This is a fitting end to the Blood Sisters trilogy although I would definitely keep reading about the girls and their families we first encountered in The Pact. #whenforeverends is full of betrayal, horror, adventure and most importantly, love and friendship. I think @robertakagan treats this time that is full of conflict with delicacy but doesn’t shy away from the horrible truths. I thank #netgalley and the publisher for this arc to read and review, all opinions are my own.

The third in the blood sisters series, When Forever Ends by Roberta Kagan, continues the story of Anna, from a wealthy Jewish family, Elise, the maid’s daughter, Bernie, the tomboy, and Dagna, the bully. Each girl is now a young woman who has made her choices during Hitler’s power. Instead of being friends forever, some have betrayed their friendship while others remain faithful to their friendship. Their choices have consequences none of them can imagine.

The story is good, but the writing does not flow. The dialog is awkward and unpolished. Because of that, I will only give this book 2 stars. I was able to read an ARC on #NetGalley.

Just finished the 3rd.novel in this series.
It was outstanding as well,as the other two.
The character of Anna,was especially memorable as she always was an honorable friend,Loyal & true,no matter the hurt & grief she suffered.
This novel truly tied the friendship together & the title "When Forever Ends" couldn't have been more fitting.
I love this author's books,so much as she truly makes this time period come alive.

My father served in the Pacific during this war & I was born as it ended.Dad never met me until I was almost a yr.old.
He was a marine & never would talk about the war.

As long as Roberta,keeps writing,I will always have another favorite book.to read.I will never grow tired of her writing & invite everyone to join me

The last in The Blood Sisters trilogy, When Forever Ends is a beautifully-written story about loss, love, perseverance, the capacity of humankind's extreme cruelty and hope. Author Roberta Kagan has clearly dug deep to write the gritty details of the realities of war and how it affected all walks of life in this harrowing story. Her words are well chosen and impactful.

Three girls made a blood pact when young. The group then became a reluctant four for a time. Years later Anna is living in a gypsy camp and the object of Nazi Ulf's desires. Moriah is a prisoner at Ravensbrück where she experiences and witnesses unspeakable horrors every second of her bleak days. Dagna loathes Jews and trains to become a Nazi guard at Ravensbrück. She had emulated Elica when younger and her jealousy and hatred were driving forces behind her barbaric actions. Elica's disfigurement kills her spirit and she wonders whether she will find love. She is also desperate to find her son, Theo.

Meanwhile in Italy, married couple Mateo and Aria are desperate for a child. After tragedy, they are besotted with their adopted son.

The unique perspective from a Holocaust guard trainee is terrible and fascinating. We get glimpses into Dagna's fears and choices. It is interesting to read about the layers of guards at killing camps. Real-life Ilse Grese is a character in the story, too. The inclusion feels realistic from what I have read about her.

Historical Fiction readers, do seek out this compelling trilogy. It will crush and enrich you.

My sincere thank you to The Book Whisperer and NetGalley for providing me with an early digital copy of this incredible novel. Though reading about the horrors of WWII is not easy, it is important.

Having enjoyed this series from the very beginning I could not wait to dig into the third and final installment. Like the previous two books, When Forever Ends was packed with action and those unforgettable characters. The author tied everything together very nicely in book 3 and answered all of our burning questions.

As in books one and two I enjoyed reading the inner monologues of the characters that provided a much deeper sense of how they thought and felt.

My one qualm was that there was too much back story from the previous books. It felt as though I was reading half of books one and two over again, I think a little less back story would still have provided enough information for the reader to understand what had happened previously.

Now that I have finished reading the trilogy I look forward to going back and reading some of Kagan’s previous novels as I have enjoyed The Blood Sisters so much.


Thanks to Net Galley and The Book Whisperer for the advanced copy.

A great finale to this wonderfully heartfelt series. The book continues where the last left off with our blood sisters and their struggles to survive. The book continues to after the war ends. It is a story of love, friendship, and forgiveness. I have loved this series, and I highly recommend it to readers of World War 2 historical fiction.

“When Forever Ends” is the final book in “The Blood Sisters” trilogy by Roberta Kagan. My strong recommendation is to read these books in order. While some information is repeated for readers, especially for this final book one needs the background for the book to make sense. I think this book wrapped up things nicely for the four main characters from the first book. I did have some quibbles about minor details (how much rat poison does it take to kill someone being a huge one) and Anna is, once again, so naive and trusting that I sometimes wonder how even after everything she managed to stay that way. In some cases, this book too neatly wrapped things up, but I understand why the author chose to do so. There’s a bit of oddly repeated information in the book; it’s as if an editor hadn’t quite finished editing the book because something will be mentioned and then repeated two chapters later to remind the reader of some fact. I didn’t enjoy this book as much as the first two, but it was a solid read. Overall, a 3.5 star rating, bumped up to 4 stars.

The thrilling and heartwarming conclusion to one of Roberta Karen’s best trilogies. I am glad that Elica and Anna found happiness and peace at the end and that Dagna met her end.

Note: books is on Goodreads twice and I cannot combine them.

Synopsis (from Netgalley, the provider of the book for me to review.)
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In a world filled with danger, heartbreak, and impossible choices, the blood sisters must navigate through the darkness to find love, redemption, and a chance at survival. Anna has found solace and love in the colorful Romany camp. How long will this last under the watchful eye of a spurned and obsessed Nazi? In the unrelenting grimness of Ravensbrück, Moriah is caught in the web of Dagna's deadly ambition and schemes. Her chances for survival diminish with every passing moment. Shunned by society for the telling scar on her face, Elica struggles to live with the consequences of her selfish choices. Will she ever find love, redemption, or her son Theo, again? In Mussolini's Italy, Mateo and Aria shower young Theo with love and affection. But love is a weakness in the fascist regime. When Forever Ends is a fitting and unforgettable conclusion to Roberta Kagan's heartwrenching The Blood Sisters series.

An excellent series of books goes out on a high note with this book. Like the others it is well written and full of unforgettable characters…not many people realize that gypsies were punished as much as the Jews were in WWII. Highly recommended to lovers of historical fiction and all around great reads.
#shortbutsweetreviews

When Forever Ends by Roberta Kagan is the conclusion of the trilogy that began with The Blood Sisters. The story continues with the lives of the 3 (or4) friends who grew up in Vienna during the Hitler annexation and World War II years. The atrocities in the extermination camps (particularly Ravensbrook and Auschwitz) are gruesome and well delineated as is the story of the gypsies and their treatment. We get to follow the lives of the surviving girls and their attempts to find news of one another and their families after the war ends.
Ms. Kagan ties up all the loose ends in an extremely satisfying manner. My only reservation (and only a slight reservation) as a reader of the trilogy is that too much background of what occurred in the previous books is included. Despite that, I read the book in one day and can wholeheartedly recommend this book to all readers and thank NetGalley, the publisher and, of course, Roberta Kagan for the opportunity to read and review this novel prior to publication.