After reading a fairly complex abstract novel this book was a ray of sunshine. It is a bit predictable but an interesting piece of historical fiction. And it’s always a plus when it’s a story I haven’t read before.

5 stars! A book about women doing men's work. The main characters were amazing and lovable. Such a heart warning story!

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for allowing me to read this arc in exchange for an honest review!

The Underground Library is for book lovers and history lovers alike. I confess that didn’t know much about The Blitz so I enjoyed being taken on this library loving journey. There was a lack a gloominess you come to except from this era, but I’m actually kind of grateful for that.

Overall, an enjoyable book lovers book!
Thank you for the advanced copy!

This book was very well written. I enjoyed the main characters Juliet, Katie and Sofie. I didn't know about the underground library during the war, now I want to read more about it. It's a heartwarming story about women in men's jobs, the struggles during the war in London and those working for the allies. Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for an eARC of this book.

The Underground Library is another wonderful story by Jennifer Ryan that is based on some true events.The Blitz is going on in London and this story follows three young women.. Juliet Lansdown has come from her small village to be the new deputy librarian of the Bethnel Green Library.Her boyfriend is missing at the front lines .Sofia Bauman is a Jewish refugee who has escaped her country only to be a servant to an abusive old man.She is looking for help for her older sister Rachel who is still in Europe.Katie Upwood works in the library but in the fall will go to the university.Her boyfriend serves in the army.This story follows the twists and turns in the Ives of these women as bombs destroy the library and they move it to the local underground station which many people use as a bomb shelter.Thank you NetGalley and Ballantine Books Random Publishing group for allowing me to read this ARC!I It is a very special book and will be enjoyed by all who love books and libraries!

Thank you @netgalley and Ballentine Books for my free e-ARC of The Underground Library in exchange for my honest review.

I was so thrilled to be able to read this book early. The Wedding Dress Sewing Circle by Jennifer Ryan was one of my favorite books of 2022 and one of my all-time favorite historical fictions and so this newest release of hers was high on my list! Thankfully, I loved it every bit as much as The Wedding Dress Sewing Circle and add The Underground Library to my list of favorite historical fictions right along with it!

I absolutely loved these characters and this setting. Juliet, Katie, and Sofie were all incredible ladies, and I was so invested in each of their stories. I found myself rooting so hard for them and on the edge of my seat throughout each chapter. I was honestly sad when the book ended!

There are so many WW2 historical fiction novels on the market, but this one stood apart for me. I’m always so impressed with authors who are still finding untold or lesser-known historical events and writing beautiful stories around them. I love how this story also shines a light on the power of stories and the gift of libraries and how they have the ability to bring us together in both good times and bad.

Love it! Highly recommend!

I found The Underground Library to be a great introduction to novels by the talented author Jennifer Ryan. I highly recommend it and am giving it five stars.

The Underground Library

The Underground Library sheds light on a facet of WWII London that I had only heard a bit about in passing—how the underground train tunnels were used, at least in part, as air raids shelters during the Blitz. Jennifer Ryan has previously highlighted other aspects of WWII or pre WWII Britain in the past, often very effectively. While I found this book interesting and enlightening, I thought that too many of the characters were either stereotypical or one dimensional. I felt the same about some of the events, as well, with some things that happened being just a bit too predictable.In other words, this book just didn’t enthrall me in the same way as others. It is not a bad book, by any means, it just didn’t live up to my expectations.

I recommend it for those who enjoy historical fiction and women’s fiction. Three and a half stars.

I was given an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. I was not compensated nor required to write an honest review.

Ever get a sense of déjà vu when reading? I read another novel, The Little Wartime Library last year that was also about the underground Bethnal Green Library in London’s East End during World War II. Both of the librarians in these stories were so similar I doubled checked the title before I continued reading. The main characters’ drive to keep readers in books during war is where the similarities end. While The Little Wartime Library tracks Clara her assistant Ruby, The Underground Library has a larger cast of characters with backstories to contribute to the underground library’s success.

Juliet Lansdown’s future isn’t at all as she expected. When her fiancé goes “missing” she has a hard time moving on. Her parents desperately want her to get married and settle down, but brilliant Juliet has other plans and takes a job recently vacated by another man sent to war. As the deputy librarian at the Bethnal Green branch, she faces both opposition from her superiors and also a community that feels unwelcome in the hallowed halls. Juliet is determined to get books into the hands of readers even if it means moving the library underground where everyone shelters each night from the Luftwaffe.

With the help of Katie, a local student waiting to start college in the fall, and Sophie a recent Jewish refugee working as a maid, the women help change the future of the Bethnal Green library. The cast of characters in this book is both wide and deep. Each, no matter how small their part, plays an integral part to the story. The womens’ strength in the face of blatant misogyny is formidable and their constant support of each other reminds us that we should always try to find ways of championing other women.

What could have easily gone off the rails with so many storylines, works flawlessly. Jennifer Ryan is a master storyteller. The POVS alternate with each chapter, making this one very hard to put down. The Underground Library is another fantastic addition to the WWII historical fiction genre.

Thank you to NetGalley, Ballantine Books, and the author Jennifer Ryan for the advanced copy of the book. The Underground Library is out on March 12th. All opinions are my own.

Thanks Netgalley for allowing me to read this book. Sofie is in London and misses her family. When tragedy strikes it will takes everything Sofia has to stay afloat. This book was well written.

Juliet Lansdown moves to London to be the deputy librarian at Bethnal Green, and has to prove to the men in charge that she can do the job. Katie Upwood is off to university in the fall, but finds herself harboring a life-changing secret with no one to turn to for help after her fiancé dies on the front lines. Sofie Baumann, a young Jewish refugee, fled Germany on a domestic service visa only to find herself working for a man who treats her abominably, and escapes to the library every chance she can with hopes of finding her sister, who is still trying to flee occupied Europe. Together, the three women find friendship and connection to other women in their neighborhoods, and amidst the Blitz, they relocate their library underground where the city’s residents shelter nightly, determined to lend out stories that will keep spirits up.

Thank you to @netgalley, @randomhouse, and @jennifer_ryan_author for the ARC! I really enjoyed this book! Sofie, Katie, and Juliet were wonderful characters, and I loved their relationships with each other and with the other women in their community. I especially loved Sofie and her journey, it was especially moving and taught me a lot about what Jews fleeing Germany went through. The book was based on a true story and I loved learning more about the history of the library system during the Blitz, as well as how women were able to step into jobs previously reserved for men. The author’s note at the end had a lot of good information and backend about the inspiration behind the story. The book had a very feel-good ending with all of the story lines being nicely wrapped up.

Thank you Netgalley for the chance to read and review this title. This is one that is going to stick with me. I have a love/hate relationship with WWII historical fiction. Some of my favorites in this genre take place at this time. It’s also a time period that is so difficult to read about and I find it really emotionally draining. That being said, this is one novel I highly recommend. It’s something I never read about before. The writing is beautiful and the characters are engaging. A gripping, exciting heartfelt story

Juliet, Katie, and Sofia - three women with very different backgrounds band together to save their beloved library in the bowels of London’s subway system. This story is beautifully written and captivating. Highly recommend.

This heartwarming historical has all the ingredients for a satisfying read: books about books, found family, an interesting and overlooked sliver of history, a love story, and a satisfying and tidy ending.

The Underground Library by Jennifer Ryan centers around the lives of three women in London during the WWII Blitz. These women help save the Bethnal Green Library after it is bombed, by moving it to one of the underground stations, where citizens bunk nightly for safety. The three main characters are likable and strong, and the supporting cast provides further depth to the plot. The book gets a little predictable towards the end, but overall, this is a great book for anyone who enjoys historical fiction and women's interest novels. Thank you to the author and publisher for an advance e-reader copy of this book.

Enjoyed this ARC from @netgalley and @penguinrandomhouse by @jennifer_ryan_author . It is the story of a library that had to go Underground during WWII. It is the story of resilience and the power of community, friendship, and BOOKS.

“Books give us so many things. They give us a world to imagine, a cozy corner to lull us to sleep on a hard cold stone floor. They give us facts and figures to guide us, a knitting pattern or a recipe to help us with the rations, a map of the world or a history of Europe, the poets from the last war, and the news of this war, too. They give us joy, hope, and inspiration.”

The story is told through the eyes of three different young women who all have found themselves at the library - Sofie, Juliet, and Katie. My only criticism of the story would be that each of their storylines worked out almost too easily and predictably. I enjoyed the book very much, but there wasn’t much left to surprise me.

I did, however, learn about another interesting facet of the war and found the story enjoyable and satisfying.

Four stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

This book felt really flat to me. There were some interesting scenarios, but I felt like information was being relayed. I didn’t find an enjoyable story.

Also, the book is in need of serious editing. I haven’t gotten one with this many errors yet. A character didn’t read Narnia in 1940. That should have been caught.

“The Underground Library” is such a beautiful story. I loved the different ways the author portrayed the importance and value of libraries and books on an individual level as well as a community level. The underground library provided a source of hope, normalcy, support, information and escape. I was pleased to learn that the book had a basis in true events.

Of course, being set in London during the blitz, there are plenty of sad/tragic moments — buildings and homes being destroyed; civilians being injured or dying, including a major character; families dealing with loved ones in the military being wounded, going missing presumed dead, or captured. One of the major characters, Sofie, is a Jewish refugee who managed to escape Germany but had to leave her family behind, and desperately wants to know if they are safe. The book also deals with prejudice — against foreigners, unwed mothers, the poor, women in “untraditional” roles or leadership roles, etc. However, the sad moments are counterbalanced by the numerous positive moments in the story -- new friendships and romantic relationships; reunions of family members; career progress/success; finding a sense of purpose and worth; resilience in the face of tragedy, etc. The author has created an enjoyable eclectic cast of characters.

Being a librarian and all, the book title captured my attention right away, and I knew I HAD to read it. It was also my first read of Jennifer Ryan's, but it definitely won't be my last. I'm kind of embarrassed to say that I've never been great with history, and this was my first time learning about the London Blitz, which I thought was very interesting. The book has three different viewpoints from characters Katie, Juliet, and Sofie, but they all merge together, so it isn't difficult to follow along and it wasn't confusing. Their unwavering strength, devotion, and determination in the face of adversity was inspiring and heartwarming.. Would recommend to everyone.

This was my first book by Jennifer Ryan, and it probably won't be my last.

The Underground Library tells the story of three women living in London during the Blitz. Juliet, Sofie, and Katie come from different walks of life, but their love of books unites them at the Benthal Green library. As the war rages, the ladies must find ways to chart their own paths and to help those around them find hope and friendship in the face of Nazi terror.

Library is told from the points of view from Juliet, Sofie, and Katie. The women's stories are intertwined, but each has her own specific plotline that sets her apart. Juliet is dealing with a missing (AWOL) fiancé and a potential new flame. Sofie is experiencing the hardships of being a Jewish refugee who doesn't know where her family is, or even if they're alive. And Katie is hiding a secret that threatens to destroy her future and family. The three women are brought together by circumstances and find strength in one another and the other patrons of the Benthal Green Library. Their optimism and determination is heartwarming, especially as more and more things seem to be going against them, and everyone earns the happy ending they deserve.

For a WWII novel, Library feels quite cozy. Yes, there are a number of dark moments that show the devastation and tragedy of war, but everything always works out for the best in the end. It's not unexpected, but I would've liked a little bit more hardship. There are discussions of several heavy topics, including some I've not read about in other WWII books, specifically, the discussion of Jewish refugees being allowed into Britain only as domestic servants and the POW camps to keep potential troublemakers out of the way, However, even these storylines were tied up with a pretty bow, which wasn't unexpected but still a little too tidy.

Ultimately, Library was a pleasant read with likeable characters and some heavier topics that provided happy endings amidst the London Blitz.