It got a little long, but I very much enjoyed. I’ve read a lot of WW2 historical fiction reads and this was uniquely different. The characters are well developed and it includes a great mystery with two timelines. Love books with strong female characters you’re excited to cheer for. If you enjoyed The Alice Network, it is a must read.

The Rose Code by Kate Quinn
Narrated by: Saskia Maarleveld
Publication Date: March 9, 2021 - Don’t miss this!
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Description from NetGalley...
“1940. As England prepares to fight the Nazis, three very different women answer the call to mysterious country estate Bletchley Park, where the best minds in Britain train to break German military codes.

Vivacious debutante Osla is the girl who has everything—beauty, wealth, and the dashing Prince Philip of Greece sending her roses—but she burns to prove herself as more than a society girl, and puts her fluent German to use as a translator of decoded enemy secrets. Imperious self-made Mab, product of east-end London poverty, works the legendary codebreaking machines as she conceals old wounds and looks for a socially advantageous husband. Both Osla and Mab are quick to see the potential in local village spinster Beth, whose shyness conceals a brilliant facility with puzzles, and soon Beth spreads her wings as one of the Park’s few female cryptanalysts.

1947. As the royal wedding of Princess Elizabeth and Prince Philip whips post-war Britain into a fever, three friends-turned-enemies are reunited by a mysterious encrypted letter--the key to which lies buried in the long-ago betrayal that destroyed their friendship and left one of them confined to an asylum. A mysterious traitor has emerged from the shadows of their Bletchley Park past, and now Osla, Mab, and Beth must resurrect their old alliance and crack one last code together.”
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Thank you to @netgalley @harperaudio for the digital ARC in return for my honest review.
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My thoughts...
Fantastic! Drop everything and read this! This story wasn’t only about three extraordinary women code breakers and the secret history of Bletchley Park - it was also about vigorous secrecy on the work behind beating the Nazis, catching a spy and keeping your friends up until your last breath. I’m glad I listened to the audiobook because the narrator was superb. I was enraptured by the story-telling supported by impeccable research. Based on historical facts that Kate Quinn made absolutely gripping and perfectly executed.

Historical fiction at its finest. I listened to this on audio and it was one of my favorite audiobook experiences ever. Kate Quinn's writing combined with Saskia Maarleveld's narration flows so naturally that I just sort of escaped into the story. I learned a lot about the codebreakers at Bletchley Park during WWII while also just enjoying a story of strong, intelligent women. If you loved the movie The Imitation Game, you should definitely pick this up. Or if you like historical fiction, reading about badass women, or stories of female friendship. This was my first Kate Quinn but most certainly not my last!

I love this author! I have really LOVED the 2 previous books I read by her (The Alice Network and The Huntress).

This was also a great read, about the work of English code breakers during WWII. I loved the 3 main characters and their various story lines. The romance and brainwork was explained so well. The relationships between the 3 main women, each so different from the other, is so well written. Character development was splendid. I really loved how the two timelines (1947 and 1940-1944) intertwined. It was not cheesy or fake. I listened to the audiobook and, though te narrator was stellar, think I would have enjoyed the book more had I read it. And the end was... disappointing. I felt a bit underhwhelmed by the sudden whodunnit revelation.

out of the 3 books I read by Kate Quinn, this is #3 on my ranking, but it's overall a great read!

This is a review of the audible version of the book. This is an average book in terms of plot and character development. An enjoyable historical fiction read. I was a little bored in the first half of the book as the characters were very clichéd. It did get more interesting in the second half. I wish that publishers would invest in more than one narrator when there are both male and female voices and a variety of them. It is a challenge for one person to develop all those voices. Having said that, a reasonably good job was done with that. Thanks to NetGalley for a complimentary copy of the book in exchange for my honest review.

Wow, wow! I loved this book. Witty, amazingly strong women and deep friendships during the time of war. This book was well written and the story was captivating. A story of what people give up, how secrets can kill, and how friendships can rescue you. The book was long, but I did not feel like it dragged and there was very little that did not move the story forward and everything was pertinent to the ending. All of the characters were well developed and likable. I haven't read a book in a long time that I couldn't put down, but this one I had to know how it ended. Such a wonderful book.

Thank you to Netgalley, the author, and the publishing house for the ARC of this book.

A book about female codebreakers at Bletchley Park during WWII? Written by Kate Quinn? Narrated by Saskia Maarleveld? COUNT ME IN.

This book is set in two timelines, the early 1940s and then 1947. And as those timelines progress you get to see the story of 3 unlikely friends unfold and become more intimate and complicated. It took me a minute to get into this book, but two friends told me to keep going, that I would love the story, and they weren't wrong.

Royal cameos, code breaking, a cute dog, bookish chat, and female friendships are the highlights of this novel. Plus there is some romance thrown in too. If you are a historical fiction fan, especially of WWII fiction, this is a must read.

Content Warning: Forced Institutionalization, Death, Violence, Sexual Assault, Infidelity, Racisim, Open Door Sexual Content

Thank you for the advance copy of The Rose Code. The story itself had been hard for me to get into but I also am not a huge fan of War time stories. The story by is written very well and the narrating is superb however, I found that the first half of the story was possibly too long. The Rode Code hooked me because of Prince Phillip, & Oz, as I have always been a sucker for the Royal Family. Then it dragged on for me until about 50% then I began to enjoy the story more. But again, I am not a fan stories that take place during war times.
Again, thank you NetGalley for the advanced copy of the audiobook.

The amazingly well written tale of three female codebreakers during WW2 and how despite their differences, they formed an unbreakable bond.

I was able to listen to the audiobook for The Rose Code, thanks to the publisher and to Netgalley. The narrator, Saskia Maarleveld, did a terrific job portraying the characters and the story. I definitely recommend reading the book this way as the narrator does a great job bringing the book to life.
The book itself was a pleasure. Kate Quinn delivers another stellar reading experience. This one is based in the UK during WWII. There were rations, soldiers and a bias of expecting all men of the serving age to be in uniform. There were those people behind the scenes who were unable to even state what their jobs towards the war effort were, and this was even a siloed creation within the system. They each knew their portion but did not overlap with other pieces of the puzzle.
We follow three women who are all gifted in their specialties. Osla is from the upper class and having a relationship with Prince Phillip. The next is Mab, who is more middle class and then Beth, who is poor and still living at home under the strict rule of her mother. These women and others, become friendly in their passing at work. The ultimate job was to crack the codes that the Germans were using for military intelligence. It largely appealed to people who were gifted at solving puzzles. Interestingly, the messages were in German and yet those code breaking may have not known any German. They used dictionaries and worked hard to break these codes. So, Beth could break a code but did not know German, was handing over words whose meaning she did not understand. The story is escalated when Beth is committed to a sanatorium and threatened with a lobotomy due to a traitor in the ranks. She needs allies to help her to figure out who this person is and keep her body and brain intact.
This was a fast and engaging read and I highly recommend it to any historical fiction lovers.
#TheRoseCode #Netgalley #HarperAudio

The Rose Code
5/5 ⭐️

Thank you to @netgalley & @harperaudio for allowing me to have an ARC audiobook! I meant to post this March 9th for publishing day but life 😬 I should’ve actually had it up March 8th for International Women’s Day because these ladies are fierce.

Wow wow wow! How are Kate Quinn’s other books, the Alice Network and the Huntress, sitting in my unread ebooks!?!? I enjoy historical fiction but this seemed next level. I mean the mention of some Royal Family scandal (fictional past not real present 👀) and Alan Turing (I loved the Imitation Game) had me hooked but it didn’t rely on these famous men to be exciting. This story really didn’t have any dull points even though it was lengthy at almost 16 hours.

Kate based the 3 main ladies on real life Bletchley Park women and I really enjoy when historical fiction weaves in truths to help build a story. The work these women did to help in ending WWII is truly remarkable. I hope I can one day visit Bletchley Park to learn more.

Now go read this one, you won’t regret it!

#KateQuinn #theRoseCode #historicalfiction #WWII #strongwomen #BletchleyPark #London #Buckinghamshire #bibliophile #readeveryday #audiobook #books #currentlylistening #readingnow #historicalbooks #goodreads #fivestarreview #coding #enigma #goodreads #netgalley #harperaudio #harpercollins #booksbooksbooks #bookish #bookworm #booknerd #nsbookstagrammer #canadianbookstagrammer

Posted to Instagram @myweekendisebooked

Fans of Kate Quinn and WW2 historical fiction will not want to miss The Rose Code. Wow! This audio book flew by for me. It was so hard to turn it off each time. I just wanted to keep going!

Heart pounding, captivating, emotional...these are but some of the descriptors I would attach to this book. It was a smashing dual timeline that took place during the early years of WW2 and just after the war in 1947. Three women with completely different upbringings are hired as top secret decoders as part of the war effort. They find solace and friendship in one another as they navigate their work, relationships and downfalls. At the centre of the story is the mystery of who is stealing information as it becomes clear that there is a spy among their friends and co-workers.

I absolutely loved the characters. In particular, Oslo, who was dating prince Philip before he was married to Elizabeth. I found her story and personality fun and witty. Every character was carved out well. They made the story!

The audio performance was good. I thought the narrator offered a pleasing rendition, using different character voices that flowed well. A gracious thank you to Harper Audio and Netgalley for an advanced audio copy in exchange for an honest review.

🔥🔥RELEASED HOT THIS WEEK from one of the masterful wordsmiths of crafting historical fiction THE ROSE CODE by @Kate Quinn. 🔥🔥 From THE ALICE NETWORK and THE HUNTRESS fame, next comes Quinn’s newest novel bringing forth out of the shadows of infamous Bletchley Park, three brilliant women bound by a secrecy oath and a sisterhood of friendship. Osla, Beth, and Mab are as different as nite and day; but as they are joined to serve Britain together during the War against Hitler and his Nazi forces their lives will never be the same and will forever be entwined. Familial backgrounds, social status, wealth, and beauty all become superfluous with only determined wit and tireless tenacity mattering as all work together among the huts of Bletchley decoding, intercepting, and translating to tackle ENIGMA machines and German intelligence. But even as the War ends their battle isn’t over, as years later they once again have to come together to confront and vanquish a spy from their own ranks on the heels of formulating an escape from a mental asylum. As many readers have seen the movie IMITATION GAME heralding the genius of Alan Turing, THE ROSE CODE brings to light the work of the women decoders and intelligence that worked side by side together with the men to help expedite the end of the War and save countless lives. So although there are famous cameos in the book ranging from Alan himself to Ian Fleming of Bond fame to Prince Philip as a bachelor and Winston Churchill the formidable PM, make no mistake the stars of this book are the Women of Bletchley Park represented mainly through the protagonists of Osla, Beth, and Mabel. It is time to give due and homage to the 75% majority of the Bletchley thousands - WOMEN.

Bletchley Park has come into the spotlight more recently as it has been restored and championed by The Duchess of Cambridge herself, Kate Middleton, reopening in 2014. She has a personal tie to one of the women who served at Bletchley Park in hut 16 - her grandmother Valerie Middleton - so she was shown the ropes by Valerie’s past codebreaker colleagues there which included none other than...96 yr old Mab Sharp. And now The Duchess has another woman across the Atlantic rallying behind the names and importance of the GC&CS women codebreakers at Bletchley, American authoress Kate Quinn.

This book may need to be moved up in your TBR pile if you loved :
*HIDDEN FIGURES by @Margot Lee Shetterly
If you like this book, you may also want to read:
*THE WOMAN WHO SMASHED CODES by @Jason Fagone

What a fantastic story! I was a little apprehensive going into this because it's so long. I had read (listened to) The Huntress and that seemed to go on forever with no end in sight. While this story was long, it kept getting better. I learned so much about operations at Bletchley Park and the three women the book focused on were all so fascinating. I loved the side story with Prince Philip and the ending tied everything up nicely.

I received a copy from #NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

#TheRoseCode #NetGalley

A master at the top of her game!! I was lucky to get an advance listening copy of the Rose code through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review AND my pre-order came early this week! Kate Quinn is one of my favourite authors and WWII historical fiction is my favourite genre so I had a good feeling I was going to love this book. The Rose code REALLY delivered on all the things I love most in a book: strong women characters, a compelling mystery that kept me guessing til the end and rich historical details about a time/place I didn’t know much about before. The story follows three Bletchley Park (BP) codebreakers over the course of WWII. We experience the highs and utter lows these ordinary women go through as their friendship forms and is later destroyed by betrayals. One of the three ends up committed against her will in a sanitarium after the war and her fight to escape and find out who was the BP traitor is the mystery running throughout the story. There’s a LOT of heartbreak but also a hopeful redemptive ending for each of the women too. I can’t say enough good things but don’t want to spoil this amazing reading experience. Favourite quote: “People suspect women of hanky-panky...But they never suspect women of espionage. No one thinks women can keep secrets.” Make this a must read - you won’t be sorry! Fans of The crown are also going to love the Prince Phillip storyline!

Friends, lovers, betrayals, codebreaking, and World War 2 - what more do you need for entertaining read?

I received a copy of The Rose Code audiobook from NetGalley and tried my best to finish before publication date but I missed it. Regardless, thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this book. I thoroughly enjoyed it!

This story was about three women from different backgrounds and their stories working as cryptographers at Bletchley Park during World War 2. There was love, loss, friendship, and betrayal that kept me wondering what would happen next. The story was fascinating but I think I could have done without the technical de-coding in some parts of the book, especially on an audiobook, but the rest of the book definitely made up for it. I'm not a huge historical fiction fan but I highly recommend this one.

The audiobook was difficult for me to get into at first because it was hard for me to understand the accent at times (it's probably just me 😂) but the narrator did an excellent job with the different characters. She even did some Scottish accents when those characters were speaking.

I would read more from this author and I guess that's a good thing because I have The Alice Network on my TBR list.

What a fascinating book and the narration is just perfect. I knew nothing of the story of Bletchley Park and Kate Quinn's story transported me to the world of three very different women who helped change the course of history. The details were so intriguing that I kept stopping to look them up. form Prince Phillip's girlfriend, Osla, to the enigma machine this story sucked me in and I would love to see it in a movie. I highly recommend the audio version, it's one of the best narrations I have heard.

Excellent plot and wonderful story behind it all. Much like Kate Quinn's other novels, I was drawn in by the plot and the character. However, it was much too long. While I enjoyed the audiobook and it is very well performed, it was fifteen hours long. FIFTEEN. That's a long time to dedicate to one book. Some editing would have helped, but I enjoyed it overall.

Due to the length, I will not be adding it to my library, but I will recommend it to historical fiction fans.

The Rose Code by Kate Quinn is an astounding work that effortlessly combines fiction with nonfiction as it explores the world of Bletchley Park during World War II. The famous home of the code breakers during the war carried its secrets and held them close while fighting Hitler and his army. The Rose Code follows three women from completely different backgrounds as they fight to win the war and prove themselves. Mab is a young woman from a poor neighborhood trying to rise above her station. Beth is a local girl with a brilliant mind destined to be a spinster. And Oslo is a debutante desperate to prove she is more than just a pretty face. Triumph, heartache, and betrayal reside within the walls of the park and the three ladies must navigate the world within, while still doing what they are called to do. When one is locked away, will the others help? Astounding book. The audiobook was great. I kept wishing I had a physical copy so I could keep reading when I couldn’t listen. Five stars. I’ll be looking for more by Quinn. Thanks to #NetGalley for this opportunity. All opinions are my own. #therosecode #bookstagram #all_the_pages

This is, hands down, my favorite Kate Quinn book so far.

I was fascinated by the historical aspect of codebreakers at Bletchley Park during WW2. The story flowed between time periods seamlessly, and although it took me awhile to be drawn in to the story initially, after a few chapters I couldn't stop listening.

Quinn did a wonderful job bringing Osla, Mab, and Beth to life. I felt their highs and lows so strongly. It was interesting to see how the war could bring such different people together. These compelling, resilient characters will stay with me for a long time.

The narration of the audiobook was fantastic, too. This is a long book, but stick with it...the incredible ending more than makes up for a slower start!

Thank you to @harperaudio ALC of this title in exchange for my honest review!