“The Royal Librarian” was the first book I've read written by Daisy Wood and I am eager to read more.

This book is a historical fiction novel alternately switching between the story of Sophie's time in 1930s Vienna facing the invasion of the Nazis and her fleeing to Windsor and securing a position as a royal librarian in Windsor Castle; and that of Lacey in 2022 America who discovered that her grandmother was born in Austria and had a sister, and her mission to uncover the story behind that.

The characters and settings were vividly written, and it seamlessly merged with real-life ones. I appreciated reading and learning about the history of WWII, Windsor Castle, and the job of a royal librarian through the lens of a historical fiction novel. I felt like Sophie was a real-life character and I was more invested in her experience than Lacey, and I would have loved to read more about her life afterwards. I also wished there wasn't any love story added from Lacey's side - I felt it was too typical but I still enjoyed reading about it.

SLIGHT SPOILER ALERT
The part when Adele didn't know her mother is born in Austria bothers me, I mean I have looked at my mom's passport. It just doesn't make sense to me. If only her granddaughters didn't know, it would have made more sense.

Overall, I enjoyed reading this book and I would recommend it for historical fiction lovers!

Thank you to NetGalley for this ARC!

As a librarian I love books about my profession. This is an enthralling dual time line that connects an Austrian Jewish family and its descendants who ended up in England and the United States.
Sophie is Hannah’s older sister and when their parents die in Austria in 1938 Sophie is determined to get her young sister out of the country before the Nazis kill all the Jews.
Hannah is fostered by an American couple and we read about her life in the present time. Her granddaughter Lacey a book editor and writer seeks to find out about her grandmothers heritage when she discovers, quite late in Hannah’s life, that she was born in Vienna.
In 1938 after Hannah has been evacuated Sophie strikes a deal with the Austrian British Passport Officer George Sinclair to take up the role of Assistant Royal Librarian at Windsor Castle in return she must gather any intelligence she can on the Duke of Windsor and Wallis Simpson, who have become very friendly with Hitler and his party. It is a great opportunity for Sophie to escape but the English aren’t so trusting of a new arrival at the castle, especially one with a German accent.
This is a thrilling story of a family torn apart by war, the turbulent time for the Royal Family and the horrendous time for Jews in Nazi invaded countries.
Daisy Wood certainly knows how to write a page turner and has done a lot of research to bring an enthralling read to historical fiction lovers.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC!
This was a historical fiction read and centered on a librarian. Even though I have generally not loved historical fiction lately, I gave this a shot, and generally enjoyed it.
In particular, it actually felt different from the somewhat tired plot lines of many WWII focused historical fiction books.
But still, it failed to really pull me in thoroughly, but that could just be me!

I am not usually one to love dual timelines however, with this being a librarian-focused book I decided to give this book a shot. The mystery of finding who her aunt was and why there was no mention of her before. The author did an amazing job creating a vivid world for the reader to submerse themselves into. I really was glad I took a chance on this ARC because I really did enjoy it. I was slightly disappointed in the current-day timeline as it didn't seem as detailed to me as Sophia's story. This book was still a great read if you love historical fiction.

Another wonderful book from Daisy Wood. Set in two different time zones around 1938 and 2022 of follows Sophie and Hanna Klein and then Hannah’s Granddaughter Lacey. Although fiction I guess there will have been truths throughout as the Kline girls escape Nazi Austria and Sophie becomes the Royal Librarian. Thanks to Daisy and her publisher. Thanks also to NetGalley

Thank you to NetGalley and Avon books for this ARC!

The story takes place in Europe during WWII and present day where Lacey attempts to discover why her grandmother has never mentioned that she has a sister. Through sleuthing, Lacey discovers that her grandmother’s sister worked as The Royal Librarian at Windsor Castle during WWII and somewhere along the way they had a falling out.

I appreciated the details about England and the castle - it made me feel as though I was right there seeing it for myself. I also appreciated the premise of the story itself. It was refreshing to read a WWII book that put a different spin on that era than the majority of the stories set during that time.

Although the book held high hopes for me, unfortunately it fell flat. I kept waiting for something to happen to pique my interest and really draw me in, but it felt as though the actual plot of the book didn’t hold much substance.

“The Royal Librarian” is a dual timeline historical fiction novel that describes librarian Sophie’s time at Windsor Castle during World War II and contemporary writer Lacey’s experience uncovering Sophie’s story today. This was the first Daisy Wood novel I’ve read and I’m eager to read more.

What I liked about this book: what a vivid story! I really appreciated the really thorough history of Windsor Castle during this period and enjoyed learning about the nuances of the royal librarians job. Sophie was a real character who had lots of depth and I was very invested in her experience. She was smart, had struggles, and I was cheering for her. Also, I appreciated her brushes with real moments in history, as they taught me things I didn’t know about the British WWII experience.

What I didn’t love: I was a bit less invested in the contemporary timeline, but I think this might’ve just been because I enjoyed Sophie‘s story so much. I also would’ve loved a little more information about Sophie’s ending.

I’d highly recommend this novel. It’s a great nonfiction World War II read that gives a look into a less known experience during World War II.

Thanks to NetGalley for this ARC!

This beautiful historical fiction novel based during WW2 was not only enjoyable but informative as well . The author clearly researched the events which were told in the beautiful storyline.

Told in a dual timeline 1938 and 2022 we were introduced to 3 amazing women who each had their own story to tell.

1938 Sophie and Hannah are two sisters born in Vienna caught up in the Nazi occupation of their country. The only way to survive is escape their beloved country and after Sophie sends Hannah to America she herself secures a job at the Royal Windsor castle library.

2022 Lacey is Hannah’s granddaughter and stumbles upon documents which reveal her grandmothers hidden childhood. She travels to London to try and find her aunt and discover the truth surrounding her family history. Why did the sisters lose touch ? The burning question she wants to find an answer to.

I loved Sophie’s story and her time at the royal palace really added to my enjoyment. The implications of war and how it affected so many families was beautifully explored. It also highlighted how family history can be so easily be hidden and forgotten.

This is another compelling read from Daisy Wood, historical fiction at its best.

I loved this beautiful story. I really enjoyed the parts in the castle and reading about the royals. She dial timeline was great too. This book reminded me why I love historical fiction.

The Royal Librarian is a dual timeline story, with the first timeline beginning in 1938 and featuring Sophie, who lives with her Catholic mother, Jewish father, and younger sister, Hanna, in Austria at the time of the Anschluss. After her parents are killed by the Nazis, Sophie sends Hanna to America with a group of children and she gets a visa to the UK for a job at the Windsor Castle Royal Library. The second timeline is in 2022, with the main character being Lacey, granddaughter of Hanna, who discovers that her grandmother was born in Austria. Once Lacey learns that her grandmother had an older sister, she travels to London to dig up information about Sophie. Daisy Wood weaves the two tales together skillfully. I found myself reading much longer than I should have as I wanted to know what would happen and if the sisters were able to get together after the war ended. I found it hard to read the sections where her parents were killed but the sections describing Sophie and her time as the Royal Librarian kept me on the edge of my seat. I highly recommend this novel. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC of this novel in exchange for an honest review.

started off quite strong, had really strong premise, could have been one of the perfect war stories but fell flat halfway through and never picked up again, what a disappointment. salt to the injury is it broke my streak of good books this year. think i'm gonna take a break from netgalley. i just want to read good books this year so yeah whatever.

What a gorgeous gorgeous gorgeous book. I love anything to do with royals and royal history and I absolutely cannot wait to share my full thoughts and review on this title. I apologize due to an unexpected family emergency I am a bit behind on reviews, but I am slowly catching up. I love the present vs past storyline and am so looking forward to unraveling the mystery,

When Germany invades Austria, Sophia and her sister Hannah, find themselves alone in Vienna. Hannah is able to go to America on a Kinder transport. She finds a lovely home with an American couple living in California. Sophia finds a job as the Assistant Royal Librarian at Windsor Castle. She is also tasked to send any information about the Duke of Windsor and his leanings toward Germany to secret agents. What follows is a dual timeline story of Hannah's granddaughter's, Lacy, discovery of an aunt she never knew existed and her quest to uncover Sophia's story.

The Royal Librarian, by Daisy Wood, is part mystery, part history, part romance, and part quirky family drama. It is a wonderful read, and I highly recommend it. If you love keeping up with the British Royals, you'll enjoy this book.I was able to read an ARC on #NetGalley.

"we may never be able to forget the terrible things that were done to us, but at least we can forgive ourselves."

this is a beautiful story of past and present, trauma and triumph, love and loss. two timelines, two stories that seem so inconsequential.. yet come together so devastatingly captivating.

anyone who loves historical fiction, especially those based during WW2, will no doubt enjoy this. it is clear the author did their research to be as historically accurate as possible while adding a beautiful story that fits so well within the timeline.

i enjoyed the present day timeline and the way Lacey's initial experience of the Windsor Castle almost mirrored Sophie's. this book is also a reminder of how little we know of those who came before us and the stories we could be privy to in our own familial history. Gubby's character reminded me of my own grandmother who was 10yo when the war ended. i was lucky enough to hear her own recollection of some events that traumatized her at the time before she passed.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 5 out of 5 stars, for sure! the writing is easy to follow. though i do wish Lacey's dialogue was more fitting in the American sense, it all still flowed so well with the third person POV. the world building and atmosphere was done so vividly, in the past & present. the romance aspect was tastefully done and does not distract from the plot.

would i recommend this? YES. whether it's to read for your own pleasure, buddy reading, or even a book club... i think this would be amazing!

a big thank you to NetGalley & Avon Books UK for allowing me the opportunity to read this as an ARC. i leave this honest review voluntarily.

This book shows the injustice of war and how it continues to separate families and spew so much hatred and destruction. The historical contend of this book portrays the British monarchy and political unrest during this period in history with the Wallis, Chamberlain , Churchill, young Queen Elizabeth and her sister Margaret. The task of the librarian Sophie to preserve important documents was an relevant job as society reaps the benefits today of those dedicated in protecting artifacts, artwork , books etc that tell a story of those who came before us and their contributions to society. The present day story was also relevant in that families that were separated by war are in some cases as this book showed can learn the truth .

I previously read "The Clockmaker's Daughter" and gave it 4 stars; I did not find this book to be as engaging.

The dual timeline and the present day family members' problems annoyed me rather than enhanced the story. I couldn't empathize with Adele, didn't particularly care for the older sister in Vancouver (the surprise trip there and all it's accompanying distress seemed overblown), and the main character was flat for me.

In the 1938+ timeline, Sophie & Hanna's escapes seemed too smooth - not to mention, Sophie was able to get yet another refugee out of Vienna simply by being in the right place at the right time and asking.

The plot hinged on Hanna's adoptive family keeping Hanna from her sister based on Sophie's arrest due to being double-crossed.

I did enjoy the segments in Windsor Castle and about the Royal Family - the King & Queen, David & Wallace, and the princesses; that was a pleasure to read. I am leaning 2.5 stars, so will round up to 3.

This book drew me in because the main character was a librarian. I liked it's nods to historical characters and the setting. Despite that, it took me a little while to get into it but I think that was a me thing rather than the book itself.

The story was dual timelines although I think the historical one would have been just as interesting by itself. I liked the set up of the story and the back story of the main character.

I receive complimentary books for various sources including, Netgalley, Authors, and other such sources. I am not required to write a positive review and have not received compensation.

This story has two timelines it goes back and forth between 1940 as the war rages and bombs rain down on Britain and present day Philadelphia with Lacey Turner digging into her great aunt’s family tree and coming across a book bearing the stamp of Windsor Castle’s royal bindery. Thus, begins a journey that will take Lacey from Buckingham palace in a quest to find out what is behind this mysterious book and the secrets Sophie Klein, her grandmother’s sister, has been hiding for so long.

The dual time line works seamlessly, the voices alternating between Sophie (1940) and Lacey (present day) as they tell us what is going on. It is a good story although the part in America was slightly boring and a bit too long. Once Lacey set foot in Britain and the two stories came together I was totally into it and flipping the pages to see what Sophie really was doing at the Palace. Escaping from Austria to take up a position in the Royal Library to translate letters written by the King to the Nazi regime...was she a spy? The past was definitely the more captivating story but the present brings closure.

This story is interesting we have no shortage of information of what was happening at the time. By featuring real people and their lives with fictional characters the author has giving us a tale that could be as true to life as possible. “The Royal Librarian” is an interesting recreation of a moment in time and is played out by wonderful and well-drawn characters. In whole this story is easy to stay with it, the pacing is steady and the narrative is quite engaging.

Most historical fiction enthusiast should love this one.

I really enjoyed The Forgotten Bookshop in Paris, so was thrilled to be offered the opportunity to read the authors new book!

The Royal Librarian is told from the alternating POVs of Sophie and Lacey. Sophie who in 1940 is takes up the position in the Royal Library at Windsor castle. As she spoke both German and English, she was hired to translate letters written by the King to the Nazi regime.
Lacey, a writer, who in 2021 uncovers a mysterious letter with the Windsor Castle crest among her grandmother's papers and is determined to discover its history.

The novel weaves together the past and present, secrets and betrayals, it’s another compelling read by Daisy Wood - now one of my auto-read authors!

After staying away from a lot of historical fiction lately, this one has been my way back to loving the genre. It might be fiction and imagination but there's certainly truth in the fact that we still do not really have all the pieces of information even after all this time.

"That's the wonderful thing about life, my darling - it goes on. If we're lucky, that is."

Amongst the two timelines, the past was definitely the more exciting one to read but it is in the present one that the mystery is solved. Hence, there are no complaints about the storytelling, whatsoever. As always, thank you for my advance copy NetGalley.