This is a great historical fiction book about Wartime in WWII in Berlin Germany when Hitler was ruler and wanted to get rid of Jewish people and anyone who was elderly, disabled, had a sickness, deformity, not in agreement with what he wanted to do/was doing, etc. Sophia Alexander and her family faced a lot of tragedy and heartbreak before and during the war. This is a story about having strength, being and staying strong after losing loved ones and friends, keeping and having faith, helping others, being brave and courageous, Friendships, and finding true love. This story is also a great book about showing how a Country fighting a war faces a lot of loss, sadness, and heartbreak and after the war is over and they won the victory how people work together to rebuild and restart their lives and regain hope for their life and Country again. Thank you to Netgalley and Random House Publishing Group-Ballantine for giving me the opportunity to read and review a ARC of this book.

Set in Germany in WWII Steel explores the story of a young woman who was a nurse in her father’s hospital. He was a noted surgeon who would help any patient, regardless of their religious affiliation. But doing so is against the Reich’s rules so despite his medical skills, he and his hospital are in danger. His daughter Sophia finds solace in the sequestered life at a convent. Her sister is radically different. She prefers a flamboyant life filled with parties and socializing. Sophia watches her sister’s behavior with skepticism and opposes the Nazi rules and regulations. As a novitiate Sophia is not as restricted as the nuns and so she leaves the convent to help those in need. She works with others who try to subvert the Reich and save children who are in danger.

The basic premise had potential but the story was a little flat. Characters needed to be more fleshed out and there was an absence of real emotion on Sophia’s part. Her desire for the calm and peace of the convent overwhelmed any real sense of commitment for the resistance. Even her sister was one-dimensional. Though a bit disappointing, the author has a large following and the book will have a large readership.

It was an incredible read that tore at my heart over and over. Sophia Alexander is a nurse at her father's hospital when the war starts. Her sister Teresa is married to a close friend to the Nazi Regime and lives in a lap of luxury until they find out Heinrich is a quarter Jewish and they have to smuggle them off to Switzerland During this, Sophia decides she wants to commit to becoming a nun. Her dad is saddened but gives his blessings anyway. While she is living at the convent, her Das is taken by Nazi soldiers for war crimes. Sophia is working with the resistance to try to save children whenever she can.
This was such an amazing novel that depicted the plight of all people during WWII. I was mesmerized by the hardships Sophia and her family faced during the war. Some instances were shocking, but others I knew about from my reading of other books. It was still, nonetheless, sad. I hope many read this and share with others so that people never forget the horrors of war.

This was a bit of a different story for Danielle Steel. It’s was WWII era. Sophia the oldest daughter of a renown surgeon had to grow up quickly to take care of her younger sister and busy father who wasn’t home much after her mother’s illness. Sophia wants to help people and work along her father so she studies and becomes a nurse. A couple of years pass and her sister gets married to a baron. This leaves Sophia alone a lot at home due to her father working so much and staying at the hospital. Sophia spends dinner time at the convent quite often. She feels her calling was to become a nun and help people.

A couple of nights a week Sophia would be found at the resistance meetings. She helped the Jewish children find freedom from Germany. She even had to help her sister and husband flee Berlin to Switzerland after her husband found out that he was quarter Jewish. Her father is arrested and sent to a concentration camp. The hospital and home is burnt. Sophia does risks it all even her own freedom. There are more surprises with Sophia throughout.

Danielle Steel does a fabulous job portraying this era and all the atrocities! There is a strong female role and lots of courage. There is light romance throughout too. She grabs you in the beginning and never lets you go. You find yourself wanting to know what happens next! There are twists and turns. Also surprises along the way. I just loved this book! I couldn’t put it down! I read it in less than a day! You definitely don’t want to miss this one! A must read!

Thank you NetGalley and the publishers in letting me read this book and allowing me to leave an honest review.

This story is about Sophia, a surgeon's daughter in Berlin during WW2.

This is a 5-star read for me. I loved every word!

Many thanks to Net Galley and Random House Publishing for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Danielle Steele is an author that has torn my heart apart time and time again. Sometimes her books are too cruel for my taste.
This has to do with WWII, the Jews during the time the Nazis went after them and the holocaust. It’s definitely a book that will make you feel.
I highly recommend it.

This was heartbreaking. This takes place in WWII Germany. It's more of a historical fiction. Sophia has to care for her father and younger sister when her mom gets sick and dies. She also volunteers at the hospital her father works as a surgeon in. Sophia attempts to help her sister and husband escape Germany with his family. Sophia's fathers hospital is burned to the ground and her father is taken to a concentration camp, Sophia is all alone. This was so sad and so good.

I normally do not read historical fiction, but I read this one, and loved it! This story takes place during World War II. Sophia lives with her parents and her younger sister, Theresa. Their father is a doctor who owns his own private hospital. Their mother passes away. Sophia is very mature for her young age as she looks after her sister, her father and volunteers at the hospital after school.
Things become dangerous, and Sophia is involved in the resistance and attending meetings of dissidents. There, she meets a man who helps people escape and, together, they help her sister, Theresa and Theresa's husband escape to safety. This is both sad and happy for Sophia. Sad, because she knows she may never see her sister again. Happy, because she knows this is her sister's chance to live a safe and free life with her husband.
Both Sophia and her father are very brave, at risk to their own lives, resisting the regime and providing assistance to those they're able to help.
I recommend this book!
I was given an advanced ecopy by the publisher, Dell, through Netgalley. I was under no obligation to leave a positive review.

Danielle continues to surprise with her extended writing reach outs.
Just when you think you know what to expect from her, she comes forward, with a completely new and captivating historical fiction piece.
Sophia Alexander, never thought she'd be fighting for the resistance as the Nazis marched toward domination across Europe.
Growing up, she was the daughter of a well respected surgeon in Berlin and she,along with her sister, had all the material trappings of a a very wealthy family. The Nazis, in their takeover of Germany, initially left them alone because they were true German and her father was a much needed surgeon to some of the wealthiest German officers.
When all that changed, Sophia took to the Resistance and was a committed worker.
An engrossing tale with many painful to read plot developments but always following the storyline.
The characters were as well developed as always, in Steel's stories with easily relatable characteristics and impulse tendencies.
A bit gruesome as are all Nazi era stories but still hard to put down.

Danielle Steele has been a beloved international story teller for nearly 41years, and she is still going strong . She is one of the few romance authors that devels into the heart of such topics that fuel family dicord and everyday prejudices, and still keep the family the most important factor, regardless of the family situation. In Ms. Steel's newest book, Only the Brave, we go back to World War II, where Hitler is rounding up all the Jews and sending them to Concentration Camps waiting to be killed rabid animals. This story follows two sisters who couldn't be more different than night and day in their behavior. The first sister marries at a young age - someone who believes all the propaganda and is anxious to get "the vermin off the streets". The other sister, is two years older and becomes first a nurse (to help their father happens to be a doctor helping everyone, including Jews) then shen becomes a nun to help everyone she can (much to her father's dismay).. The sister that got married finds out what her older sister and father are doing and has a choice to make, but before too long, she and her family find out what it's like to be on the run, as they find out her husband has a Jewish grandparent no one seemed to know about. This book touches so many difficult topics for so many people, yet Ms. Steel does it in such a way it is almost like she is paying tribute to all of those that fought, lost their lives needlessly, or served in in any other capacity to make sure everyone is able to live a free life and people like Hitler were not able to succeed with their world domination. Only the Brave will make you laugh, make you cry, make you feel sick to your stomach, and make you feel proud for people like the main characters, and being from the country you are from and the part it played in WWII. You will also want to go seek out some of Ms. Steel's earlier books and compare them to this book just to see how they hold up. Zoya, Message from Nam, Full Circle, Jewels, Changes, Palomino, Heartbeat, Family Album, are a few of her greatest.

While Sophia is growing up in Berlin pre-WW, her mother becomes ill and dies. Her father is a busy surgeon and Sophia volunteers at his hospital while also taking care of their home and her younger sister. As war looms, Sophia becomes a nurse, joins the convent and becomes involved with an underground resistance group, attending meetings and helping to move Jewish children to safety. Both Sophia and her father are arrested and each is sent to a concentration camp but only one of them survives.

‘Only the Brave’ is a WWII historical fiction with the Danielle Steel touch. Ms Steel combines history, relatable and well defined characters and just a touch of romance to make yet again a hard to put down book.

Only the Brave deviates slightly from Steele's typical formula - a little more serious with a WWII setting in Germany. Sophia loses her family and pushes through so much - she meets a Nazi soldier and later an American... but she's on the way to finalizing her vows as a nun. Will either or both men come for her after the war ends and if so, how will she respond? Danielle Steel novels are a little escape every time I read one, but this one was a little more maudlin than I'd expected. Well done! Thanks to #NetGalley for the opportunity to preview #onlythebrave by Danielle Steel. I enjoyed it and am already excited for her next release!

The Holocaust is such a dark time in history. In DS newest novel she takes you right to the heart of the devastation the reign of Hitler evoked. The story revolves around Sophia. She is a nurse and helped her father out in his medical practice. As the war begins their lives slowly begin to unravel with heartbreaking times. Sophia loses everything but her determination to herself and others no matter the cost resonates throughout the story. This ranks as one of my favorite books of hers. Her writing of this delicate time lent authenticity to what horrors these innocent individuals endured. Powerful and deeply emotional words on the written pages. It’s what you would expect from DS with a sprinkle of romance as well.

Great Historical Nonfiction, mixed with a side of endearing friendships. This story follows a young German girl named Sophia, we watch her grow up from a teenager to young adult during WWII. It was a very well written account of the lives of everydays that were touched by the war on them, their family and friends. You will be taken on a heartwrenching journey lasting close to decade with Sophia and the trials and tribulation she encounters living in Berlin and the surrounding areas during this period. You will be cheering on her character and her friends as you feel a connection with their bravery and will to not let anything stop them for helping others.

I want to say that I have loved every D. S. book that I have read so far. This one was no different.

I felt like this book was a mixture of The Nightingale by Kristin Hannah, The Diary of Ann Frank and a Danielle Steele book all rolled into one.

It was short and sweet, keeping you interested but also moving things along.

The concentration camps and the senselessness of the entire reign made your heart break and made you want to do something to help.

Overall I gave this book 4 stars.

This book was given to me as an advanced reader copy in return for an unbiased review.

3⭐️
Overall, not a bad story. Unfortunately, the characters and relationships just felt a little surface level to me and I wish there was a more depth to all of it.

I felt disconnected to the characters and I think first person POV would’ve helped with this.

However I loved the plot and the FMC, Sophia. There was a lot of character growth as she fought to survive and help others survive during the peak of Hitler’s reign. This story was equal parts heartwarming and heartbreaking.

I love historical fiction, specifically WWII era, so I was excited to read this. However, it just fell a little flat for me personally. The author’s writing style seemed to do a lot of telling vs. showing throughout and became repetitive.

It’s a fairly short story, less than 300 pages, so if you want to dip your toes in historical fiction, I think this could be a place to start.

Thank you to Danielle Steel, Random House Publishing - Ballentine, and NetGalley for providing me with an ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review!

This book takes place in Germany during WW 2. A non Jewish family experiences a lot. Sophia works as a nurse. After her Moms death she decides to join the convent to help children in need. I really enjoyed following the story of Sophia and what she endured.

1937 - Berlin, Germany

Sophia Alexander, 18, and her family are not Jewish but are what is called Aryan. Sophia’s mother is in a sanatorium ill with tuberculosis. Her father, Thomas, is a famous surgeon who works in his own hospital. He operates on those who need it be they Nazis or Jews. Theresa, 16, is Sophia’s younger sister. She is very beautiful and her goal in life is just to marry and have children.

When Sophia’s mother dies, Sophia decides to go to nursing school as well as helping her father with his surgeries. When Theresa marries Baron Heinlick von Ernst, from a wealthy family, and they are happy for her except that they socialize with the Nazis.

Sophie meets some dissidents and secretly attends some of their meetings. She knows this is dangerous but is proud of the work they are doing secreting Jews out of the country.

Sophie is also very interested in the Catholic church and loves to meet with the nuns. So, she decides to become a nun and use her nursing skills. Her father is worried and hopes she is not making a mistake with her life.

When Sophie’s father is sent to a prison camp and Sophie is also arrested and set away, life gets very dim for both of them. This is when this magnificent author shows the reader how awful the atrocities of the Nazis were. It’s not an easy or beautiful read as are most of her books, but this one simply tells it like it was. Hopefully, in today’s insane protests against Jews, it will remind people of how awful things like this can get. Let’s hope these protests get nipped in the bud and fast. Another wonderful book from a favorite author.

Copy provided by NetGalley in exchange for a fair and honest review.

A heartbreaking story about the tragic losses encountered during Hitler’s occupation of Germany during WWII. Sophia or Sister Anne story is one of bravery. She was a daughter, sister, nurse, a resistance fighter and about to take her vows to be a nun when she was arrested as a traitor. It’s a story about humanity and love. And, in the end, love always win.

Thank you #NetGalley, #DelacortePress, #RandomHouse, #DanielleSteel and #OnlytheBrave for the advance readers copy for my honest review.