Simply put, That Summer in Berlin, is a 5-star historical read.

The story starts on the cusp of WWII in Berlin, and the rise of Hitler's policies. Two young British girls are sent on holiday to the Schroeder castle in Bavaria to attend the summer Olympics. One naive, the other intelligent, smart and quick with the eye and her camera.

The German families eldest son, an Obersturmfurher (lieutenant is the SS), swoons the young Julia while Viviane (Vee) keeps her eyes open not believing the facade on display to the world.

Tom, a journalist at the London Herald, longs to compose a more compelling pieces than the high society events he's invited. The London streets are filled with the uprising of Fascist and at one such march he's rescued from the riot by a alluring toting cameraman in disguise. Putting two-and-two together, Tom recruits Vee to help photograph what the German's are hiding after seeing her pictures published alongside his story.

Tom and Vee play a very dangerous game in a country that always has someone watching. This novel immediately captured me after its opening chapters, and needless to say I couldn't put it down. That Summer is Berlin is an excellent WWII spy drama. Let's just say I LOVED the ending too - Tom & Vee YES!

Thank you UpLItReads and Berkley for the complimentary copy of this paperback.

Like many historical fiction readers, I've read a lot of WW II stories. But I ended up enjoying this story way more than I expected. I loved having a different setting for the War and the Olympics was a nice way to set the stage. As a Buckeye, I wanted to hear more about Jessee Owens and his magnificent track performance. But that really wasn't the point of the story.

Rather, Viviane a female photographer with rare inclinations to work and tell others' stories, visits Berlin with her stepsister as a tourist visiting a family friend. Viviane’s true purpose is more clandestine. She's been recruited to help uncover the true nature of Nazi Germany with her photos. The portrayal of Germany and German citizens and their blind allegiance to Hitler was both fascinating and terrifying.

I also enjoyed the supporting characters and trying to figure out who I could trust. I liked Viviane's romance with Tom, a British reporter also working undercover.

That Summer in Berlin by Lecia Cornwall was an excellent read and probably one of the best Nazi Germany-era historical fiction novels that I have read.

This book takes place during the summer of the 1936 Berlin Olympics and Viviane Alden, a English debutante takes advantage of opportunity to travel to visit friends of her step-fathers in Germany. When an acquaintance, Tom, finds out she is making the trip, he convinces her to use her photography skills and be a spy, documenting what the Nazis are really up to.

Overall, I really enjoyed this book. It told a story from this time in history that I had not read about before and I appreciated that since there are a lot of WWII era books out there. I admired Viviane’s bravery and her quest to take photographs to expose the truth. However, I do think she was a little naïve in the risks she took and some of the people she trusted. I also enjoyed that there was a little bit of romance for her, but that it wasn’t the focus of this novel.

In addition, I thought that the disillusionment of the rest of the world and German citizens in general about what was really going on in Germany was depicted well in this novel. I hope that others read this novel and better understand how terrible this period of history was and that we can never ever let it happen again. Anti-semitism is not okay and anti-any people group is not okay. We must do better.

THAT SUMMER IN BERLIN
Lecia Cornwall
Publication Date: October 11, 2022

Viviane Alden is much more interested in taking pictures than marrying, but a career in photography is verboten for a woman of her station. Still, she secretly sells her impressive images to newspapers. When her mother presses her to find a suitable match, Viviane agrees instead to chaperone her sister Julia as she visits Germany for the summer, culminating in a trip to the 1936 Olympics in Berlin, the games in which Jesse Owens won four gold medals.

Although Winston Churchill was already predicting a second major war, and some suspected Hitler was putting together an army and mass producing arms, most had no stomach for another conflict in the region and were placated by the new ruler’s reassurances. Tom, a journalist and acquaintance of Viviane, is pressed into service by the English government trying to learn as much as possible about Germany’s secrets while covering the games. Familiar with Viviane’s skills, Tom asks her to partner with him to expose the truth. She agrees: as an upper class English woman on holiday, she would be above suspicion.

Guests of Count Georg von Schroeder, Viviane and Julia are given VIP treatment. Not only is von Schroeder respected, his wife aspires to position her sons, Otto, an SS officer, and Felix, a scientist, to succeed in the new regime. In contrast, Georg hopes the English debutantes will temper his sons’ extreme views.

Viviane knows of Hitler’s hateful sentiments and has heard of rumors of work and killing camps, but with an influx of foreign visitors, all antisemitic messaging has been removed. Still, she is determined to collect valuable photographs. She’s confident her nationality will keep her safe, but getting intelligence requires risk. At the same time, her principles are tested when she is asked to provide assistance that could put her life in danger.

THAT SUMMER IN BERLIN highlighted the seductive appeal of Hitler’s pageantry and propaganda to both Germans and English while showing how Germans were surveilled and punished if they did not conform (and though despite that some resisted). It illustrates the nurturing and complicity with totalitarianism, an issue increasingly important.

Determined, headstrong, and principled, Viviane is as fetching a character as Julia is frustrating. The final scenes before the epilogue have a Bourne-Identity-level action and intensity.!

This book was read for the Historical Novels Review Magazine, November 1, 2022 issue. After this date a full review will be posted here, on Goodreads and the blog.
Lecia Cornwall’s That Summer in Berlin is a close-up view of the 1936 Berlin Olympics through the lens of two debutantes on a holiday filled with terrible risks but great rewards. This compelling novel immerses readers from the beginning of the well-staged opening of the Olympics through the 1940 Battle of Dunkirk. Readers are submerged in different societal classes, opposing familial expectations, and varying political views and goals.

In the 1930s, the expectation of young upper-class women was to marry and produce heirs, not pursue careers. Cornwall explores this expectation through the main character, Viviane Alden. A secretly aspiring photographer, Viviane meets journalist Tom Graham, a well-educated Scotsman hired to appear as a Fascist sympathizer, who presents her with risky career choices in Germany. Viviane chooses to accompany stepsister Julia to Count von Schroeder’s castle in Bavaria for the opportunity to follow her dreams. Viviane is settled in the politically divided household with the count and countess, and three sons. Viviane’s interactions uncover the prejudices of each member’s involvement in the politics of Germany and the rising Nazi regime.

Cornwall’s narrative transports readers from London’s society balls and mob riots to nerve-wracking, bone-chilling missions in Germany, as careers and lives are risked in conflicts involving a clearly defined Nazi enemy.

Enthralled readers will be shocked as the plot twists and Viviane takes more risks with her camera. The well-researched prose immerses readers in politically charged Germany with captivating dialogue and ominous reactions in clutch situations. Viviane’s balancing act exposes political and religious tensions as she nimbly walks a fine line with members of the von Schroeder family. An engrossing, absorbing picture of the 1936 Olympics from the perspective of a “pretty young tourist taking holiday snaps.”

A few things I need you to know about That Summer in Berlin:

✨Viviane accompanies her sister to Berlin for the 1936 Olympics, with a clandestine mission to find the cracks in Hitler’s facade. I’ve read a lot of WWII historical fiction, but I liked how this book focused on the lead-up to that event.

✨The TENSION in this book is real. It slowly rises throughout the story, and by the end, I was on the edge of my seat.

✨There’s a solid romantic subplot between aspiring photographer Vivianne and journalist Tom.

✨I gave it five stars! Unique, suspenseful, and atmospheric. Highly recommend.

✨Out on 10/11! Thanks to Berkeley for an early copy!

This was truly an amazing and enjoyable historical fiction read. With a unique perspective from a photographer visiting from England during the Berlin Olympic Games in 1936 at the height of Hitlers ruling over Germany. In hopes to expose the sinister things taking place in the background. There are elements of danger, thrill and romance woven throughout.

Thank you netgalley, Uplit reads and Berkley pub for a copy in exchange for an honest review.

Compelling, vivid, and absorbing!

That Summer in Berlin is a captivating tale predominately set in Berlin in 1936 that takes you into the lives of two main characters; Viviane Alden, a young woman who turns down the marriage to a duke in order to pursue her passion for photography, and Tom Graham, an undercover journalist and illegitimate son of a Scottish Earl who under the guise of reporting on the Summer Olympics, recruits his friend and fellow British acquaintance to help him secretly spy and discover if Germany is slyly preparing to start another world war.

The prose is rich and expressive. The characters are independent, spirited, and brave. And the plot is an evocative tale of life, loss, love, self-discovery, war, secrets, friendship, determination, betrayal, family, espionage, and romance.

Overall, That Summer in Berlin is an intriguing, absorbing, atmospheric tale by Cornwall that does a lovely job of blending historical events, intense emotion, and thought-provoking suspense.

4.5 Stars

That Summer in Berlin is a page-turning story of photography, bravery, and espionage in pre-WW11 Germany.

Thanks #NetGalley @BerkleyPub #BerkelyWritesStrongWomen #BerkleyBuddyReads for a complimentary e ARC of #ThatSummerInBerlin upon my request. All opinions are my own.

In 1936, Viviane accompanies her sister on a trip to Berlin around the time of the Olympics. An aspiring photographer, Viviane is persuaded to work as a spy while posing as a tourist to capture “behind the scenes” photographs to provide evidence that Germany is rearming for another war. This is a challenging assignment as Germany is on its best behavior as the world watches the Olympics. Nazi influence and intimidation prevail and Viviane wonders who she can trust.

In the style of Kate Quinn, the author of That Summer in Berlin serves readers a compelling side of thriller and intrigue. I read very little in the thriller genre, but I can appreciate a mashup! As Viviane comes under suspicion, her life is in danger and she (and readers alike) wonder whom she can trust.

The straightforward story structure told from one perspective lends itself to a fast reading pace. Although I enjoy a challenging read, I appreciate an occasional refreshing break from dual timelines, flashbacks, and multiple perspectives. A nice balance between plot-driven and character-driven contributes to the story’s fast pace.

Will I ever tire of WW11 stories? Probably not as long as authors continue telling stories from a fresh perspective. It’s interesting to learn about those individuals prior to WW11 who had concerns about another war. Sending an undercover spy posing as a tourist during the Olympics is an angle I had not previously considered. I love stories of ordinary people asked to do something extraordinary during challenging times. An undercover tourist/photographer is something I can connect with and I always think Would I have attempted something so brave?

Readers who enjoy a hisfic/thriller mashup, a page-turning story set in pre-WW11 Germany, and an inspiring, likable main character might enjoy That Summer in Berlin. And, yes, there is a small side of romance that doesn’t interfere with the focus of the story. Book clubs will find a variety of discussion possibilities.

I loved this book, showing the propaganda machine in Germany during the Olympics, just before WWII. The spy aspect, the romance, societies expectations all were well written and worked together to create a very interesting, easily read book.

Thank you so much @uplitreads and @berkleyoub for my #gifted copy and having me on this tour!

This book has it all!! A little romance, suspense, espionage, and a unique historical fiction plot. I bet you’ve never heard the word bingeable used to describe HF, but this one was! At 460ish pages, short chapters kept this one moving. All of the sudden I would read 60 pages in the blink of eye!

The first part gave me Bridgerton vibes (even though I’ve only seen one episode) with British high society and Viviane’s mom trying to marry her off to someone wealthy.

But Viviane wouldn’t have it. She was a badass, strong female lead who wanted to speak the truth through photographs. And then she meets Tom, a writer for a newspaper who is sent to Germany to spy.

The historical aspect was woven perfectly into the story where you don’t even feel like you’re reading historical fiction. The plot was unlike anything I’ve ever read before. The time period was between WWI and WWII when Germany was rising to power. You get a unique look at how Hitler fooled the world by the Germans being on their best behavior during the summer Olympics.

It was fascinating to read how brainwashed they were. It made me want to smack some sense into them! You never knew who to trust (even your own family), you’re always on your guard, and reporters from all over are trying to expose the terribleness of what Hitler was doing. Someone is always watching 👀

Once Viviane and her stepsister got to Germany to visit a family friend and attend the Olympics, the story became unputdownable to me. With the POVs mainly being Viviane and Tom, you get the occasional German POV from the family that added so much to the story for me.

With a thrilling and suspenseful end, I devoured this one, and highly recommend it

Like many others, I find the time period around and during World War II to be absolutely fascinating. So when I discovered that Lecia Cornwall’s That Summer In Berlin was set in the summer of 1936 during the Berlin Olympic Games, I snatched it up to review.

Viviane Alden, a heroine worthy of Jo March, is most definitely a reluctant English debutante. She’s expected to make a good marriage and become a proper lady when what she really wants to do is become a professional photographer. After breaking off a promising engagement (to her mother’s great dismay), Viviane is presented with the opportunity to accompany her adopted sister, Julia, to Berlin to attend the 1936 summer Olympics. At first, she wants nothing to do with the trip. Her military officer father suffered greatly following a horrific mustard gas attack in World War I, something Viviane holds the Germans responsible for. But then she’s approached with a photography mission she can’t refuse.

Tom Graham is a reporter who just wants to keep his head down and do his job. Born a bastard, his father’s noble rank allowed him entry into high society, but his mother’s low birth has kept him always on its edges. He and Viviane meet when Tom serves as the best man at her sister’s wedding, and the sparks between them alternate between attraction and disdain. His respect for her grows, however, when he sees her taking photos at a dangerous riot, risking her life for the images that flesh out the words of his story.

Tom is asked by his editor and his estranged father to go to Berlin and pose as a Nazi sympathizer in order to gather information about Hitler’s Germany. Feeling it’s his duty, he reluctantly agrees, but hates that those back home will believe he supports the fascist regime based on the glowing, propaganda-filled stories he will be required to write. He’s more concerned when Viviane is tasked with getting photos of Hitler’s war build-up and of the abominable treatment of the Jews. As a young English tourist on holiday in Berlin, no one would suspect her of anything clandestine. Tom hates the idea of Viviane in danger but can’t deny that she’s good at her job. And it is crucial that they bring the truth back home to an English population thinking that Hitler can’t be that dangerous and must be appeased and tolerated.

Viviane and Julia are soon ensconced with Julia’s godfather Count Georg von Schroeder and his family. Eldest son Otto and youngest son Klaus are fully on the Nazi train, the former as a lieutenant in the SS and the younger as a proud member of Hitler’s Youth. Middle son Felix, a scientist, seems ambivalent about Germany’s turn towards authoritarianism and even has a Jewish mentor that he reveres. The family proudly shows off the beauty of Germany and extolls the superiority of the Aryan race, praising Hitler and excited about the Utopian future they believe he will bring. Viviane and Tom, however, can see the truth bubbling beneath the polished surface that has been created to impress all of the international guests in Berlin for the Olympics.

I enjoyed this book and kept turning the pages, however as I sit down to write this review, I’m struggling to put into words why I liked it. Viviane is a great heroine, strong, brave and resourceful. For some reason, Cornwall has given her a limp sustained during a childhood accident, but this limp had no bearing on the story or even on Viviane’s experiences or personality. I really have no idea why it’s even a thing.

Tom is a solid hero, and the chemistry between the two is good. However, the romance in the story is very much a background element, and the couple has somewhat limited interaction. If you want a prominent romance, this is not the book for you.

The setting and time period are very intriguing. How many times have we asked how the German people could allow Hitler’s hate-filled regime rise to power and commit so many atrocities? This book gives a small window into the halcyon time before the war began and some understanding as to how the populace might fall under the thrall of a demagogue and the promise of a glorious future. Certainly, reading this story hinted at our current times in a way that I found very disturbing, knowing where it all ultimately led.

That said, the Olympics are very much window dressing, serving as the catalyst for why Viviane and Tom would be in Berlin, but are never dwelt on or explored in any depth other than how the Germans were instructed to hide anything that could be perceived as negative by outsiders. Historical figures are intertwined loosely into the story, mostly as peers of the von Schroeders, but the action is kept to the fictional characters.

This is a total sidebar and has no effect on my review, but I actually listened to That Summer In Berlin as an audio book. Tom is supposed to be from Glasgow, and his Scottish accent is mentioned more than once. However, the narrator of the audiobook adopted an Irish accent when reading his dialogue, and that very much distracted me.

The reason that this book gets a B rather than an A, however, is that with such a promising premise, we actually get very little of Tom or Viviane doing the dangerous work they are tasked with doing. We are told that Viviane has taken photos with important details “in the background” and that Tom has managed to gain entry into Nazi society and is passing secrets up the chain, but we never see this happening. Only once do we get a fully fleshed-out mission that involves major risk. The sense of danger is always present mostly because I have the benefit of hindsight and know how awful the Nazis were and what would happen if Tom or Viviane should be caught. But only once or twice did I feel that Tom or Viviane was in danger of being discovered. 

I recommend That Summer in Berlin to those who love historical fiction, especially that set around WWII, as something a bit different given that it takes place prior to the war. The characters and time period are intriguing even if the story is a bit thin.

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Viviane Alden, a debutante from England, travels to Germany with her step sister for the Olympics. Only things aren’t aren’t as they seem. Viviane seems to be just the typical tourist snapping pictures of scenery, but she’s secretly taking pictures to expose the horrors going on in Germany and is trying to get proof to prevent another war.

My thoughts:

Somehow I never knew the Olympics were held in Germany before WWII. I’ve also never read a historical fiction story based in Germany. It was stomach churning to see how things were there, and how people blindly followed Hitler. The women truly believed their only goal was to find a strong Aryan and have babies for Hitler…and they did it happily. So much subterfuge and lies. So many spies and liars. I loved when you saw a German citizen that was still a free thinker, and didn’t follow Nazi beliefs. Some of my thoughts on characters in the story:

Viviane: a unique main character. A red head with limp due to a damaged leg, and a talent with a camera. She was true and her own person.

Tom: loved him! I hated how he was treated for being illegitimate and I wanted to kick his fathers side of the family.

Felix: I hate you, you b!tch. The author did a great job with this character. Ugh.

Julia: so young, so naive, and easily manipulated

Reggie: lovely friend to have in your corner

Otto: love to hate this one. His feelings for Julia were true, but his Nazi beliefs were fanatical

Trude: annoyed me

Solomon: at first I thought he was evil, but after his story was revealed I was torn. I felt bad for him and respected his choices in the end.

📷 That Summer In Berlin 📷

It’s the summer of 1936, and Germany is on its best behavior. Why? The Berlin Olympics of course.

Vivian is on holiday with her sister, but has a greater purpose. After all, nobody would suspect the pretty young tourist of being a spy. Right? While Germany is secretly preparing for war, and the world is distracted by the Olympic Games, Vivian is determined to discover the truth.

This book is fascinating! As someone who has always loved watching the Olympics, I was drawn in and enjoyed every minute! I haven’t read very many books from the pre-WWII time period and learned so much! Truly spectacular!

No matter how many historical fiction books I read, I always seem to find something different. Lecia Cornwall did that with this book, That Summer in Berlin.was quite entertaining to see how the war efforts and the activities of the Germans was pushing forward all while pretending things were fine.
Viviane Alden, an English debutant and amateur photojournalist-turned spy, struggles to expose the ugliness of Nazism behind the shining façade Germany presents to the world.
With the help of Tom Graham, a thoughtful reporter-cum-spy and her partner in a relentless sexual tension, Viviane sets out to pierce the jolly veil erected by Hitler that summer.
The festivities are intoxicating and her boy-crazy stepsister’s innocence is maddening yet oddly adorable.
Viviane finds herself scrutinized by her German hosts: old family friends beset by their own internal political divides.
Hiding in plain sight from omnipresent dangers, Viviane continues to stop into danger in order to get her pictures. I just loved her character and how well written she was. Overall this one is not one ill forget soon.

I really enjoyed this book and found myself always looking forward to picking it back up.

I enjoyed the unusual look at Germany before the Second World War via the 1936 Summer Olympic Games. Germany virtually “whitewashed “ the city in preparation for the onslaught of tourists who would attend. No signs forbidding Jews, only the best neighborhoods in view, a pristine and excellent city was Berlin transformed into.

This book features a female photographer from an aristocrat English family who travels to Germany for the games, but is actually engaged in photographing not just touristy things, but also factories and even comes dangerously close to a concentration camp being constructed. Her comrade-in-arms is a journalist who also is digging for the story behind the facade. Yes, there is a touch of romance!

I’ve read too many WWII books lately, but truly enjoyed this look at Germany just before the unthinkable became a reality.

I received this book from the publisher via net galley in exchange for an honest review. 4-1/2 stars!

Oh man, I really wanted to like this but I am not a huge historical fiction fan (but when there's a great one I am drawn in immediately). The first 1/4 of this one was kind of bland and didn't really do anything to hook me. This is just a personal preference.... this has such high ratings that if you regularly read HF, definitely check this out!

3.75 stars. A gripping adventure set in 1936 Berlin, as a journalist and a socialite work to expose what's really happening behind the glossy facade of the summer Olympics. Cornwall does a great job of portraying the complexities of the political climate in Europe leading up to WWII. After enduring the hardships of the Depression, many English citizens (and leaders) are attracted by the seeming success of the Nazi party in "turning things around," while people with clearer eyes — within Germany and without — try to expose the atrocities that are already taking place and prevent the coming war. Although they obviously fail to stop it, the novel's final message is one of great hope because of the people who fought for what they knew was right — even when they could only help one person — and ultimately prevailed. It is also a reminder that we should always be vigilant in protecting civil rights. The characters themselves are excellent types but never felt truly fleshed out to me, but in a book that is doing so much and tackling such a difficult subject, I would much rather it get the larger issues right, which it did.

My thanks to NetGalley and Berkley for providing an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Author Lecia Cornwall says she found inspiration for That Summer in Berlin when she happened upon an article about young English debutantes being sent to Germany to experience the culture and find husbands. Many believed, even as late as 1939, with war just weeks away, that if the upper classes of the two countries intermarried, another conflict could be avoided. "The idea of titled English debs dancing with young Nazi officers as the threat of war loomed" formed the first thread of the story, Cornwall recalls. The story began to take shape as she learned about the 1936 Olympics which Hitler was convinced by his advisors "would provide a wonderful way to use propaganda to impress the world and show off Aryan culture and superiority." Readers might be surprised to learn that many rituals devised by the Germans for those games continue, including lighting the Olympic flame. During the games, the Germans hid the antisemitism and violence that had already taken hold in the country, putting on a deceptive show of brotherhood and goodwill. Lastly, Cornwall researched 1930's English society, and found that many admired how Germany recovered from the defeat it suffered in World War I to become a world power in steel and chemistry. While the United States and England were mired in Depression, Germany seemed to be flourishing. Great societal changes were occurring, including the entrance, of necessity, of increasing numbers of women into the workplace. Dorothea Lange came to prominence with her starkly beautiful and often heartbreaking photographs depicting the realities of life in the 1930's as the Depression raged on. Cornwall says she "made Viviane Alden a photographer and let her use her camera to tell the truth others tried to hide." The character of Tom Graham is her homage to Matthew Halton, a daring and revered Canadian reporter.

The result is an absorbing story of two people who meet by happenstance, but agree to combine their talent and determination to gather and relay evidence that Germany, under the control of a madman, is intent on taking the world into another war.

As the book opens, Viviane has just broken off her engagement to Philip who, at first glance, appeared to be the perfect man for her -- rich, handsome, titled, and able to give her a life of privilege. However, it became clear they had nothing in common, especially their politics and views on the roles of husband and wife. Viviane's mother is distraught because she is insistent that Viviane must find a suitable husband to provide for her -- Viviane working for a living is unthinkable. The family is gathered at Halliwell for the wedding of Viviane's step-sister in which Tom Graham will serve as best man. They meet when Viviane is determined to go for a swim, despite a brewing storm, on the seventh anniversary of her beloved father's death. He was a celebrated war hero who sustained permanent and, ultimately, fatal injuries to his lungs as a result of a gas attack during World War I. Putting aside his own safety, he returned to the battlefield over and over to rescue his soldiers. His death changed Viviane, making her "harder, sharper, fiercer."

No one knows that, credited as an anonymous photographer, Viviane has been surreptitiously supplying photographs to the newspaper. She slips away to photograph a march of the British Union of Fascists, scheduled on the same day as a workers' march, which Tom is also covering with an assigned photographer. When the two groups meet and the encounter erupts in violence, Viviane fearlessly captures the events on film. Tom thinks he recognizes her at the scene, and becomes convinced when he sees her photographs published in the newspaper.

Tom is the twenty-five-year-old son of a single, Scottish mother and the Earl of Strathwood who provided for him financially, including his education at Cambridge, but has never acknowledged him publicly. Tom has only met his father twice, and has no interest in curating a relationship with him or his half-siblings. Aside from his education, Tom has made his own way in the world, successfully straddling the working and upper classes to his advantage. So he is surprised when he is summoned to a meeting with his editor and his father joins them. At the behest of Winston Churchill, he is recruited to work for a new government agency with a posting in Berlin where he will report on the upcoming Olympics, as well as German advancements in technology, industry, and science, and society events. His assignment is to fit in to German society and gain the Germans' trust, appearing sympathetic to their cause in order to gain exclusive access to press tours and secure interviews. He will be required to "write about the regime in glowing terms" in order to clandestinely discover and transmit the truth.

Viviane's stepfather, Lord Rutherford, is a supporter of Germany and its Nazi government because of the way it has restored prosperity and pride to the country. His friend, Count Georg von Schroeder, invites Julia, Viviane's step-sister, to spend the summer with his family in Germany and attend the Olympics. Rutherford insists Julia will be safe, despite news reports about increasing violence in Germany, and when she hears that von Schroeder has three sons and lives in a castle in the Alps, she is intent on going. "Other young ladies are going to Germany, girls from the finest English families," Rutherford explains. "They get a bit of international polish, visit music festivals, see the mountains, and come home with a greater understanding of how the world works. Surely that can only forge closer social ties and peace between our two nations." Julia must have a chaperone, and Viviane's mother is eager to press her into service. Viviane does not want to go to Germany, but knows that if she remains in England, her mother will continue attempting to force her into marriage.

When Tom learns that Viviane has a chance to spend the summer in Germany, he urges her to "use your talents, expose terrible wrongs with your photographs, possibly even prevent another war." He reveals he learned her secret the day of the riot and convinces her that they will make a good team, especially since he knows why she ended her engagement. She will be the guest of a Count, and have access to places Tom does not. She will be free to take as many photographs as she wants because no one will suspect she is anything but an English socialite on holiday, snapping pictures for her photo album.

Viviane and Julia are welcomed into the von Schroeder family home. They are high-ranking members of the Nazi party. Youngest son Klaus is an enthusiastic member of the Hitler Youth, preparing to follow in the footsteps of oldest son Otto, an Obersturmfürher (equivalent to the rank of lieutenant) with the SD (the security service known to be "more terrifying than the Spanish Inquisition"). Middle son Felix is a research chemist serving as the assistant director of an agricultural laboratory, purportedly perfecting pesticides in order to increase crop production. The Countess is an emphatic disciple of Hitler, while the Count appears more reticent -- which has come to the attention of Nazi leaders -- and openly expresses a desire to see Otto marry an English girl and settle with her in Britain.

Cornwell convincingly takes readers along on Viviane's trek as she, Julia, and the von Schroeder family make their way across Germany to Berlin where they will attend the Olympic games. For Viviane, it is a life-changing journey. At first, she wonders if reports about German activities and ideologies were exaggerated. She initially sees a thriving, beautiful country, but disturbing observations and incidents tell a different story. Germany is indeed on good behavior -- except when Viviane makes the mistake of conversing with a Jewish man they happen upon and the group proceeds to a charming village in which someone forgot to take down a sign declaring it to be "proudly Jew free." Such signs are forbidden for the duration of the Olympic games so that the multitude of tourists do not have "any misunderstandings about Germany." In contrast, young (barely eighteen) and impressionable Julia is aggressively wooed by Otto, who is clearly determined to marry an English aristocrat, in part, to advance his position within the Nazi party. He lavishes gifts on Julia, one of which Viviane finds particularly abhorrent and horrifying, but Julia is thoroughly smitten and sees only what she wants to see, ignoring Viviane's warnings.

Otto is charming and refined, but Viviane immediately catches flashes of darkness and menacing in his forced smiles and transparently phony gestures of hospitality. Felix is a bit of an enigma. He is witty and irreverent, but also intellectual. And Cornwall deftly keeps Viviane, as well as readers, guessing about his allegiances within his powerful, but ideologically fractured family and to his country. The matter seems settled when he introduces Viviane to his professor, mentor, and the director of the lab where he works, Solomon Hitzig. He has been allowed to remain in Germany because his brilliant work is valuable to and needed by the Nazis, but when Viviane learns about his scientific accomplishments and the history of their implementation, she is appalled and overcome by painful memories. Still, it seems that Felix truly cares for Hitzig and is trustworthy, and when he enlists her assistance, Viviane must navigate a moral dilemma. All the while, she takes photographs of the subjects Tom has instructed her to capture, but her activities do not appear benign to at least one astute observer. Tom warns her not to trust anyone, as he perceives their mission growing increasingly dangerous. Cornwall expertly accelerates the tale's pace and dramatic tension as the Olympics get underway and Viviane finds herself in peril once the motivations and actions of Cornwall's intriguing cast of characters are revealed.

From the moment he meets her, Tom is intrigued with Viviane, recognizing that she is not just a vapid aristocrat but, rather, a deep thinker with dreams and desires. Viviane soon learns that Tom is not entitled and spoiled like the other young men who have assembled for her step-sister's wedding. He recognizes her talent for capturing the very essence of the subjects she photographs, treating her as a capable equal who can make a great contribution to the effort to prevent war. Over time they grow closer, but Viviane must come to terms with the truth about her past. A false narrative informed her choices and self-concept, and she is forced to re-evaluate her beliefs, principles, and desires. Tom faces a similar crisis as a result of his journalistic pursuits in Germany. While he knows that he has helped the war effort by gathering information, his byline has led everyone to view him as a Nazi sympathizer when, in reality, he is anything but. Cornwall's depiction of their introspection is credible and touching because both characters are endearing. Early in the tale she establishes that they are honorable people, both of whom have grown up in worlds in which they don't truly belong. Standing apart from their peers, both have evolved into keen observers and documentarians -- Tom with words, Viviane with photographs. Viviane's father died penniless and rumors swirled about the circumstances surrounding his death, and her mother married Lord Rutherford solely for security. Tom is the illegitimate son of a nobleman who was only able to attend a top-notch college and become enmeshed in the upper echelons of society because of his father's vast fortune. Neither wants to be constrained by the circumstances of their birth or childhood, or conform to the expections of others. Both of them are brave and stubbornly devoted to uncovering the truth, even if that requires sacrifices.

At its core, That Summer in Berlin is a fascinating, pointed, and timely look at a specific point in history -- a summer when Germany sought to deceive the world, using the Olympic games as a backdrop, while secretly constructing concentration camps, expelling Jews and others who failed to live up to their Aryan ideal from their homes and professions, and developing weaponry that would ultimately take the lives of millions. Cornwall examines it primarily from the perspective of an intelligent woman who defies societal expectations. Rather, she plays upon those expectations, using them to camouflage the significance of the actions in which she engages in plain sight.

Cornwall says she hopes That Summer in Berlin will inspire readers "to be bold and brave in their own life, find their own path and make their dreams a reality." Because, as she demonstrates through the journeys of Viviane and Tom, "sometimes unexpected opportunities can lead us to exactly where we were meant to go if we’re brave enough to accept the challenges."

Thank you Berkley Pub and UplitReads for a gifted copy and PRH Audio for an ALC!

I’ve read plenty of WWII historical fiction, but this is the first I’ve read set right between the two world wars, and it was incredibly enlightening! Lecia Cornwall really brought to life the inner turmoil some of the people were dealing with as they struggled to focus on exciting times during the Olympics and yet wonder if there was more going on behind the scenes. Even when some were faced with the reality, their alliances blinded them to the truth. The tension was so real that I could feel it inside myself.