boring with Christian undertones
Agent 13 was more interesting than Liesel who is simply annoying. So stiff and I get it, she wants whats best but dear God, so repetitive. Book could've been shorter.
As for the content, loved learning about the lawyer Leon Lewis, he's cool. Would've liked more of him

Code Name Edelweiss
by Stephanie Landsem
A very intriguing and inspirational audible book. I found the need to question if not now when, if not me then whom. The book looks into the problems in the studio industry of the movies just before the second world war. Where political and social strain affects all the division of the industry. Jews against gentiles, men against women, those who had work and those looking for work. An inspiring story of mystery and intrigue in this very divisive time. The characters are very well described with meaning and reason for their choices and actions. The idea of the exploitation of people divisions, as a reason for hatred is a dire warning for us in our own times. I hope this story opens our eyes to the manipulation of social media by groups that want to exploit the divisions. I would suggest this book to any intellectual reader, or history buff.

Thank you to NetGalley for letting me listen to this audiobook for my honest opinion. This was my first book by Stephanie Landsem & I really enjoyed it. This book had a different spin from others because it was a historical fiction with spy’s. I had never read a book like this & I read a lot of historical fiction. Liesel Weiss is a single mom working at MGM studios when she loses her job, no fault of her own. She is the only one supporting her family- her children, mother & brother so she is desperate to find another job. Liesel goes to an agency & sneakily becomes aware of a job & decides to pursue it. She ends up working with Leon Lewis a Jewish lawyer who believes Nazi agents are working to seize control of Hollywood & agent 13 to spy on her friends & neighbors in a German community. My favorite part was when agent 13 & agent 17 met each other. It was interesting to read a historical fiction that had spy’s.

This was a great story that's as relevant today as it was in 1933! Everything Liesl is confronted with comes back to the old adage, "The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing.”

Liesl is struggling to make ends meet as the sole support for her two children, cranky mother and irresponsible younger brother. Jobs are scarce, so she takes daring action in order to secure a post she knows she's more than qualified for. But it turns out to be more than she bargained for, and what starts as a job turns into a mission.

I honestly had a hard time putting the book down. The courage and bravery of the main characters was enthralling and inspiring. Well done!

Thank you to Stephanie Landsem, Dreamscape Media and NetGalley for an advance review copy.

Wow what in introduction to Stephanie Landsem, this is my first novel by her, it was also my debut into the world of audiobooks and I wasn’t disappointed. Code Name Edelweiss Is a beautifully written historical novel set in America during the depression. Based on true events we enter a world of courage, bravery, deception and danger as a Jewish lawyer and amateur spies try to save America from Adolf Hitler’s plan to take over Hollywood, while also trying to deal with personal issues at home. It had some well written quotes used throughout one of my favourites being “If not me, then who and if not now, then when”.
Both narrators Cady Zuckerman and Neil Hellegers I thought where amazing, the voices rose and fell and changed to add the excitement or anticipation when needed. Highly recommended read or audiobook.

I would like to thank Dreamscape Media, NetGalley the narrators and the author for the opportunity to listen to this complimentary copy for an honest review. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.




#CodeNameEdelweiss #NetGalley.

Wonderfully woven story based on real-life events set in Hollywood during the 1930s. I love WWII historical novels and found this refreshingly different as it is set in Los Angeles. I loved Leisl, the main character as she struggles internally with the difficulties of being a single mom dealing with cultural anxieties. I was on the edge of my seat with the dangers she found herself in as a spy infiltrating Nazi organizations and trying to thwart their plans.
Wilhelm is a complex character who is dealing with his own demons. The secondary characters are well-rounded and enhance the story.
I hope to enjoy more stories by Stephanie Landsem. She did a thorough job of researching the events and bringing them to life. The audiobook was well narrated.
Thank you, Netgalley and Dreamscape for providing me an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

A unique take on Historical World War II fiction. "Code Name Edelweiss" takes place in The United States during Hitler's rise to power in 1933. While the terror in Europe feels lifetimes away at this point, there was trouble closer than anyone thought. The story is based on true events and outlines how a Jewish lawyer and a small group of spies help to foil one of Hilter's plans. The dictator wanted to take down Hollywood, but not on their watch!

I love that this author writes stories about women in history as it's such an important voice. As a woman who loves history, I am clearly her target audience. I really enjoyed this audiobook and story and look forward to seeking out more works by Stephanie Landsem.

This historical fiction and spy thriller mashup had some good moments but seemed to take a long time to go nowhere in particular. Code Name Edelweiss is a fictionalized account of how a Jewish lawyer, Leon Lewis, and his private network of Christian spies foiled Hitler’s plans to take over Hollywood. It’s amazing to think that despite the authorities not taking Leon’s warnings seriously, he bolstered enough courage to assemble a group to thwart Nazi terror. This story was a bit slow in the beginning but it gets exciting and is well worth the read. If you enjoy historical fiction around the WWII ear, you will enjoy this tale especially as you discover at the end that many of the characters, incidents and threats were indeed factual and not just Landsems' clever imagination.

Leon Lewis, a Jewish lawyer, has his worries about Adolf Hitler and his attempt to take over Hollywood as the greatest propaganda machine ever created, but no one believes Him or his warnings. Meanwhile Liesl, the breadwinner for her 2 visten, her mother and troubled brother, loses her job at MGM, she is forced to take the only job available-to work for Leon Lewis and the mysterious Agent Thirteen to spy on her neighbors and friends and uncover the truth.

I loved that this was based on a true story, I had no idea of this little snippet of history and I was able to learn a lot, but it felt like a novel rather than a documentary or text book. It was fun, exciting and I loved every moment. The audio was very enjoyable as well. I loved that it was read by 2 narrators. It usually takes me about 5-6 weeks to get through an audiobook, but I finished this one in just over a week. I highly recommend it! I rate it 4 stars, it was incredible!

In the crowded room of World War II historical fiction, Code Name Edelweiss stands out because of its unique positioning in Los Angeles during the Great Depression, during Hitler’s rise to power. Liesl Weiss is very much a cross of Elsa Martinelli (The Four Winds) and Clare Randall Fraser (Outlander) in that she is a morally grey, religious woman who doesn’t quite fit the mold society has set for her and has uncanny, chameleon-like abilities that enable her to support her family and ensure their survival, all while balancing a set of values that doesn’t align with the community surrounding her. This was a dual POV, with the other being Agent Thirteen who is also helping to save Hollywood, which the audiobook helped to masterfully drive home. The pacing throughout this was great, and I plan to read more from this author in the future.

Thanks, NetGalley, for the opportunity to listen and review!

Overrated Book:
Code Name Edelweiss
By: Stephanie Landsem

WHAT DO PEOPLE SAY?
A beautifully written historical novel.


HOW I FELT ABOUT IT:
I thought this would be so interesting, a spy ring set in America as the Nazis came to power in Germany. However, I found this book to be quite dull. There are too many characters, the build up isnt suspenseful…it was boring.

DO I STILL RECOMMEND IT? No

———

This book sounds like something right up my alley. Unfortunately, it was a miss for me.

#bookstagram #books #readingnow #boogiereadsbooks #overhypedbooks #overratedbooks #audiobook #audiobooks #historicalfiction #codenameedelweiss #stephanielandsem

This historical fiction and spy thriller had some good moments but seemed to take a long time to go nowhere in particular. I enjoyed the opening of the book, but then Leisl and Wilhelm became too stiff. The storyline had too much going on and just didn't keep my attention. The narrator of the audiobook was enjoyable.
Thank you netgalley and the publisher for an advanced copy of the book.

I loved this story of spies in America during the time of Adolf Hitlers rise to power and their efforts to keep Nazis out of America. Stephanie Landsem wrote a captivating historical fiction novel based on true events in Hollywood in 1933. I enjoyed listening to this audiobook and following Liesl as she becomes a spy to help provide for her family and kids and while she wasn't sure of the cause when she agreed to be a spy her heart slowly changed.
This story flowed well and kept my interest from start to end. Stephanie ended the book beautifully with a slight hint of a sequel and boy do I hope there is a sequel! I'd love to see what happens with Agent Edelweiss and Agent 13.

I received a copy of #CodeNameEdelweiss from #NetGalley. This is my honest review given voluntarily.

Audiobook received for free through NetGalley

I absolute loved this book. It was a perfect listen that ends at the right spot but I would love a sequel too. Thanks

I really enjoyed "Code Name Edelweiss": the characters were interesting, the plot moved at a great pace, and the story itself was really good. I had no idea that the Nazis had any kind of influence in Hollywood.

Code Name Edelweiss by Stephanie Landsem is a heart pumping historical fiction spy novel that explores the fight against rising Nazism in America in the 1930s. Leisl and Wilhelm are both seeking to do good in a life full of uncertainty. Leisl is a widow who has a full house to take care of, at the beginning of the depression in the 1930's. When she is fired from her typing job at a movie studio she is thrust into a world of intrigue and surveillance after answering a mysterious job post. She begins to work for a Jewish lawyer undercover in a German "social club" and discovers that all is not as it seems. Wilhelm is a seasoned spy who knows there is another in the organization but the two don't know of each other's identities, for security sake. This leads to some intense moments and makes the book so interesting as they get closer and closer to the truth. I loved how much history was put into this book and you can tell that the author did a ton of research. The story moved along quickly and kept my attention the whole time with a little bits of German and Jewish traditions and language mentioned. I enjoyed watching both of the main characters evolve and mature throughout the story and I actually love that it left on a cliffhanger. I'd like to see more of these characters and the spy ring in the future and I'm hoping for additional books.

Great audio version of an excellent book. My review of the PDF can be seen here. https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/5364778889

The audiobook greatly enhances the reading experience, and I really appreciated the fact it had two narrators. This worked very well for the different perspectives of the narrators, and thier gender. I don't think the female narrator would have worked well for the male role, and vice versa.

Both had great reading voices and knew how to pronounce "foreign" words. Thanks Dreamscape media for a great production of a wonderful book and approving me for this title.

Thank you so much to NetGalley and Stephanie Landsem for providing me with a complimentary digital ARC audiobook for Code Name Edelweiss coming out March 7, 2023. The honest opinions expressed in this review are my own.

In the summer of 1933, Adolf Hitler is rising to power in Germany. The people are desperate for a great leader. Hitler is an anti-Semitic chancellor who is able to manipulate people. But in Los Angeles, a secretary to Hollywood producers, Liesl Weiss has concerns much closer to home. The Great Depression is making it hard to survive. Liesl is the sole supporter of two children, a complaining mother, and a wayward brother.

Leon Lewis is a Jewish lawyer who has watched Adolf Hitler’s career and the increase in anti-Semitism in America―with great alarm. He believes Nazi spies are working to gain control of Hollywood in order to push their anti-Semitic propaganda. The problem is that the police won’t listen to his desperate warnings.

When Liesl loses her job at MGM, her only choice is to work with Lewis and the mysterious Agent Thirteen to spy on her friends and neighbors in her German American community. What Leon Lewis and his spies find is more than they ever could’ve imagined. They may be in greater danger than they suspected.

Code Name Edelweiss is based on a true story, unknown until recent years: How a lone Jewish lawyer and a handful of amateur spies discovered and foiled Adolf Hitler’s plan to take over Hollywood.

This is my first book by this author. Overall, I really enjoyed listening to this story! I didn’t realize it was based on a true story. I haven’t heard much about Hitler trying to get into Hollywood. Spies working against him in the United States is just so fascinating to me. There were times where I felt like Liesl’s family really held her back from becoming a good spy. It’s not the same era, but I was hoping for something more like the TV show the Americans. Liesl’s mother and brother just seemed to complain about things the whole time. It also seemed like Liesl couldn’t let go of her husband even after she found out the truth. I’m not sure how long ago that was, but all of these things seemed to hinder her. I would’ve liked to see more spying done. Maybe there will be another book? Even so, I love books set in the 1930s and it’s a fascinating topic.

I would recommend this to anyone who enjoys 1930s/WWII spy novels!

Overall a very good book. it was interesting and kept my attention the whole time. The characters are so likeable and I can imagine I'm in the book with them. It definitely had some ups and downs but I'm so happy with the ending. I would love to see another book continuing their story and the work they are doing.

Code Name Edelweiss brought events happening in Germany under Adolf Hitler close to home as the Nazis worked in America to try to eliminate the Jewish people.

I was a little familiar with Leon Lewis and his work to try to stop what was happening via people working undercover to provide him with information he could then take to the authorities. As more is known about his work, it is interesting to read it incorporated into a story.

Liesl and Agent 13, unknowingly at first, working together only added to the intrigue of this story. Working at great risk to themselves and for Liesl, also her family, they were determined to do what they could to thwart this evil. As they get to know each other, the work they were able to do only increased. It was captivating to watch unfold and left me filled with admiration for the work done to stop what was trying to take root in the United States.

I look forward to reading more of Stephanie Landsem’s work. Her research is thorough and her ability to weave a tale incorporating real events is so very well done I couldn’t help but be engrossed from the first page.

Cady Zuckerman and Neil Hellegers did fantastic work narrating the main characters and bringing the story to life.

Thank you to Tyndale and Dreamscape for the copy of this book. All opinions are my own.