Last year I read Anita Abriel’s debut novel, The Light After the War, and it was good for a debut novel. I don’t know that I loved it, but I enjoyed it and was looking forward to seeing how her writing evolved in future books.

The author’s mother was a Holocaust survivor so it’s not surprise that the author drew in real events and personal history not only with her first novel but with this one as well. With having the first book under her belt, this was one I was really looking forward to exploring and seeing how things evolved from the first book to the second.

The author’s books aren’t a series, but there are clearly themes in both books that are similar and clearly close to her heart. This book was really up there on my anticipated list because the plot sounded dangerous. The main female character works as a spy to infiltrate the Nazi organization. While perhaps not unique in historical fiction, the way the story was described, promised tension and danger which made me really eager to read it.

Summary
The Light After the War, a riveting and heartfelt story of a young woman recruited to be a spy for the resistance on the French Riviera during World War II.

Paris 1943: Lana Antanova is on her way to see her husband with the thrilling news that she is pregnant. But when she arrives at the convent where he teaches music, she’s horrified to see Gestapo officers execute him for hiding a Jewish girl in the piano.

A few months later, grieving both her husband and her lost pregnancy, Lana is shocked when she’s approached to join the resistance on the French Riviera. As the daughter of a Russian countess, Lana has the perfect background to infiltrate the émigré community of Russian aristocrats who socialize with German officers, including the man who killed her husband.

Lana’s cover story makes her the mistress of Guy Pascal, a wealthy Swiss industrialist and fellow resistance member, in whose villa in Cap Ferrat she lives. Together, they gather information on upcoming raids and help members of the Jewish community escape. Consumed by her work, she doesn’t expect to become attached to a young Jewish girl or wonder about the secrets held by the man whose house she shares. And as the Nazis’ deadly efforts intensify, her intention to protect those around her may put them all at risk instead.

With Anita Abriel’s “heartfelt and memorable” (Pam Jenoff, New York Times bestselling author) storytelling, Lana’s War is a sweeping and suspenseful tale of survival and second chances during some of the darkest days of history. (summary from Goodreads)

Review
I have come off a couple of more serious and emotional historical fiction reads lately which on one hand has been rewarding because emotional novels always stay with me for a while meaning I think about them long after I am done. But at the same time, I am going to need a break from more serious historical fiction such as this. This was a well written story that I enjoyed much more than her debut novel. This book packed a lot more emotion into it, something that I expected in the first book but felt wasn’t delivered. However in this book, I think the author delivered.

Lana was a wonderful character study in strength and heroism. I can’t imagine going through the kind of loss that she experienced but watching her rise above it and to use that anger and loss—to do something with it, was really wonderful to watch unfold on the pages. Lana was a wonderful character and I really enjoyed her as well as the other characters in the novel.

As far as history goes, this book is set during WWII obviously, which clearly is a time period full of novels right? Well this one sets itself aside by being set in the south of France. While occupied Paris is often the go to for WWII era novels, this one takes us to a more exotic destination and to perhaps show us how other areas in France were dealing with the war and the Nazi occupation. I thought it added a lot of interest for me as it felt different and not quite like everything else I have read.

The only thing that I felt was a little lacking in this was the romance element. I didn’t quite buy into the romance in the way that I was hoping. For me it felt flat and unnecessary really to the larger story. The story was strong without the romance so if left me feeling like the romance was simply thrown in. It wasn’t terrible but I felt as though the story was strong enough on its own.

If you are a fan of historical fiction though, this was a wonderful read. It had a lot of emotion and history that will keep readers interested and enjoying the book.

Book Info and Writing
Paperback, 336 pages

Published January 12th 2021 by Atria Books

ISBN1982147679 (ISBN13: 9781982147679)

Free review copy provided by publisher, Atria Books, in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own and in no way influenced.

Rating: 4 stars

Genre: historical fiction

Lana Antonova has lost everything, her husband, her unborn child, her very way of life, to the Germans. She's approached to join the French resistance of the Riviera, and what happens next is a story that I quite frankly could not get enough of and completely devoured.

Historical fiction is definitely one of my go-to genres, but sometimes it gets weighed down with too many details, and the story moves too slowly. That's certainly not the case with Lana's War. This is a fast-paced, perfectly executed story of a woman who has lost everything, but still has hope for the children and people of France, and she's willing to put her life on the line to help save them.

I loved everything about Lana's War. I loved the fact that Lana was strong and resilient, and that she kept her heart open to love and friendship. The details of the French Riviera and the descriptions of the Mediterranean Sea are captivating. It's suspenseful and engaging, and I was honestly sorry to see it end. Lana's War would be the perfect movie or television series!

This is not a book about the French resistance during WWII, it’s a romance set in the French Riviera during WWII. The heroine, Lana Antanova, watches her husband die at the hands of the Nazis for trying to save Jewish children. She is then asked to join the French Resistance using her Russian nobility as a cover. Lana’s mother fled Russia pregnant with Lana after her father was killed during the Revolution. So Lana goes to the French Rivera to take up a life of partying with Nazis and trying to get information from them.

The plot was weak. Lana basically gets thrown to the wolves with no training or direction, just “get information”. Meanwhile she’s left on her own and makes friends with a Jewish family in hiding. And the ending was absolutely terrible....hi, I love you, but I’m going to wait years to tell you where I am and instead stalk you?!?! Stupid.

Thank you to NetGalley, the publishers and the author for an ARC in exchange for a fair and honest review.

I thought the beginning of Lana’s War, set in Paris 1943, by Anita Abriel was action packed. As a reader it drew on many emotions. Lana has just found out she was pregnant and rushes to her husband Frederic’s school where he teaches piano to give him the good news. When she arrives at the school, Lana sees that the Germans are there. She peeks through a window and sees a German Officer, Alois Brunner, questioning Frederic about a Jewish girl. They find the girl hiding in the piano. Lana sees Frederic being killed.

The rest of the book is full of promise as Lana is approached to join the Resistance and go to the Riviera to help get Jews out of France. She is set up to live as a love interest of Guy Pascal and there are several interesting characters in the story. I think the author needed to dig a little more into the characters of Giselle, Charles and a few others. Of course, Alois Brunner is also there.

I felt the ending was not satisfying. It was hurried and a little unbelievable. I looked to see if this was meant to be a first in a series as it would make more sense for the end. My thanks to Atria Books and NetGalley for an ARC of this book. The opinions are my own in this review.

I so enjoyed the first book by Anita Abriel and was looking forward to this one and it did not disappoint.
Paris 1943: Lana Antanova is on her way to see her husband with the thrilling news that she is pregnant. But when she arrives at the convent where he teaches music, she’s horrified to see Gestapo officers execute him for hiding a Jewish girl in the piano.

A few months later, grieving both her husband and her lost pregnancy, Lana is shocked when she’s approached to join the resistance on the French Riviera. As the daughter of a Russian countess, Lana has the perfect background to infiltrate the émigré community of Russian aristocrats who socialize with German officers, including the man who killed her husband.

Lana’s cover story makes her the mistress of Guy Pascal, a wealthy Swiss industrialist and fellow resistance member, in whose villa in Cap Ferrat she lives. Together, they gather information on upcoming raids and help members of the Jewish community escape. Consumed by her work, she doesn’t expect to become attached to a young Jewish girl or wonder about the secrets held by the man whose house she shares. And as the Nazis’ deadly efforts intensify, her intention to protect those around her may put them all at risk instead.

This is a heartbreaking tale of survival and second chance during World War II and such a great example of how strong so many women were during this time.

3.5 Stars

Although labeled as historical fiction, Lana’s War is more a romance set during WWII. The novel is fast-paced and starts off in a convent in Paris, where Lana’s husband, a devout music teacher, is murdered by a SS officer for hiding and protecting Jewish children. Lana, newly pregnant, witnesses this horrendous scene, causing her to miscarry. When she is asked to join the French resistance she does not hesitate and moves to Nice with her “pretend” boyfriend, Guy.

The novel takes place mostly on the French Riviera, which made this book stand out from other WWII novels that I’ve read. Unlike in Paris, markets, casinos, and hotels remain stocked and open in Nice. Lana is a Russian countess and has the perfect background to infiltrate the community of émigré Russian aristocrats who socialize with SS officers at extravagant events.

Although the premise was fascinating, I struggled with feeling the characters’ emotions at times. I think this is due to the third person narration. There were parts where I was hoping for more detail, and I would have loved to have had narration from Lana, Guy, Sylvie, and Giselle so that I could connect with them more.

I would have also enjoyed more details on Lana joining the resistance as a spy, and her struggles at first. It felt a little unrealistic that Lana’s suggestions would be received so easily by men who had been in the resistance much longer than she had. There were also parts that felt rushed and unrealistic with Lana transitioning as a spy and gaining trust from German officers so seamlessly.

I appreciate the fact that some of the characters are based on real people, providing a sense of authenticity. Anita Abriel recently did an interview with Warwick’s Books and discussed some of her research as well as personal family history, giving her credibility to write on the subject matter. One of the characters, Alois Brunner, is actually based off a real German officer; I appreciate the fact that Abriel kept his real name!

Lana’s War is more of a story about love in war than the tragedy of war. If you’re looking for a light-hearted and fast-paced historical fiction that takes place during WWII, then this might be a good choice for you. I’m looking forward to seeing what Abriel writes next!

Thank you to Netgalley and Atria Books for gifting me the e-ARC version of Lana’s War, published 1/12/21 in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

After Lana's husband is brutally murdered for hiding Jewish children, Lana begins a new life helping the French resistance by moving to the French Riviera and socializing with the German officers to try to gather information. 
This story starts with such a shocking and heartbreaking scene that you immediately are so invested in Lana's story. She has lost everything but she is determined to do some good in the world. 

Although we've heard this type of story before, I enjoyed the setting of the French Riviera. This is the first World War II book that I have read that was set there. This book felt a little more light hearted as the normal World War II book. It was a beautiful journey of Lana healing and moving forward with her life.

Lana’s War was an interesting story. I never thought about what was going on in the French Riviera during World War II. Lana was like able and you felt for her tragedy. But the rest of the characters were very flat and the storyline jumped from here to there without much detail. I would like more depth.

Although not a book I would purchase in my professional role, it is one that I will be recommending in my personal life! Thank you so much for allowing me to have access to the digital arc!

After Nazis killed her husband, Lana joins the French resistance hoping to avenge her husband and is told to get to the Riviera. There she is meant to pretend to be the mistress of Guy Pascal, a wealthy businessman.

The book was fast-paced, quick read and was lighter in tone than most WWII books. It’s set in Riviera which isn’t the epicentre of the war and Nazis, which does make it less dark than most books. There were many times that I was frustrated with Lana and her actions during the book. Especially, in the first half of the book, she didn’t seem to fully understand the whole resistance thing with the need to hold secrets and not trying to involve everyone in it somehow. There was one character that I wasn’t sure if he’s good or evil, does he help the Nazis or not.

That the book was fast-paced wasn’t always a good thing. At first, Guy criticises Lana about everything and then just suddenly is in love with her. At times it feels like we jump in time missing more interesting incidents. Like when people are rescued to Switzerland. But Lana is just fretting at home and then it’s just said that the thing went well. I mean there goes a lot of interesting stuff that could have been implored. I’m in two minds about the ending. Didn’t hate it but didn’t like it either.

(3.5/5)
This is a story about Lana, a courageous woman who goes to the French Riviera as a spy with the Resistance to help get Jewish children and their families out of France and to safety. It was an enjoyable story full of danger and romance but things seemed to move rather quickly. I applauded Lana for wanting to do her part to help Jewish children escape the terrors of the war after having watched her husband murdered by the Nazi's and miscarrying her baby on the same day. I was rooting for her although I did find her to be a bit naive at times. Her relationship with Guy was interesting and I have mixed feelings about the ending. I'm not sure I would have been so quick to forgive after so many years. That probably sounds a bit vague but I don't want to give anything away. As always, the author's setting of her book and vivid descriptions are fabulous.

Thank you to the Atria Books and NetGalley for the review copy

Lana Antanova witnesses her husband's murder by Gestapo officers, and she thinks her life is over. But an opportunity arises for her to join the Resistance on the French Riviera with the cover of a Russian countess. The only two catches are that she must pretend to be the mistress of wealthy Swiss industrialist Guy Pascal and get friendly with the men who killed her husband and now want to remove all the Jews from the area. Will Lana be able to keep her secrets and her integrity as she fights the war?
I enjoyed the mystery and the new viewpoint of the resistance and WW2. Lana is also brave and proves herself to be a loyal friend to Jews. But once the author introduced sex into the storyline, I lost interest. The shift Lana made romantically was also too abrupt and didn't flow with her previous actions. I lost interest because of the poor editing and unrealistic storyline and only finished the book because I wanted to see how the story ended, which was also abrupt and unfulfilling.
3 stars because of the unique storyline, otherwise I would have only given this book 2 stars.

I absolutely loved The Light After the War and was thrilled to hear about Lana’s War. I grabbed it immediately and devoured it as my first read of 2021.

*Trigger Warning: Pregnancy Loss*
-not in depth, but does occur.

The Gestapo takes everything from Lana in a moment. While mourning her tragic losses, she is surprisingly approached to join the French Resistance, and just as surprisingly, she agrees. As a Russian countess, her identity is actually the perfect cover and she heads to the French Riviera.

Once here, Lana is anything but your typical spy. She doesn’t know what she’s doing, must charm the monsters that took her family away from her, and befriends a Jewish family, one of the worst possible things to get involved in while there. But none of that stops her. Lana is stronger than she knows, and does everything possible to protect those around here.

A woman you can identify with, Lana is a force. Equally tragic and absolutely wonderful, Lana’s War is a novel worth reading.

I received an advanced copy of this book. All opinions are my own.

I always enjoy a good WWII historical fiction, especially with a heroine. Lana’s War also showcased rich detail of the French Rivera. The descriptions of the beautiful Mediterranean coast and lavish parties swept me away, always a great trait in a book, especially these days.

Lana pushes on from personal tragedy to navigate the risky world of espionage. She plays a vital role for the Resistance, assisting in the evacuation of Jews from the Nice, France area of the Rivera. I would have liked some more detail on the Resistance effort she was getting into, and the ending seemed a bit abrupt. But overall, a good historical fiction, with Lana striving to preserve humanity and the arts, amidst danger and glamour. A 3.5 star read for me.

It is 1942 and Paris is occupied by the Nazis. Lana Antonova is a young widow. Her husband was shot by the Nazis for helping to hide Jewish children. She is recruited by La Resistance to spy in the Riviera. This is her chance to help rid France of the scourge of German occupation.

The book follows Lana's brave exploits and ends well after WW2. I can never resist a good historical fiction that takes place in the south of France/ The Riviera/ Cap Antibes, as well as Paris! An informative novel that was a pleasure to read! Tanl you #netgalley and Atria Books for the eArc in return for my honest review.

Lana's War by Anita Abriel is a World War II novel based on the resistance in Monaco. Monaco had previously been a safe place for Jews but now the Germans were changing all that. There were many Jews to be rescued and when Sister Therese offered to introduce her to a man who could change her life, she accepted. It was Henri who would guide her to becoming a resistance member. After the loss of her husband and her unborn child, Lana needed to do something that would make her feel whole again. She accepted his offer and made her way to The Riviera where he life would change forever.

What an absolutely lovely story. I have tired of concentration camp stories, and how- miserable-life-was stories so this was a nice change. The Nazi reach was long and affected many, even in this exotic, supposedly neutral strip of land. There was little privation, there were many parties, and there was life. But, there was danger for the Jews. They Nazis had moved in and as everywhere they had been, they systematically destroyed joy. Lana met many people, many of the good people, but not all. She put herself and others in danger, but carefully. She was good at the machinations necessary. She was a moving character who loved deeply when she loved. The plotline was perfect, except possibly the ending. Life went on for Lana and those closest to her, but life didn't move forward for many. This story tells that tale. I recommend it.

I was invited to read a free ARC of Lana's War by Netgalley. All opinions contained herein are solely my own. #netgalley #lanaswar

This book was captivating and emotional right from the start. After witnessing the execution of her husband, Lana is swept into a secret society to rescue children and families on the French Riviera. The book has the reader questioning how far they would go in that situation or other situations for the sake of humanity. I enjoyed the progression of the story even for World War II being it's setting.

Thank you Netgalley for the opportunity to read this story in advanced. All opinions are my own.

My Review:⭐️⭐⭐.5/ 5 stars

This book follows the story of Lana Antanova in 1943 in Paris where she is on her way to see her husband Frederic about her pregnancy at a music school he teaches at. From elation to pure terror, she witnesses him getting murdered by the Gestapo officers after finding out he was hiding a young Jewish girl in the piano. She falls into depression after the death of her husband and unborn baby until she is approached to join the French Resistance on the Riviera where she could finally get her revenge for the murder of her husband. To fit into the society there, she would use her own name and Russian aristocratic background to create the best cover story to mingle with the high ranking German officers, including the one who shot Frederic. A part of her cover story also has her playing mistress to a rich, Swiss industrialist & resistance member, Guy Pascal. Together they find intel for future raids and helping Jewish communities escape. One of these include Odette, whom Lana has a very close relationship with despite all the dangers.

This story is incredibly heartfelt and sad to think that these atrocities happened in the real world. It reminds me of the Nightingale and Atomic Love. For some reason, I could not stand Odette, even though she is young. There were so many things she did that jeopardized those around her, and I wanted to scream reading through the pages. She is 12 in the book, not a young child. Some parts went a bit slow for me and the ending seemed a bit rushed and rubbed me the wrong way. (Spoiler alert) -She is a strong woman throughout but at the end, you are left thinking she would drop her life to be with someone even though he didn’t really try to contact her for 10 years. 10 YEARS! If you are a fan of WWII era historical fiction, then you would really enjoy this!

Thank you to Atria Books and Netgalley for the advanced copy/e-arc in exchange for my honest review.

US pub date: this week on January 12, 2021

Life on the French Riviera sounds beautiful, but Lana is there living in constant risk as a member of the resistance.

Lana leaves Paris after the death of her husband and the miscarriage of her baby. She was recruited for the resistance to move to the French Riviera and join the party circuit to get secrets from the German officers and Gestap, and try to help the Jewish residents escape the area instead of being sent to the camps and put to death.

The newly relocated Countess Lana Antanova plays her part perfectly. She may be doing it just a bit too well, with little regard for her safety and that of her co-workers in the resistance. While there are certainly a lot of WWII books and stories of the resistance, this one did have a unique ending.

Overall, I’d give this interesting story 3 out of 5 stars. The characters were a little flat. While we were given their back stories and reasons for joining the resistance, they lacked an emotional depth. Luckily the development of the end of the story compensated for some of that. I’d recommend this book to those who enjoy WWII stories, and be able to say it doesn’t read as sad or tragic as a lot of stories about that period.

Let me start by saying…this cover is gorgeous!

Lana’s husband has been shot by the Gestapo right in front of her. The stress of seeing the love of her life brutally murdered causes Lana to lose her baby. She is determined these deaths will not go unanswered. Lana joins the resistance and heads to the Mediterranean Coast. She is determined to save as many Jewish children as she can and to find the Gestapo agent responsible for her loss.

Lana is a character I should have loved more than I did. I was not a fan of her stubbornness. It made her look stupid and a little selfish, in my opinion. But, that did not stop me from enjoying this read.

I definitely loved the setting of the Mediterranean. I don’t think I have read a book set in WWII with this as a backdrop. Made it a very unique read. I also loved Guy Pascal. He is moody and he has some mysterious history.

Such a unique and intense read! Grab your copy today!

I received this novel from the publisher for a honest opinion.