Heartbreakingly beautiful, I loved this historical fiction on a topic that I haven't read much about. Loved.

What an experience! After reading so many WWII books in recent years I've been anxious to find a new historical fiction topic, and this is my second read this year about events surrounding the Berlin Wall. (I also recommend The Berlin Letters by Katherine Reay). Turnbull brought a new perspective with this well-researched story of two lovers tragically separated on that fateful day in 1961. The different points of view between East and West were explored here, and not only did I really learn a lot but was able to enjoy a captivating story in the process. There were some edge-of-my-seat moments and some unexpected twists.
Thanks to NetGalley and MIRA Publishers for this ARC. All opinions are mine.

Lise and Uli are in love. He has even asked her to marry him. They both attend college in western Berlin. But one day, shortly after they became engaged, they are ripped apart by the barbed wire placed in the middle of the city of Berlin. Lise on one side and Uli on the other.

So many emotions go through you as you read this book…And desperation is one of the top ones! This young couple did everything in their power to get back to each other after the wall was put into place. Uli even starts a tunnel. He is determined to get back to Lise. But not only that, Lise lost her all of her dreams. Not only did she lose Uli, Lise could not even continue her studies to be a physician.

Then there is the ending of this story. Y’all! It just about broke me in places. And I am not going to tell you because I do not want to give anything away. Just know there are sacrifices and drama you will not soon forget.

Need an emotional and fantastic historical fiction tale…THIS IS IT! Grab your copy today!

I received this novel from the publisher for a honest review.

The Berlin Apartment by Bryn Turnbull
Historical Fiction

The timeline is all over the place in this book. It feels a bit choppy at times. But despite that the book was emotional and an incredible story. Uli and Liese are engaged. When the Berlin Wall went up without warning Liese was on the East side and Uli was on the West side. It was heartbreaking and an emotional read spanning from the day the wall went up to when the wall went down.

#netgalley #netgalleyreads #netgalleyarc #netgalleyarcs #historicalfictionbook #historicalfictionbookstagram #historicalfictionbooklovers

Two young lovers, spend the weekend apart planning to announce their engagement to her family after the weekend. Except, on the day they planned to share the news, Lise and her father return to the city to find the Berlin Wall has gone up over night. In those moments, affianced and separated, Lise and Uli’s lives are forever altered: she living in East Berlin, and he in West Berlin in an apartment meant for the the two of them within site of her family’s home.

“The Berlin Apartment” will stay with me long after I’ve turned the last page. The heartache and havoc that was incurred by so many during this time is authentically and emotionally recounted with all the feels - love, hope, anger, confusion, frustration, betrayal, loss, hopeless with an undercurrent of resilience and a wish for the future. This historical fiction novel focuses on family connections and how a country intent on conforming its citizens can tear lives apart, how even family members can stand on opposite sides, with a message about the enduring power of love and perseverance at its core. Spanning the 28 years from the days before the wall was erected until 1989 when the wall finally came down, Turnbull expertly weaves together Lise and Uli’s lives from each side of the wall.

It’s hard to believe that the Berlin Wall is recent history. I remember watching the news as the wall was being brought down; those images forever ingrained in my mind. Lives were irrevocably changed that day in 1961 when the barbed wire first went up with the wall quickly following. Lives that continued to be torn apart for the 28 years that it stood, fully guarded. Compelling, moving, richly detailed with characters on both sides of the wall that you will feel for, ache with, and love. You’ll be in awe of their resilience and the bond between friends and family as Uli, Lise, Inge, Jergen, and Wolf work to build an escape for family and friends fraught with danger for everyone involved.

As I was beginning to sink into #theberlinapartment when I came across this #trabant. I immediately thought of #berlin though I had no idea how significant a Trabant would become in this story.

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#youshouldreadthis #highlyrecommend

Thanks to the publisher, Net Galley and the author for a digital ARC.

Bryn Turnbull does it again!

My knowledge of the Berlin Wall prior to reading this book is like most others of my generation – I know it was built and why (though understanding that is another story) and I remember where I was when it started to be torn down in 1989 (and had friends who were there shortly after and who recounted what they saw). But in terms of how it affected everyday Berliners, I had no idea – no real understanding of the impact of the Berlin Wall on everyday life and so, it was this level of detail that made this book so compelling.

Lise and Uli are brutally separated one day as the Wall goes up with no notice, just after they get secretly engaged (complicating matters if they wish to reunite in the West). Laer, lise realises she is expecting Uli’s baby. Her education and job (and now, future family) prospects are in the West, she is trapped in the East. How do you get on with life when your future has been abruptly taken away from you? And your fiancé is literally off limits?

Yes, there’s romance but it’s not a love story per se. The devastating events that conspire to keep Lise and Uli apart despite their best efforts to reunite after the wall separates them, seemingly for good are the main focus of the story, though. It’s a tale of courage, of strength and determination and it’s a page turner just like the best thriller novels are. You will laugh and cry and cheer for these characters who are so beautifully developed.

Well-written and incredibly well-researched. I could not put this down.

The Berlin Apartment is a compelling exploration of identity, history, and the haunting legacies of the past. Set against the evocative backdrop of Berlin, a city steeped in both cultural vibrancy and the scars of history, Turnbull weaves a narrative that is both intimate and expansive.

The novel delves deep into themes of memory, guilt, and the ways in which the past can shape and shadow the present. We must make sure to not repeat history.

However, the pacing of the novel can be slow at times, especially in the middle sections where the detailed historical background sometimes overshadow the forward momentum of the plot. But for readers who enjoy a deep dive into character and setting, this will likely be a minor detail.

This book could be marketed as a hopeful, happy Titanic story, with its similar epic love vibes; however besides this detail, this book didn't impress me. There were details that made the characters seem unfaithful to each other, and the writing was hard to process with filler words being used in every sentence. This book could've easily been cut down, and yet the author and editor chose not to. There were some culture things that were overlooked as well, such as the use of the f word, a english modern slur, in a german speaking environment. Overall, the author has a lot of potential for the future, but did not use that well in this book.

This book was unbelievable - I could not put it down. I loved the history and research put into the years when the Berlin wall separated east and west Germany. The story starts between a couple - one who lives in the East and one in the West. Right before their engagement the Wall is constructed and they are separated. When a plan is made to get Uli's fiance and unborn child, Lise to the West, they are faced with risks, challenges and more. This story follows both Lise and Uli during the time that the wall is up - how they move forward with their lives, when and how they reunite and the difference that they experience on both sides of the wall. The history was impeccably researched. The personal stories were heartbreak and incredible. I loved the characters, main and support and all their interactions. This book was exceptional - a must read for anyone interested in historical fiction.

Thank you netgalley for my advanced reader copy.

The Berlin Apartment kept me on edge, not knowing where the story would lead or what fate awaited Lise, Uli, and their friends. That sense of suspense is, to me, the hallmark of a great book.

I wasn't very familiar with what happened in Germany at the end of the war, particularly as Soviet forces took "revenge" on the German population—especially on German women. The book touches on some of the atrocities that occurred, which led me down a Google rabbit hole, learning more about these events and the desperate attempts of people trying to escape to West Berlin.

My rating ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 💫

A beautiful story of an East Berliner and a West Berliner from just before the Berlin Wall was erected until the fall of the wall. Lise and Uli had their whole lives ahead of them on the day of their marriage proposal, until Lise returned to East Berlin to tell her family the news and was trapped on the Eastern side of the Berlin Wall. This story of love, friendship, and determination to save loved ones from Eastern rule, was well researched and captivating from the very beginning.

Read this story if you are interested in German history post WWII, if you like love stories weaved into historical fiction, and if you appreciate an incredibly well researched story rooted in a historical timeline.

Thank you to Net Galley, the author Bryn Turnbull and Harlequin Trade Publishing for providing an advanced copy in exchange for my honest review.

I was invited to the Book Tour for this title. I will be posting my Excerpt Blog Post on Release Day.

Updated: Link to my blog with the Excerpt

https://wendyreadsandwrites.blogspot.com/2024/08/blog-tour-berlin-apartment-novel-by.html

Though I wasn't wowed by the first half of this novel, I did thoroughly enjoy the second half! It went in a direction I really didn't expect and elevated the work as a whole.

Thank you Netgalley and Harlequin for access to this arc.

Recently I read “The Berlin Letters,” another book in which the Berlin Wall features heavily. I discussed how I doubted I’d see it come down in my lifetime but how wonderful it was to watch the happy people of the now undivided city celebrate. When I saw this book I realized that apparently I want to read more books with this subject.

Well, I certainly wasn’t expecting where this story would go and will try and keep my review from revealing spoilers. I probably won’t be successful but I’ll try.

The book puts us in this world where the Communist East is trying to clamp down on its citizens and keep them from the decadent West. Only some people would rather map out their lives the way they want them rather than just accepting what they’re told to do, working where and at what they’re told to do. But I appreciated the inclusion of some people who sincerely believe in the world that East Germany was crafting. Certain characters are given valid reasons for toeing the party line that date back to May 1945. Other characters have accepted that this will be their life and make the best of it.

The young college students won’t just go along with being cut off from friends and family. Lise isn’t the only person they’re trying to get out. However with her actions and a petition to cross to West Berlin, Lise has drawn attention to herself and must face how this could affect her father – who is dependent on medical care – and her brother who is a police officer.

Things happen, as things will, and the group is left to sort the pieces as best they can. Tough life decisions are made as everyone faces their new realities and realizes that life goes on. I’m generally okay with how all of this plays out. I think things are handled well and realistically. Some characters hold onto understandable feelings for years while others have to finally face that what they did, although done with the best of intentions, was wrong. I kept reading, wondering how everything would end up and let me say that I enjoy books that can keep me guessing. B

I was very intrigued by the premise of this novel as I had never read historical fiction about the Berlin Wall which divided Berlin into the communist East and the democratic West. Set during the 1960s and told from the two perspectives of the main characters, Uli and Lise, this is a story about how the Berlin Wall divided a nation, a family, and a young couple about to be married.

Well-written and founded on meticulous research, this novel started off a bit slowly but I was soon pulled into the lives of the interesting characters. I found it fascinating to see what life in East Berlin would have been like and the heartbreak it caused so many. I enjoyed the themes of resilience, betrayal, family, making a life out of what you have, and hope.

I remember when the Berlin Wall came down in 1989 when the Cold War ended and it was fascinating to see how that unfolded in this novel.

A lovely, interesting, engaging read that informed me and brought to life a piece of history that occurred during my early life.

Thanks to the publisher for this complimentary copy. All opinions are my own.

It seems wrong to describe this book as wonderful. After all, this is a fictitional story set in the days right before the construction of the Berlin Wall until the time the wall was torn down. The love story of Uli and Lise is full of pain and suffering, but their love for one another remained. I absolutely blew through this story because I couldn’t wait to see what would happen next. It is truly an excellent book!

Before picking up this book I knew very little about the Berlin Wall and vaguely remember hearing of its collapse when I was in high school. So, I'm thankful that Canadian author Bryn Turnbull has written this well-researched book that details the impact of the wall on the people who lived on either side of it.

Lise and Uli are a couple in love and on the cusp of becoming engaged when the Berlin Wall, a fortified and highly monitored structure, was built almost overnight, severing the city in two, leaving Lise in East Berlin and Uli in the West. Determined to be reunited with Lise, Uli devises a plan to dig his way into East Berlin and bring Lise back to him.

Turnbull brings the era to life with vivid descriptions of what life was like on both sides of the wall, particularly East Berlin where the government had a choke hold on its citizens as it monitored, threatened, indoctrinated and limited information. Turnbull balances history with some romance and an ending that I anticipated but was totally satisfying.

Turnbull gives her readers a well-researched slow burn story that spans decades and incorporates themes of love, loss, bravery and resilience with some poignant moments for good measure.

Disclaimer: My sincere thanks to MIRA for the complimentary digital copy which was provided in exchange for my honest review.

I decided to read this book because of my German heritage. My mother, who was born in East Prussia, managed to escape the advancing Red Army during WWII. The rest of her extended family was not so fortunate. One cousin ended up living in the DDR. My mother never learned the whereabouts of the others. The DDR cousin reached out to my mother in the early 90s and they happily renewed their relationship. My father was in the American Army serving in Germany during the Berlin Wall Crisis. He always insisted that a reunification would never be possible. I myself have traveled to Berlin several times since the reunification. I found it to be a fascinating and frightening place. It was with this spirit that I began reading the book.
I can't say that I enjoyed reading this, but I did find the book impossible to put down. The tension was non-stop. The injustices that occurred made me furious. I am so grateful to be living in the United States! I highly recommend reading this fictional story if you are interested in Berlin and the Cold War. It really brought the era to life for me. The story essentially has a happy ending but I went through lots of tissues.
I received a free ARC from NetGalley and this is my honest review.

Bryn Turbull's The Berlin Apartment is a highly readable, engaging historical fiction novel that delves into the story of Uli and Lise, and their ill-fated love story that was interrupted by the Berlin Wall. This story spans a couple decades, and it was interesting to see how these characters' lives progressed despite hardships. There have been several novels I've read in recent years about this time period, and I've always been impressed by the resilience, strength, and courage of those on both sides of the wall.

These characters are raw and real. Stereotypically one would would assume that Lise, as the female lead, would be more emotional but I was pleasantly surprised to experience Uli's emotions during this difficult time as well. He plays a major role in an escape attempt to rescue his fiance, but Lise also exhibits quite a bit of bravery in the process as well. I especially enjoyed reading about Lise's relationship with her family (father and brother) and how that impacted her decisions and actions. The themes of surveillance and trust run throughout the novel, and are interesting to consider in light of currently politics in our era.

The book was well written and most characters had depth, personality, and passion that made them come alive to me. The ending was a bit predictable but I often think that with this genre. I will check out more books by this author in the future!

Thank you to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for this eARC. All opinions are my own.

Reading this brought back so many haunting memories of visiting the Berlin Wall and Check-point Charlie while living in Germany in the early 70’s and then watching the wall be torn down on television. I can only imagine the trauma and heartbreak the wall created in the lives of those whose families, friends, or loved ones became separated from them without warning. What amazing friends Lise had to risk their lives to bring her to safety and freedom. I could almost feel her heart break during the ensuing circumstances. Not to give away too many spoilers, I was so grateful the book ends well, if not the way hoped for, because it didn’t for so many. I received a complimentary ARC of this book from NetGalley and Harlequin Trade Publishing but was not required to give a positive review. The opinions are completely my own.