The story of three friends during the war and shortly afterwards. Unfortunately I didn’t get on very well with this at all (probably one of the few). For a start it was far too long and often contrived. The way they spoke didn’t ring true either making the characters caricatures. The next time I want to read about Bletchley Park I shall choose a biography by someone who was actually there and give fictional accounts a wide berth. So sorry but I just wasn’t captivated by any of it or invested and you need to be, to be able to enjoy such a long drawn out book.

How wonderful to read a proper gripping story with a beginning, middle and end. A story with fully formed characters that the reader can actually care about. A story to be devoured, to be excited and thrilled by, a story that you want your friends to read! You might have guessed that I really enjoyed this book.

The premise bills The Rose Code as a woman-centred high-stakes WWII thriller set against the backdrop of Bletchley Park with three estranged women, all formerly friends, forced to reunite in the name of national security. Not only did the female code breaking focus intrigue me but the promise of Kate Quinn shedding light on the secretive Buckinghamshire estate and its invaluable contribution to the war effort. Sadly the reality didn’t quite deliver and at over six hundred pages the result is a patchy mix of historical fiction and romance with a rather belated but rousing denouement in a novel that is easily two hundred pages longer than it needs to be.

Set across two timelines and spanning WWII, the major component of the story begins in 1940 when two women meet on the train, both due to report to Bletchley station. Vivacious Canadian debutante, Osla Kendall, is committed to joining the war effort and proving she is more than the ‘silly deb’ that many take her for. Worlds apart but just as resolute is striking Shoreditch girl, Mab Churt, who is determined to escape poverty and make a better life for her little sister. Billeted together at the home of unassuming Bethan Finch, a shy girl continually undermined by her manipulative mother who is a whizz at cracking crosswords, they soon help her gain employment alongside them where she flourishes as one of the few female cryptanalysts. However a furious showdown on D-Day sees the friendship splinter apart and all three women, each feeling bitter and betrayed, go their separate ways. Whilst the characterisation of the three women is disappointingly unoriginal they are well-drawn with Quinn doing an excellent job of making their individual motivations clear. Nearly four years later a coded message is delivered to the homes of Osla, now an engaged Tatler columnist, and Mab, a married mother living in York, in which they both discover that Beth was interned at Clockwell Sanitarium and claims the reason for it was due to her discovery of a traitor in their midst at Bletchley Park selling secrets to Russia. Deciding to put hostilities aside, along with reservations about Beth’s sanity, Osla and Mab renew their frosty alliance and travel to Clockwell, little knowing that discovering the identity of the traitor involves breaking one final code together.

Whilst the introduction of the three protagonists and establishing their places at Bletchley Park necessitates a slow start, I do think with rather less colour on the romance of Osla it could have been snappier and more compelling. The novel includes real people and I found the inclusion of the Duke of Edinburgh (formerly Prince Philip of Greece) in a significant romantic subplot with Osla that was completely irrelevant to the main plot both disconcerting and in poor taste. The novel could easily have done without it and been reduced to a more readable length. An afterword clarifies the inspirations behind some of the books characters and which events were entirely fictitious. Kate Quinn does an excellent job of conveying the pressures of secrecy surrounding the nature of the work, even between colleagues within Bletchley Park, and the toll of having to be lie or be evasive in order not to break the Official Secrets Act. In addition she establishes a believable sense of camaraderie that is well-drawn to the point of inspirational and makes profoundly apparent the numerous ethical dilemmas of handling top secret material that could impact directly on family or a friend’s loved ones. What I found far less convincing is the friendship between all three women and for me they never made a convincing transition from being thrown together and having to develop a friendship of sorts through lack of choice to becoming deeply bonded firm friends. Their reunion after four years of silence feels as much through their commitment and respect for their work, than loyalty to each another.

This was a brilliant and well written historical read that I didn't want to end! Thoroughly enjoyed it, just as I have enjoyed Kate Quinn's other books. If you love historical novels then you will not be disappointed.

Highly recommended.

Thank you Netgalley.

I have very mixed thoughts about The Rose Code. On the one hand it’s just the sort of book I love – historical fiction with a thrilling story and interesting characters that kept me wanting to read on and yet also made me want it to last as long as possible. On the other hand, it’s unevenly paced, with a slow start and a rushed ending that was somewhat of an anti-climax. My favourite character was Beth and I enjoyed reading how her character developed from a shy down trodden young woman into a brilliant cryptanalyst.

But when I first began reading it earlier this year I stopped after the opening pages and only picked it up again a couple of weeks or so ago. I initially stopped as the storyline involving Prince Philip made me very uncomfortable – Prince Philip was still alive when this book was written and when I first started to read it. He died in April this year.

The book begins in 1947 as Osla Kendall, a journalist working for the Tatler, is wondering what to wear for the Royal Wedding. She is in a ‘foul mood‘ as she wonders what to wear to the wedding of Princess Elizabeth and Lieutenant Philip Mountbatten.

Historical fiction mixes fact and fiction with both real and imaginary characters and I don’t have a problem with that. The character of Osla Kendall is based on a real person – in her Author’s Note Kate Quinn writes that she is ‘lightly fictionalized from the real-life Osla Benning, a beautiful, effervescent, Canadian-born heiress and Hut 4 translator who was Prince Philip’s long-term wartime girlfriend.‘ But by the time of the Royal Wedding Osla Benning was already married, not pining after Prince Philip. In writing their story Kate Quinn was not writing from facts but from her imagination as she put words in her characters’ mouths and described their emotions thoughts and feelings, which, of course, she could not have known.

However, I got over my dislike and read on – after all, this is fiction, not an accurate historical account. I like to know which is fact and which is fiction when I read historical fiction. So, after reading the review copy I received via NetGalley, I decided I needed to buy the published book and read the Author’s Note. And I’m glad did because I was relieved to find that Kate Quinn goes into a lot of detail to identify which characters are real and which fictional and how she has fictionalised them. She also reveals that she has also deviated from the historical records ‘to serve the story.’ I think this explains why I was uncomfortable with the book and why I don’t often read historical romances.

I quite simply loved this book and urge anyone reading this who hasn't already to pick it up (and if you have already read it, reread anyone?) And despite it's length wish it was longer so that I could have more time with Osla, Mab and Beth.
This year marked the start of a mini Bletchley Park obsession for me. I read The Amber Shadows by Lucy Ribchester earlier this year and since then have been trying to get my hands on all the Bletchley content I could, and The Rose Code was perfect for that (I will mention though that both books told the same anecdote, though admittedly differently it's nonetheless clearly the same story, about the lipstick - if you've read either book I imagine you'll know what I mean - which I thought was funny as clearly both authors were researching with the same material. Not a complaint, just gave me a little chuckle when I noticed).
Where to start? The characters. I loved the characters. All of the characters were written so well and were so fleshed out that I feel like I know them all in real life, but it was never info-dumpy; learning about them always felt organic and was always contextual to what was happening at the given moment so I was never bored. I wish I was friends with Osla, Mab and Beth: not only are their individual characters just great, but I love their dynamic. Honestly I could probably read a novel about the trio going to the supermarket and I'd be laughing at the three quipping back and forth. But it wasn't just the main characters that were written well, I felt like I knew everyone. Despite there being so many names to keep track of throughout this book I was never confused, and for each character it went beyond just knowing their name.
Next I'll talk about the dual timelines. I'll be honest, I'm usually not the biggest fan of more than one timeline: I've read a lot of books where it doesn't really serve a proper purpose and where I think the story would've been fine without it. But once again this book was exceptional. Not only were the two timelines absolutely necessary in this book but I actually really enjoyed them, and not only for the purpose they served. I loved Bletchley Bletherings, I could probably just read a whole novel of BB and be happy (if someone starts a BB newsletter I will be subscribing). Not only were they a clever addition in that they delivered information crucial to the story in a different format, but I thought Osla's voice really came through in them which was just great (because she's great).
Last but certainly not least, the mystery. In this respect the dual timelines were one of the most important parts of this book. Although, like I said, I could read a whole novel about these characters in absolutely mundane circumstances without any mystery and still be happy, because the mystery was introduced right at the beginning of this book it was always in the back of my mind. Even when in the earlier timeline there didn't seem to be any mystery at all, I always had my eyes open for any hints that something else was going on and it really paid off. By the last quarter I really wasn't sure what could be done about the mystery that would satisfy me because it felt like there was so much left to be explained, but once the cracks started opening it was like a tidal wave, both in everything that was happening (it really kept me on my toes the entire way through!) and in the way it just had me stunned.
If you couldn't already tell, I loved this book. Please read it. I know I'll have to reread it at some point.

I finished reading The Rose Code by Kate Quinn this week.

A historical fiction read, the story is set at Bletchley Park during world war two. It follows 3 young women Osla, Mab, and Beth working at the secret British code breaking facility. They are from very different backgrounds but have the strong wish to serve their country in common.

What a great read, I enjoyed the dynamics and friendship of the 3 main characters. Lies, spying and problem solving made for a very enjoyable book.

Mab was one of my favourite characters, an East End girl from London. I enjoyed the social differences between Mab and Osla who was a debutante.

The only part I was just slightly dubious about was the 'royal' connection in the storyline, but it didn't stop my enjoyment.

There was something about this book that really called to me, the writing style, the characters, I'm not sure but it was the right book at the right time.

4 ½ ⭐⭐⭐⭐(✨)

This was a fun historical fiction read! I liked the background of the story in terms of how the writer tackled the era and the plot twists were very fun to discover.

Three women, all from very differing backgrounds are recruited to Bletchley park,, then some seven years later, a final code to crack.
The Rose code was a well crafted story despite some inconsistencies. The use of Americanisms when clearly based in the UK and also not knowing that working class people of that era would not have a telephone. The story whilst enjoyable could have been improved with some research as, if you are going to set it in an era and a known place, then it would be better to ensure the language and facts are consistent with the setting. Perhaps a good editor with knowledge of English language and social history could have been employed.

Epic historical fiction that I couldn't put down. Amazing writing, very engaging characters.
Thanks a lot to NG and the publisher for this copy.

This is a historical fiction/ mystery and is about three women who meet at Bletchley Park during WW2. The women come from very different backgrounds and this leads them to respond in diverse ways to the challenges they face.
The start is slow and the book is so so long but it is meticulously researched and the characters are wonderful. An entertaining and interesting read although very long.

Three very different girls are recruited to work at Bletchley Park during the war: Osla, fighting to shrug off the view that she is a vacant deb; Mab, a working class girl fighting to better herself; and Beth, the mousy forgotten daughter with a talent for crosswords. Over the next few years the three will become best friends and then irrevocably fall out. 1947, on the eve of the Royal wedding, a strange message brings the three back together to try to find the traitor who was in their midst.
The story of the women of Bletchley Park is a well-worn theme amongst recent novels but this fiction adds a little more. There are lots of cliches around the three characters but their friendship is carefully drawn and seems plausible. I thought the whole 'Prince Philip' plotline a little excessive but that could just be because of recent events. Other than that as a clever wartime romance with an interesting plot, this works well

Bletchley Park always makes a wonderful backdrop for a WW2-based book. Who doesn't love a good bit of codebreaking?
Mab, Osla and Beth work in different divisions of Bletchley Park under a veil of secrecy as they slowly become firm friends. Osla is dating Prince Philip (yes that one), Mab is looking for a solid guy to marry, and super-smart Beth finally finds purpose in her life in the code work.
The focus is on life at Bletchley Park which is interesting and at times heartbreaking, but there's also a mystery angle, which felt a bit forced for me. It’s also told over two timelines, one during the war and the second in 1947 in the run-up to Princess Elizabeth’s wedding to Prince Philip.
The book comes close to four stars but in the end the mystery part jarred and felt a bit rushed. I do however want to read more Kate Quinn books now.

On the surface Osla, Mab and Beth have nothing in common. However World War 2 brings the unlikeliest of allies together. A long way from the front line is Bletchley Park where these three friends are involved in top secret code breaking but they can't tell a soul.

I had heard of the Engima machine and Bletchley Circle before this book but not in any great detail. This immersive read instantly transported me to war time and the Bletchley Park huts. Alan Turing and his male counterparts are mentioned but this book is all about the women. Neither Osla, Mab nor Beth knew what they were getting into when they accepted their new jobs but it doesn't take them long to make them their own. This is a 600 page book but the women's stories are so fascinating and filled with romance, drama and intrigue that the chapters just fly by. I can't wait to read more by Kate Quinn as her historical fiction is impeccable. The attention to detail and historical accuracy was superb and the fact that numerous characters were lovingly based on real life people added an extra level of interest. The Rose Code shines a light on unsung heroes that were kept in the shadows far too long.

I had mixed feelings about this book when I started it- WWII is not a favourite era to read about for me, but Kate Quinn is a fantastic author so..I gave it a try and it was brilliant! I loved the relationships between the three protagonists and how the community of Bletchley Park was portrayed. I found it fascinating to read about Prince Philip- especially as he only passed away last month so has been much in the news. The link to the Duchess of Cambridge was also so relevant. I felt quite emotional by the end of the book. Many thanks to Netgalley for an arc of this book.

The Rose Code is an historical fiction novel that takes place during two different timelines: 1940 and 1947. This is the story of Olsa, Mab and Beth, who meet in 1940, when they are sent to Bletchley Park in order to break German military codes: Osla as a translator, Mab as a decodist and Beth as a cryptanalyst. The second timeline takes us to a few weeks before the royal wedding in 1947, when Osla and Mab receive a mysterious letter from the friend who betrayed them years ago.

This is the first book I read by Kate Quinn and it definitely won’t be the last. I was a little hesitant at the beginning, since I wasn’t liking the addition of Prince Philip in the narrative and his fictionalised romance with Olsa—character lightly inspired by Osla Benning, who truly was a translator in Hut 4 and had a relationship with Prince Philip in real life. But once I got used to his presence in this novel, I started to really enjoy the story. I got especially engrossed in the first storyline: the work of these three women in Bletchley Park, their character development through the war and the mystery surrounding the true traitor.

Beth was definitely my favourite character and I absolutely loved her development. I was very invested in the subplots of the three main characters to the point where I didn’t want to put down this book when I was reading the chapters taking place throughout the war, but Beth’s storyline was the one that hooked me the most. I was truly fascinated by her evolution from the start of the war to the end.

But I didn’t enjoy the second timeline as much as the first one. I felt like that storyline wasn’t as strong as the one that takes place back in 1940 and that some of those events were shoehorned in. Although there is something that happens towards the end that involves quite a few characters from the time where they all worked in Bletchley Park and I enjoyed that moment a lot.

All in all, The Rose Code is a gripping historical fiction story set during World War II. A story about friendship, found family, love and the key role women secretly played code-breaking during the war. You can bet I’ll be reading more books written by Kate Quinn in the future, because her way of writing characters and heart-breaking scenes won me over.

I just love the way Kate Quinn captures you these characters. You can feel the emotion and picture the scenes so vividly, almost like you are there. She's an advocate for women and how in such times they come into their own, her female characterisation is inspiring. This story has love, friendship, betrayal and mystery and women at the centre. Thoroughly enjoyed it.

I have to start by saying how much I loved this book. I had to initially warm up to the linguistics of the era, but so impressively was the World War II setting depicted, along with the deliberate character building and a tight story line that was kept as taught at the end as it was throughout the book, it is quite exceptional.
It is quite a lengthy read and centres around 3 female protagonists from completely different backgrounds that get to meet and grow with their roles in Bletchley Park. Their relationships are not necessarily easy, sometimes strongly bonded, sometimes at odds with each other or physically apart. And with war comes much strife and loss that needs to be contended and lived with.
The book captured the raw fear which living with bombings & destruction brought, romantic relationships, betrayal, cruelty, as well as the mental health impact of the horrors of war. Prince Phillip’s socialite girlfriend and in part their relationship is sensitively incorporated before his marriage to Queen Elizabeth. One character is forced into a mental asylum and we are treated to some espionage activities also. So much is packed into this book, it has a steady cadence and is steeped in a world of utter reality.
Whilst it also managed to immersive you in the historical fiction, impressively it left you at the end with a real pride and admiration for those unsung heroes that worked tirelessly and often to the point of exhaustion and burn out to relentlessly do their bit try to crack the codes that we know impacted so positively in the war effort. It instilled a powerfully reflective experiential after burn, which whilst emotional, is imbued in pride. A highly recommended read.

What an incredible read. Loved every minute of this book, the characters, the story were all brilliant. Highly recommend

This world war ll book was completely different than anything I’ve read about the war. I knew very little about code breaking before this and found the story intriguing.
This was my first book by Kate Quinn and I thought it was wonderful. This was a view from the English codebreakers view. I couldn’t put it down. Well developed, very human characters that took me on a roller coaster of emotions.
If you’re trying to decide whether to read this. READ IT! It’s good.
Thanks HarperCollins via Netgalley.