As I know the area well from childhood holidays, this was a particularly enjoyable audio book. Well written and clearly historically researched. A feel good book mixed with the true reality of the time. Would recommend.

I continued to listen to this book, even though it was not quite what I expected. I think more could have been made about the war aspects of the story. I did like the last quarter of the book the best and enjoyed the ending.

This one was frustrating. All of the ingredients are there for a great story - interesting setting, lots of action, a wide array of characters...but this does not seem to be the right storyteller.

World War II romances (in written and filmed form, not commenting on actual humans' feelings for one another in the real world) have a strong tendency toward the schmaltzy and melodramatic under the best of circumstances. And no reader could possibly miss the hammered-home point of this one that is repeated every few minutes, that romantic love should be everyone's priority under any circumstances. I know there is an audience out there who loves books with that as the driving theme...but it's not a great fit for a war story, particularly one with such specific parameters as this one. Hint: If you run into your mother, who many believed was dead, in the middle of the night amidst a top secret rescue mission while running from the Nazis and she is fighting for the French Resistance, what would be your first question for her? If your answer is "how can I know if I'm really in love?", then this might be the story for you. You might also want to take a long look at the relationships in your life and consider family counseling once things have calmed down.

We hear throughout the book about Mary's lifelong love of maps - but aside from a few passing moments of using mapmaking in her personal life, we never actually see her at work. So the book's central conflict of her having to choose between the career she loves and pursuing a relationship with Jake rings false, because it's a completely one-sided presentation. And Jake himself is such a complete anachronism that I truly spent most of the book expecting the "big reveal" to be that he was a time traveler from the 21st century. I understand the difficulty in writing historical characters who do not offend modern sensibilities, but the language Jake uses when talking about gender roles, relationships, etc. does not make even the slightest attempt to sound like something that would be said by someone in 1943. The use of a narrator for Jake's dispatches who is the embodiment of modern vocal fry further pulls him out of the book's setting. There were absolutely men in the 1940's who advocated for women's professional roles to be expanded and acknowledged - but I'm pretty sure none of them would have apologized for using "belittling" language...since that wasn't a term in use in that context at the time.

You may now be wondering why I gave this book three stars. There are two reasons:

First, the narrator. Despite the inconsistencies in Mary's written voice, Laura Kirman embodies her so completely that you never for a moment doubt that you're hearing Mary's internal monologue. She absolutely nails the tone across a wide variety of scenes from romance to fear to exasperation and more. If you're a sucker for a good narrator, I'd recommend this one just for her.

Second - despite the many problems with the storytelling, I enjoyed Liz Fenwick's writing. While that may seem contradictory, I finished this with a desire to read a different book by her in the hope that her descriptions and dialogue could be applied in a more helpful way elsewhere.

So thank you to NetGalley for introducing me to an excellent narrator and intriguing author even if this one didn't completely pan out.

I really enjoyed listening to this audiobook, it was informative, interesting and exciting. The Cornish landscape was brought to life and the role of geography and mapping in WW2 was brought to life. The authors note at the end was particularly poignant as it revealed that a lot of the characters were named after real life people.

The Secret Shore by Liz Fenwick was an excellent book to listen to. It grabbed my attention at the get-go and kept me interested until the end. The storyline has a few twists and turns that were well woven into the text. This was well worth listening to.

Another winner from Liz Fenwick with this sweeping love story set during WW2. Located mainly between London and Helford in Cornwall, the story tells of the heroic work of the Cornish flotillas in the war effort, and also of the roles played by women that were largely overlooked and quite dismissed after the war ended. The narrator does a sterling job, smoothly guiding us through and deftly tackling all the accents with aplomb. Fenwick’s writing is consistently assured and as a reader I feel completely safe in her story-telling hands, as she takes us on an adventure - this one spanning five years – with love and grief, romance and heartache, bravery and sacrifice. It swept me away.

As one of the Navy’s most skilled mapmakers, Merry knows that lives depend on her work in the War Office. But when a family crisis draws her back to her beloved Cornwall, she finds herself working alongside Jake, an enigmatic American officer, on secret operations spanning the rugged coasts of Cornwall and Brittany which she knows so well.

As rumours and suspicion swirl around her family, Merry is increasingly drawn to Jake, despite the defences she’s built around her heart. It’s a dangerous time to fall in love; the tides of war are rising and there is everything to lose…. My thoughts The novel follows Dr Meredith Tremaine ( Merry) a map reader in world war 2. Set in Cornwall, France, London and America the storyline follows Merry as works to help keep communications open during the war years . Throw a love interest into the mix Jake Russell a war correspondent ! Merry does not want to get involved as they both might die and is happy just to be friends ! The novel also follows the search for her mother who has gone missing and as she is French the rumour is that she has joined the resistance as a spy. Merry
The research in this novel is very good and you are once again told how good we women were in the war and not recognized that we did anything!!! We also get glimpses of Daphne Dumaurier’s Frenchman’s creek which is spoken about with fondness . Great characters and descriptions throughout . I visited Hughenden a national trust place which had uncovered the secret Map rooms code name hillside, last year and it was fascinating to see and to read this book about it.

A gorgeous sweeping saga set in Cornwall on audiobook that I thoroughly enjoyed. When Merry’s French mother goes mysteriously missing from their home in Cornwall, Merry is sent from her position as a Cartographer to go and help find her. This novel is set during the war, in 1942, and Merry uses her skills as a mapmaker supporting a team in Cornwall of secret agents in France to help men who are putting their lives on the line. She is a fierce, clever and strong woman and a valuable member of the team. What she doesn’t bank is being attracted to an American Officer. This is an incredible story , set in Cornwall with wonderful descriptions of the coast and area all beautifully written and highlighting the importance of women’s roles in the war effort. The audiobook is performed by Laura Kidman and Dominic Gruenewald and is dazzling! I will be reading more of Liz Fenwicks books for sure. The Secret Shore is available now. Thank you to Harper Collins Audio Uk and Netgalley for my copy.

I thoroughly enjoyed this novel, I must admit I went into it expecting a wartime love story, and I certainly got that, but the research that had clearly gone into the story was pretty mind blowing, I love when I learn through fiction.

Impeccably written, beautifully narrated and stunningly plotted.

Thank you to NetGalley and Harper Collins U.K. audio for the opportunity to listen to this audiobook in return for an honest review.