This was a feel-good story about the power of books to create community and hope amidst adversity. Readers who are drawn to books set in World War II and/or in bookstores will be sure to enjoy it, and I'll definitely recommend it to them at the store where I work.

There have been a lot of WWII books I have read lately that are coming out this year. All deal with the same area of time, but with different topics. I especially liked this one being set in a bookshop. I liked watching Grace grow to love reading and how much hope she brought to others by providing them books. A story filled with hope, set during a difficult time.

Thanks NetGalley for this ARC!

Based on true events during WWII, this historical novel is an enjoyable read. The characters each play an important role in the way London remained courageous and loyal to their country and fellow citizens. Loved the bookshop aspect and encouraging other to read. Highly recommended!

I absolutely loved this book!
Maybe because I’ve always loved books, and bookstores, but the author did a marvelous job of storytelling in this novel set in London during the years of WWII.

Grace and best friend Viv move to London from the countryside in 1939, the fulfillment of a dream for each of them. They move into the townhouse of Mrs. Weatherly, a friend of Grace’s mother. Grace is recommended by Mrs. W. to a bookshop owner and begrudgingly (she’s not a reader) takes the job. Soon though, she is able to transform the disorganized mess of his shop into a place that draws repeat customers . Along with the shop’s transformation comes a similar one in Grace, who wasn’t really a reader up to this point in her life. Her gentleman friend gives her one of his favorite books and she is totally absorbed, which leads to another and another..

The war years are tough for everybody, but Grace adds to her job in the bookshop by taking on being an ARP. (I forget what it stands for but they are the brave people who got people in their assigned district to shelters during all the bombing in London). The descriptions of those days of the London blitz were sad but accurate. We see Grace grow as a character in a good many ways.

The meaning behind the title? You’ll need to read this book to find out!

I received this book from the publisher via net galley in exchange for an honest review. Five stars!!

There have been quite a large variety of historical fiction books based on World War 2 over the years. The title of this book was the draw for me; the last bookshop in London. Grace and her best friend Viv are excited to begin life anew in London, but they arrive just as war fever has begun and London is not all they had hoped it would be. Viv was able to bring a letter of recommendation from her previous employer, which secures her at her dream job; Harrod's Department store. Despite singlehandedly running her mother's hardware store back home. Grace has not come with her own letter of recommendations - her uncle, who took over the store upon her mother's recent death only gave her scalding remarks and the knowledge she was unwanted. Her mother's childhood friend takes she and Viv in and life changes drastically for them all as London prepares for the upcoming war.

Grace discovers her strength as she works at Primrose Books, and along the way she touches the lives of other characters. It's a beautiful story of courage and hope, grit, determination along with the loss and sadness the war years bring to a culture. I am so glad I had the chance to read this book - and it makes me want to start my own dusty little bookshop somewhere!

I’m always hesitant to read historical fiction because they can add too many facts and be tedious or just not grab my attention. This one was beautifully written and hooked me quickly. The character is believable and the hardships faced were realistic to what would happen. There was sadness but also hope and community coming together.

I would definitely reread and recommend. Plus it focused around the bookshop and readers and how community can be built around common interest.

The Last Bookshop in London is a beautifully written WWII historical fiction that showcases one of the true necessities of books. The book opens up with Grace and her best friend Viv entering London for the first time from the country. They seek jobs, and Grace find a difficult challenge of becoming Primrose Hill Books’ newest shop assistant. Grave doesn’t read, so quite frankly, she’s not an ideal person for the job. With the war happening, Grace is finally able to recognize the real value of books. Not only does she help the shop to flourish, but she provides a sanctuary for those looking to be distracted from the atrocities of war.

I give this book a 5/5 stars... some thoughts...

What I loved:
- watching Grace fall in love with reading
- the community coming together in times of need
- it’s not focused on a romance, which it totally could have been
- the war is awful of course, but the book is able to convey those horrors in an acceptable way without taking away the main focus of the book, but adding to it

What I didn’t love as much:
- George was kinda pointless, but he’s very sweet and I did like him
- kind of confused by Mr Evans’ ending
- I wish I could have read more about the work Grace did in the shop, but time passed by quickly

I think this would be a great book for those who don’t like reading. To show those people how truly important books are, and the fact that they may just need to find the right books for them. This book is also amazing to read as an already avid reader, who can be reminded of how wonderful it is to fall in love with books. Lastly, I recommend this book to anyone who wants to see a community come together. Truly I teared up when these people came together for Grace they way she did for them.

Thank you to NetGalley and Harlequin for providing me with an advanced ecopy of this book in return for an honest review. This beautiful story comes out on April 6, 2021.

London, August 1939. War is about to be declared but Grace and her best friend, Viv, arrive from their small village in the hopes of jobs and excitement. What they find are friends that become family, a book shop job that becomes a lifeline, war time sadness as well as hope, and a bit of romance. Readers will become part of Grace's and Viv's weaved together family as these characters surely lived. Pair with The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Society.

This is a story about a girl named Grace Bennett who becomes something of a hero to the people of London during the blitz. She first moves to the city with her best friend in hopes of working at Harrods, but without a recommendation she finds herself unable to be hired, until her mother's best friend, Mrs. Weatherford, finds her a position with a curmudgeonly man at Primrose Hill Books. Grace, who is not a reader, is not pleased by the appointment, but slowly begins to appreciate the joy of reading as she meets new people as the bombs begin falling on London. There is a lot of hope in this book during such a tragic time and Grace is an easy character to like, even as parts of this become a bit too sappy. She becomes an Air Raid Warden and also a healer to the many people displaced and scared as she takes to reading aloud from her favorite books. The sentiment here is lovely and there were parts where I teared up a bit as Grace deals with love and loss during WWII. I would recommend this to people who enjoy historical fiction.

Thank you for giving me the opportunity to read an ARC of this amazing book!

The Last Bookshop in London is the story of Grace, who moves to London from the British countryside during World War II. She reluctantly takes a job in a bookshop, but she eventually comes to love the shop and does everything she can to help the shop and her community survive the Blitz. The story is beautifully told, and I literally spent at least half the book crying, sometimes tears of sadness for the devastation and sometimes tears of joy at some of the most heartwarming parts. This book makes the readers feel like they are living right alongside Grace in London during the Blitz, doing their best to survive and making do with what they have. The characters are very well developed, and I especially loved Grace's relationships with her landlady, Mrs. Weatherford, who becomes a mother figure to her, and the shop owner, Mr. Evans, who becomes a father figure to her. Another beautiful touch in the story is the way that Grace comes to love books and uses the power of reading to help her community through the difficult times.

Overall, such a fantastic read! Highly recommend!!

If you love books on London and WW2 this is the book for you. It has a young woman with grit and determination. A handsome love interest. A little bit of everything for your reading enjoyment. There is also a glorious little bookshop that can often overtake the story as the main character.

I'm sorry to say that there's nothing new here. I read a lot of WWII books - both novels and non-fiction - and this one is solidly middle of the road.

The characters are likable, but nothing special. The setting is very specific, with the author giving street names and more, but it didn't make me picture it or feel like I was there.

I think the story has been told and retold to death and without something more, some hook, it is just another novel set in London during WWII.

My thanks to Harlequin and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Grace and her friend move to London on the eve of WWII, hoping to find jobs and live exciting new lives. Grace gets a job at a bookstore despite’s the owners insistence that he does not need the help.. When England enters the war, life as they know it changes. Grace works not only at the bookstore, but also as an ARP warden, making sure people follow blackout rules and helping people into shelters when they hear the air raid sirens. As the people of London experience loss, Grace finds courage and comforts them. The characters in this book make each other better and have an impact on a community under attack.

Thank you NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review The Last Bookshop in London. I've enjoyed reading a lot of historical fiction set in London during World War II. When I saw a book about books and bookshops in London, I couldn't wait. This book was amazing! Grace moves to London in 1939 looking for a new start after losing her mother. She finds work in a disorganized book store. She soon realizes life in war-time London isn't what she expects. She realizes that family doesn't have to be related and that books can be a bridge that cross generations and economic differences.

Attention all readers.....THIS is the book that will help you express to non-readers why you love reading. I know what you're thinking, ANOTHER WWII book. While yes, this story cannot be told without the backdrop of the London Blitz, it is a story that will cause you to pause and reflect. Grace is a character that reminds us that just because life doesn't go in the direction you anticipate doesn't mean it won't be equally rewarding. Through Grace, Martin shows us that escapism through literature can be a powerful weapon against evil by uniting people and giving them hope in times of despair. This book was an absolute page turner! With its beginning of dropping Grace and Viv into war time London, the emerging love stories, and the actions taken by all Londoners during the Blitz, Matin wrote a wonderfully powerful book. An absolute gem!

The Last Bookshop in London is both great historical fiction and also a coming of age story of a character that learns to love reading. As a former bookseller I really appreciated how she improves the bookstore, even in the middle of the Blitz!

Hopefully, you have already read the synopsis, because this will be just a review, not a summary. I took my time writing this review because I felt it was important to get it right. I don't give five stars ratings very often, and I want it to be clear why I gave this book all five. While I am a succor for good WWII stories, this one was beautiful.

One beautiful thing was that as Grace matured, she shared her new traits with others around her, blessing everyone as she grew. I love how she was willing to do hard things. She began to notice people around her, how they felt - hurt, afraid, broken-hearted, lonely, etc. She wanted to help them in any way she could, so she ended up using her newfound love of books by sharing daily book readings for anyone interested! The readings became a healing balm for all who listened, and subsequently a spur to action when that was needed. I really LOVED how she came to understand that hurt people tend to strike out at others and that forgiveness can go a long way. (My favorite quote from the book came from that education! She realized that like Ebenezer Scrooge we often mask our hurting with gruffness, hardness, or bitterness. Do a quote search in Goodreads for that quote and others - I added a few!)

I LOVED the character development of so many characters in the book: Grace, her best friend, her mom's friend/mother figure, the hurting bookshop owner, the other people she interacted with. I loved the repeated message that serving others is healing for all who have been hurt deeply.

I read an advanced reader copy (ARC), and while the story was so satisfying, there were a few holes I was left wondering about - most specifically why there was no mention of her writing back to her friends, including her love interest, no mention at all until the book was nearly over, then it said that their regular two-way letters had helped them developed a very deep relationship of trust and love. I was looking for mention of her writing back and never read any. I would like to have read more about that development. I'm hoping that part was missing in my Advance Reader Copy.

I added four quotes from the book in GoodReads: Madeline Martin Quotes (Author of The Last Bookshop in London)

For a book lover like me, this book was marvelous!

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC I received in exchange for this honest review.

#TheLastBookshopinLondon #NetGalley

August 1939: London prepares for war as Hitler’s forces sweep across Europe. Grace Bennett has always dreamed of moving to the city, but the bunkers and blackout curtains that she and her best friend find on their arrival were not what she expected. And she certainly never imagined she’d wind up working at Primrose Hill, a dusty old bookshop nestled in the heart of London. Through a customer at the bookshop, Grace discovers the power of books to soothe and unite her community--even during air raids and destruction. The author also brings home the power of friendship as she develops her characters, especially the grumpy owner of the bookshop and Grace's love for her landlady.

I am a retired librarian so I am always drawn to books about libraries, books, and bookstores. This was a wonderful book that kept me up very late one night finishing, because I had to see how it ended! Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for allowing me to read this wonderful book that gives a new slant on one of my favorite eras in history.

I found the first two chapters flat, not all that interesting and frankly a slog. I had made up my mind not to continue past 10% if something didn’t pick up and it did. The story moves from the author telling us what was going on, to moving the story forward with dialogue which is always more engaging.

The author has a successful series of historical romances and I felt she was playing at writing historical fiction, and then suddenly she wasn’t playing anymore. The characters became more interesting and the language more graphic, like this - “Many homes were shells of themselves, their missing walls revealing the rooms inside like a child’s macabre dollhouse.” or this - “The cacophony of war overhead came nonstop and with such intensity.”

Grace volunteers to be an ARP (air raid precaution) warden and is paired up with a humorless Mr Stokes. Their job is to patrol their assigned neighborhoods to help people into bomb shelters, assist the wounded and put out small fires with their “stirrup pumps.” Through their eyes we see the drain and exhaustion from their work during the unrelenting night bombings. I’ve read a lot of WWII books but this is the first one that focused on the volunteers who didn’t go to the fronts but served their country by staying in their homes and mopping up after the air raids, week after week, month after month..

The writing was uneven but once the author found her voice, she delivered a compelling and readable story. Don’t give up before chapter three. You’ll find yourself looking forward to reading more to see what happens next.

This is a wonderful portrayal of the power of books, and their importance in times of unrest for comfort, for learning and for a sense of community. I highly recommend it and thanks to the author for this uplifting novel.