REVIEW: The Siren of Paris by David LeRoy

DETAILS

Title: The Siren of Paris

Author: David LeRoy

Publisher: Independent

Pages: 352

Genre: Historical Fiction/Magical Realism 

Formats: Paperback, Kindle, Audiobook, FREE with Kindle Unlimited

BLURB

Journey through the dark, violent, and haunting landscape of World War II in Paris and beyond – Take on a harrowing tour through the depths of human depravity, exploring themes of love, loss, guilt, and redemption in this gripping historical tale.

Marc Tolbert, a young French-born man from a prominent American family, takes off to Paris for a fresh start after a breakup in 1939. Pursuing his dreams of attending a prestigious Parisian art school, he soon makes friends with some of history's most notable figures, including Sylvia Beach and William Bullitt. Falling in love with an art model from one of his classes, he is blinded to the escalating violence around them as the war inches closer to the City of Lights.

What started as an adventure quickly becomes a nightmare as the war worsens, and Marc is faced with choices that will change his life forever.

When he finally faces the reality that he must leave Paris, fate deals him a cruel hand. Surviving the sinking of the RMS Lancastria, Marc is haunted by the deaths of his friends and the regret of not leaving sooner.

Returning to Paris, Marc is drawn into the resistance movement, risking everything to help those trapped behind enemy lines. But after being betrayed, he is captured and sent away to face the horrors of war and the guilt of his past mistakes.

The Siren of Paris is a powerful and emotional story that will keep you on the edge of your seat. With its compelling plot-driven narrative, vivid scenes, and intense action, this novel will transport you to the heart of war-torn Paris and leave you contemplating the weight of human choices and their impact on others. Whether you're a fan of historical fiction, war stories, or symbolic themes, this novel will captivate and intrigue you from start to finish.

• Genre: Historical Fiction

• Sub-genre: Magical Realism

• Language:English

• Pages: 352

• Paperback ISBN: 978-0983966715

The Siren of Paris is available at Amazon.

 Review:

I always enjoy fictional reads that are set in historical times, such as this story in the 1930's and 40's in Paris, when Hitler was 'slowly' taking over in these parts of the world. I enjoyed Marc's journey to Paris, watching him want to be an artist, making friends along the way, going to work, while the regime's story is in the background. It was a change of pace (in a positive way) where the Nazi Regime was (at least in the beginning) a background story, or a backdrop to Marc's story, part of the explanation to his story, and not the centerpiece. The author also did a great job in showing how Parisians and the citizens go from living their lives to slowly but progressively being more worried about the regime advancing into Europe. The historical places and individuals made this story quite interesting as well! I also appreciated that he followed up with his friends' storylines; they didn't simply sizzle out. LeRoy clearly has the potential to be a great author.

That being said, as I advanced into this story, I noticed LeRoy seemed to miss a few opportunities to expand on the history in France at this time. He seemed to cut short opportunities for the reader to learn what it could have been like to be a fly on the wall, such as when Marc is a secretary temporarily while doing a favor, and this has him in the same room during conversations with historical figures such as Mussolini. He skips over these opportunities but spends a few pages on newsreels in the theatre. I also never understood the importance of the cribbage set. Why was it important for the reader to know he always put it back in his bag and always put it on his mantel when he arrived home, other than it was a gift from years ago? I also understood his dreaming, to a point, not only did it seem long-winded, but..he also doesn't tie it back into reality either.

I didn't mind the back and forth between times; a better explanation in the story would have helped the reader stay grounded. Instead, I found myself saying..wait, what? Suddenly, he is in the future playing cribbage with a group of friends, and they write down fake numbers...why? He always ensures to put the cribbage set in his bag and then on his mantel. But it never explains the importance of the cribbage set..

I did not expect some of the turns that this story took...like Marc going to a concentration camp, or for that matter, the very end, which I won't spoil ;)

Also, there were bits and pieces to the story that we, as the readers, never got answers to or explanations for. I was left with questions after finishing the story, which was..disappointing, 

 I didn't care for the jumping around in the storyline without any notice. That was a bit confusing at first, then a bit annoying. 

All in all, I did enjoy the story. I just wish there was more to it.

I received this book for free from PUYB in exchange for an honest review

Giveaway & Review: Unexpected Altars: Meeting God in Everyday Moments

 Christian Devotional, Inspirational Personal Testimonies

Date Published: 11-15-2025

Publisher: Acorn Book Services

Everyday moments become sacred altars where God meets you.

Do you sometimes wish you could hear from God? Do you feel like you are too insignificant for Him to care about your daily battles with loneliness, grief, change, and doubts?

God talks to each of us – from the young husband and father who accidentally torched his home, to the claustrophobic pastor making her way through a historic tunnel in Israel, to the mystery author having a close call with a stink bug.

God can speak to us through that soft voice inside your head, or the perfect words for your circumstance uttered on Sunday morning, or He can come to you in a powerful revelation.

Turn your doubts into divine encounters. Discover how God is speaking to you today through these 101 inspirational faith stories. These stories will transform your doubts into powerful encounters with God’s grace, guiding you to find Him in unexpected places.

UNEXPECTED ALTARS is a collection of stories of faith from real people, just like you, who have experienced God’s grace and presence in their lives. Their authors pray that this Christian devotional will inspire your daily spiritual life. Each story is a powerful reminder that God meets us right where we are—building altars of worship in the ordinary and the extraordinary. Perfect for daily devotion, small group discussion, or personal encouragement.

My Review:

As a woman of Faith, this book interested me.  Mainly because I haven't read a faith-based book in a while, the description caught my eye. I was a little worried it would come off as a "religious text" to be 'adhered to'..because, in my experience at least, I don't need yet another person telling me what I'm doing wrong, need to change, need to do better, etc. That is how our world can feel sometimes, right? I am so glad I was wrong. This book was easy to read in a week (it could be read sooner or longer, I have littles that seem to know when mom sits down to read!). It was easy in a lot of ways..

Easy to read, comprehend, and relatable. I really appreciated that each story was told by someone else in their own experience, with a scripture to head off their story or experience. 

I found that, after reading this, I began to feel more like I was sitting with a group of friends and we were exchanging stories! So many good points, good reminders, and even made me think of loved ones I know going through things. 

I enjoyed the faith aspect of this read without it feeling...preachy. There isn't anything necessarily wrong with preachy, but when you're reading a book like this, that isn't what you need. It comes off more as a friend you're talking to that ends up reminding you, 'I need to remember that...' 

Such as faith of a mustard seed, or taking care of our spiritual self, just the physical self. The one biggest reminder this book gave me was in the title itself, though..Unexpected Altars. Although church is great for the soul and spirit, we need to remember that God meets us where we are, how we are. This book gives 'chicken soup for the soul' type vibes. I definitely would recommend this.

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I received this book for free in exchange for an honest review.