While I am absolutely not ready to say goodbye to Maggie Hope, The Last Hope was an explosive send-off by MacNeal. As has been the case with the entire series, MacNeal is extremely diligent with her research, and it shows. The Last Hope transports readers for Maggie's most dangerous mission yet - and it's a thrilling ride.

I loved the book and therefore gave it 5 stars based on the book as a standalone, however, I was left unsatisfied with the ending, given that it was the end of the series. I sincerely hope MacNeal continues the series in some form to give loyal fans the resolution they deserve.

Ms. Hope does it again! For those who like to read ww2 period pieces and love mysteries and action. Having read the entire series, I will miss Ms. Hope-hopefully not the end!

I'm sorry to have this series end. It has been consistently well research, well developed, and totally engaging.
Do read the author's notes. She gives factual information to back up a hunch Maggie had about someone!

I’ve been looking forward to this last book in this awesome book series for some time. I enjoyed the book but I feel it left me hoping for more closure. Although the story provides a hopeful ending for Maggie I’m wondering if perhaps Maggie can return in a future book to finish out the war. Overall a good read, especially if you’ve read the previous nine books.

I wanted to relish the last in this fantastic series, so tried to put off reading it as long as possible, but only made it so long! Maggie, under the guise of her Paige Kelly persona, is requested as a courier to meet with Coco Chanel to deliver documents to Churchill about a possible peace with Germany. In addition, her science background comes into play as there is concurrently a Physics symposium in Spain where the British hope to learn information on how far the Germans may be on making an unthinkable bomb. I liked the parallels of Maggie ending this story down in Churchill's war rooms, where it all began. And since it's not the end of the War, we are left with open ended questions and missions yet to come, all for the reader to decide.

Very enjoyable mystery series. Loved this recent addition. Love the main character and how she is intelligent, skilled at being a spy. Highly recommend.

With The Last Hope I had high hopes for this novel, but I quickly realized that this was going to be a struggle and that it was. At first, I thought maybe I wasn’t in the right mood to read a WWII historical fiction, so I sat it down and picked it back up weeks later, but I had the same reaction. I did this for months until I finally sat down and forced myself to read and no matter how many times, I tried to get into this story I just couldn’t do it.

This novel felt so dry to me! I was fascinated with this story, especially the whole Coco Chanel angle as I’ve known nothing about her and her affiliation with the Nazi party, but the overall pace of this novel did not hold my interest whatsoever. I just got to the point that I didn’t care and no matter how much I tried I couldn’t get involved. There was no scene that really grabbed me, and I was bored. The best part of the whole novel was the historical notes at the end. It is clear that the author did her research, but the execution was lacking. Compared to other Maggie Hope novels this did not hit the same. The overall storyline felt sloppy and didn’t have a good flow at all and there were so many things that were too coincidental to be believable.

It started off promising, especially knowing that it is Maggie Hope’s last hurrah, but it was disappointing to say the least.

Maggie Hope is an expert at espionage, sabotage and reconnaissance. That's why she's the perfect British intelligence agent to visit Spain, meet Werner Heisenberg, a physicist who may deliver a world-ending fission bomb for Germany, and assassinate him. But she must first make sure he actually has the capacity to make the earth-ending bomb. And several people are out to deter her plan, including her partner, a professional bullfighter, and couturier Coco Chanel.
I liked the historical details of Coco Chanel. I didn't realize she collaborated with Nazis. Although I didn't care for her character in this book, her actions fascinated me. And I really like this quote:
"The corsets, the bustles , the heavy hats. Those things hobble women— disfigure them, infantilize them. In my clothes women can move. They’re free."
Also, the insights into the Spanish Civil War interested me. I haven't read any books about WW2 that focused on Spain, and I learned a few facts.
Maggie's personal life left my emotions shattered. So sad! But otherwise, I didn't really connect emotionally with her or any of the other characters.
I abandonded reading the first book in this series and debated not finishing this book. But it does flow well and kept my attention fo the most part. And while it's the 11th book in a series, it could stand alone. The author provides adequate backstory that makes me curious to read the previous books. I just didn't like this one enough to put more effort into the series.

Mixed feels on the lastest and last book of Maggie Hope Series. I usually hate to see a well crafted series end, in this case Hope needs to retire from spy life. The book plot was underwelmed and sluggish.

This was a thrilling ending to a much loved series. Maggie has a high stake assignment and the tension builds as she navigates the dangerous waters of espionage. This story draws CoCo Chanel into the mix and blends fashion with spycraft.
Many thanks to Random House and to Netgalley for providing me with a galley in exchange for my honest opinion.

Such an amazing ending to this series! Maggie Hope has become such a special character in the hands of Susan Elia MacNeal. I have been a long time fan of this series - each book has been an immediate buy in digital format so I can binge read it all night long - and was so fulfilled with how the series ended. As sad as I am to see the end of Maggie’s story, I am just as excited to reread the series again and again! Thank you so much for all of the love you have put into this series. I can’t wait to see what comes next for you!

There are so many books centered on some aspect of WWII and while The Last Hope is set in this time period and deals with some major issues, at its heart it is a fast moving, interesting spy thriller with a female protagonist, Maggie Hope. She is bright, believable, likable and you just can’t help hoping that she is going to get through everything and come out alive at the other end. Her perhaps unfortunate moral compass puts her in mortal danger at every turn. She is an intelligence agent, a code breaker, a secret agent, a spy, but can she be an assassin? Her contacts and handlers are all suspect and the mind games are exhausting. And once again she is always being underestimated.

Having read several other installments I thought this was MacNeal’s strongest effort. She has created the tension necessary to unravel a person caught up in extraordinary spy craft. I could feel the heart-racing emotions, who do I trust thoughts, encountered by this female spy who is dropped into a mission that has very little chance of succeeding.

Admittedly this may be my prejudice having its way but giving Coco Chanel, a known collaborator, more humanity than she deserved was generous of Ms. MacNeal. Depicting Kim Philby as a possible double agent, with a gloss over as to his treachery was another weak point fort me. The chauvinistic and misogynistic attributes describing the various scientists was right on point.

Interesting story and great execution made for a I could not put it down experience. Many thanks to Bantam Books and NetGalley for a copy.

Thank you to NetGalley, the author Susan Elia MacNeal, and
Random House Publishing Group- Ballantine for the opportunity to read, The Last Hope. It was the last book in the Maggie Hope series which I was unfamiliar with, but I absolutely loved this novel. MacNeal did such an amazing job of explaining the characters enough for a new reader to enjoy the book out of order. So much so, I plan on reading the entire series soon!

It took place during the end of WWII with an undercover agent based in London, Maggie Hope, receiving an assignment in Spain. She was being sent to Spain in order to find out if a German Physicist was creating a fusion bomb. If she indeed found out he was, she was also instructed to assassinate him. *I should note I was reading this book when there was an attempted assassination to one of our former presidents this past weekend. Talk about weird!* Anyways, she decided she would make 100% sure the Germans had created the bomb before she would shoot anyone.

She also was meeting up with Coco Chanel in Spain, which happened to be the perfect cover for her trip. This was the first time I had ever read anything about Coco Chanel and her connection to a Natzi during WWII. I was completely shocked, intrigued, and also disgusted to read about her relationship with a well known Natzi. It definitely led me to do my own research on the woman who launched Chanel No. 5 perfume.

The book was filled with much excitement and I was literally on the edge of my seat several times while I was reading this. I think any readers who enjoy reading books about spies, WWII, espionage, love, friendship, and secrets would also truly enjoy this book.

#NetGalley # TheLastHope

I am a huge fan of the Maggie Hope series, especially the first book where Maggie starts working in Churchill's War Rooms.

With every book in the series, the author researches a part of WWII history and brings it to life through the character of Maggie Hope. In the case of The Last Hope, Maggie is sent to Spain by British Intelligence to assassinate Werner Heisenberg, the physicist who may deliver a world-ending fission bomb. There is also the added element of Nazi sympathizer Coco Chanel woven throughout the book.

What I enjoyed most was the spy-infested Spain setting during WWII. I was first introduced to this period in history when I read The Spy Wore Red about ten years ago. I loved that book and was excited to see it mentioned in the Historical Notes. If you haven’t read it yet, I highly recommend it.

I was less thrilled with the Coco Chanel storyline. She has appeared in many WWII historical fiction novels I have read recently. I am probably in the minority, but I am indifferent to Coco Chanel as a character; she is a boring character to me.

This 11th book in the series was advertised as the finale, but I didn’t feel like anything was finalized. I am sad to see the series go and I wanted more resolution for Maggie.

Read this series if you enjoy reading about female spies during WWII.

January 1944, Maggie Hope is an MI6 agent and spy who is sent to Lisbon and Madrid with 2 missions.
The first is to meet with Coco Chanel (a horizontal collaborator with the Nazis and possible double agent) who has a letter that she wants Maggie to give to Winston Churchill to broker a separate peace with Germany without Hitler (thus betraying France).
The second mission is to assassinate a German physicist to prevent him from developing the first fission (atomic) bomb.
The settings are not usual ones for World War II novels and the author described them well, and brought out the fact that both cities were full of spies - Nazis, Fascists, Allies, Communists and British. They stayed at several high end hotels and protected their own compatriots for the most part.
especially in Madrid (Spain was neutral) where spies, double agents, diplomats, Nazis and Allies stayed and suspected everyone else.
This fast paced novel was deeply researched and was a compelling read. It was difficult for her (and the reader) to discern who to trust and who was working against her and Great Britain. I was surprised at the role Coco Chanel with her ever present little black dress and pearls, had as a spy, and I think that her character was just outspoken enough to make her believable. Her contacts included Winston Churchill and other high ranking British men and she name-dropped throughout the book.
Maggie came across as an intelligent, worldly agent who MI6 was fortunate to have among their agents. It was great to see such a strong female character who exercised sound judgement and kept her cool. I did not realize that this was the 10th book in a series but it was fine as a stand alone.
I received an RC from NetGalley and Random House and the opinions expressed are my own. I rate it 4 1/2 stars and recommend it highly.

WWII set in Spain which was a neutral country. Maggie; a British spy, is on a mission and encounters danger and double agents. She does a favor for CoCo Chanel. Good read but not a lot of surprises.

This is, I think, the last Maggie Hope book and I liked it OK. There are a lot of references to Don Quixote which were lost on me as I've never read it and only know the very basics of the story. I did like the way the ending of Maggie's story was, in many ways, the opposite of where she began. I didn't like so much that it was pointed out repeatedly. Also, I won't miss her constantly over analyzing of everything. But given that the end of the plot line is known by the reader but not the characters, I suppose this can't be helped. I think these books are linked in a way with the Maisie Dobbs books for me in that nothing good ever happens. I know it's war time but a little bit of levity would've gone a long way for me in these novels.

If you've read any of the Maggie Hope novels than the plot follows similar lines - Maggie is given a mission, it doesn't go to plan, Maggie has to deal with many difficult decisions, Maggie is successful but many bad things have happened.

I received this novel from NetGalley in return for this review.

The Last Hope is a well written book. I enjoyed the plot and character dynamics. I received an advance ebook from the publisher and Netgalley. This is my unbiased review.

4.5 stars. In the final installment of the Maggie Hope series, Maggie finds herself taking on the identity of her former friend, Paige Kelly, to go undercover in Madrid. After returning to England with John, she is tapped for this mission by an old acquaintance, Coco Chanel. Yet she has an additional mission to complete while there - one that she's unsure needs to happen. Join Maggie as she navigates through Madrid - including a bullfighter, Nazis, scientists, and more. Be prepared to delve into her personal life a bit also as she deals with family secrets. A great send off for Maggie - I will miss her but look forward to more from MacNeal!

Maggie Hope has come a long way since she was Mr. Churchill’s secretary. In the face of tremendous danger, she’s learned espionage, sabotage, and reconnaissance. But things are different now that she has so much to lose, including the possibility of a family with John Sterling, the man who’s long held her heart. British Intelligence has ordered Maggie to assassinate Werner Heisenberg, the physicist who may deliver a world-ending fission bomb for Germany. An assassination is unlike anything she has ever done. How can the Allies even be sure Nazi Germany has a bomb? Determined to gather more information, Maggie travels to Madrid, where Heisenberg is visiting for a lecture.
At the same time, couturier Coco Chanel, a spy in her own right with ambiguous loyalties, has requested a mysterious meeting with the British ambassador in Madrid—and has requested Maggie join them. As the two play a dangerous game of cat and mouse, Maggie tries to get a better understanding of Heisenberg and to gauge his intentions.

This is the eleventh in the series. I have several of the books in the series in my TBA list but have not read them. I don't usually read the last one in the series before I have read the others, but the description was intriguing, so I decided to give it a try. Also, I have previously read a stand alone book by the author and thoroughly enjoyed her writing. She writes historical fiction with some real characters included and does it well and obviously with a lot of research. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for approving my request, and i will now go and read the others in the series!