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The Room on Rue Amelie
The Room on Rue Amelie
The Room on Rue Amelie
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The Room on Rue Amelie

Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

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A moving and entrancing novel set in Paris during World War II about an American woman, a dashing pilot, and a young Jewish girl whose fates unexpectedly entwine—perfect for the fans of Kristen Hannah’s The Nightingale and Martha Hall Kelly’s Lilac Girls, this is “an emotional, heart-breaking, inspiring tribute to the strength of the human spirit and the enduring power of love” (Mariah Stewart, New York Times bestselling author).

When Ruby first marries the dashing Frenchman she meets in a coffee shop, she pictures a life strolling arm in arm along French boulevards, awash in the golden afternoon light. But it’s 1938, and war is looming on the horizon.

Unfortunately, her marriage soon grows cold and bitter, her husband Marcel, distant and secretive—all while the Germans flood into Paris, their sinister swastika flags waving in the breeze. When Marcel is killed, Ruby discovers the secret he’d been hiding—he was a member of the French resistance—and now she is determined to take his place.

She becomes involved in hiding Allied soldiers—including a charming RAF pilot—who have landed in enemy territory. But her skills are ultimately put to the test when she begins concealing her twelve-year-old Jewish neighbor, Charlotte, whose family was rounded up by the Gestapo. Ruby and Charlotte become a little family, but as the German net grows tighter around Paris, and the Americans debate entering the combat, the danger increases. No one is safe.

“Set against all the danger and drama of WWII Paris, this heartfelt novel will keep you turning the pages until the very last word” (Mary Alice Monroe, New York Times bestselling author).
LanguageEnglish
PublisherGallery Books
Release dateMar 27, 2018
ISBN9781501171413
Author

Kristin Harmel

Kristin Harmel is the New York Times bestselling author of more than a dozen novels including The Forest of Vanishing Stars, The Book of Lost Names, The Room on Rue Amélie, and The Sweetness of Forgetting. She is published in more than thirty languages and is the cofounder and cohost of the popular web series, Friends & Fiction. She lives in Orlando, Florida.

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Reviews for The Room on Rue Amelie

Rating: 4.243346060836502 out of 5 stars
4/5

263 ratings20 reviews

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  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    I read this historical fiction novel hoping to learn more, but the book is weak on historical information apart from what those of us who read about WWII already are well aware.
    It would not have been possible for Ruby to flee Ravensbruck and in her diseased condition suddenly find herself near the Swiss border. No, the book is more a fantasy than a reality.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    Great historial fiction - truly a gut wrencher - based on alot of real life experiences of many people
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    Kristin Harmel is a master storyteller. She pulls you in and suddenly you feel like you are there with the characters living along side them. This book is a powerful reminder of the importance of finding our humanity at the darkest times and of family, love and hope.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    Such a well-written, beautiful story of love, hope and life during a time when it was hell on earth. A powerful reminder to live, love and do all you can with the life you have. I can’t wait to read more novels from this author.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    WWII - French Resistance. I couldn't put it down - just wish the ending was different... it was a great ending, but not what I wanted hahaha. Fiction, but included the heart of several actual people who gave everything for people they didn't know.

    Well developed characters - made me care about them... too much, maybe.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    This is the best book of this author, I have read several of her, and this the second time I read this book and I enjoy it very much each time, it’s intense, well researched and have the perfect mix o hope, love and ultimately lost. I highly recommend this book if you like Second World War stories.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    Ruby is excited about moving to Paris with her new husband, Marcel. At first, she enjoys this new life but, as the Nazis advance toward Paris, events change rapidly. At first Marcel tries to convince her to go back to the United States but, after he is rejected by the army because of childhood polio, he seems to become bitter, dismissing her concerns, and disappearing for days at a time. Their next-doors neighbours are Jewish and are worried about what is coming> They ask Ruby to take care of their daughter, eleven-year-old Charlotte, should they disappear one day. Charlotte feels that she is being treated like a child and looks to Ruby for friendship. Meanwhile, In England, Thomas is training to be a pilot when he hears of his mother's death in the blitz. He is determined to do everything he can to help win the war despite the dangers but, just in case, another pilot tells him about an escape line in France should his plane be brought down.The Room on Rue Amelie by author Kristin Harmel is a well-written and compelling novel about the deprivation, heartbreak, and hardships of war and the willingness of regular people to place themselves in danger to fight back. I recommend it highly to anyone who enjoys historical fiction.Thanks to Netgalley and Simon and Schuster Canada for the opportunity to read this novel in exchange for an honest review
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    Excellent book. Not sure if everything was possible. The French did little to nothing to save Jewish people during the war.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    Kudos to Kristin Harmel, Author of "The Room on Rue Amelie" for weaving a fictional story and colorful characters with Historical Fiction. The time period is during World War Two. and goes to the past and the future only as the situation pertains to the story. This is a heavier emotional read with espionage, hardships, devastation, love, despair and hope.The characters are complex and complicated, perhaps due to the circumstances. The characters were also  courageous and brave.  Ruby is an American woman who falls in love with a Frenchman, Marcel and marries and moves to Paris with him. Ruby's parents live in California and are disappointed, because it appears that  Europe  is headed to war. Ruby's neighbors are a Jewish couple with a young daughter Charlotte. When the Germans arrive in Paris and start rounding up the Jewish people, the couple begs Ruby to take care of Charlotte.Thomas  Clarke is a flyer for the British Royal Air Force. His mother was killed in the Blitz by the Germans, and Thomas feels he is doing his duty.When fate brings the three together, there is danger, as they try to fight the Nazis. Kristin Harmel has written an intense, captivating, suspenseful, and intriguing novel. Be sure to have plenty tissues on hand. I would highly recommend this Historical Fiction novel for those readers that appreciate the genre. I received an ARC from NetGalley for my honest review.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    Kristin Harmel is truly a gifted writer. The story flows so nicely that you make yourself stop to get sleep. And even then, you think about it until you once again are able to continue the journey.

    As with her other books (think I've read 3 at this point), I have added a biographical book to my TBR after reading.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    Oh yes! What a wonderful book that certainly compares to The Nightingale! I couldn't put it down and hated for it to end. If you like World War 2 historical fiction, you will want to read this excellent book.

    1 person found this helpful

  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    Heartrending story that really tugs at the old heart strings. The best parts of this novel are the acts of courage in WWll Paris. Ruby, an American in Paris helps pilots hide until they can join an escape line. She falls for Thomas a British pilot who has to eject twice from his plane. She also hides and cares for the jewish daughter of a neighbor , Charlotte, who also winds up helping the resistance. This novel is a page turner. I only wish the main characters had been a little better drawn and with a little more depth. It is always so interesting to read about cities in Europe during WWll and how their citizens deal with all the situations that arise in a war. This novel does do that quite well.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    I think I might be on a little bit of a WWII/French Resistance kick (or maybe there's more of these novels being written & promoted?) but I'm finding this type of fiction just a little more compelling than usual these days. In this novel set during WWII, a young American woman finds herself in Paris during the Nazi invasion and then joins the resistance network, helping to keep downed Allied pilots safe. She also rescues her neighbors' Jewish daughter from being caught in a Nazi roundup, and falls in love with a RAF airman. While a few parts felt implausible (Ruby encounters an amazing number of helpful Germans towards the end of the book), overall this was a great read.

    1 person found this helpful

  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    I don't know where to start with this review! Even though this is another WWII story, it was absolutely fantastic.

    The characters were so believable and well developed. I was completely immersed in this story. I loved who I was supposed to love and I hated who I was supposed to hate! I can't stop using exclamation points!!!!!!!!!

    Get this book on your pre-order list immediately! Run do not walk to your favorite book seller and make sure that you purchase this book! This book was wonderful!

    My thanks to Netgalley and Gallery, Threshold, Pocket Books
    Gallery Books for this advanced readers copy.

    1 person found this helpful

  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    personal history, even though fictional, is a reminder of what might happen in the future! Could one have the courage to face the reality if future events repeat the devastating destruction war evokes? That so many did survive is a storyline we should remember
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    Amazing book about loss, love and sacrifice.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    Great book! SPOILER: I wished that Ruby and Thomas ended up together. But i guess it is good that not every book has a happy ending. Lucien and Charlotte’s ending was nice but I wasn’t as invested in their story as Ruby and Thomas’s
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    This is a wonderful new book about the resistance in Paris during World War II. The characters are well written and the story is a real page turner that will keep you reading to find out how it ends.I liked the way the author started the book with an epilogue about a elderly couple in California during current times. The wife is very ill and facing death and the husband is very distraught. As readers, we don't know until the end of the book which of the couples in the story the epilogue was about.The year is 1939 and Ruby has fallen in love with a Frenchman and moved to Paris despite her parent's warning that the political climate could be dangerous. She is in love and it's Paris and what could possibly go wrong with her life? In 1940, Paris fell to the Nazis and her life and her marriage began to fall apart. During this time, she became friends with a young Jewish girl in the next apartment whose father felt that he had nothing to worry about with the Nazis because he was a a vital member of the economy. Add to the story, an RAF pilot who got shot down and needs to get back to England and you have a story of intrigue as everyone tries to help him without getting caught by the Nazis - which would mean certain death.This book is about two brave strong women who stood up against the evil of the Nazi regime in Paris to save their friends and their city. Readers will want to add this to their bookshelves with other recent books like The Nightengale and The Lilac Girls.Thanks to the publisher for a copy of this book to read and review. All opinions are my own.

    1 person found this helpful

  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    Ruby meets the man of her dreams, gets married, and moves to Paris. Her life is pretty grand until WWII breaks out. Her parents beg her to come back to America. She is determined to stay with her husband even though things are not what they used to be between them.Ruby ends up helping downed pilots escape out of France. She knows it is dangerous work but she is determined to help stop the Nazis. Especially after her Jewish neighbors were taken. Ruby agrees to take in their daughter, Charlotte, to raise as her own.Many story lines going on in this read, which I just love. There are also many wonderful characters. Charlotte and Ruby are both strong and determined to hold their own in a world falling apart around them. Thomas, the downed RAF pilot, also plays a major role in this novel. I ADORED Thomas. He is strong and gentle all at the same time.As many of you know WWII is one of my favorite time periods and this author knows how to deliver. To me, and this is my opinion only, this read was not as good as her novel When We Meet Again. But, it is still a fabulous read. I just felt that Ruby was overly dramatic in places, especially when she talked about her husband or about Thomas. The danger surrounding Ruby and Charlotte is intense and this keeps the story moving quickly. I loved learning about the resistance and the downed pilots.Once again! Kristin Harmel delivers with a wonderful tale! PLUS, THIS COVER IS AMAZING! COVER LOVE!

    1 person found this helpful

  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    Easy to read, page turner for what happens next, interesting portrayal of resistance movement during WWII, but most of all it is a love story, albeit overly romanticized during a horrible time in world history.

Book preview

The Room on Rue Amelie - Kristin Harmel

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