In the latest Orphans of War book, Reit picks up in the midst of the Dutch resistance against the Nazi occupation. Following Christiaan and Lisa, Reit brings the complications and terrors of escaping to Spain and England to life. He then explores their lives after arriving in England. Reit briefly returns to Nora and Floris’s stories, but the book primarily focuses on Lisa and Christiaan and their status as emigrants. Reit successfully highlights the stresses and struggles of loyalties and family during World War II as well as the general stress of existence and resistance. His characters are all vivid and forceful, with their personalities and experiences at the forefront of the story. Reit’s prose is clear and descriptive, allowing the reader to visualize Christiaan and Lisa and their story. The concise chapters and clear jumps in setting and time allow the reader to track the flow of time and the whereabouts of the characters, making this book extremely readable and straightforward. Reit’s prose and use of language and dialogue are vivid and powerful, creating a dramatic and detailed setting populated with such strong characters. Reit successfully brings this world to life, highlighting the hope that can be found in such a dark time.

#netgalleyarc I requested this book without realizing it was part of a series. Normally when this happens I’ll go back and read the first book but I don’t think I’ll do that with this series. The writing was good, it was interesting to read WW2 historical fiction written in a different country that I usually read but this book just wasn’t my cup of tea. I don’t know if it was cuz this story picks up where the first one ended or what but this book just did t hold my attention. I didn’t like many of the characters, which maybe was the point for some of the characters, but the book just left me feeling meh. Not my cup of tea but maybe it is someone else’s.

From the first page I was completely hooked with the story. The writing and the plot was amazing. This book had me turning the pages so fast to see what would happen. The ending was amazing.
Many thanks to the author, The Book Whisperer, and NetGalley for a complimentary copy of the book. The opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own.

They Bled Orange is the second book in the Orphans of War, but my first read of Michael Reit's series. There was plenty of backstory included so I didn't get lost in the storyline. The story follows three Dutch relatives, each with a different twist. As the story begins, Nora works in-country as a resistance fighter; her estranged husband, Floris, is a vicious Nazi-loving policeman is held captive by the Resistance in Amsterdam, while his brother / her brother-in-law Christiaan, another resistance fighter, has fled Holland with his Jewish girlfriend Lisa.

The narrative moves quickly with twists and turns that kept me engaged. I've read a lot of WWII historical novels, but this was my first focusing on the Dutch resistance. It did not disappoint. I'm looking forward to the sequel, which is due out later this year.

Thanks to the author, NetGalley and the Book Whisperer for the opportunity to read an advance copy.

“They Bled Orange” is the second book in a trilogy by Michael Reit that began with “The Orphans of War.” As I had not read the first book, I can confidently say that this can be a stand-alone book as well. There will be a third book in the series, coming soon.
This is a historical fiction book set during World War II, in 1943. Having read hundreds and hundreds of this particular genre, I will say that this book focuses on an area I haven't had much previous exposure to, specifically the Dutch fighters that were enlisted into the British SOE. It was fascinating to read about these adventures, and the exposure of the network. The book follows 4 main characters as they try to survive during the horrors of WWII: Floris Brouwer and his wife Nora, as well as Floris' brother,. Christiaan Brouwer, and his Jewish girlfriend Lisa Abrahams. This book was quite graphic, which the author spoke to in his afterwards, he felt it was necessary to expose what truly happened.
Rating: 3/5 stars. I did feel that some of the story dragged for me, but I was committed to finding out what happened to the main characters.
Disclosure: I received a complimentary copy of this book; opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

This book describes what happens to families during the war. Brothers are pitted against each other and couples are separated while each tries to help fight the Germans.

This book is a fascinating look at the Dutch Resistance during WWII. Nora has been part of the Dutch Resistance while her husband Floris is very involved in rounding up Jews to send them away to the camps. His brother Christiaan and his fiancé Lisa are also heavily involved in the resistance. Floris was captured by the resistance and held captive for four months. Now he is scheduled to be killed but unfortunately escapes. His focus in rounding up more Jews and hunting for his wife and brother. Separately, Nora and Christiaan embark on their journeys to get to safety in England and work with the Dutch Resistance there. I did not read the first book in the series but there is enough information of the background to catch up (although I will read the first book soon). The story held my interest throughout, and I learned many things I wasn’t aware of during this part of the war. Although the characters are fictional there are many interesting facts that aren’t commonly known.

This book was awesome. Christiaan seems like a war hero. Lisa working along side of him. And you can’t forget Nora and Floris. Then The rest of the group fighting for the reisistance and doing all they can to make the war be over sooner.

I enjoyed this book that I bought the fist book to get the backstory. That’s just how great this book was!

I hadn’t realised this was the second book of Michael Reit, The Orphans of War trilogy until I had finished it. I was able to follow along as I read about family and friends fight for survival. The story follows the different paths the main characters take as they made their journey through occupied war-torn Countries to London or to survive the Eastern Front. The bravery and courage as they did what they could for the Dutch Resistance. Although I haven’t read the first book, I really enjoyed They Bled Orange and am looking forward to the release of the conclusion to the series in September.
I would like to thank The Book Whisperer, NetGalley and the author for the opportunity to read his complimentary copy for an honest review. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

Courtesy of The Book Whisperer and Netgalley, I received the ARC of They Bled Orange by Michael Reit. This well researched WWII historical novel, second in a trilogy, portrays the efforts of the Danish Resistance, with an emphasis on how the war affected families and their alignment and decisions. Suspenseful to read this page turner with compelling characters, I cannot wait to read the next book in this series and follow these brave people!

Over the years, Michael Reit has become an author that I look forward to reading more and more. I have been lucky enough to have read all the books he has written so far. After having read the first book in the Orphans of War series, I was excited to read They Bled Orange (Orphans of War Book 2). They Bled Orange pretty much picked up where the first book in this series left off. It was a most engaging book. Michael Reit, once again transported his readers back to 1943 to Nazi occupied Amsterdam where there was not only a strong and intimidating Nazi presence in the city but also a strong and courageous resistance movement bent on sabotaging the Nazis in any way possible. The police department in Amsterdam also openly pledged their support to the Nazis and helped the Nazis capture and round up Jews for them during the occupation. They Bled Orange took place in Amsterdam, Geneva, Switzerland, London and on the Russian Front.

Christiaan Brouwer and Lisa Abrahams successfully escaped from Amsterdam and had been living in Geneva, Switzerland since they had escaped. Both Christiaan and Lisa had been helping the newly arrived refugees settle in, and find housing and jobs in Switzerland. Christiaan wanted to do more, though. He and Lisa both agreed to go to London. They both felt they could help more being in London. Soon after their arrival in London, Christiaan went through training to become a spy. He and Lisa, along with other Dutch refugees, were granted an audience with Queen Wilhelmina in London. The Queen asked Christiaan to return to Amsterdam as a spy so he could impress upon the individual resistance cells the importance of working in unity. In this way they would be strong enough to liberate their country from the Nazis when the time was right. Christiaan was more than honored to oblige his Queen. Since Lisa worked as a typist at the Bureau Inlichtingen or the Dutch Intelligence Agency, she had collected evidence that raised her suspicions that their network might have been compromised by the Nazis. Christiaan had also been asked to verify this suspicion once he arrived in Amsterdam. What a risk Christiaan was taking returning to Amsterdam!

Nora Brouwer was still an active and reliable member of the resistance movement in Amsterdam. When her cover was blown after an unsuccessful execution, Nora was forced to leave Amsterdam and run for her life. With three other refugees, she began the long journey through Belgium, France, Spain and Portugal to get to her final destination of London. Nora’s journey was hard, dangerous and difficult but she had no other choice.

Floris Brouwer had worked at the headquarters of the Bureau Jewish Affairs as a police officer that hunted down Jewish Citizens. He had captured more Jews than anyone else in his police force until he had been taken prisoner by the resistance more than four months earlier. Somehow, Floris evaded a botched execution by the resistance that was meant to end his life. When he reported back to his old position at the police station he hoped for a warm welcome back. All around him, his fellow police officers were openly suspicious of where he had been for the past four months. Floris escaped his own execution by the resistance only to be forced to volunteer to go to a Waffen-SS training camp and then to be sent to the Eastern Front to fight the Russian army.

They Bled Orange by Michael Reit was comprised of three parts and the chapters alternated between the characters of Christiaan and Lisa, Nora and Floris. Michael Reit’s research for this book was extensive and detailed. He presented and talked about his research in his author’s note. They Bled Orange was definitely more graphic than his prior novels have been. There are a few scenes that depicted the cruelty the Nazis were known to inflict upon their prisoners. They Bled Orange was very well written. I loved the cover also! Now I am looking forward to reading the third and final book in this trilogy. I recommend this book very highly.

Thank you to Book Whisperer for allowing me to read They Bled Orange by Michael Reit through Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions expressed in this review are completely my own. Publication was April 5, 2023.

As a reader of WWII historical fiction I give this book a 3.75 stars. The Dutch Resistance is not one that is often written about and I so appreciated learning more. This is a fast moving book with interwoven stories in the fight against the Nazis. It showed the courage of civilians and the hardships they faced during the war. The author gave a clear and hair-raising image of what it was like once a resistance line had been compromised and the escape each person faced to save their lives.

The main area that fell down for me and caused me to not give it a full 4 stars was the dialogue. At times it felt forced and simplistic.

I am hoping book three will pick up where this one left off as I did feel it ended a bit abruptly. I would read other books by Michael Reit.


Thank you to The Book Whisperer for publishing it and to NetGalley for providing me with a copy to read and review.

Suspenseful book. The Dutch resistance and the elements of this book including the Eastern Front are not commonly covered in historic fiction from this period, so it was engaging. The characters were well developed and I was pleasantly surprised to see that the villain had some complexity added to his character. Overall good read. Would not recommend for young or impressionable readers, it does have some rather graphic atrocities in it.

They Bled Orange is a WW2 novel about the resistance in the Netherlands…it’s the second book in the trilogy. Even though I have not read the first book yet I enjoyed the trilling ride of this book. (I’ll be going back to read the first and will read the third when it comes out.) Of course at the end of the book things are left unresolved so that’s a little annoying I have to wait to find out what happens. However I would recommend this book to anyone who loves a good fight over evil.

It makes me sad that I have to place this story in my "Wish I had liked it more" category. Of course, a story that tells of the struggles and times that many lived and died under during the war is one that is always worthy and valuable.

We are told about Nora Brouwer, a Resistance fighter who through a mistake, has her life placed in incredible danger. Leaving Amsterdam is a problem but Nora through courage and stealth is able to escape to England. Meanwhile her husband, the Jew hunting, Floris Brouwer, is hell bent on capturing (and torturing ) his wife. However, through a mistake, he is sent to the Russian border to fight. There he witnesses both a kindness which will change is views, and atrocities done to the Jews and the horrors of war.

Christiaan Brouwer, Nora's brother-in-law, is in Switzerland and is asked to escort a British pilot back to his home. Along with his girlfriend, Lisa, a Jew, Christiaan does bring the pilot to safety. and is then asked to return to the war torn zone.

The lives of these people are portrayed with the war raging and the reader wondering if any of them will survive.

The story started out strong, but then it deteriorated into more of a telling than a showing of the horrendous incidents so well known to those of us who acknowledge history. I see from other reviews, that most of them gave this book 4-5 stars, so please take a look at their reviews if you intend to read this story. It appears I am an outlier where this book is concerned. However, one must never forget the atrocities of war and the people who followed along with hatred in their hearts.

Thank you to Michael Reit, The Book Whisperer and NetGalley for a copy of this story due to publish April 5, 2023.

I thought Orphans of War was good, but Michael Reit blew me away with They Bled Orange! It sucked me in from the very beginning, and it seriously irritated me that I had to put the book down and do adult things instead of binge reading the book all the way though. If you haven't started this series yet, you need to! It may be one of my favorite historical fiction series out there.

Michael Reit did it again. And if by some chance you are reading this Michael, you embarrassed me at the Dr's office. I finished the book and yelled out loud, "What?! Really?! Are you serious?!" I had to explain to a couple people that I didn't think the book was ending yet. I'm glad to see there will be another out this year!

Michael has turned into one of my favorite authors. I received an email about the book. I didn't have much time to pay attention to who wrote it or what it was about. I knew I wanted to read it. I was thrilled when I got home and saw not only that he was the author, but it was a sequel to Orphan's of War.

If you have the time, I would suggest reading Orphan's of War. If you don't, that's fine. The author refers to happenings from the 1st book, making it an easy follow and a nice refresher for those of us that have already read it.

We continue to follow the fight for freedom with main characters Nora and her brother in law, Christian along with his fiancé, Lisa. They are part of the Resistance, always in danger of being found out.

Nora's husband, Floris is the enemy. We also follow his journey from capture by the Resistance to his escape. I won't say more on that and spoil your read.

There are tons of reviews with details, so I won't repeat what others have already said. I suggest you get your copy and pre-order if you can!

Survive at All Costs

Courage, action and vengeance. Resistance workers in Amsterdam help many Jewish people to escape to safety and guide downed pilots through their network back to England.

The story is of the occupation and these brave workers, but woven in the story is a family saga as well.

Nora Brouwer, her husband Floris Brouwer and her brother in law Christiaan Brouwer all play parts in this family saga during their time in Amsterdam during the war. Nora and Christiaan are both members of the Amsterdam resistance and Floris is policeman and a staunch Nazi. He wants to find Nora and take revenge on her for her actions.

Christiaan and his girlfriend Lisa have escaped to Switzerland but Christiaan wants to get back to work with the resistance. When he is offered a way to guide a downed pilot back to England from Amsterdam he is all in on the plan.

Floris, meanwhile, has been demoted and is facing being shipped to a camp because they believe he is in cahoots with the resistance.

Who will make it out alive and who will be captured and tortured or die during this awful Nazi occupation? Will Floris have a chance to find Nora and have his revenge?

You will have to read the book to find out how this all plays out. It is fast paced and edge of your chair reading. It was a good story and I recommend it.

Thanks to Michael Reit for writing another great story, to The Book Whisperer for publishing it and to NetGalley for providing me with a copy to read and review.

Historical fiction from World War II is my special interest and They Bled Orange did not disappoint. Although second in the series Orphans of War by Michael Reit, I had no trouble following the thread of the storyline without the benefit of having read the first book in the series. This novel follows the interwoven storylines of several family members and friends that are caught up in the Resistance during the occupation of The Netherlands by the German army. Nora and her brother-in-law, Christian, are both deeply involved in the Resistance efforts to help Jewish families and children escape the country and both wind up having to leave Amsterdam abruptly upon discovery of their efforts. Nora’s husband, on the hand has joined the German forces helping to hunt down Jewish citizens and is in hot pursuit of his wife and brother when his missteps wind up sending him to the Eastern front fighting for the German Army. The story lines follow the escape of Nora and some other Resistance fighters as they endeavor to make their way out of the clutches of the Nazi regime and to England. Christian and Lisa, his fiancé, the first to escape are charged with helping a pilot cross to Spain so that he can they can head to Britain and Christian can rejoin the resistance fight in Amsterdam. The escapes are heart-stopping travels with fear of being apprehended by the Germans at every turn.. The journey of Floris, the husband of Nora, to the Eastern front to meet up and fight against the equally ruthless and deadly Russian army is an eye-opening experience for Floris. Unfortunately the book ends with several characters stories left in limbo which of course is designed to entice the reader to continue the sage with the third book. However, it is slightly frustrating to be left hanging until the next book comes along!

I was provided an arc through the Book Whisperer and Net Galley and certainly appreciate the opportunity to preview this exciting book.

They Bled Orange depicts strategies in 1943 during World War II detailing the Dutch resistance fighters against the might of the German forces. The story is replete with conflicts pitting brother against brother and wife against husband. In addition to the descriptions of the atrocities of war — particularly on the Russian front — there are harrowing accounts of daring escapes to neutral European countries despite less than ideal circumstances and conditions.
The novel is an interesting and intriguing read and could very well have been modeled on events which could have actually occurred. I thank NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this book prior to publication.