2.5 stars

For the second time this month, looks like I am once again an outlier who didn’t like a book written by a popular author that everyone else seemed to really enjoy. In both instances, the reasons why I disliked the books were very similar, even though the genres, styles, and story lines were completely different (more on this later). The interesting thing is that, with both authors, I had read previous books by them and had enjoyed those immensely, but their newest releases I disliked to the point of nearly breaking my own rule and giving them the DNF treatment (in the end, I hung on, but barely, since I had to resort to skimming large sections of both books in order to get through them). It’s also possible that the previous books were also problematic, but I didn’t notice at the time, and now having evolved as a reader, I’m perhaps more critical of things that maybe didn’t bother me before. Either way, both experiences have made me realize that I need to be even more selective with the books I decide to pick up (not that I wasn’t selective before, as I’ve always been a lot pickier than most people I know when it comes to this stuff) – basically, I have enough to deal with in my life at the moment and I really don’t want to add “frustrating reading experience” to it if I can help it…

Before I talk specifics about what bothered me with this particular book, I have to say that I did read Martha Hall Kelly’s previous Lilac Girls series and thought those books were really well done – which is why I’m completely baffled as to how Kelly’s newest release, The Golden Doves, ended up on the absolute opposite end of the spectrum for me. Initially, going into this book, I was actually expecting to like it, not only because I had enjoyed Kelly’s previous works, but also because the genre is historical fiction (which is my favorite genre) and the premise really did sound interesting: two former female spies (the titular ‘golden doves’) who endured unspeakable atrocities during World War II join forces once again after the war is over to heroically take down a bunch of Nazi fugitives who had evaded justice. Given this description, I assumed that I would be getting a thrilling, fast-paced espionage story with two strong, kickass female protagonists at its center (yes, a la Kate Quinn, whose works I adore). Well, friends, that assumption was dead wrong! What I ended up getting instead was a plot hole-filled, unnecessarily draggy, poorly-written, boring (I could keep going with the negative adjectives, but I will stop here) story featuring two naïve, immature, annoying-as-hell, frustratingly pathetic (which, believe it or not, is an understatement) female protagonists who were so stereotypically written, it’s not even funny. I mean, literally all you need to know is that Josie Anderson is American and Arlette LaRue is French – those identities essentially drive the entire story in that they dictate how the two women act, think, talk throughout much of this (unnecessarily long 500+ page) book. With Arlette especially, we are reminded time and time again throughout the entire story, both directly and indirectly, that she is a French woman (which to me, felt like the author was trying to use that to justify why Arlette behaves the way she does — namely, the constant flirting with men and always having to come across as ‘sexy’ and ‘sensual’). And yes, both women were utterly unconvincing as spies – sure, it can be argued that both were recruited as teenagers (though this already doesn’t make sense because why them??) so of course they would be immature, but the problem is, nearly a decade later, when they became grownups (both when they are apart and when they reunite), they still conducted themselves in exactly the same immature manner in nearly every circumstance.

For me, the biggest issue with this book was the way the characters were written, which can essentially be summarized in two words: unrealistic and unlikeable. First, Josie – she works as an agent at U.S. Army Intelligence, but she is impulsive, irrational, and has no sense of awareness or common sense whatsoever (as an example — in one scene, she knows someone is trying to kill her, yet after nearly getting run over, she walks into a hotel room without checking it first, immediately pours herself a drink, leaves her firearm in plain sight on the kitchen counter, then blindly pushes open another door, completely unaware that someone is following her). Much of her behavior and actions throughout the story don’t align with her job -- in fact, several characters she encounters throughout the story outright question whether she was ever trained because she kept doing stupid things. And that’s when she’s an adult…as a teenager, she actually does even more ridiculous things, which, of course, is not surprising at that age – what’s surprising is why she was chosen to be recruited as a spy in the first place. Of course, this also makes what happens at the end, with her career, entirely unplausible.

As far as Arlette goes, I honestly don’t even know where to start. While Josie’s story arc was ridiculous but at least somewhat tolerable, Arlette’s story arc was absolutely outrageous. Pretty much all Arlette does for most of the story can be summarized as follows: 1) pine for her son, 2) flirt with every guy she encounters, 3) berate herself for being “pathetic” and “ridiculous” because of how easily she falls for men (especially the handsome ones — though it seems that, according to Arlette and Josie, every man they encounter – and there are plenty in this story -- who isn’t a Nazi fugitive is “handsome” or “good-looking” in some way). As an example of how outrageous and nonsensical Arlette’s story arc got — I ended up skim-skipping most of the sections where Arlette was in French Guiana (which was, oh, like a third of the book) because a lot of it was useless fluff that didn’t advance the plot much (except near the end), plus I got tired of reading about Arlette lusting after the bodyguard every couple pages (no exaggeration – there were actually scenes where Arlette spies on the guard taking a shower, or her blouse conveniently flies open in his presence somehow, or she’s in a bathrobe when he suddenly enters the room for no reason – not to mention all the gratuitous references to the bodyguard’s “beautiful eyes” or hot physique or whatnot) — it basically got into “steamy romance” territory, which to me, made absolutely no sense given what the story was supposed to be about.

Another thing that irked me about this book was that the entire narrative was written in first person, alternating between the “voices” of Josie and Arlette. Normally, this would not be too much of a problem, but when both of the main characters are so unlikeable (and problematically written like they were here), to have to hear the story told from their perspective and be subjected to their every ridiculous, outlandish thought – well, let’s just say it made this already tedious and frustrating read even more tortuous. Interestingly enough, the last couple books I read that I didn’t like (all new releases) were in the same format – first person point of view narrated by the main protagonist(s). I noticed this format is used a lot with mysteries and thrillers, which I can understand, as the limited perspective could help build up the air of mystery or suspense in the story, but with historical fiction, it seems like it would be less effective…though I guess at the end of the day, doesn’t matter too much as long as it’s done correctly, which it obviously wasn’t in this case, as it made the entire story sound stilted and awkward.

Overall, I was hugely disappointed with this book. It actually had the potential to be a very powerful, emotional story about the Holocaust and its aftermath, while also shedding light on historical atrocities such as the Lebensborn program, the secret experiments at the concentration camps, the underground network that helped the most heinous of Nazi fugitives evade justice after the war, etc. Unfortunately, Kelly took the story in an entirely wrong direction with the contrived plot and the ludicrously nonsensical (not to mention unrealistic) characters. Ironically, the Author’s Note at the end of the book actually does a good job of covering the historical details and also provides references for non-fiction books that cover these topics. I mention this because I’m kicking myself now for wasting my time reading 500+ pages of a story that I disliked when I could’ve just read the Author’s Note and found out everything I needed to know (including the basic plot and the ending, which there are major spoilers for in the Author’s Note).

To me, this book was a waste of time, but again, as I mentioned earlier, I’m an outlier with this one so don’t just take my word for it. If you’re on the fence about whether to pick this one up or not (with the page count, it’s actually quite a time investment), I would recommend checking out other reviews before deciding.

Received ARC from Ballantine Books via NetGalley.

The Golden Doves were incredible characters and I devoured their story. This is without a doubt one of the most powerful and compelling books I’ve ever read and I cannot stop thinking about it. The narrator was perfect for this story and I flew through it. I could hardly wait to see how everything turned out for both "doves." I really appreciated the author’s note and all the research she did to share this story with her readers.

What a compelling story! I, as always, was drawn in by the fascinating story and the excellent writing, which pulls you into the story and keeps you interested. However much I was pulled in from the beginning, the second half of the story didn’t work for me. Yes, I realize this is based on a true story and that these atrocities really happened but it wasn’t relayed as well and the story felt like it was dragging on. I think the issue may have been that I didn’t love the characters as I did the ones in Martha Hall Kelly’s previous books. The ending was satisfying but the middle lost me.

Once again, Martha Hall Kelly has written an incredible novel steeped in fascinating history and wonderful characters. The Golden Doves captivated me from the first page as I was drawn into the lives of 2 young women who had served in the French Resistance during WW2. The novel opens in 1951 and the reader discovers how these women, Arlette and Josie, have tried to move on from the horrors of war. The women come together again and risk everything to hunt a Nazi doctor which takes them to French Guiana. The book felt, at times, like a mystery novel as Arlette and Josie are on a quest to find out what exactly is happening in French Guiana.. What I love most about Kelly's books are how well researched they always are and I always learn something new about history. This book is no exception and I was shocked by some of the historical events Kelly shares. I will always be a fan of Martha Hall Kelly. From the minute I discovered Lilac Girls, I knew I would read anything and everything she writes! The Golden Doves even revisits a few characters from Lilac Girls. This is definitely a book for anyone that enjoys historical fiction!

The Golden Doves provides an eye opening look at the post WWII era where those who survived the war continue to have to find ways to do so and also continue bringing war criminals to justice. Each one of Martha's novels is better than the last!

The Story of Two Women in the French Resistance and Afterward

During WWII Josie Andersen and Arlette LaRue worked for the Resistance in Paris. They were so successful stealing secrets that they were known as the Golden Doves. Their notoriety made them targets of the Gestapo. They were hunted down and imprisoned in Ravensbrook where terrible medical experiments were performed on the prisoners. Arlette’s son Willie was also taken prisoner, but he disappeared. At the end of the war, they were released from Ravensbrook, but Willie was missing.

In the 1950’s, the two women come together again. Josie is working for the US government in Operation Paperclip keeping track of scientists brought to the US to keep them from Russian Intelligence. She is tasked by the government to find the doctor who performed the infamous experiments at Ravensbrook. Arlette has been given information on where Willie might be. This quest takes them from Europe to French Guiana.

This is an extremely well written and researched novel. This is the third novel by Kelly I’ve read. I think in some ways it’s the best. It reintroduces some of the characters from the Lilac Girls, another novel set partially in Ravensbrook.

The characters of Josie and Arlette are very convincing. They were both brave women who cared about their loved ones and wanted he help women injured during the war. The book is long, but the author keeps you reading with cliffhangers at the end of some chapters.

The afterward is worth reading. It details how the book was conceived and relates where it is based on fact. I highly recommend this book if you enjoy excellent historical novels.

I received this book from Penguin Random House for this review.

Two female spies in France during WWII reunite a few years later to try to track down escaped Nazis in South America. Fast-paced story which takes the reader on a wild ride from Paris to Ravensbruck, Texas to French Guiana as these brave women try to find lost family, Nazi criminals all while protecting their own secrets and not knowing who they can trust.

I read Martha Hall Kelly's book Lilac Girls and loved it so was excited to read THE GOLDEN DOVES. Two women who worked together to obtain intelligence during WWII and were sent to Ravensbruck when caught, find themselves with the opportunity to locate the doctor they hold responsible for the deaths of their families in the concentration camps.

That is the backstory, but Ms Kelly has skillfully written the story of how these women endured so much to live only to find their families gone. Their lives after the WWII ended would never move forward until they could see these doctors punished. The story will hold your attention firmly to the page, the tension builds as they move closer to their target, but so many Nazis escaped, can they stop this one? Another great reading experience courtesy of Ms Kelly.

A continuing story of the woman’s prison, Ravensbruck, by Martha Hall Kelly but it is also a stand-alone book if you haven’t read her other novels. The storyline follows two timeframes, 1944 and 1952, for the two main characters. Josie, a Jewish American, who was living in Paris during the French Occupation by the Germans and Arlette, a Frenchwoman. The two became part of the Resistance and did so much spying that they were called “Golden Doves.” Eventually they are captured and taken to Ravensbruck along with Josie’s mother and Arlette’s young son. In 1952, the two women meet again in Paris. Josie is trying to track down one of the doctors from Ravensbruck to bring the doctor to justice while Arlette is trying to locate her son and has just received her best information about him. The travels over Europe are exciting yet dangerous for Josie and Arlette and Josie eventually find themselves in French Guiana. A tense story about the war years and as tense during the time when the U.S. was trying to recruit scientists from Germany and ascertaining their possible connection to the Gestapo. One can’t help but be impressed by the thorough research the author has put into the book. Many thanks to NetGalley and Ballantine Books for this outstanding ARC; the review is my honest opinion of this not-to-be-missed historical fiction.

Five-Star Book Review: THE GOLDEN DOVES by Martha Hall Kelly

🕊️ Synopsis: Some stories don’t stay buried. American Josie Anderson and Parisian Arlette LaRue first come together stealing Nazi secrets for the French resistance, then become further united through shared trauma and grief at a Nazi concentration camp. It’s now 10 years later and they’re both trying to forge a new path. They may be an ocean apart, but their lives are still intertwined. When Josie, now an Army officer, is assigned to identify an infamous Nazi doctor at the same time that Arlette thinks she finally has a promising lead to find her lost son, their paths cross in a twisted, unintended double mission in which they must remember who they were and how to again rely on each other in the field.

🕊️ Review: Told in dual timelines and the perspectives of both Josie and Arlette, this book has so many interesting layers, twists, and nuances, and it’s all expertly woven together. The plausibility of the story and its multiple interlocking layers are what really make this a five-star book for me. The character development and details are both masterful and heart wrenching. It was good from the beginning, but once I got about a quarter of the way in, I couldn’t put it down. I seriously read the last 75% of this book in a single day. Highly recommend for historical fiction fans.

Read this book for
- Deep female friendship and found family
- Twists and turns that’ll keep you guessing
- Political intrigue, suspense, and corruption
- Holocaust remembrance

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (5/5 stars)

😘 Thank you @Netgalley and @RandomHouse for the advance reader copy!

Martha Hall Kelly is one of my favorite authors. Her novel the Sunflower Sisters is one of my favorite books of all time! I’m so excited and honored to be able to review her newest novel, the Golden Doves.

American Josie and French Arlette work together in the French resistance, stealing so many Nazi secrets they become known as the Golden Doves. They are finally caught and thrown into a concentration camp, along with their families. They are are forced to endure horrible conditions and everyone is so cruelly treated. Arlette’s son is taken and she doesn’t see him again.

Until 10 years later, the Doves are still working together and Arlette is told by a mysterious man that her son is still alive. The two women travel all over to find him and they unearth many unspeakable secrets.

Martha’s research is unparalleled. She has done immense amounts of research and it truly shows in each of her novels. But her writing is also beautiful and leaves you wanting to know more about the characters. I liked how this book followed the women after their imprisonment and the dual timelines worked so well.

Thank you so much to @suzyapprovedbooktours @penguinrandomhouse and @marthahallkelly for my gifted book.

The Golden Doves
Author Martha Hall Kelly

Thank you, @suzyapprovedbooktours, #ballantinebooks, and @marthahallkelly, for my #gifted book! I was so excited to have the opportunity to read another historical fiction novel by Martha Hall Kelly!

The Golden Doves is an incredibly well- researched and unforgettable story about two courageous women, Josie and Arlette, who became known as the Golden Doves because of their spy work with the French resistance as they uncovered Nazi radio chatter and intercepted Nazi war secrets.

Eventually, the Doves were arrested in 1944 and sent to the horrific Ravensbruck concentration camp. Here, unthinkable events took place, Josie's mother was tortured by a Nazi doctor, and Arlette's son was stolen and never seen again.

Now, years later, in 1952, and coping with a considerable amount of trauma, Josie is working for the U.S. Army Intelligence and is assigned to locate the infamous Dr. Snow from hiding. Meanwhile, Arlette learns that her son may be alive in French Guiana, and so she travels wearing her heart on her sleeve with the hopes of being reunited with him.

What follows is the thrilling and courageous quest to locate the two while also uncovering shocking war secrets and risking their already fragile lives. Told in dual timelines, I loved learning more about our heroines and how they managed to survive a horrific concentration camp and then continue their fight for justice. Filled with resilience, friendship, survival, and hope.

I knew nothing about Operation Paperclip and was appalled and emotional upon learning of these events that were written with such intensity and so much empathy. At 508 pages, The Golden Doves is a historical fiction novel that fans won't want to miss. And the author's note is well, I definitely recommend that you read it yourself!

When I pick up a Martha Hall Kelly novel, I know that it's going to be not only meticulously researched, but that it's probably going to crush me, to give me a book hangover, to make me cry with the breathtaking beauty that is her writing, and The Golden Doves is all of that and more. Josie and Arlette are characters that, as a reader, you can't help but get attached to, and that makes the book all the more emotional. The Golden Doves is historical fiction at its absolute best.

Bestselling author Martha Hall Kelly returns to WW2 with her latest historical fiction novel, The Golden Doves. I loved Lilac Girls and couldn’t wait to read this one!

Two women who lived and worked together as as spies during WW2 reunite after the war to try and track down a Nazi doctor and search for a child taken from one of them at Ravensbruck.

This story covers a lot both historically and geographically. The detail provided to make the plot more complex interferes with the flow of the narrative and lengthens the book. It was interesting to read and learn about the history that inspired the writing, but I think I would have preferred a narrower story with more depth. The second half of the novel picks up the pace and reads more like a suspenseful thriller.

I still enjoyed the read and look forward to what Kelly writes next!

I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book. All opinions are my own.

I enjoyed this well-researched book, but it’s not my favorite from this author. The dialogue was a bit choppy and short for me. I wanted to know so much more about what the characters were thinking and how they were feeling. It was tricky keeping track of the 2 timelines and 2 pov, and I sometimes forgot what was going on. I would have liked the focus to mainly be on one character. However, I loved the history, and know that I can always depend on this author to make sure the story is as historically accurate as possible. If you enjoy spies, female friendships, WW2, and the reckoning after the war, you should give this book a try!
Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher, and the author for the eARC to read and review. All opinions are my own.

HIGHLY recommended. Martha Hall Kelly writes some of the best historical fiction ever. Do not miss this book, go out and get it right now.

The Golden Doves by Martha Hall Kelly

American Josie Anderson and Parisian Arlette LaRue are thrilled to be working in the French resistance, stealing so many Nazi secrets that they become known as the Golden Doves, renowned across France and hunted by the Gestapo. Their courage will cost them everything. When they are finally arrested and taken to the Ravensbrück concentration camp, along with their loved ones, a reclusive Nazi doctor does unspeakable things to Josie’s mother, a celebrated Jewish singer who joined her daughter in Paris when the world seemed bright. And Arlette’s son is stolen from her, never to be seen again.

A decade later the Doves fall headlong into a dangerous dual mission: Josie is working for U.S. Army Intelligence and accepts an assignment to hunt down the infamous doctor, while a mysterious man tells Arlette he may have found her son. The Golden Doves embark on a quest across Europe and ultimately to French Guiana, discovering a web of terrible secrets, and must put themselves in grave danger to finally secure justice and protect the ones they love.

Coming out on April 18.

The Golden Doves by Martha Hall Kelly is the story of two young women in Paris who are working with the resistance during World War II: Josie and Arlette. Josie is the daughter of an American diplomat and a French/Jewish singer and Arlette is French. They worked alone for while then were put together by their handler. Arlette has a small son, Willie, one year old. They are very successful for a time and then ultimately get caught for something very small: distributing newspapers. The Gestapo was led to their door by a young orphan they had befriended. They were sent to a camp where they ran into Josie’s mother, who later died. The story is told in segments, drifting from Josie to Arlette, from war time, to 1952. Josie works for the US government tracking and investigating Nazi scientists who have come to the United States as part of Operation Paperclip. It is important the US gets theses scientists before the Russians do. Many think they should be put on trial and punished, not given a cushy life in the US. Josie is amongst that number. Arlette was allowed to take Willie with her to the camp but he was taken with a group of other children. She has never stopped looking for him.

This is not a book about the camps. It is about two women who have lived through unimaginable pain and trauma. The characters are strong, with plenty of background and information about each of them. The things they are willing to go through to get their loves back to “normal” is beyond what most of us can imagine. They end up together, hunting the doctor who experimented on Josie’s mother. Along the way they uncover the complicity of the Catholic church in getting Nazis out of Germany, among other things. I am much more interested in the lives of people during and following the war than I am in the atrocities that happened in the camps. I know about those. Kelly has done a terrific job with the relationships and the aftermath. She has satisfied a need-to-know I have felt when reading other books. It has a loose plot, it is all about survival. It is also about friendships and how far they can take a person. I recommend it.

I was invited to read a free e-ARC of The Golden Doves by Random House-Ballantine, through Netgalley. All thoughts and opinions are mine. #Netgalley #RandomHouseBallantine #MarthaHallKelly #TheGoldenDoves

Martha Hall Kelly wrote an incredible story based on real life heroes. Two women were spies in Paris during WWII, called the Golden Doves, until they were sent to Ravensbruck Concentration Camp. While there, one woman's mother was tortured and killed and another's son was stolen from her. Ten years later, the Doves find themselves hunting down an infamous Nazi doctor. Will they find justice and closure during this dangerous trek across Europe?

Thank you Netgalley for my advanced reader copy.

"The Golden Doves" by Martha Hall Kelly is a historical fiction novel that occurs during and after World War II. Overall, it was an interesting read, but some aspects left me unsatisfied.

Firstly, the plot felt far-fetched at times. There were moments when the characters' actions seemed improbable, and some of the events were hard to believe. There was so much drama for two people to participate in before and after the war. While I'm sure some experienced this, the amount of deception seemed much farther out of reach.

Additionally, a lot was going on in the story, which made it feel a bit overwhelming at times. There were multiple storylines and characters to keep track of, making it difficult to invest in any particular plotline fully. Jumping back and forth between the periods was helpful, but again, there was just so much going on.

Finally, while I typically love endings that I don't see coming, I found the end of this book unnecessary. It felt like a forced twist that didn't add much to the story and left me underwhelmed.

Despite these criticisms, "The Golden Doves" was still enjoyable. The characters were well-developed, and I appreciated the attention to historical detail. The book provided a uniquely female perspective on World War II and the aftermath of the conflict. I would recommend this book to fans of historical fiction, but with the caveat that the plot can be far-fetched, and the ending may not satisfy everyone.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for letting me read this book ahead of release and provide my honest review.

With THE GOLDEN DOVES, Martha Hall Kelly again conjures a deeply imagined, wonderfully textured story of women in history. American Josie Anderson is teamed up with Parisian Alette LaRue for high-risk, essential espionage during the Second World War. Captured by the Nazis, the pair are sent to a concentration camp along with their loved ones. Following the end of the war, the pair work together to track down a Nazi doctor from the camp and track down Arlette's son who may have survived. As always, Martha Hall Kelly tells a gripping story with a masterful blend of history and true-to-life people doing their best under unbelievable circumstances. I received a copy of this book and these opinions are my own, unbiased thoughts.