This is a fascinating novel about WWII and the French Resistance from the perspective of an American woman who marries a Frenchman, moves to France before the war begins. It is told in an honest manner and certainly looks to be well researched.

I admit that I had a little trouble getting into this book, but after a few chapters I could not put it down! Ruby and Charlotte held my attention completely. Ruby, the young adult woman who marries a Frenchman shortly before WWII begins, is the stuff that the French Resistance was built on. She is a brave young woman who becomes very involved in what is happening in her adopted country. Charlotte is the daughter of a Jewish couple who live close. Their two stories overlap each other.

I read a lot of WWII historical fiction and enjoy most of the books I read. This book, however, made me cry and that's hard to do! Thank you to NetGalley and Gallery, Threshold, Pocket Books for the opportunity to read and review this book.

Many thanks to Gallery Books and Netgalley for the chance to read and review this novel.

By now many of you may know how much I love World War II Historical Fiction. There's something about this period in history I find incredibly captivating. Each story is so immersive in the human experience, offering some form of tragedy I've never before been able to imagine. After having made my way through countless WWII novels, I still find myself dumbfounded at the horrors humans inflicted upon one another. The suffering is unimaginable, no matter how many books I read. However, the constant that keeps me coming back to these horrifying stories shrouded in truth remains the same - the persistence of good. The people who fight for strangers above themselves, the stories of people offering food to someone weaker, those who harbored strangers in their homes for the sake of the cause, and countless other good deeds that may never find their way into the pages of a book. Every story, even if fictional, holds truth.

The Room on Rue Amélie hooked me from the very first page and was no exception to everything mentioned above. Though I've read several books in this genre, often from the same settings, each story is new and unique. Kristin Harmel did an exquisite job of capturing this dismal time in history through multiple characters, though mainly from the perspective of Ruby, an American woman living in Paris. Shortly before the war, Ruby moves to Paris with her French husband to start a life of love and independence. Quickly, life becomes less than she imagines as her marriage starts to crumble with the start of the war. Given the chance and urged to leave the country multiple times, Ruby is determined to be part of the Resistance against the Germans instead, helping in any way she can. Finally, she is trusted with the chance to be part of the escape line for downed airmen in the enemy territory. Ruby is constantly put to the test, but her faith and perseverance never waver.

"The Room on Rue Amélie tells the tale of an American woman, a British RAF pilot, and a young Jewish teenager whose lives intersect in occupied Paris during the tumultuous days of World War II."

I prefer to go into stories as blind as possible. I simply requested this novel through Netgalley for the beautiful cover and the first few lines of the blurb (mentioned above). I was pleasantly surprised with the unexpected additions of romance during this wartime setting. I was completely engulfed in the emotions of the characters and could not stop reading this beautiful book. The story begins with an elderly couple recounting their past as one of the character's final days approach. As the story continues, readers are taken through the expanse of the war, from start to finish. I have to give high praise on this aspect, as a lot of ground was covered in surprisingly minimal pages. Some authors struggle to fit this impressive length of time into one novel, but Kristin Harmel was able to do the effortlessly, without making the story feel rushed or as if the reader has missed important events in the gaps of time. Readers are able to feel the characters growing and changing as the war makes them weary, allowing them to feel a personal connection to the people in the story.

As I got closer to the conclusion, I was nervous all of the ends would not be able to be tied up in the few remaining pages. Luckily, my fears were completely unfounded because the ending was unexpectedly beautiful while simultaneously heartwrenching. I never saw the end events coming and was rocked to my core. I truly loved everything about this story and was touched by the writing on the deepest level. I hate to compare novels because each is unique, but I daresay this one will stick with me for years to come, with the likes of novels such as The Nightingale, From Sand and Ash, and Sarah's Key. I truly cannot recommend this amazing book enough! Pick it up in a little over a week on March 27th.

So: "For fans of Kristin Hannah’s The Nightingale and Martha Hall Kelly’s Lilac Girls, this powerful novel of fate, resistance, and family... tells the tale of an American woman [Ruby Benoit], a British RAF pilot [Thomas Clarke], and a young Jewish teenager [Charlotte Dacher--though 11 when the novel begins] whose lives intersect in occupied Paris during the tumultuous days of World War II."

Yes, absolutely, but... I really liked The Nightingale, less so Lilac Girls. Maybe I've had enough. This is a 3, but barely. Not badly written, but sometimes I grimaced--particularly with one story line--not reveal from me--it will surely be obvious to the reader. Cliches? Or just trite? And often, seemingly overly simplistic and pedestrian. And, certainly predictable. Too much same old same old--nothing new or exciting to add to the genre.

Observation: I often felt Charlotte's voice was far too old for her age. Even when she was fourteen and the author kept harping on how the war and her circumstances aged her--it felt too adult [to me].

And though the novel moved slowly from 1938 to the end of World War II, the final jump [though it did start in 2002, but at the beginning, at least an unknown]--it threw me over the edge.

I love historical fiction, and especially WW2 historical fiction, so this book definitely hit some high spots with me. There have been a plethora of WW2 historical fiction books released in the past few years, and while this one is not in the very top of my list, it is nonetheless, a great read, leaning slightly towards a romance novel I liked how the characters each had a unique perspective: on events unfolding during the war Ruby, an American living in Paris, Charlotte, a jewish girl, and Thomas a British pilot. The story is loosely based of a foreign woman who helped the resistance run some of the escape routes out of Paris. The story really picks up half way through the book to the point that I didn't want to put it down. The emotional ending tied everything together and was a satisfying read. I recommend!

I just finished this emotional novel a few minutes ago and still feel the emotions running through me. This story took me back to Paris during the invasion of German forces in WWII. The characters were so well written. I recommend that everyone read this story. It was well researched and described the impact of the war on this country, as well as on the people of France. It explained how they banded together to help each other and even help strangers to have a better world. Without such sacrifices, the world might be as we know it today. As I came to the final chapter I had tears streaming and also the feeling of hope. Thank you for writing such an inspirational story. We all have to believe there is good in this world or it wouldn't be worth living!

3.5 sad wartime story stars

Life was ever so hard in Europe living during the war years. When Ruby, a young American girl, meets and falls in love with Marcel, a young Frenchman, she doesn't realize the changes she will have in her life. Moving to Paris with Marcel, she is excited to be in the city of lights. However, war is looming and as the months pass, she and Marcel are embroiled in the beginnings of war.

The marriage starts to fall apart as Marcel becomes more and more secretive, disappearing for days at a time until tragedy occurs and Ruby is left on her own. Ruby lives next door to a Jewish couple and their daughter, Charlotte. They become close and as the atrocities against the Jews escalate, Ruby takes charge of Charlotte as her parents are imprisoned and taken to one of the camps in Poland. Ruby needs to do something to help and help she does as she becomes involved in the resistance movement. Through her work, she hides pilots shot down over France and one of the pilots Thomas, becomes quite special to her.

As the story plays out with the backdrop of war, Ruby falls in love with Thomas and they vow to be waiting for each other when the war ends.

This was quite a nice story, one that showed how good people are when times are evil and life has turned in a horrible direction. This book was loosely based on a woman who had experienced what the main character presented in this book goes through. It was an enjoyable read but it was more of a love story than anything else, a lovely story nevertheless.

Thank you to Kristin Harmel, Gallery Books, and netgalley for making an advanced copy of this novel available to me.

The writing style in this one just wasn't for me. I felt like the dialogue didn't work - it was a little over the top, overly formal, maybe? And too dramatic. Because of that, I wasn't able to get into the storyline. Unfortunately, this one just didn't work for me and I DNF'd at 25%.

An incredible and magnificent book taking the reader through the life of an American woman living abroad and whose life crosses with 1 young Jewish teenager and a pilot during the days of World War 2. Beautifully told and filled with historical facts---it is a story of survival and love. This was is one that will stay with me for some time. Thank you for the opportunity to have read this book prior to publication---it is a real gem!

I have been waiting for a while for a new book from Kristin Harmel, and I must say The Room on Rue Amelie was worth the wait. The first book I read by Harmel was The Sweetness of Forgetting which I absolutely loved so I was excited to see this new book was also set during WWII. I found myself absorbed in the story from the first sentence. I love when authors utilize different time periods to make the story more whole, and while the present day story line was pretty small in this story, it definitely served it's purpose. The Room on Rue Amelie mostly focuses on Ruby, an American who marries a Parisian and finds herself in war torn Europe. Ruby's story takes some fascinating and heart wrenching turns. It was also about the French resistance during WWII which I always find myself wanting to learn more about. Harmel added some excellent notes at the end of the book about the resistance that beg to bed read. I will definitely do some further reading based on those notes. I recommend this book to lovers of historical fiction and book clubs.

Heartbreaking. Beautiful. Haunting. This book will stay with me for a long time.

Thank you to Gallery Books and Netgalley for this review copy! As soon as I saw the gorgeous cover, I knew it was a book I needed to read! I stayed up way too late (on a school night!) because I just had to finish this story by Kristin Harmel. It is a beautiful book about love, strength, resilience, and hope in the worst of times. As always, don’t skip the author’s notes! If you enjoy romantic books against a historical back drop, I think you will really enjoy this one.

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/36337290-the-room-on-rue-am-lie

3.5 stars

I love historical fiction about WW2 and was looking forward to reading The Room on Rue Amelie. I did enjoy this book but I didn’t love it. The characters were likable enough and the story was interesting but I found the pacing of the book a little off. All the events and relationships developed too fast, especially in the first half of the book. Because the story was progressing so rapidly I didn’t really connect to it or the characters. The pacing in the second half was much better. I also didn’t love the ending of the book. I can’t say much about it because of spoilers but I just wish it was different.

The Room on Rue Amelie is compared to The Nightingale, both books are about French Resistance during WW2, and both books have a similar atmosphere. People who loved The Nightingale will enjoy this book too.

The Room on Rue Amelie by Kristin Harmel
I requested this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review, because I like historical fiction and WWII stories. Well, this book was fiction for sure, and only somewhat historical. Ruby, an American girl marries Marcel, a Frenchman in America in 1938 and they move to Paris. Shortly after their move, the war breaks out and France is soon occupied by German forces and life will never be the same. Ruby and Marcel’s neighbors are the Dacher’s, a Jewish family whose 11 year old daughter, Charlotte befriends Ruby.
Charlotte is smart and mature beyond her years, but unfortunately her actions and dialogues are just not believable for a girl her age. Also, not believable are the secrets Ruby shares with her, including pregnancy, her relationship with Marcel, etc. It seems, Marcel is part of the resistance movement, but he doesn’t want Ruby involved. But eventually ( don’t want to give away the plot), Ruby does get involved and partakes in hiding English pilots who were shot down in France. This is another area, where the story is totally contrived and not believable, how the “hidden men” go back and forth openly between their hiding place and Ruby’s apartment without anyone noticing it. I could list numerous examples that are not historically accurate, especially as it relates to the lack of thoroughness when the authorities are searching for people. The romance part of he story, both Ruby’s and Thomas’s and Charlotte’s were again predictable and far fetched.
Overall, this book was a disappointment , a Nightingale wannabe, that just didn’t work for me. I was going to rate this book two stars, but with the unexpected ending I am willing to give it three stars.
Thanks NetGalley, St Martin’s press and the author for the ARC copy.

The Room on Rue Amélie by Kristin Harmel is a spell-binding tearjerker from page one.

The story is set in WWII and revolves around the hardship people went through mainly in Paris, France and how the resistance helped allies make their way through an escape line. According to the author, her inspiration for this story was based on the life of Virginia d'Albert-Lake, a woman who married a Frenchman, moved to Paris, and later became part of the Comet escape line in 1943. Do I have your attention yet?

Let me say, this isn't just any story. It is THE story of the year, in my opinion. It sucks the reader in from page one. As I read it, it seemed as though a movie played before my eyes.

You are first introduced to an older couple. You aren't sure who they are, and as you read through you find out why. It will keep you guessing until the last page, and chapter by chapter it will break your heart.

Ruby meets her French husband in New York while on school break. It appears as though it is love at first sight. She marries him and moves to Paris, no questions asked.

As time progresses, things begin to get worse. She goes from attending glamorous parties with her husband to hiding in a bunker as bombs are dropped in the city. Ruby becomes friends with Charlotte, her neighbors' daughter, and as arrests of Jews begin she agrees to help them keep Charlotte safe.

Soon, Ruby discovers her husband isn't who she thought and it doesn't take her long to figure out his secret. He agrees to discuss his involvement in the resistance after he returns from running a dangerous errand, except he doesn't make it back. This event doesn't dissuade her desire to join and help stranded pilots.

Time goes by and she becomes part of the escape line. She falls in love with Thomas, a British pilot, who she's helped escape twice. They make plans to be together one day and where they'll live once the war is over. Just when you think things are getting better, the worst case scenario happens.

Who you think will make it through the war, doesn't, and who you think will die, lives. And it's just so freaking sad, but even so, it's such a lovely story that I will read it over and over again. If you read anything at all this year, read this book.

The Room on Rue Amelie was pretty good. It was very well researched, and that research was successfully worked into a fast, interesting read. As the book’s description says, it tells the tale of an American woman (Ruby), a British RAF pilot (Thomas), and a young Jewish teenager (Charlotte) whose lives intersect in occupied Paris during the tumultuous days of World War II.

But, alas, there were an inordinate number of annoyances.

My first annoyance was with Charlotte, the young Jewish teenager. In Charlotte’s first appearance, she is ten years old. For most of the book, she is twelve and thirteen years old. Charlotte is portrayed as being especially perceptive and wise. Ruby confides in this child, such as problems in her marriage, her pregnancy about which she’s told no one else, and even discusses secrets of the Resistance. Thomas, the shot-down RAF pilot, trusted no one, yet spoke freely to this girl. Again and again and again, Charlotte seems to know more than Ruby in spite of her young age. No 10/11/12-year-old has the kind of insight and wisdom that is depicted in this book. Not credible.

Also distracting are the many corny situations. For example, the love interests and the emotions that accompany them are almost embarrassingly silly. Some are hokey and artificially contrived for the sake of a story. Ruby and the downed pilot stretched reality as they fell in love in three days, are later separated but find each other once again, only to be separated for a second time, and more.

The repeated references by Ruby and Thomas regarding the poppy fields of Ruby’s youth were exasperating. We had to read about “ … the brilliant sea of poppies”, “… the poppy fields”, “Ruby’s poppies”, “… until the poppies begin to glow …”, even the grave marker that’s a poppy, and so many more “poppy” phrases. Irritating.

The author does deserve kudos for bringing together all the contrived situations. There were no unresolved storylines. In my humble opinion, this would be a much better read if some of these aggravations were toned down. Thank you to NetGalley for the opportunity to read and honestly review The Room on Rue Amelie.

“The Room on Rue Amélie” by Kristin Harmel was a book that I could not put down. I classify it in the same vein as “The Nightingale” and other tales of The Resistance in France during WWII. This is an emotional story that will keep you turning pages and wishing for more. It is an excellent novel.

American Ruby Henderson marries a Frenchman and moved to Paris in the last 1930’s. Although life at this point in Paris is romantic and full of adventure, the threat of war hangs over everyone’s head. Some just cannot believe that the Germans could take Paris and some are doing their best to leave before that happens. Marcel Benoit, Ruby’s husband, wants her to return to the States while he stays behind. She decides to stay and make the best of it because she thinks that, as an American, nothing that bad can happen to her.

France does fall to the Germans and Ruby and Marcel are having difficulties. Marcel is very secretive, leaving for days at a time with no explanation. Across the hall from the Benoits live a Jewish couple and their young daughter. Charlotte Dacher is away when the Gestapo deports her parents and Ruby hides her for the duration of the war.

Thomas Clarke is an RAF pilot bound to protect his country. When his mother dies in the German bombing, he wonders if he is doing enough. On a fateful flight where he has to bail out of his plane, he finds himself in Paris under the guide of the Resistance. There is a room on Rue Amélie where Ruby and Charlotte provide a haven for downed Allied pilots as they continue on the route to freedom. The highly dangerous mission of the Resistance helping the Allied airmen becomes a fight to survive for all of them.

If you haven’t read Kristin Harmel‘s book, When We Meet Again, do it right now! It was SO GOOD. There is nothing like a sweeping historical novel to transport you then you must get this one and read it today.

Here’s her latest masterpiece:

When newlywed Ruby Henderson Benoit arrives in Paris in 1939 with her French husband Marcel, she imagines strolling arm in arm along the grand boulevards, awash in the golden afternoon light. But war is looming on the horizon, and as France falls to the Nazis, her marriage begins to splinter, too.

Charlotte Dacher is eleven when the Germans roll into the French capital, their sinister swastika flags snapping in the breeze. After the Jewish restrictions take effect and Jews are ordered to wear the yellow star, Charlotte can’t imagine things getting much worse. But then the mass deportations begin, and her life is ripped forever apart.

Thomas Clarke joins the British Royal Air Force to protect his country, but when his beloved mother dies in a German bombing during the waning days of the Blitz, he wonders if he’s really making a difference. Then he finds himself in Paris, in the shadow of the Eiffel Tower, and he discovers a new reason to keep fighting—and an unexpected road home.

When fate brings them together, Ruby, Charlotte, and Thomas must summon the courage to defy the Nazis—and to open their own broken hearts—as they fight to survive. Rich with historical drama and emotional depth, this is an unforgettable story that will stay with you long after the final page is turned.

This one is categorized as Historical Romance, it is a nice change of pace if you are reading lots of thrillers like I have been!

Excerpt - 2.5 stars rounded UP to 3

Far from my expectations, this felt like a story that was blindfolded by a need to make and build romantic connections that contrasted with the terrible events in the city, and a rather tortured attempt to show the work of the Resistance by joining in. The characters were flat, made worse by their inability to avoid a cliché – the overuse of clichés simply made the read more tortured, as if a lack of actual depth or personality for the characters didn’t make the story drag. I had no interest in any of them after the first pages, although I hoped for something more, without a clichéd explanation or justification just to show there was some hope that the story wouldn’t be another one that was wonderful in premise but missed in execution by miles. Unfortunately, for me, it wasn’t. Having no expectations for this author, although many have told me they enjoyed her work, I had nothing to compare it to, and honestly don’t think that I will be looking for another of her titles.

I received an eArc copy of the title from the publisher via NetGalley for purpose of honest review. I was not compensated for this review: all conclusions are my own responsibility.

Review first appeared at <a href=” https://wp.me/p3OmRo-9GF/”> <a> I am, Indeed </a>

Great book!!! I definite must read for anyone who likes this time period! I loved this book, and how it told the story about life during WWII. This is the first book I have read from Kristin Harmel, but now I'm going to go back and read her other books. I really enjoy her writing.