Author: Jenni L. Walsh
Publisher: Harper Muse AU
Genre: Historical Fiction, Fiction & Literature
Year of release: 2025
Release Date: 05 /03/25
Rating 🌟🌟🌟🌟
Synopsis
Trailblazer, superstar, activist, and spy: Alice Marble is a true American icon.
Alice strives to have it all.
At seventeen, Alice Marble has no formal tennis skills and no coach. What she does have is an ability to hit the ball as hard as she can and a strong desire to prove herself. With steadfast determination and one sacrifice after another, Alice plays her heart out on the courts of the rich and famous, at national tournaments, and—the greatest of them all—at Wimbledon, rising to be one of the top-ranked players in the world.
But then her world falls apart.
With the outbreak of war with Germany, Alice’s tennis career and life come to a screeching halt, and for the first time, she is forced to confront who she is without tennis. As she seeks to understand her new place in the world and how she can aid in the war efforts, a telegram arrives with devastating news from overseas. Heartbroken and lost, she feels like she can only watch as the war wreaks havoc in every area of her life.
Until an unexpected invitation arrives.
Alice is given the chance to fight back when the US Army sends her a request: Under the guise of playing in tennis exhibition games in Switzerland, she would be a spy for them. Alice aches for nothing more than to avenge what the war has taken from her and to prove herself against this new opponent. But what awaits her might be her greatest challenge yet.
From her start as a promising athlete with worn-out shoes to her status as a glamorous international star, Alice Marble’s determination to control her own life and destiny fuels a story of achievement, discipline, loss, and love.
Review
San Francisco, 1930. Seventeen-year-old Alice Mabel discovers a passion for tennis after her brother suggests it as a more ladylike alternative to basketball. Despite having no formal training or coach, Alice’s determination only grows. She’s willing to sacrifice almost everything to pursue a tennis career. With every opportunity, she finds herself on the court—until she’s offered the chance of a lifetime. Could she become the world’s top-ranked player, or will war shatter her Wimbledon dream?
When war breaks out with Germany, Alice’s tennis career comes to a sudden halt. For the first time, she must consider who she is without the sport. Feeling powerless as Hitler’s influence spreads across Europe, she refuses to remain a spectator. She must act—immediately.
The war leaves a lasting mark on Alice. Though the battles rage an ocean away, Hitler’s reach disrupts every aspect of her life. Her resolve to fight back strengthens daily, and soon, an unexpected opportunity arises—the U.S. Army wants her to spy for them under the guise of playing exhibition matches in Switzerland. Can she gather intelligence while competing on the court, or will someone from her past persuade her to walk away, leaving the Army—and the life she knows—behind?
I’m always drawn to wartime stories set in the late 1930s and 1940s, especially those featuring strong female protagonists. Usually, they take place in England or Berlin, and before I know it, they’ve landed on my reading pile. But Ace, Marvel, Spy immediately caught my attention—set in America, with a fresh perspective on war, espionage, and sport. I couldn’t wait to dive in, and once I did, I couldn’t put it down. If you love historical fiction with a unique twist, this is must-read.
Jenni L. Walsh has put real care and effort into crafting characters that readers will connect with and root for. From the moment I met Alice Mabel, I had a strong feeling she’d be a character I’d relate to. The author has created a three-dimensional protagonist who isn’t always likeable or loveable, and that’s what makes her so compelling. Watching Alice grow from a late teenager to a young adult—and later into a mature woman—was truly rewarding. This depth and authenticity are why I’m giving Ace, Marvel, Spy a well-earned four-star rating.
I found myself deeply attached to all the minor characters in this story—far more than I usually do when reading. Even after turning the final page, my mind kept drifting back to them, wondering about their lives beyond the story. Each character, no matter how small their role, felt purposeful and well-developed. It’s rare for me to care so much about every character in a book, but Jenni L. Walsh made it impossible not to.
Thanks to Jenni L. Walsh’s skilled writing, I could vividly picture the tennis matches playing out in my mind—it was a thrill to have something other than the death and destruction caused by Hitler and his followers take centre stage, while still honouring the horrors of that time in history. Ace, Marvel, Spy is a triumph. As a reader, I flew through the novel in just a few days, but I can only imagine the time and effort it took to craft such a compelling story. Because of this, I’ll be adding more of Walsh’s back catalogue—and future releases—to my reading pile at every opportunity.
“In tennis, love means nothing. But in life, love means everything.”
— Jenni L. Walsh, Ace, Marvel, Spy
Having finished the book, I can’t help but wonder what became of some of the characters. Ace, Marvel, Spy is packed with rich, descriptive details that historical fiction readers will appreciate and expect. But as the final chapters unfolded without some of the closure I had hoped for, I was left feeling more than a little curious—and even a bit sad.
At times, I found myself struggling to keep track of the timeline—whether I was in the past or present. Unlike many historical fiction novels, Ace, Marvel, Spy doesn’t rely heavily on major historical events to anchor the reader, which made the dual timeline feel a little less stable in my opinion. However, this didn’t take away from my overall enjoyment—I still devoured the book at speed.
From the moment I started reading, I had a feeling this book would keep me on the edge of my seat. I love watching tennis, but I worried that reading about it might feel like an awkward subplot. Thankfully, it’s woven seamlessly into the story as a compelling main theme. Not once did the pacing falter—the novel kept me engaged from start to finish.
Sublots and tropes included in Ace, Marvel, Spy:
- Coming of age
- Historical figures
- Protagonist ahead of their time
- Female friendship
- Mother/ daughter relationship
- First love
- Marriage
- Death/ death of a parent/ miscarriage
- Political or social upheaval
- The dual timeline
- Women in sport
- Male dominated sport
- Self-discovery
- Woman in history
- Recognition of skill by industry and peers
I highly recommend this book to a mature audience. Fans of historical fiction should add Ace, Marvel, Spy by Jenni L. Walsh to their shelves immediately—you won’t be disappointed! And if you’re new to the genre, this is a fantastic place to start. With its gripping storytelling and unforgettable characters, it’s must-read.
With continued thanks to Wunderkind PR, author Jenni L.Walsh and NetGalley for sending a gifted copy of this E-Book to read and review in exchange for my honest opinion.