I couldn't put this down once istarted reading the book. The 3 main characters were well described, with sensitive portrayal of their past experiences. The place setting Latimer House, unfamiliar to me, although I know the area. I was completely in the dark about its use during the 2nd World War. Unlike Bletchley Park. .I would highly recommend this book to those who enjoy historical fiction.

A cat’s meow of a story, beautifully depicting wartime duty, love and above all friendship, all hidden away behind the idyllic façade of a home counties country house. Making it impossible not to get swept up in the era, Wake writes with such clarity, insight and compassion, I was rooting for her three heroines every step of the way.

I love stories like this as. It reminded me a little of Kate Morton's books, so if you like her, I guarantee you will enjoy this. This book illustrates beautifully the effect war has on everyone - those fighting overseas and those on the home front. I couldn't turn the pages fast enough! I want more from this author.

The Secret of Latimer House is based on a real place and a real section of war operations.
Evelyn, Judith and Betty, three girls from very different backgrounds, arrive here to do their bit for the war effort and become friends. Each one works in a different section of the house and it's all highly secretive. The girls can't even tell each other what they do.
I was flying along with this story and really enjoying it. Then about 60% in it descended into slush and sentimentality. It became all about the girls lives and there wasn't enough about the war work.
There were also too many coincidences. Things came about too easily.
Also I could not get to grips with Evelyn's story. She seemed to get away with things which in a highly secret operation was ridiculous to say the least. I couldn't believe she would have been allowed to do what she did and this made me sceptical about the story from there.
However, I enjoyed what I read about Latimer House itself. A piece of history I had not heard about before.

What a wonderful story about three young heroines in WW11 ,all three are from different backgrounds ,a socialite,a farm girl and a Jewish expat but all three are united in their desire to help win the war.They are working at Latimer House in Buckinghamshire ,a secret interrogation centre for captured German soldiers .This book is actually based on a true events which did take place and Latimer House was a real house ,so for me that makes the book so much more interesting .This is such an excellent historical story giving an insight into how it was back then .The girls are all lovely characters with their own stories to tell ,a compelling read of friendship loyalty and untimately love .Many thanks to the Publisher ,the Author and NetGalley for my copy in return for an honest review .

would like to thank netgalley and the publisher for letting me read this brilliantly written historical novel

ww2 is raging and women are taking on jobs that normally arent open to them....3 girls from different parts of life come together to work at latimer house

evelyn is the debutante
betty from the poor side of life
judith a jew who managed to escape her homeland and came to england

all three are thrown together at latimer house where they are doing secret work for the war effort, and the friendships that they make will see them through the rest of their lives as they find something in each other that binds them together

brilliantly written and the characters come alive. have to admit have a bit cry at the end, as it was so well written...will be keeping an eye out for more of this authors works

If this is Jules Wake's first book of historical fiction, she's done a fabulous job. The characterization and intrigue set in a burrow of England during WWII made this a page turner. Three very different women from opposite backgrounds, found themselves bunking together in an attic garret and forge unforgettable friendships among them. The Secrets of Latimer House was an excellent read of the dedication and hard work done on the sidelines, ferreting out details and information from Nazi POWs to assist our soldiers on the frontlines. Ms. Wales did not spare the heartbreak and grizzly, vicious details of the war bonding the three women, Judith, Betty and Evelyn, forever.

This is based on true events that happened during WW11 around the home counties of England. So very well written and researched making this a real pleasure to read. I love the war sagas and felt that this was so real, as it was. This really is a book full of emotions of every sort. 5 stars.

Thanks to Netgalley and publisher for this eARC

I was very excited to get the opportunity to review The Secrets of Larimer House as I thought the plot sounded very exciting and I was not disappointed. It was a fantastic read and I can't wait to read more from the author in the future.

This book is about three girls all working together during WW2. They become good friends and help each other out through some difficult times. This book has strong female characters and their story was interesting. I enjoyed the book.
Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for the early copy

Secrets! Who does not love a good secret? There are so many tantalizing secrets wrapped up in this emotionally charged read. The Secrets of Latimer House is based on true historical events that occurred at the Latimer House in Buckinghamshire. Where secrets were deeply hidden during World War II. No one knew what was going on within these walls. All the townspeople believed it was a distribution center. Little did they know that Latimer House was the place where high ranking German POWs were questioned and their cells were bugged. Listening for any tiny piece of information that could help change the tide in the war. Even the people working within the walls did not know everything that was occurring. You can tell that Jules Wake did a deep dive into researching this fascinating place, which made the story of her three incredible female characters even more rich and vivid.

All aspects of this book are amazing. But the characters immediately hooked me and dragged me into their world from the get-go. They are deeply layered, fantastically different, strong, unique, and develop a deep sense of belonging. Evelyn is from a family of means, who also have a strong history of being in the Navy. She is intelligent, posh, stands up for herself, and knows her way around an interrogation room. Betty asks for a transfer back to her hometown distribution center, the Latimer House. She is quick witted, beautiful, full of fun, feisty, and has a great mind for details. Judith is Jewish and was able to escape from Germany and make her way to England. She feels immense guilt for being able to have this second chance at life, while she hears about the horrific atrocities that are occurring to other Jews. Judith is a pillar of strength, once she allows herself to breath and be able to live for all those who cannot.

All three of these women of completely different backgrounds are billeted together at Latimer House. Learning to lean on one another, trust each other, and build a solid relationship that will last a lifetime. It was compelling to read about these three woman's jobs, which were normally held by men. Their stories and lives weaving together flawlessly making for an astonishing read.

This book takes you in from the first page. The characters are enticing and relatable. I always find old estates, fascinating when you research what has occurred there over the years. The things these places have seen fills me with such wonder and awe. The Secrets of Latimer House did it for me. As soon as I read it of course I looked up the Latimer House and the internet is full of information. Wake did astonishing job presenting the history that courses through the book. Do yourself a favor and add this book to your list, do not keep it a secret either! Thank you to Jules Wake, HarperCollins UK, One More Chapter and NetGalley for allowing me to read this riveting, enthralling, all-encompassing book.

An heiress, a Jew and a farm girl. Nothing in common but all thrown together at Lattimer House. Each doing a different but important job and sharing a room.
Lattimer House is a grand country estate tucked away in rural Berkshire doing an important job in WW2.
This historical story is based on the work of the listeners of the 'M' room who worked tirelessly during the war to bring about an early conclusion.

I enjoyed this one . I loved the characters and the were engaging and you want to root for them . Overall a good book with good representation of female friends during wartime.

The Secrets of Latimer House by Jules Wake was a delight from beginning to end. Evelyn, Betty and Judith were wonderful characters, unlikely friends brought together by war and each with her own past and present worries and difficulties. Some of the plot was perhaps a little too romantic-novel but there were other more serious issues set against that.

The three women meet at Latimer House, a top secret combined services location. It's 1943 and each of the three has skills needed by the government as it continues to plan the campaign against Hitler. And, as a result of their work, each of the women faces emotional trauma and practical difficulties.

Jules Wake skilfully intertwines the three stories and resists the temptation to tie up all the loose ends.

Three women from very different backgrounds find themselves working and sharing a room together at Latimer House, a secret location where prisoners of war are interviewed prior to being sent to interment camps. Often their interviewers are woman, who are perceived as less of a threat and a weakness of the English. The prisoners are also listened to in their cells and any confidences they share with their cell mates are monitored.
Into this secretive environment come Judith Stern, a German Jew who escaped Nazi Germany after her father's shop was destroyed in the Kristallnacht raids, Evelyn Brook-Edwards, a fluent German speaker who was engaged to a German before war broke out, and Betty Connors a local girl who makes good with the help of photographic memory.
Although their backgrounds are completely different and their personalities as varied, the girls bond and form a tight friendship as they all face adversity of different sorts.
I had hoped this book would have more detailed history of the work the characters were doing, but Latimer House really provides a backdrop to several romances and detail is a light touch. Having read The Rose Code earlier in the year I was looking for something similar and whilst this book was an easy enough read it wasn't what I was hoping it would be.
The ending was quite predictable and the personalities of the girls rather over stated numerous times.
Many thanks to Netgalley, HarperCollins UK, One More Chapter for a chance to read an early copy of this book in return for an honest review.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book, it was well written and the three main characters were likeable and different giving different perspectives to each situation.

As a huge Jules Wake fan, and a lover of historical fiction, I was excited to read her first historical fiction novel and it fully deserves 5 stars!
This is a novel full of suspense, drama, intrigue, and emotion. Based on the true events of a local Manor house in the Buckinghamshire countryside, Latimer House and what happened there was a closely guarded secret; it was the top-secret POW site for interrogation – many of Hitlers high ranking generals passed through here during the war.
This novel is based on the story of three brave young women, and not a group you would have normally put together – a local farm girl, a well-to-do socialite, and a Jew; but each are incredible women. They are all strong, brave, and determined no matter what Latimer House may throw at them. A great friendship between the three is formed when they share a bedroom although they have no idea what job the others do in Latimer House.
Fantastic characters: I really loved getting to know them all and seeing how they blossomed doing the important work they were there to do. Their personal lives get as difficult as their professional ones at times, but they are a tightly bonded group and they support one another through tears, and triumph.
I love all Jules’ writes, but this has blown me away. As I read, I felt I was there, I wanted to do my bit and listen in like Judith and interrogate like Evelyn: And who wouldn’t want to have the personality of Betty.

As I read, I could sense the passion Jules has clearly poured into this novel. The research and knowledge that has gone into this is incredible and the result is testament to it. I am a huge fan of historical fiction and especially of this time period and this is definitely one of my favourites.
For fans of WWll and historical fiction, I highly recommend!

A stunning read - three beautifully written characters, each with their own motivations and dreams, drawn together by incredible and important work. I loved the over-arching stories, the characters and their development, the thoughtful exploration of the nuances of war, and the richly detailed explanations and descriptions, which indicated deep and clever research.

A must read.

A wonderful historical fiction piece. The characters alone pulled me in. They each have such diverse stories and I loved their journeys.
Pub date : August 30, 2021
Thank you NetGalley for the DRC in exchange for an honest review.

The Secrets of Latimer House – Jules Wake
“In the war against Hitler, every secret counts”
A beautiful and amazing story of three brave young women in Britain during WWII.
The socialite Evelyn, the Jewish expat Judith and the farm girl Betty. The most unlikely trio but thrown together at Latimer House by becoming room mates.
The chapters flick between each of the girls so you get an insight into all of their lives and journeys.
Latimer House is a secret interrogation centre just outside of London. A complete secret to everyone, they are not allowed to discuss their specific roles even with each other.
I loved to find out at the end that this book was based on actual real events and Latimer House is a real place.
I enjoyed this book so much and I spent the last few chapters crying. Crying for hope and friendship.
“To tomorrow, because today is done”
I recommend this book if you enjoy historical fiction, strong female friendships and a story showing that there is always light and happiness at the end of the darkness.

TW: discussions about murder, domestic violence