Readers Will Never Forget Their ‘Last Christmas in Paris’ [REVIEW]

Before his life is over, he must go back to where it began in Hazel Gaynor and Heather Webb’s Last Christmas in Paris. (Photo by justkids, Flickr)

The Great War changed the global landscape forever. Never before had the entire planet been engulfed in war, and yet at the time, no one had any idea just how long the conflict would last. Communities were flattened, families torn apart, and friends separated. Yet, despite it all, romance still managed to thrive and blossom amidst the ashes. Hazel Gaynor and Heather Webb’s new novel, Last Christmas in Paris, recounts one such story. 

William Morrow

In the Christmas of 1968, Thomas Harding bundles up a trove a precious letters. They are worn from frequent reading, and are perhaps his most valuable possessions. And even though his health is failing, he carries them with him and leaves for Paris to read one last letter, one that has never before been opened, to fulfill a promise forged decades before.

Back in 1914, Thomas was a young soldier at the front, accompanied by his best friend, Will Elliott. At that time, they had no idea that the war would wage on and on, and in fact, both of them thought they would soon be reunited with Will’s sister, Evie, in Paris on Christmas where they dreamed of sipping coffee in the little cafe’s under the Eiffel Tower. But things didn’t go as planned.

Thomas was never a fighter, but a scholar, and yet he was caught in the middle of a war which he was unprepared to fight. If he had stayed home, things wouldn’t have been much better for him though, especially as his father’s newspaper comes under scrutiny by the War Office for how it reports the war. Meanwhile, Evie wants to make a difference at home and struggles to find her own place in society as her world crumbles around her. Thus starts a series of letters sent between Thomas and Evie, as they share their hopes, dreams, and greatest fears through their correspondence. The more they write, the closer they become, even as war rages between them.

Last Christmas in Paris is both sentimental, haunting, and timeless. It captures our imaginations with its tender story of a budding romance, and effectively demonstrates how love can change the course of a life forever. Yet it is also a story of faith and loyalty, friendship and brotherhood, and serves as bittersweet thank you note for all of the men and women who were irrevocably changed by World War I.

With Evie and Thomas, Gaynor and Webb have created a couple to rival those found in Nicholas Sparks’ The Notebook and Danielle Steel’s The Ring. These are characters we love, long and grieve with, who touch our hearts as few do, and who we hate to say goodbye to when the last page is turned. Last Christmas in Paris is a story that burrows deep under our skin, and readers are destined to fall under the spell of this unforgettable novel that is as enchanting as the City of Light itself.

ABOUT THE AUTHORS

Hazel Gaynor
(Photo by Deasy Photographic)

Hazel Gaynor is the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of A Memory of Violets and The Girl Who Came Home, for which she received the 2015 RNA Historical Novel of the Year award. Her third novel, The Girl from Savoy, was an Irish Times and Globe & Mail Canada bestseller, and was shortlisted for the BGE Irish Book Awards Popular Fiction Book of the Year.

Hazel was selected by US Library Journal as one of “Ten Breakout Authors” for 2015 and her work has been translated into several languages.

Originally from Yorkshire, Hazel now lives in Ireland with her husband and two children. She invites readers to visit her home on the Web at HazelGaynor.com, like her on Facebook and follow her on Twitter.

Heather Webb

Heather Webb writes historical fiction for Penguin, including her novels Becoming Josephine and Rodin’s Lover. In 2015, Goodreads selected Rodin’s Lover as a Top Pick of the Month.

As a former military brat, Heather naturally grew up obsessed with travel, culture, and languages. She put her degrees to good use teaching high school French for nearly a decade before channeling these passions into fiction. When not writing, she flexes her foodie skills or looks for excuses to head to the other side of the world.

Heather is a member of the Historical Novel Society and the Women’s Fiction Writer’s Association. She lives in New England with her children and husband, and one feisty rabbit.

Find out more about her at HeatherWebbAuthor.com, like her on Facebook, and follow her on Twitter.

LAST CHRISTMAS IN PARIS
By Hazel Gaynor and Heather Webb
384 pgs. William Morrow. $14.99

You may purchase Last Christmas in Paris at one of these fine online retailers: HarperCollins, Amazon, and Barnes & Noble.

Last Christmas in Paris is brought to you in association with TLC Book Tours.

Last Christmas in Paris Giveaway

Want to win a copy of Last Christmas in Paris for your personal library? Simply complete the form below and click submit to enter. Giveaway is limited to U.S. residents only. Contest ends October 31, 2017.