Publisher: Harlequin Trade Publishing, July 26th, 2022

Format: ebook

Pages: 400

Rating: 4/5 stars

Synopsis (from Goodreads):

From the New York Times bestselling author of The Last Bookshop in London comes a moving new novel inspired by the true history of America’s library spies of World War II.

Ava thought her job as a librarian at the Library of Congress would mean a quiet, routine existence. But an unexpected offer from the US military has brought her to Lisbon with a new mission: posing as a librarian while working undercover as a spy gathering intelligence.

Meanwhile, in occupied France, Elaine has begun an apprenticeship at a printing press run by members of the Resistance. It’s a job usually reserved for men, but in the war, those rules have been forgotten. Yet she knows that the Nazis are searching for the press and its printer in order to silence them.

As the battle in Europe rages, Ava and Elaine find themselves connecting through coded messages and discovering hope in the face of war.

My Review:

Thank you, Harlequin Trade Publishing and NetGalley for the copy of this book.
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The book follows two characters- Ava is an American librarian sent to Portugal to look for info in published newspapers to help the allies and the war effort. Then there is Elaine, who lives in occupied France and joins the resistance after her husband is arrested.
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This was a gripping novel about two women making different sacrifices for the war effort. I loved how strong and smart both women were. A lot of World War stories show the strength of the characters, but I liked how this one focused on the intelligence of both women in different ways.
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CW: war, violence, torture, imprisonment, death of a loved one, suicide.