I’m on a historical fiction kick lately! Perhaps I’m finding stories of female resistance fighters particularly inspiring at the moment, maybe I just need stories with a strong female main character. Either way, Melanie Benjamin’s Mistress of the Ritz ticking all the boxes. All opinions are my own. This post contains some affiliate links that may earn me a commission if you purchase through them. Book Details & Synopsis My Thoughts on Mistress of the Ritz This is my first Melanie Benjamin novel, but it definitely will not be my last! It ticked all the boxes for what I look for in a historical fiction tale. It is beautifully written, immersive, and I walked away learning something new (or learning more) about a time/event in history. Mistress of the Ritz is a fictionalized account of Claude and Blanche Auzello. (In fact, this is because there is so little detail known about the two). The story hops around in time from the ’20s when they first met, Claude a climbing hotel manager and Blanche an aspiring actress. It continues through WWII and to 1944 and V-Day. The chapters also alternate between Blanche and Claude’s points of view. These switches were handled well. They also helped to highlight their differences in culture, views on relationships, and personality – and the struggle it puts on their relationship. The first half of the book was much more character-driven. Much of the story focusing on their relationship (and its struggles). However, the second half was much more plot-driven (even though I thought it was also here that the characters really jumped off the page). In the latter part of the book, Claude and Blanche became more involved in the Resistance – and kept their activities hidden. Because of their individual secrecy, both only saw the worst in each other, and it drove them further apart. The side characters were equally fascinating! Coco Chanel’s story was a surprise to me, and the Ritz was a character in its own right. Beautifully written, fully engaging, Mistress of the Ritz was the perfect tale for this WW2 historical fiction fan! For another wonderful historical fiction set in World War II, try Leila Meacham’s Dragonfly!