Mistress of the Ritz

Posted on 11 November 2017 by Melanie Benjamin

A captivating novel based on the story of the extraordinary real life American woman who secretly worked for the French Resistance during World War II while playing hostess to the invading Germans at the iconic Hotel Ritz in Paris from the New York Times bestselling author of The Aviator s Wife and The Swans of Fifth Avenue Nothing bad can happen at the Ritz inside its gilded walls every woman looks beautiful, every man appears witty Favored guests like Ernest Hemingway, F Scott Fitzgerald, Coco Chanel, and the Duke and Duchess of Windsor walk through its famous doors to be welcomed and pampered by Blanche Auzello and her husband, Claude, the hotel s director The Auzellos are the mistress and master of the Ritz, allowing the glamour and glitz to take their minds off their troubled marriage, and off the secrets that they keep from their guests and each other.Until June 1940, when the German army sweeps into Paris, setting up headquarters at the Ritz Suddenly, with the likes of Hermann Goring moving into suites once occupied by royalty, Blanche and Claude must navigate a terrifying new reality One that entails evensecrets One that may destroy the tempestuous marriage between this beautiful, reckless American and her very proper Frenchman For the falsehoods they tell to survive, and to strike a blow against their Nazi guests, spin a web of deceit that ensnares everything and everyone they cherish.But one secret is shared between Blanche and Claude alone the secret that, in the end, threatens to imperil both of their lives, and to bring down the legendary Ritz itself.Based on true events, Mistress of the Ritz is a taut tale of suspense wrapped up in a love story for the ages, the inspiring story of a woman and a man who discover the best in each other amid the turbulence of war. Download Mistress of the Ritz – kino-fada.fr 4.5 starsHow 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 m 4.5 starsHow 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 any Both have secrets, both live secret lives which they live while ...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 th 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 ...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 al 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 headquart...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 ficti 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 sett...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 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 evenintense 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, esp...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 Par 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 introuble 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...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 Ritzthan 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, 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 Ritzthan 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 apar...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 Fre 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 ...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 hi 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 kee...4.5 StarsI 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 hotelMistress 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 4.5 StarsI 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 hotelMistress 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 Ger...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 capto 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 ...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 s 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 outTo me there is nothin...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 jobBenjamin s prose fl 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 jobBenjamin s prose flows beautifully and ...rounded up to 4.5 starsI 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 marri rounded up to 4.5 starsI 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...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 When it comes to the French Resistance of WWII, the...

English
11 November 2017

Melanie Benjamin