A fascinating read. I knew nothing about the role Portugal played in the Second World War and the author's research was deep and convincing. Kept me engaged right to the last page, and introduced many unforgettable characters who not just survived but thrived in these turbulent times and precarious social conditions.

It fully lived up to its blurb as a book which introduced American spy Aline Griffith, who, even after marrying the Count of Romanones, one of the wealthiest men in Spain, secretly continues her covert activities, being given special assignments when abroad that would benefit from her impeccable pedigree and social connections.

Filled with twists, romance, and plenty of white-knuckled adventures fit for a James Bond film, The Princess Spy brings to vivid life the dazzling adventures of a remarkable American woman from a quiet suburban family who fought Nazism, joined the international jet set and in later life named movie stars and world leaders amongst her friends.
I would have liked to have known more about Aline's inner workings. The author mentions her fictional accounts, written later in life, which changed facts and dramatised her own already very eventful life. It would have been intriguing to get some insight into what really made her tick and why she behaved as she did, but it was nevertheless a very worthwhile read.

This was an extremely interesting read. I had no idea of Aline Griffith's story and was fascinated and inspired. I don't know how I haven't heard of her incredible story until now. This book had so much information and was told in such an engaging way. Not only was the writing packed with information and her story but photographs as well to full emerge yourself in Aline's story.

Truly enjoyed this book. Larry Loftis does not disappoint. A very fascinating read about how the "spies" in America were trained and placed in action during world war 2. I would highly recommend this book. Aline Griffith was an amazingly brave and strong woman who came across an amazing adventure. The book was well researched and would make an excellent movie. Thank you to NetGalley and Atria Books for giving me this opportunity to read and review this book. #NetGalley, #AtriaBooks.

A very entertaining but easily forgotten biography of Aline Griffith, Countess of Romanones, the America born Spanish aristocrat & socialite who spent her entire life trying to convince people that she actually was the female equivalent of James Bond.
Born in 1923 in NYC, Griffith was working as a model (of course) when she was recruited in 1943 by the OSS (US office of strategic services) and sent to play Nancy Drew at all the cocktail parties in Madrid at the tail end of WWII,
during Franco dictatorship. Well she pottered around so well & so much that by 1947 she had managed to get married to a Spanish Grandee, the uxorious Luis Figueroa y Perez de Guzman, future count de Romanones, a spineless horse loving aristocrat and dimwitted Franco supporter, a wealthy man that she successfully kept on a leash until death released him from his marital bonds in 1987.
It's simply impossible for me to take a biography of Aline Griffith too seriously because she is a woman who fiercely controlled her life narrative and I strongly believe that most of her autobiographical arguments were simply fictitious. Reading this biography felt like reading the biography of an air pocket.
Griffith, now Countess of Romanones, spent the rest of her jetset existence between New York and Madrid, getting her Jacqueline Susann hairdos on the glossy covers of Hola magazine here in Spain, fighting hard to make the best dressed list of the year, blasted on Martinis and gossiping with all the useless European royalties and having her pictures taken with Nancy Reagan, Grace Kelly, Audrey Hepburn and Jackie Onassis.
Yes a very entertaining biography if you want to take a nostalgic tour of the second half of the 20th century through the lives of the rich & famous but a waste of time if your like more substance when reading a biography.
Finally, I had just moved to Spain from France in 2017 when Griffith passed away. And you will never guess....Her heirs went in for the kill and they are still at it. Even beyond the grave that pushy, overbearing and imperious matriarch manages to get her picture in the Spanish press😉🤣🤣

Many thanks to Netgalley and Atria Books for giving me the opportunity to read this hilarious biography prior to its release date

What a fascinating person the ‘Princess Spy’ turned out to be, I can quite see why the author was compelled to tell her story. If this was a novel, it would be considered too far-fetched to be plausible – it really is ‘stranger than fiction.’ Indeed, most of the other people here would also provide more than enough material for a riveting book of their own : lets hope this is the beginning of a series! She really did seem to know ‘anyone who was anyone’, which provided brilliant contacts for her undercover job. ‘The Princess Spy’ is well-written & immensely readable, and I have thoroughly enjoyed this book...could you tell?!

The Princess Spy is an intriguing look at the life of Aline, who went from being a model on a runway to an international spy with the OSS, the precursor to the CIA. She is portrayed as a beautiful, intelligent, capable, and resourceful woman with an engaging personality, which she put to good use during World War II. This book is thoroughly researched and completely documented with many detailed notes that add even more interesting content to the narrative. Although it is full of factual details, it reads almost like a novel and keeps you involved all along the way. I would highly recommend this book. Thanks to NetGalley for the advance read copy.

I fell in love first with the setting of The Princess Spy. The glamour, the romance, the danger of working and living as a female American spy in Madrid, Spain during World War II reeled me in initially, and held my attention throughout this compelling book. If you’ve ever been enamored by Hemingway’s descriptions of Spain, this is the nonfiction version.

Aline Griffith was a small town American girl, turned model, turned actual spy, working against Nazi Germany in the 1940s. Larry Loftis is able to capture her spirit, while lacing her story with Spanish culture, historical figures of the period, secrets of the war, and politics. The book is filled with period photographs and images, giving even more life to the story.

This is a fast-paced nonfiction read filled with fascinating historical players, espionage, intrigue, bull fighting, romance, and fashion. Loftis focuses Griffith’s story on her work as a spy and her life in Spain. It is exciting and not too dark, despite the known horror and violence throughout Europe.

Read The Princess Spy to learn, for excitement, for romance and escape, and for fun. It’s not typical to call a nonfiction book fun, but this one truly is.

What an incredible life Aline Griffith lived. From and ordinary american girl to spy in WWII.

The book is extremely well researched non fiction book that reads like a novel and grans your attention since the beginning.

A book with a strong female character who wanted to help America win the war.

Very informative and enjoyable book.

Aline Griffith – from small town American model to international spy. Hers was a quite remarkable life, ably researched and described in this entertaining and very readable biography. For all his research, though, the author cannot verify all the facts, not least because Aline herself left contradictory accounts. The book sometimes seemed quite superficial to me, history-lite rather than serious biography, but nonetheless it’s an enjoyable account of a woman who, even if only some of her exploits are true, nonetheless led a life she could never have dreamed of when she expressed a desire to do her patriotic duty when the US entered World War Two. I found the frequent invented dialogue wearisome, as it’s impossible to reconstruct these after so many years, but perhaps that’s just my particular bug-bear. Overall, in spite of a few quibbles, it’s an enjoyable and accessible slice of history that I venture to guess is little known about.

Such a fun, interesting book! I was fascinated the entire time!

Larry Loftis has broken apart the mysteries of spying in Spain during the late and post-war years of WWII, and exposed the players and glamour of the time.

The books reads like a novel in many ways. It is not dry at all.

I had read several of Aline's original books many years ago. My grandmother was a school friend of hers in Pearl River growing up, so my aunt recommended the books to me. While not necessary to understand the story, if you are interested in both sets, I would recommend reading hers first (at least "The Spy Wore Red") in order to feel the sensationalized thrill of the action, and then read Loftis' book afterward to find out the real story and people behind the somewhat-fictionalized events of Aline's books.

Overall one of my most enjoyed books I have read in a while!

Thank you to NetGalley for an ARC of this book. I don't give 5 stars unless I REALLY enjoyed it, and I did enjoy this one immensely.

I’ve read a lot of World War II stories but I must say, The Princess Spy is the first book I’ve read, that really delves into the espionage world. The research alone that went into this book is impressive! I obtained a physical copy and enjoyed marking lots of details I want to go back and read and do a bit of my own research. I also enjoyed the images throughout the book. That was a nice touch and really helped bring it all to reality.
I don’t think I’ve paid attention to just how many different government agencies had spies in Europe during World War II until reading about it in these pages. Absoultuly fascinating and absorbing. I found it all incredible, really, because I’m still trying to wrap my head around the ins and outs of how it all worked. Could anyone? That said, Loftis does a marvelous job with drawing you in and gives you an understanding how much of it operated.

I’m impressed with Loftis taking on this project and telling Aline’s role during the war. Too often, throughout our history, women’s roles were largely ignored. She lived an astonishing life, and went from your average American girl to being a spy, and becoming friends with and related to the elitist society. I was amazed with how many people she knew and her, “schedule,” to say the least. The energy she had, I’m sure, is part of what made her a great spy. What a brave woman.

I immensely enjoyed reading about her friendship with Juanito Belmonte. He was a Spaniard and a wealthy Matader-Bullfighter who spotted Aline when she first arrived to Madrid and sought her out.

Before reading about Bullfighting in this book, I was turned off by the sport-if you will. Well, I’ve changed my mind and found the details of Bullfighting to being an art and intriguing.

Be sure to read the epilogue and notes at the back of the book. You’ll get more insight into the people Loftis wrote about and what he had left out.

A must read!

Stephanie Hopkins

My thanks to Artria Books for providing me with ARC.

The writing reads like a novel more than a biography, so it is a very smooth read and easy to find yourself turning pages to see what she does next.
I loved being able to read about a woman during the war. Many times the biographies we are given are of the military and political leaders, and it is nice to see that someone has realized that readers need to hear about the women too. I love that Loftis wanted to bring to light a story of the work done by a woman during the war. Aline’s supervisors knew that her work was critical to ending the war in Europe, and they did what they could to give her that recognition.

Anyone who likes to read will find this book to be engaging. From feminists to World War Two buffs, and everyone in between.

I have always been fascinated by the true heroic stories I read from truly inspirational humans during WWII. The Princess Spy, is an incredible depiction, of a young woman, willing to do whatever it takes to serve her country. Without having any experience in serving in the military, or background of being a spy. But her dedication pays off, after she’s trained and assigned secret special assignments.

It’s been described as a true life Bond Heroine, and it was quite an adventure to read, it had me turning each page with such angst, and yet, I didn’t want it to end!

A wonderful written, well researched novel. The author did an amazing job portraying her story, knowing most likely there’s so much more then we will ever know. But the important thing is that her story is now out there for the world, to inspire, and help us learn more about this courageous human that lives on, Aline Griffith.

I really, really recommend it! Preorder you copy today! You’ll be so glad you did!

I love reading about the contributions of women during World War 2. Aline Griffith grew up in New York and when her brothers left home to fight in the war, she wanted to do her part as well. She ended up being recruited to work for the Office of Strategic Service which was basically a precursor to the current day CIA. After secretive expert training, she was sent to work in Spain as a coder. With her model looks and charm, she was able to infiltrate the high society set in Madrid and provide useful info to her bosses about the comings and goings of the ultra wealthy and powerful. Lots of people were working for the enemy, and part of Aline's job was identifying those individuals.

Having read a few other nonfiction books about female spies, this one is less action based than others. The book focuses more on the people Aline surrounded herself with rather than going into great detail about her different tasks and missions. Aline wrote about her work during the war but there is some debate about what is truth vs. fiction. I think this author made the right call considering this is a nonfiction book in only writing about what is confirmed to be fact. Unfortunately, with this line of work so many things end up being taken to the grave rather than becoming public knowledge, but the author did a good job in presenting an overall view of Aline's work.

I found Aline's life both during the war and after when she was married to the Count of Romanones to be fascinating. Even though the full extent of her work might never be known there's no doubt she was well-respected and considered a big asset. Not a bad life for a former model from New York.

A well-researched book and worth reading if you enjoy WW2 history.

The Princess Spy by Larry Loftis was an interesting read.

Overall, I found the story very interesting. It is a part of World War II history that I have never read about. I loved all of the pictures and found they enhanced the story. The story starts quick without a lot of boring details at the beginning.

I did find the writing a little basic at times, but the subject matter was so interesting that I just had to read.

This is a subject I would love to learn more about. I have already recommended it to two friends who I think would find it interesting as well.

I received an eARC from Atria Books through NetGalley. All opinions are 100% my own.

**I received and voluntarily read an e-ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.**

I had heard of Aline Griffith before, so I was excited to come across this book. While the information was nice, it wasn't exciting as the book blurb made it out to be.

Overall, it was a nice read, but nothing I would take the time to read again.

This book was well researched and written. I appreciated the scans and pictures of documents presented in the book. The authors intent to parse through what was fact or fiction in a spy’s life was well done in my opinion.

Wow, what an adventure! This book is about Aline Griffith, a regular girl born in New York, went to college and grew to be one of the best spies of WWII. Aline, like many other young women of her time wanted to do her part for the war effort but wanted more than folding bandages or working in a factory. She got her wish after a chance meeting at a party with a man that leads her to join the OSS ( Office of Strategic Services ), which was the precursor to the CIA ( Central Intelligence Agency ).
Aline starts out as a code girl but quickly moves on to mingle and and spy at high-society functions, engaging in deep undercover espionage all over Europe, primarily in Spain. Even after marrying a wealthy count she continues her spy activities.
It was very exciting reading about Aline, to imagine that a regular girl could dream of such an exciting life let alone achieve it is miraculous.
The author Larry Loftis does a great job bringing Aline and her adventures to life. This book has more of the easy-flow feeling of a good fiction novel rather than the dry fact-filled prose you sometimes find in non-fiction books. I was never bored or distracted, did not lose interest one time throughout the entire book.
Five stars, a must read for WWII history buffs. A truly amazing book written about an amazing woman, coming out this spring of 2021.
#NetGalley
#ThePrincessSpy

The Princess Spy is about a remarkable woman, Aline Griffin, who became a spy for the OSS during the last two years of WWII. However. the title is misleading since it would lead people to be,dive she had a royal title while being a spy, which techunally wasn't true. She married her husband, a Spanish count after she resigned her job. She may have done a few jobs after her marriage, but the bulk of her espionage career was prior to her marriage. It's a great historical read about an important period in history and the incredible participants who put their lives on the line for their country.

I found this to be a very interesting book. Too often, books about global events such as wars, if they talk about women at all, only talk about them in reference to victimhood at the hands of enemy soldiers. The roles of women in wartime are so often ignored, even as they play vital roles both at home, as with the women who took over factory and land jobs, or abroad, such as with medical corps or, as in this book, as spies. This is a well written book that relies not just on the subjects own writings about her experiences as a spy in Spain in the last years of WWII, but on official records, communiques, and files. Given that the subject herself wrote books based on her life with various levels of disclosure and fictionalization, I particularly appreciated the author's commentaries on where and when certain events were described elsewhere.

As for the story itself, it was interesting to see all the ways Aline found to integrate herself, intentionally as well as accidentally, into the elite Spanish society at a time when, as the book describes, Madrid was full of Franco supporters, Spanish nobles keeping their own opinions about the monarchy quiet, and Nazis using the city as a base for smuggling money, loot, and war criminals out of Europe. I do find it somewhat hard to believe that, the day an American woman arrives in Madrid, she goes to a restaurant, and without ever meeting the man, manages to entice a renowned bullfighter into arriving at her door the next day to court her. Times gone by, I guess.

If I have a complaint about this book, is that it focuses so heavily on the romantic attachments she developed. I realize that the author was restricted in his retelling based on classified information and trying to tease out the truth from the fictions that Aline put out there, but the romances, except for the moments that they intersected the espionage, were the least interesting part of the book, especially since her marriage to the heir to the Count of Quintanilla, who then went on to be Count of Romanones, was so terribly glossed over at the end of the book. It would have been more interesting if we got more detail about her life after the fact; I could go read her wikipedia page and essentially get the same information (minus some details about the manor she helps restore).

There was one other thing that bothered me about the writing of the book: the author would have these random cliffhangers that he would not return to several chapters and... it would be boring. For example, one person in the story is infatuated with a princess of German descent, and we end the chapter with a comment that the man hasn't been entirely honest. Given that he is an American spy, one would think the secret was that he was a double agent or something. But nope. A few chapters later, it turns out he was just already married with a daughter, that he was going to ditch for the princess. It felt like all of these tiny cliffhangers were like that. Mildly enticing, but then fall flat on their face. It affected the pacing more than anything.

Overall though, an enjoyable book that provides insight into an American espionage location (Spain) that most people probably have never thought of being terribly interesting, given everything else going on during WWII.