A captivating story connecting the past and present. The past captures the history of the Mitford sisters with a focus on the author Nancy Mitford in the WWII era. The present is narrated by Lucy, a bibliophile and book curator. Knight weaves a masterful historical mystery with well-developed characters and a complex plot with a bookshop as the central location. Highly recommended fans of historical fiction add this to their 2022 reading list.

Thank you to NetGalley, William Morrow and Custom House, and Eliza Knight for the advanced reader copy of The Mayfair Bookshop. #NetGalley #TheMayfairBookshop #WmMorrowBooks #customhousebks

I was eager to read this, I love books about books and bookstores, and I love that part of London, however I found this novel a little slow. The story jumps between the 1930s and present day, but while I was interested in the modern-day plot, I had a harder time with Nancy Mitford and her vapid social set. That being said, I did really enjoy the modern-day protagonist, Lucy, and the life she stepped into in the bookshop.

I was not at all sure what I expected from The Mayfair Bookshop, but whatever it was, this novel more than delivered. I read all of Nancy Milford's novels many years ago, and so I was familiar with her novels, and even wrote a graduate research paper about her work, but after reading this novel, I found that I actual knew far too little about Mitford's life. Eliza Knight's novel perfectly blends Mitford's life before and during WWII with the life of an American researcher, who seeks to solve a family puzzle in the 21st century. This novel does so much more than promised. It is an important biography, an engaging history, and a wonderful mystery, all wrapped into one book. I do not want to give away any plots details, and so I will limit my review to mentioning the many complex characters, even the unsavory ones, who hold the reader's attention, which is then paired with a nicely developed and complex plot. I love bookstores, libraries, and books. This novel was perfect for me. Thank you to the author and publisher for allowing me to read this ARC, and to NetGalley for making it available.

Excellent read! I knew of Nancy Mitford but now will be reading her books after learning so much about her in this story. Told in 2 voices; Nancy and Lucy, it is a book about books and the authors who write them and the readers. The bookshop in the title is the central location for both women. Good writing and interesting subject makes for a contented reader.

Thank you to NetGalley and William Morrow Publishing for providing me with a free ecopy of this book in exchange for an honest review. I requested this one a few months ago when I was looking to get into ARC Reviewing, but unfortunately I am not doing ARC reading anymore (for now at least) so I don't plan to read this one yet. I fully plan to pick this up when it comes out, but just am not as interested in reading ARCs as I was 2 months ago when I requested it!

THE MAYFAIR BOOKSHOP is recommended for fans of The Last Bookshop in London, The Paris Bookseller, and The Bookseller's Secret, Knight does a good job at setting the scene for her readers and I found myself swept up in the story. The narrative is well-paced and the conclusion should satisfy fans of the genre.

A wonderful story with a dual timeline ! Mayfair Bookshop explores the life of Nancy Mitford starting from the mid 1930's through World War II in England and also follows Lucy St. Clair; an American who is in London curating books for a library back in the states and is also on a personal mission to try to solve a mystery surrounding Nancy Mitford. It was a slow start for me at the beginning but in the end I couldn't put it down. I had the privilege of reading an Advanced copy in exchange of an Honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own

I've read a number of books over the past year that featured a bookshop. This one was a bit different, as it included history of the UK's Mitford family, along with WWII. I love the dual timeline stories, and this was no exception. I did find both storylines engaging, but I think I preferred Lucy's a bit more. I enjoy being educated as well as entertained, and Knight's book fit the bill. I didn't know much about the Mayfair family prior to reading this.
Fans of historical fiction will want to add this to their TBR pile.

I love a good historical fiction with a dual timeline and the Mayfair Bookshop did not disappoint.

I learned so much about the fascinating life of London socialite, Nancy Mitford, whose story line takes place in the 1930's and beyond. After being introduced into society, Nancy's family's wealth allowed her to spend her time attending social events with the other "bright young people" of London. Her life seemed to be a charmed one full of fun and happiness. She was beautiful, stylish, witty, and a talented writer. However she had her share of heartbreak starting when her fist love broke off their engagement. She eventually married a man who was a habitual cheater. His drinking and immaturity led to financial troubles that Nancy had to deal with. She eventually turned to writing to help support herself and her husband, but her early novels were not financial successes. In addition several of her sisters and her mother were Nazi sympathizers during the World War II. It wasn't until she started to run the Heywood Hill Bookshop that she found a place where she could flourish and support herself.

In the present day, Lucy St. Clair is thrilled to land a temporary position at the Heywood Hill Bookshop. She is mourning the loss of her mother who owned a first edition Nancy Mitford novel with a mysterious inscription. Lucy and her mother always wondered about the identity of the person that the book was meant for. Now she will not only have the chance to work in the bookshop that Nancy Mitford ran, she will have the chance to try and solve the mystery that her mother was never able to solve during her lifetime.

I was invested in both story lines but there is no doubt that Nancy's Mitford's life was the most interesting.

Well developed dual-story-line novel set in London, both in the present day and in the years preceding and during World War II. Present Day Lucy arrives in London with a work assignment to axquire rare books for her employer, but also determined to figure out the identity of "Iris", to whom Nancy Mitford inscribed a first edition of one of her novels. As Lucy delves into Nancy Mitford's correspondence and life, the alternate storyline develops around Mitford's marriage, writing, and life during the Blitz. The reader develops relationships with both characters, and ends up invested in their career and personal decisions. Recommended for historical romance/fiction fans.

Unlike many of the popular bookstore themed titles, this one adds a little novelized history with inclusion of Mitford family lore in the UK before and during WWII. Enjoyable read. Recommended.