The Berlin Girl is Mandy Robotham's latest World War II book, set in the year before the war broke out. Georgie is a young Londoner sent to work in Berlin and cover the political climate in Germany. As a journalist myself I loved reading about a female journalist in the 30's. While we've come a long way, there's still definitely lots of sexism on the field, and I appreciated this lens.

The book starts out a little slow to get into, and then just propels into a fast-paced story with lots of different side stories. It's not the strongest book by Robotham, but anyone who is a fan of the author or historical fiction will likely enjoy this book.

It as interesting to follow Georgie and the fellow news correspondence people in Berlin. The rise of Hitler and how people brushed off what was happening was astonishing. There are some twists and turns to keep the story moving. My favorite was the postcards from Berlin which gave a the glimpse of what was happening in the country. I liked the way the author chose the end the novel with snippets of Georgie and Max's adventures in journalism. Recommended!

I loved this different play on WW II historical fiction. It occurs before the start of war and how Berlin was like .
Good book !

The Berlin Girl is without a doubt the best book I have read this year. I don't seem to get out of the WWII genre, and have read so many. I finished it last week and immediately upon finishing it, I tried to put everything into my head to give a proper review. The main character, Georgie a/k/a George is such a likeable person. She is so down to earth and has such a human heart, and a newbie journalist from London assigned to Berlin. There she meets a number of other journalists who seem to take her under their wings and they all develop true friendships. I liked how she thought Max was just a friend and of course, there was more to that friendship. I liked all of her journalist friends, but Max, in my mind, he was so handsome. I did have a little trouble keeping up with all of journalists She certainly made friends easily.

The research prior to the actual start of WWII is wonderful and so full of facts. I learned so much about that time period and the mood of Germany. I was unfamiliar with Hitler and the Nuremburg setting, Looking back I have seen it on so many documentaries that it is so nice to put the real places in the book. I loved all of the little cafes they would meet, and I definitely could get a description of them in my mind. That said, there isn't so much description that you want to buzz over it. and skip it.
I hate to give anything away, but I really enjoyed learning what happened to Max and Georgie after the war. There is one part toward the end that I am going to have to go back and reread since I was reading so fast to find out what happened, I don't know how Georgia managed to pull the situation off. My heart broke for Rubin and Sarah.
I always hate to write review for fear I am going to give a spoiler. So, I will answer the question: What makes this book different from all the others? The time period is prior to the start of WWII around 1938. I have not read anything to learn about these years prior to Britain and Germany entering the War. I knew nothing about life in Berlin exceprt maybe the old movie Caberet! I didn't know what role the newspaper journalists played in reporting the events in Berlin and in Germany. I cared about all of the facts because that is what really happened and not made up stuff. This book has mystery, suspense, a bit of romance and such a quick read! For me, it was one of those you can't put down!!!!! Every chance I get I would pick it up and read a chapter or two. Thank you NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read this before it was released to the retail market.

Loved this book. This is the 3rd of Mandy Robotham that I have read and she is definitely becoming one of my favourite historical fiction writers. I wasn't sure I was going to like the newspaper writer approach but there was so much more to the story than that and I was hooked pretty quickly. I enjoyed how the storyline switched between characters to tell a deeper story of what was truly happening at this time. Overall a great book that I would definitely recommend!

I loved this book!!!! The story took place before Hitler and the world went to war. It follows two journalists and shows us what Berlin was like during that time in history. She also shows us what the Jews were dealing at the time. This was one of my favorite books from that time in history!

Postcards from My Life

This is the story of Georgie Young, the girl that courted and reported Berlin. At a time when women were not generally recognized and taken seriously in the field of Journalism she paved her way to become the foreign correspondent to Berlin.

Along with a fellow Journalist Max Spender they reported the events leading up to WWII being declared in the city of Berlin Germany. They recognized the danger of the Nazi government and reported accordingly. After saving the lives of a Jewish couple the befriended they in turn had to run for their lives from Germany. They continued to report the war from other countries.

This book was deeply steeped in the journalism vocation, as well as the history of the gradual takeover by the Nazis and how the people of Berlin reacted throughout this historic time.

This was a great story, not only for the historic content of the war and Berlin, but of a woman determined to make a career for herself as a news reporter, but to report the happening so that the world would know what a threat the Nazis' were and the acts they were exercising against the Jewish people and others that the Nazi's deemed "Undesirable".

I enjoyed reading this book very much, the history, the romance and the courage held within the pages of this book and the story told. I recommend this book; I will believe you will love reading it as much as I did.

Thanks to Mandy Robotham, Avon Books UK, and NetGalley for allowing me to read an advanced copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.

I was so excited about this book. I love Berlin and I love the era. I loved the style of writing. I could not put this down and would thoroughly recommend.

Many thanks to #NetGalley and the publisher Avon Books UK for allowing me to read an advance copy of the book #TheBerlinGirl by #MandyRobotham. The views expressed in this review are mine and mine alone.

Being a fan of WW2 era novels I was delighted to have the chance to read another book by author Mandy Robotham. As usual, the cover art really caught my eye and let me know the era in which the story was set. The book begins in 1938 in the lead up to war and Georgie Young, a reporter who has been earning respect as a female in a time when most reporters were men has been assigned to work in Berlin. She’s excited about going and somewhat prepared because she has spent time in Berlin before. Sent off to travel with Max Spender, a reporter for another paper, she faces her first challenge when he makes it clear that he was expecting her to be a George of the male persuasion. Georgie won’t let that stop her though and quickly makes it clear that her skills are what brought her there and her ability to speak German will be crucial.

There are some books that when you start reading you are slowly drawn in and meander your way through the pages. This book is not one of them. I was riveted from the get go, and finished reading the book in relatively short order. The author appears to have done an excellent job researching the time period and as war drew closer in the story she laid out how life was changing for Berliner’s and how difficult it was to stay on the good side of those in power without compromising her own beliefs and values. She hired a driver that she had known on her last visit during the Olympics. He was a Jewish man and her hiring him and providing work made the difference between food and starvation. Although reporters were there from many different agencies, there was a real sense of camaraderie among them that I highly doubt would be present among news agencies of 2020.

I loved how the different characters of the story were developed and the ambivalence that was sometimes felt for those in opposition. At one point Georgie dates a German soldier and surprises herself by having fun and liking him. Meantime her relationship with Max Spender develops past the initial antagonism until they become very close friends.

This book has its share of action and moments where, as a reader I found myself holding my breath hoping things would turn out for the best. As the war begins, life becomes harder and so does the job of reporting what is happening without offending censors on either side of the ocean. Some news is considered too horrific to share.

This was a fascinating book about a strong woman in difficult times and a city facing existential change that has marked it forever. I really enjoyed it and would highly recommend it to those who enjoy historical novels of this time period. It will be available to order as an e-book October 29th, 2020.

I totally enjoyed reading this book. Couldn't put it down. Perfect read at the end of the day. Definitely recommend.

This is the story of Georgie Young, Max Spender, and their associates from the press as they travel to Berlin to write about what Hitler is doing in Germany. However it is not what the propaganda says it is. Georgie and Max see the truth and try to expose what is really happening. I enjoyed this very much. Excellent read with different perspective as seen from the eyes of the press

This riveting WWII novel plucked me up into its gripping tale from Chapter 1 and didn't release me until I finished the last page. When young British newspaper woman, Georgie Young, is assigned to assist in her paper's Berlin office, it becomes increasingly apparent to her that Germany and the world are on a collision course towards war. As Georgie becomes more confident in her work as a reporter, and tensions with the Nazi presence in Berlin escalates, Georgie and her colleague, the mercurial Max Spencer, take steps to help a Jewish family, the Amsel's, escape from Germany before it's too late. What follows is a suspenseful thriller that kept me on the edge of my seat. Brilliantly written, entwining Georgie's suspenseful story with the ominous atmosphere building in the heart of Nazi Germany leading up to the war. This book is a must read for anyone who loves strong female characters, a well-honed suspenseful story and WWII historical fiction. Even with an odd prologue that seemed out of place with Georgie's story, I'm giving this book 5 stars.

THE BERLIN GIRL by MANDY ROBOTHAM is a World War 11 novel with a difference in that it tells the story of a group of journalists in Berlin in 1938 to 1939 before the start of the war. It is a well written book with well defined characters. I especially like to see the growth in both Georgie and Max as they are faced with the truth of what is really going on in Hitler's Germany, which enables them to act in spite of the fear that is their constant companion. I also like to see the camaraderie amongst the members of the foreign press and their sense of humour, which seems to keep them going, as they do their best to portray what is really going on, although there is a limit to what they can write for fear of being thrown out of the country, or, worse still, arrested
Georgie has been to Berlin before as fashion correspondent at the Olympic Games, but this Berlin, with its Nazi flags and propaganda, is not the same.
When Max Spender meets "George" Young he is surprised to find she is a girl and they start off on the wrong foot, but when they witness the cruelty of the Nazis, especially towards the Jews, they cannot sit back and watch, and put their lives at risk to not only find out the truth behind people's disappearance, but to help the Amsel family.
This story shows the horrors of the Nazi régime, the wickedness of discrimination against groups of people, especially the Jews who are treated worse than animals. In contrast, we see how what they go through gives both Georgie and Max the strength to intervene where they can.
It is an inspirational read, full of intrigue and tension, and one I highly recommend.
I was given a free copy of the book by NetGalley from Avon Books U.K. The opinions in this review are completely my own.

The Berlin Girl is an excellent read. Robotham writes of a young reporter assigned to Berlin in the 12 months before the outbreak of war. It's heartbreaking to read about the injustices witnessed and the characters not able to intervene or even really report the truths. There were a couple of exciting scenes like out of a movie. I liked how the e ding offered follow up epilogues. WWII historical fiction is red hot right now and this one is not to missed.

I was offered an advance ARC from the publisher through Netgalley, as I had enjoyed her previous book The German Midwife.

This is a very different take on Berlin in the late 1930s. Georgie is a British Reporter who enjoys a certain amount of freedom that others would not have had at the time.

She hangs out in hotels, nightclubs, goes on dates with a handsome officer of the SS, and employs a Jewish driver. But Georgie is living dangerously and its only a matter of time before the Regime catches up with her. Or is it?

Georgie is a fantastic character, she is intelligent and sharp with it. She can handle herself well which gives her an excellent perspective in the novel.

I enjoyed the novel and found it very believable. In fact I came away thinking – you know would love if the author wrote about three other women in the story: Margot Moller, Frida Borken and Simone Doucette.

As a historical fiction fan, I have read many books about WWII. This one was refreshing in the sense that the characters were all journalists reporting from Berlin. It was interesting to see their frustration at seeing what was happening around them yet their HQs were not publishing much without photographs and nothing was been done to stop the Reich. I really enjoyed the snippets of their articles after they leave Berlin. That was a really nice touch!

Thanks NetGalley, Mandy Robotham, and HarperCollins Publishing for the ARC!

This ARC of The Berlin Girl was provided by Avon and publisher Harper Collins via Netgalley for my honest opinion and review of this uncorrected proof copy.

Georgie Young is a young women trailblazier in the field as a war correspond in Berlin in the late 1930s. Along with her fellow friends and press corp members, Georgie chronicles her time in Nazi Germany before the start of WWII. Georgie and fellow correspondent, Max, uncover Nazi secrets that threatens their lives under Nazi rule.

I enjoyed Georgie's perspective in this historical fiction novel, and I love a happy endning. Will be recommending this book to by book club!

Thank you to net galley for the arc of this book in exchange for an honest review. I enjoyed the Berlin Girl, as I enjoy historical fiction set during WW2 but this was different from the start since the main character was a member of the foreign press in Berlin during 1938-1939. It was also interesting to have the character experience Berlin during the Olympic Games as well and being able to compare and contrast. I enjoyed the twists and turns of the plot and I enjoyed seeing how the characters ended up in the end in the epilogue, some may feel that the ending was too pat but I think it was nice to have these characters end up ok after it all. Hope you pick up this book for an entertaining read!

What a story! I couldn’t put this new offering from Mandy Robotham down. I’m a big fan of historical fiction and this was an enthralling read. The story is set in the lead up to WWII in Berlin - Georgie (George) Young is sent to Berlin by the British ‘Chronicle’ as a fresh young female journalist as part of the Foreign Press Corp. Georgie is accompanied on her trip by Max Spender journalist for the Daily Telegraph.
The Nazi regime is in full force and Georgie is determined to let the British public know what is happening in Germany through her ‘Postcards from Berlin’; despite the censorship and control of the press by the Nazi propaganda machine. Georgie gives us a real human take on what pre war Germany is like, portraying the Nazi hatred of the Jewish community and the horrors of what is occurring during this period of time .
There is intrigue, suspense, murder and lots of twists and turns that both Georgie and Max get involved with. A truly powerful, engaging and emotional story. I particularly enjoyed the ending of the book which provided a follow up of the lives of the main characters.
A big thank you to Netgalley and Avon Books for the opportunity to read and review.

The Berlin Girl centers around Georgina Young, a journalist for a newspaper in England, she jumps at the opportunity to report in Berlin at the onset of WWII. When George arrives the city doesn’t seem to be quite what she remembers from before. She meets a Jewish man, Rubin who was her driver from a previous visit and we all know what being Jewish means at this critical turning point in Germanys history and the cracks begin to show..

Ultimately a story of a female reporter, in Berlin in a mans world, was a powerful story that i enjoyed from page one.
Well researched, and engaging. I was really impressed with all the characters, If you love strong female characters, WWII historical fiction, and the telling of both from unique perspectives, you will not be disappointed!

Mandy Robotham does a great job creating a suspenseful plot, and with the added the angle of the story from the eyes of a reporter which I've not encounter in a historical fiction before. I enjoyed George and Max and felt that they were realistic, and interesting, I felt that the ending was appropriate and satisfying. It definitely kept me interested from beginning to end.