Mistress of the Ritz

A Novel

By: Melanie Benjamin

Narrated by: Barbara Rosenblat

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 Hôtel Ritz in Paris—from the New York Times bestselling author of The Aviator's Wife and The Swans of Fifth Avenue.

“A compelling portrait of a marriage and a nation at war from within.”—Kate Quinn, author of The Alice Network

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 Goëring moving into suites once occupied by royalty, Blanche and Claude must navigate a terrifying new reality. One that entails even more secrets and lies. One that may destroy the tempestuous marriage between this beautiful, reckless American and her very proper Frenchman. For in order to survive—and strike a blow against their Nazi “guests”—Blanche and Claude must 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.

Praise for Mistress of the Ritz

“No one writes of the complexities of women’s lives and loves like Melanie Benjamin. In Mistress of the Ritz, Benjamin brings wartime Paris brilliantly to life. . . . Intense, illuminating, and ultimately inspiring!”—Elizabeth Letts, New York Times bestselling author of Finding Dorothy

Wartime Paris

Loved this book! I am intrigued by WWII as it took place in the European Theater. The story of a French hotelier and his American flapper wife as they live through the twenties, thirties, and the German Occupation of Paris during WWII is fascinating. The author is a master of prose, using Paris and the opulent Ritz Hotel as the backdrop to their history. The reader, Barbara Rosenblatt, is a wonder! She is adept at articulating accents and voices -- both make and female. I heartily recommend this audio book!

Romance turned heroic

The book begins as a romantic story and slowly turns into a story of passion and resilience. The very unheroic protagonists become heroes of the resistance, survivors of Nazi occupation, and their own marital warfare. Based on true characters. Lovely and lively prose.

Narrator voice

I do not care for the narrators voice Barbara Rosenblatt sounds like a heavy smoker throughout

2nd half was good

I had a hard time with the beginning of the book. very descriptive and seemed too long until it got to more suspenseful thinga. in the end I did enjoy just thought it could be done on a more condensed version.

This is a great story

Her voice took some getting used to with my very "southern" ears but I loved the story. It keeps you interested with no lulls.