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smalltownbookmom's review against another edition
5.0
I’d heard this one was good and I’ve been meaning to read it for ages but it FAR exceeded expectations. I listened on audio and the narrator is EXCELLENT. I highly recommend it in this format. So much more than just another WWII novel. The main focus of the book centres around the complicated relationship between Claude and Blanche Auzello (real people) who fell in love in the 1920s and later come to live and work at the Ritz in Paris during the war. Little is known about the details of their lives so the author admits to taking creative liberties but this does not detract from their extraordinary experiences during occupied Paris. Both work in their own ways to help the Resistance without the other knowing, creating resentments and misunderstandings. The toll the war takes on their marriage is so well written, the war is merely secondary. Lots of fascinating historical details about the workings and famous patrons of the Ritz too. I LOVED everything about this book (stayed up late into the night finishing it because I just couldn’t put it down). Fans of Code Name Helene (another WWIi book based on a strong, real woman) should enjoy this too. The story builds to a tragic ending and the historical note at the end by the author adds extra details. HIGHLY recommend this one. Definitely going on my favourites list for 2021!
ahayes's review against another edition
adventurous
informative
mysterious
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
okiegirl4's review against another edition
4.0
A good, well written story about a time in Paris I have not read much about before. This was definitely my kind of book.
krism's review against another edition
3.0
This is a historical fiction based on the lives of Blanche and Claude Auzello. "Based on" is a key phrase because so little is actually known about this couple. Claude was the manager of the Ritz Hotel in Paris during the Nazi occupation. Blanche was his American-born wife. Before the war, they rubbed shoulders with Ernest Hemingway, Coco Chanel, Picasso, Cole Porter and others. During the war, they both secretly worked for the Resistance. While they loved one another, their marriage was unhappy and the constant bickering and fighting portrayed in the novel stole a lot of the joy from reading the book. Still, an interesting look into the lives of people during the occupation.
lhurley16's review against another edition
4.0
I am a lover of historical novels. I had heard about Claude and Blanche Auzello and was interested to read a novel centered around their life.
Its a solid book that does a good job telling the story about the couple, as well as the famed Ritz and its Nazi occupiers (and sympathizers) who took over during the Paris seige. Although it can read like a soap opera at times - that WAS the life of the Ritz and Auzellos. I would have liked to see their post occupation life sussed out a bit more as there is a lot about that that surmises their end. But overall a great book that gives another perspective on the French resistance
Its a solid book that does a good job telling the story about the couple, as well as the famed Ritz and its Nazi occupiers (and sympathizers) who took over during the Paris seige. Although it can read like a soap opera at times - that WAS the life of the Ritz and Auzellos. I would have liked to see their post occupation life sussed out a bit more as there is a lot about that that surmises their end. But overall a great book that gives another perspective on the French resistance
winterreader40's review against another edition
DNF on page 61, apparently I don't care about the Ritz, the FMC is annoying and the MMC isn't interesting either.
lw_304's review against another edition
4.0
This one got really good about two thirds of the way through. It took too long to “build” the story. I would have rated a 3 for most of the book but the strong finish brought it up to a solid 3.5 rounded up!
bibliobrittish's review against another edition
4.0
3.5⭐️ - If there's one thing Melanie Benjamin has a knack for, it's writing characters of their time and place. Never does she plop a person from today's world into history in order to make them more 'likable' in the eyes of today's readers. She writes these characters, these people, as they would have been, in their time, in their place. This is no less true of Blanche and Claude, in 1940s occupied Paris.
Though I must admit to preferring The Aviator's Wife, there's no denying that Blanche had moxie, and her story grew on me as it went on, as Blanche grew into herself - a flapper, a hotel manager's wife & socialite, a resistance fighter, a Jew.
Mistress of the Ritz is a story of survival - what we do for it, what we do to help others achieve it, how we continue to survive after we've made it through the worst. Benjamin approaches this story with incredible finesse and humanity, showcasing the shades of grey that exist in war, and where the lines must be drawn.
Mistress of the Ritz is also a love story (again, of its time and place) - a tale of finding yourself within the constraints of marriage, how long it takes to trust one another, and questioning that bond even still. It's the love that flourishes between friends working toward something greater. It's the story of falling in love with a place, even if not always its people. And it's the story of falling back in love with yourself and where you come from.
This story certainly took a moment to settle in - the multiple perspectives were jarring at first, especially given the changing timelines - but ultimately a worthwhile read among the onslaught of WWII novels.
Though I must admit to preferring The Aviator's Wife, there's no denying that Blanche had moxie, and her story grew on me as it went on, as Blanche grew into herself - a flapper, a hotel manager's wife & socialite, a resistance fighter, a Jew.
Mistress of the Ritz is a story of survival - what we do for it, what we do to help others achieve it, how we continue to survive after we've made it through the worst. Benjamin approaches this story with incredible finesse and humanity, showcasing the shades of grey that exist in war, and where the lines must be drawn.
Mistress of the Ritz is also a love story (again, of its time and place) - a tale of finding yourself within the constraints of marriage, how long it takes to trust one another, and questioning that bond even still. It's the love that flourishes between friends working toward something greater. It's the story of falling in love with a place, even if not always its people. And it's the story of falling back in love with yourself and where you come from.
This story certainly took a moment to settle in - the multiple perspectives were jarring at first, especially given the changing timelines - but ultimately a worthwhile read among the onslaught of WWII novels.
sarah_reading_party's review against another edition
4.0
this book is as sweet as a world war II novel can be. i loved thinking of how a place, like the ritz, was used during the war as survival for so many people. though this book did have chicklit elements, i love the deep characterization throughout this book and how ultimately blanche was much more than she seemed. it's fun that this book had some true life elements to it as well!