I am so glad to be reading historical fiction again, and this one will definitely be on my top reads list for the year. It was incredible, and I could not put it down once I got started. I had the audio from NetGalley as well as the gorgeous ARC to accompany it, and I was set. Quinn’s latest book focuses on three women (Osla, Mab, and Beth) who are trained to break German military codes during WWII. It is told from each of their POV’s, and switches from present day 1947, where we are gearing up for the royal wedding of Princess Elizabeth and Prince Philip, to the past, 1940, where the ladies are on their way to the estate of Bletchley Park and learning about the place and task that they have been called to do. There are so many subplots from both the past and present with each of the women along with overarching plots that you would think it would be too much, but let me tell you it is not. Each character is fabulous in her own way, and the way Quinn weaves and connects the stories together is mind blowing.

As the timelines work together and it builds at the end, it was gripping and heart pounding as the gang reunites for one last code break. This was just phenomenal and I cannot put into words how amazing this book is. I thought the work in of the royals was utter genius, and I really have nothing negative to say about this book, it is historical fiction at its finest.

A huge thank you to William Morrow Books and NetGalley for the ARC and ALC to review. Pub date is this Tuesday, 3/9/21, so you won’t have to wait long, make sure you add this one to your list, it is fantastic.

Fantastic! The narration for this audiobook was wonderful and really brought the story to life. Kate Quinn is the master of WWII era historical fiction. The Rose Code gripped me from start to finish. Beautifully written and well paced, the characters were developed and relatable- it was easy to get invested in the novel. Highly recommend

I absolutely loved this book! Yes it’s another book set in the WWII era, but it’s so different with the focus more on the unsung hero’s, whose work behind the scene was so important. I learned of Bletchley Park a number of years ago, so I was so excited to read/listen to this historical fiction book. I did receive an ARC of this book (or is it a ALC since it was in audio format) in exchange for an honest review.

I usually listen to my audiobooks on my walks, but this was I was listening to as I was cleaning the house, cooking, at the grocery store and basically anywhere I could put my earbuds in and listen.

These 3 women, all so different, forming this bond because of the secrets they had to keep. I don’t want to give anything of the plot away, so anyone reading this can discover everything on their own, but if you are into WWII historical fiction books, women’s fiction, mysteries, or in general just a really good book, then I highly recommend this, it will not disappoint!

Also, once the book is done, research Prince Phillip’s life before he married Queen Elizabeth.

This book was very engaging, and at times heart breaking. I enjoyed listening to it. The narrator is one I enjoy, and she did not disappoint here.

The book revolves around three women that worked at Bletchley Park in code breaking efforts during WWII. It delved into their lives and there was a mystery at play. I thought the story-telling was enjoyable and kept me interested. It went back and forth between two timelines. One after the war in the lead-up to the royal wedding of Elizabeth and Phillip, and the other took place during the war. There were also flashbacks and times to other character-shaping events. Despite the time jumps, I didn't find it hard to follow, once I got used to it. It can be a bit hard to follow time jumps in audiobook format, but they were clearly marked and it worked for me.

The women were inspired by real life women -- Beth and Mab less specifically, it seems, but Osla was specifically inspired by the real-life Osla Benning, who was Prince Phillip's first girlfriend. He was a side character, but an important one in Osla's story. I think it worked, but I don't typically enjoy such direct relation to real-life characters. I think I'm not quite sure how to react to such characters -- is this how they were? should that matter? -- but despite that I did enjoy the book.

Mab, Osla, and Beth each have heart break and love in their storylines. They are compelling characters. There were times Mab was less than sympathetic as a prickly character, but as you come to understand her backstory, she made sense and I liked her overall. Beth was interesting. She was sheltered and the work at Bletchley Park gave her a whole new world and life. Osla was a socialite and was trying to have meaning in her life. I probably enjoyed her story the most.

The reason I kept this as 4 stars rather than 5 is that I think that the ending was a bit hokey. It felt cinematic and intentionally so. Oh well, it's a minor complaint, but I didn't feel like it fit that well. Overall, it was an enjoyable read, set in an interesting time, and I plan to read more by this author.

<i>Thank you to NetGalley and the Publisher for a chance to listen and review this book. Views are my own.</i>

This is an amazing historical fiction novel based on the actual codebreakers and analysts who diligently worked on deciphering the German's coded messages during World War II. I was fascinated by the movie THE IMITATION GAME and when I found this book to be along the same lines, I knew it was going to be a fascinating read.. I was not disappointed.

The narrator helped to bring the characters to life and to convey the excitement and energy of the story.

I highly recommend this book for loves of historical fiction and for libraries to add to their collections.

Three women from totally different backgrounds end up doing their part for the War at Bletchley Park. The secretive work that they do and the oath they swore so they cannot even discuss the details with each other, is the main thing that holds them together and helps bond their friendship. The oath is also what ends up tearing them apart after a horrible tragedy. Three years after the war has ended, they have all gone their separate ways and they have not seen or spoken to each other in over three years. An encrypted message secretly sent from behind the walls of an insane asylum brings them together again to once more fight for Britain and to uncover the traitor who was with them at Bletchley Park. The story was amazing with more detail than I have read to this date about what went on at Bletchley Park. But even more amazing were the three characters that came to life in this book. The audio version really showed the emotion and the feelings of the three main characters and allowed you to feel like you were a part of their lives. If they were typical of the majority of women who worked at Bletchley Park, then no wonder historians say their efforts and work shortened the war by at least two years. A must read for anyone who loves character driven historical fiction.

First, I want to say that there has not been a Kate Quinn book that I have not loved. I read both a hard copy and listened to the audio book together. Both were great. You cannot go wrong either way.
Based upon Bletchley Park which was a top-secret Government Code and Cypher School (GC&CS) where they used enigma machines and bombe machines to break codes that were sent during WWII. The story follows Osla, Mab and Beth who become friends because they all worked at Bletchley Park. The story line goes back and forth between two time periods. The first is during WWII starting in 1940-1945 and the other is postwar 1947, days before the royal wedding of Elizabeth and Philip. I love all of the cultural references throughout. The story line, although there were a lot of characters and it switched POV’s often, was easy to follow. Osla, Mab and Beth go through a major fallout yet are called back together to find out who was the spy at Bletchley Park, who was leaking information? I loved the mystery aspect of the story. As always, the writing of Kate Quinn was wonderful. This is a story that will sweep you away. One that you will not put down until the end, and the characters will stay with you for a long time. This was a story of friendship, secrets, loss and finding your voice.

Thank you to @netgalley and @harperaudio for the advanced audio copy in exchange for my honest review. This book releases 3/9.

The Rose Code • Kate Quinn
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (4/5)
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👍🏼 Thumbs Up:
I loved this book! It’s a fascinating look at the women code breakers during WWII. There is a fascinating mystery component and a lot of character development!
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👎🏻 Thumbs Down:
It was a little slow on the uptake for me. Once I got into it, though, I couldn’t put it down!
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🤓 For Readers WHO:
Are fans of historical fiction, and even if you’re tired of WWII I would recommend this one and say it’s well worth your time! This book is The Imitation Game meets The Crown!
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👉🏼 This is what’s WHAT:
Three women find themselves working at Bletchley Park assisting with code breaking. Their time together results in great personal upheaval that must be righted years later when a dangerous truth is discovered about their time at BP.
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⏳WHEN I read this book:
I couldn’t put it down! I listened to it constantly. This is high praise from someone who is very critical of WWII HF.
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🚨WHERE you should watch out:
Death, violence, adultery, treason, death of a child, forced institutionalization
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📍WHY you should read this book:
It’s a great look at a lesser known part of WWII history
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📚 HOW I read this book:
Advanced audio copy provided by @netgalley and @harperaudio

Damn am I that late to the party? Are Quinn's other books this good?!?! This book blew me away! The narration was amazing, for one, and the story was fascinating, for two. Well over 600 pages and it flewwww by. It does help that I can listen to audiobooks at work so I listened to this in 2 days. And now I'm bereft of these fine ladies who are so different but bonded during a terrible time of war. I adored the stories of Mab, Osla, and Beth so much and got to know them so well that when tragedy struck for any of them, I was devastated. There were love, and heartbreak, stories intertwined with the personal stories and war stories and it was just magnificent. Quinn is an amazing storyteller and I've clearly been missing out!

The NetGalley app is still frustrating where you cannot keep the speed, it resets to x1 every time you go back to the app and also if you go to another app and go back to NG, you cannot simply hit PLAY again. You have to back out of the book and go back in. And then the speed resets to x1.

I received this audiobook as an ARC by NetGalley. The book was well written and interesting throughout. Written in 2 timelines, it was easy to follow as it went back and forth. The 3 main characters were easily distinguishable and I had no confusion over who was who. The narrator had an English voice and was very easy to understand. She was not monotone, but rather had perfect tones that allowed you to separate the characters speaking from the narration.. absolutely a winning team between the author and the narrator.

I really enjoyed this audiobook from #KateQuinn and #HarperAudio. This is the 3rd book from this author that I have enjoyed. The other two books were also world war depictions just as enjoyable as this novel.

This novel was narrated by #SaskiaMaarleveld. Saskia is a well-known and widely enjoyed narrator. Her male characters generally sound the same with exception to varying accents when applicable. Her female performances have more flexibility but do not excessively change. In other words, there generally isn’t a character with a high voice and another character voice so differently depicted that you always know which character is speaking. Personally, I find enough flexibility in her voice and enjoy hearing her narration. If you prefer each character to sound profoundly different, you may find reading the book a better option here. Definitely give the audiobook a listen if you haven’t heard Saskia previously. She’s easy to understand and listen to. It’s much easier to get through such a lengthy book when you can listen to an audio while multi-tasking.

Have you ever heard of Bletchley Park (“BP”)? If not, do yourself a favor and A) Read “The Rose Code” and B) take a look at the photos on Wikipedia to get a visual of the main stage in the book. In 1938 it opened for use as a secret code-breaking center and school. This is where our main characters come to work, grow as people, and become friendly with one another toiling away at the difficult task of infiltration & breaking down Nazi coded messages. The primary focus surrounds three young women from various backgrounds who come to “BP” to answer the call for them to report for duty. They had no idea what they were walking into, but life-changing is an understatement.

Bethen (“Beth”) is a mousy young woman trapped in her family home, told she is useless, and devotes her days to being “mother’s little helper” at the beckon call of her cruel, overbearing, manipulative mother. It is their home which has opened a room for Osla and Mabel to stay while working at BP. So how does she end up in a sanatorium, who put her there, and why?

Osla is the wealthy, young, beautiful debutante who has everything including a boyfriend who happens to be a Prince. She speaks German and becomes a translator at BP. When too many secrets are uncovered life begins to fall apart. Will Osla convince friends to forgive each other so they can solve one last code?

Mab “the woman in the hat” is excessively tall and equally poor. She’s planning to find her way out of pain and poverty by supporting herself until she finds a husband. How does an encrypted letter bring her back to these former friends she now loathes?

Kate Quinn is an auto read author for me because her stories are just so good and The Rose Code is another great read. This book intrigued me and I just couldn't stop listening to it. I was pulled in from the beginning and I just loved it. Thanks to NetGally and the publisher for this advanced copy in exchange for my honest review.

I receive this as an ACR from NetGalley in exchange for my review. This audiobook is a well written, lengthy, medium paced story. The. Story follows three women during and post World War II that were j valves in the code breaking hub of the British called Bletchley Park. It is wonderfully interwoven and descriptive. Within these lives falls a mystery which is intersects very smartly with the main storyline. I enjoyed this book and reader who is talented in her performance of making different voices. My only negative is it is long.

I became a big fan of Kate Quinn after reading The Alice Network, and let me tell you, this book did not disappoint. The Rose Code tells the story of three very different girls working as codebreakers at Bletchley Park during WW2. I am a big history girl and already knew a little about what went on at Bletchley Park, so I really enjoyed getting to see it from the perspective of three strong women. Each of the women had their own storyline and there was a dual timeline. I really appreciated the character development and would recommend this to anyone that loves historical fiction or stories about powerful women doing amazing things!

The audio was absolutely riveting.

The novel focuses on three women who come together to help the British solve the codes that the Germans have been sending. They are sworn to secretly. The women come together once again to capture the spy who traded their secruity.With the last of the book being tense, action packed.

5 Stars!

Kate Quinn is quickly becoming one of my top go-to authors when it comes to World War II era historical fiction. After the phenomenal ride that was The Alice Network, I couldn't wait to get my grabby hands (ears, rather) on this one. I listened to the audio of this book which is over 15 hours long. Yet, I was riveted nearly the entire time.

We have three women, who could not be more different:

Osla - A Canadian-born debutante and heiress and the war-time girlfriend of a prince. She's bound and determined to prove that she's capable of being more than just a pretty face.

Mab - (My personal fave) A fierce, no-nonsense broad from the East End of London, who just wants a better life for her and her little sister. Oh, and she's 5 ft 11 inches and has killer eye brows.

Beth - A sheltered, shy wall-flower who has always been under her evil, controlling mother's thumb. She's insanely smart with a brain that leaves most men perplexed. A top code breaker who loves her dog.

They meet, become roommates, and quickly begin working with the British as German code breakers, sworn to secrecy by the Official Secrets Act of 1939. This book is so fast-paced and intriguing. It was a little different than The Alice Network and really any other WWII Hist Fic story I've read in that the focus was really 100% on the spy and intelligence side of World War II. There is no family component. What I mean by that is, there are no families on the page being torn apart, no one being sent to concentration camps, etc. The only bit of that part of the war we see is from Beth's family who has to deal with rations and with having to billet Osla and Mab. I was so sucked in by all that was Bletchley Park and ALL of these brilliant characters. I read that the story was inspired by real events and people and now I need to watch The Bletchley Circle (TV Show) and The Imitation Game (movie) ASAP!!

In the 1947 timeline, the former friends are all estranged when Osla receives a code to break hinting at the fact that there was a traitor in their ranks at Bletchley Park years ago who might've been responsible for their downfall. We also begin to learn that Beth might've been too good at her job as a cryptanalyst, and someone out there wants her to forget all that she discovered...

With these women also comes three different love stories which wasn't something I was expecting to find, but let me tell you something... I was HERE FOR IT!! OMG, to all my romance reader friends out there, please check this author out. Her books would fit so well in the romance genre. There's still plenty of love, swoony heroes, and yes, all the steam to keep my inner romance reader totally satisfied! I will just say that Francis Grey was my absolute favorite. He was a scarred previous soldier turned war poet and had this sweet, quiet nature. I won't say which heroine he caught the eye of, but my God, did I gobble their story up!

This was a heavily character-driven story until the last quarter or so, when I was able to put the pieces together and the countdown begins to the consequences we do NOT want for one of our heroines. There's one last code to break and it could very well save her life.

This book had it all: secrecy, betrayal, and intensely brave women whose stories deserve to be remembered. Ever since reading The Nightingale, I am hungry for more stories about women during wartime; their struggles and their heroism.

I already ordered a hardback copy for my personal collection.

Let me stress what an excellent job the narrator - Saskia Maarleveld - does here. It's hard to believe that once person did all these voices because they were completely distinct. I never had trouble trying to figure out who was speaking.

This was such an entertaining read and I highly recommend it. All I want to know is, when is this book being made into a movie?

"Some codes will never be broken."

I know I’m in a small minority, but this book just didn’t engage me. It was too long, for one thing (over 650 pages in the print edition and 15 hours for the audiobook). My husband and I listened to this on a long car trip and he lost interest even before I did. I wound up finishing the audiobook on my own after our trip. The whole subplot about Prince Philip was a big bore and unnecessary to the main story. The details of the work at Bletchley Park during World War Two were fascinating, but somehow it all never really came alive for me. The incident at Coventry was literally unbelievable. No six-year-old girl, in a city she didn’t know, could manage to do what she did in the complete dark in the middle of an air raid.

The narrator, Saskia Maarleveld, was absolutely fantastic, with all the voices she did, both female and male. She was the saving grace for me with this book.

Thank you to NetGalley and Harper Audio for the opportunity to listen an advance readers copy of this audiobook. All opinions are my own.

Thank you to William Morrow and Harper Audio for the advanced copy. The novel is a WWII saga with spies, code breakers, love, anguish, Bletchley Park, family drama, royalty, and above all strong bounds of friendship. A book that I could not put down.

I was really impressed with Kate Quinn's newest work, <i>The Rose Code</i>. Following three women during their turn as codebreakers at Bletchley Place during WWII. They come from different (albeit all white) walks of life: Mab, a towering East End girl with a steely glare and a drive to find a wealthy husband, Osla, a spunky Mayfair socialite yearning to prove she's not just a silly deb, and Beth, a demure Bletchley native who always thought she was stupid until learning her crossword skills leads to an impressive codebreaking career. The novel jumps back and forth between their BP days, where we witness their blossoming friendships as well as falling out, and the period leading up to Queen Elizabeth's royal wedding when the three must come together to uncover a traitor that used to work among them.

Though a whopper of a novel (it could have been cut by at least 100 pages), I was compelled throughout and craved the novel every time I put it down. Quinn crafted some stunningly strong female leads who have their own lessons to learn and battles to fight throughout. There was some great character development and I loved the focus on a slightly lesser known side of England's WWII history. Beth in particular stood out as a character that had a great arc, standing up to her religious bully of a mother and really coming into her own. The inclusion of Osla Kendall and her relationship with Prince Phillip pre-marriage was SUPER intriguing as well (and had me flashing back to The Crown season 1). Though almost all the characters were white, Quinn did touch on the racism of the time by adding in Henry Zaab (sp?) who is mixed race and often confused for being part Black. I also enjoyed the discussion of gender roles and how men who worked at BP were often bullied and alienated for "not participating in the war effort" because they weren't enlisted but also couldn't divulge their secretive roles.

I listened to the audiobook which was expertly narrated by Saskia Maarleveld. I am always floored by the number of accents and personalities Maarleveld can bestow on her characters and she shone in her interpretation of Mab, Osla, and Beth. I turned into this book at literally every free moment I had because Maarleveld and Quinn kept the suspense up throughout and really reeled you in.

Kate Quinn does it again with <i>The Rose Code</i> and I highly recommend it to any historical fiction fan. I pre-ordered 2 copies for both of my grandmothers before even finishing because I just knew it would be a stunner even 100 pages in!

Thank you to NetGalley and Harper Audio for the advanced listening copy!

LOVED. I am a huge historical fiction fan and this one was up there for me! Fantastically researched with well-thought out characters and an intricate plot. Top notch narration as well, I could not stop listening. Highly recommend!