From the Publisher
"Kelly Bowen has written another compelling, dual-timeline, WWII/Present Day novel that sucked me in and refused to let go."—TheRomanceDish.com
"The Garden of Lost Secrets did not disappoint."—FreshFiction.com
“Bowen draws on the lives of Nancy Wake and Josephine Baker and the 2018 discovery of a Paris apartment untouched since WWII in this rich historical tale. The stories unearthed in the apartment pique from the first page in this magnetic novel full of tragedy and rich characters.”—Publishers Weekly on The Paris Apartment
"Kelly Bowen's The Paris Apartment is a compelling story of two women navigating the dangers of occupied Paris with bravery and compassion. Bowen paints a richly layered picture of glamour, intrigue, and sacrifice that is at once heartbreaking and hopeful."—Julia Kelly, international bestselling author of The Light Over London, on The Paris Apartment
“A beautifully written cast of characters unraveling the mysteries and humanity of war. Enticing.”—Mandy Robotham, USA Today bestselling author, on The Paris Apartment
"Kelly Bowen creates an evocative and thrilling glimpse into the lives of two heroic women risking everything in occupied Paris during World War II. A beautiful novel for fans of The Nightingale."—Karen White, New York Times bestselling author of The Last Night in London, on The Paris Apartment
Mandy Robotham
A beautifully written cast of characters unraveling the mysteries and humanity of war. Enticing.
Karen White
Kelly Bowen creates an evocative and thrilling glimpse into the lives of two heroic women risking everything in occupied Paris during World War II. A beautiful novel for fans of The Nightingale.
Julia Kelly
Kelly Bowen's The Paris Apartment is a compelling story of two women navigating the dangers of occupied Paris with bravery and compassion. Bowen paints a richly layered picture of glamour, intrigue, and sacrifice that is at once heartbreaking and hopeful.
Library Journal
04/01/2023
Bowen (The Paris Apartment) returns to a familiar subject in this novel. Against the backdrop of a derelict château in France, Bowen shifts time between the present day and Europe during World War II. In the present, Isabelle, a restoration contractor specializing in historic buildings, returns home to purchase the neighboring château whose gardens were her childhood fantasyland. Inspired by their great-grandmother's fairy tales, Isabelle and her architect sister always promised to purchase and restore the château together, were it ever to go on the market. Now Isabelle has the building, but the sisters are estranged. Meanwhile in the historical storyline, Stasia, who spent youthful summers exploring these same gardens, returns to the area as legendary Resistance fighter Briar Rose. Aiding a team of operatives to dismantle Nazi communications headquartered in the château, Stasia reunites with a lost love. VERDICT Bowen has achieved success as a prolific romance author. While this novel is historical fiction framed around real events and directly inspired by real people, fundamental romance characteristics permeate the dual storylines.—Laura A.B. Cifelli
