Thank you to Netgally, the publishers, and Gosia Nealon

When I requested this book I was unaware that it was apart of a series, one that requires you to read the previous books for this one to make sense. I am unable to read all the previous books along with this one before the publish date. Therefore, I will rate this a fair 3/5 stars and will adjust the rating and review when I am able to read all the books in the series along with this one.

Absolutely brilliant book, it led me to read the whole series. The type of book that I couldn’t put down, and read right through in one sitting.

A fantastic read that had me turning pages like there was no tomorrow. I couldn't put it down, loved the story, loved the characters. Loved it

This is the Second Novel in the Secret Resistance Series. I strongly recommend reading all of the books in order so the story will make more sense. Thank you to NetGalley for an opportunity to read this book. All opinions expressed are my own.

An interesting book about the resistance in Poland during WWII. Anna's story was quite traumatic but she was very good at pulling herself out of scrapes. Full of twists, turns and great mystery as you follow this heroine through the war.

I could not leave this story, it followed me everywhere. The resistance characters were so realistic that I could feel them as friends, which made it even more heartbreaking and gripping. These characters had courage and real strength. Even the Nazi characters were vivid including the raw recruit with his head full of ideology. Thank you to Gosla for writing it so well and transporting the read to these difficult days. Thank you to NetGalley for offering me the book to read in exchange for this honest review.

Anna escapes her brutal husband and hides away in Warsaw. During the Nazi occupation, she works secretly to aid the resistance and meets Mateusz, a doctor. Can they survive the war and make a future together?
The Polish Wife is the second book in the series of books about the resisitance in Poland during WW2. I have previously reviewed the first book in the series, The Polish Girl.
We met Anna and Mateusz in the previous book but this book focuses on their story. Anna's mother gives her the chance to escape her violent Nazi husband and she makes a new life in Warsaw. During the war she is appalled by the Nazi regime and, although outwardly conforming, assists the resistance.
The majority of the book is written from the first person perspectives of Anna and Mateusz to show the misunderstandings and emotions of the main characters. There are some chapters written from Lescek's viewpoint which shows his animosity towards the pair. This adds to the creation of the tension as we wait for him to exact his revenge.
I enjoyed the development of the main characters and their relationships. Both of them have huge personal issues to deal with alongside the trauma of war. However, I found some of the plot a little clunky as events occur 'off stage' and then we don't see a proper reaction, such as Mateusz responding to the deaths of his friend and his father.
The Polish Wife is an historically detailed yet emotional novel about the resistance in Poland during WW2.

this will get you 'boom' right in your heart. it was addictive reading and u couldn't put it down.
What a series!!!

The Polish Wife is the second book in Gosia Nealon’s Secret Resistance Series and, after reading The Polish Girl earlier this year, I was eagerly awaiting its publication and it did not disappoint. Gosia Nealon has a captivating writing style which really pulls you into the story and makes it impossible to put it down and The Polish Wife is no exception. I was hooked from the prologue and thoroughly enjoyed the fast-paced exploration of themes such as revenge, secrets and romance.
There is an overlap of both events and characters between The Polish Wife and The Polish Girl, with operations such as the Warsaw Uprising featuring in both. Many of the characters featured in The Polish Wife had been introduced during the events of The Polish Girl and it was fantastic to have an opportunity to return to them and experience their perspectives on the events from the previous book.
Despite being a work of fiction, there is a lot of historical accuracy in the book and it was impeccably researched. In a similar format to The Polish Girl, The Polish Wife doesn’t end at the end of WW2 and we get an insight into life after the occupation of Poland by Soviet troops following Nazi Germany’s surrender. I do think this exploration of the experiences of the characters beyond VE Day really sets the Secret Resistance series apart from other historical fiction works of a similar nature.
The characters in The Polish Wife were beautifully complex and we have another really strong female protagonist in Anna who demonstrated such strength, bravery and tenacity throughout the story. Anna’s escape from domestic abuse was superbly and emotively explored and the blossoming romance between Anna and Mateusz was beautiful and well-developed as the story progressed and their connection grew.
The chapters are short and snappy, quickly taking us on a fast-paced journey through Anna’s life over twelve years. In order to fully explore this extended time period, we do have frequent jumps forward in time by months or even years at a time. A fantastic well-crafted epilogue brings the story to a close and it was a nice choice to give a little nod to Wanda and Finn as well as Anna and Mateusz as it brought the story of the four of them to a satisfying close.
I found The Polish Wife to be a 4* read overall as although we do have a really strong story, there was simply not enough page space to explore all of the different aspects of the story in the depth I craved. I would have loved the book to be a couple hundred pages longer to accommodate this. It is also worth noting that the plot point surrounding Leszek’s revenge plan seemed underdeveloped and we were given very little context for what Mateusz had supposedly done in order to warrant it. This made it harder to engage with and I do honestly think the story wouldn’t have lost much had this aspect of the plot been removed.
Overall, The Polish Wife is another incredible historical fiction work from Gosia Nealon which fans of the genre are guaranteed to love.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5
I have posted an extended review on my blog www.yourschloe.co.uk and the post is linked.

This story is about a young woman called Anna who is living in Poland after fleeing from her husband. She starts a new life. running a cafe whilst helping the resistance. It tells the hardship they all had to endure and sacrifices that were made to try and help fight for their country,.
I highly recommend this book..

I am gradually getting into reading historical fiction and it is through excellent writers like Gosia Nealon that has kept me seeking out something I wouldn't normally consider.

The Polish Wife is part of The Secret Resistance series but the first I have read; I will say that I think it worked as a standalone very successfully.

Although this is a work of fiction, it feels realistic and I can imagine many of the experiences and events written about in this book are similar to what actually happened at various times throughout World War II. What I do know is that any member of the resistance, be they Polish, French, British, etc., were extremely brave individuals and I think Gosia captured that courage very well.

The Polish Wife is, however, more than a story about the fight against the Nazi regime, it's also about love, honour, freedom, survival and hope. The characters Gosia has created are strong and believable and the story if easy to follow but with twists that will have you holding your breath waiting for the outcome which was definitely not a foregone conclusion.

The Polish Wife is one of the top books of this genre I have read so far; I became totally invested and engrossed from the start and I wouldn't hesitate to recommend it and my thanks must go to Bookouture and NetGalley for enabling me to read and share my thoughts of this great read.

Anna did her best to leave her husband. His growing devotion to Hitler was far more than she could bear. When an opportunity presents itself to fight against the German occupation, Anna takes on a pivotal role. Anna hopes to always stay a step ahead of her husband, so she finds more than one challenge facing her.

Strong and determined, Anna refuses to let up, and her crafty nature really helps her to not only avoid her husband, but also to further her efforts to thwart the Germans. Anna finds something - or someone - that lifts her even more. That person is in the name of Mateusz, a young doctor to whom she can’t help but grow to close to.

While married, Anna experienced unspeakable abuse, so facing her husband again would no doubt be more than daunting. As if their marriage problems were not enough, they were indeed enemies on an entirely different level. Working for and with spies is dangerous indeed, but Anna soldiers on.

I loved Anna in this book. Her strength, her character, and the measures she takes makes her someone to admire, no matter the danger that was always on her heel. Having dealt with heartbreak for so long, I was rooting for Anna every step of the way. This book was a remarkable read and was impossible to put down.

Many thanks to Bookouture and to NetGalley for this ARC for review. This is my honest opinion.

The Polish Wife is the second book in The Secret Resistance series by Gosia Nealon. It follows the same events as detailed in the first book The Polish Girl, although this time around the focus is on a different character - Anna. I was happy to discover that Anna would feature heavily this time around as I had found her to be an intriguing character from book one who seemed to have a very important and vital role to play in the work of the Polish resistance in and around Warsaw. We also learn much more of Mateusz, the brother of Wanda, the prominent character from book one. He had been very much on the periphery and more or less absent from the previous story. Reading of the same events that have already been explored in much detail can become repetitive but thankfully this wasn’t the case here as gaining a new perspective through the eyes of different characters meant it made the plot and the events that occurred feel fresh and new. This book can easily be read as a standalone and in fact if you haven’t read the first book it will make you want to go back and read it and then you will be all set for the next instalment, The Polish Daughter.

Germany, 1934, Anna has been married to Helmut for a year. Her father is a famous engineer who will in future years go on to work for the Nazi party. Anna,had believed her life would be a fairy-tale but rather the opposite has occurred. Helmut beats her and treats her with contempt, disdain and hostility. Her father knows what is going on but stands firm in that she is not allowed to get divorced and she must be respectable in the eyes of German society. Anna is miserable and her mother can see this and although she herself can’t escape her husband she sets in motion a plan for Anna to escape. Her mother has inherited a dwelling in Warsaw and the lawyer Witek will help Anna once she makes it to the city. Anna promises herself never again to be vulnerable. She will be strong, independent and will never let anyone hurt or bring her down. She stands true to these qualities for the majority of the book but time and time again she is tested beyond measure.

Between chapters, although not every chapter, the plot moves forward in years and it was initially disconcerting but then I became used to this pattern. With the outbreak of the war, Anna is willing to do her bit and she joins the Polish resistance with Witek as their chef. She is willing to risk her life fighting Hitler as the rules enforced to degrade human beings most notably the Jewish population are abhorrent to her and she will not stand by and let innocent people lose their lives needlessly. The threat of Helmut discovering where she is hangs over her but I admired how she put herself in dangerous situations repeatedly alongside her fellow resistance members.Their unity and strength to join together with one common aim is inspirational. The café she operates in the dwelling provided by her mother is the perfect place for her to play on the fact she is German. People may believe her to be a traitor as she entertains Germans officials and soldiers but really Anna is playing a very clever game. One where she is in a constant state of peril but at the same time she can glean important information which will aid the resistance effort.

I loved Anna as a character. She was brave and tenacious and used her German heritage to her advantage and in particular when she literally goes back into the lions den on a certain mission. I thought it was fascinating the dynamics that played out around the midway point between herself and her father. It could have all been so different and one sided, but the alternative aspect presented to the reader certainly gave plenty of food for thought. Alongside, the main strand of the book was Anna’s blossoming feelings for Resistance fighter Mateusz. Again, as with other aspects of the book, I felt at times that more exploration of this was needed. It seemed as if they were very much connected at some stages and then so far apart both physically, mentally and emotionally at others that to get a real sense of their feelings evaded me at times. But in the second part of the book which focused on the Warsaw uprising things became much clearer and I felt the love and devotion they had for each other even if everything was conspiring against them. To me that was mostly Mateusz’ political viewpoints and that he was quite stubborn even towards the end of the book.

Mateusz is the brother of Wanda, who was very much an enigma in book one so it was a relief in some ways to learn much more about him now. Mateusz can no longer run his doctor’s office anymore as the Gestapo wish him to work exclusively for them which he is certainly not comfortable with. Mateusz joins the resistance and throughout the development of his strand of the story which slowly but surely intertwines with Anna’s the reader can see fire in his belly and soul. He is dogged and determined to engage with as much resistance activity as possible in order to bring down the fall of the Germans. The unimaginable things occurring to the Jewish population leave him full of revulsion and anger and as he gets to know Anna he feels even more strong willed and tenacious in his efforts. There was a slightly sinister slant to his story that was randomly and intriguingly scattered throughout the main book. I was on alert as to what was going on and I could sense that this would climax in something either really positive or on the opposite end of the spectrum it would end in pure disaster. I felt it mixed in well with the overall themes and added a little spice and excitement to at times what was a difficult read in terms of what was happening during the war. If I had to choose I think I preferred the character of Anna over Mateusz as at times I found his personality traits and some of his actions frustrating.

The Polish Wife was another very good read from Gosia Nealon. Yes, as with book one I did find it took its time to get going and there were quite several lulls at certain points. Yet, once it found its rhythm the ante of the plot was really upped and you become deeply invested in the eventual fate of the characters in particular Anna and Mateusz. I would say I would have loved even more exploration of the dynamics between Anna and Helmut. I did sense the danger, threats and manipulation that existed between them but I wanted even more. I thought, despite how things panned out regarding that situation, that even more twists would have been great and a lengthier sense of wondering what would happen and even more elements of danger and suspense were needed. The Polish Wife is a heart-breaking tale of sacrifice, devotion, courage, bravery and fighting in the face of evil and seemingly unstoppable forces. It explores its themes well and is a worthy addition to the World War Two genre and reminds us the work and dedication of so many shall never be forgotten.

I’ll admit I am not a huge historical fiction reader, unless you count what is now HF that was actually in my lifetime. LOL But I don’t think I’ve read anything about the Polish Resistance, so this was a treat. The author has deep characterization that made me really like and root for the characters. Everything was so vivid and crisp in my mind as I read. Beautiful writing and beautiful descriptions.

It encompasses courage, love, loss and even suspense as we follow Anna and Mateuz tries to overcome. If you are looking to read a WWII book from a new angle, I highly recommend this one. I read it in a day and added her first book to my TBR.

The Polish Wife by Goshia Nealon, takes place in Germany in 1934. Anna is hiding in Warsaw and she wants to fight against the German occupation. Anna is willing to risk everything, including her own life, in order to accomplish her mission. She runs a network of spies out of what appears as a café for enemy soldiers. She left her husband as soon as she found out he was a Nazi. Anna has a new found love for her country and the people that need her now more than ever for their freedom and survival.

This is a heartwarming story of love, loss and survival. It was inspiring to read of the courageous people that would do anything and everything to help others survive a terrible time. This heartfelt read was a rapid story that kept my attention at the flip of every page. This amazing read hit all the emotions and left me heartbroken. This is the second installment in The Secret Resistance Series. It can be read as standalone or as part of this fabulous series. Thank you Goshis Nealon for such a wonderful read. I highly recommend it.

The Polish Wife is the second book in the Secret Resistance series by Gosia Nealon. The author writes a realistic book that draws you into the characters life, making you care what the outcome will be.


Main character Anna escapes pre-war Nazi Germany, with the help of her mother to get away from an abusive husband who supports the Nazis. Her mother understands her situation because her husband also supports the Nazis, and she doesn’t want her daughter to experience the same things she has.


Escaping to Warsaw she joins the resistance and opens a cafe as a front while hiding in plain sight hearing all the Germans are saying. When she falls in love with a kind doctor, he goes on the run to avoid going against his beliefs, will she follow? In the face of danger, she shows incredible bravery.


Fraught with danger, and a realistic story line I once again could not put down this book by one of my new favorite historical authors.

Pub Date 31 Mar 2023
I was given a complimentary copy of this book.
All opinions expressed are my own.

Oh wow! Although this is another historical fiction about WW2, the perspective and the story plots are so different from the others. The Polish wife is a story about courage, bravery, love and hope.

In 1934, Anna married a man who admired Hitler. In their wedding ceremony, her husband shared lots of his supportive viewpoints which made Anna felt disgusted. Apart from this, Anna was beaten by her husband. She lost hope and she escaped from Germany to Poland by her mother's help.

After spending few years in Poland, she was recruited to the Polish resistance to fight against the Nazis. What a page-turning in this part! She had to manage the spies and kept everyone safe. Until the man she tried to escape from appeared in front of her....her husband..

This is one of the best WW2 stories I have ever read. The characters and story plot are easy to follow. This is the kind of story that you will feel you are one of the characters.

This is such a powerful book that grips you from the outset, with a protagonist who is tested to her limits and faced with seemingly impossible choices. I wasn't sure how the author would handle such troubling material, but I was utterly taken with Anna's story and the portrayal of the Resistance. This is my first book by this author, but I'm excited now to read the whole series.

Fleeing her cruel and brutal husband, Helmut, of only twelve months with the help of her Mutti, Anna left Berlin for Warsaw, knowing both Helmut and her father wouldn't find her. But with war on their doorstep, Anna was forced to make a hard decision. Entering the resistance with her new cafe - Cafe Anna - as her cover, she saw, and heard, much from the Germans who visited her cafe, easily passing on important information to the resistance.

Mateusz was a doctor, had followed in his father's footsteps, but when he was approached by the Nazis to be their doctor, he closed his practice, disappearing into the folds of his fellow Poles. He hated everything the Nazis stood for, their cold brutality as they killed with no other thought but their enjoyment. Soon Mateusz was in the resistance, working alongside some special people, including Anna. But when Helmut found Anna once again, in her cafe, the six years that had passed seemed like nothing. He hadn't changed, but he wanted her back. She couldn't do it - could she?

The Polish Wife is the 2nd in the Secret Resistance series by Gosia Nealon and I enjoyed learning about Anna's life in the resistance, with the caring, kind and gentle Mateusz struggling in the occupation. There were many special characters in this book, with only a couple who I wouldn't miss if they died ;) Recommended.

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

“With my face buried into a Persian rug, now spoiled by blood and tears, I try to suppress my pain. This time he was even more brutal than before.” (pg. 8) With this dramatic opening description, Nealon quickly captures the readers’ attention and need to know more. Set in Germany and Poland, The Polish Wife, is a story of personal conflicts amidst the horror of WII.
The main characters are Anna, a new resident of Warsaw, Helmut, an aspiring Nazi officer, and Mateasz, a dedicated young Polish doctor. With her mother’s help, Anna has fled her abusive husband and moved to Warsaw. While establishing her career as in the Polish National Theatre, Anna joins the resistance. She opens a Nazi-only cafe and bar on the ground floor of her tenement. Café Anna is designed to entertain and - eavesdrop.
Meanwhile as Mateusz is sickened by unrelenting brutality of the Nazi’s, he too joins the resistance. Given his medical oath to help people, he is fearful of what might be expected of him. However, the leader of their group understands, “It’s not your piece of kielbasa. You are excellent in other things, but not this (i.e., murder).” (pg.53) Mateusz also must deal with fellow resister, Leszak, who carries a vicious grudge against him. Anna laments, “I don’t trust Leszak. The moment I met him for the first time, my gut told me to be careful with him. He is mean and arrogant and I hope that Mateusz is careful when it comes to him.” (pg.59)
Having met via their resistance missions, Anna and Mateusz slowly begin to understand each other. “He’s been like an enigma from the very beginning to me…. There is a softness about it that contrasts with the way he looks at me, like he doesn’t trust me, or is accusing me of something.” (pg61) But the story doesn’t end with their infatuation. There are many more twists and turns to follow.
The organization of this novel is perfect. With chapters devoted to the voice of each character and written in first person, we are able to hear their innermost thoughts and fears. Nealon’s style of writing is beautiful because she includes the details of the time and place while capturing the voices of each character. I included several quotes in this review but here is one more that grabbed my heart. “We live in dark times when a little girl’s life is destined to end in places like Tremblinka due to decisions made by lunatics who think they are a superior race.” (pg. 47) Rating: 5