The atrocities described in this book are simply immeasurable and almost unimaginable the amount of suffering that people during this time went through. It is one thing to read about it, have an emotional reaction to what transpired but as a person, I cannot even come close to what happened to those that experienced it. To the guards and those who supported the movement, these prisoners were not even human. They saw people wither away in front of their eyes. One line that stuck with me is when Sophia saw women torn apart by dogs. This was nothing but evil. Yet, Sophia persevered in her quest to help others and to sacrifice potentially her life in doing so as evidenced by her helping Theresa and Heinrich escape to safety. She helped her bunkmates escape from the concentration camp. She nursed Ted back to health. Her goodness and compassion for others was more than most people believe is possible. Like the title said, only the brave could have lived through what she did and continued to believe. The greatest emotion that permeated through this book is love. Her and Ted were brought together for a reason.

This is a historical fiction novel focused on a young woman named Sophia, and her experience during WW2. There is a lot of raw emotion in this story as Sophia grows up in a strong household, mourning her mother's illness and death, assisting her father as one of her surgical nurses, and then experiencing the impacts of the war as her sister has to escape Germany after learning of her husband's newly discovered Jewish heritage. The story incorporates the life in concentration camps, efforts of the resistance groups, and most of all, Sophia's strong resilience in all circumstances.

It is never easy to read a novel that explores the atrocities of World War II Germany, and this book is no exception. However, it is a superb historical novel featuring elements of the author’s classic style – namely a strong, independent female protagonist, a fast-paced storyline, and a modicum of romance. While I enjoy Steel’s books for entertaining escapist reading, her historical novels (Flying Angels, and Ball at Versailles) including this one, reflect her best work.

Sophia Alexander lived a comfortable life in Berlin leading up to the war due to her father’s skill and devotion as a successful surgeon. All that rapidly changed – first with the death of her mother followed by the rise of the Nazi party to power. Trained as a nurse, she shared her father’s deep commitment to serve, and while her practice was based on the same principles, her faith added another dimension. Ultimately, she joined a convent while participating in underground activities to save children from the Nazi efforts to exterminate undesirables.

The storyline follows the courageous and compassionate acts of a woman who was willing to risk her life to save others, including a daring escape from a concentration camp. Sophia was an admirable, even inspirational, character as well as her father as he stood up for his oath as a physician and paid a horrific price. There are other characters that also demonstrated bravery in the light of the severe consequences of resisting Hitler’s agenda, as well as a few who lived in wealth and comfort far removed from the horrors of war.

While this story is a work of fiction, it rings true based on historical facts. I highly recommend it for those who enjoy the author’s work – just be prepared to be deeply affected by the events and the characters.

My thanks to the author, the publisher, and NetGalley for the privilege of reviewing this book. The opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

This review is being posted immediately to my GoodReads account and will be posted on Amazon upon publication.

This one was more of a slow burn for me than the usual DS fare…once it hooked me tho boy was I hooked. Sophia is quite the tortured heroine this time, from a sick mother to a concentration camp and beyond she sure is tested and comes out on the other side stronger. My only complaint is how quick it wraps up…the ending almost feels like an afterthought…other than that I rate this as 4.5 out of 5 stars!

Loved reading the engaging and engrossing story. When war breaks out in Germany, Sophia sees the atrocities being done to the Jews, helps her sister and husband (1/4 part Jewish) flee Germany, works as a nurse, her father, a well-known doctor won't agree to euthanize, and Sophia joins a convent. Read the highly recommended, wonderfully written, and a must read riveting story of a woman who wants to do everything she can do to help. Can't wait to read the next novel by the phenomenal author, Danielle Steel.

Danielle Steel is an author that I can count on to write a story that keeps me engaged. Only the Brave was just one more example of my loyalty to Danielle Steel as being one of my favorite authors! Another winner from Danielle Steel!

Only the Brave by Danielle Steel is one of the best historical fiction novel, I have read. Sophie is a delightful and inspiring heroine. Her commitment to helping others even in the worst of times is truly remarkable. Ms Steel touches on the horrors of the times which a deft hand that makes the reader feel the terror and heartbreak rather than describing them in lurid detail. Highly recommended.
Thank you to Ms. Steel, publisher, Random House Publishing Group--Ballantine, and NetGalley for opportunity for preview the book.

I’m not usually a fan of historic novels, but a Danielle Steel novel will always catch my eye.. I couldn’t help but admire the bravery of Sophia’s father, standing up for his beliefs and continuing to uphold the Hippocratic Oath against Hitler and his men. Sophia follows in his steps through the adversity and heartbreak of her journey during World War II. This novel gives you a glimpse of the travesties that took place during this war. I was on the edge of my seat hoping the outcome I wanted was the outcome that happened.
Thank you to NetGalley for this ARC copy. I thoroughly enjoyed it!

Over the years I have read many books by Danielle Steel, however, in my opinion, this is one of her best books yet. It is a story that encompasses much of history beginning in the late 1930s. From the beginning, my heart was totally into this captivating, heartfelt story and could not put it down.
It is 1937, in Germany, where the Nazis have created much persecution with their take-over of the country. People have been defined as either Jewish or Aryan. Sophia at age sixteen has experienced many changes, including her mother suffering with tuberculosis in a sanatorium. Her father is a well-known surgeon, who is extremely busy with little time to visit his wife and her younger sister is more interested in the social aspects of life and is struggling to get through school so she can move on with her plans which includes marriage and children. Sophia visits regularly, and her mother’s illness has motivated Sophia to enroll in nursing school.
As the years progress and the Nazis gain more power, Sophia, who has completed nursing school, works at her father’s hospital and is a great help to him. She also joins a group and has helped move Jewish children who have lost their entire families at the hands of the Nazis to safer places where they are hidden and cared for. To the shock of her family, Sophia also joins a convent where she sincerely believes her calling is to live a life helping others as a Nun. As the years pass and the conditions worsen, Sophia who is known at the convent as Sister Anne, is arrested and taken to a Nazi Concentration Camp where she endures unthinkable torture and hardships, and yet she remains brave and is called a hero because of her heroic plan that saves her and several other women.
This story is fast-paced with many surprises and frightening situations; however, it is a testament to those who were so brave they risked their own lives to make a difference in the lives of others. This is truly a book of historical fiction at its finest!
I received a complimentary copy of this book. All comments and opinions are my own.

Danielle Steel brings us the story of family and how each person carves their lives in the face of danger and war. We meet the Alexander family at a time when Hitler's power is rising and they start to see his devastation to those around them. When the matriarch passes away, eldest daughter Sophia must keep the family together with her sister wanting to party and enjoy life as a teenager and her brilliant surgeon father whose practice keeps him busy. Sophia finds comfort with the nuns nearby and the resistance meetings she attends with those whose thoughts mirror hers. What does each member of this family do when faced with betraying their fellow man and going against everything they believe? Will they go along with everyone else just to keep the peace and suspicion away from them, or will they stay their ground?

Danielle Steel brings us this story of how the little things you do can impact so many. She shows the many facets of people and what each are willing to do in the face of danger and possible deportation when saying or doing the wrong thing can label you as a traitor. Follow along with Sophia and her family as they try to maneuver this new life in the midst of war and chaos. Will their choices bring them peace, or will it be their downfall?

I have read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own. I would like to thank NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine, Delacorte Press for this privilege.

Only the Brave is a different kind of novel than the usual Danielle Steel romance, love story. Although there is love, this historical fiction looks at love in its many different forms--love for one's fellow man, for those in need, for the displaced women of war, and love as a way to improve the world. The setting of Only the Brave is World War II Germany, where those who resist Nazi doctrine pay a heavy price with their lives.

Steel describes the concentration camps that serve as punishment for those people labeled as undesirable. The camps provide a slow painful movement toward death. Readers learn about the starvation, the savage beatings, and the labor that was designed to work people to death. Many people endured a long slow push toward death. Steel creates characters who are realistic, well-defined, and compelling. The female protagonist, Sophia, possesses the kind of compassion that was modeled by her heroine Edith Stein, who used her role in the Church as a way to save lives and offer succor for those most in need. Sophia experiences the horror on a concentration camp and the loss of those she loves, but she never loses her faith in the possibility of creating a better world.

Only the Brave is the best kind of historical fiction. Steel makes clear that there are always people who strive to transform even the worst of times into a better world. I enjoyed this novel very much. Thank you to Steel, publisher Random House Publishing Group--Ballantine, and NetGalley for providing me with this ARC in exchange for my honest review. The comments above are my honest thoughts about Danielle Steel's Only the Brave.

I received a complimentary copy of this book and the opinions expressed are my own. When I read what this book, "Only the Brave"was about I was not sure if I was going to like it because of the nature of it. But I was so wrong! This story made you want to cry at times because you could actually feel the hurt and pain the characters were going through. It also made you aware of the atrocities that were being done to the Jewish race so unfairly! Even though the book was painful to read, there was some good people and good things that happened and the story had a good ending. Kudos to Ms. Steel for another job well done!

I read, Only The Brave by Danielle Steel. This book was one of Danielle Steel’s best. The characters were deep and complex. The setting was during WWII and I feel she did a great job with the timeframe. The story sounded plausible and involved twists, turns, and unexpected events. I would recommend this book to anyone that enjoys reading historic fiction or would like to explore the genre.

The sweet Danielle Steel story of one young woman who wants to help others during WWII. Unlike my other favorite Danielle Steel novel, Jewels and The Duchess, this story while hard to put down, feels rushed, especially at the end.

I am a fan of the charming Steel books, so I was a bit startled by the heaviness of this novel taking place in WW II Germany. It’s the story of Sophia who goes through enormous change and pain during the war. Her father, a righteous doctor, is arrested and murdered when he refuses to participate in Nazi persecution and killings of undesirables. Her dream is serving her faith as a nun, so she has moved to a convent. Even there, she is not safe.

Because of her connection to him, she is brought to the infamous Ravensbruck concentration camp. She helps to engineer an escape. As a nun, she has no interest in romance, but the rescue of a downed officer makes her question her vocation.

Though I found this book compelling, I generally expect a Steel book to bring me joy, but this was disappointing.

Thank you Netgalley for this very different Danielle Steel book.

Thank you to NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this book. This new book by Danielle Steel is a deeper, harder to read story concerning a young woman in Germany during World War II, Sophia Alexander.. The story focuses on her becoming a nurse, becoming involved in the underground resistance, and ultimately deciding to become a nun. I don’t want to divulge to much of the story, suffice to say, it has great suffering and heartbreak with much joy and happiness. I enjoyed this quick book and would highly recommend it to anyone who enjoys historical fiction..

Sophia Alexander's courage is put to the test when faced with her mother's illness, sister's struggles and World War II looming. Forced to grow up early, she puts herself in danger to save others.

Although still a novice, her faith gets her through challenging circumstances, While bravely facing obstacles, they leave Sophia examining if the convent is her calling. While Danielle Steel is regarded for her romance novels, historical fiction provide her best and heart-felt stories.

Thank you to #NetGalley and the publisher for the early edition of #OnlytheBrave in exchange for an honest review. My only issue with the novel was that it ended and wrapped up too quickly. It would have benefited from an epilogue or an additional chapter.

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House publishing group for the opportunity to read this ARC!

I have read so many Danielle Steel books over the years and she’s one of the authors who got me into reading. I loved this one. Love when she does historical fiction like Message from Nam! This one takes us on a journey with Sophia as she navigates her life in WW2 with inspirations to be a nun. It was a heartbreaking and heartwarming story at the same time. We see her do much good in the face of adversity and never lose her spirit of giving.

4.5 Stars for this amazing book. Steel's books are always a good read - some better than others but always stories with great characters, warmth, and real life struggles. This book was a hard read due to the era but by the time you realized it, you are fully involved and care deeply about Sophia and those around her. It was difficult to read as fiction was woven with fact and the author doesn't gloss over the wartime events including bombings, hidden children, round-ups, and more. Reading about concentration camps and other terrors made this book very emotional and one that will stick with me for a long time. Now more than ever this story resonates. I greatly appreciate the opportunity to read this ARC in exchange for an honest review. Many thanks to the author, publisher, and NetGalley.

This talented and gifted author has written a fantastic book of historical fiction which is really nonfiction in parts. The characters are realistic, for the most part, and the history is mysterious and intriguing. The war was horrible, and what happened to those involved beyond words. This popular author has once again written in her historical genre to bring us a book that will be remembered. Some parts are difficult to read/to comprehend/but true events. I read this book without stopping except when I had to. It is a real page turner. It is a must read. This happened. This could happen. This might happen. Thanks Netgalley. Thank you Danielle Steel again.