An uplifting piece of historical fiction telling the stories of Rose and Evie. Two very different women who, despite their differences, form a firm friendship while using their German language skills to aid the war effort.

Well written and filled with a cast of supporting characters for you to love, (including Lucy and her multi-coloured stockings) and loathe (such as Henry), Bletchley Women truly captures what I imagine it must have been like for those women involved in undertaking war effort work and had to do battle not only with the enemy overseas but often with those at home.

I liked the story, although I would have liked more background on Bletchley Park and the characters sometimes where a bit flat.
And it always amazes me to see how much the world has changed since WW2.
The narrators did a very good job.

Great plot with different women ending up working at Bletchley Park coming from different walks of life. The work they do is interesting and cracking the codes of the Luftwaffe messages makes a real contribution to the war effort. But they cannot tell anyone what they do so all their families just think they are typists and have bad priorities in these dark times. As women they have to stick together and fight extra hard to be heard in a man's world. However the story drags at times, and makes no sense when these smart women cannot immediately work out very obvious events and conversations. This is the part that is frustrating in an otherwise good story

I really wanted to love this book, but sadly it just didn't quite hit the mark for me.

Rose, a farmers daughter from Norfolk, engaged to David who is a trainee pilot, ends up taking a job as a decoder at Bletchley Park, due to the fact she can speak German, and she thinks that being down in Bletchley will mean she is closer to David.

Evie, a debutante under the control of her father wants to break free from societal bounds, and also to reconcile with her brother who isn't talking to her for reasons she doesn't understand. She also takes a job at Bletchley to try and figure out why her brother is so distant.

The story was quite slow-paced, not much action at all and rather repetitive. I found myself really wanting the characters to just get on with things, and I didn't find Evie or Rose particularly relatable. I wanted to know more about the other women involved, Lucy, Nell, and one more I won't name so there is no spoiler. However their stories were very much glossed over, which is a shame because they seemed much more interesting than Rose and Evie.

However, Adrian is clearly a good writer, the descriptions and flown of the book worked well. I listened to the audio version and the narrators of Evie and Rose were great to listen to. I enjoyed that the book focused on the women of Bletchley, and that they often had to stand up to sexism and classism, particularly during the war period. It was interesting to learn more about the decoding done at Bletchley and how messages were intercepted and translated and what that meant in real time for the war effort. On the whole, it was a nice story, but I just thought it could have been so much more if there was more action and the plot revolved around all 5 women.

Thank you to Netgalley for the advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

Interesting story from two woman’s viewpoints with different backgrounds. The narration was engaging and both narrators suited their characters perfectly. Parts the story were slightly confusing and I’m not entirely sure I understand the rationale for the ending however this could have been because I was keen to finish it. Dragged from the midpoint for me.

Thank you Netgalley.

I am pleased to have listened to an audio version of this book. I have visited Bletchley Park a couple of times and have read a few novels based on the work which went on there, breaking codes during WW2. This book was much more about the characters and their relationship with one another and those people connected to them than the secretive war work. If I had read the book I think I would have found it a little dull and slow going but the narration was good and kept me interested enough in the lovely girls portrayed in this novel.

Great historical fiction read about the start of Bletchley park and the woman who helped build it.

I found the start slow but it certainly gives the base of the two main characters. They characters become very likeable and difficult to turn off the audiobook!

Both narrators are brilliant.

I’ve read a few non fiction books about Bletchley and this novel is the fictional story of three of the female code breakers who worked together there. They’re all from widely different backgrounds, but are brought together by circumstance. It’s a slow paced tale and as such, there were times when I felt it dragged a little. The key is very much the characters and how they bond together, despite their differences. I have the audio version and narration throughout is excellent. The narrators give life to each of the individuals and I mostly enjoyed their story.

The Bletchley world as described here feels real and I guess reflects much of what went on there. It’s taken me a while to finish the book, which is unusual and I think that’s because it’s very slow paced. But it’s well written, filled with period detail and because of that I’m rounding a probable three stars up to 4.

My thanks to the publisher for a review copy via Netgalley.

I love WW2 books and this is a different side. Following the codebreakers at Bletchley Park. It is fascinating to see how the diverse selection of people were recruited without knowing where they were going. A story following three women of different backgrounds and how they cracked codes on a daily basis. I had the audio book and enjoyed the narrators.

We are in a war and everyone must do their part, so when Rose wants to be closer to her fiance she manages to get a job at Bletchley House. But what she does is top secret and no one understands how important her work is. But there are obstacles that continue to stand in her way; her mother tries to get her sent back home, she must prove that women are just as good as men in the war effort and also overcome the coldness of her landlady.

But soon lives are all connected and the Sisterhood, with their coloured stockings, will form.

I could not get enough of this, the narrative is split between the characters of Rose and Evie who drive this narrative through their individual backgrounds and circumstances.

This novel is not only intriguing and engaging but I adored how these women fought against their gender as well as their financial status to be heard, going against the norm and standing up for what they believe in.

Although each character has a selfish agenda I felt I understood each one. The way Adrian intertwines each character's lives, making them come together is very clever and had bits I did not see coming.

This is definitely one to read I will be looking to read more from this author.

What an amazing bunch of women in such an amazing book! I was so entrenched in this sisterhood of Bletchley women and I was so rooting for them and behind them all the way!

Following the adventures of Evie and Rose, cracking German codes and showing the men just what they can do was so uplifting and entertaining. I felt for them in so many situations and I was utterly hooked to the story!

I love a wartime book and this one made it to the top of my favourites list. With the privileged Evie more than happy to retreat to war work within the foreign office and Rose who had been an underdog her entire life, it’s their chance to excel however, not without its difficulties trying to claim kudos in a mans world..!

I’d love more stories to continue on in this series as I was left wanting more and more! I can’t wait to see what this author comes out with in the future. Brilliant and thoroughly entertaining read!

3.5 stars rounded up: The Bletchley Women by Patricia Adrian follows two women as they leave their homes in 1940 and start working at Bletchley Park decoding German messages that have been intercepted. The war ministry needs people who can speak German and both Rose and Evie fit the bill, however they come from very different walks of life. Rose is an educated woman who grew up on a farm and expected to marry soon. Her fiancé is in the military so she feels strongly about her work. Evie is the daughter of a an English lord who is expected to marry well and spend her time doing good works. Her parents are not happy at all thinking she has gone to work as a secretary, you see, they cannot tell anyone the true nature of their work. The story is about this highly necessary job, but also about the friendship of the women and the pettiness and disregard the men have for the women when they make suggestions or draw conclusions.

I have read several stories about Bletchley Park and the codebreakers and this story seemed to concentrate more on the life of the women and less on their jobs than I would have liked. The story is told from Rose Wiley's and Evie Milton’s POV. Both women have issues in their own lives that are shared, as well as the difficulties they face in their role at Bletchley or with their billets. I was not surprised at how the women were treated by their male colleagues, but it sure is frustrating. They often had to run to their superior who was a family friend of Evie's. I know this is historical FICTION, but if any of the situations where ships or airfields were bombed because the males wouldn't listen to the women is based on an actual event, that is shameful. I found the story to be overlong and with a very slow pace, which caused me to set this book aside for a few days. Overall this is a story to highlight the role women played in the secret military organizations, the prejudice they faced as well as the fact that these women also had lives. I did a read/listen of The Bletchley Women narrated by Antonia Whillans and Imogen Wilde. I always enjoy when there is more than one narrator giving voice to various characters. They did an excellent job portraying the different voices and emotion with expression, tone and inflection. I didn't have a clear cut preference for either format.

I really enjoyed listening to The Bletchley Women. The author caught perferctly the dichotomy of the way the women were treated and thought of at this time. On the one hand settling down, finding a man and always being available for fiances and husbands. On the other hand, 10 hoyr shifts of sifting through codes to try and save the lives of soldiers and sailors . The immense pressure on lives and emotions, took its toll.
A lovely book, which only hints at the valuable input of The Bletchley Women.

EXCERPT: 'Where are we?' I ask the army officer, while he pushes me towards the guards hut. I brush by the other two girls I came with, not registering their faces. 'Where are we?'

'Move inside,' he barks, hurrying me along. 'You talk a lot, miss.'

'Welcome to Bletchley Park,' says one of the guards, a man about my father's age with a drooping moustache.

Bletchley Park? Hmmm.

I am still none the wiser.

I may have no clue about where I am, but I certainly know what brought me here.

Aunt Mavis, of course. Last Christmas.

ABOUT 'THE BLETCHLEY WOMEN': From debutante to farmer’s daughter all roads lead to Bletchley…

In a different world, Evie Milton would have accepted her fate, married an aristocrat, and become the doyenne of one of England’s finest estates, just like her mother.

In a different world, Rose Wiley would have married her fiancé, David, established a modest homestead, and brought up a brood of babies, just like her mother.

But this isn’t a different world and these women are not their mothers. Rose dreams of a life filled with more than family and duty to her husband – a life of purpose – and Evie dreams of a life far away from her rarefied existence. Now, as they perform vital work at Bletchley Park decoding intercepted Luftwaffe messages, their role in turning the tide of war in the Allies favour shows Evie and Rose they don’t have to settle for the life once laid out before them.

MY THOUGHTS: I expected more than what I got from The Bletchley Women. It's very vanilla. I have read and enjoyed several other books set around the code breaking work of Bletchley Park. This had many subplots based on family and relationship issues and petty rivalries within the workplace. It was too long with too many irrelevancies and lacked intrigue.

We never really get to know the characters in depth, but I really did get fed up with Rose blethering on about her 'darling David.'

I would have liked more focus on the work the decoders did and the problems they faced. What we learned was very superficial and I finished this feeling both disappointed and frustrated. It's a nice, light read, but not what I was looking for.

The narrators, Imogen Wilde and Antonia Whillans, narrated well with good range of tones and expression.

⭐⭐.5

#TheBletchleyWomen #NetGalley

I: @onemorechapterhc

T: @P_Adrian_Writer @OneMoreChapter_

#historicalfiction #romance #WWII

THE AUTHOR: Patricia Adrian always wanted to write books, ever since she penned (literally, with a pen) her dozen-page long ‘novel’ in fifth grade. Her interests also include history (especially women in history), skulking around social media for much longer than she should, and reading, particularly when she’s on a tight deadline and should be writing instead.

DISCLOSURE: Thank you to Harper Collins UK Audio, One More Chapter via Netgalley for providing an audio ARC of The Bletchley Women for review. All opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own personal opinions.

For an explanation of my rating system please refer to my Goodreads.com profile page or the about page on sandysbookaday.wordpress.com

This review is also published on Twitter, Amazon, Instagram and my webpage

Description 🔖

Evie Milton was destined to marry an aristocrat, and live on a fine English estate, just like her mother.

Rose Wiley was destined to marry her David and raise a brood of children on farming land, just like her mother.

But destiny has other plans for these women. Both Evie and Rose are hired at Bletchley park to decode intercepted Luftwaffe messages, providing a vital service to the war efforts. Performing their jobs proves to the women that they are not their mothers and they don’t have to settle for the cards that they have been dealt.

General Thoughts 🤔

This is a bit of an outlier when pitched amongst my usual reads but it was exactly that which made me want to read it. I very rarely read any historical fiction so I thought why not give it a try and I’m so glad that I did. The Bletchley Women was such a heart warming story about friendships, personal growth and sacrifice. I have seen a number of novels recently about Bletchley but I feel happy with having chosen this particular one to read.

The story was gripping and I have to say that I was a little bit disappointed when it ended. Not because of any huge twists or big reveals, I just really enjoyed reading about this group of characters. They were very easy to like and once I started the book, I was invested in their success and happiness.

Characters 👫👭👬

The characters were exactly what made this book enjoyable to read. I really liked Evie and Rose as well as the more sideline characters like Lucy and Nell. These women would likely never have met each other, never mind ended up being friends but the war brought them together and together they were determined to do all that they could to help. I think that they were all brave women and I commended them for going against their friends and families in order to do the right thing and also to create their own happiness.

Writing Style ✍️

The reason I don’t tend to read a lot of historical fiction is because the little that I have read has failed to engage me or make me feel engrossed in the story. Patricia Adrian managed to create a story that I found both interesting and pleasant to read so she definitely gets a tick from me. She created likeable characters that I was able to get behind and want the best for and don’t we all want to find characters we can see succeed?

I liked the way that the story was told from both Evie and Rose’s perspective. It highlighted to me how different their backgrounds were but how similar they were as women. The narration for the two women was also done brilliantly, the narrators truly brought them to life.

Conclusion & Scoring 🎖

I’m very happy that I decided to go for something different to my usual. This book was lovely to listen to and I enjoyed following the women on their own personal journeys and seeing their friendships grow. This author has made me realise that I should jump out of my comfort zone more as who knows what books I’m missing out on.

This is a stunning historical read, a well crafted World War II story that was informative in the sense of the setting, even if it is a fictional story. The narration has good pace and flow,and the narrators voices seemed right for the characters they were portraying.

Rose, Evie, Eleanor, Lucy, and Esther are the Bletchley women. They all meet at Bletchley Park where they are recruited to decode the intercepted encrypted messages passing between the Nazis during WWII. Rose and Evie largely control the narrative as we switch from each of their points of view throughout the story. Rose is a working class woman who happens to be exceptionally bright and by contrast Evie is middle class, entitled and connected but nevertheless likeable. From these two characters we learn about the experiences of women in Bletchley Park – a male dominated environment where some men appreciate their presence and others do not. One challenge is to have their voices heard, but Lucy has a plan and needs the help of her female companions...
This is an enjoyable book that is a really easy read. It has a simple plot and the characters are straightforward in their presentation. If you are looking to learn more about Bletchley Park then this is not the book for you, nor if you want more complexity in plot and characters. Nevertheless, it was a very pleasant read and if you want some light entertainment, then this is the book for you.
Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Sisterhood, romance and secrecy, well-written and well-read. I really enjoyed this wartime story of a team of women cracking codes, each very different but working together to help win the war.

Narrators Imogen Wilde and Antonia Whillans bring this story of women working at Bletchley Park in WW2 to absolute life. I was completely engrossed for a number of days and didn’t want the story to end. I liked the slow start as I really got to know Rose and Evie and because of this found their decisions believable. The Bletchley Women come from different social classes and it is fascinating to see how they are recruited, work together decoding Luftwaffe messages and become friends regardless of background. There is great tension the whole way through both through misunderstandings, social standing and expectations. The descriptions of settings were very lifelike and enjoyable as the women travelled to and from Bletchley to home sometimes via airfields! Loved the image of the girls in their vegetable dyed stockings! I thought the ending a little quickly done and would have liked to see more exchanges between Rose and her fiancé. A really enjoyable, fascinating and well-researched novel.
Thanks to NetGalley and HarperCollins UK Audio & One More Chapter for the audio version of the book.

“*The key is always... always to make the best of what you have!*”

“The Bletchley Women” by Patricia Adrian is one of a kind page-turner for Bletchley Park fans! The story follows the story of multiple young ladies who, through very unusual circumstances, ended up as code breakers at Bletchley Park during WWII. Instead of following their family wishes, Rose Wiley, an educated young lady living on a farm and expecting to be married, and Evie Milton, a London debutante looking to make more out of her life than just marrying an aristocrat and managing an estate, decide to take their future into their own hands and do something that both of their families would definitely not approve of them: get jobs at a radio factory! At least this is the cover-up story used by them not to draw suspicions, but in reality, they work on breaking messages encrypted by the German forces. They soon learn, however, that their past does not stay away from them for long.

Having listened to the audiobook, I was happy to hear that the voices of the two main characters, Rosie and Evie, reflected their background and education, thus making the listening experience all the more enjoyable! IT also captures their emotions to the point of giving the impression that the listener is part of the story and the events that are unfolding.

From a story perspective, it was flawless! It had a good plot, the events were well represented, and the tension between characters was just at the right level. I couldn’t have asked for something better! Also, being a debut novel, it was a pleasant surprise to hear how well the story was crafted.

Special thanks to NetGalley, HarperCollins UK Audio, One More Chapter, and the editorial team for giving me the opportunity to review the ARC in audiobook format and to you, my reader, for taking the time to read this honest personal book review.

If you are interested in other of my book reviews, make sure to follow me on GoodReads!

#LifeLongLearning #TheBletchleyWomen #NetGalley