The Wartime chocolate maker was a beautifully written story of the polish spirit during WWII.
My favorite characters had to be Kornel and Zofia:
Kornel for his innocence as a child and having to deal with a changing landscape, having to learn to keep secrets and eventually loss.
Zofia for her mission to reunite with her lost husband and how some polish resistance fighters were there on a suicide mission because they were afraid to do it themselves. And when it came down to it she faced her fears of suicide instead of giving up the secrets of the resistance.

I would have loved to learn more about how they shared secret messages through the chocolates. How certain secrets were passed down through writing. Was it a mix of polish words or codes? Did the embroidery have a secret meaning when she talked about the origin of colors?

While I understand the importance of the romance between Katherina and Sebastian as a ploy, I do feel the explicit detailing in how she felt slightly detracted from the importance of her espionage work.

Great read and a gripping story from start to finish.

2.5⭐️

Thank you, NG, for this arc. I was drawn in by the premise of this book, but unfortunately it all fell so flat for me. I couldn’t connect to any character, and the time jumps with so much, yet nothing, happening didn’t draw me in. It took me ages to get through this book. Though, it did pick up a little bit about 60% of the way in, but not much. The romance was very insta love with little to no substance. I wish I loved this story more, as it had so much potential.

Thank you to NetGalley for the opportunity tor readand review this book. This story of Kasia ( also known as Katharina ), takes place in Poland during World War II, she is half German and half Polish helping to run a chocolate factory initially started by her late father that is now run by his partner Sebastian a Nazi sympathizer. Kasia , who works in the resistance must also play up to Sebastian in order to keep her late father’s factory running for hopefully her own future and to protect her mother and young brother.. This was an engaging story , showing the determination of the Polish people and also the horrors of the German Nazi occupiers. I would recommend this book to anyone interested in historical fiction.

I was torn between devouring this book in one sitting and savoring every page. Completely immersed in the city of Gdańsk and the turbulent era of the Polish resistance, I followed Kasia’s journey with rapt attention.

The characters, the love story, the heartbreak—each element was woven together beautifully, with even a touch of chocolate adding unexpected depth. It had everything I could hope for, and I never wanted it to end.

And that epilogue—utterly brilliant, utterly devastating.

Farewell, Kasia and Felek.

Thank you NetGalley and Bookouture for the ARC in exchange for my honest review!

“The Wartime Chocolate Maker” is a historical fiction WWII book by Gosia Nealon. I thought the idea behind this book was interesting - Kasia, working in her father’s chocolate factory in Poland, hides notes supporting the Polish resistance in chocolate boxes. This book is told in dual points of view, that of Felix and Kasia. While this book highlighted the role Gdansk (a town in Poland that, historically, was more German than Polish) along with some of the history of Poland, this book didn’t hold my attention as much as Ms. Nealon’s other book “Codebreaker Girl.” I found myself skimming sections and not really learning anything new. I wish that the author’s note had explained a bit more about how she got her idea for this book (she mentioned Gdansk chocolate). This wasn’t the best WWII fiction book for me, but I will definitely read Ms. Nealson’s next WWII book, based upon my enjoyment of her previous book.

Kasia is half German & half Polish work at her father's chocolate factory in Poland in WWII. She hides notes to support the Polish resistance in chocolate boxes, but she is under watch by Sebastian, her former lover, current boss & he sides with the Germans. Despite this, she continues to support the resistance even if it puts her life on the line.

I was intrigued by the story from the start with putting secret notes in chocolate boxes to support the resistance as espionage grew during this time period. The dual point of view gives you an insight of the main characters' thoughts as WWII passes. It shows how ordinary citizens helped with the effort without being on the battlefield. The novel focuses on the themes of the struggles of loyalty, identity, staying true to your beliefs, supporting your family and forgiveness. Fans of historical fiction, especially ones focusing on WWII, will enjoy The Wartime Chocolate Maker.

This book was overall an average WW2
novel. What would ordinarily be tense moments felt dull and underwhelming.

An excellent read for any and all readers! Author comes at you with both barrels and knocks you out of your shoes! Great job fleshing out all the characters. I give this book FIVE stars! Definitely recommend!

Gosia Nealon continues to shine a spotlight on Poland during World War II with another stellar novel. The setting of Gdansk is fascinating because historically it was more German than Polish. Its ethnic population was 80% German and 20% Polish although this didn't necessarily guarantee support for Hitler. The heroine, Kasia the chocolate maker, struggles with this split identity because her father was German and her mother is Polish yet she doesn't hesitate to join the Resistance against the Nazis.

Gosia Nealon's books immerse the reader in Polish culture with intricate descriptions of food that will have your mouth watering, historical references, and folklore. This story isn't about flashy spies or Resistance fighters parachuting behind enemy lines. Instead, it highlights the strength of family and friendships, compassion, and holding strong to your values in the face of great evil. Even in the darkest times, nothing is more powerful than love. "Love doesn't cease to exist, unlike material things or everything else. True love shines through eternity. In the end, it's all that counts." These are people doing whatever they can to weaken the German occupation and survive without losing their humanity. As Kasia said, "When the war ends, I want to look in the mirror without shame, I want to pass on the right values to my children." I loved this newest book even though I ate too much chocolate and depleted my supply of tissues while reading it. It will be released on March 21, 2025.

My thanks to NetGalley and Bookouture for the digital ARC. All opinions and the review are entirely my own.

This is a compelling story set in Poland during WWII. It is a story of sadness, betrayal, endurance, hope and love. Keep the tissues handy. Thank you to net galley for an advanced readers copy.

Just wow! This book set in WW2 Poland/Germany is totally riveting, I could not put it down. It’s so full of heartbreak, sorrow, fear, love and hope. I can only imagine what these people went through during WW2 and this book gave me a good idea of how hard life would be many. It felt real and accurate to the time. This is my first book by this author and it will certainly not be the last. I love the writing style, it really drew me in, emotionally threw me around a bit and then spit me out. It was powerful, though provoking and horrible but always there was hope. Really loved this book, totally deserves 5 stars.

1943 sweeps in changes for Gdansk and the Hartmann family and they are forced to do things they never thought they’d do. They own a chocolate making factory at a time in history when chocolate was considered a luxury item and not essential for the war effort. Struggling to make ends meet, Mr. Hartmann aligns himself with the enemy so that while production was limited, he still profited. The fear of losing everything he’d worked for moved him to agree to focus on manufacturing chocolate for the sole use of the Wehrmacht and Luftwaffe.

Nealon shows how fear changes people, how pretending becomes self-preservation, and how the different shades of love carry people through the dark days of history.

Her characters are pulled in so many directions as they deal with Hitler’s cruelties, Stalin’s brainwashing, malicious blackmailing and false friendships.

I appreciated learning about Kashubian traditions and food, and how the use of Pertitin benefitted Hilter on and off the battlefield.

Fraulein Katharina Hartmann shows readers that even in war the most effective way to fight isn’t on the open battlefield. You’ll have to read to uncover her battle plan. This 5-star historical fiction highlighting the Jewel of the Baltic and the Polish resistance shows how love and hope can rise out of the rubble of broken people and broken buildings.

I was gifted this copy by Bookouture and NetGalley and was under no obligation to provide a review.