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Survive and Thrive: A gripping page-turner of WW2 Resistance and Friendship, inspired by true events
Prague 1942
Plans, lies, and pain that can’t be denied.
A decision made in London must be undone and Stella Bled Lawrence agreed to do it, but she didn’t know what she was getting herself into.
When Reinhard Heydrich took control of Czechoslovakia, his reign of terror changed everything. No one is safe and that includes Stella and her mentor, Mr. Bast.
Once they are embedded, the mission to stop an assassination begins, but their methods couldn’t be more different. Stella knows how to make friends and fit in. Mr. Bast is all business and business is bad.
Their contacts are dead and no one is talking. Stella and Mr. Bast believe they can get the job done, but how can they when their only ally is a thief and they are surrounded by enemies?
Can Stella and Mr. Bast stop the assassination? What will happen if they fail? How much will it cost the Czech people? And who will pay the ultimate price?
Survive and Thrive is the action-packed ninth installment in the ongoing Stella Bled series, detailing the bravery and sacrifices needed to fight during the darkest days of WWII.
Plans, lies, and pain that can’t be denied.
A decision made in London must be undone and Stella Bled Lawrence agreed to do it, but she didn’t know what she was getting herself into.
When Reinhard Heydrich took control of Czechoslovakia, his reign of terror changed everything. No one is safe and that includes Stella and her mentor, Mr. Bast.
Once they are embedded, the mission to stop an assassination begins, but their methods couldn’t be more different. Stella knows how to make friends and fit in. Mr. Bast is all business and business is bad.
Their contacts are dead and no one is talking. Stella and Mr. Bast believe they can get the job done, but how can they when their only ally is a thief and they are surrounded by enemies?
Can Stella and Mr. Bast stop the assassination? What will happen if they fail? How much will it cost the Czech people? And who will pay the ultimate price?
Survive and Thrive is the action-packed ninth installment in the ongoing Stella Bled series, detailing the bravery and sacrifices needed to fight during the darkest days of WWII.
370 pages, Kindle Edition
Published April 14, 2026
About the author
A.W. Hartoin
48 books233 followersUSA Today bestselling author A.W. Hartoin grew up in rural Missouri, but her grandmother lived in the Central West End area of St. Louis. The CWE fascinated her with its enormous houses, every one unique. She was sure there was a story behind each ornate door. Going to Grandma’s house was a treat and an adventure. As the only grandchild around for many years, A.W. spent her visits exploring the many rooms with their many secrets. That’s how Mercy Watts and the fairies of Whipplethorn came to be.
As an adult, A.W. Hartoin decided she needed a whole lot more life experience if she was going to write good characters so she joined the Air Force. It was the best education she could’ve hoped for. She met her husband and traveled the world, living in Alaska, Italy, and Germany before settling in Colorado for nearly eleven years. Now A.W. has returned to Germany and lives in picturesque Waldenbuch with her family and two spoiled cats, who absolutely believe they should be allowed to escape and roam the village freely.
As an adult, A.W. Hartoin decided she needed a whole lot more life experience if she was going to write good characters so she joined the Air Force. It was the best education she could’ve hoped for. She met her husband and traveled the world, living in Alaska, Italy, and Germany before settling in Colorado for nearly eleven years. Now A.W. has returned to Germany and lives in picturesque Waldenbuch with her family and two spoiled cats, who absolutely believe they should be allowed to escape and roam the village freely.
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Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews
April 15, 2026
I almost can’t believe that Survive and Thrive is the ninth book in author A. W. Hartoin’s Stella Bled series, but then I remember just how much Stella, and her husband Nicky, have endured since their honeymoon in 1938, when they were young and carefree and war was just breaking out in Europe. Dangerous, tragic, often unbelievable – those are the words to describe Stella’s life since she was recruited and agreed to do whatever was asked of her to try and stop the Nazis and end this horrible war, whatever the personal cost.
And the cost has been high, very high: separated from her new husband and only seeing him a handful of times since then, never knowing if as a pilot flying dangerous missions he has been shot down, captured, or killed. Stuck in Europe, not able to return to her home in the United States, with scant information to or about her family. Hunted by assassins, living undercover, taking on a variety of roles in disguise, infiltrating the enemy. Injury, illness, frostbite, watching those she cares about disappear – or worse – being killed right in front of her eyes.
And the last, worst, cost of all? At the end of her last mission, embarking on a new mission she’s been told only she can successfully complete, Stella watches her infant son Torsten sail away in the care of another woman, the only way she can keep him safe. Or hope to keep him safe, because she doesn’t even know if they will make it to their destination. She’s determined to return to him and Nicky, but nothing is certain in these dark days.
And this new mission? One with a partner, Mr. Bast, who has been an on-and-off, significant presence since Stella embarked on this path. They are to be embedded in Czechoslovakia, posting as a German businessman with his young, German, frivolous, not-too-bright wife. This role will certainly tax Stella’s acting ability, won’t it?
All missions are dangerous, but this may be the most dangerous of all. Tasked with stopping an assassination, Stella soon learns that her handler didn’t give her all the information she needed and in fact lied to her. The mission is much worse than she thought and when their contacts are dead and there is nowhere to get information Stella and Mr. Bast wonder if they, like their contacts, will soon be dead.
Survive and Thrive is fast-paced, tense, thrilling. Stella and Mr. Bast work well together, but circumstances are changing so quickly they must improvise quickly and are always on the edge of discovery, and possibly even worse, Stella is for the first time in the depths of despair. Feeling betrayed by the lies and false pretenses she was given at the start of the mission, she is more and more hopeless about being able to successfully continue to play their parts, do what is now required and escape unharmed – or at least alive. She and Mr. Bast become separated and he is not at the rendezvous point. Was this all for nothing: failing the mission, losing her partner, and never seeing her husband and son again?
As always author Hartoin has done an extraordinary job telling this story. So full of detail and historical facts, suspense and danger that feel real, it is as if the war is happening right now and not a fictional or historical event. Fact and fiction are seamlessly woven together, the pace perfect and the words exquisite. Stella’s past missions and the people she encountered play a part. And the emotions? I could hardly stand it. I have been with Stella from the start, and at a point in each book I become so immersed that I start to wish she could have just had that honeymoon and her expected life, as if she's not a fictional character but a young relative of mine or something. It’s a gift Hartoin has, to draw you into the story, keep you on the edge of your seat and provide such an abundance of history. I recommend you read Survive and Thrive, all the previous Stella Bled books and also Hartoin’s other series: the Mercy Watts series and the Jess and Libby Paranormal Cozy Mystery series. They not only reference Stella and provide a wonderful crisscross web of family and events, but they are also as riveting and satisfying as the Stella Bled series. I voluntarily leave this review; all opinions are my own.
And the cost has been high, very high: separated from her new husband and only seeing him a handful of times since then, never knowing if as a pilot flying dangerous missions he has been shot down, captured, or killed. Stuck in Europe, not able to return to her home in the United States, with scant information to or about her family. Hunted by assassins, living undercover, taking on a variety of roles in disguise, infiltrating the enemy. Injury, illness, frostbite, watching those she cares about disappear – or worse – being killed right in front of her eyes.
And the last, worst, cost of all? At the end of her last mission, embarking on a new mission she’s been told only she can successfully complete, Stella watches her infant son Torsten sail away in the care of another woman, the only way she can keep him safe. Or hope to keep him safe, because she doesn’t even know if they will make it to their destination. She’s determined to return to him and Nicky, but nothing is certain in these dark days.
And this new mission? One with a partner, Mr. Bast, who has been an on-and-off, significant presence since Stella embarked on this path. They are to be embedded in Czechoslovakia, posting as a German businessman with his young, German, frivolous, not-too-bright wife. This role will certainly tax Stella’s acting ability, won’t it?
All missions are dangerous, but this may be the most dangerous of all. Tasked with stopping an assassination, Stella soon learns that her handler didn’t give her all the information she needed and in fact lied to her. The mission is much worse than she thought and when their contacts are dead and there is nowhere to get information Stella and Mr. Bast wonder if they, like their contacts, will soon be dead.
Survive and Thrive is fast-paced, tense, thrilling. Stella and Mr. Bast work well together, but circumstances are changing so quickly they must improvise quickly and are always on the edge of discovery, and possibly even worse, Stella is for the first time in the depths of despair. Feeling betrayed by the lies and false pretenses she was given at the start of the mission, she is more and more hopeless about being able to successfully continue to play their parts, do what is now required and escape unharmed – or at least alive. She and Mr. Bast become separated and he is not at the rendezvous point. Was this all for nothing: failing the mission, losing her partner, and never seeing her husband and son again?
As always author Hartoin has done an extraordinary job telling this story. So full of detail and historical facts, suspense and danger that feel real, it is as if the war is happening right now and not a fictional or historical event. Fact and fiction are seamlessly woven together, the pace perfect and the words exquisite. Stella’s past missions and the people she encountered play a part. And the emotions? I could hardly stand it. I have been with Stella from the start, and at a point in each book I become so immersed that I start to wish she could have just had that honeymoon and her expected life, as if she's not a fictional character but a young relative of mine or something. It’s a gift Hartoin has, to draw you into the story, keep you on the edge of your seat and provide such an abundance of history. I recommend you read Survive and Thrive, all the previous Stella Bled books and also Hartoin’s other series: the Mercy Watts series and the Jess and Libby Paranormal Cozy Mystery series. They not only reference Stella and provide a wonderful crisscross web of family and events, but they are also as riveting and satisfying as the Stella Bled series. I voluntarily leave this review; all opinions are my own.
April 14, 2026
Wow! As soon as I finished reading this is, I was wondering how I was going to write a review without giving any of the plot away but still explain why you should read it. Its that type of book and to be honest I still don't know what to write.
I am normally a cozy mystery fan at heart but there is something about this series that is so captivating that I stop reading whatever book I am in the middle of and jump straight back into Stella's world, to find out about her latest mission. I love the characters and they are created so well that they feel like real people, which might not be such a good thing because you then care about what happens to them.
The author takes you on a roller coaster ride back in time, literally as you experience a lot of emotions while reading the book from the joy of friendship, to the hope of a happy ending but also the horror of the war and sadness for all the lives lost. There's also a lot of deception and cunning all of which is wrapped up in an entertaining story that only Stella can deliver. My review seems so short with the amount of work and heart the author so obviously puts into the the story that it doesn't feel like it does it justice but at the same time I don't want to give anything way.
With the news that someone is going to take out Reinhard Heydrich, the head of the intelligence organisation tasked with seeking out the resistance, fearing the consequences if they succeed Stella is teamed up with Mr Blast and sent to Prague, as a married couple. Missing her new born baby is hard enough but with the paratroopers gone to ground the mission seems impossible. However the results if they don't could be deadly for everyone and Stella has pulled of the impossible before. Can they find them and stop them in time?
I can't wait for the next book.
I was given this free review copy book at my request and have voluntarily left this review
I am normally a cozy mystery fan at heart but there is something about this series that is so captivating that I stop reading whatever book I am in the middle of and jump straight back into Stella's world, to find out about her latest mission. I love the characters and they are created so well that they feel like real people, which might not be such a good thing because you then care about what happens to them.
The author takes you on a roller coaster ride back in time, literally as you experience a lot of emotions while reading the book from the joy of friendship, to the hope of a happy ending but also the horror of the war and sadness for all the lives lost. There's also a lot of deception and cunning all of which is wrapped up in an entertaining story that only Stella can deliver. My review seems so short with the amount of work and heart the author so obviously puts into the the story that it doesn't feel like it does it justice but at the same time I don't want to give anything way.
With the news that someone is going to take out Reinhard Heydrich, the head of the intelligence organisation tasked with seeking out the resistance, fearing the consequences if they succeed Stella is teamed up with Mr Blast and sent to Prague, as a married couple. Missing her new born baby is hard enough but with the paratroopers gone to ground the mission seems impossible. However the results if they don't could be deadly for everyone and Stella has pulled of the impossible before. Can they find them and stop them in time?
I can't wait for the next book.
I was given this free review copy book at my request and have voluntarily left this review
April 18, 2026
Gripping tale
I haven't been able to put this book down. It's one of those stories that has you in it's grip and won't let you go. It's 1am and I have just finished it. My husband snoring beside me unaware of the suspense and anxiety blowing through my brain with this story. Another 5 star read but more like a 10.
I haven't been able to put this book down. It's one of those stories that has you in it's grip and won't let you go. It's 1am and I have just finished it. My husband snoring beside me unaware of the suspense and anxiety blowing through my brain with this story. Another 5 star read but more like a 10.
April 17, 2026
Loving every page!
This whole series is so, so good! I need to go back and start at the beginning. I'm pretty sure I'd enjoy it, every page, as if I'd never read it before! Get the whole series so you don't have to wait to turn the page in the next book!!
This whole series is so, so good! I need to go back and start at the beginning. I'm pretty sure I'd enjoy it, every page, as if I'd never read it before! Get the whole series so you don't have to wait to turn the page in the next book!!
April 18, 2026
Masterful!
I have been an avid reader since I was in elementary school and I’m 73 now. Every Stella Bled book keeps me so engrossed that I don’t know who I am or what I’m doing. They are absolutely masterful!!!!
I have been an avid reader since I was in elementary school and I’m 73 now. Every Stella Bled book keeps me so engrossed that I don’t know who I am or what I’m doing. They are absolutely masterful!!!!
April 26, 2026
Amazing
Every Stella story is a nail biter, full of danger and hope. I hardly put this down once I picked it up, my desire for answers greater than my wish to savor the narrative. I'm ready for the next book.
Every Stella story is a nail biter, full of danger and hope. I hardly put this down once I picked it up, my desire for answers greater than my wish to savor the narrative. I'm ready for the next book.
April 20, 2026
Nice addition to series
I highly recommend this book.
The books in this series are detailed and riveting to read.
Once I started, it was hard to put down until it was finished
I highly recommend this book.
The books in this series are detailed and riveting to read.
Once I started, it was hard to put down until it was finished
April 20, 2026
Fantastic
As always plenty of twists and turns. Not much interaction with some participants. Great interaction with the bad guys. So good it can stand on its own.
As always plenty of twists and turns. Not much interaction with some participants. Great interaction with the bad guys. So good it can stand on its own.
April 20, 2026
Another Stella Bled
Wow, this series is soooo good! It is filled with mystery and with a little romance thrown into the mix! Based on true events for WWll.
Wow, this series is soooo good! It is filled with mystery and with a little romance thrown into the mix! Based on true events for WWll.
May 12, 2026
Another winner! And a great lead into book 10. Many twists and turns!! Fabulous characters!
Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews