I. Really enjoyed this book about a real life couple and the secrets and intrigue going on in WW II Paris. I hadn’t heard of these people before this book.
Melanie Benjamin is at the top of his game.
Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for letting me review this book

The Grateful Reader Review by Dorothy Schwab

The Mistress of the Ritz will lure you in, just as Blanche and Claude lured the elite, wealthy, and well known, into the posh Ritz Hotel; with “her” tapestries, works of art, chandeliers, sumptuous dining, and decadent decor. The Ritz holds her own place in the cast of characters in this revealing tale of love and war. Because where else would the duchesses and princesses find bathrooms in each suite, and telephones and electricity throughout ?

“No one knows anything, while seeing, hearing everything. This is how it is in Paris these days. ”

The lives of the French people became divided into two distinct sections: how they lived and saw people and situations before the German invasion, and how this all changed after the invasion in 1940. This same distinction was evident in the life of the Ritz, her guests and the debonair French manager, Claude, and his wife, Blanche, the American actress & flapper.

As history unfolds with the 1942 tragedy of Vel d’Hiv, the lives of the Parisians and especially, the Jews, change forever. Blanche and Claude are living out their marriage in the Ritz, surrounded by Germans. Relegated to the far side of the hotel, they must live under the constant surveillance and scrutiny of the German officers and the hotel staff, as they continue to host guests and serve the Germans; never sure who’s who.

With the daily disappearances of staff, familiar faces of guests and friends; Blanche and Claude must each find a sense of purpose in this new life. Claude and Blanche love each other,madly, but can they trust each other, implicitly? With the help of friends like Blanche’s Lily and Claude’s contact, Martin, and the dependable barkeep, Frank, the bonds of marriage are stretching quite thin as the Parisians wait and watch for the coming of the Americans and always, always, counting on the Resistance.

The love and life of Blanche and Claude on full display at the Ritz; along with the daily developments of the war will keep you aching to know who merely survives the war, who lives and dies, but mostly how do they “go on with life?” What purpose can war serve?

So many believed, “Nothing bad can happen at the Ritz. The Ritz will provide. The Ritz will protect…. But will it now? Now that its famous front door is manned not by a top-hatted doorman in a black overcoat, but a Nazi soldier? “

The Mistress of the Ritz is highly recommended; a 5 Star hotel and a 5 Star read.

Thank you to Net Galley and Random House Publishing Group-Ballentine for the chance to read this book in exchange for an honest review. The story is based on a real life couple-Blanche and Claude Auzello. Even though they were married, they had a very tumultuous relationship. They were forced to play host and hostess to the Germans at the iconic Ritz Hotel in Paris during WWII. They were both harboring a secret that eventually led to their downfall. I like stories based on real life characters and events so this book was a perfect choice for me. Highly recommend if you like stories about WWII. Melanie Benjamin is one of the best historical fiction writers around!

5 remarkable stars!!

This is the story of Claude and Blanche Auzello during the occupation of Paris by the Nazis during WWII and just prior to that. Claude is the Director of the Ritz while his wife Blanche is called the “mistress of the Ritz.” Claude is very good at what he does. Blanche is a “reformed” flapper who loves it at the Ritz, but all is not well in her and Claude's marriage.

When Blanche meets Lily, she is entranced and appreciative of having a true woman friend with whom she can share her problems and dreams. She meets some of Lily's friends and then gets herself into some must be kept secret actions.

This book outlines what it was like for the Parisians during the war. The people who “disappeared,” the deterioration of conditions in Paris, the sacrifices the citizens had to make to get by are all detailed.

Claude and Blanche think that they understand one another, but they really don't. Blanche thinks that Claude is pandering to the Nazis who have more or less taken over the Ritz. Claude thinks that Blanche is a ditz who drinks too much with her friend Lily.

But Blanche has a potentially devastating secret that could bring an end to herself, Claude and the Ritz. The truth of Claude and Blanche's relationship finally is revealed in heartwarming prose.

This is a remarkably well written and plotted novel. It reads linearly; that is to say one event follows another in a logical fashion. The transitions are smooth and flawless. I don't know how Ms. Benjamin does it. She writes with such authority. She obviously does her research well. I truly enjoyed this book as I have the other Melanie Benjamin novels I have read.

I want to thank Random House Publishing Group – Ballantine/Ballantine and NetGalley for forwarding to me a copy of this truly wonderful book for me to read, enjoy and review.

This was an incredible story that needed to be told. In “The Mistress of the Ritz,” we learn about Blanche and Claude Auzello from the skilled storytelling of Melanie Benjamin who has done an excellent job in all her books with real people as her characters. Unlike her previous novels, this remarkable story was virtually unknown and in the words of Ms. Benjamin is indeed a “great big fat juicy story.” The setting is the Ritz between the 1920s and 1940s during the German occupation of Paris, where the Nazis make the glitzy hotel their headquarters. The life of the proper Frenchman and his free-thinking American wife is turned upside down as they each deal with the dangers surrounding them. The glamorous and colorful guests they serve add to this compelling story.

Thank you NetGalley and Random House for providing me with an ARC of this excellent book, which will be out May 21, 2019.

Three and a half stars. I enjoy historical fiction, particularly books set in France among the gilded upper class. Mistress of the Ritz is inspired by a true story, and it was interesting to see Melanie Benjamin give context and back story to these characters. There are a few “revelations” that Ms. Benjamin drags out too long, and I would have loved for her to include more stories of these characters’ involvement in the resistance. All-in-all, a well-written and interesting novel.

Thanks to NetGalley for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

The book starts off slow and doesn't pick up much steam after that. That being said, it was a decently written story about a couple who despite being married do not really know each other that well. France in World War II seems to merely be a backdrop for their marital issues. I was not fond of the end of the story that shows what ultimately happens to the main characters - there were so many other ways that the author could have chosen to end it.

I always enjoy Melanie Benjamin novels, and I rush through them in a sitting. As always, I enjoyed this book, and knew nothing of these characters, but I must say, the first half was a bit cliched, and a bit over the top. It all rang a bit cartoony, but I think the second half as it kicks in about the resistance, that’s when it kicks into high gear and emotion. Overall, a solid read as always, and I can’t wait for the next one.

I enjoyed this book very much! It's the story of Blanche and Claude Auzello, a married couple who live at the Ritz Hotel in Paris during Hitler's Third Reich. It moves at a good pace and has comic relief that had me laughing out loud. It's also a serious book during an awful, painful time of WWII. It's a different kind of war story, as it includes the fabulously famous Ritz. It's based on true events. Many of the characters are from history, including Blanche and Claude, and many other people whom the reader will easily recognize..
This book deserves more than five stars!
I received an ARC of this book from Netgalley. Thank you so much,Netgalley!
All opinions are my own.

3.5 stars.

This is the story of Blanche and Claude Auzello as they meet in the 20s and as they navigate having to host German soldiers and Nazi officials in the Ritz (which they managed) while trying to physically and mentally survive the war.

I found the story well written and interesting. The characters (including the hotel!) are well researched and developed. That being said, most activities Blanche and Claude undertake during the war are barely mentioned. What the author focuses on is how the characters understand what is happening around them and how they understand themselves. That is why, for instance, the "secret" Blanche hides takes so long to be revealed -though most readers will have figured it out by the middle of the book: it does take Blanche that long to let that part of herself out. The author doesn't shy away from calling out beloved French legends for collaborating with the Nazi regime, such as Channel or Arletty, which I found refreshing.

Overall a strong and interesting story, which sticks to reality as much as possible. The research I did about the real Blanche and Claude after I read the book made me like this story even more.

(Only big critique: the cover is so typical of WW2-historical fiction movie, with a woman looking away. That's becoming old!!)

As shared in the Authors Note, there is very little out there about two of our main characters, Claude and Blanche Auzello, Google turns up very little. Which really is very interesting given their tenor at The Ritz Paris (our 3rd main character) and the many famous people they interacted with over such tumultuous years.

But therein lies the delight of this historically inspired fiction, the author, who is quite talented, is allowed to envision and create a compelling story which does fit the limited known facts.

I received an ARC from NetGalley and publisher Delacorte Press in exchange for my honest review.

Thank you to Netgalley and Random House for the opportunity to read this ARC in exchange for an honest review. Melanie Benjamin excels at doing the necessary research and writing novels that have real people as the main characters...be it Anne Lindbergh, Mary Pickford or Truman Capote. In her new novel “Mistress of the Ritz”, she introduces us to the little known true story of Blanche and Claude Auzello during the WWII German occupation of Paris. Claude was the director of the Ritz Hotel. Blanche was his high spirited American wife. Both have secrets that contribute to turbulence in their marriage and danger to their lives. I love historical novels for their ability to educate as well as entertain. This book did both for me. Written in alternating chapters, Claude and Blanche tell their story of mingling with the famous guests such as Hemingway, Coco Chanel, etc. and more importantly dealing with the Nazi when the Ritz become their headquarters. I highly recommend this book.

. I enjoyed the authors previous novel, Swans of Fifth Avenue, so was excited to read this story. The first half of the book is a bit slow. It moves between the 1920s - 1940s laying the foundation of Blanche and Claude Auzello’s relationship. The second part of the book was picked up pace and at that point I couldn’t put it down. The author did an outstanding job of filling in the blanks of a juicy story lost to time.

I am constantly amazed at the stories of courage and heroism that emerge about ordinary people who risked everything to fight the Nazis during World War II. I had never heard this story about the Auzellos, the couple who ran the Hotel Ritz in Paris during the War. Used to glamour and celebrity, Blanche and Claude must get used to a very different kind of guest when the Nazis seize control of France and set up headquarters in the venerable hotel. Hermann Goering himself moves in, and Blanche, an American in Paris finds herself living a nightmare where she must decide if she will put her head down and just try to survive, or if she will put everything she holds dear on the line to help defeat the rising darkness. This is an amazing story of courage and conviction told with great authenticity by Benjamin

I read a historical fiction novel almost every week; it’s definitely my favorite genre. So any time I start a new book, I have low expectations because I’ve read so many amazing ones thus far. I’ve now added Mistress of Ritz to my top ten. I couldn’t put it down! I love the main character Blanche and the setting at the Ritz during wartime.

Nobody can give us historical fiction featuring women as well as Melanie Benjamin. I wait impatiently for her next book as soon as I finish the current one.

I am fascinated by all things "Paris," especially with regard to ex-pats, artists and writers and the places they made famous by their presence. It doesn't get any more famous than The Ritz, which has a fascinating history.

When the German army arrived in Paris in 1940, moving into the Ritz, Parisians began an amazing chapter in their history. The Mistress of the Ritz brings of some of their stories in a book I could not put down.