As Rosalie hid in the shed with her injured brother, a German officer opened the door and discovered their hiding place. Unsure what was about to happen, they looked at the officer, who looked at them then looked at the burned Bible laying beside them. He looks at them, then turns and closes the door, letting them live.
And that was the beginning of a wonderful relationship between would be enemies.
Three years later, they meet again, when the same German officer brings an injured British pilot to their home, and helps tend the injured man. As time goes on, Rosalie is confused about the German man, Franz, because he doesn't seem very loyal to serving the German army. Why is he helping his enemies? Can they trust him? A wonderful World War II story that is clean and very captivating! Loved it!

Barbour Publishing’s “Heroines of WWII” continues with this latest offering set in Nazi-occupied France. A Rose for the Resistance by Angela K. Crouch is the story of Rosilie Barrieu, as she seeks to hold her family together after her father is taken to a concentration camp. This is a beautifully written story highlighting the cost of freedom. With great historical detail of the period leading up to the Normandy Invasion, along with an unlikely love story, this is a great read.

I received a copy of this book from the publisher and Net Galley. The opinions are my own.

It’s an o.k. book. Did I learn anything new about the country? No. Did I learn anything new about WWII? No. Did I learn some life lessons? No. However, I do appreciate that the author had definitely done her research, the story sounded authentic! The book wasn’t badly written, I just didn’t get involved with the characters or the story. I generally prefer books that I want to grab every spare minute and that make me want to turn the page quickly to find out what’s going to happen next. This one wasn’t like that. If you’ve never read a WWII novel, you might enjoy this.

"It doesn't matter what you do, how docile and weak you pretend to be, it won't save you. If they don't kill you, they will work or starve you to death."

I have received an ARC through NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own and left voluntarily. Special thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this copy. 

This book was really nice and easy to read, with enough sweetness, sorrow and humor to make you go through the full emotional range. It was fast-paced, but with good plot and well sketched characters that had a way of making you feel connected with them.

"No one solider will win this war. But each is needed for victory."

The plot follows Rosalie, a French woman whose brother has joined the resistance and Franz Kafka, a German solider sent to Normandy during the occupation. I liked how the war was presented through their different perspectives, oppressed struggling with everyday life and oppressor with a guilty conscience and how they've managed to find faith, hope, love and trust to work together towards a better world.
The attempt of creating a love triangle between Rosalie, Franz and Robert, the British pilot the two of them have saved, was interesting and unexpected, but I was pleased that it wasn't turned into a melodrama and things went on pretty smoothly.
Something I really appreciated was how faith was presented here, as a source of strength, courage and hope for better times. The relationship with religion and God was portrayed as a mean of salvation and I think it was realistic, as, even though love and war always go hand in hand, religion and faith play a big part too.

"No, but everything has two sides to it, opposites, good and bad. Even people are like that."

Something I wasn't really fond of was Franz Kafka and I don't mean the character; no, no, that was good. My problem was with the name as there was a real life Franz Kafka (really know for his works) and he had no liason with WW2. Not to mention that he was also Jewish, so having a German lieutenant with this name was kind of buggy. Apart from that, maybe I would have enjoyed a little more depth, but for a novella that wasn't exactly long, the action and the characters had enough emotion to share it with the reader.

It was a good read, I was unable to put it down and I've read it in less than a day. It's definitely worth picking up and giving it a try. It has that allure of a painfully beautiful story about war, love, courage, patriotic beliefs and the hidden ways of human nature.

I enjoyed reading this book. It was exciting about the second world war. The story is about a German officer who befriends a French girl. There is a lot of excitement and suspense in the story. It kept me reading hoping that there romance would not end badly. I do recommend that you read this book.

This story is well-researched and provides characters that have very different experiences of World War II that will leave every reader learning more about the lives of plausible past individuals. I found that the aspects that entangled their lives were rather unrealistic, and it took me a bit out of the story. The trust that she puts in the enemy soldier as well as his silence did not seem like plausible outcomes. While I really enjoyed learning more about the story, the general drive of the plot was something that I couldn't full get into.

I recommend this book to anyone who enjoys learning more about World War II, especially more 'unheard' of aspects such as the resistance and the daily lives of soldiers.

A Rose for the Resistance is the fifth book in the Heroines of WWII series published by Barbour Books. It is a compelling and engaging read that delves into the lives of those living in occupied France throughout the war. Angela K Couch has done a masterful job in writing a book that captures the reader from the beginning to the end. I have only one criticism for the book, even though it is a minor thing, it bothers me. One of the characters is named Franz Kafka, a name that is familiar in philosophical circles. The real Franz Kafka was a Jewish man who died rather young at the age of almost 41 in 1924. His writings are still considered classics today. My criticism in using this name is that Kafka is a Jewish name and a man with that name would not have been allowed to serve in the German military during the second World War. There are so many other German names that could have been used for this character--I have a plethora of them in my family tree!

Rosalie is a quiet woman who spends her time cultivating and growing plants for villagers around her to buy for their own gardens. Her father is in a German POW camp and she wants to keep his legacy alive for when he comes back. She is also taking care of her mother and her younger brother, Marcel, who wishes to join the resistance. Her first encounter with Franz is after curfew on a night when her brother was involved in some resistance activities and gets shot. When Franz finds them together, there is a Bible beside her on the ground and he lets them go.

Franz is disenchanted with the German regime and ideology, and while fulfilling his duties, finds ways to circumvent the powers in control. When he finds a British pilot in a crashed air plane, he takes the pilot to Rosalie so that she can hide him and take care of his wounds. He even helps Rosalie get the pilot back to England. While Franz cannot overtly participate in the resistance, he turns a blind eye to whatever Rosalie and her brother do to aid in the cause, and even runs interference for Rosalie with some of the check-point guards.

I truly enjoyed this book to the point that I lost sleep over it, it has all the feels--anger, grief, love--and it has intrigue, double-crossing, and a bit of sweetness. My only complaint is Franz's name. Four Strong Stars.

Barbour Books and NetGalley.com provided the copy I read for this review. All opinions expressed are solely my own.

The story has an interesting premise, following a Nazi soldier (who doesn't want to be there) and a girl who is working with the French Resistance. There were just some things, however, that seemed implausible to me. She is awfully quick to trust an 'enemy' soldier, and even goes as far as telling him their group's secrets. And then, even though most soldiers during this time would have, he doesn't betray that trust. It's just...it's a feel-good story more than a realistic one, where I prefer my historic fiction to be based a little more in truth, no matter how hard it is to face.

The Rose of Resistance by Angela Crouch dives into the world of the French Resistance during World War II. The background and the research to bring this story to life is well-crafted and shows in the world of the story. I felt like I was walking the streets of France while the Nazi’s were standing ground and imitating the French people. On the other hand, the romance between Franz and the heroine seemed a little off for me. Not that Europeans did not fall in love with Nazi’s soldiers during World War II. It was more of having the heroine believe what he said right away and not doubting it. Even so far as she told him secrets of the French Resistance and kept him in the loop. Many Nazi soldiers were more worried about keeping themselves alive that I was not surprised he did not betray her a number of times to make himself look better. He was a forced soldier, for a logical reason, but I still did not buy that he would have helped her as much as he did. Whereas, the plot does feature French Resistance that has been shown in a number of other stories like The Paris Dressmaker by Kristy Cambron, so I believed the actions she made the characters go through. It was an interesting story and a delight to spend time with.

I received a complimentary copy of The Rose of Resistance by Angela Crouch from Barbour Publishing, but the opinions stated are all my own.

A ROSE FOR THE RESISTANCE by ANGELA K COUCH is the best WW11 novel I have read in a while. Not only is it a gripping story of courage in adversity, with plenty of intrigue, suspense and a poignant romance, but there is a strong Christian message of hope and redemption running through the chaos. This is the first novel I have read by this author and it most definitely will not be the last. Family dynamics and loyalty are dealt with, together with betrayal, jealousy and the ongoing problem of who to trust.
Franz Kafka is not your ordinary German soldier, as Rosalie Barrieau finds out when he helps her and her brother Marcel hide an injured British airman. He also literally has their back as they work for the Resistance.
The characters are very realistically portrayed and I like the way the author takes us through their hopes and fears as they live through such a horrific time in history.
I found A Rose for the Resistance a worthwhile and inspirational read and cannot recommend it highly enough.
I was given a free copy of the book by NetGalley from Barbour Publishing. The opinions in this review are completely my own.

I enjoyed this story about the French Resistance in WW2. It presented it from multiple sides The French, the American, the Germans and the resistance. I liked the author’s description of a German caught up in the war but rebelling against what he saw as wrong. I thought it was well developed characters, and an exciting and suspenseful pace to the story. I would read this author again. The story kept my attention, with a couple mysteries tied up as the story ended.