The Rose Code by New York Times best-selling author Kate Quinn is a fascinating look at the dedication and brilliance of the British Code Breakers during World War II. The Bletchley Park mansion housed the top-secret Government Code and Cypher School (GC&CS) whose employees were able to break the German Enigma codes, as well as several other code types. These employees endured six-day-a week rotating schedules that were often grueling.

The story focuses on three unlikely friends. First, there is the socialite Osla, who happens to be dating Prince Philip. Next, there is Mab, a hardworking commoner who is looking for a husband and also hiding a secret. Finally, there is Beth, a socially inept but highly intelligent young woman.

The story starts in 1947, shortly before the wedding of Prince Philip and Princess Elizabeth. Osla and Mabe each receive a coded message from Beth demanding their help. Beth was forcefully put into an insane asylum three years earlier after she was able to decode part of a message known as The Rose Code. Beth knows there was a traitor at Bletchley Park, but doesn’t know who it was. The three women had stopped being friends after a tragic incident, and now need to decide if they will come together to solve the mystery.

The story travels back and forth between the women’s time at Bletchley Park beginning in 1940 to the days leading up to the Royal Wedding. The back-stories of the three main characters are interwoven with both real and other fictional characters who worked in the war effort. The ending of the book is pure Hollywood with a heart-stopping chase scene at the end that takes place among the throngs of people who have lined the streets for the wedding festivities. I loved it!

Kate Quinn is one of my favorite authors. She really shines with this story that has well-researched history blended seamlessly with romance, friendship, and intrigue.

This is a LONG book. I listened to the audio which was 15 hours and 40 minutes long. The hardback is 656 pages. While I am not typically a fan of big books, I enjoyed every minute of this one. The audio is read by Saskia Maarleveld who also narrated Kate’s Quinn’s The Huntress and The Alice Network.

5-plus stars. Book Club recommended. This novel will be released on March 9, 2021. Thank you to NetGalley and HarperAudio for my Advance copy of this fabulous book.

So excited to get an audio ARC of Kate Quinn’s newest hf novel, THE ROSE CODE! I adore her elegant prose, beautifully plotted narratives and in-depth characters. She makes history come vividly alive, as she does here in this riveting tale of three female code breakers at Bletchley Park during and after WWII. The audio experience was mixed for me solely due to length (15 hours and 40 minutes.) I’m a visual learner and skim-read with ease. But I’ll try audio again buoyed by Kate’s magnificent tale — a must-listen for all Quinn fans and hf buffs!

5 of 5 Stars

Pub Date 09 Mar 2021
#TheRoseCode #NetGalley

Thanks to the author, Harper Audio, and NetGalley for the ARC. Opinions are mine.

Absolutely loved this story! Looking forward to reading more books by this author! Highly recommend!

As the Nazis try to smash and conquer the free world, three women answer the call to do their part at Bletchley Park. These women are in charge of deciphering Nazi codes, if they succeed, they will change the course of history. Mab, who comes from a poverty ridden background. She wants to defeat Hitler, and find a rich husband while she does so. Osla is a wealthy, society sweetheart who would rather use her formidable intelligence to help the allies than court a prince. Beth is a shy, unmarried woman who will use her ability to solve puzzles to help the war effort and find herself at the same time. But these three friends become enemies during the course of their time at Bletchley. Can an encrypted letter and a royal wedding 3 years after the end of the war reunite them?

I was intrigued to read more from Kate Quinn after reading "The Alice Network" and this book did not disappoint. This was a well-written WWII historical fiction story with compelling characters. I learned more about what happened at Bletchley Park. I would highly recommend.

Kate Quinn did it again!!! I loved The Alice Network and The Huntress, and I loved the Rose Code as well! Three intertwined stories of Mab, Beth, and Osla - women who helped with codebreaking at Bletchley Park during WWII. The reader goes between early 1940s and then post-war when one of the women is institutionalized for “being mad”. This was gripping and heart wrenching at times. So wonderfully written. Saskia Maarleveld was amazing as narrator, as always. This is a must read for my historical fiction fans!

Thank god for the narrator! I had this book in the digital version, and I was not sure I would be able to finish it. Historical Fiction is really a hit or miss and this one is a miss. The characters are lacking in reliability and the story of the war has been oversold, so you really need to relate to the characters living it and this just does not deliver for me. This was my first Kate Quinn book and sadly will be my last.

Kate Quinn is an amazing author. I enjoyed this so much. I will definitely get a copy just so I can read it as well!

I will be a Kate Quinn fan until the day I DIE!!!!!!!!!! Love all her books! This one is equally intriguing. I loved it and I wont ruin it for anyone else by posting spoilers.

I will say this, I requested the printed copy and the audio was only available. I would have much preferred the print edition so I will hold off on my review until then.

Thank you to NetGalley for this free ALC in exchange for my honest review.

Ordered by mistake when looking for the digital print version. Judging by the excellence of Kate Quinn's novels, however, and how much I enjoy them I am sure this will rate 5 stars. Hope to get my hands on the ebook soon.

The Rose Code is outstanding! You truly cannot go wrong with Kate Quinn. This novel is a WWII story of English female code breakers who answer the call to fight the Germans by decoding their military secrets. It is full of vivid characters and a storyline full of love, friendship, and courage. A wonderful and emotional historical fiction novel that you won't want to miss!