I discovered Ellie Midwood last year with her novel I Have to Save Them and I was hooked! So, when I saw The Photographer’s Secret I knew I HAD to read it! It did not disappoint. I am drawn to strong female main characters that do extraordinary things in a time frame that does not allow or encourage women to serve in these roles e.g., Lessons in Chemistry, Behind Every Good Man, etc. This theme rang true. The heartbreaking details of WW2 are hard to revisit but her stories are compelling.

Thank you Net Galley, Ellie Midwood and Bookouture for the opportunity to preview this novel. The opinions expressed are my own.
The Photographer’s Secret is expected to be released Jan. 15, 2025.

I love Ellie's writing style and she creates such wonderful, real, honest characters.
Maggie Sullivan has been through so much in her life, starting from a young age. Things she should never have experienced.
But she's a survivor and so is her younger sister Norma, who has been through her own trauma.
What wonderful fellow women reporters Maggie meets whilst covering the war.
And she also finds some decent men along the way, who help her tell her story.

Thank you to NetGalley and Bookouture for the digital ARC. All opinions are my own.

The Photographer’s Secret is the story of Maggie Sullivan, who is a photographer/journalist during WWII. She is on a journey to find out more about the past for both herself and her sister. On this journey we learn about what some women and children had to endure during this time. Through all that she has gone through, Maggie’s resilience is amazing and she turns her trauma into help for other women and children just like her.

This story was very heavy. The writer told a very compelling and emotional story. I struggled with the beginning of the story and the connection with the “then” chapters but it is all pulled together in the end.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for my e-ARC! All thoughts are my own.

4.5 rounded up to 5

What a heartbreaking and emotionally charged read!
Maggie Sullivan is a war correspondent/photographer. But, she is also on a personal mission for her sister and herself.
Maggie brings to light so much that is not talked about. So much that has happened(and, still happening) in the world that is never talked about and brushed under the rug.
Such a heart-wrenching journey Maggie takes us on. Survival and so much courage!
The Photographer’s Secret was obsoletely hard to read through to the end. But, we need to know the atrocious that have, that will and can occur.

Thank you NetGalley, Bookouture and the author for the opportunity to read this book for my honest review. All opinions expressed are my own.

Check trigger warnings before reading.

The Photographer's Secret follows Maggie, an American war front photographer, in Europe during the end of WW2. We also have the POV of Grete starting at age 2 in German during the 1920's. We don't have confirmation on how the two POV's are connected until later on in the book.

I've read quite a lot of historical fiction particularly regarding WW2 and this book offers a very unique perspective regarding abuse and discrimination towards women. We also see glimpses of what the German women who are left behind in the towns had to endure at the hands of their own soldiers to survive.

This is a great story on women's survival, courage and determination in a wartime setting from both sides of the war. I would suggest this to anyone who is interested in historical fiction and women's rights.

"We found ourselves...navigating the treacherous waters of gender discrimination, harassment, and the daunting struggle for our voices to be heard. While the world was embroiled in chaos, the fight for our recognition was a battle of its own."

It is 1944 and Maggie uses her camera to capture many of the atrocities inflicted by the Nazis.

Back in 1920, we learn about Grete’s life and her family. What should be a warm and wonderful upbringing, is anything but.

This is an extremely difficult book to review as I don’t think I could do it justice in a few short lines.

Not only is it a dark read about what went on with the Nazis, but it is also a story of abuse; child abuse. It is a tale of revenge and also justice.

A dark story, but also shows how life can change for those surrounded by darkness. A tale of hope, courage, love, and dignity.

It will take me a while to recover from this book, I have found myself thinking about it, even when I’ve put it down for a while.

My thanks to Bookouture and NetGalley for a copy in exchange for my honest review.

Another best selling novel by the wonderful and talented Ellie Midwood!

The Photographer’s Secret is an unputdownable book taking us on a journey with wartime journalist Maggie Sullivan. Maggie is on the front line with soldiers as they go north from France to Berlin. As soldiers have their eye on Berlin to end World War II, Maggie has her eyes on Berlin for one thing: revenge.

Revenge to the evil man that robbed her childhood of its innocence. Revenge to the evil man that beat and abused her mother. Maggie is determined to track him down and seek justice.

Ellie brings this story alive and strongly empowers women in this novel. She shows the resilience, courage, and strength that women have. She shows how women rise above injustices thrown at them. How they do not back down. There’s a strong reference to SA in this novel - but Ellie does it in a very articulated way. This this novel needs to get published asap!

I really enjoyed reading this book, it had that element that I was looking for and enjoyed from the first page. It had that World War element that I was looking for and was hooked from the first page. Ellie Midwood wrote this perfectly and was caring about the characters and how they worked.

Maggie Sullivan is one determined woman, to pull herself through sickening abuse as a child, care for her siblings (especially sister Norma), to prove that a female photo journalist can do as well as a male, if not better. Not an easy task!
When Maggie wants to go with her colleagues on the more dangerous missions her boss refuses, giving her jobs to cover recipes etc. Not content with that she manages to persuade one gang of reporters to take her along. The woman is dicing with death, when she is given the opportunity to go into Buchenwald it seems like the answer to her prayers, she will hopefully find information about her evil abuser!


I found the early part of the book giving back story lengthy. However as it got going I found it enthralling.
My favourite character was Orso, least favourite was Buller snr.

Powerful and Moving. Thank you Ellie Midwood for a beautifully written book, that my review won’t be able to do justice too. Tissues are a must as you dive into this emotional and gut-wrenching story. Ms Midwood takes you on a incredible journey of survival and endurance to find courage, hope and closure. Maggie's and the War Sisters make meaningful statements, I think sum it up well against the abuse and discrimination. I highly recommended The Photographs Secret, please take note of the trigger warnings at the beginning. 5 stars

I would like to thank the author, Bookouture and NetGalley for my free copy of this novel, in exchange for my honest review.
#ThePhotographersSecret #NetGalley

I love historical fiction, especially historical fiction that is set during World War 2 and so I was so excited to read this. I loved it I read it in one day i just couldn't put it down and it was so emotive, I felt everything alongside the characters

Germany, 1944: Nazi banners blowing in the wind, Maggie Sullivan takes her first steps into enemy territory. Armed only with a camera and a US press pass, Maggie never backs down from danger. But close to her heart is a secret; one that she can never share. Maggie was born in Germany. Years ago, she and her mother were forced to flee Berlin, leaving her siblings behind. The US Army are Maggie’s protectors for now, but she wakes each night in a cold sweat wondering: what will they do if they discover her past? LOVE, LOVE, LOOOOOOVVVEEE, LOVED IT!!!… Absolutely stunning!!!… I was completely swept away!!…

I’m a massive fan of Ellie Midwood’s, but sadly this book fell slightly flat for me.

The idea behind the storyline was fantastic, and I was very interested to learn more about the role women reporters played in WWII. However, it felt slightly rushed and therefore wasn’t as gripping as I wanted it to be. I enjoyed the dual timelines, however I wanted more of the “current” timeline - I feel like a lot of time was spent building the backstory and I did enjoy those sections and would not remove any of them, however I wish the aftermath/effects of the backstory were explored deeper in the “current” timeline.

3 stars out of 5 ⭐️

Fans of the WWII genre should give this a try-it's a different take but it's also an emotional and thoughtful look at the lifelong effects of abuse as well as the horrors of Nazi Germany. This is set in the waning days of the war but it reaches back. You will feel and root for Maggie. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARc. A good read.

“The Photographer’s Secret,” by Ellie Midwood, has the setting of WWII Germany, but it delves into the topic of sexual abuse, which is a theme of (sadly) every time period. I found Maggie’s backstory to be heartbreaking, but her mother’s actions - doing what she could to protect her daughter once she acknowledged what was happening - I found encouraging. Because there are many layers in this story - typical of Ms. Midwood’s books - at times I wondered how they’d all fit together - but never fear, they did. Do read the Author’s Note as it gives insight into how this story came to be. It may seem odd to wish a fictional character “peace,” but I do hope Maggie finds some. 3.5 stars rounded up to 4.

What a character! Maggie Sullivan is a war photographer, but she is also on a mission. While the sections on Grete and child abuse are horrible, it is important that such things are brought to light. The whole treatment of women and children is central to this book, and the way things are swept under the table. As a lover of historical fiction, I also enjoyed the depiction of Germany as the end of the war happened. Thanks to NetGalley for a chance to read this book, and write a review. I look forward to reading more of this author.

A heartbreaking story written with a heartfelt pen! This novel about sexual abuse of children and its life long consequences is sometimes difficult to read. However, the author has shown much sensitivity in her writing making it possible to read the story up to the end. As in all Ellie Midwood's novels, I found it fascinating to read about resilience that seems to take hold in many people, the courage that goes with it, driven by the need to find solace in striving for justice . Will Maggie manage to finally find some inner peace? At what costs will she fight?? A great novel with WWII as the background.
I received a digital copy of this novel from NetGalley and I have voluntarily written an honest review.

Firstly I would like to thank netgalley and Bookoutune and the author Ellie Midwood for an early copy of her book to read.

My rating is 3.5 rounded to 4
A great historical read,Ive read a few of this authors books which Ive enjoyed..this is about Maggie who loves her camera she finds herself in dangerous situations. She finds the truth what is going on in the death camps.putting herself in danger.who knows her secret.a great read.looking forward to reading more of her books

This book will be reviewed on goodreads and Amazon.

Maggie Sullivan is determined to bring the horrors of the Nazi’s secrets in the camps to the for front. She was born in Germany but when she was young she flee Berlin with her mother, sadly leaving behind her siblings.
She has a camera and is secretly taking photos of the atrocities. She sees something that is a little to close to home. She decides to investigate. She is already in danger with the photographs. How far will she go to protect her secret? Will she be discovered?
Heart-wrenching, graphic, detailed and riveting. I rooted for Maggie throughout this novel. Thank you Bookouture for this novel. If you are a historical fiction fan I highly recommend this author.

A fantastic read!!! Wow! I would absolutely recommend this book for your next book club pick. So many things to talk through and discuss. It’ll pull all the heartstrings. The most beautiful heartfelt story.