Many thanks to #NetGalley, the publisher #BooksGoSocial and author #AlexAmit for allowing e to read an advance reader copy of this book. The opinions expressed are my own.

I was first drawn to this book by the cover art which set the time period as being during WW2, a time period of great interest to myself. The author lives in Israel and I couldn’t tell whether this book was originally published in English or was a translation. There were a few spots in the dialogue where things didn’t flow smoothly, but that may well be that the character speaking was supposedly speaking in something other than their first language.

Monique is a girl in her late teens when the story begins. She is the voice of this book and she tells the reader what is happening in real time. I often struggle with this style of writing but in this particular story it worked perfectly for me. As I read, I would find myself holding my breath in fear as she was and dreading the consequences of things that she was forced to do.

Monique is home with her family as the story starts, but the French gendarmes have arrived and she must hide. Her younger brother refuses to hide with her and as her parents are dragged away with him, she knows that she is now on her own and has no clue how she will manage. Turned away by relatives she is forced onto the street where starvation is all too real, and were it not for a fluke encounter with a member of the resistance while running from the police, Monique would no doubt have been captured too. Her desire to survive no matter how makes her a useful tool to the Resistance. She stays with a woman who accepts her no matter what and works at a high-end pastry store that is favoured by the Germans. When the opportunity to befriend a German officer comes her way, she is forced to take advantage of it despite her revulsion. Her only friends become other females who are considered to be collaborateurs horizontale. Just imagine being forced to be intimate over and over again with someone you don’t care for while you can’t even see the man you are truly attracted too. And what happens as the war draws to a close and the mobs want to have their way with those they believe collaborated?

Alix Amit wrote a very quick moving tale that really grabbed me and drew me in. The depth of his research showed and made things seem very real. I would definitely recommend this novel to those interested in learning about what it might take for a Jewish person to survive in wartime France. If you sign up for his email list, he will also send you a prequel to Monique's story. I have yet to read that.

DNF'ed @ 55%.
While this was a decent historical fiction, I struggled to connect with the main character. I found myself skimming the pages and losing interest. It's solidly written and researched, just not for me.

I have always been interested in WW2 Historical Fiction so right off the story description had me hooked. What has me interested me most was that this story was set in Paris, France and all I can remember from history class was that Germany had occupied France for quite some time. But, from reading the book, Mr. Amit did an incredible job of describing what it would be like to live during that time and what the struggles were living in France at the time. I did not even know there was a resistance in Paris and it was also interesting to see what life in Paris was like and how they lived their everyday lives. Seeing it from Monique`s POV even though she is a fictional character it felt so real. That there could have been someone in real life who had gone through all of that. I found her and Philip`s relationship very interesting even though I understand it was the wrong place and wrong time I would have loved to see more of their relationship perhaps a sequel or a novella from his POV. Overall, Monique's story is an incredible story and I would recommend reading this book 100% it`s a very good read and has me interested in researching more about what happened in Paris during that time.

Monique is a 17 year old French Jew living in Paris. When the Germans round up all of the Jews she hides in the family apartment and is spared from deportation, unlike the rest of her family. Joining up with the French resistance, she becomes the mistress of a German officer in order to obtain information.

Although the plot was interesting, I really disliked the writing style. The story jumped in places, making me wonder if I had missed a chunk. The dialogue was stilted, which made me wonder if it the story had been written in a different language and subsequently translated. I also felt very little emotion. Monique loves Philip but there is no build up to this declaration so it came as a surprise. There are also many moments when she was terrified for her life, but I didn’t feel it. For me, the story, which should have been FULL of emotion, totally lacked it. The style of writing made me consider giving up on the book several times but I read a review which said it had a good ending which made me persevere.

I received a free copy of this book via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC of this amazing & heart-wrenching read in exchange for an honest review.

I could not put this book down after starting it! I was sucked into Monique’s life within the first few pages. I could feel Monique‘a emotions (happiness, terror, longing, sadness, love, etc) as experienced along her journey of survival. The authors, Alex Amit, painted a realistic picture of what a Jewish girl would have to face in order to live through the Nazi’s reign of terror. She did what she had to do to survive, all while secretly helping the resistance. There were some gut-wrenching moments in the end.

While Monique is a fictional character, her story is likely similar to many who lived through this time. Once I learned that the author was a historian, I wasn’t surprised at how “real” Monique story felt.

100% recommend this read. I am looking forward to checking out other books by Alex Amit now!

Thank you to NetGalley, Alex Amit and the publisher for this ARC in exchange for my review.
I am a fan of WW2 historical fiction. I believe this is the first book I’ve read where the main character is a young teenaged girl. We meet Monique, a Jewish girl, born in Germany , but living in France with her family. It begins as her parents and younger brother are taken from their home to Auschwitz. Monique hid and was left behind, to survive on her own. She grows up quickly and learns to fend for herself under the worse conditions. We follow Monique's life as she tries to stay alive as part of the Resistance. Her life is not easy. Parts of her story are heartbreaking, but Monique perseveres as we travel with her on this journey. . This story of bravery and survival will keep you satisfied throughout the book.

Fantastic book i was hooked from start to finish, my first by this author and won't be my last a must read.

This is Monique Moreno’s story. When she was seventeen, her family ~ mother, father and younger brother Jacob were taken by the Germans and sent Auschwitz. She was spared as she was hiding; they searched but did not find her hiding place. They left, leaving her alone in Paris.
She has had to develop some survival skills. She speaks German as she grew up in Strasbourg. She finds help with Philip, who helps her with a new identity. Since she speaks German, she is able to disguise being Jewish. However, she finds out that Oberst Ernest, a high-level Nazi Officer is interested in her.

I am not a fan of WWII stories. I know we must never forget what happened but most stories are so depressing and I am at a loss as to what I can do. However, I do enjoy the stories where people survive and help others. This story was much better than I expected. Monique is a fictional character but her story is based on historical facts.
Author Alex Amit is a very interesting writer. As a child he loved reading history books. In fact, imagined he could transport himself to that time period. He has a degree in Psychology and he likes to focus his writing on woman’s bravery. There is no doubt he did a lot of research for this store.
I also loved reading his ‘Author’s note: Pieces of History’ this in itself is a very interesting story.
As I mentioned I am not a fan of reading WWII stories but Alex Amit sure made this one interesting.

Want to thank NetGalley and BooksGoSocial for this e-Galley. This file has been made available to me before publication for professional review purposes only. Opinions expressed in this review are my own.
Publishing Release Date scheduled for January 22, 2021

Thanks to netgallery for giving me a chance to read this novel.

First of all, what a fascinating book! It is clear that the author has researched well and the storyline is unique. Not your typical novel of this era type book. Yes there is romance but there’s also a lot of frightening things happening. You really begin to feel the stress that the main character is going through as she’s trying to survive 1940’s occupied France under the nazis.

This is a must read! A great book for your collection!

A gripping and tense read which I enjoyed and from the beginning. A book of historical fiction which was very well written. Highly recommend for readers of this genre

I enjoyed reading this book. It was so sad at times as we all know what happened to the Jews and their sympathisers during the second world war. The main characters were interesting especially Monique. I do recommend that you read this book.

Staying Alive

Monique is a Jewish girl born in Germany and her family immigrated to France. When the Nazi soldiers invade Paris her family is taken to Auschwitz by the Gestapo. Monique hides in a cupboard and is not found as her mother tells the soldiers she sent her out to buy food.

Monique wanders the streets find help and food from wherever she can. She is almost caught when a resistance member takes her to the resistance headquarters. She meets Phillip and starts working for the resistance.

Soon she befriends a German officer, Ernest, and ends up living with him . This is so she can steal information and report it to the resistance. She does not enjoy this arrangement, but it is what she must do for her country. She has a false ID card and is passing herself off as a French citizen.

This is a book of the French resistance, and especially about a woman in the French resistance. It tells of the awful links she had to go to in order to stay alive just one more day. Fear was a constant companion.

The book tells of the horrible way the women were treated by the French people because they believed them to be a German collaborator. Sometimes the women were beaten, their heads shaved, and it didn't matter if they were working for the resistance.

The history of the invasion of Paris, the final solution for the Jews by the Nazi's and the liberation of Paris. The book show that not all people in France were monsters and many Jews were helped and saved by French people. The book also tells of those that would turn in anyone for a loaf of bread,

I liked the Characters, the history, and the ending was very good.

The book was sad and it was interesting. I am glad I read it and I do recommend it.

Thanks to Alex Amit, BooksGoSocial, and NetGalley for allowing me to read an advance copy in exchange for an honest review.

A Parisian girl's family is taken away in a roundup to Auschwitz, and she must do what it takes to survive. Monique makes a deal with Philip to change her identity, and she begins working at a bakery that German officers frequent. Monique then begins a relationship with a high ranking Nazi officer, sharing information with the Resistance. It helps that she is fluent in German. She is worried that she dives in too deep and that any little mistake can unravel everything.

Just wow! This book kept me up all night. You felt as though you were with Monique as she dived deeper, dealing with the internal struggle she faced. She is a strong, well-developed character.

I look forward to reading the next book in the series.

I received this ARC copy in exchange for an honest review.

The Girl Under the Flag by Alex Amit started strong and captured my interest right away. About a third of the way through I felt the story was a bit disjointed and my interest slightly decreased. The ending again captured my full attention as the interest picked back up. The heavy topic is never easy to put into words.

Once I got into this book, I couldn’t out it down. Great storyline and very suspenseful in parts. If you are a WWII Historical Fiction fan, I highly suggest it. Stick with it!

Fast paced and packed with tension, I found myself holding my breath as I read this one. I was fully engaged with the storyline, and found it impossible to put down.
The plot is simple, yet has a refreshingly different feel from other books in the genre.
Written with a unique insight into the thoughts and feelings of the main character, following her journey into adulthood through an extraordinary set of circumstances.
The characters are complicated, with a layer of realism giving them extra depth and range from engaging to repulsive, as expected.
A fantastic book, definitely well worth reading.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for allowing me access to read this book. I really enjoyed it and went through it in only a couple of sittings. The first person point of view of a French Jew during World War II was very well explained and the passing of time was easily followed without every second having to be explained. The story line was captivating and held my attention throughout. I enjoyed reading the undercurrent of a love interest without it taking over the plot.
I thought the content might have been too heavy to read over Christmas period but it was not overwhelming.

I would recommend this book.

I'm a huge history buff and was excited to dive into this book because of it. Boy was I not disappointed. It was fabulous. Very well done by the author.

Thanks to publisher through Net Galley for ARC of this fine book.
This is some heavy water for holiday reading, but Christmas is one of the holidays included within this very moving story. What could happen to a young Jewish girl whose mother, father and brother are taken by the Germans and sent to Auschwitz leaving her alone in Paris.
Monique must develop survival skills without preparation and is soon given something like shelter by a member of the Resistance wherein she is immediately put to work.
Her challenges continue to escalate and there is no one to trust. The lady who gives her a place to live becomes one more example of the worst that can happen when the Gestapo executes her. Monique is asked to live with a high-level Nazi officer. Her German is perfect as she was born in Strasbourg so that often works to her advantage until it doesn't. It is a harrowing story well told.
The author includes historical notes respecting the reality of Paris police acting against the Jewish population of the time, a bitter pill to swallow.

WWII Paris comes alive in this gripping book by Alex Amit. A young girl is forced to question what her true values are when the French City comes under control of Nazi Germany. The descriptions are tight and deceptive and paint an picture of a long ago era when evil was very real. As a history buff of WWII, I enjoyed this book.