The Girl Who Saved Them by SE Rutledge broke me into smithereens in its raw truth of the tragic experiences of families in France in WWII. I had previusly read "A Promise to My Sister and was epxecting a similarly exceptional book. I was not disappointed!

When Marie and Louise Beufoy's father and brother go to fight on the front lines they remain behind and care for their nephew.

As the war rages, a resistance forms in France and Louise being the more dynamic sister, decides to join and help by hiding allied servicemen until they could be extracted to safety, a risk that would cost them all of their lives if caught. Will Marie's sensibility prevail and stop Louise in her efforts or will there be a drastic error of judgement that will put them all in danger?

This book absorbed my sould, chewed it up and spat it out. The authors knowledge is evident and empathy for their characters even more so . I was absolutely rooting for Louise and her dedication to the cause, while at the same time, understanding why Marie was so fearful (although admittedly, at times the character frustrated me, showing just how well her personality was written)

A stunning read and one that I would absolutely return to in order to read over and over again

Thank you to Bookouture and SE Rutledge for this incredible ARC. My review is left voluntarily and all opinions are my own

Another great book from this author set during wartime. It tells the story of two sisters that put their own lives at risk by helping airmen that had found themselves stranded in their country and are at risk of being caught by the Germans.
A very moving and well told story.

Louise and Marie are living in Paris in 1939 when the war starts. their dad and brother join the fight. as Paris is taken over by Nazi's Louise joins the resistance and is eventually joined by Marie.

An interesting read if you. want to learn about life for non-combatants in World War 2, and what it might have been like to live, and resist, in France under Nazi occupation.
Compelling narrative and engaging characters. An absorbing tale.

Thanks netgalley and S.E.Rutledge for this amazing book about bring brave and determined not to let the Nazis win the war and destroy them in the process.
Louise and Marie living In Paris in Sep 1939 when war started and their father and brother joined the army.
Their brirher left behind Andre their nephew and they promised Ferdinand their brother that they would look after him until he came home from the war.
With Paris being taken over by the Nazis, Louise joins the resistance against Marie’s wishes to help the allied soldiers and eventually Marie also joined her sister.
They were put in terrible danger not knowing what terrible things will eventually come to,them, but love and friendship and a determination to,survive helped them get through the war.

Oh wow, what an amazing story that’ll break but also mend and warm your heart! At the start of the war, Louise and her sister Marie make a promise to their older brother to keep his motherless young son safe. But one day when asked to join in the resistance to help shelter Allied soldiers as part of the resistance’s Comet Line, Louise agree, risking not only her own life but that of her family. In 1944 Louise and her family have to hide three American airmen in their cellar, but as days turn to weeks and word from their fellow Comet Line members grows scarce, Louise and her family get closer to being caught, knowing it’s only a matter of time before the Gestapo discovers what they are doing.

Wow, wow, wow is the only thing I can think after finishing this book. I have previously read a book by the author called A Promise to my Sister and it was so emotional I actually cried. Well Rutledge has done it again, made me cry with how heartbreaking and yet beautifully hopeful this story is. As Louise and her sister Marie begin sheltering soldiers, Marie isn’t happy. The two sisters are very different and have not been close since their mother died. You can feel the tension between them but also the care that both have in their different ways as they look after the airmen and deal with the Nazi occupation in Paris.

The chapters alternate between Louise and Marie as they move through 1944 with a lot happening to both sisters in those months. When they have to shelter the American airmen for longer than they want, Louise begins growing close to one of them in particular, a man named William. I like what happens in this story, it shows the amazing bravery that normal people went through, being part of the French resistance. At the same time it also shows some of the dire things that happened during the war, especially when you see what happens later with Marie as she tries to do something and get a new job to help provide for her family better than she could with her old job.

I don’t want to give away what happens in either alternating story, but the book does soon show some of the horrors of the war, not only in a city like Paris and what conditions were like for regular people as well as the resistance , but also in certain camps and the horrifying conditions that some ended up living there. I’ve read a lot about the horrors of concentration camps, but I hadn’t heard about the working camp that is mentioned. I had no idea conditions were so bad, especially as it’s not a prison camp.

While Louise’s story becomes more dire, having to look after the airmen and keep her nephew safe, Marie’s situation becomes ever worse as she ends up in Germany. Despite what happens to both sisters, the relationships and bonds they create with others is wonderful to read. I love how Louise’s relationship with William deepens, while Marie’s relationship with Radomir is an interesting one, which I couldn’t help but love reading. I also love what we see when Marie meets Bronisława, and the connection that character has with Marie and another later in the story.

The brutal effects of the war are explained in some detail, the book does have some horrible descriptions of deaths, blood and violence, it doesn’t shy away from showing what happened to people at the mercy of the Nazis, and it also has occasional uses of the s and f swear words as well as other insults that the Nazis shout at some characters. But despite the brutality of what happens in the story, and some of the heart-breaking moments you read, the book is ultimately a tale of resilience and a hopeful one that will make you cry tears of joy at the end of it.

As the story heads towards the end of the war, more and more things happen with both characters. I love the way both Louise and Marie grow as people, and how more alike they are to each other than they realise. The wonderful link between the two though one characters was so lovely to read, and despite all the horrible things that happen, that hopefulness and determination the characters have, makes the story so amazing and I couldn’t stop reading this book, devouring it all in just two days (it would have been one day if real life didn’t get in the way!)

The ending is one that will make your heart sing. After all the heartache the story brings, it will make you cry, thankfully happy tears. I thought the ending of that last chapter was enough to make me smile and cry happy tears, but then there’s an epilogue that just brings everything together so perfectly that this is now my favourite WWII novel! There are some author notes at the end explaining which parts of the story have some truth and which are fictional, and it’s interesting to hear what happened to some of the real life characters mentioned in the story.

Overall I have really loved reading this book. There is mention of a particular concentration camp in the story and perhaps I felt closer to this story than some readers might due to the fact that a member of my family was in the same one during the war (thankfully surviving it). There’s something about Rutledge’s writing that really gets to me. I’ve never teared up so much at reading a book before, and now I’ve teared up twice, first from reading A Promise to My Sister and now from reading The Girl Who Saved Them. I would recommend this book to everyone who loves a WWII story with hope at its heart. While some of the events in the tale are very dark and heart-breaking, the book is ultimately a hopeful read, a tale of hope and survival even under the most brutal of conditions, and I can’t recommend it enough along with A Promise to My Sister too. 🙂

*Courtesy of NetGalley, I was able to read the ARC of this book.*

Wow, this is hands down my favorite WWII novel! I've read many historical fiction novels based around Ravensbruck and/or various Resistance networks, which I all thoroughly enjoyed, but this one stands out. Without giving away too much of the novel, I must share some of my favorite aspects:

1) The importance of family and friendships. Relationships played a key role for our lovely sister protagonists, Marie and Louise.

2) Love can find us in unexpected ways and places. It also carried Marie and Louise through so many challenging years and experiences. I loved getting to know Louise and William, and Marie and Radomir.

3) German labor camps had been mentioned before in other WWII books that I read, but this book definitely highlights it and brings the experience alive. Marie and Radomir went through so much there, but made it through, despite all odds.

4) It truly is the little things that can have an impact. The parachute and bead bracelet... the sharing of bread rations... saying hello to a stranger having a lasting impact.

There's so much more, but you'll have to read for yourself to find out.

WW2 novel worth reading

The Girl Who Saved Them is a very readable WW2 novel about people who rescued and transported downed airmen. The novel is mainly written from the point of view of two sisters who did their best to ensure that the airmen were saved while putting themselves at risk. While parts are heartbreaking, I found the rest of the book encouraging as to how 'normal' people were able to fight against a fascist regime. Somewhat topical for today?

Thank you to the publisher who lent me a time-constrained e-arc via netgalley. This review is optional and my own opinion.

Wow. I thought Savannah Rutledge’s debut novel was incredible, but The Girl Who Saved Them was somehow even better.

Through the journeys of 2 very different sisters in WWII, we get to witness love, terror, bravery, and above all the family bonds that csn give us the strength to survive anything. Louise and Marie are so different in so many ways, but they learn that they are more alike than they think. The whole book was so emotional and beautifully written, and final paragraphs had me reaching for the tissues.

I can’t wait to see what this author writes next!

5 stars out of 5 ⭐️

An impressive WW2 historical fiction by S.E. Rutledge. The Girl Who Saved Them is. a story about two sisters who joined the Resistance and saved the allied soldiers in order to escape Paris. The story is well-plotted, the dual POVs works vert well which gives a rounded story. Fast-paced and the author allows you to imagine what happens at the time by her smartly selected words.

Emotional, heart-wrenching and tearful book which gives me a strong reflection about sisterhood, family, love and meaning of life.

Many thanks to Netgalley, Bookouture and the author for my copy.

This was a very good book which have made you feel what individuals feel when they are in impossible situations

This was a fantastic dual POV story told through the eyes of two French sisters who work for the resistance. Marie has agreed to go and work for the Germans, believing it will be better and give her enough money to send home to help Louise, who is hosting allied soldiers in her basement. Louise spends every day trying not to get caught, until it all goes wrong and she finds herself at Ravensbruck. I was so desperate for a happy ending, but you'll have to read the book yourself to find out how much of one. there was.

I really like S.E Rutledge's writing. She writes genuine and realistic people and her historical knowledge is (as far as I can tell) spot on.

There were moments of brutality, so this book isn't for the faint hearted, although I think that's to be expected in a book about the Nazi camps, and it's not overly graphic which was perfect. The terror and confusion the prisoners must have felt was captured really well. There were also moments of strength, love and hope.

I highly recommend this book, and hope I don't have to wait too long for a new one by this author.

Strength and hope are the two enduring themes that carry this book.
Louise is a stalwart resistance fighter and Marie has a lot of maturing to do.
The situations the sisters endure are gritty and grim.
I liked both William and Radomir but really took a shine to Radomir because his story is one that often gets sidelined.
The ending is very uplifting.

I remember writing my review for S.E. Rutledge’s debut, A Promise to my Sister and stating that it was a very impressive first book. The same can be said for this new story, The Girl Who Saved Them. Despite what I thought was a bit of a slow start, the plot soon picked up pace and I was completely enthralled. The writing is tight with no filler-in chapters or events and I felt every character, scene and event that occurred was all essential to the overall plot. The two sisters that feature in this story are strong, brave and courageous but these qualities are tested in both of the women and manifest themselves in different ways. Over the course of the book their vulnerable sides are revealed and it was brilliant to see this emerge as it provided such a well rounded picture of the sisters. At some points I favoured one sister over the other but then something would occur and my opinion would change but by the end I was equally invested in both and their actions throughout. They were willing to accept that they did have faults and this made me value and appreciate them both equally.

1939 and war is declared on Germany. Louise and her sister Marie are left to care for Andre, their brother Fernand’s son as himself and their father go away to fight. News of the pair during the war is scarce and the two sisters cling to hope that they will survive. By 1941 Paris where the family reside is under German rule. Curfews are in place and the cost of living has soared with little to no food available. Marie is no longer teaching in a school but offers private lessons at home. She has stepped up and become the leader/mother of the house. Her sister Marie resented the fact that she took on this role. No one can no longer speak freely in their beloved city and when out one must always watch over their shoulders, especially the two sisters as they become involved in resistance work for the Comet Line. The Comet Line is engaged in all sorts of resistant work. The sisters agree to hide downed soldiers before they can be moved on to other safe houses and eventually to Spain where they can return to Britain. It’s a dangerous task that Louise has taken on board but she always tries to do right by others and this is often at her own expense. But she will have to learn to stop doing this and realise that everything she does no matter how big or small is helping the war effort.

I thought Louise felt immense guilt that her relationship was so strained with Marie and that she couldn’t seem to break down her barriers. It was a turmoil that wrestled inside her for the majority of the book. She placed her life and that of her family’s on the line by harbouring downed soldiers but once she was involved she could hardly back out of it that easily despite the dangers it brought. The noose seemed to tighten around her as Marie left the city and Louise was left to try and keep the soldiers an secret. Everyday she walked a thin line but one soldier in particular, the American William, became a support to her in the absence of her father and brother. I liked the subtlety of the development of their friendship into something more and that it didn’t dominate Louise’s story but came to the fore with appropriate timing. When things deteriorate and Louise finds herself captured by the Gestapo things take a harrowing turn for her and again the descriptions were realistic but hard to read at times.

Marie and Louise despite being sisters have a very strained relationship ever since the death of their mother. Marie has never hidden her disapproval of the Resistance work that Louise has gotten the family involved in. Initially and I would say for a good half of the book I found her to be very stubborn and bitter and full of anger and resentment. The many reasons for this were explored very well and the details revealed at a nice pace. She is stubborn and persistent in her actions and this is highlighted when she gives up her job delivering mail and therefore her resistance work for the Comet Line comes to an end also. I thought she was doing an invaluable job but given the worsening situation at home due to little or no money to try and get what little food was available she perhaps thought she was better off volunteering for the forced labour programme as she could send money back to Louise and Andre to help keep them and the soldiers they were hiding going. Yes, this shows she was thinking of their future needs but if she had known what awaited her in Germany at the labour camp, I am sure she wouldn’t have gone so willingly. But on the other hand if she hadn’t gone the plot regarding herself and Radomir would never have occurred which was an excellent strand to the whole story. Marie was the one character who did a complete 360 from the beginning to the end of the book. She was expertly developed and by the end I felt the adjectives I used to describe her up above were no longer necessary and it takes a lot for this to occur. She was a fantastic character whose chapters I looked forward to with every turn of the page.

The relationship between Marie and Radomir was so unusual given that she was French and he was Russian and during the war one wouldn’t have dreamed that a union like theirs could develop especially the circumstances under which they met. But it felt so real and that he was her protector, guide and saviour. He was like a bear of a man who despite all he had been through during the war still retained kindness, compassion and warmth. Marie gave her all to him and it took an awful lot for her to do this. She let down her walls and exposed her softer more vulnerable side. There was just something about their pairing and the way it was written. I became completely invested in them and wanted them to succeed and get out of the horrific situation they found themselves in. Maybe it was destiny that Marie decided to go and work in the camp. Was it in her path all along to endure such suffering and hard labour because the reward for this was to meet Radomir? I felt every bit of the love that developed between them and I knew that Radomir would do anything for Marie and the same could be said for her. Not in a long time has a couple had such a deep impact on me. Marie made Radomir whole again. He realised that he was still a man who wanted to live despite all he hd experienced and seen during the war. No matter how powerful the evilness in the world is, kindness and love will fight to endure and Marie and Radomir are prime examples of this.

The Girl Who Saved Them is a stunning read. So carefully plotted, devised and executed. Yes, at times some of the scenes are harrowing and create awful images in your mind but all the details needed to be present and not spared to ensure the reader comprehended what the sisters went through on their journeys that took them in different directions in the last year of the war. This is a story of hope, survival, family bonds, love, defiance, resistance and persistence and it has be one of my reading highlights of the year despite it only the beginning of the second month of 2025. S.E. Rutledge has written incredible story that packs a punch with emotional and traumatic subjects tackled very well and with sensitivity when needed. The characters really get inside your head and you find yourself rooting desperately for a happy out come for everyone involved but are sad too that to try and reach that point they endure such suffering, hostility, torture and separation from those they love the most. Fans of historical fiction will love this brilliant read as it’s a prime example of a book in the genre done to perfection. Hopefully but maybe it’s me being greedy the author will have another book published before the end of the year as she is fast becoming a firm favourite of mine.

Marie and Louise Beaufoy are forced to care for their nephew, Andre when their father and brother leave home to fight in the front lines. While the Germans over run France, and Louise decides to join the resistance.

They are hiding British and American servicemen in their basement until they can safely be moved. Marie begs for Louise to stop before it’s too late. If they get caught it will surely be the end for them. Marie makes very little wages working at the post office, and it doesn’t stretch very far feeding, the family and the military men that they are hiding.

When Louise is compromised by a Frenchman who was actually a German spy, she knew they have to leave in order to survive. Louise and Andre flee, and as they go from safe house to safe house they know that they are bound to get caught. How will she ever survive and will she ever see her family again?

The Girl Who Saved Them, written by author S.E. Rutledge, is a wonderfully written heartbreaking story that I could not put down. I loved this book from cover to cover. What a great storyline of brave women that risk their lives to rescue servicemen.

This amazing story broke my heart into tiny little pieces. As my tears ran down my face and my heart rate increased, I was holding my breath hoping for Louise to survive. This story is filled with suspense, love and courage that flowed from the characters through the pages to the reader. I loved everything about this book. Rutledge is an auto buy author for me, she never disappoints. I highly recommend this phenomenal book.

I enjoyed that this book was told as a single timeline with the POVs of both sisters, Louise and Marie. Louise and Marie were so different and they frequently didn’t get along. They were forced to take care of their nephew when their father and brother went off to fight in the war. Louise wants to help with the resistance effort and Marie has misgivings. Marie chooses to go to a forced labor camp in order to make money for her family and help support the pilots that are constantly in and out of their house.

They both have to make difficult decisions in order to survive. In the process of surviving, they both manage to find men to love (can’t complain about a little romance in such hard times).

Thank you NetGalley and Bookouture for my ARC of this book.

🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟
Thank you Bookouture for inviting me to be part of the Books on Tour for “The Girl Who Saved Them” by S.E. Rutledge.
Two sisters, Marie and Louise, join the Resistance with the Comet Line. This was a way to help Allied soldiers who were captured to escape Paris. I couldn’t believe all they endured during the war. The sisters were very different but they have the most important thing in common- they each their family AND each other. This was a roll
This was a really enjoyable read and perfect for any fans of historical fiction. I also learned about the Comet Line, which I never heard of before. It put me down a rabbit hole of research. I am looking forward to more books by S. E. Rutledge. 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.
#TheGirlWhoSavedThem #SERutledge #NetGalley #Bookouture #BooksOnTour #BookLove #Bookstagram #NewBook #ILoveBooks #BooksSetInParis #BooksSetDuringWWII

Louise and Marie you tugged at my heart.
I love that this was about sisters. But then I didn't because it was about sisters. It made it all the more emotional and heartbreaking to read. And you just can't help putting yourself in that position. How you wpuld fight,be fearful, and want to keep eachother safe.
I also loved how different they were and it was great to see how different people even from the same family handled the war and what they did during it.
Both Marie and Laurie are so brave and strong. Both very different. But they shared the bone and fierce love for eachother. And they both ached to help the pain inflicted by war.
I didn't want them to part and felt so sad when I jist kept thinking one wouldn't make it. This was war, siblings died.
Having dual pov also helped cover lots of different aspects of the war. There was volunteering, the resistance, tragedy, being captured and the camps.
Abd always that low level of fear. And fear about whom to trust.
It was a brilliant story. And I needed to know how both these sisters ended up right from page one. Actually right from knowing it was sisters just from the blurb!

I'm reviewing this via NetGalley, as part of a tour with Bookouture.

The story follows two sisters, Louise and Marie, who are torn apart by WWII. Louise and Marie were both strong protagonists that I connected with in different ways. Initially, I found Louise to be the more kindly of the two. Marie struck me as somewhat stubborn and hot-tempered, though there was something about the way she articulated herself to the reader that resonated with me.

The bond between the two sisters touched my heart. It seemed that Louise and Marie were never far from each other's thoughts. It occurred to me that the two sisters were not alike in terms of their personality or behaviours, but that was something that I found endearing. I found this emotional to read, but also heartwarming and inspiring.

Thank you to Bookouture and to the author, for the opportunity to read and review this.

This was a fantastic read from the start, set against the horrors of WW2, it paints a raw yet emotinal story of courage and what it means to survive. I really loved it.