Thanks to NetGalley and Harper Audio for an advance copy of the Rose Code. I loved this book - the three main characters - Osla, Mab, and Beth - are well developed and I eagerly followed them through their days at Bletchley Park and then after the war as they worked to make sense of their lives and later to catch a traitor. Read it, you will not be disappointed!

Whenever Kate Quinn writes a new book I get very excited. I have read her previous books, The Alice Network and The Huntress. Both of those books were exceptionally well written. The Rose Code was no exception. It was a most riveting and compelling novel that was brilliantly written in a dual time line. The Rose Code was a masterful piece of historical fiction that explored Bletchley Park and three women who became code breakers. The plot was suspenseful, vivid and gripping. The characters were well developed and vibrant. Most of the characters were likable, distinctive and well developed. Kate Quinn’s research for this book was impeccable. I listened to the audiobook that was expertly read by Saskia Maarleveld. It ran for over sixteen hours but I was so absorbed in the storyline that I hardly noticed. I did not want to stop listening. The Rose Code was so captivating.

It was 1940 and the Nazis were rapidly advancing throughout Europe. England was determined to keep them at bay and prevent them from entering their country. They were also set on trying to derail there military attacks. Bletchley Park had been established to help achieve that specific purpose. Very intelligent men and women were being sought out to work as code breakers, machine operators and translators at Bletchley Park. These talented men and women would learn how to break German codes, translate them and get them into the hands of ally military officers so the Nazis could be stopped.

Three very different women from different walks of life came to work at the mysterious Bletchley Park at about the same time. Osla Kendall was a debutante that wanted to do something worthwhile for the war effort. She was good at languages and would end up becoming a translator. Born with a silver spoon in her mouth, Osla had everything. She was rich and beautiful. Osla was dating Prince Philip of Greece and was truly head over heels about him. She wanted to prove to the world that she was more than met the eye, though. Mab Church had been living in the east end of London with her mother and little sister before she showed up at Bletchley Park. She and her family did not have a lot. They were quite poor. Mab wanted more out of life. In addition to wanting to help England win the war, Mab was determined to find a suitable husband. Mab found that she was quite good at operating the code breaking machines. Both Osla and Mab were assigned to live in a rooming house where the family let out one of their bedrooms to Bletchley Park workers. The Finch household was dominated by Mrs. Finch. Her spinster daughter, Beth, was still living at home under the very watchful and strict eye of her abusive mother. Osla and Mab noticed straight away how Mrs. Finch was taking advantage and dominating Beth. Mrs Finch always made Beth feel like she was a failure and had little to no redeeming intelligence or qualities other than being her mother’s best helper. Beth was painfully shy but brilliant when it came to solving puzzles. She had a low esteem of herself due to her mother’s constant reminders that she was dull and not capable. With Osla’s and Mab’s encouragement Beth also began to work at Bletchley Park. Beth went on and became one of Bletchley Park’s best cryptanalysts. The three women forged the most unlikely friendship but it worked. They began to depend on each other and sought each other out whenever they needed each other. All three women were bound to The Official Secrets Act of 1939. No information learned at Bletchley Park could ever be discussed. That put extra pressure on their friendship. How far would one friend take that oath if it meant the safety of one of her friends? Could their friendships stay intact with the added pressures of secrecy, war and loss?

Alternately, Kate Quinn allowed glimpses forward to the year 1947. Prince Philip and Princess Elizabeth were to be married. Osla and Philip were no longer together. Mab, Osla and Beth were no longer friends or speaking to each other. Beth was now residing at Clockwell Sanatorium where the government placed her three and a half years earlier. Having decoded an encrypted letter her prior and deceased boss had been working on before his death, Beth discovered that there was a traitor looming within the confines of Bletchley Park. Before Beth was able to alert anyone about this new information she was whisked away to the asylum. Beth was accused of breaking the Official Secrets Act and compromising Bletchley Park and its work.. Now Beth was being threatened with a lobotomy. Beth knew that no one but Osla and Mab could save her. She needed them to help her escape from Clockwell Sanatorium and to help her crack the rose code and catch the traitor. Could Osla and Mab help Beth escape from the asylum? Would they be able to forgive and forget and work together to solve this last and probably most important code?

The Rose Code was a book about friendship, secrets, love, loss, betrayal and forgiveness. It was a vivid, gripping and suspenseful book. It touched all my emotions. I found myself thinking about the story and the characters for days after I finished listening to the audiobook. I loved every part of The Rose Code and highly recommend it.

Thank you to Harper Audio for allowing me to listen to this advanced copy of this audiobook through Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

The Rose Code by Kate Quinn is set in WWII and the story focuses on three women~ Osla, Mab, and Beth, who meet at Bletchley Park. Bletchley Park holds a secret government program that decodes messages that are intercepted. The German military would send encrypted messages and the code breakers jobs were to break the code and decipher the messages. These brave women had a sense of responsibility and were not able to tell anyone what their ‘real’ job was. Anyone who worked there were to have signed an Oath of Secrecy (the Official Secrets Act) and so people thought they were secretaries. They could tell no one.

The story is a dual timeline between 1940 when the women first came to work at Bletchley Park and alternates between 1940 and 1947 when one of the three has been betrayed and then unjustly institutionalized. So, I was eager to discover how their friendships fell apart and who the traitor was. The story was intertwined between honor, duty, friendship, betrayal, true love and lost love. I think one of my favorite lines is, “Duty, honor, and oaths, aren’t just for men..” Perfect for this story!!! This is an intense story with complex characters. One of my favorite parts was the addition of the Prince Phillip subplot with Osla. It was so imaginative, and was written in a way so that it was realistic, respectful and made them human. But, I do think that was ingenious.

I also enjoyed how the plot thickens even after they believe that all the “risk” is gone once the war is over. Here are war heroes that can’t receive recognition for their honored and unbroken secrets, assigned to crack top secret military messages. There is a lot of historical integrity in this book. I really enjoyed it.

Thank you to NetGalley for generously providing me with my ARC in exchange for a fair and honest review.

Thank you #Netgalley and #HarperAudio for the ARC Audiobook copy of The Rose Code. Ever since reading the Alice Network a couple of years ago I have been a huge fan of Kate Quinn so I JUMPED at the chance to read / listen to this book.

I'll be the first to admit, I usually struggle with Audiobooks as they don't always hold my attention, so it took some time for me to get into The Rose Code. The readers voice was interesting to listen to and she did a great job on the audiobook.

As always, Kate Quinn has written another historical gem in The Rose Code. The prose and writing style was beautiful and she has such an emotional way with words - incredible story teller. I liked the three heroines Osla, Mab and Beth a lot and their colourful dynamic personalities were fun.

I'd give the book around a 3.5 stars because of the audio experience and fully intend to read the written words once published on March 9, 2021. I'm positive that fans of The Alice Network and historical fiction will adore #TheRoseCode

This was such a fun listen and the narration by Saskia Maarleveld was fabulous: she had great voices for all the characters and pretty soon you could tell who was speaking just by the sound. This was my first Kate Quinn book and I will definitely be seeking out more. Interesting women leads, each with their own unique story, lots of side characters that added to the overall story, a smidgen of romance and so much historical information about Bletchley Park during WWII! A fast-paced and addictive read.

I listened to the audio arc of this title. Thank you to Netgalley for an ARC of this title in exchange for my honest opinion. This is mainly the story of three women that become friends during WWII as code breakers as England's Bletchley Park. Osla--the posh young woman that is out to prove herself to others. Mab--the girl from the wrong side of London and wants a better life for herself and her younger sister. Together they start boarding at a home and meet Beth. Beth is so put upon by her mother---she is afraid of her own shadow. Throughout this tale, you will cheer for this trio in their struggles and triumphs. This is a long book, but it doesn't feel like it. I particularly loved the epilogue---the writer ties is what has recently happened to the famous Bletchley Park castle under Kate Middleton's supervision and her own family's ties to the code breakers of WWII. This has become my favorite Kate Quinn book. Highly recommend!

Another exceptional read by Kate Quinn! I listened to the e-audiobook narrated by Saskia Maarleveld. She did a wonderful job distinguishing the different characters and keeping me in suspense. Knowing that the book was based on real life female codebreakers made me appreciate their wartime efforts even more. These women showed their smarts and perseverance in the most difficult times, especially when it was unusual to be working outside the home.
A must read for fans of captivating historical fiction. I highly recommend it.
Thanks to #NetGalley and #HarperAudio and Kate Quinn for an audio ARC.
#TheRoseCode

I absolutely loved this book. I know those who have watched the Crown and who have read The Gown will want to read this book too. Relationships are never easy. Mothers and daughters, husbands and wives, roommates-none of these groups escape problems. Pay attention to the introduction as that mystery is the ultimate issue to be resolved .

Kate Quinn delivers again with another enthralling tale of a dynamic trio of heroines making their way through WWII. This book has two of my favorite things to read about: World War II and strong female characters. The three main characters come together to work at the top secret Bletchley Park, where unique characters work to crack codes that are make or break in WWII Europe. There is romance, betrayal, love, loss, friendship, and suspense. The audiobook is narrated with a easy to listen to voice.

I loved the Alice Network so I was excited about this expecting I would love it too. I had forgotten the rollercoaster up and down betrayal and friend or enemies. That rationalization people make of their atrocities when it serves their purpose. This book hit hard considering I read it during the last of Trumps time in office. Sometimes books take some time to sit back from and think about. This was one of them. I would absolutely recommend this to a friend to read and I would read it again.

Another great book from Kate Quinn. A historical fiction novel based during World War II in England. The book gives multiple perspectives of three women's jobs at the secret Bletchley Park. The characters are amply developed. .

I really love Kate Quinn and will rush to read every book she writes. There, I’ve said it. Now I can move on.
This novel has it all.. excitement, drama, female friendships, female spies, deception, intrigue, and even a dash of romance thrown in for good measure.
I love that the protagonists are female, they’re strong, smart, powerful, and not whiny or annoying or second fiddle. They fight, they argue, they disagree... and they end up friends. Just like real life. These women were empowered and used this power to empower, not diminish, other women ... what a timely message.
I find it unique that you don’t just become invested in the three main characters - the minor characters are also charming and interesting, and full of detail and life.
I loved the historical aspects and remembered bits from movies, tv shows (The Crown!) and other books, so it was fun to fit together pieces I knew with pieces I was learning. And, this fit one of my measures of good historical fiction - I was delayed in finishing the book because I went online to do research about the pieces I didn’t previously know about.
The voice actor was great and did a wonderful job of making each character unique sounding and loaded with personality.
I will admit, the length of the audiobook was daunting, but it was so good, I couldn’t stop listening and finished it quickly.
Thank you to NetGalley and Harper Audio for the advanced audiobook in exchange for my honest review.

4.5 Stars

Thank you Netgalley for an early audiobook version of Kate Quinn's The Rose Code.

Kate Quinn returns with a new spectacular historical novel centered around the women who worked at Bletchley Park as German code breakers during WWII. Osla is a beautiful socialite who has started dating handsome navel officer Prince Philip, yes THAT Prince Philip. Even though everyone sees her as a "dumb deb" she has been recruited to work along side some of Cambridge's smartest using her language skills to interpret German secret codes. On her way to Bletchley Park she meets an beautiful Amazonian woman, Mab , who is also working as a code breaker. They have recruited the recluse daughter of their boarding family to help in the secret mission. Traitorous secrets, death and scandal will test the women's values and friendships to the brinks including sending one to the insane asylum.

Based on real women, Quinn's novel is excellent, with deep characters and a dramatic storyline that unravels a new layer to a heavily written about war. She is a master and weaving intricate stories and fascinating characters together, even the smaller players have real depth to them. I received an audio book version narrated by Saskia Maarleveld, who does a marvelous job. Her inflections and interpretation is engaging and spellbinding.

A wonderful novel that I highly recommend.

Y’all, Kate Quinn did it again! I could not put this book down, as in I totally ignored my family all day Saturday to read! If you liked The Alice Network or The Huntress, you will love this novel.

The Rose Code follows three women sent to Bletchley Park in England to help break German military code during WWII. Osla Kendall, reluctant debutant, serves as a German translator all the while long-distance dating Prince Philip of Greece. Oz does all that she can to prove she is more than just a silly deb. Mab, from the east end of London, is a no-nonsense self-made woman, who is determined to rise above her current station. While working the code-breaking machines, she starts the Madhatter’s bookclub at BP (Bletchley Park) in search of her future husband. Finally, we have Beth a quiet young woman who is the daughter of Oz and Mab’s landlady where they are billeted while working in BP. The two take Beth under their wings, helping to give her a makeover and a job at a cryptanalyst, when they realize she has a knack for puzzles.

The war changed these women and we find them at odds with each other at the end of the war, and one seeking desperately for help from the other two to clear her name. Amid royal wedding fervor, as Prince Philip (yes Oz’s beau) is set to wed Princess Elizabeth, the three women set out to break one more final code to discover who was the traitor in their midst during the war. The answer is much closer to home than any of the three dares to guess.

The Rose Code was fast paced and compulsively readable. Kate Quinn is a pro at writing robust characters that you feel like you know. I highly recommend this book! Thank you to Netgalley and Mrs. Quinn for the advanced copy! The Rose Code comes out March 9th!

This story starts out in the 1940 as England is preparing to fight the Nazi’s. This story is about three women who agree to train at Bletchley Park, where they will train to break German military codes. The story follows the lives of these women before, during, and after their journey to Bletchley. Even though these women have next to nothing in common, they share a common bond that will never be broken. I throughly enjoyed listening to the audio version of this book. It was quite lengthy but I enjoyed every second of it. Saskia Maarleveld was an excellent narrator. She did such a great Bristish accent, even though she is American, and was able to switch between characters with great ease. I will definitely be listening to more audio books by this narrator and will be reading more of Katie Quinn’s novels. I highly recommend the audio version of this book. Thanks to NetGalley for allowing me to preview this.

I loved every minute of this audio book! I have read so many books on the 2nd world war but this definitely had a more personal vibe. Loved the code breaking aspect and I did not know anything about this process. The timeline was accurate and the book was clearly well researched making it useful for educational purposes. (High school and older) However this was such a pleasurable read that I would recommend it for everyone! Bravo!!

Kate Quinn didn’t disappoint in The Rose Code! This book was expertly written while engaging me on every single page!

The Rose Code follows the perspectives of three fascinatingly different women- Osla, Mab, and Beth- breaking Nazi code in World War II. We are taken on a journey learning about their career success, chances at love, betrayals, and heartbreaks.

With a unique and exciting approach to WWII, Quinn had me heartbroken, laughing, and terrified while reading. I highly recommend this amazing read!

I loved every single thing about this book!

Thank you so much to NetGalley and Harper Audio for my advanced copy of The Rose Code.

Here Are a Few Things I Loved-

The Characters-

*Osla- Not your average debutante with a royal connection that I loved reading about. ( I'm currently in the middle of watching The Crown and I am obsessed.)

*Mabel- AKA Mab AKA Queen Mab. Possibly my favorite character. She goes through a lot in this book and I was so invested in her story.

*Beth- I loved Beth and her big brain lol. She proves that you are so much more than what others would like to label you as.

I loved how Kate Quinn wrote each character so unique and vivid. I was rooting for all of them and was never bored with any of their narratives/ storylines.

The Romance- Each character has a love story within this book. Some more conventional than others. I enjoyed them all.

The Mad Hatters- The Rose Code is a book full of book lovers. The Mad Hatters is a war time book club at Bletchley Park. I am very tempted to pick up some of the reads mentioned in The Rose Code but I'm bad with classics. Ex- I've been listening to Little Women for about 2 years. I'm the worst.

The Plot- I enjoyed reading about Bletchley Park and the things that went on there. I did some research after finishing The Rose Code and am glad to have learned something new.

The Audio- I read this book via the audio and I loved the narrator. Highly recommend the audio and may revisit some of Kate Quinn's backlist via audio .

Overall- One of the best books I have read in a very long time. As someone who reads a ton of WWII historical fiction - The Rose Code is definitely a stand out. I have a feeling it will be among my best books of the year.

While this book was long, I never lost interest. I was thoroughly intrigued by the world of code breakers and the great mental pressure they were under. This story of three friends as well as their individual stories intertwined into an engaging ride. I will be thinking about this one for a while!

First I'd like to thank Net Galley and HarperAudio for an advanced version of the audiobook.

Kate Quinn's The Rose Code was a fantastic listen! Even after over 15 hours with these character, I did not not want to leave them behind. The novel has two timelines--The first from during World War II approximately during the period between 1940-1944 and the second in November 1947, during the days leading up to Queen (then princess) Elizabeth's wedding to Phillip Mountbatten. If you love historical fiction and a good spy mystery than this is definitely the book for you

The plot is told from the point of view of three very different young women. Osla, a Mayfair socialite, Mab, an ambitious girl from London's East End and Beth, a brilliant but painfully shy country girl. What can these girls have in common? They work at Bletchley Park--the UK's center dedicated to breaking Nazi war codes. Motivated by patriotism and a desire to show the world that they are more capable than 1940s British society gives them credit for, Osla, Mab, and Beth throw themselves mind, body, and soul in their work. Despite the top secret nature of their work, these young women come together to form a sisterhood. As the war ends, the young women go their separate ways but are ultimately brought back together when they suspect that there was a spy at Bletchley Park. The theme of family is at the heart of the novel and is certainly one of the most poignant. The novel underscores the fact that sometimes family is not the people who you are genetically related but those who are willing to rush to your side at the bleakest moment. It would be a mistake, however, to think that this is a sappy or trite read. Quinn deals with the realities of war, especially for those left on home front. The novel contains a frank description of the grief, depression, and loneliness that gripped Great Britain during the lowest points of World War II.

Overall this was such a compelling book to listen to. I could not stop listening. Part of that is of course attributed to Quinn's great writing but I would be remiss if I didn't comment Saskia Maarleveld's skillful narration. She kept the novel flowing at a good pace and was able to really drive home each of the character's personalities, personal nuances and foibles.