What an extraordinary book! The storyline is amazing! I especially liked how the author wove in some very interesting surprises!

The characters are written brilliantly! Audrey is my favorite. When she's faced with a difficult decision, she remains true to her heart. She is courageous and loyal. Ilse is a survivor. She loses her whole family and has to hide in her own home. Friedrich is heroic. He lives a double life and puts himself in danger many times.

This story can be hard to read. It goes into some detail about Jewish families being forced from their homes, imprisoned, and killed. There's also a situation with a sexual assault. On the flip side, there are many, many people who help the Jewish people. They put their lives at risk to save others. Thank God for them.

This is the first book that I've read by this author. I look forward to her next book.

I was provided a complimentary copy of the book from Ballantine Books via NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Excellent, Excellent, Excellent​ - you won’t want to put it down.

We meet Audrey in 1938 and Kate in 2010.

Audrey was a pianist in Berlin, and Kate has just experienced a tragedy in her life.

A long time between those years, but the two women meet, and we hear their stories.

1938 - Audrey is embroiled in the beginnings of Hitler's regime and terror on the Jewish people and has to decide if she wants to stay to protect her friend who lost her family to the roundup or go back to London.

We follow Audrey during her time and when she meets Kate in 2010.

Audrey has a story to tell and decides to tell Kate about her time in Germany and to allow her to document it.

THE SECRET HISTORY OF AUDREY JAMES is a well-written account with beautiful writing, marvelous descriptions that have you feeling as though you are there, and a storyline that will keep you turning the pages.

A story about loyalty, friendship, and doing what you know is right.

Historical fiction and women's fiction fans will adore this book.

You will love both women. ​5/5

Thank you to the publisher for a copy of this book. All opinions are my own.

Kate is at the end of her rope. A car accident that killed her parents and injured her, the end of her marriage, all make her want a change in her life in London. When she sees a help wanted add for an administrator at Oaklawn bed and breakfast in northern England, a place where her parents honeymooned, she thinks this is just what she needs. There she meets Audrey James, a woman who has a story to tell of a life that’s almost unbelievable. She also meets Ian. As Kate and Audrey get to know each other, Audrey shares her story for the first time since the end of WWII.. Both find healing.
The Secret History of Audrey James, by Heather Marshall, is a compelling story and is different from other WWII novels. Marshall does some occasional bad language, but otherwise it’s a very interesting read.

The Secret History of Audrey James is the first Heather Marshall novel that I have read. I hope there will be more. The title of this novel actually fits the novel's content and story. The Secret History of Audrey James is a dual timeline story of the past, narrated for the future. There are two narrators--Audrey and Kate. Audrey, who lived in pre-war Berlin, narrates her story from 1938 and through the war. In 2010, Kate is given the opportunity to learn about Audrey's story, which also helps her heal from her own tragedy and a story she did not want to tell.

Marshall does not go for happy endings in The Secret History of Audrey James. Instead, there is a well-plotted story of survival during the war. There is tension and mystery, both of which will hold the reader's attention. There is betrayal and deception, lost opportunities and love, and death and tears. The Secret History of Audrey James is a compelling story with a good solid plot and characters who are well-developed and interesting. Readers should take the time to read the author's note at the end of The Secret History of Audrey James. The author's note is well worth the read.

Thank you to Random House Ballantine Books and NetGalley for providing me with this ARC of The Secret History of Audrey James, in exchange for my honest review. I do read a lot of WWII/Holocaust novels and history. But it is not often that a novel focuses on German resistance. This is a novel that also educates. I am recommending The Secret History of Audrey James.

This was a solid 3 stars for me. Audrey is an interesting character, who has lived a traumatic life, and as a reader, you are apprised of her past through the present day (kind of) by narrator, Kate Mercer, who comes into contact with Audrey quite serendipitously in 2010. Through Kate’s conversations with Audrey, we learn of Audrey’s life as a young woman in Berlin during WWII, the people she befriended and loved and the actions she took to protect those people. While the narrative is not exactly unique, the writing is decent, although I must comment that I am thoroughly sick of authors deploying the ‘duel-timeline’ technique in which the reader is forced to hop back and forth between characters and time periods to get to the story. I’ve rarely read a book written this way in which both time period characters are anywhere near equally interesting or compelling.; one typically outshines the other by miles. And there are usually too many contrived coincidences between the competing narrators to keep me thinking about the story.
Thanks to NetGalley for providing me with this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This book was so well written, and this author will now be an auto buy for me. The way the story is woven together, dual POV’s over different time periods, is just incredible. I love historical fiction, especially with a strong female character, and this absolutely will not disappoint you.

Not only is it about what Audrey experienced during the Nazi takeover, but it is about healing and experiencing that one friendship. The friendship you crave, where you can be your most vulnerable and most honest. Absolutely loved this book.

Heather Marshall has done it again. The Secret History of Audrey James is every bit as good as her debut novel - Looking for Jane. Her new book is a WWII story but somewhat different since it centers around the brave resisters. It follows a small cell of the resistance movement before and during the war. The characters are ones you’ll love and cheer for. I loved this book and I hope you will too. It comes out February 25 and is well worth a mad dash to your favorite indie bookstore. A huge thank you to Random House and NetGalley for the electronic ARC. Is it too early to call dibs on Heather Marshall’s next book?

Thank you to Random House Publishing Group and Netgalley for sending me an arc of this book. It took me longer to get through this one, but I really enjoyed it. There were a few areas where the book seemed to drag a little bit, but the dual timelines between Audrey and Kate made it easy to keep up. This centers around Audrey James and her experience during WW2, her actions for the resistance and her love for her found family. 4 stars!

This is a dual timeline book centered on two women who have had tragic losses in their lives and have found each other and established a wonderful friendship. In 2010, Kate Mercer is preparing for a divorce to be finalized and is ready for a new phase of life. She moves to an inn in Northern England to take a job as an assistant to the owner. There, she meets Audrey James, a woman in her 90's who has an extensive and emotional past tied to WWII.

Audrey begins telling her story to Kate - the first time she has shared these details. Her story begins with her studies in a prestigious music school in Berlin, to the beginning of the war and the tragic impact to her best friend, Ilse Kaplan, a Jew. Her story includes interactions with Nazis, the anti-Hitler movement, and taking risks for both herself and her friend.

This book has heavy and emotional aspects as Audrey's war experience is shared, but the story also has inspiring aspects as both Audrey and Kate unwind their lives and find healing with each other.

A moving story of the life of Audrey James.
Audrey is studying music in Germany while living with her Jewish friend Isle’s family. One afternoon changes both girls lives forever when Isle’s father is killed and her mother and brother are taken by the Nazis. Audrey will not leave Germany without Isle and Isle will not leave until she knows about her family.

The story is set across two time periods WWII and 2010 and two continents. It is 2010 and Kate has recently left her husband after tragedy has struck her life and she is looking for new beginnings. Kate takes a job at the Oakwood Inn that Audrey now owns. Audrey has lived a long life and has survived the hardships of WWII in Germany to return home to England after the war to live the rest of her life.
Audrey begins to tell Kate her life story - her love for Isle, her work with the Red Orchestra (a resistance cell) the horrors of her detention in a Nazi gaol and her escape back to London.
This is a truly heartbreaking story that interweaves present day with the past. A must read for historical fiction lovers

The Secret History of Audrey James is based on historical fiction and is written with some surprising twists throughout the tale. Characters and settings are thoroughly developed - at times graphic and heart-wrenching. This is a different perspective of the WWII era.

Thanks to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group - Ballentine for the opportunity to read this ARC.

An interesting and unique WWII story of a woman trapped behind enemy lines as WWII begins. I wish the parts that happened in 2010 were at the end of the story instead of dispersed throughout the book.

Marshall said in the afterword that she didn't really set out to write a World War II novel. And I didn't really set out to read one (I’ve been on a bit of a fast because there are so many). But I'm very glad I did! This is an exceptional story. It’s not really based on, but rather inspired by, a true story. And it’s very believable.

Simply put, a woman who has lost her parents in an accident she thinks she caused, goes in search of her parents by seeking out the place where they honeymooned. There’s actually a job open at the picturesque inn that she takes. Over the winter, when the inn is closed, the curmudgeonly owner and Kate (the main character) begin to share their stories.They both need healing. Audrey, the owner, was in the resistance in Berlin. She loses almost everyone she own as well as the use of her fingers to play the piano she loves and was studying.

There’s a love angle, too, for Kate. I can't tell you too much more without spoiling the story. It’s written as a dual timeline story, which works well, as you need a little relief from the WWII intensity. I highly recommend this original novel. I would read another by this author.

I received this ARC from NetGalley , Ballantine Books and the author for an honest review. This is another outstanding historical novel by Heather Marshall. The chapters alternate between 1939 with Audrey working for the Resistance in Berlin and Kate Mercer working for Audrey in England in 2010 . A lot of the book is inspired by true stories about men and women involved in the Resistance Movement in Nazi Germany. This story is about true love that endures for many years and sacrifices that people make in the name of love , friendship and dedication.

Despite being a 400+ page book, The Secret History of Audrey James was *almost* a read in one setting book for me. It has been a while since I have been drawn in to a book so deeply (especially historical fiction). Both main characters, Audrey and Kate, were well developed and completely human. If I have a criticism, it would be that there were several instances where it seemed like Marshall was starting to develop an eating disorder or something along those lines for Kate (obsessing about exercise, calorie intake, etc.) but didn't go anywhere with it. While this may seem like an odd thing for me to bring up, I think it was noticeable enough (at least to me) and seemed out of character for Kate, despite everything she had going on (not all of which we were aware of yet). I enjoyed the dual timeline as I often do, and it was done in such a way that chapters didn't simply alternate but were deliberately planned to maximize tension and the capitalize on encouraging the reader to keep reading.

The Secret History of Audrey James by Heather Marshall is a historical fiction story that takes place during the WWII period. It is told in a dual timeline from the eyes of Audrey James and Kate Mercer.

In 2010 Kate Mercer accepts a job near the Scottish border to work at the Oakwood Inn as an administrative assistant. Kate was involved in a tragic accident where she lost both of her parents and is currently in the midst of an ugly divorce. She decides she needs a fresh start to get her life back. Her boss is an elderly lady, Audrey James, who has quite a history of her own. Audrey James begins to unravel the story of her past to Kate, which takes them back to 1938.

Audrey was not Jewish but her best friend, Ilse Kaplan, was. Audrey lived with the Kaplans as she attended a very prestigious music school. She was close to graduating when the war began. Jews begin to suffer and Ilse's family disappears and everything seems to fall apart. Ilse's home is requisitioned by the Nazis and Ilse has to go into hiding in the attic. Audrey is not Jewish so she persuades the Nazis to allow her to stay in the home as a housekeeper so that she could protect Ilse who is hiding. Audrey eventually admits that she has feelings for Ilse that are more than just friendship and Ilse lets her know she could never be that way. Thankfully, that wasn't acted upon or I would've shelved the book and not continued. Audrey begins to become involved in the resistance and particularly a group, Red Orchestra Resistance, that plots to kill Hitler.

The story plot itself was really good and it had many twists and turns that you don't expect. It was inspired by real life events. I didn't like the language disbursed throughout but overall it was well-written and well-researched. Thank you for the ARC in exchange for an honest review. The story plot was really good.

The Secret History of Audrey James by Heather Marshall is a captivating historical fiction novel based on a true story —

We follow dual POVs alternating between Berlin in 1938-1939 Audrey James POV during what we now understand as the Holocaust and WW2 vs England in 2010 Kate Mercer’s POV as she leaves her old life behind after a series of traumatic events and goes to work for Audrey…

This book is so gripping - there’s so much going on. There’s highs but mostly lows as we relive the horrors of Hitler’s reign. This book gave me goosebumps.. I shed some tears and I really reflected on what happened back then. This is a heavy story, but it’s also one that’s hard to put down. The writing is exquisite and I found myself addicted to the story —

I’ll admit historical fiction isn’t typically my thing - I am much more of a romantasy type girl so this book was definitely outside of my comfort zone but well worth it.

I would highly recommend this book to history lovers and those who enjoy great storytelling. This book will stick with me and will not be easily forgotten. The message is so important and I appreciate the author putting the time, energy and dedication into this piece.

Thank you so much to NetGalley and Ballantine books for recommending and pre-approving this ARC for me. I was surprised to receive the recommendation in my email since it’s not my typical genre, but I am so glad I took the time to read this and share my honest review.

Thank you net galley for the advance reader copy of this novel. This was a WWII historical fiction set in Germany. This novel was ok for me with the main characters of Audrey and Isle. It was told in split timeline. The novel had some pretty big elements of the plot I didn't think were plausible or realistic. I did enjoy that this novel took place in 1938 before the timeframe of many novels that are popular today.

Thank you to Net Galley and Ballentine Books for the chance to read and review this book. All opinions are my own.
I really liked this story. It is well-written and kept my attention right from the beginning. In 2010 Northern England Kate Mercer has been through a tragic car wreck. In order to start over, she takes a job at a guest house near the Scottish border. She soon learns that the owner of the house, Audrey James, is hiding a lot of secrets. In 1938 Berlin Audrey has led a very different life. The author goes back and forth between these two timelines to tell the story. She does an excellent job of bringing all of the characters and storylines together in the end. I also read Heather Marshall's other book, and she is becoming one of my favorite authors. I highly recommend this book!

This story follows Audrey James, whose mother was German and father was English, as she risks her life to protect her Jewish best friend, Ilse, and resist Hitler's Third Reich in 1930s-40s Berlin. A skilled pianist, she puts her dreams aside and jeopardizes her life to stay in Berlin as the Nazis plan to eradicate Jews unfolds.

Audrey's story is more than enough to hold the attention of readers but unfortunately (in my opinion), Marshall also presents a 2010 timeline about Kate. Kate, in trying to escape her own traumatic past, finds herself providing a listening ear to nonagenarian Audrey as she tells her story for the first time. I found this timeline to be completely unnecessary and always groaned when a 'Kate' chapter interrupted the much more interesting Audrey storyline.

Despite that, I enjoyed the book a lot. I liked it even more than Marshall's debut, Looking for Jane. I will continue to follow this author.