The Room on Rue Amelie is an amazing read. I was swept into Ruby's life in Paris during WW2, feeling like I was part of the resistance right along side her. Interestingly enough, the book I read just prior to this was Lilac Girls: A Novel by Martha Hall Kelly which also takes place at the same time and in Ravensbruck.

This story of heartbreak and survival was well-written but too sad for me. Okay, so life does not have happy endings all the time, but I read books to escape and don't want to be left in tears at the end with a broken heart.

Even though romance isn't my first choice for novels, this was a beautifully written book that I enjoyed immensely. The characters are all well fleshed out, and you can't help feeling for all of them as you progress through the story. Even though you know that things aren't always going to work out well because of when the book takes places, you can't help but feel awful when something bad happens, and hope things turn out okay. My emotions were all over the place while reading this, and I certainly didn't expect it to end the way it did. Would definitely recommend.

The Room on Rue Amelie takes on WWII historical fiction from a perspective I have yet to read from- an American who joins the resistance.

Ruby never imagined this is what her life would be like when she marries her Frenchman, Marcel. For her, and many others, Paris was held to these romantic, idyllic standards- cafes, the Eiffel Tower, places where a writer can find his muse. So against her family’s pleas, she moves to Marcel’s homeland.

Not long after, the Nazis march in and Ruby’s life turns upside down. Her husband disappears for days at a time. The unfathomable deportations of Jewish families begin. And then an RAF pilot shows up at her door. The France she once dreamed of is turning into a place of nightmares. And she refuses to sit idle.

Lives intertwine, loss is rampant, brave forces come together in this story of incredible courage. The Room on Rue Amelie is a must read for lovers of Hannah’s Nightingale and Kelly’s Lilac Girls. This book will pull you in and you will be unable to let it go.

I received an advanced copy of this book. All opinions are mine.

Kudos to Kristin Harmel, Author of "The Room on Rue Amelie" for weaving a fictional story and colorful characters with Historical Fiction. The time period is during World War Two. and goes to the past and the future only as the situation pertains to the story. This is a heavier emotional read with espionage, hardships, devastation, love, despair and hope.

The characters are complex and complicated, perhaps due to the circumstances. The characters were also  courageous and brave.  Ruby is an American woman who falls in love with a Frenchman, Marcel and marries and moves to Paris with him. Ruby's parents live in California and are disappointed, because it appears that  Europe  is headed to war. Ruby's neighbors are a Jewish couple with a young daughter Charlotte. When the Germans arrive in Paris and start rounding up the Jewish people, the couple begs Ruby to take care of Charlotte.

Thomas  Clarke is a flyer for the British Royal Air Force. His mother was killed in the Blitz by the Germans, and Thomas feels he is doing his duty.

When fate brings the three together, there is danger, as they try to fight the Nazis. Kristin Harmel has written an intense, captivating, suspenseful, and intriguing novel. Be sure to have plenty tissues on hand. I would highly recommend this Historical Fiction novel for those readers that appreciate the genre. I received an ARC from NetGalley for my honest review.

This is a beautiful story of good triumphing in the face of evil. It’s a story of finding love and family in the midst of darkness. The plot is paced well and the story moves forward in a way that draws the reader in. The characters are easily relatable and I was a reader connected with them quickly.

I made connections to Kristin Hannah’s The Nightingale as I was reading this book. Very well written novel!

I received this book from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. Get your tissues and dig in. Powerful story. I love the friendship that developed between Charlotte and Ruby. Charlotte is such a bright and strong willed girl. Ruby is an American in the heart of the war and unsure who to believe it trust. Even her husband is keeping secrets. Wonderful journey. Unputdownable!

Kristin Harmel brings us a wonderfully fact-filled story of an American bride who finds herself still living in Paris in the summer of 1940 after the Germans invaded France, and chooses to stay in France even after the death of her husband to do all that she can do to contribute to the war effort through the French Underground. This is a well crafted tale, giving us much information on the Underground in France and the costs paid by the population of Paris throughout the years of
German occupation. It is a story I am pleased to have read, and find great satisfaction in recommending it to friends and family.

I received a free electronic copy of this historical novel from Netgalley, Kristin Harmel, and Gallery - Threshold - Pocket Books in exchange for an honest review. Thank you all for sharing your hard work with me.

Set in Paris in 1938 Europe is on the brink of WWII. It is there that Ruby Henderson, a young American, starts her married life with her French husband, Marcel Benoit. As Germany rolls across Europe the French, although in denial, realize that their turn is coming. Because she is a newlywed, Ruby wants to stay in Paris, in spite of the fact her husband urges her to return to America she is resolved to remain. Feelings of isolation surround her, as she has no knowledge of where or why her husband disappears for days. In order to protect her, he feels it necessary to keeps his Underground activities to himself.



Living in the same apartment building is 10 years old Charlotte Dacher and her family.. They meet one night talking across their neighboring terrace. As a Jewish youngster, she is having problems with her school mates...teased for her religion. Their relationship deepens over the years, as Charlotte's parents are sent to a concentration camp and with a promise made to them, Ruby now becomes her surrogate family.



Through the course of the war years, more characters are brought into play. We read as Ruby becomes involved in the war, eager to help in any way possible. Hiding RAF pilots in her apartment, she tends to their wounds, keeps them safe until they can be taken by other members of the Underground over the Pyrenees and back to their base. Enter Thomas an RAF pilot. The story is a bit more complex than this, as love enters the picture as well as heartbreak.



This was a well written novel, while not as intense as other WWII stories I have read, this was quite enjoyable. My thanks to NetGalley for the opportunity of reading this in exchange for an honest review.

Fans of World War II historical fiction will adore Kristin Harmel’s The Room on Rue Amelie which is complete with rich historical detail and heart wrenching romance.

American Ruby Henderson moved to Paris after her marriage to French native Marcel Benoit. Yet 1939 Paris isn’t exactly the romantic city Ruby envisioned- it is a city on the brink of war. As Marcel becomes more distant from her and tragic events result in her living alone in Paris, she becomes closer to her young neighbor, Charlotte Dacher, a Jewish girl whose family is impacted by the terrifying restrictive conditions the occupying Germans impose on the Jewish residents of Paris.

With the continuation of the German occupation, Ruby is determined to prove that she can aid the Resistance in any way possible and helps hide Allied pilots who have been shot down in France. No pilot affects her the way Thomas Clarke does. He is an RAF pilot who is as handsome as he is kind, and the mutual attraction he and Ruby share leaves them with a hope for a future together after the war ends.

Harmel’s expert story-telling is evident throughout the page-turning read as the lives of Charlotte, Thomas, and Ruby intersect in a manner which will forever change their destinies. The romance between Ruby and Thomas is beautiful and mesmerizing, highlighting the promise of love in a time and place when the devastation of war left little hope for the future.

Enjoyed as much as The Nightingale. A warm story of love and loyalty.

Ruby is helping with the resistance in France. She is American but does not like what is happening to the Jews. She is part of the group that returns pilots that have been shot down, to their bases. In the process she meets a handsome pilot, Thomas. She has agreed to take care of her Jewish neighbors daughter. They are taken to the camps and believed to be dead. During a hard war, people from different backgrounds come together to try and end the atrocities of war. In the process friendships are formed.
I loved this book. The characters mesh very well together. The storyline is exceptional. A great read. Heartwarming, tragic, and hope, things this book has plenty of.
5 Stars

I read this book in Paris and it was the perfect setting! I loved the intertwining stories and the various perspectives. A moving book that fans of The Nightingale will enjoy!

I really, really wanted to enjoy The Room on Rue Amélie by Kristin Harmel. WW2, especially France during WW2 is an era that I have studied enormously, and when a new book comes out on the subject, whether it’s fiction or non-fiction I jump on it. I love a good piece of historical fiction, especially when it’s well-written and most of the events and facts match up with what would have really happened, or at least try to.

There will be some spoilers in this review so stop here if you don’t want anything to be ruined for you!

I’m going to start with what I enjoyed. The Room on Rue Amélie reads well, I got sucked in pretty fast and liked the storyline in general. I thought the way it was written from several perspectives was a great way to make sure we got to see what other characters were doing while they were separated from each other during the war.

But. And this is a really huge But.

Historical fiction gets some passes when it glazes over certain events, or tweaks them a little. It’s OK to omit certain things that may have happened. And while I gather that the author did a ton of research and also based some of the story on real life events (Virginia d’Albert-Lake) there are things in this novel that don’t make complete sense, or just seem too easy. As Ruby’s husband is assassinated by the Nazis due to his involvement with the Résistance there is no way on earth she would have been questioned a few times in her apartment and then left alone. At the very least she would have been taken to the police station and interrogated and then heavily watched by the authorities, and I feel like this would have made the story more credible.

And then, again, as an American widow she would never have been left alone after 1941. There is no mention of anyone checking on her status at all. She would have been questioned and possibly interned or sent to Vichy. So unfortunately these inconsistencies just made the novel a little unbelievable for me.

The other bit that bothered me was that the writing is full of romance and descriptive clichés, and the romance part isn’t a subtle storyline woven into the rest, it literally just takes over, in a really heavy way. These are however personal preferences as I’m not really into romance novels.

If you love a romance with a backdrop of war, you will most likely enjoy The Room on Rue Amélie. It’s not a bad story, and it does read well, but I think I was assuming this would be more in the lines of The Nightingale or Fires in the Dark, but it wasn’t. I didn’t feel close to any of the characters at all, too predictable and flat for my liking, maybe only Charlotte was the one who I found interesting. It’s not a bad book at all, I think I was just expecting something different.

The Room on Rue Amélie will be released on March 27th 2018 by Gallery Books. Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the advance copy!

Thoroughly enjoyable read. This book takes place during WWII and mainly focuses on the main characters work with the resistance in France. It is also a very sweet love story with a message of hope.

First of all, what a beautiful cover! I can't lie and say that didn't draw me to this book. I am glad it did, however, because the story was wonderful, too. I am a big fan of historical fiction, and it is done so well here, with details and a well created setting and mood. The characters are well developed and the plot moves along at a good pace. Quite enjoyable and moving!

Harmel creates characters in a wartime situation that draws us in instantly. We become vested in their lives and root for them to survive. We are pulled along on their journeys and feel their despair and heartbreak. Harmel always has the capacity to put the reader right into the story. Great story and great storyteller. Right up there with Hannah's Nightingale.

I read a lot of World War II historical fiction-at least several books a year. This is my first one for 2018. This one was very good, but it does not make my list of favorites. The pace was good, and I read it quickly, but even though it was heartbreaking, I felt like I was missing out on some of the emotion that could have been there. I did like all the characters and would still recommend it to those who like WWII historical fiction.

I am avid fan of any books related to WWII. This one did not disappoint. Although sad to read in some sections it showed the triumph of the human spirit. I highly recommend.

Kristin’s prologue immediately interests the reader. I enjoyed reading about a young American, Ruby, choosing to stay in Paris after her husband Marcel dies while working with the resistance. Stories of courage of helping pilots along an escape route were interesting and Ruby’s courage to help them as well as a young Jewish girl drew the reader into the story. After investing so much time in Ruby’s story, I felt cheated with the ending. I rated this a 4 Star read based on the research the author did but 3.5 on the writing.