I love a historical fiction WWII era story. This story was captivating and far exceeded my expectations. I loved reading about Alice Marble. She was an incredible woman and her story deserved to be told.I loved the weaving of fiction into a real story. I loved all the inclusion of the letters/telegrams etc that were included in and helped tell the story. Overall an amazing book and a nice change from the historical fiction I typically read.

A fantastical journey through the lens of unlikely Tennis star turned WWII spy, Alice Marble, Ace, Marvel, Spy brings the reader on the rollercoaster of success, failure, ups, downs, and heartbreak based on the real life memoir of the protagonist. From her relationship with her controlling but selfless tennis coach to her lovers and famous friends; on the tennis circuit traveling to military bases to lavish parties with the rich and famous; to supporting the war effort across the world - the reader is intimately immersed in this life. I always find historical fiction based on real world people fun!

The storyline is a bit scattered with the dual timelines interweaving for a single POV. The dialogue and prose is stiff at times, making it difficult to really connect with the characters, though I think this improves later in the book. About 75% of the book is about the ups and downs Alice encounters while playing tennis, and the brief stint of espionage begins around 80%. I do wish this part of the story was more of the overall focus!

Thank you to Jenni Walsh and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Alice Marble has always been a driven, determined woman. In tennis, she had to prove herself in ways wealthy girls never did. Injuries and health issues plague much of her career, along with personal losses and tragedies. But throughout all of the setbacks, Alice is a fighter, defying odds and clawing her way to the top of the tennis world.

Aside from her tennis success, Alice has an eidetic memory. With the world at war, Alice’s patriotism compels her to serve her country. But with her history of health issues, no armed forces will let her sign up. The CIA, however, sees the potential with Alice’s smarts and notoriety. When the worlds of espionage and personal life collide, will Alice choose heartache or heroism?

As a former college tennis player, I was immediately drawn to this book. The sections of the story detailing match play were well researched. The number of physical problems and personal pains Alice had to deal with seemed so overwhelming – the reader can’t help but cheer her on as she conquers one hurdle after another. I definitely recommend this book to anyone who’s into WWII historical fiction, tennis, and strong female protagonists.

Ironically, I started reading Ace, Marvel, Spy the weekend of the US Open Finals and I’m still in disbelief that without the work of Jenni L. Walsh, I may never have known the remarkable story of Alice Marble.

While I sometimes have a hard time appreciating historical fiction, this had me hooked from the first few pages and weaved some of my favorite interests (tennis, fashion, spy craft) so perfectly that it has earned this 5-star review. Game, Set, Match Jenni!

Thank you for the opportunity to read this advanced copy of Ace, Marvel, Spy.

Jenni Walsh just doesn't miss - she's unmatched at spinning the stories of great women that time has forgotten. Ace, Marvel, Spy features all of the hallmarks of Walsh's work; beautiful prose, a heroine unlike any other, and a story that keeps the pages turning. A joy to read!

This captivating story of Alice Marble, once the world's top female tennis player, is truly inspiring! I absolutely loved this book. Alice was a true heroine, showcasing incredible strength and determination that we can all admire. Jenni L. Walsh's writing shines in this beautifully crafted tale of Marble’s life. I highly recommend this book to anyone who enjoys historical women's fiction!

Another winner by Jenni L. Walsh! This was a very intriguing story of a historical figure that I had never heard of before reading this book. The only thing I would change is that each portion of Alice's life be a little more in-depth. However I know there was so much to cover as she led such an interesting life! I really enjoyed following the development of Alice from a young hotshot to a woman with more to love than just tennis.

Before this book I didn’t know who Alice Marble was, I also didn’t know a single thing about tennis. For me it was like discovering a whole new world, something that as a reader I always find exciting. The way Jenni tells Alice’s story is beautiful, you can understand the pressure she went through, the guilt for always putting tennis first, the heartbreaks that this brought to her.

Alice’s spy career was definitely my favorite part of her story, alongside the column writing. During this time you can see Alice’s compromise to what she loves and what she believes in, always trying to be on the right side of things, even if it means breaking her heart and giving up her dreams in the process.


Even though it is an easy read, I found that at times the connection between chapters was lost, which put a damper in my reading experience.

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

What a fascinating story! I enjoyed cheering Alice on with her successes and mourning with her during her struggles. She overcame so much in her life and it was so interesting to learn more about her. I look forward to teaching my daughters about her



Thanks to netgalley and the publisher for the arc. The opinions are my own.

Alice wants to be the best tennis player in the world. At seventeen she picked up her first racket and has been fighting to be better ever since. With a coach who took a chance on her and her own unbreakable spirit she will rise from the local park courts to Wimbledon. When war sidelined her career she will find a new way to channel her energy. Based on the memoirs and real life story of tennis champion Alice Marbles.
My second @jennilwalsh novel and I was gripped from page one. I do recommend reading the authors notes at the end for a little extra info on this incredible woman’s life. I know a little about tennis but with this book it didn’t matter because everything was so succinctly explained it was easy to follow the tennis parts. As with her last book, Unsinkable, Walsh has pulled a woman from history and made her story a novel I couldn’t put down.
Thank you to @netgalley and @harpermusebooks for letting me have an advanced copy for review. Look for #acemarvelspy January 14, 2025.
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I devoured this historical fiction about multi-layered female athlete, Alice Marble. Being from a tennis playing family, I was delighted to read about someone very little known, and to also see such accurate depictions of the sport I love. Kudos, Jenni Walsh! You've done it again!

The book follows Alice's journey of becoming the top-ranked US women's tennis player. Her world is torn apart when her husband is killed in the war. She is recruited by the US Army as a spy, under the guise of playing in tennis exhibition games in Switzerland.

I enjoyed reading about Alice's rise in tennis fame, although I wish there was more of a focus on her being a spy in the war as that was where the action and emotion were found.

📖📖 Book Review 📖📖 I am always amazed by notable women in history that are completely new in name and accomplishments to me. In the midst of personal and professional losses and a world war, Alice Marble continually rose from the ashes and showed the world what a remarkable woman she was. Jenni L Walsh creates a truly beautifully written book that is simultaneously heartbreaking and full of hope. While tennis was her passion and legacy, Alice Marble’s contributions as a spy under the guise of a world renowned tennis player was extraordinary. Ace, Marvel, Spy: A Novel of Alice Marble is a tale of perseverance, pushing aside boundaries and expectations, and paying it forward…and back. What a truly amazing woman!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

Review is on Goodreads and will be posted on instagram closer to publication date and on Amazon when published!

Historical fiction at its best. A character I had heard about becomes a lot more intriguing in this excellent story

A spectacular novel on real life Alice Marble, #1 in the world in tennis in 1939, spy for the Allies during WWII, and later. an editor of the Wonder Woman comics. Incredibly written and so compelling that I felt I was on the tennis courts with her during her heyday, and in Europe spying during the terrifying war years. A remarkable woman, beautifully captured by author Jenni L. Walsh, whose books I adore. Highly recommended!

Traditional format 📕 (digital). I have read a few of Jenni Walsh’s young reader books so when I saw this Historical fiction book (which I think is intended for adults) I knew I wanted to request the ARC. Also If you have read any of my other reviews you will know I am an avid tennis fan and player so anything with tennis is top of my reading list. Combine it with my favourite genre of Historical Fiction and I was excited to give this a read.

The book is based on true life story of American tennis player Alice Marble. I was not familiar with her story but there were several other tennis players mentioned from her era that I was familiar with.

What I liked:
🎾Tennis content was accurate and well done. There is a lot of tennis talk in this book but it was written in a way for the average person to follow.
🎾 I know this is based on true fact but I loved the combination of tennis and WWII historical fiction. The spy aspect was my favourite.
🎾I liked the different ways the story was told with telegrams and news stories mixed into the book (note these didn’t translate well to Kindle format though)

Areas for improvement:
🎾 I wanted more of the spy aspect of the book. It seemed like a bit of an afterthought and seemed a little rushed to me.
🎾I didn’t feel a connection to the main character even though there were a lot of emotional moments. Something was lacking in pulling me into the character.
🎾 I would have liked a little less tennis tournament content and more of the focus on WWII.

Overall I did enjoy this book. I think with a few tweaks it could have been a five star read but it did fall a little flat. I would recommend this book to people who like historical fiction but also are tennis fans as the tennis content is a main focus. I am going to give this a 4/5 tennis balls.

Thank you HarperCollins Focus | Harper Muse for a digital ARC of this book in exchange for a review.

In ACE, MARVEL, SPY, JENNI L WALSH tells the life story of Alice Marble, a young girl from humble beginnings who became one of the best tennis players there has ever been. With the support of her brother Dan who gave her her first tennis racquet, her mother who let her go to follow her dream and her coach “Teach” Tennant, she took the tennis world by storm, even making a comeback after a period of ill health. She felt that the only way to repay them was by being the best at tennis. Her eidetic memory not only helped her in her tennis game but also in the undercover work she did for the government during the war.
She was fascinated with film stars and knew many of them, Carole Lombard being a good friend and supporter. She joined “Teach” in coaching many of the rich and famous.
There is a lot more to her story, but I do not want to give too much away.
I highly recommend this interesting and inspirational read.
I was given a free copy of the book by NetGalley from Harper Muse. The opinions in this review are completely my own.

Historical fiction is supposed to make a reader want to know about the history. I wanted to l ow everything about Alice Marble after reading about her life and her rise to glory. This was heartbreaking, refreshing, well researched. I could have read more!

I really enjoyed this book. I liked the characters, the story, the writing style. Pick this one up on publication day. You’ll be sorry if you skip it.