Wow! The Rose Code is undeniably Kate Quinn's best book yet. I do not say that lightly. Kate's books The Huntress and The Alice Network were both five star reads for me, and I recommend them to friends and bookstagrammers routinely. So, I had very high expectations of The Rose Code and it absolutely surpassed them.

This historical fiction novel is fast paced and packed with vibrant characters, detailed WW2 stories, places, and events. There are love stories, strong women, secrets, betrayal, and victories! Quinn is absolutely brilliant in her plotting and character writing. This book made me gasp, cry, and cheer. I absolutely ADORED it.

What I did not expect, was the thrilling surprise of tie ins with the British Royals. I love following the Royal family and reading about the history of the British Crown and the personalities that make up the iconic family. I can't say more without plot spoilers - but I was elated with every royal reference and it sent me straight to the internet to find out how much of this fictional novel was spun from real relationships, places, and characters. I will not soon forget this novel. Its rich imagery, well-rounded characters, and spirit of survival, hope, and love will stay with me for a long while. Wow!

I received an audio ARC of this book through NetGalley in exchange for my unbiased opinion.

Mab, Osla, and Beth are three very different women brought together by their work trying to decode German military codes at Bletchley Park during World War II. Osla is a debutante who has been introduced at court and is dating Prince Philip of Greece. Mab grew up in London's East End in poverty and is determined to claw her way into a better life. Shy Beth is considered a spinster at 24 and has always lived under her mom's thumb. They became fast friends, but by the end of the war, secrets had torn them apart and left one of them locked in an insane asylum. In 1947, she manages to get an encrypted message out to her two former friends. If they can decode one last message, they can uncover the spy from Bletchley Park.

It's amazing the work these people did during World War II; I would have loved to be part of it if I were alive then. I appreciated the few references to Alan Turing! Saskia Maarleveld did a wonderful job narrating the story. The story was engaging from start to finish, and I would recommend it to anyone who enjoys historical fiction. This was my first Kate Quinn book, and I am now curious to read her others.

WOW! Quinn absolutely smashed it with this book! Told from three different POVs over 2 different timelines, this book weaves the lives of three women that met during WWII. What unfolds is a story about female roles in the war, the power of feminism, friendships and relationships, and so much more. The character development is wonderful and the interpersonal relationships between characters are built realistically and multifaceted. Overlying all of this, is the mystery of undercovering a traitor amongst their midst, one who led to Beth being locked up in an asylum and urgently requesting the assistance of Osla and Mab (her prior billet mates and friends, now turned enemies) to help save her.
In short, this is a historical fiction novel, that is so well-written, I have been recommending it to everyone!

Thank you to NetGalley and Harper Audio for the opportunity to listen to the advanced listener copy. I also very much enjoyed Saskia Maarleveld's narration on this audiobook. I can't wait for the book to come out!

I was super excited to get my hands on this book and love the idea of hearing about a side of WWII I hadn’t read about before. Especially because that story involves not one, not two, but three stunning and complex female characters!

First off, I’m 100% into Osla’s lexicon and will be adding the word “topping!” into my daily vocabulary along with attempts to carry her can do attitude. I love the hint at neuro diversity in Beth’s character and Mab’s story had my heart absolutely squeezing.

While the character building was excellent, I felt the ending both rushed and with a reveal too early. It also could have been several chapters shorter with quite a bit of drag through the later middle although it does help to hide the mystery with the fluff. No spoilers but there is also a moment where I felt the build up to a letdown had too much of a TV drama vibe of heartbreak predictability.

However, despite those drawbacks, the story was excellent, Saskia Maarleveld’s narration was topping, and I’d still recommend picking this one up in a heartbeat!

Thank you to #harperaudio and #netgalley for the advance copy of #therosecode!

Kate Quinn has delivered another heart-stopping WWII novel with this riveting tale about the hidden history of Bletchley Park and the code breakers who worked there. Her wonderfully developed characters reveal how these people altered the course of WWII. Wrapped in secrecy they toiled tirelessly with no recognition for their work and had to deal with the consequences of what they learned but were unable to confide even to their fellow code breakers. It deals with many powerful emotions: friendship, love, hate, honour, treachery, devotion and heartbreak.

Thank you to NetGalley and Harper Audio who provided me with a copy of this book. I am voluntarily leaving an honest review.

Finding historical fiction books on World War II is the easiest thing in the world. Finding one with a unique perspective that brings light on a previously unknown aspect of the war, that's a lot harder - and exactly what Quinn has done here. She has an amazing mix of facts about the environment in Britain during the war, personal development, and intrigue. My only wish was that the epilogue made it more clear how much of the story was historically accurate and how much was fictional.

I listened to the audiobook of this novel and highly recommend it. The narrator does a great job keeping all the characters straight and completely drew me into the story. Exactly what I'm looking for with an audiobook.

Thanks to the publisher for providing an ARC through Net Galley in exchange for an honest review.

This was an EXCELLENT book. At the beginning I was pretty sure one of the characters was going to drive me nuts but it didn't turn out that way. All three main characters are very well-developed and the story is very engaging. I was riveted the entire time and I can't wait for Kate Quinn's next book. I'm already recommending this one to friends as a must buy when it is released.

The audiobook is quite long but I was interested the whole time. In fact, I had a couple late nights because I wanted to keep listening instead of going to bed. The narrator does a fabulous job and is very good at conveying the different personalities of the characters with her changes in accent, tone, and inflection. I highly recommend this book, whether in print or audio.

This book. THIS BOOK!

I generally turn away from WWII fiction because I've just read so much of it, but thought I would give this one a go. I am so glad I did. This book has it all: mystery, strong women protagonists, an enthralling plot, meddling families and just enough romance.

The story is told in alternating time-lines. The first is set in 1940 as all three girls enter the code breaking world of Bletchley Park. Osla comes from a wealthy background and is anxious to prove she is more than a dizzy deb. Mab is desperately trying to leave her life of poverty behind her and move up in the world. Beth is the abused daughter of a local family who is told she is simple minded and not worthy of anything better than being her mother's "helper". They all find that there is more to each of them than anyone has given them credit for. The next bit is set in 1947 during the days leading up to Princess Elizabeth's wedding to Prince Philip. Here we learn that the girls are not only no longer friends, but have each betrayed the others in ways that have forced them apart for years.

Ever have a book that is so well written and engrossing that it haunts you? This is one of those for me. I want more. I want to know what happens with Mab, Osla and Beth. I will miss reading about their lives because the feel so real to me.

Who do I recommend this to? Pretty much anyone. ESPECIALLY the audiobook. The reader was amazing. It is LONG though, so be forewarned. But so worth the time.

The Rose Code was amazing! I have been a fan of Kate Quinn for some time, and was anxiously awaiting The Rose Code to be released. Just like in The Alice Network and The Huntress, Quinn creates an entire world during WWII for her novel. All three of the main characters (Beth, Osla, and Mab) worked in the top secret Bletchley Park where the British were trying to decipher German codes. IMO Quinn is one of the best authors at creating a past, present, and future for all of her main characters. You know their backstories, what they like/dislike, their full personalities, etc. Her characters face challenges and grow along the way.

My favorite character in this story was Beth. A young, timid girl, turned code breaking machine. Beth's character had the largest arc, and she was able to become so much stronger with the help of the women around her, namely Osla and Mab. She learned to stand up for herself and proved to herself her intelligence and worth. I loved the support the characters provided one another throughout the novel.

This is a great work of historical fiction and I loved reading the behind the scenes work done during WWII. Highly recommend!

I am so thankful that NetGalley and William Morrow granted me a free copy of the audiobook in exchange for my honest review.

I love a good historical fiction book- especially one with a lead female character! This book has that- times three! The story follows Mab, Oslo and Beth- three very different women, all working at the highly secretive Bletchley Park during World War II. The book goes back and forth between their time at Bletchley Park and their futures after Bletchley Park and the war. The plot lines are well developed and inspiring, intriguing and, at times, heartbreaking. Kate Quinn’s research into her subjects/time periods is evident and adds so much to the book.
(Trigger warning (spoiler) at the bottom of my review...)

I listened to the audiobook version of The Rose Code, narrated by Saskia Maarleveld. The audiobook is very well done! It kept me engaged and interested. Saskia was a great choice! I will say that with the three different women, I think it would have been beneficial to have three different narrators to differentiate the storylines, but after a few chapters, I was able to keep track fairly easily.

This book definitely makes me want to dive into more of Kate Quinn’s books! It would make a great bookclub book as well.

A five star read for me! I definitely recommend reading it when it comes out March 9, 2021!

Thank you to Netgalley and Harper audio for the advanced copy of this audiobook.





**Spoiler**




I won’t begin to try to list all trigger warnings, but one that really caught me way off guard and I think should be mentioned was the death of a child. 💔

Engaging and hard to put down. The book tells a story of three different ttpe of women, each fighting their own battle amid the WWII and each playing an essential role.
Very well written and beautifully depicted.
Thanks for approving my request. I will highly recommend this one to my bookclub.

The Rose Code follows the story of three women of very different backgrounds Mab, Osla and Beth who worked in different units at Bletchley Park, in England; a facility used for code breaking during WWII where only the most brilliant minds were employed.

It is a dual time story that alternates between the war era of 1940-45 and the postwar year of 1947.

There is a little bit of everything in the story: Friendship, camaraderie, love, some sex, violence, great losses and big wins, treason, loyalty and reconciliation.

This is a truly historical fiction novel with multiple protagonists taken from the real life. The characters are fantastically developed, and the plot is powerful. It is refreshing to see credit given to these complicated women, the heroines of the novel.

I listened to the audiobook which is brilliantly narrated by Saskia Maarleveld. My only regret is not having read the book instead of listening to it. At six hundred fifty six physical pages, the audiobook is a real time investment with almost 16 hours from beginning to end.

Thanks to NetGalley and Harper Collins for an advance copy of this audiobook. I hope others enjoy this book as much as I did.

#NetGalley #KateQuinn #HarperCollins

I had no idea how many of Kate Quinn’s books I have actually read until I looked up her other titles. This author writes historical fiction in a way that draws you into the story and leaves you begging for more. The is a time in history which many of us seem repeatedly drawn to.

I listened to the Audiobook of the Rose Code. The beginning was a little hard for me to follow the characters but once they were developing I was hooked. The three girls in a time of war who became unlikely friends until D-day when their friendship was shattered. They come together a few years later and become unlikely friends again.

I absolutely loved this book and can’t wait to see where this author takes us next. I received a free advanced copy of this audiobook from netgalley and the publisher but the opinions are mine.

🌹🌹𝙏𝙝𝙚 𝙍𝙤𝙨𝙚 𝘾𝙤𝙙𝙚 𝙍𝙚𝙫𝙞𝙚𝙬🌹🌹⁣
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5⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️holy moly stars!!⁣
Ok firstly Kate Quinn you have done it again! Author Kate Quinn’s books just seem to get better and better and The Rose Code has been my favorite by far! An auto-buy author if there ever was one! An author who knows how to write intriguing multi-faceted female characters that you feel you could know in real life!⁣
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🌹🌹😊😊😊🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹😊😊😊🌹🌹⁣
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Do you like WWII historical fiction? Check☑️⁣
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Do you like interesting characters? Check☑️⁣
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Do you like intrigue & drama? Check☑️⁣
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Some murder & mystery perhaps? Check☑️⁣
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The Rose Code literally had everything I love in a really good story! I listened as an audiobook and was enraptured by the narrator & plot. Don’t you dare take my headphones off! ⁣
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Run to your local bookstore and buy it, out March 9th, 2021!⁣
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🌹🌹😊😊😊🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹😊😊😊🌹🌹⁣
Synopsis:⁣
The hidden history of Bletchley Park comes to life in 1940 England, 3 woman from different walks of life become friends while breaking the Nazi Enigma code..until war, secrets and a traitor tear them apart! 7 years later, 1947 the three friends turned enemies reunite as they to find out who was the traitor at Bletchley Park selling secrets. ⁣
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Thank you NetGalley Audiobooks and Harper Audio for my audio review copy!⁣
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Happy Reading Everyone!⁣
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This is my first Kate Quinn novel. The Rose Code was a great historical fiction story with friendship, mystery, and intrigue. While this was a long read, it was so engaging. Three unlikely friends helping the war effort and looking out for each other. Not my normal genre, but glad I did not miss this read and will highly recommend.

***** I received an ARC from NetGalley, the publisher, and the author for my honest review. *****

A way into the visionaries of the past. It is amazing to read such harrowing tales of women during this time period. I really enjoyed getting to hear this book on audio as I think it added a bit to the story. I became a fan of Kate Quinn with The Huntress but I was truly blown away by this story and the tales each of these women had. Well done!

This new historical fiction novel centers around three code breakers at Bletchley Park during World War II. Mab, Osla, and Beth come from very different backgrounds—Mab from a rough background in Shoreditch; Osla is a Mayfair socialite in a long-term relationship with Prince Philip (before he was Duke of Edinburgh); and Beth, the small-town girl with the spiteful mother. But they come together at Bletchley with a well-drawn ensemble cast of characters to break German codes.

The story skips around a little, with the main action taking place at Bletchley during the war then wrapping up after the war with one last code to break, the Rose Code. Sometimes this kind of jumping back and forth could get a little confusing and frustrating (I always find myself saying, “Wait! Don’t jump ahead now, I need to see what happens.”), but after a little bit of a slow start, that didn’t bother me this time. Quinn weaves the story together well so that you can piece together the puzzle along with the characters. These ladies are tough, loyal, and determined, even a little scary sometimes. There were plenty of sad moments—it is a war, after all—but the overall mood is triumphant, and I found the story engrossing. The voices are great on the audiobook, but if the jumping back and forth in time gets to you, or you balk at a listening to a 15 hour plus book, you might prefer the print version. Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC.

This book, The Rose Code, was one I had been excited to read. Kate Quinn did not disappoint. I enjoyed the story of the female code breakers and all the friendships, romances, trials, and twists they faced. Having the timeline go back and forth from after the war to during enhanced the storyline. It made me think while reading parts from the past how could things get to what we were reading about in the present (after the war). The characterization and how what can appear to be simple minded females who turn out very different was fun to read about. When I thought I had the story figured out Quinn threw in another twist and I was drawn deeper into the story. By the end I felt like I was Beth being drawn into the Rose Code and unable to put it down. If you enjoy to read about strong female protagonists and World War II then this book is absolutely for you.

Other then a couple of Kate Quinn's anthology's I have read everything she has written. Needless to say she is one of my go-to authors. Her last books vividly portrays strong women in history during WW2 and that's right where The Rose Code takes place. I'll confess the only thing I knew about this book was Bletchley Park and was pleasantly surprised to the role Prince Philip and the royal wedding played.

Told in two time periods, initially separated by 7 years I loved getting to know these women and the role they played at BP. Three vastly different women with a common job of decoding secrets and keeping secrets. I listened to the audio which was narrated by Saskia Maaleveld, she did a great job bringing life to this story, coming in at almost 16 hours it's long enough for the depth that I crave. There is time to really get to know the characters and for the story not to be rushed.

The Rose Code is a story of secrets, friendship, betrayal and heartache. There is intrigue and mystery that kept me on my toes. Kate Quinn's research is evident and knowledge of the history shines through, which is one of the reasons I love her books. Her respect for history and filling it in with realistic story that drew this reader right in.

The Rose Code releases on March 9th and available for pre-order now.

My thanks to Harper Audio (via Netgalley) for an advanced audio-arc in
exchange for an honest review.

I’ve read Quinn in the past and I do like how much research she puts in her novels. I do think this one dragged a little bit and was too long for me. I did like the characters but it wasn’t enough to keep my interest. I thought the Prince Phillip romance was too much. Thanks to Netgalley and to the publisher for an advanced copy of the audiobook!