Bloomsbury Girls is one of those special stories that stays with you long after the last page. Set in a London bookshop, it features three women as its main characters who are all striving to improve their lives in a male dominated world. My favorite was Vivien, with her strong desire to improve the shop. She has great ideas that are not taken seriously by the all-male management team. I was rooting for her from day one.

Jenner excels at ensemble stories as I discovered in her first novel, The Jane Austen Society. Bloomsbury Girls pays tribute to the play/movie Little Shop Around the Corner and its modern inspiration You've Got Mail but has its own unique storyline. In a field with other historical novels set in bookstores, Bloomsbury Girls really delivers on charm, sassy, and girl-power. Brava!

Bloomsbury Girls is an absolute treasure, only slightly tarnished by being a follow up to The Jane Austen Book Club. While there's absolutely nothing wrong with "Book Club," it just makes Bloomsbury Girls a little less accessible to its widest possible audience.

Taken on it's own, this novel is a book-lovers' cozy delight. Set in a book shop, with cameos from authors popping up here and there, marvelous characters, and an enjoyable storyline, it's hard to imagine anyone who thinks they'll like this book not actually liking it.

The audiobook is the icing on the cake. Juliet Stevenson is the perfect choice as narrator. But then again, isn't she always?

This book is full of strong female characters and friendships. The women all really want what is best for one another, as well as womankind. This book was truly touching and up lifting. .

Overall, such a cute book, such a good idea for a book and for any book nerd I'm not sure what is not to love about the story.
Sadly, as a book nerd, I 'read' this book via audiobook. The speaker was wonderful, her voice and accent really set the scene for me, yet, I still felt something was missing. Note, it might 'just be me' kind of thing.
The book itself though, SO CUTE. I loved the rules of the store before each chapter. I loved the setting. I loved the whole idea of the book, which is a group of women fighting for women's rights in the literary world. It wasn't just being a book store owner, but it came down to their thoughts and opinions on books. The fight to even have women authors in the store. The idea that women could enjoy reading and want to read books written by like minded people.
What is it that held me back from melting over this book? Because this book did check a lot of boxes of the 'perfect book'. If I think real hard, the only comment I can make is the characters. I never connected to any of them. Goodness, I think I can only even remember some of their names... Sadly, I'll admit I can remember a good handful of the male character's names. The women just didn't stand out. I didn't connect to them. They weren't special enough that I could find something that I either liked or disliked (even). Sometimes finding a quirk that you hate about a character could have even helped me feel more connected. They were just 'bleh' and didn't' drive the story as much as I wished they would have.
​ The story itself though, still genius. Wonderful writing. I really felt like I was walking down the street and stumbled on Bloomsbury Books, browsing the shelves and soaking in the book fantasy feels.

As a fan of Natalie Jenner's first book, I knew I would love this one just as much Evie is such a wonderful character who loves books as any good bookseller should. The secondary characters all have interesting and unique stories as well. This book is a perfect read for anyone who loves strong women who believe in themselves and their abilities even when surrounded by others who doubt them.

✨ Review ✨ Bloomsbury Girls by Natalie Jenner

I admit I was a little bit hesitant about this one of reading some of the reviews but I LIVED for the slow gentle pace of this book.

Bloomsbury Girls centers on the stories of three women in the 1950s UK bookstore Bloomsbury Books. It explores their efforts to make innovative contributions to the store despite the limiting men surrounding them. It explores their quests, their love lives, and ultimately, their desires for gaining more control of the store in a world that still favored men.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Genre: historical fiction, women's fiction
Location: London
Pub Date: out now!

I reveled in the slow pace of this book, and loved the everyday sorts of adventures explored here. I loved how it integrated women's efforts to gain more control in the workplace, alongside the coterie of authors and their spouses who appear in this book. It was such a celebration of books and literature alongside a growing sense of feminism. The 1950s postwar setting was also really compelling as these women and those surrounding them had to adapt in a rapidly changing world. In this way, it gave me almost Downton Alley vibes as they reconciled with post-WWI life (but with the focus on more common working/middle-class folks).

With all that said, this certainly isn't a book for everyone. I can see where its slow pace and historical setting might turn some off. However, this was really lovely and the perfect audiobook to get me through a long car ride!

(NOTE, this is somewhat of a sequel to the Jane Austin Society, and while it references with book with some regularity, it made sense without reading it first. I do think having read it, I'd have had greater appreciation for some of the characters.)

Read this if you like:
⭕️ BOOKS and bookstores
⭕️ strong female characters
⭕️ quests to find hidden books
⭕️ 1950s postwar narratives of change and adaptation
⭕️ love stories that occur as "side stories" in a larger narrative

Thanks to Macmillan Audio, St. Martin's Press, and #netgalley for an advanced audio and e-copies of this book!

Bloomsbury Books is an old-fashioned new and rare bookstore that has resisted change for a hundred years. It is run by men and guided by the general manager’s unbreakable fifty-one rules, but in post-war 1950, the world is changing, especially the world of books and publishing. At Bloomsbury Books, the women who work in the shop have plans.

Vivien Lowry: Brilliant and stylist, Vivien has been single since her aristocratic fiancé died fighting during World War II. A budding writer, she works in the shop’s fiction department. Grace Perkins: Married with two young sons, she’s been working to support the family following her husband’s mental breakdown in the war's aftermath. Evie Stone: In the first class of female students from Cambridge permitted to earn a degree, they denied Evie a position as a research assistant in favor of her less accomplished male rival. Now she catalogues books.

Although the business is struggling, the owner is reluctant to sell, because it is a London fixture. In post-war London, these three women are determined to battle misogyny and find their own way. If they work together, their dreams just might come true. The characters all have secrets, secrets that could change their lives if exposed.

Remember on Seinfeld when Jerry and George pitched a sitcom about nothing to network executives? Well, that’s how I felt about the first half of this novel. It focused on plodding character sketches without much of a plot and I had a hard time keeping my mind off my grocery list. When the pace picked up, I started to enjoy it. I particularly liked the literary and cultural references to Daphne du Maurier, Samuel Beckett, Ellen Doubleday, Sonia Blair (widow of George Orwell), and Peggy Guggenheim.

The author used some clever writing conventions. For example, each chapter begins with one of the 51 rules that are posted in the bookshop and then the storyline deals with that rule. The book is richly detailed with a strong sense of place and has well-drawn characters, some delightfully unlikeable. I adored the ending. Bloomsbury Girls is a light summer read fans of The Jane Austen Society, also by Jenner, will find charming. Other reviewers liked it better; I give it 3.5 stars.

This cover is summer perfection!
Bloomsbury Girls tells the story of three women in post World War 2 London who want to make their way in the world. During the war, women were ‘allowed’ to have professions, but with the men home, the opportunities have diminished. Vivien, Grace, and Edie are all working at Bloomsbury Books under male management and his fifty-one unbreakable rules, but they know the future could be brighter.

If you’ve read The Jane Austen Society, you’ll recognize some beloved characters from that novel, but I loved this book even more. These women were written in a way that I feel like I knew them and had my fingers crossed that things would go their way. It’s historical, but feels more to me like women’s fiction in an historical setting. It’s so good! I listened to this and adored the narration by @realjulietstevenson.
Is this on your summer reading list? I know so many of you who will love it!
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⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

Infused with much of the same charm as Jenner's first novel, The Jane Austen Society, but a little lacking in something I can't quite put my finger on. Maybe it was nothing, just more to do with when I read it. It is cozy and bookish in the best ways. It is very reminiscent of 84 Charing Cross Road, one of my favorite books ever. The literary references and cameos are a delight. Not too mentioning Juliet Stevenson's narration is perfection. They could not have snagged a better narrator for our three protagonists. Pick this one up when you need a bookish hug. It won't disappoint.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an ALC in exchange for a fair and honest review.

I wanted to love this one but the narration was off for me and made it hard to want to keep picking back up. Stopped at around 45%.

Two years ago, I took a chance on Natalie Jenner's The Jane Austen Society and thoroughly enjoyed it. Timing helped - it was the right book at the right time. When I was offered the opportunity to read her latest, I didn't hesitate. These days I'm looking for exactly the kind of writing I found in The Jane Austen Society, the sweetness, the fun characters, a little bit of predictability. I'm happy to say that I found it in Bloomsbury Girls.

I was happy to see Evie Stone reappear in this book (read below how Evie wouldn't leave Jenner); this time she's older (but still so very young) and wiser but every bit as determined as she was in The Jane Austen Society. She is not the only strong female in this book, which is filled with strong females both in the lead and as secondary characters. Evie, Grace, and Vivien are each trying to find their way in a world where men make the rules. The feminist in me was delighted to find the three of them fighting back when men took what was rightly theirs.

The battle between the sexes is the main theme of this novel, but Jenner also touches on immigration, racism, mental health, morals, and the aftereffects of war. The time period and setting allow for all of those well known people mentioned above to make and appearance which lead to even more tension between the men and the women. That touch of predictability I mentioned before? It's here. You expect that things will be resolved a certain way and for the most part, they are. You expect that there may be some things that are more easily resolved than they would be in real life, and there are. I'm fine with that. I wanted that, in fact; it's one of the reasons I wanted to read this book now.

One of my quibbles with Jenner's first book was the reader (he did a fine job, just didn't have the range to voice so many women). Juliet Stevenson, on the other hand, is terrific and I highly recommend the audiobook version of this book.

Thanks to Laurel Ann, of AustenProse PR, for including me on this tour.

This was fun. Interesting plot lines and characters. An important message. Oh no a good idea and ally's of fun

I love books. I love to read books (not quite the same as plain loving books). I love to read stories about books and stories that are set in libraries or bookshops. I love books with strong female characters who band together to empower each other. I love historical fiction. Natalie Jenner’s Bloomsbury Girls is a delectable treasure trove of all this and more.

I had the opportunity to listen to this story narrated by Juliet Stevenson, and while it did take me a bit to get into it, her narration was delightful. I would love the story and all it’s elements and it did not disappoint. While The Bloomsbury Girls does include a few characters from Jenner’s previous book, The Jane Austen Society, this story can be read as a stand alone.

Thank you to Macmillan Audio, NetGalley and the author for the opportunity to listen to this advance listening copy in return for my honest review. All opinions are my own.

I must admit, in theory, Bloomsbury Girls should not be for me. However, this is one of the most well-written and heart-warming books that I’ve read in I don’t know how many years, and I ended being incredibly invested in Evie, Vivien, and Gracie, more so than any characters I can remember. Evie in particular reminds me of myself and this book has made me reconsider the way I look at my own future. (No small feat!) And to “meet” so many incredible authors from the past? So well done!

Listening to this audiobook has been such a lovely reading experience. This isn’t a racing storyline, what-happens-next novel, but rather one that develops in its own way and time. And that warmth and cosiness makes for the best kind of reading. A lot of authors who attempt this type of novel end up drifting into boring territory, but I couldn’t stop listening to this audiobook. Jenner has brought this bookshop to life, and all of the women and men who spend their time there.

I also have to admit that I thought Richard Armitage’s narration of The Jane Austen Society was one of the best I’ve heard, but Juliet Stevenson is my new favourite. She handled the accents of visitors to the shop so well, and she instilled so much emotion into her reading without being over the top. I may have downloaded two more audiobooks to listen to more of her work…

From the author of "The Jane Austen Society" comes a heartwarming and riveting story set in London after the war. Bloomsbury Books is a book store that has survived the test of time selling rare and new books. It's always been a "Boy's Club" and is run on a strict set of rules made by the men in charge.

The times are changing in the 1950s, and three women employees forever alter the direction of Bloomsbury Books.

A lighthearted tale of women's empowerment, perseverance, and respect. Vivien, Grace, and Evie slowly evolve the trajectory of the store through interactions with various literary figures of the time. They soon find they can have all that they desire, and more!

I love a book about books, historical fiction, and a women-led story. This is all of that and more! A delightful read.

Bloomsbury Girls is a historical fiction story about three women working at Bloomsbury Books in London in the 1950s. The book focuses on the challenges the three women faced as they try to make a place for themselves in the male dominated field.

I listened to the audiobook and it was hard to stay engaged. It was very slow but I really enjoyed the last 20% of the book. I think the print version could have been more suited for me. The premise was so good that I think the slow pace of the audiobook prevented me from really enjoying the book.

Thank you to NetGallery and to Macmillan Audio for giving me a copy for my honest review.

Bloomsbury Girls is a bookish story of 3 women searching for, and working for, their dreams. Avid fans of literature and stories about the changing post-WWII culture will find something to love in this story that nods to the bravery of the female sex and the binding strength of friendship. The story is wonderfully presented in audiobook form with narration by Juliet Stevenson, who applies the perfect theatrical interpretation of the characters with voice and accents.

Natalie Jenner’s omniscient narrative style shines in this story! With all-knowing nods and tidbits, phrases foreshadow events in the story and color character interactions with wit. Each of the characters plays a key role in the story, from the three main women to the tiniest side character. They are united by the most unlikely heroine, Evie Stone, whose determination and fortitude underpin the plot in fabulous ways.

The establishment of the Bloomsbury shop rules, as penned by the inimitable manager Herbert Dutton, is a clever part of the novel. Each chapter is preceded by one of the rules, which relates in some way to the action of the story. The rules are defied by most of the characters, and upheld by some, which allows for quirky and funny situations.

While this book is considered to be historical women’s fiction, it does have a few different threads of romance, too. All contrast neatly, with one a comical friends-to-lovers situation; another a longstanding friendship with the possibility of more; and still another first love with seemingly opposite, romance-isn’t-for-me (until now) with a darlingly clueless couple. These interactions and the strong friendship forged between Evie, Grace, and Vivien serve to highlight the overarching theme of being known and accepted.

Content note: for my inspy reader friends, please note this is a general market title. It has a couple closed door romance scenes that are candidly referenced in conversation, and a depiction of homosexuality with some minor characters.

Thank you to the publisher and Austenprose tours for the audiobook review copy. This is my honest review.

Another great historical fiction book with strong characters. I loved reading about these women and the century old book shop! 1950s sexism and politics is definitely an element in this book along with an ode to important historical women authors.

*received for free from netgalley for honest review* Really liked this read. I spread it out over a few days since i liked the characters, would reread this in the future for sure.

I enjoyed learning more about the girls of Bloomsbury and how their stories weave together. As a book lover it was fun digging into the history of those publishing houses such as Bloomsbury, but also Dutton and others.

I also loved how these strong women, and women with a LOT of money, worked to control the industry during a time women were NOT allowed to run the industry.

The men of the story just did not work for me, super frustrating and kudos to the author for creating these men to be YUCK. They definitely worked to highlight the strength of the female characters.