It was an okay World War II historical fiction novel. It wasn’t the best I’ve read but not the worst either. I wouldn’t recommend to friends.

I received an advanced digital copy of this book from the author, publisher and NetGalley.com. Thanks to all for the opportunity to read and review. The opinions expressed in this review are my own.

The German Heiress had all the makings of a great novel but in the end was a disappointment. Character development and pacing felt forced and fell short.

2 out of 5 stars

"The German Heiress" by Anika Scott presents readers with a complex narrative set against the backdrop of World War II, offering a unique perspective on the challenges faced by individuals during this tumultuous period. While the novel does have its strengths, it also grapples with some drawbacks that might affect the overall reading experience.

One of the key aspects that might divide readers is the protagonist. The main character's personality and choices might make it challenging for some readers to fully root for her. However, the backdrop of war/post-war Germany serves as a compelling WWII setting since there aren't many historical fiction novels from this POV. However, where the novel falls short for some readers is in its ending. The resolution may be perceived as unsatisfying since there isn't a real sense of justice being served in the end.

One thing you can take as fact - I love WWII historical fiction.
This was a well-researched novel that told the WWII story from a different angle/perspective.
It kept me interested. Perfect for fans of Kate Quinn.

The German Heiress was a little underwhelming for me. I love WWII fiction and I was hoping for more.

What an emotionally complex, thought-provoking read. The plot is straightforward but edged with gripping tension. I found Jakob to be a more compelling character than the self-righteous Clara, but both characters are wonderfully flawed. The depiction of the stark, desperate post-war reality of everyday Germans is superbly researched and vividly portrayed. This is a story about the shades of grey, complicity, redemption, justice, and love.

I love a good story around WWII, and this one doesn't disappoint! Told from the perspective of a wealthy young woman left to run her families business empire. Even as she tries to help refugees forced to work in her factory, the Nazi propaganda puts her in a tight spot. As the war ends and she returns to her home town, she is faced with family secrets, being wanted by the British and surviving without a roof over her head.
With the help of an unexpected friend, Clara forges forward trying to right wrongs.
Wonder page turner with great characters. Believable descriptions of the evils of war, poverty, devastation and human spirit to survive.

I received a complimentary copy of this book, all opinions in this review are my own.

The German Heiress by Anika Scott

The main character Clara Falkenberg an heiress to the Falkenberg Iron Works during WW2. So tries her best to run the irons works as best as possible including giving extra rations to the Russians and Polish who worked in the factory. Fearing for her life with the Nazis she flees Essen the town where the factory is under an assumed name to start over.

This is where the story takes off Clara under an assumed name tries to forge a new life even getting engaged to a Dr. who she found out isn't who she thought he was. She decides to head back home to find her friend Elisa and Elisa's son. On her way back to Essen she is captured by a British officer named Thomas Renshaw who wants to try her as a war criminal. She manages to escape from him and return to Essen.

She meets Jacob and asked for him to assist her he has connections to the black market and he figures out who she is. The story gets complex Jacob wants his family to survive with food and rations. He becomes the main focus in what he decides to do either help Clara or turn her in.

I love this time period in historical fiction the story looks at the effects of war and how people make decisions during war crisis sometimes we think we are not doing bad because we try to mix in the good. Clara character shows a strong minded women who also has some compassion she is not an evil monster but she also is known for having a heavy hand managing the Iron works.

In war facts do not always portray actuality and for Clara this is the case.

The complexity of the story brings out so much understanding of choices people make during war and the ultimate cost of those choices is a matter of survival. What each of us think about ourselves in what we would and would not do can change when one is thrust into a war situation.

I like how this was well researched and a compelling story that needed to be told. Not everyone is evil or a Nazi some are forced into doing things for survival.

Thanks to Netgalley and Harper Collins Publisher as well as William Morrow Paperbacks for a free copy of this book for an honest review.

Great read! It made me reflect on the Germans that were basically caught up in the horror of the war Hitler started and his their lives could also be impacted. We should not paint everyone with the same brush.

I had mixed feelings with The German Heiress. The story started off very slow for me and I felt like I was missing something. The story felt dry and difficult to get into. Unfortunately I ended up DNFing the story. It isn't something that I wouldn't ever return to but for the time being I had to put it down.

The German Heiress story has stayed with me for over one year. It looks at WWII from the perspective of a German woman running a company that has ties to the Nazi regime. Wars are complicated and Anika Scott develops her characters to illustrate this. Her characters are well crafted. This book is for the reader who is interested in WWII and wants the lead character to be a strong, independent woman. This book delivers both.

Wow, what a deep story. Set after the war is over and the British are cleaning up, finding war criminals. Clara is from a family who owned an iron works factory. She ran it during the war when her Father was away. The German army forced them to keep it open and running. She did what she could for the poor Ukraine and other forced labor that was brought in. Even through her wealthy life there was another personal story, some of which she uncovers as this story unfolds, including her best friend. You feel the depth of struggle for life throughout and it's hard to put down. Very well written.

I received this book free from the publisher and NetGalley book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own.
#TheGermanHeiress #NetGalley

What a interesting insight to post WW2 in Germany and how investigators were hunting war criminals.

Most historical fiction I have read is before and during the WW2, it was very interesting to read about what happened after and how people were living after the war.

Thank you William Marrow and Netgalley for an advanced copy for my sassy thoughts.

In The German Heiress, we follow Clara Falkenberg, who ran her family's ironworks empire during WWII. The majority of the book takes place in 1946, when Clara is being hunted by a British officer determined to see her pay for her war crimes. But was Clara really as sympathetic to the Nazi party as she appeared to be?

Throughout much of the book, we see the German character grappling with their conscience because of the choices that they made during the war, and the consequences of those choices. I enjoyed seeing a new perspective, and Scott's characters forced me to think about what I would have done, had I been in their places.

Thank you to William Morrow and NetGalley for this ARC.

This was a different WWII perspective as it is almost two years after the end of WWII and shows how bad it is for Germany's citizens who are struggling to try and stay alive with nothing much to help. Clara is struggling with her part in the war. I enjoyed all the different characters portrayed and how humanity was shown in them all. There was alot in this book to think about. With Clara we’re never really sure whether she’s a hero or a villain. We're not given a lot of specifics as to what she did during the war. I really enjoyed the different WWII perspective.

The German Heiress by Anika Scott is a WWII book set in Germany 1946 telling the story of a defeated Germany thru the eyes of Clara Falkenburg,whose nickname was "The Iron Fraulein". Her father is in prison awaiting trial for war crimes.

This book makes you debate how much a person and its actions during a War are at fault. Was Clara advancing the Nazis actions or was she secretly sabotaging them?

The characters on the book were very well developed and the author research was extensive in order to write this book.

I received this book in exchange of an honest review.

I wanted to read The German Heiress because I am a huge fan of WWII fiction. I thought it would be interesting to read from a German’s perspective. Based on the reviews, I am in the minority as I didn’t care for this book. It was so slow moving. It took nearly two weeks for me to get to 51% and then I just gave up. I didn’t particularly care for any of the characters. Clara and her family were Nazi sympathizers. She acted like she had done all she could by feeding the workers a little extra even though her family profited by their iron factory being a labor camp. It’s not like she helped any of these people escape. If she did do so then I missed it in the first 1/2 of the book. My heart will always be with those in the Resistance and the Jewish people. Thank you to Netgalley and HarperCollins for the copy. All opinions expressed are my own.

I thought the premise was interesting in terms of thinking about the realities faced by many German business owners during the Nazi regime who were not devout party members: do you acquiesce despite not agreeing with their policies or decline to participate and risk your own imprisonment or death?
My issues were with the execution. I felt like the book didn't generate enough character development for Clara to fully explain her decision to acquiesce while simultaneously trying to better the workers brought to her factory as forced labor. Certainly providing this moral ambiguity presents Clara as less of a depraved person, but she lacked a lot of substance. The reader just gets a few references to her ambivalence towards fascism.

Very good book, good twists and turns of post World War II life. Highly recommended. Thanks for the review copy.

This is a very interesting novel. The story takes place just after the end of World War II and the round up of war criminals. This novel looks at a family that was involved in the mass machine of the Nazi regime and how the different family members truly felt about the regime. It is intertwined with the all to often family secrets that always come out. The characters in this book are well rounded and very believable as is the story the author created, you can almost believe it was true. As with everything good people do bad things because they think they are helping. This is a very engaging read and fast paced.