Roberta Kagan’s The Lies We Told is riddled with near constant repetition. Kagan writes a lot of books, and many are much better written than this. Still, the subject matter deserves attention, and the reader respects her dedication to remembering this dark history. I recommend reading books about 1930s-1940s German in tandem with this book to fill in the blanks with the rest of the story.

Thank you Netgalley for the opportunity to read and review this.

This is the final book in the Margot's Secret series, and boy did it conclude, not only very nicely, but for me, with a very big wow!

New favourite characters had some tragic endings, and for those deserving of their fate, I wished for a more harsher punishment. Still, everything ends and wraps up very nicely at the conclusion of the book, for our main characters Max and Margot.

I would say this series is a definite must-read!

The Lies We Told by Roberta Kagan is a look at the harsh realities that faced ordinary Germans before and during WWII. Kagan does not give us weak, passive victims. She shows us flawed people trapped and pushed beyond anything their culture and heritage might have helped them cope with. This is both heart-breaking and demanding. Read it and decide where you stand.

This book is true to the author’s beliefs. It is fiction but things like this happen. Margot did what she did out of love for both Max and Ben and Barrett. I couldn’t put this book down.

This is the fourth and final book in the Margot’s Secret series. I found the entire series completely fascinating, and the final book did not disappointment. I was enthralled by the characters and couldn’t put it down. While Margot is desperate to hide the paternity of her unborn child, she becomes involved with Klaus, a Nazi officer. While this relationship is repugnant to her, she is determined to survive. This last book ties all the family’s stories to their individual conclusions. I highly recommend the entire series. It gave me a lot of perspective of what people had to do to survive.

Also reviewed on B&N (1IrishEyes430)

The final book in the series “Margot’s Secret”. It can be read as a stand alone book, but I would suggest reading the books in order to better understand the background of the characters. After reading the earlier books in the series I felt a connection and investment in Margot and her sisters. Well crafted and a page turner.

Well written and easy to read sharing with us the horrors of WW 2 and the sacrifices made by everyone! Final book in this series.

This book is the conclusion to the 4 book series by Kagan, but can be read as a stand alone as well. Much of this book is chronicled through the thoughts of Margot, which can be a little much at times but is a new perspective/approach from the other books. The author really brings to life the details of the cruelty of the Nazis in the entire series, and at times it can be too detailed to enjoy the story, particularly the sexual scenes, Being that this book is in the Christian genre, I was surprised to read some of the sexually detailed chapters and could've really done without them.

Overall, this book wrapped up the series well and with an ending that satisfies.

I received an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Two women working together during WW2. At times it felt convoluted, but it so good. The story telling is beautiful and it is a great insight into the human condition.


Thank you to NetGalley for this ARC. All opinions expressed are my own.

Part of a series, set during World War Two, you really need to have read the previous novels. After much drama the story concludes.

"The Lies We Told" is the final book in Roberta Kagan's captivating WW2 historical fiction series, Margot's Secret. I have not read any of the previous three and don't think I was unfairly disadvantaged reading "The Lies We Told" as a standalone book, but the storyline was so great, and I highly recommend you read the entire series if you can, to get the full story on all the characters.

Margot, has lost her husband and her lover in WWII Germany. She finds herself working in a cafe for Klaus, who is a nasty piece of sadistic work himself. Her life takes a dramatic turn when she meets Kurtis, a Nazi officer, who falls in love with her. His workplace is Dachau, a horrific camp, where his ruthless actions impact further characters in our story.

Margot's web of lies are essential when she sees an opportunity to safeguard her secret......she is pregnant, and the child is not Kurtis's. It is interesting to read of how an alignment with the Nazi side, set against the treatment of Jews by Nazis.

We meet Margot's workmates and her sister Trudy, who has destroyed Margot's life before we start this book. There are a lot of characters but I had no problems knowing who is who.

I did find the ending all a bit coincidental .......slightly unbelievable for a realife scenario.....but we can dream.

Thanks to NetGalley, Roberta Kagan and Book Whisperer for my copy.

In the final book in the Margot’s Secret series, Roberta Kagan brings Margot, Trudy, and Max’s stories to a resounding conclusion. Margot, pregnant with Ben’s child, enters into a marriage and relationship with Nazi officer Kurtis Richter, who happens to know Peter (Trudy’s boyfriend) and is the overseer at Dachau, where Max is a prisoner. Trudy and Margot meet again, this time at a Nazi gala, and their relationship remains as hostile and manipulative as ever. Kraus’s obsession with Trudy and his hatred of women makes a less-than-welcome resurgence, and the world changes for all of the main characters. With twists and turns, as well as several major challenges for each character that lead them to stray from their prewar lives, Roberta Kagan brings the chaos and moral ambiguity of World War II and life in Nazi Germany to life, as she has throughout this series. Kagan’s characters, particularly Margot, undergo some major changes in this book in comparison to the prior books in the series, and this really adds a lot to the overall tone and plot of the novel. A strong conclusion to this series, Kagan has really brought her A-game to the narrative and characters in The Lies We Told.

There was a lot going on in the final installment of Margo's journey. I have previously enjoyed the other novels in the series and was looking forward to finding out how the story ended. Kagan did not disappoint with another page turner that I just flew through.
I wasn't very keen on the ending but other than that it was an enjoyable read.
I am already looking forward to what else Kagan has up her sleeve.

Thanks to Net Galley and Book Whisperer for the advanced copy.

I usually really enjoy Roberta Kagan’s books and am reading several of her series. This one was not one of my favorites. I feel that it dragged a little and was less about love, surviving adversity and goodness than any of the others. #thelieswetold was a bit depressing to me , ended abruptly in my mind, and I was glad when it was finished. Thank you to #netgalley and the author for this ebook to ready and review. All opinions here are my own.

I love a world war II story that tells a different side of the war and also makes you think! This one does just that. Set in Germany it just helps you see that everyone was just trying to survive.

A captivating read detailing a time in history that we never want to repeat. It shows what lengths a mother will go to for her child.

*Thank you so much to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for the chance to review an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.*

I was a little worried when I started this reading this that I would be lost because I had not read the other books in the series. Thankfully that was not the case. This book can be read as a standalone, I was not confused at all. This book had a wonderful amount of twists and turns, and I could not wait to find out what happened next. It was a great combination of historical fiction and suspense, something I was so happy to see. I really enjoyed this and look forward to going back and reading the rest of the books in this series!

Another phenomenal book by Roberta kagan. So well written. It gives you all the eels a book like this should give you!

I wanted to love this book, as I enjoyed the previous books in the series, but something about this one felt different and very forced. I unfortunately was not able to finish it due to the constant "thoughts" of the FMC. It seemed like there were more thoughts sections than actual plot and it became very repetitive.

What a page turner! While mostly fiction, Kagan has crafted a story that well represents what many German women and men endured during the Nazi years. When their families were torn apart and husbands disappeared, German women, especially Jewish women, had to fend for themselves while hiding their true identities.

This is the fate of Margot whose husband has been arrested and the father of her unborn child killed. Finding work in a restaurant, Margot soon finds herself fancied by an SS officer. Not giving away the twists and turns which follow, I will say the suspenseful story has many layers.

Kagan cleverly organizes the story by short chapters. The opening line of each reveals which character will be featured. Each chapter serves as a piece in the large puzzle.

Well written, highly suspenseful and not short of the sordid details of life during the Holocaust, this book is excellent. Rating 4