After reading Anita Abriel's The Light After the War last year, I was really looking forward to what she had planned for her next historical fiction story. When I saw Lana's War at Netgalley, I was quick to request it. The writing is wonderful and I loved the characters, which I expected.

I don't know if it is because I recently read a few books featuring female spies, like Code Name Helene, but I was expecting more nail-biting action. Instead, it is more of a typical WWII romantic story.

Lana's mother came to France after her husband was killed during the Russian revolution. While nobility in Russia, she fled with little more than the clothes on her back. Through hard work and a remarriage, the family is comfortably living in Paris. Lana attends university where she studies chemistry and dreams of having her own cosmetic company. She meets aspiring pianist Frederick and they marry even though the country is at war. Then France is occupied by the Germans. Their love makes life bearable. When she is widowed, Lana learns her Russian roots are of great use to the Resistance on the Riveria.

Lana received no training before boarding a train for Nice. And interestingly enough, no one is given any code names. Once in Nice, we are told what they are doing is dangerous and that the villa is swept for bugs regularly. Yet, there is little in the way of security. Again, Lana has received no training so she wouldn't know how to spot or evade a tail - she doesn't even realize until after the fact that she might be tailed.

The Gestapo officers seem more like the ones depicted in the 1960's sitcom Hogan's Heroes. They are easily distracted by a pretty woman. But they don't really feel like a threat and never seem to suspect those around them could be spies.

Like I said there was little in the way of action. Sure raids are thwarted, but most of what could be dangerous action takes place off the page. What tension I felt was more expecting there to be danger or for them to be caught, because I've read other WWII spy novels.

While I would have liked for there to have been a bit more conflict, I really enjoyed the characters. And the descriptions of Nice makes me want to visit the French Riveria. So if you are looking for a romantic WWII tale that does not delve too deeply into the horrors and dangers of the period, then Lana's War is an excellent choice.

My review will be published at Girl Who Reads on Monday, January 11 - https://www.girl-who-reads.com/2021/01/Lana-War-Anita-Abriel.html

There seems to be an endless number of books set during WW2 that show how women fought against the Nazis and this book tells the story of a woman who loses almost everything and fights back. Lana Hartmann and her husband Frederick live in a Paris that is occupied by the Nazis. Lana witnesses a shocking atrocity in the summer of 1943 when she visits her husband at the school where he teaches piano to share some wonderful news. The day ends in tragedy. Lana is recruited into the Resistance and is given the unusual assignment of travelling to the French Riviera and attending parties and gathering information. She's going to do this as herself, the Countess Antanova, daughter of a martyred White Russian aristocrat.

This is the story of a woman fighting evil, standing up for her beliefs and what she knows to be right and moral. Some stand by and allow evil to happen, feeling powerless while others don't accept and fight using whatever tools they have. During war you have to learn who you can trust and face betrayal and heartbreak. Lana Hartmann at first is a typical young woman, in love, looking towards a wonderful future, facing the hardships of war and occupation. What she learns about herself and what she's capable of makes this story more powerful and compelling. The book ends on a hopeful note, but the events of the war still loom large and have lasting impacts and implications..

I thoroughly enjoyed this! It pulled me right in and kept me guessing until the very last page. Lana’s struggle with the loss of her husband AND pregnancy while also trying to acclimate to a new lifestyle as an undercover agent living with a man who seems to have endless secrets made for a great read.

I've read several historical fiction novels set during World War II, but I've never read one that focused on the French Resistance. Lana's War does that, and it's fascinating!

Lana is on her way to the convent where her husband, Frederic, teaches. She has wonderful news to share. But things take a horrible turn when he tries to defend a Jewish girl from the Gestapo and is shot dead for his efforts. Lana is devastated, and her misery is compounded when she loses the baby that she never got to tell Frederic about.

When Lana is offered an opportunity to work with the French Resistance, she decides to do what she can to help others. As the daughter of an Russian countess, she is in a unique position to mingle with the Russian expatriate community on the Riviera - a community that happens to rub elbows with a lot of high-ranking German solders, including the man who shot Lana's husband. She poses as the mistress of Guy Pascal, a wealthy Swiss businessman. Guy is also part of the Resistance, and he and Lana are to work together to help Jews escape the clutches of the ever-persistent Germans.

I can't imagine being put into a situation where I had lost my husband and then had to pretend to be another man's lover just a few months later. That's what Lana had to do. Not surprisingly, her relationship with Guy was a little strained at first. Her impulsiveness early in the mission doesn't help. She befriends a Jewish woman, Sophie, and her daughter, Odette, with almost no thought to the fact that it might draw unwanted attention from the Germans. To say Guy is unhappy with this would be an understatement.

But they work past the rough beginning, and Lana soon uses her assets to an advantage, attracting both the attention of Captain Von Harmon and Alois Brunner, the man who killed Frederic. She and Guy, working together, are able to capitalize on the Germans' interest, distracting them from raids and allowing the Resistance to move boatloads of Jews out of the Riviera to safety in England.

Several moments in this book had me holding my breath as I moved from page to page. The tension was palpable as a game of German cat and Resistance mouse progressed. There were near misses and sticky situations, and it made for an engrossing story.

The descriptions of the French Riviera and high society there were just luscious. It sounds like it would be lovely to visit when there isn't a war going on! And relationships seemed to fall into place rather quickly, but I understand that the urgency of wartime puts a new perspective on things. The budding romance between Lana and Guy adds a little lightness to a heavy time, and Lana's heart for others motivates her actions, even when they sometimes seem to be the wrong ones.

My only gripe was the ending. I'm not saying whether it's a "happily ever after" or not, just that it didn't go in the direction I initially expected/hoped for. But again, in the context of war, and in the context of the characters being who they were, it makes a kind of sense.

Four stars for a fascinating story and a different point of view on the World War II era. Thanks to NetGalley and Atria Books for an advance reader copy.

Lana's War is set during WWII in occupied Paris where Lana witnesses her husbands murder by a German Soldier. She suffers a miscarriage the same day and finds herself deep in grief. She decides to go to the French Riveria to join the Resistance. She feels helping the Jews escape is a way to avenge her husbands death. She lives with a man named Guy and they work together to get information about the raids and find ways to help the Jews escape to other countries. I liked the book overall and it was a little different than the typical Holocaust book. I liked the characters and loved the setting. However, I wish it had more of a sense of danger when helping the Jews. Also I really didn't like the ending and wished that had been resolved better. Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the arc for an honest review.

This story is really a romance in a WWII historical setting. Lana's husband is killed for protecting young Jewish music students at a convent in Paris, causing Lana to miscarry her baby that same day. In her grief and wanting revenge, she accepts a mission to work for the Resistance in Nice, where she will pretend to be carrying on an affair with a wealthy Swiss banker, Guy, while gathering information. The setting and lifestyle depicted are fabulous but I thought the story was fairly lightweight and the ending rather implausible. What woman would accept that explanation??

I received an arc of this new novel from the publisher via netGalley in exchange for my honest opinions. Thanks for the opportunity.

This book gives the readers a glimpse into French Riviera during WW2 and the life of Lana as a spy after a double tragedy in her life. The way she moves ahead and her survival story is both interesting and intriguing. It moves at a fairly quick pace and is an easy read.

There is romance, suspense, sorrow all wrapped nicely into a single package. The main highlight of the book was the setting and the stories of all the people involved. Everything fell into place at the end a bit too neatly which didn't feel right for me and also wished there was a bit more intensity in the first half of the book.

I was excited to read Lana's War because of the French Riviera (one of my favorite places), and it has Russian emigres as characters. I thought it was a unique setting for a WW2 novel. Unfortunately, I didn't love it as much as I wanted to. The writing style was bland and superficial. I didn't connect to any of the characters or care about them. It was an easy and quick read, but it didn't have an emotional impact you would expect from a WW2 book. This genre is very saturated, so it's hard to find a unique story. I was hoping Lana's War would be it, but, alas, it was not!

Is this story realistic? Some parts seem far=fetched, but how can I possibly know? What I do know is that this seems to be a well-written book with complex characters that are mostly believable. The story has a mix of horrible scenes with heartwarming ones. For me, it was an interesting glimpse of the French Resistance - and a sobering glimpse of the war and what it did to people. It's a worthwhile read.

Although this book takes place during the horrifying time of WWII, it is a beautifully written story of love, bravery, revenge and helping others. Lana loses her husband and unborn child to the Nazi’s in Paris. She decides to join the Resistance in Nice in hopes of helping Jews escape. Lana is brave and beautiful and cares so much about the people she meets and wants to help. She finds she is also good at it, and she makes a good team with Pierre and Guy. And while helping some people to safety won’t bring her husband back, it does allow her to feel good about herself again.

This was a lovely story. It has a little bit of war espionage and some romance. I really enjoyed it. I was glad to see how it ended...for a second there I thought the ending would be different.

Thanks Anita Abriel and Simon & Schuster Australia for the ARC!

Lana's War by Anita Abriel is a story of love, romance, and danger in WWII France. The setting and premise are interesting, which helps the plot move swiftly.

Lana’s War by Anita Abriel gives the reader a glimpse into the world of the brave French people who were living among the threatening and terrorizing members of the Gestapo. There were many French, especially Parisians who bravely tried to help innocent Jewish families.

The novel has a dual setting - Paris and Nice (on the French Riviera) during World War II. Anita Abriel’s words beautifully depict the dire circumstances in Paris juxtaposed against the beauty, wealth and glitter of the French Riviera.

The characters in Lana’s War were well developed and believable. The result was a fast paced and interesting book that included danger, hope, trust, secrets, kindness and a little espionage.

The story ultimately was about tragic loss, fear, friendship, love, family, survival and empathy. The plot does a nice job of championing the French Resistance.

This was my first book Anita Abriel. The ending in my opinion was poorly done and rushed. I felt there were many pieces left hanging and definitely stretched the suspension of disbelief. I felt the author actually could have used the rushed ending into a sequel or at least lengthened the novel for a proper ending.

I would like to thank Atria Books, the author and Netgalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I really wanted to enjoy this. I love books about this time period, but this one did not do anything for me. Details seemed to be left out, the characters just didn't pull through for me.

This was solid, well-done historical fiction. I enjoyed both the characters and the story. I appreciated that it had a balance of suspense, romance, and historical fiction. As it got toward the end I was afraid I was going to be disappointed with how it all wrapped up! But I was pleased to find the ending very appropriate and satisfying. I enjoyed it!

Lana's war was a fascinating book set during the resistance in WWII. Lana loses her husband and her baby on the same day. The baby as a result of losing her husband, she miscarries. Living in Paris, she is forced to hide her true feelings from the Nazi occupiers. She is recruited to the resistance under the guise of being Russian Aristocracy (which she comes from) with sympathies to Hitler (which she does not have).

The intrigue she finds is fascinating and she risks herself to help a Jewish girl and her mother living on the Riviera in France. She and her contacts work to save as many Jews as they can. She finds herself in all of this and we see a stronger Lana at the end of this.

I liked this book, it is not one of the top books I have read recently but it was a solid story, For my followers that prefer a clean read, there is one scene of extramarital relations that was alluded to, but nothing that would keep me personally from reading the book again.

Lana’s War tells the story of a young widow, Lana, who witnessed her husband’s murder at the hands of the Nazis for trying to protect a little Jewish girl he’d hidden inside a piano. On the same day, due to the trauma, Lana loses their unborn child. Shortly after, Lana is asked to join the Resistance and help spy by pretending to be a Swiss man’s lover, which she reluctantly accepts.

This was billed as a fast-paced book and while I found it to be an enjoyable, easy read, I felt like the pacing was just a bit off—the book moved very quickly because it skipped huge chunks of time that might have been put to better use by developing the story in a more believable way. What we did see on page stretched credulity just a little bit. Lana’s trauma’s were too shallow to really make me feel for her and the story just progressed so conveniently, it felt more like historical fantasy at times than historical fiction.

Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Fast paced book and I really enjoyed it. Good story line and I think people are gonna love it. I would definitely read again and recommend

Lana’s War by Anita Abriel is an astonishing and fresh take into the French Resistance during WWII. Lana’s War follows the life of Russian Lana Antanova as she navigates the world after the death of her husband and unborn child following his murder at the hands of the SS. This book is fast paced with a lush French Riviera setting, and is perfect for fans of The Nightingale and All the Light We Cannot See.

!Lana’s War by Anita Abriel is a touching and heartfelt story set in WWII. Lana Antanova leaves her life in Paris after a German Gestapo officer murders her husband and a young Jewish child he was protecting to serve the French resistance along the southern coast of the Riviera. As the daughter of a Russian countess, Lana offers the perfect cover to help infiltrate the community and socialize with German officers as a spy. Lana’s cover story makes her the mistress of Swiss industrialist Guy Pascal who is also part of the resistance.

I loved the setting on the Riviera and the beautiful descriptions of villages and the waterfront. I feel like this had the potential to be another The Nightingale, but it fell a little short for me. While there was certainly danger lurking around every corner with the German officers, I never really felt that Lana was in real danger. She had a couple of close calls, particularly with Jewish orphan Odette who I adored, and her flirtations with a couple of high ranking officers never seemed to put her in harm’s way.

I also could have done with a little less of the romance between her and Guy and a little more drama and history. Both Lana and Guy suffered personal tragedies at the hands of the Germans but the attraction between the two seemed a little too light and easy under the circumstances. Other side characters provided some variety since you never really know who you can trust during the occupation. Young Odette, full of questions and fear and intelligence, was easily my favorite.

This was an easy, quick moving story but overall seemed to lack the intensity I expected or hoped for. The ending wrapped up too quickly and neatly as well. It is an interesting piece of historical fiction and was a new setting for me. If you love historical fiction, you may enjoy this one, but I’ve read several others that I would recommend before this if you’re just dipping your toe in the historical fiction waters.

Many thanks to Atria Books and NetGalley for the eARC of Lana’s War, which publishes January 12!


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