What a captivating read! I was completely hooked from page one. The dual timeline was brilliantly executed. I loved the moral complexity of Colette as a modern-day Robin Hood, following her family's code of stealing from the cruel to help those in need. Harmel perfectly balances heartbreak and hope while weaving together themes of family loyalty and justice. Historical fiction at its finest—emotionally gripping and impossible to put down!

I’m bummed that I didn’t enjoy this one! I think Kristin Harmel is a skilled historical fiction writer, and I typically find her books well-researched with depth to her characters, but this one misses the mark for me in a couple key areas.

First off, I had zero semblance of a connection to the main character - Colette. I found her completely unlikeable and nothing made me want to root for her. Her narrator perspective as a 90 year old woman just starting to process events that occurred 70 years earlier during WWII was unique, but I felt her character voice wasn’t quite authentic to her age or presumed experiences.
My main quibble with her character, though, was her profession : a jewelry thief that chooses “targets” she seems deserving of having their valuables stolen, nabs them to sell and give the proceeds to “worthy causes”. The whole book was spent on emotionally manipulating the reader into supporting this abject crime. This misplaced vigilante justice can get very dangerous when it’s left up to one individual (the thief in this case) to decide what’s right and what’s wrong.
Given the nature of the story, there were multiple tough conversations that took place with elderly individuals surrounding traumatic events. These conversations were very harsh and I found them personally upsetting. The dialogue made me physically cringe as a I read it.

Despite my critiques of the story, I really do appreciate that it was generally clean. Very sparse language apart from a gentle curse here and there. And no bedroom action to speak of. That’s more and more rare to find so I commend authors for sticking to writing apart from those elements.

No words! Kristin has become one of my favorite historical fiction authors. Her stories are so fascinating! I thought this one really balanced the past and present story lines well and kept me intrigued in both. Kristin has such a gift with stories of mother daughters, but this one especially was powerful as a sister story. I'll be recommending it to everyone!

I’ve only just finished and I’m going to have the biggest book hangover. Kristin Harmel made me feel all the emotions and I found myself reading through tears, both happy and sad. The ending--coming in waves!!--was everything I hoped for while reading. I highly recommend!

Kristin Harmel has quickly become one of my go-to authors, and this latest novel might just be my favorite yet. Her storytelling is consistently rich with history, emotional depth, and unforgettable characters, and this book delivers all of that and more.

I was completely hooked by the dual timelines and the unique storyline centered around jewelry theft, which added a fresh twist to historical fiction. The characters felt so real, and the ending was both satisfying and moving. I know this story will stay with me for a long time, and I will definitely be looking at diamonds a little differently from now on.

If you enjoy historical fiction that is immersive, heartfelt, and beautifully written, this one should be at the top of your list. I cannot wait to see what Kristin Harmel writes next.

Thank you to Net Galley and Gallery Books for the chance to read and review this book. All opinions are my own.
I really liked this book! It was a unique twist on the WW II genre. Colette Marceau has been a jewel thief all of her life. She uses the gains to support worthy causes. In 1942, her life had turned tragic when her sister and her mother are murdered in Paris by the Germans. Her little sister had a bracelet sewn into her nightgown, and Colette has the mate that goes with it. Now, in the present day, Colette has found the bracelet that was sewn into her sister's gown. So begins a quest to find out what happened to her sister and reunite the two bracelets. The story was very well-written and grabbed me right from the beginning. It is a fast-moving story with a lot of clues along the way. I highly recommend this wonderful story!

4.5 stars
Annabel was a current-day Robin Hood back in the 1940s. Annabel had been teaching her older daughter, Colette, how to steal jewelry, but not the younger daughter, Liliane.
In 1942, Annabel was arrested, and Liliane was kidnapped. Right before the arrest, Annabel sewed one of 2 bracelets that fit together as one, in each of her girls' nightgowns.
Seventy years later, the bracelet that was sewn into Liliane’s nightgown shows up in a museum. The mystery begins there.
This was my first Kristin Harmel book, and it will NOT be my last!
Thank you to NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

The Stolen Life of Colette Marceau
4.25 ⭐️

This was such a unique take on a WWII book that it almost didn’t feel like a WWII book!

Colette Marceau is a jewelry thief descended from Robin Hood, stealing jewelry to fund a movement to help Jews escape France during WWII. Written in flashbacks with past and present tense, you learn of all she lost but with such redemption in the end.

I really loved these characters and the unique storyline. Everything tied up very neatly at the end and gave all the warm feels!

Thanks to @netgalley for this ARC!

The Stolen Life of Colette Marceau was truly different from any other book I have ever read before because it explored a topic I hadn’t really thought about. Is stealing right if you take from those who are cruel and unkind to provide for those who are less fortunate or to fund good causes? As I read the story, the main character, Colette’s actions of stealing made sense, and I understood her desire for justice. She was following a code of honor instilled by her mother to steal to help the less fortunate (the Robin Hood theory). Colette’s mother stole from the Nazis during WWII to fund resistance activities, and on the night that Colette’s mother is captured, Colette’s sister, who she was supposed to protect, also disappeared and was killed.

Colette spends decades stealing to fund worthy causes because, in her heart, she believes she has failed her mother by not protecting her sister. She feels emptiness because of her perceived failure and the need to protect others around her from knowing about her actions. However, there is a twist in the story when a missing bracelet that was believed to be sewn in her sister’s nightgown the night she disappeared shows up. That begins a quest for Colette to find who was responsible for her sister’s death.

The characters in the book are captivating, and I found myself so invested in the story that I couldn’t put it down. It is rich in historical context, explores the horrible actions of the Nazis during WWII, and shows the continuation of the support for their cause years later. It explores love and loss and has you on the edge of your seat as Colette and her mother steal to provide justice to the less fortunate. I understand the difference between right and wrong, but this book forced me to realize not every situation is truly black and white, and maybe sometimes we do need to take matters into our own hands.

I received a complimentarily copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions expressed in this review are my own.

#TheStolenLifeofColetteMarceau, #KristinHarmel, #NetGalley

Having read two of Ms. Harmel’s most popular works, I was fully prepared to immerse myself in a historical narrative revolving around WWII, and I was not disappointed. She is a masterful storyteller who presents a nuanced and perceptive view of the depth of tragedy that the war entailed for both the Jewish population of Europe and civilians. This story focuses on both groups, with the main protagonist being a French civilian who helps the resistance while doing her best to preserve what she can for the Jewish families she knows and loves.

Colette Marceau comes from a long line of jewel thieves, not those who steal for treasure and wealth, but rather individuals who maintain a façade of normalcy while stealing to support humanitarian causes. Colette carefully selects her victims, targeting those with malicious attitudes and engaging in nefarious activities, and donates all the proceeds to causes dear to her heart. However, Colette is an octogenarian without children or family, and she is left with only one battle to fight: finding the truth behind her mother’s capture and execution, as well as the disappearance and ultimate death of her younger sister. She feels responsible for both deaths and has lost hope of uncovering the truth until a bracelet surfaces as part of a museum display.

This bracelet had been missing for over seventy years, and Colette knew exactly where it was at that time, sewn into the nightgown of her younger sister. If she can discover who donated the bracelet for the museum's display, she may finally be able to solve the mystery of what happened to her sister all those years ago. However, this process will not be easy, and Colette will question everything she holds dear. Along the way, she will forge new relationships that become more important than she realizes.

This was a solid work by Ms. Harmel and another interesting take on WWII. I appreciated the focus on French civilians and the resistance. While I found some aspects of the jewel thieving to be a bit over the top, I did enjoy the reflections Colette provided on both the present and the past. This is a story worth reading and another success for historical fiction.

A wonderful book by Kristin Harmel! This book had everything from nazi germany, to family. I loved the ending and highly recommend this book. You will fall in love with the main character!

Wow....just wow! Every time I read another WW2 book by Kristin Harmel, I learn through her extensive research and imagine a different facet of this horrible war, believing that there were people trying to do some good during one of the most hopeless times.

This story finds Colette Marceau and her family navigating France during the German invasion of Paris. Colette and her mother Annabel, are jewel thieves with ties to Robin Hood, and they see it as their family duty to steal from the rich and give to the poor. In this case, they target Nazi allies and use the money they receive from selling their jewels to fund an underground network of the French Revolution that saves Jews from persecution. In this dual storyline, we learn how this all plays out in the past, while seeing it through her eyes in Colette's modern day life.

Amongst the overall historical war storytelling, there is a sub-story behind a most unique piece of jewelry: a butterfly bracelet. This bracelet represents a promise made by Annabel to her Jewish friend Helene Rosman, who was taken by the Nazis because her husband was a diamond jeweler. Annabel vows to keep the bracelet intact for Helene until she 'comes back'. When their apartment gets raided and part of the bracelet turns up on the arm of a Nazi leader's girlfriend, Annabel sacrifices herself to steal the bracelet back. A series of events occurs thereafter, placing the future of the Marceau family in jeopardy and setting Colette's life in motion.

Beautifully woven together, marrying historical times and choices, Colette's life plays out for the reader in a way that lets us decide if her most significant 'steal' was truly worth it in the end.

Special thanks to Simon & Schuster and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for my honest opinion. It was a fabulous 5 star read!

@GalleryBooks, @kristinharmel

I didn’t think Kristin Harmel could write another book I would fall in love with and not want to put down, but once again, she did. An absolute gem of a book-rich in history, love, and family’. A huge thanks to NetGalley for the advanced read.

I’m not always drawn to WWII books since I’ve read so many, but I know I can always count on Kristin Harmel for a great heartfelt read—and The Stolen Life of Colette Marceau was no exception.

I loved Colette and the life she made for herself despite a harrowing childhood. I loved how she carried out the Robin Hood legacy, even at her advanced age.

A couple major plot points did turn out as I anticipated they would from almost the beginning, but that’s okay because it’s exactly what I wanted to happen, and the journey was more important than the result.

I’m very glad I read this one and will continue to pick up all of Harmel’s books! I’m excited for others to read this one so we can discuss this emotional story and wonderful heroine.

A absolutely loved Kristin Harmels's new book. My favorites historical fiction era is WWII. This story had a different spin to it than her others. A back story of Robin Hood liked to their family history as a reason to continue to steal jewels. I thought Collettes reasoning for stealing Nazi jewelry made sense but also did not want her to get caught either. The way Harmel made the connections happen between the characters was beautifuly done. This was a story where sad and happy tears were shed.

I was interested in this book because I enjoy Kristin Harmel and historical fiction, particularly WWII era, but I can't say the title or even the plot interested me much. However, I loved everything about this book! I adored the main character and those in her orbit, and found myself constantly both amused by and rooting for Colette. Colette is how I hope to be when I am in my late 80s, minus the thievery.

The book can be heavy, because how can a book half set in Nazi occupied Paris not be, but in the perfect way. You get enough feeling and details of this era, but aren't overwhelmed by it. I thought the transitions between 1942 and 2018 were well-done too.

But what I loved most about this book is how everything comes together in the end. I felt warm-hearted and the story felt complete without being forced.

Thank you for allowing me to read this book!

Thanks to NetGalley for providing me with this ARC. It tells the story of a French woman, Colette Marceau, who was a child during the German occupation of France. Her mother and grandmother were both jewel thieves, but they felt they were “Robin Hoods,” who stole from people they deemed “bad” and gave the proceeds to “good” causes. Colette was taught to steal at an early age. At the center of the story is a pair of bracelets that her mother had stole from a Nazi who had expropriated the fabulous paired bracelets from the Jewish family that had commissioned them.. The story moves back and forth from wartime Paris to 2018 New York City, where nonagenarian Colette lives and still practices her “craft,” using the proceeds to support a Holocaust Center.. A photo in a gallery brochure brings the issue of the bracelets and Colette’s murdered little sister to light.

I knew picking up this book that I would love it because I have loved all Kristin Harmel’s books. I was not disappointed. I fell in love with the main character, Colette Marceau. Collette grew up in France during WWII and is a descendant of Robin Hood. Her mother taught her to steal and to give back to those who needed it. She loses her mother and little sister in the war and feels responsible for her little sister’s death. This story connects the past with her story that continues into the 21st century. I definitely recommend picking this one up. I really enjoyed it.

Many thanks to NetGalley, the author and the publisher, Gallery Books, for an ARC of this book which I had the pleasure of reading. All opinions are my own. Publication date: June 17, 2025.

It’s been awhile since I’ve read a Kristin Harmel book, and when I saw The Stolen Life of Colette Marceau, I was very intrigued by the synopsis. I loved the books I’d read in the past by the author, so I dove right in. I’m so glad that I did! I was completely enraptured by this novel and quickly read it in a little over a day. I just couldn’t put it down.

Is it ever right to commit a crime? This is a moral dilemma that has been explored in literature for hundreds of years. The WWII era is one in which many people did commit crimes against a corrupt regime. The laws were wrong, so not obeying Nazi laws wouldn’t even make me think twice. Colette Marceau’s crimes were a little different. Following in the steps of her ancestor Robin Hood, her family has a long history of stealing from the rich to give to the poor. In this case, it’s jewel theft. I can see the justification of stealing jewels from the Naziis who already stole them from the Jews. And Colette’s reasoning over her almost 90 years has been that she only steals from people involved in evil organizations like neo-Naziis. This WWII jewel theft sets off the events in this captivating novel.

Like I said, I just couldn’t put this down. It grabbed me right from the beginning, and the dual timelines just kept me turning the pages. I couldn’t wait to see how everything in the story would fit together and how the mystery of the bracelet fit in. I really loved everything about this novel…the characters, settings, mystery, plot. It all came together beautifully in the end. I highly recommend it!

I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book. All views expressed are only my honest opinion.

I keep saying I don't like historical fiction, but I keeping giving high ratings to the historical fiction books I read. I think the issue is that I only enjoy historical fiction if it links to the current time. While this novel was based originally in France during World War II, it also had a modern day component that is based in the United States so it fits of what makes historical fiction enjoyable for me.

I really enjoyed this book although I wasn't sure if I would based on the title. The book itself gets four stars, but the title only gets 2.5/3 stars. Upon the conclusion of the book, the title makes sense, but it is not a title that made me interested or excited to read the book. I have liked Kristin Harmel's other books which is what led me to this book.

Overall, I really enjoyed the story, so this is definitely one to add to the "to read" pile (despite the title that I wasn't a big fan of). My only complaint about this book is that is gets all wrapped up a little too neatly at the end (no spoilers!).

Thank you Gallery Books for providing this book for review consideration via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.