The Collector of Burned Books by Roseanna M. White is filled with historical facts, intrigue, romance, and more. The characters in this book are well developed, and the storyline is intense, but easy to follow. This book is deep and will make you think about the books that you have read, the books that you have not read, and the books that you want to read.

* I received an ARC copy of this book and my review is based on my own personal opinion of the book.

Welcome to Paris in 1940. The Nazis control the city and they are changing the Parisian way of life. Food is rationed. The streets are not safe. And they are closing places of culture and art, including libraries and bookstores.

Our heroine Corrine is a professor and would-be resistance worker. Our hero Christian wears the German uniform, but reluctantly. He has a secret that would cost the life of someone dear if he were ever to show his true feelings about the Nazis.

I confess I had a hard time getting into this book, though after about the 50% mark it was hard to put down. It may start slow, but there is plenty of action and danger in the second half. There's a minor character who will completely steal your heart. If you enjoy WWII stories, this is one you'll want to check out.

I received my copy of the book from the author. All thoughts in this review are my own.

The Collector of Burned Books
By Roseanna M. White

This book is, for the most part, set in 1940/1941 Paris. But we are given a glimpse of 1933, as a group of students gathers to burn books that don't fit their ideas. Christian Bauer is a professor of literature who hopes that someday Germany will again listen and allow ideas to flourish. Fast forward to 1940, as German troops move into and occupy Paris. First on Christian Bauer's to-do list: visit the various libraries throughout the city, examine all the books to determine which should be banned or sent to Germany.

Corinne Bastien has a claim on the books in The Library of the Burned Books; she tended them, and now they guard a secret. A secret that could doom her or be an instrument to resist the Germans. When Corinne first meets the man who is given charge of her library, she can't see past the uniform. But when her eyes are finally opened, the two find they have more in common than being professors of literature.

I found this to be a most intriguing book, the need to control ideas, either by destroying the books or shutting down the libraries. Reading this reminded me of the Zion Covenant books written by Brock and Bodie Thoene. I liked the main characters who were, for all intents and purposes, trapped in a world not of their making, trying to survive without betraying their souls to the devil. How does one protect those most dear without losing one's soul in the effort? This is what Corinne and Christian need to discover.

I was provided a complimentary copy of this book with no expectations, but that I provide my honest opinion. All thoughts expressed are my own.

Roseanna M. White has become one of my favorite authors. I love the historic details that she includes in her books. I very much enjoyed this one. This is one of her rare standalones and it was a departure from her previous books in that it takes place during WWII. I liked this change, although I have to say that I still enjoyed the books set during WWI the most.

I liked the slow burn of the romance in this book. I thought the characters were very well drawn, and I genuinely liked them. There are times when I felt like certain characters got away with things they probably wouldn't have during the Nazi occupation. Things felt a little too easy, although I appreciate the fact that this was meant to be a romance that left me feeling good, so it was a more gentle read than a historical fiction book set in this time would have been.

There were also some actions taken by the main female character that I thought didn't make a lot of sense, like hiding coded messages in books that were banned and could possibly be confiscated. Still, despite those quibbles I enjoyed the story and the author's excellent writing. I think besides the romance, the thing I appreciate the most about this author's books are how historically accurate they are. The Christian themes are always present as well and those give the books an inspirational aspect that I enjoy. I especially like that this author includes historical accuracy in the religion that is included in each of her stories.

Most of this author's books have some connection in one way or another, and I was looking forward to seeing how this one would be connected to her other works. When it happened it was such a treat!

I'm looking forward to reading the next historical Christian romance by this author.







Thanks to NetGalley and Tyndale House Publishers for providing me with a copy of this book.

Have you ever taken a moment to consider that not all Nazi soldiers believed Hitler’s ideology? What if a soldier was forced to join Hitler’s army in order to save his family and friends, hoping to serve in a role where he could use his education and professional experience to only review and determine approved literature? These are the ideas explored within The Collector of Burned Books.

Through the story of Christian and Corinne, we are shown the lengths people will go to for the causes they support and the ones they love. This story also touches on the old adage that you cannot judge a book by its cover.

Corinne, a university professor, is focused on using books to spread information that will hopefully thwart the advancement of the German army. Christian, a devoted father and professor, is forced to join the Wehrmacht in order to save his family and protect close friends. It is the friends Corrine and Christian share, along with their love for books, that help them realize the truth about their purpose in the war and discover that appearances can be deceiving. While their situations become immensely complicated, a relationship is formed through their shared love of books, and later through the fight to protect their friends and families.

I really enjoyed this story and the perspectives shown throughout. It is a story that I would definitely recommend to those who enjoy reading historical fiction as well as those interested in learning more about WWII.

Thank you so much to Tyndale Fiction and NetGalley for the opportunity to read The Collector of Burned Books.

I’ve read several books penned by Ms White and they are all masterfully written and thoroughly researched.

Such a sad and horrifying time in history but well worth the read.

Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for the copy.

I finished this book one month ago and the story hasn’t left me. The tension between characters is fantastic—an impossible situation that keeps getting more impossible will keep readers up in the night.

The setting is Occupied Paris during WWII. She’s a Sorbonne professor developing a resistance network using books as her mode of communication. He’s been sent by the Nazis to oversee the banning of books. The deeper into the story you delve, the more complicated their situation becomes.

This is a WW2 read like I’ve never encountered before. The kind I immediately handed to my mother-in-law and she returned the book two days later because she couldn’t put it down.

This new release by Roseanna M. White is available now at all major book retailers!

A story set during WWII centering around the German attempt to ban books not written by German authors or banned people groups, The German authors exiled themselves to Paris where they set up a library containing the banned books and met to discuss them. Corinne Bastian was a neighbor to the library and her and her mother frequented the library and read the books. Then the library was shut down and a Nazi officer, that didn't want to be a Nazi but a college professor was recruited and sent to clean out the library, find any missing books, and hunt down the people that had run it. Christian Bauer tries to protect whoever and whatever he can from the madness of the Party and preserve the ideas that Germans will need again when that madness is over,

I am always drawn to books about books so was immediately drawn to the title and an author that I had read before and liked. It is a well written story about characters drawn to each other for different reasons who end up working together to protect the books and the people associated with the library. I thoroughly enjoyed the book. The author again shows us a piece of the history of WWII in a way that only she can do. She develops her characters well and describes how Paris was during the war....how the people were fearful, food was in short supply and the people did what they had to do to survive. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for offering an ARC of this book and allowing me to read it. I highly recommend it.

1000% recommended read!

The Collector of Burned Books, What an amazing read! Thanks NetGalley for approving me to read it. I am surprised on how easy it was to read this book, on how everything happened so quickly in the story but how smooth it was to follow it.

This historical fiction follows Corinne, in times of Paris Nazi occupation. I just love a strong woman with strong values, and as a Catholic myself, I also felt more connected to her because of it. Also she is a book lover? YOU GO GIRL!

I loved her love story with Christian (obviously a bit rushed, but I know based on how it was back in 1940, it makes sense)

It is a really good story, with secrets, intrigue, and a lovely happy ending. A wholesome story.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 5!

I absolutely adored this Christian historical fiction novel! Since both WWII history and historical fiction are some of my favorite genres, combining the two made for the perfect story in my eyes. Adding in elements of Christian romance only deepened my enjoyment, quickly making this one of my personal favorites.

When I finished the book, I found myself pausing to reflect, not only on the story itself but also on the spiritual truths it highlighted. It reminded me of the sovereignty of God, that prayer offers daily comfort and strength to those who practice the faith.

I'm going to be completely honest here I haven't finished the book yet but I'm going to review it now before time runs out.

This is a very very good book!

I like the characters.

I like the story idea--although I don't think I got into the main idea yet I've seen enough of the book to know that I really do like this book.

I love how Corinne, when Christian backed away from her emotionally, actually understood that he did it to protect all of them and didn't get all 'Why doesn't he like me? What is wrong with me etc. She actually understood that he did it because he cares for them.

Another thing I like is we get to see the war from the perspective of a German, someone who's in the Army in a sense, yet he doesn't want to be. The Nazis forced their own people to fight and to do things that they didn't want to do. I like how Christian puts it--that Germany was invaded as well. They were invaded by the Nazis.

Roseanna M White knows how to write intriguing historical fiction and The Collector of Burned Books attests to that talent. Full of mystery, intrigue, suspense, and a sweet romance, the book kept my interest throughout. The characters are realistic and relatable and I especially enjoyed the unlikely friendship between Corinne and Christian. The author has woven an element of faith in God as the characters learn to trust God more fully through difficult situations. We as citizens of the United States have not been invaded and dominated by a government bent on destroying our heritage. White has reminded her readers what German occupation of France looked like. It is a sobering and fearful sight. Readers who enjoy WWII historical fiction will want to be sure to read The Collector of Burned Books. I was given a complimentary copy of the book through Net Galley and was not required to write a positive review. The opinions are my own.

A stunning novel about bravery in the face of evil. A story about occupied France during World War II featuring two characters that risk everything for the good they see in the world, Corinne Bastien is a professor at a prestigious French University and also a self proclaimed spy helping to facilitate coded messages between their allies in other countries and her Uncle. She is regularly in danger and when the forces move directly into France, her beloved library where she has been assisting in the collection of all the books being banned and burned by Germany is taken possession of, she continues her mission in other ways.

Christian Bauer is a German officer tasked with ensuring all books available to patrons are on the approved lists and to remove and destroy anything that is not allowed under their administration. He is secretly working to protect those books and provide a quiet support for those writers that have been shunned and are in danger as well. He carries his own secrets and finds companionship with Corinne through all of this.

Both are carrying a heavy burden and trying to survive in the open without getting caught. But it's dangerous times, even if they have one another for some comfort.

An intense story that really focuses in on the emotional hardships of censorship and occupation. This is a journey more about their internal conflicts and concerns as they navigate the treacherous world they live in. But also a very deep telling of those human connections that we all need. Finding those that carry similar values and relate with us in a way that is not always easy to find.

There were many instances where I was feeling all of the stress that Corinne or Christian were feeling in different scenarios where they are nearly caught. Which in this instances could be something very devastating. But White provides all the glimmers of hope and salvation that I have come to love about her writing.

I didn’t expect a novel about Nazi-controlled library archives to leave me breathless—but 𝙏𝙝𝙚 𝘾𝙤𝙡𝙡𝙚𝙘𝙩𝙤𝙧 𝙤𝙛 𝘽𝙪𝙧𝙣𝙚𝙙 𝘽𝙤𝙤𝙠𝙨 by Roseanna M. White did just that. Page by page, I was drawn into a world where ideas are dangerous, literature is power, and love dares to grow in the unlikeliest places.

Espionage. Resistance. Slow-burn romance. Moral courage. All set in the moody, mesmerizing world of occupied Paris.

Think: enemies-to-allies—with banned books, coded margins, stolen glances, and the kind of quiet defiance that speaks louder than any speech.

𝗪𝗛𝗔𝗧 𝗜 𝗟𝗢𝗩𝗘𝗗
📚 Book espionage – Secret messages in dog-eared pages? Arrest me.
🇫🇷 Occupied Paris – Curfews, checkpoints, tension you can feel.
🧠 Corinne Bastien – Brilliant, bold, beautifully cutting.
😘 Christian Bauer – A conflicted soul wrapped in quiet rebellion.
🕯️ Faith that humbles – Subtle, honest, and deeply moving.

𝗧𝗢𝗣 𝗠𝗢𝗠𝗘𝗡𝗧𝗦 𝗧𝗢 𝗟𝗢𝗢𝗞 𝗙𝗢𝗥
📚 A book cart standoff that made me grin
🫠 A library conversation so charged it needed a chaperone
🥋 Corinne’s savage Nietzsche clapback
🫢 One apartment scene = instant therapy
🧑‍🧒 Christian + Felix = heart shattered
💔 The moment the code breaks—and so will you

💭 𝗙𝗜𝗡𝗔𝗟 𝗧𝗛𝗢𝗨𝗚𝗛𝗧𝗦
Books don’t burn. They ignite. And this one lit a fire in me. White crafts a wartime world where books are both danger and deliverance—history, conviction, and beauty on every page.

It’s timely too—reminding us that ideas are worth defending, even when pages are burning.

Perfect for fans of bookish WWII fiction with brains, heart, and just the right amount of romantic tension.

CONTENT SUMMARY
𝗣𝗿𝗼𝗳𝗮𝗻𝗶𝘁𝘆: No profanity or explicit content
𝗦𝗲𝘅𝘂𝗮𝗹 𝗖𝗼𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗻𝘁: Brief non-graphic romantic references (closed door only)
𝗩𝗶𝗼𝗹𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲 & 𝗪𝗮𝗿: Some emotionally intense scenes (interrogations, attempted murder)
𝗧𝗿𝗶𝗴𝗴𝗲𝗿𝘀: Nazi occupation, antisemitism, and censorship. Emotional trauma within the context of occupation.

This novel is the first one the author sets during WWII. Most of her Historical Novels are set through WWI, era of which she is an absolute expert. Well, this book didn’t disappoint! The historical details were vividly described and felt completely realistic. I’m awed at how thorough she is on her research. And I was excited to delve into the theme of the banned books, which I knew existed, but nothing more beyond that.
Just to situate you a bit, the story is set in Paris, 1940, when the city has been occupied by the German Nation. Corinne Bastien is a parisian teacher of the Sorbonne, who lives next to the deemed “Library of Burned Books”, where exiled German authors -Jewish or not- have gathered to protect the books the Nazis have banned for not being aligned with the Party ideals. Corinne not only is overseeing the library, but uses it as means to send coded messages to the Allies, written by the margins of different books.
Christian Bauer is a German professor who has been assigned to collect all the banned books in the Parisian libraries and burn them. It’s evident from the start that he’s not really into it, but what can his motives be to do it? Fear? That’s how he and Corinne meet, and as he gets to know the sassy professor, he begins to, not only relate and bond with her having delightful conversations about books, but also question if he truly wants to continue doing things that go against his beliefs, even if for a noble cause. As he turns to God for assistance in this matter, his heart might need assistance in matters of the heart too.
This book deserves very high praises! The author does a magnificent job of introducing you to this specific place and era. As I said, her attention to detail about a real life event brings the story to life in a way that I could easily imagine the characters, the settings, and almost could smell the heavenly scent of books!
The characters, as always, are the best part of the book for me. I learn so many things through their journey and I finished the book feeling challenged in my spiritual life and in the consistency and strength I need to defend the values I stand for, in a world that is completely -or highly- opposed to them.
I loved Corinne’s boldness in the undercover mission she had to do. Her determination in defending and protecting, not only the books that were a legacy she deeply valued, but her friends, and the people being oppressed and mistreated because of their way of thinking or their race. She had a big heart for helping people in need, she had audacity, and she had wit and sense of humor too.
Christian was a man of integrity, even if doesn’t seem so at first. i completely fell in love with him, especially after the second half part of the book. He’s not the man he seems on the outside, with his Nazi uniform. And it was so beautiful to discover the deepness of his heart and soul as the book progressed. My heart ached so much after learning all that he had suffered, and I admired him even more for the decisions he took in order to save those he loved. His story just melted my heart, he was my hero. The romance is so sweet. It’s an enemies to lovers romance, but a different one, because things were not as they seemed at first. Their falling in love was endearing but also made my heart race. And the circumstances made it heart-tugging too!
The book is excellent in many other aspects. One of them, the inspiring messages woven through the plot and dialogues. It reminded me that defending freedom of speech is not a thing from the past, but it’s a theme to be addressed and fought for these days. This book taught me about respecting others point of view even when I disagree. We are all entitled to our way of thinking. And many times we judge people through the lens of our vision, and fail to comprehend and empathize. Of course, I’m not talking of tolerating acts against the human dignity. It also reminded me of trusting God among the hardest of circumstances, and trusting that only He can bring good out of evil and suffering. I admired how Corinne and Christian had their faith tested, and yet chose to continue believing in the Sovereignty and Mercifulness of God. This book has hard themes when narrating the abuses and cruelty of the Nazis, but it was told in a respectful and not overly graphic way. It is a heart wrenching story, so prepare for some tears. But the book leaves you with a feeling of hope. Hope in God, who has already won over evil, but still respects our freedom to make us capable of true love. Hope in humanity, that we all have that part inside our hearts -even if it can be darkened because of our actions- that reflects that we are image of God and a conscience that alerts us when we are doing something wrong.
The plot never drags, it has action with unexpected twists, and engaging dialogues. I found many inspirational quotes that I wrote down. Here’s one: “Ideas cannot be burned. They cannot be destroyed just because a few copies of the book they’re printed in are”.
All in all, a must read for Historical Romance lovers. I can assure you’ll want to read more from this author. If you have already read her, then I’m sure you know what I mean.
I received a complimentary copy of this book from the Publisher vía NetGalley but wasn’t required to post a positive review. This is my honest and unbiased opinion.

Wow. Have you ever read for so long that your eyes HURT, but you don't want to stop reading? You know you'll have a headache the next day, but it will be totally worth it? That was this book for me.

And ok. We all know I do not need kissing scenes in my books. HOWEVER. This book had the PERFECT first kiss. Like, so perfect that I'm talking about it in my review. And again, I don't need kissing in my books. That should tell you something.

I'm sitting here, trying to come up with something-ANYTHING-that will even begin to do this book justice, but I've got nothing. This book is amazing. Worth any migraine I may have tomorrow.

Edited to say this:
I've been reading Goodreads reviews, and they're so much more eloquent than mine. All I can think of is how I can't believe I liked a kissing scene, completely ignoring the depth of this story. Please. This is NOT a kissing book. The points this story brings to light are beautifully written. I loved the whole thing.

I just can't believe I liked that scene. I also can't believe the number of times "kissing" has come up in my review.

Yuck. 😉 I'll do better next time.

This was my second read from Roseanna M. White. I am always drawn to a WWII story and typically devour the stories quickly! This one, however, I felt was a bit slow moving. I didn't feel too connected with the female lead character until closer to halfway through the story, which was disappointing. The male main character was a delight who drew me in almost immediately. The plot as a whole was good and the history was well researched. Overall, an average read for me.


I received this book for free from Netgalley. The above thoughts are my own, honest review.

Set in France during World War II, this story involves two professors who have a passion for literature. One is French. The other is German.

The Nazi regime is set on banning books and these two characters have to overcome their prejudices and fears concerning each other to realize that they are on the same page (pun intended) with wanting to preserve literature and to somehow fight against the book bans and eugenics.

If you're passionate about the freedom to read, this book is for you.

I received a free copy of the book from NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

This is a wonderfully thought-provoking, emotional book set in 1940 Paris after France has fallen to the Nazis. We feel how the Parisians felt with their city taken over and their lives spent in fear, anger, frustration, lack of food, the military everywhere.. The story came alive for me and I was drawn into day to day living as people deal with the horrors, hatred, and lack of other's views are not tolerated by the Party. But not all are evil.
It is also about two professors, Corinne Bastian of the Sorbonne and Christian Bauer of the University of Berlin on opposite sides. Suspicious of each other, they eventually unite over their love of words even though Christian is there to monitor books that are banned by the Nazis. But as so many are brought into this situation against their wishes and beliefs, things are not as cut and dried as they appear but then all are afraid to speak freely without trust. The upside of the story in the end is one of mercy for those who oppress as Christ would have us do. A sweet love story about the importance of family, in whatever form it takes. Highly recommended.

“When a people stopped entertaining opposing ideas, when they condemned the different as evil, then it was a short step from closed-minded to violently oppressive.” - Christian Bauer

This book was one where I was so happy to have both the paper and the ebook. I enjoy using ebooks to highlight and make notes that I wouldn’t usually mark in paper books. And there were so many thoughts, quotes, lines, just like the one above that just begged to be highlighted and remembered!
I’ve been a huge fan of Ms. White’s books for over a decade now, so when she announced that she was writing a book set during WWII, with a Nazi for one of the main characters, I lined up for a pre-order. And I’m so glad that I did! This book was a little different from some of her previous books, a little more directly Catholic (as a Protestant, this personally didn’t bother me), and so very challenging with its both very direct and sometimes subtle messages about truth and fighting for freedom, including the freedom of thought and writing. Something that was just the same? The author’s beautiful writing that drew me in so quickly to a world of war, words, love, and beauty in the brokenness.
I was left with such a book hangover after finishing this one, as I mulled over the ideas the story shared and I had to rethink a few views/opinions I had previously held. Now I feel challenged to go find a few of those burned books and see what Corinne and Christian were talking about! Speaking of, I absolutely adored Corinne and Christian! I never thought I’d consider writing that about a character in a Nazi uniform, but as the story points out, people are always more than the color of their uniform, the heritage of their last name, or the way in which they speak, if you’re willing to look beyond it. And as both Corinne and I got to know the man inside of the uniform, we couldn’t help but love him. And his heart-wrenching secrets. And his noble, honest heart.
I do have to say, the ending of the book was both so perfectly fitting, but also not quite what I was hoping for or expecting. But it did show Christian’s honorable heart and motives, in the face of adversity. So while I maybe would have “liked” a more romantic ending, I do believe this one suited the characters and the story much better.
Overall, if you enjoy WWII fiction that is well written, thought-provoking, compelling, and worth a few late night reading sessions, then I would absolutely recommend this book!

*My thanks to the author and publisher for my advanced copy of this book (I did purchase my own paperback, as well)! I was not required to write a positive review and have not been compensated for it in any way. All opinions expressed are my own.