This is my genre. I love these stories about the brave people of the time, especially the stories about the women who were a big part of the stories and rarely talked about. This story gave me chills at one point. The dual timeline came together perfectly and ended it nicely. Be sure to read/listen to the authors notes. I did listen to the audiobook and the narrator did a fantastic job! Thank you NetGalley for the ARC.

I could not stop reading this book! I can't put my finger on what exactly it was that sucked me in but it sure did. Heather Marshall has not written a book yet that has let me down. This story brought out all of the emotions angry, sad, anxious, happy, everything. If an author can make me feel high emotions while I read a book then I know they are an amazing author. I could feel the book bring out emotions in me and I felt for these characters. Even though this was not a true story it was based off of research and many stories from WWII and so it feels like it could very much have been a real story. If you like historical fiction this one is great book to read!

The Secret History of Audrey James is a engaging historical fiction novel about two courageous women set during WWII. The dual timeline featuring Kate in 2010 and Audrey in 1938 was another winner from this author. The story is well written and as a reader I enjoyed the themes of the challenges of love, and how decisions and events set in motion can be so powerful in changing the course of ones own and others lives. I was very caught up with the characters, the settings, the story. You will no want to put down this page turner.

I loved this one! Written with dual point of views, one being Kate in 2010 & the other Audrey in 1938. Kate is going through many life changes & needs a fresh start so she finds position open for an old guest house in Northern Scotland. Audrey, on the other hand finds herself deep in the middle of the war, living with S.S. officers as their housekeeper. Audrey owns the guest house that Kate comes to work at & their stories become entwined. I love this story & how it was told! So full of life, love, friendship, tragedy, & resiliency.

This extraordinarily well told dual timeline story set in Germany and England flips back and forth between Audrey and Kate. It is another WWII story of depravity, viciousness, cunning and bravery. The story belongs to Audrey and it is hers to impart which she does grudgingly seventy years after the fact. Strong, gripping, told with nuances of Dante’s Inferno and The Diary of Anne Frank, this was as difficult to put down as it was to keep reading.

Reminded that. “Life is a game of inches. Nothing more or less than that” it raises all those questions that can never be answered - Why me, not her, why then, why there, why, why, why “There is no rhyme or reason to chance. It just is.” This is a lesson in “the price of survival.” It is also a lesson about a talented author who keeps trying to find out “what the women were doing” as they men were politicking and destroying the world.

Many thanks to Ballantine Books and NetGalley for a copy.

Berlin, 1938: Audrey James, a Jewish girl living in Germany, is close to finishing her music degree when the family of her friend Ilse, also Jewish, disappears. When Ilse's home is appropriated by the Nazis, she hides in the attic and Audrey convinces the Germans she was the Kaplan family housekeeper in order to stay on.

Though she detests the Nazis and their brutality, she learns the officers living in the house are not exactly what they seem. Audrey ends up getting tangled up with one of the residents in an anti-Hitler scheme and Ilsa is revealed.

Audrey must make a decision about whether to protect Ilsa at all costs or save herself. Years later, in 2010, Audrey needs help in her old guest house north of London and so Kate Mercer takes the job. Kate is seeking meaning in her own life after a terrible accident. She and Audrey share stories, to the benefit of both.

Recommended for anyone who enjoys WWII fiction, stories of friendship, and stories of second chances.

I really enjoyed this story. The characters were very well written. It’s such a tragedy what happened to Ilse family. The book is told in duel timelines but it is not confusing at all.

The Secret History of Audrey James is a powerful, dual-timeline novel that blends historical fiction with emotional depth. In 1938 Berlin, Audrey risks everything to protect her Jewish best friend while secretly working against the Nazis. Decades later, a woman recovering from personal loss uncovers long-hidden truths that connect their lives in unexpected ways.

The story is beautifully told, with strong female characters, rich historical detail, and themes of courage, sacrifice, and resilience. If you love WWII fiction with heart and hidden histories, this one’s definitely worth reading.

I loved this book. The dual timeline really worked for the story. Audrey was such a hero, extremely courageous, and has a great story to tell. The bonds between Audrey and Ilse and Audrey and Kate made you feel with them all the emotions. I enjoy WWII stories that are not as commonly known or told. This is one of those books. This well written historical fiction will make you love both Audrey and Kate. Thank you to the publisher and netgalley for an eARC of this book.

This was a good read. I enjoyed the time jumps between Kate and Audrey. It was so interesting to see Audrey’s time in the resistance, and her reasons for helping those she cared about.

This was a bit slow at times, but I still enjoyed it overall. I love dual timelines in historical fiction, and thought this one was well done.

The Secret History of Audrey James by Heather Marshall
This one didn’t work for me. It started really strong but less than halfway, I lost interest. The connection that I found with the characters just evaporated.
I really liked the aspect of connecting with family history and I enjoyed the WWII timeline with Audrey working with the resistance.
The conflict of this being romance and historical fiction was detracting from the overall story.
To be honest it seemed the author was merging two ideas to fit a publishing narrative that is fast emerging in popular fiction. It clearly didn’t serve the purpose of historical fiction or a modern romance trope. It was like pieces were meshed together to call it historical fiction but the true historical pieces were missed with Audrey’s incarceration. It just didn’t work.
It needed more grit, more actual historical references, it had too much fluff.
The instant romance between Ian and Kate was rushed and overly predictable. The two themesand timelines just didn’t work well together. It seemed that the historical details were borrowed and forced into a story.
On a side note – Looking for Jane was phenomenal! This one just didn’t meet expectations. 2/5
I would like to thank NetGalley for the opportunity to review an ARC for this novel.

DNF at 16%

Dual timelines don’t usually work for me in historical fiction but I’ve seen great reviews for this & the author’s debut so I was excited to give it a try.

It just wasn’t for me. I don’t want to read about your divorce or your sad family situation. It distracts from the other timeline which takes place in Berlin during the build up to WWII and features a Jewish family. I’m sure it all ties together and the end but I just couldn’t keep reading for hundreds of pages.

A novel about doing the right thing and fighting for what you believe in.

This novel has a dual timeline set during WWII (and right before) and 2010. It is the story of Audrey, a young woman who can't leave her friend in Germany because she is Jewish and wouldn't survive. It is her story, and the more present-day is her recounting those events. While we have all heard about what happened to those of Jewish faith in Germany, what about those who tried to help save them? What about the resistance in Germany fighting against Hitler? While this story is fiction, it has elements of truth, as you will learn from the author's notes.

Audrey lived a hard life, and it is by chance that Kate comes to the B&B Audrey owns to work there. All because of a photo she found of her parents at that B&B. But there is a lot more to that story that makes for an interesting twist in the novel.

Audrey and Kate are both strong and likeable characters. I found myself rooting for them as they navigated their destiny, Audrey during WWII, and Kate in the present. They both have demons to battle and overcome tragedy. Ultimately, they find they have more in common than they realize. 

While I thought I had read enough WWII stories, this one endeared me to the characters and the period. If you feel you have worn out this era, try this one. It will surprise you.

We give this book 5 paws up.

Really well written dual timeline story. Main character is Audrey, WWII years and present day Audrey, toward the end of her life. Heartbreaking and yet heartwarming too. Audrey is a strong central character who I cared about, both young and old Audrey. Twists and turns, that kept me reading.

The Secret History of Audrey James is historical fiction at its’ best. It is a dual timeline story that alternates between 2010 England and 1938 Berlin. In 2010, Kate Mercer has suffered several losses and is looking to start over. When she discovers that the guest house where her late parents honeymooned is advertising for an office assistant it seems to be the perfect solution. Audrey James, the owner, never placed an ad. It was placed by the woman who currently assists her. Audrey is a cantankerous senior who insists that she does not need help, but she hires Kate for a trial period. The two women tiptoe around each other at first. Audrey, who recognizes someone who has suffered loss, gradually begins to open up to her. As a young girl in 1938 Berlin Audrey was close to completing her studies at music school. She lived with the Jewish Kaplan family and was Ilse Kaplan’s best friend. With Hitler’s rise to power the girls witnessed the murder of Ilse’s father and her remaining family was later taken away. The Kaplan home is confiscated to house a couple of Nazi officers. Audrey hides Ilse in the attic and persuades the officers to allow her to remain as their housekeeper so that she can protect her friend. The officers are involved with a group to assassinate Hitler and Audrey becomes involved with their plans. Ilse’s presence is discovered and she marries one of the SS officers to keep her safe. Audrey is arrested when their plot to kill Hitler goes wrong. She survives the war and returns to find Ilse, who was the love of her life. Ilse is dying and entrusts her son to Audrey, who arranges his adoption by a Jewish family. Audrey has never told the story of her activities and losses during the war. It is Kate who encourages her to tell her story and records it so that it will not be lost when Audrey is gone.

The recent loss of Kate’s parents still plagues her. She feels responsible for the accident that took them. While she encourages Audrey to let go of the guilt that she carries over her survival, she suffers from her own losses and the destruction of her marriage. She is in the process of a divorce from a husband who could not handle what she was going through. Now she has found herself drawn to the son of Audrey’s friend, who is almost like a son to her. If she wants the relationship to succeed she will have to forgive herself and be honest with him. Heather Marshall’s story smoothly transitions from the past to the present. While Audrey is initially rather cranky, it is difficult not to love this character as you get to see what she survived and she becomes like family to Kate. Marshall keeps her biggest surprise for the conclusion when Audrey discovers that there is a real connection to Kate. This was a story that was difficult to put down with characters that came alive as I read and it is highly recommended. I would like to thank NetGalley and Random House - Ballantine for providing this book.

This was one of the best WW2 historical fiction stories I have read. This is a dual timeline with two stories and they come full circle. Kate Mercer is putting her life back together after a life altering accident and a divorce from her husband. She take a job working for Audrey James at a bed and breakfast in Scotland. Audrey slowly reveals her life story. I could not put this book down. Thank you NetGalley and Ballantine Books for the opportunity to read this amazing book.

The core story in this book is a plot to assassinate Hitler in 1938. Audrey James is a young Englishwoman studying in Berlin who is drawn into the conspiracy while sheltering her Jewish friend, Ilse. The plot almost succeeds, and there is a lot of collateral damage.

The story is told as a dual time-stream narrative in the familiar pattern of a woman researching the life of another woman at an earlier time in history and drawing courage and inspiration from her subject’s experience. In this case Kate takes a job at the guest house owned by the now aging Audrey at Alnwick in Northumberland and persuades her employer to let her record her secret history before she dies. The story is intertwined with Kate’s own complicated love life.

The author has is a captivating novel about the unbreakable bonds of friendship, the sacrifices we make for those we love. This novel is engaging. The writing was well-researched. It’s a book that will stay with me.

I really enjoyed Heather Marshall's first novel, Looking for Jane, and was so excited for her latest release. She takes a pivot into WWII historical fiction, and alternates between present-day Kate who is starting over working at a Scottish inn and Audrey, a young pianist in Berlin at the brink of war trying to hide her Jewish best friend. The story is compelling, and while some of the twists were a bit predictable and the final third felt a bit rushed, I really enjoyed it.

Just when you think you've read every World War II historical fiction novel, that all the stories to be told have been told, along comes a new novel with a new perspective not previously considered.

The Secret History of Audrey James (which just came out in paperback this year) tells the story of a German woman who joins a resistance group led by Nazi soldiers in order to protect her Jewish friend. I received a free e-ARC to review.

Heather Marshall's story takes us back and forth between Nazi Germany and present-day England. Audrey lives in Germany with her friend Ilse's family (who are Jewish) while being trained as a concert pianist. Her father wishes for her to return to England where he lives, but Audrey wants to finish her training. Unfortunately, her father's fears for Germany come true - and right at Audrey's doorstep. Without a way to leave Germany together, Audrey remains in Isle's family home while Ilse hides in the attic. And when the home is taken over by two Nazis, Audrey convinces them to hire her as a housekeeper so that she can continue living there and keep an eye on Ilse. Soon the soldiers learn that Audrey is not who she says she is, but neither are the soldiers - they are actually trying to take down Hitler from the inside.

The book is inspired by real stories, including that of a Canadian woman who was sentenced to death and imprisoned by the Nazis for joining the Dutch resistance, a Jewish woman who really did hide in her own attic after the Nazis moved in downstairs, and real German resistance groups who openly decried the Nazi regime - and even tried to kill Hitler. (You can read more about these historical ties at the end of the book.)

If you're a fan of historical fiction, particularly WWII novels, and you enjoy reading about strong and brave women, then you will enjoy learning about Audrey's "secret history".

The Secret History of Audrey James is published by Ballantine Books and is on bookstore shelves now. I received a free review copy.

The Secret History of Audrey James by Heather Marshall

5 stars
464 Pages
Publisher: Random House Publishing Group – Ballantine, Ballantine Books
Release Date: February 25, 2025

Fiction, Historical Fiction, Women’s Fiction, WWII, 1940s

Audrey James (AKA Ada Jakobs) lived in Berlin Germany. Her father was English, and her mother was German living in Germany. She died in childbirth having Audrey. Her father loved her mother greatly and was distant with Audrey since she was a daily reminder of what he lost in her mother. Her father moved back to England, but Audrey stayed with the Kaplan family to complete her studies at a music conservatory. Tensions are rising and antisemitism are causing families to sell their homes and businesses and flee. The Kaplans believed they were safe and stayed. While out shopping for a dress to wear to her final recital, the Kaplans are assaulted in the street. This is the action that changes life for everyone.

The story of Audrey James is loosely based on the true-life story of Mona Parsons. Although this story is fiction, the Red Orchestra was a real organization and a part of the resistance. The story is well written in the third person point of view. The way the author weaves Audrey's story through Kate in the present is brilliant. If you like stories about strong women in wartime, you will enjoy this story.