Kate Quinn has made historical fiction my favorite genre. Her use of detail, emotion, and imagery make her stories and characters come to life! This story follows three women who become involved in the world of code breaking for the British government. Osla Kendall, a Canadian debutante whose godfather is Lord Mountbatten, has a close relationship with Prince Phillip of Greece (the future Consort). She is contacted by an anonymous source to take a train to Bletchley Park. She has no idea what she will be doing, but she wants to help the war effort. Mab Churt, a fierce young woman from London who is close to her mother and sister, also gets this summons. She wants to do this so that she can provide for her family. These two women find out that they will be working with state secrets that they are sworn not to give away. The two women move in with a local family, the Finches. The spinster daughter, Beth, needs to break away from her bullying mother. Osla and Mab get Beth a job at Bletchley Park and she becomes the best code breaker there. The code breakers learn so many secrets that help the British government in the war. Later in 1947, Osla and Mab are contacted by a patient in an asylum who blames them for her unfortunate situation. This story was full of emotion and showed the determination that women felt to help with the war effort. If you liked The Alice Network, you will love this one. This is a story that will stay with me for a very long time!

I listened to the audiobook for this one and I loved the narration. The narrator read in a British accent, which I loved because the book is set in Britain. I thought this added authenticity to the book.

Well, I am 3/3 on Kate Quinn books. I have loved all 3 that I've read so far (The Alice Network & The Huntress), but I think might be my favorite.

There is a little bit of everything in this. There is drama, romance, mystery, and female strength.

I think I was especially fascinated by the work in this book - code-breaking seems like the most frustrating and exciting thing in the world in terms of work, but I think this book really illuminates that people had to pay an emotional price for the work they did.

I have already put Bletchley Park on my list of places to visit when I am finally able to travel again. Not only would I like to see some of the machines that were used, but I would also like to pay tribute to the people who gave a lot of themselves during the war.

I love that a book can keep me interested, teach me something, and make me feel something all at the same time.

I would like to thank NetGalley, Harper Audio, and Kate Quinn for a free copy in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you to the publisher and @netgalley for ALC of The Rose Code. As a fan or Kate Quinn’s books, I was excited for this. This is a meaty book and the first half was a lot of build up. The second half picked up the pace. I love the exploration of friendship, love and loyalty to your country. Saskia Maarleveld did an amazing job on narration and kept me interested the whole time.

I just finished listening to Kate Quinn's, "The Rose Code", and sadly find myself back in boring old pandemic America. I was so immersed in this world of WWII code breakers at Bletchley Park that I escaped for awhile. I loved Ms. Quinn's previous books, "The Huntress" and "The Alice Network", which all approached the WWII period from different countries and perspectives, so I anticipated her next, and I am not disappointed!

When the book starts we realize that three women, former friends, have become alienated from one another. Then we go back in the past to when they first met, working at Bletchley Park. The three are very different. Glittery socialite Osla, who has a fabulous side story dating Prince Phillip, prior to him becoming engaged to his cousin, Elizabeth. Mab is from a poor background but with her statuesque height and commanding presence, she is determined to make her place in the world. Beth is under her domineering mother's thumb, until she meets the other two women who give her the confidence to assert herself.

There must have been much meticulous research to write this because it all feels very authentic and one feels the excitement of working at a place so vital to Britian's war efforts, but at the same time so frustrating because no one can know what you are doing or that you have an important job. It was so refreshing to read about a time when the people of a country worked together as one, for the love of their country.

There is a spy in their midst, though, and this will have devastating consequences for one of the girls. And what is it that could pull these three staunch friends apart and destroy their friendship? These are some of the questions that will have you reading this book long into the night.

This is the easiest book I've rated in a while. Five stars! And let me add that the audio rendition was excellent. Thank you to NetGalley and Harper Audio for permission to listen to this book, and to Kate Quinn for once again knocking it out of the park.

Such a great book! thank you Netgalley for my advance kindle copy in return for an honest review.
This was an engrossing read with three wonderful, well-drawn main characters.
Reading more about the world of code breakers in England during WW2 was such an awesome experience!
One I devoured in days! And couldn't stop!!!! I wanted more!
Absolutely an amazing read with such strong characters.

I am a huge Kate Quinn fan and The Rose Code did not disappoint. The book takes place in England during WWII and follows three cunningly smart female codebreakers. They form a friendship and we see the impact the war has across their lives. Filled with mystery, intrigue, and even a famous prince; in the end we find that "some codes will never be broken." The epilogue is not to be missed - there is a great tie-in to Kate Middleton and her grandmother who was one of the real life codebreakers at Bletchley Park. My favorite Kate Quinn novel to date!

Narrator Saskia Maarleveld was fantastic and really made the story come alive.

Thank you to Harper Audio and NetGalley for this advanced audio copy.

Thank you to NetGalley and HarperAudio for an early copy of this audiobook!!

5 stars!! THIS BOOK!! I feel like I have so many things to say, I'm not even sure where to begin!

The Rose Code takes place during 1940-1947 and revolves around three women (Mab, Osla, and Beth) who come from very different backgrounds, but end-up working together to help break and translate secret codes from German communications that are intercepted by the British during WWII. They form a close friendship during the war years until D-Day, when everything falls apart and they separate for years to come.

This story is told in alternating timelines and my gosh, does SO MUCH happen. I don't want to give too much away because this book was a RIDE and I feel it best to go in somewhat blind, but if you've read any of Kate Quinn's novels before, I can promise that you will love this book! It's filled with female friendships, espionage, love, and heartbreak. I feel like my heart went through the ringer during this book - there were times when my heart was filled with so much joy, I felt it could burst, and then there were moments when I was brought to literal tears. I felt so much for these characters and the end is SO EXCITING AND TENSE and builds so well on the storylines we had been following throughout the book. My heart was racingggg during the last 1-2 hours of this audiobook.

If you are a fan of The Alice Network or The Huntress, I cannot recommend this book enough! Release Date is March 9, 2021.

This is an excellent book! It has it all, WWII, women in starring roles, spy things, danger, intrigue and I could go on and on...

Why 4 stars instead of 5? I struggled with the narrator. The accent of the narrator was just something that I could not get used to.

Many thanks to Netgalley and HarperAudio for this advanced readers copy. This book is due to release in March 2021.

Kate Quinn, author of The Alice Network, is back with a engrossing work of historical WWII fiction. This time the focus is on female codebreakers. I have to say this niche area of WWII focus is one of interest for me, so I was delighted to get to listen to an early copy of this book.

Quinn is an expert at interweaving narratives, and she does it again through the stories of three unlikely friends - debutante Osla, bold Mab, and shy but brilliant Beth. These three women become archetypes of the types of women who worked behind the scenes to break codes and foil attacks from the enemy.

Saskia Maarleveld does a fabulous job with the narration of this audiobook, and the run time is 15 hours and 40 minutes.

Many thanks to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for providing me with a copy of this book. All thoughts are my own.

Kate Quinn has done it again! What an amazing book. I have long been a fan of Kate Quinns writing style, and this one fell right in line with her other masterpieces. The story behind the minds of WWII code breakers gripped me from the start. The main characters are easy to love and the dueling point of views made the story line complete. The audiobooks narrator was also fabulous. Her English accent made the story seem so real and made for easy listening. I know I will be grabbing a print copy in March when published! The only thing I would have liked to see different would be to ha e a character introduction at the beginning of each chapter. Sometimes I was playing catch up for a few paragraphs while trying to figure out who was doing the talking. If the audiobook would say “Chapter 4, Beth” and then start reading, it’d be easier to follow along. Still, an easy 5 out of 5 stars for me. This one will be hard to beat for the best of 2021! Loved! Thanks Kate Quinn and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This is a beautiful book with a fresh take on a WWII novel. Not only is the story enveloping, but the words and descriptions are exquisite. The story broke your heart and put it all back together in one fantastic novel.

The book follows Osla, Mab, and Beth throughout WWII as they work as code breakers. It’s wonderful to see a book with 3 female leads that all have distinct and fully developed personalities. I truly cared about each woman. I love reading a book where women are shown to be vital to historical events. Overall, one of the best works of historian fiction that I have read.

Cannot say I very much enjoyed this one as much as I dearly hoped I would as the start was pretty solid and strong but then it wavered in the middle and became too wordy and boring.

Let me preface this by saying I’ve read a LOT of World War 2 historical fiction. This one started a little slow - or perhaps that was me getting my bearings to the audiobook - but wow did it pick up quickly. There was so much that I liked about this book - the three women were so different and each with their flaws and tragedies, and I like that they remained flawed and imperfect throughout the book. I thought the author struck a good balance between character development and plot movement. In fact, there were moments I had to stop listening because I wasn’t sure I could handle what was coming next. The author also kept me on my toes a few times, with the plot going in a different direction than expected. I had one brief inkling of “I think I know who did it,” but then talked myself out of it (I’m proud to say I was right). Overall, highly recommend. In the beginning I thought this would be another 4 star WW2 book and I’m pleasantly surprised to be giving it 5. Specifically I also really enjoyed the audiobook and thought the narrator did a great job of the many voices and accents of the characters.

WW2, historical-novel, historical-places-events, historical-research, history-and-culture, family-dynamics, friendship, suspense, romantic, traitor, England*****

The work at Bletchley Park as a part of the WW2 codebreakers has become more familiar lately, but the stories of the women who worked there can do with a bit more imaginative stories. This one covers three such women of very different circumstances and even some interesting postscripts. The story is well written and engaging and with twists and suspense. It kept me up much too late!
Narrator Saskia Maarleveld did a wonderful job with all the voices and really acted out the story and did not just read it. Her voice brings the characters to life with her inflections entirely suited the situations and characters.
I requested and received a temporary audio copy from Harper Audio via NetGalley. Thank you!

I wish to express my thanks to NetGalley and Harper Audio for this compelling historical novel in audio book format. Kate Quinn has written a vivid and gripping account set in wartime London. She uses her great storytelling talent and research to describe what the experience must have been like working under wartime secrecy in Bletchley Park where German codes were broken and translated. It has been estimated that the Enigma codebreakers shortened WW2 by as much as two years using early computers and the formidable skills of an inspiring group of people.

I listened to The Rose Code by the audio book version. It was enhanced by the superb narration of Saskia Maarleveld who voiced the conversations of all the characters. This was a lengthy audio book of over 16 hours. I felt more time was required than reading the print version.

The story revolves around three remarkable and different women during their employment at Bletchley Park during WW2. Three diverse personalities were brought together. They developed a close friendship which was shattered by the end of the war. It describes the causes for their broken friendship. It involves their family backgrounds, romantic loves gained or lost, deaths, betrayal, treachery, and a traitor in their midst. The women gained great satisfaction from their undercover role in defeating the Nazis. After the war ended their friendship was in tatters. One was unjustly punished by being locked up in an insane asylum.

The leading characters were; 1. Mab, with an impoverished working class background.She hides a personal secret and her goal is to marry a man who would raise her out of poverty and give her some social standing. She became highly skilled in working the codebreaking machines.

2. Osla, who was a beautiful debutante with wealthy family connections which gave her a place in high society. She is being courted by Prince Philip, but knows it must end due to her role in the war effort. She uses her fluent German to translate the decoded Nazi secrets.

3. These two women meet Beth, a shy, introverted spinster. She has little formal education, lacks self-esteem and confidence in social situations. She has been isolated under the domination of a cruel and deranged mother. Her skill with puzzles brings he to the notice of those in command at Bletchley Park. She soon asserts herself as one of the few female cryptanalysts. We also get glimpses of real life characters, such as Prince Philip, Princess Margaret, Alan Turing, and Winston Churchill.

Two of the former friends reluctantly meet again in 1947 when the wedding of Princess Elizabeth and Prince Philip is approaching. They both have received a coded message from the woman confined in the mental institution begging for their help. She has been there for over three years and is desperate. She has learned she has been scheduled for a lobotomy. They must hurry to put aside their anger and suspicions and decode a difficult message with the purpose of determining who was a paid spy in their midst who passed on military secrets to the Germans and now the Russians. The conclusion is an exciting and frantic chase through the crowds lined up to witness the Royal Wedding procession.

Recommended to readers who enjoy historical novels set in London during the war and are interested in the codebreaking that helped to end the war. The characters are well developed and intriguing.

This book was a slow in the beginning and could have been a few hundred pages shorter, but I thought this historical fiction book about women codebreakers during WWI in the UK was very interesting. I loved the epilogue of the true history of those codebreakers of Bletchley Park and the links to Duchess Kate Middleton. Thanks Harper Audio & NetGalley for the advance copy.

This audiobook started off slow for me but I’m so glad I kept with it, What a fascinating story that kept me on the edge of my seat and gave me a glimpse into such an interesting time. Great narration as well!

This book had me captured at first, but I'll be honest, it's so long, I lost interest around hour 6 of the audiobook. There were times I couldn't wait to continue listening, and times that I dreaded going back. I found myself a little confused with the changing timelines and characters, and think that maybe reading it would have been better for this purpose. However, as a hearing impaired person, I found the change of accents still understandable and enjoyable. I often have trouble with "accents" in audiobooks. but I never had trouble understanding the narrator for this one.
While the book itself was long, the characters were incredibly inspiring! I absolutely adored the female empowerment and determination all three characters displayed. I loved the raw honesty and uncertainty displayed by them all. Listening to their stories was inspiring, and made me feel strong, especially knowing this book takes place years ago when women didn't have as many rights or "purposes."
The mysterious nature of parts of the novel were very well done; however, the length made me lose interest in the suspense a little bit. I'm not sure the book could have been shorter, though, as each portion seemed significant to the plot. Overall, this book wasn't my cup of tea (I'm not a history fan), but I firmly believe any fan of historical fiction will fall in love completely.

The Rose Code is a historical novel of Bletchley Park and the code breakers of WWII. It is important to note the difference between historical fiction and a historical novel, because for those seeking people like Alan Touring, Stanley Armitage, Pamela Ascherson, or even the infamous Russian spy John Cairncross, you won't find more than a mention, if that, of these historical heroes. What you will find is a story of fictional characters based at Bletchley Park during WWII.
#TheRoseCode is a well written book about things that could have happened at the time. The characters are well developed and you feel like you are riding their roller coaster lives along with them. There is a bit of a dual timeline to the plot. There is of course, the war years, and the other timeline is just before the Royal Wedding of Prince Phillip and Queen Elizabeth. It isn't hard to follow, and it all comes together nicely in the end. I was granted the audio version by #NetGalley in exchange for my honest review. Both the book and the narrator were enjoyable. I really didn't want to step away from this one.

Thank you Harper Audio, NetGalley and Kate Quinn for the advance audio copy of "The Rose Code" for my honest review.

The Rose Code was my third book authored by Kate Quinn. I have loved Alice Network and the Huntress and was really looking forward to listening to this book. The narration was quite good and made the book come to life. The book is long, almost 17 hours of listening and the first section went into great detailing of actual codebreaking. The WWII historical fiction takes place in the UK during the years of 1940-1947. Bletchley Park is where the hidden history of the codebreakers three women Osla, Mab and Beth. These three women and numerous other men and women sworn to secrecy are all working to break Nazi codes and help win the war. The secrecy tears the gals apart and brings them back together. The book starts and ends with the excitement of the Queens wedding. Once again, Ms. Quinn has produced a well researched and written book.