I’ve just finished reading and this was such a great choice for fans of WW2/SOE/Resistance adventure. I almost forgot to leave my review and then noticed another of Hlad’s books on Netgalley as recommended reading while checking off my list of reviews to do against my NetGalley shelf. Of course, I just requested that too, which reflects how impressed I was with Churchill’s Secret Messenger. Definitely an author whose name I don’t forget.

1941- London- in Winston Churchill’s Cabinet War Rooms.. they are civilian women working to help the war effort. It’s not beautiful work or particularly difficult work but it is essential work. They are typing up confidential documents that are needed on a daily basis. Rose Teasdale, has lost her parents, from a bombing raid, and has been working double shifts to help the effort. It’s a cramped space and all she can smell is Winston’s cigars. But she isn’t deterred, she only wants to help more. When it comes to light that she speaks French fluently, she is asked to step up her efforts to help. She is recruited for special operations and all that entails. She must go through grueling training and she must learn to parachute into occupied France. She doesn’t know how she will do it but she uses all her courage and takes that leap, literally out of a plane. She must complete her missions, not get detected, protect other operatives, while keeping her missions a secret. She meets and partner with another operative named Lazare. With this new friendship and new enemies, Rose must help with the biggest challenge of her life. She must dig deep and use courage, she never knew she had. I love historical fiction and WWII novels and this book did not disappoint. It touches on how civilians could and did help with the war effort. We see how Rose believes whole heartedly in her job and her commitment to help Mr Churchill win the war.
This was a four star read for me. It was captivating and inspiring. The author did a great job of capturing the essence of war and showing how civilians could help out. This was a four star read for me. I want to thank Netgalley and the author, Alan Hlad for my copy of Churchill’s Secret Messenger for an honest review. It was my pleasure to read and review this book. I hope you enjoy it as much as I did.

An emotional WWII novel of those who fought against the Nazis in France. Rose joined the SOE after family tragedy while Lazare has lost his to the camps. Together, they do their best. It's a tale that's as much about the people as it is about the war. Thanks to netgalley for the ARC. A good read.

I love historical fiction books, especially those based in WWII. This was a wonderful addition to the genre and I enjoyed getting to know more about the War Rooms of Winston Churchill and the women who worked tiredly to help end the war. Rose is an amazing young lady and my heart ached for all she had endured. Her willingness to become part of the SOE program and serve as a secret spy was admirable. The relationship that develops as she works with Lazare and his part in the Paris Resistance keeps your interest. There are several engaging characters that will keep your attention and have you sucked into the story to see what happens in their lives. While there are some difficult moments in the book, you will appreciate them for adding to your knowledge of the horrors of the war and be more amazed that there were so many people who were willing to put their lives on the line to stop Hitler’s atrocities. This is definitely one to put on your to-read list.

Thank you to NetGalley and Kensington Books for my advanced review copy. All opinions and thoughts are my own.

For more reviews, please visit my blog at: https://www.msladybugsbookreviews.com/. Over 1000 reviews posted!

Churchill’s Secret Messenger will appeal to those who can’t get enough of World War Two historical fiction featuring the French Resistance and their English allies who dropped behind enemy lines to work against the Nazi occupation of France. For me, however, I think I’ve just read too many books of this sort! Given the title, I thought perhaps this one would be a bit different, but in that I was disappointed. I also wasn’t happy that there was the inevitable romance woven into the story. (Why is this something that authors always deem necessary to include?) Two positives for me: the fact that the main French Resistance character was Jewish and that I learned about Operation Jericho for the first time.

While I received the eARC from NetGalley, I wound up partly listening to the published audiobook by Tantor Audio. The narrator, Simon Vance, did an excellent job with the many voices and accents. Sadly, the audiobook did not include the Author’s Note, which included good historical information on Operation Jericho and other research he did for the book.

Thank you to NetGalley and Kensington Books/John Scognamiglio for the opportunity to read an advance readers copy of this book. All opinions are my own.

Thank you net galley for the advance reader copy of this novel. This was a WWII historical fiction that had heart pounding moments of suspense, sadness and love all wrapped up in it. The premise if a young girl loosing her entire family and then throwing herself into the war effort is not a new theme to me but the authors writing pulled me into the story so well it felt different. Well done!

I have found that I like reading about the past and mostly WWII. I know it seems so very long ago but in reality it was just a blink of an eye! This book is so well written that it kept me totally engrossed. I know most of it is fiction but it is blended so well with the facts it’s hard to tell the difference. Thank you Alan for writing such an interesting story and letting everyone see this story!

I had the pleasure of reading Alan Hlad's first novel, The Long Flight Home. I thought his writing was engaging and the plot was about something I hadn't heard before. Fresh and new, this isn’t always an easy feat when you’re dealing with historical context.

Luckily, Churchill's Secret Messenger had those same characteristics - the focus on a young woman in World War II. Rose was a secret agent during WWII, part of Churchill's network. After suffering unbelievable tragedy in her life, she is determined to bring down Hitler and his horrific reign of terror in any way she can. After grueling training, Rose is assigned to German-occupied France with her fellow SOE Agents and she begins her work as a courier and saboteur.

It's here that she meets Lazare, a Jewish man who has evaded capture from the Nazis during and now works in the French Resistance. Now we have two brave, compassionate characters that are dedicated to ending the Nazi Regime and freeing people from its grip.

In thrilling plot twist after twist we see Rose show her true bravery and intelligence through countless acts of service to not only her country, but also humanity. Rose is a strong character you root for from start to finish.

I’m always grateful to learn of new aspects of history – how ordinary people completed incredible acts of bravery and justice. This was an enlightening and entertaining read that I’d recommend to any historical fiction fan. In reading the author's note at the end of the novel, you learn that Mr. Hlad pulls actual historical events and accounts from real people to weave together his story. He's put the research in to deliver a realistic depiction of just what SOE agents endured and many other victims of Hitler's reign of terror.

I really enjoyed reading Churchill's Secret Messenger, even though, I have read ALOT (!!!) of books about female SOE operatives going behind enemy lines (into France). What was particular and special about this book was the way author Alan Hlad portrays Winston Churchill, and, especially, the compassion Churchill shows to Rose, the main character of the novel. I will not give away my favourite scene in the story, but it takes place at Chartwell, towards the end of the book (#goldfish),

Thank you #netgalley and @kensingtonbooks for my copy of #churchillssecretmessenger in return for my honest review.

I enjoyed this book, especially the part during training. Some of the visuals later on in the book were difficult but were integral parts of the plot. I’ve read books with similar plots and outcomes, but the writing brought the rating up a notch. 4 stars.

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

Phenomenal is what I thought of this book! Rose and the other SOE and resistance fighters were unparalleled in my opinion. I was hooked from the first page through the end. Plus we get a little insight into Churchill’s thoughts during the war. But this book sheds light on important every day ladies, working their jobs, who get caught up in something bigger than themselves. Saving their country.

I voluntarily reviewed a copy of this book provided by NetGalley. But also own a physical copy.

Churchill's Secret Messenger has everything you need or would ever want to make this a exciting story of two people of many to get information and get it back to the right people to stop this horrible war. Rose is picked by Churchill herself to go to a county she knows nothing of and be a spy that she has no training to speak of and hopefully get the information that she's sent to get and get back to England safely. Running into the French resistance and not knowing who to trust she mets Lazare who helps her along her way. The characters become real people as you follow them through all sorts of dangerous situation and hope that what they are doing they will not get caught. Everything you need to make this story a intriguing situation for these two and edge of the seat excitement in will they get their jobs done that they are to do and not get caught and still live to tell the story! I really enjoyed the characters that these two came across and who do you believe but who can you trust? Can you even trust the person you are to trust?

Hlad (The Long Flight Home) entices with this novel, highlighting the amazing feats of members of the Special Operations Executive (SOE) and the French Resistance during World War II. When her parents are killed in a London bombing after her brother Charlie, a pilot, goes missing, Rose Teasdale continues her work as a typist in Winston Churchill’s underground war rooms. When her supervisors discover that she speaks French fluently, Rose assists in translating a meeting between Churchill and General Charles de Gaulle and is later recruited to work for the SOE, an organization responsible for British espionage efforts in Europe. After Rose and her fellow agents are flown into France, she assumes the role of cosmetics saleswoman while assisting Resistance members in their efforts to defeat the Germans. Rose is drawn to Lazare Aron, a Jewish Resistance fighter, but Rose and Lazare fear that they may not survive the war to have a chance at a lasting relationship.

Hlad’s extensive historical research is evident in the details he provides about the events of World War II and the extensive training of SOE agents. The author excels at incorporating the historical elements into the plotline, bringing the characters brilliantly alive in this must-read for historical fiction fans.

4 stars

You can read all of my reviews at Nerd Girl Loves Books.

This is a very good historical fiction book about one of Churchill's female SOE agents who works to sabotage the German military in Nazi-occupied France.

Rose works in Winston Churchill’s Cabinet War Rooms, underneath Westminster’s Treasury building as a civilian secretary typing up confidential war reports. Her brother and parents were killed in the war and she is determined to do her part to defeat Hitler. When Churchill discovers Rose's fluency in French, he recommends her for his secret SOE program. Rose, eager for a chance to play a bigger part in the war effort, jumps at the chance despite the risks.

She arrives in Paris with a cover as a traveling cosmetic saleswoman, ferrying messages between the British and French Resistance. There she meets Lazare, a French resistance fighter whose parents were sent to a German concentration camp and despises what has become of his beloved Paris. The duo risk their lives to disrupt the Nazi occupation of Paris, and endure extreme hardships in their quest to help defeat Germany.

I've read quite a few books about different aspects of WWII. This was a fast-paced and intriguing book that I really enjoyed reading. Rose is smart, loyal and capable. Despite her small stature, she is a force to be reckoned with and displays amazing bravery and fortitude. Instead of wallowing in despair at the loss of her family, she uses it as fuel to do whatever it takes to defeat Hitler. Her relationship with Lazare is sweet without being overly sentimental and the writer does a good job of depicting it as more than just lost souls seeking temporary comfort in the arms of a stranger. Some aspects of the book were hard to read, but I knew going in that any book about WWII is going to have parts that are uncomfortable to read. These portions weren't so graphic as to be off-putting, but they helped paint the picture of the story.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from NetGalley and Kensington Books. All opinions are my own.

Outstanding WWII book!! Rose has lost her entire family to the war and works as a typist in Churchill 's war room. After Churchill discovered
that she could speak French she was recruited for the SOE to work in In France as a spy....code name Dragonfly. In France she meets and falls in love with a French Resistance fighter...Lazare. This is an incredible story of danger, courage, and love. If you are a fan of WWII fiction you will want to read this book!
Thank you to Netgalley for the opportunity to read an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I seem to be on a WWII reading binge and enjoying every one of them. All of them set in different scenarios, looking at different aspects of life and mainly how civilians under the very nose of their enemies carried out a life which was known only to them.

Rose met up with Churchill on a chance encounter in his typing pool. The great man obviously was someone who remembered details and when someone was needed who was loyal, tenacious, spoke French like a native it was an obvious choice that Rose fit the bill.

Her arrival in France and her work behind enemy lines taking messages to and fro where her "ordinaryness" as a pretty French young woman did not go questioned very much, Rose was a very successful agent. Willing to go the extra mile, cycling two miles to find and deliver a message and then to escape was a huge feat.

Having lost her entire family to both the War and raids on London, Rose was numb to personal loss until she met Lazare a fellow freedom fighter and one whom she fell in love with.
Incarceration at a Nazi camp for both of them meant that it looked like the end of the road but fate meant it otherwise.

Another epic story of history written by civilians and one we should never forget.

Alan Hlad delivers an enthralling WWII historical fiction novel with Churchill's Secret Messenger.

If you are a historical fiction reader, this book won't let you down. It is a fascinating story about the very brave and resilient women and men of WWII. The book takes you on an intense ride while also filling you with feelings of determination, courage, and strength.

Get ready to put your research hats on after readying this work! What do I mean by that? I mean that you're going to want to brush up on your WWII knowledge! Is there a better feeling while reading?

I have always been fascinated by WW2 and have read many novels about it. This one is well researched and well written.
Rose Teasdale works in a bunker in the Cabinet War rooms for Winston Churchill. Someone comes into the room and asks if anyone speaks French. Rose’s mother is French and she spent her summers there so she is chosen to translate for Churchill at a meeting that includes de Gaulle.
When agents are needed to infiltrate France and help the war effort Churchill suggests Rose. She is recruited and trained and parachuted into France where she lands in a tree and is rescued by Lazare Aron who is working for the French underground.
She proves herself to be an incredibly good agent and is soon working around the city of Paris. Her cover is of a cosmetic salesperson. She is stopped by a collaborator who is with a high Nazi official. The woman wants a certain kind of lipstick and Rose delivers it to her and her “friend” is there. Rose sees a piece of paper with names on it and realized that their organization has been infiltrated. She tries unsuccessfully to convince her peers who sadly did not heed her warnings.
Rose is nothing if not resourceful and treks across France to get to a group that has not been compromised using resourcefulness and grit riding three hundred miles.
She returns to Paris and starts a new group to continue to subvert Nazi plans. She even attempting to get Lazarre out of prison. Ultimately, however, she is captured and sent to Ravensbrook where she endures horrors that defy humanity.
Rose is an amazing heroine and she continues to go forward with pluck and determination. She sabotages the clothing they are making for the Nazis. She survives.
This book speaks to the horrors of Nazism and the incredible tortures in prison and in the camps. Mr. Hlad describes them in vivid detail and they come alive in the reader’s mind. Considering the current climate in the U.S. and elsewhere and the rise in hate crimes against minorities this compelling book is very timely and a cautionary tale to remind us to never let it happen again.
I would like to thank Kensington Books and John Scognamiglio Books and Net Galley for providing me with a preview copy in exchange for an honest review.

Rose works as a typist for Churchill. She is the perfect candidate for the SOE and becomes an agent dropped into France. As the story progresses, Rose becomes involved with the Resistance and falls for a Frenchman called Lazare. The two are pulled in opposite directions during the war and don’t even know if the other is still alive. Both are very heroic and their story is a good one.

CHURCHILL'S SECRET MESSENGER by ALAN HLAD is one of the best WW11 novels I have read. Based on real people and real events, it makes the bravery and sacrifice of those who fought for freedom from Hitler's régime very real. It is a thrilling story in which we are not spared descriptions of the atrocities of war, but at the same time are shown the courage and fortitude of the brave men and women who fought in the Résistance in occupied France.
When Rose Teasdale is chosen to work for the Special Operations Executive because of her fluency in French, she is determined to pass the rigorous training and fight against the enemy who is responsible for the deaths of her parents and brother.
I like the way the author portrays her interaction with Winston Churchill who chooses her for the mission.
Lazare Aron becomes a member of the Résistance when his crippled hand stops him from joining the French army. He is Jewish and tries to get his parents to leave Paris before it is too late. He is devastated when they are rounded up and taken to the Vélodrome d'Hiver and feels he has let them down.
It is a story about friendship, daring, love and survival in the most horrific of circumstances.
I cannot recommend Churchill's Secret Messenger highly enough. It is a most inspirational read.
I was given a free copy of the book by NetGalley from Kensington Books. The opinions in this review are completely my own.
When Rose Teasdale is chosen to work for the Special Operations