Review: The French Photographer by Natasha Lester (2019)

I just finished reading "The French Photographer" (2019), also known as "The Paris Orphan", by Natasha Lester.

In the nineteen-forties, fashion model Jessica May wants to become a war correspondent. But nothing can prepare her for the horrors of war, or the countless men who hate her presence in war-stricken Europe, simply for being a woman. Luckily, she befriends other female correspondents and the kind-hearted soldier Dan Hallworth, who is caring for an orphaned girl who will become very important to Jessica.

In the noughties, D'Arcy Hallworth visits a chateau in France to help pack a famous photographer's work. The plan is to exhibit the photographs at a gallery in D'Arcy's home country Australia, but while going through them, D'Arcy discovers a big family secret that pertains to her mother Victorine. How is she connected to the photographer and what other surprises are hidden in the old chateau?

I really enjoyed this novel. It has a perfect mix of romance and drama. Lester makes you feel invested in the characters and when I found out that the main character is a fictitious version of real life correspondent Lee Miller, I started reading up on her too.

At one point I got a bit confused by the many plot twists during the final chapters of the book. However, it's a small complaint because "The French Photographer" is a wonderful read, both heartwarming and tragic. I found myself crying at the many hardships of the main characters and the people they meet during the war.

This is the second novel by Natasha Lester that I've read, but it won't be the last. I really enjoy her historical romances and can't wait for the next one.

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Review: A Kiss From Mr Fitzgerald by Natasha Lester (2016)

I just finished reading "A Kiss From Mr Fitzgerald" (2016) by Natasha Lester. The novel is set in the 1920s and follows Evelyn Lockhart, a girl from a wealthy Concord family, who dreams of moving to New York City to study to become a doctor. Her conservative parents are dead set against it so she comes up with a secret plan to make her dream come true.

But there are many other obstacles standing in her way, for example the sexism she endures from her male colleagues. Has Evelyn taken on more than she can handle? And what will her crush, the handsome banker Thomas Whitman, think when he finds out that she's financing her studies working as a performer in the famous Ziegfeld Follies?

"A Kiss From Mr Fitzgerald" is just my kind of book: a well-written historical romance filled with glamour and dark family secrets. I also learned a lot about the time period, which is always a big plus. The plot twists may not be very original, but that's a minor complaint.

I loved my time with the book and I'm looking forward to reading more by this author. If you like period dramas with powerful female characters, then this is the book for you.

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