I really enjoyed this dual timeline story taking place in WWII France. This is my first by Ms. Lester, but I know I have many of her books on my Kindle. The setting was gorgeous, French Riviera, Paris and the intrigue kept me reading. I finished it in one weekend. I love these type of stories, historical fiction based on a little known happening in history. #therivierahouse

I think Nataska Lester has official bumped up to the top of the list for my favorite historical fiction authors! Each time I pick up one of her books I'm transported back in history and learn something new. Her characters are always well developed and her stories are well researched. I can't wait to read her newest book and I expect it will be just as good as her backlist.

I am a huge fan of Natasha Lester and her stunning storytelling. I will read anything and everything she writes, and every single time I pick up a new story by her, I say it’s my new favorite. Until I pick up the next one by her. Let me say, this book was absolutely incredible and once again I will say my new favorite by her.

Lester completely encapsulates you in The Riviera House from start to finish. It’s WWII historical fiction done at its absolute finest. A few of the boxes it checked for me were strong, well-developed female characters and multiple POV’s, dual timelines that were equally engrossing, and a powerful story rich with historical detail (I loved being immersed in the world of vintage fashion) that taught me a lot and was memorable. I also really loved the mystery element woven in that kept me guessing as well as the swoon-worthy romance. Talk about all the emotions and feels! I’m always left so inspired by stories surrounding the resistance what with their strength and resilience, and that really struck a cord with me here.

If I still haven’t sold you yet, know that The Riviera House has earned a spot on my shelves as a favorite of the year. I highly recommend to all fans of historical fiction. I’m confident you will absolutely love it too!

Many thanks to Forever (Grand Central Publishing) and NetGalley for the gifted e-copy.

Absolutely fantastic book, from start to finish! I couldn't put it down, and loved every aspect of the story. Definitely one of the best books I've read of 2022 so far! Thank you for allowing me to review this book!

This author's latest five-star novel will come as no surprise to fans of her prior works. Remy in the present day and Éliane under Nazi occupation alternate here as Remy strives to mend his own personal scars in the Rivieria. The bravery of a woman is demonstrated in a variety of ways, but both of these stories are heartbreaking. Élaine's circumstances were frightening, and it was fascinating to learn about the history of stolen art during WWII and the people who carefully tracked it down in order to reclaim it. I've always been a fan of combining real and invented people to produce a captivating story about the past. My heart broke for Remy, and I prayed she would find some measure of happiness on the other side. I have no problems whatsoever about recommending this book to others.

Thank you @readforever @netgalley for a copy of The Riviera House. What a beautiful WWII story. It was 2 love stories in WWII and 2015. Both of the love stories were so well written and made my heart break for everyone.

I loved this book! It's already one of my favorite reads this year. I love how seamlessly Natasha Lester weaves back and forth between two timelines. I like how there's multiple chapters in the timeline before switching. It was easy to keep track of the different characters. I love reading books about the French Resistance during WWII, and especially stories of women being brave and courageous against all odds. I would recommend Natasha Lester's books to anyone who loves historical fiction. I received a free copy of this book from netgalley and the publisher in exchange for my honest review.

Thank you Netgalley, Forever (Grand Central Publishing) and Natasha Lester for free e-ARC of The Riviera House in return of my honest review.

Well, along with The Riviera House being General Fiction (Adult) | Historical Fiction | Women's Fiction, it is also a Romance. Definitely a romance. I wish the publisher was clear on that. There is no need to hide it.

Basically, The Riviera House is a two love stories - during WW II and our time that are entwined together. Both greatly written, all characters are well developed and it is a lovely book. It made me cry, it made me laugh, it is a really really well researched and well written book. Solid read.

I would definitely recommend to Romance lovers, especially if you prefer a romance set during major historical events. I am not sure that Historical Fiction fan would enjoy it as much, however, they might.

With each additional book, Natasha Lester is further solidifying herself as one of my favorite historical fiction authors. The Riviera House was no different, with a dual POV between past and present and both stories being incredibly engrossing. What really makes these stories stand out to me is the various relationships (romantic and otherwise). As I was getting to the end I didn't want to put the book down, but also knew that I was in for an emotional roller coaster (I wasn't wrong).

Even when you can tell what some of the twists and plot points are going to be, the way the story is told and seeing exactly how everything will unfold keeps you interested. This will likely be one of my favorite books this year, and a definitely recommend to historical fiction fans!

Wow.

The Riviera House is two different stories blended together in a beautiful ode to art and the love two individuals share for it and each other.

The historic timeline focuses on Eliane and Xavier and their shared love of art and for each other only to have it ripped apart by war and the invasion of Paris. Closed off to love, Eliane does the only thing she can and that’s to try to save the artwork stolen by the Germans until a complication in the form of Xavier returns into her life. Only this time Xavier is working for the Germans as an art consultant and his very presence threatens Eliane’s life in more ways than one.

The modern timeline focuses on Remy and Adam and their shared connection to grief, vintage fashion photography, a longing for more and a house in the French Riviera. Together Remy and Adam uncover the questions of Remy’s past and overcome their respective griefs while tentatively opening themselves up for a future.

These two storylines blend beautifully together and draw the reader in. Initially, after the first few chapters I thought the story would move slowly and I wasn’t sure where it was ultimately going but then all of the sudden I became completely immersed in the story and flew through the rest of the book. I connected to each storyline in different ways and felt different emotions while reading. Beautifully written and a must read for any historical fiction fan!

Thank you @readforeverpub , @grandcentralpub , and @netgalley for this eARC in exchange for my honest feedback.

In World War II Paris, the Germans are stealing and destroying art. Elaine is working to catalog the pieces. Can she do anything to save her county’s treasures? In the present day, Remy has unexpectedly inherited a house on the Riviera. What ties these two women and their stories together?

This author always thoroughly researches her subjects, then fits fictional characters round real life people. The novel has a dual timeline, with Eliane and Xavier the main characters during WWII in Paris, while Remy and Adam are the couple in 2015 on the Rjviera. I found the historical sections most interesting, and riveting centering on the efforts by the Nazis to steal famous artwork, particularly the collections of Jewish owners, which they felt entitled to. Eliane works with Rose Vallard, the real person who was able to catalog what the Nazis were stealing. The more contemporary storyline centers on Remy and Adam’s developing relationship, as well the mystery behind Remy’s inheritance of the Riviera house. I recommend this novel, and thank NetGalley for the ARC. There is a lot of substance here, and the writing is well done.

Natasha Lester is a favorite author of mine, I was eagerly awaiting her next novel!

This wonderfully written, well researched novel is based on a real woman who risked her life to save the art in Paris during WW2..
In a dual timeline format, Natasha Lester shifts the reader to the grand vistas of the French Riviera, to a breathtaking villa in Saint-Jean-Cap-Ferrat. Another of Natasha’s books I can recommend to people knowing they’ll enjoy it as well!

This ARC was provided by Netgalley in exchange for my honest review.

I was completely swept away by this fantastic story of courage, sacrifice, and family. Natasha Lester deftly weaves a story of resistance against the Nazis’ incredible amount of art theft with a modern story of healing and acceptance. I didn’t want the book to end!

Lester's The Riviera House riffs on one of my favorite World War II stories--the efforts to save art from the Germans. Set in World War II Paris and the modern Riviera, the book finds good material in both. Eliane, the protagonist, works at the Louvre in Paris, cataloguing the works the Nazis are attempting to steal on the sly. Remy, in the present day, discovers the catalogue. The story unfolds in both times, with Eliane becoming more and more involved in the French Resistance until the story builds to a tense climax. The Riviera House had a number of formulaic elements, but I can't help it: I quite liked this one.

The Riviera House is everything I love about historical fiction. It had characters that spoke to me long after I closed the book, locations that I could clearly see in my mind both heartbreaking and beautiful, and an inspiring look at a time in our history when everyday people became heroes.

In 1939 Paris, Eliane can not idly stand by while the Germans remove precious artworks from the Louvre, its museums, and confiscate private collections from their Jewish owners across the country. She finds herself in a unique position to spy on the Germans and work against their efforts They think her an ignorant "fraulein" who doesn't speak German, and she plans to keep it that way.

​Present day, Remy is dealing with the unimaginable grief of losing both her husband and her young daughter. She escapes to a home she has inherited along the French Riviera to shoot photos for her latest look book of vintage fashion and to try to piece her life back together.

The Riviera House was one of those stories that stayed with me so much so that I was thinking about the characters even when I wasn't reading the book. It made me really think about those people responsible for saving our world's artistic treasures and preserving those masterpieces for the generations to follow. The author does a magnificent job of detailing the locations, both in Paris and of course the Riviera House that you feel utterly transported to both the brutal winter of the German occupation of France to the sun drenched beaches near the Riviera House. The characters come to life as well, as you are inspired by Eliane's bravery as she defies the German officers and you feel Remy's deepest grief over the loss of her daughter.

This book was so well researched that I wanted to delve further into all the historical facts after reading it. The author's blog has many photos, including a photo of the house that was the inspiration for The Riviera House and further details regarding her research process. Here is a link to her blog: https://www.natashalester.com.au/blog

​I also loved the nod to vintage fashion through Remy's business and the tribute to the wonderful fashion photographers as well. The Riviera House definitely made me a fan of Natasha Lester and her work. I look forward to reading many more of her books.

I received this book courtesy of the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

This was an engrossing book that I couldn't put down. The dual timeline stories were both interesting and equally good (sometimes one story may have a lot more draw but I didn't find that to be the case here). Natasha Lester tells a beautiful story about people fighting for love and their principles during a horrific period of history. Her story is well researched and sheds light on the German occupation of France and abuse of power. Also at the heart of the novel is the art, masterpieces that were taken from Jewish families and museums for the enjoyment of Hitler and other Nazi officials, as well as the vintage clothing and photography in Remy's story. Although World War II novels can be disheartening to read, this one focuses primarily on love and hope that keep the spirit alive and fighting to survive. The love stories are beautiful. I also appreciated that the reader isn't faced with excruciating and repeated details about suffering and death (which were prevalent during this period but can be difficult to read).
I highly recommend this novel. I also listened to some of it and the audiobook is excellent. The narrator adjusts her voice and accent perfectly to reflect the different characters.

Sincere, absorbing and expressive!

The Riviera House is a rich, engaging tale set in France during WWII, as well as present-day, that takes you into the lives of two main characters; Éliane Dufort, a young woman who, through determination and resilience, uses her knowledge of art to help survive the war; and Remy Lang, a vintage fashion entrepreneur who inadvertently stumbles across her true parentage when she travels to her inherited home in the Riviera for solace and quiet in order to grieve the unexpected loss of her husband and daughter.

The prose is eloquent and well-turned. The characters are strong, lonely, and brave. And the plot, including all the subplots, intertwine and unravel seamlessly into a heartfelt saga of life, loss, secrets, surprises, heartbreak, betrayal, survival, danger, friendship, and love.

Overall, The Riviera House is an evocative, sentimental, moving tale with compelling characters that I devoured from start to finish. I’m a huge fan of Natasha Lester’s writing, and this novel didn’t disappoint. If you enjoy well researched WWII time-slip stories with a fresh perspective and a dab of romance, then I highly recommend it.

Sometimes I think that every older French woman was in the Resistance but that takes nothing away from this story of love, intrigue, art and betrayal. It is told in the timeline of Eliane during the war in Paris. She works in the Louvre and is part of a group trying to protect the major art works from being taken by the Germans. The second timeline is Remy in 2015. She lost her husband and daughter in an accident and after two years is still grieving and protecting her heart. It took me a while to figure out how the two were connected but that is part of what kept me reading along with the descriptions of beautiful clothes, the house in Cap Farrat and the love story of Remy and Adam and Eliane and Xavier. The Paris during the war felt dismal and grey. Eliane and her brother, Luc, and sister, Angelique, run a brasserie which allowed them a bit more food and a chance to the spy on the Germans. The characters were pretty well developed and I was so rooting for Eliane and Xavier. My only downside was I wanted to know more about Adam's relationship with his brother, Matt.

I would like to thank Netgalley and Forever (Grand Central Publishing) for providing me a copy of this very moving tale of WW2.

4.5 stars. I enjoyed Natasha Lester’s 2020 book The Paris Secret and I think I liked this one even more. It takes a LOT these days for me to absorb historical fiction in print (not audio), and this did exactly that. I REALLY enjoyed the art theft storyline and my heartstrings were tugged almost constantly while reading this both for the present-day characters and those living in Nazi-occupied Paris. Phew. An excellent book with a satisfying conclusion.