I enjoyed this book. Was not expecting the twist toward the end. Glad that the book turned out the way it did.

The secret is out, this is my favorite book so far this year. The dual-linear timelines weaves masterly together while the stories remain poignant on their own. Without giving anything away, Audrey and Kate's stories intertwine in 2010 while their families connected years prior.

I've always been fascinated by the WWII era and the bravery displayed by ordinary people. Thank you to #NetGalley and the publisher for the early edition of #TheSecretHistoryofAudreyJames in exchange for an honest review. Readers will fall in love with Audrey and Isle's stories and Kate's inclusion in the post WWII chapter.

A deeply moving, tragic, yet wonderful dual-timeline of two women's experiences of finding family, friendship, and love even through the worst of times. Audrey James' experiences in Nazi Germany are relived in her retelling of her story to Kate, a young woman who comes to help out at Audrey's bed and breakfast as she's facing her own personal tragedies. The Secret Life of Audrey James brings the two together in ways you'd never expect, and brings to light some aspects of history that may not have been known to most before. A highly recommended read!

Title: The Secret History of Audrey James
By: Heather Marshall
Pub. Day: February .25, 2025

Genre:
Fiction, Historical, WWII

Trigger Warnings:
Violence, Loss, Persecution

Summary/Review:
1938: Audrey and IIse are friends forced into a life of secrets, lies and classified information as their home is requisitioned by the Nazi’s.

2010: Kate Mercer is ready to start over, so she takes on a new role at an Airbnb working for an elderly woman as an assistant administrator. As the two connect over the challenges of life, Kate begins to write Audrey’s story.

This is my first novel by Heather Marshall and I was immediately drawn into the storyline. Dual timeline novels can be trickier to compose, and Marshall did it effortlessly. I appreciated the new perspectives of WWII events, and the relationship of the real Mona Parsons to the character of Audrey. Marshall masterfully created the real historical facts into an engaging narrative, adding just the right amount of historical fiction to keep the story interesting.

Thank you to Heather Marshall, Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine and NetGalley for the opportunity of an Advanced Readers Copy. I am voluntarily leaving my review.

#TheSecretHistoryofAudreyJames
#HeatherMarshall
#reluctantreaderreads
#advancedreadercopies
#RandomHousePublishingGroup
#NetGalley

In 2010, after a tragic accident upends her life, Kate Mercer leaves London to work at an old guest house near the Scottish border, where she hopes to find a fresh start and heal from her loss. When she arrives, she begins to unravel the truth about her past, but discovers that the mysterious elderly proprietor is harboring secrets of her own. In 1938 Berlin, Audrey James is weeks away from graduating from a prestigious music school in Berlin, where she’s been living with her best friend, Ilse Kaplan. As war looms, Ilse’s family disappears and high-ranking Nazi officers confiscate the house. In desperation, Audrey becomes their housekeeper while Ilse is forced into hiding in the attic. Then, events embroils Audrey in the anti-Hitler movement, she must decide what matters most: protecting those she loves, or sacrificing everything for the greater good.

Inspired by true stories of courageous women and the German resistance during World War II, The Secret History of Audrey James is a captivating novel about the unbreakable bonds of friendship, the sacrifices we make for those we love, and the healing that comes from human connection. Heather Marshall takes fairly unknown events and writes amazing stories around them and this is no exception. Anyone who likes to read WWII stories will like this story. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for offering another book by an excellent author in my favorite genre.

Kate Mercer, on the verge of signing divorce papers is looking for a home. She answers an ad to be an administrator in a historic hotel in northern England. Kate accepts the position and makes the journey with her dog. She finds resistance to her presence in the form of the 90-plus-year-old owner of the hotel, who it seems did not know about the ad. The two form an unlikely relationship and as they begin to share information and thier very deep scars from the past, the story of both women unfolds. Audrey James is a survivor of Berlin in WWII. Kate survived a fatal car crash. Both women had hopes and dreams dashed in tragedy and they both question their own survival. This is a touching, well-written novel of a journey of finding one's self, and life's purpose. The novel is well-researched, the characters appealing, and the story that is told is engaging and historical. It is one of the best of the year. Thanks to #NetGalley#TheSecretHistoryofAudreyJames#HeatherMarshall.

I enjoyed this historical fiction book and all but didn't feel fully connected and invested. It might just be my reading mood at the time but will be recommending it for others.

Thank you @prhaudio for sharing the audiobook with me! This was one of my most anticipated books of 2025 and I loved having both the digital and audio copies.

Summary: Northern England, 2010. After a tragic accident upends her life, Kate Mercer leaves London to work at an old guest house near the Scottish border, where she hopes to find a fresh start. When she arrives, she begins to unravel the truth about her past, but discovers that the mysterious elderly proprietor is harboring secrets of her own.

Berlin, 1938. Audrey James is weeks away from graduating from a prestigious music school in Berlin, where she’s been living with her best friend, Ilse Kaplan. As war looms, Ilse’s family disappears and high-ranking Nazi officers confiscate the house. In desperation, Audrey becomes their housekeeper while Ilse is forced into hiding in the attic. When a shocking turn of events embroils Audrey in the anti-Hitler movement, she must decide what matters most: protecting those she loves, or sacrificing everything for the greater good.

Review: This is another emotional, well-researched historical fiction novel from Heather Marshall, who became an auto-buy author for me after her debut novel, Looking for Jane. The dual timelines told from the perspectives of courageous female characters, made this one hard to put down. I’ve read a lot of WWII novels, but this story of friendship, love and sacrifice, set itself apart, and will definitely be one of my favorites of the year.

This book takes us to Germany during WWII and the United Kingdom in 2010. I liked that some of the historical details were based upon true occurrences, and the character depth was enough that I cared about and liked the main protagonists. The story focuses on ordinary women living through extortionary times which forces them to rely upon each other, their wits, and resilience.

I received a free copy of this book from the publisher and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

The Secret History of Audrey James is a historical fiction novel set in dual timelines - Berlin in 1938 and northern England in 2010. Audrey, on the cusp of becoming a professional pianist, is caught in the crossfire of the Jewish family she lives with and loves and the Nazi regime which is gaining power in pre WWII Berlin. Meanwhile, in 2010, Kate finds a picture of her parents at an inn in Northern England. Recently divorced, Kate takes a job at the inn and moves there. Eventually, Audrey and Kate discover they have a deeper connection and there is a race against time to connect all the pieces. This novel explores trauma and its effects on later generations; but is also heartwarming as secrets are uncovered and explained. This has been one of my greatest reads of 2025. I highly recommend it for lovers of historical fiction. Thank you #NetGalley and Ballentine Publishers for an advance copy of this book.

THE SECRET HISTORY OF AUDREY JAMES is from a new-to-me author Heather Marshall and is filled with two storylines that will take the reader from 2010 to 1938 Germany at the start of World War II. The author does an amazing job in capturing the reader's imagination right from the first page. I was drawn into Kate's heartbreak and loss as well as her hope of a new beginning as she traveled too the border of Scotland. Audrey is a complex and intriguing character that held her own secrets that drew not just Kate in but also myself. It was an interesting way to capture the reader's attention and the way the author delves into Kate and Audrey's past was masterful in how it was entwined in the contemporary setting as well as the past. The story flowed swiftly and the author does an amazing job capturing the characters as well as the setting wonderfully within the pages of THE SECRET HISTORY OF AUDREY JAMES.

We meet Kate Mercer when she is dealing with loss and more at the beginning of the book. Her heartbreak comes over the first few pages so eloquently and you can't help but feel for her. When we meet Audrey James, she's a cranky old woman who doesn't want anyone there with ehr but you get a sense she needs kate just as much as Kate needs her as they settle in and get familiar with one another. I particularly enjoyed how these two women, young and old, adapt and eventually become friends. I found the characters very well written, complex and intriguing. The secondary characters are just as enjoyable and I loved the intersecting past storyline of Audrey as it connects to Kate's present day. The author knows how to weave a spell around her readers in this contemporary/historical fiction that will capture your heart and not let go.


The story doesn't get bogged down by details and the author does a great job in capturing both Audrey in her past self and her present self perfectly. I enjoyed seeing how the two storylines meded together in a cohesive storyline that kept me riveted till the very end of the book. If you enjoy dual storylines that have intriguing characters, historical ramifications and more, then don't hesitate to grab THE SECRET HISTORY OF AUDREY JAMES by Heather Marshall today. I am looking forward to seeing where the author goes next in their next book.

This is an objective review and not an endorsement.

WWIi What would you do to keep your friend safe from Nazi’s? Audrey works as a housekeeper and hides her friend upstairs in her own home.. As her friends family has disappeared , Audrey must make so e hard choices.

Years later, in 2010, Kate moves to Scotland to escape her losses and try for a fresh start. But, who is this mysterious elderly proprietor and what does she know?

Loved the dual timeline and the bit of mystery surrounding Kate.

The Secret History of Audrey James
by Heather Marshall
The problems of world war 2 affects the people in Berlin, 1938. The Greif and consequence of war for the people that were exploited by the German army, people, and their society. The laws and restrictions made it difficult for people to leave before the war. Causing hard choices, and difficult circumstances. Hiding her friend is the greatest risk that Audrey can do, but she has little choice, her discovery not only endangers her life, but all their lives. A dark look at a world where perception and redirect costs more than humanity.

The Secret History of Audrey James, by Heather Marshall
From her opening lines, Heather Marshall enveloped me in a blanket of suspense and heartfelt sympathy. The tragic story of Audrey James is told in duel timelines beginning in Berlin in 1938. Audrey is living with her best friend, Ilse Kaplan, while she studies piano at the Music Conservatory. Suddenly, their lives are upended when Mr. Kaplan is murdered, and the Nazis arrest his wife, Ruth, and son, Ephraim. “The pandemonium seemed to fade into the background in those few seconds when Ruth locked eyes with her daughter. The look in them seared itself on Audrey’s memory; the blistering anguish of a woman who knows this may be the last time she will ever set eyes on her child.”(Pg.41)
Jump to 2010 London, where we meet the other main character, Kate Mercer. Kate is amid a divorce, has tragically lost her parents, and needs a change of scenery. She answers an ad for an Assistant Administrator at a small inn in northern England. “The gravel crunches as she drives along, the green lawns sweeping out in either direction. A dark wooded area forms a dense wall of evergreens behind the inn, and an autumn mist hangs over the trees, lending the landscape a mystical sort of ambiance. Kate pulls up in front of the hotel, and her mouth falls open a fraction as she peers up…It looks like a miniature castle, a grand and proud lady who’s been sitting on this plot of land since before there were fairies.”(Pg. 46) There, she meets Audrey James.
Heather Marshall’s writing is magnificent. She brings the story to life with highly well-developed characters and vivid descriptions of the time and place. Audrey reflects upon the aftermath of the Nazi's murderous rampage on the Kaplans, “Everything that had happened yesterday wasn’t random. The night of terror was clearly the beginning of something systematic. The violence had crested in a great, orchestrated wave, and Audry was afraid of how many more people would be taken down in the undertow…All she could do was put one foot in front of the other. But sometimes, a person could become so fixated on avoiding the obstacles right in front of her that she didn’t see the ones creeping in from the sides.”(Pg.77) Audrey makes a decision that affects the rest of her life.
Filled with constant twists and turns, the story is highly suspenseful. It is poignant and unpredictable, reinforcing the concept of life’s uncertainties. Kate reflects, “Loss has a way of challenging everything we thought was true and right in the world. The lucky ones are drawn closer to whatever it is they believe about the universe, comforted by the idea of a god with some master plan for everyone. Other people are just down in the unnerving knowledge that life is random.”(Pg.50)
This precious story will stay with me for a long, long time. It is highly recommended! Rating 5.

I have a deep love for WWII books, and in recent years, I’ve been especially drawn to stories that tell the stories of women during the war. The resilience and courage of these individuals never cease to amaze me, and The Secret History of Audrey James was no exception.

Audrey was studying in Berlin when she had the chance to leave and return to England before the war broke out—but she didn’t. That decision changed the course of her life in unimaginable ways. Though this is a work of fiction, it feels so real when you read her story.

I also really enjoyed the story of Kate and older Audrey, which was intertwined with the WWII setting. Their connection added another compelling layer to the novel, making it even more engaging.

Definitely take the time to read the Author’s Notes at the end. As with any great historical fiction, this section provides incredible insight into how the author created Audrey and the real-life history behind it.

After reading this, I can’t wait to pick up Heather Marshall’s debut novel!

Thank you to NetGalley and Ballantine Books for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This was an incredible read! I loved reading this story and learning more about the resistance groups during the Holocaust. What a terrible time in history. Audrey was a very likable character, so strong and also vulnerable. I loved Kate as well she was broken, yet willing to move on from there.

The writing was so well that I could not stop reading. I look forward to more books by this author. Can’t wait for the next.

I want to thank NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group for- Ballantine for this advanced reader copy. This is my honest opinion.

When Kate's pending divorce from Adam is nearly finalized and she is packing her belongings to leave their shared flat in London, she discovers a long-forgotten box of photos of her late parents. She discovers a photo of them tucked into their honeymoon pictures of an inn near the Scottish border called the Oakwood. Her parents had died recently in a tragic car accident, so she googles the inn and discovers they are looking for an assistant manager. Kate needs a new start, so she takes this as a sign and calls the number and is immediately hired. What she doesn't know is that the owner named Audrey isn't the one who posted the job but her housekeeper and Audrey, a feisty, elderly woman isn't so keen on having Kate there but keeps her on a probationary basis. Since the inn is closed during the winter, there's not much to do but with time, Kate begins to wheedle into Audrey's good graces especially as Audrey is dealing with some health issues and needs the help. Kate also notices that Audrey's fingers appear damaged and is bold enough to ask how this happened. This one question opens up Audrey's past as a survivor of WWII in Berlin which she shares with Kate. In the end, it will lead to a most astonishing discovery that will stun the reader!
The book is told in two timelines: Audrey's story WWII (1930s to 1945) and 2010 as Kate is also managing her own demons. She and Audrey bond over deep losses but found "family" and love. Kate meets the handyman Ian and know she is able to start loving again.
The author has a great storytelling cadence which keeps the reader so engrossed in the novel. She also shares in the Afterwards, her inspiration for the characters and the historical background of the key components of Audrey's young life as she worked with the Red Orchestra, a resistance cell of Germans against the Nazi regime. What the character of Audrey did to protect those she loved and the sacrifices she made, was truly heartbreaking!

This is an absolutely wonderful novel about the strong & courageous women & the German Resistance during WWII. Kate Mercer leaves her home after a tragic loss and moves to take a job near the Scottish border. Once there, she begins to unravel her past. She discovers that her boss also has secrets and as they begin to deal with their past, a wonderful story unfolds and will draw you in.

Really liked this dual timeline story featuring Audrey and Kate. Audrey’s story is mostly in Berlin during WWII, but she and Kate meet in norther England decades later and find their lives very much entwined.

This story about WWII is a reminder that evil will rule if we don't fight back. The brave women that were forced to live with nazi Soldiers in their home and the jews that had to hide are true heroes. this story captures the feeling of what life was like and the fight for survival it is a testament to true friendship and courage