Very moving, with great and memorable characters. I was drawn into the story straight away and it kept me engaged.

A brilliant read and one I really enjoyed. The characters are loveable and varied, the plot is one that is engaging and medium paced. I found myself completely drawn into the story and enjoyed the writing style.

Incredibly moving and full of heroism, bravery and love!
This is the first book I have read by Elaine Johns and it certainly will not be the last, if this is what I have been missing out on then I can't wait to take a look at the author's full catalogue this is an immensely memorable and touching story.
The characters are memorable and believable, and their journey is fraught with so many hardships which would make any person buckle, Maddie is a wonderful character and watching her blossom into the strong woman we all knew her to be is worth every tear and angst which you feel throughout,
A refreshing look at the war from a different angle centring around an aspect of history which so few have written about previously, well worth a read!!

No matter how many ww stories I read, they still manage to seep deep within me! A story which is sure to give readers goosebumps! A story of love, courage, loyalty, and difficult difficult times, yet the human soul, bravery and persevere shines through! An unputdownable book which stays in the heart... for a long time!
Thank you Bookouture and Netgalley for the ARC!

Set in England during WWII, Maddie goes against her mother’s wishes and joins the Women’s Auxiliary and becomes a driver and mechanic in the army. She is assigned to the war office and drives officers around to various destinations. BE BRAVE FOR ME opens as she drives a Captain down a POW camp in Cornwall. He gives her permission to leave the POW camp for the weekend, so she heads to the coast but a walk on the beach is not possible due to all the barbed wire and land mines. She hears a cry and sees a young boy trapped by barbed wire and too scared to come back where he might get blown up. Enter our hero, Rudi goes out and rescues the lad. Once they are safely off the beach Maddie realises he is German, and is an escapee from the POW camp she has come from. She is duty bound to turn him in, but feels an instant attraction to him. After a weekend with him she leaves him hidden in a barn and continues on back to her job.

Rudi doesn’t appear again until later on in the book. However after that opening weekend the story follows Maddie only, who goes through heartbreaking trauma which allows her character to be shaped into a strong determined woman well able to cope with what happens in the rest of the book.

I am not usually a fan of instant love, although I understand during war there is not always the chance to slowly grow into a relationship, people didn’t know in one moment if they were going to be alive in the next. So things moved fast. Also the story seemed a bit stretched at times, which really is my only grumble. Overall the story kept my interest and there were some amazing characters. While there were some heartrending scenes these were counteracted by scenes of great joy and humanity.

A great read. I loved the pace of the book the authors writing style and the characters. The romance developed quickly I think the fact it was during wartime had something to do with that, as if it wasn't during a war I don't think they would have fell in love so easily. It's a beautiful novel that is full of emotion

Thank you to NetGalley for providing me a free copy in exchange for an honest review.

I want to preface this review by reminding readers that during WWII, things were different. People thought they were going to die and lost loved ones on a daily basis. Things were traumatic and very crazy during that time. Many times, when someone found someone they connected with, they just wanted to feel that connection and normalcy of a courtship, getting to know someone, etc. went out the window. They understood that they were not promised tomorrow.

I loved this unique love story - a German POW and a woman from the British army falling in love. The author was amazing at interweaving the love story among the realities of war. This is a definite must-read. Especially if you appreciate WWII historical fiction.

This was an enjoyable read. It gave me something to look forward to and the end of the day. The author keeps you guessing until the end as to whose nefarious plot this was, giving several characters motives over the course of the book. I read this book quickly, mainly because I couldn't put it down.

I found the premise of the story more than a little unbelievable. Two people meet and within less than 12hrs they’re picnicking on the beaches and madly in love? I know things like that happen, especially during war, but somehow the scenario didn’t seem believable to me.

I don't really normally review adult books, as Children and Young adult fiction is more my thing, however when I accidentally requested this book when I only just started using NetGalley and said I wouldn't be giving any feedback on this book. I couldn't get it out of my head, therefore I read it anyway and I did really 'enjoy' reading this book.

It really brought home the struggle that people had to bear during WW2. Maddie was such a strong woman and fought her way through each day, with a smile and determination. I felt so bad for Rudi and we now know that many of those Germans conscripted did not have the same ideology as Hitler but were given no choice but to follow.

Thank you to Elaine and NetGalley for letting me read the ARC.

First time I’ve read a book by this author and I know I will try her other books. Love the style of writing in the fact that she sets the scene and emotions without being over descriptive. Really enjoyed this true love story of Maddie and Rudi which was set during the war times. A tale full of love, friendship, hardship, endurance and true love. Highly recommend

So glad that I was given the chance to read this book. It tells the story of Maddie who is driver in the army. She was given a few days leave and decided to go to visit Cornwall. Whilst visiting a beach she hears a frightend child cry out and rushes to them only to find a boy trapped on sandunes in an area that has landmines.
Rudi who also heard the cry rushes to help the boy and wastes no time in getting him out putting himself in danger as well. Maddie knows the man he is a german from the prisoner of war camp from where she had just come from. What makes it worse is that she later finds out that he had snuck into the boot of her car and escaped out of the camp that way.
She is bound to report his escape even if it means her getting the sack from her job but something holds her back. Someone who puts themselves at risk to help a child can't be that bad.
The book continues on with what then happens to Maddie and Rudi. A beuatiful touching story that I would highly recommend.

Be Brave For Me is the first book in the A Cornish Wartime series by Elaine Johns who is a new author for me. The majority of the book is set during World War Two although the last quarter focuses on the years thereafter and the fall out for our main characters. Madeleine (Maddie) Brady went against her mothers wishes and joined the ATS -Auxiliary Territorial Service. Her mother feels it isn’t the done thing for women to be working outside the home, rather they should be supporting their men through voluntary work or perhaps knitting items needed at the front. But Maddie craves excitement and to do her bit for her country as she is very patriotic and is part of a group of women stepping outside their comfort zones and doing lots of different jobs whilst the men fight abroad. Maddie had been assigned to the war office and drives the top brass around to various destinations, the latest being a visit to Cornwall to bring Captain Ernest Andrews to Camp 115, a prisoner of war camp for captured Germans. It’s this trip that changes the fate of Maddie’s life forever, where she finds and subsequently and quite literally loses someone but the scars of this encounter she will feel for many years to come.

Cornwall, although only the setting for the beginning and end of the book, plays such an important role in the story as a whole and when Maddie is given a 48 hour pass and is allowed to take the car to tour the countryside she grabs it with open arms. But little does she know someone else is accompanying her on her days off and it’s only when a young boy is in danger of being blown up by a land mine on a beach that Maddie discovers a prisoner has escaped from the camp. That person being Rudi Fischer who was shot down and captured. Everyone knows what happened during World War Two and it’s almost expected that we should hate the Germans and Maddie feels that pressure too. But yet at the same time she feels a connection with Rudi, that he is different to all the others and doesn’t want to be fighting. She is her own woman and has never met a man who could treat her as an equal but there is an undeniable attraction between the pair and the feelings she is developing are dangerous and above all else traitorous.

Maddie is torn between handing him in as she feels immense guilt believing herself to be a traitor. Instantly, I thought she was being way too harsh on herself because what happened wasn’t her fault. How was she to know someone had stowed away in the car? Although the time the pair spend together is brief and initially, I thought god how could they fall for each other so quickly and declare their undying love and make the sacrifice they did? After a few chapters it did feel real and genuine but then my thoughts turned to where the book could go next and it’s only the fallout from their meeting which becomes apparent later on that for me this is the point where the book became really gripping and I was definitely turning the pages far quicker than I had been at the start.

Rudi doesn’t feature as much as I thought he would in the book but it makes sense the more you read as to why he doesn’t. This allows Maddie to develop into a fascinating character who is magnificent, courageous and bold. She goes through significant trauma which I won’t delve into any further but suffice to say this was really well written. I had read about this before and felt the topic was dealt with in a sensitive and appropriate manner. It was harsh, vivid, traumatic and heart-breaking but it shaped how Maddie was for the remainder of the novel as she continued her war work. I wish the character of Gertie had been introduced much earlier on. She was a fabulous character and I loved the friendship which developed between herself and Maddie. It went beyond just being friends. They became like sisters and helped each other though thick and thin and the most desperate of times. Gertie and Maddie shared similar characteristics and life experiences and showed that women could be strong, fearless and unbeatable in the most desperate of times. I loved how the story wound its way to its conclusion with plenty of twists and turns appearing as the reader wonders will Maddie stay strong and survive all the brutalities of war or will humanity, kindness and love shine through? Can some goodness come out of the bad?

I found Be Brave For Me took its time to get going and there was a lot of repetition or overuse of characters names. For example Maddie mentions several times in the beginning how Molly is her best friend that she rooms with and tells us her first and second name several times and gives us information about her that really wasn’t relevant at all. The exact same occurred when Maddie meets a woman in the village where she stops to have something to eat when she is on her 48 hour leave. These were such minor characters there wasn’t the need to go off on tangents about them and I found it irritating at the time. Pushing that aside when I finally settled into the book and I felt the pace picked up and what was being said was relevant to the story and pushing the plot on well things really ventured off in a direction that I hadn’t seen coming and I mean that in a positive way.

Once I became really caught up in Maddie’s story, the book turned from another run of the mill World War Two romance story into something that had twists and turns and real emotion and depth to it. I did guess at one aspect regarding the major twist but as to specific details as to how it came about I wasn’t near at all close to guessing. Therefore I was glad to be pleasantly surprised towards the end. One thing I will say though is that the blurb is slightly wrong in two of the instances it mentions and I feel it is misleading and perhaps the blurb should be rewritten or those bits cut out. Overall, Be Brave For Me was a good read and shows that Elaine Johns is a good writer that can write interesting, heartfelt and emotional books. The second book in the series, Promise You’ll Wait has also been published the same time as this first book and although I haven’t gotten around to reading it I hope to do so in the very near future.

Thank you to NetGalley and Bookouture for providing me a free copy in exchange for an honest review.

This was such a unique love story based during World War Two. The premise of the story immediately pulled me in and I wasn’t exactly sure what to expect. But every page kept me guessing and every plot twist surprised me. Based on the forbidden love trope, a German POW and a woman serving in the British army fall in love during World War Two. I loved how the author built up the chemistry between these two characters, always keeping us guessing as to whether they would take the plunge together.

While the story kept me wanting to pick it back up again, I found some elements quite repetitive. Although, the author introduced new characters in these repetitive elements, which shed light on the horrors of war at the same time.

Overall, this was such an enjoyable historical fiction. I truly believe this is a book you must read! It’s an unforgettable love story about two people who were never meant to fall in love.

Be Brave For Me is a love story with a difference as Maddie and Rudi meet in the most unexpected of circumstances. Madeleine Brady is a driver in the army and has been given the task of taking an officer to a camp which house prisoners of war and it is there where she meets Rudi Fischer, a German POW, who has been classified as non-dangerous. However, Rudi is being bullied by another prisoner and taking these threats seriously, Rudi escapes the camp and it is this momentous decision which brings Maddie and Rudi together.

What then follows throughout the story is mainly about Maddie and the effect that the war has on her life. She is a determined young woman and faces everything with a stoicism so often found in this wartime generation who lost so much and who never took life, or love for granted. The author writes well and keeps the reader's interest alive, especially as the time span runs from 1941 when the story begins, to the conclusion of the story in 1957 when secrets and resolutions are shared.

Be Brave For Me is the first in a new series of wartime stories set in Cornwall and this book certainly gets the series off to a good start. I enjoyed the warmth of the storytelling, the attention to historical detail and most of all I enjoyed Maddie and Rudi's love story with a difference.

Cornwall, 1941: With the war raging on throughout Europe there is so much sadness and grief people are dealing with. As Maddie Brady strolls along the once beautiful beaches of Cornwall, she is overwhelmed by the horrible barbed wire fencing keeping people out. Her thoughts are interrupted by the cry of a young child. She runs in the direction of the cry and finds a young boy trapped within the landmines in the sandy beach. But she isn’t the only one to hear the little boy. A man named Rudi runs to rescue the little boy from the landmine infested area. To her surprise she recognizes the German accent that he has. He is a German prisoner of war escapee. He begins to tell Maddie how his home was destroyed and his father was killed by the Nazis. She is required to turn Rudi into the authorities but instead she hides him in a nearby farmer’s barn. She takes food and water to him, while at the same time they are bonding with each other. They find love and comfort in a time of such uncertainty. She must keep Rudi a secret for his protection and for her’s.

This was such a wonderful yet heart-breaking story with believable characters. I really enjoyed the storyline and I also like the relationships that are made while trying to survive in such desperate times. The risks that people took and demonstrating acts of kindness for complete strangers and their survival warms my heart. This author does an outstanding job of describing the courage, heartache and sorrow of the characters in this book. This is the first book I’ve read written by this author and it won’t be the last. I really enjoyed her writing style and the story flowed perfectly. I look forward to reading more books by this author. I definitely recommend this book.

Thank you Elaine Johns for such a wonderful story. I thoroughly enjoyed this book, it has a great storyline and I highly recommend it.

Many thanx to NetGalley, the author and the publishers for allowing me to read and review this book.

This book really brought home the struggle that people had to bear during WW2. Maddie was such a strong woman and fought her way through each day, with a smile and determination. I felt so bad for Rudi and we now know that many of those Germans conscripted did not have the same ideology as Hitler but were given no choice but to follow.

A very sad story but also a very readable one. A little different from the usual WW1/2 books, good read.

Heart wrenching! 3.5 stars.

During WW2, women were encouraged to join the ATS (Auxiliary Territorial Service) to work in support jobs like drivers, mechanics, food service and cleaning. Maddie Brady was one of those who signed up, and she loved her time in the Army. She was proud to serve and she was good at her job.

One day, she has a rare 48-hour leave, and when she gets to her destination she is surprised to find that one of the German prisoners from her camp has escaped by hiding in the car she was driving. She recognized Rudi from the camp, he'd always been respectful toward her. Over the next 48 hours, their friendship turns into more, until she has to leave and Rudi is nowhere to be found.

Maddie goes on with her life but soon discovers she is pregnant. She has little in the way of family, her friends are her Army pals, so she takes her senior officer's suggestion to go out of town and have the baby. It is there that her world changes forever.

Maddie's Army life resumes after Rosemundy, but its not the life she expects. She misses Rudi and wonders what happened to him. It is all a great mystery for the next almost 20 years, when all secrets are revealed.

I enjoyed the book. The friendships Maddie enjoys with Gertie and Betts, the kind senior officer, and the townspeople. It was a very sad book in parts, but based on history it was probably very close to the truth of the time. First time I've read anything by this author but would look for her writings again.

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

I really enjoyed this historical fiction book set during WW 2. This is a really well written story with excellent characters, some of which I loved and others not so much. Even though this book is set many years ago I could actually imagine being there and living during those tough times so good was the author’s descriptions of life then. This is a story of friendship, love and helping others even during the most difficult of times. This is the first book in a new series and I look forward to reading the others.

Rudi Fisher was a POW in a camp in Cornwall where the not -so-bad Germans were housed. He'd been captured when his plane had come down, along with others in his group. But one of the men was not who he seemed and Rudi knew he had to escape the camp or be killed by a fellow German. His escape was one of daring and danger, but he wasn't re-captured, not then. And when he met the young woman driving the staff car - Maddie Brady - he was captivated. Spending a few hours together before Maddie left, they never expecting to see each other again.

Maddie's life as a private in the army was one she loved. But things changed and so did her life. Hardship was common for everyone in the war, and Maddie had a lot of it. Eventually she was moved to another section where she met Gertie, who would be a good friend for the rest of her life. Heartache and sorrow, grief and sadness, followed them until finally the war was over. What would happen to both Maddie and Gertie now they didn't have to watch the skies every time they were outside? Would Maddie return to Cornwall and Lizard Peninsula - a place where she'd found happiness many years prior?

Be Brave For Me is the 1st in A Cornish Wartime Story by Elaine Johns and I quite enjoyed it. A little predictable before half way, and I wasn't overly fond of Gertie, but the verbal pictures of Cornwall were delightful with the little twist near the finish something I hadn't expected. I'm looking forward to #2 soon. Highly recommended. (the blurb is wrong in part)

With thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for my digital ARC to read in exchange for an honest review.