The Riviera House
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4.4 • 79 Ratings
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- $22.99
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- $22.99
Publisher Description
A lush and engrossing novel of one woman’s quest to keep Nazis from stealing priceless art during WWII, perfect for fans of The Rose Code.
Paris, 1939: The Nazis think Éliane can't understand German. They’re wrong. They think she’s merely cataloging art in a Louvre museum and unaware they’re stealing national treasures for their private collections. They have no idea she’s carefully decoding their notes and smuggling information to the Resistance. But Éliane is playing a dangerous game. Does she dare trust the man she once loved with her secrets, or will he only betray her once again? She has no way to know for certain . . . until a trip to a stunning home on the French Riviera brings a whole new level of peril.
Present Day: Wanting to forget the tragedy that has left her life in shambles, Remy Lang heads to a home she’s mysteriously inherited on the Riviera. While working on her vintage fashion business, she discovers a catalog of the artworks stolen during World War II and is shocked to see a painting that hung on her childhood bedroom wall. Who is her family, really? And does the Riviera house hold more secrets than Remy is ready to face?
APPLE BOOKS REVIEW
Natasha Lester’s World War II–era historical dramas are delights, full of fascinating detail and enough romance and mystery to keep things moving along. We also love her strong female heroes. The Riviera House may be Lester’s best so far. The story’s set in Paris after the Nazi invasion, where impoverished young art student Éliane is forced to help German officers spirit away priceless works of art stolen from their rightful Jewish owners. Meanwhile, on the French Riviera in the present day, grieving young widow Remy recognizes one of the paintings in the catalogue of lost masterpieces, leading to a shocking revelation about her childhood. As always, Lester’s research is impeccable—Éliane works alongside a real-life star of the French Resistance, Rose Valland—but it’s the relatable emotional journeys of her two heroines that drive this beautiful drama. Narrator Barrie Kreinik shifts her accents and performance style seamlessly between the two timelines, helping ground us in each woman’s powerful, uplifting story. We highly recommend this audiobook.
Customer Reviews
Oh please, spare me……
Oh please, spare me the overblown and dramatic emotional love scenes. I thought I was buying a historical fiction story not a Romantic Novel. All the romance might have been ok if the characters weren’t so unbelievable. The pace is slow and story drags. I tried to stick it out hoping things would improve. They didn’t and I gave up. Don’t waste your time with this book.