First, thank you to the author and publisher for providing me with a digital ARC of this title via Netgalley in exchange for my honest review.
I have been fortunate enough to also receive an advance copy of the Jane Austen society here and was delighted to be given the opportunity to read this follow up title as well. I loved the characters in the Jane Austen society and was totally drawn into the little English village with them. I felt Bloomsbury girls was a little slower to connect with, but I am really glad I kept on reading. The further into the book, the more I enjoyed it and felt reconnected with past characters and the new characters we meet at the Bloomsbury bookstore. I love a good book set in a bookstore and this did not disappoint. Really enjoyable read so don't give up if the beginning also seems slow to you. Well worth reading the Jane Austen society first, but not necessary to enjoy this second title as they give you enough recap to understand the previous story

"Bloomsbury Girls" is the most enjoyable book I have read recently. As a bibliophile and book collector, a story set in a bookstore and involving old and rare books is appealing. Though the story is about a lot more than just the bookstore and its books. Bloomsbury Books & Maps is a London bookshop approaching its hundredth anniversary. The store is just barely breaking even, and that is unlikely to change under the leadership of Herbert Dutton, General Manager, with his 51 Rules and his traditional views on how a business should operate and gender roles (which is some ironic, as there is a very "unconventional" aspect to his own life). However, in 1950, a medical emergency, a new employee (Evelyn (Evie) Stone), and chance encounters that develop into friendships between Vivien Lowry (shop employee) and influential socialites and female authors (Ellen Doubleday, Peggy Guggenheim, Sonia Blair (George Orwell's widow), and Lady Browning (Daphne du Maurier)) will irrevocably change the lives of the staff of Bloomsbury Books & Maps, as well as the future of the store itself.

The book has many subplots, but the one I enjoyed the most was Evie's efforts to find the only known copy of a book "The Mummy! A Tale of the Twenty-Second Century", that was first published in 1827 and may be one of the first science fiction novels ever written, and the author was a seventeen-year-old girl, whose later career was subsumed by her husband's work. She had access to the book in the past, but neither she nor anyone else recognized the significance of the book, and it was purchased at auction by Frank Allen, Head of Rare Books at Bloomsbury, and then misplaced in the chaos of the rare books section of the store. As part of her research while at Cambridge (one of the first female graduates), she ran across references to the book, and she became determined to find it, with hopes of having the book republished with its author recognized. Evie's dream is to discover and republish the works of forgotten women authors.

There are so many good things about this book -- the eclectic mix of characters, the various subplots, the ambitions and dreams of the various characters, the various societal issues that the story addresses, etc. -- but I will leave those things for other readers to discover. "Bloomsbury Girls" is a book I highly recommend. (And now I need to read "The Jane Austen Society", Natalie Jenner's first book, which features some of the characters in "Bloomsbury Girls.")

I received a copy of the e-book via NetGalley in exchange for a review.

As a former librarian who naturally loves bookstores, I thoroughly enjoyed this story. It was a fun read with a happy ending and lots of interesting characters throughout. Definitely worth reading.

The women who work at the Bloomsbury Bookstore and are totally underappreciated by their three male counterparts. When a young woman arrives for her interview she stumbles upon the manager having a seizure. Fortunately she saves his life. Naturally she gets the job. With the manager forced to take time away from the store, one of the males is promoted to manager and, in an unlikely turn of events, one of the women is promoted to Head of Fiction. The book is filled with famous people who visit the shop: Daphne Du Maurier, Ellen Doubleday, Sonia Blair (widow of George Orwell), Samuel Beckett, Peggy Guggenheim. All of them add to the impact of the bookstore. This is a thoroughly enjoyable novel by the author of The Jane Austin Society.

Bloomsbury Books is a neighborhood institution, having existed for hundreds of years in England, run by men and a general manager who are resistant to change, but in 1950, things are changing quickly in the world, and the girls who work at the shop have some ideas. Vivien has dreamed of becoming a writer, but the closest she can get currently is working in the shop. But she has been butting heads with the head of the fiction department, Alec, who is also an aspiring writer. Grace is married to a man who has never been the same since he had a breakdown after the war. She is left to work at the shop in order to support her two sons and husband. But she is increasingly getting tired of her situation and just might find the strength to make some changes. Evie is one of the first women who graduated from Cambridge but is still in a world controlled by men who take all of the jobs. She is currently working at Bloomsbury Books while she figures out how she can get what she wants in her life.
The three women in the shop want more from their lives. And they finally start to achieve their dreams when they create a community with each other and several famous women literary figures. Their friendship allows them to finally go for what they want. This is a story about women finding themselves and fighting for what they want. Themes of friendship, strength, ambition, love and perseverance abound in this book. I enjoyed the book, especially the last 25% when the book really started to come together.

I thoroughly enjoyed Bloomsbury Girls, a sort of sequel to the wonderful book The Jane Austen Society. The story takes place in early 1950s London and follows a richly developed group of men and women working in a bookstore in Bloomsbury. The role of the bookstore in their lives is well drawn and we see how important it is to each of their futures. The 1950s were a time of tremendous social change. It was a time where women, once desperately needed to step up and take the jobs done by the men who had gone to war, were once again treated as lesser employees. This book covers many societal changes while being an entertaining read. I have struggled to finish so many books during the pandemic but I flew through this one. It was informative, entertaining and heartfelt.

Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the eARC.
This was a lovely book, I enjoyed it a lot. It's set in post-war London in an old book store run by men with 3 female characters: Evie, Grace and Vivien. All 3 are very different, but have the same goal: throwing off the restraints of the men in their lives who stop them from being the best they can be.
The appearance of so many historic characters was such a treat. The friendship between Vivien and Daphne Du Maurier made me jealous, but reading about Du Maurier was a delight; she lit up my teenage years with her wonderful books.
Of course the happy ending also added to the enjoyment of the read. All in all the book put me in a good mood for several days after tearing through it, so I definitely recommend it!

I haven't read Natalie's first book, and didn't realize this was a sequel until reading other reviews. It could be a stand alone book, it was easy to follow the story - but I'd suggest reading the first book for some of it to make better sense.

Three working women in 1950's London are the main characters - with a host of others, including the men they work with and for and a variety of historical characters that also make appearances. The characters are intriguing, strong women with their own reasons for working and their own secrets.

Thank you to NetGalley, the author and publisher for a temporary, digital ARC in return for my review.

Bloomsbury Girls is set in London, after WW2. 3 women, Vivian, Grace, and Evie, are employees of a century-old bookstore which has been run by men. Each chapter begins with one of the 51 rules that have been set in place by management - some are good for a laugh! The story explores the plans and dreams of the women to make changes to the bookstore, expand, and learn. They each have their own personal experience and hopes and dreams, and the bookstore is a place where those dreams can be further explored.

The stories intertwine, and snippets about rare books, book auctions, and well-known literary figures make the story quite interesting.

Post war London and men hold all the positions of power But things and changing. The three women employed at Bloomsbury Books are at the forefront of the changes that are coming. It isn't easy, but nothing worthwhile ever is. We owe all the women who stepped out then for our improved times now.

GREAT book. Narrative is wonderfully interesting combined with strong competent female characters. Details are perfect melding into the perfect storm for a page turner.

The eclectic characters gave an authentic feel to their struggles and how each individually dealt with issues presented. The reader will definitely feel the battles women faced post war time period and how perseverance paved the way for the future.

Jenner created another engrossing read. Cannot wait for her next undertaking. Historical fiction at its best with a absolutely hypnotizing female cast. A must read.

I greatly enjoyed The Jane Austen Society and was so pleased when the opportunity to read an advance copy of this novel came my way. I adored this book and am so glad to have read it.

Some of the same characters from TJAS make appearances in this story, most notably Evie.
Set in post WWII England, this story focuses on three women who are making their way, for various reasons, in a formerly male-dominated workforce.

I would suggest reading TJAS, if you haven’t yet, before starting this book to fully get some of the characters and their motivations. It’s not a necessity, but I found that I was able to appreciate this story all the more for having done so.

Since I've read a lot of hype about the Jane Austen Society, I jumped at the opportunity to read the advance copy of Natalie Jenner's subsequent book Bloomsbury Girls. Although I believe this is a stand-alone book, I believe that some characters are carry-over from Jane Austen Society (which I had not read).

I know there are a lot of 5 star ratings for Bloomsbury Girls; maybe I'm missing something since I hadn't read Jane Austen Society. I found the first 2/3's of the book kind of slow; the last 1/3 of the book was definitely better than the first part. I just really didn't seem to connect with any of the characters. I'm sorry if I'm a Debbie Downer on this one.

Thank you to NetGalley, the author Natalie Jenner and the publisher St. Martin's Press for the opportunity to review the advance read copy of Bloomsbury Girls in exchange for an honest review. Publication date is 17 May 2022.

Super shocked by how much I loved the book. Marketed as a rom-com flighty book is anything but. A great read with delicious gossipy bits, drama, and humor. How does one like us who love books, not like a book about books? Themes of feminism, equality, reading, friendship make it a comforting and thoughtful read. This is a good addition to World War II historical fiction and definitely adds and strengthens the genre. Highly recommend!

I was really hoping that this second book by Jenner would be as delightful as her debut novel, "The Jane Austen Society" and...IT WAS. This book is a wonderful tale that follows Evie Stone, the brilliant little book cataloguer from "...Society" as she is finishing up her education at Cambridge. She is looked over for a position with the University, due to the patriarchal society it is, and ends up working for a historic bookshop called "Bloomsbury Books". And she has an agenda. The motley crew of this bookstore come from varied educations and pasts. It is dominated by the males who head the various departments but the true backbone of this little shop belongs to it's female employees; elegant, whip smart Viv; calm and industrious Grace; and, eventually our little Evie. Jenner keeps the story fluid by weaving in the back stories of all these individuals and deftly introduces key literary figures that will help play a big part in the future of the store. As the kettle brews, relationships forge and the Bloomsbury landscape starts to shift...who will be left to make the tea?

What a wonderful follow-up to The Jane Austen Society! Not really a sequel, it’s more like a spin-off. Evie Stone has an ulterior motive for starting a job at Bloomsbury Books— she is searching for a rare book. During her quest, she has to navigate 51 strict rules and the fragile egos of the male employees. Fortunately, she has some strong female support.

I enjoyed this story of female empowerment. The author does a great job of weaving real people, places and events into her stories, all while building a world that the reader wants to be a part of.

I so enjoyed reading "The Jane Austen Society" and was pleased to discover another book with some of the same characters.

The story revolves around Bloomsbury Books, a shop in London, very much a man's domain with ladies working as support staff. Although the women are all very different in temperament, they all see the need for changes to make the shop more profitable after the war. Obviously they meet with resistance from the male staff.

This is not just a book about the underdog, about equality, social class or even books. It's a book about the human condition, what makes us tick and what we need to do to live our lives to the fullest. A joy to read!

I loved The Jane Austen Society, so I was excited to read Natalie Jenner’s next book Bloomsbury Girls. It didn’t disappoint!

Bloomsbury Girls follows three women who work together at a centuries old bookstore in London after the war. Just like in her previous book, Jenner’s characters were vivid and relatable—you just want to root for them!

First thing's first - Natalie Jenner, BRAVO! Once again, another masterpiece filled with so much love and passion for all things countryside & Jane Austen. My two favorite features wrapped into a novel. I am counting down the days for this to come out via Audible, so I can listen to this magic and relive this all over again. No spoilers here, JUST RUN, don't walk for The Jane Austen Society and Bloomsbury Girls.

A delightful post-WWII novel set in 1950 London. Three strong willed, independent women from a range of backgrounds and experiences, working together in a somewhat fusty, old fashioned bookstore, populated by an equally intriguing range of male employees. Several characters from the author’s previous title, The Jane Austen Society, are carried over, primarily Evie. I particularly loved how the author included many real life literary and art world characters from that period. Thank you to the author, publisher and NetGalley for a preview copy.