I really love historical fiction and r hot her writing. I loved the mother daughter connect with WW2 and the library available to people during hard times.

This book combined two of my favorite things: a love for books and historical fiction. As strange as it sounds to call a book based on WWII wholesome and all the good feelings but I can’t help but reflect on it with those words. This book doesn’t lack emotion and amidst dark times this book reminded me once again why I love to read.

Madeline Martin us through the impossible decisions parents were forced to make during WWII, grief journeys, Emma remembering why they once loved books, loving our neighbors well during trying times and finding love.

I hope you will check out this incredible new release! It’s available now so grab your copy or check out your library!

The Booklover’s Library by Madeline Martin is the third of the author’s novels I’ve read, and my favorite by far. I was completely engrossed in this World War II story based on new-to-me history.

I had no idea the famous Boots “chemist” (drugstores) operated upscale subscriber libraries in some of its stores. Boots Booklovers Libraries existed for 67 years and served 1 million subscribers in they peak of popularity.

Set in Nottingham, England, readers experience the challenges of widowhood and single motherhood through protagonist Emma as she struggles to support herself and her young daughter Olivia. As the Blitz intensifies, Emma must determine whether Olivia is safer being evacuated to the British countryside or remain with her at home. And along the way, we meet a wonderful cast of interesting characters.

I enjoyed so many aspects of this story:
- book about books
- found family
- WWII evacuation story from a parent’s POV
- mother-daughter bond
- small mystery subplot

Thank you to the Thoughts From a Page podcast patron perk of the pre-publication interview with the author and to Hanover Square Press for the advance digital copy.

Oh my gosh I loved this book! I mean I fell hard for this book! This book became one of my only 5 star reads this year. It reminded me how much I love historical fiction. The Booklover's Library is a book for book lovers, and for all that dream of working in bookstores, libraries and with books in general. I would recommend this for historical fiction lovers but I also think it's an easy read for those who are looking to get into the genre or maybe never read this genre before! One I will be gifting to my fellow friends.

Wonderful historical fiction about lending libraries during the 30's-40's. I didn't know that Boots' stores had libraries for subscribers above them. It was interesting to learn about the elite book borrowing new released titles. It was a wonderful story about a widow and single mother who was able to work at the library and raise her daughter. It talked about needing to send her daughter to the country with all of the other children for safety during the war. It also showed how neighbors and colleagues supported each other throughout. Highly enjoyed the read.

I am sorry I waited so long to read this ARC. Set during World War II, the Booklover’s Library showed me how what may seem unsurvivable can be endured with the help of love, family, friends, meaningful work, and of course books! I would highly recommend this to all readers of World War II fiction, and to everyone who loves and honors the role of books and reading in our lives.

I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

I want to go to this library!! I loved these characters, but loved the library even more. I feel like I will spend so much of my life searching for this library!

Nice historical fiction, and slightly different from usual war time novel. Interesting look at a subscription library and brought to light a few facts I was unaware of, like women who were widows were ineligible for many jobs.

This is yet another fantastic read from Madeline Martin. She fully immerses the reader into the historical world and always finds something to showcase that I've never heard of. In this book, it was the lending libraries run by Boots chemists. Such a wonderful setting for this story. Martin's first historical novel made her an auto buy author for me and she has never steered me wrong.

What a great story about books, WWII and families trying to survive.

At the beginning of this wonderful story, we find out that having a man around is the best way to survive. Women on their own have a lot of issues to deal with. So our main character goes from living with her father to getting married quickly. We find out that married and widowed women cannot support themselves because very few will hire them to work. What! Books became very important to people to take them places that were far away from war and its many issues. Books also brought people together and gave them something fun to discuss.

England strongly encouraged families in cities to send their children to the country to keep them safer. Can you imagine sending your child to someone you did not know for care? I was not familiar with the details around this, but after reading this book I understand it so much better.. This is a great book to read to understand the issues around life in a country at war. People did their normal jobs and then supported the organized war effort in their time off. The characters in this book found ways to support each other during this very difficult time.

This was a comfort, feel-good read for me. It centers on the lives of characters on the home front in England as WWII begins. Emma is a widow with a young daughter, Olivia. She needs work to live independently with her daughter but during this time in history, married women and widows were barred from being employed. She stumbles on an opportunity at the Booklover's Library and lies to get the job. Her employer is sympathetic and when learning the truth still keeps Emma employed. Friendships with co-workers and eventually a romance with one of the customers develop as well as deeper relationships with Emma's landlady and the other man living in her tenement house. As war begins and moves to England, Emma must also deal with the heartbreaking choice of whether to send her daughter to the countryside to keep her safe from the bombing. The story revolves around these characters and how people left to cope with the war on the home front, whether women or men who could not join the war effort found ways to contribute and lift each other up.

I am such a fan of Madeline Martin's book and this was one of my favorites. I never knew Boots had a lending library. I felt so much when Emma had to send Olivia to the country, such a heartbreaker. I loved the support and relationship of her co-workers and neighbors. How much we can accomplish when we work together.

I love being immersed in a well researched historical fiction book. Madeline Martin has written a really interesting story that shares the cultural norms of the times regarding the marriage bar - where married women couldn't work. This book included complex and realistic characters as well as wonderful relationships. Thanks #NetGalley #HanoverSquarePress

Wonderful historical fiction set in England during WWII I’ve read many other stories about this period but this story is particularly personal and delves into the relationship of a single mother and her daughter. It’s heartbreaking and poignant. I learned a lot about lending libraries and the marriage bar that disallowed married women and widows with children from working. If you love books you will enjoy this charming story.
Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC.

Another solid read from this author, who likes bookstores! This had a bit of everything in it making it much more interesting. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher!

A woman finds herself alone raising her daughter with no other family to help, in a time and place where the “Marriage Bar” prevents married/widowed women from working. She finds healing in the Booklover’s Library, an upscale prestigious lending library where she succeeds in obtaining employment (under the guise of being single with no child). Tough decisions are made, friendships are forged, war comes and changes everything. The bond of parent and child, and newfound friendships was heartwarming… at the basis of this tale is love… love of family, friends and… you guessed it…books!

The writing was smooth and pleasant, I sympathized with the MC and her hardship and admired her dedication to her daughter and, dedication to enlightening people’s lives with books, especially during difficult times. Considering this is fiction, Madeline Martin’s depiction of war times in England was on point, you can see the research that was done to make this tale as authentic as possible. I had no idea that a Marriage Bar was a thing… and author's note provides some insight into the inspiration behind this story, which was great! I love learning new bits about history through fiction!

If you love historical fiction and books about books this is a must read!

I really enjoyed this book. The story was a reminder of how important and healing books can be. I haven't read historical fiction in a long time, and this book was a good intro back into the genre.

I think maybe I have read too many books set in WWII and that is the main reason that I didn't like this one. Emma finds herself a single mother without many options, when she is offered a job in the Booklover's Library at Boot's. She has to pretend she is not a married woman with a child, even though she is widowed in order to keep her job. She loves the job and it allows her to provide for her daughter. Then war comes to England and everything changes.

I loved the concept of the Booklover's library, which was a real thing and really neat. (more information on wikipedia here). The clients that came in were well written and interesting. But once the war started and Emma had to send her daughter away, it go really tedious. I think this storyline has been overdone, it is tragic and sad and I guess I am just tired of reading about it. Emma was a little whiney for war time, given she was safe and allowed to keep her job.

This book was really well written and well researched. It just didn't work for me.

Emma Taylor is a widow and single mother to a young daughter as WWII starts in Nottingham, England. Emma must find a job to support herself and her daughter but widowed mothers are not allowed to work. She finds the manager of a lending library is willing to take a risk on hiring her even against the rules of the time. Emma is doing her best to balance everything when their world comes crashing down as the war becomes a reality.

This book hit such a tender place in my heart. This is a must read for fans of historical fiction that love libraries. As a mother I felt deeply for the choices Emma had to make to keep her daughter safe. Overall an excellent read!

Thank you to NetGalley and Harlequin Trade Publishing for the ARC of The Booklover's Library.

This was my first time reading a book by this author and it won't be the last!
I really enjoyed how Madeline Martin balanced historical, drama and romance perfectly. I never got bored by any aspects of this books, and let's be honest: this is not a short book - it could have gone dull and boring quite easily. Fortunately, for me it never did.
This is the second book (also, historical) that I read about books or libraries or librarians. I guess I have a new 'bookish fetish'. lol
Thank you, NetGalley and Hanover Square Press, for providing me with a free eARC of this novel.