Her Secret War is a historical fiction novel set during World War 2 in which an Irish woman is forced to make a decision that will change her life forever.

Sarah Gillepsie lives in North Strand, Dublin.
But when a Nazi plane bombs her town, leaving her sister and father dead, and when her boyfriend Paul leaves to enlist in the RAF, Sarah realises there is nothing to keep her in Ireland.
After receiving an invitation from her uncle living in England, Sarah moves over there to begin her work in a government Supermarine as a tracer.

I enjoyed this book because I found it interesting to read about World War 2 from the perspective of an Irish person.
The book fits the time period and accurately repsents the shifting loyalties and alliances during the War.

Although I did like this novel, there were moments when the story dragged on and it became dull.
And although I can see that the ending was meant to be a rather big plot twist, I found it easily predictable and therefore didn't enjoy it as much as I could have.

An interesting read about a woman forced to make difficult decisions during WWII. The plot was fast paced and the dialogue was good. The author delivered a strong story that was interesting until the end.

Set in the second world war from an Irish slant, this story is full of intrigue, espionage, deception and keep alert as there are a few red herrings in there too - and, as it’s set in war time, there is also sorrow and loss.
I thoroughly enjoyed this read however; attempting to decipher whether the characters were who they claimed to be. It’s an excellent book and would highly recommend reading. Particularly the very last cliff hanging sentence - please let there be a sequel.

Sarah Gillespie is living in Dublin during World War II and although Ireland has declared itself neutral, Germany bombs the city killing Sarah's sister and father. Sarah goes to live with her uncle and his family in England where she is employed at a secret facility that aids the war effort by designing planes. Sarah is contacted by a member of military intelligence to help him catch a traitor. Although she has never done anything like this, she sees it as a chance to get revenge for her family's killings. She does her part only to receive the worst betrayal possible.

This was a complete and well-told story. We learn Sarah's history and what made her make the decisions she did. When her father's past is used against her, she learns that other people's choices can affect people without knowing it. I loved how the author tied up every loose end as well as leading the reader to the possibility of a new story. This is my first read by Pam Lecky but I do not believe it will be my last.

When Sarah Gillespie’s life is torn apart by a Luftwaffe bomb, she seeks revenge. Taken in by a kind aunt and uncle in England, the young Irishwoman finds work as a blueprint tracer working on upgrades for Spitfire fighter planes. Unexpectedly asked to help ferret out a spy, Sarah suddenly finds herself caught up in a web of lies and deceit. Will she gain the revenge she seeks, or is she involved too deeply in subterfuge to have any hope of escape? Find out in this novel of World War 2 intrigue.

It seems the past few years I have read quite a few World War II era books, especially those that focus on women’s heroism. This one has a bit of a different perspective in that it starts out with the bombing of North Strand, Dublin, Ireland (who knew Dublin had been bombed?) and moves to England.

The story was interesting, although somewhat predictable.Yet, it was suspenseful waiting for the predictable to happen. I liked Sarah; she is bright, charming, and strong. I don’t know the author’s intent, but I’d love to see her featured in a sequel.

Thank you to the publisher, and to Netgalley for an advance copy.

This is WW2 novel told from an interesting point of view. Th protagonist is an Irish woman, Sarah Gillespie, who moves to her relations in England after losing her family when Dublin was bombed.

Once in England she starts to work for the Ministry of Defence and finds herself getting pulled into the world of espionage.

This was enjoyable, with a definite opening for a sequel. I must admit I thought that the plot was going a bit predictable and felt that Sarah was a bit naïve. But it turned out I was wrong about her which pulled me into the last few chapters.

For lovers of historical fiction, especially WW2 then this is a must and cant wait to find out what is nest in store for Sarah Gillespie.

It is 1941 in Dublin, Ireland, and Sarah Gillespie's life changes in an instant. When the Nazis commit a shocking atrocity by bombing neutral Dublin, Sarah loses her father and younger sister and barely escapes with her life. Forced to start over in London with her late mother's family, Sarah leaves behind her homeland and the love of her life for a chance at revenge through helping the war effort. However, when Sarah is approached by a powerful stranger and asked to prove her loyalty to England, she is pulled into a web of espionage and deceit. Sarah must use every ounce of her wit and courage if she is to emerge unscathed.

I really appreciated the Irish perspective on World War II that this book provides. There are many groups that fought in the war which history tends to relegate to the sidelines, so I appreciated Pam Lecky's effort to tell a new side to this story. Sarah is a very relatable main character, in that she is a girl thrust into a world she knows nothing about who is just trying her best. This makes her narration very compelling. The novel was a little slow to get off the ground, but the second half was gripping and the plot twists made it hard to put down.

If you appreciate slower-paced novels that provide a new perspective on well-known events, this book is for you!

A gripping emotional tale of ww2 starts Ireland and then moves to England.Really brings to life the heartache danger emotional vtoll the war took on people’s lives.There is espionage to add to the intrigue so well written so involving highly recommend.#netgalley #avonbooksuk

After a bomb hit her hometown of Dublin Sarahs family were killed and she moved to England to stay with her uncle. She gets a job tracing blueprints in a bid to help the war effort.

I really enjoyed this book set around the war. It must have been a difficult time. It touches on how Ireland was neutral in the war but still got bombed. Its a slow burn read but there is enough going on to keep it interesting. Really touching read about life during the war.

A book that brings to life the horrors of WWII, along with the heroic acts of those that were willing to sacrifice their lives in order to save many others. An emotional and insightful tale of espionage during those dark times.

This book was sent to me on Kindle by Netgalley for review. It is a story of war and loss and hope. A young woman moves from Ireland to England to start a new life...she wants to make a difference In the war effort. Try this one.

Sarah Gillespie lives in a street in Dublin with her father and her sister Maura, but on the fateful night of 31st May 1941 they were both killed after the Germans mistakenly bombed Dublin. Herself injured convalesces in a convent. When she is a bit better, she decides that there is nothing left for her in Ireland and takes up the offer to go and live in Southampton with her Uncle Tom Lambe and his family. Uncle Tom left Ireland when he was a boy and never returned.
When she arrives, she is treated like one of their own family and is contented to make something of herself. So, she does her bit for the war being a Tracer. Who traces the blueprints of the Spitfire’s planes that are helping to win the war? She is doing so well when one of the Navy captains stationed there asks her to be a spy and dig out the German fascist that is trying to obtain the blueprints of the planes to see what the weaknesses are, so he can pass them on to the Luftwaffe.
Thank you, Avon, for a copy off Her secret war by Pam Lecky. She is a new author for me and after reading this I can’t wait to read more. I really enjoyed this intriguing WW2 story full of suspense, secrets, friendship and spies, with a bit of romance thrown in. This had a unique storyline due to at first set in Ireland. And gave me new information that I wasn’t aware of regarding the neutrality of Ireland in them times and the stigma of being in Irish in England in them times and what part they took in the war. This had also some great characters in this story too. I hope the story continues in the author’s next book. 5 stars from me.

Sarah, her sister and Dad are living in Dublin during WWII. Sarah is on her way home from a date with her boyfriend when over head she hears and see planes flying. Dublin has declared to stay uninvolved with Germany or the Allies so Sarah is unsure why the planes are flying over Dublin. Sarah rushes home and her sister is scared and Sarah wants to know where is DA. Sarah calms her sister down and they go to their room to retire for the night. Moments later the planes release bombs around them. Sarah and her sister are caught in the bombing. Sarah wakes up trapped the the debris not knowing where her sister or Da is. Sarah is rescued and taken to hospital. There she learns that her sister and Da died in the bombing. Sarah' boyfriend visits at the hospital and tells her he is joining the RAF. Sarah is not sure what will happen to her. Sarah's Uncle that lives in England sends a message to her that she is welcome to come live with him and his family. Sarah leaves Dublin and moves to England to do her part to avenge the death's of her sister and DA from the Nazi's. This was a different view to WWII then I have read before.. There was some romance, some mystery and I would recommend this book.

There are a lot of historical fiction books out at the moment that revolve around the wars, around England, Germany, Poland, and more. Most are quite good, some are lacking in substance but this one based in Dublin, Ireland then Hampshire, England is full of life, angst, atmosphere and devastating.

I was drawn in from the moment I started reading right to the end. The story flowed but was not boring, there was always something happening to make you think, make you feel and make you feel anxious. It had everything from history to thrills, secrets and heartbreak, romance and suspense.

Sarah is a strong character who endures her fair share of sadness, fear and even a little romance. I really enjoyed this book and would highly recommend it.

Thank you to NetGalley, Avon Books and Pam Lecky for early access to her latest release.

Sarah looses everything when the Germans bombs the the North Strand in Dublin. She looses her home, her family and almost her life. Her family offers her a new life in England and she jumps at the chance. The need to take revenge for the loss of her sister has Sarah working with a naval captain to catch a Nazi spy within their ranks. But is this captain who he says he is? And will she be able to pull off the task their asking her to?

While there were definitely some elements of suspense, this one didn’t quite hit the mark for me. I did find myself rushing through it though I am grateful to get a little insight on Ireland’s involvement
during the war.

An interesting story gently told. Sarah, after losing her sister and father in a bombing raid on Dublin during WW2, makes her way to her remaining relatives in Hampshire. She gets a job as a tracer in Vickers Supermarine after her uncle recommended her. Feeling more settled than she had in a long while, she's pulled aside from her work one day and made an offer she cannot refuse, for to do so would see not only herself but her newly adopted relatives shipped back to Ireland. Yes, she's pulled in to an undercover operation, which thoroughly threatens her new life. Whilst gripping, it's so predictable. The relationship between Rob and Ruth was obvious when Ruth kept on at Sarah to go on a date with him. Captain Northcott was easy to see through largely through his attitude and unconvincing methods. The apparent lack of security with spoiled tracings was too ridiculous and thankfully Sarah was put right towards the end. It was an entertaing read though and there will be a book to follow as there is some unfinished business. It could be that with a new handler, Sarah will up her game.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the arc of this book. All opinions expressed are my own.

When Germany drops a bomb on Dublin, Sarah Gillespie barely makes it out of the rubble. Unfortunately, her sister and father aren’t as lucky. With no close family left in Ireland, she decides to move in with her uncle in England. Sarah finds her uncle’s family to be incredibly warm and supportive, unlike she was used to being treated by her father. Sarah begins working as a sketch girl, copying sketches of the Spitfires so needed to stay ahead of the Germans.

Sarah finds herself in a unique position to help avenge her sister’s death, but the situation takes quite a dramatic turn.

I truly enjoyed this book. Sarah was an admirable and courageous character who I enjoyed reading.
4 stars!

This book had me hooked from the very start. Dublin during WW2 was meant to be a neutral city until a rogue bomb changed so many lives.
Sarah has lost so much and an invite ftom her uncle to make a new life in England was tempting for Sarah.
A new life and brand new start for her; hopefully life in England would help Sarah ease her dreadful nightmares.
I enjoyed reading this part of British history and I sincerely hope that this will be continued.

With grateful thanks to Avon books Pam Lecky and netgalley for an early copy in return for an honest opinion.
This is my first time reading this author and what a book, absolutely mesmerising from beginning to end.
This is a tale that starts in Dublin 1941 on the North strand which is bombed mistakenly by the Germans as the Republic of Ireland was neutral there was such catastrophe for the Gillespie family Sarah and Maura's mother had died a few years before, so it was the two sisters and there father who was a bad article always up to know good, the sisters had a great bond but with recent goings on Sarah left for the UK to an aunt and uncle and her life takes on a totally different role she finds works and settles in with her new family and life is treating her great until she can't give no as answer, this is an amazing and paging turning book I could put it down an amazing and highly informative and intriguing tale unfolds I can't praise this book enough and highly recommend.