The Riviera House

By: Natasha Lester

Narrated by: Barrie Kreinik

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?

©2021 Natasha Lester (P)2021 Forever

Critic reviews

"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, passion 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 best-selling author of When We Were Young & Brave)

“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 best-selling author of The Paris Library)

"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 best-selling author of The Invisible Woman)

Mostly Excellent Book, Very Poor Ending

*** CAUTION: SPOILERS ***
Up until the ending, this was a 5 star read. But, in the last few chapters, Remy's completely contrived -and thoroughly improbable- freakout, and her out-of-the-blue rejection of Adam (for nine months?!?!) were just too hard to swallow. All of these needless theatrics kind of ruined the book. Had to knock off one star overall, and 2 stars off the story. What a shame the author didn't maintain the same quality of writing throughout. Maybe she was up against a deadline?

On a happier note, the narrator did a superb job. No hesitation about awarding her 5 stars.

A Beautful Love Story

Natasha Lester makes one believe that out of the worst of times and in the face of the greatest evil, love that will live through generations can flourish. This book is unforgettable. Beyond that, I have never heard better narration than that provided by Barrie Kreinik. Highly recommended!

Good story

I struggled to stay interested but it ended up being good. I had no idea art was such an issue during the war. I enjoyed this but it was a little drawn out.

Good Story

Good story about the theft of art from France. The narration is also very good.

The Riviera House

This was a lovely and heart breaking story. Very quickly i was absorbed into it, and had trouble laying it down. A wonderful read-

Just wow

As a lover of historical fiction, I have listened to so many of them. This might be one of my top five favorites.

The many courageous people

Courage a rare human quality is found among these pages. It restores faith in humanity

Amazing

I rarely take the time to write a review but this book requires that I make the time! It was amazing. The author pulled emotions from me that I cannot begin to describe. It may have been the subject matter or the narrator’s tone but the author is who I want to give the credit. I was completely captivated by this story.

True love

Great read,compelling story. DETAILED BACKSTORIES. VERY BELIEVABLE.TIME REVEALS LOVE THROUGHOUT HISTORY AND ANCESTORY. DEEPLY MOVING

Over written and melodramatic, but interesting

The excellent narrator and the marvelous descriptions of the settings for some of the scenes in France for the modern thread of the story help rescue an over-the-top plot.