I read too many books to have favourites, but The Secret Keeper by Siobhan Curham is definitely up there in this year’s great reads! I loved it! Based on true events, which is always a bonus for me, Elena Garcia is recruited into the spy network for the Americans in World War II.

Although faced with risks daily, we also get to see how exciting life as a spy during the war can be. The men and women who undertook these roles throughout the wars were just so brave and dedicated to helping their fellow countrymen, with their secret missions and many of them playing different characters to infiltrate themselves into enemy lives.

I loved reading about the part Leslie Howard played in the war and yes, when I’d finished reading, I had to research more about what had happened to him. I won't spoil it if you are unaware of the story but it's definitely interesting.

Reading more about the spy network and the role they all played definitely makes me want to read more and immerse myself in a world, where I might have quite liked to be.

I am lucky enough to be a part of Books on Tour for this book, so thank you to NetGalley and Bookouture for the opportunity to read and review an ARC of The Secret Keeper by Siobhan Curham.

I received this book from the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review

What a great historical fiction book
I’m obsessed with WW 1&2 books and this was one of the best I’ve ever read

Elena is a young American actress looking for opportunities to further her career and help the war effort. While making training videos for the OSS (precursor to the CIA) she is recruited as a spy and sent to Spain to discover which Spaniards are working with the Germans. While there she meets a flamenco dancer named Santiago and sparks fly, but she is not sure whether she can trust him or not. The deeper she gets the more dangerous things become.

I enjoyed this novel. The story is fast paced and there is plenty of action.I found Elena to be an interesting well rounded character, although I sometimes found her inner monologue a bit much. For example, she was sent to get close to Germans and when one asks her out she exclaims to herself “Have I really just made a date with a Nazi?” as if it never crossed her mind that this might be part of the job. Despite that occasional dramatics the novel is well written.

I especially appreciate when historical fiction is researched and includes events and people that are part of the actual historical records. According to the author notes, Elena is loosely based on a real American woman who signed up as a spy with the OSS. Several other locations and minor characters are also from historical records.

4 stars

I enjoyed this book so much! It was a tension-filled story, filled with danger that Eleni has to survive. This is also a really powerful narrative. The romance that blossoms between her and Santiago oozes from the pages, but the strength and resilience shown by the spies, and by those persecuted is really what shines through.
Eleni is a wonderful character, and I adored the relationship she has with Grand-Mere Rose. Grand-Mere Rose reminded me so much of my own grandmother, and I often think of what she would say during my own life events, just as Eleni did here.
Curham takes you through so many emotions in this book, and whilst I felt it was rather long at times, it made the book extremely compelling.
I will definitely look out for Curham's next novel!

Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for an early review copy.

Elena is a Hollywood actress, who is signed up by the precursor to the CIA, Office of Strategic Services.

She arrives at ‘The Farm,’ and there she’s trained to be Rose Stanwyck, badass spy. Wanting to help free her grandma in France is at the front of her thoughts.

She is sent to Europe, having to recognise who Himmler’s agent is in Spain.

But after being deceived, she has to remember what she learnt in Hollywood in order to survive.

Will Rose be able to stay alive in order to help her grandmother?

It was interesting to read about the role Hollywood played in the war, the bravery shown by the agents that went undercover when Nazi-occupied Europe.

I recommend this book.

Typically a reader who shys away from historical fiction, I think this book just changed my mind. Such a great read surrounding the WW2. You can tell that the author took their time researching and making sure the story being told placed you in that time period. Loved it!

Tense Spy Thriller In Oft-Overlooked Area Of WWII. This tale was exactly what I said in the title of the review - a tense spy thriller based in the OSS days of the CIA during WWII and apparently based on the experiences of a real-life actress-turned-spy. Here, we see theoretically neutral Spain (under dictator Francisco Franco, in the early part of his reign) as a hotbed for spying by both sides and the tense and sometimes deadly stakes that arise from any spy story. But we also get a much more intimate and personal look at issues involving trust and betrayal, and throughout the text the reader is kept wondering as much as the protagonist is: just who *can* you trust? One of the more interesting features of this particular tale was the series of letters the protagonist's grandmother writes - knowing she'll never be able to send them - describing her ordeals in Paris as France falls and during the war. Overall an excellent tale well told, and very much recommended.

The Secret Keeper is based on the real-life American model turned spy Aline Griffith. This was a captivating story about a woman who lived a courageous life and one you can help but admire. She was daring and brave! Learning about spy training was very interesting and extensive. Combat, weapons, ciphers and more! It's definitely not a job for everyone! The drama and the suspense build throughout the whole book. Once again Siobhan Curham has given us an amazing adventure!

Elena has grown up in the Los Angeles area but loves the letters from her Grand-mere Rose. After Pearl Harbor, Elena is approached by the Office of Strategic Services to become an operative. Her beloved grandmother had moved back to France and is now encased in a Nazi-controlled country. Because Elena speaks three languages fluently, she is a perfect candidate to become a spy.

Her training in a camp in Maryland is extensive and rigorous. She is taught many things including how to disarm or kill a man in close physical combat. Her training includes ciphers and other coding techniques. She knows that if she is caught, she will be tortured by the enemy for information and secrets and then killed.

She wants to be an actress and has been training to become one. Her persona is a Spanish actress working in a play in Madrid. She has a minor role in the production. Madrid is lousy with German operatives who are trying to catch allied personnel who are trying to get back to England! Her primary role is to infiltrate the German high command and thereby help the pilots elude capture.

The author has written a believable saga of a young girl in occupied Europe. The amount of danger and efforts to stay alive bring credibility to this character. Knowing the result of not staying vigilant will result in a slow and painful death. Danger moves with her every step of the way. I could not put the book down. Read and enjoy the efforts of this masterful storyteller. 5 stars – CE Williams

Wow! What a captivating spy story! I cannot rave enough about how much I enjoyed this novel of Siobhan’s. A WWII novel from a different perspective: an actress recruited to the spy world to perform the most death curdling performances of her life. Page after page I was on the edge of my seat wondering was going to happen to her next. Her courage and determination were admirable but her daringness at times made me hold my breath! The build of tension in this novel is huge and you get many of those ‘I don’t want to look as I know something scary is going to happen’ feelings like when watching a mystery thriller.

I found the spy training information very interesting. It was not a job for the faint hearted. A world filled with double agents and traitors. Who do you trust and not trust? When to act cool, coy, or show opposite emotions (smile when you are cringing inside). Hair-raising hide and seek, reveal and conceal, friend or enemy experiences. It is one of those jobs that if you are not made of steel, you must develop a tough exterior. And, of course, if you are captured? Will you turn or stand true?

Siobhan has given us another wonderful story about ordinary women who perform extraordinary acts of courage in the fight for freedom. In The Secret Keeper, Elena, the actress turned spy, is that woman who finds herself able to do the impossible. Her motive is to rescue her grandmother in France: to play a part in defeating Hitler. Her grandmother becomes an inspiration in more ways than one… her words become a mantra for Elena in facing her fears…her will to keep on in the face of great danger. Grand-Mere Rose finds ways, too, to keep herself going against all odds with thoughts of her granddaughter and by writing letters to her while the Nazis occupied Paris and her home. These letters never leave her room for she writes of things that could jeopardise her life. Grand-Mere Rose keeps these as a record of events for her granddaughter to one day read.

This story fleshes out vengeance, fear, hate, betrayal, cowardice but also loyalty, perseverance, hope and courage. It makes us question: what would we do if we fell into the hands of the enemy? Would we switch sides to save our life, or die loyal to our country?

The novel explores love, too, found in unexpected places: but also, the fear of not knowing who to trust. Fear of losing control of one’s feelings that could sway the rational mind. How easy is it to spot a traitor? Who could betray those closest to them?

This is an emotionally packed story of an exciting cast from all sides. The drama is tense but everything comes together. I don’t want to say much about the plot as to give anything away. The element of surprise and unexpected twists are important in a story like this.

I will never forget The Secret Keeper and especially these words: “Love your fear. Seek the wonder. Embrace the mystery,’ words that Elena kept repeating, when she was up against the odds and the enemy again and again. Words her Grand-Mere Rose instilled in her heart. Good advice!

This is a must read World War II novel. It is a soul-stirring compelling adventure that kept me pinned to the pages: always in the moment. And always focused on the hearts and true identities of the characters. There is so much to take away from this story. Including more words by Grand-Mere Rose: ‘The human spirit is a remarkable thing.’ I highly recommend this amazing historical fiction novel. 5 Brilliant Stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Many thanks to Bookouture and Netgalley for a review copy.

The life of an ordinary girl who turns into a spy to help her country during the war, how she gets recruited and trained and then uses her acting skills to help her blend in, making friends and enemy's along the way, who can she actually trust? The life of a spy is not an easy one and flamingo gets a taste of every aspect.
Good storyline with good characters and well written enjoyed this book

DNF at 10%
Given the number of WWII spy novels out there, I hold new releases to a pretty high standard as a reviewer (although honestly it doesn’t take much for my to fall in love with them as a reader, I’m a sucker), but even for my usual expectations this just didn’t do it for me, and I wasn’t in the mood to slog through a book that have me hooked.

The character introductions were shallow, which was unfortunate when paired with a style of prose that I don’t get along with. For example, a scene that introduces Elena’s family includes the reflection that “Seeing my parents work so hard to make a better life for Maria and me that they had as kids fuels my desire to make it as an actress.” To me it reads like a line from a uni application.

It also jumped too quickly into the ‘making Elena a spy’ thing for my taste, and pretty clumsily as well (as a side-note, there’s a lot of ‘meet a man you don’t know in a hotel and don’t tell anyone where you’re going’ that I could understand Elena going along with if it’s couched in reminders about the War Effort (loose lips sink ships etc) but she thinks it’s for an acting job. It frustrated me.) The final thing that put me off was some classic fatphobia - the only character described as fat was also described as a “belching bear.” I just don’t have patience for it.

From actress to spy with a secret identity. Whether Elena Garcia is called Carmen, or referred to as Flamingo or any other code name, her life will never be the same again. As she is starting in her training, she realizes that she has a lot to learn when it comes to weaponry and coding, but her ability to act in whatever role that she is placed in is her strength.

Going undercover is not without risk, especially as Elena must get very close to a German soldier. While fretting as to how close she will have to get, she does understand how important her role is, and she becomes a very valuable spy. Danger is at every turn, and knowing who to trust isn't easy.

What made this book so utterly compelling is the letter from our fabulous author, Siobhan Curham, at the end of the book. She based Elana Garcia's character of the real life model turned spy Aline Griffith. Most of the book is based on research and videos, and also on fact, and this made this story even more impressive. Readers are also encouraged to do a bit of research on their own, and that would include researching Leslie Howard, and that is only one facet that increases my respect for an author who is new to me, but one that I will forever keep on my radar.

Elena faced danger, betrayal and uncertainty, but her bravery shone through time and again. This is a book that should be read by any lover of historical fiction. I love each and every peek into the events surrounding the second world war, especially this book, as readers are given privy to Hollywood's role at the time of this war.

Many thanks to Bookouture and to NetGalley for this ARC for review. This is my honest opinion.

Another adventure-filled historical fiction by Siobhan Curham! This story follows Elena Garcia as she works as a spy durning WW2. While undercover she meets a mysterious man and, though warned against it, finds herself falling in love. As she’s deciding if she can trust him with her true identity, she is faced with evidence that suggests he’s not who he seems either - and they might not be fighting for the same side. Check out this book to see if she’s able to maintain her cover and still end up with the man she loves!

I couldn’t get into this book. Normally I’m a fan of WWII fiction about women’s roles in the fight, but this book just didn’t grab me.

Siobhan Curham continually writes phenomenal historical fiction, making it easy for me to give 5-stars each time I get my hands on her latest work. I’ve been fortunate enough to read and review all four of Curham’s recent historical fiction novels highlighting the extraordinary courage of ordinary females who fought in different ways, all in the name of freedom. The result for me is that she is now considered an ‘auto read’ author.

Elena Garcia, loosely based on the real-life experience of American model turned spy Aline Griffith, is a young Hollywood actress who, after playing a role for a training video, is recruited by the forerunner to the CIA, the OSS, Office of Strategic Services. She’s sent to ‘The Farm,’ the first of its kind in America, and learns to be a kick-ass spy, Rose Stanwyck. With freeing her grandma Rose in France at the forefront of her thoughts, Rose is sent to Europe to try to identify Himmler’s agent in Spain. When she’s betrayed she needs to rely on her Hollywood skills to survive. You’ll have to read for yourself to see if Elena can survive long enough to save her grandmother.

I learned so much about Hollywood’s role in the war and about the outstanding courage undercover agents exhibited in Nazi-occupied Europe. This book, featuring the battle of the head versus the heart, needs to be on every historical fiction reader’s list.

I was gifted this advance copy by Siobhan Curham, Bookouture and NetGalley and was under no obligation to provide a review.

Thanks to #NetGalley for an advance copy of #TheSecretKeeper. Set in WWII this books primary focus Elena somewhat falls into becoming a spy for the OSS. She becomes an agent in Spain where our story begins.

I am hugely interested in WWII novels fiction and fact, and while this was an enjoyable story I do struggle with following Elena and what I think are not very accomplished spy tactics. I found it hard to believe more than once that thos person had excellent spy training. That part of this book brought the stars down for me. While this was an enjoyable story with many characters from the time featuring, and showing the struggles of who to trust, I could not buy into spy-Elena.

A struggling actress is recruited to the OSS during WWII. Training is a breeze for Elena, but not for Betty, the only other woman in their class. Elena (aka Carmen) goes to Spain, where she relies on her acting skills to pull off the biggest role of her life. And her life depends on her skill.
Few books feature Spain during WWII. Its neutrality did not mean spies were safe. The danger to Elena was real, and harrowing. She had more spunk than I would have had. One disappointment: we don’t learn what happened with Santiago. This book is part of a series, but its unclear if Elena and Santiago appear in the next book.

From actress to spy.

Elena Garcia was approached by her director and asked if she was interested in helping in the war effort. She said yes.

After a few weeks, she gets a call and makes a mysterious trip to Washington, D.C. where she was sent to a “spy” training camp.

She did very well and was sent to Spain to try to find German spies and to find information.

She takes risks and falls in love…she was told to not fall in love.

We follow her as she ends up in danger. She did make me nervous with some of the things she did - I definitely would not be a good spy.

THE SECRET KEEPER was a great history lesson but did drag at times.

It was interesting to learn that Spain took a major role in the war and for hiding spies from both sides of the war.

The book is based on true events. 4/5

This book was given to me by the publisher via NetGalley for an honest review.

This one had me setting on the edge of my set the enter time I was reading it because of the amazing job the author did with not only the characters but also the time period of the story , it brought to life the worries as well as the fear that the female secret agents had , plus it based on a true story of them as well. Though out the book I kept hoping that everything would turn out ok for the main character . And lets not talk about how my heart also broke more then once . It was uplifting, emotional , pulls at your heart strings , and comes to life with each turn of the page. There was times I just waited to stop reading but I couldn't because I was hooked and invested in the story too the point that I even stayed up late reading in bed to see what happened next, it also showed. Other thing I loved was that it brought to left just how imported the they where doing that time . And mad me want to knew more about them .