The very epitome of page-turner with a chilling storyline that grips from the first and kept me guessing right up to the heart-racing denouement STUNNER ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

My favourite genre is historical fiction and my favourite time period is WWII. I am so glad I was able to read the ARC of this story. Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher and the author.

This is a great debut novel. The writing is beautiful. Lyrical but not overdone. Having just listened to the Bono book he could have done with this exact level of prose. Enough to make the story beautiful but not enough to detract from it (and make me want to skim over the extra "fluff").

The writing was so descriptive and I truly felt like I was in the forest with Rose and Emma. The orchid, the family of badgers - so beautifully written. A love story in the middle of war is usually a winner for me - this one was no different. There is a great plot twist near the end (I was not expecting that at all). Overall a quick and super enjoyable read. Highly recommend this one - especially if you are a fan of historical fiction.

Her secret soldier took me through the era of World War II, with a gripping tale of love, sacrifice, and secrets.
The book followed the lives of Rose and Walter, whose encounter setoff events that tested the their loyalty and courage.

The author captured the emotions and struggles of the characters, especially Rose, as she grappled with loyalties and the realities of war.

With a dual timeline it added depth to the story, bringing the past and the present together as Emma, Rose's long lost relative, unravelled the mystery of Rosie’s past. The hidden secrets in the old cottage brought suspense to the plot, and it kept me engaged throughout.

Her Secret Soldier was a captivating and story, exploring the themes of love and sacrifice. Readers who enjoy historical fiction will find this story a must-read.

Days later, I’m still thinking about Rose Tilburn and her secret soldier and longing for a trip back to Silverwood Vale!

This refreshingly unique historical fiction novel highlights worthiness, the risks everyone took during wartime, how war makes killers of the best of men, and how far people can be pushed before they give up.

In a dual timeline format with equally compelling narratives, new-to-me author Julie Hartley slowly reveals what happened to an 18-year-old missing young woman during WW2. She raises thought-provoking questions such as why we tend to reject things we can’t understand, why we make judgements about people we don’t know and why we’re unwilling to take risks to prevent stagnation.

She writes to inform about Operation Lena, the Treachery Act of May 1940, and the XX Committee. I especially loved the moment the title revealed a double meaning!

Hartley’s book was better than imagined and I can’t wait to explore her backlist as I await her next novel.

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

A story based on true events. During WWII a parachute crashes into the woods in England. The problem - he is German. A woman hides him in her family cottage, not knowing what happened to him. Years later a family member searches the cottage and finds something to make her question everything about her life. This story has stayed with me for a days.

I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

Wow what a debut! Such a good quick read. Historical fiction is by far my favorite thing to read and one with a love story is always fun. A beautifully written story with characters that you just fall in love with. Highly recommend this book it does not disappoint.

Her Secret Soldier
By: Julie Hartley
Pub Date: September 12, 2024
Publisher: Bookouture

My first novel by this author, and DEFINETELY not my last. Absolutely loved this heartwarming story and I was fully invested in the lives of Rose and Walter.

Rose lives in England in 1940. She finds a parachute and a soldier in the woods behind her home. She wants to help the wounded soldier, but quickly discovers he is German. She decides to help the young man when she discovers more about him and a friendship is formed.

1990-Emma inherits a cottage from her Great Aunt Rose. Her aunt was something of a recluse. Emma find something shocking hidden in the cellar and the mystery begins to under cover her aunt’s past.

Loved this one! Great and fun read. Highly recommend.
Many thanks to the publisher, Netgalley, and the author for my ARC.

ARC Review
I'm absolutely obsessed with historical fiction and the WWII era. I find it so fascinating to learn about this genre. This was like no book I have read before from this era. They have always been about the Holocaust, Hitler, etc. This book left me wanting to learn more about the German spies and their mission behind what they did. This book is told from two different people point of view in two different time frames--Rose in the 1940's and Emma in 1990's. I loved the set up of the book, how it went back and forth between the 40's and the 90's. So much is to be said about this novel during war time and no matter what happens, love will always find you.

instagram @farmermegreads

HER SECRET SOLDIER by JULIE HARTLEY is one of the most beautiful novels I have read! I will certainly be looking out for more books from this debut author.
I love the way that the seriousness of the situation in England in 1940, with the horrors of the blitz and the infiltration of German agents, together with Rose’s dangerous family situation, is somehow enfolded in the beauty of Silverwood Vale. I also like to see Rose’s character grow as she is faced with life altering decisions……
Emma in 1990 is also affected by Siverwood Vale, and by Rose’s story……
There is courage, unconditional love and restoration shown against a background of man’s inhumanity against his felloe man.
I am not going to tell you any more for fear of spoiling things for you.
I cannot revommend Her Secret Soldier highly enough.
I was given a free copy of the book by NetGalley from Bookouture. The opinions in this review are completely my own.

This is an extraordinary debut novel and not at all what I expected. On one hand, it's World War II historical fiction covering the brief period when German agents were sent to England in preparation for a land invasion. But, it's also a story of a family fractured and scattered because of domestic abuse, compounded by the war. Told in a dual timeline, one narrator is Rose, 18, a sensitive, artistic soul living on the English coast in 1940. The other is her great-niece Emma, a journalist whose marriage is failing in Toronto in 1990. Their connection is Silverwood Vale, a large tract of ancient forest that Emma has unexpectedly inherited from her unknown Great-Aunt Rose.

The writing is so good that I quickly became engrossed in Rose's story, turning pages rapidly as the plot intensified, so much so that I was startled when the timeline shifted to Emma. I confess that I didn't care much for Emma initially but her story drew me in as well. There is so much to love about this book, from the exciting wartime espionage plot to a tender romance but the genuine characters are what made this work for me. (I don't know if an old-growth forest can count as a character but the author made it come alive.) I highly recommend this stunning debut novel.

My thanks to NetGalley and Bookouture for the digital ARC. All opinions and the review are entirely my own.

One of the best historical fiction novels of the year, Her Secret Soldier is a beautiful WWII era tale that solves a long-standing family mystery. The dual narrator format is pretty common within this genre, however it is rare that they are both written equally as strong and equally as interesting. Every time I felt myself wrapped into the story and timeline - either Rose's tale in 1940 or Emma's tale in the 1990s - I didn't want to leave that character's narrative timeline. It is history, love, generational ties, and mystery. It will have you turning the pages furiously trying to find out what will happen next. You will not predict the ending before it arrives. I loved it, and can't wait to see what Julie Hartley will write next!

As a history major who loves a good historical love story, this was all of it! It was so beautifully written and I just absolutely adored the main characters and their story took the reader for such an adventure of what they experienced. Well done!