Great Historical Nonfiction, mixed with a side of endearing friendships. This story follows a young German girl named Sophia, we watch her grow up from a teenager to young adult during WWII. It was a very well written account of the lives of everydays that were touched by the war on them, their family and friends. You will be taken on a heartwrenching journey lasting close to decade with Sophia and the trials and tribulation she encounters living in Berlin and the surrounding areas during this period. You will be cheering on her character and her friends as you feel a connection with their bravery and will to not let anything stop them for helping others.

I want to say that I have loved every D. S. book that I have read so far. This one was no different.

I felt like this book was a mixture of The Nightingale by Kristin Hannah, The Diary of Ann Frank and a Danielle Steele book all rolled into one.

It was short and sweet, keeping you interested but also moving things along.

The concentration camps and the senselessness of the entire reign made your heart break and made you want to do something to help.

Overall I gave this book 4 stars.

This book was given to me as an advanced reader copy in return for an unbiased review.

3⭐️
Overall, not a bad story. Unfortunately, the characters and relationships just felt a little surface level to me and I wish there was a more depth to all of it.

I felt disconnected to the characters and I think first person POV would’ve helped with this.

However I loved the plot and the FMC, Sophia. There was a lot of character growth as she fought to survive and help others survive during the peak of Hitler’s reign. This story was equal parts heartwarming and heartbreaking.

I love historical fiction, specifically WWII era, so I was excited to read this. However, it just fell a little flat for me personally. The author’s writing style seemed to do a lot of telling vs. showing throughout and became repetitive.

It’s a fairly short story, less than 300 pages, so if you want to dip your toes in historical fiction, I think this could be a place to start.

Thank you to Danielle Steel, Random House Publishing - Ballentine, and NetGalley for providing me with an ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review!

This book takes place in Germany during WW 2. A non Jewish family experiences a lot. Sophia works as a nurse. After her Moms death she decides to join the convent to help children in need. I really enjoyed following the story of Sophia and what she endured.

1937 - Berlin, Germany

Sophia Alexander, 18, and her family are not Jewish but are what is called Aryan. Sophia’s mother is in a sanatorium ill with tuberculosis. Her father, Thomas, is a famous surgeon who works in his own hospital. He operates on those who need it be they Nazis or Jews. Theresa, 16, is Sophia’s younger sister. She is very beautiful and her goal in life is just to marry and have children.

When Sophia’s mother dies, Sophia decides to go to nursing school as well as helping her father with his surgeries. When Theresa marries Baron Heinlick von Ernst, from a wealthy family, and they are happy for her except that they socialize with the Nazis.

Sophie meets some dissidents and secretly attends some of their meetings. She knows this is dangerous but is proud of the work they are doing secreting Jews out of the country.

Sophie is also very interested in the Catholic church and loves to meet with the nuns. So, she decides to become a nun and use her nursing skills. Her father is worried and hopes she is not making a mistake with her life.

When Sophie’s father is sent to a prison camp and Sophie is also arrested and set away, life gets very dim for both of them. This is when this magnificent author shows the reader how awful the atrocities of the Nazis were. It’s not an easy or beautiful read as are most of her books, but this one simply tells it like it was. Hopefully, in today’s insane protests against Jews, it will remind people of how awful things like this can get. Let’s hope these protests get nipped in the bud and fast. Another wonderful book from a favorite author.

Copy provided by NetGalley in exchange for a fair and honest review.

A heartbreaking story about the tragic losses encountered during Hitler’s occupation of Germany during WWII. Sophia or Sister Anne story is one of bravery. She was a daughter, sister, nurse, a resistance fighter and about to take her vows to be a nun when she was arrested as a traitor. It’s a story about humanity and love. And, in the end, love always win.

Thank you #NetGalley, #DelacortePress, #RandomHouse, #DanielleSteel and #OnlytheBrave for the advance readers copy for my honest review.

I love when Danielle Steel writes historical fiction and this book is no exception. A WW 2 story. I love the characters and how drawn in to the storylines the reader becomes. Have a just keep reading because you want to know how the story evolves!

World War II historical fiction from a slightly different perspective. I found this story interesting for the different perspective & the plot was moderately captivating. Sophie's character was completely believable as an empathetic human being and nurse but, unbelievable in her young but unwavering commitment to her upcoming vows and then her swift about face turning away from them. There was some repetition, parts of this book seemed to drag on forever, and yet the ending seemed incredibly rushed. Not a bad story but historical fiction from a romance writer is difficult. This is not a work on par with some of the best historical fiction authors out there. As long as you're not expecting a historical fiction book on that level the,n you will probably enjoy this book. 3.5 ⭐s

This was a very interesting book. I did find it hard to put down, but a lot of Danielle Steele's books are repetitive, and this one was too. I did find the historical aspect of the book very informative and heart wrenching.

Another enjoyable story by Danielle Steel when the Nazis invade Germany Sophia Alexander the beautiful daughter of a famous surgeon in Berlin has to grow up faster than most young women. When her Mom falls ill Sophia must take charge of her younger sister and look after her father while also volunteering at the hospital after school. While Sophia’s sister flees the country with her young husband and his family. While working with the Sisters of Mercy Sophia continues to help get Jewish children to safety and finds her self under surveillance. This was a very interesting story as political tensions rise fighting for freedom at any cost. I recommend this book to everyone.

Sophia Alexander has to take care of her younger sister and her father when her mother is ill in the hospital. She goes to school to become a nurse and works in her father's hospital. After her mother passes away and Hitler is on the rise, she starts attending dissident meetings and helping out however she can. Her sister gets married and she helps them escape out of the country because her brother in law is part Jewish. Then her father is accused of crimes and they send him to a concentration camp and burn down his hospital and their home. Sophia has always been interested in becoming a Nun, so she joins the convent. While out at night helping the resistance, she is caught and brought to a concentration camp. Her and her bunkmates manage to escape and she is living at a protestant convent. She saves an American that has been injured. She risks it all to help as many people as she can.

This is a wonderful war time story that shows the bravery of the people involved. Sophia is truly an inspiration and a wonderful character.

Thank you to NetGalley and the Publisher for the ARC in return for my honest review.

A historical fiction written by Danielle Steele. Sophia Alexander a daughter of a German surgeon growing up during the horrors of the Reich. She has to grow up fast due to her mothers fight with tuberculosis. Then things start to heat up at the death of her mother, the marriage of her sister and the path she chooses in life. Her father's refusal to participate in the euthanasia of the Jews deems him a traitor to the Reich and he is imprisoned. Her sister and her husband has to flee as the husband has relatives that had Jewish blood and Sophia is trying to help everyone as a nurse and Novice Nun. The story continues and unfolds as choices are made and the war rages on. Only the Brave is an emotional story filled with heartache, courage, bravery, hope and tragedy. I also really like some of the secondary supporting characters. As the war comes close to an end, Sophia will have to choose to be a nun or choose love. The story captures the devastating effect of war, and Sophia rising to the challenge of risking everything, to save others. Once again, Only the Brave is very well written by Danielle Steel; in a fantastic historical novel. Thank you to Netgalley, the author and publisher for the opportunity.

A very powerful book set during WWII. It was reminiscent to what is going on now with the Jews over Palestine and Israel. It gives very disturbing insight into what a lot of people went through. I felt like I was in the middle of it and it left me an emotional mess, more than once. To find love during all that was going on gives me hope for humanity. I’ve always been a fan of this author and I found this as one of my favorites and a few little reminders of her Jewels book. It shows how much research she does for her books. A must read!

This book is set in Berlin, Germany at the beginning of WW2. Hitler has begun his ethnic cleansing of Germany by removing Jews. Sophia and Theresa's father is a prominent surgeon with his own private hospital. A Nazi officer visits him and asks him to participate in eliminating Jews. He refuses. Theresa marries into a wealthy family. She and her husband ended up fleeing to Switzerland after it's discovered he has a small amount of Jewish blood. Sophia cannot leave her father as the destruction of Berlin continues. Sophia becomes even more of an activist. After her father is taken to a concentration camp, she enters a convent of nuns.
Will Sophia remain a nun? Will she every find love? This is an intriguing story, one of the WW2 stories I have not yet heard. It is a very intriguing story. Don't miss this one!

It’s been decades since I’ve read a book by Danielle Steele. This one interested me because it was set during WWII. I’ve read dozens of books set during this timeframe and this story just fell flat. The plot was great, I just didn’t feel the passion and intensity normally felt in these stories. I enjoyed the characters and the ending was great. I was blessed with a free ARC, and I’m voluntarily leaving my review.

This story was not one of Danielle Steel’s typical novels but I really enjoyed it. The story takes place during World War II. Sophia Alexander, a nurse, lives in Berlin with her parents and sister. Following the loss of her mother, the war begins and life is forever changed for Sophia, her father Thomas, a physician and her sister Theresa. As the war progresses and through a series of losses and events, Sophia decides her life’s mission is to become a nun. As she experiences the ravages of the war and meets certain people, she must decide if becoming a nun is her life’s vocation. The story was written with some repetition but overall I felt it was an interesting story. Thank you to Random House Publishing Group- Ballantine for this advanced reader copy in exchange for my honest opinion.

Only the Brave is a historical fiction story with a bit of romance by author Danielle Steel. Even though she's had a long and illustrious career, this is actually the first book of hers I've read. It takes place in primary in Berlin, Germany, before, during and after World War II. It surrounds a young woman who is against what the Third Reich is doing to her beloved country and to the innocent Jews whose lives were ripped apart and millions of whom were slaughtered. For such a brutal story, I thought I'd be sobbing the entire time. However, it just didn't seem to go deep enough to be touching; there was only one instance of tears.

Sophia Alexander is the lovely daughter of a famous surgeon who has built his own renowned hospital. She has to grow up quickly when her mother is hospitalized for tuberculosis, and she is left in charge of the household and her younger sister Theresa, while also going to school and volunteering at her father's hospital when she gets out. Hitler's rise to power and the burgeoning violence in Berlin has her worried, but she only feels safe discussing the situation with her mother. When her mother tragically dies, she becomes more involved with the resistance, attending dissident meetings and helping Jewish children however she can. Sophia eventually escorts a pregnant Theresa and her husband to safety in Switzerland. At this time her father also begins to resist Hitler's regime, refusing to participate in their Aktion T4 program. His hospital and home are burned to the ground, and he is thrown into a concentration camp. Sophia is working with the nuns at the Sisters of Mercy convent as a nurse, and she is also a novitiate. She continues to transport Jewish children to safety, but she is eventually under surveillance due to her sister escaping Germany and her father's refusal to help the Reich. Sophia is sent to Ravensbrück concentration camp, but she is determined that she will not die there, but continue with her mission to save the children.

This was a fascinating story, but it just didn't delve deep enough into the horror of concentration camps, the slaughter of Jews and the Aktion T4 "euthanasia" program, which was basically a program of murdering those with disabilities or mental issues. That program began about two years before the "Final Solution" began. To get more in-depth information, I direct you to The United States Holocaust Memorial Museum website, which has a lot of information that will absolutely horrify you; there are many other sites where you can learn the history of that program. The character I think was the strongest in this story was Sophia's father, the renowned surgeon. He was the one character who had me in tears. Sophia's sister Theresa was a total light-weight; she was married to a rich German, and once they were taken to safety in Switzerland their life was still one of luxury, in contrast to those in Germany. Sophia was the main character, around whom all revolved. She was a caring, loving woman who gave everything she had to save her sister and the Jewish children she helped hide. I enjoyed her time with the Sisters of Mercy in Berlin, and also a Protestant convent where she hid for 3 years and served as a nurse after she escaped from Ravensbrück. She did some wonderful deeds, but for the life of me I really never felt connected to her. I felt like her actions were more "described", and that I didn't experience them with her. There were also a couple of romances here, one with a German office at Ravensbrück who fell in love with Sophia, and one with Captain Theodore Blake, a squadron leader in the U.S. Army. I didn't feel the pull of either man. It was a very good story, but just didn't grab me as the topic should have.

I received an ARC of this book courtesy of the publisher and NetGalley. I received no compensation for my review, and all thoughts and opinions expressed are entirely my own.

A poignant tale of survival and perseverance from the queen of women’s fiction! Danielle Steel always delivers a story that takes her reader on a journey that makes us feel like we are living the angst right beside her characters. I know the minute I turn the first page of a new book that I will be quickly swept up into the story and will be hesitant to set the book down to atone with life’s demands. ONLY THE BRAVE is no different. While the heroine suffers great injustice and showcases the inhumanity, she still manages to tell her story in a powerful way that connects the reader to the direness of what is happening. Very well told and easily connectible.

I highly recommend this book to anyone who enjoys a dramatic spin on historical women’s fiction that is light in romance but strong in a powerful female lead who tackles life with strength and dignity.

Only the Brave by Danielle Steel is a Holocaust novel and different than most of her books. It focuses on Sophia Alexander, a young woman in in Germany who was not Jewish, had a loving mother and father, and a younger sister. It only took a few years for things to fall apart as she became part of the Resistance and a nun. She loved being a nun, although her father was aghast. He had had no idea of her learnings. She had become a nurse and she worked for him at his private surgical hospital. He was sorry to lose her. As things got more difficult, the Resistance ramped up as well. One night after delivering a child to a safe house, she was stopped by the SS, simply because she was riding her bike at night. They questioned her and left, but returned the next day and took her away. She ended up in a concentration camp. It was quite a story and not over yet.

Sophia/Sister Anne was a quiet but determined young woman who could not fathom all that was happening around her. Part of her family was destroyed for a random reason, as was her life. Never letting up for a moment, She found her way in the camp and even attracted a Nazi officer, although they were just friends, not for his lack of trying. She helped where she could and tried to remain upbeat. She continued to suffer, but mostly in silence. To say more would ruin the story for readers. She did survive the war, in a surprising way, and lived, presumably, a good life.
It was a good story. A quick read. A feel-good, which is what Steel is known for. Thanks, Danielle, for an inspiring read.

I was invited to read Only the Brave by Random House Publishing Group-Ballantine. All thoughts and opinions are mine. #Netgalley #RandomHousePublishingGroupBallantine #Danielle Steel #OnlyTheBrave

Another typical Danielle Steel book. This one is a historical fiction about World War II Germany.
The main protagonist is a brave, hardheaded and courageous woman, who tells about her and her family's plights throughout the war. Interesting but some parts hard to read due to the subject matter.
Thank you to Netgalley, Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine, Delacorte Press and the Author Danielle Steel for an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.