The Jewel of Berlin

by L.E. Levens

Surrender?
But when was surrender not defeat?

Former socialite Eva von Lindner has been left behind in Berlin with no friends, no family, and no purpose. Awakened by noises, she uncovers the forgotten German Resistance at work in her own home. Thrust into the underworld of secret codes, fake names, and deadly secrets, Eva strives for perfection while learning from the ever-grumpy Dr. Brynner, and the family she finds there. But even the tiniest flaw could mean defeat, and no one wants to be the one who brings everything crashing down. When faced with impossible odds, Eva must answer a call with terrible consequences to save the people dearest to her heart.

Meanwhile, Sigmund fights a darkness of his own. Haunted by past deaths and present failures, Dr. Brynner wants nothing more than to escape Nazi Germany and forget. But then a girl startlingly similar to someone he lost years ago shows up at his practice, and he’s forced to seek closure on a battle he’d thought long ended.

For fans of the classic tales of The Sound of Music, Pride & Prejudice, and Anastasia comes a new story for the YA audience about bravery, identity, worth, and surrender.

Genres: Historical Fiction

408 pages, Paperback

Published November 15, 2025

About the author

L.E. Levens is a young adult writing fantasy and historical fiction for the YA audience. When not busy with her writing, she works at a library, goes to a wonderful Christian college, and serves at her church on the worship team and in kids ministry. A bold believer, she seeks to build stories that not only dive deep and explore beloved tropes and big questions, but also to write ones that don’t trigger a bad conscience. She also enjoys frappuccinos and discovering new bookstores near either of her hometowns. She currently lives in West Tennessee (yes, that’s a real place) with her family, cat Simon, and some pretty amazing friends where she crafts her fine work, buys too many novels, and attends college.


Website: http://writerlevens.wixsite.com/writing

Instagram: @lelevens_author

You can also find me on Pinterest and Goodreads!

Reviews

[Olivia · Rating 5 out of 5]

It’s rare for me to find a book that has all of the things I love in it at once, but this one checks all the boxes.

Historically-accurate WWII setting that allows all the characters to have humanity while still showing right and wrong clearly? Check. Deep, honest Christian themes that acknowledge the difficulties in life without using Jesus as a magic reset key? Check. Sweet romance that is healthy and never gets too into the “fires of passion”? Check. Male main character who’s funny, gruff, and lovable yet doesn’t have Perfect Guy Syndrome? Double check. (I love Siggy.)

Lauren is a friend of mine, and most people of the people in my life who know me well end up hearing of her because I am and will forever be loudly and happily fangirling over everything of hers that I read. She has such a gift for crafting stories that blend truth and beauty together in a way that is not only very God-honoring but also simply feels… right.

This story in particular makes my day so much better every time that I read it. I love absolutely everything about it. The characters are well-rounded, the themes move me deeply, and of course, there’s my favorite part: the ships.

I also want to take a moment to write about how much I love Sigmund’s character specifically. (It only feels right that Siggy be given a whole paragraph to himself.) He’s the sort of character that you absolutely cannot help falling in love with. He has all the things: tragic backstory, gruff exterior, heart of gold, sense of humor, gentleness and kindness hidden under the surface… and yet he’s so much more than your typical “grumpy but secretly incredibly kind” male main character. Lauren took a cliche and turned it on its head here simply by making Siggy human and realistic and relatable. Sigmund is absolutely my favorite character in this whole story (and that’s saying a lot because this book has a lot of characters that I love).

I also feel the need to acknowledge the beauty of the fact that the characters in this story nickname the villain The Snake… and then proceed to refer to him by that nickname throughout the entire book. I don’t know how Lauren managed to make it work (you’d think it would give the story a very unserious feel, but somehow it doesn’t — it fits perfectly and feels so natural you don’t even question why a bunch of adults are calling someone The Snake). It makes my day every time it happens in the book. Honestly, this whole book makes my day every time. Normally, I don’t really like duologies, but I’m absolutely thrilled about the fact that this story is one because I’m so desperate to spend as much time as I can get with these characters.

I can’t recommend this book enough. It’s hard for me to find recently-published books that flow naturally and are actually good from a reading perspective, but this one is just perfect, and it makes me grin so widely every time I go to read it. I don’t reread many books, if any books, but this story is one that I’m going to be coming back to for some time.

(For context, I was given an eARC of this book, which is why I’m able to review it so early.)

[The Radical Reader · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Sound of Music meets Pride & Prejudice in this enrapturing tale of rebel resistance in World War II Berlin. For young adult readers who love themes of courage, bravery, and mystery with a clean romance subplot and Christian thematic elements, The Jewel of Berlin will not disappoint.

From the prologue of this book, I was instantly hooked. Set in Nazi Germany, Eva von Lindner is a former socialite who was raised in the upper class. But when she is left behind as her family is fleeing Berlin, she is forced to work for the pensive Doctor Sigmund Brynner whose mysterious past creates a seemingly insurmountable barrier between them.

When Eva discovers the resistance movement that Dr. Brynner is a part of, she realizes the horrific truth of what the Nazis are doing to her Jewish neighbors. And she is determined to stop their cruel invasion, even if that means sacrificing her life.

The Jewel of Berlin has no noteworthy elements in it that prevent it from being enjoyed by younger readers. However, the romantic subplot in the story may best be appreciated and understood by readers aged 15+.

The book is releasing on Amazon on November 15th of this year, but is available to preorder now. If you know a child, grandchild, or friend who enjoys mystery, adventure, and high stakes, The Jewel of Berlin would make a perfect birthday or Christmas gift!

https://theradicalreader.com/the-jewe...

[Charlotte Tamm · Rating 4 out of 5]

Such a fun historical read!

I was drawn in from the start and became thoroughly invested in Levens' characters and their stories. They are well-rounded and charming (or not so charming in the case of Veers- what a wonderfully slimy villain.)

Eva and Sigmund together are delightful- the definition of sunshine x grumpy- and Nelly and Adam will give you another couple to root for. Despite this, I really appreciated that the romance was not the forefront or the only plot point. There are wonderful character arcs and falls, dangers, intrigues, and found family elements.

As for the story itself, it really captured the awful parts of WWII: the loss, the fear, the sacrifices, and the everyday struggles that people went through. But it kept hope in the midst, and you weren't afraid to root for a happy ending. Somehow, Levens mixes the peaceful picnics, kitten-adoption scenes, and Christmas celebrations with high-stakes spying, concentration camps, grief, and smuggling Jews.

With just the right amount of dates and details, the strong historical facts woven throughout grounded the story. The world seemed a vibrant and real place.

There were times when some of the flashbacks/backstories got a little muddling, but never bad enough to pull you from the story.

If you want a fun and bittersweet, but exciting WWII book, this one is for you.

Note: I received an ARC in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

[asia (parker’s version)]

Yesterday was L.E. Levens' release day for her first novel, The Jewel of Berlin. If you love WWII, Anastasia feels, and deep themes, this book is for you! To celebrate, L.E. is hosting a giveaway (open from November 15th- November 17th, for members of the US only).

How to enter:
1. Like and share @lelevens_author 's original giveaway post
2. Follow L.E. Levens
3. Comment on the original post and tag a friend you think would enjoy TJOB!

What's included:
A signed copy of The Jewel of Berlin
A set of pens
highlighters
Character art
Bookmarks
Bookish stickers!
Journal
Winner will be announced on November 19th on L.E. Levens' Instagram and Newsletter. This giveaway is in no way affiliated with Instagram.

[Katja Labonté · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 stars (4/10 hearts). WWII novels are my delight, as we (probably) all know, and this one kept me constantly guessing. The characters were unique and interesting—Eva was very realistic; Sigmund was (eventually, lol) amazing; Adam was maybe my favourite; P. took me by surprise; and the little girl was such a sweet touch. Their role in the underground "railway" helping Jews escape reminded me some of The Hiding Place—it was the kind of thing their country contacts would have done. I struggled a little with the writing style... and at times it felt like it jumped too much; I had trouble figuring out what exactly was going on sometimes, besides being very confused about the past (specifically Eva's & Sigmund's). But since the story ends on a big cliffhanger it's possible some things weren't supposed to be fully explained/make total sense until later the next book. Still, despite this, I enjoyed the plot, especially at the end—it was just twist after twist, and so suspenseful!—and the slow-burn romance. Most of all, I loved how the title worked into the story and the message was very good—and there was plenty of humour to enjoy as well. I look forwards to the next story in this series!

*I received a complimentary copy of this book for promotional purposes. I was not required to write a positive review. These are my honest thoughts and opinions.*

[Lexi T. Walker · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this read! More than likely I’ll be getting copies for myself *and* for my younger siblings.

Levens’ style reminds me of my favorite books as a kid (I mean, they’re still favorites now, but I’m not a kid anymore 😂), but the story is more meaningful and the characters are well-rounded.
I love their faith in God, the character dynamics and plot twists.
And that ending!! 😫🤯 Must I wait for book 2?

As a history nerd, I also love to see the German Resistance covered in WWII hist-fic, and The Jewel of Berlin did such a good job of that!

Definitely a favorite, and I look forward to the next book.

Violence is moderate, not too graphic, romance is age appropriate (YA), spice-free, and subtly obvious but not sappy. I could convince my teen brother to read this, and he’d discuss it with my teen sister, and that’s high praise. 😂

[Sam (The Favorites Shelf) · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 stars

(Jewels in the Light duology: book 1)

This is an epic story of love, loss, and faith during WWII (set in Germany). It really drew me in, and I have SO many feelings...

First, I loved the characters! Eva Von Lindner especially captured my heart. Her ongoing case of memory loss adds LOTS of intrigue. There's also a great found-family setup with the Brynners. And, although it took me a moment to warm up to his initial brusqueness, Sigmund quickly became one of my favorite characters!

As for the time period, I loved the bravery themes among the Resistance as they hide those most vulnerable. There's just enough action/danger that I found myself thinking more deeply about the heartaches of historical WWII Germany, but not so much action that I found it overwhelming (and there are sweet moments in the plot as well - including some with an adorable kitten - which I loved).

The faith content is great too! There are lots of prayers and God-focused discussions, especially as characters work to overcome past doubts and find their purpose in an unknown future.

I'd recommend this to older teens/adults interested in historical mystery with light/clean romance! (Also, that ending left me craving MORE, so I'm very excited to see how things continue in the sequel!)

*Content to note*
Themes of overcoming grief/bitterness over lost loved ones. Various deaths/injuries occur at the hands of villains (intense but not graphic) and children/teens left without family. Discussions of risks to soldiers/innocent victims during WWII era.

**Thank you to the author for providing a complimentary e-ARC. All thoughts expressed are my own.**

[Katherine Vercouteren · Rating 4 out of 5]

WOAHHH This book was absolutely awesome!
The characters, historical accuracy, and plot was so well done and there were so many powerful moments. I loved the characters fight for truth and the subtle but sweet romance. Eva was a very followable and realistic FMC and she and Sigmund were pretty lovable. The plot was woven with a lot of depth and during no parts of the book did it feel boring.

Thank you to LE Levens for an e-ARC copy, all opinions expressed here are my own 😁

[Katelyn Douglas · Rating 4 out of 5]

Raw, deep, and moving, The Jewel of Berlin paints a story of resistance, love, surrender, loss, and courage.

TJoB keeps you guessing at every turn, curious to figure out the mysteries wrapped in it's pages. With intriguing plot twists and characters, this story had me gasping out loud, laughing, smiling, crying, and so much more at nearly every turn.

I applaud the author for being willing to tackle the German Perspective in this story, to show that, contrary to popular opinion, there were Germans during the Second World War that resisted the Nazis that had control over their country.

Full of heart, emotion, and honesty, The Jewel of Berlin is a perfect story for anyone looking for their next WWII read that will both inspire you to be courageous and challenge you to be brave enough to stand up.

Even when it can cost you everything.

[Emma Chasteen · Rating 5 out of 5]

I absolutely LOVE this book! Not only is the story engaging, suspenseful, and ultimately satisfying, but there are such beautiful themes and characters that really brought this story to life.

This book has elements of other familiar stories, but L.E. Levens manages to take those and make something new and fresh. Something that I will read more than once, something that will be close to my heart.

The story was written so beautifully, capturing not only the struggles of the effects of people’s decisions around them, but also portraying deep emotions. And through it all, there is a clear sense of hope. The themes are so well written. There are themes of grief, themes of doubt. But the one that makes this story so special, is the theme of hope woven throughout the hard times.

Lastly, the characters. The characters are what brought this book to a whole next level for me. They are so complex, so different with their own struggles, own hopes, own desires—and they FEEL so real. Each one has their own unique stories, their own dreams, their own skills and pastimes. I was able to connect with each and every character. I felt their grief, felt their hope, felt their joy. L.E. Levens managed to write her characters in such a raw and engaging way, that they came to life on the pages. And each character I have come to love.

This story is a story I didn’t know I needed. It is a story I will talk about for a long time. A story that I will read over and over again just to see the characters, experience the emotions, and watch each beautiful scene unfold. And, it is a story I will love for years to come.

[Anna Talbot · Rating 5 out of 5]

The debut novel by L.E. Levens is fantastic. She keeps you guessing on the main character's next moves. Her deep faith in Christ is well written into her story. I can't wait for the next book in the Jewels in the Light duology.

[Megan · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a wonderful read for sure! I wasn’t able to put it down. I love how the writer tells the story and incorporates real places and names during WWII! She does an excellent job at keeping you guessing throughout the story and I really enjoyed the mystery she adds to it as well. A fantastic book and I’m very excited for Book 2! If you enjoy historical fiction, this is the book for you.

[April · Rating 4 out of 5]

I liked this book. The characters were well developed and I came to really care about them. The story is compelling and engaging. The only issue I had with the book was that it could have used a little more editing. There were a few grammatical errors and a few of the conversations felt a little confusing. Overall I like the book and look forward to reading the conclusion!

[Savannah McCrary · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ah, I loved this book! I don’t know if I have ever been looking forward to a new book release as much as this one! Here are some of the things I loved about it:

The setting. I will often decide to read a book based entirely on the setting! Sometimes, I’ll be telling my family about a new book I ordered or put on hold at the library, they ask what it’s about, and my response is, “well, it’s set in ___ during ___,” and I honestly don’t remember much else from the book’s blurb except that I loved the setting!

Anyway, this book is set in Nazi Germany, which is what first drew me to it, as I’m quite fascinated with that era right now (my next book is going to be set in Nazi Germany!).

The cover. It is a gorgeous cover. I couldn’t tell just by looking at the cover that it was World War II fiction, but the cover is very fitting to the story and simply beautiful!

The characters. I believe there is a lack of really good female characters in books, but Eva von Lindner was excellently done. She was human with flaws and weaknesses, but with a self-sacrificial spirit that made her a real heroine. I found her to be a very relatable character and enjoyed her a lot. I also really enjoyed reading about Dr. Sigmund Brynner. For some reason, he reminded me of the veterinarian Siegfried Farnon in All Creatures Great & Small. There were also several other characters I enjoyed. The main characters were a bit older than they usually are in Young Adult books, but the book still felt like a YA book, not an adult book, which I loved. (Even though I’m older than the target audience for Middle Grade and Young Adult books, I love reading them, usually more so than books written for adults!) Since the book focuses more on Eva, I think it will likely appeal more to girls than to boys, though some boys might enjoy it, too.

The Dietrich Bonhoeffer references. Anyone who knows me or has perused my writing for long knows I’m a big fan of Dietrich Bonhoeffer, so I enjoyed the reference to him in the book. There’s even a character who was a student of his at Finkenwalde! I came up with the idea several years ago to write about a character who was a student of Bonhoeffer’s (and plan to do it in my next book), but I’d never read a historical fiction book that included that before, so that was fun! I also recognized some similarities to things Bonhoeffer said in the story’s themes.

And the themes! I loved the theme of surrender woven throughout the book and of recognizing that you’re not enough, but God is. I thought the themes were very well done.

The writing. I thought the writing was beautiful. I loved the author’s style. It’s written in third person, past tense, which is what I write in, but it doesn’t seem to be done a lot in YA books these days. I did notice a few typos, misspelled words, etc., but it wasn’t enough to lessen my enjoyment of the story!

And finally, the story itself! I’ve read quite a few World War II Resistance stories, where people are rescuing Jews and working to thwart the Nazis, but I haven’t found many that are set entirely in Germany, which is part of why I was so excited about this one! I thought the story had a great combination of action, mystery (I was just dying to know exactly what had happened in Eva’s past!), and sweet, cozy scenes (including a Christmas part, which I loved!). There were also some very sad bits, but I think a World War II story has to have those to be realistic. I thought the author did a great job of accurately showing the evil of the Nazis, without going into gruesome detail. There is some violence–several people get shot, mentions of someone being beaten and interrogated by the Gestapo, though not actually shown, etc., but it never gets graphic, and there was no language or other inappropriate content. There’s a little romance, but it was all very pure and sweet and not the main focus of the story.

This book is definitely on my favorites list, and one of the best WWII fiction books I’ve read by an indie author. (We Gave Our Tomorrows by Phoebe Hinkle would be the other one up there at the top of the list for me. I think they’re both equally well-written, just different, as Phoebe’s is about an American soldier and written in first person.)

The Jewel of Berlin is the first part in a duology, and now I’m very much looking forward to reading Book Two!

Overall, I thought it was a beautiful story of surrender and courage set against the backdrop of Nazi Germany, and I highly recommend it!

[Shiloh Noelle · Rating 5 out of 5]

i received an eARC copy of this book from the author, but all thoughts and opinions are entirely my own

if you're a fan of clean, accurate WW2 historical fiction with splashes of romance, you'll love The Jewel of Berlin.

I was on Lauren's editing/beta reading team from the first draft of this book, and I've been watching her draft historical fiction for a while now. it's so amazing to see how talented she is in this genre (which is one of my favorite genres EVER) and to see her publishing her debut novel is the greatest experience ever <3 and I'm so glad I got to read the final version even though I'd already read the first draft months ago

it's also fun to see your name in the acknowledgments section hehehe

The Jewel of Berlin has an incredibly realistic cast of characters, rich Christian themes (but without feeling preachy), sweet romance, an incredible villain who is incredibly easy to hate (also the inside joke about his nickname is amazing 😂) AND THE WORST CLIFFHANGER IN THE WORLD

LAUREN IF YOU'RE READING THIS

YOU NEED TO COME OUT WITH THE SECOND BOOK IMMEDIATELY

I NEED IT

NOWWWWWWWWW

but i can't wait to have this book on my shelf next month 🥰

[Abby Cleek · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ah, this story! I love Eva and Sigmund so much--their characters feel so real, and I was rooting for them the whole story. Historical fiction isn't my main genre, but this story kept me turning pages and yes, I did stay up too late to finish. I love the immersion in WWII Germany and the way Levens brought the world to life. Most of all, I just want to read book 2 and find out what happens next!

[Kelly Barr · Rating 5 out of 5]

Levens did an amazing job of keeping me interested in this story. Her choice of words displayed the depth at which she studied the history of this subject. She is an amazing author and I am looking forward to reading the conclusion of this story.

[Ali Timmer · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is awesome! Like all stories, it does get boring at times, but overall, I found it hard to put down. The characters are funny, engaging and mysterious. Great job, Levens! Also pleassse write the next one....*when I finished reading it, it took a second to realize it was the end...why did it stop at such an epic part....????* If you like World War 2, clean romance with Christian elements, or book with Sound-Of-Music-vibes, you'd probably enjoy this. Definitely worth reading--4 stars!

[Naomi Raboin · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was so amazing!! I will try to come back later and write a better review!!