After a tragic accident, Kate Mercer leaves London to work at a rural guest house near the Scottish border. Her employer, Audrey James has her own secret history from her time around WW2. Despite differences in age a background, the two form a tight bond that helps to reveal Audrey’s past as an English woman assisting the German resistance.

This is inspired by real life events and is a unique perspective that I found interesting. It is well researched with a fascinating authors note. Told in dual timeline and perspective, I found the past timeline to be more interesting and engaging and like the use of the current to push the past timeline along. I did find this book somewhat superficial with none of the tension and emotional connection with the characters that I really like and expect with World War Two fiction. Overall this a good book with an interesting plot, but did not wow me as I was anticipating.

The Secret History of Audrey James by Heather Marshall is a historical fiction novel told in dual timelines. The first starts in Berlin, 1938 with Audrey on the verge of graduating from a distinguished music school in Berlin, where he slives in the home of her best friend, Ilse. As graduation approaches, she dreads the thought of returning to her father and leaving Ilse behind. Meanwhile, the situation in Berlin grows increasingly dangerous for the Jewish population with Ilse's family members disappearing, and the Nazis seizing her home. To protect her friend, Audrey takes on the role of housekeeper while secretly hiding Ilse in the attic. She also becomes involved in the German resistance.

In the 2010 timeline, Kate seeks a fresh start in Northern England after a failed marriage. She finds work at a B&B. Kate and the owner don't start off on the right foot, but as they grow closer, Kate gradually uncovers her remarkable past.

This book is based on true events and real people, bringing history to life through a fictionalized narrative. The book was engrossing and the the dual timeline was easy to follow.

Such a beautiful story on the power of love and friendship. Fighting for what is right and taking care of others. The peace of music and home.

The timeline before and during WWII about Audrey was intriguing and strong. But the more current timeline with Kate really brought the story together and I enjoyed those part even more.

“The entire war was about hope that the future could bring something better. The beat of their pounding, fearful, courageous hearts would echo down through generations. Hope would be the world’s inheritance at the end of all the bloodshed.”
4.25 rounded up

THE SECRET HISTORY OF AUDREY JAMES by Heather Marshall is an ultimate pleasure of historical fiction inspired by true stories. In a quiet village, far from the brutal realities of WWII Berlin, a young woman slowly uncovers the past of her guest house host and the terrible dilemmas of being true to the people you love and serving the greater good. I don't want to give away the plot, because it is so well-crafted, but know that the story flows evenly and well from one healing journey blending into another. I was moved to tears at times and enjoyed the way Marshall brought to life her fascinating story. I received a copy of this book and these opinions are my own, unbiased thoughts.

"In my experience, a person will never do anything if they always wait until they're ready."

This was a fabulous piece of historical fiction and SO relevant given the current global political climate. I loved the two main characters and how their stories become intertwined. There's a great romantic subplot that doesn't take away from the main story, but also doesn't feel unnecessary.

The one negative - but it is a big one for me, so it cost it a whole star - is that there are 2-3 very blatant and unaddressed instances of one of the main characters casually talking about counting calories or the amount of exercise needed to burn the calories in a piece of food. I kept waiting for this to be addressed as the result of some trauma or at least call attention to it being something she was working on. It being dropped so casually and then never addressed felt very unnecessary to the story.

Other than that, I highly recommend this for anyone who loves WW2 historical fiction - especially in the form of personal stories of the women who resisted the Nazis.

This was interesting for historical fiction. I always want to like historical fiction more, but I think it requires knowing a bit more about the history.

If you love historical fiction buy this book, check it out from the library or borrow it from a friend…just read it!

Historical fiction is my jam and WWII just brings it up a notch for me. This story is woven together seamlessly through the dual POVs . This is my first novel by Heather Marshall but she has created a beautiful story filled with heartache, friendship, strong women, resistance and romance. I could not put it down!

Thank you to @netgalley, @ballentine and @heathermarshall for this advanced copy in exchange for my thoughts.

Thank you Netgalley for this ARC of The Secret History of Audrey James by Heather Marshall.

This smacks very similar to a lot of other female centered WWII historical fiction novels. The double timeline, a modern protagonist, a mysterious older protagonist, and the gentle unfolding of both of their tales. However, that doesn't mean that I don't enjoy them every time.

I thought this did a good job with some of the nuances of the war, and how a person could get themselves incarcerated, not just by being Jewish. It also shone a light on the great risk of those who climbed the ranks in the Reich, with the plans of taking them down, and then being treated as a war criminal anyway.

It's a great story that tackles a lot of terrible topics, and it's done well. High recommend!

This is a duel timeline story of Audrey James. It goes between WWII and 2010. Audrey tells her story to Kate, who has just started working for her. Even though Audrey’s story from the war is the main part of the book, Kate also has her own story that intertwines with Audrey’s. This is a great historical fiction with an unexpected twist at the end.

The Secret History of Audrey James is a captivating novel!
I absolutely loved it. It's a rare thing to get a historical fiction that is wonderfully researched, pitch-perfectly voiced and unputdownable, but this is the real deal. A perfectly formed masterpiece. I raced through it
With riveting prose the pages fly and the heart beats for the astonishing heroine. Well-developed character pulls you into the story immediately and stirs emotions within you. This book was masterfully narrated.
This really was historical fiction at its finest, this book made me feel things I haven't felt in some time.

This is a completely absorbing, dual timeline historical fiction, with two women at its center. Audrey is British, and a talented pianist nearing graduation. She has lived in Berlin for most of her life and resides with the Jewish family of her best friend. As conditions worsen, she finds herself trapped in Berlin. Audrey's experiences during the war are chilling, as she struggles, along with her best friend, to simply survive. When she begins to work for the resistance, her life takes a dangerous, life threating direction.

The present-day (2010) part of the book focuses on Kate, who has also suffered severe trauma and loss, and is looking for a way forward. She survived a terrible auto accident and has a pending divorce. She accepts a position at the estate of an elderly woman, to manage the estate and the seasonal rentals. The woman also wants Kate to assist her in writing her life story. That elderly woman is Audrey James.

Heather Marshall has brilliantly combined the stories and timelines of these two women into a fascinating account of the lives of both as they reveal long held secrets and discover their connection to each other. The alternating stories are full of surprising twists for each. The horrific experiences of Audrey during World War II are based on an actual woman in the Resistance movement in World War II. (See the author notes.) The author has created memorable characters for a book I will long remember! Thank you to the author, publisher and Netgalley for my advance copy. The opinions of this review are my own.

I tried two different times to read this book. The second time I even listened to the audio, and this one just isn’t for me.

Both timelines fail to actively keep my attention and the direction the story is heading is rather predictable.

This was a DNF for me.

Thank you Simon and Schuster for the copy of this book. All views are my own.

This is a well written story that is split between Nazi era Germany and the UK in 2010. Audrey was born in Berlin to an English father and a German mother who died during childbirth. They lived in Berlin until her grandmother died and then her father moved them to London. She greatly missed her best friend Ilse and after being accepted to a prestigious piano school for a three year program, she stayed with Ilse and her family until a terrible event changed everything.
In 2010, Kate is reeling from the death of her parents in a car accident that also injured her and led to the demise of her marriage. She is trying to figure out how to move forward when she comes across some pictures of her parents at an inn up north and ends up with a job there. The historical details really drew me in and I was surprised by the plot twist. I would give it 4.5 stars.

This was somewhere between 3.75 and 4 stars for me.

This is again another past and present formatted story. Throughout most of the book, I continually felt like I could have completely skipped the "present" and read an entire book based on Audrey's past. It was an incredibly captivating account of Jews during Hitler's regime, but with a couple of twists that I hadn't read about previously. On one hand, there are thousands of various fictional stories about this point in history; many are based on true accounts, as this one is. But the author did a wonderful job of creating real, likeable, and believable characters, which causes this book to stand out for me.

Eventually I understood the need for the present timeline, and while it wasn't entirely bad, I still was just so much more connected to Audrey's past than Kate's present.

An excellent story requiring tissues handy. The dual timeline and settings are 1938 until the end of WWII in Germany, and 2010 in England. Audrey is attending a conservatory in Germany in 1938, living with her best friend Ilse’s Jewish family, when tragedy strikes due to the Nazis. Audrey commits to staying in Germany with Ilse despite her father telling her to return home to England. Kate survived a horrendous car accident, killing both her parents. As she escapes a failed marriage, she ends up in Northern England at an inn owned by Audrey. Their stories are both heartbreaking and traumatic, but offer hope as their relationship depends into a true friendship. A must read! Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC.

The Secret History of Audrey James by Heather Marshall is a dual timeline novel. The historical timeline that started in 1938 was more compelling to me than the 2010 storyline with Kate Mercer. As the book progressed, the connection between the two timelines becomes clear. Audrey’s story starts off well but slows down in the second half. Kate and Ian are quite uninteresting (so dull). There are some descriptions that, while accurate, are upsetting (the female prison camps). The author included parts of history that many people may not be familiar with, but she took creative liberties with the timelines. I found myself skimming in the latter part of the book because it seemed to go on forever and there was too much going on (gave me a migraine). The ending was rushed. The twist was expected (it seems to happen in every book that takes place during World War II). I was not a fan of the storyline regarding Audrey and her love interest. The Secret History of Audrey James was fine, but I found it to be a forgettable tale.

I'm glad I decided to read this book despite it being "yet another" book about Nazi Germany. This book was written from a different perspective than most other books- it is about resistance from Germans, both regular citizens and Nazi officers. Thankfully, there were only limited descriptions of Nazi atrocities. In our current political environment, I saw too many resemblances between the rise of Hitler and now, and it was quite frightening. The author did a wonderful job bringing the characters and time period to life. The book has two timelines, and both had great characters. I enjoyed both narratives. This was my first book by the author, and I intend to read her previous book. Many thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read an advance copy of this book.

This was one of the books I was most looking forward to in 2025. I loved Looking for Jane and was excited to learn the author had written a WWII historical fiction novel, however this book blew all of my expectations out of the water. This was a beautifully written store about trauma, sacrifice, love and resilience. I was easily emotionally invested and found tears rolling down my face while reading the end of the store. Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for this wonderful book. I cannot recommend this book enough.

Audrey James is living in Berlin with her best friends family finishing her studies at the piano conservatory. Ilse and her family are Jewish, while Audrey is Christian. There are rumblings about the Nazi regime taking over and Ilse Kaplan and her family have been laying low, but with Audrey's recital coming up, they decide to go out shopping for a new dress. And that outgoing changes everything. Audrey and Ilse are now living alone in the family home when Nazi officers decide to move in. Audrey James puts on the performance of her lifetime to convince the Nazi officers to hire her as their housemaid so she can continue to shield Ilse upstairs until they have a plan.

I love all historical fiction books about the war and this was no exception. There are so many good resistance stories and gives hope that there is still good in the world. While some of the details are a bit of stretch, it is a heart warming story about resilience, chosen family, and the will to survive.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC. Opinions are my own.

The Secret History of Audrey James is a beautifully written historical fiction novel with a dual timeline—one set in 2010 and the other during World War II. Each timeline could stand as a story on its own, but together, they create an unforgettable narrative. There are many stories about courageous individuals who risked everything for the greater good during this time in history, and this is one of them.

Heather Marshall masterfully weaves past and present through the experiences of Audrey James, the central character in both timelines. While some dual-timeline novels can feel disjointed, this one is executed seamlessly. Through Audrey’s journey, we witness her sacrifices during WWII, her personal struggles, and the lasting impact of her past. Decades later, a chance encounter in the 2000s forces long-buried secrets to the surface.

Marshall’s storytelling is immersive, making it easy to feel as though you are right alongside the characters. It’s an emotionally powerful read—have your tissues ready. I found it hard to put down and highly recommend it to fans of historical fiction.

Thank you to NetGalley for providing an advanced complimentary copy of this book.