I immensely enjoyed this book! Great historical fiction from Greece. I haven’t read much from that country and I really like this book!

Historical Fiction is my favorite genre, Once We Were Here had me hooked from the beginning! I highly recommend it!

I didn’t know a lot about Greece’s involvement in WWII before reading this book. I was fascinated by learning how long they held onto their country from German occupation. I also enjoyed how some of Greece’s ancient history was sprinkled in throughout the book. The ending had a descent twist as well.

Some things I didn’t like was that there was so many “bang bangs” and “blams” in the book. We all know what sound a gun makes. We don’t need to read it a 100 times. It did take me out of the book. Some of the war scenes were a bit much, when the book seems to be marketed as more of a love story. Some of the war stories also seemed far fetched as well. Overall, I did enjoy the book and would recommend it.

Thank you @netgalley and @arcadepublishing for an ARC in exchange for my review.

WWII historical fiction in WWII. Check. In Greece? Yes please. I found the modern day framing device a tad overworn but the frequent "bam bam bam" and "rat-a-tat" were distracting.

1940 Greece was at a crossroads and when faced by occupation the Greek premier replies with a resounding No.

It makes people all over Greece rethink how they are going to live with a German occupation. They know it will happen sooner or later, though the Greeks give as good a fight as they possibly could. Probably the best fight in the whole episode of the War.

The story is heart warming - three friends trying to safeguard their homes, their families and their loved ones. Bittersweet because one knows in a war there is always loss and heartache and these people lose not just their people but also their homelands.

A story that happens every day even today decades later so history repeating itself.

A story told in retrospective so that the present generation would know what went before and what their grand parents had to undergo to come to any kind of safety as immigrants.

Immensely moving and powerful it was also full of detail regarding the German occupation of Greece, and the Resistance movement in Greece as well.

This book starts with a yearly summer holiday with Andrew and his family while they visit with his grandparents (Papou and Yia Yia). But you’re just starting to turn the pages when you find yourself going back in time and learning about best friends, Alexei and Costa, and life in Greece. I learned so much about the time period when Mussolini declares war on Greece. These two young men were so willing to serve their country and support each other through time of war.

I had many tearful moments as I read through the story. I loved the twist at the end which had me gasping out loud. And I love when a book does that for me.

Thank you to NetGalley and Arcade Publishers for my advanced review copy. All opinions and thoughts are my own.

I was unable to finish this book. The constant warfighting was uninteresting, and the blam, blam, blam--bang, bang, bang words constantly accompanying it were just strange.

tw // rape, murder, death by suicide

Set during World War II, this is a story of two young Greek boys Alexei and Costa who fought for their country. The Greek soldiers were the underdogs in this war yet their love for their country resulted in them rising up against all odds.

This story had many positives as well as many areas that could have been done differently. To start, the writing was beautiful and atmospheric. The beauty of Greece and the ugliness of war were both very present throughout. This truly felt like a love story to the country and the brave men who fought with everything they had to hold onto their homes. One of the best parts in this book was the relationship between Alexei and Costa, best friends since the day they were born, and always by each other’s side. Watching them enter the war and stand by each other and both grow as men and soldiers was heartwarming and I wish their relationship could have been more of a focus.

In the opening chapter we meet a grandson who has a photograph he asks his grandparents about and then we are transported into the past to learn about this man’s grandfather. In past tense we are following Alexei’s point of view for most of the story until suddenly we are not. At small sections of the story, we get a different POV that does not belong to Alexei or Costa, and sometimes the other POV only lasts a few paragraphs. This took away from the story-like quality we had established from the beginning and felt unnecessary to the storytelling.

In addition to the POV changes, there was a lack of development for most characters. Aside from Alexei and Costa, most characters—even ones with their own POVs—were one dimensional. Philia was the most rounded side character but even still she mostly felt like the cookie cutter version of a 40’s housewife. Alexei’s parents had some more dimension but mostly came across as a device to question Alexei on his desire to head off to war. This book should have either taken more time to round out each character, especially if they were given their own POV, or focused solely on Alexei and Costa’s friendship to make some of the more emotional scenes more impactful.

I do think that it should be noted that this book does have two scenes that could be triggering. The first is a scene of a woman being raped and murdered by a German officer, written in the POV of the officer. It is written in an almost detached tone and does not handle the situation delicately at all nor does it offer anything towards the plot other than to make one of the male main characters want to seek revenge. In addition to this scene, near the end there is a scene of a Greek man who chooses to throw himself off a cliff to his death rather than surrender to the Germans.

Overall, I think this story is exactly what someone can expect from a World War II story. It romanticizes the war in the same way many other historical fictions do and feels like someone retelling their version of a war story but putting it in a Greek setting. If you have ever read a World War II historical fiction then this one will feel very familiar in the way most do, but the Greek history is an interesting touch. The ending of this story was beautifully done and quite emotional but I don’t think I can give this book more than 3.5 stars.

We find ourselves in the small coastal fishing village of Agria in Greece, in October 1940, and view life through the eyes of Alexei, a young man, Alexei is a well-read youngster, his heroes are Homer and Aeschylus, Achilles, Odysseus, and Alexander... And his biggest hero, his fisherman father Iannis is also a hero, larger than life. He and his best friend Costa have spent their entire youth training together as long-distance runners, with a dream of Olympic medals in their future, and Alexei is a well-trained fisherman and sponge diver, taking up the slack on the family fishing boat as his father slows down with age and the after-effects of WWI injuries. Alexei has also found his life's partner, Philia Karras, daughter of the richest man in the town, and he has already picked out the family goat he will offer her father in exchange for her hand. Big dreams, huh? And then first the Italian army and then that of Germany work their way through Greece on their way to Athens. Young Greeks answered the call and were able to turn the Italian army back, but they were outnumbered and out equipped by the German machine. Now they must figure out how to retreat and hold their world together as war comes again to Europe and the Middle East.

I received a free electronic copy of the ARC of this excellent historical novel from Netgalley, Christopher Cosmos, and Skyhorse Publishing. thank you all for sharing your hard work with me. I have read Once We Were Here of my own volition, and this review reflects my honest opinion of this work Christopher Cosmos writes a compelling tale with well-researched background and characters who will warm your heart.

In 2014, Andrew arrives for his summer holiday at Lake Michigan with his wife Stephanie, children David and William. Every year they stay with his grandfather Papou and his grandmother Yia Yia at their cottage. Andrew asks his Papou about an old photo he found, he recognizes his grandmother, she’s with a strange man and who is he? Papou decides to finally tell him about the past and his family’s life in Greece; it’s a story about two young men and how war changed their lives.

In a small Greek fishing village Agria two baby boys are born on the same night their parents name them Costa and Alexei. Now 18, the young men are best friends and are as close as brothers. When war is declared in 1940 they enlist, leaving Agria for the first time, despite the terrible conditions and no military training they win and defeat the Italian army. Before they depart, Alexei asks his first love Philia to marry him and she accepts. When a victorious Alexei returns from the war he and Philia marry, they make plans for the future and start building a house. Unfortunately their honeymoon was barely over when the young groom and his best friend Costa are needed to fight in another war. The Greek army only had the Metaxas Line between them and the much stronger German army; they had planes, tanks and superior weapons. The Greek army digs in, they reinforced the line and nervously wait for the Germans to arrive.

Once We Were Here is a historical fiction saga, it’s about nation’s history, its traditions, a special friendship between two young men and their legacy. Despite the terrible odds against them the Greek army made the German’s advancement through Greece as difficult as possible, of course Costa and Alexei were involved in this. What the Greek soldiers managed to achieve is amazing, it helped the allies eventually win WW II and defect the Germans. I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review and I gave the book four stars.

From the first line, the book draws you into a poignant and emotional story of love, family, and friendship; of resilience, courage, and honor. Rich settings and good dialogue bring the story to life, shedding light on the Greek resistance and the sacrifices made by the people during WWII. The last part of the book was especially moving. I enjoyed this book and recommend it.

I’ve come across few historical novels written about the Greek resistance and found the historical aspects of the book very interesting. I enjoyed reading from this perspective and hope to read more about the heroic role the Greeks played during WWII.

Thank you very much to NetGalley and the publisher for this advanced reader’s copy.

🚨🚨 Book Review* 🚨🚨
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Once We Were Here
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By Christopher Cosmos
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Rating: 🍷🍷🍷 / 5
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Pairs perfectly with The SIKINOS Red wine by Manalis Winery (@manaliswinerysikinos), Sikinos, Greece
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Worth the Hangover: Yes for the wine, no for the book
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Tasting Notes:

“As World War II intrudes upon their home, three young friends risk everything for freedom, love, and a chance at a better life.” This is a tall order that “Once We Were Here” did not live up to. The story involves 2 best friends (Alexi and Costa) living in Agria, Greece, a small fishing village east of Volos and quite a bit north of Athens.

The book begins in 2014 (1 chapter) and then flashes back to 1940, just before the Nazi invade Greece, and then continues through the war years to end up back in 2014 (1 chapter). I point this out because I found the 2 chapters at the beginning and the end to have been inadequate for setting the tone of the book or for tying up loose ends.

From the description I thought I would like this book a lot, but that was not the case. The characters were fine, but I didn’t find myself emotionally invested in them. I think certain factors contributed to that. For instance, Alexi and Costa were constantly getting themselves into unbelievable situations. The author would have you believe that these young men single-handedly fought off the Nazis, six times a day, every day. The number of situations that they found themselves in was pretty far fetched.

On top of that, the author used words as sound effects, like in the old Batman TV show: Kapow! Boom, boom, boom! That was super distracting and, for me, took away from the storyline and the seriousness of the book. The use of those words made the book corny.

Another issue that I had, was that the story took too long to unfold. The only thing that happens up to the 85% mark is Alexi and Costa fighting off the Nazis and thinking of ways to fight the Nazis. I seriously forgot what the story was even about. The author could’ve left out 75% of the book and it would’ve worked much better.

“Once We Were Here” had so much potential, but it was poorly executed. Save yourself the headache and skip this book.


*Advance Reader Copy provided courtesy of @NetGalley and @skyhorsepub in return for an honest review

Fans of WWII fiction might enjoy this for a different view of the war. Set in Greece, it's the story of Alexei, Philia, and Costa. Alexei and Costa are childhood friends who find themselves going from fishermen to fighters overnight, which was pretty much the case of most combatants (albeit most were not fisherman). Philia, becomes Alexei's wife and, in his absence,. is forced to house Germans. The three of them deal first with the Italian invasion and then with the Nazis. This is not a nuanced read; I found the sound effects distracting for one thing. It is, however, worth a read for the insight into what happened in Greece. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC.

This one stole my heart and made me bawl. I'm not a crier- so, you know it's good if that happens!

Once We Were Here is a WW2 novel that takes place in Greece. This is a story about love, brotherhood and what a family will do to protect absolutely everything they care about. I really enjoyed this one! I felt a bond with the characters and I was truly rooting for them. Although, it had a slow start and the word use of "bang bang bang" were distracting I would absolutely recommend this to you if you enjoy some good historical fiction!

Thank you so much to NetGalley and Skyhorse Publishing for allowing me the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review!

A different view of WWII through the eyes of a Greek man trying to save his family and country by fighting off the Axis invasion. A story steeped in culture and Greek heritage, as
“a people haunted by their own history and pride,” as well as friendship and familial loyalty. Well written with characters that pull you in and a plot that holds you there. I appreciated the historical quotes at the chapter beginnings; the Greek people were hailed as brave fighters even by their enemies. Cosmos gave a touching, and at times heart-wrenching, account of a time and place in WWII that not many know about, but that should be known.

HF is my favorite genre and with all the WWII books I have read, this is the first that was set in Greece. For me this was a different story than those I have read before...the story of the passionate people of Greece was intense, their personalities vibrant with the love of their country. They were fierce and loyal to the Greek people, and a past whose history far dates those they were fighting. This was a story filled with passion and courage, it was an honor to read it. My thanks to NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I read a lot of WWII historical fiction books but I think this is my first one that is set in Greece. I feel like I learned quite a bit, the story is told by Alexei, a young man that falls in love with his childhood sweetheart but sets his personal goal of defending his country above himself. The descriptions of the situations with the soldiers and the fighting is rather graphic at times, but it does give a great sense of realism.
My only con with the book was the bang bang bang, rat a tat tat of gunfire. I’m not sure how else you would have described it, but it seemed out of place. Other than that, I liked the storyline, it was easy to follow, the descriptions of the scenes were done well, and you could certainly feel the love between Alexei and Philia. I highly recommend for anyone that enjoys this genre.
I want to thank Skyhorse Publishing and NetGalley for allowing me the opportunity to read and review this book for my honest unbiased opinion. This one comes in with 5 stars.

I’ll be honest, I knew I was going to love Once We Were Here before I even opened the book. WWII era story? Check! Set in Greece? Check! Need I say more? Despite all the boxes being ticked, it still blew me away and left me weepy. Christopher Cosmos weaves a beautiful narrative of friendship, strength, the power of love for family and friends, and community, and ultimately making the ultimate sacrifices for the greater good.

Set in a small coastal fishing village in Greece, the novel follows two boys - Costa and Alexei - born on the same day who eventually become two men, closer to each other than brothers as they go off to war. We follow them from childhood to their first romances and then through their wartime experiences. They have a shared fierce loyalty to each other, but also to the community they grew up in and the families and people that helped to raise them, in the way that so many small towns often do. As they find themselves at the frontlines, they’re not only fighting for their lives, they’re fighting for each other and those back at home that they love and want so badly to protect. They are shaped by the community they’re from, but they’re also shaped by what they think they should be as men and especially as Greek men.

On October 28, 1940, the Greek Prime Minister Metaxas very famous said ‘OXI’ (no) to Mussolini in response to his ultimatum on allowing the Italian forces to roll into Greece without resistance. It was truly the beginning of the war for Greece but also what sparked such pride in their country for our two main characters. They were shaped by this moment and they come back to it often throughout their war experience to find strength.

As Cosmos highlights throughout the book, the Greek army’s bravery was heralded throughout the war by the Allies and Axis alike, and were likened to the Greek mythological heroes in the way they fought and resisted. I could see where Costa and Alexi stand in for those mythological heroes, modern day Greeks, marching off to war as if they were Jason or Odysseus. Romance, long journeys, war, death, tragedy and heroes? Honestly, we might just have a modern day Greek myth on our hands here! The reality is, of all western European countries, Greece resisted against the Axis for the longest time, over 200 days. Cosmos truly captures that Greek fighting spirit in his characters and the story in Once We Were Here.

the cover of this book is beautiful in so many ways.
I love the fact that is historical fiction because through that I can learn about some of the things that happened in the past, and I can imagine how it felt and how hard it was.
The plot is so good, it's well paced, the only problem that I have is the things that happened next, I loved the characters and when I read the part 2 I wanted to stay like that forever, so I didn't wanted to get disappointed when I knew someone got to die there.
In my mind the story ended with costa and alexei and philia living happily, and there was no war, because with that other end made me cry, and I didn't want it to end the way it did.
Thanks to Netgalley for this ARC.

Read if you: Are a fan of WWII historical fiction, and want a story little told in that genre.

This is a moving and gripping story about Greece's struggle, sacrifice, and heroism during World War II. The constant "bang bang bang/rat a tat tat/KABOOM/etc" throughout was distracting, and brings down the level of the storytelling. Sensitive readers should be aware that there is an extended deadly rape scene.

Librarians/booksellers: Your historical fiction fans will enjoy this; guaranteed to be popular.

Many thanks to Skyhorse Publishing and NetGalley for a digital review copy in exchange for an honest review.