Plot:

In an enthralling new historical novel from national bestselling author Kate Quinn, two women—a female spy recruited to the real-life Alice Network in France during World War I and an unconventional American socialite searching for her cousin in 1947—are brought together in a mesmerizing story of courage and redemption.

1947. In the chaotic aftermath of World War II, American college girl Charlie St. Clair is pregnant, unmarried, and on the verge of being thrown out of her very proper family. She’s also nursing a desperate hope that her beloved cousin Rose, who disappeared in Nazi-occupied France during the war, might still be alive. So when Charlie’s parents banish her to Europe to have her “little problem” taken care of, Charlie breaks free and heads to London, determined to find out what happened to the cousin she loves like a sister.

1915. A year into the Great War, Eve Gardiner burns to join the fight against the Germans and unexpectedly gets her chance when she’s recruited to work as a spy. Sent into enemy-occupied France, she’s trained by the mesmerizing Lili, code name Alice, the “queen of spies”, who manages a vast network of secret agents right under the enemy’s nose.

Thirty years later, haunted by the betrayal that ultimately tore apart the Alice Network, Eve spends her days drunk and secluded in her crumbling London house. Until a young American barges in uttering a name Eve hasn’t heard in decades, and launches them both on a mission to find the truth…no matter where it leads.

Review:

What a fascinating story!

For someone that needs the majority of a historic novel to be around romance this one was an excellent change.

Especially for women spies, because we are awesome you know?
Spies + the first two wars of this world. Plus amazing characters that are described in a way you can understand them.

Each character has had their own struggles to get to where they are today. The first point of view character is Charlie. Some reviews I have seen where people make fun of her / disrespect her because she started off as a socialite and doesn’t understand much. If she has a skill that she frequently uses and has broke out of her family’s requests then please, respect her. One annoying thing I really didn’t like her doing is calling her pregnant belly ‘little problem’. IT, she, they, he are acceptable as their nouns. But for her to only refer to it as ‘LP’ for short is an adjective. A negative one at that which is insulting.

I really enjoyed the elements that her and Eve where both pregnant at different era’s. Each reason to keep or remove it was both for the right reasons depending on the circumstance.
Eve is a very strong character as well for obvious reasons.
This is an excellent novel to read if you want to read about spies, women overcoming hard times and just the characters themselves. The plot was excellent.

5/5 Stars