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Doamna de la Ritz
Un roman captivant bazat pe extraordinara poveste reală a unei americance căsătorite cu directorul de la Ritz, Blanche Auzello, implicată în lupta clandestină a Rezistenței franceze în timp ce juca rolul de gazdă primitoare pentru nemții care își stabiliseră cartierul general din Paris în somptuosul hotel.
Simbol al luxului și eleganței, hotelul Ritz din Paris atrage o pleiadă de artiști și celebrități internaționale, printre care Hemingway, Picasso, Cole Porter, Marlene Dietrich, Coco Chanel și Scott Fitzgerald. Este decorul somptuos în care se desfășoară furtunoasa poveste de dragoste a unei starlete americane nonconformiste și a unui francez cu vederi conservatoare, palatul în care devin prințesă și cavaler, prinși într-o relație care e mereu altceva decât le pare lor a fi.
Adevărata încercare îi așteaptă însă în iunie 1940, când armata germană ocupă Parisul și își stabilește cartierul general la Ritz. De acum încolo, la fel ca toți concetățenii lor, și trebuind, în plus, să ascundă un secret ce le-ar putea fi fatal, încearcă să găsească o cale de la supraviețui, dar și de a-i sabota pe naziștii cărora le ține piept Rezistența franceză. În cei patru ani ai Ocupației, acțiunile îndrăznețe ale lui Blanche și ale lui Claude, încununate de succes, schițează un tablou complex al adevăratului curaj: este acesta o atitudine afișată, sau un risc asumat în repetate rânduri, pe ascuns? Și care este dovada unei iubiri adevărate, intrată pe un făgaș tragic?
Simbol al luxului și eleganței, hotelul Ritz din Paris atrage o pleiadă de artiști și celebrități internaționale, printre care Hemingway, Picasso, Cole Porter, Marlene Dietrich, Coco Chanel și Scott Fitzgerald. Este decorul somptuos în care se desfășoară furtunoasa poveste de dragoste a unei starlete americane nonconformiste și a unui francez cu vederi conservatoare, palatul în care devin prințesă și cavaler, prinși într-o relație care e mereu altceva decât le pare lor a fi.
Adevărata încercare îi așteaptă însă în iunie 1940, când armata germană ocupă Parisul și își stabilește cartierul general la Ritz. De acum încolo, la fel ca toți concetățenii lor, și trebuind, în plus, să ascundă un secret ce le-ar putea fi fatal, încearcă să găsească o cale de la supraviețui, dar și de a-i sabota pe naziștii cărora le ține piept Rezistența franceză. În cei patru ani ai Ocupației, acțiunile îndrăznețe ale lui Blanche și ale lui Claude, încununate de succes, schițează un tablou complex al adevăratului curaj: este acesta o atitudine afișată, sau un risc asumat în repetate rânduri, pe ascuns? Și care este dovada unei iubiri adevărate, intrată pe un făgaș tragic?
352 pages, Paperback
First published May 21, 2019
2504 people are currently reading
30486 people want to read
About the author
Melanie Benjamin
15 books3,457 followersMelanie Benjamin is the author of the New York Times bestselling novels THE SWANS OF FIFTH AVENUE and THE AVIATOR'S WIFE, as well as the national bestseller ALICE I HAVE BEEN, and THE AUTOBIOGRAPHY OF MRS. TOM THUMB, THE GIRLS IN THE PICTURE, MISTRESS OF THE RITZ and THE CHILDREN'S BLIZZARD. Her next novel is CALIFORNIA GOLDEN, a dazzling saga of mothers, daughters and sisters set in the vibrant surf culture of 1960s California. It will be out in August 2023.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 1,758 reviews
May 24, 2019
4.5 stars
"How can you recognize a Semite?" Throw her in the back of a Nazi truck with her hands tied too tightly behind her back, and point a German gun at her head."
Ahh, the Ritz. A grand and glamorous hotel which hosts Coco Chanel, Ernest Hemingway, and F. Scott Fitzgerald to name a few. It is the place to see and be seen. It is where Blanche Auzello, who is American, and her French Husband and Hotel Director, Claude Auzello live. They use the glamour of the Ritz to mask the trouble in their marriage. Then in June 1940, the German Army sweeps into Paris and uses the Ritz (and other hotels) to set up their headquarters. Their safe haven from the world and their troubled marriage, is not so safe anymore. Both have secrets, both live secret lives which they live while trying to walk a fine line between keeping their "guests" happy and their staff alive.
The books begins with the couple meeting and showcases the issues in their marriage, their cultural issues and through the use of differing POV, chapters, the reader is given each character's inner thoughts, motivations and secrets. Some have found the beginning to be slow, but I actually enjoyed the pace. I appreciated how the Author took her time introducing each character and their marital issues. I thought this was nicely done to show how they grew to keep secrets, had misconceptions about the other, lacked effective communication skills and how this affected each other throughout their marriage and especially during a time of great danger. They loved each other, but how well did they know each other?
"It is devastating to see a loved one suffer; it is harder to bear than you own pain. Love is despair, love is delight. Love is fear, love is hope. Love is mercy. Love is anger.".
This book was inspired by the real-life couple and the use of the Ritz during the invasion by the Nazi's during the war. As not much is written about the real-life Claude and Blanche Auzello, the Author did fictionalize their lives. I enjoy books about real life events and people. Even though very little is know about the actual couple that these characters is based upon, the contribution to the Ritz and the war effort have been documented even if minimally. While reading this, I couldn't help but wonder, "would I have been so brave?", "would I have risked so much?"
I enjoyed the story which showed how people resisted in their own way, how people found courage and offered help to others at great risk to themselves. This book is historical fiction, but it also examines a marriage over a course of time. This is a book about love, about courage, about pain, about loss, about fear, about the war, about resistance, and the hardships of war. This is a great book for discussion as it touches on many issues. I was captivated by the book and was sucked into these characters lives. There are many characters, including the Ritz itself.
This was a Traveling Sisters Group Read.
Thank you to Random House Publishing and NetGalley who provided me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. The thoughts and opinions are my own.
"How can you recognize a Semite?" Throw her in the back of a Nazi truck with her hands tied too tightly behind her back, and point a German gun at her head."
Ahh, the Ritz. A grand and glamorous hotel which hosts Coco Chanel, Ernest Hemingway, and F. Scott Fitzgerald to name a few. It is the place to see and be seen. It is where Blanche Auzello, who is American, and her French Husband and Hotel Director, Claude Auzello live. They use the glamour of the Ritz to mask the trouble in their marriage. Then in June 1940, the German Army sweeps into Paris and uses the Ritz (and other hotels) to set up their headquarters. Their safe haven from the world and their troubled marriage, is not so safe anymore. Both have secrets, both live secret lives which they live while trying to walk a fine line between keeping their "guests" happy and their staff alive.
The books begins with the couple meeting and showcases the issues in their marriage, their cultural issues and through the use of differing POV, chapters, the reader is given each character's inner thoughts, motivations and secrets. Some have found the beginning to be slow, but I actually enjoyed the pace. I appreciated how the Author took her time introducing each character and their marital issues. I thought this was nicely done to show how they grew to keep secrets, had misconceptions about the other, lacked effective communication skills and how this affected each other throughout their marriage and especially during a time of great danger. They loved each other, but how well did they know each other?
"It is devastating to see a loved one suffer; it is harder to bear than you own pain. Love is despair, love is delight. Love is fear, love is hope. Love is mercy. Love is anger.".
This book was inspired by the real-life couple and the use of the Ritz during the invasion by the Nazi's during the war. As not much is written about the real-life Claude and Blanche Auzello, the Author did fictionalize their lives. I enjoy books about real life events and people. Even though very little is know about the actual couple that these characters is based upon, the contribution to the Ritz and the war effort have been documented even if minimally. While reading this, I couldn't help but wonder, "would I have been so brave?", "would I have risked so much?"
I enjoyed the story which showed how people resisted in their own way, how people found courage and offered help to others at great risk to themselves. This book is historical fiction, but it also examines a marriage over a course of time. This is a book about love, about courage, about pain, about loss, about fear, about the war, about resistance, and the hardships of war. This is a great book for discussion as it touches on many issues. I was captivated by the book and was sucked into these characters lives. There are many characters, including the Ritz itself.
This was a Traveling Sisters Group Read.
Thank you to Random House Publishing and NetGalley who provided me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. The thoughts and opinions are my own.
March 5, 2019
When the Nazi’s occupied Paris the Luftwaffe (including Hermann Goering) took over half of the Ritz as their headquarters. The other half was inhabited by civilians among them Coco Chanel. The director of the hotel (Frenchman Claude Auzello) and his American wife (Blanche) are forced to continue to operate the hotel to the usual stellar standards in order to survive. Based on a true story that is mostly unknown, Mistress of the Ritz fictionalizes the marriage and resistance work undertaken by the couple. I found the second half of the novel to be more compelling than the first half where the Auzello’s argumentative marriage is displayed to the nth degree. I got it. They had a troubled marriage. Although the big reveal is anticipated, the final three paragraphs are not. All in all, this is a worthy addition to WWII historical fiction.
May 30, 2019
4.5 stars!
A mesmerizing and atmospheric tale centered around the Hotel Ritz in Paris during WWII.
Claude Auzello is the director of the Hotel Ritz where he and his wife, Blanche, reside. They have a tumultuous relationship, Blanche constantly feeling Claude’s attention is focused on everything but her. Blanche spends her days mingling with the glamourous guests who visit the hotel, while Claude caters to his guests every whim. Never a dull moment within the walls of the hotel, Blanche takes it all in, most of her days ending in a drunken state while seated at the hotel bar. As the war progresses, German soldiers move into Paris, setting up their headquarters at the Ritz. Claude patiently serves these army men, all the while terrified for what will come from this war.
I loved this story! Claude and Blanche were fascinating and endearing characters. I felt for them and was invested in their marriage and their decisions on how to handle their wartime situation. The Ritz was one of my favourite “characters”. The author, Melanie Benjamin, does a phenomenal job creating a vivid and luxurious atmosphere which made me feel that I was truly witnessing the glitz and glamour nestled within the richly decorated walls of the hotel. I was completely captivated in this engrossing story from start to finish and will be thinking of it long after I write this review.
I read plenty of WWII novels, yet this was a fresh look at a different aspect of this time in our history. Though this novel is only “inspired” by true events, there is much interesting and informative detail to learn within these pages. The beautiful writing and enthralling storyline inspired me to look deeper into the history of the Ritz and how it was treated during these devastating times.
This was a Traveling Sister read that we all loved. I highly recommend to historical fiction lovers.
Thank you to NetGalley, Random House Publishing and Melanie Benjamin for providing me with an ARC to read and review.
A mesmerizing and atmospheric tale centered around the Hotel Ritz in Paris during WWII.
Claude Auzello is the director of the Hotel Ritz where he and his wife, Blanche, reside. They have a tumultuous relationship, Blanche constantly feeling Claude’s attention is focused on everything but her. Blanche spends her days mingling with the glamourous guests who visit the hotel, while Claude caters to his guests every whim. Never a dull moment within the walls of the hotel, Blanche takes it all in, most of her days ending in a drunken state while seated at the hotel bar. As the war progresses, German soldiers move into Paris, setting up their headquarters at the Ritz. Claude patiently serves these army men, all the while terrified for what will come from this war.
I loved this story! Claude and Blanche were fascinating and endearing characters. I felt for them and was invested in their marriage and their decisions on how to handle their wartime situation. The Ritz was one of my favourite “characters”. The author, Melanie Benjamin, does a phenomenal job creating a vivid and luxurious atmosphere which made me feel that I was truly witnessing the glitz and glamour nestled within the richly decorated walls of the hotel. I was completely captivated in this engrossing story from start to finish and will be thinking of it long after I write this review.
I read plenty of WWII novels, yet this was a fresh look at a different aspect of this time in our history. Though this novel is only “inspired” by true events, there is much interesting and informative detail to learn within these pages. The beautiful writing and enthralling storyline inspired me to look deeper into the history of the Ritz and how it was treated during these devastating times.
This was a Traveling Sister read that we all loved. I highly recommend to historical fiction lovers.
Thank you to NetGalley, Random House Publishing and Melanie Benjamin for providing me with an ARC to read and review.
April 17, 2019
I expect three things from historical fiction:
•A good story
•The ability to paint a picture so true I feel immersed in the time and place
•To learn something I previously didn’t know.
The Mistress of the Ritz manages all three. Based on true events, the Auzellos are the “master and mistress of the Ritz”, he the manager of the famous hotel. The story gives us their history from their tempestuous beginning through their 17 years of marriage when the Nazis arrive in Paris and take over the hotel. And from there, things get even more intense.
Blanche is headstrong, independent and hiding secrets from everyone including her husband. Claude is shocked to learn his wife has “the vocabulary of a dockworker”. It takes him quite a while to cotton to the differences between French and American sensibilities.
It took me a while to warm to this book. I was worried at the beginning it would be too much romance, not enough history. It tackles some interesting issues, especially when Blanche struggles with liking some of the ordinary German soldiers that work at the Ritz. Or when Claude struggles to maintain his cool when being forced to kowtow to the Nazis, all the while with his own secrets.
Benjamin takes her time but then weaves enough historical facts into the story to win me over as to the third item on my list. She doesn’t pull any punches, she shows us both the resistance and the collaborators, like Coco Chanel.
For readers who enjoy Martha Hall Kelly, Pam Jenoff or Kate Quinn, I would recommend they give Melanie Benjamin a try.
My thanks to netgalley and Delacorte Press for an advance copy of this book.
•A good story
•The ability to paint a picture so true I feel immersed in the time and place
•To learn something I previously didn’t know.
The Mistress of the Ritz manages all three. Based on true events, the Auzellos are the “master and mistress of the Ritz”, he the manager of the famous hotel. The story gives us their history from their tempestuous beginning through their 17 years of marriage when the Nazis arrive in Paris and take over the hotel. And from there, things get even more intense.
Blanche is headstrong, independent and hiding secrets from everyone including her husband. Claude is shocked to learn his wife has “the vocabulary of a dockworker”. It takes him quite a while to cotton to the differences between French and American sensibilities.
It took me a while to warm to this book. I was worried at the beginning it would be too much romance, not enough history. It tackles some interesting issues, especially when Blanche struggles with liking some of the ordinary German soldiers that work at the Ritz. Or when Claude struggles to maintain his cool when being forced to kowtow to the Nazis, all the while with his own secrets.
Benjamin takes her time but then weaves enough historical facts into the story to win me over as to the third item on my list. She doesn’t pull any punches, she shows us both the resistance and the collaborators, like Coco Chanel.
For readers who enjoy Martha Hall Kelly, Pam Jenoff or Kate Quinn, I would recommend they give Melanie Benjamin a try.
My thanks to netgalley and Delacorte Press for an advance copy of this book.
June 20, 2019
Captivating, affecting, & illuminating!
MISTRESS OF THE RITZ by MELANIE BENJAMIN is an engaging, suspenseful, and hauntingly beautiful historical fiction novel that totally captures something extraordinary here as well as fully capturing my heart. I was immediately taken with this story and found myself totally mesmerized and in awe of MELANIE BENJAMIN’S ability to weave such a fantastic story that is based on real-life people and actual historical events with her own liberties of juicy fictional storytelling.
MELANIE BENJAMIN delivers a vividly descriptive, interesting, and well-written read here with characters and a setting that totally captivated and intrigued me. I was totally taken and fascinated with both Claude and Blanche’s dynamic relationship as well as with their lives spent in the highly acclaimed Hotel Ritz in Paris.
I was thoroughly entertained and enjoyed how this story unfolded right from the very beginning. And I was totally wrapped up in this couple’s relationship and loved the suspense of the unraveling of the secrets and lies.
** This was a Traveling Sisters Read **
Norma’s Stats:
Cover: Lovely, intriguing, majestic, eye-catching and a fitting representation to storyline.
Title: Appealing, suspenseful, intriguing and absolutely love how the title plays so fittingly into storyline.
Writing/Prose: Well-written, beautiful, fluid, vivid, engaging, and captivating. I totally connected with and absolutely loved MELANIE BENJAMIN’S writing style.
Plot: Haunting, memorable, fascinating, inspiring, suspenseful, perfectly-paced, original, absorbing, enjoyable and entertaining. I absolutely loved that this book was inspired by the real-life couple of Claude and Blanche and the setting of the Ritz. As I thoroughly enjoy books that are based on real life events and people. Knowing that just makes the story that much more appealing, memorable and fascinating to read.
Ending: An exceptional and extremely palpable ending that warmed my heart but also left it a little broken-hearted.
Overall: 4.5 Stars! I was totally captivated by this book and totally taken with these characters and their lives and with the events that happened at the Ritz. A book that I am glad that I took my time with and savoured every single word! Loved this book so much!!!! Would highly recommend!
Thank you so much to NetGalley, Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine / Delacorte Press & Melanie Benjamin for the opportunity to read an electronic ARC of this book.
Review can also be found on our Two Sisters Lost in a Coulee Reading book blog:
https://twosisterslostinacoulee.com/
MISTRESS OF THE RITZ by MELANIE BENJAMIN is an engaging, suspenseful, and hauntingly beautiful historical fiction novel that totally captures something extraordinary here as well as fully capturing my heart. I was immediately taken with this story and found myself totally mesmerized and in awe of MELANIE BENJAMIN’S ability to weave such a fantastic story that is based on real-life people and actual historical events with her own liberties of juicy fictional storytelling.
MELANIE BENJAMIN delivers a vividly descriptive, interesting, and well-written read here with characters and a setting that totally captivated and intrigued me. I was totally taken and fascinated with both Claude and Blanche’s dynamic relationship as well as with their lives spent in the highly acclaimed Hotel Ritz in Paris.
I was thoroughly entertained and enjoyed how this story unfolded right from the very beginning. And I was totally wrapped up in this couple’s relationship and loved the suspense of the unraveling of the secrets and lies.
** This was a Traveling Sisters Read **
Norma’s Stats:
Cover: Lovely, intriguing, majestic, eye-catching and a fitting representation to storyline.
Title: Appealing, suspenseful, intriguing and absolutely love how the title plays so fittingly into storyline.
Writing/Prose: Well-written, beautiful, fluid, vivid, engaging, and captivating. I totally connected with and absolutely loved MELANIE BENJAMIN’S writing style.
Plot: Haunting, memorable, fascinating, inspiring, suspenseful, perfectly-paced, original, absorbing, enjoyable and entertaining. I absolutely loved that this book was inspired by the real-life couple of Claude and Blanche and the setting of the Ritz. As I thoroughly enjoy books that are based on real life events and people. Knowing that just makes the story that much more appealing, memorable and fascinating to read.
Ending: An exceptional and extremely palpable ending that warmed my heart but also left it a little broken-hearted.
Overall: 4.5 Stars! I was totally captivated by this book and totally taken with these characters and their lives and with the events that happened at the Ritz. A book that I am glad that I took my time with and savoured every single word! Loved this book so much!!!! Would highly recommend!
Thank you so much to NetGalley, Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine / Delacorte Press & Melanie Benjamin for the opportunity to read an electronic ARC of this book.
Review can also be found on our Two Sisters Lost in a Coulee Reading book blog:
https://twosisterslostinacoulee.com/
May 26, 2019
Oh, how I love love love a Melanie Benjamin book! ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️
I’m sure many of us knew that the Nazis claimed hotels in their occupied areas, but have you heard about the Auzellos?
The Ritz is a glorious hotel in France where the rich and famous stay. Blanche, an American, and Claude Auzello, her French husband, have welcomed into their hotel the likes of Hemingway, Fitzgerald, and Chanel. Their busy work lives keep them from facing their challenging marriage.
In June 1940, the Nazis arrive in Paris, and of all places, they set up their headquarters at the Ritz. Now living amongst top Nazi officials, the Auzellos’ marriage is in more trouble than ever. You see, Blanche joins the French Resistance while living in the lions’ den.
Will Blanche, Claude, their marriage, and the Ritz survive the war?
Mistress of the Ritz is edgy and suspenseful from the start. Even though I was vaguely familiar with the Ritz being a headquarters for the Nazis, I did not “know” the Auzellos, and their characters and storyline captivated me. To think their marriage was troubled, and not only a war, but a complete takeover of their hotel by the Nazis brought them closer together.
I was completely immersed in the setting, especially on site at the Ritz. I could feel and experience the luxury, glitz, and glamour. The story of this couple and all that Blanche took on was extremely compelling, and I loved all the well-developed characters. The celebrity sightings were always fun as well (Picasso!).
Melanie Benjamin is a skillful storyteller. She takes her time in building her stories, which completely works for me because she gets the details just right. Benjamin’s writing flows and is so easy-to-read, and I remain ever a fan.
Overall, this is a beautifully-written. engaging, and powerful book, and it gets my highest recommendation for fans of historical fiction.
I received a complimentary copy. All opinions are my own.
My reviews can also be found on my blog: www.jennifertarheelreader.com
I’m sure many of us knew that the Nazis claimed hotels in their occupied areas, but have you heard about the Auzellos?
The Ritz is a glorious hotel in France where the rich and famous stay. Blanche, an American, and Claude Auzello, her French husband, have welcomed into their hotel the likes of Hemingway, Fitzgerald, and Chanel. Their busy work lives keep them from facing their challenging marriage.
In June 1940, the Nazis arrive in Paris, and of all places, they set up their headquarters at the Ritz. Now living amongst top Nazi officials, the Auzellos’ marriage is in more trouble than ever. You see, Blanche joins the French Resistance while living in the lions’ den.
Will Blanche, Claude, their marriage, and the Ritz survive the war?
Mistress of the Ritz is edgy and suspenseful from the start. Even though I was vaguely familiar with the Ritz being a headquarters for the Nazis, I did not “know” the Auzellos, and their characters and storyline captivated me. To think their marriage was troubled, and not only a war, but a complete takeover of their hotel by the Nazis brought them closer together.
I was completely immersed in the setting, especially on site at the Ritz. I could feel and experience the luxury, glitz, and glamour. The story of this couple and all that Blanche took on was extremely compelling, and I loved all the well-developed characters. The celebrity sightings were always fun as well (Picasso!).
Melanie Benjamin is a skillful storyteller. She takes her time in building her stories, which completely works for me because she gets the details just right. Benjamin’s writing flows and is so easy-to-read, and I remain ever a fan.
Overall, this is a beautifully-written. engaging, and powerful book, and it gets my highest recommendation for fans of historical fiction.
I received a complimentary copy. All opinions are my own.
My reviews can also be found on my blog: www.jennifertarheelreader.com
May 24, 2019
This novel takes place during the Nazi’s occupation of Paris. I was quite aware of this part of history but this book talks pretty specifically about the Ritz. It’s a very interesting piece of history which is “inspired” by true events. Quoting the author “So I would say that Mistress of the Ritz more than any of my other novels, is “inspired” by a true story and real people, rather than based on them. With so few details to go on -- and so few true glimpses into Blanche and Claude’s characters, my imagination was given free reign”.
The first half of the book is pretty much devoted to Claude and Blanche’s marriage and how different American and French men are. I found that while some of this back and forth between the two was interesting and even humorous at times, I think too much of the book was devoted to this. While reading on and on I wondered how in the world these two could really relate to each other??? According to the book they did spend a lot of their time apart, having different schedules and at times different suites. “Because truly, they had no idea what to do with each other after such a startling beginning . . . . .So that it was easy, at times, to forget that they might actually need to rely on, to trust in--to love--each other.”
The Nazi’s took the Ritz for themselves although allowing the manager, Claude, and Blanche and some well known residents such as Coco Chanel to remain on one side of the building and use a separate entrance. Claude and the entire staff were at their beck and call always fearful that something done not quite right could lead to their dismissal, imprisonment or worse. There is some insight into what is going on in Paris during this time through the eyes of Lily, Blanche’s close friend.
The book picks up the pace in the last third and I definitely enjoyed this focus on what else was going on “behind the scenes” to be more interesting than the discussion of their marriage.
All in all I found this to be a good read with interesting characters.
This was a Traveling Sisters read. I received an ARC of this novel from the publisher through NetGalley.
The first half of the book is pretty much devoted to Claude and Blanche’s marriage and how different American and French men are. I found that while some of this back and forth between the two was interesting and even humorous at times, I think too much of the book was devoted to this. While reading on and on I wondered how in the world these two could really relate to each other??? According to the book they did spend a lot of their time apart, having different schedules and at times different suites. “Because truly, they had no idea what to do with each other after such a startling beginning . . . . .So that it was easy, at times, to forget that they might actually need to rely on, to trust in--to love--each other.”
The Nazi’s took the Ritz for themselves although allowing the manager, Claude, and Blanche and some well known residents such as Coco Chanel to remain on one side of the building and use a separate entrance. Claude and the entire staff were at their beck and call always fearful that something done not quite right could lead to their dismissal, imprisonment or worse. There is some insight into what is going on in Paris during this time through the eyes of Lily, Blanche’s close friend.
The book picks up the pace in the last third and I definitely enjoyed this focus on what else was going on “behind the scenes” to be more interesting than the discussion of their marriage.
All in all I found this to be a good read with interesting characters.
This was a Traveling Sisters read. I received an ARC of this novel from the publisher through NetGalley.
June 2, 2019
Ah, the Ritz Paris. Doesn’t it bring to mind glitz, glamour and opulence? The iconic hotel is as much a character in this book as are Claude and Blanche Auzello, the hotel director and his American born wife. In the pre-WWII years, the hotel was in its glory and the Ritz was a symbol of the finest in luxury and elegance.
The book opens in 1923 when Blanche and Claude meet, and they eventually marry. Blanche is an American-born flapper, headstrong and independent, while Claude is a traditional Frenchman who likes to not only be in charge of the hotel, but of his wife as well. The cultural differences caused the two to lock horns, often in amusing ways. But both shared a love for the beloved hotel and they reveled in rubbing elbows with the rich and famous who crossed its threshold, among them, Ernest Hemingway, F. Scott Fitzgerald, and Coco Chanel, who maintained an apartment there for many years.
The first part of the book focuses on the hotel itself, the couple’s marriage, and their experiences running the hotel. When the Germans arrive in 1940 and take over the hotel as their headquarters, the couple must adjust to their demands and keep up the pretense that all is operating as usual, despite their hatred of the Nazi regime. This takes up much of the novel's last half. There’s plenty of intrigue and there are dangerous secrets the couple keep from each other, and from the Germans. How an ordinary couple makes their stamp on history made for riveting reading.
I went into this book blind, and I suggest other readers do the same. If you haven’t yet, don’t read the blurb, which gives away too much information.
Historical fiction can be a troublesome genre for me as it too often becomes a thinly disguised romance novel. Not so with author Melanie Benjamin. She notes that this is a story that is inspired by, not based on, true events. Just when I think I’m burned out on WWII based novels, along comes one like this that generates a renewed interest.
The historical record is sparse, but as I do so often, I immediately went to the internet to read everything I could find. I appreciate that the author didn’t play fast and loose with the facts, filling in only when necessary. She made history come alive in these pages with people I came to care about. People who are just like us, flaws and all. I’m glad Claude and Blanche’s story has been told.
• This was a buddy read with Marialyce, and one we both enjoyed and recommend. For our duo review of this and other books please visit her blog, https://yayareadslotsofbooks.wordpres...
• Many thanks to Netgalley for a copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.
The book opens in 1923 when Blanche and Claude meet, and they eventually marry. Blanche is an American-born flapper, headstrong and independent, while Claude is a traditional Frenchman who likes to not only be in charge of the hotel, but of his wife as well. The cultural differences caused the two to lock horns, often in amusing ways. But both shared a love for the beloved hotel and they reveled in rubbing elbows with the rich and famous who crossed its threshold, among them, Ernest Hemingway, F. Scott Fitzgerald, and Coco Chanel, who maintained an apartment there for many years.
The first part of the book focuses on the hotel itself, the couple’s marriage, and their experiences running the hotel. When the Germans arrive in 1940 and take over the hotel as their headquarters, the couple must adjust to their demands and keep up the pretense that all is operating as usual, despite their hatred of the Nazi regime. This takes up much of the novel's last half. There’s plenty of intrigue and there are dangerous secrets the couple keep from each other, and from the Germans. How an ordinary couple makes their stamp on history made for riveting reading.
I went into this book blind, and I suggest other readers do the same. If you haven’t yet, don’t read the blurb, which gives away too much information.
Historical fiction can be a troublesome genre for me as it too often becomes a thinly disguised romance novel. Not so with author Melanie Benjamin. She notes that this is a story that is inspired by, not based on, true events. Just when I think I’m burned out on WWII based novels, along comes one like this that generates a renewed interest.
The historical record is sparse, but as I do so often, I immediately went to the internet to read everything I could find. I appreciate that the author didn’t play fast and loose with the facts, filling in only when necessary. She made history come alive in these pages with people I came to care about. People who are just like us, flaws and all. I’m glad Claude and Blanche’s story has been told.
• This was a buddy read with Marialyce, and one we both enjoyed and recommend. For our duo review of this and other books please visit her blog, https://yayareadslotsofbooks.wordpres...
• Many thanks to Netgalley for a copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.
February 17, 2019
American Blanche falls for Frenchman Claude. After a brief, dizzying, whirlwind romance, they marry. The bliss quickly turns to petty fights, in part because of their different cultural upbringings. However, they both enjoy the glitz of the Ritz in Paris, where Claude is the hotel’s director. They revel in hobnobbing with the likes of Hemingway and Coco Chanel and F. Scott Fitzgerald. But when Nazi’s take over the hotel during World War II, Claude has keep his disdain and anger toward them to himself, while Blanche acts out, but subtly.
It shouldn’t surprise me that Germans would take over the fancy hotels wherever they wanted, but this was not a story that I’d heard before—the true story of this married couple I’d never heard of.
For fans of historical fiction, Melanie Benjamin doesn’t disappoint.
Thanks to NetGalley for the opportunity to read this novel, which RELEASES MAY 21, 2019.
For more reviews, please visit http://www.theresaalan.net/blog
It shouldn’t surprise me that Germans would take over the fancy hotels wherever they wanted, but this was not a story that I’d heard before—the true story of this married couple I’d never heard of.
For fans of historical fiction, Melanie Benjamin doesn’t disappoint.
Thanks to NetGalley for the opportunity to read this novel, which RELEASES MAY 21, 2019.
For more reviews, please visit http://www.theresaalan.net/blog
May 24, 2019
4.5 Stars
I read Mistress of the Ritz with a few of our Traveling Sisters and we all really enjoyed this one with us having similar thoughts on it.
An extraordinary real-life American woman, a proper Frenchman and a glamorous Iconic hotel
Mistress of The Ritz explores the lives of brash and reckless real life Blanche and proud Claude Auzello The Mistress and Master of the Ritz. The story starts off slow and it’s all about the characters here. The story delves into their marriage where secrets and lies threaten their marriage along with The Hotel Ritz in Paris. The real-life people and events are the inspiration of this story and Melanie Benjamin skillfully weaves them into the story well giving her own fictional account to the story and characters. She brings vibrant life to the Ritz and what it must have been like hosting the German’s in this beloved hotel.
The second half takes off and I flew through the pages as fast as I could as we see the secrets and lies unfold. I was completing captivated by Blanche and Claude as they learn the truth about each other. My heart was warmed yet broken after reading this one.
Melanie Benjamin wraps up that ending well and brilliantly left us wanting and needing to talk to each other about it. It was nice to be able to share how that ending made me feel and see how it made my TS feel. The Mistress of The Ritz makes for a great choice for a group read and you will want to talk about it. I highly recommend
I received a copy through the Publisher on NetGalley
I read Mistress of the Ritz with a few of our Traveling Sisters and we all really enjoyed this one with us having similar thoughts on it.
An extraordinary real-life American woman, a proper Frenchman and a glamorous Iconic hotel
Mistress of The Ritz explores the lives of brash and reckless real life Blanche and proud Claude Auzello The Mistress and Master of the Ritz. The story starts off slow and it’s all about the characters here. The story delves into their marriage where secrets and lies threaten their marriage along with The Hotel Ritz in Paris. The real-life people and events are the inspiration of this story and Melanie Benjamin skillfully weaves them into the story well giving her own fictional account to the story and characters. She brings vibrant life to the Ritz and what it must have been like hosting the German’s in this beloved hotel.
The second half takes off and I flew through the pages as fast as I could as we see the secrets and lies unfold. I was completing captivated by Blanche and Claude as they learn the truth about each other. My heart was warmed yet broken after reading this one.
Melanie Benjamin wraps up that ending well and brilliantly left us wanting and needing to talk to each other about it. It was nice to be able to share how that ending made me feel and see how it made my TS feel. The Mistress of The Ritz makes for a great choice for a group read and you will want to talk about it. I highly recommend
I received a copy through the Publisher on NetGalley
May 22, 2019
My first and only read from Melanie Benjamin was The Aviator's Wife and I enjoyed it so much that I knew I needed to read her latest. I join quite a few before me who thought the later half of the book was the strongest and what ultimately redeemed this book overall.
Claude and Blanche Auzello run The Ritz hotel in Paris, during the Nazi occupation of German forces of WWII. The book begins with the Nazi's using the hotel as their headquarters and are forced to serve and live alongside their captors. It is during this time, that we learn not only of the Ritz, the characters who inhabit it, but of their marriage and how the war impacted both so irreversibly.
In what seems to be a mostly minority opinion, I struggled with this book as a whole. If not for the promise of a better second half, I might have put this aside altogether due to the lackluster first half. I went into it thinking this would be much more captivating and instead felt the focus was spent way too much on the marriage troubles of our main couple. It also was quite repetitive in the back and forth of the good times and bad. I felt this was a squandered opportunity and even after having finished, I am still pondering what the point was of belaboring and highlighting the marriage so much when there were other opportunities to make this book really shine. Once we moved into the second half (or last 150 pages or so), the book finally grabbed my attention and I sat in my chair riveted, turning each page as furiously as I could. My eyes were brimming with tears reading the last fifty pages or so and I wished that this is how I felt throughout the whole book.
I will absolutely read Ms. Benjamin's next work and am still giving this a strong three rating, but I was hoping for more back and forth between the German's and the staff of the Ritz. The Nazi's who occupied the Ritz had more dimension that originally thought (especially revealed in the fantastic Author's Note), which I felt should have been capitalized on. (Especially, since this was largely a fill in the gap kind of story because a lot of the truth revolving around this story is a mystery.)
Overall, a good read, but not something I will be rushing to recommend. As always, take this opinion with a grain of salt given the many 4 and 5 star reviews that are available.
Thank you to Netgalley, Ballantine Books, Random House and Melanie Benjamin for the opportunity to read and provide an honest review of this book.
Review date: 5/22/19
Publication Date: 5/21/19
Claude and Blanche Auzello run The Ritz hotel in Paris, during the Nazi occupation of German forces of WWII. The book begins with the Nazi's using the hotel as their headquarters and are forced to serve and live alongside their captors. It is during this time, that we learn not only of the Ritz, the characters who inhabit it, but of their marriage and how the war impacted both so irreversibly.
In what seems to be a mostly minority opinion, I struggled with this book as a whole. If not for the promise of a better second half, I might have put this aside altogether due to the lackluster first half. I went into it thinking this would be much more captivating and instead felt the focus was spent way too much on the marriage troubles of our main couple. It also was quite repetitive in the back and forth of the good times and bad. I felt this was a squandered opportunity and even after having finished, I am still pondering what the point was of belaboring and highlighting the marriage so much when there were other opportunities to make this book really shine. Once we moved into the second half (or last 150 pages or so), the book finally grabbed my attention and I sat in my chair riveted, turning each page as furiously as I could. My eyes were brimming with tears reading the last fifty pages or so and I wished that this is how I felt throughout the whole book.
I will absolutely read Ms. Benjamin's next work and am still giving this a strong three rating, but I was hoping for more back and forth between the German's and the staff of the Ritz. The Nazi's who occupied the Ritz had more dimension that originally thought (especially revealed in the fantastic Author's Note), which I felt should have been capitalized on. (Especially, since this was largely a fill in the gap kind of story because a lot of the truth revolving around this story is a mystery.)
Overall, a good read, but not something I will be rushing to recommend. As always, take this opinion with a grain of salt given the many 4 and 5 star reviews that are available.
Thank you to Netgalley, Ballantine Books, Random House and Melanie Benjamin for the opportunity to read and provide an honest review of this book.
Review date: 5/22/19
Publication Date: 5/21/19
June 23, 2025
Blanche și Claude Auzello au fost uni dintre mulți eroi necunoscuți al celui de al doilea razboi mondial, iar funcția lui de director al hotelului Ritz l-a situat în poziția contradictorie de a-aș face datoria și de a-și servi țară. Pe de alta parte soția sa Blanche Auzello a colaborat cu rezistența salvând piloții aliați. Povestea lor este povestea unei căsnicii care a trebuit să se adapteze unor vremuri pline de pericole, a păstrării unui secret periculos în acele vremuri și a curajului de a înfrunta dușmanul zi de zi.
June 2, 2019
Writing and reading historical fiction is often a difficult task. The author often travels a fine line between what is real and what is imagined in the lines of a book. It can be hard for a reader to fully appreciate a story when the details are frequently overused and murky. However in this book, Melanie Benjamin has been able to capture a piece of history and make it into an interesting story that was much enjoyed by Jan and I.
I so enjoy an historical fiction book that when completed has me scurrying to google to find out more. To me there is nothing better than when an author makes the reader both aware and looking for more information about the characters portrayed in the story. In a way, the book becomes not only informative, but also one that encourages the reader to learn more.
In this story we meet the Blanche Auzello, an American, and her French husband and Hotel Director, Claude Auzello. They are a have it all couple, running the premier hotel, the Ritz, in Paris, which housed the likes of Coco Chanel, Ernest Hemingway, F. Scott Fitzgerald and many other notables. It is a dream job, one that meshes the haves of the world in an environment that is both glamorous, charismatic and elegant. The winds of war however, are spreading and carry their disastrous effect into the Ritz and as the Nazis take over Paris, they take over the Ritz as well and the Auzellos must contend with their presence and the effect it has upon their lives and their beloved hotel.
Both Blanche and Claude have secrets. Secrets which not only threaten their marriage but also their very lives. They don't really know one another and as the story continues and after nineteen years of marriage, they find in each other something they thought was never there.
Told with the backdrop of war and the elegance of the Ritz, this story presents to the reader the courage, heroism, and audacity of many who resisted the Nazis and did their part of bringing the evilness of the Nazis to its downfall. I recommend this story to those who enjoy a well written and enjoyable story about a couple and their devotion to a cause and a hotel.
Many thanks to Melanie Benjamin, Delacourte Press and Net Galley for a copy of this book.
To see our reviews plus some background on the Ritz and Blanche and Claude, you can look here:
http://yayareadslotsofbooks.wordpress...
I so enjoy an historical fiction book that when completed has me scurrying to google to find out more. To me there is nothing better than when an author makes the reader both aware and looking for more information about the characters portrayed in the story. In a way, the book becomes not only informative, but also one that encourages the reader to learn more.
In this story we meet the Blanche Auzello, an American, and her French husband and Hotel Director, Claude Auzello. They are a have it all couple, running the premier hotel, the Ritz, in Paris, which housed the likes of Coco Chanel, Ernest Hemingway, F. Scott Fitzgerald and many other notables. It is a dream job, one that meshes the haves of the world in an environment that is both glamorous, charismatic and elegant. The winds of war however, are spreading and carry their disastrous effect into the Ritz and as the Nazis take over Paris, they take over the Ritz as well and the Auzellos must contend with their presence and the effect it has upon their lives and their beloved hotel.
Both Blanche and Claude have secrets. Secrets which not only threaten their marriage but also their very lives. They don't really know one another and as the story continues and after nineteen years of marriage, they find in each other something they thought was never there.
Told with the backdrop of war and the elegance of the Ritz, this story presents to the reader the courage, heroism, and audacity of many who resisted the Nazis and did their part of bringing the evilness of the Nazis to its downfall. I recommend this story to those who enjoy a well written and enjoyable story about a couple and their devotion to a cause and a hotel.
Many thanks to Melanie Benjamin, Delacourte Press and Net Galley for a copy of this book.
To see our reviews plus some background on the Ritz and Blanche and Claude, you can look here:
http://yayareadslotsofbooks.wordpress...
April 24, 2019
A compelling read about a marriage set against the backdrop of World War II and the glamorous Ritz Hotel in Paris, France. Claude's infidelity and Blanche's brash American attitude cause troublesome times as the couple struggle with their marriage and manage life in the face of war. The couple is hiding one huge secret that would place them both in the crosshairs of the Germans. Claude, as the director of the hotel, has to bow and scrape to the Germans in order to keep his job
Benjamin's prose flows beautifully and is engrossing. The characters are so richly drawn that you can see them and feel their emotions. There are several recognizable characters in the book - usually staying at the Ritz and hanging out in the bar: Earnest Hemingway, Coco Chanel, F. Scott Fitzgerald, Pablo Picasso, to name a few. The book provides a different view of World War II from the occupied hotel and from the French Resistance.
Thanks to Melanie Benjamin and to Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine/Delacourt Press through Netgalley for an advance copy of this book.
Benjamin's prose flows beautifully and is engrossing. The characters are so richly drawn that you can see them and feel their emotions. There are several recognizable characters in the book - usually staying at the Ritz and hanging out in the bar: Earnest Hemingway, Coco Chanel, F. Scott Fitzgerald, Pablo Picasso, to name a few. The book provides a different view of World War II from the occupied hotel and from the French Resistance.
Thanks to Melanie Benjamin and to Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine/Delacourt Press through Netgalley for an advance copy of this book.
May 24, 2019
rounded up to 4.5 stars
I knew when Melanie Benjamin was writing a book set in Paris, one of my most beloved cities in the world and at the sumptuous Hotel Ritz on the Place Vendome no less, that I wanted to read it! Throw in the fact that it's set during WWII, and this was a must-read book for me.
Mistress of the Ritz is a fictionalized account of the lives of husband and wife Claude and Blanche Auzello, shifting time between the 1920s, when the couple met in a whirlwind love affair and got married and the novel’s present time during the Nazi's Occupation of Paris.
The story is told in alternating chapters by Claude and Blanche and through their different points of view, you get a real sense of their marriage and the secrets each are keeping from the other. It is the couple's mistrust of the other that threatens to ruin them.
Claude, a Frenchman, is the director of the famed Ritz and treats it as a beloved mistress; for Claude, the Ritz is everything and he seemingly will do anything to keep his precious Ritz from harm even if it means almost bowing and scraping to the Nazis who have become the Ritz's most esteemed and privileged "guests". Little does anyone know that Claude is covertly working against the Nazi by giving info to the Allies...
As far as Blanche knows, Claude's seeming compliance with the Nazis is just one more reason to be disappointed in her husband and her marriage. After all, its already been a tumultuous one for decades with Claude insisting it's his right as a Frenchman to have a mistress, and he can't understand why this makes his American wife so angry!
But Blanche also loves the Ritz as much as Claude and it is she who is called the "Mistress of the Ritz" by those who love her as she entertains the rich and famous in the hotel bar. Yet, she is so much more than just than a hostess as she wants to do more for her adopted country, especially after meeting Lily, a young Communist working for the French Resistance and getting involved herself. But that's not the only secret Blanche is keeping.
Although the book was a tad slow to start as it centered a bit on the marital problems of the Auzellos, I found by the second half that I couldn't put the book down and was completely immersed in the story. I thought Benjamin did a great job with telling this story, especially since there is so little record about the Auzellos, but Benjamin takes what is known and turns it into an inspiring, captivating read about two people that I'd never heard of in history.
The characters really came alive for me in the second half, and the novel was written as smooth as silk. Of course, the Auzellos aren't the only main characters in the book as I think the Ritz took on a life of its own with the story sweeping and swirling in and around it.
I truly enjoyed this novel, and it didn't disappoint at all, thankfully, since it was a much-anticipated summer read! Definitely another favorite WWII novel that I recommend adding to your reading list!
**Thank you Delacorte Press-Random House for the beautiful gifted copy of this novel to read in exchange for a fair and honest review.**
*A Traveling Sisters Read
I knew when Melanie Benjamin was writing a book set in Paris, one of my most beloved cities in the world and at the sumptuous Hotel Ritz on the Place Vendome no less, that I wanted to read it! Throw in the fact that it's set during WWII, and this was a must-read book for me.
Mistress of the Ritz is a fictionalized account of the lives of husband and wife Claude and Blanche Auzello, shifting time between the 1920s, when the couple met in a whirlwind love affair and got married and the novel’s present time during the Nazi's Occupation of Paris.
The story is told in alternating chapters by Claude and Blanche and through their different points of view, you get a real sense of their marriage and the secrets each are keeping from the other. It is the couple's mistrust of the other that threatens to ruin them.
Claude, a Frenchman, is the director of the famed Ritz and treats it as a beloved mistress; for Claude, the Ritz is everything and he seemingly will do anything to keep his precious Ritz from harm even if it means almost bowing and scraping to the Nazis who have become the Ritz's most esteemed and privileged "guests". Little does anyone know that Claude is covertly working against the Nazi by giving info to the Allies...
As far as Blanche knows, Claude's seeming compliance with the Nazis is just one more reason to be disappointed in her husband and her marriage. After all, its already been a tumultuous one for decades with Claude insisting it's his right as a Frenchman to have a mistress, and he can't understand why this makes his American wife so angry!
But Blanche also loves the Ritz as much as Claude and it is she who is called the "Mistress of the Ritz" by those who love her as she entertains the rich and famous in the hotel bar. Yet, she is so much more than just than a hostess as she wants to do more for her adopted country, especially after meeting Lily, a young Communist working for the French Resistance and getting involved herself. But that's not the only secret Blanche is keeping.
Although the book was a tad slow to start as it centered a bit on the marital problems of the Auzellos, I found by the second half that I couldn't put the book down and was completely immersed in the story. I thought Benjamin did a great job with telling this story, especially since there is so little record about the Auzellos, but Benjamin takes what is known and turns it into an inspiring, captivating read about two people that I'd never heard of in history.
The characters really came alive for me in the second half, and the novel was written as smooth as silk. Of course, the Auzellos aren't the only main characters in the book as I think the Ritz took on a life of its own with the story sweeping and swirling in and around it.
I truly enjoyed this novel, and it didn't disappoint at all, thankfully, since it was a much-anticipated summer read! Definitely another favorite WWII novel that I recommend adding to your reading list!
**Thank you Delacorte Press-Random House for the beautiful gifted copy of this novel to read in exchange for a fair and honest review.**
*A Traveling Sisters Read
May 24, 2019
When it comes to the French Resistance of WWII, the names Blanche and Claude Auzello aren’t all that well-known. Thankfully, Melanie Benjamin has just written a biographical, historical fiction novel about them, and especially about Blanche, who during the Nazi occupation of Paris, was known as the “Mistress of the Ritz” and she was the wife of the hotel’s manager, Claude. You can find my review of this amazing book on my blog here (Thanks for the free book, @PRHGlobal/@prhinternational.) https://tcl-bookreviews.com/2019/05/2...
March 26, 2020
Blanche Ross is an aspiring actress from Cleveland visiting Paris in 1923. She meets Claude Auzello, manager of the Hôtel Ritz. He is smitten; she is too, I guess. They marry, but marriage is not what either of them expected.
"Married women in Paris in 1923 couldn’t open bank accounts and had to turn over all their money to their husbands. Women—married or not—in Paris in 1923 weren’t allowed in the bar of the Hôtel Ritz."
Not only that, Claude has the idea he can keep a mistress. All French men did; it was expected.
Not by Blanche. She rebelled and left him more than once. On a return trip, she met Lily on the train. Lily, a revolutionary and soon to be Blanche's best friend.
But their marriage does survive. 20 years later, the WWII starts and Germans occupy Paris AND the Ritz. The Auzellos handle this occupation each in their own way.
Melanie Benjamin has written other historical novels based on real people: Charles Lindbergh, Truman Capote and Mary Pickford. They are all well known and much is written about them. Benjamin wanted to do something different and about people less well known. Benjamin states: "But there really isn’t much out there about Blanche and Claude. We don’t even know their exact dates of birth.... So I would say that Mistress of the Ritz, more than any of my other novels, is “inspired” by a true story and real people, rather than based on them."
The book was a slow starter for me. Once we got into the war years and saw a stronger version of Blanche and Claude, the book got better.
Benjamin provides a wonderful afterword that clarifies a lot of what she did find find out about the Auzellos. But please do not read it before you have finished the book.. there are lots of spoilers.
Very good book about real people and once more I learned a little more about WWII in France.
4 stars
"Married women in Paris in 1923 couldn’t open bank accounts and had to turn over all their money to their husbands. Women—married or not—in Paris in 1923 weren’t allowed in the bar of the Hôtel Ritz."
Not only that, Claude has the idea he can keep a mistress. All French men did; it was expected.
Not by Blanche. She rebelled and left him more than once. On a return trip, she met Lily on the train. Lily, a revolutionary and soon to be Blanche's best friend.
But their marriage does survive. 20 years later, the WWII starts and Germans occupy Paris AND the Ritz. The Auzellos handle this occupation each in their own way.
Melanie Benjamin has written other historical novels based on real people: Charles Lindbergh, Truman Capote and Mary Pickford. They are all well known and much is written about them. Benjamin wanted to do something different and about people less well known. Benjamin states: "But there really isn’t much out there about Blanche and Claude. We don’t even know their exact dates of birth.... So I would say that Mistress of the Ritz, more than any of my other novels, is “inspired” by a true story and real people, rather than based on them."
The book was a slow starter for me. Once we got into the war years and saw a stronger version of Blanche and Claude, the book got better.
Benjamin provides a wonderful afterword that clarifies a lot of what she did find find out about the Auzellos. But please do not read it before you have finished the book.. there are lots of spoilers.
Very good book about real people and once more I learned a little more about WWII in France.
4 stars
December 14, 2020
Excelenta!
December 6, 2019
Overall: An interesting and engaging novel based on an extraordinary woman playing in two very different roles, mistress of the Ritz and helping the French resistance. Recommend to fans of WWII, historic fiction, and strong female leads. Some issues throughout the book but overall an engaging and good read. 6.5/10 or 3.5/5
Summary: Blanche Ross Auzello is an American wanna be film star that falls in love and marries a somewhat stuffy husband, Claude, the manager of Paris’s luxurious Hotel Ritz. In June 1940, Claude and Blanche return and find that a host of high-ranking Nazi soldiers have commandeered the hotel as their Paris headquarters. Over the next four years, they both play host to the Nazis and both individuals become involved with the French resistance.
The Good: Interesting plot and good characters developed throughout the category. This story is based off of the real life of Blanche, and she appears to be an extraordinary woman though little is actually known about her. Great descriptions and interesting setting of the Ritz pulls you in. The story is captivating and moves at a pretty good pace until the end. Great supporting characters (Coco Chanel was my favorite, Ernest Hemingway makes some appearances as well) add some more personality and character to the story.
The Bad: Very hard to suspend disbelief at multiple points throughout this with the biggest being the rekindling of the romance. I also felt the story story was slow to build then it reached a peak and then crashed immediately after. Not sure if it was rushed, too climatic it wasn't believable, or needed more at the end... no matter which way the ending felt quite rushed to me. Last, for such strong female lead I felt like she was portrayed as quite weak and flighty at times.
Summary: Blanche Ross Auzello is an American wanna be film star that falls in love and marries a somewhat stuffy husband, Claude, the manager of Paris’s luxurious Hotel Ritz. In June 1940, Claude and Blanche return and find that a host of high-ranking Nazi soldiers have commandeered the hotel as their Paris headquarters. Over the next four years, they both play host to the Nazis and both individuals become involved with the French resistance.
The Good: Interesting plot and good characters developed throughout the category. This story is based off of the real life of Blanche, and she appears to be an extraordinary woman though little is actually known about her. Great descriptions and interesting setting of the Ritz pulls you in. The story is captivating and moves at a pretty good pace until the end. Great supporting characters (Coco Chanel was my favorite, Ernest Hemingway makes some appearances as well) add some more personality and character to the story.
The Bad: Very hard to suspend disbelief at multiple points throughout this with the biggest being the rekindling of the romance. I also felt the story story was slow to build then it reached a peak and then crashed immediately after. Not sure if it was rushed, too climatic it wasn't believable, or needed more at the end... no matter which way the ending felt quite rushed to me. Last, for such strong female lead I felt like she was portrayed as quite weak and flighty at times.
June 4, 2019
As is often the case when I read historical fiction, this book made me want to read some actual history about the people or events depicted in the novel. Unfortunately, it seems that there is very little information about Claude Auzello and his American-born wife Blanche. Claude managed the Hotel Ritz in Paris during World War II and he and Blanche both lived in the hotel. The author didn’t have many facts to go on, but she still managed to create an interesting story about Paris during the war and the Auzello’s participation in the French Resistance, as the Nazis moved into the Ritz and took increasing control of the city. More of the book is spent on the couple’s turbulent marriage than on their resistance work. The distance between them was so great that neither trusted the other enough to tell them about the work they were doing.
Personally, I would have preferred more spying and intrigue and less bickering husband and wife, but I still enjoyed this book. I will just have to find a nonfiction book about France and the War.
I received a free copy of this book from the publisher.
Personally, I would have preferred more spying and intrigue and less bickering husband and wife, but I still enjoyed this book. I will just have to find a nonfiction book about France and the War.
I received a free copy of this book from the publisher.
March 9, 2019
I’m a voracious reader of WW2 fiction and non-fiction, I love Paris and I enjoyed Melanie Benjamin’s Swans of Fifth Avenue (though not so much The Girls in the Picture), so there was no chance I wasn’t going to read this book. On the other hand, I was underwhelmed by a recent book about The Ritz in World War II, Tilar Mazzeo’s The Hotel on Place Vendome. Because of those competing experiences, I went into this with a wait-and-see attitude.
The book started off a little too self-consciously portentous for me, as Claude and Blanche Auzello return to the Ritz from the south soon after the Nazis have taken Paris and commandeered half of the Ritz. Then, a hint is dropped early on about some secret of Blanche’s, and you just know this will be oh-so-subtly alluded to several times before there is finally a big reveal. That kind of plot element always seems gimmicky to me, especially when (as in this case) it’s not difficult to guess what the secret is.
Despite this inauspicious start, I read on. I’m not finding the story of Claude and Blanche’s relationship particularly interesting, but I continue. I’m figuring things will become more compelling when the focus is on the WW2 era when the Germans occupied Paris and one of the two wings of the Ritz became home to the Nazi command.
Well, it would have been more compelling except for one thing or, actually, two things. First, so much of the plot depends on Claude and Blanche not confiding in each other. In fiction, this is called the “idiot plot” and I really dislike the idiot plot. But even worse than the idiot plot is a character you are supposed to like but who behaves like an idiot. And that’s Blanche, the quintessential too-stupid-to-live character. Not that she’s actually stupid; no, she’s worse because she does things that are needlessly risky and dangerous for herself and others. It’s infuriating and unnecessary to the plot, because all the same things in the plot could have happened without Blanche behaving stupidly. In other words, let’s have the woman character behave idiotically for no good reason. This is not something I admire in a novel.
On the plus side, the last 10% of the novel, from the time the Allies re-take Paris, is strong and affecting. Too little, too late for me, though.
Melanie Benjamin writes that she was inspired to write a novel about Claude and Blanche Auzello because there is little historical documentation about them, even though he ran the Ritz for decades and he and Blanche lived there through the intense WW2 period. She’s absolutely right that this makes them seem like great characters for a historical novel. I just wish she had not treated Blanche so shabbily.
The book started off a little too self-consciously portentous for me, as Claude and Blanche Auzello return to the Ritz from the south soon after the Nazis have taken Paris and commandeered half of the Ritz. Then, a hint is dropped early on about some secret of Blanche’s, and you just know this will be oh-so-subtly alluded to several times before there is finally a big reveal. That kind of plot element always seems gimmicky to me, especially when (as in this case) it’s not difficult to guess what the secret is.
Despite this inauspicious start, I read on. I’m not finding the story of Claude and Blanche’s relationship particularly interesting, but I continue. I’m figuring things will become more compelling when the focus is on the WW2 era when the Germans occupied Paris and one of the two wings of the Ritz became home to the Nazi command.
Well, it would have been more compelling except for one thing or, actually, two things. First, so much of the plot depends on Claude and Blanche not confiding in each other. In fiction, this is called the “idiot plot” and I really dislike the idiot plot. But even worse than the idiot plot is a character you are supposed to like but who behaves like an idiot. And that’s Blanche, the quintessential too-stupid-to-live character. Not that she’s actually stupid; no, she’s worse because she does things that are needlessly risky and dangerous for herself and others. It’s infuriating and unnecessary to the plot, because all the same things in the plot could have happened without Blanche behaving stupidly. In other words, let’s have the woman character behave idiotically for no good reason. This is not something I admire in a novel.
On the plus side, the last 10% of the novel, from the time the Allies re-take Paris, is strong and affecting. Too little, too late for me, though.
Melanie Benjamin writes that she was inspired to write a novel about Claude and Blanche Auzello because there is little historical documentation about them, even though he ran the Ritz for decades and he and Blanche lived there through the intense WW2 period. She’s absolutely right that this makes them seem like great characters for a historical novel. I just wish she had not treated Blanche so shabbily.
June 15, 2019
This is the first novel that I have read by Melanie Benjamin, I am ashamed to say, but it surely will not be my last. Mistress of the Ritz drew me in right from the start. I loved the way Melanie Benjamin developed her characters. If I closed my eyes, it would have been easy for me to picture Blanche and Claude Aurello as they were during the years of 1923 when their story first began through 1945 with the Nazi occupation of Paris and how it changed each one of them. I must admit that I had never heard of Blanche or Claude Aurello before reading this book nor did I know much about the part The Ritz played during the occupation. Melanie Benjamin's research for this novel was well done and accurate. However, since there was not a lot of information on the Aurello's she sprinkled in other details to make the story work in a very believable way. The female characters, Melanie Benjamin wrote about in The Mistress of the Ritz, were all strong, courageous and resourceful. I also enjoyed the way she interspersed more well known women such as Coco. Channel, as well as some that were not that well known throughout the novel. It really gave you a glimpse into how the Parisians felt during this time in their history and what some would resort to in order to get "their" Paris back.
Blanche arrived in Paris during the early 1920's after having left her family behind in America. She was ready to live the life of a flapper/actress in Paris. One evening, Blanche was having dinner at a small hotel restaurant with her close friend Peal. Claude was the assistant manager of the hotel and was smitten with Blanche upon first sight. He was determined to woo her and make her his wife. Claude was successful. Blanche agreed to marry Claude but their marriage was not always perfect. Claude was an old fashioned Frenchman. He believed that the man was the "boss" and the woman listened. Blanche was not that kind of woman. They butted heads many time and argued constantly. Claude also believed it was his right to take mistresses, even if he did love Blanche. This was the way Claude was brought up. Despite their differences, Blanche encouraged Claude to become the manager of the Ritz and with her help they became the mistress and master of one of the most famous hotels in Paris. Thoughts were that nothing bad could happen within the walls of the Ritz. One was safe, beautiful and at home there. Over the years, many famous people like Hemingway, Picasso, F. Scott Fitzgerald and the Duke and Duchess of Windsor, were valued guests of the Ritz. All was well and normal at the Ritz until the Nazis took over Paris. Melanie Benjamin alternated the chapters of her book between Blanche and Claude, giving the reader a glimpse into their complicated marriage..
In June 1940, the Nazis arrived in Paris and made the Ritz their official headquarters. Everything changed in a blink of an eye. Hermann Goring resided in suites that had been previously occupied by royalty. It was a bad time for the Ritz. Blanche and Claude had to be extremely careful with everything they said and did now. It was quite terrifying. Both Claude and Blanche felt compelled to help Paris rid itself of the Nazis any way they could. Secrets and lies soon became the norm between husband and wife and almost came to damage and destroy their already shaky marriage. However, they both shared one very important secret, that they had managed to bury, but threatened to resurface. That secret could not only crush their marriage but could ultimately impact the survival of the Ritz.
Based on true events and people, Mistress of the Ritz by Melanie Benjamin, was an engaging, suspenseful and romantic novel. I found myself absorbed in Blanche's and Claude's lives and personality traits. At times, I found humor and at other times I had tears in my eyes. I was so glad Melanie Benjamin wrote about Claude and Blanche and the Ritz. I learned so much about their story and their role during the occupation of the Ritz. This is a book that I recommend very highly..
Blanche arrived in Paris during the early 1920's after having left her family behind in America. She was ready to live the life of a flapper/actress in Paris. One evening, Blanche was having dinner at a small hotel restaurant with her close friend Peal. Claude was the assistant manager of the hotel and was smitten with Blanche upon first sight. He was determined to woo her and make her his wife. Claude was successful. Blanche agreed to marry Claude but their marriage was not always perfect. Claude was an old fashioned Frenchman. He believed that the man was the "boss" and the woman listened. Blanche was not that kind of woman. They butted heads many time and argued constantly. Claude also believed it was his right to take mistresses, even if he did love Blanche. This was the way Claude was brought up. Despite their differences, Blanche encouraged Claude to become the manager of the Ritz and with her help they became the mistress and master of one of the most famous hotels in Paris. Thoughts were that nothing bad could happen within the walls of the Ritz. One was safe, beautiful and at home there. Over the years, many famous people like Hemingway, Picasso, F. Scott Fitzgerald and the Duke and Duchess of Windsor, were valued guests of the Ritz. All was well and normal at the Ritz until the Nazis took over Paris. Melanie Benjamin alternated the chapters of her book between Blanche and Claude, giving the reader a glimpse into their complicated marriage..
In June 1940, the Nazis arrived in Paris and made the Ritz their official headquarters. Everything changed in a blink of an eye. Hermann Goring resided in suites that had been previously occupied by royalty. It was a bad time for the Ritz. Blanche and Claude had to be extremely careful with everything they said and did now. It was quite terrifying. Both Claude and Blanche felt compelled to help Paris rid itself of the Nazis any way they could. Secrets and lies soon became the norm between husband and wife and almost came to damage and destroy their already shaky marriage. However, they both shared one very important secret, that they had managed to bury, but threatened to resurface. That secret could not only crush their marriage but could ultimately impact the survival of the Ritz.
Based on true events and people, Mistress of the Ritz by Melanie Benjamin, was an engaging, suspenseful and romantic novel. I found myself absorbed in Blanche's and Claude's lives and personality traits. At times, I found humor and at other times I had tears in my eyes. I was so glad Melanie Benjamin wrote about Claude and Blanche and the Ritz. I learned so much about their story and their role during the occupation of the Ritz. This is a book that I recommend very highly..
January 28, 2020
I so wanted to love this book, my first by Melanie Benjamin, but I didn't. The story switches back and forth in time and switches from past to present tense, and I found that a little jarring. I also formed an immediate dislike for both main characters, and though neither of them ever endeared themselves to me, and indeed I grew to absolutely loathe Claude, I eventually got sucked into the story and kept reading to see how it would play out...but then I hated the ending. This book just wasn't meant for me.
dnf
May 29, 2019I had to put this one down. After about 80 pages, I just wasn’t interested in the story.
May 21, 2019
4 French Resistance stars to this historical fiction tale
A fascinating glimpse of what life was like at the Paris Ritz during the German occupation and American liberation. We get to know Claude, the French manager of the Ritz and his American wife Blanche. Their tempestuous marriage is chronicled in this historical fiction story by Melanie Benjamin. Part of their issues stem from cultural differences, part result because they aren’t completely honest with each other.
There are many famous patrons who flow in and out the story and the luxurious setting of the Ritz – Coco Chanel and Hemingway to name a few. And Germans too – Goring and Stupfnagel are real characters that populate the book. The book alternates timelines, but it is easy to keep the flow of the story straight.
Like many French during the war, Claude and Blanche find ways to disrupt the German war machine. On the surface, Claude must serve the Germans who take over the hotel, but he has unique insight by their very presence at the hotel. Blanche plays a unique role as an American who also now speaks French and knows German from her childhood. She gets drawn into some dangerous assignments by a dear friend Lily. It was fascinating to read at the end that this was inspired by real people – I always find these to be the most interesting of historical fiction books.
I had the pleasure of meeting Melanie Benjamin in February 2019 at a Denver book event and she spoke a bit about writing this book, so it was thrilling to read an early copy. I recommend this one if you are a fan of WWII historical fiction.
Thank you to NetGalley, Melanie Benjamin, and Random House for an early readers copy of the book to read in return for a fair review.
A fascinating glimpse of what life was like at the Paris Ritz during the German occupation and American liberation. We get to know Claude, the French manager of the Ritz and his American wife Blanche. Their tempestuous marriage is chronicled in this historical fiction story by Melanie Benjamin. Part of their issues stem from cultural differences, part result because they aren’t completely honest with each other.
There are many famous patrons who flow in and out the story and the luxurious setting of the Ritz – Coco Chanel and Hemingway to name a few. And Germans too – Goring and Stupfnagel are real characters that populate the book. The book alternates timelines, but it is easy to keep the flow of the story straight.
Like many French during the war, Claude and Blanche find ways to disrupt the German war machine. On the surface, Claude must serve the Germans who take over the hotel, but he has unique insight by their very presence at the hotel. Blanche plays a unique role as an American who also now speaks French and knows German from her childhood. She gets drawn into some dangerous assignments by a dear friend Lily. It was fascinating to read at the end that this was inspired by real people – I always find these to be the most interesting of historical fiction books.
I had the pleasure of meeting Melanie Benjamin in February 2019 at a Denver book event and she spoke a bit about writing this book, so it was thrilling to read an early copy. I recommend this one if you are a fan of WWII historical fiction.
Thank you to NetGalley, Melanie Benjamin, and Random House for an early readers copy of the book to read in return for a fair review.
July 17, 2019
It took me a while to get into this book. This book is based on real events that took place during ww2 in Paris France. A married couple by the name of Blanche and Claude who directed the the Ritz hotel during german occupancy. They both secretly worked for the French resistance.
July 24, 2019
Mistress of the Ritz is the latest historical fiction novel based on the life of Blanche Auzello, an American actress who falls in love with Paris and Claude Auzello, Managing Director of the famed and iconic Ritz Hotel, that later became the headquarters of the Luftwaffe during the German occupation of Paris during World War II. It was during this time that Blanche became involved in the French resistance at great personal risk. It is an interesting and compelling story, certainly making me want to learn more about the lives of Claude and Blanche Auzello.
But at the time, she saw only where her future lay. In Paris, this magical city she never wanted to leave, this city that had cast a spell upon her. In Paris, with Claude, her Claude, she'd called him without knowing exactly why. Her knight in shining armor, her Don Quixote, tilting at windmills--and princes--for her."
"Her words--of accomplishment, of pride, of bravery--flutter to the ground, unspoken. Claude can't see them there, these broken, ruined things, stillborn"
"But he writes down the names of the missing. . . .Why does he do it? Perhaps he has some vague ideal of trying to find them, when--when this is all over, if it will ever be over. Perhaps he simply needs to mark their existence by noting their absence."
"They are in danger of becoming immune to the horrors surrounding them. This is what an occupation does--it wears you down until you accept evil. Until you can no longer fully define it, even. Let alone recognize it."
"Marriage is not defined by what we hope to gain, but by what we are willing to sacrifice."
But at the time, she saw only where her future lay. In Paris, this magical city she never wanted to leave, this city that had cast a spell upon her. In Paris, with Claude, her Claude, she'd called him without knowing exactly why. Her knight in shining armor, her Don Quixote, tilting at windmills--and princes--for her."
"Her words--of accomplishment, of pride, of bravery--flutter to the ground, unspoken. Claude can't see them there, these broken, ruined things, stillborn"
"But he writes down the names of the missing. . . .Why does he do it? Perhaps he has some vague ideal of trying to find them, when--when this is all over, if it will ever be over. Perhaps he simply needs to mark their existence by noting their absence."
"They are in danger of becoming immune to the horrors surrounding them. This is what an occupation does--it wears you down until you accept evil. Until you can no longer fully define it, even. Let alone recognize it."
"Marriage is not defined by what we hope to gain, but by what we are willing to sacrifice."
November 17, 2019
Mistress of the Ritz is inspired by the American born Blanche Ross who was married to Claud Auzello, the director of the Hotel Ritz in Paris. The first half of the book focuses on their marriage and it did not capture my interest as much as the second half of the book when Germany invades France and the Nazis take up residence at the Hotel. The story really picked up then and it made it hard to put the book down. The book was very interesting, there was a lot I did not know about and wanted to find out more like Coco Chanel being a Nazi collaborator. It made me research and dig deeper. Overall, it was a pretty intriguing four-star story for me.
Thank you to Net Galley and the publisher for providing me with an ARC in exchange for a fair and honest review.
Thank you to Net Galley and the publisher for providing me with an ARC in exchange for a fair and honest review.
May 26, 2019
Another wonderful Historical Fiction read for 2019!
Based on true events, The Mistress of the Ritz introduces you to the Auzello’s, the power couple behind the Ritz hotel. Headstrong American Blanche, and her hotel director French husband Claude, are hosts, the mistress and master of the Ritz. Doting on guests and providing the glitz and glamour that only the Ritz is known for.
Taken to the events in 1940 Paris, where German forces sweep through the city and occupy the lovely hotel.
This book features all of the things I love when it comes to historical fiction. Strong character building, a new sense of learning something about a time in history I was previously unaware of, and a little dash of romance thrown in for good measure.
I loved this book and was drawn to the glamour that existed within the walls of the Ritz Hotel, as well as to Blanche, and was pulling for their marriage in such a hard time of history.
*Thank you to NetGalley, Delacorte Press and Penguin Randomhouse for this complimentary digital copy in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own
Based on true events, The Mistress of the Ritz introduces you to the Auzello’s, the power couple behind the Ritz hotel. Headstrong American Blanche, and her hotel director French husband Claude, are hosts, the mistress and master of the Ritz. Doting on guests and providing the glitz and glamour that only the Ritz is known for.
Taken to the events in 1940 Paris, where German forces sweep through the city and occupy the lovely hotel.
This book features all of the things I love when it comes to historical fiction. Strong character building, a new sense of learning something about a time in history I was previously unaware of, and a little dash of romance thrown in for good measure.
I loved this book and was drawn to the glamour that existed within the walls of the Ritz Hotel, as well as to Blanche, and was pulling for their marriage in such a hard time of history.
*Thank you to NetGalley, Delacorte Press and Penguin Randomhouse for this complimentary digital copy in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own
April 15, 2021
3 stars Thanks to Netgalley and Bantam books for allowing me to read and review this book.
This story is just as much about Blanche and Claude as it is about the iconic Hotel Ritz in Paris. Blanche and Claude - an improbable match - are the Hostess and the Director of the Hotel Ritz, even going so far as to live in an off shoot of the hotel. This is a very badly mismatched couple - one who rarely even understands the comments or actions of the other.
To boot, this story takes place in 1940 as the Germans take over France in WWII. Based on the real life adventures of an American woman who secretly worked for the French Resistance during World War II-while playing hostess to the Ritz, this is a love story, sheltering many secrets.
I have read many books by Melanie Benjamin and enjoy most of them. This book was enjoyable, but rated a little lower on my scale.
This story is just as much about Blanche and Claude as it is about the iconic Hotel Ritz in Paris. Blanche and Claude - an improbable match - are the Hostess and the Director of the Hotel Ritz, even going so far as to live in an off shoot of the hotel. This is a very badly mismatched couple - one who rarely even understands the comments or actions of the other.
To boot, this story takes place in 1940 as the Germans take over France in WWII. Based on the real life adventures of an American woman who secretly worked for the French Resistance during World War II-while playing hostess to the Ritz, this is a love story, sheltering many secrets.
I have read many books by Melanie Benjamin and enjoy most of them. This book was enjoyable, but rated a little lower on my scale.
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