I’m a sucker for historical fiction, and books about bookshops always catch my eye. That being said, I knew nothing about this one before starting it, and I was halfway through the book before I realized the book was based on a real person! I really enjoyed Nancy’s story, and the glimpses into the rest of the Mitford family, and plan to read more about them. Lucy’s story was interesting, but I wasn’t as taken with her obsession to find Iris as much as I was with Nancy’s story.

Overall an enjoyable read, and one I would recommend.

Thanks to Book Club Girl, NetGalley, and William Morrow and Custom House for the ARC copy of this novel for review.

Eliza Knight pens a ‘wondair’ historical account of the savoir-faire of the 1930’s unleashing magical connections amid social constrictions. This journey into the life of the London elite, the glitz, and the parties is captivating.

On the one hand, is Nancy Mitford London in the 1930-1940s London, England and her trials and tribulations of being a writer, socialite, eldest of six, struggling with love or lack of, and war. On the other is Lucy St.Claire, a bibliophile on a short work trip to London to curate books and a personal mission of uncovering a mystery concerning a Mitford book that was left behind.

The duality of the timeline is intriguing, where the reader delves into the lives and experiences of the two characters. I felt that the two parts could stand alone as two separate stories. However, the ingenuity of alternating between the past and the present lent a perspective and a pause, especially during the WW2 events.

I am fascinated by Nancy Mitford’s emotional development and her steadfastness at a time fraught with uncertainty and fear. Her pursuit of happiness reveals sensitivity and makes you want to know more about her. Her drive to do what is necessary and her unhinged loyalty are admirable. So much so that I am tempted to read her books.

The publication date is April 12, 2022. Do plan to read this book.
Thank you, @netgalley, for this advance copy in exchange for a review.

After reading a few fictionalized stories about Nancy Mitford, I felt I had read this story already (although, I believe you could dive into her life several ways and from several different time periods.) and of course, you'd have the World War II story centered around Heywood Hill Booksellers in London, England. The cast of characters includes several of the Bright Young Things, some of the Mitford family, Evelyn Waugh and other writers during World War II in England, but the modern-day story really didn't pull me in the way the story written around Nancy did. Even though I knew her WWII history, and there were several different twists in the modern-day story, they seemed to be resolved rather quickly and almost nonchalantly.

While I haven't read any of Eliza Knight's other works. I think she can weave a story. Perhaps she just wasn't given a chance with Lucy's story.

3.5 stars rounded down.

This book was confusing to me, because the dual time line felt so unnecessary. I'm a huge fan of historical fiction and enjoyed getting to learn about Nancy Mitford, someone I knew very little about going into this book, but the storyline about Lucy and her pursuit of the mystery Iris was just so loosely connected that it honestly added nothing to the overall story.

The book is well written, and as I said learning more about Nancy Mitford and her life going into WWII and during the war years was fascinating. That said, the jumps in time and moments in her life that the author chose to focus on didn't always seem clear to me, she's engaged to one man and then in the next paragraph she's marrying another with no explanation. The eponymous Mayfair Bookshop and Nancy's work there doesn't feature in the book until the last 25% of the book. Overall, the book left me perplexed and I think it would be better if this book were clearly marketed as a fictional account of Nancy Mitford's life from 1930ish to 1945ish rather than selling it as being centered around this bookstore.

Thank you to Book Club Girl, William Morrow and Custom House, and NetGalley for the electronic ARC copy of this novel for review.

Try as I might, I couldn’t get into this book. The Mayfair Bookshop had everything I love in a book but after 10% I couldn’t grasp the plot. I am giving it 3 stars for subject matter. Nancy Mitford and her family/social group are a fascinating glimpse into a world of privilege and excesses that bordered on enlightenment. As a catalyst for further investigation into the era, The Mayfair Bookshop does its job.

Enjoyed this story. I only figured out about 1/3 of the way in that the story was based on real people, so then spent time googling and learning more.

I really enjoyed this historical fiction tale about Nancy Mitford around WWII in London. Her journey to self-discovery while navigating relationships with her family and husband was very entertaining and thought-provoking. A second story line follows present day Lucy as she researches Nancy's life in the past using a Mitford novel with a mysterious inscription.

The book was overall wonderfully detailed and researched and just a pleasure to read. I enjoyed both stories that this book follows equally, it was amazing how much detail and time progression was included. I loved it!

I wanted to read this book based on title alone. When I realized it was based on historical facts, I was thrilled to read it all the more. The Mayfair Bookshop is a dual timeline alternating between Nancy Mitford's life in the 1930's and Lucy living in present day England. A bookshop is the common thread.

The beginning didn't capture my attention, but after the first chapters I enjoyed it much more. We get to know the Mitford sisters through their love, political differences and privileged life styles. Nancy Mitford is the historical focus. Her story was fascinating, but I had a difficult time relating and deeply caring for her character. On the other hand, Lucy's modern day story was more relatable and her interest in the bookshop tied the two timelines
together well.

This was a slow-start book that I'm glad to have read and finished. Because I didn't know much of the Mitford family before reading this book, I found myself spurred to learn more after reading it. Anytime a book makes me curious to learn more, I consider it a book worth reading. However, knowing a little more of the Mitford's history before reading The Mayfair Bookshop may help your reading experience.

If you love historical fiction, then add this one to your TBR. WWII with views from opposing sides, a bookshop, a mysterious missing person, and letters. make this one you'll enjoy

I received a free copy of this book and was not required to give a positive review. Thank you, William Morrow and NetGalley..

I seem to recently I read a book about Nancy Mitford and family. I have also read the Pursuit of Happiness. I enjoyed this story especially it was set in the Heywood Hill Bookshop. Because it drew from Mitford's life, I found it to be an interesting read and informative for those who don't know about her and the times she lived in.

The lure of historical fiction and a story that includes a bookshop grabbed my attention immediately and did not disappoint! A story with two timelines and woven with together with pleasing detail, I was drawn to the characters and the realistic struggles of real people. I personally loved the 1930s storyline a bit more but altogether a very enjoyable read. Very appreciative for the opportunity from @Netgalley to read and I highly recommend this book for you TBR list this Spring.

I was completely captivated by this story of Nancy Mitford and Lucy St. Clair - two women, two time periods, two lives filled with loss intertwined in surprising ways. A must read for lovers of historical novels based on fact. Here's hoping someone will pick this up and make it into a movie or tv series! Well done, Ms. Knight. Well done.

While I found the beginning of the book a bit shaky and may have considered quitting, I am ok with the fact that I got through it. I am always a lover a well done parallel timelines and this book did a decent job of it. I enjoyed the Nancy Mitford portions infinitely more though, I feel that the historical characters were much better fleshed out than Lucy and I frankly cared only about them. There just wasn't enough in the Lucy story to make me care equally about what she would do, they felt much more superficial and honestly I only cared about them in relation to the Nancy narrative, not as standing on its own.

I was trapped at home for a few days because with all the ice we couldn’t get out of our driveway. We finally were able to dig ourselves out yesterday. The upside is I’ve had lots of reading time! My advanced reader pick for the weekend was The Mayfair Bookshop. I’m about halfway through and I’m really enjoying it! Eliza Knight brings together a brilliant dual-narrative story about Nancy Mitford, one of 1930s London’s hottest socialites, authors, and a member of the scandalous Mitford Sisters, and a modern American desperate for change. They are connected through time by a little London bookshop. Nancy Mitford is the author of bestseller The Pursuit of Love.

Delightful! Knight blends the worlds of socialite and being relatable to people, giving us an unforgettable character in Mitford along with her storied family. This book is exactly what you look for when you want to step into that era but have it be layered and realistic with tons of sensory details...a real transporting. I loved it. This is fine storytelling, and the author's amazing background flavors this book with an almost magical sense of experience. Loved it! Thank you, NetGalley for putting this amazing author in front of me.

I was very excited to read this book as I very much enjoy historical fiction, especially when they involve books! Unfortunately, this book didn't capture my interest enough, and it was too slow for me. Thank you, NetGalley!

I did not know what I had really signed up for when I requested The Mayfair Bookshop by Eliza Knight. Personally, I tend to like any books about bookshops - there's something magical about a book shop and I think that You've Got Mail had something to do with that too. 😂 A few chapters in it hit me that this book is about a real-life person! Nancy Mitford was one of the Mitford Sisters and Bright Young Things that fueled gossip pages in London in the pre-war time of fancy parties and over indulging. Her story is fascinating, heartbreaking and encouraging. She lived through the World Wars, had sisters who were in Hitler's inner circle; she wrote books, worked with refugees, ran a bookshop and wrote letters, lots and lots of letters. After reading this book, I have put her novel The Pursuit of Love on my TBR list! If you like a melding of history + fiction, this book is for you!
This book will be released on April 12, 2022. Pre-order here!

This book may have had potential, but I couldn't read anymore of it. First of all, I didn't like reading about the early years of Hitler. In today's world, I don't want to be reminded that we might be headed that way. The writing style is what turned me off the most. For every ten sentences of description, is one sentence of action. If you're not careful, you'll miss it. While descriptions make the story richer, too much hides the action.
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This is a Historical Fiction that has two timelines (1930s Nancy and Present Day Lucy). I was really looking forward to this book. I have tried to pick up this book on two different times, and the first couple characters pulled me in both times. After, The first couple characters the books just could not keep me pull into the story. I really did not like the present day timeline. I did enjoy Nancy's character. I received an ARC of this book. This review is my own honest opinion about the book like all my reviews are.

Beautiful written book. I loved the story, loved the characters, and loved the linguistics. The dual story line flowed well and was easy to follow. I found myself wishing for more and was sad when the book was over.

Thank you to the publisher, Eliza Knight, and Netgalley for the chance to read and review this arc in exchange for my honest opinion.

First of all….let me start off by saying that I loved every page of this book. Dual timelines…especially ones that flip flop between WWII and present day. I also love books that introduce me to real people or places that I didn’t know much about or anything at all. The Mayfair Bookshop is like winning the jackpot because I got all of that and more!

The Mayfair Bookshop tells the tale of the infamous Mitford family. Though there are seven siblings including a couple of Nazi sympathizers, Mayfair focuses on the eldest Nancy and her path to self discovery, love and worth. It chronicles her life in prewar London, the war years and mentions the post war years. It also introduces us to Lucy, a book curator with a love of Nancy Mitford the author and a bit of a mystery. For years, she has had an original Mitford novel in her possession with an inscription to a woman named Iris…who is iris? Equipped with Nancy’s personal letters to family and friends, she heads to London on a job assignment and as she attempts to solve the mystery, she learns a lot of from Nancy and embarks on her own journey.

My only thing with this great book is that I would have liked a bit of an epilogue because I wasn’t ready to close the back cover.

Thank you so much to NetGalley, William Morrow and Custom House and Eliza Knight for early access to this book! What a great read and I highly recommend!!