I don't know where to begin with my review of The Rose Code by Kate Quinn but, fair warning, I'm obsessed! Love, loss, and betrayal make this an un-put-downable read/listen. The audiobook narration was wonderful and I found myself looking for things to clean, wash, or fold so I had an excuse to pop my earbuds in and listen

The Rose Code is a story about 3 women, from fairly different walks of life, who become fast friends during their time working at Bletchley Park in WWII England. Osla, the "silly deb", Mab, who's main goal is to find a husband and settle down, and Beth, the daughter of a terribly overbearing mother, all find themselves working together as codebreakers at Bletchley Park during the height of WWII. They become the best of friends until the terrors of war, and the secrets they're each forced to keep, drives them apart. It's only years later, when one of them realizes there was a trader among their fellow codebreakers, that they are able to put the past behind them.

Kate Quinn does such an amazing job creating these characters and relationships. I found myself caring so deeply for all of them! It was nice to read about the amazing women who made these incredible contributions to the war effort, especially considering almost 75% of the people who worked at Bletchley Park were women! I loved the bits of true story mixed in to the fiction. My one issue was the Prince Phillip storyline and that is only because I, personally, find him to be terribly unattractive, even as a young man (to each her own though!). I did have a pretty early idea of who the traitor was and the secret Mab was keeping but it did not take away from the story, at all. I could go on forever about how much I loved The Rose Code, but I won't! I'll just end by saying thank you too Netgalley for the ARC of this amazing audiobook.

Kate Quinn is an author that I anticipate each new release greatly, and this book reached all my expectations. Through NetGalley, I was able to listen to the audio book before release. Her story following three women code breakers from very different backgrounds in the Bletchley Park facility during WWII, drew me in as if I were there. So much detail about their lives and feelings, it was easy to get caught up in their characters. The romantic involvements of each of them was described in ways that each was so relatable and I felt so many emotions: from joy to rage. This story is not the usual WWII genre fiction that I have been so interested in lately. Highly recommend this audiobook! The narrator was easy to understand and read at a good pace to follow.

Kate Quinn has done it again with this WW2 Historical Fiction mystery. Once again her book features some very strong women playing important roles to support the war effort.

The story is told during two time periods. Much of the book is set during the war, starting in 1940 focusing on three women coming together as two of them are billeted in the home of the third while working at a top secret (real-life) code breaking job at Bletchley Park. Osla and Mab see that meek Beth has potential and secure her a job at Bletchley Park as well. The three come from very different backgrounds, but quickly bond over the secrecy of their job. They are bound by the Official Secret Acts and cannot discuss what they spend their days and nights doing with anyone, including each other. They build their social network through a book club they start to relieve a bit of the stress of their duties.

The second part of the story takes place starting at the end of 1947 with one character "behind the clock" at a sanitarium, while the rest of the country is preparing for the impending Royal Wedding. She is adamant she doesn't belong and wants desperately to clear her name and find answers to the secret she swears she discovered at Bletchley Park that put her in the asylum.

If you are a fan of audiobooks, this one was narrated by Saskia Maarleveld who also brought The Alice Network and The Huntress to life. She delivered another amazing performance on The Rose Code and is becoming one of my go-to narrators.

Thank you to NetGalley and Harper Audio for this ALC in exchange for an honest review.

Kate Quinn's latest book involves three women codebreakers during their time at Bletchley Place and six years later as they race against the clock to discover the identity of a spy in the days leading up to the Royal Wedding.  

The writing was excellent.  I enjoyed learning more about Bletchley Park - the people, the layout and the work that was carried out by each of the groups.  The inclusion of real people (Dilly Knox, Alan Turing, Prince Philip, Osla Benning and a Bletchley Park spy) straddled the line between history and historical fiction.  I'm not sure how I feel about her choice to add a fictional spy when there really was a spy at Bletchley Park.  Other that this, the book was excellent.  It was well written and meticulously researched.  The narration was fantastic. Anyone who liked The Alice Network is going to love The Rose Code.

The Rose Code audiobook exceeded all expectations and was impossible to stop listening! Kate Quinn is a master storyteller of novels about women spies. I first discovered her when I listened to The Alice Network, and then again in The Huntress. This historical suspense is just as exciting and heart pounding as its predecessors!

The Rose Code alternates between two time periods, the first starting in 1940 and the second taking place in November 1947. It revolves around three very different women who worked as codebreakers of Bletchley Park during World War II: (1) wealthy heiress and debutante Osla Kendall who is fluent in German and a translator of decoded enemy secrets, and who falls head over heels in love with Prince Philip of Greece - yes, the future Queen Elizabeth’s husband; (2) tall and impoverished East End Londoner, Mab Churt, aka Queen Mab, who reads the top 100 literary works to help her catch a wealthy husband and who can easily work the machines that help break the codes; and (3) shy and timid Beth Finch whose mother is emotionally abusive who can quickly solve puzzles and who becomes one of the top cryptanalysts at Bletchley Park. These three women become the closest of friends because of their work and because they live in the same house. After a tragic loss to one of the three (which was expected due to the war), their friendship is strained, to say the least.

In 1947 Osla struggles with the impending royal wedding of Princess Elizabeth to Prince Philip. Out of the blue, she gets an encrypted message from Beth, who is incarcerated at an asylum and scheduled for a lobotomy the day after the royal wedding. Osla and Mab drop everything to assist Beth and soon the trio set out to identify the traitor from Bletchley Park who was responsible for Beth’s imprisonment. They enlist the help of other Bletchley Park code breakers, including Alan Turing. Such name dropping was most satisfying, as was the conclusion, where all three women find justice, gratification, and contentment.

I listened to the audio version of the Rose Code narrated by the extremely talented Saskia Maarleveld. She is an amazing voice actor, using dozens of different voices for all of the characters. I could easily imagine myself transported back to 1940s England. Despite the audio lasting 15 1/2 hours, I never felt like the story dragged on, rather, it was like listening to a well-written miniseries. Thank you, NetGalley and Harper Audio, for providing me with a week of thoroughly enjoyable entertainment. In summary, I highly recommend this audio to anyone who enjoys thrilling WWII stories, especially those involving extraordinary women.

The Rose Code by Kate Quinn
Narrated by Saskatoon Maarleveld
Format - Audiobook
Book rating 4 out of 5 stars
Narration rating 5 out of 5 stars
CONTENT WARING: Very vivid descriptions of bombing scenes and gore!

All in all I really loved this book but felt it was not what the description said it was going to be about. Thus the 4 star rating. In the description they talk about the Enigma Code a lot but this book was not at all about that but about another code they had to break to find a traitor. The book does talk about the Enigma Code but just in passing and about how long it took to break it.

This book did take a good look at our code breakers during World War 2. The unsung heroes who helped win the war and broke the Germans codes sometimes with in minutes of them coming into their facility. Most of these code breakers were women and the work they did for the war effort was amazing.

This book showed a glimpse into three women’s work on the front lines breaking these codes. There is some romance and action in this book. Which makes it great for both men and women. It also shows some of the terrible sacrifices people had to go through during the war.

The narration was great with the narrator doing an excellent job of keeping the voices different and keeping you wanting to listen to more. She was perfect for the book with her soft voice and British accent.

I would recommend this book to people who like Historical Fiction. It also includes some insight into the life of Prince Phillip before he was married to the currently reigning Queen. Who knows what is fact or fiction but it adds a little interesting tidbits that might have been true.

Fun Fact - I actually knew a woman that worked on the Egnima code before she immigrated. She kept the secrets they talk about in this book until she passed.

Simply wonderful. This is a third novel by Kate Quinn that I devoured. I have been waiting for her new book since I read “The Alice Network” and “The Huntress”; two wonderful novels focusing on women spies. “The Rose Code” is a bit different from Quinn’s previous works, it’s a mix of historical fiction and mystery. There are three women who come together as British code breakers. Even though they are completely different from each other, they learn to work together and save one another in the process. I highly recommend for those who enjoy historical fiction.

The Rose Code- a Novel by Kate Quinn (Author), Saskia Maarleveld (Narrator)
Thank you to Harper Audio and NetGalley for this ARC.

Let me just say that I absolutely loved this book. The audio version did take me a bit longer to get into because I had to focus quite intently on what they were saying she to the heavy british accent..Great story!

Thanks so much to NetGalley for providing the ARC of this audiobook.

I dnf’d this book at 19%. I really was looking forward to this but I it was just too slow paced for me and didn’t hold my attention. The premise of this book sounded very interesting. Women decoders in war time....

Wow! Really, really good. This one will be on the GoodReads final selection list for best Historical Fiction.

History with intrigue with a bit of romance. Really great characters.

I can’t believe how much I enjoyed this book!

This book is very difficult to describe without giving away the plot. I love how this book was written; how the dates and plot all intertwined. Just read this book, you won't be disappointed!

The audio is very, very good; I really can't believe that it was narrated by only one person, Saskia Maarleveld. She really does an awesome job!

Thank you to NetGalley and the author/Kate Quinn for the opportunity to review the advance copy of The Rose Code in exchange for an honest review. Publisher is Harper Audio and the release date is 09 March 2021.

The epilogue indicates that the Duchess of Cambridge reopens Bletchley Park in June 2014. The Duchess has a personal link in that Kate Middleton's grandmother Valerie Middleton was employed in Hut 16. Very cool that Bletchley Park has been restored to their wartime appearance after falling into quite disrepair.

I received this book free of charge from NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.

I don’t listen to a lot of audiobooks, but I’m really glad I gave this one a chance. I’ve liked everything I’ve read by this author (The Alice Network was fabulous)’ so I was pretty sure I wasn’t going to be disappointed. I wasn’t. This is an excellent story, about British female codebreakers during WWII. At first the narrator was a little hard to understand, but once I got used to the British accent, she was fabulous.

Would definitely recommend this book—in either print or audio—but I’m really glad I opted for the audiobook on this one.

I'm not typically a fan of historical fiction, but Kate Quinn's novels are exceptional. The level of detail is incredible--it feels like you are transported back in time and are right there with the amazing female spies she writes so well. Thank younto Netgallery and Harper Audio for the ARC of this delightful novel!

Guys, I love this book! And its release date is my birthday (March 9)! I’ve already pre-ordered a copy of The Rose Code for my mom and I’ve been raving about it to anyone who will listen. This historical fiction book has ALOT: lady code breakers, a double agent spy mystery, romance, a royal wedding, amazing 1940s British slang!
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What’s it about? The Rose Code follows three very different women working as code breakers for England during WWII. Their work and the war bring them together as friends then drive them apart as enemies. Once the war ends, the women must put their messy shared past aside to work together again to solve a mystery and catch a traitor. (Oh, and there’s a royal wedding!)
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What did I like? I loved getting to know Osla, Mab, and Beth. They are funny and feel like complete people. Their friendships with each other and their respective romances felt organic and natural. The characters (both the main characters and side characters) felt deep and very fleshed out. The action in the second half of the book is fantastic. I felt like I was watching an action movie or a thriller. I listened to the audiobook and the narrator was fantastic.
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What I didn’t like? Not much! Kate Quinn’s books are looonnnggg. This doesn’t bother me at all because nothing in the story feels extraneous. However, if you’re looking for a book you can get in and out of in a day or two, this probably isn’t for you. (This author’s other two books The Alice Network and The Huntress are also excellent and long!)
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Tl;dr - This book perfectly mixes together so many elements from historical fiction, romance, and thriller. I really loved it! (Thanks to @netgalley and @williammorrow for the advance listen!)
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Sometimes it feels like the books world is saturated with books about WWII. But then you come across one like this and it reminds you about why you like historical fiction. I really enjoyed this book. The characters were so unique and so different from one another and yet became the family they needed while working at Bletchly Park. I loved the royal family connection and the mystery of the traitor. I love historical fiction based on real people, and this was an exceptional example of that. I had an ALC and the audiobook was fantastic as well. Highly recommend this book!

Another phenomenal historical fiction book by Kate Quinn. It's a long book but so worth the read. I sometimes had difficulty with the audio version flipping back and forth through time and narrators, but it wasn't so much trouble that I didn't enjoy the audiobook. I absolutely loved this story and am grateful Kate Quinn brought the stories from Bletchley Park to life. It's incredible really that we don't hear much about these war heroes.

Okay, give me ALL the Kate Quinn books! Seriously, each one is better than the next! I absolutely loved The Rose Code and was so excited to receive an audiobook ARC from the publisher and NetGalley.

The narrator of the audiobook version is spectacular. Her voice was so melodic and her command of all of the various genders and accents made the story come to life. Three women converge at Bletchley Park, a country estate in England, where they work in various capacities to break codes to help defeat the Nazi’s in World War II. A traitor to king and country is in their midst and the women must work together to find and turn him in.

Osla, Mab, and Beth were each so different, yet found such a bond together and I loved each character so much. My heart broke during the parts in the book that they were at odds. I was wondering how Quinn would write the characters back to each other after some pretty steep betrayals, but she managed to write a very satisfying conclusion to their story.

If you enjoy historical fiction during WWII, this is a must read! I so enjoyed the code breaking and cryptographic nature of the book. Well done, as always! 5 huge stars!

The Rose Code was my first Kate Quinn book and definitely will not be my last! I enjoyed this historical fiction novel about the female codebreakers at Bletchley Park during World War II. The story was immersive and the characters were extremely likeable. This is not my usual genre so I was excited to try something new, and this did not disappoint.

My critiques - the book is LONG, bordering on too long. The audiobook was 15.5+ hours long and at times the book seemed to slow way down. I enjoyed the audiobook (the narration was fantastic) but at times it was hard to follow the plot, because it felt like it was jumping around a lot. This might be because it is told from different points of view, which is a hard adjustment with an audiobook.

3.5 rounded up

Thank you to the author, Harper Audio, and NetGalley for providing an audiobook copy to review!

This book, This book, This book mind-blowing and you won't see it coming. when I started listening to The Rose Code I was a little lost, getting to know each character and where the story was heading, at one point I was even questioning myself if this was going to be any good but as soon as the question popped up in my mind around 30% BAM everything started to change so dramatically, believe me, you will keep holding your breath for the rest of the book.

The story of Beth, Osla, and Mab tree friends who were brave and fought even with their own families to be able to serve and help when things were so crazy and chaotic around the world even if that meant losing your friends and maybe even losing your own sanity.

Beth, Osla, and Mab were so different from each other but what really brought them together was their work, their help to conquer a war that was destroying so many lives and families all around.

one of my favorite things about Mab and Osla was that they were always trying to help Beth to come out of her shell and making her believe more in herself, to trust more in her, and stop listening to the mantras her mother kept feeding her mind.

Beth a very quiet character that was so afraid of life, thanks to her parents that were not so kind or nice to her, her mother was constantly playing mind games with Beth making her feel less than and even very insecure. but life was about to change everything for Beth, she didn't expect to be accepted or that her work was going to be so important to save lives but soon she will find many answers that will help her finally to grow and move even forward.

Osla was a great character she was one of my favorites because she was so bold and very strong, she didn't suffer for any men, if her princes were not going to be with her then she will practically move on and continue with her life. she was the one who will take control and will never break until things started to collapse something terrible happened and suddenly her friends were no longer the ones to help her, she was all alone and she needed to get out of her own mess.

Mab's story was very sad, I cry so much with her through chapters, I really cry so much for her, she really deserves so much more, it was not right for her to see the things she saw that left her almost without a soul, I totally understood her rage, her anger, her sadness, I think anyone in her situation would have acted the same way.

even if the three of them were very different and were fighting their own internal battle as well as helping with the war, they were the best friends anyone could need and have in situations like that.

I love how in the end they really understood what happened and how they united to be successful and take vengeance after so many lies and atrocities they went through.

so many great secondary characters like Prince Philip, Peggy, Lucy, Harry, Francis all gave so much to the story and made it even more heartbreaking.

The narrations by Saskia Maarleveld, I love her work this is not my first book narrated by her, she is definitely a favorite one, she always brings so much to the story and gives so much depth to the characters. I love how she puts the right voice and energy for each character so we can understand who is talking and what characters are answering. great work and a great narrator.

The Rose Code faith, empathy, and how humans will do everything they can to be successful with their plans no matter if some of those plans meant to hurt someone who was not so kind in the process, The Rose Code show us, the humanity and humility of three women trying to survive the worst parts of their lives, a war that will test them over and over again until they can survive victoriously and finally recognized the true potential of their own.

I recommend this book so much, the last chapters will break you but at the end, they will put your heart back together making you feel the ride was so worth it.

I'd like to thank Netgalley and the publisher for an advanced copy of this book. This is my honest review.

Kate Quinn is a true wordsmith, able to weave a story with engaging characters, an intricate plot, and pacing that makes her books impossible to put down.

"The Rose Code" may be my favorite book by her thus far. The three main characters are all strong and three-dimensional, with striking characteristics and flaws. You're drawn into their lives so fully that you almost feel like you're the fourth member of their sisterhood. I loved being pulled in like that.

I also love love love the fact that this looks into the lives of those who worked at Bletchly Park. I have always been intrigued by it, and I feel like Quinn truly did her research and created something which felt authentic.

I did not want to put this book down, and it didn't feel like it was the actual length that it is. Totally recommend it.

The Rose Code was so scrummy (in the words of Oslo). This book was one of the best women in WW2 books I have read. The women, so different, all had such important jobs. I wasn't quite sure about the mystery aspect of this book, since it is also a WW2 historical fiction, but it was the perfect layer to an already complex and breathtaking story. Kate Quinn does a fantastic job telling the story through the 3 main characters, all with such different personalities. The war aspects were spot on. The relationships were to die for. The narrator does not disappoint either! She was great voices for the characters and their different accents. Beautifully written. Beautifully performed.