Sometimes you can’t help who you fall in love with and this was true for Hedy, a Jewish woman, who was hiding in the British Channel Islands when she falls in love with a German Officer, Kurt. As the Germans continue their brutality of the world, things are ok on the islands until they aren’t. 

Hedy is a strong and brave woman for doing her small part to resist the power of the Nazis. It most certainly does help but it also put her in grave danger. Kurt is also risking his life by being with her but he is where he is because of circumstances.  As they both lose during the war, will they be able to keep each other?

I have read many books about WWll but this was my first that was based in the Channel Islands.  I loved that this was based on something that really happened.  I felt that everyone on that island had a very hard time.  There did not seem to be many that came away unscathed.  I loved the characters of Hedy, Dorothea, Anton and Kurt.  I felt this showed that there were good and bad people on both sides.  This made me cry.  I received a copy of this book from Harlequin for a fair and honest opinion that I gave of my own free will.

I struggled with this book a little bit. While I thought the book really captured life during World War II accurately and gave a clear picture of the brutality and grim realities of living during occupation, I had a hard time imagining the characters or caring about them particularly even if I could sympathize with their situation.

Hedy was a difficult main character to love. Her resilience was admirable but she had a somewhat grating personalty. I could understand her defensiveness and unwillingness to trust others but at the same time that made it hard to connect with her. I felt bad for the things she was going through but I never felt like I got to know her that much, it’s as if she kept the reader at as much a distance as she kept everyone else in the book. Her relationship with Kurt was the closest she came to vulnerability and even that was a bit stifled to me. The friendship between her and Dory was forced upon her and that strain was evident throughout the book. I had hoped for more development of the closeness between the two of them but the differences in their two personalities was only heightened as the story progressed. Even at the end when it was meant to be a parting of friends it still came across as relief rather than sadness in saying farewell. Anton was the only character that Hedy appeared to have any connection to but that fizzled out by the end.

The romance between Kurt and Hedy was good but for me it lacked sentiment. I struggled to fully realize Kurt as a character and while I believed that he cared for Hedy in the ways that he provided and tried to protect her it was difficult sometimes to see their romance as so deep when many of his thoughts of her were of a sexual nature. I get that romance and relationships may have been conducted differently during war time and of course the stress and pressure that Hedy and Kurt were under as he’s a German officer and she a Jew would’ve been unbelievably intense but there were moments that were decidedly unromantic. Also the relationship came across as unbalanced, in that he risked a lot to help Hedy and Dory but in the end it seemed as if once the tide had turned Hedy wasn’t willing to risk much the same. She was happy to wait for him but not to fight for him as he did for her beyond one plea to someone who knew wasn’t likely to help.

I think the best parts of this book are in its portrayals of what life was like for someone during occupation. The harsh realities of food shortage, of no income, of being treated as half a person. That’s where this book does a really good job. Unfortunately I feel the characters weren’t fleshed out very well and became more a picture of what life was like during the war. And it’s a stark and startling picture for certain, brutal and harsh in its depiction. The author doesn’t spare the reader from showing the realities of both sides. The fact that Kurt, as a German officer, didn’t agree with the polices of his side but also didn’t fully know or comprehend them. And Hedy, coming to terms with living under the thumb of people who would want to persecute her if they knew she was a Jew while still trying to find a way to have her own rebellion. I did like that the author showed the mental toll war takes on people over time, how it numbs people and changes them and the things they thought might matter really don’t anymore. I think that’s where this book really shone is in dealing with the toll that war takes on a person, their relationships and themselves and where they go once it’s over.

I did wish that there would’ve been a better resolution to the book as it was so fraught for the entire story and then wrapped up quickly. Especially relating to Hedy’s family as I felt I never truly understood the full story on them. I was ok with where Hedy and Kurt ended up but it would’ve been nice to have even further follow up to see how they were fairing but I guess in a way it was suited to a happy for now ending.

Overall this was an enjoyable read. While I would’ve liked some more detail on the characters, the plot kept me engaged the entire story wanting to know what became of Hedy and those around her. I’d recommend this to anyone looking for a good WWII fiction with tense moments, an unlikely romance and small acts of courage amidst terrifying circumstances.

The Girl from the Channel Islands by Jenny Lecoat tells the story of a young Jewish nanny who is stuck off the coast of France, on the Channel Islands, when the Germans invade. Despite her fear, Hedy takes a job as a translator for the occupation forces. As a small act of resistance, she begins stealing petrol coupons to smuggle to the local doctor and is almost caught. But a young German officer steps up to take the blame and they end up falling in love. Soon after, Hedy’s best friend, Anton, gets conscripted into the Wehrmacht. Against all odds, they hide their relationship and take care of each other with the help of Anton’s wife, Dorothea. As the war rages across Europe, Kurt and Dorothea risk their lives to hide Hedy from the local Germans. Can they hold out on their small isolated island until the war ends?

I have read a lot of World War II historical fiction and this one was just ok for me. The beginning was a little slow, but it may have just been that I’m so familiar with the time period that I don’t need as much scene setting as most authors give. Once the story really got going, I was engaged with the characters and wanted to find out if they all made it to the end of the war. I would say, if you like historical fiction, then you would probably enjoy this one. If not, you’ll probably find it a little slow.

Trigger warnings: antisemitism, animal slaughter, war

(3.5 stars, rounded up)

Hedy Bercu's mother's name is Goldberg, and her Romanian stepfather is Jewish. She flees her native Austria for the island of Jersey when she is unable to escape to England. To Hedy's horror, the Nazis invade Jersey in 1940 and she finds herself cornered once again.

She is branded by the Nazis as a Jew when they don't accept her farce about not being Jewish by blood, but by marriage. Despite the red "J" stamped on her identity card, she lands a job as a translator for the Germans. Her proximity to the Nazis has a surprising result -- she begins a relationship with Nazi officer Kurt Neumann.

Hedy promises her friend Anton that she will look after his wife Dorathea when he is sent into service, and Hedy visits her to listen to the BBC radio broadcast. As the war progresses, Hedy finds herself leaning on both Kurt and Dorathea to survive.

Recommended for fans of World War II fiction. Those who enjoyed the small island setting of The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society will enjoy the novel's environment of Jersey.

Based on a true story, Hedy is a Jewish young woman originally from Vienna who escaped the Nazis after the Anschluss only to be caught in the Channel Islands, the only part of Gray Britain occupied by Germany during World War Two.  She speaks German as well as English and the Nazis need translators so Hedy hides in plain sight as an employee of the despised occupiers.

Not all Germans are evil and Hedy falls in love with Kurt an officer who helps her survive when she is forced into hiding towards the end of the war.  A little known chapter of the war comes alive as we follow Hedy through the hardships and terror of the occupation.

The Girl from the Channel Islands paints a vivid picture of the German-occupied territory, and I'm finding these historical stories that have some basis in truth to be more and more intriguing lately. This one pulls us right into WWII and Hedy's struggles to keep her true identity a secret. The story is well written if a bit dry at times with things being relayed almost on a strict timeline. Nevertheless, Hedy is an interesting character and the more I learned about her, the more I wanted to know, which kept the pages turning. All in all, Jenny LeCoat's debut novel does not disappoint and I'll be interested to see what she does next.

The Girl from the Channel Islands is a good read. It's classified as Women's Fiction, and the heart of the book is a female friendship that sustains the main characters as they live through the second World War, but it's not *just* about this, of course. There is some romance, though the "happily ever after" isn't assured,  it's strongly suggested, so it would work for your romance readers. There is also some excellent tension involving the heroine - a Jewish Austrian girl who escaped Austria for a job in the Channel Islands as a housekeeper/nanny - and her attempts to use her ability to speak multiple languages to work for (but also against) the German occupiers after her original employers flee the island. It's not quite a thriller, but there are scenes of tension and subterfuge that are immensely satisfying as the main characters outwit the Germans. While it's not exactly a lighthearted romp, it's a good story and well told. The characters were likeable (those that we were supposed to like, anyway) and the action was consistent throughout the book. This would be a fine read for folks who are looking for stories of romance or strong friendship as well as those looking for a good historical yarn that will entertain them for a while.

While parts of this story were well-written and exciting, other parts fell flat for me. I really enjoyed reading about the occupation on the Channel Islands, which is something that I didn't really know about before. Some of the events were similar in style to other books based on World War II that I have read, which might be why I didn't enjoy the book as much as others. I did think part of the love story was too much and Hedy's character was unlikeable for most of the story. However, the story overall was good, so I will still recommend it, especially to those that enjoy reading about World War II.

The book is well-written and interesting. However, having read so many books on WWII, I was expecting more depth to the story. While based on the true story of Hedy Bercu, a young Jewish woman from Austria trapped on Jersey in the Channel Islands, the book is predominantly a romance, set during extremely difficult times. Not a lot has been written about life in the German-occupied Channel Islands during WWII, so I did find that interesting. I also enjoyed the strong friendships in the story. Hedy’s life lay in the hands of her friends and a German officer.

I felt the character development was really lacking. Some of Hedy’s backstory is given, but there is almost nothing on Kurt, Dory, and Anton. I would love to have known more about Dory, as she was my favorite character. These were real people so research  should have provided some background on them.  

A beautiful quote from the book: “If you stretched out your hand into the cold, still air, you could rub the bitterness between your thumb and forefinger and feel its grit.”

I received an advance e-galley from the publisher. The opinions expressed here are my own.

First and Foremost I would be remiss if I did not take the time to personally thank Jenny Lecoat, Harper Collins, & Graydon House for this Winter 2021 Blog Tour -Historical Fiction - genre!
Little did I know I'd fall in love with a story from a beautiful young Jewish woman named Hedy, trapped on the occupied island of Jersey during World War II.
When the Germans invade the Channel Islands there's no counter attack as the allies feel The Channel Islands aren't worth protecting.
Little did Hedy realize many of the islanders settled into an uneasy coexistence with the occupying forces but not Hedy. Hedy is Jewish, ergo this fact alone may lead to deportation or worse.
Therefore, she takes up a job as a translator and falls in love with a German Lieutenant named Kurt.
This relationship heats up while danger lurks all around her.
Courage means survival not only using her own survival skills but those of her community united as one alongside a man who for all intense purposes as an officer should be her enemy.
The way in which this proceeds even when they meet at the crossroads of life was quite fascinating and it's interesting to note that this is based on true events.
I've read many historical books from this time period and this one in particular managed to make you feel every movement, every emotion, every dire consequence in trying to merely thrive and survive.
A great new read that I hope you have the pleasure of enjoying real soon!

A beautiful story of survival.
WWII on the coast of France is the setting for the historical fiction The Girl from the Channel Islands.  This story is based on a true story which was incredibly interesting.  
There is a lot of history within the story as well love stories.
Hedy, a young Jewish girl, is the main character.   I really went back and forth on my thoughts about her.  In the end, I came around to find her very brave.
I always find it hard to read about the atrocities that went on.  
Many thanks to NetGalley, the publisher and author for the opportunity to read this book for my honest opinion. All opinions expressed are my own.

4.5 stars

My immediate thoughts posted to Goodreads right after finishing The Girl from the Channel Islands:

Normally, I would take some time, collect my thoughts and the broken pieces of my heart from the floor and THEN sit down to type out all the thoughts swirling around in my brain so you all would be able to understand it. But NOT today. OH NOOOOOO.... lucky you, today I'm just gonna pour my little heart out immediately after finishing The Girl from the Channel Islands by Jenny Lecoat because I just really need to share how I'm feeling right NOW!

So, how am I feeling about it? What exactly DID I think about this little nugget of a historical fiction novel set during WWII about a young Jewish woman stuck on some tiny little island with some Nazi soldiers??? I'm so glad you asked...


Where to begin...

Let's travel back in time to the Channel Islands during the year 1940, where young Jewish girl Hedy Bercu has been living after fleeing Vienna. Her only real friend on the island is a young man named Anton and the Germans have taken control of the island.

Kinda makes you sad already, right? She's already escaped the Nazis once... can she do it again?

No. The answer is NO. NO ONE is escaping the island... except maybe Anton and a poor possibly drunk widowed fisherman, but that's not the part of the story we're discussing today.

So how do I express to you what I DO want to talk about without giving away too much...?

Basically, Hedy ends up at the mercy of a woman she doesn't particularly care for and a German officer who she may be falling in love with as she tries to hide right under the Nazi's noses as a translator/thief and it's INTENSE people!!! That's all I think I can actually say without spoilers. So...yeah.

I cried, I laughed, I held my breath for way too long and felt a little dizzy. So if you're the type of person who likes to put yourself through a lot of emotional turmoil and possibly be happy (but not TOO happy) in the end, then I definitely recommend this book.

Thank you to NetGalley and Harlequin for the digital ARC of this novel in exchange for my honest review and opinions.

My thoughts after having a little bit to really put my head back together:
Not once have I ever thought about what it must’ve been like to be a part of the Nazi army against your will. I knew on a very superficial way that this happened. I’ve even read books where a character was called up to fight with the Germans, but it was always someone who didn’t really matter to the main story… so it was easy not to care.

In The Girl from the Channel Islands, we’re forced to watch as a man who has been drafted into the army for the Germans falls in love with a Jewish girl who challenges his complicity and his fierce denial of the atrocities happening to so many people at the hands of his “side”. That same girl’s best friend falls in love with a local island girl and then is also forced into the army on the side of the Nazis. Not only do we see the conflicting, damaging emotional states of these men, but we’re invited to see the war from the view of the women who love them.

Hedy and Dorothea fight to survive in a world that no longer wants them. They’re starved, hidden away, and treated as vermin. Yet they never lose hope (at least not completely). Not even after the war has ended do they give up their fight. They do what they can to learn of the fates of the men who never wanted a part of the losing side to begin with. I can’t help but wonder if their fates were somehow tied with their parts in the war. One with a cushy island assignment and one who was forced to actually fight.

This was a very bittersweet read that I’m so glad took me on the journey it did. It’s definitely going to stick with me for a very long time!

Love and bravery at a time of war is never easy. That certainly proved true when it came to Hedy Bercu and the man she loved. Hedy was a young Jewish girl who fell in love. This loved proved tragic time and again. For starters, she had to flee Vienna during the Anschluss while World War II was raging. Even though she managed to flee, she was indeed captured by the Germans.

Things were beyond difficult - if not impossible - for Hedy. However, serving as a translator helped her to hide among the Germans. However, her love affair might prove to be the cause of her death and capture. The reason why is the man she was desperately in love with,, and this man was a German officer. Their love was tested time and again, and loyalty and bravery truly came into play. Their love was impossible, no doubt, and their choice to persevere proved dangerous more than once.

Not only did they have to fight for their love, but hunger become a dire factor. Hedy was blessed with good friends for her protection and safety. This is one of the best historical fiction stories I have read. Forbidden love is never easy, but this book showed how love truly triumphed over the greatest of difficulties. 

Many thanks to Graydon House and to NetGalley for this ARC for review. This is my honest opinion.

We all know that the time period where Hitler and the Nazi Regime were taking over Europe, and the surrounding territories, was a very challenging time for the Jews, as well as anyone in the areas they were invading.  With all the historical accounts of what happened, and even works of historical fiction based on these real events, we get a look into what it was really like for people.  This is one such book, based on real people who lived during this time in the Channel Islands, where we get a glimpse of what they went through. 
The Channel Islands are British occupied islands that were taken over by Hitler's Regime during the Nazi Occupation.  These islands were closer to France so as the British were trying to  defend the mainland, they let go of the Islands, and Hitler took the opportunity to take them over.  This book follows the story of Hedy, a Jew who had fled her home in Austria during the Nazi insurgence. We also meet another young woman named Dory, who is an islander that falls in love, and marries Hedy's best friend Anton.  Anton is eventually forced to fight in the war and must go away, and despite their differences, Hedy and Dory must come together to help each other survive during the most challenging time of their lives.  The little help they receive actually comes from someone who is technically with the "enemy."  Hedy meets a high ranking officer from the German army named Kurt, and they fall dangerously in love.  Kurt does everything in his power to help the two girls survive the tragedy around them, and together the three of them battle against insurmountable odds. 
The most alluring thing about this book, to me at least, is that it is based on the true stories of these people, and we get a glimpse into what their lives may have been like. I think that the author having her family roots in the islands is fascinating also, considering I didn't even know anything about the islands or where they are located until I read this book. Definitely worth the read!

First of I  want to say a  huge  thank you to the publisher  Graydon House -HARLEQUIN – Trade Publishing (U.S. & Canada) ,  the author Jenny Lecoat , and to NetGalley for inviting me to join the blog tour for this book as well as letting me read and review it. As soon as I say it I knew that once again I would say yes because I love reading historical Fiction that is based on events that took place doing WW2 , the only down side to that is that it has to do be done in a way that it fellows these four things that I look for which is :

1: author has done their research

2: they bring their characters and their settings to life 

3: they make you feel everything that the characters feel 

4: and by the end of the book your a emotional wreck

And with this book it checked everything off that list, in fact this is the second historical fiction WW 2 based book that I've read this year which means its one of my favorite books. The book is well writing and makes you feel all the emotions that the characters feel, she also brings to life the day to day life of the characters and what they went though,their bravery in the face of danger , of friends made and of lives lost as well as loved ones, it also brings to light how the some of the Germans treated the Jews and the people of the Channel Islands , and how one German was different then all of the rest that he would do anything to help the girl that he was in love with even if that meant his own death. So if your looking for something that feel the all the emotions and  a story  that's filled with tension, suspense, revenge, friendship, love, kindness then you need to check this one out.

This novel is loosely based on a true story of resistance, heroism, friendship, and love that is hard to put down!

Hedy Bercu is a young Jewish girl who had been living and working in the Channel Islands when World War II begins.  When the island is invaded by the German forces, everyone’s life slowly begins to change.

Hedy has to register as a Jewish resident with the authorities.  However, since she is bilingual and can speak and write German and English, she is hired to work for the German military in one of their offices.  While there, she meets a German officer who is secretly not supportive of the Nazi regime.  They clandestinely begin to see each other and fall in love.  But as the war drags on, each of them fear that their forbidden relationship may be discovered…

Thank you to Net Galley, Harlequin Books, and author Jenny Lecoat for giving me the opportunity to read the ARC of this historical fiction book!

It's 1940 and we are transported to the Channel Islands where Hedy Bercu, who fled the Nazis 2 years previously from Vienna, finds herself being singled out for her Jewish background under German occupation on the island of Jersey. With her English and German speaking capabilities, she lands a job working for the Germans as a translator. She finds herself falling in love with a German soldier and he helps her knowing both of their lives are in danger as a result. The situation gets more and more dire. 

I found out after that Hedy was a real person and this book is based on a true story. I can't even imagine what she, or anyone in that time period must have gone through. How much courage it took just to survive each day. That being said, the book shared a lot of plot / information but faltered a bit on the character development. Despite the awful situation, I was unable to feel connected to the characters. My favorite character was Dory. Despite Hedy being quite mean to her, she remains loving, strong and courageous. 

Kurt is a German soldier who doesn't agree with what is being done but continues because he thinks he doesn't have a choice. I always struggle with this perspective because that's how such heinous acts happen; with people who feel they don't have a choice and just go along with what's happening. I feel that I'm not in a position to judge because until you walk a mile in their shoes, what do you know? But it just doesn't sit right with me. 

This book would be enjoyed by readers who enjoy historical fiction. 

I give this book 3.5/5 rounded up to 4.

Thank you to Harlequin Trade Publishing and NetGalley for the eGalley in exchange for my honest review.

This book was received from the Author, and Publisher, in exchange for an honest review. Opinions and thoughts expressed in this review are completely my own. 

This is a non spoiler review, because you as reader need to read this book. Also, I feel sometimes I have in the past gave away to much of the plot line. This has diminished the pleasure for would be readers

THE GIRL FROM THE CHANNEL ISLANDS is a riveting unforgettable tale of bravery, friendship, and love. Based on a true story of a young Jewish girl named Hedwig Bercu (Hedy) during World War II.

Jenny Lecoat debut novel has propulsive storyline, offering both drama and historical authenticity to appeal to anyone interested in WWll historical fiction.

Set in the English Channel Islands, 1940. Hedy is a Jew who recently escaped Austrian Anschluss to the island of Jersey.
Leaving behind the horrors of Vienna Austria Hedy Berkus arrives to the shores of Jersey, located in England’s British Isles. Fleeing for her life because of her Jewish Heritage. Hoping she is safe far away from the long arm of.Nazi regime.
Everything comes crashing down when in June 1940. The inhabitants of the Channel Island of Jersey can only watch as the German army invades. 
The invading force takes complete control of their island without any opposition to stop them. They have been abandoned by the British, and forced to fend for themselves. The locals of Jersey are resilient people endure a lengthy occupation that will last to the very end of the war. 

Hedy Bercu nightmare has become her reality, again she finds her nationality under persecution. This is immersive novel that show the local of Jersey island as strong willed and courageous people. Hedy is a wonderfully developed character, and the author seamlessly writing flows perfectly as the storyline develops. She is brave and driven by inner strength as she tries to hide her identity an takes a job at the German headquarters as a translator. When her paths cross with the German officer Kurt, nothing prepares both of them. The romance is done in a way that doesn’t overshadowed the true theme of the novel, but you will your heart captivated by it. 

The Girl from the Channel Islands by Jenny Lecoat’s is compelling book 
It will significant interest those readers who enjoy World War II based historical fiction.

We meet Hedy and Kurt who happens to be a German solder. Hedy manages to evade capture and together with her friend Dorothea try to survive til the end of the war.
 It’s a love story  told with a different perspective. It was descriptive and I enjoyed the story. I can’t help but feel it was just like any other WW2 book,I need to take a big break from them
Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the early copy