This duel narrative focuses on the story of author Nancy Mitford during her time as a bookseller in London in WWII. The contemporary narrative follows protagonist and fictional author Katie as she navigates her new life as a single woman and three years of writer’s block. The stories weave together many similarities as each woman works through her time around the same bookshop.

Much promise in this book but it just fell flat for me. The scenes about Mitford feel didactic and yet many moments were questionable. Following along as Katie talks about Nancy Mitford, whom she’d written her thesis on, is confused as she equally knows a lot about the author and proclaims love for the writing but doesn’t know a lot about her at the same time.

I didn’t love this book as I’d hoped. The characters are interesting but I wasn’t invested and just worked through to get to the end.

Out in my garage, there are a number of plastic tubs (about 30) brimming with books that I want to read. One of them is Mary S. Lovell’s “The Sisters: The Saga of the Mitford Family.” So naturally, when one of my favorite authors, Michelle Gable* decided to write a novel with one of the sisters, Nancy, as the historical protagonist in a duel-narrative timeline, I had to read it!

If you’ve never heard for the Mitford Sisters, they hail from an aristocratic English family and became particularly infamous in the 1930s. An eccentric group of ladies if there ever was one. The last sister died in 2014. (It’s well-worth jumping down the rabbit hole with both feet to learn more about them.)

However this novel is set in the 1940s and in contemporary times.

In contemporary times, novelist Katie Cabot has hit a slump. For the last three years she has been searching for a subject for her next novel. One of her writer friends, Jojo, invites Katie to visit her in London, believing that a change of scenery will spark her creativity. On Jojo’s advice, Katie visits the Heywood Hill Bookshop and the place where one of her idols, Nancy Mitford worked during World War II.

While visiting the bookshop (which still exists today), Katie meets several characters, all who are searching for a missing manuscript autobiographical novel that Nancy supposedly penned while working there. (Fact: Nancy was a very successful author in her time). While there seems to be a lot of subterfuge, nothing seems to be truly at stake.

The historical timeline takes up most of the book---and is the most interesting, as readers get to know Nancy and her sisters. After Nancy began working at the bookshop, she, unintentionally, turned it into a literary salon, where her wealthy and writerly friends gathered on Sunday afternoons.

Sounds like a great read, doesn’t it? For me it was slow…very, very slow. Even though Nancy’s section didn’t have any tension until the last third, it was my favorite. Katie’s contemporary section read more like a romantic drama than a search for an eighty-plus year missing item. And I never felt that Katie’s section had a real resolution. I felt like I was left hanging. Therefore, “The Bookseller’s Secret” receives 2 out of 5 stars in Julie’s world.

*If you haven’t read Gable, her two best novels, in my opinion, are “A Paris Apartment” and “The Summer I Met Jack.”

Summary:
In 1942, London, Nancy Mitford is worried about more than air raids and German spies. Still recovering from a devastating loss, the once sparkling Bright Young Thing is estranged from her husband, her allowance has been cut, and she’s given up her writing career. On top of this, her five beautiful but infamous sisters continue making headlines with their controversial politics.

Eager for distraction and desperate for income, Nancy jumps at the chance to manage the Heywood Hill bookshop while the owner is away at war. Between the shop’s brisk business and the literary salons she hosts for her eccentric friends, Nancy’s life seems on the upswing. But when a mysterious French officer insists that she has a story to tell, Nancy must decide if picking up the pen again and revealing all is worth the price she might be forced to pay.

Eighty years later, Heywood Hill is abuzz with the hunt for a lost wartime manuscript written by Nancy Mitford. For one woman desperately in need of a change, the search will reveal not only a new side to Nancy, but an even more surprising link between the past and present… -- amazon.com

Once again, Michelle Gable has crafted an engrossing story that you love watching unfold. She gives you two lead characters, Nancy and Katie, who area as different as they are similar. Both are having to pick up the pieces when life took a detour. Both are learning to navigate their lives on their own terms, all while learning what those terms are. Michelle created Katie with her own distinctive personality, and she captures Nancy just as she was described by people who knew her.

I loved Nancy!! She was spunky, sassy and marched to the beat of her own drum. She wasn't afraid to live life according to her rules- not society's. From her extra-marital relationships to the friends she surrounded herself with. I loved her! She was the breath of fresh air her world needed. I loved reading about her friends and family. Her sisters were flawed, but fun to read about. Nancy's group of close friends were a blast to get to know!!

Katie's story has her picking herself up after her life seemingly falls apart. Her relationship is over and she's caused a big scene at the family Thanksgiving. Accepting her best friend, JoJo's, invitation to stay with her in London is just what she needs. I warn you: Katie's has a rather foul mouth. She's very familiar with curse words and not afraid to use them. But, that aside, I enjoyed reading her discover more about her beloved author. A chance trip to the G. Heywood Hill Bookshop brings more than just future friends to her life- it gives her a treasure to help hunt for. Could there be an unpublished memoir left by her beloved author?! She joins forces with Simon, the grandson of someone who was connected to Nancy, to find it. Not only do they navigate the past, but they get to know one another as they look for the memoir.

While The Bookseller's Secret isn't a keep you on the edge of your seat novel, it's one you enjoy reading. This book was like a pile of puzzle pieces that slowly revealed the picture with each chapter. It was like a cozy blanket and hot chocolate on a rainy day. You just loved spending time getting to know the characters- main as well as supportive. You just loved seeing what each chapter revealed. You were sad to leave the group when you read the last line, but you were so glad you met them.

Thank you, Michelle, for another great read. Thank you for creating an inviting world for the reader to crawl into. Thank you for being the gifted writer you are to bring all these characters to life. I look forward to our next adventure!

Title: The Bookseller's Secret
Author: Michelle Gable
Genre: Historical fiction
Rating: 4 out of 5

In 1942, London, Nancy Mitford is worried about more than air raids and German spies. Still recovering from a devastating loss, the once sparkling Bright Young Thing is estranged from her husband, her allowance has been cut, and she's given up her writing career. On top of this, her five beautiful but infamous sisters continue making headlines with their controversial politics.

Eager for distraction and desperate for income, Nancy jumps at the chance to manage the Heywood Hill bookshop while the owner is away at war. Between the shop's brisk business and the literary salons she hosts for her eccentric friends, Nancy's life seems on the upswing. But when a mysterious French officer insists that she has a story to tell, Nancy must decide if picking up the pen again and revealing all is worth the price she might be forced to pay.

Eighty years later, Heywood Hill is abuzz with the hunt for a lost wartime manuscript written by Nancy Mitford. For one woman desperately in need of a change, the search will reveal not only a new side to Nancy, but an even more surprising link between the past and present...

Nancy and her family were a bit of a dumpster fire. I really didn’t care for them. Nancy was very wishy-washy and I frankly just wanted her to grow a pair, make a decision, and follow through. I actually enjoyed Katie’s story in the present-day far, far more than Nancy’s, although she had her own set of issues (more of a campfire than a dumpster fire).

There were some parallels between the two women, with their writer’s block and indecisiveness, but it was fun to see Katie’s journey. The blurb makes this seem like everyone in London is talking about the possibility of a lost Mitford manuscript, but in reality it was basically three people, so there’s that.

Michelle Gable is a bestselling author. The Bookseller’s Secret is her newest novel.

(Galley courtesy of Harlequin/Graydon House in exchange for an honest review.)

(Blog link live 8/17.)

The Bookseller's Secret by Michelle Gable is a book that tells the story of Nancy Mitford. The socialite turned novelist, who during World War II took over a London bookshop. She also became involved with a French resistance fighter. A story full of mystery and intrigue that pulls you in from the beginning.

In 1942, London, Nancy Mitford is recovering from a devestating loss and with her husband away at war, she is in need of a project. She has given up on her writing career, but the French officer she has taken as a lover is trying to convince her to write her memoir. In the meantime, desperate for an income and means of distraction, she goes to work at the Heywood Hill bookshop. Eighty years later, Heywood Hills is abuzz with rumors of the supposed manuscript that was never published. Katie, a writer who is suffering severe writer's block of her own, goes on a search for the manuscript.
I really wanted to like this book, but it was a hard pass for me. I just could not get into it. The characters came across flat and unlikeable and I just couldn't get invested in their stories. The Mitford Women were terrible women - all of them, apparently - and it is hard to enjoy a book where you actively dislike the main character like that. Other people may enjoy this,, but it just wasn't for me.

Read as too much of a history book and not a historical fiction novel. I can usually get behind a struggling female lead working to overcome something but I became very board with lead character quickly.
This was my first foray in the Mitford history, so I was kind of looking forward to it but found it just wasn't suited for me. At points it got too wordy in it's dialogue with some description thrown in to help building the environment.
The research was thorough and well plotted but after a while it felt overwhelming. The ending also was lackluster in it's resolution for Katie our struggling main character.
This book is for someone, and I do think it is a good book, it is just not for me.
Thank you to Graydon House and to NetGalley for this eARC for an unbiased review.

Author Katie Cabot has a major case of writer's block and is recovering from a breakup. She leaves her home in Virginia to visit a friend in London for a change of scenery and hopes the trip will inspire her to write another book.

Katie meets the handsome Simon while visiting the Heywood Hill bookshop where Nancy Mitford worked during World War II. Simon is hunting for the manuscript of Nancy's lost memoir, which he believes is inside the book store. Katie teams up with Simon because they have a shared love of Nancy Mitford's works.

Simon and Katie's relationship is quick to smolder, but the secrets they keep from each other may derail their romance train before it leaves the station.

Recommended for readers intrigued by Nancy Mitford's life.

The ubiquitous Mitford Sisters apparently still garner attention and interest - one a novelist, one a fascist, one a fascist cum nazi, one a communist, one uninteresting to the press, one a duchess, each a controversial figure. This book focuses on the eldest Nancy and her “on again off again” writing career.

Raised in the Cotswold by uninterested, titled upper class parents, the children, six girls and one boy, were sheltered from the outside world and their existence in hindsight appears insular almost inbred. Hats off for the exploration and analysis done but this book only extended my disaffection for the Mitford Clan.

The dual timeline employed served its purpose but the characters in the “here and now” were vapid, uninteresting and who cares?! The dialog from the time of Nancy Mitford could have been lifted entirely from an early black and white movie, staccato, fast moving, spoken abbreviations with the unstated understanding that you would just get every spoken word and connect the dots.

I respect the effort, not so much the book. Thank you NetGalley and Harlequin / Grayson House for a copy

My historical fiction loving heart loved this new book!!!!!!!!!!!!!! As a huge Michele Gable fan this latest book was right up my alley!!!!!!!!! Every booklover will adore this one!!!!!!

The Review

This was a remarkable story. The way the author balances the history and knowledge of the infamous author’s life and the war itself with the more modern-day characters who begin discovering things about Nancy as they search for her long-lost manuscript was so fascinating to see unfold. The setting of both time periods and the descriptive way the author writes really does a great job of painting a picture of the events of this narrative so perfectly.

It was the character growth in this book that really sold me on this narrative. The modern-day protagonist, Katie, really drew the reader in and kept the mystery and wonder of discovering more about Nancy’s life alive, while Nancy herself was engaging and mesmerizing as she balanced her work in the bookstore, her standing in social circles in the midst of her loss and the war, and of course her passionate affair with the French General who became the love of her life.

The Verdict

A beautiful, heartfelt, and creative approach to historical fiction narratives, author Michelle Gable’s “The Bookseller’s Secret” is a must-read novel of 2021. The perfect balance of dual-narratives with mystery and history blended in made this story shine brightly, and the setting really will engage history buffs while hitting the heartstrings in the process. If you haven’t yet, be sure to grab your copy today!

I received an ARC from the publisher via NetGalley and am voluntarily posting a review. All opinions are my own.

I didn’t know much about the Mitford family prior to picking up The Bookseller’s Secret; I only knew that they were a bunch of aristocratic sisters in the mid-20th century, and some were writers. And while I lacked any true grasp of their contributions to history and literature beyond that, I still found myself invested in this book, even if at times I did question whether it would be better to put it down.

“Colorful” is perhaps one of the nicer adjectives I can apply to the Mitfords and their circle, which consists mostly of other shallow aristocrats. While it can be tiresome to read about some entirely unlikable people, I found it rather fascinating, especially when I really began to delve into the connections they had. I went through a Virginia Woolf phase, especially concerning her love affair with Vita Sackville-West, so to find out that Vita’s cousin, Eddy, who eventually inherited Vita’s beloved Knole (after his father), was one of Nancy’s contemporaries? And the fact that one of the other Mitford sisters, Deborah, married the eventual Duke of Devonshire, who only became Duke when his brother tragically died, and that brother was married to Kick Kennedy, who herself also died tragically? It was a fun “who knows who,” and having experienced stories highlighting the shallow nature of the aristocracy, I didn’t expect much less. I did appreciate getting a quick rundown of who everyone was at the beginning, as well as what each sister was known for, as that helped to navigate the story better.

I did find it fascinating how the sisters’ varying political beliefs and varying lifestyles played a role in their relationships with one another. A key one that comes to a head is Nancy’s opposition to Diana and her husband’s fascist politics, leading to Nancy reporting them to the government. That really resonated, especially as we are again living through politically contentious times, and having to make decisions about relationships with people with dangerous political beliefs.

I did feel like the book was promoted to have a more suspenseful tone, especially with the title, but ultimately, “secret” in question was more personal in nature, and while I wasn’t super let down, I did feel like it was misleading.

The present day storyline was all right, inasmuch as it tied in with the past one of writers losing confidence in themselves and lacking inspiration. It’s also fun to look at the ways in which writing and being an author changed since the 1940s to now, with jokes about overly critical book reviews getting a chuckle out of me. I also loved the name-drop of some other women-centric historical fiction writers, some of whom I’ve also read, such as Kate Quinn, Beatriz Williams, and Paula McLain.

I was comparatively less invested in the goings-on with Katie in general aside from that, however. I wasn’t really interested in her personal life or her budding romance. Nancy’s was the more fleshed out of the two POVs, if I had to make a comparison.

I did enjoy this book a lot, even if more for the content of the Mitford chapters. If you like women-centric historical fiction, and you don’t always have to feel sympathy for the characters, I recommend picking this up.

I like Michelle Gables books. This one, however, did not grab me immediately. I have read about the Mitford sisters in various capacities. I found the modern parts of this novel to be more appealing than the ones from WWII. I failed to get a feel or a read on any of the characters. I liked the concept, I just never felt invested in the plot.

Amusing historical fiction about author Nancy Mitford. A fun introduction to Mitford to those who are not familiar, and a tale full of Easter eggs for the Brit Lit connoisseur. The present-day storyline is a bit predictable, but the characters possess enough charm to overcome it.

Nancy Mitford was one of six sisters and they couldn't have been any more different. For example, Nancy was a novelist, sister Pamela was a countrywoman, and Diana was a Fascist. Then there was Unity, a Hitler confidante and Jessica, the Communist, while Deborah was a Duchess. They also had a brother named Thomas. Indeed, all of the siblings were strikingly different.

Although this novel is based on the true-life story of Nancy Freeman-Mitford, an English novelist, it was not a biography, and was written as historical fiction. Nancy had a wonderful writing career, but after expericing a devastating loss, as well as being estranged from her husband, she gave up writing. Once known as the Bright Young Thing, it was her sisters who were continuing to make headlines.

Nancy is forced to find a way to earn an income, so she takes the opportunity to manage the Heywood Hill bookshop. One of her customers sees more for Nancy and this helps her to see that she just might write again. Meanwhile, in present time, Katie Cabot is searching for Nancy Mitford's unpublished manuscript. Katie's career needs a boost and unearthing said manuscript would definitely make waves. Then Katie meets Felix Assan, who is also searching for the manuscript and the two become allies. Slowly, the past and the present converge, especially as Katie and Felix dig deeper.

Whether the story takes place during the late 1940s or eighty years later, it is intriguing throughout. I love the extensive research this story proved. Although I had not heard of Nancy Mitford prior to reading this novel, I found her to be a very interesting person, and her trials made a deep impression on me. I also enjoyed how Katie's story developed as she searched for the manuscript, all while developing a kinship with Felix.

Many thanks to Graydon House and to NetGalley for this ARC for review. This is my honest opinion.

I went into this one without any real knowledge about it other than it involved a bookseller and a secret and was set in London during WWII. That alone made me think it would be a good match for my reading tastes (it wasn't quite the match I had hoped.). I had some preconceived idea that it would follow a similar plotline to “every other” WWII historical novel hitting the shelves in the last few years. I was wrong to make any assumptions as it centred more on the life of Nancy Mitford in the past timeline and an author’s interest in Nancy Mitford in the present timeline - I have never *gasp* read Nancy Mitford in my life and this novel didn't actually make me want to, unfortunately.

With the focus on exploring the struggles and social life of Nancy Mitford and her contemporaries during WWII, the novelization was less World War II-themed and more of a fictional biography. It wasn’t a quick read – not one of my sit down in a single session reads – it was heavy on detail but well written. The contemporary angle was more to my taste, but even then I wish it had been fleshed out a little more. There was a parallel between the past and present with a mystery manuscript to tie both timelines together.

I would recommend for fans of Nancy Mitford, those who have read or watched an adaptation of In The Pursuit of Love, or anyone who enjoys a glimpse into the often “sordid” life of Britain’s historical upper class.

A dual timeline story set in London alternating between WWII and present day that fictionalizes the life of author Nancy Mitford. The first timeline focuses primarily on the years when Nancy worked in a bookshop during WWII while trying to come up with an idea for a new novel. In the present day timeline, Katie is an American author struggling with writer's block who is visiting a friend in London. While visiting a local bookshop in Mayfair, Katie is drawn into a man's search for a missing manuscript that Mitford may have written while working at the same bookshop.

Perhaps this book would have appealed to me more if I had already been a fan of Nancy Mitford as it's clear that the author has done a great deal of research into her life. I had trouble connecting to the characters in any meaningful way, however, and didn't enjoy the novel's heavy reliance on dialogue. The one thing that I did quite enjoy was reading about the Heywood Hill bookshop and discovering that it is an actual bookshop still operating in London. I will definitely make a point of visiting the bookshop the next time that I'm in London!

Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with a digital ARC.

I wanted to read this book as I'm a huge fan of Nancy Mitford, the reason that made me request this book is the weakest part of this book.
Nancy Mitford was a complex, clever and witty woman. The Mitford sisters were a fascinating group of woman and I don't think it's a easy to approach and write about a myth.
But the Nancy Mitford in this book is a selfish and quite shallow woman, it can be a point of view but she was quite complex and this was main issue.
The contemporary part is enjoyable but I think that the historical part is a problem. I read plenty of reviews talking about Nancy Mitford as an unlikeable character.
I can only say "please read her books".
Not my cup of tea.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine

The Bookseller's Secret is an intriguing read told in dual time lines which I quite enjoyed.

There is Nancy Mitford and Kate Cabot, both are authors in different eras and both are having trouble writing their next book.

When Kate goes to London and discovers the book store that the famous Nancy Mitford worked at during the war, she is intrigued and just the thought of a missing manuscript has Kate more than interested.

There are secrets , mystery and romance as the pages fly by.

I enjoyed learning about the Mitford sisters , I knew of them but not much about them. The epilogue at the end was much appreciated.

Michelle Gable did a wonderful job with all the dialogue and I felt that I was right there in the bookshop. I am off to look up Michelle's other books.

Thanks to NetGalley and Harlequin Trade Publishing (U.S. and Canada) Graydon House for a enjoyable and interesting read.

I really struggled to get into this book. It all felt too stiff to me, and I was unable to connect with the characters. As a result, I really didn’t find any of the characters very likable. War was raging around them, but they seemed removed from it all.

It is a well-researched book and had a few interesting moments. I was fascinated by how very different the Mitford sisters were - a novelist, a countrywoman, a Fascist, a Hitler confidante, a Communist, and a duchess.

Thank you to Harlequin and Graydon House for an advance eARC of the book. The opinions expressed here are my own.