As my first Anna Stuart book, this was a fantastic introduction to her wonderful talent.
I had previously read one other historical fiction novel about Bletchley Park and it's impact on the Second World War, and I think I prefer this one. I felt much more engaged, and much more connected to the characters, right from the start.
The story around the decoding and the Morse code was clearly heavily researched, and Stuart makes it perfectly accessible to the readers. I wasn't alienated by the girls' work, only fascinated and full of admiration for their intelligence and bravery.
I really enjoyed this one, and I can't wait to read what Stuart writes next!

A must read, one of my favorite historical reads this year. I found it fascinating that this story is based on a heartbreaking true story. Taking place partly in Malta, which I have never seen a WW11 book taking place in we get a real feel for the area . I read it almost in one sitting, just couldn't put it down. Full of courageous women who though they may have had daunting events happen they smartly climb their way to the top again. They will not be kept down. I admire these characters.
I haven't read any history about Bletchley before and will be doing some more personal research on this. This book is absolutely fascinating and I highly recommend it . It will stay with me for a long time.

Pub Date: 19 Sep 2022
I was given a complimentary copy of this book.
All opinions expressed are my own.

Stefania Carmichael is living in Rome, loving her life and engaged to Matteo. Life is good and she is happy as can be. But her life changes in an instant. World War II rages on across Europe and the bombs being dropped are destroying everything in their path. Steffie arrives at the mysterious Bletchley Park. She immediately signs the Official Secrets Act. She was recruited because of her knowledge of different languages and is used as a codebreaker. She doesn’t know anyone so she isn’t sure who she can trust. But she soon befriends Fran in logistics and Ailsa a radio operator. Steffie settles into her assigned tasks and her world is turned upside down once again when her native country of Italy partners with the wrong side, and she soon discovers that her loving fiancé Mattero becomes the enemy.

I was completely captivated by this phenomenal story from the opening of the cover to the turn of the last page. This story was so overwhelming and and left me completely emotional. I was heartbroken to discover that this was a story based on true events. The courageous women of Bletchley Park during the War was shocking, stunning and incredibly fascinating. The story of Bletchley Park was not one I had heard much about and so to read about it now was very heartbreaking. This is one area of history that I will definitely dive deeper into. I can’t recommend this story enough, it was so well researched, and well written. But make sure you read it with a box of Kleenex by your side because you are sure to need it. This one will stay with me for a long, long time. This is such a fabulous story and I highly recommend it.

Thank you Anna Stuart for yet another amazing historical fiction. I found it to be absolutely fascinating and I really enjoyed it. I absolutely recommend it.

would like to thank netgalley and the publishers for letting me read this exceptional book

this is the story of 3 girls meeting for the first time late waiting for directions to Bletchley park, each of them not knowing what they were really going to be doing

stefanie, ailsa and fran all come from various different backgrounds but each have a role to play at Bletchley, each of them through out the book has chapters with their various adventures and at times gripping storylines

cant fault this book enough and there is enough tension and drama to keep anyone gripped till the end...

absolutely loved this storyline and will be keeping an eye out for more of this authors works

Three women sign up as spies. Recruited as codebreakers, the women in this story were among 10,000 who were assigned to various locations, and women made up the majority in this organization. In this enthralling read by Anna Stewart. we meet Stefania Carmichael who is from Rome, and she is currently engaged to Matteo. We also meet new friends Alisia and Fran and while at first the three women room together, one travels to Malta and the other to Egypt, all with the same goal, to thwart the enemy at any chance possible.

While World War II was a devastating time for all, but this story shows the strength of friendship of the women and other relationships that they form. Honestly, I had not heard of Bletchley Park before reading this novel, so I am quite pleased to have had this opportunity. Learning about a network that trained and trusted thousands of women was very much appreciated by me.

With this book, I love how three different women from different backgrounds found the strong bond of friendship during such a difficult time in history. This book also gave one character's relationship a daring one, considering the time frame involved.

To further make this book such a worthy read, I definitely recommend reading the Author's Note at the end of the book, as it contains valuable information as to the background of Bletchley Park, and also the research that preceded the writing of this intriguing read. This is a story of secrets, of friendship and also one of hope, courage and love. Anna Stuart has done a fine job with this book and I look forward to reading her next one.

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

Please also enjoy my YouTube video review - https://youtu.be/alnUZUtGhkI

Three women from different backgrounds converge on Bletchley to play their unique parts against the Germans. They all want to make a difference.

Many thanx to the author,. publishers and NetGalley for allowing me to read and review this book.
I have read other books about the wonderful people who were posted here.
The book started out well and held my interest but after reading 25% I had trouble keeping interest. Story is good but think the author had too many descriptive passages, and that's where it lost me!!
The characters were good, all from different "classes", and had to learn how to work and live with each other. Loved the idea of the caravan and how the girls decided to all live in it!!
Unfortunately I can only give 3 stars as I found the book a little stodgy at times but appreciate others love this book.

Anna Stuart has a knack for writing great historical fiction! The Bletchley Girls is about three women who become fast friends as they embark on some of the most serious war work for England.
It’s just astonishing what these women accomplished and so much of the war effort rested on their successes.
Stefania and Ailsa are dispatched out in the field while Fran works industrially at Bletchley.
This novel is a testament to the courage and tenacity women showed when their country needed them the most.

Anna Stuart, The Bletchley Girls, Bookouture, 2022

Thank you, NetGalley, for providing me with this uncorrected proof for review.

Anna Stuart has taken two real events, and devised a warm, human, and fascinating plot and characters to bring to life these events.

Three young women meet at the station at which they are deposited to begin their new lives working at Bletchley Park in the earl years of WW2.

Steffie, Stephania Carmichael, has arrived from Europe, with copious cases of luxurious garments, an Italian fiancé and parents who differ as to her future. Her mother is distressed that Steffie is twenty-one, and the fiancé is Italian rather than a man of her choosing; Steffie’s father has a more up to date outlook, and has ensured that she has this opportunity at a career. Fran, Frances Morgan, is of sterner stuff, with her background of a medical family attempting to force her away from her love of English literature into their chosen field, and her determination to evade the family profession. Her research and administrative talents have been recognised by a mentor, who has recommended her for work at Bletchley Park. Ailsa McIver has spent her life on a Scottish island, beholden to her loving parents, and their expectations and hope that she will marry on the island and remain there. She has escaped a proposal of marriage, and is suffering the strong reaction from her parents, a constant source of distress for her while she uses her radio skills to become one of the most sought-after technicians in understanding the coded messages that the Bletchley Park recruits receive night after night, day after day.

The young women’s differences are well drawn, as is the storyline that brings them together as friends and companions sharing a caravan during their time in Britain. Postings to Malta, or different parts of the country not only introduce different story lines but develop their relationships through their method of communicating and the impact of distance. Their communications, based on a toy farm they find in the caravan, bring them into disrepute and danger, adding another facet to the story.

This is another interesting novel based on the lives and work of the women who worked at Bletchley Park during WW2. It adds to the abundant material becoming available to add to the impact of unearthing another facet of women’s hidden history. The Bletchley Girls is a good read, with a strong storyline and characters who not only demonstrate the range of women involved, but are appealing.

Easily a 5 star read! There was a good mix of fact and fiction and the story was emotional whilst getting across the realities of war. This story centres on love and friendship. I really really enjoyed it.
This was my first book by this author and certainly wont be my last.

Brilliant for fans of Soraya Lane.

Thank you Netgalley and Bookouture for an early copy of this book.

The Bletchley Girls was a very interesting read! The author clearly did her research about Bletchley Park, code-breaking, and radio operators. It was very fascinating to learn about what happened at Bletchley Park as well as in the Mediterranean in the early years of the war. Aside from learning a lot of unknown facts about the above mentioned, the story line was very intriguing and the three main characters: Stefania, Frances and Ailsa were very well crafted.

Stefania is a high society socialite that fell in love with a dashing Italian pilot prior to Italy joining WWII. As the war separates them, Stefania finds herself working at Bletchley and is torn between fighting for her country and fighting against the main whom occupies her heart.

Frances is from a well-off family of doctors who decides to break the traditions of her family being in the medical field and decides to go to Bletchley to break codes instead. While there, she finds out more about herself then she ever new possible.

Ailsa left the comfort and safety of her native Scotland to see the world, but this fiery red-headed beauty sees the world during a deployment into the middle of a war zone and while there, her fate takes an unexpected turn.

An unexpected incident happens and the girls find themselves, their lives and their futures in jeopardy while facing a accusation that can result in death. Read on to find out what happens and how or if they get through it!

My only complaint is that I feel like the beginning of the book dragged on a tad too long and I would have loved the “action” and “plot” to start much sooner. Still a fantastic read!

From its dramatic beginning forward, this story grabs the reader’s heart and mind. Because it is based on the real Bletchley Park in England, the story has greater impact.

Anna Stuart created three charming young women - Stefanis, Ailsa, and Fran who simultaneously join the top secret code-breaking war mission. Becoming fast friends, they eventually live together in a caravan trailer. Though they all work at Bletchley Park, they have different assignments and have pledged the government to never ever discuss their work with anyone. Despite coming from vastly different backgrounds and having contrasting personalities, they still bond together as sisters.


As the war intensifies and their unique skills are needed at foreign locations they must separate. Ailsa and Steffie separately endure several terrifying months far from Bletchley and their family homes.

With constant intrigue and mystery, the chapters of this gripping novel fly by. Each of the characters are extremely well developed by the author. We can clearly hear their voices. Chapters care devoted to each of the girls allow for deeper looks into their characters.

The author provides equal detail into the many settings of the story to take the reader on-site. “ Steffie wiped sand from her eyes and cursed her damn conscience. She could be sleeping in the blissful comfort of a Shepheard’s bed, luxuriating in the feel of Egyptian cotton against her freshly bathed skin and full of fine food and wine. instead…”. ( Chapter45, page 1).

The story itself is breathtaking with themes of love, loyalty, fear and courage throughout.

Knowing how Bletchley Park ended the war for the Allies, it was an honor to put faces to the story. I highly highly recommend. 5 stars

The Bletchley Girls is a must read for historical fiction fans.

Anna Stuart always tells a great story that draws you in and The Bletchley Girls is no exception.

The art of code breaking at Bletchley Circle ( and world wide) is a fascinating one.

Fran, Stefania and Alisia all arrive at Bletchley Circle at the same time not knowing where this journey would take them.

My only complaint is I wanted more of their story and I hated it to end.

Get your copy of The Bletchley Girls and clear your schedule as you wont want to stop reading until the final page.

Thanks to NetGalley and Bookouture for a fascinating and informative read

What an intriguing story! A novel that will make you take a second look at the Bletchley Girls and their major contribution in hastening the end of World War II. It offers an original angle on the people involved. It is a story of secrets, of course, as it was a secret operation. But the friendship between these women who take centre stage, is heart-warming as they offer each other support through thick and thin. The letters they write maintain a continuing thread of hope. We see their dedication, courage, love, forgiveness, survival, loyalty and loss but also deserved moments of joy.

The story opens with each lead character feeling a sense of mystery once approaching Bletchley Park for the first time. For it is the highest level of secrecy they will ever experience. These girls have a lot to learn, digest and protect as they find their position in the domain of government secrets.

I was filled with intrigue and stayed fixed to the pages wanting to know what would happen to our heroines Steffie, Fran and Ailsa. Although they meet for the first time at Bletchley Park and get to know each other, two of these women are granted missions offshore while one remains on the home front. We are provided three points of view which add wonderful layers and insight to the story’s fabric—a cloth that is woven strong but where threads wander into domains of unfamiliarity or new territories. Which is basically evidence of the novel’s success for it is an original take on Bletchley Park, well fashioned and firm with accurate historical details. But this story does not stay behind the four walls of Bletchley Park, it ventures beyond to hazardous locations.

The first chapter, carefully constructed, allows us to meet the three ladies individually who become the story tellers of the novel. Even with three perspectives, the flow is seamless. The transition is well signposted with a name at the head of each chapter. The dialogue is genuine and you never forget who is speaking. It was easy to put myself in the characters’ shoes, too, and to empathise. I felt their sadness, fears and passions. The settings were vivid and I was easily transported to each location in the plot through Anna’s exceptional descriptions.

If I had to pick a favourite character that would be hard. I admired each of the three women for various reasons. Steffie is the daughter of major general with a gift for languages. She is filled with determination, fortitude and fearlessness. Her love for Matteo is endearing but it puts her in a bad position. These two were together before the war, engaged to be married. But shortly before Germany defeats France, Italy becomes an ally of Germany and this divides the lovers in the world’s eyes making her fiance part of the enemy forces. Will her loyalty be questioned during her valuable work in Egypt?

Determined Ailsa is a skilled radio operator with a thirst to see the world. She escaped her Scottish home, the wee island of North Uist, where her parents were trying to marry her off to an older man. She has a passion to use her skills to help her country defeat the Nazis. Her offshore experience is action filled and extremely moving. She ends up on Malta dealing with the trauma of war up close. With the island cut off at times from supplies and communication, she is dealt a heavy hand in severe rations, bombings and loss of communication with her family and friends. The effects of her experiences stirred up a lot of emotion in me. I appreciated her strength, courage and dedication. Her fierce Celtic heart shone through. Even in the war zone, she never gave up and found something lasting. A beautiful love-- pure and protective.

Fran is a lover of Shakespeare (who isn’t?) and comes from a family a medics who want her to follow in their footsteps. So, they do not appreciate her desire to take an English Literature degree. She lands a job at the University Library ‘doing research into the obscure ends of classical literature’. It is here, under the influence of an English don, her talent to dig out gems from rare collections is revealed and honed. This leads to her work at Bletchley. Fran, unlike the other two girls, does not go off to another country but remains on the home front offering her valuable services as a logistic genius. It is here, where she discovers more about herself and an unexpected romance.

This novel was hard to set down once I got into the flow of the story. It is a fantastic offering that made my heart pump faster and allowed me to enter an intriguing realm before my time. The second world war was a difficult, heart-breaking period for those who lived through it. But Anna has allowed us to have more than a bird’s eye view of the women who helped bring victory in ending that war; rather, we slip into their shoes and experience each of their journeys. I highly recommend The Bletchley Girls for it is well written, wonderfully captivating and honours those who made sacrifices for freedom. 5 Stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Thanks to Bookouture and Netgalley for my review copy.

I love a book about women's friendship. Each of the women had a distinct story and it was nice to get to know them. However, I felt like the story itself was a bit....shallow. Because each story was pretty different, they didn't have enough time to go into each story too much. Though it was a pretty good read and I enjoyed it!

Thank you NetGalley for my ARC!

'There was much talk of the heroism of the sailors, the power of the ships and the cunning of the plotters - and not a single breath about the codebreakers, translators and indexers'.

'The Bletchley Girls' helps breathe life into the story of these men and women who worked hard behind the scenes to win WWII. The book follows three women in a tri-narrated tale, which helps the reader not only understand many of the more administrative roles of the war effort but also how they may have worked together using only puzzle pieces to build the picture.

Stephania, Fran, and Aisla have all been recruited to Bletchley Park to utilise their individual skill sets to help win the war. However, each girl has their own, personal reasons for being there. The friendship they develop over the course of the book provides the backbone of the story. Anna Stuart augments this with enough war and logistical detailing to give the reader a real sense of each girl's war effort and the challenging conditions they faced.

'The Bletchley Girls' is an easy-to-read and slightly different take from a lot of this WWII genre; focussing on 'war room' work in Britain, Africa and the Mediterranean, rather than occupied France or work camps. I did feel, at times though, that the pace slowed to a holding pattern. Overall though, the characters were likable and the story gave a refreshing take on a popular genre.

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

This is a fabulous book, I loved the story and the three ladies Steffie Ailsa and Fran.

I really wanted them to overcome their worries. Reading it, felt like the characters were real, as the way it was written was brilliant. They portrayed the experiences the real women went through during that time that were similar to Steffie, Ailsa and Fran.

I loved the way they bonded, regardless of what they individually went through during the war, I also loved the setting.

I highly recommend this book.

There are so many stories written about Bletchley that to find another one I was doubting if it would be any different. This one refreshingly takes you to Malta and Egypt and tells of the wartime fights over there which adds a new dimension to the story.
I thoroughly enjoyed the book up to the rather sudden and abrupt ending! A happy ever after which seemed a tad unlikely given the times it was set in.

Thank you to Netgalley the publishers and author for an ARC in exchange for an honest review

This story was remarkable. It had me completely enthralled from the moment I started reading. If I were able to, I would have read this in one day. This book is full of the heartbreak of WWII but also the incredible bond between three young women who became friends during that terrifying time. The love and support they have for each other will bring tears to your eyes. I love books with multiple POVs and this one had 3. It’s not always easy to execute that but Anna Stuart did a great job. The POVs were smooth and seamless and all worked perfectly together. The three girls all had such incredible character development. By the end of the book, they had developed into almost new people, in a positive way, of course.
Once again, reading one of Anna Stuart’s books has taught me a lot of things I didn’t know about WWII. Her books are the most interesting history lessons.
You can feel the love and passion that Anna Stuart pours into her books. She wrote this beautifully, from the real history to the fictional characters and story she created. However, I wish there were more to the ending. I felt a bit rushed through and I would have loved to see her expand on that just a bit more.
This book made me smile and frown, gasp and aww, it made me laugh and cry, both happy and sad tears. It made me feel the love and fear of these brave young women. I definitely recommend this book, especially if you’re interested in women in the war.

The Bletchley Girls is a WWII historical fiction novel, centering around 3 very different women who come to work at Bletchley Park and become friends. It was very good, well written and entertaining. I've read a few books set in BP recently, I feel like this could use a different title to differentiate it (I think I read one called The Girl from Bletchley Park a few months ago.) And I don't know that the tagline on the cover about a shocking wartime secret is quite accurate, but I did really like the book. I could relate to the 3 major characters, even when they were making frustrating decisions. I also liked an aspect of the book where some of the characters got sent to other countries for the wartime efforts.