By Kelly Bridgewater

About the Book

Book: A Rose for the Resistance

Author: Angela K. Couch

Genre: Historical Fiction/Romance/Christian

Release date: April, 2022

A French Woman and German Soldier Create a Truce. Full of intrigue, adventure, and romance, this new series celebrates the unsung heroes;the heroines of WWII. With her father in a German POW camp and her home in Ste Mere Eglise, France, under Nazi occupation, Rosalie Barrieau will do anything to keep her younger brother safe. . .even from his desire to join the French resistance. Until she falls into the debt of a German solder; one who delivers a wounded British pilot to her door. Though not sure what to make of her German ally, Rosalie is thrust deep into the heart of the local underground. As tensions build toward the allied invasion of Normandy, she must decide how much she is willing to risk for freedom.

My Thoughts:

The Rose for the Resistance by Angela Crouch dives into the world of the French Resistance during World War II. The background and the research to bring this story to life is well-crafted and shows in the world of the story. I felt like I was walking the streets of France while the Nazi’s were standing ground and imitating the French people. On the other hand, the romance between Franz and the heroine seemed a little off for me. Not that Europeans did not fall in love with Nazi’s soldiers during World War II. It was more of having the heroine believe what he said right away and not doubting it. Even so far as she told him secrets of the French Resistance and kept him in the loop. Many Nazi soldiers were more worried about keeping themselves alive that I was not surprised he did not betray her a number of times to make himself look better. He was a forced soldier, for a logical reason, but I still did not buy that he would have helped her as much as he did. Whereas, the plot does feature French Resistance that has been shown in a number of other stories like The Paris Dressmaker by Kristy Cambron, so I believed the actions she made the characters go through. It was an interesting story and a delight to spend time with.

I received a complimentary copy of The Rose for the Resistance by Angela Crouch from Barbour Publishing, but the opinions stated are all my own.

My Rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars

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About the Author

To keep from freezing in the great white north, Angela K Couch cuddles under quilts with her laptop. Winning short story contests, being a semi-finalist in ACFW’s Genesis Contest, and a finalist in the 2016 International Digital Awards also helped warm her up. As a passionate believer in Christ, her faith permeates the stories she tells. Her martial arts training, experience with horses, and appreciation for good romance sneak in as well. When not writing, she stays fit (and toasty warm) by chasing after four munchkins.

More from Angela

The story of A Rose for the Resistance has been in the making for a while. Rosalie and Franz came to life for me in the first novel I started writing as a teenager… (not even going to mention how long ago that was). Though much of that early work will never see the light of day, I am glad I can finally share them with you.

Every November 11th since I was a child, I would sit with my dad and watch WWII documentaries and movies like A Bridge too Far, or The Longest Day which featured Sainte-Mère-Église during the D-day landings. So many of those stories beg to be remembered and I tried to include as much as I could in this novel, even in passing. Stories such as John Steele of the 505th Parachute Infantry Regiment who dropped into the warzone of Sainte-Mère-Église that night and his chute caught on the spire of the church. He hung limply for hours, pretending to be dead, before the Germans took him prisoner. John later escaped and rejoined his division. Or, Henry Langrehr who landed five miles from his drop zone, crashing through a greenhouse on the way down. He was unharmed from the fall, but was later wounded and captured. He lived into his nineties to tell the tale.

Many of the events and deeds of The Resistance in the novel are also pulled from history. The French citizen’s willingness to risk their lives to transport weapons and information, and to staunchly resist the brutal German occupation. It is estimated that approximately 90,000 men women – and children – were killed, tortured, or deported by the Germans for their efforts.

Though many of the characters in this story are fictional, there are so many men and women who truly did live through the horrors of the War in Europe, and more importantly risked or sacrificed their all for the freedom and lives of others.

I pray we never forget.