It's been a long time since I have read a book I couldn't put down and I read it in one day. This is a good historical novel with a young, naive heroine thrown into extraordinary times. Great summer read.

This was the last of the books that I received without requesting them. Unsurprisingly, it was not the book for me.

This one felt so... cookie cutter. A typical historical story with a bit of thriller elements thrown in. None of it really hooked me in or made it stand out in any way.

For such a dark time in history surrounding a lot of tragedy, the feeling of the book did not reflect that at all. It was glamorized and put on a pedestal as a beautiful time it really wasn't.

DNF at 21%

Again, I have been put off of WWII novels solely because there are so many of them (many I have read), but this was a bit different as it was set in Cannes technically right before the start of the war. And it was an intriguing story - I particularly enjoyed reading about some of the famous people who attended the festival - Aubray definitely brought F. Scott Fitzgerald to life for me! Overall, enjoyable read while sad at times.

Thank you @netgalley and @blackstonepublishing for the ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

This book takes you back to the time of World War II. The setting and the era are well-described, giving you a good feel of the past and what life might have been like during those tough times. ✨📖

The story follows this girl's life and the challenges she faces during the war. It's an interesting setup, but overall, the book was just okay for me. I found some parts to be engaging, but others were a bit slow, and it didn't always keep my interest peaked.

However, the historical aspects were well done, and if you enjoy books that transport you to another time, you might appreciate the details and the setting in this story. Aubray's writing style is clear and effective, suited to telling a historical narrative that's easy to follow. The main character has some intriguing moments, and you do get a sense of her personal growth throughout the book. 📚📚

Read if you like:

• historical fiction set during World War II
• stories centered around female protagonists
• reading about the impact of war on everyday life and personal relationships
• a light read in the historical genre without too complex a plot

The Girl from the Grand Hotel* by Camille Aubray is a glamorous dive into the glittering world of the first Cannes Film Festival and the impending doom of World War II. Set against the opulent backdrop of the Côte d’Azur in 1939, this historical novel follows Annabel Faucon, an American who escapes her troubles in New York for a summer job at the Grand Hotel, managed by her uncle.

The story brings together Hollywood stars, wealthy vacationers, and the looming presence of Nazi guests, creating a tense atmosphere of intrigue and espionage. Annabel's task to watch over a troubled screenwriter and a rebellious actor soon escalates into a high-stakes adventure involving spies, murder, and a race to disrupt a Nazi communications system.

The novel excels in its rich descriptions and historical detail, vividly bringing to life the glamorous yet precarious world of pre-war Europe. The appearances of real-life luminaries like Marlene Dietrich and F. Scott Fitzgerald add an interesting touch of authenticity.

However, the plot can feel a bit convoluted at times, and the multitude of characters and subplots might be overwhelming for some readers. While Annabel is a likable protagonist, her development feels somewhat flat amidst the fast-paced events.

Overall, *The Girl from the Grand Hotel* is an engaging read for fans of historical fiction and intrigue, though it occasionally stumbles under the weight of its ambitious narrative. A solid three stars for a novel that shines in its setting and historical context but falls short in character depth and clarity.

The Girl from the Grand Hotel is a great piece of historical fiction, written with such conviction that you will be wondering if our heroine Annabel is real.

Blended with real Hollywood legends, author Camille Aubray writes a story that tugs on the golden movie era buff’s heart strings, set in the uncertain times of the beginning of WWII.

The plot thickens in the second half, and became a page turner for me as I realized Aubray had perfectly planted so many seeds in the first half.

If you love historical fiction with an old Hollywood twist, add this to your list!

I received a complimentary copy of this book via Netgalley. Opinions expressed in this review are my own

This book was not expected at all, yet it made me so happy. I love vintage film, so to have cinematic legends mixed in with a time when the Nazis were invading was a weird, real adventure. Nothing about WWII was glamorous or great, but the first Cannes festival was. Oh, and there's espionage too!

A great book by Camille Aubray! So interesting reading about the planned Cannes Film Festival during World War II and the Hollywood drama, murder mystery and spy intrigue all in one! Absolutely loved this one!

The Girl from the Grand Hotel by Camille Aubray is a beautiful piece and novel written about a time of history.

The Golden Years of Hollywood era - the time of Mae West, Gary Cooper, Marlene Dietrich, Jimmy Stewart, Bette Davies, Cary Grant, James Cagney, Tyrone Power, Humphrey Bogart, Author F. Scott Fitzgerald…...just to mention a few. It was also the time in history in the brink of WWII Germany Nazi occupation, spies and army intelligence.

The novel is set on the French Riviera in 1939, at the Grand Hotel where the celebrities are arriving to celebrate the first Cannes Film Festival. ‘The Celebration of the Stars’, parties are on the highest lead up to the event. Amongst the Glitz and Glamour of the event of the year, arrives Annabel a twenty year old young lady with secretarial skills from New York and the niece of Uncle JP the owner of the Grand Hotel.

She begins working for her Uncle in the hotel. She loves both her uncle and her job. She discovers the fascinating world of Hollywood movies, script writing, the luxurious parties and falls in love with one of the actors Jack Cabot, even though her uncle has told her not to get involved with the hotel guests.

Her uncle appoints her to assist Scott F Fitzgerald as his secretary and Annabel’s life changes and secrets are revealed. As well as the celebrities the other hotel guests are more sinister and deceitful, spies and mostly German army officers with plans of their own……bringing war to Poland, England and France.

This is the part of the story that reveals how secretive and corrupt people can be. Annabel finds an enigma machine left behind by a polish guest hidden in a shed on the grounds of the hotel. She later discovers that her uncle has a hidden radio that he listens to war propaganda and news, later deciphering coded messages using the enigma machine.

Together Annabel, her uncle and other hotel staff at one of the many parties realise who the real spies are. Are Annabel and her Uncle safe in the beautiful hotel? Do they report the spies or do the spies escape?

War eventually is declared in France, most of the staff and guests have left, new owners have bought the hotel, the French Army have occupied the hotel for their military purposes. So what is the future going to be like for Annabel and her uncle?

I have been fortunate to have read this advance copy of the book thanks to NetGalley and Blackstone Publishers, for an honest review. I loved the mix of storyline between actual historical events and the reality of the beginning of WWII. I rate this book 4 out of 5 stars. Looking forward to reading any other books by Camille.

3.5

Summer 1939 - Annabel, an American, has had to drop out of college because her father passed away. She is moving to the south of France to work at a hotel where her uncle is the manager. With the Hollywood stars arriving for the very first Cannes Film Festival and Nazi's arriving with the rise of WWII coming, it is a busy, exciting, and very tense time at The Grand Hotel.

Although the writing and story line convinced to me read this one, in the end it just didn't hold my attention. It might have been just me or just having read so many pre WWII books and WWII books. I do think those who enjoy this era with the added dazzle of Hollywood will enjoy this book.

The synopsis says "it is inspired by true events".

My thanks to Net Galley and Blackstone Publishing for an advanced copy of this e-book.

Thank you to NetGalley, Blackstone Publishing, and Camille Aubray for the chance to read, The Girl From the Grand Hotel. It was a wonderful story about the first Cannes Film Festival in 1939 happening right when World War II was starting.

It was centered around an American woman, Annabel Faucon, who was living and working at a hotel in Cannes with her uncle and young cousin. Annabel had relocated to France from New York City after both of her parents had passed away. She was a college student at Vassar, but she could no longer afford her living expenses, let alone continue paying for college on her own. Her uncle was kind enough to take care of her and also give her a job at his well known Grand Hotel in France.

In 1939, the first Cannes Film Festival was happening and several well known Hollywood celebrities were staying at their hotel while attending the Cannes Festival. Annabel was asked to help F. Scott Fitzgerald with typing and other secretarial jobs. She also met another famous pair, Jack Cabot and Téa Marlo who were acting in a movie together. She quickly fell madly in love with Jack. It was evident that Jack also returned her feelings, but he also was enamored by Téa.

As they all prepared for the film festival it was also quite evident that Hitler was getting ready to start a war in Europe. Several of his cronies were in attendance at the Cannes Film Festival and they made it clear how they felt about anyone who was Jewish or less than perfect in their eyes. Annabel's young cousin, Delphine, had been left with a limp after having polio and it was also obvious what they thought of her. They put lots of pressure on Téa, because she was a German actress and they wanted her to leave America and film propaganda for the Nazis.

Annabel came to realize there were many spies in France working for both the Nazi party and for their opposing parties also. The tension was high and it was difficult to tell who was fighting for which side. As tensions grew higher and higher, Annabel realized she and her family were in danger. She knew she had to help in some way if she could.

When Hitler invaded Poland everyone at the festival scurried to flee France, because they were petrified they'd be stuck in Europe during the war. Annabel also realized she needed to leave, but she wanted to first try to protect her family and her new friends. She soon found out her loved ones held important secrets and she didn't know who she could trust anymore.

I really enjoyed this story about WWII, especially the take on al of the different celebrities and how they reacted to Hitler and the war in Europe. It was a unique historical fiction story and I thoroughly enjoyed reading it. #NetGalley #TheGirlFromtheGrandHotel

The first Cannes Film Festival was supposed to promote goodwill and peace, but in 1939 the road to war was clear. The Grand Hotel filled with celebrities and studio executives, who mixed with German representatives. For Annabel it was a thrill to meet celebrities, including Mae West and James Cagney. Annabel came to the hotel to work for her Oncle JP, the hotel manager, when her parents died. While she was not to socialize with guests, she was assigned to do secretarial work for Scott (F. Scott Fitzgerald) and keep the social calendar for actor Jack Cabot. She and Scott become friends, but it is Jack who steals her heart. The death of a German tennis player who opposed Hitler, the disappearance of a Polish secretary and the discovery of her uncle’s work for French intelligence serve as reminders of the political situation in Europe. The hotel is buzzing with gossip and preparing for galas, but there are also spies among them. When Annabel stumbles on an enigma machine she is not sure what she has found and turns it over to her uncle. It forces him to involve her in his work and places her in danger.

Camille Aubrey fills her story with celebrities of the day, some making a cameo appearance and others who play more of a role. Scott is working on revising scripts while writing his own stories. His wife’s confinement to an asylum has placed him in debt. While Annabel works with him he confides in her and provides support for her when tragedy strikes. Annabel is also befriended by Charles Laughton and his wife Elsa Lanchester who add some humor as well as providing a solution to the enigma problem. The first film festival was a disaster when war was declared before the opening movie premiered, but Aubrey turns this disasterous event into a story that will appeal to fans of Susan Elia MacNeal’s Maggie Hope series. I would like to thank NetGalley and Blackstone Publishing for providing this book.

I received an advance ARC in advance of a honest opinion.

As a historical fiction, particular WW2 I had high hopes for this novel. There was glitz, glamour, and an impending war. But I struggled with this book. For me it couldn’t decide what it was going to be.

There was glitz of the Golden Hollywood Era, the famous names; glamorous parties and lots of champagne.

There was the Nazi presence and the wiff of espionage, spying for the French and very inconvenient dead bodies turning up.

Despite this I came to the end of the novel and was left wondering what it was all about? Was this a glamour theme with a very lucky young women getting to spend time with the rich and famous.

Was this a war novel with a very talented young woman working as a spy for the French resistance?

Or was there something that I missed I don’t think I have ever come to the end of the novel and thought is that it? What exactly was the point here?

Was a nice novel with lots of nice depictions of famous people but it just fell flat for me.

If you like a well written historical fiction novel that takes place right before WWII kicks off, then this is the book for you.

I don't read them all the time, but honestly, I'm always a sucker for historical fiction books, especially if it's WWII based. Always have been.

Camille has a beautiful way with words, throughout this novel. I will say it starts off a tad slow, but it picks up. I could not put it down, the moment the mystery aspect took place.

There were so many large Hollywood names that came up throughout the book, including the famous novelist F. Scott Fitzgerald.

Hollywood, history, a bit of romance, and war: you got yourself an amazing book! I honestly would love to see this book as a movie some day.

𝘛𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘬 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘵𝘰 𝘉𝘭𝘢𝘤𝘬𝘴𝘵𝘰𝘯𝘦 𝘗𝘶𝘣𝘭𝘪𝘴𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘕𝘦𝘵𝘎𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘦𝘺 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘢 𝘤𝘰𝘱𝘺 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘣𝘰𝘰𝘬. 𝘈𝘭𝘭 𝘵𝘩𝘰𝘶𝘨𝘩𝘵𝘴 𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘮𝘺 𝘰𝘸𝘯.

Inspired by the first failed Cannes Film Festival which was supposed to take place in September 1939 (really poor timing). The plot is slow moving, and there are almost too many famous names dropped into the storyline for no really good reason. The main character Annabel is sort of bland. If you read everything about the golden age of Hollywood, you will probably enjoy this novel. Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing an eARC for review.

This is a must read for any film buff who has ever wondered what the first Cannes Film Festival was like. Complete with stars, glitter, glamour, spies, and political unrest it makes for a fun, fast read with an HEA.

This historical novel, set in 1939 on the French Riviera, is perfect for those who love to see cameos of real life characters pop up in the plot. A young woman who works at a fancy hotel gets to meet all kinds of famous actors and movie business types who have come to the first Cannes Film Festival. Mae West hangs out at the pool, and the guy our protagonist agrees to type for turns out to be F. Scott Fitzgerald. The pacing of this novel was a bit slow, but this was an interesting and fun read. Great for summer beach reading.

I absolutely loved Camille's last novel and this one did not disappoint! It was so cool to learn about the origins of the film festival, I love how Camille weaves in all of the elements of the historic fact and fiction

In 1939 in France, the Cannes Film Festival is set to make its debut. However, Europe is on the brink of war and the area is filled with spies and Hollywood stars. At the Grand Hotel, Annabel is working for her uncle and is asked to work with 2 stars, and of course no one is quite who they seem to be. Based on actual events and loaded with stars, F. Scott Fitzgerald included.

I thought I had read about every possible angle of World War II in the dozens of titles I’ve read in the past few years, but this was a new one for me. Camille Aubrey drew me right into this story about the first attempt to hold the famed Cannes Film Festival in 1939–which was interrupted by Germany’s invasion of Poland.

This book had it all—spy intrigue, romance, a murder mystery, and lots of juicy Hollywood gossip which kept me Googling far into the night. I had a good time with this one!

I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.