Good book for historical fiction readers. Not just about the war but the affects on people just trying to live their lives. Will definitely recommend!

I loved this heartbreaking book!!! Sorry, it really is that simple. You have to read the book to understand but I just don’t feel it needs a lot of explanation. It is one of those books that you get exactly what you expect.

I voluntarily reviewed a copy of this book provided by NetGalley

Thank you NetGalley, author M.J. Hollows, and HQ Digital publishing for giving me a free arc copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
5 stars
This have only been my second WWII book that takes place on the Channel Islands.
The novel concerns the Second World War years when Guernsey was occupied by the Nazis. The reader sees the hardships the islanders faced. The readers are witness to the bravery and the quiet defiance that took place all over the German occupied countries. This author did a wonderful job reminding readers that not every German was a Nazi but every German was caught up in Hitler’s war. Everyone was faced with the choice – to act with compassion or cruelty. The characters were well developed and realistic. The reader can tell the author has a real passion for this time period and has done the research, which resulted in an amazing book.
Jack was a wonderful character. He is really torn by the duty he felt as an island police officer and the humanitarian choices that he was facing as the Nazis tighten their hold on the island. He was determined to do all he could to keep his family safe, but also the woman he loved, a German Jew, Johanna. Johanna was a very brave character. She was willing to hide in plain sight, while also suffering from the loss of her family at the hands of the Nazis while she was living in Germany. The romance is more of the secondary plot line. The main plot line seemed to be the determination to survive with your humanity. This story gave the reader a sense of constant fear and anxiety that the Nazi occupied countries lived with daily during the war. I appreciated the author choosing to tell the story of these islands as their story seems to get overshadowed by the European occupation. As with many WWII book, this book tugged at my heart strings. I would recommend this book to those who are interested in a WWII story that takes place in a lesser known place. I look forward to reading more books by this author in the future.

The German Nurse by M.J.Hollows is an historical fiction WWII romance that will break your heart at the choices policeman Jack is forced to make when Germany invades his home, the island of Guernsey. At every turn he tries to save his friends, his island, his grandparents but when they are all put in danger will he choose them or his girlfriend the nurse...the Jewish nurse? The author writes with a vast knowledge of the area and its history but most importantly with empathy for these victimized characters. If, like me you are obsessed with WWII historical fiction you will want to read this one.

This work of historical fiction was well-researched and emotional. The residents of Guernsey were trying their best to get through the war, always fearing an attack by German forces. This threat becomes even greater when the forces who were protecting the island are pulled away, leaving the islanders alone to defend themselves.

Jack is a local policeman on the island, and his girlfriend is Johanna, a Jewish German nurse. They are among the many islanders left behind to face the Germans. Jack is also responsible to care for his aged grandparents, and he is often torn between his many responsibilities. Together, they face deaths, hunger, shortages and many other emotional events. I don't write spoilers, so that's all I will say on that topic.

Lovers of historical wartime fiction will enjoy this well-developed book. I recommend it.

Thanks to the author, publisher and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this book, but my opinions are my own.

Yes there's a love story here between Jack and Johanna but read this for the interesting and different take on the WWII novel. The situation in Guernsey has not been as well explored as other aspects of the Homefront (and yes, Guernsey should be considered part of the Homefront). Hollows has clearly done the research. It's largely, btw, about Jack and his ethical dilemmas (as well as other things) but that doesn't diminish it's impact. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC.

The German Nurse is a WWII novel that takes place on Guernsey.  It is  historical fiction with a love story in the background.  Jake, the main character, is a policeman on the island before and during the German occupation.  He is good at heart but struggles with some the decisions he must make to protect his family and girlfriend, Johanna.  She is the German Nurse who also happens to be a Jew and fled to Guernsey from Germany at the beginning of the war.  Jake “befriends” a German Nazi, Henrik, but is unsure he can be trusted.  I guess I expected Johanna to be a more prominent character because of the title.  I enjoyed the book but it isn’t one of my favorite WWII novels.  It expressed the frustrations, heartache, confusion and hope of those on both sides.  It did end on  a positive note which is not always the case with WWII themed books.  Definitely worth the read.

I loved the historical aspects of this story. I have read and watched the movie for another Guernsey book so that town is interesting to me! The storyline for this book, moved a bit too slow for my liking. Also, I don’t really get the title as it was mainly about Jack a police officer. I was anticipating it to be more about Johanna. Overall 8 would rate it ⭐️⭐️⭐️ For the history!

“The German Nurse” tells of the WWII German invasion of the British Channel Islands from the perspective of a young British policeman. This story gives a very detailed view of the occupation and follows it from the onset to imprisonments to liberation and just enough of the recovery to give closure.

I received a free copy of this book from NetGalley for my voluntary review. While I was impressed with the amount of research the author had done to attain the many specific details that were historically accurate, the intense factual nature of the story gives it an overall dark feel and at times the horrors perpetrated by Hitler’s military are perhaps too realistic for a romance.

Jack, a Guernsey policeman in the English Channel Islands during WW2, is the protagonist in The German Nurse. This is his story as he elects to stay on the island when children and military volunteers are evacuated at the beginning of the war and the British Army pulls out, claiming the islands are not defensible. Jack stays to protect his family and his girlfriend, a Jewish nurse who fled Germany to escape the Nazis. The story follows Jack as he tries not to do his job (as dictated by the Germany kommandant) and not take a side ... until circumstances force him.

A well-researched book, I was interested in the topic but found the story slow-going and not engaging enough to keep me interested. While Jack professes his love for Johanna, the German nurse, I never felt any real passion in the narrative.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an advance reader copy. It's an interesting read for someone who wants to know more about the impact of WW2 on the Channel Islands. Three stars.

The German Nurse is a heartbreaking World War ll Historical novel, In 1940, Churchill orders the evacuation of all military personnel from the Island of Guernsey. Boats ferry the soldiers and vulnerable children from the island. to England. This leaves the rest of the people on the island behind to face the invading German Army.. Jack is one of the few remaining policemen on the island as many of the men joined the Army. He must protect his family and friends as well as the woman he loves.. Johanna is a Jewish nurse that had come to the island for safety when the Germans were putting the Jews in camps.
When the Germans arrive on the island, the policeman then report to the Germans. It is a horrible time for everyone as no one feels safe. Most of the Islanders look out for each other but they never know when another villager may be cooperating with the Germans for their own gain. Jack is very torn with his duty in his job as a policeman but also as a fellow islander to his friends. At one time, he takes a risk and removes Johanna's name from the list of Jews on the Island. The one good thing in all of this is a compassionate German that befriends Jack. This man is also in a tough position of having to do what he is told even if he does not believe it is right, This is a very good book that I recommend reading.

Jack was a modest policeman in love with a German Jewish refugee living in Guernsey when the English military left the islanders on their own to deal with the German occupiers. Jack does his best to not make waves, on either side, until the day he sees his beloved Johanna's name on a list of Jews living on the island. He removes the paper with her information on it and slowly realizes that he is gong to have to start taking a side. As he continues to try to make do, Jack realizes that he must make a choice and that choice changes his life forever.

Loved this! Strong-willed characters who had an amazing storyline. The writing itself evoked strong images and helped the reader truly connect with the storyline. Commendable achievement by the author!

The German Nurse was one of those books that a reader isn't sure what direction it will go, and how things will eventually end up, but it proved to be so very interesting, that I finished it in one night, albeit staying up till three in the morning to do so! I read a fair amount of WWII history, and did know that Guernsey had been occupied by the Germans during the war, but it was a bare bones knowledge, and this book fleshed out the experience nicely, even though this is a novel. The citizens of the island and the occupiers during the war rubbed along grudgingly at first, but as the war dragged on, fuel and food shortages affected both groups of people, and Germans tightened their grip on the island, eventually sending the few Jews to concentration camps on the mainland, as well as others. It really was a great read.

Slow moving story of a nurse who loves a policeman during WW2 on a German-occupied island. She is German and he is English. The forces are against them. Can their love endure?

While this story is entitled The German Nurse, it is more the story of Jack who is in love with Johanna, a German nurse who is also Jewish, on the island of Guernsey. Having recently read the other Guernsey book 🙂, I felt a familiarity with the setting. Jack and Johanna live on the island when word comes to evacuate the children due to the shift in the war and Germany’s close proximity to the island. Jack, a constable in the island, faces many dilemmas throughout the course of the story. He finds a childhood friend who is on the island as a spy for Britain and has to decide whether to let his superior know or not. He has to decide whether or not he should delete Johanna’s name from a list of suspected Jews on the island for the German kommandant. He sees islanders struggling to live and resort to stealing. He also notices his moral code shifting as he sees what the Germans do to people. The center of his world though is protecting Johanna’s identity. Will he succeed in making sure she isn’t identified?

I’m not sure why the book is titled The German Nurse as Johanna is not a frequent presence in the book. The book was an easy read, but I would only rate it ⭐️⭐️⭐️. It didn’t latch me in and make it hard to put down, so it took me longer than normal to read it.

#netgalley #thegermannurse

Life is too short and there are far too many books out there to stick with one I’m struggling to enjoy. It may just be timing. Maybe I’ll come back to it.

The characters are well expressed and I can feel the passion the author has for their work through their writing.
Atmospheric and well explained you could fell the heartbreak Jack is going through as he has impossible choices he must make to keep those he loves safe but what will the cost be to him.
Marvelous and true events are sprinkled into this story taking place during the Second World War years when Guernsey was occupied by the Nazis. You can feel the hardships taking place,feel the characters pain.
I recommend this to lovers of historical fiction that want a deep story.

Pub Date:June 22nd 2021
I was given a complimentary copy of this book. Thank you.
All opinions expressed are my own.

The German Nurse is set on Guernsey in 1940. It is the story of Johanna and Jack. Johanna is a German Jewish nurse living on the island. Jack is a policeman who struggles with evacuation orders; he wants to keep his family safe but also wants to protect Johanna.

I wanted to read this novel because I love historical fiction and am particularly interested in the 1940's. I have only read one other novel about Guernsey during this time period, so the locale also intrigued me.

This is a beautifully told novel, atmospheric, with well drawn characters. I felt fully engrossed in their stories. I recommend The German Nurse for other fans of historical fiction, and most especially for anyone interested in the World War II time period.

The storyline was appealing: a WWII historical fiction novel set on the island of Guernsey in the English Channel. From the beginning, I had trouble engaging with the characters. I couldn’t ‘see’ them in my mind if that makes sense? The book is described as a romance, the blurb stating ‘A forbidden love’ but the relationship between Jack and Johanna felt flat. Jack is one of the policemen left on the island when all the soldiers and young children have been evacuated. Jack’s desire is to protect his family and the woman he loves, Johanna. Johanna, a German Jew, has already fled once from the Nazis. We feel Jack’s struggle with the choices he has to make – does he fall in line and do what he’s told, or does he bend the rules to protect those he loves. Jack’s struggle becomes the central theme of the book and we hear little from Johanna, for whom the book is titled. The author, M.J. Hollows has obviously done his research into this period on Guernsey. A lot has been written about WWII but little about the Nazi occupation on the Channel Islands, so reading a novel focused on Guernsey was interesting. Thanks to NetGalley for a copy of the book. All opinions are my own.