I love all of Martha Hall Kelly's books and this one was no different. I will say the back and forth in timelines was a little annoying this time, it felt like as soon as you got invested in one character, you were thrown to a different place. But by midway through the book, you were so into each of their stories that it didn't matter.

This was a very well written story and very well researched. brave women inspire me and here were many. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher!

4.5 stars. Very well written historical fiction account of 2 females (one American, one of German heritage) living in Paris and working for the Resistance during WWII. This book flips back and forth in time between the war/their time spent in a concentration camp and events after the war when these two bada$$es track down heinous Nazi doctors who fled to South America. One of the ladies works for Operation Paperclip, a real post-WWII covert American program in which scientists from Nazi Germany were transported to the U.S. and given freedom in exchange for their talented research and to prevent the Russian government from using them as researchers. I love books that take me down a rabbit hole and also have a mystery/suspense/espionage aspect. I'd totally recommend this book to anyone.

This has been sitting on my to read shelf for a year. I've been wanting to read it, just needed to find the time.

I finally picked it up and dang, I wish I hadn't waited.

I've liked other books from Martha Hall Kelly, she's one of my favorite historical fiction writers. I like how she constructs the story, blending facts and some fiction. This one was no different. It was a little slow in the very beginning, but once you started weaving the past and "current" timelines together, the story sucked me in. It was hard to put this down.

I'll definitely recommend this to others who enjoy historical fiction.

I received this book free of charge from NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.

I thought this story offered valuable insights into some of the history tucked away within the WWII era.

However, I really felt the length of this book even with layering in two POV and two time periods. The flow of the story was disrupted as certain chapters ended abruptly and transitioned into the beginning of the next with a different theme or time period that detracted from the previous one at certain times and consequently, establishing a connection with the main characters became challenging.

Nevertheless, I must commend Martha Hall Kelly for her careful and thorough research in authenticating her historical fiction. My interest is piqued to read some of her other works.

Martha Kelly Hall delivers another gripping yet poignant WWII historical fiction with The Golden Doves. Well researched and beautifully crafted, Hall weaves real-life events and people into her story that brings a sense of credibility. Her female characters are strong, bold, courageous and inspiring and her plots are engaging. The Golden Doves touched on so many of my emotions. I simply couldn’t put it down.

A heart thank you to the publisher (Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine) and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and advance digital copy of this inspiring story. The opinions expressed above are my own and this is my honest review.

Martha Hall Kelly has an amazing gift of writing. I have loved all of her books. We hosted an author talk with her at our library (virtual), and she was classy, intelligent. and gracious.

I do think that novels about WWII are getting a bit tiresome. It seems like every other novel being published is about WWII. But she makes and old topic seem new again. I highly recommend!

Thank you to NetGalley for the free digital ARC. Opinions are my own.

I think that the WWII historical fiction market is overly saturated, but within that niche, Martha Hall Kelly rises to the top. If I am going to read historical fiction from this era, it will be her. The Golden Doves switches between the heart of WWII and the post-war 1950s.

Many thanks to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for sharing this book with me. All thoughts are my own.

I'm a big Martha Hall Kelly fan and this book gives me another reason to love her writing. Told by the two "golden doves, spies in France during WWII, the novel takes place during and after the war. It's part historical fiction and part thriiller/mystery, with a bit of romances tossed in. There are lots of surprises win this book. I always appreciate what I learn from Ms Hall Kelly's books. I always appreciate the recurring characters. Can't wait for her next book.

This was a powerful and enlightening account of life as clandestine resistance fighters who put bravery above safety each day, as well as how the war continued to plague resistance fighters in the camps following the war – from the prisoners to the Nazi scientists sent to the United States as part of Operation Paperclip and the people who went on to carry out even more atrocities and escape punishment.

The narrative alternates between Arlette's and Josie's perspectives. It jumps around in time and space, which, if you're not paying attention to, can be confusing. We discover more about their time as The Golden Doves, including how they arrived there and the events at Ravensbrück. In true Martha Kelly Hall fashion, she does such a wonderful job of fusing the fictional narrative with her well-researched plot line that it often left me wondering what was true and what was fiction – I even caught myself putting the book down to research certain aspects of the storyline as I read!

I always learn something new from books written by Martha Hall Kelly, who has a reputation for producing historically accurate fiction. Two topics I learned about in The Golden Doves were "Operation Paperclip," which was the US government's program to recruit Nazi scientists to the US, and "Nazi Ratline," which describes how numerous Nazi war criminals were able to evade prosecution with the aid of numerous governments and religious institutions throughout the Americas. This well-researched book also discussed the post-war fate of Nazi war criminals who fled to the jungles of South America and how Nazi scientists and physicians escaped a similar fate due to the Nazi Ratline. If you appreciate a good historical fiction story—especially one where you might meet some amazing individuals and learn some interesting things—I highly recommend this one.

All things considered, this was a fascinating tale about strong, fearless, and tough women. They performed admirably despite having to put up with masculine stereotypes of what women "could" do. Throughout the book, there was mystery, suspense, and grief that kept me on the edge of my seat up to the very end!

Despite its length, if you enjoy WWII historical fiction, you shouldn't pass on this. It's a well-written, fascinating, well-researched, and significant book. Martha Hall Kelly has always been a clever writer, and even though The Golden Dove is a stand-alone novel, I really liked how she included characters from her previous books, like Lilac Girls.

How in the world can you go wrong with Martha Hall Kelly? You can not!

I loved this book!

Many thanks to Netgalley and Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine, Ballantine Books for this advanced readers copy.

What struck me most about The Golden Doves is its seamless blend of spy thriller and historical fiction, offering an interesting narrative that shifts between the years 1952 and the war-torn period of 1940-1945. The emotional depth of the characters is brilliant, drawing readers into their world as they navigate through the aftermath of war and personal loss.

The rich historical details woven throughout the story, particularly the exploration of French Guiana, added a fascinating layer to the narrative, expanding the scope beyond the familiar settings of wartime Europe. I enjoyed the informative author's notes at the end of the book, which provided valuable insights into the historical context and background of the novel.

This is the second book I’ve read about Operation Paperclip (the first was The German Wife by Kelly Rimmer), and the second book I’ve read by Martha Hall Kelly. She just keeps getting better! 5 stars.

**I received a digital copy from NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

Their courage will cost them everything.
With The Golden Doves, Martha Hall Kelly goes back to WWII and Ravensbruck. While she does revisit her famous Rabbits, Martha highlights the efforts of Josie, the daughter of an American ambassador living in Paris and Arlette, a teen living in German occupied Paris. Arlette gets sent to a home for unwed mothers, unaware that she’s going to be expected to hand her child over to a German family who is part of the Reich. Both Josie and Arlette have reasons to join the Resistance. They prove to be an invaluable asset, becoming known as The Golden Doves and being hunted by the entire Nazi Party. Inevitably, their luck runs out and they end up at Ravensbruck. After the war, they both are trying to pick up the pieces and put the past behind them. Josie is working for US Army intelligence and given the assignment to find an infamous doctor, known for his brutality at Ravensbruck and Arlette has met someone who tells her he can help her find her son. Martha skillfully weaves the story between both Arlette’s and Josie’s points of view in both their past during the war and their present a few decades after. Their stories highlight Martha’s dedication to accuracy and you can tell how much research she does. She truly brings the characters to life. There were so many twists and turns and so many moments where I genuinely felt stressed out over what may happen. And, there’s no way I could have predicted that ending! Well done, Martha Hall Kelly!

Two points of view and two time periods was a little confusing. This reads more like a thriller than historical fiction, but it's well-written about the time after WWII when governments wanted to recruit Nazis for their research. Yep, it's gross but true. 3.5 stars.

I was first introduced to Martha Hall Kelly with her 2016 novel Lilac Girls. When I learned that she'd written another historical fiction, I knew I had to read it, and The Golden Doves didn't disappoint. 

During WWII, American Josie Anderson and Parisian Arlette LaRue meet while working for the French Resistance, becoming known as the Golden Doves for their contribution to the movement. Eventually, they are caught and sent to Ravensbrück concentration camp, where they face unspeakable horrors. The disappearance of Arlette's son is perhaps the most devastating. 

Years later, Josie is working with U.S. Army Intelligence to track down a doctor from Ravensbrück and Arlette receives a call that someone has found her son. The Golden Doves reunite for a final mission that takes them across the world and puts their lives in danger once more. This novel is incredibly well-researched and well-written, exploring the fates of the Resistance fighters, concentration camp survivors, and Nazis post-WWII.

Every single book by Martha Hall Kelly was been a fantastic read. I was super excited to read this story, after reading all of her other books. This story focused on two women who operated as spies during WWII and then work together to hunt down a former Nazi doctor years later. This author is so good at focusing on stories that are often based on true stories of courageous women and pulling together multiple true stories to create an engaging story. This book kept me turning the pages to the very end...wondering if I was right. If you enjoy Kate Quinn books, you will love this book!

I received a copy of this title from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Martha Kelly once again weaves a poweful tale of women who were instrumental in helping with the resistance during World War II. Her books bring to light stories of bravery that otherwise would be virtually unknown. I look forward to her books and this one did not disappoint.

Martha Hall Kelly is one of the few authors I know who can write a chunky hist fic that never has me checking the page count while I read. Engaging from start to finish, The Golden Doves is her newest book, and it’s one to cherish like all the rest.

About the book: “Two former female spies, bound together by their past, risk everything to hunt down an infamous Nazi doctor in the aftermath of World War II—a pulse-pounding novel inspired by true events from the New York Times bestselling author of Lilac Girls”

Josie is an American and Arlette is French, and they work together in the French Resistance, dubbed the Golden Doves. When the Gestapo catches up to the them, they are imprisoned, along with their families, at the Ravensbruck concentration camp.

Over ten years later, the Doves are at work again, hunting down an even doctor and Arlette’s missing son. The situation is even more precarious for them. I was on the edge of my seat.

It was fascinating to learn more about Operation Paperclip. While I knew that many Nazis had to be hunted down to face accountability for horrific crimes, I hadn’t known as much about the people who worked so hard to uncover where they were hiding long after the war. The ones that risked their lives for justice. I don’t think I could have loved two main characters more than Josie and Arlette. What a masterpiece of a story. Hist fic fans, you can’t miss it.

I received a free copy from the tour organizer.

Thank you to netgalley.com for this ARC.

I loved this book. I've read the authors other books and liked them, but I felt that this was her best to date. While it was a WWII story, I liked that most of it took place ten years later and showed how the repercussions of that time spread throughout the world and for many years later.
The two main characters are well written. Their separate story lines and joint lines were great to read.
While the ending was a little unplausible, it didn't take away from how much I liked this book.

I'm hoping there will be a continuation of Josie's story and her role as a woman in the world of men in the 1950's in the US Army Intelligence.

The Golden Doves wasn’t quite what I was expecting, based on my previous experiences with the author’s work. I did appreciate that the book focused on the period of time following WWII, since the WWII timeline has been far overdone in historical fiction offerings. The primary reason the book did not work for me was that the characters’ actions were extremely implausible. For women who were to have served as spies, they come across as naive and frivolous, not to mention being unlikable in general. I did enjoy the author’s note at the end, but it didn’t redeem the body of the novel. I appreciated the mentions of several of the sources that Kelly used in preparation for her writing. I will read a few of those to learn more about the time period in which the novel was set.

Thanks go to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read an advance copy of this book. All opinions are my own.