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 11 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.

Three souls from different backgrounds merge together in Paris, all suffering from the German invasion and feeling the distress, loses and worries a war carries with it.

Another story about WWII, which lets us reminding that certain facts should never be forgotten. I enjoyed the plot, liked the characters and in certain moments suffered with them. The story predictable in the romance part, but enjoyable. If you like historical fiction taken place in the II World War, it is a book for you. Beautiful writing, with now low blows. .

Thank you, Simon and Schuster, for letting me read this ARC. It will be published March 27th, 2018.

I'm a fan of Kristin Harmel's novels. Every time I pick one up, I know I'll be getting a good story, and The Room on Rue Amélie is no exception. Like with The Sweetness of Forgetting, she set her story in France during World War II. However, this story had a different feel from Sweetness, and reminded me a bit of Kristin Hannah's novel, The Nightingale. Even so, this novel was full of interesting twists and surprises. Kristin kept me guessing the entire time, while also captivating me with her beautiful writing and a mesmerizing love story.

I really liked all three of the main characters: Ruby, Charlotte, and Thomas. They carried a lot of pain, but they also grew in many ways throughout the novel. I enjoyed getting to know them and cared a lot about them by the end of the story. I don't like some of the things that happened to them at certain points though. Everything was easy to visualize, even though I've never been to France before.

I highly recommend The Room and can't stop thinking about it. It will be published in late March, so save a space at the top of your TBR pile!

Dream movie cast:
Ruby: Christa B. Allen
Charlotte: Izabela Vidovic
Thomas: William Moseley
Marcel: Finn Wittrock
Lucien: Aramis Knight
Laure: Léa Seydoux

Fans of historical fiction, rejoice! We have a new book to get excited about. Kristin Harmel has crafted a love story everyone will be talking about. The Room on Rue Amelie is set in Paris during WWII and tells the story of an American woman, her Jewish neighbors, and a British pilot meeting under unfortunate circumstances. If it sounds similar to The Nightingale, it is, but only in that there is a network of resistance fighters helping downed pilots escape occupied France. This book affected me differently than most historical fiction dealing with the tragedy of WWII. I never got the sense that the war was going to be the end of the story. I guess you could compare it to sitting with a beloved grandparent, listening to them tell their life story. There may have been terrible setbacks during their lives, but you know how the story ends. They overcome. Remember how much everyone loved The Notebook? It wrecked us but we knew they persevered because it starts with Jack telling the story; we see them as old people near the end of their lives. You will get the same feeling with this story.

Overall, this was a good book. I enjoyed reading it. However at times it seemed to be a bit long and boring. I would have liked to see less words and more action, let me figure a few things out for myself.

I wanted to like this book, especially since it was compared to several other books I loved. But it fell a little flat. I earned to love the characters but I felt like I didn’t really know them very well, it felt very rushed. The ending seems unnecessarily dramatic, and rather irritating. Otherwise, I’m always interested by books set during WW2, especially when focused on how people fought to help people in less traditional ways. 3.5 stars.

Right from the beginning this was a “touch your heart” kind of book. Without actually using a question mark, the beginning of the story makes you wonder about things and adds a slight air of mystery to this compelling tale of life during World War II. The sad, dangerous, and trying times are well described, as are the struggles of the characters in this book. They show fear, astonishment, courage, and strength while they risk their lives to save others in more perilous situations. Love and loss are both recurring themes, as are sacrifice and selflessness beyond anything I could ever imagine myself enduring. If I had lived during this time I would be honored to have Kristin Harmel share my story with the world. Thanks NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to review this great book!

American woman Ruby marries a Frenchman just prior to WWII, and moves to Paris. Their next door neighbors are Jewish, and have a young daughter. War breaks out. In England, young Thomas becomes a RAF pilot. Is there really any doubt about how this story will turn out? Very predictable for the most part, yet I enjoyed every page of this novel, even the parts that were less than plausible. And oh, that ending! That did bring tears to my eyes. Many thanks to NetGalley and Gallery/Threshold/Pocket Books for the e-arc. Kristin Harmel has a way with words, and tells such wonderful stories. This would make an excellent movie!

Hauntingly heartbreaking. That is The Room on Rue Amelie by Kristin Harmel. This novel takes the reader to the heart of the savagery and destruction of Paris during World War II. Ruby is an American whose marriage to a Frenchman is falling apart. He is later executed for being part of an escape line. Ruby decides to continue his work as she craves a purpose after having recently lost a baby. This includes taking care of and hiding fallen soldiers in a secret room. She meets Thomas, an RAF pilot whom she helps to escape. They fall in love but Thomas must return to the fight. Ruby and her ward, Charlotte, continue with their efforts until tragedy strikes and Ruby is arrested. This novel was superb at portraying the emotions of the characters--love, hate, sorrow, and patriotism. Readers of Kristin Hannah’s The Nightingale will appreciate this novel, as will Rosamunde Pilcher fans.

I was curious about this novel because it had been compared to Kristin Hannah's "The Nightingale" and Kate Quinn's "The Alice Network". Both of which, I loved! After reading just the first couple chapters, you can tell the author was a fan of those works as well. The plot was almost exactly a mash up of those two stories. While not altogether unenjoyable, the story was kind of formulaic. If you had read either of the two previously mention works, you kind of knew where this was going. I felt like this was an unoriginal copy cat. Thank you to NetGalley for providing an ARC for review.

** spoiler alert ** Let's say you're a Jew in Nazi-occupied France posing as a Christian. You live in an apartment building next to a building where Nazi officers live. When you cry in your bed at night, your boyfriend out in the courtyard can hear it. Now, come Hanukkah, are you going to recite the Hebrew prayer over the Hanukkah lights in that same apartment? Only if you have a death wish... or if you are one of the cardboard cutout characters in this trite, superficial, facile book. This is a book where we're told a man working for the Resistance is not a good person merely because he does not want to involve his wife in his efforts. Where we're told a woman is brave before we're shown any evidence. Where characters fall in love instantly—not just one character, but many. Where we're told rather than shown just about everything. There are so many great books about this time period; read one of those instead.
I received a free copy from NetGalley and Gallery Books in exchange for an honest review.

I don't even know where to start. Make sure you have a box of kleenex when you get to the end. Oh!!! It started out rather slowly, but once I had read about 1/3 of the book, it was a train that I couldn't stop. The heartbreak of the Nazi invasion of France and the Germans taking away Jewish families, was really too much for me. I am Jewish and have grown up with knowledge of the Holocaust all of my life. I had no idea that this was the premise of the book. I don't want to spoil it for anyone (because I think you ALL need to read this book!!!) ....I had to keep remembering that there is goodness in the face of extreme evil! Kristin Harmel based the story on a very real woman's story, but that woman had a different ending. I was truly shocked at the ending, I cannot hardly breath from the sad of it all.. Thank you to NetGalley and Gallery, Threshold, Pocket Books, Gallery Books for the perusal of this amazingly enthralling book. It is a book I will always think about!

Ruby marries Marcel and moves to his home in Paris in 1939. Charlotte is 11 years old and lives next door to Ruby with her parents. Ruby becomes friends with Charlotte and her family. They are Jewish. As the threat of war becomes real, the courage of Ruby and Charlotte astounds me. They are so very brave in these scary circumstances. I truly loved this book. I felt Charlotte and Ruby's emotions. As the scenery is described, you see what they see is becoming of their beautiful Paris as the war continues. I received an advanced readers copy from NetGalley and Gallery Books. All opinions are my own.

In the midst of death and destruction, three people meet in war torn Paris and that meeting will change the course of their lives.

Ruby Henderson met her husband to be, Marcel Benoit, in a coffee shop in New York City. She was dazzled by his charm and intelligence and they were married the next summer in California. They were moving to Paris and her parents were concerned. It was 1939, and Europe was about to erupt.
“The continent has a short fuse and all it takes is someone to light it. Hitler has the matches.” Ruby felt her parents were being over protective, Paris was strong and Hitler would quickly be defeated. At first she really believed her own words, but soon the signs of warning could not be ignored. She and Marcel grew more and more apart. Charlotte Dacher lived next door to Marcel and Ruby, and was a delightful 11 year old. She and Ruby formed a friendship. When France fell, and the Nazi’s were headed toward Paris, Ruby knew time was running out. She refused to leave, this was her home now. She would fight however she could. A promise was made to Charlotte’s parents, if the Nazi’s came for them she would keep Charlotte.

Thomas Clark was a young RAF pilot very willing to fight for his country. When his mother was killed in an air raid, he became even more determined.
He was was shot down over France, but immediately picked up by a farmer and sent through the dangerous territory assisted by the Resistance, eventually to Paris. There he was to be sent home helped by courageous men and women who risked their lives everyday to save France.

These three people, although seemingly not connected, make this story come to life. The cruelty of the Nazi’s, the death camps, scarcity of food and just the despair of getting up every day is a part of history we can never forget. This historical fiction novel kept me thinking long after I finished it.

Thank you to Gallery Publishers and Netgalley for the opportunity to read and review this novel.

Pat Fordyce

The Room on Rue Amélie was a fascinating read. If you like historical fiction, you will enjoy this read. The characters were complex, the story was compelling, and the setting took you back to a time period that will always leave you emotionally drained.
This extremely well written novel will be with you long after the last sentence is read. Highly recommended!

Ruby Henderson is a young American woman who falls in love with Paris native Marcel. After their wedding, she moves back to Paris with him, over the objections of her father, who sees the unrest in Europe as a bad omen. Her father proves to be correct as Hitler takes over more and more of Europe and eventually Paris. Ruby finds herself aiding in the war effort at great risk to herself and those she loves. The Room on Rue Amelie is a beautifully told story of love and courage in the face of daunting obstacles. It is a tribute to the human spirit and the desire to do the right thing even when it seems an impossible ideal.

Reminiscent of both historical fiction successes The Nightingale and Lilac Girls, The Room on Rue Amelie is both a coming of age and romance novel set in World War II Paris. It follows the lives of three people: Ruby, Charlotte, and Thomas. Ruby left the United States for Paris after marrying a Frenchman. Charlotte was Ruby’s young neighbor and a Jew. Thomas was an RAF pilot. Their paths intersect one night in a way that chances each person’s life.

In the early years of the war, the Nazi’s are tightening their grip on Paris. Ruby’s husband is killed working on an escape line for downed pilots and Ruby finds herself taking his place. Charlotte is just ten when the novel opens and finds her life upended when the Nazi-imposed anti-Semitic rules are enforced. Then one day, Thomas finds his way to Ruby’s doorstep looking for help and the two women band together to do so. That night changes the life of each forever. Ruby’s role in the resistance grows, eventually taking Charlotte with her down that path after she takes the girl in to raise as her own. Thomas returns to the skies only to wish himself back with Ruby. Lucien is introduced as another freedom fighter and befriends Charlotte. How will the war end for each of them? Who will be captured?

This novel was bittersweet. In the introduction, it is inferred that someone does not live past the war and the ending that reveals who is a tearjerker. Harmel’s writing flowed easily and drew readers in, however there were several historical inaccuracies I hope are corrected between the advanced reader copy I read and the final version. In terms of depth, in this novel, that is mostly in the relationships formed throughout and less with the historic details. In the two books I (and others) compared this to have a greater balance of both. That said, that depth between the characters ran deep, so those enjoying those types of novels will enjoy this one.

This review is based on an advanced reader’s copy provided by the publisher and NetGalley. This review will run on my blog in March.

I don't know where to start with this review! Even though this is another WWII story, it was absolutely fantastic.
The characters were so believable and well developed. I was completely immersed in this story.

Get this book on your pre-order list immediately! Run do not walk to your favorite book seller and make sure that you purchase this book! This book was wonderful!

My thanks to Netgalley and Gallery, Threshold, Pocket Books
Gallery Books for this advanced readers copy.

This is going to be one of the best books I will read this year. It grabbed me from the first page and never let me go. I just fell in love with each and every character..

The year is 1939 and Ruby Benoit is an American newlywed who arrives in Paris with her husband, Marcel. Rumors of war abound, but many Parisians think that their army will be able to repel a German attack. However, their hopes are dashed when the Germans invade France.

Ruby decides to remain in Paris with her husband whose clandestine activities leave her isolated. She befriends the Jewish Dacher family who live in the apartment next door to Ruby’s. As the Nazis’ hold over Paris tightens, Ruby knows that she must fight against the injustices that she sees.

Author Kristin Harmel was inspired to write this novel after reading the true story of an American woman who married a Frenchman and moved to Paris just before World War II. The characters in this novel are very likable, and the plot is compelling despite the fact that some parts require a stretch of the imagination. It’s an interesting story that will pull you in and keep you reading in order to discover the fates of the characters.

Thank you to author Kristin Harmel, Simon & Schuster, and Net Galley for giving me the opportunity to read the ARC of this historical novel.

Kristin Harmel's "The Room on Rue Amelie" provides a unique look at how Americans and the French worked underground against the Nazis during World War II. The book combines realistic suspense with friendship and romance, covering several year's span in the course of the book. The characters are believable. The book is very hard to put down once you start reading it!