I loved Lana's War! Lana, of Russian royalty, raised in Paris after the social revolution in Russia, emitted such fiery passion to saving Jewish children during WWII in France, despite her tragic events, that she was recruited for the underground movement in the French Riviera. A beautiful love story of loss, bravery, and new passion, mixed with idealism and class. A great, uplifting read. Thank you NetGalley, publisher and the author Anita Abriel for the review copy. All opinions are my own.

This book had everything, spying, romance, danger, heartbreak, loss and a story that I have not heard before about World War II on the beautiful French Riviera.

Lana Antonova is happy in the beginning of World War II in Paris, France When tragedy comes into her life she is recruited into the French Resistance in the French Riviera. The setting is beautiful but the undercover work Lana is asked to do is very dangerous.

I rate this a 4 out of 5 stars!! I did not want to put this down and enjoyed reading the inner working of the resistance. Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers of this book for a copy for my honest review.

A great story of the French Resistance. The setting of this one is the French Riviera. Lana leaves Paris to visit her husband and share the thrilling news of her pregnancy. She loses the pregnancy and her husband. She becomes the mistress of a Swiss industrialist and resistance member as her cover. While helping Jewish citizens escape, she gets attached to them.
This is a story of suspense, compassion and second chances in life. It is a wonderful story about making a difference in a horrible moment in our history. Don’t miss this one,

Paris 1943, Lana Antanova, is on her way to see her husband, at his work and right before her very eyes he is shot by the Gestapo, for hiding a Jewish girl. Lana, never got to tell him about her new pregnancy & she is devastated and lost. After a few months, Lana can’t seem to escape her pain (the loss of her husband & her unborn baby) & an opportunity is offered to her. She would travel to the south of France and work with the resistance to help save Jewish children. Lana, takes the leap of faith and heads to to see how she might be able to help and put some space between her and Paris. When Lana arrives in Cap Ferrat, she immediately meets a cast of characters, who may or may not be on her side, the side of the resistance. Guy Pascal, a wealthy Swiss industrialist, has set up a group to help get Jewish children out of France. He is willing to use his energy and money for this important cause. Lana, becomes a love interest, part of the story to help him learn more about German soldiers in the Riviera. Her cover story is that she is a Russian countess who escaped Russia and has been living in Paris, since she was a child.
This story had me hooked from the start. The characters, the setting and the plot are very good. I was rooting for Lana and Guy the whole time. Can they save these children safely, can they forget or come to terms with the horrors the Nazi’s put the people through. Will they find love, will they find peace? I couldn’t wait to learn all of this and more. I was not disappointed one bit on how things played. Very well written and I want to thank Netgalley & Anita Abriel, for my copy of Lana’s War, for an honest review. I love it when a book, grabs me right from the start and I have to turn the pages to see how it ends. This was a four star read for me. I featured this on my Instagram page and have shared my review on Barnes & Noble. Enjoy

This was a wonderful book! I really liked how even though it was a WWII book it was set on the French Riviera. I had no idea about what this part of France went through during the war. The characters were so relatable and I was cheering for them the entire time. This was my first book by this author but it won't be my last. I received a free copy of this book from netgalley and the publisher in exchange for my honest review.

The romance aspect after losing a baby and husband isn't my favorite thing.. I know it's based off historical events but I wasn't a fan of it. I still enjoyed the story and other characters, as well as the setting. Thanks so much to Netgalley and to Atria books for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

The setting of this book was amazing. I love how it depicted an area that I haven’t read about before.
Lana’s excitement turned to extreme grief captivated me from the first pages. Her will to do something to be of help really resonated with me. I felt the ending was a bit rushed.

Paris 1943. Lana Hartman, formerly Lana Antanova, is hurrying to visit her musician husband, Frederic, at the convent where he teaches. She cannot wait to share that they are to have a baby! She slows when she sees a German truck parked in front.

Unsure of what is happening, she peeks in the window just in time to witness Frederic trying to hide Jewish children. The Gestapo is relentless and soon discovers another girl hiding in the piano. Lana is watching when the Gestapo shoots Frederic in cold blood. She stumbles to their apartment where she loses the baby.

Through her ties to the convent, Lana is introduced to Henri, a member of the French Resistance. He has come to tell her the name of the Nazi-bastard who killed Frederic and, ultimately, the baby and recruit her.

Henri is interested in more than helping Lana getting revenge. Lana is the daughter of a Russian countess. She is beautiful. She is young. She is royalty. She would be an asset with their work on the French Riviera.

I’ve read a lot of novels about the French Resistance, but none of those novels ever took place in one of the most beautiful spots in the world. It was a nice change of pace, and the landscape becomes one of the characters.

Lana throws some of her mother’s evening gowns in a bag and boards a train. Her cover is that she is the live-in mistress of wealthy Swiss industrialist and fellow fighter. Lana’s job is to use her beauty and elegance to gain information from the Nazis who were enjoying some time off from the war that would help them to help Jews escape. Lana and Guy are the perfect couple and attend parties most evenings.

I enjoyed Abriel’s novel as it was a little different. The tension was adequate, but not high. What really forced me to give Lana’s War 3 out of 5 stars in Julie’s world is the ending. It was so predictable. The novel would have been much more realistic without it.

In this WWII novel, after she sees her husband killed by an SS officer in Paris, Lana is recruited by the French Resistance - she is sent to the French Riviera where she can use her Russian background to pose as a White Russian sympathetic to the Nazis and try to gain information. Some of the things that happened in the book felt a little too easy which made it feel like perhaps not the most realistic, and I was a little disappointed by the end, but I nonetheless enjoyed the characters, setting, and story. 3.75 stars.

I absolutely LOVE the cover, and I love the premise of the book. I did end up listening, and while the narrator is immensely talented, I didn't prefer the various accents she used for her characters. That being said, it affected the story for me, and thus I rated this book one less star. I'm sure if I had read a hard copy my review might have been different. I did enjoy Abriel's writing, and I love this genre of books. Thank you for allowing me to review it!

Thank you NetGalley for providing me with an advanced copy of Lana’s War in exchange for an honest review. I’m very happy that I had the opportunity to read this book. It was refreshing to have the perspective of WW2 from the Riviera. It’s a territory that I don’t believe I have ever read about in neither fictional nor non-fictional works. I also appreciate that the novel explored the mindset of Russian-German collaborators during this period. I feel that it’s a subject that often takes a back seat to other topics of the period. While I enjoyed the plot, as well as the development of Lana and Guy’s relationship, I do feel that the story progressed rather slowly. I also feel that everything about the novel was very abrupt, including the characters thoughts, emotions, actions, and especially the ending of novel. It’s as if I was watching Lana’s story happen rather than living it with her. Finally, I wish that Lana was portrayed as a stronger, aggressive, and more independent main character. Her characteristics didn’t quite match up with what I think is required of a spy. While this isn’t one of my more favored books, I do think it’s worth a read at least one time.

I was so excited to read this. The idea of a story of a resistance fighter living on the French Riviera during World War II was intriguing. However, I felt this book fell short of my expectations. I enjoyed it, but I felt that it was lacking in a more war time like story. Everything seemed very easy for Lana. There were no overly big hardships she had to face and over come, expect for the one at the very beginning. I felt the love story between her and Guy was missing an element as well.

Thanks to Atria Books for my review copy. I loved this story and I need to sing its praises.⁣ If you love WWII historical fiction, this one is for you! I’ve never read a book set in the French Riviera during this time, so I found the new setting particularly intriguing. After watching her husband get shot by an SS officer for hiding Jewish children, Lana joins the French Resistance. Lana, Guy, and Odette have stolen my heart. ⁣ I can’t recommend this one enough! 5 stars.

I always love a good historical fiction and this one did not disappoint. WW2 is my favorite setting for stepping back into history through reading and this one is a great example of why I love the genre.

As I slowly get back into the world of Historical Fiction, I was glad to read this one. It was interesting, kept me captivated with the story and wanting more. Lana was a great main character and my heart broke for her right from the beginning. WWII is a very popular historical fiction setting and I liked this one a lot.

Thank you NetGalley and Atria Books for the eARC in exchange for an honest review!

Lana’s War is the story of a woman suffering with grief (the loss of her husband and miscarriage of her baby) at the hand of the Nazi’s in France during the war. To try and take control, she volunteers to help the resistance. With her family background as the daughter of a Russian countess, she is sent to the French Riviera where she goes “undercover” and works with Guy Pascal to help Jewish individuals in the community escape.

This one fell short for me. I was not invested in the characters and I felt that the romance component of this story was lacking. Specifically, the relationship between Guy and Lana felt rushed to me. Additionally, there were parts of the book that could have used more details. I did appreciate the environment and descriptions of the French Riviera, as that is not usually the setting of these Historical Fictions novels.

Thank you Netgalley, Anita Abriel and Atria Books for the ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review.

I loved the storyline of this book, but it fell short for me. I found it to be slow moving and I had trouble keeping interest. I didn't feel like the characters were strong enough to keep my attention. I was hoping for an emotional connection since it was based during WWII, but unfortunately, I didn't feel much emotion.

In the genre of Holocaust or World War II fiction, Lana’s War, by Anita Abriel, is light reading and yet, somewhat enlightening. I never knew that wealthy Jewish families lived or sought refuge on the French Riviera. The Nazi Gestapo responded with the same brutality they exerted everywhere else. The beauty of the Riviera and the horrors of German occupation make for a very real, but odd, juxtaposition.

After suffering terrible personal loss, Lana volunteers to do resistance intelligence work. There lies the plot challenges. Virtually untrained, Lana foolishly endangers many of those she works with, her family, and her co-workers. With the positivity of a Hallmark movie, nothing terrible happens, desired outcomes are achieved, and she falls in love with her co-worker. There are several more improbable plot twists.

This is a quick read with likable characters. It does not do justice to the war or its victims. Yet, it was a quick read that held my attention. Thank you to NetGalley and Atria Books for the opportunity to read a digital ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Lana's War follows Lana Antanova, the daughter of a Russian countess living in Paris, immediately after being forced to watch her husband killed by Nazis in Paris and experiences a miscarriage. Reeling from this personal tragedy, Lana becomes involved with the French Resistance stationed in Nice. While in the beautiful French Riviera, she forms unexpected bonds with people from all walks of life and all sides of World War II.

What I loved most about this historical fiction novel was the setting. Anita Abriel's descriptions of the scenery, architecture, and climate of Southern France drew me right in. I especially loved the way she described the estate on which Lana lives. Unfortunately, I felt that this novel lacked in character development. At the beginning of the story, Lana is a passionate chemistry student who dreams of opening a cosmetics shop. This aspect of her character is mentioned at the beginning of the book, and then not again until the last chapter. The supporting characters lacked development entirely, which was especially frustrating given the potential for a string character-driven story. Lastly, I felt that the dialogue was sometimes repetitive; how often does the reader need to hear about Lana's figure and her beauty?

Overall, if you enjoy fiction set during World War II, I think you'll like this one. Fans of Kristin Hannah and Chanel Cleeton should check this one out!

Lana's War is a surprisingly light read as far as WWII historical fictions go. Lana joins the French Resistance after her husband is executed by the Gestapo in a brutal and cruel way that had me cringing. Using her high society knowledge, Lana travels to the French Riviera and poses as a mistress to Guy, another person in the resistance, and together they infiltrate the social elite, mingling with high ranking German officers, and gathering pertinent information that could be used to help save lives.

I believe the lightness the reader feels stems from the setting, the magnificent French Riviera. Though the war rages around them, the French Riviera seems hardly touched by it's cruelty, to the social elite anyway, and the descriptions of the breathtaking landscapes, extravagant dinners, parties, and casino nights immerse you in this world of luxury; a stunning mask to the underlying evil lurking below the surface.

Though the reader is seeing the world through Lana's eyes, I fought to connect with her and Guy. They both felt a little one dimensional to me, lacking depth, and making me wonder the entire time why I failed to ally with them, despite my championing them and their missions the entire journey. As far as the relationship between Guy and Lana, I didn't feel like it was organic at all, but instead it felt more forced and rushed, which is a shame, as this intimacy between fellow comrades could've been what positively bent me to these characters.

Lana's War is not overly graphic, as other historical fictions tend to be, but the point is still made perfectly clear: WWII impacted everyone, and touched every single life, in one way or another...just some more than others. War is hard no matter how you look at it and, though fictional, Lana's War was truly WWII from her perspective, and what she did to fight against the vicious war, and not so much on the war itself.

This novel has a wonderful flow, and I was surprised that I finished it as quickly as I did! It is well written, and though not what I was expecting (heavy on relationships; light on the actual resistance work and very little suspense), it was an enjoyable read indeed.