Thank you to Thomas Nelson-FICTION and Net Galley for the chance to read and review this book. All opinions expressed are my own.
This is another good story by author Kristy Cambron. This story takes place during the Forgotten Blitz bombings. It centers on the relationship between Amos Darby and Charlotte Terrington. They are in love, but Amos is not of the same social class as Charlotte. Amos goes to war, and Charlotte marries another man. Now it is 25 years later, and they are both booksellers. Even though they are in competition with each other, they must come together to help the community when the bombing starts. I enjoyed this story. It was well-researched, and I learned a lot about this time in history. Highly recommend!

This is a story set years after WWI and also at the start of WWII shown as present day 1940's and flashbacks to 1918 forward.
Charlie and Amos are childhood friends from different worlds that aren't really "allowed" to have the friendship that they have due to their class differences. The stage is set early that Charlotte (Charlie) is expected to marry Will who is her match socially. Amos is just struggling as a poor farmers son and is trying to do all he can to help out his family.
There is war references and lots of sacrifices by all of these main characters and the story comes full circle when a young American comes in the picture with a lawsuit claim on the Holt estate that Charlie and now her daughter have maintained.
The book store reference is what drew me in and so there are many mentions of famous authors and the main characters love of books.
The love story kept me intrigued. The back and forth on the timeline was sometimes difficult to follow and I think there could be a little bit of editing to make the chapters a little more manageable but overall I enjoyed this book by a new author to me.

This book was pretty slow moving for me. I did like how it shifted from past to present and from 2 different POV's. The love story was cute and I liked the long time build up of it and the war aspects. I did think the book was quite long for the story and could've been shorter. Overall, I rate it right in the middle at 3 stars.

This book seems to have an identity crisis. Is it historical fiction or war or romance. While I always enjoy WW2 novels (and was particularly interested in the story about Coventry), I had whiplash at times figuring out where this book was going. Seems like sections were added to help it hang together.

Life-affirming, warm, descriptive and tender. A delightful historical.movel you will want to finish in one setting.

I liked the storyline. I think I would have really enjoyed this as a movie or even a television series. The writing style was not for me. Can’t really say why. Maybe too much of an attempt towards the lyrical?

3 stars from me.

I really enjoyed this story. I loved the historical world the story was set in, and I liked the back and forth times that the characters lived in, a similar feel to other books I've read by Cambron. I was drawn to the characters, and the overall story arc for the characters was very satisfying. I liked the mystery surrounding some of the events that kept me glued to the page.

I received a complimentary copy of this book and all thoughts and opinions expressed are my own.

The British Booksellers was a beautifully written historical fiction by Kristy Cambron set in England during war times. The book was written in dual timelines. The characters especially Charlotte and Amos had so much depth that I felt very connected with them and the surroundings in which they lived. If one likes Downton Abbey, they will certainly love this one. I highly recommend it.

Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC.

Kristy Cambron is one of my very favorite authors. Her books never disappoint and The British Booksellers is definitely no exception! It is my favorite book so far this year. Both parts of this dual timeline story are achingly beautiful filled with harrowing and difficult details of wartime life, family loyalty, romance, mystery, intrigue, and of course books. The characters and the plot have lots of depth and the story is crafted around well researched events and beautifully described places. Both engaging and inspirational it is sure to be one of my most often recommended books.
Thank you to NetGalley and Thomas Nelson for the opportunity to read for my honest review.

The British Booksellers
by Kristy Cambron
Pub Date: April 9, 2024
Thanks to the author, publisher and NetGalley for the ARC of this book in exchange for my honest opinion.
Inspired by real accounts of the Forgotten Blitz bombings, The British Booksellers highlights the courage of those whose lives were forever changed by war—and the stories that bind us in the fight for what matters most.
I love historical fiction by Cambron and this one is not a disappointment.
Dual timeline serves this book well! The British Booksellers is filled with books, romance, mystery, and intrigue, and I was pulled back to read so that I could find out the secrets that spill onto the next war that devastated so many in Europe. The ending is so satisfying! I highly recommend this book.
5 stars

It was an ok book , but for me it was too slow and the characters did not keep my attention.. Thank you to netgalley for letting me read this e arc in exchange for an honest opinion

Author Kristy Cambron’s latest historical novel is “The British Booksellers.” I applaud the book for its compassionate depiction of the people of Coventry, England during the early years of World War II. They showed grit, bravery and resolve during the intense German bombings. The commitment of the Land Girls was also heart-warming.

Yet, it was a struggle for me to read this book. First, the book is literary fiction, and is dense and difficult to read. There is an every-other chapter dual timeline, alternating between World War I and World War II, which adds to the complexity of the story. Some of the characters are interesting, particularly the tenant farmer Amos and his friendship and hidden love for Lady Charlotte. But part of the plot, involving the paternity of Lady Charlotte’s daughter, was hard for me to decipher.

“Maybe there is more to life-than wealth and privilege…there is value in doing for others, in caring for others, and for what we know to be true…”

“Ordinary people like us become extraordinary fighters when we first seek to serve, and love others.”

Thanks to NetGalley and Thomas Nelson for an advance digital review copy. This is my honest review.

This is a great story about a loving couple who are separated by family, status, and wars. Sadly, women were less than property for a long period of time and often were forced into marriages that they did not want. The movement of the story between two times was difficult to follow until the story got a bit further along but it was a great story.

The British Booksellers by Kristy Cambron is set in the Second World War during the Blitz of England. This is an interesting perspective, as many stories focus on the fighting not the suffering and fighting at home.

This story was beautifully researched and written. Cambron Is a master craftswoman. She uses jargon and language expertly to immerse you in the past of 1940 and 1914. Every little detail is realistic, and the description of the world is vivid.

I knew of the London Blitz due to my grandparents living through it, but I’d never heard of the Coventry Blitz. Her notes at the end were fascinating, especially to learn that it is also known as the Forgotten Blitz even though six hundred people died.

This is a slow, winding story full of sweet nostalgia, loss, and hope. It weaves between the present of 1940 and the past of 1914. Two world wars are the backdrops of human stories. Showing us how our protagonists, Charlotte and Amos met, and how life has irrevocably torn them apart.

It’s a beautiful read, although I did find the first half slow. It’s fascinating because of the history and knowledge that the Blitz is coming, but there’s just a lot of set up and development. The second half began to move more quickly, and I was finally hooked.

My favourite part of the story is the meeting between Amos and Frank the German officer. It’s such a fleeting moment, but it ties them and the rest of the story together powerfully. Their second meeting as well is gut wrenching because you know it’s leading to loss.

Another powerful moment is when Amos is manning the Home Guards control centre right at the end. With the warnings of planes being rung in and the tension building, you can see that something terrible is about to happen.

The British Booksellers is a poetic novel on love lost and found. War is a gateway to suffering and redemption. Cambron has a vivid descriptive voice, and is adept at building a realistic and well researched world.

The British Booksellers tells the story about love that spans two World Wars and brings together a couple of people from different social environments.
Although the events in this book also take place in different periods, there is less of a split time, split couples storyline than in many other books. This is because, apart from some flashbacks, there is more of a chronologically told story. Somehow this felt more natural than a lot of other similar books set in WWII.

The main story is set in London during the forgotten Blitz bombings, a period and setting I don't know much about, so this made the story extra interesting for me. I think that the historical background is really well researched and documented. What makes it extra interesting is that the story spans two world wars and even two continents.

I can highly recommend this book to everyone interested in historical fiction and I enjoyed every minute of reading this book.

I thank Netgalley and Thomas Nelson fiction for providing me with an ARC of this book in exchange form my honest review. All opinions expressed are my own.

Amos and Charlotte were childhood friends who fell in love. The problem is that Amos is a tenant farmer and Charlotte's future has been arranged by her parents to marry the Earl of Harcourt, another childhood friend. When the Great War breaks out, all their plans suddenly change. Both Amos and the Earl head off to France and Charlotte finds herself married, pregnant, and trying to help out the war effort as best she can by opening a bookstore. Thirty years later, a new war has broken out and Coventry, an industrial center, has become a target for the Germans. Charlotte's daughter, Eden, and a mysterious American lawyer now are trying to keep both Eden's estate and Coventry safe. A wonderful historical fiction novel highlighting "The Forgotten Blitz."

This book took me a little bit to get into at first. Dual timelines are always a bit tough for me to get into. But once I started reading I was truly captured.

The pacing was great and kept me engaged. There was accurate history, mystery, suspense, emotion and of course romance.

The British Booksellers by Kristy Cambron is her latest WWII novel and it is so good. I have been taking a break from WWII fiction, as it seems so heavy sometimes (as it should). But I’m so glad I read this one. Told in two timelines, both World War 1 & 2, it will remind you of the resiliency of the human spirit and the beauty in life, even in the midst of war. Five stars! #NetGalley

I absolutely loved this book. Kristy Cambron takes two world wars and manages to show both the horror and the beauty that can be found. The characters are flawed and perfect. Yes there is a love story intertwined, but it is so much more than that. You see the MCs, Charlotte & Amos grow and mature and with that their perspectives on life. During The Great War Amos sees the death and distruction of the front lines, while Charlotte deals with the pain and suffering on the home front. This book shows how war can change not only the landscape, but our hearts as well. It reminds us that even in times of deep sorrow there is always hope for something better. A must read.

Many thanks to Thomas Nelson and NetGalley for providing me with a free complimentary copy. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own..

Fantastic novel with endearing characters who I genuinely liked. If you like Historical Fiction, you’ll want to read this one.

Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for the copy.