Engaging and eye-opening, though at times felt a little sluggish, I would recommend to fans of WW2 historical fiction.
I will admit that it took me longer then usual to get into this book, maybe I wasn't in the right mind space for it or it was something else all together but non-the-less it was a food portion of the book before I finally settled into step, but once that did happen I did enjoy it.
I liked the story and how it flowed from one scene to another, the characters are full of courage, you will instantly root for them and the writing is very compelling that you would think that you were right beside them as they endured everything they did and I really liked that this was based on the real life people and stories of the time.
I have read a lot of WW2 historical fiction/resistance stories and I do think this can easily sit shoulder to should with those and I think those who love this era and this subject will love this too, though it's not my personal favourite I did eventually enjoy it, I'm glad I persevered.

This was an interesting story and worked well, it is fiction but based on true stories. I got engrossed whilst reading it and these are important stories to remember.

I was given a free copy by netgalley and the publishers but the review is entirely my own.

Due to a sudden, unexpected passing in the family a few years ago and another more recently and my subsequent (mental) health issues stemming from that, I was unable to download this book in time to review it before it was archived as I did not visit this site for several years after the bereavements. This meant I didn't read or venture onto netgalley for years as not only did it remind me of that person as they shared my passion for reading, but I also struggled to maintain interest in anything due to overwhelming depression. I was therefore unable to download this title in time and so I couldn't give a review as it wasn't successfully acquired before it was archived. The second issue that has happened with some of my other books is that I had them downloaded to one particular device and said device is now defunct, so I have no access to those books anymore, sadly.

This means I can't leave an accurate reflection of my feelings towards the book as I am unable to read it now and so I am leaving a message of explanation instead. I am now back to reading and reviewing full time as once considerable time had passed I have found that books have been helping me significantly in terms of my mindset and mental health - this was after having no interest in anything for quite a number of years after the passings. Anything requested and approved will be read and a review written and posted to Amazon (where I am a Hall of Famer & Top Reviewer), Goodreads (where I have several thousand friends and the same amount who follow my reviews) and Waterstones (or Barnes & Noble if the publisher is American based). Thank you for the opportunity and apologies for the inconvenience.

WWII was such a difficult time for those living through it. But what about the families of the resistance fighters in Ukraine? Daughters of the Resistance really gave us a look into what it looks like to be the family left behind.

Irina works at an office where she registers the deaths of those in her community. This what helps keep food on the table. And while it is not enjoyable, she still finds ways to help her neighbors and contribute to the home, where she lives with her husband's parents. Unfortunately they are not very kind to her, and the MIL takes out her frustrations on Irina, leading to some very painful interactions.

Lisa is bound for a concentration camp when her train is derailed and they are liberated by the Partisan. While she has always known a pampered life, she chooses to join them and do all she can to assist in their work. While in the camp she becomes obsessed with her liberator, Maxim (who happens to be married to Irina).

There was a lot of drama in this one. While I appreciated the look at what it was like in the resistance camps as well as in the city as a family member, the story didn't seem fully plausible at times. I didn't get a good feel for how Ukraine was during the war- this book could have been talking about any of the European countries. An overall good book, just fell a little flat for me.

Thanks to NetGalley and HQ Digital for an ARC in exchange for my honest review.

I was happy this story was only written in one time frame, but two point of views. While I like present day and past stories, I really prefer one time period.

The two main characters were put through a lot during the war. Irina and Lisa both had a life through the partisans and Maxim, but it was never easy.

The author did a splendid job world building and developing. Danilo shocked me, but he shouldn’t have. Maxim and his father were lovely. His mother not so much.

Heart wrenching and suspenseful at it's best with this book. When I get obsessed with a genre I have to read a lot of them. Historical fiction was one that I never thought I would read, much less obsess over, but here I am. This book gave me everything I was looking for in this genre. A definite recommend from me.

I voluntarily reviewed this book provided by NetGalley.

I really enjoyed this but thought it similar to many in the same genre. It was quite an easy read but it lacked emotional impact. Glad I read it but wouldn’t read it again.

I am a big fan of historical fiction books set during WWII. One of the primary characters, Lisa Smirnova, is amazing with her willingness to join the resistance when she has the opportunity to return home. Another major character is Irina. These two women are strong and resilient. I enjoyed the way the author alternates the “voice” of each chapter between the resistance fighters and their family members. The sacrifices these individuals were willing to make was admirable. The fact that the Ukraine played a part gave it a unique perspective … and moving considering what is happening today in that area of the world.

Thank you to NetGalley and HQ Digital for my advanced review copy. All opinions and thoughts are my own.

What I loved about this book was the true atmosphere of it. You feel drawn in by the characters and swept away by the intruige. It is truly amazing how well the world was brought to life.

A lovely written historical novel. I found myself very attached to the characters in this book. This one will stay with you for quite a while after reading. I look forward to more by this author.

Thank you to @harpercollinsuk and @hqstories for letting me be a part of another #booktour with you! I love historical fiction as a genre, but this is the first time I have read a story about the partisan movement in Eastern Europe during the Second World War. It was a really interesting read for me to learn more about their efforts and the bravery these men and women showed. The two women at the forefront of this story are incredibly brave, both fighting against the regime in their own ways, who eventually need to lean on each other to find a way out. This book was well written, full of beautiful description, enough dialogue to keep the pace of the story but also filled with twists and turns highlighting the real lives of the locals during that time. I loved it.

This was an interesting story about the resistance in Ukraine during WW two, I would have liked to see some author's notes explaining what research she did. I did not care for the character of Lisa. It was just too sad a story for me to enjoy. War is hard, but the story had too many stressful situations and too much tension. #netgalley

This is a beautifully written story of love and resilience during the horrors of war. The characters are relatable and human.

I was excited to read a World War II historical fiction that was centered on another region, specifically Ukraine. I always want to learn more history through the journey of the fictional characters. Unfortunately, this book mostly missed the mark for me. I did not get the flavor of Ukraine and there is very little about the history of the occupation or of the Red Army or the battles during World War II. Ukraine was devastated by World War II and the Soviet retreat ahead of the Nazi occupation and very little of that is explored beyond the destruction in Kiev (Kyiv), which was substantial. Absent that, I would expect more about the people, if not the battles. In that way, too, the book falls flat. Lacking either a sense of place or a better exploration of the history, the story could be any location during any war.

The set ups of the character arcs for the two main female characters, only somewhat touch on the experiences of the people in Ukraine. Lisa is rescued by the Partisans while being transported from Ukraine to work for the Nazi war machine in Germany. So we see a little bit of fear experienced by the residents and the way their world was ripped apart. Irina is living with her husband, Maxim's, parents while he is fighting with the Partisans. Through her we see a resident struggling for food, struggling against Nazi occupation, and living in fear for her husband's life. There are also side characters who are portrayed as those who would betray others for their own survival, but again, they are thinly portrayed and are placeholders. None of it is explored as fully as I would hope.

Overall I think Irina's story is better developed, but not by much. Irina is subjected to some poor treatment by her mother in law as the not being "good enough" for her precious son. It did not feel original, it felt stereotypical. We have snapshots of the challenges she faces both trying to help others in her community, being a parent of a small child while living with in-laws, fears for her husband. Those fears felt real, but often Irina feels very young, all of her emotions are in her head instead of her actions or her storyline.

Lisa, who is a main character of Kortchik's book Sisters of War (which I have not read it is not clear in the blurb that it is an attached story), is incredibly young and immature and undeveloped, in my opinion. She has a hero worshipping-like obsession with Maxim, who was one of the Partisans who rescued her. She becomes one of the Partisans, as she has nowhere else to go. Her obsession with Maxim felt like a high school crush, immature and based on absolutely nothing, and completely not shared by Maxim, who loves his wife Irina. The only points of what felt like true emotional growth were with her thinking of the family she was no longer in contact with, and her reactions after the battles she was involved in. Especially at that point, when she has to kill someone, that was the one point where I thought the character had some emotional depth and growth. That's not enough to carry the rest of the story.

Maxim exists as the point of contact between Lisa and Irina. His own struggles with how to fight for Ukraine, how to protect his young family and his parents, all could have been explored more. He has real challenges to face, and his decisions are handled in a very expected manner without any discussion of how he came to heartbreaking decisions. His character is not developed at all, his actions simply happen to move the plot or connect the female characters.

When I read the author's note on some source material, I can see she had fantastic research and inspiration. However, those individuals simply don't come through in this book. I was left still wanting to know more about the real people and the real difficulties during the war, and I still want to know about Ukraine. This was my feeling while I was reading, I kept wanting more, more, more, and I simply never got it. An opportunity lost.

I am a big fan of historical fiction books specifically about WW2. This book was about two strong women and their lives during the war. The story of Irina, whose husband is a partisan and the challenges she faced to survive with a small child. It also follows, Lisa, a seemingly selfish woman in the beginning who turns out to be a true hero. She was in danger of being sent to a concentration camp when Maxim (the partisan and Irina’s husband) saves her and brings her and her friend to the partisan camp. This book was super slow for me to get into in the beginning but once I got to a certain point, I couldn’t put it down. The challenges and tragedies of war are immense. You couldn’t trust anyone but had to trust them in order to survive.

Huge amount of thanks to NetGalley and Harper Collins Books and author, Lana Kortchik for an advance copy of this book in exchange for my honest opinion.

This book is set in Ukraine during WW2 and switches between 2 characters. It gives 2 perspectives of women during the war, one in a town taken over by the Nazis trying to take care of her daughter, and another training to fight on the frontline. I loved seeing the different POV's of the character's, and it made me think more about the horror people must have felt during WW2. Excellent read, would recommend to anyone interested in historical fiction.

I enjoyed this book about how the Russians resist the Germans and their occupation of Kiev and the surrounding area.

Lisa ends up on a train to Germany but is rescued by the partisans. She decides to join them and learns how to shoot a gun but helps out in the kitchen. Maxim is a partisan married to Irina who lives with his parents.

Will they all survive the War it was a very interesting to read about the partisans how they lived out in the woods and were fighting the Germans.

The author has obviously done research on this time which was really good to get a different perspective on this.

I like that this is a historical novel is set in the Soviet Union during WWII. It captures the essence of life on the run as a partisan and the families that waited for the war to end. Rarely does the eastern side of the war get explored so I am glad Kortchik tackles the subject matter. It's a great read.

Written for fans of Historical Fiction especially during World War II. I read the Sisters of War and the author has written from a different perspective. The war in Kiev and how the people fought and survived the Germans and were rescued by the Russians. (This of course is not my perspective). The Sisters of War continue with the Daughters of the Resistance when Lisa leaves her family. She is looking for purpose and she finds it when she is rescued from a German train. Her hero turns out to be working with resistance in Kiev. She does not know the Maxim is married but not knowing may have been detrimental to the passion she found. She become part of the resistance as well learning from Maxim. Maxim's wife Irina and daughter Sophie are the love of his life. He is working to destroy what Germany is doing so his family be free to love and grow their family.

Their story is a story of courage and how two women loved the same man. How love brought hope in despair and ultimately sacrifice brought the better good. How each of these characters clung to hope in different ways. A great reminder that hope takes courage and sacrifice.

A special thank you to HQ Digital and Netgalley for the ARC and the opportunity to post an honest review.

Daughters of the Resistance is the story of Lisa Smirnova and Irina Antonova two different lives that eventually will come together in the most terrible circumstances.

The Nazis are everywhere there is no place to hide, Lisa found herself saved by the partisans who offer her a place to stay and hide, she doesn't really know what to do, just to help in any way she could.

Irina is living in hell, she feels very alone and judges under the constant criticism of her mother-in-law, she doesn't have any other option than to hold herself and resist as things are pretty bad on the street there is no place to really feel safe so she has to stay behind waiting for the love of her life who is putting his life on the line to be able to secure his family and country all at once.

For me Daughters of the Resistance was more of a novel than a WWll book, the story is more focused on the love life of the two main characters of this book, it is not as heavy as other WWll stories, as I said is more on the dramatic side of relationships, family, and team problems.

I didn't know there was a previous book before this one, where we get to meet Lisa's story for the first time but this book can be read as a standalone.

I kind of miss the WWll element, the drama in the family and the childish behavior of Lisa kind of turned me off a lot.

Overall it was a good book. it was not entirely my taste as I was looking for more on the WWll side rather than a novel but I suggest you read it and make your own conclusion.