A well written novel about a female journalist and her time in pre World War II Berlin. Caught up with helping a Jewish family escape Germany, Georgie and her friend Max become hunted for their efforts. The characters are believable, engaging, and the narrative flows in this story. Well worth the time, especially for those who enjoy historical fiction.

Another excellent novel from Mandy Robotham and having read her previous two novels and loved both of them it was no surprises to me to find that this one also lived up to all expectations and I think it’s actually my favourite so far. What I love about this book is that the author seems to have an uncanny ability to draw you into the story with her brilliant portrayal of the characters and with her obvious amount of research she has done it really sets the scene for a thrilling read in a terrible and frightening time.
The main character of Georgie Young a war correspondent in what is very much a man’s world and we follow her story as she gets more and more involved in a pre war Berlin getting closer and closer to war and the horrific events of Kristallnacht it makes for a harrowing read at times but also it shows hope and determination to survive, it’s also a wonderful story with lots of interesting historical facts.
So another winner from Mandy Robotham and one I can highly recommend.
My thanks also to NetGalley and Avon Books UK for giving me the chance to read the ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

I love WW2 fiction. When I noticed the cover of the Berlin Girl by Mandy Robotham (The German Midwife, The Secret Messenger), I couldn't stop myself from requesting it. Thanks to Netgalley and Avon Books UK for giving me an ARC in exchange for an unbiased review.

The Berlin Girl follows Georgina "Georgie" Young, a female reporter in prewar Berlin. She is sent there by <i> The Chronicle</i> to cover the latest news along with Max Spender from <i>The Telegraph</i>. Another parallel story is of Rubin Amsel, a Jew in Berlin with an "imperfect" brother-in-law. They are living in terror of the Gestapo knocking at their door to take him away.

Georgie asks Amsel to be her driver within the city. She intends to use his inner knowledge of Berlin to her advantage. However, the fate of these two people in a hostile city under the dictator becomes intertwined and complicated.

Max Spender, too, despite his initial distrust of Georgie, seeks her help when he inadvertently gets into trouble.

The author has described the tense atmosphere of Berlin in the late 1930s perfectly. The fear that Georgie feels throughout her stay there is palpable. Another thing I liked immensely about this book is that the characters, even the side ones, are extremely well-written. The story is fast-paced. I read it overnight! (Those who know me know how difficult this is for me). I couldn't stop because I wanted to know what happens next.

Very enjoyable. Must read.

Thank you so much to Netgalley and Avon for providing me with an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review! In short, I loved it and will definitely purchase a hardcopy when the book is published as this is one I have to have on my shelf.

I'm a huge historical fiction fan and this book is a new favourite! The book follows the life of Georgie Young, a British journalist who is seconded to Berlin in the years just before WWII. Having previously been to Berlin to cover the 1936 Olympics, Georgie gives us a front row seat to how the Nazi regime has slowly but surely changed the manner in which Germany operates, and more harrowing - the laws it puts in place to quietly oppress Jewish and other "undesirable" people and strip them of their dignity.

Georgie makes it her mission to tell the outside world of what is really happening in Berlin behind all the state pride and Nazi fanfare - a job that is not easy as the foreign press are treated with hostility in Berlin, the outside world too seems to be buying into Hitler's endless propaganda and Nazi spies are around every corner...
Georgie's story will have you gripped from the get-go and you'll constantly find yourself hoping that things turn out for the best even though the events that are unfolding (and your knowledge of what really did happen during WWII) tell you otherwise.

I really loved the character of Georgie, she felt like a friend and I had so much respect for how she never lost sight of her beliefs and values as she navigated her way through both Nazi Germany and a profession that could be extremely sexist at times. I also developed a soft spot for the many friends she made along the way, particularly her fellow journalists Rod and Max, and of course her loyal Jewish assistant Rubin - all of who play important roles in her story.

It's rare that I say this about a book but the ending here was absolutely perfect - it tied every storyline in the book up so beautifully.

A historical WWII story that draws you into the history of Berlin before the start of the war.
The main character is Georgie Young. She is a foreign news correspondent sent to Berlin.
The research and information included in the storyline is very well researched and extremely intense at times. I could feel the tension and danger as I read the story. Full of suspense, intrigue, murder and mystery. The romance aspect was a nice touch.
The Berlin Girl is a must read if you like to read WWII novels.
Many thanks to NetGalley, the publisher and author for the opportunity to read the book for my honest review. All opinions expressed are my own.

Robotham's new book is a novel describing the early years of 1938, just before WWII. Georgie Young and Max Spender, two London journalists, are posted in Berlin. Georgie and Max join a pack of international journalists waiting to see what Hitler and his men are planning. They have the unfortunate experience of seeing first hand what Hitler has in store for Jews and other humans not deemed fit for German society.
The story is suspenseful even though we know the eventual outcome. Georgie makes friends with Rubin Amsel, his wife, and their family. Rubin worked with Georgie the last time she worked in Berlin. He invites her into his home, and Georgie becomes close to the family, wanting to help them.

The writing of this story is excellent. I had the same creepy skin-crawling feeling that Georgie did when an officer tried to romance her. Georgie did what she had to for her job and undermined the Nazis as much as she could.
The Berlin Girl is a heartwarming story with beautiful epilogues that we rarely get in stories about Nazi atrocities. Thank you to Avon and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this advance copy.

This is a book about truth. It's about the importance of the coverage of news. It's about a reporter on assignment.

As a new member of the British foreign press, Georgina Young is excited to be in the lively city of Berlin in the late 1930s. She joins other leading correspondents as they seek breaking news stories. While she has written about fashion, this is a new role for her as she positions herself with a place to live, a driver and most importantly: contacts. It doesn't take long before she finds herself digging through documents, visiting undesirable areas and trying to decide if she's a reporter or detective finding a missing friend. She questions if she is a reporter writing facts or submitting stories with human bias from the emotional strain of seeing people starving, beaten and treated badly. She asks: "can a journalist remain objective?"

It's a book that makes us aware of the importance of writers, reporters and the foreign press. This book gives the example of how a reporter can risk their own life to bring us important news stories. It highlights alternative roles during challenging times such as officers showing power, neighbors showing distrust and doctors that follow unethical rules from dictators.

While I've read many WWII historical novels, I enjoyed a different perspective from this one with a romantic twist. Each section started with a date which makes me think of the timing of events and how quickly things happened. It also showed how powerful it is to meet, eat and drink as that's where a lot of stories are found. Wish I had a bite of a streusel mentioned many times.

Thanks to the publisher and NetGallery for allowing me to read this book in advance.

George Young is a fashion reporter come foreign correspondent. Her first post, Berlin, 1938. This is her fictionalized story. As usual a great read by @mandyrobotham. Thank you #netgalley for my advanced copy of #theberlingirl in return for my honest review.

Georgie is a junior reporter from the Fashion pages of the Chronicle wanting to be more she gets a posting to Berlin the year before the outbreak of war. because of the prejudice of women reporters she goes by the by-line of George.

The story is of a gutsy but naïve reporter getting her stripes in a very tumultuous time and discovering what she can and can't do. Getting lessons from other veteran reporters and trying not to lose her humanity in the face of Nazi oppression and aggression towards the Jewish people. The twist that came so close to the end made me put the book down and take a few minutes. Kasper truly is awful!

I enjoyed the change of format for the epilogue with the news reports from after the war.

This is my second book by Robotham and the 2nd one I have given 5* the scene setting, anguish and dilemma she places in her novels stay with you. I still think about "Woman of War" or "The German Midwife"(depending on your country) months after finishing it. I eagerly await the next.

Thank you to Netgalley and Avon for the copy of the book for review.

I really enjoyed this book. The setting was a particular appeal seeing Berlin in those interwar years from a foreign perspective. Seeing the events unfold was about what I expected but nevertheless completely fascinating. I’d love a sequel

The Berlin Girl by Mandy Robotham follows the Life of journalist Georgie young who is sent as a foreign correspondent to cover life in Berlin Germany in the 1930’s at the brink of WW2. She is joined by Max Spender also from London. She is surrounded by Nazi’s and spies. She is there to tell the world of what’s really happening there and what the Jews are put through. Even helping one of them with his family to escape the atrocities of war.
Thank you, Avon books, for a copy of The Berlin Girl. I have read the authors two previous books and loved them too. This is a bit different to her other books. It is told with a different perspective. But still has a engaging suspenseful and realistic account of what happened in the 1930’s before the war broke out. Sometimes shocking in parts how evil the Nazi’s were. Five stars from me.

This is a very impressive read and keen insight into not only what it must have been like to have lived under the Nazi regime but also to have worked as a female journalist. This was a man's world of course in both work and politics so poor Georgie in the novel has everything against her.

Georgie has to try and portray back to the people back in the UK, just what the reality is like in pre war Berlin. But who is going to believe her? History tells us that no one believed anything of the real danger until it was too late. It's great to see her work and passion though even if I was screaming at her to get out on more than one occasion. This is high drama and quite stressful to read at times but that just shows how good the author has been in her research and her portrayal of that on the page.

When Georgie attempts to date a Nazi officer to get information, my stomach was in my mouth!

One of the best portrayals of war I've read in a long while

Georgie Young, a foreign correspondent in Berlin during the Nazi occupation, along with another journalist, Max Spender. Both of them recognise the danger on Nazi government. I love Georgie character, as a strong independent and intelligent woman. They also help Rubin's family, Jewish, to flee from Berlin. This book certainly has suspense, a bit of romance and truly described the journalism works in Germany during Hitler occupation.

Thank you Netgalley and Avon Books UK for the ARC of this book.

I received this ARC from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. The setting is just-prewar Nazi Germany through the Nazis unprovoked attack on Poland. Georgie “George” is a reporter out of London and along with a cast of reporters from the UK and US covers what is happening. Of course, the Nazi Propaganda Machine tells them only what it wants the rest of the world to knows, but Georgie is having none of it. As her beloved Berlin becomes more and more a city preparing for war, she becomes determined to flesh out what is happening at Sachsenhausen (a German concentration camp). Her driver Rubin is a German Jew and like all German Jews is suffering at the hands of antisemitism. Together with Max, a fellow reporter from England, the three are able to work around the SS and Gestapo, but some of it asks the reader to suspend belief.

In the days before the internet and 5G transmitting reports back to London was a laborious process. The British press would not print everything Georgie was seeing and experiencing so she took to sending “Postcards From Berlin” which were short, but newsworthy. The world wasn’t ready for another World War and the majority of people outside of Germany didn’t take the situation seriously.

The book has far too many characters and far too many mentions of strudel. I love strudel, but given the number of times it is mentioned, I am surprised the author didn’t provide a recipe. The author has love stories, war, Concentration Camps, the Jewish Underground, “Undesirables,” German experiments on prisoners, espionage, spying and Kritallnacht all in one book. The book is engaging, but given the sobering reality of Nazi brutality, Nazi destruction of so much of Europe and the Holocaust, I think the successful outcomes that Georgie and her accomplices manage are somewhat fantastical.

I really enjoyed this and found it really engrossing. It was really well written and it held my interest from start to finish.

Absolutely loved this book! The writing, the story, and the characters kept me completely engaged. I was glued to this book and didn't want it to end. I would definitely recommend this book. Thank you NetGalley for the advanced copy!!

It's 1938, Berlin in the dark days just as WWII is about to begin. when a novice reporter, Georgie Young and Max Spender are posted to Berlin. They are about to witness the horrors as Germany, under the Nazi regime, starts their terror. As a female correspondent she has a lot to prove and while uncovering the Nazi's secrets, Georgie put herself in dangerous situations. While this is a WWII story, it is also a romantic novel. I have read many of them since they are flooding the market right now. I can't say this is very different from others I have read lately, but I was drawn into the story with the author's ability to create a well written novel. My thanks to NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Reporter Georgie Young is assigned to Berlin in 1938 just as Hitler is consolidating power and imposing restrictions on the Jewish population. Georgie tries to report back what is happening, but has to balance that with threats to the reporter community.

Overall, this book was pretty forgettable. It was slow paced and seemed to lack action. Most of the characters were bland and seemed to blend together. Overall, a bust.

I really enjoyed this book. It is a different prospect from a journalist what's happened in Berlin in lead up to War.

I really liked Georgina or as she was called George she was a brave woman in wanting to help her friend who was a Jew. Trying to help his children and wife.

I was wondering what was going to happen to Max her fellow journalist when he was arrested.

I found the book sad in places what happened to all the Jews and other people who were not to the German's liking.

It was an exciting book and would definitely read this again and recommend it to anyone.

This was a real whirlwind of a book- things just kept happening! I couldn’t put it down and was forced to hold my breath as the story rushed to its exciting conclusion.
Georgie Young and Max Spender are junior newspaper foreign correspondents sent to Berlin in the year before the outbreak of World War 2 where they witness the darkness of the Nazi machine and Hitler’s strange power over the German people.
They become frustrated when their newspapers will not publish articles overtly critical to the political regime and they have to carefully craft their writing so that the English public can read between the lines and comprehend the horror of the situation in Berlin. I found it astonishing that one of the English newspapers, The Daily Mail, was actually supportive of Hitler’s regime but as is pointed out in the book, even some non-Germans held fascist views in the 1930s.
Georgie befriends the Jewish Amsel family when she employs Rubin as a drIver and she learns what a terrible situation the Jewish citizens of Berlin are in. Her natural instinct Is to try and help as much as she can and the more she learns about their plight the more she tries to do.
When her boss disappears whilst writing an article, Georgie is determined to find out what happened to him and why and this leads her into more danger and trouble.
I loved reading about all these wonderful characters- Georgie, in particular was amazing, a female reporter in a man’s world, even required to have a byline of George due to discrimination against women.
1930s Berlin came alive for me with the descriptions of the cafe society, the strudel and yes even the dark shadow of the Nazis, which sent a chill up my spine. It was reminiscent of the Berlin of Cabaret and was definitely well researched.
The love/ hate relationship between Georgie and Max was also interesting. At the beginning neither character had anything but disdain for the other but gradually they turn this around and friendship develops.
The climax of the story had me on the edge of my seat- will they won’t they........? I was willing everything to turn out positively.
So much happened in this book and there were a number of sub plots which the author fortunately tied together at the end.
A thoroughly enjoyable read which deserves every one of the five stars I am giving it.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for my advance copy in exchange for an honest review.