I have read most books from this author and have always enjoyed them. This one was a little hard to follow. The chapters alternated between the two women, Josie and Arlette and then alternated between the war years and 1952. Josie and Arlette are the golden doves, spies that work for the resistance and are discovered, imprisoned in Ravensbruck camp. The story then continues in French Guiana where Arlette is trying to find her son. The story is very disjointed and sometimes confusing as to who was who and who could be trusted. Some of the story didn’t seem believable. Thanks to Netgalley for an ARC.

The Golden Doves. A pair of brave young women who became known for their daring acts in the French Resistance. American Josie Anderson and Parisian Arlette LaRue face harrowing consequences when they're captured by the Gestapo and sent to Ravensbrück concentration camp. A decade later, Josie works for U.S. Army intelligence and pursues a notorious Nazi doctor, while a stranger offers Arlette hope of finding her long-lost son. Together, the Golden Doves embark on a perilous journey across Europe and French Guiana, uncovering horrifying secrets and risking everything for justice and their loved ones.

I really wanted to like this one, especially with how much it was based on true stories and facts. The author did an excellent job highlighting the unfairness of how Nazi officers escaped justice for the crimes they did. Also, the horror of the continued experiments was also shown well.

However, I didn’t like either main character. Throughout the story, I found them both unlikely spies and I was frustrated by the decisions they made. It was hard to believe either of them had been trained in espionage. They also seemed to fall into bed with every good looking man who crossed their path. And would continue to sleep with them, even when they didn’t trust them.

Overall, I found this a difficult book to get through. I appreciated the details of life after World War II, but would have liked characters that I could actually like.

What a fascinating story! I have always loved books by this author and this one did not disappoint! I was eagerly turning pages and convincing myself to read just one more chapter every night so I could find out what would happen next! Fabulous writing!

This was a great WWII novel. I really enjoyed the dual perspectives told by Arlette and Josie. The things that they survived and moved past and accomplished were incredible. Their stories were really complex and it was interesting to see the impact of the war on life and how people had to rebuild all aspects afterwards. I loved the reference back to what started all of Martha's earlier books. Thank you to Netgalley and Ballantine Books for the ARC.

I received an advanced copy of The Golden Doves by Martha Hall Kelly from the publisher Random House Ballatine via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

What It’s About: This book follows two former female spies, Josie Anderson and Arlette LaRue who worked together stealing Nazi secrets as the Golden Doves, their courage ultimately gets them to the Ravensbrück concentration camp, along with their loved ones, a reclusive Nazi doctor does unspeakable things to Josie’s mother, a celebrated Jewish singer who joined her daughter in Paris when the world seemed bright. And Arlette’s son is stolen from her, never to be seen again. A decade later, Josie is working for U.S Army intelligence where she hunts down Nazi doctors or scientists to help with the Cold War effort. When Josie is assigned the case of the infamous doctor who took her mother’s life, she is drawn into a complex web. Meanwhile Arlette hears that her long missing son might have been found, she is on an expedition to French Guiana.

What I Loved: I love Martha Hall Kelly and am so glad I got to read this one. This was a really important story and I found Josie to be a captivating character. This book feels cinematic and big and has an excellent pace. I also found it interesting to learn about Operation Paperclip and it made me so furious.

What I Didn’t Like: This felt a bit disjointed. The narrative set in the past isn’t very clear and I don’t necessarily feel connected to their mission or invested in the two character’s friendship. I felt like the work that they do wasn’t really highlighted. It didn’t really seem like these two were great spies. I’m starting to realize I’m not super into the spies in WW2 era, they usually don’t fully work for me.

Who Should Read It: People who love books about WW2 spies. People who love books about powerful historical women. People who love WW2 epics.

Summary: A story of two former spies who are ten years later on new missions.

Martha Hall Kelly is back again with another story set in WWII. Josie and Arlette are 2 women working with the Resistance that end up getting caught and sent off to Ravensbruck concentration camp. While there, they watch their loved get ripped from their arms and tortured by the Nazis, some never to be seen again. Years later, the women must relive their horrors as stones become turned and secrets start to be revealed.

MHK does it once again with her impeccable research and realistic stories told through the eyes of women standing up for what is right and wrong in the world. The character development is one of the reasons that I always love reading her novels, and while her books are much longer than other authors, it's because she allows the reader to invest in the character, rather than skipping over so much important development and this one was no different. While I can understand that this book is not for everyone, I found myself pulled in immediately and not wanting the story to end.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publishers for the ARC in exchange for my review and honest opinions.

American Josie Anderson and Parisian Arlette LaRue are thrilled to be working in the French resistance, stealing many Nazi secrets that they become known as the Golden Doves. They are hunted by the Gestapo. When they are arrested and taken to the Ravensbrück concentration camp, along with their loved ones, a reclusive Nazi doctor does unspeakable things to Josie’s mother, a celebrated Jewish singer. Arlette’s son is stolen from her, never to be seen again. A decade later the Doves fall into a dangerous mission: Josie is working for U.S. Army intelligence and accepts an assignment to hunt down the infamous Dr. Smith while a man tells Arlette he may have found her son. The Golden Doves embark on a quest across Europe and ends up in French Guiana, discovering a web of terrible secrets, and put themselves in grave danger to finally secure justice and protect the ones they love.

The author has written a WWII story of survival, bravery and justice. It is an incredible thriller that has been well researched by the author. These two brave women captured my imagination .at times it is a heartbreaking historical novel.

During WWII, American Josie Anderson and French Woman/single mother Arlette LaRue, worked with the French Resistance and earned a reputation as the Golden Doves. They passed information they had gathered from German Communications. Josie was half Jewish, with her mother being a singer who refused to leave France with her American Diplomat husband due to her mother's illness. Josie and Arlette were eventually arrested when a young Hungarian girl stole from a Nazi officer and ran to their apartment to hide. They were all sent to Ravensbrück Concentration Camp. Josie's mother and grandmother were also there, living in the Jewish quarters. The women dealt with various horrors while there and will never forget the "doctors" who experimented on them and those they loved. A decade later, their paths cross again as Josie is working for the American Government screening the documents of German Scientists that the government wants to work with. She is eventually tasked to hunts down a fugitive doctor and Arlette is looking for her long-lost son, Willie, who disappeared from their barracks just before the camp was liberated by the Russians. They travel to Europe and eventually end up in French Guiana. They are often in danger as the Russians and the Israelis are looking for these war criminals/scientists as well and will do whatever it takes to find them and bring the to their country for their own purposes.

The Golden Doves is loosely related to her Lilac Girls series, which I also enjoyed. Martha Hall Kelly has a reputation of writing well researched historical fiction and I always learn something from her books. In The Golden Doves, two things I learned about were "Operation Paperclip" the American program to bring Nazi Scientists to the US to work for the government, as well as "Nazi Ratline" which shares how so many of the Nazi War Criminals escaped justice with the help of various governments and religious organizations. The story is told from both Arlette's and Josie's point of views. It goes back and forth in time and place, which can be a bit confusing if you are not paying attention. We learn about their time as The Golden Doves, how they got to that point and what happened at Ravensbrück. There is also another plotline involving Fleur, the young girl who caused their arrest in the first place. This is historical fiction and although what is happening in the world at the time is historical, the stories were fiction, but Martha Hall Kelly does an amazing job of blending the two that had me checking out what was true and what was fiction. I am not usually a fan of longer books as my attention wanders, but not with this story. I was invested right from the start. My only issue was that sometimes the jump from Arlette to Josie was a bit abrupt and I had to reorient myself. Overall, I found this a compelling story with strong, courageous and resilient women. They had to put up with the male ideas of what women could do, but they did it well. This is a well researched book that also shared about the injustice of Nazi war criminals and what happened to the Nazi doctors and scientists after the war. I definitely recommend this one if you enjoy a good historical fiction story, especially one where you may learn some things and meet some wonderful characters.

I feel like perhaps I missed some thing with this book, given all the other wonderful reviews for it. The storyline is important- I learned about the rat line which allowed Nazis to escape out of Germany through Italy with the help of some of the members of the Vatican, and eventually winding up in South America (or in America if we thought they could help us with the arms race). Allowing Nazis, in particular high ranking ones, to escape judgment is a tragic and shameful part of American history and world history.
The storyline itself went back-and-forth between 1944 and 1952. I just found the two protagonists to be constantly making poor decisions in 1952 and not reaching out for help from others. I didn’t believe they were foolish enough to be doing that in 1952 as experienced and accomplished women. The scenes at Ravensbruck were as sad and heartbreaking as you would expect.
I appreciate the research the author did to write this novel. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for allowing me to read it as an ARC.

I really enjoyed The Golden Doves by Martha Hall Kelly.

In the Golden Doves the point of view alternates between Arlette and Josie. The two met while working for the underground during the French occupation in WWII. They were then captured and taken to Ravensbrück. Seven years later the two reunite when Josie is assigned to find one of the Nazi's who worked at the camp during the war.

This book is filled with action, mystery, and danger that kept the book moving at a stead and enjoyable pace. I liked both characters and their respect for each other despite their differences.

I would absolutely recommend this book and this author to fans of historical fiction!

Told from two POVs and two timelines this book keeps you turning the pages until the very dramatic ending.

This author did a great job of holding my interest all the way with this book. It's long but a fairly quick read. It takes you into the heart of what two very different young ladies go through. Both working for the resistance. Families gone missing or killed.

It's a good vs evil story with a few twists and turns. I enjoyed this book and it's so hard to write this without giving something away. No spoilers here.

The title is perfect. The writing style was wonderful. The emotion had me by the heartstrings. Tears flowed for sure.

Thank you #NetGalley #MarthaHallKelly #RandomHousePublishingGroup/Ballantine

Desperate to locate her son Willie, Arlette LaRue was following every available lead. Willie, and all the other children in the Kinderzimmer at Ravensbruck, were moved with no notice one day while their mothers were at work. Arlette and Josie Anderson, the daughter of an American diplomat to Paris, were incarcerated for their work in the French Resistance, intercepting and translating German radio messages and then relaying those messages to their superior officer. The two young women were known as the Golden Doves during World War II, and were both celebrated and hunted.

After liberation, Josie joined the United States Army, specializing in intelligence, and when she finally was awarded the opportunity to hunt for a Dr. Snow, who had been at Ravensbruck at the same time and who had ordered some of the most horrific experiments performed there. Leaving her home in Texas, Josie met up with Arlette in Paris, and then headed into Germany in search of Dr. Snow. When Arlette has a chance to meet with a man called Luc Minau, who runs an orphanage in French Guiana for German boys, she hopes that she has finally found Willie, and agrees to a visit. Josie’s mission seems on the verge of collapse, until she manages to weave together some small but extremely important clues that lead her to the orphanage where Arlette is staying. The Golden Doves are reunited, and ready to continue their resistance work.

Told from the viewpoints of both Arlette and Josie, and in alternating time periods, The Golden Doves is a fascinating book that shows clearly what life in Paris was like while occupied by Germany. Josie and Arlette are strong and courageous women who did their part to help the Allies win the war, and then they aided the search for those Nazis involved in the camps. Excellent book, well written, and I really appreciate the amount of research on this. I consider The Golden Doves to be historical fiction at its finest.

The Golden Doves was a good story, yet it seemed all over the place. I honestly didn't like it as well as I liked her other books.

I enjoyed this latest novel from this author a favorite of mine for historical fiction. I enjoyed reading about the 2 doves, Josie and Arlette. The story starts with “Operation Paperclip” when Russia and the US were trying to get all the nazi scientists before they other. Some of whom Josie who is now working for the army recognizes from her time at Ravensbruck. Time then goes back to midwar in occupied Paris, when Josie and Arlette are working with the resistance.

This is WW2 historical fiction done well. If you like this genre you’ll like this book.

While I love historical fiction, they can become tedious. Luckily, this one did not. I loved learning how the storylines wove together and the Easter eggs from Lilac Girls.

Josie and Arlette are two former female spies who were infamously known as “the Golden Doves” during WWII. It’s been 10 years since they were arrested and suffered the horrors of Ravensbruck, an all female concentration camp. Their individual paths have crossed again and they are working together to track down a Nazi doctor, who did unspeakable things to the prisoners at Ravensbruck, including Josie’s mother.

This was my first book by Martha Hall Kelly and I was utterly captivated. You can tell that she puts tons of time and effort into research for her stories. The historical events that are represented in this book are shocking and gut wrenching. This book sheds light on what women specifically went through during WWII and is told in a beautiful and compelling way. If you are a fan of historical fiction, this is a must read.

Thank you to Netgalley and Random House- Ballantine for my ARC. All the thoughts and opinions in my review are being provided honestly and voluntarily.

Absolutely amazing story! I love Martha Hall Kelly so much!! If I am ever in need of a historical fiction novel, I will always pick one of hers! This was so good! Highly recommend!

*Thank you so much @randomhouse for the #gifted copy in exchange for an honest review.*

This fascinating story was a pleasure to read. I was drawn into the world of Paris during WWII and points beyond.

Josie,an American, and Arlette,, a Frenchwoman, were part of the Resistance during the war. They were so successful at stealing Nazi secrets that they were nicknamed The Golden Doves. Unfortunately, they were captured and sent to Ravensbruck, where they witnessed many atrocities committed by a Nazi doctor, but they managed to survive. Arlette’s son is taken away, and disappears.

After the war, Josie is working for American Intelligence and gets an assignment to find to find the mysterious doctor, who disappeared after the war. At the same time, Arlette is contacted by a man who says he knows where her son is. The two Doves go on a journey to find them both.

I loved this book and would highly recommend it to fans of historical fiction.

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed as in this review are completely my own.

This was a TOME, not for the faint of heart or a new historical fiction reader. Martha Hall Kelly was ambitious in writing The Golden Doves. In pretty common historical fiction fashion, we have multiple points of view, we have a dual storyline, and we have some mysterious cat and mouse happening. I thought this was an interesting read, and you'll especially enjoy it if you enjoy WWII and immediately following as a setting, but there were some aspects of the book that felt a bit familiar, or some strings that didn't end up being woven all the way into the narrative--like there was a bit too much going on at times. If you love historical fiction, go for it. If you're new to the genre, I think there are easier starting places.

3.5*
Martha Hall Kelly has added to her list of outstanding historical novels with this new book about two women who were spies during WWII. Josie is an American living in France with her family because her father was a diplomat and Arlette is French. They work together to steal German intelligence and pass it on to the Allies. Eventually, they are caught and sent to a prison camp where they are separated from their families. Ten years later, in a separate timeline, Josie is recruited once again to help intelligence locate once of the German doctors who escaped capture after the war.

Arletta has also been motivated to revisit her past when she is told her long-lost son is alive and in South America. He had been taken from her at Ravensbruck and she is desperate to find out if he is still alive. During the war the Germans had given the two girls the moniker of Golden Doves as they searched for the female pair who were disrupting their war efforts. Now, the Doves will work together again to find answers about the German doctor and Arletta’s son.

Though not as powerful as her earlier books, it’s still an engaging read. The two women are brave and determined. The presence of Nazis in South America is not surprising, but the role of the Church and the network that helped the Germans escape to safety is jarring. It’s the second storyline that gets bogged down in complexity and is a little over-the-top. But there is a lot of factual background for the treatment of prisoners and children at the camp, and the involvement of many powerful entities that allowed and even promoted the escape of many Germans.