Anna is in an abusive relationship with her husband and decides to escape and divorce him. To keep out of his way when he receives the papers she decides to honour the wishes of her late neighbour and travel to Germany to find the people that helped him escape during the war and thank them. Once she arrives in Mainz on the edge of the Rhine she realises that she needs a guide and a translator and so she hires Josef. Anna soon realises that he is also a damaged soul and they become close, but can they both get over their pasts and move on?

A good storyline with believable characters and I also enjoyed the world war 2 history aspect of the book, definitely worth reading

Anna Abrams Kelly is an abused spouse who has finally gotten enough strength to leave her horrible situation. She leaves on a trip to Germany to help her neighbor find a missing person who helped him during World War II. Anna has hired a driver and translator, Josef Schmitt, who is recovering from a terrible accident that has affected him physically and mentally. The two form a bond and forge a way to find the healing they both need. This beautifully-written story was poignant and heartwarming. I truly think it is one of the most original and realistic stories of love and second chances that I've read in a long time. I loved this book and am really looking forward to reading more of Susan Struth’s fabulous storytelling.

Saving Anna by Sharon Struth is available from Lyrical Press, an imprint of Kensington Books. An egalley of this book was made available by the publisher in exchange for a honest review.

Thank you to NetGalley, Kensington Publishing Corporation, and Sharon Struth for an ARC ebook copy to review. As always, an honest review from me.

Anna’s divorcing her abusive husband. She’s using a trip to Germany from an old friend as a way to hopefully stay safe while the divorce papers are served. I thought it was a great setup for her to explore the German countryside and let us readers experience the adventure as well. The story reminds us of the atrocities of WWII, and the good people who tried to help others as well. The fictional story was a way to remind us of all those people persecuted, not just those in the concentration camps.

I also enjoyed Anna’s relationship with Josef. They were both recovering from a lot in life. They were making the best of it and trying to move forward. Their relationship helped each other grow as people.

Overall, it’s a wonderful story of trust, vulnerability, kindness and friendship.

Saving Anna is a very well written book. I enjoyed the plot and characters. I really enjoyed the author’s writing and look forward to reading more of her books. My thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for my digital arc this is my unbiased review.

I enjoyed this complex story of Anna and Josef, and all the other characters’ stories as well. This novel is well written and I kept turning the pages to make sure that Anna is all right at the end.

Thank you to NetGalley, the author and publisher for an advanced reading copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

I have enjoyed every book I have read by Sharon Struth and Saving Anna is no exception. The characters were relatable to me. I loved the sweet and beautiful romance.
I give Saving Anna five plus stars. I highly recommend it. This is such a powerful tale of love, healing and forgiveness. So many readers will be able to connect to this book like I did. I cannot wait for more by this author in the future.
I received this book from the publisher. This review is 100% my own honest opinion.

Sometimes our relationships change so fast it’s almost as if we weren’t looking. Then we have to wonder which side changed. Which one of us became so different or did we really just not want to see the problems in the first place. You know what I mean, back at the beginning when we were so happy. What a tangled web huh? Along with all of this comes having to find the strength to leave; to just get out. Often when we finally accomplish this, we end up meeting someone with their own baggage. Sometimes it’s good to have someone to share it with and sometimes what you left behind might be harmful to the health of everyone around you. This is the story of Anna.

This is an involved book; one that could be thought of as the romance genre or maybe Women’s Fiction. While this genre is not particularly my “thing”, I had a hard time putting this book down. The storyline is good, and it also touches on a subject many people understand; others question, and some cannot even conceive of. This leads to the only thing I became impatient with in this book. I kept wondering why in the world anyone would feel any obligation to an abuser. But you see, it hasn’t happened to me. Those of us in this position all think we would just walk right out. But we don’t know what that life is like. Struth did such a good job of describing and portraying the situation, I became impatient with the character Anna. Guess that’s what you call good writing huh?

This is the second book I have read and reviewed by Sharon Struth. It’s the second time I’ve said romance was not a genre I enjoyed. She just writes well and sort of sucks you into the story.

***This book was provided to me free of charge in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are definitely my own.

Heart-wrenching and heart-warming. Both of the main characters, Anna & Josef, are trying to deal with issues from the past. This book deals realistically with domestic abuse, anxiety and the long term effects of traumatic events in our lives. Nice to read a "gentle" romance, as neither one of these characters seemed ready for something intense.

There are so many different themes in Saving Anna and all are wrapped up in a interesting and often complex plot line. Even thought the title makes you think that others are saving Anna the truth is that Anna saved herself. True she had support but it was up to her to do the saving. Anna has been in abusive marriage and as the book opens she is taking steps to leave the marriage. She leaves the country and her marriage to fulfill a quest left to her by her neighbor who died without thanking people who helped him escape Germany. That lead to a look at the past and what happens when you target on group of people. It also left Anna discovering events and people from her own past. I enjoyed meeting the characters in Saving Anna and following her journey of discovery. Turns out that as Anna saved herself she also offered support to others who needed saving.

A decent romance fiction book. Two main characters: a woman fleeing an abusive marriage and a man recovering emotionally and physically from a car accident. They meet when the man serves as a chauffer/translator when the woman travels in Germany to solve a historical quest. Well written but a little predictable. Quick feel good read.

A sweet story involving two people on the run. Josef is escaping himself and his guilt from an accident that had devastating results and Anna who is fleeing an abusive spouse. Anna has been asked to find an individual in Germany to return something that belongs to him. It’s a sweet story as Anna and Josef learn about themselves while forming an unlikely relationship. Their relationship might come together a little too nearly based on the life experiences each is trying to escape but the story is a pleasant way to spend an afternoon. #netgalley

4.5 stars.
What an arresting story about healing! It has a wounded hero and a strong heroine dealing with serious issues and it displays a delicious inter-lingual and intercultural romance, a dimension I love in romance novel. The dialogue between cultures (German hero/American heroine) and the plot’s relation to some of the ugliest events of Europe’s last century is amazing to watch and brings depth to characters and story.
I was completely engrossed in the slow-burn romance and captivated by the healing and struggles both main characters go through. The story felt very realistic – Anna’s problems are powerfully depicted – yet also romantic and heartwarming, with the supporting web of familial relationships and new and old friends.
Perhaps the resolution for our romantic couple came too soon, but I really enjoyed that the drama and obstacles had to do with external factors, and the normal instability of the growing attraction was realistically handled.

A story of escape, hope & love. Anna is a victim of abuse, her neighbour was a victim of war. He enabled her to leave her past behind to find his.
A beautiful tale of friendship, so well written, I got caught up in the history and impact war has on everybody’s life and also how domestic violence affects its victims and their family and friends. I just couldn’t put this book down and look forward to more from this author.

I've read all of Ms. Struth's books, and haven't really commented on the romance of them in the last few. This time, I feel like I need to, because romance is romance and we all know that Happily Ever After is coming, but Struth has a way of taking two broken people, putting them together, and helping one another heal. There is no rescuing, only a mutual respect born in a bond that forms organically just at the point in the characters lives wherein such healing and love can happen. She doesn't rely on the "big misunderstanding" to create tension between the lovers, but drives outside forces into the mix to strengthen the love forming. It's quieter, and more beautiful, in my opinion. Relying on love, respect, and understanding to create a love story--who'da thunk it?

In books one and two of The Sweet Life, Tuscany and Bath were characters in their own right. In Saving Anna, Germany and Bruges were more like co-conspirators in the stories of Anna and Josef, and Anna and Isaak. Struth effortlessly gets in the culture, the customs, the cities themselves without ever sounding like a travelogue. I feel like I could go to any of the places in the book now, and have it feel like I've been there before. Like a place I lived, rather than one I visited.
While I've enjoyed all of her books, I feel this one has even more depth, and a maturity that comes with writing with both heart and brain engaged.