I love stories about quaint old bookshops with endearing characters. I would say I prefer these type of stories for Fall Winter, but really it would be a great read any time of year!

I am a sucker for books about books, and libraries, and bookstores so this one seemed like something I would enjoy. And I did, but will say this was not a very memorable reading experience.

Don’t get me wrong. It’s a perfectly lovely book about mothers & daughters, unlikely friendships, and the power of literature to help you through horrific times. However I think I’m over the current trend of books about books, libraries, bookstores, and spunky heroines making it through WWII.

If you’re looking for a heartwarming reading experience, this is your book.

It's Emma Taylor and her daughter, Olivia, against the world. As a single parent raising a young girl, Emma takes a position at a lending library. It's something she's ideally suited for, having been raised by her widowed father who ran a bookstore until it burned down and he died. But when war threatens, she's forced to send her daughter the the countryside in case of German bombers targeting the cities. But Emma manages to find friendships - with her landlady and through the library - and together they help one another through the difficult times.

In spite of a rather slow start, I eventually found a warm and heartfelt story of friendship as well as the love of books. Emma is a very sympathetic character, having to raise her daughter alone after her husband died and on a meager pension. But the challenges she faces, along with the judgement of those around her, often make them even harder. It's an interesting look into look into life during wartime England and how ordinary people coped with the air raids and having to make hard decisions about their children. (I rec'd an advance electronic copy from NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review.)

Thank you NetGalley for this pre-release file of the Booklovers Library. All opinions are my own!
Well I am going to say this, what an enjoyable WWII book. Had a little bit of everything. Mystery, romance, horror (WWII!) …. Very enjoyable read and I highly recommend.

3.75 stars

A very readable addition to the WWII women's fiction shelf, featuring widow Emma Taylor and her daughter Olivia. Married women including widows were evidently largely prohibited from employment in Britain. Emma, who grew up in her father's bookstore before it was destroyed in a fire, gets hired at the Booklover's Library above the local drugstore. Her boss finds out her marital status but is willing to keep her secret.

We follow Emma as she navigates wartime life, wrestles with the decision of whether to send her daughter away to a safer location, deals with neighbors and co-workers and gradually heals from all the loss she has experienced. The background, around the time of Dunkirk and the Battle of Britain and the Blitz, is fascinating and wrenching.

A well-told story with characters you come to care about. I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

The Booklover's Library takes place in WWII England. Emma lives in Nottingham with her daughter Olivia and, despite a marriage bar that prohibits married women and widows with children from working, she gets a job at Boots pharmacy's lending library. But when air raids start to ring and the war heads their way, Emma must decide whether to send her daughter away to the country while she stays behind and works.

Throughout the book, Emma grapples with her decision, bringing Olivia back home and sending her back again. There were some scenes that I thought didn't evoke as much emotion as intended; instances that could have been stronger with a little more showing than telling.

However, there were parts that really resonated with me, especially the moments in which Emma received judgment from others around her - some judging her for sending her daughter away and others judging her for keeping her daughter home. In all of these instances, and in others where judgment was doled, Martin did a great job of showing us a character who was willing to see the bigger picture, explore the reasons these people treated her this way.

I learned a lot while reading this book -- about lending libraries, the marriage bar, the caves of Nottingham, and so much more. It is obvious from the writing that Martin is very passionate about history and I plan to check out more of Marin's work, which are all historical fiction stories with a connection to the book world.

Thank you to Thoughts From a Page podcast and to Hanover Square Books for this ARC!

Historical fiction novel that takes place in England during WWII. Emma has to make the difficult decision to evacuate her daughter during the bombing. The story focuses on friendships, support of a community helping each other and books.

I truly enjoy books that take place in a bookstore or library. This story set during the war reminds us how books get us through difficult times. This book was full of great characters, all helping each other.
It’s another good historical fiction book. Definitely recommend

Readers who enjoy historical fiction will love this book. Set in Nottingham during WWII, this well researched book follows a widowed mother forced to make hard decisions in order to care for her daughter. The rules enforced on widows were heartbreaking and cruel. The British people forged together and supported their troops in every way possible. Loved the unique characters that visited the lending library. The author’s note is very informative and not to be missed. Highly recommended!

I always look forward to the next Madeline Martin historical fiction book and have yet to be disappointed. The novel's main character is Emma, a mother who must face the hard decision of whether to evacuate her daughter, Olivia, as the Blitz is about to start. Additionally, as a widow, she’s faced with the challenge of providing for herself and Olivia and ends up working at the Boot’s Booklover’s Library. I loved the relationship the two had. I also found the history of lending libraries at the time fascinating!
I thoroughly enjoyed reading The Booklover’s Library. If you enjoy World War 2 fiction and books about books, pick this book up!

Thanks to Hanover Square Books and Cindy Burnett's Thoughts From a Page Early Reads Program for the advanced copy of this book!

This book should be required reading for anyone who loves books, libraries, and historical fiction. Set in WW2 England in the real-life Booklover's Library (located in Boots Chemist), this tale weaves family, loss, and a shared love of stories artfully. At a time when the world was full of danger and the horrors of war, books served as a portal to other lands and times, drawing people together. This is a beautiful tale of found family, hope, and perseverance.

Perfect for book lovers and fans of historical fiction.
The mother-daughter bond and storyline is heart-felt and you go through the pain of what families managed during wartime.
Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for access to this eARC.

“She always had admired readers who ventured outside of their natural genres. Those were often the people who had the greatest empathy, the most understanding of others around them, and the broadest appreciation for the world.”

Is this another WWII historical fiction? Yes, but please don’t let that stop you from picking it up. It really is so much more than that! The war is just a backdrop for what is essentially a love letter to books and readers. I felt all the emotions while reading this and have had a hard time writing a review because my words cannot do justice to how much I loved this book!

Rating:
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Read if you like:
Books about books
1930’s England
Alice in Wonderland
Anne of Green Gables
Emma
A mother’s fierce love
Neighbors coming together

Thank you Thoughts From a Page podcast and Hanover Square Press for a digital copy through NetGalley.

A definite must read for every book lover! A story of love and war and people who love books!

A mother's love - a daughter that won't give up and some amazing people who help each other through life at its hardest.

The author provides an unique perspective of England during war.
It pulls at your heart strings following the love of a mom and daughter.

Another enjoyable read by Madeline Martin. The literary references always are a delight.
The child evacuation element literally did break my heart and cause me to stop reading for a stint. Then I would pick it up and it would break my heart again.
The Last Bookshop in London remains my favorite by the author, but I will definitely continue to read her works.
I learned a few things I previously did not know concerning the historical time period, as well. Which was a plus.

Thank you NetGalley for the chance to preview this book.

I enjoyed this well-researched book, especially learning about married women in the 1930’s and 40’s having to give up their jobs. The author, surprisingly, is American, not English, so her familiarity with England during WWII is truly remarkable!

I received this book from the publisher via net galley in exchange for an honest review. Three stars.

The Booklover’s Library by Madeline Martin was a beautiful and sad book. The story follows the life of Emma Taylor who grew up without a mother and was raised by her father. When she was 17, something tragic occurred that changed the trajectory of her life.
Now years later, she is a widow with an 8 year old daughter to care for and she has another set of worries due to a war that has started. She has to decide if she should follow the recommendations of sending her daughter away to safety or keep her daughter with her.
The story had many sad elements to it however I loved that during some very hard times, Emma was able to lean in on her community for support. She also relied on her job at The Booklover’s Library which was a great distraction from the reality surrounding her.
I really loved this story so much and I can’t wait to read more books by this author. Thank you Netgalley and Harlequin Trade Publishing. All opinions are my own.

Thank you to NetGalley and Hanover Square Press for this arc! A beautiful story that moved me to tears several times! Really enjoyed this and am looking forward to checking out more of her work!

This is my second book by Madeline Martin and I enjoyed this one as much as the first. She uses bookshops and libraries as beautiful vehicles to write about everyday people coping with personal trauma and the horror of war. This is a trope I love, and some of my favorite books follow this reading trope. While hers are historical fiction and I feel some need to love that genre as well to love her books, I find it a great formula and the characters are usually well-developed and have bits that resonate with the reader. In this story, we follow Emma from her late teens, when she watched her father die as their home and bookshop burned down, to her late-twenties, when she gets a job at the bookstore inside Boots and grapples with sending her daughter to the country at the start of the Blitz. I found this type of library fascinating too and had no idea about them, which I find is another part I enjoy in her books is the details we learn about history as well as the great stories. I knew about Operation Pied Piper, but following a mother as she dealt with the heartache and guilt of sending her daughter away multiple times made the difficulties of single parents during that time hit home. I really enjoyed the book and shed a few tears.

Thank you to NetGalley for the ebook to preview.