This was my first Kate Quinn and definitely won’t be my last. I have had The Alice Network and The Huntress on my radar for some time I just haven’t had a chance to read them yet so when I saw The Rose Code pop up in audiobooks I jumped at the chance.
I’m a bit of a hard sell when it comes to narrators but I truly loved Saskia Maarleveld narration. She was really able to bring each character to life and kept my interest the whole essay through.

1940
Bletchley Park, the estate that was home to Britain’s code breaking team during WWII. Sworn to secrecy the employees were not allowed to breath a word about their work or happening that went on at Bletchley. The book follows 3 Bletchley employees, Beth a spinster still living with her parents, Mab who came from nothing and really wanted to make a better life for herself and and Oslo a society girl looking to contribute to the war effort. Together they work day In day out at Bletchley trying to crack the German codes while dealing with romance, heartache and family trials.

1947 Beth is in an asylum and the three friends have been estranged since the war. The week before Princess Elizabeth and Prince Phillip are to be wed Mab and Oslo get a cryptic message from Beth begging them to help her. Will they be able to help before it’s too late?

Goodness I loved these three characters. Strong loveable women each leading their own lives and keeping the secrets of Bletchley. Kate Quinn did a fabulous job of weaving these two timelines together into one gripping story that I was sad to see end. At almost 16 hrs running time it was a long read but totally worth it.

Thank you to Net Galley and Harper Audio for the advanced copy.

My expectation was that The Rose Code would be heavy on code breaking and the important role women played at Bletchley Park. This is not exactly how things played out. Bletchley Park is a major part of the setting, and the main characters do work there and contribute significantly to the war effort, but I would say that the first two-thirds of the book focuses on the main characters’ romances and a bit of plot building. I confess I got a bit bored. The real meat of the story begins about 60% through it. That is when things get exciting. That is when I found it hard to turn off the audiobook. So, although I found the first part of the book disappointing, the ending is everything for which I was hoping.
Thank you NetGalley for a copy of this audiobook in exchange for an honest review.

Thanks to NetGalley and Harper Audio for an advanced reader copy in exchange for an honest review.

4.5 stars

The Rose Code is the story of code breakers at Bletchley Park in England. Focusing on three women, the novel goes back and forth from the war and three years after. Beth, Mab and Osla are unlikely friends put together by circumstances. Beth is the quiet, slightly odd, brilliant daughter where Mab and Osla are billeted. Mab comes from a poor background but her quick wit and determination will lead to a better life. Osla is a socialite who has been dating Prince Phillip who wants to prove she is more than a silly deb.

Kate Quinn does such an amazing job of building the characters of these women. I loved Mab and Osla. Under the wonderful narration of Saskia Marleveld, I got lost in the story.

4.5 stars- After reading and mostly liking Kate Quinn's previous two books (The Alice Network and The Huntress), I was really looking forward to reading her new book. First of all, I love the distinctive cover. Love, love the yellow and silhouette. I was also very intrigued by the premise of English female code breakers during WWII and I wondered what Kate Quinn would do with it.

I am very happy to say that this is my new favorite Quinn book. I loved the trio of Mab, Osla, and Beth. I thought their different personalities and upbringings were interesting and gave the story such depth. I liked their struggles and how being a state secret keeper soaked into who they were. I loved their friendship that was complicated and not all pretty and real. The code breaker setting was riveting and dosed out in a way that was easy to understand and very entertaining. I also loved that Prince Phillip (pre-Elizabeth) and Alan Turing were fictionalized characters and liked how Quinn used them to remind you of the reality of WWII England.

My only real criticism is that the pacing was a little slow and then rushed at the end and it was a little too long (16 hours on audio.) I did love the narrator of Saskia Maarleveld who does a lot of historical fiction (including my previously read two by Quinn) and does a fantastic job. She creates distinctive voices for each characters and really adds to the snappy dialog. Kate Quinn books are good WWII women historical fiction and this one continues in her streak. I can't wait for others to read this (she's one of my mother in law's favorite historical fiction writers) and I hope that everyone enjoys this as much as I did.

Thank you to NetGalley for the advance audio copy for review.

As expected, Kate Quinn has done it again! This is a long one, but every book she has written so far is worth the journey. Three totally different women are at the heart of the story. Mab, the strong, determined one, Osla, out for a good time, and Beth, the quiet introvert. We get several stories in this novel. Of course, the secret decoding during WWII is the main focus, but there is also a royal wedding, romance, Bletchley Park, and even a book club! And then we have a traitor who puts one of our ladies in a sanitorium, planning on a lobotomy to reward her for her service. A seriously creepy place. The information surrounding all the machinations needed to break code was fascinating, and the history of Bletchley Park amazing. There are lots of plot twists, and you will be on the edge of your seat throughout. I listened to this book on the NetGalley app and thank #NetGalley Kate Quinn and the publisher for this fascinating read!

I loved this book! It was heartwarming and strong. It was exactly what I needed with everything going on in the world! A happy little escape!

I have read a few of Kate Quinn's books, and I am a fan of all of them. I will say this one took a bit longer for character build up, but I enjoyed the book still, and was happy I stuck with it. I liked the story line of Prince Philip, the Duke of Edinburgh. I love hearing these stories of women playing an integral part in the war. I am very thankful to Netgalley for the advanced audio copy.

Wow. I had high expectations for this book, having thoroughly enjoyed Kate Quinn’s other books (The Alice Network and The Huntress). This novel did not disappoint.

The characters are compelling and the storyline pulls you in from the beginning. Only to continue to tug you deeper and deeper into this code breaking world. The twists and turns the novel takes make for a truly engaging read. I was close to tears in several parts and bursting with joy in others. Quinn writes in a manner that makes you feel deeply for the characters.

My only real gripe... I found Beth to be annoying at first. Too spineless and too full of self doubt. How can she really think she is so stupid? It’s clear her mother is very abusive and Beth suffers so much for that. Especially as the book goes on, it’s heartbreaking.

I love reading about this period in history and this novel offers a great twist. It is fun to learn more about the essential work of code breaking.

🎁Thank you, NetGalley, for the gifted audiobook.

📖Pub Date 09 Mar 2021📖

The Alice Network and The Huntress are two of my all-time favorite historical fiction books, so I started The Rose Code with very high expectations. Kate Quinn did not disappoint! This WW2 novel depicts three brilliant British women who work at Bletchley Park where military secrets rule every single hour of their days. The work of cryptanalysts at Bletchley Park must be protected at all costs. Love, mystery, betrayal, and strong women's friendships make this historical novel outstanding. Five stars are well deserved!

𝐑𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠: 4.5/5⭐️⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣
𝐈 𝐫𝐞𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐝 𝐢𝐟 𝐲𝐨𝐮'𝐫𝐞 𝐥𝐨𝐨𝐤𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐟𝐨𝐫: women in STEM, strong female characters
⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣
𝗪𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐈 𝐞𝐧𝐣𝐨𝐲𝐞𝐝: I’m typically intimidated by books that are 500+ pages, but I always find a Kate Quinn book to be worth its weight. Once again, Quinn has found an under-known story that highlights the accomplishments of women during WWII. The Rose Code follows three young women who worked at England's Bletchley Park, a country estate converted to a code-breaking facility. One thing that I missed from my advanced copy that I can’t wait to see in the finished copy is the Author’s Note—I always love the details of an author’s research of historical fiction.

As has been the case with her other books, the pages in this one flew by. It was fast-paced and told a captivating story that delivered on friendship, romance, grief, loss, violence, and betrayal.

In addition to the ability to tell an incredible story, Quinn has a knack for developing characters that feel real and relatable. Lastly, I’m a sucker for alternating storylines and loved how this one jumped back and forth between past (1940) and present (1947), which kept me on the hook and eager to see how it would all tie together in the end.
⁣⁣⁣
𝐑𝐞𝐚𝐬𝐨𝐧𝐬 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐩𝐚𝐮𝐬𝐞: I’m so thankful for the opportunity to get my hands on this one early via an ALC, but felt like I may have enjoyed the physical book more? With a wide cast of characters, it always takes me longer to catch onto names if I’m not looking at them. There were also parts in the middle that dragged a bit.

Wow. this book is intense. It was a journey from start to finished. I love how the characters weaved together and how complex the characters were. The book was well done. It was a bit slow but I still enjoyed it and felt the pain and triumph of the story
I loved the mystery woven in and the two timelines. This is a great read for lovers of war time stories

This was a different type of WWII historical fiction. I actually picked this audio book out because Kate Quinn interviewed Marie Benedict after I read THE MYSTERY OF MRS CHRISTIE. I thought her book THE ROSE CODE sounded intriguing.
I did find myself getting a bit bored with the story overall. There are very intriguing parts, and I wanted to understand how the future and past story lines would connect, but overall I was ready to be done with this one. I always attempt to give WWII historical fiction novels a try, but find them to be repetitive and a bit dull. That is just my personal preference and not the norm at all.
This was a very well written novel with engaging characters. If you are a historical fiction fan I would recommend!

Bestselling author Kate Quinn brings to life the long-kept secret of Bletchley Park, an estate that housed Great Britain’s code-breaking team during WWII. The novel switches back and forth between the years of WWII and 1947, following the lives of three women entrenched in different aspects of German military code-breaking.

Osla, a stylish debutante who possesses fluent German and pens love letters to Prince Phillip of Greece, meets Mab, a poor girl determined to make herself into a lady, on the train to answer a mysterious summons to Bletchley Park. Shortly upon their arrival they befriend their landlady’s quiet spinster daughter Beth. Eventually the three become an indispensable part of Bletchley Park’s operations in their respective capacities and make friends along the way, all while keeping their work top secret.

The flash forwards to 1947, just weeks before the wedding of the century between Princess Elizabeth and Prince Phillip, reveal that somewhere along the way seemingly inseparable friends Osla, Mab, and Beth have had a massive falling-out, involving betrayal and treachery. But Beth’s assertion that there was a traitor in Bletchley Park, a traitor that had her locked up in an insane asylum, brings the three women back together.

This novel is highly engaging with just the right amount of foreshadowing and mystery to keep the pages turning. The characters of Osla, Mab, and Beth are richly developed and entertaining.

I want to first thank the author and NetGalley for gifting me the audio book version of this book. I have been enjoying a lot of historical fiction books lately based on the second world war. I have heard a lot of hype about this book, so I was very excited to receive it. I thought the book was a little slow but it gets better as you read on. About the last two hours of the book it got really good. The only real thing I had issues with is the language. The language is really strong. Which kind of surprised me due to the period this book was set and it being mostly about women. So if you have an issue with strong language I am not sure this book is for you. Honestly I think the author could have done without the women swearing like sailors. But on a plus note the story was intriguing, I have really been enjoying reading historical fiction books about how women helped during the world wars. I don't think they get the recognition they should. Even though they didn't fight at the front lines they all helped in their own ways. I have no idea how they would sit for hours even days trying to break all these codes. Truly an amazing story

I didn't know much of anything about Bletchley Park other than Alan Touring, so I found this fascinating. I am shocked that Kate Quinn has done it again, but I loved this book and the narrator did an excellent job with the various characters. This might actually be my favorite book of Quinn's.

Thank you very much NetGalley for this early audio copy of The Rose Code. I loved this book. This is the second book I’ve read from Kate Quinn and it will not be the last. It took me a little while to get into all of the characters in the beginning but when I did I was hooked. Osla, Mab and Bath and the work they did at Bletchley Park will stay with me for a long time.

Kate Quinn’s The Rose Code is phenomenal.. I was lucky to receive a print copy from the publisher and devoured it. When I saw the audiobook on NetGalley, I celebrated. This book is a winner in any format. Saskia Maarleveld beautifully paced and nuanced her voice so effectively. I enjoyed every minute and was never in doubt as to who was speaking. She made me feel privileged to read this book twice.

In 1940 three women meet in a home near Bletchley Park. Two work there, one lives in the home where she is dominated by her mother and ends up working at BP.. Three women so different yet they become friends. Three women make choices, keep secrets, face tragedy, serve their country, face heartbreak, and demonstrate their strength. One suspects a spy at BP.

In 1947 the three are no longer friends. The royal wedding has London in a frenzy. One of the former friends is in an asylum. The other two receive an encrypted letter. Will the other two believe her? Can they overcome their past history to once again unite to serve their country?

Thank you Kate Quinn for a thrill ride. If I may recommend a follow up read, watch for Beatriz Williams’ next book coming from William Morrow on June first. Our Woman in Moscow is set during the Cold War and feels like the perfect segue.

Thanks a million to NetGalley and Harper Audio for the chance to listen to this arc in exchange for an honest review. I’ll be sharing about this book far and wide.

In the Rose Code, Kate Quinn, author of the Alice Network, once again crafted an engaging and enthralling work of historical fiction that illustrates the important and unsung role of women in England during WW2. This book contains a bit of everything- history, suspense, romance, and betrayal. As I listened to the audiobook I both laughed and gasped out loud at times. Thank you to Net Galley for the ARC audiobook. My only criticism was that it was a bit long, but as the version I listened to was unabridged that might be rectified before publication.

Another great book by Kate Quinn. If you enjoyed "The Alice Network" and "The Huntress", you will thoroughly enjoy this one as well. Three very different women find themselves sharing a residence and working at a code-breaking facility outside of London during WWII. While at times it was predictable, Quinn kept you with a need to read just one more chapter as the novel progresses. The women deal with love and loss, friendships, trust and distrust, and trauma, highlighting the challenges of living when "there's a war on". These women are stronger than they know, and it is a wonderful journey of their self-discovery and the power of women working together. There are difficult scenes of domestic abuse, sexual assault, traumatic death, and institutionalization of the mentally ill throughout, so proceed with caution if those are triggering to you. For those of you who enjoy audiobooks, Saskia Maarleveld knocks it out of the park, and reminds me again of why she is one of my very favorite narrators. This book will not disappoint!

Many thanks to #HaperAudio and #NetGalleyfor an advanced audio copy of #TheRoseCode for a fair and honest review.

Kate Quinn is a fabulous storyteller who dives deep into history and creates marvelous books that are impossible to put down. That being said, I actually listened to the audio, which was incredible! Loved that narrator, she really brought the characters to life. I have nothing but good things to say about this....love, love, loved it!