I adore historical romances that focus on a bloody strong woman.

Like the writing , the setting, and the story in general.

Thanks to Net Galley for the digital ARC of Anika Scott's book The German Heiress. I have many patrons at our library who like historical fiction. I will recommend this book to them. Good REad!

This books challenges the reader to consider the humanity of the citizens of post-World War II Germany. As the story unfolds, each person's past comes to light, and they each struggle to reconcile their wartime actions with their conscience and their moral values. Who can we trust? How well do we know the people we think we can trust? What are we willing to do to make up for our shortcomings?
This is a beautiful story, with complicated, engaging characters. Highly recommended!
#TheGermanHeiress #NetGalley

I rated this 4 Stars.There are a lot of WW2 novels out right now and the cover alone made me think it was going to be very similar to the rest of the pack. Instead it really stood out taking the unique perspective of the Germans after losing the war. Dealing with the Allied occupation, starvation, as well as persecution when (as the author says) simply being German was the crime. I love that the author highlighted there were resistors within Germany who did what they could; large and small as well as thee guilt of having not done enough especially when more information was revealed after the war. A must-read as a balance for the other books in the genre.

⭐⭐⭐⭐(+1/2⭐)I got this book free from the publisher as an Advanced Reader Copy. Debut author. I thought it was very well written. Story was believable considering main character's upbringing. It is NOT fluff, but not dark like many war era books. This is actually post war and the effects of actions of people and places. Gave it 5 stars... but it would technically be like a 4.5-4.75. I really enjoyed the suspense, twists & turns and wanted to see how it ended. I don't normally pick this type of book, but was caught up in the story. Put this on your list to read.

This novel looks at German civilians during WWII - how did they justify their actions during the war? Were they complacent and followed orders? Did they resist, however fruitless? And, most importantly, how did they live with themselves after the war?

This is Clara's story. Her family ran a lucrative mining company in Essen, which she took over towards the end of the war. The government sent slave labor to her mine to ensure steady production, which was necessary for their troops. Clara advocated for more food rations and better living conditions for her workers, but continued using their labor anyway. As Germany fell, Clara knew she'd be labeled a war criminal, so she fled her home. Two years later, she returned to a city that she no longer recognized.

Living in the shadows, she meets a whole cast of shady characters who help her pick up the pieces of her life. She uncovers family secrets that change her view of her family before the war, which deepens the shame she feels about her own actions during the war.

I didn't find Clara to be a sympathetic character and didn't always enjoy the sections of the book told from her perspective. But along the way, she met an ex-soldier caring for his sisters named Jakob - he was the real star of the novel for me. From Jakob, we learn how truly stuck many Germans were when the war began. And we're reminded how important family is, especially through such a chaotic time.

Since the end of WWII, Clara has been living under an assumed name in a small town. During the war, Clara ran her family's ironworks for Germany. Known as the Iron Fraulein, she was used as a propaganda tool. When a British agent tracks her down, she narrowly escapes back to her hometown. Quickly after returning she discovers that her closest friend Elisa was picked up by the Gestapo and Elisa's son is missing. While evading the agent, she is determined to find them both.

This was an interesting read. I did not want to like Clara, but as the book unraveled she became more and more likeable. She, and the other characters, felt very realistic. Throughout the book, questions of morality, survival and image are at the forefront. Overall, this book was well written, engaging and enjoyable. 4 out of 5 stars.

I enjoy historical fiction and this story has a unique perspective as the “heroine” of the story is a German Heiress. We begin our understanding of Clara’s story with her current circumstances of worrying about a friend from her hometown from whom she has not heard. She has tried to contact Elisa through mail with no success. She’s also been hiding out since the Allies have ended the war and are now hunting for war criminals. She knows that although she did try to help those that were sent to her family’s factories as forced labor, she could have done more to resist the Nazis. This is her journey to return home, find her friend and maintain her freedom, but it won’t be easy and she knows it. This story has a little bit of everything: lost love, girl power, lost family, identity crisis, family dysfunction, family hope and new love. I would not consider it a romance, but do consider it women’s fiction. I found the story to be well-written, easy to follow and generally an interesting read. I could root for Clara although she wasn’t a good person in general. I think that makes the story more unique. Her family was part of an establishment that sought to harm others, but I did want her to get closure, good or bad. Since it’s based on a known war, you can imagine, the times are not the best and tragedy was widespread.

Thank you to NetGalley & Harper Collins Publishers for the opportunity to read an ARC of this title.

WWII books have really come into their own but have you ever wondered about the aftermath of the war from the German perspective? Clara Falkenberg was a dutiful daughter & German despite her moral qualms with the Nazi party. She allows family loyalty to influence her actions & following the war she is on the run, not only from the authorities but also from her past. Destroyed by regret she reluctantly returns home to search for a friend & along the way must avoid capture by the determined Captain Fenshaw who is searching out war criminals. Along the way she struggles to survive in a country torn apart by war & uncovers a family mystery in the process.

In a large pool of historical fiction of this era it stands out because of it's different perspective. It paints a picture of post war Germany that I haven't seen in a lot of fiction. It is a story worth telling & it is a perspective that has value. Well researched it painted a vivid picture of life during that time & was worth the read for that reason alone. I also found the story compelling & fast paced, a great quick read that may inspire additional reading on this subject.

Where I felt the book came up short was in the depiction of Clara, the main protagonist. I found her unlikable which was truly unfortunate. She was billed as a strong & formidable woman but all I saw was a weak person who allowed her life to be directed by the whims of the men around her. First her father, who set her on a path she didn't want to follow by preaching family loyalty, then by a lover who lied & took advantage of her. After the war she runs from the former Nazi doctor who wants to marry her only to be pursued by the British officer right into the arms of another man who chooses to help her. All of her actions we in reaction to the men around her which really did her a disservice. In fact, I struggled to find any woman in this book that wasn't 100% motivated by a man in one way or another. Even the unnaturally happy ending was only possible because of the good graces of a man & not by a single action taken by Clara.

I really think that had I liked Clara or found her more self determinate I would have enjoyed this book more completely.

Thank you to Netgallery, the publisher, and the author for the ARC of this book.

While the concept of the book seemed intriguing and offered another point of view of the very used topic of women in WWII, I found myself thinking of others that I had read in this genre and could easily see similarities between this book and others. I also found that Clara was justifying what she did during the war and her profiteering because she tried to make her slave laborers from the East comfortable. I was not too convinced of the author's attempt to convince the reader that Clara was really opposed to the regime. This was not explored too much other than a brief flashback in the carriage house and her boredom during a pro-Nazi rally in Britain. (Honestly this part of the storyline reminded me of Oskar Schindler.) I did feel that the story ended rather abruptly and never fully explained what Fenshaw's game was with Clara.

So, 3 stars: Story kept me interested until the end (I wanted to see what happened), was easy to read, but it lacked originality and left too many questions and things unexplained.

The end of WWII left devastation in Germany. Author Anika Scott weaves a story about the struggle to survive from the former enemy’s side. Clara struggles to reconcile her and her family’s position and actions during the war. Jakob is just trying to keep his family together and alive. Together they uncover long kept secrets that will either divide them or bring them together. The author does a wonderful job slowly revealing each secret throughout the book, not holding it all back for the end.

The story focuses on Clara Falkenberg whose German family owned an iron company which employed prisoners during WWII. It’s a fascinating look at life in Germany in the years after the war ended. Certain plot points inspired me to do research, the author layered the story with enough facts that it felt real. I recommend this book to readers who enjoy historical fiction or tales about WWII.

Well written historical.post WW II fiction told from the unusual perspective of a German Heiress who is on the run and wanted as a war criminal. It is embedded with family secrets and twists.

Loved this book! Clara Falkenburg is living under an assumed name. She is hiding because she is wanted as a war criminal by the Allies. She decides to return to her home and find her friend, Elisa, after the war. She returns to find her town is in ruins, and her friend is nowhere to be found. Her search puts her on a path to uncover the fate of those she previously knew, as well as reveal new friendships and secrets.

This book, The German Heiress, takes on a different perspective of WW2 and the Nazi Regime. What if you were German and caught between living and being part of the Nazi regime. The devastation that was left after WW2 is absolutely un-imaginable. It is quite frankly something I had never thought about. This book was eye opening and a sad reminder of how war can change your whole life. I very much enjoyed this book and felt so much or the characters. You so much wanted everyone to be found and you wanted the story to be wrapped up in the end with a big red bow and everyone be fine. While that wasn't exactly true, I still enjoyed the ending. I highly recommend this book to anyone who enjoys historical fiction, especially with a strong female lead. I have so much respect for these individuals like Clara and Elisa and the strength of must have taken to get through this war. Special Thanks to The Early Book Club Girls Early Read Program, Harper Collins-William Morrow Publishers, and NetGalley for the advance digital copy in exchange for my honest opinion! You all are amazing!!

#TheGermanHeiress #NetGalley

A post WWII story written from the side of a German industrialist - her father's factory built things for the Nazis & used forced labor. Everyone knows the horrors & atrocities that occurred during the war. It's not touched on much, until the end of the book. I'm glad the author finally wrote something about what happened.

It's a well- written book. Easy read. Cleanish. Some romance that isn't fleshed out. ;) Really good story that I couldn't put down. I'm somewhat disappointed that the protagonist wasn't smarter. She was typical German of that time who didn't know what the Nazis were doing in the death camps. Or they turned a blind eye to what was going on.

I recommend reading this book. I received a digital advance readers copy of the book through a FB group - that did not influence my review.

This story takes place in Germany during the post World War II period of rebuilding. The black market is the only way to purchase most items and is one of the more lucrative jobs a man or woman can have except it is illegal. People are starving and homeless and yet surviving by their wits.

Clara Falkenberg, infamously known as ‘the iron Fräulein’, searches for her only friend, Elisa, and Elisa’s son. Clara had disappeared and gone into hiding just before the war was over and had deserted Elisa.

This World War II story is told from a very different view point. This is the first one that I’ve read that addressed the terrible conditions in Germany after the war. So many men were dead or imprisoned and that left the women, who had to find ways to survive during the occupation by England, America and Russia. In the midst of starvation there was still decadence, going to clubs to dance and perhaps forget for a few hours how difficult life had become.

The story started our slowly in the beginning but the more I came to know the characters the more interesting the story became. There are some dark secrets revealed and there are some strange alliances made. I really enjoyed this book.

Thank you to The Book Club Girls and HarperCollins Publishers Inc. for an ebook ARC copy.

It is an interesting book on a different side of wwii then others I have read. I enjoyed the story and the unexpected twists, but the book was a slow read.

This was a different type of story in reference to the Nazi's, and the after effects of the war. I really did enjoy the way the story was told, and the development of the characters. It really made me think about people involved in the Nazi "regime," and how things aren't always what they seem. Similar to The Tattooist of Auschwitz.
The story follows Clara, who is on the run from the British, as they consider her to be a war criminal. Her father is being imprisoned as the same, and she struggles with the realization that he is not who she thought he was. She goes n search of her best friend Elisa, and her son Willy.
Throughout the story she comes into contact with many people, some good and some bad. One of the men she meets is a disabled veteran of the war, Jakob, who she creates a bond with that neither of them could have foreseen.
Like I previously mentioned, this book is not the normal historical fiction involving the Nazi's, and it gives you a different perspective, and I really enjoyed it.

Thank you to HarperCollins and NetGalley for the ARC of The German Heiress in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

I am rating this book 5 stars. I absolutely loved the crafted storytelling that Anika Scott weaved. I found myself being so intrigued by Clara and her backstory and how it eventually was fully revealed, crazy... I wasn’t ready for all the twists and turns to finding the truth she had to endure. I was also captivated by the cat and mouse game between Clara and Captain Fernshaw and their ultimate continuing relationship.

All in all, the multiple storylines were very well-developed and held my interest, I couldn’t put the book down.