The Seasonal Reading Challenge discussion

This is the discussion thread for the Winter 2025 Group Read, Fiction - Royalty The Rose Code. Please post your comments here. This thread is not restricted to those choosing this book for task 20.10, feel free to join in the discussion.

The requirement for task 20.10: You must participate in the book's discussion thread below with at least one post about the contents of the book or your reaction to the book after you have read the book

I had a bit of a hard time getting into this one. It wasn't until like the last third of the book that I got really engaged. Dual timelines aren't my favorite usually. I ended up giving it 3.5 stars
(view spoiler)[I would have been so mad too if I found out that my friend had knowledge of the bombing that killed my daughter and husband. It was hard to read about the lobotomies. Crazy that we just used to do that to people! So sad that Beth was locked up. I was glad they got her out. I had to look up what Prince Phillip looked like back in the day as the book made him sound dashing and I only know him looking like Emperor Palpatine. (hide spoiler)]

I had previously read one book by this author, so I guessed that I would like this one as well. I wasn’t bothered by the fact that the story jumped back and forth in time, although it's not usually my favorite way of telling a story. I also really liked the characters, and Mab in particular resonated with me. The only thing that bothered me about the book was that everything happened a bit too smoothly, and even though there were several mysteries through out the story, everything was ultimately resolved in the end. But I do love historical fiction because through it I have learned a lot about real historical events and periods, even though the stories are presented through fictional characters.

I had previously heard of Bletchley Park, but this went more in depth than what I already knew. I liked the differences between the main characters and what they did. However, I still don't really understand what they were doing to decrypt the messages. I understand in general terms, but not the actual mechanics. There were pictures of the machines at the end, but I couldn't follow the technical aspects.
One of my favorite moments was (view spoiler)[when Mab and her second husband found out that they had both been at BP (hide spoiler)]
The sections with Beth at the asylum were harrowing.
Despite the category for the group read being "Royalty" I didn't think the inclusion of Prince Phillip added much to the book.

I've ready many books by Kate Quinn and had high hopes for this one. It took me a bit to get into it but once it took off, I really enjoyed the story. There was a lot crammed into the book but really, I think in those war years, people were riding a big wave and experiencing many lifetimes in those years. I agree with an earlier poster that the inclusion of Prince Phillip was so little that it hardly qualifies as "Royalty" but it was fun to read about him written before he was Prince Phillip.

I have read Kate Quinn books before and liked them fine, but for some reason I loved this one and became very invested in the characters. I loved how much it was based on real people and events. Of course I had read books set in BP (and movies!) but for some reason this one really engaged me. I am reading the book by the former Sarah Winters now. It’s nice to have rabbit hole to go down in February!

I enjoyed much of this book, mostly the part about their work at Bletchley Park and the relationship between Mab and Francis. Some of the story didn't make sense to me, for example the whole relationship between Beth and Harry. Why make him married? Then I read the author's note about how she tried to put in real stories and real people. I think that's what made some of the storylines feel forced. I did not like the ending. It felt like I was reading a movie scene transcribed into a book rather than an actual book. I don't know if that makes sense or not, but I thought it was dumb.

I’m not typically a big WWII fiction reader, but The Rose Code completely won me over. What really stood out to me was how the book was set during the war and shaped by it, without letting the historical backdrop overshadow the deeply personal story being told. The focus on the codebreakers, what they did, what they sacrificed, and what they endured, was both fascinating historically as well as being an intriguing on a personal level.

This is a wonderful story about friendship, love, loss, and betrayal, and KQ handles all of those threads beautifully. I loved learning more about Bletchley Park through the lens of these women and their relationships, and the emotional stakes felt just as compelling as the historical ones.

The mystery element was an added bonus that added to the tension andept me fully engaged. Dual timelines don’t always work for me but this one was executed so well and felt integral to keeping the story moving all while building suspense and deepening the emotional impact.