Emma is a WAAF photo investigator, gifted with an eye for detail, and her diligence earns her a special assignment. On her day off in London, she tells her friend Vera about one of her heroes, Grace Darling, the brave daugher of a lighthouse keeper who rowed out into a  storm to save someone from a wreck.

Will overhears Emma's story and is intrigued by the American WAAF, and plans to run into her at a bookstore, because he wants to meet her. Will is an artist who hasn't let the loss of his arm keep him from his craft, he is working undercover to find out what is happening at Dansfield House, to help with the war effort.

Will knows that he isn't being completely honest with Emma, but he tries his best to be as open as his job allows for him to be. Will is a strong Christian and encourages Emma to reclaim her faith. I liked his confidence and faith, he was a good friend and encourager to Emma. 

Emma is my favorite character, she comes to work early and stays late, she is astute and has a compassionate heart. She is courageous and believes in what she is fighting for, bu she worries about the innocents in the crossfire.  She comes to realize that her work and the destruction around her has come between her and God, and she is inspired by her brother's faith. 

There is some great interaction between Emma and Will, but I felt that much of their relationship was assumed. I liked how everything came together in the end, though it seemed a bit to short for my liking. There are some surprises along the way, though the readers find out who is behind everything before the characters do, which was a tad anti-climatic. Overall, an enjoyable read.


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A Secret Courage by Tricia Goyer showed up as I was perusing through NetGalley a few weeks ago, and it really caught my interest. I mean, come on, who doesn’t like a WW2 spy drama? I do. Seriously, I have a problem with spy stories. I’d read some of Goyer’s work before, and I’ve always really enjoyed it, and so I was really excited to read A Secret Courage! 

Emma Hanson and William Brandt are swoon-worthy characters. They are not cut-and-dry typical spies of WW2 starcrossed lovers; they are intricate and well developed. Emma is guilt-ridden over her work as a photo investigator for the Allied army, as well as broken over her brother Samuel’s death a few months prior to the story:

And then there were things she never would write about, even if given the chance, like the fact they’d lost more than thirty American bombers during that raid over Saint-Nazaire, including two that collided when one of the bombers drifted off course due to failed engines. She wasn’t supposed to think of that, of course, when she was working. She had one job—to find Hitler’s strongholds. It was up to the brass to determine the whens or hows of destruction.


Will is also grappling with life, working as an undercover spy set on trying to find a rogue agent. He originally sets his sights on Emma as just an ‘in’ to the Allied intelligence, but genuinely falls in love with her, as he explains:“This war was easier before I knew you, Emma,” he finally said, filling the quiet space. “Why? Because I ask too many questions?” She chuckled. “No, because it’s easier facing this war with a hard heart. You’ve cracked it open. Broken down my protection. Made things matter more, hurt more.”

Coupled together, Emma and Will are really the perfect couple. They fell in love head over heels fast, and complimented each other’s strengths and weaknesses while grappling with difficult topics such as loss, guilt and justice.

The mystery that A Secret Courage follows is wonderfully predictable, because Goyer lets us see beyond Will and Emma, and into the villain’s thoughts and actions. I really enjoyed this! A lot of mysteries completely cloud the reader in doubt, and while that has its place, I enjoy knowing what’s going on before the protagonist does. I can barely predict the ending to a Murdoch Mysteries, so having a little bit of help from Goyer in solving A Secret Courage’s mystery was really lovely. I also really enjoyed the setting of this book! Danesfield House, along with the English countryside, are places I’ve never been before in a book, so I really enjoyed exploring them with Emma and Will. 

In short, I really enjoyed A Secret Courage. I would give it five out of five for Goyer’s well-developed characters, thrilling plot, beautiful setting and enjoyable mystery! Go take a look here!
A special thank-you to NetGalley and to the publisher for providing me with a free ARC, in return for my fair and honest review.

I really enjoyed this storyline. I loved feeling as if I lived back in that time and felt so much sorrow for all those who lived through it. The characters were wonderful. I didn't personally think all their choices reflected their personalities but the story was still wonderful. The ending was surprising but after reflection was still set up for it. Overall, very enjoyable.

This book kept me on my toes.  There was a bit of romance , spies and suspense.  I think it would be so hard to not be able to tell anyone about what you are doing during the war.  I could never be a spy.  I have a lot of respect for Emma and Will.  How can one begin a relationship when you can't tell anyone the whole truth.  I loved how this story went from beginning to end.  There were a few twists and turns.  I received this book from the author for a fair and honest opinion that I gave of my own free will.

A great WWII historical.  A tale of spies, intrigue and covert operations.  I throughly enjoyed.

A secret courage 

The book has a lot of history in it, the character wanted to read about a person called Grace Darling so I had to see if could find a book on her too. This is during World War II. Loved the characters of Emma and Will. She is from the U.S. and mourning the reported death of her brother. Will is a painter and uses that as a undercover for his job. 

 It must really take a lot of research time to write a book like this. Definitely admire the author for this. 

I was given an opportunity to read an advanced copy of the book, enjoyed it very much and the book definitely kept me interested through out.

This Book… WOW!   The intrigue and drama; can I just say that once this story starts you better hold on because it moves.  This is a book where you will want minimal distractions, because you won’t be able to focus well on other tasks.  You may even start looking at your co-workers wondering “hmmm… that behavior is odd, they may be a spy”.  (hahaha)   In all seriousness, this really is a great story, with lots of detail and fantastic characters.

I have to admit, I am not a fan of the cliff hanger at the end of this book.  I need to have the next edition in my hands, right now!

If you enjoy stories set in the WWII time period, this is a can’t miss story!

A Secret Courage is a good spy story.  It is a slow take off but once you get off the ground it moves on better.  The spy game is hard but to have a romance, a real one, is down right unreal, that is what happens for Emma and Will.  Will views Emma as a way to get to the intelligence community where the secrets are kept safe from espionage., which both of them are taught to keep their governments secrets.  Will they trust GOD to trust each other to love one another?  This book is full of lies, distrust, animosity, then trust, forgiveness, love, truth, and redemption.  How can a book lose with all that?

A Secret Courage by Tricia Goyer tells the story of Emma Hanson, a British American woman working for the Allies during World War II.  This novel paints an interesting, layered setting in Greater London.  The details of Emma’s covert assignments were well researched and fascinating.  I really wanted to like this book because I love reading books set in this time period.  However, the plot moved quite slowly for the first part of the book and it was hard to keep reading.  The characters were not as well developed as they could have been and I found the plot very predictable.   A Secret Courage was a fun read, but I was very disappointed since I expected much more.  I received a digital copy of this book from Net Galley in exchange for my honest review.

I really enjoyed this book. It kept me guessing until the end. It had me questioning who was on which side anf who was really involved. From reading other historical fiction by Tricia Goyer, I expected the secret agents to be... different, yet they fully fulfill the roles they've been assigned to. A Secret Courge has danger, betrayal, and if course a lot of secrets.

If you enjoy historical fiction, especially novels about spies during war, I recommend you check this book out.

A Secret Courage by Tricia Goyer
WOW! This story had me hooked from the beginning until the end! I knew women were involved in WW2 but I never knew how deeply involved some women were. This novel will keep your heart pumping with all the action, twists and turns, secrets, and let’s not forget the spies at work! I loved this book! 

Emma Hanson is an American WAC, working in Britain. She is a Photographic Interpreter (PI), she critically looks over every piece of photos for any evidence of what Hitler is doing – his secrets of the bombs that would destroy London. What she does his highly secretive, where she is at is highly secretive.

Will Fleming is a spy. His only work is being an artist. He needs a way in to where Emma Hanson works. The wheels turn for him to get into the compound. 

Emma and Will both discover more than a plot happening around them, they discover something more. But with a war on and with their work, can love conquer all? Or will the war separate what they have?
A Secret Courage is an exciting book that I highly recommend. Especially for those who love action and adventure, along with spies. And if you are a history lover, this WWII novel is perfect! 

Disclosure statement:
I receive complimentary books for review from publishers, publicists, and/or authors, including Netgalley. I am not required to write positive reviews. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255.

I loved learning about the intelligence work that went into the war. I had no idea that the Allies sent planes over Germany purely to photograph the land, while a host of intelligencers were sitting back home interpreting each bit of camouflage and shadow that the photos revealed. I can't imagine how difficult it would be not to let things slip--not even to coworkers! If I were in Emma's shoes, I'm not sure if I could stand the pressure, especially when falling in love with someone who has no part in the work. I enjoyed watching Emma's spiritual growth; we all need God's work in our lives--even  pretty put-together people like Emma.

Figuring out exactly what Will's role is was a little confusing. Would he be a triple agent? He has a cover as a British artist as he runs a German spy ring that he set up as a British agent for the purpose of controlling the information that gets sent to Germany. A British spy pretending to be a German spy pretending to be an innocent Brit. It's a smart way to control the flow of information, not to mention being able to keep tabs on the German spies in place. Better the enemy you know than the one you don't! But it is a concept that's a little hard to wrap one's head around.

As much as I didn't like it, I also appreciated the consequences of Emma's choices. However, I feel like the story ended a little prematurely--not that things weren't basically resolved, but it felt very abrupt. I wouldn't have minded an epilogue or something just to know that things for sure turn out all right--there's still another year of war to survive, after all. However, it was an enjoyable story.

Thank you Harvest House and NetGalley for providing a free e-book to review. All opinions are my own.

*Loved learning about WWII Photo Investigators, but disappointed overall.*

When Tricia was a new author, I hungrily read her WWII 'The Liberator' series. I have read all of her other WWII era books as well; some I've liked more than others. 

A Secret Courage focuses on Danesfield House, which was a British home commandeered by the Allies and used for intelligence purposes. Many WAAFs (Women's Auxiliary Air Force) were stationed there and worked as PIs (photo investigators). Our main character Emma spends hours looking at photographs of Germany, deciphering the information captured in black and white for the military.

I just love learning new facts from WWII. I never knew about PIs! I love photography and the message you can get across from capturing one powerful or poignant moment. I was fascinated then that the military used film for more than just historical record...but as a means to calculate bombing targets. I appreciate all of the research that Tricia did to share facts surrounding the work at Danesfield House, and this was my favorite part of the entire book.

Then there's Will. I wasn't sure about him for much of the book. I mean, I liked him...he seemed honest...but then, I wasn't sure. Tricia kept me guessing about him through much of the book. Spy stuff is great that way! :-)

The very first few pages were an odd and unrealistic beginning: it's the middle of an air raid, people are rushing to the shelters, planes are roaring overhead, bombs are actually falling...and two policemen are chasing Will because he stole a briefcase?! Really? I know we're talking fiction here, but highly unlikely. This set up my cynicism right away...and then the glaring grammatical and flow issues didn't help.

The publisher did not specify if I was reading an uncorrected proof, but boy, my Kindle copy was riddled with errors! Ends of sentences and paragraphs were missing, chronology seemed off, repeated scenes and sentences were rampant, totally wrong words were used...I certainly hope this has been rectified. A good edit will help the story dramatically.

The secrets are good...the characters have potential...it just didn't come together in a seamless way and that unfortunately led to dissatisfaction for me.

*I received a free e-copy from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. No other compensation was given, and all thoughts are 100% mine.*

WWII historical book about the role women had in the roll.
An easy book to read with a few surprises toward the end.

It's easy to get caught up in the romanticized or the traditional war themes of WWII, but the topics covered in this book are not often found in stories about this era.  I enjoyed that aspect of it most of all.  The characters were, for the most part, believable.  There were a few far-fetched moments, but you have to keep the story moving.  It was the ending that I disliked the most.  Given that this is the first book in a new (presumable) trilogy, I'm hoping to see more of Will and Emma's story play out in the next couple of books.  I also hope we get to dig deeper into some of the secondary characters....especially the mystery surrounding one of the men.

I had higher expectations for this. After enjoying Goyer's previous WW2 series, I expected something similar. The history was interesting, the details seemed right. But the story just fell a little flat to me. I never forgot I was reading a book. 
But, this is a series and I am going to read the next book. Hopefully, it will be a better match!

I enjoyed this historical novel.  Even though the time period was World War II, it was a different setting than I had read before.  It was interesting to read about this part of the war that I didn't know about.  Mrs. Goyer did great research.  It was an pleasurable read.  Very reccommended.

This was good, but it could have been better! I love the setting and anything to do with spies will always get my attention. The first few chapters seemed to dump of information and I had a hard time connecting with the characters. I wasn't really grabbed by the story until about halfway through when the intrigue picked up a bit more.

There were some surprises toward the end I didn't quite expect, but my biggest frustration was that so many things were revealed through characters thinking of past events that weren't shown in the book. To me that made it difficult for the reader to fully understand what was going on.

Although this wasn't a favorite of mine, I believe others will still enjoy this book, especially fans of World War 2!

A Secret Courage by Tricia Goyer is an unique and original take on another aspect of World War II. The research Goyer must have done to discover the background at the Danesfield House intrigued me, allowing me to admire this generation even more. Filled with charisma, charm, and clarity, Goyer graphed a story with brave characters who were willing to sacrifice everything, including love to help London survive another onslaught from the Germans. While the romance between Will and Emma paced the majority of the story, the espionage and mystery trickled in the background. Goyer created enough void spaces to wet my appetite for what Will's mission was without giving anything truly away. Goyer carried me through a story filled with mystery, but the ending was anti-climatic. I wanted more. In general, I took a journey through another area of history, proving once again what a great generation this was, but the romance took most of the focus of the story, leaving the mystery as an less than expected moment in time. 

I received a complimentary copy of A Secret Courage by Tricia Goyer from Harvest House Publishers, and the opinions stated are all my own.

This is the first book in a series called London Chronicles.

Emma is an American utilizing her talents of observation to help the war effort.  She mourns the loss of her brother while examining photographs from reconnaissance planes.  She meets Will at a bookshop and wants to know more about him.

Will is a spy.  He's at Danesfield House to discover what's happened to a contact of his, and also he's falling hard for Emma.  He's got to protect his cover, but he doesn't want to hurt Emma.

This book was a bit disappointing for me.  The Kindle version I read was full of mistakes, but I hope those were fixed before release.  Even if I ignore that, the story was kind of helter-skelter.  Parts are repeated, and the story line gets bogged down by memories and flashbacks.  I wish the author had focused more attention on the spy parts of the story.  I think it would have made a more interesting tale.

The ending was a bit of a letdown as well.  I don't want to give too much away, but it wasn't exactly satisfying.  Since it's part of a series, Will and Emma’s story may continue on in another book, but I like having a complete tale.  I thought this book looked really interesting, and I wanted to like it, but it wasn't one I ended up enjoying. 2.5 stars.

*I received a copy of this book from Harvest House through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.