At first I was worried that this would be a sappy love story. Well, the beginning and the ending were definitely sappy. But the middle part of the book was very interesting and enjoyable to read. ( )

First off, this book is majorly set in a bookstore. Green Leaf Books is just so, ahhh, it's a bookstore! A BOOKSTORE, (need I say more?!) how awesome is that?! I mean, it's beautiful! Sarah Sundin has long been a favorite author of mine, but this one tops the cake!

Until Leaves Fall in Paris isn't quite like the rest of Mrs. Sundin's works ... I mean that due to the fact that there is a little kid as a huge part of the novel, which I loved, by the way, and I was impressed by Mrs. Sundin's ability to handle a character as a child in the same skilled way she does any other character.

Speaking of characters, man, oh man! Lucie, I wasn't sure I'd like or connect with her at the start, but she quickly won me over even if the misunderstandings and harshness toward another character that she made assumptions about was saddening and I got annoyed Lucie was still just the perfect heroine for this story and by the end I loved her character. Paul, oh, Paul! He's just the sweetest and I loved seeing him with his darling little girl, all in all the characters were shown in such a perfect way that even if the story hadn't been so wonderful, I'd have read it for them.

Now for the setting, I loved that Mrs. Sundin took a different setting than most places where World War II is set, too many are on the front lines, to me at least, there's so much not written about at home or in the occupied cities and countries. And not only was it set in Paris, but it was also set in places that were hit a bit differently by the war, it showed just how hard it could be on the normal people, the Jewish who lived and worked in a normal place, the children who were wrongly drawn into choosing sides by their parents' views, and just ... How World War II affected everyone: no matter age, race, employment, home, everything. It was truly heartbreaking to read at times even with the hope that Mrs. Sundin wove throughout the whole of the novel.

With thrilling twist and turns that had me on the edge of my seat, especially the last few chapters, and a faith filled story all wrapped up in the most beautiful covers this is a must read from Sarah Sundin!

Well done on another beloved book, Mrs. Sundin!

My verse for Until Leaves Fall In Paris is Matthew 5:44 (King James Version)
But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you;

I voluntarily received and reviewed a complimentary e-book or physical copy of this book which I received from the author and/or publisher or blog tour coordinator All views expressed are only my honest opinion and are in no way influenced by others' views or wishes. ( )

Another fantastic book by Sarah Sundin. I thoroughly enjoyed getting to know the characters and their personalities.
American ballerina Lucie lives in Paris at the cupse of German occupation. She decides to buy a bookstore from her Jewish friends who are being forced to leave the country. Paul wants to return to the United States with his daughter but the US Army convinces him to keep his factory open and obtain military information. Paul visits the bookstore and Lucie finds herself drawn to him but soon learns that he's a collaborator. Paul wishes he could tell her the truth but too many lives are at stake. Lucie finds herself working for the resistance and finds the truth out about Paul. Their love blossoms as danger increases. Can they make it to the US safely? Will their love see them through? Read the book to find out. You won't be disappointed! ( )

Lucie Girard, American ballerina living in Paris, decides to quit ballet and buy the English-language bookstore run by her Jewish friends, allowing them to escape to America before Hitler's noose closes around them. While she struggles to keep the store running with so many English speakers fleeing France or being interned, she discovers that members of the local resistance are using her store to pass messages, and she wants to help. Meanwhile, Paul Aubrey, widower with a very creative 4-year-old daughter named Josie, runs a factory that produces trucks for civilian use. Because he sells those trucks to the Germans, he's seen as a collaborator by all of his friends, who shun him and his daughter. He can't tell them about the work he's doing to help the US military, especially after it grows into other work for the local resistance. When the time comes for American's to flee or be interned as well, Paul and Lucie will have to trust each other in order to get themselves and little Josie to safety.

This book was beautiful and touching, heartbreaking and uplifting, and I don't think I can say enough about how much I loved it. The symbolism of leaves and the color green is woven throughout the entire book in a way I enjoyed—not always subtly, but I still appreciated how the author built a theme around it all. I adored Josie and the relationship between her and Lucie, as well as Paul's attempts to understand his daughter better. Josie and Feenee are a major highlight of the book.

It seems like it's been a while since I've given a fiction book 5 stars, but this one deserves it. The two main characters are both likeable and interesting. The ballet angle was a new one for me, and while it's not something I know much about, I really enjoyed reading about it. Paul's integrity, even in the face of undeserved hatred, and the way he relies on God to help him through it, is wonderful. The relationship between the two builds in a believable way, without much angst, and it's not the only focus of the book, all of which I appreciate. The first meet between these two is one of the best I've ever read.

Tension builds as the war ramps up, and the last third or so of the book is filled with pulse-pounding, tear-jerking scenes. I loved everything about it, and know without a doubt I will re-read this book in the future. My only real complaint is that Lucie and Josie's names are similar enough in style and appearance that a few times I was confused about what was going on in a scene or who was taking. But other than that, this book has cemented Sarah Sundin as one of my favorite authors (a distinction I don't assign freely). And though it doesn't appear to be part of any series, it is clearly connected to Sundin's previous release, When Twilight Breaks, as the two MCs from that book appear briefly in this one. And it appears that her next book, which I'm excited to read, will be connected as well! In case it's not clear, I definitely recommend this book to anyone who likes historical fiction from this time period in the Christian romance genre.

Thank you to Netgalley and Revell for providing me a copy of this book to review. ( )

Good book to listen to. ( )