I really wanted to like The British Booksellers, by Kristy Cambron. I enjoy reading books about World War 1 &2. Throw in two bookstores in England and it had to be good. The first time I started to read it I only got a bit in and decided that I just wasn’t in the right mood for it. Much later I picked it up again, determined to finish it. However, the same feeling of dissatisfaction hit me on my second read as well. I think that part of this was from the lack of real development of a relationship between Charlotte and Amos in the beginning. It seemed negative from the beginning, and only let up towards the end. I didn’t feel emotionally invested in their plight, nor in that between Eden and Jacob. I never quite understood the rivaling bookstores, and was completely perplexed at the end of the book about the whole situation with Jacob and his lawsuit that was introduced at the beginning of the book and never really resolved. I have heard great things about this author, so I am hoping to try another of her books in the future. Thank you to Net Galley and the publisher for the opportunity to read an advanced copy of this book.

"But if they'd learned anything from the beauty and brokenness of this world together, it was that light always overshadowed the darkness. And home would always be the place she had with him."

Thank you to NetGalley and Thomas Nelson Fiction for giving me an ARC of The British Booksellers in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts that follow are my own.

The British Booksellers follows the story of Amos and Charlotte through the dual timelines of 1914-1915 and 1940. Charlotte comes from an upperclass family while Amos comes from a farming family that lives on the border of the Terrington estate owned by Charlotte's family and the Holt estate, owned by Charlotte's fiance's family, the Holts. After a childhood friendship that blooms into a young love, Amos is ripped away from Charlotte and sent to war after Charlotte decides that it is time for her to grow up and own up to her family's status and what is expected of her. Twenty-five years later, Charlotte remains in Coventry, helping to manage the Holt estate as well as her bookshop, Eden Books, assisted by her daughter, Eden as World War II looms.

I enjoyed this story to a certain extent. I loved Amos' and Charlotte's dynamic and how their love grew over time and how even though they weren't able to be together, they never forgot each other or forgot their love for each other. It was also interesting to me how guarded Amos became although it did make sense because he was hiding so many secrets from Charlotte. I loved all of the supporting characters, although at certain points, trying to keep track of who everybody was became a bit much. I think I loved Eden the most because she was so secure in herself during a time when women were told who and what they must be. Meanwhile, Eden made her own choices regardless of what everyone thought.

Even with these great aspects, I also had some issues with this book. I felt that everything could've been resolved in about 50-100 less pages because I found that the story dragged a bit in the middle. I also felt as though there were a bit too many POV and time changes throughout the book. This made it difficult to follow at some points and made it hard to tell who the chapter was talking about at that time because not only do we read about Amos and Charlotte, but you also have Eden and Jacob. The time jumps back and forth also made the story drag a little bit because the story had to go back and forth more and more often so that everything would tie up perfect at the end.

Overall, I would give this book a solid 3.5 stars and recommend it to anyone who loves a great wartime love story as well as a good historical fiction novel.

I wanted to like this book. The context of a bookseller in London, no matter what the timing, sounded great. Unfortunately, the pacing dragged, and the dual time between two wars, in an e-book format, was difficult to follow. I gave it 20 percent before giving up.

This was a beautiful story that historical fiction lovers will enjoy! I loved the various perspectives and character focus. Another home run for author, Kristy Cambron!

Another brilliant work by @kristycambron! Y'all, it's just magnificent! I *almost* felt a little bit of Beauty and the Beast vibes mixed with forbidden love, heartbreak, and the Coventry Blitz of WWII. Oh and don't forget the immense personal growth in each of the characters!

As always, Kristy Cambron did a stellar job with her characters, setting, and tales of forgotten history. Words truly don't do this book justice, so you'll just have to believe me when I say it's incredible. 😉

Thanks to Netgalley and Thomas Nelson for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

The British Booksellers is the first book that I’ve read by Kristy Cambron. This is the second book I’ve read in the last couple of days featuring early 1900’s England and the interplay between the titled and regular people who work at the estate and in the surrounding town and countryside. This one however, doesn’t focus so much on the servants lives downstairs, but is a love story focused on two childhood friends, Lady “Charlie” Charlotte Terrington-Holt and Amos Darby, a former tenant farmer’s son.

The story switches back and forth between the past and the present in 1940 and focuses on the now dueling bookstores owned in town by Charlie and Amos. Charlie’s now grown daughter, Eden, is delightful and adds a unique twist to the tropes of friends to lovers, to enemies to undefined relationship packed with history.

If you enjoy historical fiction, you’ll enjoy The British Booksellers.

Spring 1914: Amos and Charlotte have dreamed of a life together since they were children. But, her role in society is forcing her into a loveless marriage with a future Earl. This love triangle is further complicated by the fact that both these men head off to war, but only one will return.

Autumn 1940: Instead of living out their childhood dream of joint ownership of a bookshop, Amos and Charlotte own rival bookshops and do not interact. He is haunted by what he saw on the battlefield and the scars it left him with, and she is occupied with her daughter and upholding her husband's legacy.

But as war swoops in and disrupts their lives, it causes them to lay aside their past and work together to face the enemy clawing at their door.
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I have gotten to a place where I sometimes have to convince myself to read a historical fiction novel, and this one reminded me of why I still love this subset of the genre. It is filled with raw emotion, and the way the secrets are teased and unveiled throughout the novel were so masterful done, I was constantly intrigued and rooting for each of these lovely characters.

Plus, in the hands of a non-Christian author this could have some very different plot points, but Cambron proves that good stories don't have to contend with the kind of content we want to consume.

This was my first Cambron novel, but will not be my last!

Content Note: Alcoholism, death, war, bombings

Thanks to Thomas Nelson for the gifted book. All opinions are my own.

No matter which book is your first Kristy Cambron book, you are sure to fall in love with the main characters of each and every book the author writes. Historical romances have always been among my favorites of the romance genre, and this one another favorite.

"Books are an escape that beckons the reader from the heavy burdens of this world." This split timeline story of WWI and WWII in countryside of Coventry, England where one's lot in life is predetermined by your birthright even when the heart wants something different. This book has love, suspense, intrigue and the love of books. I learned about Land Girls and the Forgotten Blitz.

Mystery, a love story, suspense, intrigue, fascinating history, danger, redemption … so many of my favourite things in a story. I really loved the time-slip aspect to this book, going back and forth from World War 1 and World War 2. Kristy Cambron is a master at time-slip storytelling and The British Booksellers was as superbly done as always.

The British Booksellers has an abundance of depth, with characters carrying deep wounds from the past, and those wounds impacting their present greatly, as well as impacting those around them. Insert, the redemption thread. I loved this but also would have liked a slightly stronger faith thread.

It’s really unfathomable how people lived through both world wars. I think that was one of the most gripping aspects of The British Booksellers for me… watching Amos fight through World War 1, then how he became a pillar to supporting Coventry during the second world war, reliving the horrors in real life that he relived every time he was alone besides. I love how fiction can bring a new perspective to history, and Cambron really brought this to light in Amos for me. Her characters jumped off the page, bringing Coventry alive. I didn’t know anything really about Coventry before reading this novel, and I encourage you to read the author’s notes at the end because they are so interesting and sobering.

One thing I have to add, without giving spoilers, is that in the end, my heart wrung for Will and I found myself cheering for him after all.

Thank you to NetGalley for my copy! I give The British Booksellers 4.5 stars out of 5.

I enjoyed the rich history in this story! I wish that it didn't skip back and forth between the two wars quite so much, but I still thought the story was well written and interesting.

Oh this book was such an incredibly beautiful and spirited take on war and the fact that really no one truly wins. The multigenerational timelines of this book really were able to pinpoint the ripple effects of wartime trauma, and the scars that last long after the war ends. The war can take so very much away, but at the end, it is shown time and time again that love can conquer it all.

I struggled with the multiple POV's and the drastic timeline hops more than I care to admit, but overall I found myself truly enjoying the work that I did need to put in to truly connect with the characters and the story of love. A very compelling read and I will for sure be reading as much as I possibly can by this author in the future!

A big thank you to NetGalley, Thomas Nelson Fiction, and Kristy Cambron for this eArc in exchange for my own opinions.

Books about bookshops are always fun to read, and The British Booksellers was no exception. The intriguing part of this story was that it covered elements of both world wars, with the main characters having a history during World War II and then becoming reacquainted during World War II. The characters are likable and believable, and the sense of community is inspirational.

Every new Cambron story dazzles me. I was so entranced I couldn’t stop reading. Charlotte, Amos, Eden, and Co. were real to me. Their lives and struggles and dreams and heartaches lived beyond the pages and came to life in my mind. And as always, I needed tissues because Kristy nails the emotional rollercoaster every time.

I don’t have enough words or the mental acuity at present to encompass all the reasons why I adored this book so much (*cue a serious reading hangover*!). But know this, my history loving heart rejoiced over the dual timelines of WW1 & WW2 and the story… the truths… the people aren’t ones I’ll soon forget. 💛

Easily a 2024 favourite!!

*Thank you to NetGalley, the author, and the publisher for the complimentary copy of this book. I was not required to write a positive review. These are my honest thoughts and opinions.

This took a bit for me to get into with the constant changing of timeline at the beginning but once I got into the flow of it I really enjoyed it.
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I LOVED that books was such a constant theme throughout this read. The escape, the saviour, the enemy and the teacher. They symbolised such a right of passage for this read and was a common denominator bringing all together. I really feel this cemented amongst the book community and found it relatable.
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The more I read the more I couldn’t stop thinking how much of a good movie this book would make! I really hope to see this one day in the future!! The perfect blend of historical fiction, love drama and book frenzy!
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My fav character would be Amos. He put everyone else before himself always and was forever selfless. He gave when he had nothing and was a man of his word. I found him strong and reliable. I liked the whole, don’t judge a book by its cover but character style. Fit the book brief perfect.
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I think the part that most impressed me was the connection of the pocket watch. For a story based on timelines this was an incredibly clever touch. But if I were to change anything it would be to ramp up the drama surrounding the American. For a lot of secrecy surrounding his reason for arrival, once revealed, I felt it was slightly underdone and lacked to impress.
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The entire read for me would be summed up by the word.. humble. It is how it made me feel. The book is described as lives forever changed by the war and the stories that bind us in what matters most. And what matters most is how you feel. A beautifully touching read.

Kristy Cambron writes strong WW2, filled with historical detail and strong characters.

This story was a dual time story set in WW1 and WW2, with the main characters centered in both timelines. Amos was a strong character I connected with from the start, and I loved seeing how he got from 1914 to the 1940’s. His struggles were raw and realistic, and it was heartbreaking how many years were lost between him and Charlotte due to the guilt he took upon himself.

Eden and Jacob’s story was just as interesting, in their search for how they were connected due to an unexpected will. I did guess the connection, but only when I was further along in the story.

The author did a great job of also showing a different side to WW1, a truce over Christmas and enemies unexpectedly saving each other. I enjoy seeing kinder sides of the Germans, since their history is bad.

Kristy Cambron won me as a fan with their first WW2 debut novel, and each one I read after, just proofs her talent and strength with delivering strong WW2 stories.

I'd never heard of The Forgotten Blitz until I read this book. I enjoyed the dual timeline, but man did this one twist my heart around. There were moments that made me teary and moments that made me downright angry. The most loveable character for me was Amos, who is undoubtedly the roughest one around. I loved seeing the way his crusty outside gave way to a soft interior, and how he was willing to put others ahead of himself. I'd describe him as a "reluctant recluse." In the end, there were a lot of his choices made between the dual timelines that just didn't make sense to me.

This story didn't seem to have as strong of themes as others I've read by this author, and I missed that. I could pick out a few, but they didn't resonate with me in the way Kristy Cambron's books have in the past.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for sending me a complimentary copy to review. All opinions are my own.

This book took me a while to get through mostly because I just didn't care for aspects of the story. The multiple point of views was unclear and made the story harder to focus on. I did enjoy the use of enemies to lover's trope in this book. The characters were okay, but I wouldn't say I could easily connect with them.

Kristy Cambron is a very skilled author who weaves the story lines so effortlessly that the reader has to remember all the syntax and basically every word matters. I loved the dual time with World War I and II storylines. This was a pleasurable and powerful read!

The British Booksellers is another engaging dual-time story from author, Kristy Cambron, covering the WWI and WWII eras. The characters have depth and reality and their emotions, strengths, and foibles resonate well with readers. It is a poignant story encompassing family devotion, history, and cultural divides. Readers who enjoy historical fiction as seen through several generations of characters will not want to miss this book. I was given a complimentary copy of the book through NetGalley and was not required to write a positive review. The opinions are my own.