Having spent a happy childhood growing up in Bermondsey I was really looking forward to reading this book and I was not disappointed. It is a wonderful story of times gone by and showed the hard side of life amongst the dockers and those trying to make a living where they could. The characters are as they should be and in my time there I came across said people. This story was enthralling and captivated me from the beginning. What made it even better was that The Bermondsey Bookshop did exist in the 1920's and many famous people spoke there. I can't recommend this book high enough.

I was intrigued by this novel as it is based on the true story of the bookshop set up by Ethel Gutman in the East End of London in the 1921. It's aim was to 'bring books and the love of books into Bermondsey' and to allow local working people access to books and also a meeting place for speakers and events.As a backdrop we then meet feisty Kate struggling with life. She lives with her cruel Aunt Sylvie and cousin Stan who both treat her like a skivvy and she is soon sent at 14 years old to work at a factory undertaking hard long hours soldering paint tins - picking up tough skills and also the effects of metal fume fever with the horrendous work conditions.
Kate has been brought up by her aunt after her mother died falling down the stairs and she was told her father disappeared and never wanted to see her again. She is known as Noss Goss, as she listens and observes (often getting herself into trouble as a consequence) but when she loses her job, is thrown out of her aunt's home and finds herself at the mercy of a money lender Kate's life takes a bad turn.
Looking for extra work the author links her into the world of the Bermondsey Bookshop as a cleaner where she is meeting a whole new world of people.
The plot rattles along really well and you are fighting Kate's corner at every turn. especially as her heart is always under threat from broken dreams and love. Her need for her family and to try and 'fit in' through up some twists and turns in the novel which are all well described. But she is resolute and the idea of her trade as a silversmith was an intriguing aspect to her life. It is a definite rags to riches tale but was believable enough without being sentimental. You could do no more than cheer for the final conclusion when it came after all her struggles!

Thank you netgalley for sharing this book with me for an honest review!

Wow! What a beautiful tale of Kate's life story. Her life is in shambles at a very young age. She learns to survive in her hardships and works very hard to simply maintain her minimal basic needs.

Through her job in the bookstore, she finds friends and connections that add happiness in her life. Over time, she is surrounded by close friends (family) and her one true love.

I am not well knowledgeable on history after WWII. There are historical references to locations within the book!

This book is a must read when it is released next year.

Poor young Kates' mother died tragically from a fall when she was little, her father went away "on business" leaving her in the clutches of her horrible aunt and cousins, who treat her like a slave, torment and bully her. She longs for the day her father comes back to her and daydreams about this and her loving mother telling her fairytales.
Her aunt forces her to leave school and start working in a tin factory, eventually, she throws her out and Kate is left to support herself, taking on numerous jobs she ends up in the dingy Garrett that her parents bought her up in. But she is laid off from the factory and has to borrow money from a devious money lender to keep a roof over her head.
One of the jobs she takes up is in The Bermondsey bookshop where people can pick up books cheaply and learn to read. After befriending the owner she doesn't look back. Her world opens up and she meets all manner of people from the different classes.
Such a lovely warm book, I really felt Kate's sadness and struggles to keep herself alive.
Thank you, NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this book x

Plucky Kate "Noss" Goss is an entertaining heroine, with her fiery personality, tragic backstory, and straight-talking guilelessness. I'm not a Romance genre fan, but all the mystery, Victorian era intrigue, class contrast and clashes, and psychological drama in The Bermondsey Bookshop puts it in a separate category. Maybe this is romantic historical fiction. Kate endeared me, as she traffics back and forth between slummy Bermondsey and swanky Belgravia, realizing that "appearances are no indication of character", and "wealth was not the same as worth".

Mary Gibson has done a very convincing job with the nicknames, accents and diction of her many characters of varying class and district, although there were some rather contemporary shenanigans that struck me as uncharacteristic of Victorian London (Kate spending time with Johnny unchaperoned seemed as unlikely as carefree roommate Conny becoming a single mom). I liked how uniquely civilized Kate's beaus were in alternately wooing her, and eventually respecting each other as allies rather than rivals. And, although I suspect it is historically accurate, I didn't like victimized people being asked, "What did you do this time?" "What did you do wrong?" and "What did you do to upset him?" after being abused by pyschopaths. I inhaled this book in just a day or two. It's due out in February 2020, and I thank NetGalley for the ARC!

A story that drew me in a special book store wonderful characters from all walks of life .Mary Gibson has written another involving story loved this book,#netgalley #aria

I recently finished The Bermondsey Bookshop and had to take a bit to mull over my thoughts.

What I enjoyed:
· Kate Goss, the lead character. She was smart, resourceful and determined to persevere despite facing a horrid family and extreme hardships.
· Kate’s relationship with Johnny. It was clear that they really loved each other and wanted the best for each other even if that wasn’t what they wanted for themselves.
· The author not sugar coating the hard life the characters led in order to survive. I also appreciated that there was a happily ever after, but rather a positive and fitting one.

What I struggled with:
· There were some elements within the book that were just so unrealistic that they detracted from the story (i.e. Kate’s Dad).
· The length – I think the story would have benefited from some trimming which would have made a more concise story.


Overall, this was a strong three star read for me. A good story with strong female lead whose tale I cared about.

The bookshop brings together the melding of people from the very poor to the rich. The author skillfully draws them into an interlocking web of intrigue. The lesson we learn is that there hope when you feel lost.

Mary Gibson always writes a good book and this one is a book to enjoy,Kate has a hard time after the death of her mother and things don't improve until she moves into her own place.Having found a new job cleaning the Bermondsey Bookshop kates life is on the up.Iwon't spoil the book 5*

It took me a little while to get into this book, but once I did I thoroughly enjoyed it. The setting is the Bermondsey region, the wrong side of the track in 1920s London. Kate's mother died, and her father left her with his sister Sylvie, an obnoxious woman who used Kate.as a maid and whipping post. Kate always thought her father would come and rescue her. After the conflict came to a head, Kate leaves and finds a job in a factory as a tinsmith. She doesn't make enough to pay the rent and eat, so she finds a job cleaning at the Bermondsey Bookshop, a place started by Emily, and woman from the upper crust of London. She has solicited some of her friends, including Nora, to come and give lessons so the occupants of the Bermondsey area could better themselves. Johnny is one of Kate's childhood friends, a dockworker who wants to become a writer. Nora and Kate form a friendship based on hard upbringings. Kate's father returns and brings her to live with he and his wife on the better side of town. I don't want to give spoilers, so I'll just say that classes clash, love sacrifices for the one loved, people grow, and there is happy ending.

I was allowed to read this book via NetGalley.

Rating (on a scale of 1 to 5, 5 being excellent)
Quality of writing: 5
Pace: 5
Plot development: 4
Characters: 4
Enjoyability: 4
Ease of Reading: 5

Overall rating: 4 out of 5

Having read All Mary Gibsons previous books I was really looking forward to this,It didn't disappoint, what a great read. Fantastic characters, a truly rags to riches story. I devoured it in one sitting and the characters stayed with me longer.

I was eager to read The Bermondsey Bookshop. As a book lover, I always seek out books about book stores. Unfortunately the story took too long to really take off. Kate's experiences at the Bookshop take a while to develop and become frequent. I did love Kate's character. She was a strong and independent woman. That is always a lovely character type to read about. Ethel, the female bookshop owner, was also a wonderful character. I do recommend you giving this book a try! I didn't enjoy it as much as I thought I would, but it was an interesting story, overall.


Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review.