Wow! I've read so much WWII fiction that I didn't expect to be so blown away by this book. The story was something fresh, and the attention to research and detail was outstanding. My husband's family left Poland after the war and migrated to Australia. On a recent visit to Poland we went to the Warsaw Museum, and the stories about the resistance fighters and the Poles who tried to save their country was moving and heartbreaking. This same point is made in this fictional story, and it's one that I've been telling everyone to "read this book!" By the way, I actually didn't read it, but listened to the audiobook, and the narration was outstanding. Ten stars out of five!

The book starts when actress Lena Browing is approached by a young up=and=coming actress who wants to put Lena's story in a movie, starring herself. Lena has been approached before, but something about this young woman appeals to her and she agrees, as long as the young woman agrees to tell her real, and up to now unknown, story. Then we dive into the past, where Bina Blonski is a young affluent young Jewish woman who wants to be an actress, when her world is turned upside down by the invasion of Poland. Soon enough she finds herself living in the infamous Warsaw Ghetto, and eventually joins a resistance group of Jews within the walls of the ghetto.

Bina has an advantage that most of the people she is fighting with do not. As a blond, blue=eyed beautiful young woman, she looks more Aryan than the German soldiers who issue cruel orders. In the course of time she will use this to her advantage and become an assassin and spy. After the war she becomes a success in Hollywood, but she never loses her desire to revenge on those who killed her friends and family.

I absolutely loved this book, and even though it was long, I sped through it in about three days. A personal opinion, but I think as this generation who survived these atrocities die of old age, it's important that their stories do not die. I am alarmed by a young generation who seems to see only one side of current events, which are admittedly pretty horrific. But they seem to bring no sense of past history to the table and I find their rhetoric scary and alarming. Keeping these stories alive, even through fictional stories such as this, is very important.

I give this book five solid gold stars!

Thank you to NetGalley, Lisa Barr, and Harper Perennial and Paperbacks for allowing me to read this book in exchange for an honest rev iew.

Wow!! This book is why I love historical fiction. It’s easy to burnout on WWII historical fiction with the market so saturated. I love when I find a new story with a different angle. I was absolutely fascinated and hooked til the end.

This is an enjoyable historical fiction story. Historical fiction is my favorite genre and I have read quite a few books set during the WWII period, but I enjoyed that The Goddess of Warsaw is told in a unique perspective and way. The main character Bina is strong and fierce as she faces heartbreaking choices and tragedy as a Jewish woman in the Warsaw Ghetto and years later as a Hollywood starlet whose life continues to be impacted by the Nazi's. I enjoyed the storytelling, but again especially how the main character is portrayed so bravely and with such courage. I highly recommend for my fellow booklovers of historical fiction, especially those that enjoy WWII stories.
Thank you, Net Galley, the publishers, the author for the advanced copy.

A riveting work of historical fiction which was hard to put down, the story revolves around Lena Browning, a successful actress, but an imposter. Lena is Bina Blonski, a Holocaust survivor who chose revenge for the horrific atrocities committed by the Nazis. When she meets Sienna, a young starlet, she realizes the time to tell her true story was important. It was hard to read many of the scenes in this book, but it is well written and truly absorbing, as well as tremendously disturbing. I highly recommend this work of historical fiction, a unique treatment of WWII. Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC.

I hate giving bad reviews but this could not be avoided. The premise to this book sounded fantastic but the execution was not there for me. The story follows Bina Blonski, who works as a spy in WWII and uses her Aryan looks to move things into the ghetto. It sounds great, right? But then every single thought of her is about how much she wants her brother-in-law that it’s distracting. I get it – he’s hot – but this was excessive. Every sentence is overly dramatic and not in a good way. DNF. Did not want to even try.

An elderly movie star reveals her earlier years with with openness, clarity and purpose--that's the overall focus of this very intriguing and impactful book. I honestly feel that this novel was unlike any I've ever read before. I loved that there was a strong female heroine who found herself in an unspeakable situation and rose to the occasion, making decisions as she refused to be a victim but faced the horror of the Nazis on her own terms.. I loved that Barr truly pushed the envelope, letting us see inside this character's mind as she weighed options and bravely faced off with the most horrific of human beings imaginable. So compelling -- I really enjoyed how we witnessed the growth of a heroine who wanted to make sure that those who committed atrocities would be punished. I also enjoyed Bima's softer side -- her capacity for love, sympathy, and grief. A real stunner of a book!

I loved Woman on Fire and was thrilled to read and review the author's newest release The Goddess of Warsaw. The story is told in two alternating timelines, the year 2005, where a young actress approaches a Hollywood legend Lena Browning, formerly Bina Blonsky, to tell her story in a new film, and the past where we learn about Bina's past.

The story was complex and captivating, though I had to power through the first half. Bina's constant thoughts and borderline obsession with her brother in law was distracting to me and got in the way of the story. I understood where she was coming from and the role the relationship had in the overall plot but it was just too over the top for me.

The last half of the book really took off and the last 25% made it worth the read. I found the ending very satisfying. While this wasn't quite on the same level as Woman on Fire, this is one of my favorite authors and I would recommend it.

I was provided an ARC by the publisher via NetGalley.

A young, successful actress convinces an aging Hollywood star to let her star in and direct a story about the older woman's life, a story that's been hidden from the public.

Bina Blonski, the Jewish daughter of a wealthy family in Poland, begins a promising career as an actress, which is abruptly ended right as the Nazi's invade her country. She and her family are forced into the Warsaw ghetto where Bina decides she wants to join the internal resistance and fight back, in contrast to her husband, an intellectual, who is amassing an archive of life in the ghetto.

Bina's will to survive transforms her into a woman she hardly recognizes: an assassin, a thief, and a woman who trades sex for food and medicine.

Most of this book recounts Bina's time in Warsaw during the war, including an account of the Warsaw Ghetto Uprising. The book then turns to Bina's life in Hollywood as the famous actress, Lena Browning, who uses her cover to settle scores with Nazis hiding in the US.

Steeped in historical detail and unsparing incidents of survival, the book is well plotted, engaging the reader in following Bina's quest to survive and exact revenge. The last few chapters, taking place close to present day, include three significant reunions. The first felt believable and poignant, while the second and third felt less so, more an attempt to tie up loose ends and let the reader know the fate of important secondary characters.

I'm rating this 4 stars, mostly because of how these last chapters were handled, but overall, I highly recommend the book.

Lisa Barr is one of my go-to authors and she never disappoints! Enjoyed this book thoroughly. Highly recommend.

Lena Browning is a legendary actress. A Hollywood icon. Now in the last years of her life she wishes to come full circle. Her plan begins by sharing her life story with a young, popular actress who can easily play the role. As Lena flashes back to the early 1940’s she describes in detail her life as Bina Blonski, a beautiful blonde Jewish actress who has been thrown into the Warsaw ghetto by the Nazis. Her mother, father and sister - all killed. Her husband is a mild mannered journalist who is determined to record what is happening, while his brother Aleksandr and Bina want to fight back. They will save as many Jews as possible and are willing to kill when necessary. Bina’s Aryan looks and theatrical skills allow her to infiltrate the outside world. She arranges weapons and supplies for the small group of resistance fighters she has joined. When her husband is taken from the ghetto Bina acts on her hidden lustful feelings for Aleksandr. And then everything falls apart. Bina escapes and does whatever it takes to survive. Landing in Hollywood with a new identity Bina (Lena) spends her life in the spotlight using her money and fame to target Nazis who escaped unpunished after the war living lives they did not deserve. While the novel is fast-paced and an absolute page-turner, I found some of the romantic gestures to be a bit unrealistic and unnecessary. Nonetheless, the story is filled with many unexpected twists. If you're looking for a Holocaust story, I highly recommend it. Personally, I need a break from this genre for a while, but my mother-in-law thought it was riveting.

This was a great book. This was my first book by this author, and I was hooked from the first page! Intense, heartbreaking and so suspenseful! Loved every word! You can tell that it's a meticulously researched historical fiction, I would Highly recommend this!

I am highly surprised by how easy this book was to read. That's not to say there weren't heavy/tough plot lines to get through. But unlike a "typical" Holocaust novel, there was romance, love and lust, and moments of levity. The merging of old Hollywood brought a level of modernity as well. I am normally very interested in Holocaust literature. However, in light of current events, I've been delaying reading this book. This book is a work of fiction but it tells a story of so many we've heard over the years. The story of Bina Blonski is one of heroism, female empowerment, and a telltale example of the Jewish people surviving horrific acts of brutality and living to share their stories. We must continue to read books like these, even if it's hard, so that we never forget and don't let history repeat itself.

This was SO SO good!! Fans of WWII historical fiction, unforgettable female main characters and authors like Pam Jenoff do not want to miss this latest by best-selling author Lisa Barr. With a little bit of everything, from a dual timeline narrative, to an unrequited love story, espionage, courage and bravery and heartbreaking loss, this book was incredible on audio and frankly unputdownable. I won't soon forget these characters and it was so timely to the increasing anti-semitism going on in the world today. Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an early digital copy in exchange for my honest review!!

If you pick up one historical fiction book this summer, have it be this one! I read it through Netgalley and knew immediately I had to buy a physical copy. I felt so many emotions while reading this amazing book. Told in dual timelines, you get an understanding of what life was like for Bina in the Warsaw Ghetto, as well as what her life became in Hollywood post WWII.

I appreciate the suspense aspect of this book as well, which I think is why I was so drawn to it. Among the plots of sacrifice and bravery exists a deep rooted desire for revenge. This book isn’t your typical WWII novel and I appreciated the depths that Barr went to to show what it was like for Jews to survive in the ghetto. I feel like most of the WWII books I have read have been centered more around the concentration camps.

For Readers Who Like:
- Suspense
- Dual timelines
- Historical fiction

Thank you @netgalley and @harperperennial for an advance copy in exchange for my honest review.

The Goddess of Warsaw is a riveting novel that I couldn’t put down. There are many intricate plots and in-depth characters throughout this beautifully written book. And it was very educational yet emotionally moving. I highly recommend this book and can’t wait to read other Lisa Barr books!

This is an awesome story! I know Lisa Barr is a fantastic writer because out of all the World War II fiction I’ve read I’ve never disliked the heroine until this one. I have also never rooted for a character I disliked as much as I did for Bina. I loved that Bina was a bundle of contradictions. She was a larger-than-life, fierce resistance fighter, but she was also run-of-the-mill petty and jealous. Trashing another woman’s appearance because she’s getting close with your brother-in-law who is off limits to you is not a good look. At times she could be really selfish, but she repeatedly put herself at risk for the sake of others. This book is filled with complex characters in impossible situations, and is a dazzling display of anger, desperation, perseverance, and ultimately triumph. A big thanks to HarperCollins and NetGalley for access to the eGalley of this book in exchange for an honest review.

"𝘐 𝘢𝘮 𝘢 𝘸𝘰𝘮𝘢𝘯 𝘣𝘰𝘳𝘯 𝘵𝘰 𝘣𝘦𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘦 𝘢𝘯𝘺𝘰𝘯𝘦 𝘰𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘯 𝘸𝘩𝘰 𝘴𝘩𝘦 𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘺 𝘪𝘴."

𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝗚𝗢𝗗𝗗𝗘𝗦𝗦 𝗢𝗙 𝗪𝗔𝗥𝗦𝗔𝗪 is another action-packed and emotional story from Lisa Barr. It's historical fiction and a thriller with a dash of romance rolled into one, and I could not put it down!

Lena Browning is Hollywood royalty but her life story is more unbelievable than any role she's played - born Bina Blonski, a Polish Jew imprisoned in the Warsaw ghetto, she used her Aryan beauty to work as a spy and assassin during WWII. Even as she built a new life and rose to fame after the war, Bina's continued her quest for justice, using her high-profile career as a cover to pursue Nazis who escaped justice.

“𝘚𝘶𝘳𝘷𝘪𝘷𝘢𝘭 𝘪𝘴 𝘢𝘣𝘰𝘶𝘵 𝘴𝘦𝘤𝘳𝘦𝘵𝘴, 𝘢𝘣𝘰𝘶𝘵 𝘦𝘹𝘵𝘳𝘢𝘰𝘳𝘥𝘪𝘯𝘢𝘳𝘺 𝘮𝘦𝘢𝘴𝘶𝘳𝘦𝘴 𝘵𝘢𝘬𝘦𝘯 𝘵𝘰 𝘴𝘵𝘢𝘺 𝘢𝘭𝘪𝘷𝘦. 𝘐𝘧 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘴𝘶𝘳𝘷𝘪𝘷𝘦𝘥, 𝘪𝘵 𝘮𝘦𝘢𝘯𝘴 𝘰𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘴 𝘥𝘪𝘥 𝘯𝘰𝘵. 𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘵𝘳𝘢𝘶𝘮𝘢 𝘰𝘧 𝘢 𝘴𝘦𝘤𝘰𝘯𝘥 𝘤𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘤𝘦 𝘢𝘵 𝘭𝘪𝘧𝘦, 𝘢 𝘴𝘦𝘤𝘰𝘯𝘥 𝘢𝘤𝘵, 𝘪𝘴 𝘢𝘵 𝘰𝘯𝘤𝘦 𝘮𝘪𝘳𝘢𝘤𝘶𝘭𝘰𝘶𝘴 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘶𝘯𝘦𝘯𝘥𝘶𝘳𝘢𝘣𝘭𝘦.”

I recommend the author's last book, 𝘞𝘰𝘮𝘢𝘯 𝘰𝘯 𝘍𝘪𝘳𝘦, all the time because of the way it uniquely melds different genres and keeps you on the edge of your seat. This book is no different - it's got glamour, suspense and a kickass female heroine but it also examines themes and issues that are still relevant today. Barr does a masterful job of entertaining you while also make you think.

Thank you to Harper Perennial for the copy to review.

Lisa Barr set a high bar with Woman on Fire, and The Goddess of Warsaw lived up to it. Set in a World War 2 Jewish ghetto in Poland, this story was graphic, heavy, and horrific, but exquisitely crafted. The Goddess of Warsaw explores themes of family, desperation, humanity, revenge, and sinfulness, making the title feel rather ironic. I really enjoyed how the past and present day (ish) timelines made for a full circle experience of the story. Lisa Barr presents compelling, poignant, and propulsive historical fiction, and I look forward to reading what she comes up with next!

Thank you to Harper Perennial and Paperbacks for gifting me with an ARC to review. All opinions are my own.

This is a horrific tale of Nazi atrocities in Warsaw Poland and the courageous people that fought back. Bina/Lena’s story is not pretty but is very believable. The Warsaw Ghetto Uprising is real as are the resistance fighters that defied the Nazis attempts to move the ghetto population to the Treblinka extermination camp. As far as I can tell, the characters are not based on real people but a representation of those that fought and died during the siege. The story captured my imagination from the beginning and will stick with me for a very long time.

Really like this HF. I listened to it so it felt a little confusing at times but great writing and plot. I liked the shocking moments sprinkled in.