This is a beautifully written story that any book lover would love. A historical fiction that had me in tears. This book covers heavy topics during the war and does a good job of showing one's struggles and complex feelings.

The booklovers library tells the story of Emma, a young widowed mother in world war two Nottingham England. Every time I read a novel about World War 2 I learn something new. In this historical novel I learned about the marriage ban where both widows and married women were prohibited from working, making it very hard for single mothers like Emma to make a living. Luckily in our story, the director of the booklovers library made an exception.

It was also interesting to learn about the lending libraries of the time, and the subscribers in our story were fun characters to read about. We also worry along with Emma when she decides to send her daughter to the country to avoid the bombs in Nottingham.

I thought The Booklovers Library was an engaging story with characters that I was invested in finding out what was going to happen to them. It also made the part of me that enjoys books about books very happy and I love any book that helps me to learn about new things while telling me a great story

Thank you to net galley and the publisher for an e copy of this book in return for an honest review.

The emotional depth of this story will stay with you for a very long time. It tells the story of Emma who is a single mom to Olivia in England starting at the beginning of WW2. Life is difficult and she must pose at a single woman to get a job at the Booklover's Library as during that time married women and widows with children were not hired. The balancing act of enjoying working as a librarian again so long after her family's bookshop burned down is tempered by the fear of her daughter being alone. It only gets worse for Emma when she gets the letter telling her to send Olivia to the country because of the bombing. I can't imagine the heart wrenching decisions these mothers had to make - keep their child with them and potentially have them harmed during a bombing or sending them off on a train to somewhere in the country to stay with people they don't know. Luckily, Olivia finds a good place the first time which allows Emma to slowly develop the friendship with her landlady and fellow border as well camaraderie with her fellow librarians. Everyone Emma works and lives with has stories and the durability to help with the horrors of living through the war. Olivia comes home briefly but a bombing shows Emma she must send her daughter off again, this time to her -in-laws who do not like her. The toll of being separated is high for Olivia and Emma. It is during this time that Emma finally leans on the strength of Charles to help her through her despair. Each and every person has a backstory that comes out as you go through the war with them. It is a time of solidarity and fragile hope for a better tomorrow. The author adds an epilogue to show how the camaraderie, friendships, and love continue after the war. Also, she adds historical notes at the end to give reference to the truths that lead to this emotional and impactful story.

Madeline Martin’s WWII fiction never disappoints. The Booklover’s Library is her newest release and is a story of community, friendship, and love amidst the fear of war.

Emma Taylor is a widow and single mother in Nottingham, England during the early days of WWII. Emma has to hide her identity in order to secure a job at the lending library. Her new job at Boots Booklover’s Lending Library sends Emma on a journey to new friends and relationships all while battling with the notion of sending her daughter to the countryside in an effort to keep her safe from German air raids.

What is the right answer for a mother and child whose hearts are so knit to one another that separation seems impossible, but remaining in Nottingham grows more risky every day? Who can a woman rely on to be the support she needs to endure such hardship or should she merely pride herself on being self-sufficienct?

This book was simply wonderful. My favorite character was - all of them. Each personality was necessary for the beautiful and heart-wrenching story of war time dilemmas and the community that can grow in the midst of darkness.

Thank you to Netgalley and Harlequin Trade Publishing for an advanced reader copy in exchange for my honest review. All opinions are my own. Review published on Aug. 2, 2024 on Goodreads.

The Booklover’s Library by Madeline Martin, a historical fiction that takes place during World War 2 in England. The book follows Emma, a single widowed mother struggling to take care of her daughter on her measly widows’ pension. Emma persuades a lending library to permit her to work despite job regulations against widowed mothers. Even with her new job, Emma is not without her struggles. The Booklover’s Library is a wonderful book about finding community and purpose during war, even as a single mother who may not fit the social norms of the times.

I love a good historical fiction, especially one that has a strong female protagonist. Martin does an excellent job depicting the deep love and hardships that come with being a single mother. I loved following Emma and her daughter's relationship throughout the book. It reminded me of my own mom and me when it was just us two against the world.
My biggest issue with this book was that it felt like it couldn't choose what it wanted to be, was it a romance, a mystery, or just a historical fiction? There was a mystery bit introduced shortly after Emma started working at the lending library. It was introduced in a way that made me feel like it was going to be a much larger part of the book than it was. The mystery was swiftly and anticlimactically tied up towards the end of the book — however, I can also recognize that I am a bigger lover of mysteries and might be judging too harshly. The romance had much stronger foundations and fit nicely within the story. Despite my slight gripes with parts of the book, overall, I deeply appreciated the sense of community among women, children, and books that The Booklover’s Library focused on.

This is a story of a mom and daughter's struggle during the world war. I certainly loved the book and the characters have a good build up all throughout.
I feel like this novel is a linear narrative on how a mother's love and sacrifices during the world war to make sure that their loved ones are safe. Women also took on important roles during the war. The incorporation of empowerment through reading is highlighted in this book.

Madeline Martin is one of my favorite historical fiction authors. The research she does prior to writing is evident and I walk away not only having found new favorite characters but having learned something new about a fascinating period in world history.

Emma is a young woman who has experienced great heartbreak and sorrow in her relatively short life. As WWII rages across Europe, Emma makes the heartbreaking decision to send her daughter, Olivia, away for safety's sake and finds solace in her job at a lending library. Due to the laws of the time, Emma must keep her status as a widowed mother under wraps in order to keep her job at the library which serves as a source of comfort for so many citizens regardless of their station in life.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the advance copy.

I’m not usually into historical fiction but the title caught my eye and I thought I’d give it a go. I’m surprised I actually liked it. I typically gravitate towards Roman e but the mother daughter story was refreshing to read.

She did it again!! I love, love Madeline Martin's WW2 novels. The depth and research were evident, and the storyline was beautiful. I love the return of beloved characters from a previous book.
Emma and Olivia, as well as beloved Mrs Pickering and Mr Sanders, were people you don't forget. The people at the library also found a way into your heart. I can't say enough about how wonderful, heartbreaking, heartwarming, and joyful this story is. Must read!!

I recently finished reading my first Madeline Martin historical fiction book, and I'm eager to dive into more of her work! The Booklover’s Library is a captivating story set during World War II on the outskirts of London. The book beautifully illustrates the significant role that books can play during challenging times, bringing people from different walks of life together and teaching them resilience. I particularly loved the characters Emma and Olivia. Reading about Emma's difficult decisions as a caring mother was heart-wrenching. Learning more about lending libraries and the various subscription options was also interesting. The book also shed light on different issues during the World War II era, such as the marriage ban that prohibited married or widowed women from working, and the British government's call for children to be sent away to safety during the bombings. I highly recommend this book to lovers of historical fiction and books.

Thank you to NetGallery and to Harlequin Trade Publishing | Hanover Square Press for my copy of the book.

The Booklover's Library takes us to London during WWII when married or widowed women were not allowed to work, when children were whisked out of London to keep them safe from the bombings, and to wonderful research done by Ms. Martin.

The book opens with a fire in Emma and her father's beloved bookstore.

Everything was lost including Emma's father.

We then move to nine years later when Emma is widowed with a child, has no income, and with England on the verge of entering the war.

When England does get involved, Emma has to make the difficult decision of sending her daughter away to be safe.

The characters are lovely, and the storyline will warm your heart as well as tear it apart.

Learning about a lending library that had Class A and Class B clients along with a pricey subscription fee was quite interesting.

You will wish you could go to Boot's Booklover's Library and talk with the people who work there and experience the warmth of the people and the organization of the library.

This book is a can't-put-down one and another GEM by Ms. Martin that will have you shedding happy tears along with the sad ones. 5/5

Thank you to the publisher for a copy of this book. All opinions are my own.

Emma Taylor's life had its share of joys and sorrows. The family bookstore had burned down, killing her father. She had married not for love but for protection. She became a mother to the love of her life, Olivia. Emma's husband had died leaving her a widow. In 1939 England did not allow married women or widows with children to work. The government provided widow's pensions and even combined with her daughter's government support it wasn't enough to provide for them even though they were frugal. When the opportunity to work in a library arose, Emma managed to secure the job even though her boss knew she was a widow. The Book Lover's Library was located on the second floor of a chemist's shop. People paid for membership to check out books. The women working at this library were expected to know about the latest releases, customer preference, and order books as requested. Emma quickly learned her job and enjoyed it. As Hitler began his assault on France, England realized that they may well be his next target. In preparation, children were sent away from cities to live in the countryside. Emma worried that sending her daughter away would be too difficult. How would Olivia respond? With no one at home, what would Emma do to keep herself busy? A customer at the library seemed interested in seeing Emma. Was she ready to have a new relationship?

The Booklover's Library is an endearing story about the lives of friends brought together during wartime by their love of literature. They support and protect themselves during very harsh circumstances. The war forces each of these people to overcome adversity to survive. Emma had insulated herself and her daughter in a world of just two but survival during wartime meant that they both would have to expand their lives to include others. Emma learns that life can be difficult but the strength of friends and community are invaluable. The characters in this book are well-crafted, hard-working, and generally good-hearted. They are exactly the type of people you would like to find in everyday life. This is one of those books that leaves you wanting to continue following the characters long after the last page. Book lovers and historical fiction fans will enjoy this wonderful book.

Thank you Harlequin Trade Publishing, NetGalley, and Madeline Martin for the advanced readers copy.

I really enjoyed reading this book with its tragic story of sending children away to countryside which was safer than Nottingham during the German bombings. I also enjoyed the historical information that provided context into society’s standards that controlled how women worked or couldn’t work due to a marriage bar law. It was fascinating how a chemist shop (pharmacy) had a private lending library for quite some time. I loved the interaction of the patrons with the employees. The story of the relationships formed between landlord and tenants, mother and child, library patrons and employees were outstanding.

A young woman survives a fire only to be thrust into another danger in her life of the WW2. She once again finds solace in books with being hired to work in a book library. The writer does an excellent job tying in feelings of a young child as she grows to an adult with the horrific fire that took not only her father but her home - destroying her young life. The young child buries this tragedy, but it smolders back to life during the war. Her heart breaks many times a young mother and woman. She learns to open her heart in difficult times to find her happiness. Wonderful story.

This was such a beautiful historical book. The story talked about many challenges that women and those who experienced the effects of WWll went through. Beautifully encapsulated that aspect of the war and the people who aren’t mentioned as much. Thank you Harlequin Trade Publishing and Hanover Square Press for sending me a copy of this book.

Emma is a widowed mother looking for a job when the law prohibits wives and mothers from working outside the home. She finds a job at a Booklover's Library where she can share her love of reading with others under strict orders to say her daughter is her sister. When WWII begins, Emma must balance her new job, her volunteer activities, and the pain of sending her daughter away to the country for safety. Emma is inherently kind and extraordinarily patient with others who are cruel to her. With her kindness, she builds friendships and accumulates a found family.

This is a day-in-the-life novel with a backdrop of war and books. Emma shows us what kindness and empathy can mean to other people and how they can change their behavior because of it. There was also a love of reading during the beginning of the war because reading distracts people from their fear. The action cranks up near the end of the book and you still do not know how the story will end until it does. This was a sweet bookish story that I was glad I read.

I really enjoyed this book. It’s about a smallish town in England right at the beginning of the war. Emma is working with her Dad at his bookstore. The story kept me interested. The characters were realistic. I’m glad that I took time out of my life to read this book. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for allowing me to read an advance copy for my honest review.

What a charming read ! The mother- daughter story was touching and compelling. I found the historical elements well detailed and thoroughly believable. I enjoy historical fiction, and this piece felt authentic in its depiction of England in WW2. The characters were well developed and made for a lovely read!

Thank you so much, NetGalley, the author and publisher, for this amazing historical fiction.

Release date September 10, 2024

Historical fiction is one of my go-to reads, add n books, and I am hooked. I was so excited to have the opportunity to read and review this book.

Madeline Martin,did a fantastic job with the historical aspect of the story. Your descriptions of the city, clothing, and society standards during the time period were realistic, and I was able to picture everything clearly in my mind.

The story was engaging and I became totally engrossed in it, so much so that I completely forgot about the world around me.

Highly recommend.

Ms. Martin drew me in from the very first scene and kept me reading way too late into the night. This is one of the most captivating stories set in WWII England that I've read and I loved it. The writing was vivid and visceral for me; loads of crying in this book, but there are so many good things to come out of it as well. The relationships between parent and child, employees and patrons, neighbors and enemies are all so well presented and cover such a wide range of like/dislike, that I feel like I know these people.

Something I really appreciated at the end of the book there is a section about the author's research and various things discovered in the process of creating the story, as well as learning about who she based some of the characters on. Excellent touch.

Highly recommended!

I received an ARC; this is my honest review.