Natalie Jenner’s sophomore work, Bloomsbury Girls is even more delightful than her debut novel, The Jane Austen Society. Although several characters have cameos,Bloomsbury Girls is a stand alone read.

Set a in post-war classic English bookshop on the cusp of major social and class metamorphoses, Bloomsbury Girls tells the story of three women and how they break with the typical societally-shackled gender roles to find their happiness.

This book also tackles subjects such as class, race and sexuality and how the characters are set to reform stuffy English social mores. I loved how this novel is also a brief history of lesser-known 19th and 20th female writers and their contribution to literature and society. Using real-life figures such as Peggy Guggenheim, Daphne du Maurier and many more recognizable literary players of the time, Jenner weaves a beautiful tale of women, friendships and their passion for creating and publishing literary works in 1949/50.

Bloomsbury Girls was an engrossing read and makes one long for the bygone era of cozy bookshops with overstuffed chairs, a cup of tea and two biscuits.!

Thank you NetGalley and St. Martins Press for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This is the story of a bookshop and three women who have been marginalized by society and the era they live in. They also work at a place where there are so many rules it’s stifling. The rules are a bit if a hoot to read. You could never have some of these today.

Evie Stone, who featured in the Jane Austen Society, is the first woman permitted to graduate from Cambridge University. Yet, she cannot get work in her field as those jobs always go to men. Vivien is very ambitious and works harder than any of the other characters, yet she cannot get ahead because a woman can only be a shopgirl. Grace is stuck in a loveless, abusive marriage, but she cannot leave as a women, she is not paid enough to support herself and her children in her own. They all want more and are determined to get it even if they have to break some of the bookshop’s fifty rules.

The characters were engaging, likeable and well developed. It was also nice to have strong female leads who won’t be bullied or accepting of how they are treated. I really enjoyed the interactions with famous people of the time, such as Daphne Du Maurier and Samuel Beckett. I also really liked that some characters carried over from the Jane Austen Society.

The book is very well researched and I was engrossed in the story. If I was to nit pick, the book could have been a wee bit shorter. Four and a half stars.

Having read the first book by this author, I was extremely excited to see that there would be a sequel. And when I learned that the focus of that sequel would be on the character of Evie, I was downright thrilled. This story actually stands on its own as a fantastic read and it is not necessary at all to have read the first one (although you should, it's AMAZING).

I am in love with writing by Natalie Jenner and especially in the way she writes historical women's fiction. She gets it all right! Character development is spot on, and we both know and root for each of the 3 Bloomsbury girls. It is no small feat to have three strong women characters and develop them so well that we understand them and their actions (and sometimes their inactions) so well. The setting is described in such great detail, but not in a way that makes you want to skip ahead to get to the story. You are placed in that little bookshop and the area of London (and the time, don't forget it's the 50's) with such skill that you feel like you could look up from the book and see the shoppers entering the store. The thing I think Ms. Jenner does best is weaving a story that pulls all the disparate characters and storylines together into a rewarding read. The pacing and tension were masterfully spread out to keep you turning pages and the writing was so good.

If I had one thing at all to say that tripped me up a bit, it was the language used in the voice of Evie. It might very well have been on purpose, as someone who comes from a lower class could very well have improved her language and then at times when flustered fallen back into her lower-class speaking. However, it was the one thing that wasn't as seamless as everything else in the book, so it took me out of the reading just a bit. It's such a minor thing, I hesitate to add it, but I do try to give honest feedback, and it was something that struck my attention.

I am delighted to have read this book (and its predecessor) and recommend you read it too. You won't be sorry!!

[I was given an ARC version of the book for my honest and unbiased review]

Bloomsbury Girls by Natalie Jenner is the absolute perfect novel for anyone who looks back nostalgically on the days when bookstores were an integral part of the retail experience. Whether at big stores like Barnes & Noble or my own local Book Revue in Huntington, LI (that recently just closed- cue tears) I spent many afternoons browsing through their aisles and finding some of my favorite books that have stayed with me for decades. By the time I got to the last page, the main characters felt like personal friends and I was sad to leave the world Ms. Jenner so vividly created. Highly recommend!

Bloomsbury Girls is a wonderful read, filled with gossipy tidbits and insights. The story revolves around three female employees of a postwar London bookstore who each have their own reasons for working there in spite of the male dominated management. Vivian wants to write and get published. Grace works because her husband won’t. Evie is on a quest to find a lost but potentially extremely valuable book written by a woman during the period when women had to publish anonymously. The male characters are defined as they interact with the women both in the shop and outside. This reader loved how the author wove real persons into the narrative in substantial ways. This is a book not to be missed by any serious fiction lover. I voluntarily reviewed an advance copy of this book from NetGalley. Most highly recommend.

I was delighted to be able to read an advance copy of Bloomsbury Girls. When I started the book and realized that one of the characters was from The Jane Austen Society, I decided to re-read JAS to refresh my memory. (I loved it just as much as the first time.) It wasn't really necessary, as this book could very much be a stand-alone story. I consider Bloomsbury Girls to be more historical fiction than women's fiction. I loved the London bookstore locale, and the author brought the diverse staff of the store to life. There were minor characters who were literary figures of the time, and I enjoyed learning a little about their lives. The whole book was very atmospheric, and I felt immersed in the post-war London time period. I think it would make a great choice for book discussion groups. I highly recommend this book and look forward to more from the author.

This book was an excellent read. I enjoyed the female-centric storyline, and how the women main characters learned and grew and were empowered. Frankly, I also loved that they stuck it to the stuffy old fashioned men at the end! Some of the characters in this book were first introduced in Natalie Jenner's other book, The Jane Austen Society, which I also read and reviewed here on NetGalley. I love books about books and bookstores, and this was right up my alley. I highly recommend this to anyone who enjoys history, books, and strong female characters.

“The Bloomsbury Girls” by Natalie Jenner tells the story of and old-fashioned London bookshop, where it’s run by men, but resisted change over many many years. The shop has a number of rules (I believe 51) that must be adhered to, although some of the rules are odd and rather stuffy (or, possibly old-fashioned). This book takes place in the 1950s, where women are, sadly, still regarded as second-class citizens in many ways. The author claims this book is like "Mad Men meets You've Got Mail!" Having only seen Mad Men, I can attest to some similarities regarding having to change with the times and the fact that the three main female characters do have brains, smarts, and talent.

I’m a bit torn about reviewing this book. Some aspects I liked - I’m a sucker for a historical fiction book covering women writers (Daphne du Maurier!), obscure books (yes, the book Evie is trying to find does actually exist), and a dash of 1950s name dropping glam (Peggy Guggenheim). But at the same time, I knew going in that this was going to be a “nicely wrapped up, everything works out well in the end” book, which I wasn’t disappointed by, but was hoping for a bit more of a, well, less neatly wrapped up ending.

There’s a bit of setting up in the beginning of this book and a few times I felt a bit overwhelmed with not only the details of the character’s lives, but also with some of the setting up to advance the plot. But, I believe that if, on the whole, someone enjoys books set in bookstores, reading about the power of female friendships, and having the underdogs win … this might be a book you’d like to read. Although one of the characters, Evie, was in a previous book by this author, this book is a stand-alone.

Bloomsbury Girls by Natalie Jenner is a wonderful historical fiction that is the follow up to one of my favorite books, The Jane Austen Society, and I just loved it!

This is such a gorgeous novel full of historical figures and details, strong and complex female characters, and an interweaving narrative that kept me engrossed throughout.

I loved being able to experience the post-war period in London from the eyes pf three different women in three different circumstances and stages in life. Yet, the struggles, fears, obstacles, and challenges of all three women were so similar. The limitations, the stigmas, the uphill battles that women faced during this time in society (and continue to face) was very frustrating and difficult to read, yet it brought solidarity and familiarity seeing that these women forged strong bonds and relationships and were able to conquer their respective mountains in their own ways. It gave me strength knowing that those paths have been made before, that those battles have been fought on common ground.

Ms. Jenner has a real talent in creating realistic, complex, raw, and human characters. It is just wonderful. No other way to describe it.

I highly recommend this historical fiction novel.

5/5 stars

Thank you NG and St. Martin’s Press for this wonderful arc and in return I am submitting my unbiased and voluntary review and opinion.

I am posting this review to my GR and Bookbub accounts immediately and will post it to my Amazon, Instagram, and B&N accounts upon publication.

Wow! Just wow. So good. Unique characters, including the most dazzling historical figures. A very touching and genuine view of women’s many challenges and their strength in overcoming them. A story full of books, friendship, perseverance, and love in an intelligent, historical-filled, well-woven plot. Brava!

Full Review:

Vivien, Grace, and Evie worked at Bloomsbury Books and Maps, an old-fashioned book store managed by men set on their ways.

Despite being clearly overqualified for their roles, the women were not considered for promotions and even resented their promising business ideas.

While they ventured through these turbulent waters, each of them had to face personal challenges and find the courage to take control of their lives.

Bloomsbury Girls is a story full of heart and self-discovery, and most of all, a story about women's companionship and its infinite power.

The fictional characters interacted seamlessly with fascinating historical figures as Daphne Du Maurier, Peggy Guggenheim, and Samuel Beckett. I confess I googled them all and was dazzled by their striking personalities.

As a book lover, I was delighted by the setting and the talk about rare and old books.

Vivien, Grace, and Evie were different and yet shared the same yearning for opportunity and independence. Each of them showed a different, but no less admirable, form of strength. I immediately related to them.

As for the male characters, I fell in love with the kind and refined Lord Baskin and the shy Ash. Even Alec McDonough enchanted me despite his rakish ways.

Wow! Just wow. So good. Unique characters, including the most dazzling historical figures. A very touching and genuine view of women's many challenges and their strength in overcoming them. A story full of books, friendship, perseverance, and love in an intelligent, historical-filled, well-woven plot. Brava!

Disclaimer: I've received a copy of this book from the publisher for an honest review. A full review will be published on lureviewsbooks.com around the publication date.