Mab, Osla, and Beth have nothing much in common when their lives are irrevocably intertwined at the onset of WWII. They suddenly find themselves working at Bletchley Park; a walled off estate within a little town outside of London. But within this little town lies some of England's greatest minds, called together to interpret, break, and translate code. Over the course of the war the friendships, families and wills of Mab, Osla, and Beth are put to the test in this sweeping historical fiction novel.

Kate Quinn has done it again. She breathes life into her characters in a way that makes them jump off the page. Each sentence Quinn writes can be seen and felt. While Osla was by far my favorite character, I enjoyed reading from all three perspectives and thought they were perfectly woven together to create a work of art. The only reason I'm giving this 4 stars instead of 5 is because it could have been trimmed down by taking out some of the focus/monotonous dialogue about codes and code machines. Otherwise, this is another historical fiction novel that would make the perfect film or TV show. Add it to your "TBR" list now!

Thank you NetGalley for providing me with and ARC and ALC of this title. I have read The Alice Network (which is one of my favorites) and Huntress by Kate Quinn and The Rose Code did not disappoint. 3 very different women who end up working at Bletchley Park to crack ciphers during WWII for the British are connected to each other through their experiences at Bletchley Park and their individual lives before and after WWII. There are oh so many secrets they try to keep from each other as they struggle to be successful in their jobs at Bletchley Park. There are many twists and turns to this story and you just want to keep reading to see what is going to happen next. I have recommended this book to many of my friends. I alternated between the book and the audiobook. Narration of the audiobook is excellent.

Trigger warnings: war, violence, gaslighting, attempted rape, involuntary mental hospitalization

(3.5 stars, rounded up)

Three women are recruited at the Government Code and Cypher School at Bletchley Park as codebreakers during WWII. Osla and Mab meet on the train to Bletchley, and Osla recruits Beth after noticing her talent for solving crossword puzzles.

The story is told in alternating timelines, starting both before and after World War II. Readers are taken through the early days of WWII until America joins the Allies. The post-WWII storyline takes place in November 1947, right before the royal wedding. The women's time at Bletchley comes back to them as they investigate a traitor.

Socialite Osla Kendall meets the handsome young Prince Philip before the war. She enjoys writing to and flirting with him during the war when he is away with the Navy. Osla's fluency in German makes her an asset to the British codebreakers at Bletchley; she takes messages that have been decrypted and translates them into English. Her later story takes place when she is preparing to attend Philip's royal wedding.

Mabel "Mab" Church leaves Shoreditch (London) in the hopes of eventually bringing her mother and little sister with her. Their safety cannot be guaranteed in London, but her mother refuses to leave her home. Mab is working for herself and her family but longs to marry so she can feel financially secure. Her work at Bletchley involves using and fixing coding machines. In 1947, Mab is a married woman with children who is reluctant to dredge up the past, potentially endangering her family.

Beth Finch has suffered emotional abuse from her mother, leading her to believe that she is stupid and has nothing to contribute to the world. Upon joining the team at Bletchley, she struggles with feeling incompetent and useless. Beth's 1947 timeline revolves around her time at a mental institution and initiating contact with Mab and Osla about the spy within Bletchley.

Saskia Maarleveld is one of my favorite audiobook narrators, and she does a great job on this one. My only complaint is that when books have multiple points of view, I like the audio production better when there are different narrators for each character.

Recommended for readers of World War II fiction and fans of Kate Quinn.

This is my first book by Kate Quinn but it will not be my last! I’ve read a very wide selection of historical fiction and non fiction about WWII. I had no idea about these code breakers beyond hearing about Alan Turing. Even knowing the outcome of the war, Quinn created a real sense of unease.

Osla, Mab, and Beth were so well drawn that I felt I knew them. One of the things I enjoy to read and see the most are accurate and believable friendships between women. Kate Quinn delivers here amazingly! If you enjoyed The Lilac Girls, you’ll love The Rose Code.

Kate Quinn’s latest work of historical fiction is intense, powerful and intriguing, detailing the female code breakers used to decipher enemy plans during WWII. Quinn has proven herself to be an excellent writer and her characters come alive on the page so that you feel like you know them personally. This was both interesting and dramatic, the perfect combination. This will be a favorite of book clubs.

Yet again Kate Quinn delivers a triumph! Quinn's writing style and her character development make every book she writes a journey for the reader. She perfectly captures the mood. In this latest work, Quinn offers three distinct personalities; Osla the social debutante, Mab the fierce determined one, and Beth the quiet unassuming one. The book provides readers with several focus points. Of course there is the intensity of decoding secrets while keeping secrets during WWII. There is the escapism of a royal wedding, falling in love, dancing, dining, Bletchley Bletherings, and the Mad Hatters book club. Last but not least of course, is the treachery of deceit that lands a someone in a sanitorium. The amount of research that went into this novel is obvious when reading the headache inducing explanations of the rods, cords, lobsters, and everything else surrounding the enigma and bombe machines. To say that Bletchley Park was a well oiled machine is an understatement. While we may never know all of what happened at BP, I know that the author surpassed my expectations with the plot twists in this book. You won't see them coming at all! An intense read that will have you on the edge of your seat.

Thanks to NetGalley for this advance reader copy in exchange for a fair review.
I have been on pins and needles waiting for this book.I have read Alice Network and The Huntress and still offer them up to any patron who wants a riveting historical fiction.
This book is equally riveting! Following three code breakers through their meeting, their arguments, their loves, and finally through the breaking of one incredibly crucial code, I would declare this one that you will read late into the night.
Kate Quinn does it again! Already looking forward to the book club I will have on this one.
Thank you!
5*

This is the story of the unlikely friendship of three women who served at Bletchley Park in WW2. Bletchley Park is what brought them together in spite of their varying backgrounds and personalities. The premise of the story is that one woman desperately needs the other two to help her after the war. Thus we revisit their time at Bletchley while trying to resolve the existing crisis. I especially liked the portrayal of the women and their times. The author didn’t impose the filter of current sensibilities on the story. She told a story of strong independent and brave women while keeping to the limits and societal norms of the times. This is a skill that I truly appreciate in an author. Well done!

Quinn’s book follows three women who play a crucial role in helping the British defeat the Germans during WWII. One is a socialite, one is a woman from humble beginnings who is determined to improve her social standing and the last is a woman who might be on the spectrum, although such a diagnosis was never made at the time. The first two get recruited to work at a top secret base of operations at Bletchley Park. They rent rooms from a family nearby where they find a young woman who is abused by her parents. The two try to include the daughter in some of their outings and learn that instead of being mentally deficient as the mother espouses, the girl has a mathematical, logical facility that impresses them.

Soon all three work in various departments at Bletchley Park. They each play a role in cracking the German code using the enigma machine. The book highlights the intensity of the efforts to decipher the workings of the machines and the complex code used by the German military. One feels the stress and anxiety of the highly secretive effort to beat the code. The book literally hums with the pressure to solve the puzzle.

The characters are wonderfully rendered and they all demonstrate their ability to develop and change. They also all show a patriotic commitment to adhere to the strict code of secrecy that their jobs demanded. While the book explores the lives of all three, it is Beth, the abused daughter, whose story is so tragic. A few years after the war, Beth reaches out to her former friends, begging for help, but the other women are haunted by her betrayal from their time at Bletchley. Some wounds are too deep to get past and there might be no salvation for Beth.

Quinn has written a riveting book that is powerful and perceptive. It simultaneously highlights the important role of women and yet also the powerlessness of women. Gripping and memorable, this will certainly add to Quinn’s reputation as a fascinating chronicler of historic fiction set in WWII.

Has Kate Quinn have a story for you!! Once again, she takes you to World War II. This time. you're cracking secret codes in a secret location. You're intercepting war messages from the Germans along with Osla Kendall, Mab Churt and Beth Finch. Osla is the socialite who wants to prove there's more to her than just being a debutante. Mab is the girl from the poor part of town who wants better for herself and her family. And Beth is the one who's Mom bullies her and has no back bone. Through war circumstances, these three come together.

As the war rages on, each of these girls grows into women they wanted to be, but never thought they would. One will turn her back on her family to forge her own life on her terms. One will lose the most important people in her life. One will sacrifice her heart for love's sack. And you will not want to stop reading as these ladies do the impossible. But all is not as easy as broken hearts. Devastation, betrayal and despair loom large.

My favorite character was Osla. She's the spitfire of the group. She's stronger than she gave herself credit for in the beginning. Beth was the growth you loved the most. She went from shy and timid to a powerhouse in the war effort. Mab's secrets were ones that I didn't predict. As these women became part of the backbone for defeating the Germans, you couldn't wait to see what would happen next.

Kate Quinn has brought you another masterpiece. I couldn't put this book down. Once again, it's based off real people and places. She told another gripping story that you pulled you in from the first page. Kate has become one of my favorite historical fiction writers because she's unbelievably gifted at telling her stories. All I wanted to do was see what each page had in store for the story and the girls I've been rooting for. You are in for an amazing, unforgettable adventure. One you will not likely forget after you read the last word and turn the final page.

If you're like me, your house will become a mess while you're lost in the story, but you won't care, It'll be totally worth it. Thank you, Kate, for another awesome book. It was a true pleasure to read it.

I rarely read a book over 400 pages these days because I just can't dedicate that much time to one book, well I am glad I broke my rule when I requested The Rose Code. This is a big book and although I couldn't put it down it's still takes awhile to get through but if you are a lover of historical fiction move this book to the top of your list. A riveting, suspenseful story.

Awesome book written by Kate Quinn! This historical fiction story is about three women brought together, to help fight in the war, against the Nazi Germans, in World War Two, as codebreakers working at Bletchley Park. Olsa, Mab, and Beth come from very different places and backgrounds, to form an alliance and friendship, and are forever bound by their loyalty and oath to secrecy to their Country! A tantalizing story of these three friends/coworkers’ lives during the war years and their service to Great Britain. You can feel and empathize, with their trials and triumphs, as ordinary women, doing extraordinary tasks, while living and working during the Great War. Recommended reading for all! Did not want to put down until the end!

Kate Quinn has done it again! I have read many WWII historical fiction novels but reading about the code breakers was a first. Absolutely fascinating! Mab, Isla and Beth were all well rounded characters. The plot had a great many twists and turns to have you hooked and trying to figure out the ending.

I received an advance copy of this book and audiobook from NetGalley in return for my honest opinion.

This book is great! Would definitely recommend. Thanks so much to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.

Oslo, Mab, and Beth are young ladies who are recruited to work in Bletchley Park. Each of the Young women become important to the work of de-coding enemy communications. But, towards the end of the war, Beth becomes convinced that there is a spy in their midst, and through a series of unfortunate circumstances, she becomes a prime suspect in this espionage. The friends reunite to solve the last, and most important, code of Beth's life.
This book is so well-researched and beautifully written that I would recommend it to anyone interested in historical fiction, especially WW II fiction. This story brings together three strong women from different walks of life and follows them through this amazing time in their lives, and when necessary, they are ready to band together to solve the biggest mystery of their lives.

I have read A LOT of British homefront World War II novels, and I can say that this one stands out above others! I absolutely loved the historical details about Bletchley Park and the description of how the codebreakers managed the impossible task of breaking encoded Enigma messages, not to mention the friendship between the three main characters. I also liked the bit of intrique driving the plot, and the way the author switched between past and present events. This kept the mystery slowly unfolding a little at a time, and I wanted to keep reading to find out more. Reading a digital copy of this book, I was surprised to find out it was so long (650 pages) because I devoured it so quickly. A must read for 2021!

The Rose Code is a great example of well researched and well written historical fiction. A great story about friendship, love, war effort and duty with wonderful characters.

What a great read! I love Kate Quinn and this newest title provided everything I’m looking for in a historical fiction/thriller: that is to say, it incorporates the British royal family. Join Mab, Osma, and Beth as they navigate Bletchley Park and work in various ways to break codes and supply intelligence to the armed forces fighting in World War II. Friendship and love serve as the foils to their allegiance to their oath and country in the midst of rations and air raid shelters. The story is told in present day, intermingled throughly with flashbacks that tell their individual and collective stories. I love how figures like Alan Turing and other historical figures make appearances. Finally, the epigraph delighted me to the connection to Kate Middleton and her work in restoring Bletchley Park. Highly recommend!

Amazing! I loved the PBS show Bletchley Circle and this was right up that alley. Three unlikely friends with differing capabilities end up at Bletchley Park. The story goes back and forth from then and now--one of the friends is in a insane asylum. Will the other two help her to escape. I loved all the new historical factoids about WWII and the part Bletchley Park played. The relationships between the friends were real and raw. Highly recommended. Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC.

Kate Quinn has done it again. I only discovered her last year and she has quickly become one of my favorite authors. Her ability to meld fiction with history is state of the art and the Rose Code is no exception.

What I love the most about this novel is that, at its core, its about the bonds of female friendship. The three heroines are completely different people but, when thrown together, they demonstrate the human need to find kinship with those around us. In addition, the Rose Code is a war story without actually focusing on the war. Of course monumental events like D-Day play a part, but our characters are fighting a war of information, not bullets. The novel draws the reader into the world of Bletchley Park, a fascinating microcosm of some of the most inspiring stories of the 20th century. Cameos by historical individuals make an already captivating narrative all the more fascinating.

As always, Quinn's writing is rich and inviting, completely immersing the reader in the worlds of Mab, Osla, and Beth. The backstory of the character interspersed with the 1947 narrative is superbly balanced as information is slowly revealed over the course of the novel. I devoured the last quarter of the novel in one go because I simply could not pull myself away from the culminating action. I am legitimately sad now to be setting these characters aside; they have become like friends to me, more proof of Quinn's authorial prowess. Overall, the Rose Code is a gripping, thrilling tale which I can't wait to revisit someday soon.