Blog Tour Review – The Alice Network by Kate Quinn @KateQuinnAuthor @WmMorrowBks

The Alice Network by Kate Quinn
Publisher: William Morrow Paperbacks
Publication Date: June 6, 2017
Date Read: June 12, 2017
Length:  528 pages
Source: Edelweiss
★★★★☆

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, 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.

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This was an excellent novel.  I found myself really getting hooked by this book more and more as I read.  I knew that I wanted to read this book as soon as I read the summary.  Historical fiction that focuses on female spies during World War I was just too interesting to pass up.  It did take me a little bit to really get into the story but once I did there was no looking back.  I am so glad that I decided to pick up this wonderful book.

This book is told in two different timelines.  The first timeline is in 1947 just a few years after World War II and the second timeline takes place during World War I in 1915.  So many times when a book is laid out in this manner, I find myself enjoying one timeline more than the other.  That was not the case at all with this book.  The shifts between the time periods flowed remarkably well.  There was never a time where I wished the book would stay in either timeline a little longer.  I was really very equally interested in both times and I thought that the way they worked together was flawless.

The characters in this book were amazing.  Charlie is the first character that makes an appearance and she is the focus of the 1947 timeline.  She is young but very smart and I thought she had a lot of spunk.  Eve is really the star of this book.  She is the character that brings the two timelines together.  She is the focus of the 1915 time period and her character plays a very important role in 1947.  I think that seeing the changes in her over time really added a lot to the story.  I also really enjoyed Finn, Lili, and Violette.  Everyone in this story plays an important role and each of the characters felt very realistic.

I loved that this book really made me feel for the characters.  This story is set during two very rough periods of time historically.  There were points in the story that I really felt the character’s fear, uncertainty, and frustrations.  Some parts of the book were heartbreaking and terrifying.  I also liked that the book took a positive turn and ended with hope.  There is even a bit of romance that really worked well for me.

I would highly recommend this book to fans of historical fiction.  This story took a subject that I knew very little about and brought it to life.  I am completely impressed by this book and will be checking out other novels written by Kate Quinn soon.

I received an advance reader edition of this book from William Morrow Paperbacks via Edelweiss.

About the Author

Kate Quinn is a native of southern California. She attended Boston University, where she earned a Bachelor’s and Master’s degree in Classical Voice. A lifelong history buff, she has written four novels in the Empress of Rome Saga, and two books in the Italian Renaissance detailing the early years of the infamous Borgia clan. All have been translated into multiple languages. She and her husband now live in Maryland with two black dogs named Caesar and Calpurnia.

Author Links: Website | Goodreads | Facebook | Twitter

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