All the emotions are front and center here. You ask yourself how could people honestly treat other human beings the way they do with no regard for human life or dignity. It has gone on since the beginning of time and will continue this lack of respect for not only others but self as well.
A very fast paced read for me, the descriptions of the French Rivera are breathtaking.
An absolute show of a woman's strength and fortitude during a time of darkness. It was either go on or be no more.
Unexpected twists and turns in this incredibly exciting historical book kept me glued to the penned word in Lana's War . I read through it without wanting to take a break.

Pub Date 12 Jan 2021
I was given a complimentary copy. Thank you.
All opinions expressed are my own.

Lana joins the French Resistance after losing her husband and unborn child. She may have lost her own child but she can help other children to live. She leaves France to meet with a Swiss Spy named Guy.

Joining forces with Guy Pascal, her cover story is that she is his mistress living with him in his villa in Cap Ferrat. She is determined to avenge the death of her husband, son, and all the Jews who have been murdered. With only bravery to her going, Lana befriends a young Jewish girl and her mother, which puts put her in more danger of being made.

What would happen when the Nazis became more brutal and more Jews would need to escape?

I really enjoyed reading this book. All the characters were written well and easy to like. I highly recommend this book to all historical fiction lovers.

Thank you, NetGalley and Atria Books for this arc in exchange for an honest review.

I throughly enjoyed this historical WW11 novel. Lana, the protagonist, is a strong resistance fighter. The story doesn’t dwell on horrific details. Instead, the story provides a steady flow of what was happening on the French Rivera with the resistance fighters fighting to save the Jews and human kindness. Through the horrors of war, love survives.

Thank you #NetGalley, #AtriaBooks, #Simon&Schuster,Inc and #AnitaAbriel for the advance readers copy of Lana’s War for my honest review.

Lana’s War. Hmmm…This is a difficult review to write. The characters were not developed to any degree. The plot started out quite engaging but the author seemed to lose her way as the book developed. In the latter half of the book, it felt she lost the thread altogether and then just ended it.

I suppose, should the reader be looking for a distraction for a few hours this would be a good option. But anyone looking for depth and development will be disappointed. The prose was repetitive, excessively so. There were hints of character potential that never developed. The main character, Lana Antanova, started out sympathetic, but then just became another flat character, losing her appeal. She wasn’t particularly smart or brave and displayed poor judgement so frequently one almost begins to root for the Germans to catch her. OK, not root for them exactly, but unless they were the Germans of Hogan’s Heroes, they couldn’t help but stumble across her. Guy Pascal is never really developed at all. He is supposed to be her partner and handler, yet he disappears for days at a time with no word, no instruction. It did not make sense – particularly since Lana’s cover was to be his mistress. It just did not make sense.

3.5

This was yet another aspect of WWII that I didn’t know much about; the French resistance in the Riviera. I do always enjoy reading about different parts of the war that I don’t know much about, even if it is in fiction form. These stories help keep everything alive. Each time I read something new in a fiction novel about the war, I try and find out more about the actuals events, so I can try and learn and understand more about what happened.

After Lana loses her husband and unborn child, she gets an offer to join the resistance in the Riviera. She takes the offer and joins up with Guy, another resistance member. The story moves swiftly; almost too swiftly at times. The story starts right when Lana loses her husband, then moves right into her joining the resistance. There is plenty of down time where Lana attends parties and visits with her neighbor, Giselle, while trying to keep up the appearance of being Guy’s mistress. However, when it comes times for raids on Jewish homes and the resistance’s part in helping them escape, the details are very glossed over. Lana’s role is to find out when the raids will occur, instead of helping in the actual escapes. I wish a little more detail had been to the rest of the resistance members in helping them escape though. I just felt a little disconnected from the story when there was a buildup of planning the escapes and then they’re done with very little detail on them.

Lana was a good character for the most part. However, she could be quite naive at times, and the arguments she would have with Guy got to be a bit much. Guy is rather closed off, preferring to focus entirely on his work in the resistance, instead of trying to be too close to Lana. When the book veered into romance territory between the two, it seemed rather abrupt, like it just had to be thrown in there. The relationship moved quickly between the two, going from first kiss to marriage proposal in no time flat. I think their relationship could have worked better for me if it hadn’t been so quick, and if the characters themselves had acted more like it was something they wanted early on.

Overall I enjoyed the book. There’s just a few things that could have been changed to really make it stand out for me.

Set in the French Riviera, the novel tells the story about a young woman – Lana Antanova who joins the Resistance during the WWII.

The book is well-paced and concise, the writing is engaging and the plot is action-driven. The characters can confidently carry out the novel and I really enjoyed the setting- Côte d’Azur was beautifully depicted.

Lana was well-written as a character, yet somewhat naïve but flaws are to be expected. I like reading about flawed protagonists – it makes them more realistic.

There was a significant amount of time dedicated on Lana revisiting past events instead of gaining a grasp of how she is handling with the current situation. She turned out to be quite resourceful and creative given the circumstances but as a reader I wanted a more layered insight into her thinking process and emotions.

The book was interesting to read and I think it fits really well with the genre. If you are a fan of romantic historical fiction, you’ll be pleasantly surprised. Plus, who doesn’t want to read about the Riviera?

I have kindly received an advanced copy of this book from NetGalley and Atria Books in exchange of a fair review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Thank you to NetGalley, the publishing house and the author for the opportunity to read an advance reader copy of this book in return for a review based upon my honest opinion.

This book is about loss, fear, heartbreak and most of all hope. The story take place in Paris and Nice, France, 1943. Lana was on the way to tell her husband, Fredric, a piano teacher, they were expecting, but instead witnesses his murder by the Gestapo for hiding a jewish child in his piano and then in her grief loses their child. Lana is heartbroken, but does not give into her devastation she decides to join the resistance and help save as many children as she can.

Lana with her family connections very easily becomes part of the social scene and infiltrates the German officers and gets information that she uses with the help of Guy, a Swiss businessman, to help save as many people as they can. As Lana and Guy go about their mission, danger is always present, will they be caught and exposed, will Lana get in over her head? Lots of action and a good pace to the book with a satisfying ending.

The story is well written and the characters interesting; I did find a disconnect with Lana occasionally but overall really liked her. The setting of the book is well done and I feel like their is a lot of historical accuracy in this book, it seems well researched. Would definitely read more books by this author.

What a beautiful story of love and danger in WIWI France! After her husband is murdered by the Gestapo, Lana joins the resistance to avenge his death by doing whatever she can to help defeat the Nazis. The French Riviera is a unique setting for WWII historical fiction and I thought the characters and story were well-written. I highly recommend it!

Thanks to Atria Books and NetGalley for a copy to review.

I was pleasantly surprised that I did like Lana’s War. The characters were likable enough, Lana had a plausible reason for joining the French Resistance and for justice for her husband and unborn child.

I thought the intrigue and mystery was well done in this novel. I got the sense that you couldn’t trust anyone because you didn’t know where their loyalties lie. However, it could have been amplified; the distrust was there, but just hovering on the surface – it was another case of the author telling the reader through her characters dialogues instead of showing the reader through actions and different scenarios.

The ending left me very unhappy and unsatisfied. It ended almost too happy and on a good note. Overall, it was better than her previous novel, but I think she still has some work to do, and I’m hoping that her next novel will be better. It will be interesting to see what her next novel will be about.

Wow! A must read for anyone who loves WW2 novels. A fascinating account of The French Resistance in the South. Lana has lost her husband and unborn child and wants to help others never feel her pain. Her cover story is to be that of a mistress of a wealthy industrialist. But while doing so being near the very men who killed her husband. This is a fast paced read I couldn't put down. I really enjoyed the ending and was pleasantly surprised. I look forward to amore books by This author

After reading Anita Abriel's first novel last year I was excited to give this author a second chance. While I do not think this book is a ground breaking WWII fiction piece, I did enjoy it more.

Lana is approached by the Resistance after her husband is killed by the Germans to go to the south of France to join agents already in place. None of these characters felt fleshed out and seemed to just generic WWII characters. While the story was fast paced enough for me to read in two days, I quickly forgot much of the plot. The ending was also very eye roll inducing and just didn't seem real.

I did like the setting and how it focused on how Russian citizens helped the war effort. Overall it was an okay addition to the genre, and I am sure that a lot of people would enjoy it!

Lana's War is a great picture of what life was like for war torn France. I cannot wait to recommend it to my history students when we talk about World War II.
Very well written and the author does an amazing job of describing the atrocities without leaving the reader totally depressed.

Both heartbreaking and beautiful, Lana's War takes us to the Riviera during WWII. Lana is the daughter of a Russian countess and has just witnessed her husband's murder for hiding Jewish children in Paris. She is so devastated that she agrees to join the Resistance in the French Riviera where Germans and upper crust continue their lavish lifestyles. She poses as the lover of a rich man who is secretly helping Jews escape the Gestapo in Nice. While carrying out their missions they must attend dinner parties and dances alongside some of the most dangerous Germans. I thought the author did a good job illustrating the beauty of the Riviera and the views Lana would have had from their private villa. As expected, they develop feelings for each other over the course of their time together and the book becomes more of a romance novel.

My only piece of critical feedback would be the way the couple almost immediately fall in love, which I thought was a bit unbelievable considering she just saw her true love shot in cold blood and was still grieving. However, in times of war, when emotions are high, I suppose situations must be different. I did feel the bedroom scenes were tastefully done and written well. I would still recommend it if you like WWII fiction that is different. With all that there is to choose from out there, this one offers a different landscape and a different perspective from that time.

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC of Lana's War. The first couple pages reeled me in and it was a book I could not put down. The story a Lana and her role with the resistance was a new part of history that I never knew about with the French Riviera. It did feel a little rushed at the end, however it was still a good story that I would recommend!

I received a complimentary digital copy of this book from the publisher and NetGalley in exchange for an unbiased review.

In Paris July 1943, Lana Hartmann is studying to be a chemist while her husband Frederic is teaching piano at Saint Catherine school. When she discovers she is with child she races to the school to share the news with Frederic. She is not prepared for the traumatic event which unfolded before her eyes.

While trying to protect a 6 year old Jewish child, Frederic is shot by a German soldier, Alois Brunner. Lana’s life is forever changed from that moment on. She begins to use her maiden name Antanova when encouraged she can make a difference in the war. Her mother Tatiana Antanova had fled Russia during the revolution. Sister Therese consoles Lana after her miscarriage and sends her to meet Henri who is a French Resistance spy. When Lana discovers she can help protect Jewish children from death, Lana goes to the French Riviera to live with her Resistance contact Guy Pascal under the guise of a retreat.

A remarkable story of courage and determination in the face of dangerous and overwhelming obstacles. Lana feels empowered by her work to protect the innocent children. Unfortunately, working with an underground spy is dangerous and makes it difficult to make friends or know who to trust. She bravely takes on role to mingle with those she despises especially the German military.

A wonderful historical fiction with a strong female protagonist.

I enjoyed this book! This was a different perspective of WWII from the Riviera. I liked Lana's character and the descriptions of life near Monaco. It was such a juxtaposition of well off French agains the Germans. Pierre and Guy were wonderful characters and I grew to root for the good guys throughout the book. I also absolutely loved the descriptions of driving and the views in the Riviera, I felt like I was back traveling there and it brought back happy memories! Thank you to Netgalley and Atria for the opportunity to read this book.

The book is set in France, starts in occupied Paris in 1943 when newlywed Lana is on her way to tell her husband that she's pregnant, she witnesses his killing in the hands of Alois Brunner, SS general, for hiding Jewish children. Because of the shock she suffers a miscarriage.

Her suffering is the catalyst that makes her agree to work for the Resistance in the French Riviera, Nice specifically.

In Nice she portrays herself as a Russian countess living with her "lover", a Swiss spy also working for the Resistance named Guy.

As Lana uses her background, ingenuity and beauty to get close to the Nazis and learn their plans for the deportation of the Jews of the French Riviera, she gets attached to a Jewish mother and her daughter.

Because of her closeness to the high ranking Nazis she gets to know their plans and helps to save hundreds of Jewish lives.

Of course there is romance and love involve in the book. Lana and Guy fall in love. This is the weakest plot in the book that leads to a sugary ending.

At some points during the book Lana comes off as naive making her unlikable but mostly we see a transformation in her from a weak girl to a heroine.

I received an ARC of the book from NetGalley in exchange of an honest review.

Anita Abriel's Lana's War follows Parisian Lana after her husband is murdered by the Gestapo because he was hiding Jewish children at a convent. Lana, who witnessed the atrocity, retreats into herself until someone offers her a chance to actually do something to help other Jewish children and their families.

Lana knows the risks are high, and she'll be traveling away from her mother and living with a strange man to participate in the Resistance, but in her heart, she knows it's what her late husband would want her to do. So Lana fights.

I enjoyed reading about Lana's exploits, which involved going to parties and using her feminine wiles to get information from German soldiers. If she can find out when the next Jewish raids are going to be, she and her accomplice, Guy, and the rest of the secret Resistance can stop the raids and smuggle the Jewish families out of France.

There are a few edge-of-your-seat parts and there's romance, which probably won't come as a surprise to you as you read. But the ending of the book - or how you get to the ending of the book - might be a bit surprising.

If you're a fan of historical fiction, I'd recommend adding this to your to-read list.

Lana's War is published by Atria Books and is available to purchase now. I received a free e-ARC in exchange for my review.

Lana's War is a WWII resistance novel set in the French Riviera. Abriel starts this novel with a great hook that keeps you moving forward. Now I don't want to give it away but what happens in the first chapter leads to Lana, the daughter of a White Russian Countess (obviously not the cocktail), ending up in Nice where the rich in France have flocked due to the more open policies of the Italians and Vichy French. But now the Germans have taken over and things are getting more restrictive and the Jews are being taken away. All of this is thanks to Alois Brunner. Brunner is a notorious Nazi who was in charge to purging Jews from France and for a time ran Drancy outside of Paris. Lana is in Nice to help the Jews get away before Brunner can have them shipped to concentration camps. While she has a contact in Nice that she will assist who else can she trust and can she get close to the Nazi officers without putting herself and others in danger.
Lana's War has a great cast of characters and is an engaging read. It is one of those that once you start the book you will finish it in short order. There are so many WWII resistance novels out there right now that it becomes hard to choose which ones to read but if you are looking for a quick read that is historical fiction grab this one.

I loved Lana's War! Lana, of Russian royalty, raised in Paris after the social revolution in Russia, emitted such fiery passion to saving Jewish children during WWII in France, despite her tragic events, that she was recruited for the underground movement in the French Riviera. A beautiful love story of loss, bravery, and new passion, mixed with idealism and class. A great, uplifting read. Thank you NetGalley, publisher and the author Anita Abriel for the review copy. All opinions are my own.