That being said, what really disappointed me was how the book devolved near the end. And about the only exposure you get to Paris are a few references to locations around the city, an apartment and a cafe. Sadly, there was little about Christmas in the book - it just happened that the contemporary aspects of the book were set near Christmas but could have well been at some other time of year.

So I set out listening to this book in early December. I love the city, and true to my romantic nature, I proposed to my wife there.

I am a sappy romantic at heart so when I read the description, I thought this sounded like a good 'Christmas book.' In addition, I was enthralled to read a book set in Paris. Second, I now realize that this is serious 'chick lit.' I probably should have realized that when I read the description but I was blinded by the Parisian setting - an aspect that is of limited relevance to the book - and the romantic nature of the book. But one final letter is waiting for him.įull narrative cast includes Alex Wyndham, Billie Fulford-Brown, Morag Sims, Gary Furlong, Greg Wagland, Antony Ferguson, Derek Perkins, Jane Copland, and Mary Jane Wells.Īs a sappy romantic, not what I had hoped forįirst, let me say there are some spoilers here so proceed with caution. With failing health, Thomas returns to Paris - a cherished packet of letters in hand - determined to lay to rest the ghosts of his past. Can love flourish amid the horror of the First World War, or will fate intervene?Ĭhristmas 1968. Through their letters Evie and Thomas share their greatest hopes and fears - and grow ever fonder from afar.

Frustrated by life as a privileged young lady, Evie longs to play a greater part in the conflict - but how? - and as Thomas struggles with the unimaginable realities of war, he also faces personal battles back home, where War Office regulations on press reporting cause trouble at his father's newspaper business. As Evie Elliott watches her brother, Will, and his best friend, Thomas Harding, depart for the front, she believes - as everyone does - that it will be over by Christmas, when the trio plan to celebrate the holiday among the romantic cafés of Paris.īut as history tells us, it all happened so differently.Įvie and Thomas experience a very different war. New York Times best-selling author Hazel Gaynor has joined with Heather Webb to create this unforgettably romantic novel of the Great War.Īugust 1914.

Last christmas in paris by hazel gaynor