The title of the Mayfair bookshop is a little miss leading. The story is a fictional biography of famed author Nancy Mitford, but it has little to do with the bookshop she worked in.

I’ve read other stories about Nancy and know that she is a fascinating lady, yet I found that she came across as flat and meek in this version of her life.

The Mitford family seem to be enjoying a renaissance on TV and in books. There was a recent miniseries with Lily James and, not long ago, I read both The Bookseller’s Secret and the latest entry in Jessica Fellows’ historical mystery series that features Nancy and her siblings.

For anyone who may not know, the Mitford daughters were fascinating and so different from each other. Diana left her husband, a Guinness heir, to be with the Fascist, Oswald Moseley. Unity was enamored of Hitler. Nancy was an author and there were also, Jessica and Deborah.

Happily I did not suffer from Mitford fatigue and I thoroughly enjoyed Eliza Knight’s novel. As is popular now, there are two timelines. In the present, Lucy is a book curator from Washington DC who is spending time in England. She is fascinated with the Heywood Hill bookshop where Nancy Mitford once worked. Lucy also has a connection to someone Nancy almost married.

Lucy is a huge Mitford fan. She possesses some Mitford letters and her mother, who is no longer alive, had a valuable edition of one of Nancy’s novels.

While in England, Lucy visits the Mitford home. This is beautifully described and made me long to see the real location. Lucy’s quest is to discern who the Iris in a dedication in one of Nancy’s novels is.

In the historical timeline, Hitler is on the horizon. As noted above, some of the sisters are not pro democracy. Nancy does attend a rally at Diana’s urging although she is clearly not a “Black Shirt.”

Readers get to know Nancy well. They vicariously see her pre-marriage lifestyle in the smart set. Readers watch Nancy in love with the ensuing disappointment, marriage and compromise. They also witness Nancy writing her novels, working at the bookstore and trying to support herself (husband Peter does not do well in the work world).

I very much enjoyed my time at The Mayfair Bookshop. I recommend this novel to those who enjoy historical novels and/or women’s fiction.

Many thanks to NetGalley and William Morrow/Custom House for this title. All opinions are my own.

Pub date: 12 April 2022

Book Review Book: The Mayfair Bookshop: A Novel of Nancy Milford and the Pursuit of Happiness
Author: Eliza Knight
ASIN: B0995Y5YHM
Publisher: HarperCollins
Page Length: 426
Overall Rating: 5/5 stars
Blog Rating: 5 Saltire Flags

1931-Nancy
2022-Lucy
Heywood Hill Bookstore , Mayfair Region of London

This is the story of two women, Nancy Mitford and Lucy St. Clair, with two timelines. Nancy is from the past in the twentieth century, as Lucy is in the present time, in the twenty-first century. Both timelines are set in England and centered around the famous Heywood Hill bookstore on Curzon Street in the Mayfair District of London.

The story from the past is about the tragic life of Nancy Mitford, the beautiful socialite and famous author that some considered to be a a bit of a snob and others thought she was so clever, cheeky and witty! Nancy’s siblings were Pamela, Thomas, Diana, Unity, Jessica, and Deborah. All having extremely different personalities and opposite views on politics which caused separation and heartaches for Nancy. Her sisters Diana and Unity were nazi sympathizers idolizing a devil! Diana married famous fascist leader Oswald Mosley, even Nancy Mitford’s mother was a fascist to a degree, as she idolized Hitler which did not strengthen her marriage to her husband! Her husband despised Hitler and the Nazi regime and everything they stood for! Like Nancy, he backed his country in Great Britain, both their government and political views. He also thought Hitler was a monster and was ashamed of his two fascist daughters and their cruel and racist views! Nancy Mitford hated Hitler with every fiber in her being, for brain-washing her sisters, his dictatorship, that led to the destruction, slaughter, and demonic treatment of the Jewish people. They were sent to to concentration camps in places like Auschwitz, a place that had three camps a prison camp, a slave-labour camp and an extermination camp. This also included gay and other ethnic groups like the French, which included people who hid and assisted the Jewish people in helping them escape. Nancy and her sisters were once considered the bright young things by the tabloids in the 1920’s. This was before the Second World War, which was on the horizon, when everything changed for the Mitford family! Furthermore, in the 1930’s the Nazi regime and Adolph Hitler were trying to get followers to to dehumanize and eventually murder the Jewish people! It only got worse later in the 1930’s which led to World War II and the senseless murder and torture of the Jewish people which led to the Holocaust.

In this phenomenal read it first shows how Nancy becomes very infatuated with Hamish St. Clair-Erskine and her first novel “Highland Fling” main character was based about him after their broken engagement. She wasted five years on a man who was completely dishonest about who he really was with lies and deception. It absolutely destroyed Nancy which had been so cruel and unkind. Understanding it was the twentieth century where such men had to be discreet since it was illegal, but he could have shared this secret privately with Nancy who would never had put Hamish in such dangerous position. Instead he just ripped her fragile heart out withholding the truth from her Then she marries Peter Rodd her broke, cheating, drunkard, husband, but the most heartbreaking is that she wanted to become a mother so badly, but wasn’t able to achieve it. I think her safe place that kept her sane was the Heywood Hill Bookstore and trying to discover her own happiness. It also shows her friendships, lovers and more through letters with several close friends including the owners of the bookstore, George Heywood Hill and Lady Anne Gathorne-Hardy who he later marries, plus she become friends with many famous novelists and others including the mysterious Iris.

Bibliophile, Lucy St. Clair is an American book curator from Washington D.C.who is grieving the loss of her her mother. She gets a rare job opportunity which will take her temporarily to her dream job in London at the famous Heywood Hill bookstore. It will help her get promoted in her DC job and help her focus on something other than her recent loss. Lucy,had previously discovered she was distantly related to Hamish St Claire-Erskine, Nancy’s first love. Nancy Mitford and her families history has always fascinated Lucy and her mother. She is also trying to find information about an inscription she and her mother had discovered to a woman named Iris, but keeps coming to a dead end. During this time she also meets an extremely charming man from Scotland and like herself a fellow bibliophile named Gavin. A man who opens her heart, plus making so many new friends and colleagues through the bookstore, even her boss Oliver is fantastic and doing a job she absolutely loves! A job she never wants to leave but she knows even if she had gotten a permanent job opportunity how could she leave her sister, friends in the states? Furthermore, she was pretty sure she is going to get the the job promotion she has been working diligently to accomplish. As both women in both of the past and present times are in a way searching for the same think thing-the pursuit of happiness. Do they find it? Read this literary masterpiece and find out !

Eliza Knight is an author I have been reading is her Scottish historical romance books since 2010 when she was a new author. This is my first historical fiction novel I ever read by Ms, Knight that I absolutely loved! It weaves two times and is a dual-narrative about Nancy Mitford and her scandalous family including her two fascist sisters connected to Adolph Hitler. On the Mitford side of this book, this author did a wonderful research getting so much true information about Nancy and her family. Now Lucy St. Clair, the fictional character in the current time was so also much fun to read about-working her temporary dream job in London. A place she would like to stay forever! This story is also surrounded in letters, by a mystery with an inscription to woman named Iris. Lucy is trying to to find out who it is, as there are several names and things connected to this name. Both women’s lives are set around the Heywood Hill bookstore which is in the Mayfair region of London and both are looking for the pursuit of happiness.A book I can’t recommend enough!

I think this is one of my favorite reads of the year! Definitely a book readers don’t want to the miss!

Disclaimer: I received a complimentary copy and an advance reader copy from the HarperCollins publishers. I voluntarily agreed to do a fair review and blog through netgalley. All thoughts, ideas and words are my own.

Buy Links:
Harpercollins: https://bit.ly/TheMayfairBookshop
Amazon Print: https://bit.ly/MayfairBookshop
Amazon Ebook: https://bit.ly/TheMayfairBookshop_Ebook
Barnes & Noble: https://bit.ly/TheMayfairBookshop_BN
Kobo: https://bit.ly/TheMayfairBookshop_Kobo
Apple: https://apple.co/3AhR8fV

I honestly found this to be a bit slow. I liked Nancy’s story and found myself excited about her chapters. However, Lucy’s side of things bored me quite a bit. I felt like the book was a little rushed and disconnected. I just wasn’t locked in to the story telling. Thank you for this ARC, NetGalley!

I didn’t realize until after I finished that this novel is based on a real author. Had I been aware of that fact, I might have read with a different eye. Unfortunately, I didn’t like Nancy at all. Her relationship with Prod and her Nazi-sympathizing family members drove me mad. The storyline with Lucy seemed a throw away, an unnecessary device used to include Nancy’s letters.

I received an ARC in exchange for my review.

Eliza Knight pens a book about a woman who feels like a failure. With a failing marriage, nazi sympathizing sisters and being unable to have children, she takes a job at a bookshop hoping to find some happiness.

I have to admit any title with a bookshop is an immediate draw to this book nerd. And books within books are an extra draw. This is a story of books connecting women across time. A dual timeline story set during the 1938's and present ,'The Mayfair Bookshop'is about the life of Nancy Mitford and her siblings. The present timeline revolves around a book curator Lucy who is in London trying to solve a mystery involving Nancy Mitford.

I truly enjoy a well researched book. Eliza Knight includes Nancy's letters from the early 1930s to the mid 1940s. When I finished reading, I had to google to learn more and take a peek at photographs, books and more about this complex family. This, to me, is a sign I truly enjoyed the Mayfair Bookshop.

Many thanks to Eliza Knight, William Morrow and NetGalley for introducing me to the Mitfords. Thank you for the reminder that women and books have the power to shape the world, even in times of adversity.

Thank you to NetGalley, William Morrow, & HarperCollins for the opportunity to read and review this book before it's publication date! This in no way affected my review, opinions are my own.

DNF @ 20%

Maybe it's an over saturation of the genre, maybe I've recently attempted to read too many WWII books that all felt too similar, or maybe this one just wasn't for me - but I had absolutely zero desire to keep reading and think it's best to just set it down and try something else.

I loved learning about Nancy Mitford! She had a fascinating life and a crazy family. I can’t believe I’d never heard of her before.

Dual timeline story of novelist and Mitford sister Nancy Mitford and fictional rare books dealer, Lucy.

Lucy is on an extended buying trip to London, based in Heywood Hill bookstore. While buying books for a client in the US, she is trying to solve a personal mystery concerning a book inscribed from Nancy Mitford to Iris.

Alternating between Nancy Mitford's and Lucy's points of view, the novel evokes early-mid twentieth century England and early twenty-first century England and Europe.

Nancy Mitford's story is by far the more interesting one. Although I had some basic knowledge of her, I did not know much about her love life and personal struggles, and the extent to which they defined her. Lucy is a far less compelling character and I found her part of the story unrealistic and overly sentimental (and as someone who has worked in a rare books-adjacent field for decades, I winced every time she had food or drink around her books). A must-read for those with an interest in twentieth century history. #TheMayfairBookshop #NancyMitford #NetGalley

A well written and researched, historical fiction novel that jumps between the 1930’s (Nancy Mitford, a socialite) and present day (Lucy, a library curator). I loved reading about Nancy’s remarkable life, including all of the ups and downs. I also enjoyed Lucy’s character; her love story, career and how she solved the mystery of Iris. Definitely worth a read!
Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for a digital arc of this novel.

Lucy is so excited! She has landed her dream job as a book curator. She is headed to the famous Haywood Hill book store. This store is full of all kinds of history, especially about Nancy Mitford. Lucy is also on a personal hunt. Her mother had a copy of a mysteriously personalized book signed by Nancy Mitford. Lucy is determined to find out about this book and the story behind the inscription.

This story is told in two separate time periods. I actually enjoyed the present day better than the historical. This is unusual for me. I found the historical section a bit slow. However, I did enjoy learning about Nancy and her family. The present day section with Lucy and her job and being surround by books…well, this is perfect for this bibliophile. Plus, when they visited Chatsworth house…I was hooked. That is on my to do list.

Need an all around good story…THIS IS IT! Grab your copy today!

I received this novel from the publisher for a honest review.

"Time again and again, friends have been my saving grace, the people who raise me up and motivate me to go on."

A dual timeline story set during the 1938's and present 'The Mayfair Bookshop' is a historical fiction about the life of Nancy Mitford and her siblings. The present timeline revolves around a book curator Lucy who is in London trying to solve a mystery involving Nancy Mitford.
The story takes us through the life of Nancy Mitford who though born as an aristocrat has to live a life where money is always an issue and happiness is an illusion. She is a writer who has to struggle for fame, a wife whose husband is unfaithful, and a family where some support Fascsits and Hitler. But she is more than that. Through her letters to her friends her friendships come to life in the book.
Nancy's story tugs your heart. She is flawed but at the same time endearing. Her pain and guilt at the actions of her family makes you hurt for her. This historical fiction gives us a glimpse of the people called as the Bright Young Things.
Trigger Warnings: Miscarriages, Child death

Not a fan of this one. The whole thing felt monotone and miserable and I argued with myself multiple times to keep going and finish it rather than shelve it.

There were aspects of Nancy Mitford’s life that were really interesting that could have taken the focus like her work spying with the French or taking care of the refugees. But the entire book was about her awful marriage and equally awful family, with a small bit of her love life at the end. And it went from one event to the next fluidly without much emotion or feeling, but with *loads* of inconsequential detail that just dragged on and in for me. I don’t understand why the book kept saying she stayed in her marriage because Peter wouldn’t give her a divorce when post 1937 England, women themselves could file in cases for infidelity.

There was a dual timeline with Lucy but her part was so short and stilted it felt more like an afterthought than really part of the story.

After awhile it just felt miserable with how much the book revolves around Nancy’s loveless marriage and her refusal to end it no matter how much Peter cheated on her, or how completely unhappy that made her.

Thanks to Netgalley for the advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I didn't pick up this book because of the synopsis. I had no idea who Nancy Mitford was nor do I much care about British socialites. I picked this book up because of the author and the title. Having read several of Eliza Knight's books I know and love her writing style. I knew that any story Knight felt passionate enough to write about was going to be worth my time.
This one started a little slow for me but I believe that simply was due to the fact that I wasn't knowledgeable of the main character. Despite that fact, I was inclined to continue. Knight did a stupendous job of moving the story along and making me WANT to read. I LOVED the dual timeline and felt that Lucy's story balanced out Nancy's perfectly. As each story evolved the complexities of Nancy's life were unraveled, both literally and figuratively. Due to Nancy being the socialite she was there are a lot of characters. That was a bit overwhelming. What struck me most was how Nancy persevered. Because of her family and her connections, Nancy could have consistently put herself first but she didn't. By the end I found I empathized with Nancy greatly. A refreshing take on a complex time period.

I received a copy of this title via NetGalley.

A Well-Crafted Women’s Fiction Book

The lives of two women are separated by time and distance, but books connected them. Eliza Knight is famous for her historical romance books, but I could not resist reading this Women’s fiction tale. It is a dramatic departure from what she normally writes, but it is a very well-crafted book, nevertheless. Nancy’s life struck me as heartbreaking, but she is a strong woman who keeps on going despite her travails. She lived at a time of turmoil and endured much. A modern woman admired her and her stories, and she wanted to solve a mystery in Nancy’s life. Nancy referred to a woman called “Iris.” Just who was iris, and could Lucy find her? If you like women’s fiction books, written in the form of letters and a fictional biography, you might enjoy this book.

This book follows two women and two timelines. One storyline starts in 1938 and follows Nancy Mitford as she navigates her failing marriage, her budding career as a novelist, and her ultimate arrive at the Heywood Hill Bookshop in Mayfair. The second storyline is set in modern day and follows book curator Lucy St. Clair who has just landed a gig working at Heywood Hill. An avid fan of Nancy's work, Lucy arrives with a first edition of Nancy’s work with a mysterious inscription from the author inside.

I did not know about Nancy before I read this book and didn't realize that it was based on a real person so I read it as fiction. However, this did not take away from the story at all. I found both women to be likeable characters and both storylines very compelling.

Thank you to HarperCollins and NetGalley for giving me this ARC!

Eliza Knight’s “The Mayfair Bookshop: A Novel of Nancy Mitford and the Pursuit of Happiness” is such a wonderful must read!

I have immensely enjoyed Ms. Knight’s Highlander and medieval romances and was thrilled to read this story. Curious about Nancy and even more curious about her sisters ties to the Socialism and Nazi ideals and how their political differences affected their lives. We all know that in large families especially, not everyone agrees on all things.

Nancy Mitford, the fascinating, oldest of the Mitford sisters was regarded as one of England’s Bright Young Things, a nickname given to a group of Bohemian young aristocrats and socialites in 1920s London. Eliza Knight has skillfully brought her to life in this wonderful story that centers around her extraordinary life and the Mayfair bookshop. Nancy worked at the Heywood Hill Bookshop in Mayfair during the second half of WWII and being the writer she was, found herself at home there. This wonderful novel humanizes the Nancy beautifully as a relatable young woman seeking fulfillment and happiness, a woman saddened and tormented by infertility and an unfaithful husband.

In a duel timeline we are also introduced to Lucy, a rare book expert from Washington who’s come to London seeking to find a rare collection of books and find much more. It is through Lucy’s research we see Nancy’s story unfold.

I thoroughly enjoyed this must read story! Eliza Knight presents the story with heart and soul as she unwraps the layers of personality, passion, wit, intrigue exasperation, and even sadness that was Nancy’s life and search for happiness and belonging. Her writing was outstanding! Her imagery was so vivid and sharp that I could easily imagine myself in the midst.

Thank you so much Ms. Knight for this engrossing tale of one woman’s pursuit of happiness!

This book will introduce a whole new generation to the scandalous and intriguing lives of the infamous Mitford sisters, whose lives differed in more than just politics. I'm always up for a story about a bookshop, which is why I requested this one. I think had the book focused more on the actual bookshop, I might have enjoyed it more. In reality, this book just wasn't my cup of tea.

Readers who are fascinated by the Mitford family and the aristocratic turbulence of the first half of the twentieth century will enjoy this one. I am not one to enjoy reading about infidelity, which is why this book was not for me.

Thank you to NetGalley for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

Thanks to William Morrow for an advanced copy of The Mayfair Bookshop.

I've had a non-fiction book about the Mitford Sisters on my library holds for forever since the 6 sisters are absolutely fascinating so I was interested in reading a historical fiction about Nancy Mitford.

This is a dual timeline historical fiction. We see Nancy from the 1930s in her early writing career and as one ofthe top socialites to her working at Heywood Hill bookshop during World War II. In the modern day we meet Lucy who is a book curator and has a first edition of one of Nancy's novels with a curious inscription. She's able to go to Heywood Hill to work for a few weeks and try to learn more about her favorite author.

I liked reading the Nancy Mitford storyline more especially the relationships with her sisters and everything that happens there. The author's note at the end was fascinating especially because there is a lot already out there about the sisters so it was interesting to see how she wove this into a historical fiction. All I know is next time I'm in London I want to go to Heywood Hills bookshop!

3.5 stars rounded up.

This was an interesting and saddening look into the life of Nancy Mitford, yes, THAT Nancy Mitford Nancy Mitford: A Biography. This book is written in a dual-narrative. It is mostly told by Nancy herself; a slightly fictional one I assume, told during the '30s to the '40's, and a side story told during this century, by Lucy St. Clair a visitor to London and working in the same bookshop that Nancy and her writer friends used as a salon.

Reading this book encouraged me to read some more about the fantastical life of Nancy and her family. To have two sisters and a Mother that were Nazi sympathizers, a husband who couldn't keep it in his pants, and a suicide wish...well, what a life. But I digress.

I really did like this book, and I would have loved this book had it not had the second storyline. However, this storyline felt like it was almost thrown in as an afterthought, and I felt that it did not mesh well with the rest of the book.

*ARC provided by HarperCollins, The author, and NetGalley.