Only the Brave is the first book I have ever read by Danielle Steel, and I can confidently say that I picked a good one.  This was a page turner! 

Set during World War II in Germany, Only the Brave follows the incredible and interesting life of Sophia Alexander, a selfless, compassionate young woman with a heart to help others even at the risk of her own life.  It is an historical fiction novel that focuses on Sophia’s story, a story so full of heartbreak and hope, disappointment and perseverance, courage and bravery. There are so many juxtaposing emotions and themes throughout this novel, but they work together to seamlessly weave her story together beautifully.  And just when you think the book is about to become predictable, Danielle Steel throws you for an exciting loop.  That was one of my favorite things about this book – it was anything but boring and predictable.

Historical fiction is my favorite genre of book to read, with WWII themed novels ranking toward the top.  I have certainly read my fair share.  Only the Brave was anything but common in a genre saturated with World War II stories.  It a unique and unpredictable twist on WWII historical fiction with an ending that will make you smile.  Absolutely captivating story!

This is the story of Sophia Alexander, a young girl in Germany during WWII. Sophia and her family life changes greatly as the war progresses and they all encounter great suffering. I've read just about every book that Danielle Steele has written. Some of them I find are good but have too many mundane details which make it boring. This book is not like that. It has a deeper storyline and characters. I was drawn in and read it in one day. Thanks so much to NetGalley and Random House Books for giving me this advanced copy to read. I hope Danielle Steele writes more books like this with more substance to them.

I received an arc copy of this book from Net Galley in exchange for my honest opinion of it. Although this was not one of my favorite books by this author, I did enjoy it. The first half moved slow but it did pick up after that. If you like history, you will certainly enjoy this book. I never studied things regarding Germany and the consecration camps except in school so it was interesting to read more about it and the things that were going on. Some of it was definitely hard to read but I'm sure that it was even so much worse than what was told in this book.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an advanced of Only the Brave. I enjoy Danielle Steels romance books but she shines when she writes historical fiction. This one did not disappoint. Highly recommend if you like books about ww2.

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House publishing group for the opportunity to read this ARC!

I am a huge Danielle Steel fan and have loved her books for years. I love it when authors do historical fiction. This one takes us on a journey with Sophia as she navigates her life in WW2 with inspirations to be a nun. It was a heartbreaking and heartwarming story at the same time. We see her do much good in the face of adversity and never lose her spirit of giving.

I will be rewriting this review in a few weeks,

Thank you NetGalley and he publisher for letting me read this book.
I only read Danielle Steel when she writes historical fiction. This was a good heartbreaking story and it did not disappoint.

Only the Brave by Danielle Steel is a heartbreaking story that takes place during World War II. The tolls it takes on one family as they risk their lives to save the lives of others. Theresa is able to escape once it is revealed her husband has Jewish ancestry, while her sister Sophia and their father are captured and taken to concentrations camps. A friendship with a guard and a strong group of women allows Sophia to make her escape and continue her working in saving lives.

Thank you to Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine, Delacorte Press and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this ARC.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ — I LOVE DANIELLE STEEL HISTORICAL FICTIONS.

I mean, I love most of Danielle Steel’s books, but when her books are historical fiction? Perfection. If you loved The Nightingale by Kristin Hannah, you’ll love this book.

We start our story with a German family living in Berlin in the late 1930s. And no, they’re not Jewish, but they’re concerned about the rise of Hitler.

Theresa, the youngest daughter, wants to live in a life of luxury and falls in love quickly with a high-ranking officer. However, they soon discover that he is actually 1/4 Jewish and they flee to Switzerland while Theresa is pregnant.

Sophia, our main character and the eldest daughter, follows in her father’s footsteps in every way. She learns to become a surgical nurse, even caring for Jewish runaways with her father. They never get caught, however, her father is taken away after he refuses to help in the concentration camps by euthanizing Jews. Sophia was gone while this happened as she felt her calling was to become a nun and was in training. She hears of her father’s arrest and later learns he was taken to Dachau, a concentration camp for criminals.

Consequently, she is arrested as well for being guilty by association with her sister’s disappearance and taken to Ravensbruck. Her bravery is shown when she breaks out along with a few others and flees to a convent. Did I forget to mention that she helped numerous children hide from the Nazis?

She falls in love along the way with an American officer that she treats in secret, but she has to decide whether to take her vows as a nun or pick love instead.

Thank you @netgalley for the ARC!!! I really enjoyed this book.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for providing me with this advanced copy to read and review. I am a huge Danielle Steel fan and read all her books. This one was one of my favorites. It had me on the edge of my seat throughout the story. It tells you about how a wonderful family in Germany is destroyed during World War II by the Nazis. Yet out of this horrific time, humanity is seen. We watch the main character survive the loss of her family as she helps orphans and others to safety. She becomes a nun to further her work we see her in the concentration, camp befriend her bunk, mates, and unselfishly share food with them, and successfully plan their escape. At times this book is hard to read, but paints a realistic picture of what people went through. The story ends happily as most of Daniel Steeles books do. We see it’s never too late to question what are destiny and purpose in life are. I can’t read wait to read her next book

"Only the Brave" is a novel by Danielle Steel. It's a gripping story that follows the lives of a group of firefighters in a small town as they face the challenges of their dangerous profession and the personal struggles that come with it. As they risk their lives to save others, they also grapple with their own fears, hopes, and dreams. With its compelling characters, heart-pounding action, and poignant themes of courage and sacrifice, "Only the Brave" is a powerful tribute to the bravery and resilience of firefighters everywhere

WWII from a different perspective from all the others I’ve read recently. It was an easy page turner like you can expect from Danielle Steel. A powerful story with Lots of lose, heartache, sadness, anger, & believing you can overcome.

Thank you netgalley for allowing me to read this book.

This is a good book from Danielle Steel. It's a story about a family in Germany during world war 2 and the hardships they had to endure. It started out a little slow for me, but picked up as I went along. It ended up being a good story. I would recommend it.

TW: WW2 Hitler Nazi

I received this book in exchange for an honest review.

While this book has very sensitive subject matter, I think it was written very well.

There are not many gruesome details, and you will not get a history lesson.

Our main character is Sophie, the oldest daughter of a surgeon dad and a mother who dies when she is young.
She is tasked to help raise her wild younger sister.

She goes into nursing to help her father, but has a true calling.

Her true calling does put her into some trouble, and she winds up in a women’s camp.

This book shows the true test of what you believe in.

Great historical fiction from DS! This book is hard to put down.

I usually pick up DS when I have had enough of historical fiction that is raw and tough to read. Any DS book is a break from reading what I love most. But Only the Brave is different. Historical fiction that follows great characters, but still has hope. Once I got into this story, I stopped all other books and finished it in 2 days.

The characters were so well written that you wanted to know what happened to them next. The details around World War II that are so gut wrenching were still here, but not discussed in all the details you get in some books. My favorite historical fiction is a story the makes me think and learn new things. I had never really thought about life in Berlin after Hitler had lost the war. What a mess.

The only downside to DS books now is that they repeat facts, sometimes a lot. It seems like a good editor could fix this. I wish someone would. But I just ignored that and still rated this book 5 stars.

I loved this story about WWII. There are a lot of amazing characters in this story. This is about a non Jewish family who all suffer because of who they are. Sophie wants to help all she can, her father a doctor, who ends up in a camp r/t fact that her refuses to mercy kill some of the people, Theresa , who they find out she married someone that is 25% Jewish. Sophie watches her father's hospital and their house being burnt to the ground and goes to live at a convent right near where she lives. Sophie is a nurse and helped her dad in his hospital. If you like history this book is a GREAT READ. See how this all turns into the ending that it has.

This is a historical fiction set in WWII. I always enjoy books by Steel and this one didn’t disappoint. Her books are predictable but always enjoyable for a quiet afternoon by the fire or sitting on the beach. Thank you to net galley for an advanced readers copy.

Only the Brave is another Danielle Steel success! It tells the story of Sophia Alexander and her amazing courage during the events of World War II in Germany. I admit I am an avid reader and become engrossed in the books I read; this is one to note I was not able to put down. The historical novel was very poignant and encouraged the reader to keep reading to see how Sophia/Sister Anne’s journey would end. I personally was not disappointed to read the last chapter with a smile on my face!

Thanks to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group-Ballantine, Delacorte Press for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Rating: 5 stars
Publication Date: April 30, 2024

One amazing book! I just love Danielle Steel books, but I think this is my all time favorite!
It's a story about a family during the war. The father was a doctor who started a hospital who had a conscious and couldn't do what the Nasi's requested. There's one caught who had to flee the Switzerland because her husband was a Jew. Then there was Sophie who wanted to make a change against the war around her. She had the faith like no other! The faith to help others in their time of need, to put her faith into action and learn to survive when all around her the world was falling apart!
I received this complimentary copy from publisher through Netgalley. All thoughts and opinions are mine and mine alone.

Sophie works as a nurse during wwII , she is working with the resistance. a good story, that keeps your attention.

Sophia Alexander, assists her father in his work as a surgeon from an early age. Her exposure to the intricacies of surgery will help her in the wake of the rise of the Nazi regime. It was truly a time of unsung heroes. A young woman trying to help others to freedom. Sophia uses every means in her power to help children cross to safety. A woman of strong faith and belief in the human spirit, she joins aThe Sisters of Mercy community. An ill timed reconnaissance finds her arrested, and sent to Ravensbruck. Here she learns her father has died , but here she builds community with her fellow captives. It is here she and her fellow prisoners plan a daring and treacherous escape. Happy reading