This novel is so powerful and the story will stay with me for a long time. I loved the writing style and appreciate the research that was done to bring this book to fruition. Many emotions were rendered while turning these pages and I highly recommend.
Many thanks to Amazon Publishing UK and to NetGalley for providing me with a galley in exchange for my honest opinion.

I’m not sure where to start other than this book was so good and well worth the read. This was my first read by this author and I was pleasantly surprised. This story was compelling, captivating and basically everything you want in a good historical-fiction novel.

Thank you to NetGalley + Lake Union Publishing for the ARC.

Thank you net galley for the advance reader copy of this novel. This was a historical fiction about WWII and French sisters who hide enemies of the Germans. The plot is a bit transparent and somewhat predictable while heart wrenching. I love how ordinary citizens stepped up to be heros! Cate, Addy, Elise, Jack, Harry and even Peter are wonderful characters. A great read!

Thank you to @netgalley and @amazonpublishing for access to this ARC!

I am a complete sucker for WW2 historical fiction, but my TBR has been so overwhelming that it took me way too long to pick this book up. Now that I finally have, I’m happy to report that it was great!

It had a lot of similar themes (occupied France, sisters, feminism) as The Nightingale which is an absolute compliment (and one of my favorite books). The sisters in the book, Elise and Adelaide, were amazing. I loved the way the author wrote their characters. The poor girls went through SO much. Be prepared for some tears toward the end of this one 😭

I also absolutely adored Cate, the British nurse that found her way to the sisters. Actually I loved all of the characters, well minus the Nazi commander, Wolfgang, but I even loved to hate him haha.

The story was super well-written. Also, the author’s note at the end describes how a lot of it was based off of true events which is something I always love with historical fiction.

I’d absolutely recommend this book to historical fiction lovers. It’s emotional, powerful, and definitely worth the read.

I loved this book! Once again, Soraya Lane hit a homerun with good characters. Her books are always rich in plot and this one was no different. I loved every bit of this story. It was incredible.

A sensitive and well written novel starting at the evacuation of Allied forces at Dunkirk and the story of a nurse left behind to care for a wounded soldier, their encounter with 2 French sisters and the many choices they are to make in the brutal time of war.

I don’t know where to start! I love historical fiction and I like to think I’ve read quite an assortment but this was unlike anything else I’ve read. This was a powerful tale of survival, bravery, and unexpected romance.

When British medical staff are left behind with Germans not far behind, a young nurse overcomes all obstacles to save an injured soldier. After venturing far to find safety, they end up up putting others at risk.

Three brave women found trust in each other despite all odds and one made the ultimate sacrifice to ensure the others safety.

Mixing fact and fiction Soraya M. Lane wrote a heart wrenching tale of both love and loss.

It was hard to put this book down, as the main characters were hiding from the Nazis, and their fate was up in the air. Cate and Lilly were British nurses, assigned to France when the Germans invaded. Lilly was able to escape, but Cate drew the short straw to stay behind. As the Nazis approached, she and a patient, Jack, escaped and were on the run. At the same time, Elise and her sister Adelaide, French women in a small village, knew they were being surrounded by the Nazis and experienced a massacre of soldiers surrendering. The book was based on historical fact, and the author did not sugar coat the events. I highly recommend this book and thank the author for keeping the lessons of history alive, and creating characters that made us care deeply. Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC.

Thanks to Netgalley for a copy of this book for an honest review.

Loved it...heartbreaking WW2 book, set in France around the time of the Dunkirk evacuation. Great book with strong female characters.

This is a harrowing story of those left behind after the evacuation and finding themselves stuck in occupied France. It brings out the fear and dread faced by people in occupied France as well as the courage of people willing to help others at the cost of their own lives. With the research and the amazing writing it is difficult to put this book down...you are captive from the first page to the last. While this is a fictional account, be assured there is much to learn. My thanks to Net Galley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher and Soraya M. Lane for the chance to read this book in return for a personal review.

This is the second book I have read by this author - and to be honest it was very similar to the first.

I love historical fiction - especially those set in either World War - so this one appealed to me from the blurb.

Part way through I decided to see if any of the events actually happened and of course found that The Le Paradis Massacre had actually occurred. I, however, was so disappointed that the main Nazi character and the 2 survivors had had their names changed and that some of the events had been changed. In my opinion if parts of a book are based on fact then important facets of that historical occasion should be kept true to life. It was easy to find out the details of Le Paradis through an online search so I don't feel I have given any spoilers.

I suppose there were secrets but the reader was party to them all and really none were left behind. Some were brought out into the open, some were predictable and some far-fetched.

But this might be giving a bad side to a book that was well written and kept me wanting to read to the end to find out what happened. The ending was a bit rushed but I very often feel disappointed with the last say, 50, pages of a book where the story is wrapped up so quickly - that its easy to feel slightly cheated.

Would I recommend this book? - yes if you enjoy this authors work - if you like factual WW2 historical fiction then be aware that facts have been altered to fit the author's needs.
But its a good read - if harrowing at times - but times just after Dunkirk in France were harrowing

Thank you again to everyone concerned with me being able to read this book

What a wonderful read! Soraya Lane always writes such wonderful stories. Fans of Lane's other books will like this one. I particularly liked the character development in this novel. An all around good book that I would recommend to all fans of the genre. Thank you NetGalley and Soraya Lane for this copy.

NetGalley was kind enough to offer me an ARC of The Secrets We Left Behind by Soraya M. Lane in return for my honest review.

I do love a good World War II novel. This was a compelling story and I can’t deny I enjoyed reading it, even if it was clichéd and predictable in areas.

British nurse, Cate, stays behind with patients during the evacuation to Dunkirk. She and patient Jack make a run for it, but she’s falling for him and feeling guilty because her fiancé is missing, presumed dead. In nearby town Le Paradis, sisters Elise and Addy witness and massacre of surrendered British troops by the incoming Nazis. They take in the two surviving soldiers, against Elise’s “better judgment” and Addy catches the eye of the local Nazi commander. Obviously all of their paths will cross and all of their fates are intertwined. Secrets will be revealed. Choices will be made. Not everyone will make it out alive.

My biggest complaint is actually the title. There are obviously secrets kept within the story but I actually felt like they were mostly revealed and resolved and not actually left behind. I felt like I spent the whole novel waiting for the title to be significant and it just wasn’t. I would probably just have called the book “Le Paradis”.

It wasn’t a bad read but it also wasn’t amazing.

This book definitely belongs in the hands of every historical fiction fan! It was that good! The characters are phenomenal, the writing superb, and it draws you into the story. Almost as if you were living it along with them. Definitely a hit and a recommended book for me!

I voluntarily reviewed a copy of this book provided by NetGalley.

This book is an outstanding piece of historical fiction. Someone of the characters are based on real people, and the author was inspired to write it after watching the movie “Dunkirk”. Cate, a British nurse, is left behind in the Dunkirk evacuation. She and one of her patients escape and hide in a house with two sisters and a soldier who survived the massacre of his unit.

This is a powerful book with a strong plot and characters. I highly recommend it, 5 stars.

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

A beautifully written story about love and friendship and the strength and courage shown when it is needed in hard times, it is WW11 in France, Dunkirk and Nurse Cate is left behind when the evacuation happens, there is no way she is going to be taken by the Nazis and she runs with a patient, Jack.

Le Paradis is fifty miles away and a regiment of British soldiers are doing their best to hold of the Nazis, all but two lose their lives and crawl to a farmhouse and seek help from sisters Elise and Adelaide. Harry and Peter are both injured and the woman do what they can to help when Cate arrives on their doorstep and her soldier, together the three woman risk their lives to save the men against odds with the Germans taking over France.

The struggle is hard especially when Adelaide helps Peter and now has the interest of the local German commander Wolfgang Schmidt, tensions are mounting with danger so close will Elise be able to get Harry, Jack and Cate back to England, how much are they prepared to sacrifice for the lives of people who have come to mean so much to them?

I loved this story Soraya Lane has never disappointed me and this one is a fabulous story filled with heart-break, love, resilience, strength and courage, it is an emotional journey and there were tears, lots of them but there was cheering as well, but the ending is just so beautiful and yes more tears but tears of joy. This is a story that I do highly recommend Cate, Elise Adelaide are amazing woman and Harry and Jack amazing men and very worth getting to Know.

My thanks to the author and Netgalley for my copy to read and review

❤️Summer Reading 🇬🇧

The Secrets We Left Behind
By: @sorayalaneauthor

This is the second WWII Historical Fiction I have read by this author and she always opens my eyes to a part of WWII I knew little to nothing about. She highlights women’s roles in WWII that are often over looked. The story always takes me back in time and I feel like I’m right there with the women behind enemy lines!

Synopsis: Cate is a British nurse who is left behind when the British evacuate at Dunkirk. Instead of being taking prisoner by the invading Nazis Cate runs with one of her patients at the Red Cross hospital.
Elise and her sister are French women who are trying to lay low and survive on their family farm alone when they encounter the Nazis committing a mass murder on the farm next door.

In ways you won’t see coming these people’s lives intersect and they must figure out how to survive during Nazi occupation.

My book square is the Red Cross symbol. The women who sacrificed so much in the care of others are true heroines!

Thank you @suzyapprovedbooktours for having me on tour and to @sorayalaneauthor for my copy of your ebook!

This was a book that l could not put down. It was well written and I could relate to the characters. It was exciting,descriptive and as it was about the war sometimes sad. Characters were intriguing strong and memorable. Thank you for being allowed to read this book.

Two books about WWII in a row! Although they are very different. The Secrets We Left Behind takes place in France, just after the evacuation of Dunkirk. There’s three points of view, one British nurse who is left behind to care for wounded soldiers, and two French sisters who live nearby and try to help in anyway they can.

Cate the British nurse, flees in the night after her hospital is raided, bringing along her favorite patient, Jack. Elise and Adelaide are sisters who only have each other after their mother and brother both had died. Two British soldiers are the only survivors after their regiment is shot by Nazis; they barely make it to the sisters’ house and beg to be let inside. Eventually Cate and Jack do the same thing and now the sisters are housing and hiding three British guests with many injuries and not a lot of food for everyone.

Adelaide also meets the commander of the local Nazi group and he takes a liking to her. He starts to court her and she claims it’s all to get information about the war. Elise knows her sister too well and she is now afraid her sister is in love with a Nazi and brutal murderer.

This book was so much more than I expected! There was romance and war and justice! This was one that I couldn’t put down and loved the bond between the sisters. Even if Adelaide drove me crazy!

This book was fantastic! I have been waiting for a truly outstanding WWII novel ever since "The Nightingale" and this one is it. Love, suspense, history, drama, well-researched setting, the author does a wonderful job at making you feel the danger the sisters face as they take in their "boarders" and how that duty soon turns into friendship and love. It was truly wonderful and I spent a VERY happy day reading it. I didn't want it to end!