This book had me craving chocolate on multiple occasions. Kasia's father owns a chocolate factory in Poland. After her father passes away, she moves back to help her mother and brother along with the factory. While she was away, she worked for the Polish Resistance. When she returned to her hometown, she was able to help with the Resistance by passing messages along in chocolate wrappers and simply keeping her ears open while making chocolate deliveries to German officials. Sebastian is the technical owner of the chocolate factory after Kasia's father dies. To keep her family in good graces, Kasia has been pretending to be in love with Sebastian for over a year.

Felek is also working for the Polish Resistance. Felek and Kasia have seen each other in passing over the last couple of years, but one night they kiss. They then realize they love each other. This part felt very sudden. The ending in general also felt very rushed. I almost think things were tied up in too pretty of a bow at the end.

SPOILER BELOW...
I almost wish Felek died at the camp. It just would have been more realistic. I think I would have liked the book more if he had died. For Kasia to have been shot by Sebastian for not loving her at the end, and to survive it. Then for Felek to be sent on a death march and not die even though the Germans were trying to cover up their sins by killing them all off. It just felt too unrealistic for me. I also was hoping at the end of the book, the author was going to have an Author's Note explaining how this book was based off a chocolate factory in Poland during that time. I thought it would have been very clever for the Resistance to smuggle messages in candy wrappers and have spies with their deliveries, but nothing was said about it being based on a true story. I LOVE it when these type of stories are based on someone's life.

A wonderful WWII story of the resistance. Hidden notes in boxes of chocolates. Will one get into the wrong hands? Loved this story!

Thank you so much to @bookoutoure and @netgalley for the gifted arc of this book in exchange for my honest review.

I was drawn in by the premise of this book, Kasia working with the resistance in her father’s chocolate factory during WW2. I felt like there was a lot of potential to this book. I liked the chocolate factory aspect and Kasia’s relationship with her family. I also enjoyed the romance aspect but I wanted more of his personality and character. Kasia has some great qualities-she is strong and determined and tried to help as many people as she could. It felt like things happened quickly throughout the book and I wanted more details and buildup for some of these events. There were good elements and ideas but I felt like it was just a bit under developed. The pace was slow at the beginning but it did pick up in the second half. I did enjoy reading this and it grabbed me more in the second half. I have heard great things about this author so will definitely check out her others.

You know you’ve just finished a really special book when it comes to a close and you miss the main character already. I came to this thinking it was going to be a quirky little story about a quirky little character and I was looking forward to it, I’ve never been so glad to be wrong, it’s so very much not, yet so very much more than that.

Polish Kasia finds herself working in her late father's chocolate factory during WWII. She is risking the safety of herself and her mother and younger brother by hiding notes for the Resistance in the chocolate boxes. Can she continue to help the Resistance, and trust her father's business partner Sebastian?

I loved the descriptions of the chocolates, and Kasia's ability to control flavours with the limited ingredients she had access to. I unfortunately couldn't warm to Felek, and the book on the whole felt a bit disjointed to me - it needed more detail in some places, and less in others. I also felt is ended too abruptly. An interesting read, but not my favourite by this author.

When Kasia Hartmann returns home after the death of her father it is decided that she will work at his chocolate factory. The downside being that he had business partner who is not all he seems. While Kasia uses the factory as cover to undertake her work for the polish resistance it’s a very dangerous path she is treading. As is usually the case, sympathisers turn up at the strangest times & places! The safety of her young brother Kornel is uppermost in her mind when she is pursued by an old neighbour who tells her he is trying to get in touch with the resistance, should she trust him? it’s like choosing between the devil and the deep blue sea.

I kept reading to find out what happened. I couldn’t relate to Felek.
Sebastian was a bit of a snake.

I wanted to love this book. Having recently returned from a trip to Poland, I thought that I would be able to better understand much of what I learned on my trip. For me, the book started out a bit slow and hard to follow. Eventually I caught on to the switches between Katharina and Kasia, and I grew to love them. I struggled to understand the relationships she developed with Sebastian and Felek. The relationships between all the characters felt a bit superficial. I failed to connect to the stories about chocolate bombs and the use of Pertitin because the storyline never felt fully developed.

I loved the small bits we got about Kasia's ability to taste chocolate and imagine what flavors. I'm not sure what secrets were being passed back and forth or what the significance of the chocolate factory was. I appreciated the honesty of what it was like to juggle German and Polish identities during a time when one was revered and one could be a death sentence. That allowed me to better connect with the conflicts faced by the characters. There was a great deal of human emotion to contend with when considering what the right choice for Zofia was, whether anyone else felt or realized it - but I wish there had been more development of her story, her arc, her actions that lead to her final moments. Kornel perhaps showed the greatest complexity - struggling with the feelings of a child, recognizing the severity of the situations that those around him were facing, and eventually finding his place as a place of solace for Sara and her daughter.

Do I think this is a necessary read? Yes. Poland and the challenges faced by the Polish people are largely discounted and minimized in WW2 historical fiction (and history collectively). Was it my favorite read? No. I was hoping for so much more from the character development to the storyline. Would I read it again after doing more research into the experiences of the people in Gdansk? Maybe.

Good storyline. Wording not as easy to read as many other books. Did hold my interest and I looked forward to reading it each evening. Seemed to drag a bit toward the end and then ended a bit abruptly. Overall enjoyed the story.

The Wartime Chocolate Maker is filled with love, loss and betrayal. I enjoyed Kasia's love story. The ending, although extremely sad, was undeniably beautiful. Although it isn’t not my favourite Gosia Nealon historical fiction novel it’s well worth a read. 3 ½ stars
I would like to thank the author, Bookouture and NetGalley for my free copy of this novel, in exchange for my honest review.
#TheWartimeChocolateMaker #NetGalley.

I have hears so many great reviews about this book. But I did not get completely invested in this book. I liked the Main characters, especially the older Main characters in this book. They were strong. But some parts felt a little bit too rushed, it did not go into depth. But still glad i read it. Thank you to netgalley for letting me read this e arc in exchange for an honest opinion

The Wartime chocolate maker was a beautifully written story of the polish spirit during WWII.
My favorite characters had to be Kornel and Zofia:
Kornel for his innocence as a child and having to deal with a changing landscape, having to learn to keep secrets and eventually loss.
Zofia for her mission to reunite with her lost husband and how some polish resistance fighters were there on a suicide mission because they were afraid to do it themselves. And when it came down to it she faced her fears of suicide instead of giving up the secrets of the resistance.

I would have loved to learn more about how they shared secret messages through the chocolates. How certain secrets were passed down through writing. Was it a mix of polish words or codes? Did the embroidery have a secret meaning when she talked about the origin of colors?

While I understand the importance of the romance between Katherina and Sebastian as a ploy, I do feel the explicit detailing in how she felt slightly detracted from the importance of her espionage work.

Great read and a gripping story from start to finish.

2.5⭐️

Thank you, NG, for this arc. I was drawn in by the premise of this book, but unfortunately it all fell so flat for me. I couldn’t connect to any character, and the time jumps with so much, yet nothing, happening didn’t draw me in. It took me ages to get through this book. Though, it did pick up a little bit about 60% of the way in, but not much. The romance was very insta love with little to no substance. I wish I loved this story more, as it had so much potential.

Thank you to NetGalley for the opportunity tor readand review this book. This story of Kasia ( also known as Katharina ), takes place in Poland during World War II, she is half German and half Polish helping to run a chocolate factory initially started by her late father that is now run by his partner Sebastian a Nazi sympathizer. Kasia , who works in the resistance must also play up to Sebastian in order to keep her late father’s factory running for hopefully her own future and to protect her mother and young brother.. This was an engaging story , showing the determination of the Polish people and also the horrors of the German Nazi occupiers. I would recommend this book to anyone interested in historical fiction.

I was torn between devouring this book in one sitting and savoring every page. Completely immersed in the city of Gdańsk and the turbulent era of the Polish resistance, I followed Kasia’s journey with rapt attention.

The characters, the love story, the heartbreak—each element was woven together beautifully, with even a touch of chocolate adding unexpected depth. It had everything I could hope for, and I never wanted it to end.

And that epilogue—utterly brilliant, utterly devastating.

Farewell, Kasia and Felek.

Thank you NetGalley and Bookouture for the ARC in exchange for my honest review!

“The Wartime Chocolate Maker” is a historical fiction WWII book by Gosia Nealon. I thought the idea behind this book was interesting - Kasia, working in her father’s chocolate factory in Poland, hides notes supporting the Polish resistance in chocolate boxes. This book is told in dual points of view, that of Felix and Kasia. While this book highlighted the role Gdansk (a town in Poland that, historically, was more German than Polish) along with some of the history of Poland, this book didn’t hold my attention as much as Ms. Nealon’s other book “Codebreaker Girl.” I found myself skimming sections and not really learning anything new. I wish that the author’s note had explained a bit more about how she got her idea for this book (she mentioned Gdansk chocolate). This wasn’t the best WWII fiction book for me, but I will definitely read Ms. Nealson’s next WWII book, based upon my enjoyment of her previous book.

Kasia is half German & half Polish work at her father's chocolate factory in Poland in WWII. She hides notes to support the Polish resistance in chocolate boxes, but she is under watch by Sebastian, her former lover, current boss & he sides with the Germans. Despite this, she continues to support the resistance even if it puts her life on the line.

I was intrigued by the story from the start with putting secret notes in chocolate boxes to support the resistance as espionage grew during this time period. The dual point of view gives you an insight of the main characters' thoughts as WWII passes. It shows how ordinary citizens helped with the effort without being on the battlefield. The novel focuses on the themes of the struggles of loyalty, identity, staying true to your beliefs, supporting your family and forgiveness. Fans of historical fiction, especially ones focusing on WWII, will enjoy The Wartime Chocolate Maker.

This book was overall an average WW2
novel. What would ordinarily be tense moments felt dull and underwhelming.

An excellent read for any and all readers! Author comes at you with both barrels and knocks you out of your shoes! Great job fleshing out all the characters. I give this book FIVE stars! Definitely recommend!

Gosia Nealon continues to shine a spotlight on Poland during World War II with another stellar novel. The setting of Gdansk is fascinating because historically it was more German than Polish. Its ethnic population was 80% German and 20% Polish although this didn't necessarily guarantee support for Hitler. The heroine, Kasia the chocolate maker, struggles with this split identity because her father was German and her mother is Polish yet she doesn't hesitate to join the Resistance against the Nazis.

Gosia Nealon's books immerse the reader in Polish culture with intricate descriptions of food that will have your mouth watering, historical references, and folklore. This story isn't about flashy spies or Resistance fighters parachuting behind enemy lines. Instead, it highlights the strength of family and friendships, compassion, and holding strong to your values in the face of great evil. Even in the darkest times, nothing is more powerful than love. "Love doesn't cease to exist, unlike material things or everything else. True love shines through eternity. In the end, it's all that counts." These are people doing whatever they can to weaken the German occupation and survive without losing their humanity. As Kasia said, "When the war ends, I want to look in the mirror without shame, I want to pass on the right values to my children." I loved this newest book even though I ate too much chocolate and depleted my supply of tissues while reading it. It will be released on March 21, 2025.

My thanks to NetGalley and Bookouture for the digital ARC. All opinions and the review are entirely my own.

This is a compelling story set in Poland during WWII. It is a story of sadness, betrayal, endurance, hope and love. Keep the tissues handy. Thank you to net galley for an advanced readers copy.