Thank you Netgalley and the Publisher Ecco for the opportunity to read this book. I have read my fair share of Historical Fiction and specifically WWII themed fiction. I appreciate the story in An Unlikely Spy, it is a side of WWII that I haven't seen conveyed in fiction. An Unlikely Spy examines the time leading up to WWII in England known as the Phony War, Evelyn Varley is a young Briton who is recruited in MI5 and is asked to infiltrate a ladies group of likely German sympathizers to gather intel for the British Government. Evelyn is required to make decisions to save her country or save those people close to her. Her decisions live with her even after the war has ended. They say don't judge a book by the cover I was drawn to the book based on the cover and title. I was engrossed with this book, although I felt the ending was awkwardly revealed, I was satisfied with how it ended.

I enjoyed this book, I loved the premise and the mystery, but I had a hard time connecting with the main character...but maybe that was the point? Overall, you shouldn't miss this if you love WWII spy fiction with intelligent heroines

Evelyn is a well-educated but rather aimless woman struggling to find her place in London at the advent of WWII, while she has family and a few well-placed friends she finds herself with no real life until she shows an interest in working for the War Office. After a brief time, her knowledge of German and her ability to masquerade who she really is leads for her to work for MI5, gathering intelligence on fascists living in London in 1939. The story flips between 1939 and 1948 as we see how Evelyn's work and life clash and how she has to deal with the fallout of her actions. While there are a lot of books about WWII, spies and women what I enjoyed about this book was that it took place before the main conflicts of the war, when the machine of war and spy craft was emerging. I enjoyed the author's weaving of events that really happened with Evelyn's fictional story and how the main character was shown as a flawed, aloof and insecure person who happened to work in a job that requires absolute faith and confidence. I received an ebook copy of this title from NetGalley.

I like intricate spy novels--especially about female spies--and past/present timeline structures, so overall this was an enjoyable read for me, but the pacing could have been better. However, the prose was good and the historical aspect well-researched, and that plus the lovely cover would all lead me to buy to round out larger fiction collections.

I was very hopeful for this book. It has many of the concepts I find intriguing- World War II, spies, female lead. The thought of a lower class female working her way up to being a spy of all things during a war was a great plot idea. I felt like the plot of the story did not meet my expectations. Multiple times it felt rushed and like key details were missing. I wish the author had gone into more details with examples of the protagonist's dealings with the groups she was infiltrating. I appreciate the effort the author put into writing the story and her research into these types of events. It was clear she spent time looking up these details to make the story believable. It is the start to a great novel for sure. With a few more events demonstrating how the lead has to transform herself to do her job and the events she takes part in the story would be excellent. Despite my not as high rating, I do feel the author wrote well and allowed me to see and feel right along with with characters. Being able to see her battle with herself about how these acts as a spy made her feel was a new perspective and thought process I had not considered. Thank you for the opportunity for this ARC.

Evelyn Varley graduated from college and went to work for British secret service trying to undercover German spies working in England. Doing so, she runs into things that makes too many people uncomfortable.

This was a little difficult to follow. It jumped back and forth from war to post war settings. Different characters had different relationships to Evelyn depending on the time. It was an ok read.

This book was very interesting once I committed the characters to memory. For some reason, I had trouble remembering the female characters’ names. The story itself was written well enough to hold my attention, but I couldn’t commit to finish this book.

That cover grabbed me and the gorgeously written narrative kept me rapt ‘til the end. Yes, this is another WWII novel with spies but its execution and well developed characters elevate it. What does it cost the soul to be a good spy? Read on!

4 of 5 Stars
Pub Date 01 Jun 2021
#AnUnlikelySpy #NetGalley

Thanks to the author, Ecco, and NetGalley for the review copy. Opinions are mine.

A thrilling WWII novel about a truly unlikely spy. The writing is beautiful. Honestly, I learned a lot of new words from this read. I ended up needing to look up some definitions on my Kindle, but it made me pay closer attention to the details. The story is intriguing. It’s a non-linear timeline, which I love. Definitely a recommendation for anyone who enjoys historical fiction!

I had high hopes for this book but unfortunately did not live up to my expectations. Story was very slow and the the big reveal felt flat and rushed.

There's a lot to enjoy about this book--spy games, intrigue, and unique characters. This novel does fall flat on the plot. While I'm able to suspend belief while reading fiction, the fact that Evelyn insinuates herself deeply into a terroristic fascist group entrusted with US/UK diplomatic cables based off of 3-4 meetings beggars belief. This novel would have benefited greatly from fleshing out how she grew her relationship with her Russian contacts, more close calls, and more background. The wild culmination of her spy career felt unbelievable as well. I'm not one that needs a white knight of a protagonist, but I think more time could have been spent explaining her point of view in order to make her a little more relatable.

This novel was provided by NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for an unbiased review.

Everyone should read this book! It was seriously amazing and the characters were fantastic! The plot was just about the best one I have read this year. Go and read it!

While this book had so much of the things I like, I can say there wasn't anything that hooked me

Evelyn is a British young woman who's trying to pull herself out of the lower working class by her bootstraps, which means condemning her parent's simple lifestyle and making herself a pretty facade to show to all the rich and powerful people she rubs elbows with. This, I think, is why Evelyn is never likable and why as a reader, I barely cared what happened to her. She is always rather wispy...not knowing who she is, not loving deeply, getting in over her head when standing up for her own opinions would've been a better option.

The love story isn't central or compelling. I'm sure the real women this book was based off of had just as many self doubts as Evelyn but a hell of a lot more gumption.

Disappointed. This book was laborious for me to read. Only at the end, did the pace pick up to a fast finish, after a very slow and burdensome undertaking. Thank you NetGalley and Ecco for the opportunity to read and review this ARC.

Female spies during WWII have always intrigued me. How they could so easily become someone else yet maintaining the compassion needed for people of interest to trust them. That’s why I couldn’t wait to read this book but...I was really disappointed. It was a struggle for me to get through. It read very slow and just wasn’t gripping in the way that you want a book about spies to be.

Evelyn is a young English woman who gets a job with the war office. She quickly proves herself to be of value to the MI5 and quietly infiltrates a group of Russians, eager to overthrow the government. Despite the pleas of her superior, Evelyn takes things one step too far and gets herself into trouble.

I so wanted to enjoy this book and I am grateful to the author and NetGalley for allowing me to read it early. I did learn more about women’s roles during WWII which is always my main goal of reading WWII fiction.

Who is Evelyn Varley? After attending an elite preparatory school and Oxford, her parents think she's lost sight of her humble upbringing. But she still doesn't fit perfectly in the world of her affluent best friend Sally. Armed with her degree in German, Evelyn wants to make a difference in the war effort. When she's recruited into MI5, she becomes a mole in a group of Nazi sympathizers. But the lines between good and evil are not always stark, and she finds herself having to choose where her loyalties lie. In the present, we see the consequences of her decisions and how her work has weighed on her.

I enjoy historical fiction with multiple timelines, so this book was a natural fit for me. Starford did a good job building up tension in both timelines, and I was eager to put all the puzzle pieces together. Evelyn is a well-drawn protagonist - compelling and sharp. Seeing her outside her comfort zone as she interacted with the pro-fascists was very intriguing. I did not guess the twists/deception revealed at the end, and I thought the ending was satisfying. This was a fun jaunt into the world of MI5, and I'd recommend it to those who like historical fiction.

Thank you to Ecco for providing an ARC on NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

A book about spies should be intriguing, and this one definitely was. The dual timelines—something I usually hate—worked well here to keep you guessing and build a sense of dread. The time and place seemed well evoked, as was the English class system that plays a subtle but important role. Well-rounded characters, crisp prose, snappy pacing: "An Unlikely Spy" has it all.

Thank you, NetGalley and Ecco, for providing me with an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

An Unlikely Spy by Rebecca Starford is a great historical fiction novel alternating between two time periods, 1940 and 1948, during WWII. In this novel, ambitious and intelligent Evelyn Varley rises above her small-town English upbringing, attends a prestigious university, and ends up being recruited for counterintelligence MI5, and becomes ensnared into undercover work as a Nazi sympathizer in hopes to gain valuable information for the Allies. Evelyn enters this task with vim, vigor, and fortitude thinking everything is simple and black/white, but what she really finds out is that high stakes positions also lead to high stakes decisions. At one point she has to decide: loyalty to country or to personal relationships.

Evelyn is a flawed character, but her haughtiness and overconfidence shows that deep down she is vulnerable and looking for some sort of acceptance and recognition. Does she go about any of these things in the right ways? Nope, not always. But, it would be a boring ride if she did.

I also enjoyed the author’s ability to create a mystery at the beginning and then through weaving between two time periods, piece together the events until all is revealed at the end. I always enjoy that plot device when it is pulled off well.

I also enjoyed the Author’s note at the end with factual information and also her inspirations that helped lead her to this novel.

A great historical fiction. 4/5 stars

Thank you Ecco and NetGalley for this ARC and in return I am submitting my unbiased and voluntary review and opinion.

I am posting this review to my GR and Bookbub accounts immediately and will post it to my Amazon, Instagram, and B&N accounts upon publication on 6/1/21.

“An Unlikely Spy” by Rebecca Starford is a historical novel set in the early days of WWII, and then in 1948, mostly in London. Although I love historical novels and tales of espionage, I found this offering sorely lacking.

Evelyn, a small town girl from modest circumstances is smart enough to gain scholarships to boarding school and Oxford and to get herself befriended by a very well-off, well-connected family. She moves to London and, through the family’s contacts, is hired by MI5 where, eventually, she works in counterintelligence against those seeking to align Great Britain with Nazi Germany. Early in the novel, we are led to believe a serious betrayal has taken place—which is the hook meant to keep us going.

Clearly, “An Unlikely Spy” has the makings for a cracking good story that keeps readers turning the pages. And author Starford knows how to put words on a page. Her sentences are clear and professional. You don’t feel as though you’re in the hands of a rank amateur, which is so often not the case these days.

But instead of a great story, “An Unlikely Spy” turned out to be a muddled, confusing tale that left me not caring very much about the characters, not learning anything about what it was like to live in war-time London, never believing anyone was in any real danger, and not wanting to read anything more by Ms. Starford.

The main problem, for me, was Evelyn. It’s tough to care about a character who is repeatedly described as cold and aloof and thinking of herself as better than others and who, by her actions, seems driven, not by any sense of patriotism or right and wrong, but by her own ambition and desire for meaning and excitement. And its tough to care about a character who continually complains about how tired and stressed she is; and who, while supposedly very intelligent, makes some pretty bad mistakes, including disobeying orders, her reasons for which just don’t make sense.

The structure of the novel is also problematic. To begin with, the first 40% consists almost entirely of set-up and backstory. Plot-wise, nothing much seems to happen and actual points of conflict—the stuff that keeps readers turning the pages—are few and far between. Indeed, during that first 40%, I felt like I was on a very slow plane moving down a very long runway wondering when-oh-when would it ever take off. The author’s choice to keep switching back and forth between 1940 and 1948, all the while continuing to set up and fill in backstory, often makes things very confusing.

And the reveal of the betrayal, the hook meant to keep us going, when we finally get to it, does not really hang together or make a lot of sense. I was left with the feeling: “I came all the way here for this?”

And not to nitpick, but near the beginning there’s a pretty huge historical inaccuracy. Evelyn turns to a friend and says about some people she doesn’t like: “Well you know what they say: ‘Keep your friends close …’” Unfortunately, that quote “Keep your friends close, but your enemies closer,” originated with “The Godfather, Part II,” which came out in 1974, and thus could not have been what they were saying in the 1930s or 40’s.

All in all, “An Unlikely Spy” was very disappointing.

I love the cover, time period and description for Rebecca Starford's novel An Unlikely Spy, so I dove in head first and read every chance I could. Evelyn Varley is a bright and clever girl from a poor family in Lewes, She attends a school on scholarship, meeting her best and very wealthy friend. Evelyn goes on to Oxford and eventually is recruited by MI5, starting with office work and transcribing notes. She receives her first assignment in counterintelligence and must infiltrate a dangerous secret society allied with Germany. Posing as a Nazi sympathizer, she ultimately must choose between friendship and country.

This novel goes back and forth between 1940 and 1948, and despite my aptitude for WWII spy novels featuring female spies, I felt like I missed something through 80% of the story, sometimes swiping back to try to figure out that missing piece or detail. Without spoiling anything, there comes a point near the end where everything starts making sense--a huge, long aha. The author's note at the end explains how much of An Unlikely Spy was based on real people and real events, and I almost wish that was placed at the beginning.

All in all, An Unlikely Spy is a solid spy novel you will want to add to your TBR pile.