Ace, Marvel, Spy

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.

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!

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.

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!

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.

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!

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!

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.

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.

This is a great biographical novel that introduces readers to the fascinating character or Alice Marble. The author has clearly done her research, and she has crafted a wonderful story to bring Alice to life. You don't need to have previous familiarity with Alice to be brought into this captivating novel. You do need to sort of pay attention to the dual timelines but it's not confusing at all. More of the focus is on tennis whereas some readers might expect more focus on espionage. I'm sure Walsh was trying to stick to the real history. Regardless, Alice was a very interesting and brave person, and Walsh gets the historical details right to immerse the reader in the time period. A thoroughly enjoyable read perfect for fans of historical fiction based on the lives of real people.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for an advance e-galley; all opinions in my review are 100% my own.

Alice is an up and coming tennis star in the US in the 1930s. She has some health issues and works hard to improve back to her top rank. She meets a handsome man in the Army and they eventually marry. When her husband is killed in action, Alice is understandably heartbroken. The army reaches out with a special opportunity to help the US as a spy while at a Swiss tennis tournament. After what happened with her husband, Alice swears to avenge his death.

As a huge tennis fan, I absolutely loved this book. Especially the historical side of tennis, where women used to wear long skirts to play and even had “ladylike” skills. It’s so funny to think of a strong net volley game as manly! Alice was a true inspiration for overcoming injury and illness. I also loved her relationship to Teach, her coach. They had such a strong bond, but still butted heads like sisters.

Thank you @harpermusebooks and @jennilwalsh for my gifted ebook. This is definitely my favorite Jenni book yet.

As a long time player and fan of tennis, I recognized the name of Alice Marble, but I never realized the amazing life she experienced. The book focuses mostly on her tennis career and the physically disabling conditions and accidents she overcame with strength and determination. Alice's life long coach, Eleanor "Teach" Tennant, saw the champion in her in the early 1930s and devoted her life to making Alice a world #1 champion by 1939. (I think there could be a book just about Tennant!) Alice also was an assistant editor for the Wonder Woman comics in the mid-1940s crafting stories of woman such as Clara Barton and Florence Nightengale. There is a small part of her life where she worked with the intelligence community at the end of WW2 that was fascinating. She had to learn how to be a spy to try to avenge her husband's death at the hands of the Germans. Needless to say Alice was a formidable woman in whatever she chose to achieve.

I was astonished that Alice had at one point been told that she couldn't play tennis anymore due to her (mis)diagnosis of tuberculosis. She had to physically recover from several automobile accidents as well. With the medical knowledge at the time, her recoveries are even more unbelievable. "Teach" was an intriguing character in that she spent her life working with and helping Alice become the tennis player that she was. She also went above and beyond giving her experiences and connections with the necessary people. The author does explain that she used Alice's memoir for the bulk of the research and some points may, or may not, be true and reminds the reader that this is a novel after all.

If you enjoy stories about strong, less known women from history, I highly recommend this book!
#AceMarvelSpy #NetGalley #historicalfiction
Thank you Harper Muse and Net Galley. I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

This is a historical fiction novel based on Alice Marble who came from humble beginnings to be the number one tennis player in the world. She also played a part in helping the US during WWII on a spy mission.

The book gives the reader Alice’s tennis rise in the 1930s as well as what brought her to complete a spy mission.

Alice was such an interesting character. She had a photographic memory, wore shorts in her matches, and created content for the comic Wonder Women in History.

It is a great read for all sports lovers and for those who enjoy strong women’s stories.