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Only the Brave
From #1 New York Times bestselling author Danielle Steel comes a powerful, sweeping historical novel about a courageous woman in World War II Germany.
Sophia Alexander, the beautiful daughter of a famous surgeon in Berlin, has had to grow up faster than most young women. When her mother falls ill, Sophia must take charge of her younger sister, Theresa, and look after her father and the household, while also volunteering at his hospital after school. Meanwhile, Hitler’s rise to power and the violence in her very own town have Sophia concerned, but only her mother is willing to share her fears openly.
After tragedy strikes and her mother dies, Sophia becomes increasingly involved in the resistance, attending meetings of dissidents and helping however she can. Circumstances become increasingly dangerous and personal when Sophia assists her sister’s daring escape from Germany, fleeing Germany with her young husband and his family. Her father also begins to resist the regime, secretly healing those hiding from persecution, only to have his hospital burned to the ground. When he is arrested and sent to a concentration camp, Sophia is truly on her own, but more determined than ever to help.
While working as a nurse with the convent nuns, the Sisters of Mercy, Sophia continues her harrowing efforts to transport Jewish children to safety and finds herself under surveillance. As the political tensions rise and the brutal oppression continues, Sophia is undeterred, risking it all, even her own freedom, as she rises to the challenge of helping those in need—no matter the cost.
In Only the Brave, Danielle Steel vividly captures the devastating effects of war alongside beautiful moments of compassion and courage.
Sophia Alexander, the beautiful daughter of a famous surgeon in Berlin, has had to grow up faster than most young women. When her mother falls ill, Sophia must take charge of her younger sister, Theresa, and look after her father and the household, while also volunteering at his hospital after school. Meanwhile, Hitler’s rise to power and the violence in her very own town have Sophia concerned, but only her mother is willing to share her fears openly.
After tragedy strikes and her mother dies, Sophia becomes increasingly involved in the resistance, attending meetings of dissidents and helping however she can. Circumstances become increasingly dangerous and personal when Sophia assists her sister’s daring escape from Germany, fleeing Germany with her young husband and his family. Her father also begins to resist the regime, secretly healing those hiding from persecution, only to have his hospital burned to the ground. When he is arrested and sent to a concentration camp, Sophia is truly on her own, but more determined than ever to help.
While working as a nurse with the convent nuns, the Sisters of Mercy, Sophia continues her harrowing efforts to transport Jewish children to safety and finds herself under surveillance. As the political tensions rise and the brutal oppression continues, Sophia is undeterred, risking it all, even her own freedom, as she rises to the challenge of helping those in need—no matter the cost.
In Only the Brave, Danielle Steel vividly captures the devastating effects of war alongside beautiful moments of compassion and courage.
272 pages, Kindle Edition
First published April 30, 2024
2022 people are currently reading
3307 people want to read
About the author
Danielle Steel
885 books16.6k followersDanielle Steel has been hailed as one of the world's bestselling authors, with almost a billion copies of her novels sold. Her many international bestsellers include All That Glitters, Royal, Daddy's Girls, The Wedding Dress, The Numbers Game, Moral Compass, Spy, and other highly acclaimed novels. She is also the author of His Bright Light, the story of her son Nick Traina's life and death; A Gift of Hope, a memoir of her work with the homeless; Expect a Miracle, a book of her favorite quotations for inspiration and comfort; Pure Joy, about the dogs she and her family have loved; and the children's books Pretty Minnie in Paris and Pretty Minnie in Hollywood.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 758 reviews
April 23, 2024
In 1949, when Danielle Steel was just a toddler, Theodor Adorno declared that “to write poetry after Auschwitz is barbaric.”
It took her a while, but Steel has proved Adorno’s point. Not that there’s anything poetic about her new Holocaust novel, “Only the Brave,” but using the Final Solution as the setting for a sentimental melodrama is profoundly unseemly. It’s not good for the Jews. It’s not good for anybody.
But the publicity machine grinds on.
Half a century ago, Steel published her first book, “Going Home,” and over the decades she’s become one of the best-selling novelists in the world, with more than a billion copies in print. Perhaps no other writer is so widely read and so rarely reviewed. It’s a confirmed blind spot in our critical landscape: Unlike music, movie and TV reviewers, book reviewers pride themselves on avoiding what most people are consuming. Sometimes, I feel guilty about this. At the moment, I feel grateful.
By my count, “Only the Brave” is Steel’s 152nd novel, but her publicist tells me, “It is closer to her 170th.” Apparently, the actual number can only be guessed at in the same way the total mass of dark matter in the universe is estimated by how it bends light. With some certainty, though, we can determine that “Only the Brave” is one of seven titles Steel plans to release this year, which means that she writes a book more often than most people clean their fridge.
In the months leading up to this week’s publication, Steel’s publicist reached out repeatedly to insist that I not mention the author is a 76-year-old romance novelist. As always, we’re never ashamed of the right things.
“Only the Brave” opens in Berlin in 1937 with one of the book’s typically perplexing observations: “Even at eighteen,” Steel writes, “Sophia Alexander knew that things in Germany had changed in the past four years since the Nazis had come to power.” Yes, nothing gets by our Sophia. Somehow, after Hitler established himself as a dictator, passed the Nuremberg Laws and remilitarized the Rhineland, this savvy young woman has managed to pick up a change in the air. That weird consummation of obviousness and obliviousness quickly becomes the novel’s prevailing tone. . . .
To read the rest of this review, go to The Washington Post:
https://www.washingtonpost.com/books/...
It took her a while, but Steel has proved Adorno’s point. Not that there’s anything poetic about her new Holocaust novel, “Only the Brave,” but using the Final Solution as the setting for a sentimental melodrama is profoundly unseemly. It’s not good for the Jews. It’s not good for anybody.
But the publicity machine grinds on.
Half a century ago, Steel published her first book, “Going Home,” and over the decades she’s become one of the best-selling novelists in the world, with more than a billion copies in print. Perhaps no other writer is so widely read and so rarely reviewed. It’s a confirmed blind spot in our critical landscape: Unlike music, movie and TV reviewers, book reviewers pride themselves on avoiding what most people are consuming. Sometimes, I feel guilty about this. At the moment, I feel grateful.
By my count, “Only the Brave” is Steel’s 152nd novel, but her publicist tells me, “It is closer to her 170th.” Apparently, the actual number can only be guessed at in the same way the total mass of dark matter in the universe is estimated by how it bends light. With some certainty, though, we can determine that “Only the Brave” is one of seven titles Steel plans to release this year, which means that she writes a book more often than most people clean their fridge.
In the months leading up to this week’s publication, Steel’s publicist reached out repeatedly to insist that I not mention the author is a 76-year-old romance novelist. As always, we’re never ashamed of the right things.
“Only the Brave” opens in Berlin in 1937 with one of the book’s typically perplexing observations: “Even at eighteen,” Steel writes, “Sophia Alexander knew that things in Germany had changed in the past four years since the Nazis had come to power.” Yes, nothing gets by our Sophia. Somehow, after Hitler established himself as a dictator, passed the Nuremberg Laws and remilitarized the Rhineland, this savvy young woman has managed to pick up a change in the air. That weird consummation of obviousness and obliviousness quickly becomes the novel’s prevailing tone. . . .
To read the rest of this review, go to The Washington Post:
https://www.washingtonpost.com/books/...
May 1, 2024
{Good}
Interesting take for a historical fiction novel revolving more around the medical side of it. As with fashion for a DS book its a little repetitive, but not a bad story.
Interesting take for a historical fiction novel revolving more around the medical side of it. As with fashion for a DS book its a little repetitive, but not a bad story.
July 29, 2025
This is a Historical Fiction that takes place during WWII in Germany. It has been a little bit since I picked up a Historical Fiction because I just have not been in the mood to read them, but I am so glad I picked this book up. There is so much going on in this book, and it touched my heart so much. I really fell in love with all the characters in this book. The only thing I did not love about this book was the ending only because I did not want it to end. I wanted more. I received an ARC of this book. This review is my own honest opinion about the book like all my reviews are.
April 19, 2024
The latest book by Danielle Steel takes place in Germany during World War II, where a non-Jewish family experiences terror. Sophia works as a nurse in her father's hospital, and after her mother's death, she decides to join the convent to help children find safety secretly, something their parents couldn't do. This is heartwarming and like all war historical heartbreaking and shows the terror that war brings to everyone. The book is a short story, about 7 hours, and is engaging enough to finish in one day.
Thank you to W.F. Howes Ltd and NetGalley for the opportunity to listen to Only The Brave, written by Danielle Steel and narrated by Samuel Roukin. I have given my honest review. The expected publication date for the book is April 25th, 2024.
Thank you to W.F. Howes Ltd and NetGalley for the opportunity to listen to Only The Brave, written by Danielle Steel and narrated by Samuel Roukin. I have given my honest review. The expected publication date for the book is April 25th, 2024.
June 30, 2024
I have such a hard time reading any historical fiction novel and not comparing it to Kristin Hannah’s work. As a result, this just didn’t live up to my expectations of a WW2 historical fiction novel.
⭐️⭐️
⭐️⭐️
May 6, 2024
"You do what you can in a war. It is the people who suffer, and the children. The rest doesn't matter."
November 10, 2023
THIS is why I continue to read Danielle Steel novels - for that gem that comes out periodically. “Only the Brave” was such a gem. Sophia Alexander is a responsible young woman coming of age in Germany at the start of the rise of Hitler. She is the daughter of a renowned surgeon who operates his own surgical center in Berlin. He operates on those in the high commands of the German military as well as the smallest sick Jewish child. As a member of the Aryan race, he has enjoyed prosperity while Sophia looks after her sick mother and frivolous younger sister. The reader gets to see the rise of the Third Reich through Sophia’s eyes and experience the atrocities of Hitler to Jews and gentiles alike.
Sophia decides that she wants to join the convent and follow in the steps of her hero, Edith Stein, a woman who was born Jewish, but entered the convent as a nun who opposed the Nazis. The majority of the story follows Sophia as she uses her calling to help the anti-Nazi movement while the world she has known crumbles around her. The descriptions and terror are keenly felt and I found myself tearing up and actively crying quite a few times and yet, I couldn’t put this book down. Using one of my most hated DS words, it’s one of her most “important” works. I could go off on a political rant, but suffice it to say, read this one. Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Books for the advanced copy in return for my honest review.
Sophia decides that she wants to join the convent and follow in the steps of her hero, Edith Stein, a woman who was born Jewish, but entered the convent as a nun who opposed the Nazis. The majority of the story follows Sophia as she uses her calling to help the anti-Nazi movement while the world she has known crumbles around her. The descriptions and terror are keenly felt and I found myself tearing up and actively crying quite a few times and yet, I couldn’t put this book down. Using one of my most hated DS words, it’s one of her most “important” works. I could go off on a political rant, but suffice it to say, read this one. Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Books for the advanced copy in return for my honest review.
May 8, 2024
Banal. Awful, when compared to good, well researched WW2 novels with attention to character, plot, and voice! My best impression of this writing is Flounder from The Little Mermaid “This is this, that is that, blah blah blah”.
Apparently the characters have full precognition of everything simultaneously happening during the holocaust, to an unbelievable extent. To them there is no propaganda involved, just the actual events as we now know them. They are all beautiful and rich, non-party, well taken care of, even the Jewish-married couple that flees. So obviously believable, right?
So unrealistic.
I could not finish past 30%. The voice and storytelling was all wrong.
Apparently the characters have full precognition of everything simultaneously happening during the holocaust, to an unbelievable extent. To them there is no propaganda involved, just the actual events as we now know them. They are all beautiful and rich, non-party, well taken care of, even the Jewish-married couple that flees. So obviously believable, right?
So unrealistic.
I could not finish past 30%. The voice and storytelling was all wrong.
August 23, 2024
As usual I loved Danielle steels books. They just feel good and comfy. This one was a great read and I loved the characters. I have read some bad reviews but I thought it was great. The characters were good and the storyline sad.
March 22, 2024
Danielle Steel’s, Only the Brave, is so much more than a romance set against the backdrop of WWII. She deftly depicts the chaos and danger in Germany as the Nazis rose in power as told through the eyes of Sophie, a skilled nurse and devout Catholic who is on the cusp of taking her final vows to become a nun just before she is arrested as an enemy of the state and sent to a concentration camp. Through Sophie, her father, and her sister, we see different experiences of the war and the destruction that the Nazi zealotry waged as they savaged their way through Europe. Through Sophie’s harrowing experience of escape and recovery, she meets an injured American pilot whom she nurses back to health. This chance meeting and the time spent in recuperation change the trajectory of both their lives and portray grace and bravery during a time of madness and murder. The book does end rather abruptly and I would have liked a little more massaging of the circumstances around Sophie’s choice, but overall I thought it was a good, compelling story. Only the Brave provides a snapshot of the horror and atrocities from that time in the world’s history and a prescient reminder not to let history repeat itself.
Thank you NetGalley and Random House for an advanced reader copy in exchange for an honest review.
Thank you NetGalley and Random House for an advanced reader copy in exchange for an honest review.
January 15, 2024
I love Danielle Steel. Starting from the very first book I read of hers which was Palomino. Probably around 30 years ago.
This book did not seem like it was written by Danielle Steel. The story was heartbreaking, as all Nazi era books are. But it was extremely repetitive. Especially in the beginning. There are only so many times that we can be told that Sophia learned a lot by working closely with her very talented surgeon father. There was also a mixup in the naming of Theresa’s children. It just did not seem like something Danielle Steel would mess up on.
I will still continue to read her books, but I hope this isn’t a sign of what’s in store.
This book did not seem like it was written by Danielle Steel. The story was heartbreaking, as all Nazi era books are. But it was extremely repetitive. Especially in the beginning. There are only so many times that we can be told that Sophia learned a lot by working closely with her very talented surgeon father. There was also a mixup in the naming of Theresa’s children. It just did not seem like something Danielle Steel would mess up on.
I will still continue to read her books, but I hope this isn’t a sign of what’s in store.
May 1, 2025
I felt like I was reading a middle-grade book... that just kept repeating itself. yuck
April 5, 2024
3.5 Stars
This is not a romance, not in the truest sense. Danielle Steel is generally known for her romances, but don't expect any in-depth romance with this novel. It is all about surviving the war. That is not to say that there is not a happy ending though.
I am of two differing minds about this book. It was a wonderful historical fiction book. I haven't read anything about WWII as intense and in-depth as this book in a long time. Some parts of this book made my stomach churn and really played on my emotions. It shows what a great writer Danielle Steel can be.
On the other hand, this book was very repetitious, sometimes even on the same page. Parts were overly dragged out, which is surprising for a book of this length.
It is worth the read if you can overlook the few flaws.
*ARC Supplied by the publisher Delacorte Press/Penguin Random House, the author, and NetGalley.
This is not a romance, not in the truest sense. Danielle Steel is generally known for her romances, but don't expect any in-depth romance with this novel. It is all about surviving the war. That is not to say that there is not a happy ending though.
I am of two differing minds about this book. It was a wonderful historical fiction book. I haven't read anything about WWII as intense and in-depth as this book in a long time. Some parts of this book made my stomach churn and really played on my emotions. It shows what a great writer Danielle Steel can be.
On the other hand, this book was very repetitious, sometimes even on the same page. Parts were overly dragged out, which is surprising for a book of this length.
It is worth the read if you can overlook the few flaws.
*ARC Supplied by the publisher Delacorte Press/Penguin Random House, the author, and NetGalley.
August 1, 2024
SOME SPOILERS IN ORDER TO SET UP THE STORY:
*
*
*Sofia is a serious, dutiful girl in 1930's Berlin, w/ a flighty, beautiful younger sister, Teresa; a mother in a sanitarium, sick w/ tuberculosis; and a father who is a gifted surgeon in his own hospital. The mother dies; Teresa marries Heinrich at a very young age; and the father is asked to perform euthanasia on those deemed "undesirable" by the now-ruling Nazi party.
Sofia trained as a nurse after her mother died. In her off-duty hours from her father's hospital, she volunteers as a nurse at a local convent's hospital. Sofia also attends clandestine resistance meetings, and occasionally helps move Jewish children to safer locations. Sofia then decides that she is called to be a nun herself; her father is not pleased, but she proceeds anyway, which is best for her as Teresa and her husband have to flee to Switzerland; her father's hospital is burned down and he is sent to Dachau; and eventually, Sofia herself is found after hours outside the convent and sent to Ravensbruck for "suspicious activity." Sofia apparently isn't overly fussed about this, b/c she felt like she would have been caught for transporting Jewish children at some point anyway. (Really
This is all so extremely rushed, as though Ms. Steele wants to get to the descriptions of life in the camps, for first Sofia's father, and then her. Does Sofia's father survive Dachau as a political prisoner? Does Sofia herself?
There is far more plot line than what is detailed here, and some of it is interesting, but not enough of it to rate this novel any more highly. I find it questionable that Sofia would make friends at the camp so quickly, or that a guard might show any interest in her as a human being at all. The rushed ending of the book is simply unbelievable, as Sofia makes a major life decision literally in the last three pages of the book that isn't foreshadowed AT ALL.
If this is an example of Ms. Steele's writing, it is no wonder that I don't read popular authors often. The writing in this book is quite poor, w/ short, choppy sentences and an amount of repetition that boggles the mind. I often wondered if Ms. Steele had laid down the novel for a few weeks and then resumed writing several weeks later, b/c repetition literally occurred in one instance three paragraphs later! Never mind all the young men who admired Sofia. Seriously, was this book written for young middle-schoolers? I'm rating this in the low 2 stars for me. Take my advice: skip this one and read "War and Remembrance" by Herman Wouk. It is still my gold standard for any book about life in the camps during the Holocaust.
*
*
*Sofia is a serious, dutiful girl in 1930's Berlin, w/ a flighty, beautiful younger sister, Teresa; a mother in a sanitarium, sick w/ tuberculosis; and a father who is a gifted surgeon in his own hospital. The mother dies; Teresa marries Heinrich at a very young age; and the father is asked to perform euthanasia on those deemed "undesirable" by the now-ruling Nazi party.
Sofia trained as a nurse after her mother died. In her off-duty hours from her father's hospital, she volunteers as a nurse at a local convent's hospital. Sofia also attends clandestine resistance meetings, and occasionally helps move Jewish children to safer locations. Sofia then decides that she is called to be a nun herself; her father is not pleased, but she proceeds anyway, which is best for her as Teresa and her husband have to flee to Switzerland; her father's hospital is burned down and he is sent to Dachau; and eventually, Sofia herself is found after hours outside the convent and sent to Ravensbruck for "suspicious activity." Sofia apparently isn't overly fussed about this, b/c she felt like she would have been caught for transporting Jewish children at some point anyway. (Really
This is all so extremely rushed, as though Ms. Steele wants to get to the descriptions of life in the camps, for first Sofia's father, and then her. Does Sofia's father survive Dachau as a political prisoner? Does Sofia herself?
There is far more plot line than what is detailed here, and some of it is interesting, but not enough of it to rate this novel any more highly. I find it questionable that Sofia would make friends at the camp so quickly, or that a guard might show any interest in her as a human being at all. The rushed ending of the book is simply unbelievable, as Sofia makes a major life decision literally in the last three pages of the book that isn't foreshadowed AT ALL.
If this is an example of Ms. Steele's writing, it is no wonder that I don't read popular authors often. The writing in this book is quite poor, w/ short, choppy sentences and an amount of repetition that boggles the mind. I often wondered if Ms. Steele had laid down the novel for a few weeks and then resumed writing several weeks later, b/c repetition literally occurred in one instance three paragraphs later! Never mind all the young men who admired Sofia. Seriously, was this book written for young middle-schoolers? I'm rating this in the low 2 stars for me. Take my advice: skip this one and read "War and Remembrance" by Herman Wouk. It is still my gold standard for any book about life in the camps during the Holocaust.
November 27, 2023
Only the Brave by Danielle Steel is one of the best historical fiction novel, I have read. Sophie is a delightful and inspiring heroine. Her commitment to helping others even in the worst of times is truly remarkable. Ms Steel touches on the horrors of the times which a deft hand that makes the reader feel the terror and heartbreak rather than describing them in lurid detail. Highly recommended.
Thank you to Ms. Steel, publisher, Random House Publishing Group--Ballantine, and NetGalley for opportunity for preview the book.
Thank you to Ms. Steel, publisher, Random House Publishing Group--Ballantine, and NetGalley for opportunity for preview the book.
October 4, 2024
I've read every book written by Danielle Steel, and this one totally surprised me! I request each new book as soon as I'm aware there is a wait list, without even looking what the story is about. When I started reading this I was totally surprised to find myself entwined in a WWII historical fiction - and it was amazing! Whether or not your a fan of Danielle Steel, you won't go wrong with this one! 10 out of 10.
January 13, 2024
Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for an advanced copy. I oftentimes fine DS books repeat themselves so much and don’t provoke much thought. This book was a rare exception. This was a wonderful story following Sophia through her WW2 journey, and while it was hard to read at times, I thoroughly enjoyed it.
May 21, 2024
This is a historical novel set during World War II in Germany. Sophia is a nurse and becomes a nun. After spending time in the concentration camp, she and some friends escape and she continues to help Jewish people to safety. I enjoyed the book and was very happy with the ending.
May 4, 2024
A love story over time and distance, with a lot of heart break along the way.
June 26, 2024
I actually enjoyed this latest novel by Danielle Steel. It’s historical fiction about WWII and the Holocaust. A young woman becomes a nurse and works with her father, a well known surgeon. She decides to enter a convent and become a nun. During the war, her father is accused of being a traitor and later they take her away as a traitor and put her in a concentration camp. Good story with several twists and turns.
January 11, 2024
Only the Brave by Danielle Steele has a publication date of April 30, 2024. Net Galley gifted me an ARC in return for a review.
As everyone knows, Danielle Steele publishes multiple books per year. This is yet another Steele book which has hit the mark. Although the beginning of the book is a bit redundant at times I would encourage the reader to continue reading as a story begins to develop that is a twist on the typical WWII plot. Only the Brave is based in Germany, during WWIl, with the main character, a nurse, battling the effects of war, while still being compassionate. After nursing under her father’s surgical expertise, Sophia is called to become a nun while still nursing others. Her father’s refusal to murder innocents under Hitler’s reign places a target on both of them. Sophia stays strong by thinking of her sister and her family who were able to escape to Switzerland with Sophia’s help. As the war continues, Sophia’s life takes some twists and turns that put her to the test time after time. Sophia proves that she is stronger than she ever thought and in the end deserves happiness.
Thanks again NetGalley for the ARC.
As everyone knows, Danielle Steele publishes multiple books per year. This is yet another Steele book which has hit the mark. Although the beginning of the book is a bit redundant at times I would encourage the reader to continue reading as a story begins to develop that is a twist on the typical WWII plot. Only the Brave is based in Germany, during WWIl, with the main character, a nurse, battling the effects of war, while still being compassionate. After nursing under her father’s surgical expertise, Sophia is called to become a nun while still nursing others. Her father’s refusal to murder innocents under Hitler’s reign places a target on both of them. Sophia stays strong by thinking of her sister and her family who were able to escape to Switzerland with Sophia’s help. As the war continues, Sophia’s life takes some twists and turns that put her to the test time after time. Sophia proves that she is stronger than she ever thought and in the end deserves happiness.
Thanks again NetGalley for the ARC.
October 22, 2024
This is the first Danielle steel book I've read in years , it was an easy read , even though it was difficult subject matter . I love an happy ever after !
April 28, 2024
1.5- Danielle Steel is one of the most prolific authors in recent times and while I’ve never read anything by her before I have heard how popular she is. When I saw she had a new novel, and a historical fiction one at that, I jumped at the chance to read it. If I had to sum up one word to describe this book it would be “blah”. I can only assume this was ghostwritten under Ms. Steel’s name since there is no way an author as seasoned as she is could have produced such drivel.
This starts at the beginning of WW2 and follows the Alexander family through the tragedy of the death of matriarch, Monika, leaving behind her husband, surgeon Thomas, and her two daughters, 16 year old Sophia and 14 year old Theresa. Everyone handles her death differently- Thomas throws himself into his work, taking care of several top officers in the German army. Sophia finds comfort and solace with the nuns in the local convent and the resistance meetings she attends twice weekly, and Theresa finds comfort in the arms of Heinrich, the man whom she loves. As Hitler rises to power Theresa and Heinrich discover he’s a quarter Jewish, Thomas is asked by the top officers of the Reich to help with their cleansing program to rid the country of inferior races, and Sophia joins the convent. Over the next four years Sophia faces tragedy, but rises to the challenge of surviving and helping others along the way.
This could have been great, but it was so boring. I felt like I was reading something written by someone who had to write a historical fiction story for a class- and if it was ghostwritten then perhaps it was, though if it was Ms. Steel shouldn’t use this writer again.
Between all of the repetitiveness and the inconsistency of plot lines I can only hope that this advanced copy was put on NetGalley before an editor saw it. Even so, given Ms. Steel’s expertise in writing I’m shocked even her advanced copy would have so many errors. Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Ballentine for an advanced copy of this. Only the Brave hits the shelves on April 30th.
This starts at the beginning of WW2 and follows the Alexander family through the tragedy of the death of matriarch, Monika, leaving behind her husband, surgeon Thomas, and her two daughters, 16 year old Sophia and 14 year old Theresa. Everyone handles her death differently- Thomas throws himself into his work, taking care of several top officers in the German army. Sophia finds comfort and solace with the nuns in the local convent and the resistance meetings she attends twice weekly, and Theresa finds comfort in the arms of Heinrich, the man whom she loves. As Hitler rises to power Theresa and Heinrich discover he’s a quarter Jewish, Thomas is asked by the top officers of the Reich to help with their cleansing program to rid the country of inferior races, and Sophia joins the convent. Over the next four years Sophia faces tragedy, but rises to the challenge of surviving and helping others along the way.
This could have been great, but it was so boring. I felt like I was reading something written by someone who had to write a historical fiction story for a class- and if it was ghostwritten then perhaps it was, though if it was Ms. Steel shouldn’t use this writer again.
Between all of the repetitiveness and the inconsistency of plot lines I can only hope that this advanced copy was put on NetGalley before an editor saw it. Even so, given Ms. Steel’s expertise in writing I’m shocked even her advanced copy would have so many errors. Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Ballentine for an advanced copy of this. Only the Brave hits the shelves on April 30th.
May 24, 2024
What a boring waste of time. I read this book today in one day. It was very reminiscent of her book, Echoes, which came out in 2004. Another girl in Germany who is a nun, helping soldiers and children and who quits and finds love. This book was boring and predictable and so underwhelming. I’m so bummed.
Seriously Ms Steele- stop with the ghost writers! Stop pumping out short, undeveloped stories that are half written! Get a better editor and cull out the repeating phrases.
Where are the deep, thorough stories like you used to write???
I loved Zoya, Echoes and the Ring- these are great and moving stories of WW2 that she wrote. Ugh. Should I just give up on her?
Seriously Ms Steele- stop with the ghost writers! Stop pumping out short, undeveloped stories that are half written! Get a better editor and cull out the repeating phrases.
Where are the deep, thorough stories like you used to write???
I loved Zoya, Echoes and the Ring- these are great and moving stories of WW2 that she wrote. Ugh. Should I just give up on her?
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 9, 2024
This book was not the typical book for Danielle Steel.
The war years in Germany sent Sophie Alexandra, a nurse to Ravens brook, Because her father a surgeon would not euthanize Jews. He died in Prison.
After many months Sophie and four other woman escaped with Sophie organizing the whole thing.
Sophie had joined a convent and had not taken her final vows.
She helped rescue an American Officer when he was caught by his parachute up in a tree. He broke
his ankle....Sophie got to know him while nursing him back to health.
After seeing a sign of a red bird, she decided to live her life with the American Officer .
The war years in Germany sent Sophie Alexandra, a nurse to Ravens brook, Because her father a surgeon would not euthanize Jews. He died in Prison.
After many months Sophie and four other woman escaped with Sophie organizing the whole thing.
Sophie had joined a convent and had not taken her final vows.
She helped rescue an American Officer when he was caught by his parachute up in a tree. He broke
his ankle....Sophie got to know him while nursing him back to health.
After seeing a sign of a red bird, she decided to live her life with the American Officer .
December 14, 2023
Only The Brave was actually my first book I've read by Danielle Steel and it did not disappoint!!
The book follows Sophia from the start of WW2 with all of the events she experiences.
This novel is heartbreaking, inspiring and beautifully written. I truly felt like I was seeing Sophia's life during WW2.
I loved this book and will recommend it to any that loves historical fiction.
Thank you NetGalley and Random House publishing group for the opportunity to have this ARC in exchange for my honest review!
The book follows Sophia from the start of WW2 with all of the events she experiences.
This novel is heartbreaking, inspiring and beautifully written. I truly felt like I was seeing Sophia's life during WW2.
I loved this book and will recommend it to any that loves historical fiction.
Thank you NetGalley and Random House publishing group for the opportunity to have this ARC in exchange for my honest review!
August 28, 2024
I cant believe this has gotten so many great reviews. The writing in this book was horrible. This was book was shallow, very repetitive and had choppy sentences/paragraphs. The whole plot was rushed. I’ve read of lot of WWII historical fiction books and this one didn’t live up to my expectations. This was completely unrealistic. The horror of the Holocaust was glossed over. You can tell the author didn’t research the topic at all.
I can’t believe I stuck with this one, it was that bad. I felt like this was written for stupid people.
I can’t believe I stuck with this one, it was that bad. I felt like this was written for stupid people.
August 10, 2025
I honestly just think I’m not a fan of her writing style. It felt more like reading a synopsis or an overview, but it took forever to actually get into a scene. Due to that, it took over a hundred pages to really feel any emotions toward the characters. Even then, I had a hard time focusing with the minimal dialogue and I never cared too much. It felt more like an overview of the war.
The first time I really felt like I was interested in knowing what happened next was when Ted was introduced. His relationship with Sophia drew me in. And I enjoyed the ending. I just think her writing style isn’t for me.
The first time I really felt like I was interested in knowing what happened next was when Ted was introduced. His relationship with Sophia drew me in. And I enjoyed the ending. I just think her writing style isn’t for me.
August 15, 2024
I am not a reader of Danielle Steel, but this was a daily special on Audible, so cheap, and it had a good rating. It was simple, some cliches, some predictability. Of course all the main characters are beautiful. LOL!
May 7, 2024
The happiness I felt during those last 40 pages is truly unmatched.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
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