"You left a box for your daughter, and this box Evelina, is for you."

The Paris Daughter is a beautifully written dual timeline story that will have you totally captivated like I was. I absolutely loved the story. I was drawn in from the very first page.
I was so caught up in 1939 France with Evelina and her dream. Following her from when she left home to pursuing her dreams, and the men in her life.
Present day Blake trying to uncover clues to learn more about her great grandmother Evelina.
Courage, love, so many secrets, emotions, strength, power and following one's dreams. A story of self discovery.

Thank you NetGalley and Bookouture for the opportunity to read this book.

1930𝘴 : A remarkable up-and-coming designer. A man enchanted by her beauty. As the two spend years in secrecy and betrayals lace their time together, a mother is forced to make hard decisions.

𝘗𝘳𝘦𝘴𝘦𝘯𝘵 𝘋𝘢𝘺 : Blake once dreamed of being a fashion designer. Now as the chance arrives to embark on a mystery set in the City of Love, she can't not help but be inspired by the essence of time and her lineage as well a very handsome man.

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It is once again a very emotional read and I wish really much to punch one man in particular. Blake and Henri were adorable together and I could practically feel the magic of Paris with the way the book was written.

Ps. I can't wait for what is next in store for this series, especially after that hint of Hope's story.

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3.78 / 5✩

𝘛𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘬𝘴 𝘵𝘰 𝘉𝘰𝘰𝘬𝘰𝘶𝘵𝘶𝘳𝘦 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘕𝘦𝘵𝘨𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘦𝘺. 𝘈𝘭𝘭 𝘵𝘩𝘰𝘶𝘨𝘩𝘵𝘴 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘰𝘱𝘪𝘯𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘴 𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘮𝘺 𝘰𝘸𝘯.

If you love historical novels with a dash of romance and a sprinkle of mystery, "The Paris Daughter" is right up your alley! The story kicks off with Blake, who’s on a mission to dig up her family’s past. Her great-grandmother’s secret—giving up her daughter for adoption in post-WWII Paris—unravels through a series of intriguing discoveries. The book beautifully captures the essence of the era, making you feel like you've time-traveled to those cobbled streets of Paris. The romance and mystery keep things exciting, but I must say, I was left craving a bit more from the ending. Still, it's a fantastic read that I wholeheartedly recommend. I'm definitely diving into the rest of the series!

Paris, 1939: Gazing out at the glittering skyline, Evelina clutches the letter from her love in shaking hands. “I know I do not deserve you, my darling, but I pray that you will change your mind. You have my heart, and I hope that nothing will keep us apart…”

London, present day. Blake gazes down at a scrap of shimmering silver velvet attached to a faded dress design, tracing the details with wonder. They were left with her grandmother at Hope’s House, a home for unmarried mothers, before she was adopted. Now her beloved grandmother has passed, the beautiful fabric and the designer’s signature are the only clues Blake has about her biological family. Will she be able to unravel the decades-old family secret?

Blake can’t get the intricate drawing, and what it could reveal about her family, out of her head. Armed with a plane ticket, a Paris address and the details of a handsome fashion curator named Henri, Blake is determined to find out the truth about her talented great-grandmother Evelina’s life. Perhaps doing so will help Blake get her old spark for designing back, after her dreams have sat forgotten for so long.

This is a beautifully written, well paced novel. I really enjoy dual timelines when they're done right, and Lane does a fantastic job moving both timelines forward, the tales interwoven together seamlessly. The characters are compelling and the plot well paced and fascinating. I highly recommend this to anyone who likes historical fiction set in France! Beautiful!

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the advanced digital reader's copy (ARC) in exchange for an honest review!

Another fantastic installment, but I wouldn't expect anything less! I've really enjoyed this series and hope there will be more. As with the previous books, the author immerses you in the lives of two woman, separated by time and circumstances, and it's always heart-touching to see the storylines come together.

Thank you to Bookouture, NetGalley, and the author for an advanced reading copy.

I absolutely loved this book! The storyline was perfect; I loved how it went between past and present time. Evelina and Blake's stories were so engaging. I could not get enough of this story!

I am absolutely loving this series of books by Soraya Lane. This one combines my two favourite things fashion and the 1930s so it was always to be a winner for me. Can’t wait for the next one.

In the 5th installment of Soraya Lane's The Lost Daughter series we travel to Paris as Blake sets out on a journey into the past as well as the future. When she receives the mysterious box found beneath the floorboards of Hope's House, she is surprised to find two clues, a beautiful sketch of a dress and a piece of velvet fabric. She's even more shocked to discover that her grandmother was adopted and the contents of this box are clues to the identity of her great grandmother. With only an illegible signature to go on, Blake travels to Paris in hopes that someone there can help her identify the person whose design this was and what happened to her. It is then that we meet Evelina Lavigne and follow along on her journey as she flees a controlling father to Paris in hopes of achieving her dream as a designer. When life throws her an unexpected curveball she is forced to make decisions that will break her heart and send her on a path of a recluse. Her tale inspires Blake to take a different path than the one she always thought had to follow and step into her own.

Each installment of the Lost Daughter series is better than the last and you truly feel like you are walking alongside the characters as they discover things about their heritage and themselves that they never knew before. In The Paris Daughter, the words flow effortlessly on the page much like that fabric of the exquisite clothes Evelina designs. You are taken on a tour of Paris in an immersive experience where you can actually smell the fresh coffee and croissants.

thank you so much to NetGalley, Bookouture and Soraya Lane for allowing me to read this story before it hits the shelves. I am eagerly awaiting the next installment!!!

I have loved all the novels I have read by Lane, but this is now my new favorite.

Present day London as Bake is introduced to us. She has discovered a piece of fabric with a signature at her grandmothers’ home. Now that her grandmother has passed she seeks clues to her biological family.

Blake ends up in Paris and hoping to meet Henri, who might know more about her grandmother’s past. He is a fashion curator and the mystery starts to unravel as they get to know each other. What will be discovered is a romance that could lead to more details about her family.
Was meeting Henri a mistake or could it be the for the best? A story about romance, love, passion, loss and finding yourself. I absolutely adore this author and always look forward to her books.

Another wonderful dual timeline story by one of my favorite authors, this time set in the City of Love, that reveals the interconnected stories of a famed Parisian clothes designer, Evalina, and her great-granddaughter Blake, who wants to find the truth about an adoption in the family. Immersive, romantic, poignant, compelling!

I absolutely loved The Paris Daughter ! This beautifully written, mesmerising dual timeline captivated me from the first page. I could not set it down until I finished reading it. And then I did not want it to end! I became totally immersed in the plotlines and emotionally invested in the characters to the point the outside world evaporated. Time sped by unnoticed while I followed Evelina and Blake through their journeys of secrets, discoveries, heartbreak, dreams and talent.

I adore dual timelines set in Paris and ones that include historical fashion designers. And this one had it all. I was hooked, reeled in and caught by Ms. Lane’s spellbinding mystery. Her writing is powerful and moving and the story flowed perfectly at the right pace. No wasted words, no lagging behind or rushed experiences. Dreamy, full sensory descriptions transported me to Paris. And the characters were so well drawn it seemed they could step off the page into the real world at any moment. They felt like friends I did not want to say good-bye to in this lifetime. I cared greatly about their dilemmas and outcomes and experienced their highs and lows through the rich and smoothly delivered text. My emotional heart certainly got a work out!

Hope House was a wonderful part of this story in how one woman’s kindness saved and helped so many women who fell pregnant who were robbed of choices or support. Even the hospitals in the 30s and 40s did not provide the comfort these women needed. But kindness oozed from this good Samaritan lady who knew what it was like to be abandoned and treated unfairly by others. This is a very uplifting part of the story.

When Evelina becomes the first woman to enter Hope House, the owner does not know she is a famous designer. Regardless, she is treated with respect and made to feel welcome and safe. And is not pressured to make a decision of whether to keep the baby or put he/she up for adoption. I got a real sense of how difficult it would have been for these women to be at such a crossroad. I liked the idea of the box with a couple special memorable items as a parting gift from the mother to their child. A tangible way to say good bye. But leaving the door open for a future encounter. A link to the past— in case one day he/she might seek out the birth mother or want to know more about her. Evelina being a fashion/dress designer, chooses for her box very appropriate items. It is this drawing and piece of material that remains that touches her great granddaughter and allows her to reach out and learn about this woman who is part of her own DNA. So, in fact, it serves its purpose well.

Blake’s idea to write about her experience goes over extremely well with her boss for the digital magazine. This sends her on a trip to Paris to uncover clues about her great grandmother. In doing so, it also re-awakens her own artistic talent in dress designing (obviously an inherited talent). In Paris, she rediscovers herself, finds love and a new direction whilst seeking out information on her great grandmother for the feature article segment. One of the people who helps her uncover clues about Evelina is Henri which leads to a giant surprise when he takes her to his family’s home. Where even more of her dreams are activated.

In the historical timeline we follow Evelina’s life from leaving her controlling father, to pursuing her dream in Paris, the men she falls in love with and the heartbreak she endures. The story explores the tragic truth of male dominance in the fashion industry and how talented female designers (like Evelina) created the designs but got no credit because a male designer put his name on the label. The author uses this information well to paint a picture of frustration and injustice. Coco Chanel is mentioned as being an exception to the rule as she built her own empire and was an inspiration to many women designers.

This is a captivating story filled with secrets, power, courage and love. It not only shows the importance of following your dreams but also sometimes the cost. Yet it is still important to be true to yourself. Blake goes on a mission to Paris for a job that has a personal connection. She not only gets the inspiration for her story but also finds the missing pieces of her life. I totally recommend this gorgeous, uplifting and transforming novel. One of the most enjoyable reads this year. 5 Stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Thanks to Bookouture and Netgalley for the review copy.

What a stunningly powerful and moving book. I was totally lost in the worlds of Eveline and Blake - great-grandmother and granddaughter, one searching for the other's story as she writers new content for her magazine's brand new online platform. Blake - it's hard not to fall in love with her. She has a heart of gold who has been through so much and boy does she go on such a journey. I want to know more, I wanted Eveline to have a happy after ever. For her to be brave and to keep fighting. She deserved such a better life.

I loved Blake courage in the end and that she got the happy ending her great-grandmother should have been given. I've been wanting to read Soraya's books, this series for so long, so I am honoured to be given an arc to this beautiful book. I'm now off to find anymore of her books because I'm now a fan for sure.

A beautifully written story. Evalina’s desire to follow her dreams determines her decisions. Her choices are not always the best. She has the courage of her convictions. The dual timeline dovetails really well. Both storylines are set mainly in Paris, the City of Love. London features in both time periods. Blake finally embarks on her quest to discover the facts surrounding her grandmother’s adoption. The puzzle pieces finally fit together until Blake discovers who she is at heart. As one of the other Lost Daughters says…the box changed my whole life! A truly emotional, poignant & intriguing story…and that’s just the half of it!