The Riviera House
The Riviera House book cover

The Riviera House

Paperback – Special Edition, August 31, 2021

Price
$8.64
Format
Paperback
Pages
480
Publisher
Forever
Publication Date
ISBN-13
978-1538717318
Dimensions
5.6 x 1.55 x 8.25 inches
Weight
14.2 ounces

Description

“ The Riviera House is a poignant meditation on loss and the courage it takes to start over. A stark reminder of how the past influences the present, the novel kept me up at night, turning the pages faster and faster , in order to be with its heroine Remy as she solved the mystery of an enigmatic painting and learned what happened to the Résistants who risked their lives to help others.”― Janet Skeslien Charles, New York Times bestselling author of The Paris Library "Beautifully written and intimately researched, The Riviera House weaves an intriguing and wonderfully imagined path between WW2 Paris and modern-day French Riviera. Lester handles the darker aspects of war sensitively, while effortlessly drawing the reader into a powerful tale of art,xa0passion and secrets. Like the masterpieces she writes about, Lester adds rich layers and real depth to her characters, and fans of historical fiction and dual timeline novels will be mesmerised as connections are slowly revealed, building toward a heart wrenching finale. Magnifique!"― Hazel Gaynor, NYT bestselling author of When We Were Young & Brave "In Hitler's war on civilization, a group of women and men risk everything to protect the art in their care, but it's not until decades later that the profound extent of their sacrifice is discovered. The Riviera House is a love letter to art in all its forms. With beautiful prose and immeasurable heart, Natasha Lester shows we must dare to love, in spite of fear, no matter the cost.”― Erika Robuck, national bestselling author of The Invisible Woman "Suspense, intrigue and self-sacrifice are at the heart of this fascinating story about artwork stolen by the Nazis, based on real people and true events."― Ruth Druart, Sunday Times bestselling author of While Paris Slept "Delectable and daring, The Riviera House takes readers from wartime Paris to the sun-soaked French Riviera and beyond, populating its world with fabulous fashion, unforgettable characters, vibrant masterpieces — and intrigue at every turn."xa0― Bryn Turnbull, author of Woman Before Wallis “A vivid, nuanced and deeply moving depiction of women’s courage in the face of unimaginable danger, sacrifice and loss. The Riviera House is a gripping story of a young woman who risks her life to record the Nazi’s pillage of fine artworks during World War II, and the repercussions of her actions down the years, as her legacy helps another woman in her greatest hour of need. A superlative work of historical fiction —Natasha Lester’s finest yet!"― Christine Wells, author of Sisters of the Resistance “A gripping and heartbreaking tale sweeping from Nazi-occupied Paris to the sun-kissed coast of southern France, The Riviera House is a story that will stay with me for a long time.”― Posy Lovell, author of The Kew Gardens Girls "Art lovers and fashionistas alike will be glued to this emotional page-turner about the women whoxa0safeguarded Paris’s treasures during the German occupation." xa0― Kaia Alderson, author of Sisters in Arms "As you would expect from Natasha Lester, this is a meticulously researched novel with a perfectly woven dual timeline.xa0 The richly drawn characters will stay with me for a long time. The Riviera House is her best book yet."― Kathryn Hughes, the million-copy bestselling author of The Letter "Will delight fans of Kate Morton or anyone in need of a gorgeously wrought ... tale of love, loss, courage, and compassion."― Booklist, starred review, on The Paris Secret " Lester is a master storyteller. "― The Daily Telegraph on The Paris Secret "Gripping from the first page, a compelling story of mystery and intrigue, and I couldn’t put it down."― Tania Blanchard, author of Letters from Berlin "Lester’s story casts its spell."― Christian Science Monitor Natasha Lester is the New York Times bestselling author of The Paris Seamstress,u202fThe Paris Orphan and The Riviera House ,u202fand a former marketing executive for L’Oréal.xa0Her novels have been translated into many different languages and are published all around the world. When she’s not writing, she lovesu202fcollecting vintage fashion (Dior is a favorite!), practicing the art of fashion illustration, learning about fashion history—and traveling to Paris. Natasha lives with her husband and three children in Perth, Western Australia.

Features & Highlights

  • 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 the Louvre  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?
  • CNN Underscored: Most Anticipated New Books to Read this August
  • CNN Underscored: Most Anticipated New Books to Read this August

Customer Reviews

Rating Breakdown

★★★★★
60%
(1.7K)
★★★★
25%
(698)
★★★
15%
(419)
★★
7%
(195)
-7%
(-196)

Most Helpful Reviews

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Two different stories with little link

This novel left me wanting. Wanting what, you ask? Well, more cohesion and connection between past and present, a happy (or at least resolved) ending if the point was to piece together the past and present, major plot issues left unresolved, and less inconsequential family drama in the modern part (All families have that, so there is no need to read about it in a book.). I read all of the historical parts of this book first and then went back and read the modern parts to keep from missing or forgetting details along the way. Coincidentally, this could almost be two separate books. There is not that great deal of connection from the past in the modern part. It is more about fashion and romance. I would “get it” more if the live interests were paint artists, but they are into fashion and photography, so the story line does not flow from past to present in that way. The family issues in the modern part were not resolved nor were the romance/parental issues. Xavier’s character could have also been so much more especially closer to the end.
4 people found this helpful
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Mystery on the French Riviera

An envelope with money, a key, and the title to a villa on the French Riviera.
Natasha Lester’s The Riviera House is the tale of daring women protecting famous artworks since the Nazis are coming for France! It’s 1939, and the Louvre is closing for three days for “essential repair work.” Main character, Eliane Dufort, a student of art history, goes to school and works at the Louvre. Eliane, becomes involved in protecting the art by adding codes on crates of artwork being sent to another smaller museum, the Jeu de Paume, for cataloging and eventually transit. Her brother, Luc, an aspiring artist, and his friend Xavier, also become involved in the plot to save the famous artworks. Natasha Lester provides an excellent character study of brother and sister, and the wealthy friend, Xavier Laurent, whose father owns art galleries in Paris, London, and New York City. According to Xavier, Hitler is “not just seizing nations, he’s destroying their art and culture, too.” Readers learn to distrust both Luc and Xavier, for different reasons. Eliane and the reader fall for Xavier as Natasha Lester, in a time of such fear, gives a very calming and tender description of Xavier’s love for Eliane. Later Xavier appears with Reichsmarshall Goring as a guide at the Louvre and readers are filled with extreme doubt! Who can Eliane trust?
In a dual timeline, Natasha Lester whisks the reader to the grand vistas of the French Riviera, to a breathtaking villa in Saint-Jean-Cap-Ferrat. At the urging of her best friend Antoinette, Remy Lang has come from Sydney, Australia, to spend three months in France to recover and reassemble her life. In 2015, Remy is a widow of two years, and owner/curator of a vintage fashion business. Remy is in a “coma of agony.” Natasha Lester has a way with the language that speaks to the soul. As Remy navigates her journey of grief NL injects doubt and questioning, so readers are urged to examine their own conscience and come to conclusions. The villa is part of Remy’s inheritance, and her quandary is “How do I have in my possession a painting that Herman Goring stole seventy years ago?” That answer is filled with art history, mystery, and “Wait. What?” moments.
As Xavier says, “Art is all we have when words fail us, mankind fails us, and we fail each other.” Join the throng of Natasha Lester fans, to discover the treasures and uncover the mysteries hidden in The Riviera House.
3 people found this helpful
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Historical fictions meets present day romance

This is the third book by the author that I’ve read after The Paris Orphan and The Paris Seamstress. Just like her previous books, she wrote in dual times of past and presents, just like her other books. While liked the historical fact and the story of the past, although it is not something new, I can’t stay I like the story and the characters of the present day. This books has the same pattern and theme like her other books. The present day romance is cheesy and fluffy and it adds nothing to the great story of the past.
2 people found this helpful
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A must read for fans of historical fiction

I’ve read all that Natasha Lester has written as she is a fantastic writer. The Riviera House can be added to her resume of fabulous writing and storytelling. Lester is a master at stirring emotion in the reader and highlighting the strength, fear and devotion to a country in peril through her characters. This book along with all her others is a page turner that will keep you hooked until the very last page. I cannot wait for her next release in 2022.
2 people found this helpful
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The Plight of France's Art During WWII

Natasha Lester historical fiction delves into the Nazi's invasion of Paris and theft of the many art masterpieces owned by it's citizens and galleries. The novel is fully woven through the lives of Xavier and Eliane and their counterparts who fight bravely with the Resistance to save the art at the cost of many lives. An orphan inherits a grand house on the Riviera which begins her search for who her biological parents could have been tracing them back to war times. Intriguing, masterfully written with Mrs. Lester's undeniable great lengths she went to in order to bring the actual facts and recorded documents regarding the cataloguing of the stolen art pieces, many of which were never recovered.
2 people found this helpful
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Engaging historical novel

This is my favorite Natasha Lester book. She is a fantastic writer - you learn history in such an entertaining way. You are captured from page one!
1 people found this helpful
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A riveting piece of historical fiction

This author always thoroughly researches her subjects, then fits fictional characters round real life people. The novel has a dual timeline, with Eliane and Xavier the main characters during WWII in Paris, while Remy and Adam are the couple in 2015 on the Rjviera. I found the historical sections most interesting, and riveting centering on the efforts by the Nazis to steal famous artwork, particularly the collections of Jewish owners, which they felt entitled to. Eliane works with Rose Vallard, the real person who was able to catalog what the Nazis were stealing. The more contemporary storyline centers on Remy and Adam’s developing relationship, as well the mystery behind Remy’s inheritance of the Riviera house. I recommend this novel, and thank NetGalley for the ARC. There is a lot of substance here, and the writing is well done.
1 people found this helpful
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OK

I have read lots and lots of WWII fiction, and several that concerned the theft of artwork, and this one is not much different from the others. It is set in two time periods, the war years and 70 years later, in which a woman is trying to find out the truth about her heritage. There are love stories in both settings. I thought this book was entertaining; it just wasn't unusual.
1 people found this helpful
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Art in WWII

Natasha Lester’s new historical fiction delves into the Nazi's invasion of Paris and theft of the many art masterpieces owned by it's citizens and galleries. The novel is fully woven through the lives of Xavier and Eliane and their counterparts who fight bravely with the Resistance to save the art at the cost of many lives.

An orphan inherits a grand house on the Riviera which begins her search for who her biological parents could have been tracing them back to war times.
1 people found this helpful
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Another great historical novel by Natasha Lester

Natasha Lester is to be commended for researching and writing novels based upon real life women in World War II. This wasn't as good as The Paris Seamstress - the "present day" character Remy Lang was weak and not at all a tribute to those who came before her.