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All the Ways We Said Goodbye
The New York Times bestselling authors of The Glass Ocean and The Forgotten Room return with a glorious historical adventure that moves from the dark days of two World Wars to the turbulent years of the 1960s, in which three women with bruised hearts find refuge at Paris’ legendary Ritz hotel.
The heiress . . .
The Resistance fighter . . .
The widow . . .
Three women whose fates are joined by one splendid hotel
France, 1914. As war breaks out, Aurelie becomes trapped on the wrong side of the front with her father, Comte Sigismund de Courcelles. When the Germans move into their family’s ancestral estate, using it as their headquarters, Aurelie discovers she knows the German Major’s aide de camp, Maximilian Von Sternburg. She and the dashing young officer first met during Aurelie’s debutante days in Paris. Despite their conflicting loyalties, Aurelie and Max’s friendship soon deepens into love, but betrayal will shatter them both, driving Aurelie back to Paris and the Ritz— the home of her estranged American heiress mother, with unexpected consequences.
France, 1942. Raised by her indomitable, free-spirited American grandmother in the glamorous Hotel Ritz, Marguerite “Daisy” Villon remains in Paris with her daughter and husband, a Nazi collaborator, after France falls to Hitler. At first reluctant to put herself and her family at risk to assist her grandmother’s Resistance efforts, Daisy agrees to act as a courier for a skilled English forger known only as Legrand, who creates identity papers for Resistance members and Jewish refugees. But as Daisy is drawn ever deeper into Legrand’s underground network, committing increasingly audacious acts of resistance for the sake of the country—and the man—she holds dear, she uncovers a devastating secret . . . one that will force her to commit the ultimate betrayal, and to confront at last the shocking circumstances of her own family history.
France, 1964. For Barbara “Babs” Langford, her husband, Kit, was the love of her life. Yet their marriage was haunted by a mysterious woman known only as La Fleur. On Kit’s death, American lawyer Andrew “Drew” Bowdoin appears at her door. Hired to find a Resistance fighter turned traitor known as “La Fleur,” the investigation has led to Kit Langford. Curious to know more about the enigmatic La Fleur, Babs joins Drew in his search, a journey of discovery that that takes them to Paris and the Ritz—and to unexpected places of the heart. . . .
The heiress . . .
The Resistance fighter . . .
The widow . . .
Three women whose fates are joined by one splendid hotel
France, 1914. As war breaks out, Aurelie becomes trapped on the wrong side of the front with her father, Comte Sigismund de Courcelles. When the Germans move into their family’s ancestral estate, using it as their headquarters, Aurelie discovers she knows the German Major’s aide de camp, Maximilian Von Sternburg. She and the dashing young officer first met during Aurelie’s debutante days in Paris. Despite their conflicting loyalties, Aurelie and Max’s friendship soon deepens into love, but betrayal will shatter them both, driving Aurelie back to Paris and the Ritz— the home of her estranged American heiress mother, with unexpected consequences.
France, 1942. Raised by her indomitable, free-spirited American grandmother in the glamorous Hotel Ritz, Marguerite “Daisy” Villon remains in Paris with her daughter and husband, a Nazi collaborator, after France falls to Hitler. At first reluctant to put herself and her family at risk to assist her grandmother’s Resistance efforts, Daisy agrees to act as a courier for a skilled English forger known only as Legrand, who creates identity papers for Resistance members and Jewish refugees. But as Daisy is drawn ever deeper into Legrand’s underground network, committing increasingly audacious acts of resistance for the sake of the country—and the man—she holds dear, she uncovers a devastating secret . . . one that will force her to commit the ultimate betrayal, and to confront at last the shocking circumstances of her own family history.
France, 1964. For Barbara “Babs” Langford, her husband, Kit, was the love of her life. Yet their marriage was haunted by a mysterious woman known only as La Fleur. On Kit’s death, American lawyer Andrew “Drew” Bowdoin appears at her door. Hired to find a Resistance fighter turned traitor known as “La Fleur,” the investigation has led to Kit Langford. Curious to know more about the enigmatic La Fleur, Babs joins Drew in his search, a journey of discovery that that takes them to Paris and the Ritz—and to unexpected places of the heart. . . .
448 pages, Hardcover
First published January 14, 2020
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 2,067 reviews
October 17, 2019
I would describe this as primarily a mystery of family lineage with the thrill of untangling the relationships of the characters in the past set over three different time periods. Secondly, I describe this as a romance. Each of the main characters has their own romantic relationship that is flourishing.
Summary: In 1914, heiress Aurelie seeks to restructure her future while war breaks out. In 1942, Daisy joins the resistance though her husband works for the Nazi's. In 1964, shortly after her the death of her husband, Babs decides to find someone code-named “Le Fluer” who was part of the resistance during WW2 but had an alleged relationship with her husband.
Historically: The focus is not on the resistance, their fight, or the war. The reader does see a bit of resistance occur, but it is short-lived because the focus always turns back to the budding romance. The story revolves around their relationships. It very briefly mentions a few things that other novels have included such as Coco Chanel and the Velodrome. The Jews and their suffering are not detailed. The setting is historical, but historically nothing new is learned.
Chapter Organization : Each chapter alternates between three main characters: Aurelie, Daisy, and Babs. This takes adjusting on part of the reader. Each chapter is not short, so when a new chapter started, I often found myself having to internally remind myself which character that was and their background before beginning.
Rating Explained : There were a lot of scenes in Babs chapters that I found hard to believe. The story moved at a moderate pace until around 83% when the missing pieces of the lineage and relationship puzzle start to come together. (However, it was easy to predict most of these pieces.) This is a romantic mystery that takes place in the past. Overall, I kept reading to confirm my suspicions about the mystery concerning the relationships set in the past.
Thank you to NetGalley, Edelweiss, and HarperCollins for a copy. Opinions are my own.
Summary: In 1914, heiress Aurelie seeks to restructure her future while war breaks out. In 1942, Daisy joins the resistance though her husband works for the Nazi's. In 1964, shortly after her the death of her husband, Babs decides to find someone code-named “Le Fluer” who was part of the resistance during WW2 but had an alleged relationship with her husband.
Historically: The focus is not on the resistance, their fight, or the war. The reader does see a bit of resistance occur, but it is short-lived because the focus always turns back to the budding romance. The story revolves around their relationships. It very briefly mentions a few things that other novels have included such as Coco Chanel and the Velodrome. The Jews and their suffering are not detailed. The setting is historical, but historically nothing new is learned.
Chapter Organization : Each chapter alternates between three main characters: Aurelie, Daisy, and Babs. This takes adjusting on part of the reader. Each chapter is not short, so when a new chapter started, I often found myself having to internally remind myself which character that was and their background before beginning.
Rating Explained : There were a lot of scenes in Babs chapters that I found hard to believe. The story moved at a moderate pace until around 83% when the missing pieces of the lineage and relationship puzzle start to come together. (However, it was easy to predict most of these pieces.) This is a romantic mystery that takes place in the past. Overall, I kept reading to confirm my suspicions about the mystery concerning the relationships set in the past.
Thank you to NetGalley, Edelweiss, and HarperCollins for a copy. Opinions are my own.
February 16, 2020
Three formidable women. Three different time periods. One hotel that connects their stories together. This is the premise of
All the Ways We Said Goodbye
, which is the latest work of historical fiction from the famous ‘Team W’ – authors Beatriz Williams, Lauren Willig, and Karen White. I’m familiar with each of these 3 author’s works individually, however this is my first time reading one of their collaborative efforts (though I have their previous two collaborations on my bookshelf waiting for me), and seeing how much I enjoyed this one, I am definitely grateful for the opportunity.
The story opens first in the year 1964, with recently widowed Barbara “Babs” Langford at a crossroads trying to figure out her life after the death of her beloved husband Kit. When Babs receives a letter from an American lawyer named Drew Boudoin seeking her help with locating a Resistance fighter whom her husband possibly knew while working in Nazi-occupied France during World War II, she agrees to join him in a search that finds them traveling to Paris and the famous Ritz hotel. We are then taken back to the year 1914, at the onset of the Great War, where Aurelie, the daughter of the Comte de Courcelles, decides to leave her mother, who has been residing at the Ritz hotel in Paris, to accompany her father at their ancestral estate in Picardy, France. Not long after she arrives, the estate is taken over by German troops who requisition the home as well as its surrounding area for their headquarters. During this time, Aurelie discovers that she actually knows one of the German officers – Max von Sternburg – from her debutante days in Paris and despite being on opposite sides, they strike up a friendship that later develops into something more. The timeline then switches to 1942, where Marguerite “Daisy” Villon lives with her Nazi collaborator husband Pierre and their 2 children in Paris, a few blocks from the Hotel Ritz where she grew up and where the grandmother who raised her still lives. After some persuasion, Daisy agrees to assist in her grandmother’s Resistance efforts by helping to deliver identity papers created by a skilled forger named Legrand, to Jewish refugees. Eventually, Daisy gets pulled deeper into the Resistance network, where working closer and closer with Legrand with change her life in ways she never expected.
The first thing that struck me about this novel was the seamlessness of the writing in that, to me at least, there was really no way to tell that 3 different authors were involved with writing this -- this is significant given that, in their individual works, each author has her own distinct style of writing, yet here, those different styles were pretty much indistinguishable. Given the way the story was structured – with three alternating timelines anchored by three women with distinctly different personalities – I was impressed by how cohesively the narratives flowed together. In addition to some clever transitions thrown in that linked the end of each chapter to the beginning of the next one (which I actually didn’t catch on to until about a third of the way through the novel), the various plot points were also well-crafted in terms of joining the timelines together in a way that still left room for each character’s individual stories to be told. Speaking of the characters – one of the things I liked most about this book was the character development aspect, especially with regard to the 3 female protagonists, all of whom I found myself rooting for. Even the male characters were written well, which isn’t always easy to do when the female characters in the story are strong and at the forefront of driving each of the narratives forward – I felt that the authors were able to strike a good balance in this aspect in terms of giving us strong, well-developed characters on both sides.
With all that said however, I did struggle a little bit with the rating on this one, as there were a few things about this book that I had a problem with, which is why, in the end, I chose to rate this 4 stars instead of 5. One of the biggest issues was the emotional depth of the story, which I found surprisingly lacking given the setting against the backdrop of 2 World Wars -- I was expecting to be more moved by the story and even shed a tear or two, but that didn’t happen. Perhaps the reason for this is, while there were plenty of historical elements, all of which were incorporated well into each of the narratives, the focus of the story overall seemed to lean more heavily toward the romance aspect and the relationships between the characters. Of course, nothing wrong with this per se, but since I’m more of a historical fiction fan and less keen on romance, it makes sense that this would impact my reading experience a bit. Another thing was that the plot elements were largely predictable in that, from the first chapter, I kind of already knew the direction that the story would be headed (and it turns out I was spot-on in terms of how all 3 narratives tied together), so there ended being no surprises or “gut-punch” moments for me.
Overall, I did enjoy reading this one, as it had many of the things I expect in a good book: a compelling, well-written story that kept me turning the pages; well-developed, complex characters that I felt invested in (to different extents); a relatively fast-paced plot that flowed well; and of course, a well-incorporated historical setting. I think fans of the 3 authors will love this one and while it wasn’t necessarily a “favorite” in my book, I liked it well enough to want to go back through all 3 authors’ backlists as well as read the previous two ‘Team W’ works that they did – hopefully some time in the near future, I will have time to do so!
Received ARC from William Morrow (HarperCollins) via NetGalley.
The story opens first in the year 1964, with recently widowed Barbara “Babs” Langford at a crossroads trying to figure out her life after the death of her beloved husband Kit. When Babs receives a letter from an American lawyer named Drew Boudoin seeking her help with locating a Resistance fighter whom her husband possibly knew while working in Nazi-occupied France during World War II, she agrees to join him in a search that finds them traveling to Paris and the famous Ritz hotel. We are then taken back to the year 1914, at the onset of the Great War, where Aurelie, the daughter of the Comte de Courcelles, decides to leave her mother, who has been residing at the Ritz hotel in Paris, to accompany her father at their ancestral estate in Picardy, France. Not long after she arrives, the estate is taken over by German troops who requisition the home as well as its surrounding area for their headquarters. During this time, Aurelie discovers that she actually knows one of the German officers – Max von Sternburg – from her debutante days in Paris and despite being on opposite sides, they strike up a friendship that later develops into something more. The timeline then switches to 1942, where Marguerite “Daisy” Villon lives with her Nazi collaborator husband Pierre and their 2 children in Paris, a few blocks from the Hotel Ritz where she grew up and where the grandmother who raised her still lives. After some persuasion, Daisy agrees to assist in her grandmother’s Resistance efforts by helping to deliver identity papers created by a skilled forger named Legrand, to Jewish refugees. Eventually, Daisy gets pulled deeper into the Resistance network, where working closer and closer with Legrand with change her life in ways she never expected.
The first thing that struck me about this novel was the seamlessness of the writing in that, to me at least, there was really no way to tell that 3 different authors were involved with writing this -- this is significant given that, in their individual works, each author has her own distinct style of writing, yet here, those different styles were pretty much indistinguishable. Given the way the story was structured – with three alternating timelines anchored by three women with distinctly different personalities – I was impressed by how cohesively the narratives flowed together. In addition to some clever transitions thrown in that linked the end of each chapter to the beginning of the next one (which I actually didn’t catch on to until about a third of the way through the novel), the various plot points were also well-crafted in terms of joining the timelines together in a way that still left room for each character’s individual stories to be told. Speaking of the characters – one of the things I liked most about this book was the character development aspect, especially with regard to the 3 female protagonists, all of whom I found myself rooting for. Even the male characters were written well, which isn’t always easy to do when the female characters in the story are strong and at the forefront of driving each of the narratives forward – I felt that the authors were able to strike a good balance in this aspect in terms of giving us strong, well-developed characters on both sides.
With all that said however, I did struggle a little bit with the rating on this one, as there were a few things about this book that I had a problem with, which is why, in the end, I chose to rate this 4 stars instead of 5. One of the biggest issues was the emotional depth of the story, which I found surprisingly lacking given the setting against the backdrop of 2 World Wars -- I was expecting to be more moved by the story and even shed a tear or two, but that didn’t happen. Perhaps the reason for this is, while there were plenty of historical elements, all of which were incorporated well into each of the narratives, the focus of the story overall seemed to lean more heavily toward the romance aspect and the relationships between the characters. Of course, nothing wrong with this per se, but since I’m more of a historical fiction fan and less keen on romance, it makes sense that this would impact my reading experience a bit. Another thing was that the plot elements were largely predictable in that, from the first chapter, I kind of already knew the direction that the story would be headed (and it turns out I was spot-on in terms of how all 3 narratives tied together), so there ended being no surprises or “gut-punch” moments for me.
Overall, I did enjoy reading this one, as it had many of the things I expect in a good book: a compelling, well-written story that kept me turning the pages; well-developed, complex characters that I felt invested in (to different extents); a relatively fast-paced plot that flowed well; and of course, a well-incorporated historical setting. I think fans of the 3 authors will love this one and while it wasn’t necessarily a “favorite” in my book, I liked it well enough to want to go back through all 3 authors’ backlists as well as read the previous two ‘Team W’ works that they did – hopefully some time in the near future, I will have time to do so!
Received ARC from William Morrow (HarperCollins) via NetGalley.
July 16, 2020
EXCERPT: I stopped, noticing an unusual postage stamp on one of the envelopes. It was a red US airmail eight-cent stamp showing a picture of aviatrix Amelia Earhart. My name and address had been scribbled in barely comprehensible letters on the front in bold, black ink. Definitely not a graduate of a British boarding school then, so perhaps not a school friend of Kit's offering condolences.
I looked at the top left corner to read the return address. A. Bowdoin, Esq., Willig, Williams & White, 5 Wall Street, New York, NY. I assumed Bowdoin was either a funeral director or a lawyer, having never clearly understood the difference between the two when it came to death and taxes.
Climbing the stairs, I slid my finger under the flap and began tearing the envelope, not wanting to go through the bother of retrieving a letter opener. Tucking the rest of the post under one arm, I pulled out a piece of letterhead paper and began to read.
Dear Mrs. Langford,
My condolences on the death of your late husband, Christopher Langford. I never had the pleasure of meeting him, but my father, Walter, was a huge admirer and shared with me many stories of your husband's bravery and courage during the war.
We only recently became aware of your husband's passing when an old war friend of my father's mailed him the obituary from the Times. It took a while to find us, which is why it has taken me so long to contact you. I realise my letter might be a surprise and might even be an imposition at best. But I hope that you might bear with me so that I might explain myself and perhaps even enlist your assistance.
In the obituary, it mentioned your husband's brave exploits in France as well as his involvement with the French Resistance fighter known only as La Fleur. As you may or may not be aware, she has reached nearly mythical proportions in French lore - to the point where some say she never even really existed.
My slow progress up the stairs halted, and I grabbed the banister, the other envelopes slipping from their hold under my arm before gently cascading down the steps. La Fleur.
ABOUT THIS BOOK: The heiress . . .
The Resistance fighter . . .
The widow . . .
Three women whose fates are joined by one splendid hotel
France, 1914. As war breaks out, Aurelie becomes trapped on the wrong side of the front with her father, Comte Sigismund de Courcelles. When the Germans move into their family’s ancestral estate, using it as their headquarters, Aurelie discovers she knows the German Major’s aide de camp, Maximilian Von Sternburg. She and the dashing young officer first met during Aurelie’s debutante days in Paris. Despite their conflicting loyalties, Aurelie and Max’s friendship soon deepens into love, but betrayal will shatter them both, driving Aurelie back to Paris and the Ritz— the home of her estranged American heiress mother, with unexpected consequences.
France, 1942. Raised by her indomitable, free-spirited American grandmother in the glamorous Hotel Ritz, Marguerite “Daisy” Villon remains in Paris with her daughter and husband, a Nazi collaborator, after France falls to Hitler. At first reluctant to put herself and her family at risk to assist her grandmother’s Resistance efforts, Daisy agrees to act as a courier for a skilled English forger known only as Legrand, who creates identity papers for Resistance members and Jewish refugees. But as Daisy is drawn ever deeper into Legrand’s underground network, committing increasingly audacious acts of resistance for the sake of the country—and the man—she holds dear, she uncovers a devastating secret . . . one that will force her to commit the ultimate betrayal, and to confront at last the shocking circumstances of her own family history.
France, 1964. For Barbara “Babs” Langford, her husband, Kit, was the love of her life. Yet their marriage was haunted by a mysterious woman known only as La Fleur. On Kit’s death, American lawyer Andrew “Drew” Bowdoin appears at her door. Hired to find a Resistance fighter turned traitor known as “La Fleur,” the investigation has led to Kit Langford. Curious to know more about the enigmatic La Fleur, Babs joins Drew in his search, a journey of discovery that that takes them to Paris and the Ritz—and to unexpected places of the heart. . . .
MY THOUGHTS: What a splendid journey through three time periods, piecing together the mystery of the identity of La Fleur and her 'talisman'.
All the Ways We Said Goodbye celebrates the strength of women who survived the war against impossible odds while fighting covertly against the Germans. Impeccably researched and beautifully written, this saga spans two world wars, and a period of discovery. Yes, it is greatly sanitised, and relies quite heavily on the romantic aspect, but the bones of the story are good and solid. While there are no great surprises, it is an interesting read, and I will continue to follow this wonderful collaboration of authors. (Is there a term for a group of authors, I wonder?)
I would love to know the story of how these three came to write together. Personally, I find it quite amazing that three different writers can write together to produce a piece of fiction that moves seamlessly from one narrator and timeline, to another, and another. I have seen less cohesion in books written by a single author! The plot is intricate but not confusing, the characters well depicted. There are multiple narrators on this audiobook, and all are superb.
If you like multi-generational family sagas, this is a good one for you.
****.4
THE AUTHORS: Beatriz Williams is the bestselling author of eleven novels, including The Golden Hour, The Summer Wives, A Hundred Summers, and The Wicked Redhead. A native of Seattle, she graduated from Stanford University and earned an MBA in finance from Columbia University. She lives with her husband and four children near the Connecticut shore, where she divides her time between writing and laundry.
Lauren Willig is the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of twenty novels, including The Summer Country, The Ashford Affair, and The English Wife, as well as the RITA Award–winning Pink Carnation series. An alumna of Yale University, she has a graduate degree in history from Harvard and a JD from Harvard Law School. She lives in New York City with her husband, kindergartner, toddler, and vast quantities of coffee.
Karen White is a New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of twenty-five novels, including Dreams of Falling and The Night the Lights Went Out. She currently writes what she refers to as “grit lit”—Southern women’s fiction—and has also expanded her horizons into writing a mystery series set in Charleston, South Carolina. She is a graduate of the American School in London and has a BS in management from Tulane University. When not writing, she spends her time reading, singing, and avoiding cooking. She has two grown children and currently lives near Atlanta, Georgia, with her husband and two spoiled Havanese dogs.
DISCLOSURE: I listened to the audiobook of All The Ways to Say Goodbye written by Beatriz Williams, Lauren Willig and Karen White, narrated by Helen Sadler, Nicola Barber, Saskia Maarleveld, and published by Harper Audio. All opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own personal opinions.
For an explanation of my rating system please refer to my Goodreads.com profile page or the about page on Sandysbookaday.wordpress.com
This review and others are also published on Twitter, Amazon, Instagram and my webpage https://sandysbookaday.wordpress.com/...
I looked at the top left corner to read the return address. A. Bowdoin, Esq., Willig, Williams & White, 5 Wall Street, New York, NY. I assumed Bowdoin was either a funeral director or a lawyer, having never clearly understood the difference between the two when it came to death and taxes.
Climbing the stairs, I slid my finger under the flap and began tearing the envelope, not wanting to go through the bother of retrieving a letter opener. Tucking the rest of the post under one arm, I pulled out a piece of letterhead paper and began to read.
Dear Mrs. Langford,
My condolences on the death of your late husband, Christopher Langford. I never had the pleasure of meeting him, but my father, Walter, was a huge admirer and shared with me many stories of your husband's bravery and courage during the war.
We only recently became aware of your husband's passing when an old war friend of my father's mailed him the obituary from the Times. It took a while to find us, which is why it has taken me so long to contact you. I realise my letter might be a surprise and might even be an imposition at best. But I hope that you might bear with me so that I might explain myself and perhaps even enlist your assistance.
In the obituary, it mentioned your husband's brave exploits in France as well as his involvement with the French Resistance fighter known only as La Fleur. As you may or may not be aware, she has reached nearly mythical proportions in French lore - to the point where some say she never even really existed.
My slow progress up the stairs halted, and I grabbed the banister, the other envelopes slipping from their hold under my arm before gently cascading down the steps. La Fleur.
ABOUT THIS BOOK: The heiress . . .
The Resistance fighter . . .
The widow . . .
Three women whose fates are joined by one splendid hotel
France, 1914. As war breaks out, Aurelie becomes trapped on the wrong side of the front with her father, Comte Sigismund de Courcelles. When the Germans move into their family’s ancestral estate, using it as their headquarters, Aurelie discovers she knows the German Major’s aide de camp, Maximilian Von Sternburg. She and the dashing young officer first met during Aurelie’s debutante days in Paris. Despite their conflicting loyalties, Aurelie and Max’s friendship soon deepens into love, but betrayal will shatter them both, driving Aurelie back to Paris and the Ritz— the home of her estranged American heiress mother, with unexpected consequences.
France, 1942. Raised by her indomitable, free-spirited American grandmother in the glamorous Hotel Ritz, Marguerite “Daisy” Villon remains in Paris with her daughter and husband, a Nazi collaborator, after France falls to Hitler. At first reluctant to put herself and her family at risk to assist her grandmother’s Resistance efforts, Daisy agrees to act as a courier for a skilled English forger known only as Legrand, who creates identity papers for Resistance members and Jewish refugees. But as Daisy is drawn ever deeper into Legrand’s underground network, committing increasingly audacious acts of resistance for the sake of the country—and the man—she holds dear, she uncovers a devastating secret . . . one that will force her to commit the ultimate betrayal, and to confront at last the shocking circumstances of her own family history.
France, 1964. For Barbara “Babs” Langford, her husband, Kit, was the love of her life. Yet their marriage was haunted by a mysterious woman known only as La Fleur. On Kit’s death, American lawyer Andrew “Drew” Bowdoin appears at her door. Hired to find a Resistance fighter turned traitor known as “La Fleur,” the investigation has led to Kit Langford. Curious to know more about the enigmatic La Fleur, Babs joins Drew in his search, a journey of discovery that that takes them to Paris and the Ritz—and to unexpected places of the heart. . . .
MY THOUGHTS: What a splendid journey through three time periods, piecing together the mystery of the identity of La Fleur and her 'talisman'.
All the Ways We Said Goodbye celebrates the strength of women who survived the war against impossible odds while fighting covertly against the Germans. Impeccably researched and beautifully written, this saga spans two world wars, and a period of discovery. Yes, it is greatly sanitised, and relies quite heavily on the romantic aspect, but the bones of the story are good and solid. While there are no great surprises, it is an interesting read, and I will continue to follow this wonderful collaboration of authors. (Is there a term for a group of authors, I wonder?)
I would love to know the story of how these three came to write together. Personally, I find it quite amazing that three different writers can write together to produce a piece of fiction that moves seamlessly from one narrator and timeline, to another, and another. I have seen less cohesion in books written by a single author! The plot is intricate but not confusing, the characters well depicted. There are multiple narrators on this audiobook, and all are superb.
If you like multi-generational family sagas, this is a good one for you.
****.4
THE AUTHORS: Beatriz Williams is the bestselling author of eleven novels, including The Golden Hour, The Summer Wives, A Hundred Summers, and The Wicked Redhead. A native of Seattle, she graduated from Stanford University and earned an MBA in finance from Columbia University. She lives with her husband and four children near the Connecticut shore, where she divides her time between writing and laundry.
Lauren Willig is the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of twenty novels, including The Summer Country, The Ashford Affair, and The English Wife, as well as the RITA Award–winning Pink Carnation series. An alumna of Yale University, she has a graduate degree in history from Harvard and a JD from Harvard Law School. She lives in New York City with her husband, kindergartner, toddler, and vast quantities of coffee.
Karen White is a New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of twenty-five novels, including Dreams of Falling and The Night the Lights Went Out. She currently writes what she refers to as “grit lit”—Southern women’s fiction—and has also expanded her horizons into writing a mystery series set in Charleston, South Carolina. She is a graduate of the American School in London and has a BS in management from Tulane University. When not writing, she spends her time reading, singing, and avoiding cooking. She has two grown children and currently lives near Atlanta, Georgia, with her husband and two spoiled Havanese dogs.
DISCLOSURE: I listened to the audiobook of All The Ways to Say Goodbye written by Beatriz Williams, Lauren Willig and Karen White, narrated by Helen Sadler, Nicola Barber, Saskia Maarleveld, and published by Harper Audio. All opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own personal opinions.
For an explanation of my rating system please refer to my Goodreads.com profile page or the about page on Sandysbookaday.wordpress.com
This review and others are also published on Twitter, Amazon, Instagram and my webpage https://sandysbookaday.wordpress.com/...
May 18, 2021
I listened to the audiobook of All the Ways We Said Goodbye: A Novel of the Ritz Paris by Beatriz Williams, Lauren Willig and Karen White and enjoyed it immensely. Individually, each of these three authors can be described as extremely talented writers but by combining their talent they were able to write this masterful historical fiction novel, All the Ways We Said Goodbye. The audiobook was brilliantly narrated by Helen Sadler, Nicola Barber and Saskia Maarleveld. The novel alternated between three time periods and focused on three, brave, strong and resilient women, all with a connection to one another and the lush Ritz Hotel in Paris, France.
There was Aurelie Coucelles, the heiress and part of a noble family, that lived during World War I (1914) and tried to protect her castle, the French people and her country from the ruthless German army. Aurelie had grown up living with her mother at the Ritz Hotel. Then there was Marguerite (Daisy) Villon, the French Resistance fighter, who worked beside Legrand, the renowned English forger, and acted as a courier during World War II (1942) to deliver important papers. Daisy was brought up by her American grandmother and had lived her entire childhood at the Ritz Hotel. She was married to a Nazi collaborator. Daisy found herself falling totally in love with Legrand. Lastly, there was Barbara (Babs) Langford, who was recently widowed. Babs traveled to Paris, France in 1964 to help Andrew (Drew) Bowdoin solve a mystery centered around the notorious French Resistance fighter known as “La Fleur” and Andrew’s dying father.
All three of the women characters were engaging, complex and believable. The connection between these three women was made known by the end of this beautiful saga. The themes of romance, danger, mystery and family were evident throughout the novel. The plot effortlessly flowed between the different time periods. There was a surprising twist in the plot as well. The dialogue was genuine and felt authentic to each character. I highly recommend this book.
There was Aurelie Coucelles, the heiress and part of a noble family, that lived during World War I (1914) and tried to protect her castle, the French people and her country from the ruthless German army. Aurelie had grown up living with her mother at the Ritz Hotel. Then there was Marguerite (Daisy) Villon, the French Resistance fighter, who worked beside Legrand, the renowned English forger, and acted as a courier during World War II (1942) to deliver important papers. Daisy was brought up by her American grandmother and had lived her entire childhood at the Ritz Hotel. She was married to a Nazi collaborator. Daisy found herself falling totally in love with Legrand. Lastly, there was Barbara (Babs) Langford, who was recently widowed. Babs traveled to Paris, France in 1964 to help Andrew (Drew) Bowdoin solve a mystery centered around the notorious French Resistance fighter known as “La Fleur” and Andrew’s dying father.
All three of the women characters were engaging, complex and believable. The connection between these three women was made known by the end of this beautiful saga. The themes of romance, danger, mystery and family were evident throughout the novel. The plot effortlessly flowed between the different time periods. There was a surprising twist in the plot as well. The dialogue was genuine and felt authentic to each character. I highly recommend this book.
November 13, 2019
3.5 stars
I've been wanting to check out a book by this trio of authors for awhile now because I have enjoyed some of the solo efforts of writers Beatriz Williams and Karen White. I'm not sure how they broke down the writing duties for this one but I was really impressed how it felt like a cohesive story and not three different styles of writing. This might not make my list of top historical fiction reads but it certainly was a good story and I definitely recommend giving this one a look if you are a fan of any or all of the authors.
This story alternates between different characters and timelines which I always enjoy although I did have trouble keeping track of all the characters near the beginning. Aurelie is an heiress living in France back in 1914 just as the war is breaking out. The German military has taken over her family's estate and despite being on different sides, she forms a friendship with one of the soldiers. Switching over to 1942, Daisy was raised by her grandmother at the Ritz in Paris. Her husband is a Nazi collaborator and Daisy secretly starts helping her grandmother's Resistance efforts. And finally there is Barbara, "Babs" Langford who is a widow after the recent death of her husband Kit. The year is 1964 and Babs has traveled to Paris to meet with an American lawyer who wants her help tracking down the identity of a Resistance fighter and perhaps traitor with the mysterious nickname "La Fleur". How do these 3 storylines connect?
This isn't a book in which the main goal is have the reader super shocked at how everything ties together. You do have a fairly good idea of the general direction of the story way before it is all revealed. However, because the female characters are written as strong women, whether they necessarily realized it or not, you feel invested in them and want to see how everything plays out. And there actually did manage to be one or two small surprises along the way which was nice.
As for my criticism of the novel, I thought Aurelie got lost in the shuffle a bit in the first half of the book. I had the most trouble remembering the things going on with her storyline compared to the other two characters. She became distinct in my mind eventually and was an important part of the story, but I really wish it hadn't taken quite so long to get there. I also wouldn't say this is the most memorable historical fiction book when compared to some of the other books about the war in that genre. A few touching moments here and there but I wasn't moved to tears like I have been with other World War 1 and 2 historical fiction novels. I enjoyed reading this book and liked how the story highlighted some of the Resistnace efforts by women but I wouldn't place this in the must read category.
Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for providing me with an advance digital copy in exchange for an honest review!
I've been wanting to check out a book by this trio of authors for awhile now because I have enjoyed some of the solo efforts of writers Beatriz Williams and Karen White. I'm not sure how they broke down the writing duties for this one but I was really impressed how it felt like a cohesive story and not three different styles of writing. This might not make my list of top historical fiction reads but it certainly was a good story and I definitely recommend giving this one a look if you are a fan of any or all of the authors.
This story alternates between different characters and timelines which I always enjoy although I did have trouble keeping track of all the characters near the beginning. Aurelie is an heiress living in France back in 1914 just as the war is breaking out. The German military has taken over her family's estate and despite being on different sides, she forms a friendship with one of the soldiers. Switching over to 1942, Daisy was raised by her grandmother at the Ritz in Paris. Her husband is a Nazi collaborator and Daisy secretly starts helping her grandmother's Resistance efforts. And finally there is Barbara, "Babs" Langford who is a widow after the recent death of her husband Kit. The year is 1964 and Babs has traveled to Paris to meet with an American lawyer who wants her help tracking down the identity of a Resistance fighter and perhaps traitor with the mysterious nickname "La Fleur". How do these 3 storylines connect?
This isn't a book in which the main goal is have the reader super shocked at how everything ties together. You do have a fairly good idea of the general direction of the story way before it is all revealed. However, because the female characters are written as strong women, whether they necessarily realized it or not, you feel invested in them and want to see how everything plays out. And there actually did manage to be one or two small surprises along the way which was nice.
As for my criticism of the novel, I thought Aurelie got lost in the shuffle a bit in the first half of the book. I had the most trouble remembering the things going on with her storyline compared to the other two characters. She became distinct in my mind eventually and was an important part of the story, but I really wish it hadn't taken quite so long to get there. I also wouldn't say this is the most memorable historical fiction book when compared to some of the other books about the war in that genre. A few touching moments here and there but I wasn't moved to tears like I have been with other World War 1 and 2 historical fiction novels. I enjoyed reading this book and liked how the story highlighted some of the Resistnace efforts by women but I wouldn't place this in the must read category.
Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for providing me with an advance digital copy in exchange for an honest review!
January 26, 2020
All the Ways We Said Goodbye was so good! It was written by not one, but three fantastic authors. This story takes three POVs, by three women in three different timelines, with the Ritz Hotel in Paris at the center of each of their stories.
This was such a beautiful story, and it captivated me right away. A beautiful story woven through the timelines of WWI 1914, WWII 1942, and post-war 1960s. I just loved this book so much, and recommend it to historical fiction lovers, and those looking to give HF a try!
*Thank you William Morrow for this gifted copy for review. All opinions are my own.
This was such a beautiful story, and it captivated me right away. A beautiful story woven through the timelines of WWI 1914, WWII 1942, and post-war 1960s. I just loved this book so much, and recommend it to historical fiction lovers, and those looking to give HF a try!
*Thank you William Morrow for this gifted copy for review. All opinions are my own.
July 18, 2022
In this historical fiction novel co-written by three different authors, three different women in three different timelines are connected by war and an amulet in France. In 1914, Aurelie is trapped on her family estate when the Germans claim it as their headquarters. They are searching for a valuable heirloom that plays a part in all three timelines. In 1942, Daisy works as a Resistance courier. And in 1962, Barbara searches for answers for what her husband really did during the war and what his relationship was with “La Fleur” the famed French resistance heroine who sent him letters after the war that Barbara secretly hid out of jealousy. I enjoyed the storytelling style and enjoyed each story separately. I kind of wished that the stories had felt more connected. They did connect at the very end. This is probably just sort of expected when written by three different people. Still, they were very enjoyable on their own.
January 9, 2020
Three women, three different time periods, three different situations, but they all find the Ritz of Paris to be their comfort zone.
We meet Aurelie in 1914 who lived at the Ritz with her mother. She needed to get away and had the perfect excuse. She drove her fiancée to the front, and on her way back, her car was shot up. She thankfully was near her father’s estate and walked there to only find she would be stuck there because the Nazis had arrived and had taken over the estate.
We meet Daisy in 1942 who was raised by her grandmother at the Ritz and who eventually helped her grandmother with the resistance.
Then we meet Babs in 1964 whose husband had been in the war and had befriended La Fleur who was a resistance fighter. Babs wants to find out who La Fleur was since her husband called out her name a number of times before his death. She also meets at the Ritz with an American lawyer who is also looking for La Fleur.
There are quite a few characters to keep straight, but the main characters are strong, brave, and very likeable.
Babs was my favorite...her story had me laughing at some of the things she did and said.
Aurelie’s story was the most interesting because of her situation but was the most upsetting.
I admired Daisy for what she was doing for the French Resistance, and enjoyed reading about another way things were secretly done.
The 3W's did it again!! ALL THE WAYS WE SAID GOODBYE is another marvelous, well-researched, difficult-to-put-down tale.
We readers are again treated to their detailed writing, terrific story line, and smooth transition from one author to the next, but have a notebook handy to keep all the characters straight.
Do not miss reading this gem. 5/5
This book was given to me by the publisher via Edelweiss in exchange for an honest review.
We meet Aurelie in 1914 who lived at the Ritz with her mother. She needed to get away and had the perfect excuse. She drove her fiancée to the front, and on her way back, her car was shot up. She thankfully was near her father’s estate and walked there to only find she would be stuck there because the Nazis had arrived and had taken over the estate.
We meet Daisy in 1942 who was raised by her grandmother at the Ritz and who eventually helped her grandmother with the resistance.
Then we meet Babs in 1964 whose husband had been in the war and had befriended La Fleur who was a resistance fighter. Babs wants to find out who La Fleur was since her husband called out her name a number of times before his death. She also meets at the Ritz with an American lawyer who is also looking for La Fleur.
There are quite a few characters to keep straight, but the main characters are strong, brave, and very likeable.
Babs was my favorite...her story had me laughing at some of the things she did and said.
Aurelie’s story was the most interesting because of her situation but was the most upsetting.
I admired Daisy for what she was doing for the French Resistance, and enjoyed reading about another way things were secretly done.
The 3W's did it again!! ALL THE WAYS WE SAID GOODBYE is another marvelous, well-researched, difficult-to-put-down tale.
We readers are again treated to their detailed writing, terrific story line, and smooth transition from one author to the next, but have a notebook handy to keep all the characters straight.
Do not miss reading this gem. 5/5
This book was given to me by the publisher via Edelweiss in exchange for an honest review.
May 3, 2020
All The Ways We Said Goodbye is a story about three strong women and all had a unique connection to the famous French hotel. The three women had lived or stayed at the Ritz, Aurelie Courcelles is a French heriess, Marguerite (Daisy ) Villon is a French resistance fighter and Babs Langford is a English widow.
France 1914, Aurelie is staying at the Ritz with her mother, she makes a rash decision to leave Paris and to drive her fiance to the front. The Germans are advancing towards capital, all men are being deployed to the front to stop the Germans taking Paris and she's soon finds herself stuck behind German lines.
Aurelie has to make it to safety, she starts the long walk to her fathers ancestral estate and she eventually makes it home. The next morning the Germans arrive, they take over the estate, she's shocked to discover a familiar face and she knows one of the officers. They met before the war, while she was making her debut in Paris, he's the handsome Maximilian Von Sternburg and she has always been very attracted to him.
In 1942, France has again been invaded by the Germans, Paris has fallen and the Nazis have total control.
Marguerite or Daisy is stuck in a very unhappy marriage, her husband is a collaborator, she was a silly naive girl when she married him and she now has two young children to look after.
Daisy is Aurelie’s daughter, she grew up living in the Ritz and she's soon drawn into helping the French resistance by her American grandmother.
She agrees to become a courier, she meets a man, his code name is Legrand he forges documents to help Jewish people escape France, soon they begin having a dangerous and very risky affair.
In, 1964, Babs is a English widow, a American lawyer called Drew Bowdoin, contacted her, he's trying to find a resistance fighter and he asks her to meet him in Paris. She's of course staying at the Ritz, she's hopeful he might be able to help her solve the mystery of what happened to her husband during WW II and help her to find some closure. Babs loved her husband Kit, she kept a secret letter from him and she feels very guilty. During her husbands final days he kept muttering the name La Fleur, she must be her husbands first love and she's a French spy?
The book has multiple timelines, it starts in 1914, it continues in 1942 and it ends in 1964.
It spans two world wars and the rather modern times of mini skirts in the 1960's.
All three women are of course connected, it's a long and very complicated story.
It's a saga really about war, love, tragedy and secrets.
I did enjoy reading the book and did it need to be so long?
I gave the book four stars, I have shared my review on Goodreads, Edelweiss, Twitter, Barnes & Noble, Kobo, Australian Amazon and my blog.
https://karrenreadsbooks.blogspot.com/
France 1914, Aurelie is staying at the Ritz with her mother, she makes a rash decision to leave Paris and to drive her fiance to the front. The Germans are advancing towards capital, all men are being deployed to the front to stop the Germans taking Paris and she's soon finds herself stuck behind German lines.
Aurelie has to make it to safety, she starts the long walk to her fathers ancestral estate and she eventually makes it home. The next morning the Germans arrive, they take over the estate, she's shocked to discover a familiar face and she knows one of the officers. They met before the war, while she was making her debut in Paris, he's the handsome Maximilian Von Sternburg and she has always been very attracted to him.
In 1942, France has again been invaded by the Germans, Paris has fallen and the Nazis have total control.
Marguerite or Daisy is stuck in a very unhappy marriage, her husband is a collaborator, she was a silly naive girl when she married him and she now has two young children to look after.
Daisy is Aurelie’s daughter, she grew up living in the Ritz and she's soon drawn into helping the French resistance by her American grandmother.
She agrees to become a courier, she meets a man, his code name is Legrand he forges documents to help Jewish people escape France, soon they begin having a dangerous and very risky affair.
In, 1964, Babs is a English widow, a American lawyer called Drew Bowdoin, contacted her, he's trying to find a resistance fighter and he asks her to meet him in Paris. She's of course staying at the Ritz, she's hopeful he might be able to help her solve the mystery of what happened to her husband during WW II and help her to find some closure. Babs loved her husband Kit, she kept a secret letter from him and she feels very guilty. During her husbands final days he kept muttering the name La Fleur, she must be her husbands first love and she's a French spy?
The book has multiple timelines, it starts in 1914, it continues in 1942 and it ends in 1964.
It spans two world wars and the rather modern times of mini skirts in the 1960's.
All three women are of course connected, it's a long and very complicated story.
It's a saga really about war, love, tragedy and secrets.
I did enjoy reading the book and did it need to be so long?
I gave the book four stars, I have shared my review on Goodreads, Edelweiss, Twitter, Barnes & Noble, Kobo, Australian Amazon and my blog.
https://karrenreadsbooks.blogspot.com/
March 13, 2020
A magnificent hotel, an intricately woven plot, three strong women characters written by three eloquent authors.
SUMMARY
France, 1914. Aurelie is at her family’s ancestral home, when the Germans move in and begin using it as their headquarters, Aurelie discovers she knows one of the German officers, Maximilian Von Sternburg. Despite their conflicting loyalties, Aurelie and Max’s friendship soon deepens into a love, that will shatter them both.
France, 1942. Daisy was raised by her indomitable grandmother in the glamorous Hotel Ritz. She continues to live in Paris with her two children and her husband Pierre, who becomes a Nazi collaborator after France falls to Hitler. Daisy agrees to act as a courier for a skilled English forger, who creates identity papers for the resistance and for Jewish refugees. As Daisy is drawn deeper into the underground network, she uncovers secret information, and commit the ultimate betrayal.
France, 1964. Babs was haunted by a mysterious woman known by her husband, Kit, as La Fleur. After Kit’s death, American lawyer Andrew “Drew” Bowdoin appears at Bab’s door. He was hired to find the Resistance fighter turned traitor known as “La Fleur,” Curious to know more about La Fleur, Babs joins Drew in his search, a journey of discovery that that takes them to Paris and the Ritz—and to unexpected places of the heart….
REVIEW
Three strong women characters, three eloquent women authors, an intricately woven story and a magnificent hotel. What could be better? The writing was superb and the story was mesmerizing. I enjoyed following the alternating chapters of Aurelie, Daisy and Babs and discerning their role in the story and their connections to one another.
One of my favorite parts of this beguiling story was the transitions between chapters which take place decades apart. While perhaps just a little thing, I very much looked forward to these skillfully-crafted transitions which referenced to an item, for example, a scarf, at the conclusion of one chapter and then picks up on a scarf reference in the opening scene of the next chapter. This simple connection between the chapters captivated me. The attention to details such as this, makes this a treasure of a book,. If you like historical fiction, strong women characters, and a little romance thrown in this is the book for you.
I also appreciated the reference to the Scarlet Pimpernel and to the French Revolution.
Thanks to authors Karen White, Beatriz Williams, and Lauren Willig for a delightful experience. I listened to the audible version of the book and felt the narrators also helped bring the story to life.
Publisher William Morrow
Published January 14, 2020
Narrated Helen Sadler, Nicola Barber, Saskatchewan Maarleveld
Review www.bluestockingreviews.com
SUMMARY
France, 1914. Aurelie is at her family’s ancestral home, when the Germans move in and begin using it as their headquarters, Aurelie discovers she knows one of the German officers, Maximilian Von Sternburg. Despite their conflicting loyalties, Aurelie and Max’s friendship soon deepens into a love, that will shatter them both.
France, 1942. Daisy was raised by her indomitable grandmother in the glamorous Hotel Ritz. She continues to live in Paris with her two children and her husband Pierre, who becomes a Nazi collaborator after France falls to Hitler. Daisy agrees to act as a courier for a skilled English forger, who creates identity papers for the resistance and for Jewish refugees. As Daisy is drawn deeper into the underground network, she uncovers secret information, and commit the ultimate betrayal.
France, 1964. Babs was haunted by a mysterious woman known by her husband, Kit, as La Fleur. After Kit’s death, American lawyer Andrew “Drew” Bowdoin appears at Bab’s door. He was hired to find the Resistance fighter turned traitor known as “La Fleur,” Curious to know more about La Fleur, Babs joins Drew in his search, a journey of discovery that that takes them to Paris and the Ritz—and to unexpected places of the heart….
REVIEW
Three strong women characters, three eloquent women authors, an intricately woven story and a magnificent hotel. What could be better? The writing was superb and the story was mesmerizing. I enjoyed following the alternating chapters of Aurelie, Daisy and Babs and discerning their role in the story and their connections to one another.
One of my favorite parts of this beguiling story was the transitions between chapters which take place decades apart. While perhaps just a little thing, I very much looked forward to these skillfully-crafted transitions which referenced to an item, for example, a scarf, at the conclusion of one chapter and then picks up on a scarf reference in the opening scene of the next chapter. This simple connection between the chapters captivated me. The attention to details such as this, makes this a treasure of a book,. If you like historical fiction, strong women characters, and a little romance thrown in this is the book for you.
I also appreciated the reference to the Scarlet Pimpernel and to the French Revolution.
Thanks to authors Karen White, Beatriz Williams, and Lauren Willig for a delightful experience. I listened to the audible version of the book and felt the narrators also helped bring the story to life.
Publisher William Morrow
Published January 14, 2020
Narrated Helen Sadler, Nicola Barber, Saskatchewan Maarleveld
Review www.bluestockingreviews.com
January 17, 2020
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ / 5
I am thoroughly impressed with All the Ways We Said Goodbye by Beatriz Williams, Lauren Willig and Karen White. I mostly listened to it on audio and I loved the three narrators; I thought they each did an excellent job of reading their characters.
If you gravitate towards historical fiction novel with strong female leads then look no further, All the Ways We Said Goodbye has that and more. It was such an intricate plot that spans three different characters and three different time periods. I loved Aurelie, Marguerite and Babs all so very much and I was equally interested in all three of their stories which doesn't always happen for me. I really loved the way all of them ended up being tied to each other, and there were a lot of surprises that I didn't see coming.
I can scarcely believe this book was written by three different authors, and I thought it flowed as if only one person had written it. I loved the writing, the plot, the tears, the happiness, and the romance. I honestly can't think of a single bad thing to say about All the Ways We Said Goodbye because I loved it so much. I don't really want to touch on the plot too much to keep the secrecy, and I think the synopsis tells you all you need to know.
Final Thought: If you love historical fiction and like at least one of these authors then I highly recommend checking out All the Ways We Said Goodbye, especially on audio. The audio really brought the book to life for me and there was more than once I was ugly crying in my car. The story was very moving, and I hope everyone loves these characters as much as I did! I can't wait to read more from this collaboration of authors.
Thank you to the publisher for providing me with an advance review copy of this book, all opinions and thoughts are my own.
I am thoroughly impressed with All the Ways We Said Goodbye by Beatriz Williams, Lauren Willig and Karen White. I mostly listened to it on audio and I loved the three narrators; I thought they each did an excellent job of reading their characters.
If you gravitate towards historical fiction novel with strong female leads then look no further, All the Ways We Said Goodbye has that and more. It was such an intricate plot that spans three different characters and three different time periods. I loved Aurelie, Marguerite and Babs all so very much and I was equally interested in all three of their stories which doesn't always happen for me. I really loved the way all of them ended up being tied to each other, and there were a lot of surprises that I didn't see coming.
I can scarcely believe this book was written by three different authors, and I thought it flowed as if only one person had written it. I loved the writing, the plot, the tears, the happiness, and the romance. I honestly can't think of a single bad thing to say about All the Ways We Said Goodbye because I loved it so much. I don't really want to touch on the plot too much to keep the secrecy, and I think the synopsis tells you all you need to know.
Final Thought: If you love historical fiction and like at least one of these authors then I highly recommend checking out All the Ways We Said Goodbye, especially on audio. The audio really brought the book to life for me and there was more than once I was ugly crying in my car. The story was very moving, and I hope everyone loves these characters as much as I did! I can't wait to read more from this collaboration of authors.
Thank you to the publisher for providing me with an advance review copy of this book, all opinions and thoughts are my own.
January 22, 2020
4.5 rating rounded up
All The Ways We Said Goodbye is another gem by the writing team of Willig, Williams, and White. Each strong writer tells the tale of one of the three female characters set in: 1914, 1942, 1964. As this writing team has done in two earlier works, the joint effort works seamlessly and effectively. While two of the three timelines take place during World Wars, the focus is on the strong women who are trying to survive versus the detailed horrors of war that we normally find in historical fiction during these periods. I was fully transported into this novel in which the Ritz Hotel provides its central location across the decades. In addition to the three lead women, the men in the book were well developed and admirable and the supporting women characters were wonderful. (Fans of Beatriz Williams will enjoy the appearance of a member of the Schuyler family.) Put this one on your must read list. January 14 is right around the corner.
Many thanks to Edelweiss, William Morrow/Harper Collins and The Three W’s for an advance copy.
Review also posted on my blog MicheleReader.com
All The Ways We Said Goodbye is another gem by the writing team of Willig, Williams, and White. Each strong writer tells the tale of one of the three female characters set in: 1914, 1942, 1964. As this writing team has done in two earlier works, the joint effort works seamlessly and effectively. While two of the three timelines take place during World Wars, the focus is on the strong women who are trying to survive versus the detailed horrors of war that we normally find in historical fiction during these periods. I was fully transported into this novel in which the Ritz Hotel provides its central location across the decades. In addition to the three lead women, the men in the book were well developed and admirable and the supporting women characters were wonderful. (Fans of Beatriz Williams will enjoy the appearance of a member of the Schuyler family.) Put this one on your must read list. January 14 is right around the corner.
Many thanks to Edelweiss, William Morrow/Harper Collins and The Three W’s for an advance copy.
Review also posted on my blog MicheleReader.com
September 1, 2020
Three women’s lives are intertwined by love, war, betrayals, and death. Their fragility, strengths, and courage are effectively portrayed. In 1914, Aurélie de Courcelies in a rash decision leaves her mother at the Hotel Ritz in Paris to join her father at his château in Picardy shortly before the Germans appear. In 1942, Daisy Villon, who was raised by her grandmother at the Hotel Ritz, becomes a courier and spy for the French resistance when her husband becomes a Nazi collaborator. In 1964, Barbara “Babs” Langford, travels to the Hotel Ritz to meet American attorney Drew Bowdoin, who is digging into his grandfather’s and her deceased husband’s pasts. The three authors effectively collaborate well together as the chapters and stories flow seamlessly. The conversations are realistic and impel the book forward. This is the third book I have enjoyed reading that they have collectively written. Despite the proliferation of World War II novels, I still love reading of this historical era.
February 10, 2022
Too much romance. Too little history.
I did giggle at the term "rumpy pumpy" though. I think that is what she called it. I was listening to the audiobook, so don't yell at me if I got that a little wrong.
I liked the fact that a different author wrote each timeline. None of the timelines seemed superfluous. They were all developed well. On the down side, they didn't always seem connected enough. The voices were quite different.
I did giggle at the term "rumpy pumpy" though. I think that is what she called it. I was listening to the audiobook, so don't yell at me if I got that a little wrong.
I liked the fact that a different author wrote each timeline. None of the timelines seemed superfluous. They were all developed well. On the down side, they didn't always seem connected enough. The voices were quite different.
March 22, 2020
I thoroughly enjoyed this book! I've read all 3 of the Team W books and this one is my second favorite right behind The Forgotten Room which was their first endeavor together.
I loved how they made an entire novel all about WW 1 & WW 2, which had me nervous and anxious many times, yet didn't describe graphic details of brutality, rape or torture. We all know it happened but I didn't have to read it which I greatly appreciate as that is one of the reasons I generally don't read WW 2 novels. I read to have fun and that other stuff upsets me deeply. This book captured the stress and uncertainties of war time and did it so tastefully that I enjoyed the experience!
As to the story itself, you read about 3 different girls who in the end their stories are all intertwined and connected in ways you start to unravel as you go. There were a few parts of the story I felt were too contrived or not realistic and then there were some other parts that weren't fairytale perfect enough for my tastes! So, who am I to complain and nitpick? I'm not the one sitting there trying to make all 3 stories work and make sense! All in all I think it was a fabulous book and I motored through it rapidly because it held my attention so thoroughly.
Several characters are very witty and made me laugh out loud which is always a good sign if a book can do that! Especially one about war...
I can't wait to see what Team W have up their sleeve next. They are certainly a great Team!
I loved how they made an entire novel all about WW 1 & WW 2, which had me nervous and anxious many times, yet didn't describe graphic details of brutality, rape or torture. We all know it happened but I didn't have to read it which I greatly appreciate as that is one of the reasons I generally don't read WW 2 novels. I read to have fun and that other stuff upsets me deeply. This book captured the stress and uncertainties of war time and did it so tastefully that I enjoyed the experience!
As to the story itself, you read about 3 different girls who in the end their stories are all intertwined and connected in ways you start to unravel as you go. There were a few parts of the story I felt were too contrived or not realistic and then there were some other parts that weren't fairytale perfect enough for my tastes! So, who am I to complain and nitpick? I'm not the one sitting there trying to make all 3 stories work and make sense! All in all I think it was a fabulous book and I motored through it rapidly because it held my attention so thoroughly.
Several characters are very witty and made me laugh out loud which is always a good sign if a book can do that! Especially one about war...
I can't wait to see what Team W have up their sleeve next. They are certainly a great Team!
January 17, 2020
So, I don't read a ton of historical fiction, but if a book from the perspectives of three women (who seem to be unrelated, but surprise they actually are related) that's set at least partially during WWII Europe sounds familiar, it's because The Gown: A Novel of the Royal Wedding did it a little over a year ago. I'm sure these aren't the only books to fit these confines, but the similarities really stood out to me (and made me enjoy the book less).
I really didn't like the multiple narrators. There are so many characters to keep track of and lots of "gotcha" reveals that I hated. This isn't really a traditional mystery, but it kind of takes that angle in that the book is like, "here's so much stuff you don't know and I'm going to show you how smart I am for revealing it to you." Someone says a certain name and we're supposed to gasp because now it makes sense.
All of the women were also heavily defined by their romantic partners. It varies depending on the protagonist, but the ratio of "feminism means women can fight" to "I am going to talk about how much I love my significant other" leans more heavily on the latter. There was also some girl-on-girl hate that was resolved, but pushed a lot of the story.
This was so confusing and unfun to read and I wish I hadn't, but I was being petty and finished it. Definitely wouldn't recommend unless you're like, starved for half-feminist ideas in a vague intergenerational wartime romance.
I really didn't like the multiple narrators. There are so many characters to keep track of and lots of "gotcha" reveals that I hated. This isn't really a traditional mystery, but it kind of takes that angle in that the book is like, "here's so much stuff you don't know and I'm going to show you how smart I am for revealing it to you." Someone says a certain name and we're supposed to gasp because now it makes sense.
All of the women were also heavily defined by their romantic partners. It varies depending on the protagonist, but the ratio of "feminism means women can fight" to "I am going to talk about how much I love my significant other" leans more heavily on the latter. There was also some girl-on-girl hate that was resolved, but pushed a lot of the story.
This was so confusing and unfun to read and I wish I hadn't, but I was being petty and finished it. Definitely wouldn't recommend unless you're like, starved for half-feminist ideas in a vague intergenerational wartime romance.
January 31, 2020
It's 1914 in Paris and Aurelie leaves her plush surroundings at the Ritz to head to her father's estate. Once she gets to her father's very old, yet still impressive castle, it doesn't take long for the Germans to come and declare this location as their newest headquarters. This is obviously a tough pill to swallow, but she recognizes one of the German soldiers as Max Von Sternburg. Aurelie knows Max from a very different time in Paris where she was a debutante and their worries were few and far between. Can they still maintain their friendship (and possibly something more?) amidst the face of war, especially since the German soldiers are downright horrible to not only Aurelie's family, but the entire village? Then there's Daisy Villon who lives in Paris in 1942. Her world is changing rapidly as France falls to Hitler, but her Nazi sympathizing husband says they have nothing to worry about. Daisy's grandmother says otherwise and convinces Daisy to help her work for the Resistance. Before Daisy knows it, she is in too deep, but how can she not help these desperate people? While working for the Resistance, Daisy meets a man who will change her life forever. Lastly, there's Barbara Langford, otherwise known as Babs, and she is newly widowed. When her husband, Kit, returned from the war, he was never the same and often mentioned a mysterious woman known as La Fleur. Meanwhile, an American, Drew Bowdoin, has contacted her after he husband's death about La Fleur. He is trying to track her down and the path led straight to Babs. Who is La Fleur? How does this mysterious Resistance member involve Kit? Beatriz Williams, Lauren Willig, and Karen White expertly weave all three women's stories together in All the Ways We Said Goodbye; historical fiction fans will love this tale filled with heartache, family secrets, war, hope, and new beginnings.
Read the rest of my review here: http://www.confessionsofabookaddict.c...
Read the rest of my review here: http://www.confessionsofabookaddict.c...
July 20, 2020
Three authors, three women, three time frames. All are linked by the Ritz in some way. There is also the talisman, a relic of Joan of Arc, that links them together too.
Babs - 1964 - English Countryside: a recent widow. Knew that during WWII, her late husband, Kit, worked with and loved La Fleur, a fellow resistance worker. A lawyer approaches her to help him find La Fleur. They meet at the Ritz in Paris.
Aurelie- 1918 - Picardy France: the daughter of an American heiress and a French Comtesse. The family manor - the Chauteau de Corcelles - is commandeered by German soldiers. Her mother lives at the Ritz.
Daisy - 1942 - Paris: her grandmother lives at the Ritz. She is married with two children. Her husband works for the Nazis and is disgusting. Daisy becomes a part of the resistance. Maguerite is Daisy's given name. It means daisy in French.
The stories flow seamlessly from Babs to Aurelie to Daisy and back again. Nine times. The book ends with Babs. The authors cleverly linked the ending of one women's memories with the next woman's memories with a single word or concept.
Following is an example from Chapters 19, 20 and 21.
Ch 19/Babs: the last sentence mentions ghosts.
Ch 20/Aurelie: the first sentence "There were no ghosts in the back corridors of the castle, only dust."
The last sentence mentions darkness.
Ch 21/Daisy: the first sentence "The apartment was quiet and dark, husband and children far away, and Daisy felt like the only person in the world."
One other note: there were three authors, but the style of all is remarkably similar.
I strongly recommend this book as excellent historical fiction. Linking the three time periods is what made this book interesting.
5 stars
Babs - 1964 - English Countryside: a recent widow. Knew that during WWII, her late husband, Kit, worked with and loved La Fleur, a fellow resistance worker. A lawyer approaches her to help him find La Fleur. They meet at the Ritz in Paris.
Aurelie- 1918 - Picardy France: the daughter of an American heiress and a French Comtesse. The family manor - the Chauteau de Corcelles - is commandeered by German soldiers. Her mother lives at the Ritz.
Daisy - 1942 - Paris: her grandmother lives at the Ritz. She is married with two children. Her husband works for the Nazis and is disgusting. Daisy becomes a part of the resistance. Maguerite is Daisy's given name. It means daisy in French.
The stories flow seamlessly from Babs to Aurelie to Daisy and back again. Nine times. The book ends with Babs. The authors cleverly linked the ending of one women's memories with the next woman's memories with a single word or concept.
Following is an example from Chapters 19, 20 and 21.
Ch 19/Babs: the last sentence mentions ghosts.
Ch 20/Aurelie: the first sentence "There were no ghosts in the back corridors of the castle, only dust."
The last sentence mentions darkness.
Ch 21/Daisy: the first sentence "The apartment was quiet and dark, husband and children far away, and Daisy felt like the only person in the world."
One other note: there were three authors, but the style of all is remarkably similar.
I strongly recommend this book as excellent historical fiction. Linking the three time periods is what made this book interesting.
5 stars
May 9, 2020
This book was very good. Not a thriller or a memorable book but, it was a lovely read. It was set in three time lines, 1914, 1942 and 1964. So, it covered two world wars and at times I had to remember what era I was in!!!!! Apart from that it was a good read, I do love Beatrix Williams but unfortunately her books are not only expensive but not easy to buy in the UK. This one I managed to get on ebook from my library, so, I didn’t have to pay.
If you want something a little different then this one is for you.
If you want something a little different then this one is for you.
April 30, 2020
Three women, three different time periods, three fabulous authors. What’s not to like. This is a saga sweeping from 1914 to 1964. These three stories intertwine with one another. Most take place at the Ritz Hotel in Paris.
I have previously read the other collaborations that these authors have written and enjoyed everyone of them. I think this one is my favorite.
This story opens up with Babs in 1964 Babs is morning the death of her husband who fought in World WarII. She receives a letter from an American attorney who wants to meet her in Paris at the Ritz Hotel.He has information about her husband and his father and a famous French Spy. So off to Paris she goes.
Aurelie 1914 is a young woman living at the Ritz with her mother but goes to her families Chateau deCourcelles. Shortly after the Germans invade the village and take possession of the Chateau.
Daisy 1942 is the Resistance fighter and helps the cause by delivering messages hidden in books.
All these stories collide with one another and becomes one big mystery. Lots of twists and turns. This book was hard to put down.
I highly recommend it if you like historical fiction.
I have previously read the other collaborations that these authors have written and enjoyed everyone of them. I think this one is my favorite.
This story opens up with Babs in 1964 Babs is morning the death of her husband who fought in World WarII. She receives a letter from an American attorney who wants to meet her in Paris at the Ritz Hotel.He has information about her husband and his father and a famous French Spy. So off to Paris she goes.
Aurelie 1914 is a young woman living at the Ritz with her mother but goes to her families Chateau deCourcelles. Shortly after the Germans invade the village and take possession of the Chateau.
Daisy 1942 is the Resistance fighter and helps the cause by delivering messages hidden in books.
All these stories collide with one another and becomes one big mystery. Lots of twists and turns. This book was hard to put down.
I highly recommend it if you like historical fiction.
January 16, 2020
This is a 3 part story, and I did feel that it either could have been longer or sorry one person should have been left out. I wanted more!
In 1914 there is noblewoman Aurelie, from an illustrious line, that keeps a locket with Jean of Arc's blood as a talisman. I did want more of her story. The German's take over her castle, she falls in love with one as she knew him before the war. Though she is just as much playing him for information. It was just over so fast!
I am not sure who narrated her parts, but I liked it.
In 1942 there is Daisy, who clearly married the wrong man. I wanted more of her rise to a resistance fighter. She was so cowed, and then she was a spy.
There is also a German officer around that was also around in 1914...
Again, I do not know who narrated her either, but whoever it was did a good job with this too,.
And then in the 60s Barb goes to find out what her husband did in France during the war. Her part was fine as brief, cos looking for the past is never as interesting as being in the past. She was a good interlude. But oh Barb, I had a hard time with her. Her husband, on to be, got a letter while recuperating and she never showed it to him! So not cool. But then he could just have gone back too...
Again, whoever narrated did well.
I did like the story as a whole, they are all connected, and it is obvious how. Not one aha moment, but maybe it was meant to be like that.
And yes the earlier stories could have been longer and more fleshed out, but the thing is if they had been then the book would have been too heavy.
I did like that there were 3 distinct narrators too so that every woman got to shine in her own light.
In 1914 there is noblewoman Aurelie, from an illustrious line, that keeps a locket with Jean of Arc's blood as a talisman. I did want more of her story. The German's take over her castle, she falls in love with one as she knew him before the war. Though she is just as much playing him for information. It was just over so fast!
I am not sure who narrated her parts, but I liked it.
In 1942 there is Daisy, who clearly married the wrong man. I wanted more of her rise to a resistance fighter. She was so cowed, and then she was a spy.
There is also a German officer around that was also around in 1914...
Again, I do not know who narrated her either, but whoever it was did a good job with this too,.
And then in the 60s Barb goes to find out what her husband did in France during the war. Her part was fine as brief, cos looking for the past is never as interesting as being in the past. She was a good interlude. But oh Barb, I had a hard time with her. Her husband, on to be, got a letter while recuperating and she never showed it to him! So not cool. But then he could just have gone back too...
Again, whoever narrated did well.
I did like the story as a whole, they are all connected, and it is obvious how. Not one aha moment, but maybe it was meant to be like that.
And yes the earlier stories could have been longer and more fleshed out, but the thing is if they had been then the book would have been too heavy.
I did like that there were 3 distinct narrators too so that every woman got to shine in her own light.
February 16, 2020
I enjoyed this book, but I didn't love it. The 2 stars is for the ending, I was completely annoyed by it. I liked Aurilie (I did audiobook, so please excuse spelling) and Daisy's story. But I found all the "reveals" not all that revealing. I had it all figured out from the beginning. That was annoying.
***spoilers***
I did not like Babs. Her character seemed pointless. And I just couldn't get behind her getting a happy ending considering she was the means of destroying a much better storyline. Her hiding the letter Daisy wrote to Kitt was horrible. And when you see the development of Kitt's and Daisy's story, it was even more heart wrenching. Because of her Kitt never knew he had a daughter, and she never knew her real Dad. Daisy spent her life alone, after all the suffering she had been through in her life. They tried to make what she did a loving thing, she was protecting him from what happened to him in the war. But I just didn't buy it. She was selfish... completely selfish. She didn't love Kitt, she loved herself. And yet we had to listen to Babs whine about not feeling like her husband really loved her.... how she felt he needed to be drunk to have sex with her. But she is praised as being so loving, and so strong, having endured so many hardships. What? It made no sense. But SHE got the happy ending, and no one else did.
Aurilie dies of influenza, leaving Daisy to live without a Mother or a Father. Her father not even knowing of her existance. Max doesn't even find out about Daisy until WWII, where he stumbles upon her. And when he finally confesses why he helps her, he is immediately murdered by the Nazis, so she doesn't get to know him.
Daisy has to endure the Nazis, her disgusting abusive husband, working for the resistance, only to be separated from Kitt, the love of her life. And never telling him she is pregnant with their baby. She lives alone, letting her creepy husband believe she is dead while she raises her 3 kids, and never finds love.
But Babs, who is the villian in my opinion, gets the happy ending, "learns to forgive herself". And then they do a plot with her that annoys me to no end. She is the frumpy country woman, who gets a makeover and is forced into clothing that she is uncomfortable with, but then she realizes she needs to be sexy to be noticed by men and be happy. Give me a break.
Bottom line, this book could have been better. I wish it was 2 separate books, one for Auralie and one for Daisy, so they could do it better, develop the story more. And not even have Babs in it at all.
***spoilers***
I did not like Babs. Her character seemed pointless. And I just couldn't get behind her getting a happy ending considering she was the means of destroying a much better storyline. Her hiding the letter Daisy wrote to Kitt was horrible. And when you see the development of Kitt's and Daisy's story, it was even more heart wrenching. Because of her Kitt never knew he had a daughter, and she never knew her real Dad. Daisy spent her life alone, after all the suffering she had been through in her life. They tried to make what she did a loving thing, she was protecting him from what happened to him in the war. But I just didn't buy it. She was selfish... completely selfish. She didn't love Kitt, she loved herself. And yet we had to listen to Babs whine about not feeling like her husband really loved her.... how she felt he needed to be drunk to have sex with her. But she is praised as being so loving, and so strong, having endured so many hardships. What? It made no sense. But SHE got the happy ending, and no one else did.
Aurilie dies of influenza, leaving Daisy to live without a Mother or a Father. Her father not even knowing of her existance. Max doesn't even find out about Daisy until WWII, where he stumbles upon her. And when he finally confesses why he helps her, he is immediately murdered by the Nazis, so she doesn't get to know him.
Daisy has to endure the Nazis, her disgusting abusive husband, working for the resistance, only to be separated from Kitt, the love of her life. And never telling him she is pregnant with their baby. She lives alone, letting her creepy husband believe she is dead while she raises her 3 kids, and never finds love.
But Babs, who is the villian in my opinion, gets the happy ending, "learns to forgive herself". And then they do a plot with her that annoys me to no end. She is the frumpy country woman, who gets a makeover and is forced into clothing that she is uncomfortable with, but then she realizes she needs to be sexy to be noticed by men and be happy. Give me a break.
Bottom line, this book could have been better. I wish it was 2 separate books, one for Auralie and one for Daisy, so they could do it better, develop the story more. And not even have Babs in it at all.
March 29, 2020
4.5 stars
Team W is an auto buy group of authors for me! I have read all of Lauren Willig’s books and many by Beatriz Williams and Karen White and I have read all of the Team W books so far, each one is so wonderful.
These three authors are tried and true writers and I have been anxiously awaiting the release of this latest Team W read. I decided to download it on Audible rather than read the physical copy as I have had great luck with the narrators of the Team W books and I was pleased with my choice to listen instead of physically reading.
I couldn’t wait to get through my last audiobook so that I could start this one and I found myself driving around aimlessly sometimes just so I could listen to one more chapter.
One of the things I noticed right away was some reoccurring characters from The Forgotten Room as well as The Glass Ocean. This book isn’t part of a series or anything like that but fans of the Team W books will see familiar characters and hear some familiar names in this book which I thought was just so fun and a lovely little Easter egg for fans.
As with the other Team W books, there are three different story lines going on that eventually all connect together as the larger narrative comes to an end. The authors won’t reveal who writes which sections/characters, which is fine by me, it’s kind of fun trying to guess. But there always seems to be one standout character that I like over all the others and that’s still the case in this book. I personally loved Babs story the most. I love reading about the inception of a romance, where things are new and different and unknown so Babs story was the one that tugged at my heart the most, although Aurelie’s story came in a close second.
Babs at times could be wishy-washy and kind of down on herself but I enjoyed seeing how she evolved throughout the story into a formidable woman. It was a great story of learning to move through grief and of letting go of the past while being able to forgive. Comparatively, Aurelie was feisty and sometimes too fierce for her own good. But I couldn’t help admire her fire and spirit even if at times it wasn’t prudent. I loved watching the love story between Max and Aurelie unfold and the way it was left was just so tragic and sad but oddly fitting.
For me personally I didn’t care for Daisy. It had nothing to do with the fact that she was married and having an affair, I actually was relieved she finally became involved with Kit but something about their relationship felt forced to me. I never seemed to connect with Kit at all in the book. I didn’t feel like he was all that charming or dashing or romantic. Where as Max was charming and sweet and Drew was awkward but funny and just plain adorable. Kit never seemed to have any spark for me and as a result I found myself wondering why Daisy was even wasting her time with him. Daisy herself just didn’t really form a connection for me either and I don’t really know why but neither Daisy or Kit really held my attention the way Aurelie and Babs did.
In the end though this was an excellent read and as I said, I found myself making up excuses to go for a drive so I could listen to it more! I adore Team W and will gladly read anything they write, but I am secretly hoping the next Team W book will be about Precious.
See my full review here
Team W is an auto buy group of authors for me! I have read all of Lauren Willig’s books and many by Beatriz Williams and Karen White and I have read all of the Team W books so far, each one is so wonderful.
These three authors are tried and true writers and I have been anxiously awaiting the release of this latest Team W read. I decided to download it on Audible rather than read the physical copy as I have had great luck with the narrators of the Team W books and I was pleased with my choice to listen instead of physically reading.
I couldn’t wait to get through my last audiobook so that I could start this one and I found myself driving around aimlessly sometimes just so I could listen to one more chapter.
One of the things I noticed right away was some reoccurring characters from The Forgotten Room as well as The Glass Ocean. This book isn’t part of a series or anything like that but fans of the Team W books will see familiar characters and hear some familiar names in this book which I thought was just so fun and a lovely little Easter egg for fans.
As with the other Team W books, there are three different story lines going on that eventually all connect together as the larger narrative comes to an end. The authors won’t reveal who writes which sections/characters, which is fine by me, it’s kind of fun trying to guess. But there always seems to be one standout character that I like over all the others and that’s still the case in this book. I personally loved Babs story the most. I love reading about the inception of a romance, where things are new and different and unknown so Babs story was the one that tugged at my heart the most, although Aurelie’s story came in a close second.
Babs at times could be wishy-washy and kind of down on herself but I enjoyed seeing how she evolved throughout the story into a formidable woman. It was a great story of learning to move through grief and of letting go of the past while being able to forgive. Comparatively, Aurelie was feisty and sometimes too fierce for her own good. But I couldn’t help admire her fire and spirit even if at times it wasn’t prudent. I loved watching the love story between Max and Aurelie unfold and the way it was left was just so tragic and sad but oddly fitting.
For me personally I didn’t care for Daisy. It had nothing to do with the fact that she was married and having an affair, I actually was relieved she finally became involved with Kit but something about their relationship felt forced to me. I never seemed to connect with Kit at all in the book. I didn’t feel like he was all that charming or dashing or romantic. Where as Max was charming and sweet and Drew was awkward but funny and just plain adorable. Kit never seemed to have any spark for me and as a result I found myself wondering why Daisy was even wasting her time with him. Daisy herself just didn’t really form a connection for me either and I don’t really know why but neither Daisy or Kit really held my attention the way Aurelie and Babs did.
In the end though this was an excellent read and as I said, I found myself making up excuses to go for a drive so I could listen to it more! I adore Team W and will gladly read anything they write, but I am secretly hoping the next Team W book will be about Precious.
See my full review here
February 28, 2020
Written in a similar manner to other books these three authors have collaborated on, this particular book follows three women in three different timeframes whose stories are ultimately connected. We have Aurelie who resists the invasion of German soldiers during WWI yet still falls in love with a German officer, Daisy who turns spy during WWII despite being married to a Nazi collaborator, and Babs in 1964 as she tries to find out the identity of a Resistance fighter who had been in love with her husband. Sounds like a great story, doesn’t it? Yes, the plot was terrific, but IMHO the book didn’t live up to its potential. So what went wrong?
I��ve read the other books by this trio and loved them, but honestly it’s like someone else wrote this book. It read like the script of a B-rated movie. Very trite in places and it got perilously close to being not much more than a bodice ripper. Additionally there were things that seemed too unbelievable. For instance:
- Upon checking into the Ritz, Babs meets another guest and within one minute this other woman has scheduled Babs for a shopping trip to buy an entirely new wardrobe. And yes, they do go shopping.
- A German officer tells Aurelie not to pay attention to his superior because he’s a bully. Really? Maybe I’ve seen too many war movies but that doesn’t seem likely to me. Of course this was shortly after Aurelie abandoned her car on the road and shrugged it off as “oh well, it’s wartime” and then hikes miles to get to her home.
I realize I’m in the minority as this book enjoys 4+ ratings all over the web, but honestly I was disappointed. Great plot, poor execution.
I��ve read the other books by this trio and loved them, but honestly it’s like someone else wrote this book. It read like the script of a B-rated movie. Very trite in places and it got perilously close to being not much more than a bodice ripper. Additionally there were things that seemed too unbelievable. For instance:
- Upon checking into the Ritz, Babs meets another guest and within one minute this other woman has scheduled Babs for a shopping trip to buy an entirely new wardrobe. And yes, they do go shopping.
- A German officer tells Aurelie not to pay attention to his superior because he’s a bully. Really? Maybe I’ve seen too many war movies but that doesn’t seem likely to me. Of course this was shortly after Aurelie abandoned her car on the road and shrugged it off as “oh well, it’s wartime” and then hikes miles to get to her home.
I realize I’m in the minority as this book enjoys 4+ ratings all over the web, but honestly I was disappointed. Great plot, poor execution.
February 9, 2020
I am totally impressed that three different authors can come together to produce a completely cohesive narrative.
1914 / 1942 / 1964
Three timelines, two different wars; three different heroines all come together melded into an intriguing story of love and betrayal; heroism in the time of war; loss and redemption.
There is a little bit of everything in this novel: Romance, mystery; a family saga spanning the ages and the Hotel Ritz in Paris as center stage.
1914 / 1942 / 1964
Three timelines, two different wars; three different heroines all come together melded into an intriguing story of love and betrayal; heroism in the time of war; loss and redemption.
There is a little bit of everything in this novel: Romance, mystery; a family saga spanning the ages and the Hotel Ritz in Paris as center stage.
December 23, 2019
All The Ways We Said Goodbye is a sweeping family saga of three strong females and their heroic men that’s centrally located in different time settings at The Ritz of Paris Hotel and a beautiful century’s old French Chateau. This book easily transported me back in time to each different era. I didn’t want to put it down. With so many genres rolled up into one entertaining story; romance, humor, mystery & suspense, to secrets and tragedy from wartime France in 1914 & 1942 to the flip hair style and mini skirt era of 1964, this book is not to be missed. I really enjoyed it! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
I received an ARC from the publisher via NetGalley for an honest review.
I received an ARC from the publisher via NetGalley for an honest review.
November 6, 2019
A well written historical fiction/family-drama fusion.
All the Ways We Said Goodbye
has three different point of views (with Daisy's being by far my favorite) in three different time periods—World War I, World War II, and post-World War II 1960s. As the story unfolds, the three narrators, Barbara (Babs), Aurelie, and Daisy find that they have a lot more in common than they think. I really loved how the story unfolded, but quickly realized that this is more of a romance and family-drama than anything else. Go into the story knowing that and you'll enjoy it more.
January 20, 2020
Crossing multiple time periods (WWI, WWII, and post WWII) and told from multiple points of view, three women face tremendous hardship and loss while overcoming horrific challenges, clinging to love and hope. Perfect for book clubs and fans of WWII novels.
January 7, 2021
*4.5 stars ✨
Three of my favorite authors, so I knew I couldn’t go wrong with this book. Historical fiction, 3 pov’s, 3 different time periods, war, & romance. A little obvious on how all the stories connect but well written & it certainly didn’t disappoint.
Three of my favorite authors, so I knew I couldn’t go wrong with this book. Historical fiction, 3 pov’s, 3 different time periods, war, & romance. A little obvious on how all the stories connect but well written & it certainly didn’t disappoint.
February 1, 2020
Set amid three different time periods (1914, 1942, and 1964), All the Ways We Said Goodbye follows Aurélie the French heiress, Daisy the Resistance fighter, and Barbara/Babs the widow. How do their three stories intertwine?
"Some women are lost in the fire, and some are built with it."
First of all, since so much of this story occurred at the luxurious Ritz Hotel in Paris, I took a few minutes to google it and ogle the extravagant photos. Oooooh la la! After that, I was ready to get back to reading. Having three different main characters in three different time periods is always a bit confusing at first, but I sorted this one out pretty quickly. Luckily, I liked all of the story lines and enjoyed going back and forth between them as I tried to piece everything together while patiently waiting to see if all of my hunches were correct (they were!). Yes, this is a long book, but since it's like getting three stories in one, it is well worth your time.
As always, with Team W, I was in awe of the seamless writing! If I hadn't already know, I never would have guessed it was co-authored by three separate (brilliant) minds. Never say goodbye, darling, so au revoir until the next book!
Location: Paris, France at the Ritz and Devonshire, England
I received an advance copy of this book. All opinions are my own.
"Some women are lost in the fire, and some are built with it."
First of all, since so much of this story occurred at the luxurious Ritz Hotel in Paris, I took a few minutes to google it and ogle the extravagant photos. Oooooh la la! After that, I was ready to get back to reading. Having three different main characters in three different time periods is always a bit confusing at first, but I sorted this one out pretty quickly. Luckily, I liked all of the story lines and enjoyed going back and forth between them as I tried to piece everything together while patiently waiting to see if all of my hunches were correct (they were!). Yes, this is a long book, but since it's like getting three stories in one, it is well worth your time.
As always, with Team W, I was in awe of the seamless writing! If I hadn't already know, I never would have guessed it was co-authored by three separate (brilliant) minds. Never say goodbye, darling, so au revoir until the next book!
Location: Paris, France at the Ritz and Devonshire, England
I received an advance copy of this book. All opinions are my own.
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