#BlogTour: One Woman’s War by Christine Wells @ChristineWells0 @Harper360UK @RandomTTours #OneWomansWar #ChristineWells #RandomThingsTours #5Stars

Book Synopsis:

ONE OF BOOKBUB’S BEST HISTORICAL FICTION BOOKS OF THE FALL

From the author of Sisters of the Resistance comes the story of WWII British Naval Intelligence officer Victoire Bennett, the real-life inspiration for the James Bond character Miss Moneypenny, whose international covert operation is put in jeopardy when a volatile socialite and Austrian double agent threatens to expose the mission to German High Command.

World War II London: When Victoire “Paddy” Bennett first walks into the Admiralty’s Room 39, home to the Intelligence Division, all the bright and lively young woman expects is a secretarial position to the charismatic Commander Ian Fleming. But soon her job is so much more, and when Fleming proposes a daring plot to deceive the Germans about Allied invasion plans he requests the newlywed Paddy’s help. She jumps at the chance to work as an agent in the field, even after the operation begins to affect her marriage. But could doing her duty for King and country come at too great a cost?

Socialite Friedl Stöttinger is a beautiful Austrian double agent determined to survive in wartime England, which means working for MI-5, investigating fifth column activity among the British elite at parties and nightclubs. But Friedl has a secret—some years before, she agreed to work for German Intelligence and spy on the British.

When her handler at MI-5 proposes that she work with Serbian agent, Duško Popov, Friedl falls hopelessly in love with the dashing spy. And when her intelligence work becomes fraught with danger, she must choose whether to remain loyal to the British and risk torture and execution by the Nazis, or betray thousands of men to their deaths.

Soon, the lives of these two extraordinarily brave women will collide, as each travels down a road of deception and danger leading to one of the greatest battles of World War II. 

My Review:

One Woman’s War is an intriguing, absorbing read which I really enjoyed! As I might have mentioned once or twice I’m a huge fan of historical fiction set in the second world war. This is especially true if they are based on real life characters and feature events I didn’t know much about as I always love learning new things.

It was fascinating to learn more about Victorie, who is thought to have been the inspiration for Ian Fleming ‘s Miss Moneypenny and double agent Friedl two historical figures I previously knew nothing about. I loved learning more about their work and their lives in war time London. It’s amazing to me that this work was done by ordinary people which makes their bravery even more extraordinary and amazing to read about.

The story is told from the point of view of both Victoire and Friedl so it was interesting to read about both of their sides of the story. Of the two I much preferred Victoire as Friedl always seemed a bit off though maybe that was because I knew she was a double agent. The story had a great pace to it and there was plenty of intrigue and action to keep me reading. I flew through this book in a few days as I couldn’t put the book down which is no mean feat with three kids on half term. I’m very excited to read more from this author in the future.

Huge thanks to Anne Cater for inviting me onto the blog tour and to the publishers for my copy of this book.

About The Author:

Christine Wells writes historical fiction featuring strong, fascinating women. From early childhood, she drank in her father’s tales of kings and queens and epic struggles for power across the globe, and has been a keen student of history ever since. She began her first novel while working as a corporate lawyer, and has gone on to write about periods ranging from Georgian England to World War II France. She loves dogs, the beach and antiquing on Instagram and lives with her family in Brisbane, Australia.