I received a copy for review purposes. All opinions are honest and mine alone.


ACE, MARVEL, SPY is a BioFictional novel about tennis star, Alice Marble and her coach, Teach Tennant. According to author, Jenni L. Walsh, most of her supporting documentation comes from Alice’s memoir, in her own words and the author’s imagination to fill in the blanks.

The story is incredible as Alice comes from a family that’s not traditionally tennis savvy, (low socioeconomic status). Her family makes great sacrifices for her to succeed. Alice is plagued by physical problems but blessed with God given talent. She catches the attention of an important coach and a lifelong relationship is born.

Walsh breaks the story between past and present timelines that roll forward as the story progresses. I found many of the changes to be jarring and was looking for information that never came in either timeline. The plot is very action oriented, with a fast pace. You won’t be bored altho’ I was stunned by how many times Alice had to battle back from a serious injury or illness.

One of the more interesting storylines is about Alice’s infatuation with Hollywood actors, especially Carole Lombard. Alice and Carole have a special relationship that spans a few years and revolves around a shared experience. Alice and Teach spend time at the Hearst Castle on a few occasions. It makes great reading.

If you’re expecting a spy novel, this book is only about 20% focused on that area. Tennis enthusiasts will be much happier. Walsh brings in lots of interesting historical figures and facts about players, locations, clothing, gear, rankings, travel, etc. Impact from WW2 and changes towards women in sports are handled well throughout the book.

Aside from a few soft expletives, the book is clean with romantic scenes being off screen mostly and violence being without description. I’d rate the book PG and safe for mature 12-14 year olds📚

Read and Reviewed from a NetGalley eARC, with thanks

Fun fact: I am the only person in my family that doesn’t play tennis. My brother even played D1 tennis. Spies on the other I know a lot about. I had to read this novel about Alice Marble, a real-life tennis ace and spy during WWII. Alive delt with health issues, a miscarriage, and her husband a pilot fighting in Europe.

Ace, Marvel, Spy was a great read the follows Alice’s early tennis career and then later in life. I recommend this book.
Thank you NetGalley and Harper Muse! You know Jenni L Walsh is always a must-read author for me! #AceMarvelSpy #NetGalley

I had known nothing about Alice Marble, nor is tennis a sport I know much about. I enjoyed the book’s historical aspect, but I expected a spy novel, not a fictionalized story about Alice Marble. The book blurb had me thinking this was a tale about a female spy who is a famous tennis player whose husband dies in the war when the Army asks her to spy. It was disappointing because the spy aspect arrived late, and the beginning was a slow burn. I cannot say I disliked the book, nor can I say I liked it. However, I found it interesting to learn about Alice Marble and her portrayal in the world of 20th-century women’s sports.

Because I read the book from start to finish, I give it a solid three-star rating. However, the story and plot never resonated with me and did not hold my interest for more than a couple of hours at a time.

I want to thank Net Galley for the opportunity to read this book as a free ARC. This review is voluntary and mine alone.

I’ve enjoyed other Jenni Walsh books so I was looking forward to reading this. This historical fiction takes place over a number of years for the main character. The story was interesting and entertaining. I struggled a bit with the back and forth of the time periods, I think I would have preferred for it to be told chronologically. It was an interesting different view of the war and fame - I would recommend this book.

Wonderful! As a tennis fan, I loved this story. Miss Marble is quite the marvel on and off the court. It's was Greta learning her story. Walsh did an excellent job bringing it to life.

When was the last time a book about tennis kept you so engrossed you couldn’t put it down? I am willing to bet never or almost never (I know there are some great players with memoirs or biographies). Well, hang on to your racquet! Jenni L. Walsh’s ACE, MARVEL, SPY is a work of historical fiction based on the life of Alice Marble whose determination to reach the top of women’s tennis would not be denied (and she had severe hurdles!). Once she reached the top, WWII put tennis on the back burner but gave her other goals to conquer, including finding a way to do her part for the War effort.
I enjoyed the way Wals approached the story, with a dual timeline moving us from the 1940s and ack to the 1930s to highlight Marble’s journey to succeed in tennis. Her story is truly amazing and how she handled adversity is admirable. I must admit, I played a little tennis when I was younger but have never watched much, so I had no clue about Alice Marble or professional tennis. If this is you, don’t let it stop you from putting this on the top of your TBR. I stayed up way past my bedtime and finished it within two days (yep, I was sneaking it at work, too!). Historical fiction? Strong female? Based on a real person? Spy? It’s all that and more!
Thank you to the publisher for the opportunity to read an advanced copy of the novel. All opinions are my own and freely given.

In the late 1930s, Alice Marble was among the world's leading tennis players and is still regarded as one of America's greatest female athletes. Although her dominance in tennis was long ago, her name is barely recognized today. I’m pleased to say I am well-acquainted with Alice Marble, which piqued my interest in reading Ace, Marvel, Spy by Jenni L. Walsh, a work of historical fiction using Marble's autobiography as its primary source.

Alice Marble grew up in San Francisco and discovered her passion for tennis at 13. With her powerful groundstrokes and aggressive serve-and-volley style, Alice was determined to succeed. She found the ideal coach in Eleanor "Teach" Tennant, who guided Alice to win 18 Grand Slam Championships and introduced her to the biggest celebrities of the time. However, World War II disrupted her career. Alice's life before the war is described in the past tense, while her experiences during the war are in the present tense, including her involvement in espionage. Although her spy activities for U.S. Army Intelligence remain unproven beyond her autobiography, Walsh includes in this engaging book the story Alice consistently stood by. Alice Marble led a remarkable life, from her tennis achievements and Hollywood connections to writing for Wonder Woman comics and her wartime endeavors. This book offers an entertaining portrayal of an inspiring woman.

4.25 stars

Thank you to Net Galley and HarperCollinsFocus, HarperMuse for this eARC. Until I read this book, I had absolutely no idea about Alice Marble or her tennis career.
This book is based on her memoir, but is a historical women's fiction. The narrative follows Alice's rise as a popular tennis star, her personal life, the changes that happen in her life owing to circumstantial elements. Jenni L Walsh has beautifully woven all these elements into a binding, powerful, and beautiful story.

The relation between Alice and her coach, Teach is written very nicely and needs a special mention.

The book is like a time capsule- and feels like everything is happening right now, only the timeframes and setups are different. We get to know, through Alice, role of brilliant women during chaos in the country, and learn how capable women have proven themselves- in multiple fields, at times simultaneously. For me this is a 5 star read. I didn't know Alice was also a Wonder Woman Comics editor.

Seeing the story through Jenni's perspective was very engaging, and kept me hooked. After a long time I read something related to sports, and in my view, it is a good title to look forward to for readers in 2025.

This book was pretty good! A tennis player is amazing at the sport but everything comes to a halt when one of the biggest issues that could occur does occur in Germany. The whole world feels like it comes to a stop. It was interesting to see a world event being described through the eyes of a tennis player and it was interesting overall!!


Thank you to NetGalley, to the author, and to the publisher for this complementary ARC in exchange for my honest review!!!

A different style of WWII historical fiction that follows a young woman from high school into her escapades as a spy in 1945. I found the book to be ok, mixing the tenses bothered me, and there is little to corroborate the fact that the real life Alice Marble actually did a lot of spying in general. Either way, it would probably do well with readers who like female driven WWII historical fiction with a dash of sports tossed in.

I received a copy of this book in exchange for a review, but all opinions are my own.

As a lover of both tennis and WWII history, what a treat this was! I knew nothing about Alice Marble when I started this; not even that she'd existed. Now I want to research her further and learn everything there is to know! With no knowledge of Alice prior to my reading though, I can't speak on historical accuracy. But as a story, it worked wonderfully. Alice is an engaging, fascinating character and I absolutely loved reading about her tennis career and relationship with her coach. I did expect more of a balance between the tennis story and the spy story. The tennis really took up most of the book, and while I personally loved it, I don't know how well it would work for people who don't have a particular interest in tennis. It really is worth giving it a try though as Alice's ability to overcome obstacles and fight for her career gave me great admiration for her character. When the spying part of the story does come, it is every bit as fascinating as you'd expect. The articles and comics extracts sprinkled throughout the book were a clever way to add layer to the story and context of the time. Overall, I was invested in Alice's story and was rooting for her the whole time. I'd recommend this book to all lovers of historical fiction, but don't go in expecting a WWII historical fiction. That timeline really feels secondary, and that's my only regret.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher. I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

Stars: Tennis ace Alice Marble was fascinating! I'd never heard of her prior to this historical fiction novel. She battled health issues, the loss of her husband, a miscarriage, endured misogyny in the world of competitive tennis, and ultimately (supposedly) became a spy during WW2. I enjoyed the author's breezy style of writing.

Wishes: I didn't love the dual timeline aspect of this book. The verb tense switched between eras which I found distracting. I also sometimes lost track of what period she was in. I'm not an athlete so I didn't really like all of the play by plays during the tennis matches, but that's just me.

Three stars.

Ace, Marvel, Spy by Jenni L. Walsh is a bit different choice for me as sports generally do not interest me. However, what does is learning about people behind and playing the sport. The word "spy" is what hooked me more than anything else but I was pleasantly surprised that the tennis descriptions gripped me as well. My only wish would be for much more of the spying side of things.

American Alice Marble was a relative latecomer to tennis in her twenties. But once she smashed the ball the first time, she was all in. Coach Eleanor "Teach" Tennant sought her out and made her an offer she couldn't refuse. Alice played and practiced her way up through the ranks, becoming the top female tennis player in the world after her wins at Wimbledon. When given ultimatums, she chose tennis over everything else which got her into trouble, including relationships. Even her illness and injuries didn't stop her. She played through pain. Sense of control was crucial to her. Then World War II began and tennis stopped. Alice was accustomed to doing her part by temporarily entertaining people with tennis but when she could no longer play, she took on another goal, completely different. She became a spy in a dangerous fight against fascism which showcased her eidetic memory. But this was not the end of her story. She was a traveler and was also inducted into the Tennis Hall of Fame at the age of 50. As the author points out, Alice had many reasons to be proud. It seems to me she led a fascinating life.

My sincere thank you to HarperCollins Focus and NetGalley for providing me with an early digital copy of this engaging novel. It prompted me to look further into the life of Alice Marble.

I love a book based on a real person. And y’all, I had no idea that this woman existed. And what a life she led!

Alice is raised very poor. But she has a talent. She is extremely talented in tennis. She is strong and fierce on the court! When the war breaks out and tennis is at a standstill, Alice ends up as a spy…but there is a lot of life in between you do not want to miss.

This book is fascinating because Alice is one unique lady. I love her strength and her intelligence. She is an Ace tennis player, then she is a Marvel because she comes back from several traumas and illnesses, then she is a Spy. I love the way her life unfolded and Jenni L. Walsh expertly led me through all the twists and turns.

I am going to do more research on Alice. I feel like there is more to learn.

This novel releases January 14. Add it to your list today!

I received this novel from the author for a honest review.

I loved this history in this story! Jenni Walsh does a fabulous job of bringing history and the unique events to life.

Book Tour and Review. Confession: I’ve never really watched tennis nor have I played, however that didn’t stop me from thoroughly enjoying this novel. I was fully immersed from the start, completely caught up in all things tennis from training to matches, finishing in just a few evenings. Based on the life of Alice Marble, top ranked tennis champ of the 1930s and 40s who also wanted to help the war effort and eventually became a spy. This is the story of Alice: the underdog in the tennis world who came from a modest upbringing who first picked up a racket and played competitively at 17 exhibiting personal and physical strength and sheer determination. A strong young woman, Alice persevered when the chips were down, as well as overcoming injury and heartache. I found myself both admiring and frustrated with Alice’s relationship with her coach, mentor, and fierce protector Teach, who kept Alice on a tight schedule at all times. Walsh’s writing skillfully transports readers back in time to relive moments of triumph, frustration, fear, anger, loss, and love in a time when the world was at odds in WWII.

#acemarvelspy by the venerable #jennilwalsh will be out on January 14, 2025! You can preorder at jennilwalsh.com/preorder. Thank you so very much @jennilwalsh and @harpermusebooks for sending me an advance digital review copy and having me on your book tour.

#youshouldreadthis #bookstagram #bookstagrammer #bookgeek #alicemarble #historicalfiction #fyp #Tennis #tennisbooks

Walsh does it again- what a gorgeous historical fiction with deep character development. I am usually not a huge historical fiction reader, but I wanted to live inside the main character's mind. Can't wait to see what she does next!

'It's funny, in tennis, love means nothing. But in life, love is everything. And Alice has loved fiercely - people, moments and a game'.

Alice Marbel, picked up a tennis racket at the age of 15 - after her brother advised her it was more ladylike than baseball. Soon, thacking that tennis racket as powerfully as her old bat started her journey toward becoming the world's number one in 1939 - with 18 grand slams under her belt. Only the outbreak of WW2 stopped her playing - not having been diagnosed with tuberculosis or involved in a number of serious car accidents, nor losing loved ones along the way. Driven by sheer gumption, focus, and a singular love of the game, Alice Marbel became a tennis marvel. However, with the war stopped all tennis play around the world, Alice had a chance to put her talents and self-belief to help win a different game.

Inspired by Alice Marvel's memoir, and told in alternating timeframes, 'Ace, Marvel, Spy' gives both an account of Alice's rise to tennis stardom as well as focussing on her cross-road when she's forced to stop playing competitively with the onset of the war. I really enjoyed learning about just how this woman, from a family with no means, picked up a racket at 15 within 10 years had utterly conquered the tennis world, despite having no real luck and plenty of setbacks along the way. Any historical fiction lover - especially those who love tennis - will enjoy learning about yet another amazing woman in history.

Walsh crafts an emotional rollercoaster, making you cheer for Alice one moment and holding your breath the next. It’s such an interesting blend of sports, historical fiction, and romance that it will keep you turning those pages. This book uniquely formatted with text, newspaper clippings, and letters- which I absolutely loved.

Walsh once again finds a fascinating main character to bring to the forefront. Alice's struggles to get to the top are so utterly relatable to anyone who has not had it easy. The reader will relive every pain and every triumph. Walsh's talent has the tennis matches bounding right off the page. Each relationship that Alice had defined her and her journey. Alice's life was so multifaceted and that just shows how truly talented she was. She overcame poverty, illness, injury, discrimination, and heartbreak to prove herself to everyone, including herself. Walsh successfully makes Alice more than a name in the tennis record books or a side note in Marvel history.