I have read several books by Madeline Martin, my favorite being The Last Bookshop in London, an this will not be my last. This is a wonderful "companion" novel to that book. They are both stand alone stories (although there is a cameo appearance of the Last Bookshop, which was great fun!) that cover the same time period, but from differing perspectives. I gave this book 4.5 stars, rounded up. Our main character is Emma, who is a single, struggling mother trying to get by each day, as war begins to break out, and she has to make some very difficult decisions about her young 7-yr old daughter Olivia. Should she keep her in town, where there is a high risk of bombs dropping, or should she allow her to evacuate to the country, keeping her safe from harm but also requiring her to be away from her for a long period of time? I have read several books about this topic, primarily from the child's perspective (The War that Saved My Life, Beyond that, the Sea, and A Place to Hang the Moon) but this was the first one I read that really delved into the mother's perspective, and I enjoyed very much seeing things from her eyes. Like in Last Bookshop, there are a wonderful set of side characters and a beautiful "found family" aspect to the story, as Emma builds community around her. This was a beautiful story, and I do highly recommend.

A history lesson in the endurance of families in England during the Second World War, of the difficulties women had to bear in providing for their families—including sending them to be housed away from the cities to avoid bombs, and finding housing,
food, and support. Mixing that background with a bookshop, and a variety of people making their own way, was a good read. I expect good readership from this one.

Emma Taylor is a widow and a mother, and under Britain's legal restrictions prohibiting widows with children from most employment opportunities she ends up convincing the manager at Boots' Booklover's Library to "overlook" her situation and hire her. Emma loves her job, even though it brings back memories of the bookstore her father used to own - before it burned down, taking his life.

Once the war begins (WWII), Emma sends her daughter, Olivia, to live in the countryside for her safety. Emma continues on with her life in the library, and a cast of side characters come into her life, from her neighbors, to co-workers at the library, and more. Much of the story revolves around the challenges Emma faces having to work and take care of Olivia (while she is still at home), and then the emotional challenges she deals with once Olivia is living elsewhere.

I found the book sweet and charming, but I also felt like there was too much going on with too many characters. I would have preferred to dig in a bit more to a couple of the stories and forego some of the others.

Thank you NetGalley and Harlequin/Hanover Square Press for an advance copy of this book.

I liked The Booklover's Library, though it took a while for the story to really settle in. We spent a lot of time in the beginning focusing on main character Emma's concerns over her daughter Olivia's safety on the eve of WWII, and these concerns naturally persisted throughout the novel. As Nottingham and its factories are a target for German bombing raids, Emma struggles with where to send Olivia to keep her safe -- should she be evacuated to the countryside, sent to live with her late father's parents on their farm, or kept in Nottingham where at least she will be close to her mother?

There are some exceptionally moving scenes, such as the aftermath of the Coventry attack and the trains full of soldiers evacuated from Dunkirk. We get to see some of the injustice of the marriage bans, which prevented married, and often widowed, women from working. Eventually, we get to see how the world of a library and books can transform lives and create hope in an otherwise bleak environment.

This book has a romantic subplot that I found somewhat hokey, and towards the end things felt a bit like a Hallmark movie, but there were some heart-wrenching moments and fun side characters (Mrs. Pickering and Tubby are particularly delightful). Overall, the books is bit sappy but is a good perspective on a single mother's journey through the early days of WWII.

Based on a real organization, the Boots Libraries in England, this work of historical fiction highlights a time that many Americans will never have read about. Boots, a large pharmacy chain akin to CVS or Rite Aid (and now part of the Wallgreens chain) started subscription libraries in England at a time when public libraries weren't as extensive. At the same time, the role of women was limited: married women and widows with children couldn't hold most jobs. Combining the two, a young widow with a child who gets a job at the Boots library, makes for a good peek at the Second World War from a perspective I suspect many haven't previously explored. Even better, this is not set in London (well, mostly not set in London), which adds to the novelty of things.

eARC provided by publisher via Netgalley.

I fell in love with the Booklover’s Library immediately! The characters were engaging and likable from the start. I did not know that, at the time, women were not allowed to work outside the home once married in England. I love that Emma was given a chance to work in Boots’ Booklover’s Library, as long as she kept her widowhood and Olivia a secret. She formed unbreakable bonds with those at the library and also her apartment building. It goes to show that it truly does take a village to raise a child.

I don’t use the term heartwarming often, but this book truly was! I look forward to reading more by the author. Thanks to NetGalley for my ARC.

Holy cow. Loved this book so much. It should be required reading for bookstagram. A story of healing from past pain and developing a community from a shared love of books.

I also loved the author’s note where she shared that she was divorced so single mother came from some of her experiences. I am divorced but I had struggled with infertility during my marriage. I love that she gave that vulnerability. I have found so much love from book club with women near me, as well as through social media.

I fully plan to share this book on my Instagram on sept 10th.

Stellar WW2 historical fiction, that is guaranteed to keep the reader hooked to the very end! This book should come with a Warning Label: “Do not begin this book if you have housework to do, or have food cooking. Your house will stay dirty and the food will burn, because it is unputdownable!”
This novel was like chocolate candy to me! I’ve been interested in the London Blitz, and the children’s evacuations, since I first saw “Journey For Margaret” on tv as a kid. I’ve read many books on the subject, wonderful ones and not so great ones. This book by Madeline Martin is one of the very best I’ve ever read! I need to raid the library to find more by her (or maybe a bookstore)!
The writing was superb; it drew me in from the first line. For historical fiction lovers who want to “experience” what they are reading about, this book is a must. The author’s notes at the end were very interesting, also, and added greatly to the book.
I usually add a “Memorable Quotes” section to my reviews, but in this case, I’m mentioning a whole section. The scene where Emma sends Olivia off on the train the first time broke my heart, it was so touchingly described. A reader would have to be made of absolute stone not to have misty eyes and a lump in the throat upon finishing those passages.
*I received a digital copy from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are strictly my own.*

Author Madeline Martin has depicted the plight of widowed women during the period leading up to and during the war against Germany, in England specifically. Emma is a young widow with a small child. Their lives are a constant struggle to manage in even the smallest way. Emma has experience selling books due to growing up in a family that owned a bookstore, but now as a widow and especially a widow with a young child, she is not allowed to work. To get a job, she must lie about being a widow and having a child, therefore denying who she is. Also explored are the difficult lives of children who were sent out into the country to live during the war. Some homes were exploitive, with the children becoming little more than farm labor while other homes treated children well. All of the characters were very believable.

The story started out slowly, but soon became attention grabbing. There were many details surrounding the war included on how the war impacted people in all sized communities, as the Blitz did not simply impact London. Many smaller towns and lives were also destroyed.

Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with this ARC

I have read several historical fiction novels set during the Blitz. The experiences during that time were inevitably individualistic, and thus I found The Booklover's Library to be unique in author Madeline Martin's depiction of widowed women during the period leaving up to and during the war. The preparations for war were very detailed, which in some cases was new information for me. The protagonist, Emma, is a young widow with a small child. Their lives are one of poverty, with a struggle to manage in even the smallest way. Emma has experience selling books, but as a widow and a widow with a young child, she is not allowed to work. Martin does a nice job of exploring this discrimination against women. To get a job, Emma must lie about being a widow and having a child. To earn enough money to support her child, Emma must therefore deny who she is.

This longstanding rule about married or previously married women working was one aspect of the 1930-1940s that is well depicted in The Booklover's Library. Making women unemployable means they and their children live in poverty. Martin also explores the different lives of children who were sent out into the country to live during the 6 years of the war. Some homes were exploitive, with children becoming little more than farm labor. Other homes treated children well. Like so many other aspects of The Booklover's Library , Martin does a good job of creating believable characters. Although the plot was not exactly tension grabbing, The Booklover's Library does hold the readers' attention. Additionally, most readers will appreciate how details surrounding the war impacted people in small and large communities. The Blitz did not simply impact London. Many smaller towns were also destroyed.

I very much enjoyed the author's note at the end of The Booklover's Library . I always read author's notes and they can be very rewarding. Thank you to Harlequin Trade and NetGalley for providing me with this ARC. I did enjoy this book, as I have previous books written by Martin. Loving books creates the best writers of books.

A wonderful book of historical fiction.A story of a mother and daughter &all they suffered during Ww11 .The characters really came alive and so did the era .#netgalley #harlequin.

Emma Taylor has three strikes against her. Her mother died shortly after her birth, her father's bookshop and their home burned to the ground leaving her an orphan at 17. Then an happy marriage ended in tragedy when her husband was killed in an accident leaving her with an infant daughter.
When money runs short Emma is faced with restrictions against married women and mothers working. Her luck turns when she applies for a position at a lending library. The manager is willing to overlook Emma's status and hires her. In the job her love of books and reading is rekindled, she meets Margaret who becomes a friend and customers who come to depend on her book recommendations.
Still, life isn't easy. Her daughter, Olivia, is now seven and must stay alone after school and during school breaks. This becomes increasingly problematic when England is drawn into WW2. Emma is faced with the decision to send Olivia out of the city when bombing begins.
This dilemma is the crux of the story and it's strongest plot point. The story is predictable except for that but there are enough tense moments to save it from being saccharine. Thanks to Netgalley and Hanover Square Press for the ARC.

I loved this book so much! I found myself engaged with the story and characters from page one and kept turning the pages to find out what would happen next. Emma grew up above the family book store she ran with her father, until the fire that took everything from her. After she grew up, got married, and had a child, her life was still not free from tragedy. Once she was widowed, she had to find a way to support herself and her daughter, Olivia. The Booklover's Library was willing to give a widow a job as a librarian. When WW2 broke out, Emma had to make the heartbreaking choice of keeping her daughter with her in Nottingham during the German bombings or sending her to the countryside. The library provided Emma with a place to help others, make friends, and try to solve the mystery of misplaced books while dealing with the loneliness without her daughter in the city.
I've read many WW2 books including ones about the Blitz and when families had to send their children away, but this story added a new perspective on the tale. I never knew about the subscription libraries. The story provided a creative setting to develop interesting characters from the workers at the library to the tenants at Emma's boardinghouse. For example, the landlady, Mrs. Pickering, blossomed in the character from a lonely widow to a strong and loyal friend. Emma also grew as a person and healed from her tragedies as the story progressed.
If you are looking for a story with wonderful characters who find ways to overcome adversity and a little romance amongst the rubble of war, I highly recommend this book!

Will post review on Book Bub, Goodreads, Twitter/X, Instagram.
#TheBookloversLibrary #NetGalley
Thank you Harlequin Trade Publishing and Net Galley for a complimentary copy. All opinions expressed are my own.

Rating: 3 Stars

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC. All opinions are my own.

I grabbed this book when I saw it on NetGalley... I really enjoyed The Last Bookshop in London by this author, and I needed a good historical fiction to get me from one book to another.

This book, unfortunately, didn't work well for me. The book opens with our main character trying to decide if she's going to send her daughter (the only family she has) to the countryside to wait out the war. It was HEARTBREAKING. But over and over again, it felt like we were being told how she felt, rather than being shown.

I guess I wanted more from the writing style than I got. It just didn't transport me like I was hoping.

Special thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for a free, electronic ARC of this novel received in exchange for an honest review.
Expected publication date: Sept. 10, 2024
Emma Taylor is a widow, raising her young daughter in Nottingham, England right before the start of World War Two. With so many regulations in place that prevent married and widowed women from holding a job, Emma is getting desperate, until a random encounter with an understanding manager gives her the oppourtunity of a lifetime- working at the Booklover’s Library. Daily, Emma is surrounded by books and the people who love them but just as she has found a place where she fits in, World War Two hits England hard and she is forced to send her beloved daughter, Olivia, away to the country to flee the violence. Now, all that Emma has is her love of books and the community of booklovers who are looking to escape the terrible violence around them. But is literature and the love of books enough to overcome the separation from her daughter, and the horrifying war raging around her?
Madeline Martin is a book lover and, if her new novel, “The Booklover’s Library” wasn’t enough of a clue, how about her previous novels, such as “The Last Bookshop in London” or “The Librarian Spy”? I am always willing to read novels about books, booklovers, libraries or anything and everything literary, and Martin has delivered this in spades!
“Library” is told from Emma’s perspective, as she struggles with the loss of her husband, the daily threat to her life as the war wages on and the nearly unsurmountable grief of sending her daughter away. Now, as a modern-day reader, I cannot relate to any of these situations (thank goodness) but the most important, and relatable, aspect of Emma is her love of books as a means to escape the chaos around her. Any reader will definitely find a kindred spirit in this facet of Emma’s personality.
Martin’s “Library” is historical fiction, obviously based on real-life events, but also tells the harrowing tale of war and the humanity that surrounds us in times of sorrow and strife. Motherhood, community, new romance and societal ideals on women are also strong themes, which means that “Library” will have a little something for everyone!
New to me, Martin has introduced me to an entirely new series of books about books, so I have some catching up to do. But I won’t make that mistake again and will be sure to jump in line when Martin delivers something new!

Give this one a 2/5. The idea of this book was so cute. I loved the mother-daughter duo and how much the mother was willing to fight to keep her girl safe. The writing however just fell super flat for me. I had a hard time reading/it just felt choppy to me. I know many said this book was great and it could be great for you too, but I physically struggled to read it. It wasn’t for me, but the story idea was beautiful.

Based in England during World War II, this story is of a widowed mom struggling to raise her daughter during a time of uncertainty. In need of a job, Emma takes a chance on a library, but will they hire a woman who is not single and untethered? Then the war starts, and Emma must make a tough decision - send her daughter to the country where she will be safe or keep her at home. This story shows that we all need someone to lean on when the going gets tough. I highly recommend this quick and enjoyable read.

A really lovely historical fiction. Taking place as Britain joins WWII, Emma and daughter Olivia find themselves forced apart by evacuations. And Emma finds a new lease on life with a job at a lending library. Really beautiful and I leaned a bit as well. It's so hard to believe that in my lifetime (just) a ban existed that prevented married or widowed women from working existed.

Terrific and different WWII story laced with love of all kinds and lots of tears, both of sorrow and of joy.. Emma and Olivia are both delightful but even the minor characters (or some who become not so minor) are well-drawn and easy to love, for the most part. Even Tubby the dog and Nameless the bunny are priceless. The stress of war and bombs going off affect everyone differently; some rise to the occasion and others do not. I had never heard of Boots' BookLenders' Library but am delighted there was some joy in the midst of war for many. The terrible unjust way women were treated, especially widows, during this time period was eye-opening. We have come a long way, but still have more distance to cover. I heartily recommend this book. Although I received an ARC, my opinions are my own.

Every time I say I am done with all the WWII historical fiction books, I get sucked into another one. The Booklover's Library was a fascinating look at how English society viewed working women in the 1930s-40s. I had no idea that many jobs were off-limits to married and widowed women, especially women with children.
Emma, a widow with a young daughter, is barely surviving. She's been rejected for every job she's applied for because she's a widow with a child. Society seems to think her "job" is to be home with her daughter, but that doesn't put food on the table. After a chance eavesdropping conversation, the manageress of the Booklover's Library, a high-end subscription lending library, takes a chance to hire Emma. She is thrilled but now has to navigate working and childcare. Through the help of her kind landlady, Emma is beginning to thrive.
WWII begins, and Emma must make hard decisions about whether to send her daughter to the countryside with other Nottingham children for safety. Throughout the book, Emma is plagued by all the decisions "good" mothers make and how she can possibly know the right thing to do.
I enjoyed this novel and was fully engaged. I learned a lot about English society at that time; it was clear the book was well-researched and well-written.