I really enjoyed this story of a modern day Robin Hood with hints of Tristan and Isolde in the time of World War 2. I loved the simplicity of the writing and how it captured my attention immediately. I enjoyed the moral questions it raised about doing what is lawfully wrong for a greater right. I liked the way the story unfolded in the present and the past and though I guessed the ending it wasn't completely predictable. If you like a quick, clean historical fiction with a little mystery and moral questions to ponder, be sure to add this to your growing TBR pile and be sure to read the author's note!


Thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for giving me the chance to read it in exchange for my honest thoughts!

Historical fiction with dual time lines, following the main character in World War II Paris and modern day Boston. Collette was trained to be a jewel thief stealing from people who got their fortunes usually through illegal if not unethical means and giving to charities, believing she is a descendent of the original Robin Hood. At the age of almost 90 she comes across a bracelet thought to be lost forever that could lead her to the mystery of what happened to her sister 70 years ago and reunite her with others from her past. I really enjoyed this novel it it my first from Kristin Harmel and I look forward to reading more from her. I want to thank Netgalley and Gallery Books for the arc in exchange for an honest review.

I was totally invested in this story, and I read this book in a day. This story provides strong, female characters in Colette and Aviva, a dedication to justice, and a fun connection to Robin Hood. The dual timelines allow the reader to consider how and why jewelry "changed hands" during WW2 as well as some of the injustices that are still occurring in our society.

This book was interesting, but it ultimately felt a bit dull. I wish the author delved more into the work needed to trace the origins of jewelry, especially in our time in which there are few survivors from WW2 remaining. While I admire Harmel's work, this book didn't seem to be as well-researched as her past books and leaned more into the "fiction" part of historical fiction genre. The ending was also super predictable and neat; it felt like a copy of the ending of "The Paris Daughter."

An engaging historical fiction novel set in dual timelines—Nazi-occupied France during the 1940s and “present time” 2018. Colette’s past and present meet when a missing bracelet from her childhood resurfaces and is the key to the unsolved death of her sister. Filled with rich detail and interesting characters. I loved the idea of stealing from the cruel and giving to the needy.

The Stolen Life of Colette Marceau by Kristin Harmel was absolutely amazing! I loved the main character, Colette, and found myself fascinated by how brave she was and how she took so many risks to follow in the footsteps of Robin Hood. The story was both heartbreaking and entertaining. I found myself unable to put it down and will recommend this book to all of my friends.

When Colette Marceau was 10-years-old, her mother Annabel teaches her how to steal jewels, as Annabel’s mother had taught her to do. Stealing from those who were rich in order to help those in need was a code of honor passed down through her family, and helped to fund the French Resistance during WW2. One night in Paris, in 1942, Annabel is arrested by the Germans during a raid, and eventually executed after being brutally interrogated. That same night, Colette’s four-year-old sister disappears and her body is later found floating in the Siene. Gone, too, was one of the diamond bracelets that Colette’s mother had sewn into the hem of her girls’ nightgowns for safekeeping. Seventy years later, Colette is stunned when she sees the missing bracelet on display in a Boston museum, reopening the mystery of where the bracelet has been all these years and what really happened to her sister all those years ago.

I have liked author Kristin Harmel’s previous books and enjoyed this new book, The Stolen Life of Colette Marceau. Thank you to #GalleryBooks and #Netgalley for allowing me to read and review this novel. If you enjoy historical fiction, I recommend you read it!

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC for my review. The story was hard for me to get in to but once I did it was quite the story. It is about a family who chooses other families to steal their jewelry from them and I had a really hard time with this even though they used it to help worthy causes. I will say I had a lot of emotions from being angry, hopeful and sad. I’m sorry it just wasn’t a storyline I enjoyed.

4.5 stars

This was a really interesting book. It's funny, I see posts on social media about "morally grey" characters, but I don't think they're referring to jewel thieves who rob from the rich to use the proceeds to help the less fortunate? During World War II, was it really wrong to steal from a Nazi to fund the Resistance? Legally? No. Morally? Yes.

My only issue with this book is I had trouble suspending my disbelief about octogenarians and nonagenarians who were as "with it" as Marty, Colette, Bill, and Daniel. I found it hard to fathom octogenarians googling on an iPhone or travelling internationally without any assistance. I'm sure there are those that do, but I found it hard to imagine. I also struggled with the many coincidences - the acquaintances that had deeper ties. But as I thought about it, I realized that Holocaust and WWII survivors are a rare breed nowadays and it made sense that they ran in the same circles.

All in all, this was an enjoyable read, with dual timelines - 2018 US and World War II France. As a US History teacher as well as a reader/blogger, I learned more about World War Ii. Also, I'm looking forward to seeing Kristin Harmel talk about it at the Oxford Exchange next month!

Thank you so much to Gallery Books and NetGalley for this chance to read a digital ARC in return for an honest review.

Kristen Harmel NEVER disappoints! I love historical fiction and I was so excited to receive an ARC of The Stolen of Colette Marceau. Harmel does her research and presents a dramatic story involving jewel thieves, the French Resistance during WW2, betrayal, family, love, and bravery. The story spans the lifetime of main character Colette Marceau-- from her tragic youth to spending a lifetime trying to find where she belongs. You will love her and several characters and you will despise others. The story will make you think about right and wrong and when doing something right might mean doing something wrong.

Absolutely incredible! I LOVED this book! The Stolen Life of Colette Marceau by Kristin Harmel is a beautifully written, intricately woven story that masterfully blends multiple timelines and storylines. Harmel’s ability to craft such a layered and emotional narrative left me in awe. I was completely immersed from beginning to end—this one will stay with me for a long time.

Thank you to NetGalley and Gallery Books for the ARC. I thoroughly enjoyed every page! Highly recommend to historical fiction fans who love rich character development and compelling, unforgettable stories.

The Stolen Life of Colette Marceau is an unputdownable story of secrets, bravery, legacy, and love. Harmel once again manages to blend fact and fiction to create a dual timeline featuring Colette Marceau: in WWII-era Paris, a young girl who carries out her family legacy by stealing jewels from Nazis to help fund the underground resistance; in present day, an elderly woman who uses her age to cover up her continued thievery and her scars from the war. Colette is a wonderful main character. She's brave, clever, kind, and determined. She's been haunted by her failures during the war and has continued to search for answers while making a difference in the lives of many around her. Despite her thievery, you can't help but cheer on Colette, especially since she's truly noble in her targets, and her growth throughout the story--both in the past and the present--feels authentic and amazing. The secondary characters are also great and truly contribute to Colette's story while also having their own growth. The dual timelines are both filled with action, joy, and sacrifice, and they way that Harmel connects the two is wonderfully done. Stolen is probably my favorite of Harmel's books and shines as brightly as any of the jewels Colette has pilfered.

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