Kristin Harmel is one of my favorite authors. From the first book I read, The Book of Lost Names, I’ve fallen in love with her books. I put all of the books by her that I could find on my waitlist. The Room on Rue Amelie just came available and I grabbed it up and listened to it right away.
I loved this book. I found myself doing everything I could so that I could keep listening. More gardening got done, the laundry got folded, the dishwasher got unloaded, and quilts got machine quilted all while I listened.
I’ve read other Kristin Harmel books but this one is right at the top of the list of my favorites. It’s a great story that I can believe happening. It’s a story that I can imagine myself being in.
As the book opens, there is a short present-day chapter but then the book goes back and stays in the WWII time period until the end when the book comes back to the present day. I’ve had a few readers say that they don’t like when books flip flop from present-day to the modern day. This one only has those two spots so it’s easy to follow.
Here is what Amazon had to say:
“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).”
Amazon readers give the book 4.7 stars. Over 17,000 readers have left the reviews so having that high of a rating is really an accomplishment. I would give the book the same. This is a book that will stay with me. I’ve been on a bit of a roll with some good books. I’m quickly finding out that most every Kristin Harmel book is one that I enjoy reading.
If you are interested, you can find the book HERE. If you are a Kindle Unlimited user, the book is free as of my writing this. You can learn more about Kindle Unlimited HERE.