Capucine is captured by the Nazis and held as a prisoner in an old Paris store. Her daughter, Matilde, has been disconnected from her for a long time because Matilde's grandparents didn't approve of her. As Matilde learns that her mother has been taken as a prisoner of war, she begins to fight back against the Nazi regime, in hopes of helping her.

I feel, as in many of Blackwell's books, that the characterization was the strongest point of this book. Matilde and Capucine were of course the strongest pieces, but some of the supporting characters added some depth to the story.

I think the biggest issue for me was the length of this. It felt a bit bloated in places that needed more editing.

Overall, it was a decent story. I would love for Blackwell to spread her wings and find another country to write in.

Thanks for the ARC!

What a unique story! The history in it really drew me in and I enjoyed it more than I thought. I’ll definitely be looking for more from Blackwell.

I received a complimentary copy of this book and was not required to write a favorable review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

I found this to be a well written and unique story based on facts. I love when I can read a historical fiction and learn about things. This is a time in history when French prisoners of the Nazis were held in Paris department store to work. An estranged mother and daughter also find their way back to each other.
Recommended!

I was given a complimentary copy of this book.
All opinions expressed are my own.

The Paris Showroom tells the tale of Jewish prisoners who were forced to repair art and household goods from Jewish families. Their story was very simple and slow moving. The characters seemed very distant and it was difficult to empathize with her story. Still, this novel brings to light a little known piece in history. I recommend this for fans of The Librarian Spy, The Mayfair Bookshop, and The Last Dress from Paris!

This gets 4 stars only due to the uniqueness of the story. I have read quite a large amount of WWII historical fiction and this was the first to touch base on the prisoners that were held in department stores in Paris.

“First they came for the Communists, and I did not speak out, for I was not a Communist…” Thus begins one of the most well-known laments after World War II, a poem that ends “… and then they came for me, and there was no one left to speak out.”

Juliet Blackwell’s latest novel, The Paris Showroom, is about a lesser-known chapter of World War II—that Nazis ran prison camps right in the heart of Paris, hiding them from the citizens who lived there. The book takes us into a France that’s divided among French loyalists, German collaborators, innocent victims, and those who tried to look away from it all.

CLick on the link below for the complete review.

During WWII while the Nazis occupy Paris - Capucine and her father make haute couture fans - both are arrested - Cspucine has an estranged daughter and the story of a disfunctional family and struggle and beliefs makes for a riveting read

I had the honor of interviewing author Juliet Blackwell about her book "The Paris Showroom" for my podcast Storytime in Paris. Here is what I said:

"My guest this week is New York Times Bestselling author Juliet Blackwell. Juliet is a prolific writer. She’s written three mystery series, including the Agatha Award nominated Art Lover’s Mystery series, as well as six novels set in France. Her latest novel, The Paris Showroom, is the story of an estranged mother and daughter, set to the backdrop of 1944 Paris. We follow mom Capucine as she’s taken to a little-known prison camp in the heart of Paris, and daugher Mathilde as she slowly opens her eyes to who she is and what’s happening in the world around her. ⁠
⁠
In our conversation, Juliet discusses how she learned about the prison camps inside Paris under Nazi occupation, how her characters’ arcs mirror the world we currently live in, and how subtlety can be more effective than a bullhorn. Then, she treats us to a reading from “The Paris Showroom.”⁠'

Find the full interview here: parisundergroundradio.com/storytimeinparis

As an avid reader of WWII novels, I am often surprised when I can find a book that teaches me about a new facet about the war. "The Paris Showroom" was an educational read, written in a beautiful way. I think this book would make a great read for a younger audience as it was written with a lighter style. Most WWII books are very heavy reads so this was a pleasant change.

I’m a big historical fiction fan and a fan of this author but I found this book to be just kind of meh. For the most part, o really enjoyed the storyline of the daughter more so than that of the mother. I would have enjoyed a solo story involving the daughter and have had it go more in depth with her activities during the war. All in all not a horrible book but not my favorite one about this time period.

TITLE: THE PARIS SHOWROOM
AUTHOR: Juliet Blackwell
PUB DATE: 04.19.2022

Ahhhh to have another Juliet Blackwell
book on my hands is the feeling of pure joy for this historical fiction loving nurse!

The Paris Showroom tells the story of estranged mother and daughter, Capucine and Mathilda during the Nazi occupation of Paris. I loved the rich details in the story most especially the description of the ateliers, and the Paris Pre- occupation. Through alternating point of views and time frames, we see this story through their eyes and experiences. I always learn something new when I read about these WWII historical fiction stories. This story was heartbreaking but also a very hopeful story.

Thanks to Berkley for this copy of The Paris Showroom by Juliet Blackwell!

I'm pretty picky about my World War II Historical Fiction. I read a lot of it since Historical Fiction is my favorite genre and it feels like every other Historical Fiction is WWII related. Unfortunately this one was a bit of a flop for me.

I learned more about the 3 Parisian work camps especially the one within the Lévitan department store. This to me was the most interesting part of the book and I read a little bit more about this.

Both main characters seemed too naive about everything happening and overall this book was just flat. I was never super invested in the characters either.

Blackwell’s is a different take on Paris during WWII and well worth the read. I was fascinated by the cultural touchstones as well as the look at the social mores of the day. A must read for Paris and WWII fans.
4.5 Stars

Anyone who has read my reviews knows that I love WWII books. Juliet Blackwell wrote a story that intrigued me. I was entirely enthralled by this unique look at Paris during WWII. There is so much to learn from a historical fiction book, in this book I learned so much about what had been happening to those detained by the Germans. I learned that those detained were not all sent to camps, in this book they were sent to a department store. Not all the guards were horrible people, and some did what they could to help the prisoners.



Capucine Benoit had an interesting life before the war. She was a fan maker, she lost her husband, had a daughter, had in-laws that did not appreciate the life she was living, and had a boyfriend that was from the US. I enjoyed seeing how all the before war life choices would play into her war life choices. Capucine’s strength was immense as she was held prisoner. She was a leader within her pod of inmates, she was willing to make choices that pushed her into dangerous territory but never beyond what she could handle, she stayed true to her friends both inmates and non-inmates, and her family was the most important to her. I love Capucine. She was a soft spoken, behind the scenes hero of WWII Paris.



The Paris Showroom gave me a unique look at WWII as told by Capucine and her daughter, Mathilde. I was entirely absorbed into the store and excited to continue reading their story. Capucine is a hero prisoner. She was a leader within her pod of inmates, she was willing to make choices that pushed her into dangerous territory but never beyond what she could handle, she stayed true to her friends both inmates and non-inmates, and her family was the most important to her. Mathilde is someone who grew up with a privileged life with her strong opinionated grandparents. As she goes out in the world and sees what is happening, she realizes that her grandparents opinions are not always the same as hers.



There is so much to learn in The Paris Showroom. Your heart will break at the horrors of WWII but it will soar at the strength of the characters.

Two stories of a mother and a daughter. Both are beautiful, and both journeys to grow and find where they fit within the new world. I have read many historical fiction books that take place during World War II, so much so that the premise really has to offer something different for me to have an interest. The Paris Showroom pulled me in from the beginning and held my attention until the end.

A wonderfully written story of a mother and daughter both in the same city in France during WWII and the Nazi occupation, but not together. Each chapter is told one by the mother, who is a prisoner of the Nazi’s and one told by the daughter who has been living with her paternal grandparents.

The story is told in such a way that you continue turning the pages hoping for the best outcome but wondering if it will ever come. Mother and daughter are estranged, but can what’s happening in France, somehow bring the back together again?

Juliet Blackwell has given us a story that holds your attention and keeps you holding on for the end.

Thank you to #netgalley and #berkleypublishinggroup for allowing me to read the eARC of this book. All opinions expressed above are my own.

A mother daughter duo are in two different places in the same city during World War II. A daughter who has been raised by her grand parents and has blindly followed their lead is starting to question their response to the war and the Nazi way and this book is almost a coming out story as she forges her own path. A mother who has had great love and great sacrifice and has found herself in a department store in custody of the Nazis, but has found a way to make it bearable for herself and those around her.

When I choose a World War II book at this point, I want something that will feel and read differently than the many I have read that take place in this time. This book did that. Staying in Paris and showing two different sides of the same war made this book so interesting and I really enjoyed Mathilde's story as she goes from naive to informed and maybe even active in fighting the Nazi party.

If reading a book set inside a concentration camp during World War II is too much for you, this is a read for you. While Capucine is in a jail, it isn't as hard to read as some of those other books, but gives you a glimpse of this horrible moment in time and that there were experiences in between the extremes that were still hard for humans.

In 1944, Capucine is arrested by the Nazis as a communist, then put to work sorting stolen goods in a requisitioned department store. Her estranged daughter, Mathilde, searches for her, and both become embroiled with the Résistance as the occupation of Paris comes to a dangerous conclusion.

There are so many WWII historical fiction novels available, so I thought I had read about all of the specifics of what went on in Paris during that time. This novel, however, brought to light another kind of “camp” utilized by the Germans throughout the war. Specific types of prisoners (including wives of POWs, antisocials, Jewish spouses of Aryans) were housed in large buildings, where their task was to sort through and clean looted items brought in by the truckload. These items were then displayed in a mockery of a retail store, made available to German officers and their wives or mistresses.

This story is told from Capucine’s first-person POV and Mathilda’s second-person POV. Both women experience so much growth in the short time spanned by this narrative, something Juliet Blackwell excels at, in my opinion! All the characters are relatable in some way, and I especially loved Ezra and Antoinette. Even the “bad” characters are just flawed people that you hope will grow and learn from their mistakes.

I very much enjoyed the inclusion of the beautiful fans and the bits of information about their language, something I had no idea existed! This story is beautiful, heartbreaking, and uplifting all at once. I thought I knew what I was getting with a WWII Paris novel, but I learned many new things and found it an extremely enjoyable bit of literature. The Paris Showroom has a publishing date of April 19, and I highly recommend it!

Many thanks to Berkley, Juliet Blackwell, and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this ARC.

Two stories of a mother and a daughter. Both beautiful and both journeys to grow and find where they fit within the new world. Capucine Benoit has worked alongside her father for years creating beautiful fans. Yet when his beliefs cause him to be taken under the Nazi agenda, Capucine is taken as well. Some quick thinking allows her to stay in Paris and work within a department store as a poisoner of war. Mathilde has next to zero ties to her mother. All she knows is that her mother was a wild artist and that at a young age she left her with her grandparents to be raised. Luckily for her her grandparents have maintained their status during the German occupation so unlike others in Paris she wants for very little.
Together mother and daughter work towards finding out who they are and what do they truly believe in a world where everything is at stake and a tomorrow is not always promised. Can they both keep themselves safe and reunite? And what type of paths might they take in order to survive?

This is just a lovely book. I really enjoyed being able to go back and forth between both mother and daughter. I also loved that this was a new look at the German occupation. I have not come across many books that deal with people who were not placed in concentration camps and instead were forced to help the German agenda. I have already started talking up this book with patrons who love historical fiction.

Thank you so very much to Berkley Publishing Group and Netgalley for allowing me to read an advance copy of this title.

A fresh WWII historical fiction read! A pet peeve of mine is how so many historical fiction books rely on an alternating timeline. The Paris Showroom avoids that in a unique way by instead focusing on alternating timelines between a mother and daughter. I loved the dynamic of this book. I also appreciated the fresh backdrop of a department store and warehouse responsible for sorting stolen goods. I learned a lot from this book.