Another big slightly melodramatic installment in a Smith family saga- and it's perfectly enjoyable as a standalone (although those who have followed the Courtneys will appreciate it more). Set during WWII, it's got all the feels. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC.

Unfortunately I was never able to read this book. I am not sure what happened but when I reported the problem, I was told to uninstall it and then try to install it again. When I did so, it was archived and I was not able to reinstall the book. I felt like I needed to explain because we are looked at by our ratio of reviewed books when we request more. I would love to have read this one as I have read the others.

I have a soft spot for is WWII fiction - especially when it features a strong female protagonist and clandestine elements like the SOE. So, naturally, when I say the blurb for Courtney'sWar on NetGalley I simply couldn't resist hitting the request button. 

Now imagine my delight when the romance between Saffron and Gerhard was not just that of two lovers separated by war, but that of star crossed lovers on opposites sides of the front line. Gerhard the German war hero, fighter ace, and decorated officer and Saffron the sharp, driven, SOE officer with a record most operatives world kill for (or die attempting to obtain). So dang good!

Right from the get go Saffron had all of the spunk and grit to pull the book along without the added bonus of the personal drama. I loved her mother's connection to working as a spy, her privileged background, and her determination to be the best operative possible. I really enjoyed that the Courtney family history only played a small role in the story. There was just enough of it to let you know that there's a larger narrative that this book belongs to, but not so much that you felt the need to have read any other books in the series. What I appreciated the most though, was how these did-bits were doled out gradually and at well-timed moments to add emphasis to actions and reveal motivations. 

I also appreciated that while Saffron and Courtney were touted as the paragons of physical perfection, that their realities as people were almost fatally flawed. However, I almost expected Saffron's lack of scruples about killing to cause more issues interpersonally, and Gerhard's pretending to tow the Nazi line to culminate in a much different result. Don't get me wrong though, I LOVE it when things turn out differently than I think they will - it means that the plot wasn't predictable.

Perhaps the only thing that stopped this from being a 5 star review was that I found the language to be a touch too flowery. Had I encountered the type and frequency of the vocabulary used to embellish the text in a period romance I don't think that I would have batted an eye. It just seemed a little out of place when set against the front line of WWII, SOE training and operations, and the internal workings of Baker Street. The only time that I didn't take any notice was when Saffron was visiting her family in South Africa, where everything just seemed to fit. I can only chalk this up to the more colonial setting of Smith's previous novels and the literary empire he has built out of the Courtney's adventures in Africa. 

I loved the drama, the breakneck pace, and the clear evidence of thorough research. While real people and events were referenced to throughout, I enjoyed that no fictionalized representations were made of the big players on either side, and that the characters presented were genuinely fictional with no obligation to mimic the history books. With that said though, I appreciated the detail that went into describing military maneuvers and campaigns, the specifics of the physical training endured by SOE trainees, and the repulsive descriptions of the meagre war-time food throughout. 

Would I recommend this book? Most definitely. It's gritty, gripping, and utterly uplifting. For those that love WWII fiction, treacherous spy games, and romantic paradoxes this baby will certainly be for you.

The review will be added after publication in the November 2018 issue of the Historical Novels Review magazine.

What the what? Apparently this is the 17th, THE 17TH! book in this series. Holy NAZI Romanticization. What the hell. I DNF'd this book at the half way point. I found myself first, falling asleep mid way through into 2 pages every single night, and I have no problem with romance novels, which is what this book seemed to be billing itself as. But it was a dual narrator, some parts told by Saffron, who was born in South Africa and was being trained by the English to fight against the Nazis, one of which she's in love with (I don't freaking get it either, stay with me here), and the other Narrator is some heart of gold isn't really a Nazi is just related to a bunch of them and is fighting with them because his family threatened a bunch of the people he really loves so instead of escaping and going to fight with Saffron which is what any other self respecting fictional hero would do he puts on his Nazi uniform and is present at the gassing of thousands of....okay I literally cannot go on at this point. I have no idea what the hell the author was trying to accomplish, and I don't know who could finish this book after this. This shit is ridiculous. I couldn't finish it. Whatever the authors' motives were, they got lost in translation and your one protagonist is literally in love with a NAZI. That's not how this works guys, that's now how any of this works. Burn your book.

Librarian: If your library has a historical fiction section, then there's a good chance that a decent percentage of the books in it occur during WWII. There's something about that war that tugs at the heart and the imagination. As such, deciding whether or not to order new WWII book can sometimes be difficult. After all, you don't want to oversaturate your collection.
Personally, I would order this one. It's got romance, intrigue and a popular setting, all the things that draw people to historical fiction in the first place. You may be thinking that since this is the second book in a series, you shouldn't order it if you don't have the first book. Good news! This book can absolutely be read without reading the first book!
Reader: I greatly enjoyed this one. It's not my favorite genre, but it's one that I definitely enjoy enough to want to read more of. This was a good step towards that goal. Now I just need to go back and read the first one.

ourtney’s War is part of the Courtney Saga and the third novel in the Assgai series. I have not read any other novels in the series and I had no trouble following the story. The back-story is explained and this is easily read as a stand-alone novel.

Lovers Saffron Courtney and Gerhard von Meerback have not met since Paris 1939. It is now 1942 and Saffon, the scion of a wealthy South African family, is in Scotland training to be an undercover agent in Baker Street, a radical espionage organization whose spies work behind enemy lines. Gerhard is an officer and ace pilot in the Luftwaffe Although they have had no contact with each other, they remain steadfast in their relationship. Gerhard detests the Nazis, but loves his country, and believes in and works for a defeat of fascism.

The novel follows their separate paths through the war years. Gerhard eventually runs afoul of the Nazis and is betrayed by his own brother. He is dehumanized by his experiences and only a faded picture of Saffron keeps his survival instinct alive. . Meanwhile, Saffron is sent behind the lines in Belgium to try to uncover the traitor who is exposing British agents. As time passes, she has to cope with the reality of her relationship with Gerhard. Is he even alive? Has war changed her beyond recognition so that their love cannot possibly be rekindled?

This is an exciting and compelling story of the atrocities of war, and the endurance of the human spirit.

First and foremost, a large thank you to NetGalley, Wilbur Smith, David Churchill, and Bonnier Zaffre USA for providing me with a copy of this publication, which allows me to provide you with an unbiased review.

After a few novels in the Courtney saga proved to be complete duds, I was pleased to see Wilbur Smith team up with David Churchill and returned things to the 20th century, where the series has flourished. In the Spring of 1939, young love is blossoming between Saffron Courtney and Gerhard von Meerbach. Highly educated and politically savvy, both Saffron and Gerhard can feel the tides turning in Europe and anticipate the Nazis will begin their push through Europe, triggering another massive war. After spending time in Paris, these young lovers must part, vowing to find one another as soon as possible. Fast-forward to 1942, where Saffron Courtney is deeply embedded into ‘Baker Street’, a covert group led by a handful of British spies. Her goal will be to infiltrate the National Socialist movement in Belgium and the Netherlands, with hopes of learning Nazi news that can be fed back to the Allies. Meanwhile, Gerhard has become a valuable asset to the Germans, working in the air during the Battle of Stalingrad, shooting down any Russian plane that dares get too close. During one flyover, Gerhard sees some of the atrocities being done to large portions of the Jewish community, only later learning that it is the Final Solution ramping up. Vowing to himself to bring down the Nazis, Gerhard must carefully destroy the political machine without being caught, with a brother who is fully engaged in the Nazi movement and smells a rat. As Saffron returns to the African continent to help build her backstory, she spends some time with family and renews old acquaintances, only to be pulled away and sent to Belgium. Her actions may not be as covert as she hoped, but she can hope to remain one step ahead of the Germans hunting her down. With the War reaching its climax, both Saffron and Gerhard will have to work hard to return Europe to its proper course, though Nazis are ruthless and are happy to scrub out anyone who does not respect the Reich’s power. Brilliant in its delivery and full of wonderful storylines, Smith and Churchill show that this is one saga to which dedicated readers can return with pride. Recommended for those who love the Courtneys in all their glory.

It was a difficult decision to choose this book, having been so disheartened by some of the recent novels in this saga. That said, I had to tell myself that those novels that took things onto the high seas many generations ago were part of a sub-series that never caught my attention.
With some of my favourite characters and 20th century history mixed together, I knew that Wilbur Smith (alongside his writing companion, David Churchill) should get the benefit of the doubt. This is a return to the great Courtney stories and the reader should find it easy to glide into the comfort of familiar names (had they read much of the previous novels) while finding the plot riveting and eager to comprehend. Saffron Courtney remains a strong, independent woman who, even though she is madly in love, finds little issue with remaining grounded and able to make snap decisions. She has become a powerhouse character in previous novels and only grows more likeable and independent-minded here. Her tactics will likely have the reader cheering her on as she makes her way through early 1940s Europe in an age where women were still not given their due. Gerhard von Meerbach proves to be as interesting as he is cocky, though some of that is surely a ruse as he hides within the Nazis in order to bring them down. He is strong-willed, as is seen throughout and particularly in the last segment of the book, always hoping that he will be reunited with the woman he loves. While there may be an imbalance in that love between the two characters, the reader can surely feel the connection throughout the parallel plots as they develop. The story itself is strong and uses Second World War history and some of the less familiar angles to keep things from becoming too predictable. Saffron’s seeking to penetrate the Nazis is as intriguing as it is unpredictable, while Gerhard seems more passive in his attempts to weaken the military might for which he fights. The handful of worthwhile secondary characters do well to push the story forward, particularly as to go to either support or suppress our aforementioned protagonists. I can only hope that the reader will see some of the vilification that I did throughout the book, from actual Nazi officers as well as those who support National Socialism in other domains. The narrative kept a good pace, giving the reader action throughout. However, with unnumbered, lengthy chapters, some segments seemed to stretch out without that literary breath that invigorates a stellar story. Let’s be glad the Courtneys are back in fine form.

Kudos, Messrs. Smith and Churchill, for returning the Courtney saga to its rightful place with a strong novel. I can only hope this will continue, as you boasted, Mr. Smith, in your recently published memoir that you loves this series with all your heart.