Wow!!! Wow!! Anyone that follows my books knows that I love Kristin Harmel. She usually writes a heartwarming, unique book set during. WWII. She isn’t breaking that formula here, but she is giving us something else……a book where we fall in love with a thief. Colette is a jewel thief. She fancies herself a Robin Hood of sorts, and I find her endearing. The book is set in two time periods, the war and in 2018. In 2018, a bracelet is found that once tore Colette’s family apart. She will use this bracelet to piece together a life that has been missing for over. 70 years. I don’t want to say anything else, but the last chapter had me thrilled. Well done, Ms. Harmel. This ranks up there with The Book of Lost Names for me.

"The Stolen Life of Colette Marceau" by Kristin Harmel...
I was provided a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for an honest review

Set against the backdrop of Paris before, during, and after World War II, this novel follows Colette Marceau as she navigates love, loss, and survival. Raised in a warm and principled home, Colette’s life is upended by the war, forcing her to grow up quickly after losing her mother and sister and being left alone in an occupied city. The story shifts between past and present, as an elderly Colette in the U.S. reflects on her youth in a city gripped by fear and resistance. The writing brings wartime Paris vividly to life, capturing both its quiet courage and deep sorrow. With emotional depth and a thread of mystery running through it, this is a thoughtful, well-paced read about resilience, memory, and the enduring search for truth.

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Kristin Harmel takes us on a journey of grief, love, guilt, and found family. I was shocked how she beautifully intertwined all the characters and their stories. The Stolen Life of Colette Marceau is such an intriguing plot. Believing she is part of the lineage of Robin Hood, Colette and her mom Annabel believe it is their duty to relieve "bad" people of their jewels, selling them, and donating the profits to those in need. They help fund the French Resistance during WWII until one fateful day when Annabel makes a move based on feeling and not so much good vs. bad. This one decision alters the history of the Marceau family for decades. Almost 80 years later, Colette (still stealing from cruel people) sees the the bracelet that caused her mother's life. She must find out how it came to be in the United States in 2018.

Novels like The Stolen Life of Colette Marceau always make me think about how I would react when push comes to shove. Even though she is stealing, is Colette in the right because she is giving to the needy? I like to think in white and gray, but I have never lived during war time. I'm not sure what I would do.

4.5 stars for this one!

Thank you Gallery Books and NetGalley for this complimentary ARC. All thoughts are my own.

Though this was fairly slow moving, the story and characters were deep and interesting. It got a bit away from me when introducing some of the key players from Colette’s past, but I love the ending and resolution of everything. Beautiful and uplifting. Bravo. Thanks to NetGalley, Kristin Harmel, and Gallery Books for this ARC in exchange for my honest feedback.

“The Stolen Life of Colette Marceau” by Kristin Harmel is absolutely outstanding! I have loved every one of Ms. Harmel’s books but this one touched my heart and soul and it will do the same for everyone who reads it.
The premise for this historical novel set in dual time lines, is around a mother who steals precious jewels from dishonorable people to fund the Nazi resistance in France during WWII. She believes she is a descendant of Robin Hood and teaches her daughters to follow in her footsteps. She steals a precious a bracelet from a Nazi officer who took the bracelet from her best friend when she and her family were deported and sent to Auschwitz’s. The bracelet made of 2 interlocking sections is sewn into each daughter’s nightgown for safekeeping. A German officer who observed the theft raids their house and arrests them. Ultimately the mother is killed and the father and one daughter released and the youngest daughter abducted and presumed dead.
The daughter is now an 89 year old woman living in Boston when one of the bracelets shows up suddenly in a museum exhibit. It becomes her mission to find out who had the bracelet and if it’s connected to her younger sister’s death. We are living with the characters in this story as we journey between 1940 and 2018 until the mystery is solved. This book is filled with drama, heartache, courage and hope for the future. I would give it 10 stars if I could!

Thank you NetGalley and Gallery Books for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

The Stolen Life of Colette Marceau by Kristin Harmel takes place mainly during World War II.
It’s a dual timeline so we really get to know the back story of the characters. We are introduced to young Colette, whose mother, Annabel is a jewel thief, but she has a very strict code (as descendants of Robin Hood), only steal from those who are evil or bad. Colette then learns the art of stealing and joins her mother. Women, during WWll, were fighting back trying to make a difference. This was a mother risking everything to steal valuable jewels to then sell and help fund the French Resistance. It was her way of contributing but at what cost.
Kristin is an excellent storyteller. She develops the characters, and then weaves a beautiful story of family, love, heartache, tragedy, and perseverance. I really enjoyed the story of Colette as a young girl determined to keep her family safe and her very special friend who she shares hidden notes with (no spoilers here).
I really enjoyed The Stolen Life of Colette Marceau. I love Kristin’s books. Her Author’s Note describes her impeccable research. I learned about the Vélodrome d'Hiver, near the Eiffel Tower, that played a role holding 8,000 Jewish citizens captive while they waited unknowing they would later be deported. This was a very sad part of history that must NEVER be forgotten.
This is an amazing book and I highly recommend it.
Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher, and author for allowing me an advanced e-copy in exchange for my honest review.

As a huge fan of Harmel, I was very excited to get an advanced copy of this book. I must say I really enjoyed it, not that I had any doubts. Harmel has a way of really pulling you into the story and lose yourself in the world she’s writing about. The characters are developed well and you really get a sense they could be real people. She has yet again given us a different angle of the struggles and choices people made in WWII by jewel theft, which give us a real question to ponder - right or wrong if doing good? Makes you wonder. I would highly recommend this book to fans of Harmel.

Thank you to Net Galley and Gallery Books for an advanced copy of The Stolen Life Of Colette Marceau.  I have read several of Kristen Harmel's other books including: The Paris Daughter, The Book of Lost Names and The Winemaker's Wife.  Like her other books, I take away learning how people lived through WW2 and how it impacted their lives and the choices they made not only during the war, but thereafter throughout their lives..  Same in the Stolen Life, where Colette carries on a family tradition helping others and being selfless by stealing jewelry from Nazis and giving to people and organizations in need.  Is that right or wrong? Collette has so much perseverance unraveling what happened to a few pieces. Kristen's storytelling is engrossing and kept me wanting to read more to find out what happens.  I highly recommend reading The Stolen Life Of Colette Marceau.

This book just made my top 10.
I swooned, I cried, and fell in love all over again.
As a mom to two little ones, I can't imagine how hard life was during this time.

I really enjoyed this book & look forward to reading more books by this author.

I used to get frustrated by books that go back & forth between characters & time periods...however, I have grown to appreciate it, especially since it's become such a popular writing style these days.

This book is just so well written. The characters are well developed. It's clear what is happening & to whom.

And...there are SO many surprises throughout the book! I kept finding myself in awe of the next twist & turn.

However, all that to say, I was HIGHLY disappointed in the amount of language in the book. I don't appreciate reading books with language just for the sake of language. It was NOT needed & I would definitely recommend that it was unnecessary. Given that it was only h's & d's, I still give it 5 stars. I won't even read a book with worse language in it. It's offensive to me.

(I received this book as an ARC read. All opinions are my own.)

Colette Marceau, as well as her mother & grandmother & many others before her, has spent her entire life trying to do good. However, her doing good isn't the conventional way but rather by stealing expensive jewels from the rich and using those jewels to "redistribute the wealth" to the less fortunate. Her biggest contributions occurred during WWII when Paris was taken over by the Germans. Her mother's best friend, a Jewish woman about to be deported, told her mother about two very precious bracelets that were stolen from her by a German soldier. Colette's mother promised she would get them back for her & keep them safe for her until after the war was over. Colette's mother sewed the two bracelets into each of her daughters' nightgowns for safe keeping. However, when word got out that she had stolen them, the Germans raided their house and arrested all of them, with the exception of the youngest daughter who was hiding. Colette & her father were released but her mother was killed, and when they got home they were told that the younger daughter was found dead in the Seine and the bracelet missing. Fast forward to 2018 when Colette is almost 90 years old and the 2nd bracelet is found in a museum. It becomes Colette's mission to find out who had this bracelet all along and if somehow it is connected to the death of her younger sister. The story went back & forth between the early 1940's & 2018 until the mystery was solved. I thoroughly enjoyed this story. Kristin Harmel is an expert on telling stories of individuals who went out on a limb to help those during those horrific WWII days.

Many thanks to NetGalley & Gallery Books for an advanced eARC of this book in exchange for my honest opinions.

The Stolen Life of Colette Marceau by Kristin Harmel is another great historical fiction book by this author. The novel is a dual timeline set in 2018 and in the 1940's during WWII when France was Nazi occupied.

Collette is an actual descendant of Robin Hood and her family line is that of jewel thieves. They justify the theft of jewels with stealing from the those that have done wrong and giving to organizations that benefit those in need. The story begins with Colette growing up in Paris. Her mother, Annabel, trains her in the art of being a jewel thief. Her mother is involved in the resistance and steals to help fund it. Eventually her mother is arrested by the Germans and this begins the mystery of what happened to her four-year old sister, Liliane. Annabel had sewn half of a beautiful diamond bracelet into the hem of Liliane's nightgown. Liliane's body is later discovered in the Seine and the bracelet was never found.

Seventy years later Collette is an elderly lady that continues to steal and one day a bracelet resurfaces that once belonged to a childhood friend. The very valuable bracelet is on display at a museum in Boston. Will the bracelet's owner help her to know what happened to Liliane? She must find out who owns the bracelet and how the owner obtained it. Is the owner the murderer of her sister? She sets out to bring justice.

The book is full of mystery, drama, heartbreak, courage, and love. The story kept me hooked until the end with characters that you get to know through the storytelling. I loved how the author tied everything together as each part of the story unfolded. I highly recommend this book! Harmel always sucks you in to a good story and this one kept me guessing!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I enjoyed this book. Would recommend it to anyone with an interest in WWII, the Holocaust Survivors and the Robin Hood Legend. The Robin Hood story line was intriguing.
Thank you to NetGalley, Gallery Book and Kristin Harmel for an ARC of The Stolen Life of Colette Marceau
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Five stars were just not enough for this masterful piece of historical fiction. Annabel Marceau and her daughter Colette, come from a long line of jewel thieves dating back to the days of Robin Hood where the thievery is designed to take from the evil and give back in ways to help the less fortunate and make the world better. And so it is that during 1942 in Paris, France that mother and daughter use their skills to steal jewels from German sympathizers to fund the French Resistance. On the night when Annabel is arrested, Colette is told to watch her little sister Lilianne, but things go terribly wrong and Lilianne disappears along with a precious bracelet. In 2018 Boston, MA, Colette is an octogenarian who is still thieving to subsidize Holocaust museums and educational centers with her lost family and missing bracelet still consuming her daily life, even after seventy years. This is a story with many themes including courage, resilience, family, good and evil and right and wrong. Beautifully written, it is heart wrenching, powerful and emotional.

Defined as a “feat of strength”, the term tour de force describes not only the book itself but the fact that it was written following Ms. Harmel’s breast cancer diagnosis and treatment. I loved everything about this story and I can’t wait for the world to read it. The cover is magnificent and the Author’s Note is definitely worth reading.

Many thanks to NetGalley, Gallery Books and the brilliant Kristin Harmel who is an everlasting diamond to all her readers. I appreciate the opportunity to read a digital copy of this beautiful story in exchange for my honest review. Publication date: June 25

I have been a fan of Kristin Harmel since I read an ARC of her book, The Room on the Rue Amelie. I loved that book so much that I bought a paperback copy to have on my bookshelf. I have read every single one of her books since. She hasn't let me down with any of her books and that includes her newest one, The Stolen Life of Colette Marceau.

This book is wonderfully written in the present day of 2018 and during the years of WWII. We get to see Colette has both a young girl during the war and in the present day trying to put the past to rest. Harmel has once again created characters that readers will love, even when they do things that are wrong.

There's not much else I can say about this book except it is excellent. The story, the writing, the cover. I'll be purchasing the paperback of this book too for my library. Kristin Harmel is on my automatic buy list of authors I love. I can't wait to read what she writes next!

I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for my honest opinion.

Well I have a new favorite Kristin Harmel book, and after reading the author’s note, I love it even more. This book kept me awake thinking about the themes, and is the best WWII novel I’ve read in years. The Stolen Life of Colette Marceau releases on June 17, 2025: do yourself a favor and add it to your TBR book now.

The Stolen Life of Colette Marceau by Kristin Harmel is a captivating and an emotional journey that drew me in from the very first page. Colette, our FMC, is a wonderful but complex—a modern-day Robin Hood who has spent the past 70 years trying to right the wrongs that were done to her and her family. She’s driven by love, guilt, and a deep sense of justice. Her relentless pursuit of the truth is what makes this novel so compelling.

Colette’s quest to uncover the truth about her sister's mysterious death is the heart of the book, and it’s a story full of twists, suspense, and heartache. Harmel does a perfect job of building tension while also making you care deeply about Colette and her mission. Colette is a character you root for—her strength and determination are truly inspiring, and I found myself completely invested in her search for closure.

Harmel is once again consistant with her writing, keeping the story engaging, with a nice balance of mystery and emotional depth. The pacing is solid, and while the plot sometimes veers into the realm of the improbable, it never detracts from the overall impact of the story. Harmel keeps you hooked, and the slow unraveling of Colette’s journey is satisfying and rich in emotional payoff.

Colette’s long-awaited resolution brings a sense of peace and closure to both her character and the reader.

Thank you, NetGalley and Gallery Books for the ARC.

I was thrilled when I received an ARC of The Stolen Life of Colette Marceau as I had enjoyed novels by Kristin Harmel in the past - and I was not disappointed. This dual timeline novel tells the story of Colette in Nazi-occupied Paris, whose family history tales state that they are descendents of Robin Hood and they must rob from bad people to raise money to fund good works. In the current day (2018) timeline, Colette is an old worman who is consummed by wanting to learn who killed her 4-year-old sister Liliane in 1942, but continuing to steal jewels to support various worthy causes. It's very hard to tell about the plot of this novel without some serious spoilers so suffice it to say that this is an amazing novel and I highly recommend it. The story drew me in right away with its flawed yet interesting characters, and it has a satisfying ending that wrapped everything up nicely.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC of this novel in exchange for an honest review.

I love Kristin Harmel's books. And if she was worried that chemo-brain affected her writing ability, this book is a resounding affirmation that she still has it. It's a well researched and well constructed story that bridges time lines and keeps readers engaged.

Fabulous historical fiction and WWII history! I loved the story of Collette’s family being modern day Robin Hood jewelry thieves. This clever premise gives a suspense twist and the characters are all well designed so you care about where the jewelry went and the storylines. I loved the two timelines and the way the events in the past led up to the 2018 year when Collette must find the answers about her family members and the jewelry. Some of the moments with the old police officer from France felt a bit forced. I would have liked to have a quicker reveal. Overall I loved the descriptions of the characters and the way the story illuminates family relationships and the mystery of the jewelry. I think this would be a great addition to fans of Kristin Hannah.