This was one of the longest audio books I have listened to and it was worth all the time put in. In the beginning I will admit there were several characters and I was having a hard time keeping up. Once I had it all down, the story of 3 strong women of Bletchley Park sucked me right inside the book. From the dual timeline, a royal wedding, honor, justice and girl power, I’d consider it a bump up on your TBR pile. Thank you NetGalley for the advanced copy of this audiobook.

This was a fantastic book! I have to admit that I was feeling a bit of fatigue with all of the historical novels set during WWII that I've read lately but this one was a completely new and enthralling story! The narrator was fantastic; I could listen to her all day. The book kept me completely immersed and I loved it!

First I have to thank Netgalley for this audio ARC. I was really looking forward to reading this book as I've been wanting to step out into more genres and historical isn't one I generally lean towards. I have also never really listened to an audio before so I was a bit hesitant, but I gave it a go and I am so glad.

This book did not disappoint. I wasn't completely sure what to expect at first, but I was intrigued from the get go. Bouncing back and forth in time with multiple third person POV, I enjoyed the dimension and texture this gave to the story. Many times infuriatingly left with cliffhangers that I have a love-hate affair with.

I really loved all the characters and the narrator did a really great job of showcasing them all. Each personality was a contrast to the next and so many emotions were involved. With a rags-to-riches history, Mab reminded me a lot of Rizzo from Grease with her closed-off, tough demeanor, yet still presented with a feminine quality. Osla was friendly, witty and pretty. Constantly overlooked and judged for being a "stupid deb", she was quick to prove everyone wrong and wasn't afraid to stand against the crowd. Beth, poor shy, reserved, SMART Beth had a tough go. From her upbringing with a physically and emotionally abusive mother and neglectful father, to the events that reunite the old friends. They all meshed so perfectly together and Quinn really showed their individuality.

The plotline itself was a lot of fun. Bletchley Park, a place where code breakers, translators and cryptanalysts all work together to break and decipher German military codes. Secrecy, deceit, love, loss, friends, enemies, war, death.... I was hooked.

As someone who isn't experienced in audios, I was worried I wouldn't be able to stay focused, but the story was so well written, descriptions perfectly captured everything which held my attention throughout, plus the narrator was wonderful. I may now have high expectations for any future audiobooks!

Kate Quinn has done it again, if you loved the Alice Network you will definitely want to add The Rose Code to your TBR list.

“Come on Rose, open up.” Beth remembered why she had called the cipher Rose to begin with, the way it felled into itself, overlapping and secretive.

This is a story about the journey of three very different women, how they became friends, what tore them apart and how their lives were forever changed by their work at Bletchley Park. I really enjoyed a lot of aspects to this book. The take on women’s rolls in this time, the different challenges that they faced simply for being women and how they overcame some things and how other problems could possibly be too big to overcome.

The dual timelines kept my interest since it’s a time period most of us know quite well having this mysterious and devastating incident unfold was intriguing. I liked all of the main characters and was fully invested in them and their stories. This book will break your heart and put it back together, stronger than before.

Only three months into 2021, already so many fantastic new historical fiction novels have been released. There’s The Mystery of Mrs. Christie from Marie Benedict, Our Darkest Night from Jennifer Robson, Jane Healey’s The Secret Stealers, and The Band of Sisters from Lauren Willig, all of which I’ve read and loved.

Now here comes The Rose Code from the fabulous Kate Quinn and once again raises the bar for truly fantastic historical fiction ❤️

This one is particularly appropriate as we come to the close of March, aka Women’s History Month, because The Rose Code is, at its core, the story of women, their friendships, their loyalties, and ultimately their betrayals of each other. I challenge you not to fall in love with Mab, Osla, and Beth, not to feel their pain and celebrate their joy, not to want this book to never end.

@girl_loves_dogs_books_wine

This was the first novel I read (or listened to) by Kate Quinn and I simply loved it! It was long but so worth it. This is the story of the code breaks in England during WWII. The novel took place in alternating timelines: "present day" which was right before the wedding of Prince Philip and Prince Elizabeth and WWII time. The characters were so vivid that I could see them clearly in my head. The emotions were raw and at points almost tangible. It was a fantastic historical fiction novel mixed with some mystery that kept me guessing until the very end. I was actually very sad for it to end.

🎧audiobook “The Rose Code” by Kate Quinn. Was a beautiful, historic fiction about three friends in the 1940’s. They meet as code breakers for WW II and a turn of events leave them as enemies but they need to get to past their differences years later to see if they can learn who the traitor really is. A lovely store of suspense and strength of women and a great nod to the important roles they held back then too.

#katequinn #therosecode #newrelease #audiobook #netgalley

Three women, so different from each other, help the Allies win WWII. This is the basic premise of The Rose Code by Kate Quinn. This novel is so much more.

Each character has her own story. A host of characters join together to solidify a terrific conclusion to this book. Kate Quinn gives these women of Bletchley Park all the credit they’re due. Based on real women ( make sure to read the epilogue). The audio was thrilling with cliff hanger chapters and a great narrator. The audio is long, but I breezed through it.

A must read for 2021. Thank you NetGalley.

Kate Quinn takes a place – Bletchley Park, the site of Enigma codebreakers during WWII in Britain – and brings it to life through the eyes of Osla Kendall, Mab Churt, and Beth Finch. In 1940, these three very different, smart women come together to serve their country in a way that few of us ever could. During their work as code-breakers, they become best friends and are torn apart by grief, loss, and war’s rippling effects.

In 1947, the three women are brought together again by evidence of a traitor in their midst. They must all work together again – despite their past problems – and break the elusive rose code to make the traitor known.

Switching back and forth between their tumultuous time as code-breakers and present-day (in this case, 1947), we witness these three women experience love, loss, friendship, betrayal, the happiest days of their lives, and the worst days of their lives. I was absolutely captivated by this historical fiction novel. Saskia Maarleveld is an outstanding narrator.

This is not your typical historical fiction novel. It’s about smart women trying to find their place in the world and that elusive comfort we call home. It’s about growing up and figuring out what you were meant to do, regardless of societal expectations. It’s about keeping promises, making mistakes, sustaining friendships, and loving your country. It’s so so good, and I highly recommend it to historical fiction lovers everywhere.

Overall I enjoyed this audiobook. While long at some points, I love how the story ended and the epilogue tied it up nicely! I will be recommending this book.

Five full stars all the way! I could not get enough of this book! Once again, Kate Quinn brings us right into a story and makes us feel a part of it. I was invested in the characters of The Rose Code. It was so interesting to learn about code breaking during WWII. Fantastic story line.

The narrator was a great fit for the book. It was a delight to listen to.

I have already purchased this book to give as a gift.

Kate Quinn is such an amazing author. Her books are so rich with intricate details and character development and The Rose Code is no exception! I loved this book and how seamlessly the plot unfolded and connected. This is a very interesting topic as well that expands on the many code breakers working on Enigma in World War 2 in Bletchley Park. Fans of historical fiction will love this book like I did! Thank you to NetGalley and Harper Audio!

What a fascinating read this was - WWII history plus an overarching mystery, it was informative and filled with a mix of interesting characters both fictional and historical. Secrets are exposed gradually as Quinn takes us back and forth from the war to several years post-war (and the eve of Princess Elizabeth's wedding) and we learn about the backgrounds of three very different women and their work at Bletchley Park during the war, and what happened to them after. The talk about the work of decoding of Nazi messages was way above my capacity to truly understand, but was explained enough that it didn't detract from my enjoyment of the book. The narration of the audiobook was excellent, and made it easy to keep up with the characters. Overall the book left me wanting to learn even more about the work at Bletchley Park (I want a some visuals of the machinery involved) and to read more of Quinn's work.
Thanks to Netgalley and Harper Audio for providing a copy for an unbiased review.

Kate Quinn's "The Rose Code" begins in 1947, as gossip columnist and society darling Osla Kendall is facing the imminent wedding of her former boyfriend, Prince Philip, to Princess Elizabeth. But Osla's mixed emotions about the event soon take a back seat to a more pressing problem: Former Bletchley Park cryptanalyst, Beth Finch, has sent both Osla and their colleague Mab Knight a coded message begging for help to get her out of an asylum and find the Bletchley traitor who put her there. But Osla, Beth and Mab have been estranged since a tragedy shattered their friendship during the war--will their old bond and their sworn oath to Britain be enough to bring them together again before it's too late for Beth?

I usually pass on these dual timeline WWII books, but "The Rose Code" intrigued me because I have a particular interest in Bletchley Park. And actually the dual timeline was a clever way to organize this particular story, since the 1947 scenes reveal the extent of the former friends' estrangement and create a sense of suspense in the Bletchley Park flashback chapters as to what event drove them apart. There's a little too much romance here for me--I could have done with fewer "a shock of russet hair falling over his forehead" bits, although thankfully the one bedroom scene with Prince Philip leaves the now 99-year-old with his dignity mostly intact--but Quinn does a great job of bringing Bletchley Park and the whole WWII era to vivd life and of providing a glimpse into the ins and outs of codebreaking. Historical fiction and WWII fiction fans will not be disappointed. (I listened to the Harper Audiobook version of "The Rose Code" and enjoyed Saskia Maarleveld's narration.)

Many thanks to NetGalley and Harper Audio for providing me with an ARC of this title in return for my honest review.

I always love books about Bletchley Park and the women who worked there. I learned more about it in this book than I knew before.

I absolutely loved this book! It tells the story of three women during the Second World War. Three very different women who become friends. This book is filled with friendship, love and betrayal. Brilliant!

I keep saying I will not read another World War II historical fiction - but then I make exceptions. I was glad I made an exception for Kate Quinn's The Huntress and now I am glad I made another exception for her latest. This had such an interesting mix of characters brought together in unusual circumstances. Great audiobook!

I really enjoyed this WWII thriller. Each of the women's voices were unique, and I liked how different their personalities all were. The audiobook narrator did a great job giving each girl a distinct way of speaking and tone. I thought I would hate the socialite Osla but ended up loving her positivity and "fizz." WWII codebreaking is fascinating, and I thought this book did a good job showing how compartmentalized it all was so that no single department had all the information to put together a big picture. I don't think anything like that could happen again. I can't imagine doing such important work for the duration of the war and then being expected to go back to your old life and never tell a soul what you did. The group getting back together to break the Rose Code without the traitor finding out seemed a little bit farfetched, but I enjoyed it, especially the realization that Mab made during it. The distraction of the royal wedding was helpful in heightening the action, but probably not necessary to have things climax on that day.

Thank you to Netgalley, HarperAudio, and Kate Quinn for providing an audiobook ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I was lucky enough to win 2 ARCs of this book in the same week - a physical copy from Goodreads and the audiobook through NetGalley. It's fairly long so I alternated between the two at first but the narrator was so wonderful I wound up sticking to mostly audio, even though it made it longer. I mostly listen during my commute to and from work and I'm working from home halftime now so it took me a while to get through but I never once got sick of it and I'm honestly glad I savored it.

This was an amazing read. There are three heroines, all very different, and I couldn't tell you a favorite because I love them all so much. Each story is filled with joy and tragedy, wrapped up in friendship, secrets, and mystery. A lot of reviews about this book focus mostly on the plot but I don't want to do that because I let the story unfold knowing very little about the book and I loved every moment of it. The characters and plot are complex but not confusing. You can tell the historical details were thoroughly researched and it left me wanting to learn more about the Bletchley Park code breakers. I'm excited to read more by Kate Quinn - I love reading about the badass women of history and she tells their stories so well. I truly loved this book, it's one of the best I've read so far this year. Highly recommend.

Thank you NetGalley, Goodreads, Quinn, and publisher for the ARCs in exchange for an honest review.

I felt very fortunate to receive an advanced listening copy of THE ROSE CODE by @katequinn from @netgalley and @harperaudio. This book was SO WELL DONE on audio and I adored the narration. I've read Kate Quinn's other books and enjoyed them immensely (especially The Huntress), but I think this one is my new favourite of hers!!!

The Rose Code follows three women (Osla, Mab, & Beth) and multiple lovely secondary characters as they meet through their work at Bletchley Park. The book is set alternately during WWII with these women contributing to the war effort in a unique and secretive way playing different roles in codebreaking at BP. The three are very different, but their friendship is fierce...for a while. As all WWII-based novels typically play out, this story was not without immense sadness, heartbreak, and passion, and it was extremely well written. It is not a short book but I could not believe how drawn to the story I was - I could not WAIT to find out what happened to all of these characters, especially as the plot built towards a very intense climax in the last few chapters. It read a little bit like a mystery/thriller at times as the reader attempted to put pieces of a puzzle together without all of the details (a bit like The Huntress that way too). Kate Quinn's writing is phenomenal and so well suited to this tiny subset of a genre in historical fiction. This book had:

-Strong, well developed female characters with feisty fortitude in their personalities
-Excellent friendships with some betrayals and forgiveness
-Great moments of love & romance
-Suspense and page-turning plot points
-Fictional events and characters based on real people (and several actual real people known as Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip gasp!)

As always, it was a total delight to buddy listen to this with my book bestie because my jaw dropped on more than one occasion, and sharing that experience was perfect. Reading is such a solitary activity that buddy reading just fills my introvert heart with a lot of joy :)