This book is a historical drama set during WWII and centering on a mother, Emma, and daughter, Olivia. Emma has had some tough years, losing her father in a library/house fire, along with all the books she cherished as a child. Then falling unexpectedly into single motherhood has made her determined and resourceful at all cost, she is strong and dedicated to care for her young daughter no matter the cost. But when the brink of war threatens, they must learn to be apart and trust those around them to help them through the emotions. This story brings depth to characters in a time where they have to lean on each other to survive in so many ways. It takes hold of your heartstrings and brings you to war right along with them. I really enjoyed and came to love these characters. I received a copy from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Madeline Miller's newest offering THE BOOKLOVER'S LIBRARY is set in a world facing the ever-present threat of sudden death from Hitler's bombers. As a precaution, London relocates its children away from the city to the hoped-for safety of temporary foster homes in the countryside. To help soften the pain of separation, Emma Taylor uses her natural skills as a bookseller to start a lending library that helps restore some semblance of social cohesion to the worried, sorrowing parents. There are heroes and villains, love and kindness, and, always, the wondrous hope for better days. Be sure not to miss Martin's delightful uplifting and life-affirming story about a time in recent history that risks being forgotten.

The Booklover's Library was wonderfully written and set in the WWII time period. The discomforts and hardships the main character faced were very aptly described. This book is a must read for anyone who enjoys historical fiction.

WWII historical fiction is one of my favorite genres which means that finding a new aspect of the time period is sometimes difficult. This book starts with heart break and just keeps on going. It focuses on the happenings in England as they enter the war, specifically sending children away to keep them safe. It also discusses the controversial practice of not allowing married or widowed women to work. I devoured this book and really enjoyed a new take on this time period.

The Booklover's Library is everything that I look for in a historical fiction novel: characters facing the odds and retaining their humanity in a world that has gone crazy, beautiful, descriptive writing, and a well-crafted story. I cannot recommend this one enough!

Thank you to NetGalley for allowing me to be apart of this ARC, I loved every word! The characters were lovable, and personable. It really honed in on the emotional devastation that was this time period. Being a mother myself it hit home in more ways than one. I loved learning about the Boots lending library and I had no idea about the marriage bar in England that lasted until the 70’s! I will definitely be looking j to more books by Madeline Martin. This is in the top 5 historical fictions I’ve ever read.

A gripping page-turner from the first pages, I loved this book! I enjoyed Madeline Martin's book, "The Last Bookshop of London" and loved seeing the little nod in this book to that. As a fellow book lover, and as a mom, I really enjoyed the perspective of Emma during this time period. I learned a lot about women's roles and policies that were a disservice to them. I've read books about children's perspectives of being sent off to the country during war (or the families receiving them), but never the parents who sent them off. It had to have been a hard decision and transition for everyone. As a birth mom having chosen adoption in hopes of protecting and better my child's life, while it isn't the same situation, my heart ached along with Emma as she said goodbye and as she waited for the next visit. Entrusting strangers with your child's care is no easy task.

The second-chance love story is a sweet side story and ending, but the main focus is Emma's challenges and growth as a mom through WWII. Great, insightful read with lots of emotions. Highly recommend!

I enjoyed this book! It had a feel-good ending, touched on some historical events I did not know about, & kept me engaged throughout the story. I would recommend this book to those who enjoy WWII historical fiction novels!

Let me start by saying that I’m a big fan of Madeline Martin. I’ve read several of her historical fiction books and truly enjoyed them. My heartstrings were pulled in the first part of this book and brought tears to my eyes. I again felt quite emotional in the last 10%. It is a tender story about a young girl widowed mother, Emma, struggling to financially survive in the world where mothers are not often able to work. On top of this, a world war is evolving and she must keep her beloved daughter alive at all costs. Emma was brought up loving books. She suffers several tragedies but never loses that love of reading. She finds work in a book lending library and makes some friends along the way.
Compared to other historical fiction books I’ve read in this time period, I felt , descriptions of events were at times too “gently” worded. I wish things were more raw in certain situations to connect with the characters emotions and what they endured.
I also felt the relationship between Emma and a young man she meets, Charles, blossomed more “behind the scenes” and it felt like, as a reader, I didn’t get to fully see the relationship fully evolve.
All in all, I enjoyed the story about the book lender’s library, a real thing. I just wish I got to know the characters even more and that the initial and last emotions I felt ran throughout the book.
Thank you to Netgalley for an ARC of this book. All opinions in this review are my own.

A beautiful story about a mother and daughter during WWII. It captures the community, fears, triumphs, and heartaches during that period of time. I loved the characters. A great read for historical fiction readers!

Thank you NetGalley and Harlequin Trade Publishing for the ARC.

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.