The Paris Housekeeper

 This is actually a story of three women facing difficulties in World War II, and the friendship that the three of them forged through the hardest of times.  Vivian was a resident of the Ritz Hotel in Paris until the Germans took it over.  Rachel and Camille were housekeepers in the hotel.  Vivian often asked for Camille's assistance and tipped well. As the Germans infiltrated Paris, Rachel got singled out as the Jew on the staff and eventually had to go into hiding because the Jews were going to be rounded up and sent to a death camp.  

A German officer who has moved into the suite where Vivian once resided and then is promoted and given a house closer to his  work.  He takes Vivian as his mistress/hostess and Vivian recommends Camille to be his housekeeper at three times her normal wages.  

Camille finds a tunnel under the house where there is a couple of cots set up and she hides Rachel and her mother until new papers can be acquired for them to escape France and to move into Spain. It all comes to a head when the German officer finds the forged papers and realizes that the two Jewish women had been hiding in his house for months.  

I didn't find this book as compelling as the other book by Renee Ryan that I have read.  The plot moved very slowly and the characters weren't as engaging.  Many of the characters seemed two dimensional to me and lacked depth.  Those who like World War II fiction may like this and this may have been just the mood I was in when I read the book. So I will give it three stars. 

Harlequin Romance provided the copy I read for this review.  All opinions expressed are solely my own. 

A Royal Christmas

Melody Carlson's books are sweet, light, and often humorous.  Sometimes she adds a bit of mystery to keep the reader engaged.  

So imagine you are a barista working your way through law school and you get a letter telling you that your father, who is a king in a very small European country is on his death bed.  Now, imagine that you didn't even know you HAD a father, much less one who is considered royalty, albeit in a country of 15,000 people.  How do you handle this piece of mail that is requesting a visit from you before your father passes away?  First of all, determine whether the letter is a scam, then choose your path accordingly. 

Adelaide Katelyn had just that series of events happen to her. In the midst of meeting her father and becoming accustomed to palace life, Adelaide finds her stepmother less than welcoming.  This is almost a Snow White kind of story minus the poison apple.  

Some of the supporting characters make the story so much richer, especially Anton. But, I felt that the novella was incomplete.  The problem with novellas is that there is limited space to fully develop the narrative.  That is the only criticism I have for the novella.  It is a quick read and quite engaging.  

Four Strong Stars. 

Revell Publishing provided the copy I read for this review.  All opinions expressed are solely my own