taybooks920's review against another edition
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.5
kittykornerlibrarian's review against another edition
4.0
I really enjoy Melanie Benjamin's historical fiction... this one is set in Paris, spanning a time period between the 1920s and the 1940s. It's the story of a marriage between Claude, the manager of the luxurious Ritz hotel, and Blanche, an American actress who steals his heart unexpectedly. Their story focuses on the marriage itself, coming to terms with differing sets of expectations, and moves onward to the couple's role in Nazi-occupied Paris. It's a very nice mix of the personal and the historical. The characters are interesting, and the Ritz definitely is enough of a presence to count as another character. I especially enjoyed the reflections from both Claude and Blanche of how to survive in an authoritarian environment. This is an author I follow.
swaenx's review against another edition
adventurous
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
3.0
katiekmac's review against another edition
3.0
Loved that it was based on a true story, just struggled to get through the writing unfortunately.
eeyore527's review against another edition
Thank you to NetGalley for the chance to review this book. It appears that in the past year there has been many historical fiction novels around WWII. It is hard to decide which ones to read without getting the same information or sounding as the same story as the last one. For me this book really took it to a different level. I loved the fact it took place outside of Germany and different prospective of the events with the Nazi's.
The ability to teach me something new and all while creating a visual story that makes me feel for the characters and their situation was really brought to life in this new book.
This was my first book by this author but will now take a look at her backlist titles to add to my TBR list.
The ability to teach me something new and all while creating a visual story that makes me feel for the characters and their situation was really brought to life in this new book.
This was my first book by this author but will now take a look at her backlist titles to add to my TBR list.
daianadae's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
drubyy's review against another edition
emotional
inspiring
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
nursenell's review against another edition
4.0
My initial impression of this book was such I was going to quit reading it. I found it very hard to get into but sticking with it, the story did redeem itself. It is based on the true story of Claude and Blanche Auzello. Claude is the director of the Ritz Hotel in Paris at the time it is taken over by the Nazi's and used as their headquarters. Blanche and Claude make their home in the Ritz. He must, of necessity, cater to the Nazi's. This is the story of how they each become involved with the Resistance, without the knowledge of the other. She thinks she knows where Claude goes when phone calls come in the middle of the night, and he thinks she is a drunk. The truth is much more noble for each, and they don't find out until it is almost too late.
leleroulant's review against another edition
4.0
Thoroughly enjoyable book about residents of the Ritz in Paris during World War II. Based on real characters where not much is known about them, Benjamin did a bang-up job of making them believable and relatable.