This is based on a true story. It is heartbreaking and heartwarming. The plot building was excellent. The plot kept building throughout the pages. The characters are well developed.

Again, one of my favorite authors of this genre. I have enjoyed every book she has written.
Margot, what a strong amazing wife! The way she stands up and draws support is inspiring. The story is really good and so is the writing. I definitely recommend this read and this author!!

I voluntarily reviewed a copy of this book provided by NetGalley.

An interesting historical with a poignant love story by an author who surely knows how to keep the pages turning. I didn't know about the Berlin Women's Protest before this book.

I will say there were moments I felt that narrative voice mismatched with the subject matter.

Thank you netgalley for the arc in exchange for an honest review. Margot is a German woman, former actress turned seamstress. Her husband Jochen, an artist, and set designer. First he loses his job like all Jews and Margot continues to work to support them both.

Margot and all Germans married to Jews are told they can divorce their spouses but Margot refuses. In time Margot loses her job as she is married to a Jew and they can’t employ her any longer.
Margot receives much needed money and food from her father’s mistress Anastasia, who is a remarkable woman and friend. I don’t want to spoil but please pick up this book you won’t be disappointed!

TW// anti-Semitism, slurs, abuse.

CW// potential spoilers ahead

Ellie owes me a lot of therapy with her books, because they absolutely break me. The second I saw this and saw it was based on a true story, I had to prepare myself for the inevitable heartache that accompanies it, and you should too.

Margot is a seamstress/ tailor for a new and upcoming Czechoslovakian actress, this was never her dream job, before the Nazi uprising. Margot herself was close to becoming a potential film star, but after marrying her Jewish husband Jochen, she faced termination, and seen as less than she is. We follow Margot, as she navigates this new world, trying to protect her husband from the Nazi's continuous ascension, and the impacts this has on Jewish families.

This is such a harrowing and poignant novel. A story of grief, heartache and the power of hope that can be found in even the smallest or simplest of acts, but ones that can embolden and strengthen resolve between people with shared loss and heartache.

The friendships and relationships throughout the book, are so uplifting and hopeful, even in situations where hope seems meaningless. Margot's father being in a relationship with Anastasia, princess of Russia was really interesting. The bond between Anastasia and Margot and the love she holds for Jochen and Margot was so heart warming and soothing in a world so rife with hatred and the increasing desire of the Nazi's to purge the country of Jewish people and anyone who associates with them, the bravery and warmth Anastasia and Margot's dad bring to Margot and Jochen was inspirational and heartening to read.

Jochen and Margot's love is so refreshing and inspirational. Despite all the adversity, and hate spewed towards them, they persevere, resist and at times, laugh at the animosity and racists and bigoted behaviour the Nazi's hold so dearly and spread so boldly. Their relationship stays strong and unbreakable, despite it all, and it was deeply moving and inspirational to read.

Margot herself is an incredible woman, she has strength in spades and she doesn't shy away from speaking her mind, and standing up for herself despite her being primarily ignored or dismissed as worth less than others, due to her marital status, in spite of her 'Aryan' description. Her love for her husband and her undying loyalty to him is so moving and just solidifies her strength ten fold.

And let's just take a minute to appreciate the bravery and heroic protest of the wives and husbands of the Jewish people, held captive at the Detention Centre in Berlin, was profoundly moving and inspirational. The courage and determination they possessed to protect those they love was truly something to behold, it shows just how compelling and powerful love is, and how the strength of it, can help you fight any battle and unite with those who are dealing with the same pain and anguish.

As always with Ellie's writing, it's wonderful and immersive and immediately grips you, but doesn't let you go until the very last page, the emotions move you deeply and you become completely enamoured and enraptured in the characters and their stories.

This was an absolute roller coaster of emotions, I was on edge the entire time, as the timeline was progressing, I was just utterly enamoured and inspired by Margot and Jochen's strength and their beautiful pup Goose, that whenever a new and oppressive law was introduced, it just wrenched my hear even more. I highly recommend it to everyone to read, it will wreck you, but it is such an inspirational story about the strength and power of individual's in the face of evil and hatred.

WWII Historical Fiction is my comfort genre. It is the one genre that I always pick up when I feel stuck in a reading rut. I enjoy that while it can be fiction, most of the time what you are reading is based on actual events. Because of that element you will always learn something new.

This book was no exception. Just when you think you have learned everything about the Nazi's treatment of Jews during WWII, you discover that there is really no end to the atrocities.
This novel shows how things were taken away a little at a time. Not all at once, which really gives you a false sense of confidence that that will be it. But...the treatment gets worse, more rights are stripped away, the war advances.

You get all of this from the perspective of Margot - she is married to Jochen. Jochen is Jewish, Margot isn't. Slowly Margot's world is made smaller, because of who she loves. But she never ever wavers. She has to be one of the strongest female characters I've read in a long time. While historical fiction might not be your fav, this book is really about love, determination and courage.
If you haven't read this one - add it to your TBR. It won't disappoint.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for my digital ARC to read in exchange for an honest review. This book was published in Aug 2022

I am a long-time fan of Ellie Midwood, and I have read nearly every book she has written and they are always superb. She has written many novels, but I believe this one might be her best yet! This book is a excellently researched, and it is clear, as always, that Ms. Midwood is a scrupulous historian alongside her authorship. Wonderful, captivating writing and original plot gives this novel the depth and ability to pull in any reader. I highly recommend this author and all of her other books I have read have been nothing less than fantastic. She is definitely an auto-buy author for me, and I can't wait to own this novel in print.

A huge fan of historical fiction and during WWII, this book will amaze4 you at the love and dedication of Margot. She never allowed herself to be swayed from her affection for her husband, Jochen. The fact that this book focused on the relationships/marriages of Aryans and Jews was a little different. You get glimpses of this in other WWII historical fiction books, but the primary focus of the way the people were treated just for loving a Jewish individual is heartwrenching. A difficult story to read but definitely one to put on your to-be-read list.

Thank you to NetGalley and Bookoutre for my advanced review copy. All opinions and thoughts are my own.

For more reviews, please visit my blog at: https://www.msladybugsbookreviews.com/. Over 1000 reviews posted!

Based on a true event in Berlin during WWII, Midwood tells the story of Margot and Jochen. Margot is a Aryan German and Jochen is Protestant of Jewish decent. Margot like several other German women married men of Jewish decent. With the rise of the Nazis, they were told they could divorce their husbands but many did not. Margot is one of those women. As a result, Margot gets some of the same restrictions placed on her that her husband does. First, Margot loses her job. Then they have have to move out of there home and into a home with another mixed family. For years they have been saved from being rounded up and going to camps because the wife is German, and the Nazis did not want to upset Germans, but in 1943 they start to round up the husbands for transport. When the wives find out where their husbands are being held they go there and protest outside.

This is a story that is about love and what one will do for those they love. It is filled with allies as well as family who will tow the party line over love of family in order to have a better life for themselves. If you like WWII novels and ones that are not French Resistance ones you might enjoy this one. It is inspiration from those who appear to be small everyday people.

“The Wife Who Risked Everything” is a pre-WWII historical fiction book by Ellie Midwood. In this book, the reader learns about the German wives who remained married to their Jewish husbands in Berlin, Germany. Only a few months ago did I learn about the “mixed marriage” law that the Nazi regime enacted. In this book, Ms. Midwood describes them in a lot more detail - in fact in ways I hadn’t fully thought about. I found the character of Margot to be a good one to represent women finding themselves in that position. I could feel the helplessness of the situation while reading this book too. While reading this book, I did consult the internet for more information (such as for Lisa Baarova), but I’d also recommend reading Ms. Midwood’s note at the end of the book. This is the third book I’ve read written by Ms. Midwood and, once again, this was another book I’ve enjoyed the writing style and topic she covered.

Margot was a German woman, her husband Jochen a Jew. As the months moved forward and things worsened for the Jewish population in Berlin, Margot vowed she wouldn't let anything separate them. She would stay by his side no matter what. As they were evicted from first one apartment, then another until they lived in little more than a hovel, Jochen managed to procure a pup for Margot, which they named Goose. Devoted and loyal, Goose even came to realise he shouldn't make a sound.

Eventually Jochen was arrested by the SS, along with countless others. When Margot found out where he was, she joined other women, as well as some men, outside where they were detained, and voiced their objections. They continued, calling out, yelling, refusing to leave their posts for days on end. When they worked in shifts so women could get some sleep, the protest continued. Would their cries of "Release our men. Release our men" be heard? Or would they shoot the woman, even though they were German?

I think I've heard everything despicable the Nazis did during the war, until I read another book and learn more of their atrocities. The Wife Who Risked Everything by Ellie Midwood is based on the true story of courage and the power of love, and those women and men's determination to stop the Nazis from taking their loved ones. A brilliant read, heartbreaking but heartwarming, Margot and Jochen were inspirational - the people surrounding them no less so. I loved Anastasia's character - she was a power house! Highly recommended.

With thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for my digital ARC to read in exchange for an honest review.

Margot is a German woman married to a man she loves. Which shouldn't be a problem. Except she lives in Berlin in the late 1930s, the Nazi party is in power, and her husband is a Jew. But even when given the chance, she won't divorce her husband, and they won't be separated. In fact, she'll fight with every took she has, standing toe to toe with Nazi officers to keep her husband safe.

I loved this story of a mixed-marriage couple in WW2. I read a lot of WW2 historical novels, and I've never seen this take before. In my research, I haven't found if this exact scenario actually could have played out in Berlin, but I do like to think that a woman with the chutzpah that Margot had would had, who would have stood up to the Nazis, could have kept her family safe. The book starts off slow, but picks up, and the way it was written really pulls you in to the story. 4.25 stars out of 5 stars.

I was provided an ARC copy of this book through Netgalley. My thanks to the publisher and the author for providing it to me.

Oh my goodness this book has it all. I was right there on the street with these amazing women as they protested for the release of their husbands. The book highlighted the true historical event- the one and only mass protest against what the Nazis were doing - it unnerved Hitler and his henchmen. If only the people of Germany and elsewhere all rose up against the evil regime before. Miss Midwood has the ability to turn historical data into engrossing stories. Highly recommended.

This book is a sucker punch to your soul. I don't care how much you read about world war 2 and what you think you know. This book will grab at you from the very beginning and take you on a journey Like you've never experienced before. Margot Is a German during the war. She should be free to do what she wants but she has a scarlet letter on her face because she refuses to leave her Jewish husband, Jochen. Yes that's right. They actually wanted her to get a divorce otherwise she couldn't have a job,an apartment or do anything that is respectful. Margot fights the SS and the ever changing laws for the Jews. She feels defeated but still keeps fighting. Although very heartbreaking, this war story will make you believe in love again. The kind of love that doesn't leave. The inconvenient kind of love. The love that lasts a life time.

Never Ending Love

A Love Story to Remember. Margot and Jochen were madly in love with each other and determined to stay together no matter what happened. Margot's husband Jochen is Jewish and her mother does not approve and when the Nazi's come into power in Berlin her mother tries to get her to leave her husband but she refuses to do so. The only person sympathetic to her was her Father and his Russian girlfriend Anastasia.

Margot was a film star until the Nuremberg laws were passed by the Nazi's then because she was married to a Jewish man she was replaced by another star and she was given the job of seamstress. The only friend she had left at the studio was Lisa a Slavic immigrant. Lida too had troubles as she was admired and courted by a man she loathed Minister Goebbels.

When the Nazi's broke into Margot and Jochen's apartment and stole their furniture and they were forced to leave it was Anastasia who gave them a place to stay until they found another apartment. Then Margot lost her job because of new Nazi rules and shortly after Jochen's American employer left the country and he had no job.

It got worse and worse with all the new rules and regulations. Then Jewish and partially Jewish families could no longer have pets and Anastasia took in the Jewish pets, dogs and the cat.

Then Jochen and others were gathered up and taken by the police. Margot didn't know how but she had to get him released before he was sent to the concentration camp in the cattle cars.

Don't miss this thrilling story and the conclusion. Will Margot get Jochen released, will both of them be sent east, or will they all be shot? What happens next? You will definitely want to read this book.

Thanks to Ellie Midwood for writing another great WWII story, to Bookouture for publishing it and to NetGalley for making it available to me to read and review.

A very powerful read based on historical events that are horrifying. I absolutely loved this book and I definitely recommend

Thank you to netgalley and the publisher. All thoughts and opinions are my own and areht influenced. BY anyone else

Thank you NetGalley, Author and Publisher for providing me with a copy of this book to read.
World War II historical fiction is top of my list to read nearly every time I make a selection so I was very intrigued by the title, summary and cover of this book.

Although much is written about this time period and the atrocities conducted by the Nazi regime, the rules against mixed couples (Aryan and Jew) is not one I have heard or read much about. This is a story of strong women with an abundance of courage. These couples had to humble themselves and take jobs beneath their skills, experience and abilities just to earn a wage. They were kicked out of their homes strictly on the basis of their "mixed" marriage status.


The author made it possible for the reader to put themselves in Margot's place and see how she and others were forced to make horrible decisions and tradeoffs to survive. In the face of unimaginable evil, love did overcome.

I have loved every book I’ve read by this author. I cannot help but be taken in by her story tellling and I usually end up crying by that end of her books. I highly recommend this book. It’s a beautiful and roller coaster story. I recommend to my family & book buddies. One of my favorites this year.

Margot and Jochen love one another. However, their love and marriage is illegal, as Margot is German and Jochen is Jewish. They lost their home, their lives, and their jobs, but their love never waivered.

Thank you to NetGalley and Bookouture for giving me a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

First off, Ellie Midwood has quickly be one of my favourite historical fiction authors. This book was just a phenomenal as the rest of her books that I’ve read. One of the things I adored most about this book was including the interactions between the characters and real historical people, such as Alisa Baroova. I love how Midwood handled this with the utmost respect and responsibility. The entire plot drew me right in, demonstrating the early parts of the persecution of the Jews in Germany before the war itself started. This is an angle which many authors don’t take in historical fiction.

One part of this book that I didn’t really enjoy was the repetition and the lack of anything happening in some chapters. However, Midwood definitely made up for this in her beautiful storytelling and dynamic characters who have stayed with me long after I’ve finished the book.

This is definitely one to read if you love historical fiction and a good love story to match!

4.5 stars!
Good story of love and loyalty.
It tells a touching and intense story of a couple, Margot and Jochen. It takes place In Berlin during WW2, the Nazi era.