that went into the accuracy of the story being told. I highly recommend reading this in November or December as it adds to the ambiance of the story. A truely enjoyable read for lovers of strong female characters, romance, historical fiction and the written word.

sheffies's review against another edition

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challenging dark emotional hopeful informative inspiring reflective sad medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.5