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A review by liteartha
The Rose Code by Kate Quinn
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.5
this was a bit of a disappointment. i'll start by saying that i've read and enjoyed kate quinn's books in the past and do think she's a remarkably skilled voice in historical fiction, but this one missed the mark for me.
despite excellent narration from saskia maarleveld, the 15+ hour audiobook (over 650 pages) felt excessively long and it was a challenge to stay invested at times. the three leads were all interesting and distinct characters, but i didn't feel like their relationships were well enough developed over the course of the story. i was most interested in the code breaking and interpersonal dynamics between the three main characters, both of which were certainly featured, but for a book of this length, i'd have liked more exploration of both.
my interest in this book also suffered dramatically for it having included prince philip as a prominent love interest, which felt entirely unnecessary to the plot and distracted me greatly throughout. i truly can't see the point of it.
thank you to netgalley and harper audio for providing this advance copy of the audiobook
despite excellent narration from saskia maarleveld, the 15+ hour audiobook (over 650 pages) felt excessively long and it was a challenge to stay invested at times. the three leads were all interesting and distinct characters, but i didn't feel like their relationships were well enough developed over the course of the story. i was most interested in the code breaking and interpersonal dynamics between the three main characters, both of which were certainly featured, but for a book of this length, i'd have liked more exploration of both.
my interest in this book also suffered dramatically for it having included prince philip as a prominent love interest, which felt entirely unnecessary to the plot and distracted me greatly throughout. i truly can't see the point of it.
thank you to netgalley and harper audio for providing this advance copy of the audiobook
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death, Death, Emotional abuse, Gore, Physical abuse, Sexual assault, Forced institutionalization, and Grief
Moderate: Misogyny, Racial slurs, Racism, Suicidal thoughts, Vomit, and Medical trauma