The Widows of Champagne is rich, impactful, and a fresh take in WW2 historical fiction. I loved how original the story was and the unique perspective on the effects of WW2 that I hadn’t read about before. This story surrounds the champagne vineyards in France during this turbulent time alongside the POV’s of three generations of widows... the matronly grandmother, her daughter, and granddaughter, all of who’s livelihood is found in one of these vineyards and their ensuing battle to save it and their chateau from the hands of the Nazi’s.

The story itself is quite linear in plot and setting, as it almost reads like a day in the life for these women in one specific location. As soon as I realized this I got nervous and wasn’t sure that it would hold my interest but I was surprisingly and happily wrong, which is a testament to the simply fantastic writing on behalf of the author. You could just tell while reading that each element to the story was precisely and meaningfully placed, and what you get as a result is this atmospheric, gripping, and thought-provoking story complete with well-developed and strong characters. The heart of the story, one of courage, resilience, loyalty, community, and family in the face of crisis, was emotional yet absolutely BEAUTIFUL and so inspiring. This is one of those books that sit with you well after finishing it, and I couldn’t recommend it more highly to my fellow historical fiction lovers.

Thank you so much to NetGalley and Harlequin for the gifted e-copy and physical copy in exchange for my honest review.

A fresh take on WWII, Renee Ryan’s latest book follows the LaBlanc women, Gabrielle, Hélène, and Josephine, who have dealt with hardship before and will continue to stand against all that the war throws at them. Josephine is the family matriarch and has lived at Château Fouché-LeBlanc vineyard, located in Reims, for all of her adult life. She is getting older and has transferred much of the workings of the vineyard over to her granddaughter, Gabrielle. Josephine plays her age and “feeble” mind against the Nazis. Gabrielle, like the rest of the women in her family, has grit and courage. She joins the French Resistance and works tirelessly to protect those she loves. Hélène, Gabrielle’s mother plays a dangerous game trying to appease the Nazi who has invaded her home. All three women fight to protect each other and their heritage.

Enter in a cast of supporting characters who are equally intriguing: Marta, the feisty housekeeper; Paulette, Gabrielle’s much younger sister; von Schmidt, selfish and conniving Nazi; Detective Mueller, Gestapo; Max, Gabrielle’s father in law.

This was a fast paced and addicting read. I had trouble putting it down because I wanted to know what happened next! The book flips between Gabrielle, Hélène, and Josephine. Ryan captures the essence of each woman—however, she takes the cake with Josephine and how she handles what I assume to be Alzheimer’s.

The atmosphere in the book was remarkable as Ryan does an excellent job painting a beautiful vineyard landscape and then overlays that with the horrors of the Nazi invasion. She realistically describes each character’s struggle with their faith in God and how they reconcile (or not) their actions.

Whenever I read a historical fiction novel, I always like to see an author’s note about what is historically accurate and what they played with. I read an ARC of this book, so perhaps the final book will include something along these lines. (There were certain characters I would have liked some information about…Mueller)

All in all, a great WWII read, a light romance, but primarily, a story about the resiliency of women of any age.

Thank you to NetGalley and Harlequin for providing me with an ARC.

Three generations of LeBlanc women, all widows, all living with their own secrets. At their home in Reims, France - the heart of Champagne, the LeBlanc women are intruded on by a Nazi officer who decides to make their chateau his home during WW2's invasion of France. Each of the women, Grandmere Josephine, Maman Helene, and daughter & most recent widow Gabrielle, are trying their best to survive the war, keep their secrets safe and helps the Resistance.
I really enjoyed this WW2 novel and especially enjoyed the character development - the slow release of information and backstories made this an enjoyable read.

I received this book in exchange for an honest review from #netgalley.

Resilience
Strength
Sacrifice
Historical WWII fiction novel about a family of 3 widows trying to preserve their family champagne vineyard. As the Germans arrive in their small town.and take over their home, they must work together to survive. The story is written from the perspective of each of the women. Their ultimate goal is to protect each other.
I highly recommend The Widows of Champagne to anyone interested in historical fiction. The story is very well written and engaging.
Many thanks to NetGalley, the publisher and author for the opportunity to read this book for my honest opinion. All opinions expressed are my own.

A beautifully written novel by Renee Ryan that kept me enthralled throughout the whole book! I couldn't get enough of Gabrielle, Helene and Josephine. These 3 women couldn't be more different but together, they are widows who will hold on to the family vineyards with everything that is in them, even under Nazi rule. They will be tested to their limits and one will have to cross a line she never thought she'd have to cross but she will to save her family. Then there is the youngest daughter, Paulette, will aggravate you to no end! She is spoiled and selfish but never quite grasps the serious situation of the Nazi occupation. I knew that the Nazi's occupied France, of course, and that they took over peoples' homes but to read about what happened on a day to day basis, it was amazing what the French went through. The widows not only lived with the indignities, they also did everything they could to protect some of their champagne which the Nazi's just took whenever they wanted. There is so much to love in this book! I wish every teenager would read this book and see what happened during this time. It is based on true events. A fabulous book!

I was so excited about this book because it sounded like it would be something I would enjoy and I am so happy to say that I loved this book. It’s so we’ll written and just sucked me into the story that I couldn’t stop reading. .

If you are looking for a Historical Fiction to read I do highly recommend this one.

This book was such a heartfelt historical fiction story, that I absolutely loved. It follows three generations of widowed Leblanc women who are just trying to make it through WWll. All three women go through this war in completely different ways. The main goal, protect one another.

This book is told from the perspective of each character, and I absolutely loved it. It was so nice to see what each character was thinking. Once you start reading this book, you will be sucked in and won’t want to put it down. This book was so well written and I loved how detailed it was. It is going to be an emotional read, but it’s so worth it. I highly recommend checking it out!

Ryan wrote an incredibly heartfelt story about three generations of widowed Leblanc women who are taking care of the vineyards of Chateau Fouche-Leblanc during the Nazi occupation of France. Each of the women respond to the conflict in their own way, and they will be changed in more ways than they will ever know.

The writing is completely immersive and emotional. The atrocities and horrors of what the women had to go through is harrowing, and yet they continue to sacrifice their own lives to do what is right against the evil Reich.

I highly recommend this stunning and gripping historical fiction story.

WOW! Where do I begin with this story?

Gabrielle Dupree lives in her family home and works on her families vineyard. She lost her husband to a horrific accident. Her mother Helene, a fashion-loving socialite is also a widow, having lost her husband and Gabrielle’s father as a result of the First World War. Josephine, Gabrielle’s grandmother is the family matriarch and has kept the family business running after the loss of her own husband,

At first glance, this books looks like it will be about three women making life work while keeping the vineyard running. The story that unfolds is so much more.

As Germany moves into France and not only requisitions homes, but vineyards, Gabrielle decides she must make sure they can survive the war. She builds a wall to hide a significant portion of the wine and champagne the vineyard is known for.

As the German presence in France grows, Helene takes drastic measures to ensure the safety of her family while also trying to keep a dangerous piece of information secret, all while living in the same house as a German officer.

Josephine, who at times has trouble remembering things takes her own steps to try to protect her family from all that could go wrong, especially if Helen’s secret is discovered.

This story moves back and forth between the three women and the roles they are each playing to fight back against the hardships placed on them and their friends and neighbors. The strength of each woman builds as the story progresses and shows the lengths people will go to in order to protect their family.

I really enjoyed this story and cannot quit thinking about the three main characters. Strength is often found when we don’t think we have any, when we are pushed into a corner and don’t have a choice.

Thank you to NetGalley, Renee Ryan, and Harlequin Love Inspired Trade for the copy of this book in exchange for a review. All opinions expressed here are entirely my own.

Champagne France during WW2. What's not to love? I completely fell in love with these characters and their struggles. They became so human & so intriguing
I was fully invested in the characters fron the first moment until the last. Any novel with sacrifice is heartbreaking and keeps me glued up until the last moment.

Thank you to Netgalley and publishers for this free arc in exchange for my honest review.

Renee Ryan’s The Widows of Champagne is a fast-paced multigenerational story of three widows—a grandmother, Josephine; daughter-in-law, Hélène; and granddaughter, Gabrielle. The setting is a vineyard in Reims. When the book opens, the family is getting ready to celebrate the 200 year anniversary of Chateau Fouché-Leblanc’s best champagnes. In September 1939, Gabrielle is worried that the Germans might invade France so she decides to build a fake wall to hide the best vintage wines.

I was immediately engaged with this emotional story. Gabrielle’s grandmother, Josephine is 77 and she realizes that she is having trouble with her memory. Josephine adores her and has her grandmother’s love for the vineyard. Hélène does not have much interest in the business and loves to make trips to Paris to buy clothes. Besides Josephine, she has a younger daughter, seventeen-year-old Paulette. Housekeeper Marta takes good care of Josephine and takes care of household duties.

I loved how the chapters alternated between the three widows. When the Germans occupy the area in 1940, Josephine answers the door to find Helmet von Schmidt with the notice that he is moving in taking charge.She recognizes him as a German wine importer she met ten years ago.

I spent a late night reading this well-written story (sometimes in tears, sometimes a cheerleader for these widows) as they navigate their lives during the occupation. Rosen has written a story that I will not forget for a long time. My thanks to Harlequin and NetGalley for an ARC of the book. The opinions in this review are my own.

Renee Ryan is a new-to-me author, and I am so glad that I took a chance on selecting her new book, The Widows of Champagne. The story is fresh, the prose quite beautiful, the protagonists strong and committed, the antagonists ire-evoking, and the plot well-paced. Fans of historical fiction, especially those who like World War II stories, will be delighted with this novel. Fans of Christian and secular fiction will be equally pleased with the time they devote to reading The Widows of Champagne.

I am grateful to have received a complimentary copy of this novel from Harlequin's Love Inspired collection without obligation. All opinions expressed here are my own.

Thank you NetGalley, author Renee Ryan, and Love Inspired Trade publishing for giving me a free arc copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
5 stars
Which path would you choose when the Nazis soldiers come to occupy your country? What will be the outcome when the war is all said and done?
The Widows of Champagne is about three generations of Leblanc women. Each has loss their husband and marred by war. With the enemy literally at their door, each must choose a course of action. One will take a stand. One will cling to faith. One will strive to protect her secret.
The author did an amazing job shedding light on those that lived within Nazi occupied France during WWII. Each woman had their own pov throughout this story. I loved how well each woman was developed and complex. Hélène Leblanc was a difficult character for me to connect to at the beginning, but as her backstory was slowly revealed, my opinion of her changed. She was a very selfless characters especially on behalf of her children and mother-in-law. Gabriella was very easily my favorite of the women. I loved how brave she was to help her father-in-law, Max and the nameless solider. I found her relationship with the detective SS officer oddly interesting. I was never sure what his true motives were. I found myself holding my breathe every time he and Gabriella interacted. Josephine, the eldest widow, was a fighter. Although she seemed to be losing her grip of the present, I found her ability to help her family very tender and heartfelt.
As a huge history buff, I tend to be hesitant to pick up historical fiction because I fear the author will not have done enough research of the time period in order to make the story and characters realistic! I am glad to say this author did their research well! I really felt the presence of being within the time period due to the author's ability to create the atmospheric scenes with beautiful writing! This story will defiantly remain in the reader's heart and mind even after the final words have been read! Many times after reading historical fiction stories, I always feel like I have learned so little about history and the people that lived during such times. Overall, this was a great read and I look forward to reading more books by this author in the future!

Renee Ryan is a talented author who has written a poignant and realistic story of three courageous women during WWII German occupation of their country and home.. This story is written from the viewpoints of Josephine, the grandmother, Helen, the daughter and Gabrielle, the granddaughter and reveals their emotions, motivations, and relationships. This novel captures the resilience and strength these women possessed during a tragic period of world history.

Three generations of women that will do anything to save their family.

The year is 1939 and the Nazis have invaded France. Josephine, the family matriarch, Helene, her daughter in law and Gabrielle, her granddaughter must adapt, adjust and make difficult choices while trying to save their families vineyard. Their journey through WWII is one of turmoil, treason and treachery. Can these women band together to save their family and their legacy?

This was an absolutely riveting novel by Renee Ryan. I was drawn right into the story on the first page and had a hard time putting down the novel. I could feel each emotion the women were facing and spent time pondering how I would react if I had to live through those difficult times. The characters were brilliantly written, and I loved watching the characters develop. This was a book I will not soon forget. Renee Ryan, Harlequin and Netgalley, my thanks to you for this amazing novel and for the advanced readers copy.

Three generations of women all working hard to bring their vineyard into the future in Champagne, France. These women are widows and all are strong in mind and body. Their family has worked the vineyards through good times and bad for over 200 years. Champagne runs through their veins, they will do anything to protect the family's vineyards.
The women, a grandmother,her daughter-in law and the granddaughter live comfortably well off.
Their home has been requisitioned by the Germans who give them the "courtesy" of allowing them to stay in their own home.
With their best vintages hidden behind a fake wall in the basement will the enemy be able to find it to satisfy the unquenchable thirst the Third Reich’s has for the finest champagne?
The family matriarch with her slipping memory is fighting the hardest battle of her life.
The women all carry secrets, one that would mean instant death for the family .
These family will carry on through sheer determination to keep things running showing courage in the face of fire.
Excellent book and I hope to see more like it by the author!

Pub Date 27 Jul 2021
I was given a complimentary copy of this book. Thank you.
All opinions expressed are my own.

🍇 Loved it! Five stars! 🍇

Reims, France 1939, widowed twenty-seven year old Gabrielle LeBlanc-Dupree, hides twenty thousand bottles of her family’s vintage champagne beneath her family’s ancient chateau. With the Nazi’s nearing France, Gabrielle is intent on securing their future’s new start should the Third Reich invade, and of course loot them of the chateau’s treasures. She tells no one her secret, not her sixteen year old sister Paulette, or her widowed mother Helene or grandmother Josephine, the family matriarch who’s losing her memory.

Reims, France 1940, Germany invades France, and within a month a cold, steely-eyed officer for the reich, requisitions the Chateau for his lodging. That’s when we find out about Josephine and Helene’s secret that could be their family’s undoing. They reveal it to no one. Until it is, and an unlikely friend protects this family of women, and their neighbors. I LOVED the surprise twist in this story, and through all the madness surrounding their small community.. love is found between the most unlikely pair! So good — not to be missed!

*Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for kindly sharing a review copy with me. All opinions are my own.

An incredible story about German occupied France. As a historical fiction fan, I always enjoy reading books set during WWII, but find it especially interesting to read about those living in countries who were occupied by Nazi soldiers. A terrifying and harrowing experience, where citizens did all they could do to survive. Enter, the LeBlanc wowed, strong, courageous, lovely women you can’t help but root for. Fans of historical fiction are sure to enjoy this story about love, friendship, and resilience.

I enjoyed this book and shows the struggle of the French of occupied France during WW2. The LeBlanc women are strong and formidable, they were willing to risk everything to save their family and it’s future. Although I did take issue with the youngest LeBlanc, though she was a side character and not widowed I think it would have been cool to have even a brief glimpse of what she was thinking. I also loved the passion they each had about their own specially/interest. Everyone made sacrifice during the war and a look into it makes a fascinating read.

What a heart tugging story!

Have you ever read a story and not wanted the ending to come? Well, that is how I felt with this story. Renee Ryan swept me away into a world I did not want to leave. The plot was remarkably interesting, and I was hooked by the three points of view she used to convey they story. All three women had reasons for the things they did, and it was fascinating watching them unfold.

Renee Ryan even added in several different twists and turns I did not anticipate; and that ending ahh… Plus, old family secrets?!? I mean this story literally has it all and has left me reeling with bittersweet feelings.

The historical details while somewhat glossed over (the book begins before WWII and ends slightly after it) were very well done and gave just the right amount of detail to fit the story. Loved the suspenseful moments and how Renee Ryan wove in tragedy, hope, redemption, forgiveness, and love – all in one lovely heart-touching little book. I only wish it were not over with.

I HIGHLY recommend this book, a definite 5 Star read!

*I Volunteered to read this book in return for my honest feedback. The thoughts and opinions expressed within are my own.