When Nazi's occupy France, Camille, Rachel, and Vivian must decide where their loyalties lie and how far they are willing to go to survive. Each woman is connected to the Ritz Hotel in Paris. Rachel is a Jewish house maid, who suffers ridicule and exclusion from her co-workers. Camille, a pretty French girl, is caught up in the resistance by passing notes. Vivian, an American ex-pat, decides to fraternize with the enemy in order to continue forging documents and helping Jews escape.

I'm not entirely sure how to rate this book. The three points of view worked well for the storyline. However, the book itself was extremely repetitive. Each time the pov switched, the author rehashed the characters motivations, doubts, and struggles. This grew extremely tedious. Additionally, the book itself lacked storytelling. The author told us what happened rather than describing what happened. Because off these criticism, 3 out of 5 stars. ( )

Renee Ryan writes lovely historical fiction that has beautiful cadence, memorable characters, and powerful impact. The Paris Housekeeper does have a smooth flow and interesting characters but felt a little too long and drawn out. This tale of war, greed, grief, loss, betrayal and sacrifice told from three women's perspectives was indeed powerful, even with the few places that were harder to read due to the awful gut-wrenching things that happened in Paris under The Occupation. I had loved The Secret Society of Salzburg and was hoping to love this book as much but I did not fully connect with any of the characters and felt the pace of the story was a bit slow. Still I learned much about Paris during the years of 1940-1942 and appreciated the arduous journey that Rachel, Camille, and Vivian undertook for survival and human decency.

If you enjoy WWII historical fiction, you will thoroughly enjoy this book filled with historical tidbits and thought-provoking questions. I received a complimentary copy courtesy of Love Inspired via NetGalley and was under no obligation to post a positive comment. All opinions are my own. ( )

I read a lot of WWII fiction, and find this novel by Renee Ryan to be truly inspired and original. It is a story of the intertwined lives of three women living in Paris from 1940 to 1942. One is a beautiful, wealthy American widow, another a young French chambermaid working at the Hotel Ritz, and the last a young Jewish woman also employed at the Ritz. The French chambermaid, Camille Lacroix, orchestrates events, however unintentionally, which tie these three lives together. While historic events such as the June, 1942 Vel d'Hiv roundup are mentioned, with the author relying on the reader's historical knowledge, the story remains focused on these women, their relationships, the choices they make, and the impact they have on one another.

This novel is very well-written. Readers can not help but become emotionally involved with the three leading characters. This investment may cost the reader heartache and tears along the way. The ending will not be happy for all of the characters, but good can come out of even the saddest of events.

I highly recommend The Paris Housekeeper, and am grateful to have received a complimentary copy from Harlequin via NetGalley without obligation. All opinions expressed here are my own. ( )

Vivian, an American living at the Ritz hotel in Paris and chambermaids French Camille and Jewish Rachel are caught up in the occupation during WWII.
Ms. Ryan has used her research of real events to highlight yet another story of perseverance, daring and resilience under oppression from the Germans. She has brought to life characters who risked much to save Jews from unjust persecution and shown the exceptional fortitude it took to fraternize with the enemy for the sake of helping Jewish people escape to safety.
I could feel the tension as Rachel and her family waited to be targeted for deportation. And I was on pins and needles when Camille and Vivian went to live in the prominent officer’s house.
I recommend this book for fans of WWII and the brave action of ordinary people during daunting circumstances.
*I received a complimentary ARC copy of this book from the author. I was not required to post a favorable review. All opinions are my own.* ( )

Every French citizen declared: Paris won't be invaded.

But...Paris was invaded, and the Germans took over the city and the Hotel Ritz.

The escape from the city began, but some people couldn't escape.

We meet three women who couldn't escape because of their situations and are connected to the Hotel Ritz.

Rachel is a Jewish housekeeper, Camille works at the hotel because she has to take care of her family and specifically her sister, and Vivian is an American living in the hotel.

Rachel gets treated even worse as the days rage on and more restrictions are placed on Jewish citizens, Camille feels more guilt about leaving her family, and Vivian starts an affair with a German officer, but has a secret.

What will happen to all of them?

Will they help each other or turn on each other?

Ms. Ryan added a layer of mystery along with the tension involved with keeping safe in Nazi Germany.

The last 25% will have you biting your fingernails.

THE PARIS HOUSEKEEPER is another Renee Ryan gem that will be devoured by historical fiction fans and loved by those who enjoy female characters as the main focus.

Amazing research by Ms. Ryan. 5/5

Thank you to the publisher for a copy of the book. All opinions are my own. ( )