624 pages (!) packed with intrigue, World War II code breakers, Prince Philip, Bletchley Park, and three friends in dueling timelines from 1940 through D-Day and 1947 in the days leading up to the royal wedding. This had a little bit of everything and was excellent historical fiction. I listened to this as an audio book and the narration was very well done. It took me awhile to finish because it was long but held my interest as the three women in the novel evolved over time and their stories intertwined. My thanks to Net Galley and the publisher for the chance to read and review an advanced readers copy.

Wow! Kate Quinn does it again with another gripping tale that flips from 1940 during WWII to 1947 with the anticipation of the wedding of Princess Elizabeth and Prince Philip post-war. The amount of research put into creating these charismatic characters that came to life, detailed settings, and the slow-burning suspense made this one of my 2021 favorite books. Saskia Maarleveld did a phenomenal job narrating The Rose Code, which definitely increased the suspense and character personalities.

In 1040, three amazing, yet completely different women, were determined to assist in the war efforts. Osla and Mab started working at the country estate Bletchley Park, where the brightest go to be trained to break German war codes. Soon they convinced Beth to join them in this highly secretive job, and she flourished into a one of the best cryptanalysts. The women become fast friends until tensions skyrocket and more was at stake with the war looming.

in 1947, the three women hadn't communicated in years until one of them sent an encrypted letter summoning the other two to an asylum. Begrudgingly, the two went to find out why their ex-friend betrayed their country and then was committed there. Secrets are unlocked and decoding occurred to determine their fate.

Thank you Netgalley, Harper Audio, and Kate Quinn for allowing me to listen to this book for an honest review. This should move up your TBR list to the top.

Of the three books released in Kate Quinn's books about women working during WWII, this was the best. I've always been fascinated by Bletchley Park and this was a compelling jaunt through history. The inclusion of women who actually existed as characters fed the part of my brain that loves biographies and I cannot tell you how completely bizarre it is to read about the girlfriend of a recently-deceased Duke of Edinburgh before his marriage to QEII. His appearance as a character was bizarre but great.

The story excellently (and infuriatingly) encapsulates the distinctly female experience of being constantly underestimated and abused by men who have decided you're a "witless deb" and the complete lack of control women had before Women's Lib (and we still have a ways to go). Institutionalisation and sexual assault are just two of the many weapons used against women who effectively solved the war through their code-breaking.

The narrator is Saskia Maarleveld and she is spectacular, performing all of the dialects beautifully; her performance of the "upper-class" English was so so great.

I received a copy of this audiobook for free from NetGalley and HarperAudio in exchange for an honest, voluntary review.

The Rose Code explores the world of code cracking during the world war. Everyone must take the code to never reveal what they do or where they work. Yet, one person does not honor the code. Who is it in the close circle of co workers.

World War Two to me is an overdone era, but Kate Quinn makes it seem as if this is a completely new concept. I love that she chose such strong women characters who each had a different layer to add to the story and gave a well rounded picture to the Enigma machines and coding. Anyone who has seen the movie Engima or The Imitation Game would know the background of the British codebreaking teams who cracked the German Engima code. I enjoyed how Quinn gave a female face to this operation. There was so much new information I didn't know about Bletchley Park and Britain during World War Two in general. Quinn does a phenomenal job of adding not only a human face to the war but letting the reader know about what the famous people everyone knows from their history books were up to as well. This book is great for someone who doesn't like reading non-fiction but who is interested in history. Will definitely be picking up more of her novels after this. Saskia Maarleveld does an amazing job giving each women her own unique voice and bringing the personalities and Quinn's writing to life.

I have read two of Kate Quinn's other novels; The Alice Network and The Huntress, and loved both of them so when I saw The Rose Code was available - I knew I had to read it! I read a lot of WW2 historical fiction and find I learn more with every book that I read - and this book did the same. I loved the characters in this book and the plot twists kept me asking for more. This is a must read book for 2021!

I have known that known that Kate Quinn's books are very popular, and I've been interested in reading her after hearing her speak at a book and author luncheon, but her books are rather lengthy which has prevented me from diving in. I'm really sorry now that I have waited so long. This book was so good! To begin with I am just fascinated by the code breakers from the war.

The book is filled with interesting characters with a variety of backgrounds and situations they come from. It's fascinating to me how they did all the amazing work, but had to keep everything so secretive. The duality of women's lives at the time was demonstrated well. Women were just suppose to have these secretarial type jobs, find a husband, and be of high moral character, yet here we had these women doing such amazing work, but having to hide it from those they knew. It allowed the workers to become a close knit community. But then there was also some fallout. The book also brought up some moral dilemmas. What do you do if you learn something might be happening in an area where you have a friend or loved one?
The book was told from the perspective of the three main women characters. I listened to the audiobook which was superbly narrated by Saskia Maarleveld who did an outstanding job.
We were supposed to be going to London this August, but the trip has been cancelled due to the current pandemic situation. I can't wait, though, to return next year because I learned at the end of the book that they have renovated and re-opened Bletchley as a museum. It will definitely be on my must visit list!

I highly recommend this book for historical fiction lovers.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an advanced copy of the audiobook to listen to in exchange for an honest reviews.

Kate Quinn writes incredible historical fiction. I was instantly drawn into the story of codebreaking. I knew nothing about this part of history and really appreciate the author's notes about the real history. It gives me a good idea of the incredible amount of research she must have done to make this come to life. I was invested in the lives of these 3 women and felt their pain at keeping such secrets. Thank you for the opportunity to listen!!

I needed access to this novel, because the story was so well done, so intriguing, so consuming that I couldn’t put it down. It was by no means a quick read, but it was epic and heartfelt. It is a remarkable work of historical fiction and will be one of my top picks for 2021, if not of all time. I am traditionally a fan of heroic WWII sagas, but I enjoyed that this didn’t put us on the frontlines or in the shoes of those living through an invasion, but brought us behind the scenes, so to speak, and into the heart of valiant warriors in their own right. I found it to be an absolutely fascinating masterpiece that brought me to laughter, tears, and frustration. It will be worth a re-read one day, and in all honestly, I’m having a difficult time leaving Bletchley Park behind.

My thanks to HarperAudio for the advanced listener copy via NetGalley. It was truly appreciated.

Note: This review is based upon the audiobook.

In the Rose Code, author Kate Quinn gives readers a peek into the cloaked-in-secrecy lives of the cryptanalysts and codebreakers of England’s WWII Bletchley Park. Told in split-time, the story unfolds through the eyes of three women thrown together amidst the chaos of war: Osla, rich, beautiful, and determined to be more than a “silly deb”; Mab, poor and working hard to prove there is more to her than her wrong-side-of-the-tracks upbringing; and Beth, shy and relentlessly bullied by her mother but with a knack for puzzles that could turn the tide of the war.

Unspeakable tragedy divides the trio, but danger and betrayal reunite them, providing the opportunity to right an old wrong. Masterfully written, there are moments that left me wanting to press pause because I knew the next sentence was going to shatter my heart. But I couldn’t stop listening—I simply had to know.

Narrator Saskia Maarleveld does a brilliant job of giving each character has her own unique voice and accent. A delight to listen to.

*I received a complimentary copy of this audiobook. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

Wow! I am absolutely blown away after listening to the audio version of The Rose Code. If you are a fan of historical fiction, you will not be disappointed! I predict that this book will be on all the best sellers lists. Kate Quinn outdid herself with an emotional plot, lovable characters, & an unforgettable ending.

Great book to listen to. I enjoyed both the story and the narrator. If you're a fan of Bletchley Circle, The Imitation Game, and/or the history WWII codebreaking, you'll enjoy this book.

What a beautifully tragic war time story filled with love, loss, friendship and betrayal. Kate Quinn has created a masterful piece yet again. I felt so connected to all of the characters, feeling joy with their happiness as well as being destroyed in times of their losses. I have a feeling this story will stick with me for a very long time!
5*

This story follows 3 women in a dual timeline that occurs during and after WWII. They are working at Bletchley Park in England where they are breaking German codes. I mean, how awesome is this topic!? I did not even know that this corner of history existed, so thank you @katequinn5975 for telling the story.

This book has it all: love, heartbreak and grit. What a perfect read for Women’s History Month!

On a scale of good, great or fantastic, this book is fantastic!

I loved this story and what a fascinating part of WWII this taught me about. At first, I found the length daunting but I never felt like the story dragged. Rarely do I find a book written in multiple viewpoints where I didn’t have a favorite character but I found all three women to be both strong and flawed in their own ways and felt very human to me. There is a mystery aspect to the story which I guessed but there were plenty of other small surprises along the way that had me audibly gasp. Overall, this is a perfect book for historical fiction and big book lovers alike. The voice of the audio was a joy to listen to and fit the book perfectly.

Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for the audio arc in exchange for an honest review.

I’ve come to the conclusion that historical fiction done via audiobook is not for me. It’s always such a struggle to keep up with the multiple perspective and, usually, multiple time frames. I think it will be nonfiction via audiobook for me going forward.

However, with that, I did enjoy THE ROSE CODE by Kate Quinn; after THE HUNTRESS, she quickly became an auto-read author for me. And this book didn’t disappoint - it reminded me of the movie, The Imitation Game with Kiera Knightley and Benedict Cumberbatch, as it follows three code breakers, their friendship, and what happens to them after the war…especially when one of them mysteriously disappears.

If you are a fan of strong female characters, historical fiction, or spy/code breaker novels, definitely pick up a copy today!

First, thank you to @netgalley and @williammorrowbooks for the advanced listener’s copy to review. Now, do you have a preference of genres when it comes to audiobooks?

This was my first book from Kate Quinn, but it won't be my last. In the vast landscape of WWII novels, this is a standout. It is a vivid, engaging story and I couldn't stop listening. Sometimes reading via audio takes me out of the story a bit, but this one was superbly done.

What a force! This book is amazing, steeped in history and time with the flawless talent of this particular author. It is a part of the WWII story I had not read about before, and it was riveting.
The audio version, provided to me by the publisher and Netgalley, was fabulous as well. The narrator was able to provide distinct voices for every single character.
I’ll have to give myself a minute before I begin another book. I want to stay in these characters’ circle just a bit longer!

The Rose Code is an amazing work of historical fiction by Kate Quinn. I was not familiar with this author until I listened to this book; I'm thrilled to discover I have The Alice Network and The Huntress in my audiobook library. It started slowly, but soon I was totally enthralled. I highly recommend the audiobook version of this novel; I've listened to many, many audiobooks, and Saskia Maarleveld is one of the most talented narrators I've ever heard. Her female voices all sound marvelously unique, and the male voices actually sound like men. The pairing of this author with this narrator is absolute genius!

The timeline of this book is nonlinear, switching back and forth between the period beginning with 1940 and one set in 1947. (Trust me, the back-and-forth switch isn't in the least confusing.). Osla Kendall is a rich debutante recently returned from Canada; she works building planes to assist in the war effort. Prince Philip of Greece is a beau...yes, THAT Prince Philip, who is married to Queen Elizabeth. Mab Churt, aka "Queen Mab", is a poor East Londoner who worked her way through secretarial school, but she wants more, like a husband with social standing, so she can give a better life to her little sister Lucy. Osla and Mab meet on the train on the way to Bletchley Park, where they both have secretive new jobs (Osla as a fluent German translator and Mab who works the codebreaking machines) which are covered under the Official Secrets Act. They are being housed in the home of the Finch family, where they meet quiet and cowed Beth, who seems to be brilliant with puzzles. She also soon has a job in Bletchley Park as one of the few female cryptanalysts. The women become fast friends, but that friendship will be tested as they are all increasingly affected by the war and their work. In 1947 we see Beth in Clockwell asylum, where she has been placed for having a breakdown. Except she hasn't had a breakdown; she is being silenced for having found proof of a traitor in BP! Her time is running out, and she sends coded messages to her former friends asking for help. Will they help her, or will Beth lose her brilliant mind to a lobotomy?

I really can't go into more of the story without giving so much away! There were many WHAT?! moments that I never saw coming. The beginning of the book was a little slow in setting up the relationships between the women, but it's necessary in order to show the bonds between the three. The descriptions of the Enigma and other code breaking machines and how they worked made my eyes cross a bit - that's not exactly my forte - but it was fascinating. It was so hard for these women to have relationships when they couldn't discuss their jobs with anyone, even each other. They did have romantic relationships (my lips are sealed), though, and other friendships, such as The Mad Hatters, the BP book club. This book had me in turns spellbound, laughing and sobbing. Many of the supporting characters were also outstanding, especially war poet Francis Grey, little Lucy, Harry Zarb and Boots the dog. Some of the characters were based on real people (like Osla), but many real-life people also made an appearance, such as Dilly Knox and Winston Churchill. Stories of the war and code breaking were important aspects of the book, but its main theme and draw for me was the resilience of woman and friendships. Don't let this gripping audiobook pass you by.

I received an ARC of this audiobook courtesy of the publisher and NetGalley. I received no compensation for my review, and all thoughts and opinions expressed are entirely my own.

Kate Quinn has done it again! Outstanding historical fiction coupled with strong characters and a riveting plot make this novel a compelling read. The Rose Code is a fascinating look into the world of the codebreakers who worked tirelessly in England during WWII. The novel follows dual timelines (1947 and 1939) through the eyes of three girls: Oslo Kendall, a Canadian debutante dissatisfied with her life; Mab Church, an East End girl with a secret and powerful desire to improve herself; and Beth Finch, a shy, insecure girl dominated by an overly religious mother who berates and belittles her daughter. These girls room together as they work at Bletchley Park forming a strong bond, despite their differences.

The novel begins as Beth has been committed to Clockwell Sanitorium for close to three years but finds a way to contact Oslo and Mab, pleading for their help in breaking a code.. However, a sense of betrayal before the end of the war had severed the girls from Beth. But Beth is desperate; she must have their help in finding a traitor, one who worked with them during the war, someone they all knew. As the story moves between the two timelines, the girls’ backgrounds, personal lives, and challenges working as codebreakers are revealed. As the two timelines move closer, the novel builds in tension and suspense.

I listened to the audio narrated by Saskia Maarleveld who is marvelous at creating unique voices for the many characters. Her ability to distinguish the characters made this a gripping, engrossing read. Highly recommended! Thanks to NetGalley and Harper Audio for an advanced copy of this audiobook.