The Girl with a Secret is the second in The Emerald Sisters series by Kate Hewitt. Thankfully there were only a few brief months between publication of the first and second books as this is an interesting and captivating series where each book ends on a cliffhanger and I was quite impatient to know what was going to happen next. I am presuming there will be four books in the series given it is following four young women who meet onboard a ship travelling to Cuba but then circumstance means they are scattered to the four different countries. But now after reading this second instalment I am wondering will there be a fifth book given the way the first two have ended maybe an additional book will bring these cliffhangers together rather than rushing through things towards the end of a fourth book. This is pure surmising from me and perhaps me being a little bit greedy as I am really enjoying the series and reading about each girl’s journey and experiences.

This story can easily be read as a standalone as plenty of background information is dotted throughout where you can easily pick up on events from the previous book. I was a little apprehensive in starting this one because I really didn’t want a rehash of the first half of book one which detailed the girls journey on the SS ST.Louis as it left Germany bound for Cuba.I just didn’t want to be reading of the same details again although from a different characters perspective as I felt I knew enough about it already and I wanted the story to move forwards not backwards. So reading this section of the book, I was glad that things didn’t go overboard into needless detail but rather there was just the perfect amount to refresh readers minds if they needed it and to bring new readers up to speed with what had been going on. Anyway, book one had been still very much fresh in my mind given the brief but welcome gap between publication.

As before, the book opens with a brief prologue set in Paris in June 1946, the four young women, Sophie, Rosa, Hannah and Rachel had all agreed to meet in a café in Paris on a specific date following the conclusion of the war. The Emerald Sisters were to be reunited having not seen each other since that tumultuous voyage across the Atlantic. But circumstances have changed and all is not as it seems. All I can say regarding this meet up is that it stirs up a whole lot of questions for the reader and made me want to reach the end of the series immediately. If only that were possible.

This time around we follow Rosa aged 21 who comes from a privileged background but yet because of her Jewish religion (although her family do not practice) herself and her parents are forced to flee Germany in May 1939 thanks to the persecution, abuse and restrictions of opportunity imposed by Hitler and his Nazi’s. Rosa, Fritz and Elsa are among 1000 people given visas to start a new life away from Germany. They leave Hamburg on board the SS ST.Louis which will take them to Cuba and through her fathers connections and the money he had sent away from Germany they hope to establish a new life in America. In a way, it’s strange reading the same story from a different perspective as I felt I had already formed opinions about Rosa and her family without ever reading anything directly from their viewpoint. But over the course of the book my opinion of Rosa certainly changed and did so for the better so it shows writing a series like this does work and really helps provide a well-balanced angle and mindset.

Rosa’s family are not very close and its clear her mother Elsa loathes her and pretty much leaves her to her own devices whilst onboard the ship. Her father’s behaviour disgusts her as he is pompous, arrogant, self absorbed, irritating and difficult. He was a physician back in Germany and there are subtle hints as to what he engaged in that are dropped in every now and again and in turn they are explored in detail later on in the book. Rosa too hides secret and is racked with guilt and this becomes more apparent as we delve further into the story and learn more about her character. What went on in regards to her family up until the point they left Germany will have a significant forbearing on a major plot of the book and it makes you think how could they have been involved in this and then expect a better life some else without any repercussions? But I suppose unless you are physically and mentally in the situation yourself you really can’t make any judgements. Rosa forms a strong bond with the three young women she meets but their happiness at a new friendship and their hopes for the future are shattered as they are turned away from Cuba. But Sophie is lucky and before she departs she splits an emerald giving each person a shard and a promise is made to one day reunite. This emerald becomes a talisman, a beacon of light and hope amidst the dark times ahead.

As the much longed for freedom in America does not materialise and it is as if they have been sent on a wild goose chase and the promises that were made were not fulfilled. Rosa and her parents find themselves sent back across the ocean and they reach England. Separated from her friends she must forge ahead on her own at a time when her parents more than ever shirk their responsibilities and act like everything will just fall into their laps and they will be readily accepted. But Rosa knows this won’t be the case and from here on in she demonstrates her fortitude, tenacity, strength and bravery. This is when I thought the book really got going and it felt the same as with book one as in the later half was far stronger than the first. I really started to engage with Rosa and she came down to an ordinary level far from the dizzy heights she lived in in Germany. But the past will always have a way of coming back to haunt you if it has not been settled and Rosa harbours guilt and shame which she must try to get through in order to forge onwards in a positive light into the future.

The scenes set in England as Rosa and her parents struggle to adapt to their new life were real and vivid and although perhaps not the best word to use I did enjoy reading about their daily lives. You could sense the anxiety about being in a strange new country and having to be wary that they were German although Jewish. Not everything was handed to them on a plate and Rosa began to show her resourcefulness and her ability to adapt at a time when she was required to step up and provide as her parents remained stuck in the past clinging on to something that was no longer there. She was practical and resourceful and knuckled down to things that would have been way beneath her in her previous life. Through her work and her English classes, she meets Peter, himself having fled Germany too. I loved the subtleness of their friendship which had potential to develop into something more. It was never rushed or forced and the pacing of all this was excellent and I loved how things connected towards the end through circumstance, acceptance and understanding.

The outbreak of war leads to trials and tribulations for Rosa and her parents and it was interesting to see her past having an impact on her present. The chapters set on the Isle of Man were fascinating and again showed a different side to Rosa. One I wouldn’t have thought possible when we first meet her as she boards the ship. Again, there was lots in store for Rosa and without going into detail she finds herself doing work that is vital yet on first arriving in Britain she would never ever have thought possible given her background and situation.

The Girl with a Secret was an excellent read and really moved the series along very well. Again as with book one we were left on a cliffhanger and I really wanted it to continue on for several more chapters but I was prepared for it to end around the 80% mark as this had happened previously. Strong female characters are really coming to the fore and Rosa’s viewpoint of the overall story has only made me even more eager than I already was to discover what is in store for Hannah and Rachael. This book didn’t disappoint and once more my only wish is that it won’t be too long a wait before the next instalme

The Girl with a Secret is part of The Emerald Sisters Series by Kate Hewitt. Having written several WWII historical fiction novels, this author explores some less common events pre and during the war. In 1939 Rosa Herzelfeld boards the SS St Louis hoping to leave Germany and the Nazis behind but does not land where she had hoped. Now in England, she tries to settle in with this new place and life.

This is a sweet love story in the middle of the political uproar and the horrors of the war. Still Rosa has secrets that she tries desperately to keep from Peter, a fellow refugee, and others there in England. Rosa and Peter were my favorite characters but Rosa’s parents not so very much. They seemed to be the typical kind of wealthy people that are often portrayed in books. Ones who have some entitlement issues and high views of themselves. After fleeing Germany I found this to be sad.

The Girl with a Secret is an eye-opening addition to the Emerald Sisters Series. One that will cause you smile one minute and shake your head the next. Still it did seem to be an authentic look at what happened during those dark days where Jews were persecuted in Germany and unwanted abroad. Read today.

The Emerald Sisters series continues with its second book, The Girl with the Secret, chronicling the lives of four young women who meet on the St Louis, the true story of a boat attempting to flee Nazi Germany, only to be turned away from Cuba, their destination. The story follows Rosa, one of the four sisters, who is sent to England along with her parents. Despite being Jewish, Rosa's parents had a history of associating with the Nazis to save themselves, leaving Rosa with a guilt-ridden conscience. As she struggles to come to terms with her parents' past, she takes on the responsibility of ensuring their survival in a foreign land. Rosa begins working at a coffee shop and forms a friendship with Peter, a kind and caring man who helps her see a brighter future. However, Rosa's past catches up with her, and she faces a series of unexpected twists and turns.
The author does an excellent job of weaving together the story and historical facts about life during that time, making the book a captivating read for fans of World War Two historical fiction. The second book of the Emerald Sisters saga is a must-read for those who love a good story and historical background. Like the first novel, this left me wanting more, and I eagerly await the rest of the series.
Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Rosa Herzfeld believes she will never escape the Nazis. She fears their horrible reign will never end. She boards the SS St Louis while hoping for freedom but her hope is quickly shattered. The ship full of refugees is refused entry to Cuba. She soon finds herself alone and penniless in England. She believes this is where she will live her life and tries to do everything she can to make it feel like home. Rosa meets Peter, who is also a refugee, searching for a place to call home. Though they grow close to each other, she is hiding a secret from her past and she hopes he will never find out. When she musters up the courage to finally tell him, she is sent to an isolated internment camp located on the Isle on Man. Rosa and Peter are finally reunited, and once again she is faced with a decision, does she tell Peter the secret from her past or keep it hidden?

The Girl With a Secret, authored by Kate Hewitt is a phenomenal addition to The Emerald Sister Series. I loved the character of Rosa and the storyline with her and Peter was engaging. This story pours over from the first in the series with Sophia, Rachel and Hannah. Though a heartbreaking read, it is still a rapid and edge of your seat page turner. I love the pace of the story but I had to stop a few times to let the tears flow. This heart wrenching story is a definite must read. It can be read as a standalone, but I highly suggest start with the first book in the series. You’ll want to know everything about the characters in this captivating and compelling story. I highly recommend this ten star book.

This is the 3nd book in the series and after reading the first I was looking forward to reading Rosa's story. Fleeing Germany on board a ship with her family she makes friends with a few other Jewish girls and they form a pact to meet up again after the war in a particular place. It tells the hardship she has to go through having to learn to speak English and try to get away from what she and her family did in Germany. This soon catches up with them and ends up with her doing something that she would never have thought possible.
The book ended up leaving me thinking that there is another book to see what happens next and I really hope that there is.

In the second book in the series we learn Rosa’s story. Something bad that had happened to her back in Germany is alluded to several times in the first chapters. What I thought it was way off the mark.
I liked the character development between Rosa and her parents and then how her mother really came into her own.
My heart ached for all the passengers on board the SS St. Louis and Hewitt gives a good rendition with a full range of emotions.
Hewitt never steers me wrong!

This is Rosa’s story in this second book of this series.
We follow her and her family as they flee Germany and hopefully land somewhere safer. Aboard ship she meets other girls in the same situation. They share a bond and are determined to get together after the war.
The story moves along slowly the first part of the book.
I liked that Rosa is strong and determined. I’m looking forward to the next book in this series
Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for the early copy

Another compelling read by Kate Hewitt. Rosa, the second of the Emerald Sisters, finally makes it to London. Life is very tough for Rosa & her family. It takes unexpected turns because of her father’s, & even her own, past in Germany with the Nazis before the war. She is given the chance to be involved in the war effort. The twists & turns are clever, & the characters are interesting. Rosa’s parents finally sort themselves out & become useful. The book ends rather suddenly before events are decided. I’m unsure as to whether this story is to be continued in another book.
I received an Advanced Reader Copy from NetGalley & Bookouture. I am writing a voluntary honest review

Gripping and captivating. The Girl with a Secret is the second novel in The Emerald Sisters series. I did at first, as the story recapped, found it a little slow. However, as the story built, as the characters developed, we followed Rosa and her parents to England. I enjoyed getting to know the characters and the struggles after embarking in a country they didn’t know, couldn’t understand and not wanted in. A story full of love, friendship and hope. This book also finishes with a cliffhanger. I would recommend reading the books in order and look forward to reading in the next in the series.

I would like to thank Bookouture, NetGalley and the author for the opportunity to read this complimentary copy for an honest review. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.
#TheGirlwithaSecret #NetGalley

After reading the first story in this series I was curious about the other girls who met at the St Louis, the ship with all the Jews that were denied access to Cuba. This story is about Rosa, she has a secret, will that help or harm her in the next years?
This series can best be read in order so you have the story of all four girls. I love the character development from her and her parents and that not all is what it seems. I hope I don’t have to wait long for the rest of the story.

I’d like to thank Bookouture and NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read ‘The Girl With A Secret’, the second in The Emerald Sisters series written by Kate Hewitt, in exchange for my honest and unbiased review.

Four young Jewish women, Rosa, Sophie, Hannah and Rachel, meet on the SS St Louis as they’re banished from their homeland in Germany to any country that will accept them. They’re living in different countries but have agreed to meet again in a café in Paris one year after the war ends.

‘The Girl With A Secret’ continues from where the previous novel ‘The Girl On The Boat’ ended with the first six chapters repeated for those who haven’t read it. From chapter seven the story is of Rosa who’s living in London and struggling to earn enough money to pay the rent, and where she feels fellow refugee Peter Gelb. She’s sent to an internment camp on the Isle of Man and is delighted to meet Peter again who’s become important to her. The novel is beautifully written with perfectly described characters and true historical facts that I’ve enjoyed reading. Thank you, Kate, for giving us another enthralling story of the Emerald Sisters and I’m looking forward to reading more of what happens to Hannah and Rachel after they leave the St Louis.

This is the second book in a series and although I haven’t read the first book, I was able to understand this story anyway. It was a bit slow though and I felt like it stopped very abruptly and so I’m thinking that it would be better to read the whole series together so that the story flows. I quite liked the main character of Rosa and will be interested to see what happens to her and the other friends she met on the boat leaving Germany in the next book. Thank you to NetGalley for letting me read this book in exchange for my honest opinion.

The Girl With a Secret s the second book in The Emerald Sister's series. I did not read the first book but I think that the author wrote the book in a way that I was able to follow it even without reading the first. This novel begins with an interesting take on WW2 in that the St. Luis (a ship) is loaded with 1000 Jewish Germans and promised passage to Cuba to avoid the war. The family that the book follows is very dysfunctional so some of the choices made had me scratching my head. The book was very interesting but did not hold my attention in the middle in the way that I had hoped. The end of the novel had me wanting to read the next book when it comes out: The Edelweiss Sisters.

I would recommend this novel to those that enjoy WW2 fiction, those that enjoy strong female characters and a bit of romance.

Thank you Net Galley, Kate Hewitt and Bookouture for the opportunity to preview this novel and the opinions shared are my own.
3.5 stars rounded up to 4

#NetGAlley #KateHewitt #Bookouture #TheGirlwitha Secret

Rosa Herzelfeld along with her parents left Germany for what they thought was a better life. She met 3 other women on the ship & became fast friends. Rosa went through & saw a lot in the years that followed. Never gave up hoping for a better life.

The second book in the series and it didn't disappoint, so loved catching up with the characters and lies ahead of them. And now to wait not patiently for the next in the series.
My thanks as always to NetGalley and to Bookouture for the early read.

Thanks to the Publisher and Netgalley for an early review copy.

I loved this book, which was well written., portraying what the people went through during WWII.

The story keeps you turning the pages, it’s about loss, relationships and above all else, hope.

It follows the story of Rosa, who is separated from her sisters, but hopes to reunite once the war is over.

For those that love reading historical fiction, I highly recommend this book.

I really loved this book, once I started it I couldn't stop reading it. I felt for the main character and her struggles to settle in England. I was so glad she met someone and fell in love. A perfect love story. My thanks to netgalley and the publishers for giving me the opportunity to read this book in return for an honest review.

Goodness Gracious!! This a great addition to the series. I can't wait for the series to be finished so I can binge read all of them in a weekend. The series begins on the SS Louis as almost 1000 Jews attempt to escape Germany. The journey is challenging. A simple trip to Cuba and safety was anything but. The for girls that had become friends on the ship, becoming the Emerald Sisters, will be separated by the kindness of countries.

Rosa and her parents are sent to England. They had lived as part of the upper class before Hitler invaded. Rosa's father had survived in Germany by treating SS officers for venereal diseases and acting as a friend. In England they must share a flat with another family. Rosa's parents just can't deal with the loss of station. What will happen if other Jews discover what he did. Reading the attempt, as little as it was, at adjusting was very amusing. The anticipation of what's to come was divine. I found myself putting off reality just to see what was going to happen next.

Rosa tried to adapt. She scrubbed pots 60 hours a week to support her parents. She is better than me. I don't think I could treat them so sell after they treated her like dirt. As a reader, I witnessed her dedication to her freedom. I watched her struggle when her family was taken to Isle of Man as enemy aliens. Rosa made the best of it, but wanted to do so much more.

She will soon get her chance to help fight the Nazis. It will give her the opportunity to rekindle a relationship that began in London. It will allow her to seek revenge on a love that crushed her in Germany.

The story ends with a doozy of a cliffhanger. Rosa will be standing with others against the enemy. She will come across one of her Emerald sisters. I can't wait to read the next story to discover their future.

The Girl with a secret by Kate Hewitt is the second book in the brilliant new The Emerald Sisters series and I loved it. This book is set in Germany in 1939, When Rosa Herzelfeld boards the SS St Louis, she doesn’t believe its promise of freedom. Surely there can be no escape from the Nazis, not even on the other side of the world. Besides, she knows that no matter how far she travels, there is no escaping her past….........

Then the ship is refused entry to Cuba, Rosa now finds herself penniless and alone in England. Desperately trying to make this strange country home, the last thing she expects is to fall in love. But when she meets fellow refugee Peter, she is surprised by how quickly his gentle smile and warm brown eyes help her forget the horrors she left behind.

Their affection deepens quickly, and Rosa grows fearful. Should she now tell Peter about the terrible decisions she was forced to make to survive in Germany, or simply pray he never finds out?

But, Deep down, she begins to realise that she must tell him the truth…

Before she can, Rosa is sent to a remote internment camp on the Isle of Man. When fate finally reunites her with Peter, her past is threatening to catch up with her. With time running out before her secret is revealed, Rosa must make an impossible choice….....and Pete's and Rosa's relationship survive? WoW!

This book is beautifully written and you will be gripped from the beginning till the end.

I highly recommend this book......another 5 star book from Kate.

Big Thank you to NetGalley and Bookouture for my digital ARC to read in exchange for an honest review.

*Thank you to NetGalley and Bookouture for the opportunity to read and review this book*

The Girl With a Secret is the second part of The Emerald Sisters series, and this book starts at exactly the same place the first book started, but this time with Rosa’s POV.

The book was a bit slow to start since it felt like I was rereading the same story and it was a tad redundant, but it did pick up for me after a while. I felt myself connecting with the characters. The author really drew me in with the complicated relationship Rosa had with her parents, and her inner struggle with the decisions she and her father made at the start of the war when they were still at home in Berlin.

The growth of the characters, as well as the sweet love story between Rosa and Peter had me invested. I will be looking forward to the third book in the series and I’m very curious to see how the author will bring it all together in the end.