I’m not usually one to pick up books set during WWII as they can be abit overly cheery or depressing but @avonbooksuk kindly sent me a review copy of Her Secret War which was wayyy over due and one day over the summer the mood caught me and I picked it up - and you know what I’m glad that I did!

Set in 1941 Ireland, the book starts with the unexpected bombing and resulting tragedy which led to Sarah moving to England to live with family. There she joins the team of tracers for the Spitfire.

It was an interesting setting and something I have explored through visits to places like Bletchley Park and National Trust properties - despite not especially enjoying fiction about the war I do find the functions of stately homes during the war absolutely fascinating.

The characters were likeable and rich with imagination, I especially enjoyed Miss Whittaker being described as ‘the dragon’ I think we all have a teacher or similar we can relate to.

The story flows although there is a lot of dialogue, young love is explored and the ending I found somewhat predictable having been well set up in advance and left a set up to the sequel.

An enjoyable and engaging read, well researched and intriguing.

I really enjoyed this historical fiction book.

Sarah loses her home and is left alone after a bomb raid on her home. So she starts her new journey, moves away and starts a job as someone undercover to uncover a german spy. It’s not quite as simple as it sounds and there’s twists and turns throughout her journey.

A really good read, I liked the main character Sarah and connected with her.

I was given this book free from Netgalley, in the form of an audiobook.

The book follows the life of Sarah Gallespie, who was born in Dublin, Ireland.

The story takes place in WW2, when Sarah was a young woman, living with her Republican father and Younger sister. One fateful night, the German Bombers, dropped their bombs in a neutral Dublin, killing her family, and Injuring Sarah.

After she recovered, she received a letter from her Uncle in England, inviting her to go and live with his family. As she had lost her home, her family, job and boyfriend, she decided to make the move. Her Aunt and uncle and Cousin Martin lived in a small village and worked for a company called Supermarine, who designed Spitfires. Sarah's Uncle had got her a job in the tracing room, and she couldn't wait to get started.

Whilst their she makes some friends, and encounters a young man called Rob. A Naval Officer approaches Sarah and tells her that Rob is a German spy and he needs her help to flush him out, and so the deception begins.

I really enjoyed this book, and because the Audio was done by an Irish Lady, it made it even more enjoyable, as it really brought the story to life. I would definitely recommend this book, if you like WW2 Spy stories. I am looking forward to the next book as this one ended on a cliff hanger.

It’s 1941 and German planes have just bombed neutral Dublin. Sarah Gillespie’s life is changed forever as she loses her home, her immediate family and everything she knows. Left without a home and income, she has no choice but to move to England to stay with her uncle and aunt, who thankfully are very welcoming. She passes the security checks and gets a job helping the war effort, but soon is drawn into things she doesn’t understand or really want to be involved with.

The plot was unusual but unfortunately it was a bit too predictable for me and I guessed the “twist” very early on. I liked Sarah’s character but she felt a little too naïve at times and quite superficial – she needed a bit more depth. I listened to the audiobook and the narration was excellent. The accent of the narrator suited the book, and she was able to give distinct voices to each of the main characters.
Overall, it’s a book that you will probably enjoy if you like war time drama, and it was definitely interesting to learn more about Dublin’s position as neutral in 1941. There is good consideration given to the personal struggles and sacrifices made by ordinary people who wanted to play their part in the war effort.
I will look out for more in the series, as I would like to see where the author goes next, but I feel they are a light escape from the day to day rather than great literary fiction.

#HerSecretWar #NetGalley

This book was absolutely amazing, I loved every minute of it. I just couldn't put the book down. I connected with the characters straight away while I listened to the audio version of this book. I was enchanted by the narrator straight away with her most expressive voice that just added to my love of the book and created so much life, warmth and atmosphere to the story. The depth of the characters made it so much easier to love or hate each one and created such emotions within provoking a reaction from the reader. This cleverly wrote novel had me on the edge of my seat from the very beginning especially because of all the action from the outset. The uniqueness of the story line had me intrigued. I wasn't expecting the major twists of this book and found myself shouting out loud, followed by my jaw hitting the group and this all occurred while I was sat on the bus whoops. I was so engrossed I very nearly missed my stop, even though I was starring out the window. I had to binge read this book, I had to find out what would happen next, note: expect a late night and an early rise to finish this book. I finished the book in just over a day.

The ending of this book that I will not disclose, but can say it's WOW!!! jaw droppingly excellent in every way.

I would like to thank the author and publishing team for creating the most amazing war tale with an excellent sense of atmosphere, tension, mystery making me feel so content.

This is definitely an author to put on your one to watch list. I can not wait to read more of her novels.

I highly recommend this book and author for all those lovers of war historical fiction books that you just fall in love with from the get go. Happy reading. :)
Left a review on amazon, waterstones, kobo, Google books, Barnes&noble and goodreads.
Also left the review on my blog https://ladyreading365.wixsite.com/website/post/her-secret-war-by-pam-leaky-harper-collins-avon-5-stars

Absolutely gripping! What a terrific book.
Please God there's a second one soon! I really want to know what could possibly happen next!!
I haven't listened to this author's books before, but wow!... what a great storyteller she is.

I really love these wartime reads, but from the home perspective. Stories of strong women who came to be the backbone of our wars whether at home building the bombs or as pilots etc, or as brave nurses, spies or, in this case, MI5 agents!!

Not only were most of them working for the first time, they excelled (of course!) and their strength is so inspiring, especially considering the hardships they went through. Romance in this era is so special when you consider that every day, very likely, could have been their last.

Pam Lecky brought this story to life - I learnt so much from it and about how Ireland was neutral. Can't wait for her next book, fingers crossed it's soon!

Absolutely gripping! What a terrific book.
Please God there's a second one soon! I really want to know what could possibly happen next!!
I haven't listened to this author's books before, but wow!... what a great storyteller she is.

I really love these wartime reads, but from the home perspective. Stories of strong women who came to be the backbone of our wars whether at home building the bombs or as pilots etc, or as brave nurses, spies or, in this case, MI5 agents!!

Not only were most of them working for the first time, they excelled (of course!) and their strength is so inspiring, especially considering the hardships they went through. Romance in this era is so special when you consider that every day, very likely, could have been their last.

Pam Lecky brought this story to life - I learnt so much from it and about how Ireland was neutral. Can't wait for her next book, fingers crossed it's soon!

Thanks so much Pam Lecky and HarperCollins UK Audio, via NetGalley for gifting me an audiobook copy for an honest review.

This was so good! I loved the writing and I loved the narrator. I’ll be honest here and say that I wasn’t super excited about another WW11 story but this one was a pleasant surprise. I had no idea that Dublin was a neutral party to the war and it left me speechless. I highly recommend it if you like historical fiction.
Sarah goes through so much heartache and I was relieved her distant family in England were so endearing. I was rooting for the romance and hope to see it in book 2.
This had bombs, spies and a surprising mystery.
Thanks HarperCollins Audio via Netgalley.

When he Dublin home is bombed, her father and sister killed, Sarah moves to live with relatives in England. She take a job helping the war effort. When she is approached to catch a spy in the company, her life of subterfuge begins

I thoroughly enjoyed this audiobook. I liked the back story and was invested very early on in. I liked the characters very much and was cheering them on.
It was an interesting story and a completely new direction for me with a WW2 drama which was a pleasant change.
I was a bit disappointed with the way the book finished albeit a good ending.

Firstly, thank you to Netgalley, the author and publisher for a copy of the audiobook in return for a review.

I loved this story, as a fan of historical/war time fiction. The audiobook was narrated excellently and really enjoyed both the premise of the book and as an audiobook! I would definitely recommend to people to listen, or buy the actual book!

Couldn't finish it because the playback was pretty bad. Quite jumpy or would just stop and I'd have to forward to the next chapter and pick up from there so unfortunately, I wasn't able to enjoy the story in it's entirety.

However, the premise is great and I adore historical fiction. I DID enjoy how personal it felt when the main characters thoughts were narrated

4.25⭐️
I had the 🎧audiobook version. I like the accent of the narrator, with good distinct voices for the characters. The narrator added emotion and interest. It’s easy listening.
One fateful night in 1941 Germany drops bombs on neutral Dublin. Sarah Gillespie’s life is forever changed as she loses all her family and her home.
Sarah moved to England becoming involved in espionage.

The dialogue gave a feeling of the era. It’s interesting how language changes over the years.
The pace is relatively slow, the narrative gives a good feel of the war, the struggles and personal sacrifices made by individuals. It’s an age where people were patriotic, compliant and willing to play their part to secure the safety of the Country.
I thoroughly enjoyed Sarah’s experiences dipping her toe into the world of espionage. Some good twists and turns, plenty going on. It held my attention well throughout.
Sarah’s character is very likeable so I was totally engaged with her.
A book which I would recommend if you like war time drama.