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.

TRIGGER WARNING: war crimes and anti-Semitism
Julia's father has gone to fight the Nazis and now she wants to help save her country. She is reunited with two boys from her childhood, now grown men, but on opposing sides of the fight...
The Polish Daughter is the third book in the WW2 Polish resistance series and I have previously reviewed the first two books, The Polish Girl and The Polish Wife.
Julia's Jewish mother died giving birth to her and now her father has left to join the fight. Julia begins to work for the resistance and meets Alek who she has a negative history with. She also sees her former sweetheart Nikolaj and their relationship seems ready to start up again. But Julia is shocked by the secrets she uncovers and her heart reels from the sad truth.
Most of the book is written from the viewpoints of Julia and Alek but there are also some chilling diary entries from Nikolaj. The author includes characters and events from the previous books but it is not necessary to have read the books in order. We don't find out about the incident of antagonism between Julia and Alek until halfway through the book and I was starting to wonder why she was so keen to think badly of him.
The brutality of the soldiers and Nikolaj's twisted opinions were difficult to read at times. Julia is almost emotionally broken by her experiences but she decides to stay strong to honour those who have died. The softening of the relationship between Julia and Alek gives the book a lighter and more hopeful angle. There is a powerful message about the strength of human spirit even in the darkest days.
The Polish Daughter is an emotional historical novel.

The Polish Daughter is the third book in Gosia Nealon’s Secret Resistance series. After reading and reviewing the first two instalments of the series earlier this year, I was eagerly awaiting the publication of The Polish Daughter and it certainly did not disappoint.
Each of the Secret Resistance stories exist within the same universe and are all centered around the 1944 Warsaw Uprising. This gives us a unique opportunity to explore the events of the uprising from the perspectives of a range of characters who each had different roles to play in the resistance effort. There is a natural overlap of characters and events across the three stories and I personally really enjoyed the opportunities to encounter the protagonists from previous novels and see how all of their stories fit together like puzzle pieces.
The Polish Daughter is an intense and gripping story which is fast-paced and packed full of action and suspense. Gosia Nealon’s captivating writing style has created another of the powerfully hard-hitting stories we’ve seen in the rest of the series and as with her other works the story doesn’t shy away from sharing the brutal atrocities of the Nazi regime. This book also rounds up the series by further exploring the cruelty of the Soviet regime in Poland following the end of the war.
Julia was a fiercely courageous and tenacious protagonist who, alike all of the other characters in the Secret Resistance series, had such depth to her character. The exploration of grief we get through Julia’s character and the losses she experiences was particularly powerful and a highlight of the story for me. Her infatuation with Nikolaj made her naïve and oblivious to his true nature and I thought both this and the gradual process of Julia opening her eyes to the reality of his character were really well written. In Nikolaj, Gosia Nealon has created a truly vile antagonist who perfectly captures the brutality and evil of the Nazis.
Throughout the story we get little nods to the Polish language and Polish culture and this really helped the story to feel authentic.
One criticism I would have is that I simply would have liked the story to have been longer. The main narrative is set five years on from the prologue and this has meant that we have missed a really significant portion of Julia’s story and with it a significant portion of her character development. We’re told about her earning the nickname of the ‘huntress of the north’ but it would have been nice to have the story behind this explored in a little more depth.
Overall, The Polish Daughter is a really powerful piece of historical fiction which has brought Gosia Nealon’s Secret Resistance series to a hell of a close.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5

I have posted an extended review on my blog www.yourschloe.co.uk and the post is linked.

This story has caused me a lack of sleep this week! It’s had me up and almost late for work, as I just couldn’t put it down!

It’s an intriguing look into the war from the polish resistance. Straight off from the start when Julia dives into the resistance and sees an old friend Alek, it had me hooked.

The battle between good and evil is clear in this book, though I would have loved to see even more of Nikolas from his perspective as he was an intriguing character.

Alek captured my heart the moment he was mentioned. Heroic, brave, stubborn and very hard to kill.

I enjoyed reading from the perspectives of the different characters, each so different, each have their own story to tell.

The ending also was a bit of a cliff hanger! I find myself yearning for more, and hope this story isn’t quite finished yet….

Thank you for a brilliant read.

🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟
This book definitely kept me up past my bedtime!!!
Thank you Bookouture for inviting me to be part of Books on Tour! “The Polish Daughter” had me riveted to my couch. This is the third book in “The Secret Resistance” series. I highly recommend reading the first two books before this one.

This story is told from three different perspectives.

Julia- is half Jewish and she was raised by her father. She is trying to
survive the war working with the Resistance.
Alek - is a Resistance Fighter and high school enemy of Julia. They are
forced to work together to survive.
Nikolaj - is a soldier in the German Army and a childhood love of Julia. He
isn’t what he seems.

What follows is a gripping adventure that will keep you guessing. This book was sad, happy, and very well written. Gosia Nealon definitely made me “ugly cry”. She did not shy away from the realities of war.

Many thanks to the author, Bookouture and NetGalley for a complimentary copy of the book. The opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own.

I have read many books touching on different topics of WWII, none have touched me the way this series has. Though this is a series each book may be read as a standalone though you’ll get more benefit of reading the entire series. I have learned so much by reading this series.


Have the tissues with you while reading. My heart broke for the mistreatment of the Polish people.


Beginning with the uprising of the Polish people in and near Warsaw. In Poland 1944, Julia’s father is a high-ranking officer and moves them out of Warsaw to keep them safe but goes mia. She must return to Poland to search for him, and she is also part of the resistance. When she sees a long-time childhood friend, she has always felt safe with she doesn’t understand why she sees him in a Nazi uniform.

Talking to her he explains he is really spying as a German soldier. Wanting to feel safe with him she overlooks his bizarre and changed personality, but should she examine it further?


This is an exceptional author who writes a true to life story that is not afraid to include the nitty gritty because after all this is true to life. Her stories always have the glimmer of light shining through in the absolute courageous actions of characters, unparallel bravery and putting other needs before their own. I will read every book this author writes!

Pub Date: 21 Apr 2023
I was given a complimentary copy of this book.
All opinions expressed are my own.

Although the Polish Daughter is the third book in The Secret Resistance Series, it can be read as a standalone story. The story begins during the Polish uprising in and near Warsaw with the partisans severely outnumbered, but with their heart and desire to free their homeland, they hold off the Germans and regain some of the city. Alek is leading his own group and is surprised when the "Huntress of the North" comes to join them. What he didn't expect was that he knew her, a schoolmate who he had a love/hate relationship with. Julia was just as shocked to see Alek, but was happy to work with his second in command, her old friend, Romek. Julia works as a courier and when she enters another area to try and warn her dearest friend, Natalia that they are rounding everyone up. She is late and Natalia is arrested and after being brutalized, she is killed. Julia is distraught and leaves the area with her old friend NIlolaj, who is working as a spy for the resistance, or is he? Will Julia, Alek and Romek survive the war?

This was a heartbreaking story set during events that I didn't know a lot about. I had heard about the Polish Uprising, but knew almost nothing about it. I had also read some things about the treatment of the Polish people by their so called saviors, The Russians. Those were parts of the story that I read with interest. One main part of the story was a romance storyline between Julia and Alek. Although it is nice to see real people living and surviving during tragic times, it wasn't what I was expecting from this story. As I read this story I saw that the brutality of war is devastating for everyone and some of the horrors (the rape of young girls and women) boggles the mind. As is said several times in this book that it is unbelievable what man can do to fellow man. I would hope that we could learn from the past, but when I see families, schools and hospitals being bombed in the Ukraine, I guess people wanting power will never learn. If you are interested in learning more about the plight of the Polish people during WWII and shortly after, I recommend you pick this one up.

This is an incredibly hard hitting page turner that follows Alek and Julia in Poland during WWII. The author doesn’t shy away from the ugliness of war or the loss and the impact it has on people. War changes people for better or worse. Gosia is an incredibly strong storyteller. A must read for those who enjoy reading Wartime fiction. 5 stars.

Poland, 1944: As the war rages on across Europe, so many lives have been changed forever. This brutal time has torn apart families never to be put back together again. Julia’s father is a high-ranking Polish Officer who moved his family out of Warsaw to keep them safe. But when he is missing in action, Julia returns to Warsaw to not just fight for the resistance but to also search for her father. Soon Julia returns to her home and she is trapped in the streets by the Nazis. They are grabbing people and whisking them away. Julia recognizes her childhood sweetheart Nikolaj dressed in his Nazi uniform, but how could that be? How could Nikolaj be with the Germans during this horrible war? But when she has an opportunity to talk with him alone, he explains to her that he is a resistance spy posing as a German officer. She wonders if it’s the truth and can she trust him.

Gosia Nealon is an exceptional author that writes well beyond her years.
This Polish Daughter is the third installment in The Secret Resistance Series. I loved this book, I think it was my most favorite of the series. The courage and sacrifice of people during this horrible time, always amazes me. I was enthralled with this story from the beginning to the very last page. It was impossible to put the book down and as I turned each page I found myself on the edge of my seat. As my heart rate quickened I was so emotional, and couldn’t hold back the tears. I was inspired by this heartbreaking story and I highly recommend it.

Gosia Nealon continues her Secret Resistance series with The Polish Daughter. As this powerful story begins, Julia is a strong fighter when it comes to the Resistance. Heartbroken that her friend Natalia was one of countless taken by the Germans, Julia will go to any lengths to find her, even if it means taking defiant measures.

Despite her fears, Julia soldiers on. When she soon sees someone from her past, Nikolaj, she feels she has reason for hope. However, it doesn’t take long for Julia to realize that Nikolaj is not the man she thought he was, and now she must find a way to ensure her safety and get back to working with the Resistance.

Escape for Julia and others in her group, including Alek, is perilous, as the danger is constantly nipping at their heels. This story becomes one of hope as Julia and Alek fight hard to survive what was most certainly one of the darkest times in history. While WWII was coming to a close in this final book of an amazing trilogy, it was more than clear that the atrocities that Polish people faced was brutal and devastating. Gosia Nealon writes these books with flair, making each story, each character, each situation, so compelling, that these books were impossible to put down.

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

I love when I discover a new author and an immediately immersed into their work. When Netgalley offered The Polish Girl, I adored the novel, so I was thrilled when she told me she was doing a series of three books. After the Polish Girl, was the Polish Wife and the final one is this one The Polish Daughter.

Poland, 1944

Julia is taking to Warsaw by her father who is a high-ranking Polish Officer. As the war breaks out and her father is missing she becomes part of the resistance. Her childhood crush Nicolaj is also fighting in the war, but she finds out he has ulterior motives and not whom she remembers.

This story is told in three perspectives. We hear from Julia, Nicolaj and Alex. Alex is also from her childhood, but they were not on good terms during her younger years.

This novel tugs at every emotion. I was rooting for the Polish people, the resistance, and mostly for Julia. When the war broke out you would find your friends and neighbors on different sides. The Nazis were cruel. The power of love, courage and strength is needed even in the worst of times.

I am sad to see this series end, but I look forward to what Gosia writes next.

This is a great WWII read. Set in Poland, the resistance fights for their homeland.
You never truly know who to trust. The main character must overcome shock, despair, and betrayal.
This book speaks much of the last year of the war.
It is beyond tragic that those who escape Nazism were hunted down by the communists and killed after all the sacrifices they made for their beloved homeland.

I was drawn to this book as the child of parents born and raised in Poland during WW2. I’ve read so many books about that time in history, but none that have touched on all that Poles went through both during and after the war, when they went from being ruled by one authoritarian government to the next (and it’s a story that really deserves more attention). While a book of fiction, I thought “The Polish Daughter” was a heartbreaking yet beautiful tale of how much the Polish people love their country and how much was sacrificed to try and gain freedom.

The story in this book revolves around Julia, a woman who lost her father early to the war and is not working with the Resistance to try and saw Warsaw. There she reports to Alek, who she knows from high school and who she does not have the best history with. When she sees her friend Natalia being taken away by guards, she tries to get to her, instead running into an old love, Nikolaj. Nikolaj presents himself as a double agent fighting for Poland, and Julia desperately wants to believe him. As time goes on, Julia learns who Nikolaj and Alek really are, as one captures her heart and one disappoints her more than she could ever expect.

There are many aspects of this book that make it a page-turner: action, suspense, deception, and heartbreak. There are a lot of twists through the story, but none distract the reader from the main plot. I also really appreciated the small touches of Poland that are throughout: sticking with Polish names for the characters, describing Polish foods and customs…as someone familiar with them, it made the story feel more real for me.
While this is the third book of the Resistance Series, it is my first read by Gosia Nealon and I look forward to catching up with the first two books. Any fan of historical fiction or WW2 fiction should give this book a try!

**Thank you so much to NetGalley, Bookouture and Gosia Nealon for the advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. Much appreciated!**

It is the 3 in the series. And even though it is the 3 book , the treatment of other people, the abuse that is happening still baffles me. It was a good ending to a series. Thank you to netgalley for letting me read this e arc in exchange for an honest opinion

Julia had returned to Warsaw and was once again fighting in the Resistance. She had many school friends in the resistance group and Natalia, her best friend was one of them. But when Natalia was taken by the Germans, Julia defied her team leader, Alek, and headed to where those arrested were taken, desperate to save her friend. Could she do it? Or was it likely that she would also die? When a man who she thought a lot of - Nikolaj - appeared, Julia was shocked to see him dressed in the German's uniform. His words to her, that he was undercover and working for the Resistance, reassured Julia. But with Natalia gone and seemingly imprisoned by Nikolaj, Julia knew she needed to get back to her group.

Escape through the underground tunnels for Alek, Julia and the rest of their group gave them some reprieve, but things were looking bleak. It wouldn't be long before the Germans had taken over their area of Poland - would they follow the rules of the Geneva Convention?

The Polish Daughter is the 3rd in The Secret Resistance series by Gosia Nealon and I enjoyed it although the brutality and evil nature of the Nazis still has me wondering, does anyone ever learn from the past? Obviously not, when we see what's happening in the Ukraine. Recommended.

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

This book will have you wanting to reach into the pages and strangle some people! There are secrets, and someone people aren't who they say. Lying and betrayal by people out for their own agenda, those who present themselvesas trustworthy. And all this admid a brutal war. With these friends, who needs enemies?

Like with the other books I've read by Gosia Nealon, THE POLISH DAUGHTER just sucked me right in. Once I started, I found it near impossible to set the book down! She's an incredible storyteller and her approach to Word War 2 fiction really humanizes that time in history. Those alive then were just like us today with dreams and hopes, just sadly so many of them were squashed. As I think every time I read this genre, it's heartbreaking to how sadistic man can be too another.

For those, like me, who have the previous books in this series, this one has cameo appearances from characters in an earlier installment. If this was done in the other books before this one, I missed it. But it was neat seeing the paths cross between the characters.

Nealon also doesn't shy away from giving a graphic image of the atrocities committed during that time. I think this, too, is what makes her stories so intense.

Thank you to Bookouture and NetGalley for an advanced reading copy.

The story is told by three people and told from their own personal feelings and perspectives.
A compelling story of love, strength and most of all courage.
A intriguing story with so much drama, mystery and some romance.
Must read series for historical fiction lovers.
Many thanks to NetGalley, Bookouture and the author for the opportunity to read this book for my honest review. All opinions expressed are my own.

This story is told from a three person perceptive: Julia, Alex, and Nicolaj.
One character is as cold as ice, slimy as a snake, and completely heartless.
It’s very suspenseful due to situations that arise after the war and the villain’s sinister designs on Julia.
I wasn’t sure what was going to happen but I hoped for a good outcome.
The only regret is the that the character I loathed didn’t get what was coming.

This is a remarkable story with many twists and turns that hold your attention until the very end. The characters are amazing, and the author puts you right there with them. This is a very compelling story about courage and the love for people and their country in times of war and oppression. It vividly illustrates how far people will go in order to survive. All of the books in The Secret Resistance series really affected me emotionally! Get started with this series today. You will be glad that you did!

Thank you, NetGalley and author Gosia Nealon for the advanced copy.

🕊️🇵🇱This is the story of young Poles who fought during the Warsaw Uprising at the end of the World War II and then faced the brutal postwar Stalin's regime. 🇵🇱🕊️

Julia Wiarnowska, known as Huntress of the North, returned to Warsaw in hope to find her missing father and to get engaged in the resistance group. Julia put herself in a dangerous situation when volunteering to go to the Zieleniak, the place where Nazis took her best friend. She most likely will be raped and killed if Julia won’t save her fast enough. How lucky she felt seeing Nikolaj, the childhood sweetheart who would never work for Nazis but now appeared in their uniform. He promised Julia to rescue her friend explaining that it's easier for him to be undercover for Polish resistance having father as a powerful commander who works for Hitler. He imprisoned her in his room from danger on the streets. When she overheard other soldiers talking about Nikolaj cruelty and murdering innocent people, Julia planned her escape. The story gets even more intense after the war ended and Poland was under Stalin's regime. Those who survived the war were now in danger of brutal tortures and killings by regime. 🕊️

I was impressed by the compelling plot and excited conclusion of this book. The author took great care to preserve a good number of historical accuracies during the war and its aftermath in Poland. 🇵🇱The bravery of young people fighting for survival while committing heroic acts throughout the book was very impactful. This is the third book of The Secret Resistance series and it can be read as stand alone. This book will appeal to readers who enjoy historical fictions with plenty of drama, suspense, mystery and dash of romance.