3.5 stars. It’s been awhile since I read a book written by Pam Jenoff. I do enjoy her books and was excited to get a ARC of Code Name Sapphire. It was an easy, fast read, though, a little too simplistically written for me.

I didn’t really learn anything new in regards to World War II. It is always difficult reading anything to do with WWII, the horrors, the decisions that mothers, fathers, brothers, sisters and friends had to make are unfathomable. While this is a story based on two true events there was too much emphasis and unbelievability on how all the characters kept connecting during the story. The story is based on the real life Comet resistance group portrayed in the book as The Sapphire Line. It is also based on the rescue of jewish prisoners who were being transported to Auschwitz. I am always in awe of the resistance fighters during WWII who were not Jewish yet risked their own lives for the Jewish people. This is just one great reminder that there are many, many good people in the world.

Thank you NetGalley and Harlequin Trade Publishing for an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This is a chilling account of life in Belgium when it was occupied by the Germans in WWII. We follow along as members of the Resistance, Micheline, Matteo, and Hannah, fight to free the Jews who have been captured. This is a heartbreaking account of their bravery and the wins and losses they suffer.

This is a book of historical fiction about three young women living through the Nazi occupation of Belgium and their involvement in the Resistance movement. It is loosely based on true events--the determination and bravery of people who lived through these times never ceases to amaze and inspire me! I thought the plot started out somewhat slow, but the action ramped up into a thrilling escape that had me on the edge of my seat. I loved the strong characters (who were also realistically flawed) that had to make hard choices about the survival of themselves & their families. Pam Jenoff always writes great books and this one did not disappoint.

Pam Jenoff has done it again!
Code Name Sapphire tells the story of three women during the war. Micheline, the leader of the Resistance, who helps bring British airmen from occupied zones to safety. Hannah, who escapes from the Nazis in Germany and boards a ship trying to head to America when she is stranded in Brussels and has to stay with her estranged cousin, Lily, until she can make it to America. Lily, who is just trying to avoid the Nazis, support her son and lay low. When Lily and her family are arrested, due to Hannah’s actions, and are given notices that they will be deported to Auschwitz, Hannah decides that she will do whatever it takes to save them before they get on that train.
I have become a true fan of Jenoff and her extraordinary way of bringing her talent to readers.

Loved it!! From the start it was easy to see that Lily had her head stuck in the sand and thought her life wouldn't change and she would be safe in Brussels. Lily ignored the fact that she was living in a city occupied by Nazis and her family was Jewish. It was almost like she wanted to pretend that life was normal and there wasn't a war going on around her. Lily's life changes once her cousin Hannah arrives in Belgium. Hannah was a German Jew and saw first hand what the Nazi's were capable of doing to people. What would have happened to Lily and her family if Hannah was able to disembark in Cuba? Not sure the love triangle aspect was needed or the truth about Georgi's father. My favorite had to be Micheline. She was a young woman in charge of getting injured British airmen back home. She constantly put her life in danger to save others. Not sure how I feel about the ending. I was shocked when the traitor was finally revealed. Throughout most of the book I was convinced it had to be Nik, for really no reason at all, except it would be a twist to the story. I couldn't believe who ended up being the traitor. Why!!!!!! There was no point in this person giving the Reich all the information. So many people lost their life because of it. Hannah's decision at the end when she sees Lily is ridiculous. She doesn't deserve the cape.

Definitely recommend the book. Loved the characters, story and writing style. I enjoyed how the book alternated between Micheline, Lily and Hannah. Look forward to reading more books by the author.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from Harlequin Trade Publishing through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

4.5 stars

This is another winner from Jenoff! The author gives the reader an insider's look into the Belgian Resistance during WWII. The characters depict the strength, struggles, and difficult choices people had to make in a life-or-death situation. I read many books of this genre, but I haven't read one about this particular aspect of the war. The reader gets three POV's, so they get a full picture of the brave women during the resistance. It's based on the true story of the liberation of a train headed to Auschwitz. This is an engaging and emotional read. It does start out a bit slow, but it quickly picks up (so if you're thinking of stopping ... keep reading!) I can easily see this being one of my top reads of 2023.

I love to read historical fiction, WWII, Holocaust, the resistance, and strong women. This book covers everything I love in a book!
This book is told by 3 women during WWII. Hannah, an artist who draws cartoons about the Reich, witnessed her fiancé beaten to death and lost the baby she was carrying. She tries to escape to America but ends up connecting with her cousin, Lily, in Brussels. Lily is a nurse for her husband and housewife. She is doing what she is told to do only to protect her family. Lily & her family are arrested and will be deported to Auschwitz because of Hannah's carelessness while working for the resistance. Micheline is the leader of the Sapphire Network working to save downed airmen. Hannah helps Micheline in hopes of leaving the country to freedom. The Sapphire Network manages a train break to save so many from making it to Auschwitz, including Lily.
This story may not have a happy ending, but war is never good.

Hannah Martel, a German Jew, must escape the country once her fiancé is killed by the Nazis who discover their underground newspaper printing equipment. After her ship is denied entry to North American and Cuban ports, she must return to Europe and goes to live with her cousin Lily and her family in Brussels. Still needing to leave an occupied country, Hannah joins the resistance in hopes of finding a way out. She carries out tasks for the Sapphire Line run by secretive Micheline and her brother Matteo. In the course of an operation, Hannah makes a major mistake, causing Lily and her family to be arrested, sent to a prison camp and slated for deportation to Auschwitz. Hannah must then decide where her priorities lie and the extent of danger and sacrifice she is willing to endure and make.

Pam Jenoff has written another excellent book focused on resistance workers during WWII. The book drew me in from the very first page. It explores myriad relationships and presents the characters with numerous difficult decisions, giving us insight into their personalities and loyalties and their struggles to do the right thing. At times heart wrenching, the book was a satisfying exploration of the resilience of the human spirit.

So many worked so hard for so long to save so many in the Resistance during WW Ii. The story follows the intricacies, adventures and dangers of those brave enough to work covert operations to fight against Nazis. This piece of history follows Hannah, Lily ( and Michelin )through tenacity, heartbreak and determination to overcome painful mistakes as well as save British soldiers from harm. The complexity involved, as in the web of people, cause a trust among members, but should it?-what’s involved in the underground Sapphire line proves dangerous, yet those courageous enough to go against the Nazi regime continue their fight, and these ladies struggle with their own demons, and soldier on for the cause. As you read this page turner into the night, there will be one night where you do not sleep, and you finish the book, with mouth agape. Thank you, Pam Jenoff for introducing me to this Sapphire line is, it caused me to do more research,which I will share with my students

In 1942, Hannah Martel is on a ship traveling from Germany to America via Cuba. Her fiancé has been killed and she lost her unborn child when the Nazis invaded their business where they were publishing anti-Nazi propaganda. When the ship reaches Cuba, they are refused entry and have to be re-routed to Brussels. Hannah does not want to be back in Nazi territory again but she has no choice. She gets word to her cousin, Lily, who lives in Brussels with her husband and child. Although she and Lily haven’t seen each other in quite awhile they were very close as children and she is hoping that Lily will meet her when the ship docks and take her in until she can make new plans to go to America.

Lily’s husband is a doctor and although Germans police are everywhere, she thinks that because they are from Brussels, they are safe. Hannah knows what is happening and it isn’t until Lily’s husband loses his job at the hospital and food becomes scarcer that Lily begins to understand that all Jews are in danger. On a chance meeting, Hannah meets Matteo who introduces her to his sister, Micheline. Micheline is running the Sapphire Line an underground network that rescues downed British fliers and tries to get them across the Pyrenees to safety. After Micheline learns about Hannah’s resistance work in Germany she makes a bargain with her. If Hannah helps them she guarantees that she will get her new identity papers and safe passage out of Brussels. Hannah has no choice but to help her because she is also Jewish and is a marked woman in Germany because of her resistance work. She must get to America and safety and this is her only option.

The work of the Sapphire Line is dangerous and when some of their safe houses are raided and some of rescued soldiers and their operatives are killed, Micheline begins to realize that they have a traitor in their midst. Who is it and who can they trust? When Hannah does something foolish that brings Lily to the attention of the German police, she is arrested along with her husband and son. Hannah can’t let Lily be transported to Auschwitz so she stays and tries to figure out a way to save Lily and her family.

Based on true events, Code Name Sapphire is an unforgettable story of war, love, sacrifice, loyalty and family bonds.

Code Name: Sapphire will be published on February 7, 2023. Thanks to Harlequin Trade Publishing and NetGalley for the advanced reading copy.

An extraordinary story based on truly extraordinary people. Pam Jenoff ha..s done her research and delivered a true description of life in France during the war and especially life with the resistance workers. Do no miss this gem.

Another incredible story by Pam Jenoff!

This book is about the amazing true story of the Auschwitz train rescue in 1945 and I was captivated with this WWII historical fiction set in Belgium. Hannah and Lily (cousins) are reunited and Hannah gets tangled in the resistance, an underground network called the Sapphire Line. Through this, Hannah and Lily find out that they both loved (or currently love) the same man (Mateo) and whose sister (Micheline) is the head of The Sapphire Line and makes things difficult for Lily as a past love of her brother. A mistake on Hannah's part sends Lily and her family to a camp and Hannah does everything in her power to free them before it's too late.

You guys...this story just kept going in the best possible way. It was full of love and loss, grief and celebration. Characters were introduced and interwoven and the bravery shown of the men and women who fought and sacrificed for GOOD was so evidently transparent.

Thank you NetGalley and Harlequin Trade Publishing for the opportunity to read this fantastic novel!

5/5 stars

This book with be published on 2/7/23

3.5 stars ( kept at 3 stars on Goodreads)

Thanks to NetGalley and Harlequin Trade Publishing for an egalley in exchange for an honest review.

What It Is About: One of my highly anticipated historical fiction reads of the year, Code Name Sapphire follows the lives of three women in Belgium during the German Occupation. First, there is Hannah Martel, a German Jewish woman who flees her country of origin after the death of her husband and child. Hannah is unable to immigrate to America and pleads for her beloved cousin, Lily to welcome her to Belgium. Lily is relieved to see her cousin Hannah again and welcomes her into her Brussels home that she shares with her doctor husband, Nil, and their young son, Grigori. As welcoming as she is, Lily does not want to hear too much about Hannah's experiences in Germany and insists that life in Belgium carries along as usual. Hannah fears what shall happen if the Nazis discover that she is a political cartoonist that escaped Germany. Hannah desperately seeks to find a way out and meets our third character, Micheline. Micheline is the head of a resistance organization known as Sapphire that smuggles British airmen through Spain so that may return to the skies. But the organization is dangerous and a man that Hannah meets might be dangerous for both her and Lily.

WHAT I THOUGHT: I think it is fair to say that when a reviewer such as myself states that I am eagerly anticipating a book, that I am also a fan of the author. This is true. Pam Jenoff writes great WWII fiction that once I begin, I find it hard to tear myself away. Code Name Sapphire was no exception to this. Unlike many WWII novels that seem to be set in Poland or France, I appreciated the shift of focus to Belgium. However, I must point out that aside from place names Jenoff doesn't provide any vivid descriptions that made me really understand what Belgium or Brussels was like during this period of history. It is, what it is!

Jenoff certainly gives readers three very complex characters in her chosen protagonists. Micheline was the definition of a strong female protagonist, a fictional composite of the many members of the Resistance that put their own lives at risk to help others. I actually wish there had been more Micheline chapters. Suffice it to say, she was a great character. Hannah already had a very tragic story and I felt that I was along for the ride. Admittedly, she wasn't the cleverest member of the Resistance but I like that she was playing a role. Lily, too, was this really sheltered woman who believed like a lot of people did that German occupation would not touch her family. She loved her husband and her son and didn't understand why Hannah would want to put herself in danger. So, I didn't really care for Hannah and Lily as their storylines which had great potential switched to a focus on a love triangle. < insert SCREAM>

I mean, come on! The ending of the novel itself( which I won't give away) proves that using a man as a wedge between the two cousins wasn't really that necessary. Because all of these women are going to have so much happen in their lives that they are obviously going to be changed, as people.

There are two really great historical points here in the book- the Resistance movement, specifically the Sapphire line( inspired by the real-life Comet line), and how a plan for a train car headed to Auschwitz was attempted to be liberated. In her author's note, Jenoff mentions further reading recommendations and where she had to adjust history to fit her novel's timeline. That was okay with me.

Overall, I did read this book in one sitting and appreciated the history highlighted but it was overshadowed by romantic melodrama that makes me bestow this novel with a 3.5star.

Expected Publication Date 07/02/23
Goodreads Review Date 04/01/23

#CodeNameSapphire #NetGalley.

I borrowed this book for NetGalley. I was enjoying it, however, the holidays got in the way and I can no longer access it. :(

When I saw a new book by Pam Jenoff, I knew it would be good, and she did not disappoint, even with this tough subject.
I knew about the ship and still shudder to think of how these countries treated these desperate people. Politics!
This story is mainly about their lives after the ship returns to Europe, or mainly Hannah Martel, and then her cousin Lily. Lily opens her home to Hannah, an act that changes her life, although with the way things were in Brussels at this time?
There is a bit of romance, but mainly this read highlight the atrocities that went on during this time! There are some big surprises, and I loved the author's notes we are gifted to at the end of this book!
We are given some very strong women and some who give everything to help others, and through this book, we need to never forget!
I received this book through the Net Galley and the Publisher Harlequin Trade, and was not required to give a positive review.

Hannah escaped Nazi Germany but finds herself in a position where she has to save her cousin from transport to Auschwitz.

Pam Jenoff has wrote another incredible world war fiction. It took a few chapters to get into this one, but then I could not put it down! I enjoyed the two cousins and how they were so different. There were a few surprises that I wasn’t expecting. The ending was realistic, but not too sad. I hate when Holocaust fiction ends on an unrealistic happy note. While that was not the case here, there’s some good to the story and ending as well.

“We will rise from the ashes, rebuild anew, come back stranger. But we can’t do that by hiding and running. We have to take the right to the enemy.”

Code Name Sapphire comes out 2/7.

I received this book as an ARC from NetGalley.

I have previously read and enjoyed several books by Pam Jenoff, so I was looking forward to reading this one.

Unfortunately, it did not live up to my expectations. I felt that the dialog was written in a particularly simplistic manner. The love affairs happened without any build up. Although, the story was based on historical events, the writing did not convince me that I was reading a realistic account.

Because of my history with this author, I look forward to future works and hope that she returns to her previous style.

A well-researched, touching story of women's strength and bravery in WWII. Hannah is living with her cousin Lily in 1942 Brussels and joins a resistance line group run by Micheline that helps downed English airmen escape into safer areas. Hannah blames herself for getting Lily and her family rounded up and scheduled for transport to Auschwitz and must act to save her.

What an exciting book from start to finish! Hannah and her fiancé Isaac are working for the resistance when he is murdered and she loses their baby. Hannah returns to Belgium to her cousin Lily's home and begins working for the Sapphire Line resistance. This book kept me glued to it from the very first page with lots of suspense, intrigue and action.

Thank you NetGalley and Park Row for the ARC of this book that is Historical Fiction at its best! I highly recommend this book.

I love a book that brings out my emotions, and this one definitely did just that! This is an amazing yet heart wrenching story and Jenoff’s writing and storytelling are beautiful, detailed, heartbreaking, well researched, and captivating.

This is based on the true story of a liberated train bound for Auschwitz concentration camp, but Jenoff adds in fictional scenarios and characters throughout. I loved each and every one of the characters and their relationships with one another.

This book features three strong, brave, and resilient women and details their life and the steps that they each took to stand up against the cruelty of the Nazi’s.

I could not put this one down! If you are a fan of historical fiction do yourself a favor and pick this one up!