The Safety of Strangers

by Ciji Ware

First published 2023

Brooke Bradley trades Hollywood stardom for Paris when she follows a French film actor across the Atlantic. The Nazis invade France and her whirlwind romance crumbles, leaving the blonde actress stranded in an occupied city where she cannot speak the language. She faces a stark choice: collaborate with the enemy for comfort and safety, or risk everything to help downed Allied pilots escape to freedom. Former journalist Christopher Laurent recruits her for the dangerous work of an "Escape Helper." British intelligence recognizes her acting talents and pulls her into increasingly perilous operations. Brooke carries shameful secrets from her past that could destroy the pilots she protects and send her fellow resistance members to their deaths. German wanted posters display her old publicity photos across the city. She assumes a false identity to continue fighting for French liberation alongside Christopher, the only man she has ever truly loved. As the brutal war drags on and losses mount around them, both must survive long enough to see freedom return to France.

Genres: romance, historical-fiction, 20th-century, thriller

Vibes: emotional, fast-paced, suspenseful

Tropes: enemies-to-lovers, found-family

Setting: France, Paris

Period: World War II

486 pages · Paperback · Oliver-Heber Books

Content warnings: violence, war

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