Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with a free copy of this book in exchange for my honest review. All opinions are my own.

This was a delightful histotical fiction novel, that I would pretty much recommend to anyone who likes books (so essentially any NetGalley user!)
Madeline Martin has published another book which I am certain will be another best seller. This book has a little bit of everything and just makes the reader feel warm and cozy.

Many thanks again to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to review this book.

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I do like a good Historical fiction book and this one is no exception. I learned things I had no idea about including the marriage ban. How divorced or widowed women must have struggled! Emma's experience is a good example of how difficult times bring people together whether in your neighborhood or workplace or with distant family.

Thank you to NetGalley and to the publisher for my gifted e-arc in exchange for an honest review.

Madeline Martin is one of my favorite historical fiction authors! I simply love the wholesome and feeling books that this author writes.

I enjoyed this book, but it wasn't my favorite from the author. I found the book to be hard to "get into," as it moves very slowly initially and then suddenly very quickly, almost too quickly when the romance comes into play.

The author's depiction of the children fleeing London for the country and saying goodbye to distressed parents broke my heart and brought me to tears. I appreciated the depth of feeling that the author put into writing these scenes and making them feel very real.

I loved Emma and Olivia and wanted a happy ending for them so badly--such sweet characters!

I would still recommend this book, despite it not being my personal favorite from the author. :)

If I could rate this book more than 5 stars, I would totally rate this at 10 stars! I am a historical fiction kinda girl and this book checked every box for me.

I could do what a lot of other's do when leaving a review and copy the synopsis of the book into this review, but I won't. I just want to provide me feedback without all the 'unnecessary fluff'. Bottom line is this: if you are a historical fiction lover, big into character development, and into the accuracy of the time period, then you really need to read this book.

This book caught and held my chapter within the first two pages. I immediately fell in love with the characters and when the book was over, I was sad because I wanted more. I don't know what's so different about the way this author writes, but I am here for it. Her writing style was a breath of fresh air!

I am on my way to Amazon right now to buy a physical copy of this book - that's how good it was.

This was an interesting historical story. The war separated a mother and daughter. I loved Emma's devotion to her daughter, her love of books, and memories of her father. She was so great with the patrons of the lending library, connecting with them, and sharing companionship through this terrible time. It seemed to stretch a bit, showing all the research that had been done. My heart did hurt for all the children who had been pulled from their families. I enjoyed the touch of romance and that Olivia finally made it home.

I received an ARC through Netgalley, and this is my unsolicited review.

I found Emma to be a character who has a little too much tragedy and focuses on it quite a bit. She has a daughter who needs her mother, and yet she never seems to forget her late family’s bookstore. It takes way to long for her to accept the pain and move on. That said, Emma is a nice person, if sad, and I like how she eventually starts cultivating friends. I also like the relationships she builds.

The lending library is awesome. I like the Subscriber A and Subscriber B. I think I would be a Subscriber A. But I also like that the author mentions classic and well known novels but doesn’t spoil them. The way Emma goes about helping everyone find their “story” is exactly why I wanted to be a librarian, too.

There is a romance but it's more of a subplot. It doesn’t take front and center. This is a novel about surviving. Surviving loss, pain, financial issues, and war.

Overall, I rate this novel 4 out of 5 stars.

Another great historical fiction story from Madeline Martin! It's an emotional story of hope and fear and ingenuity and working together in the worst of situations and I loved the ending. Very enjoyable to read.

I loved this book! Something about bookstore books and historical fiction. I will be buying a hard copy!!

It's England, and war will soon be declared. Widow and single mother Emma worries about the safety of her young daughter Emma. When Hitler starts bombing Nottingham, she sends her away, but that isn't the solution, even when she goes to her paternal grandparents. The story's central theme is about the love between a mother and daughter. However, it isn't the only one. There is the booklover's library where Emma manages to get a job even though laws in England prevent married women and widows with children from gaining employment. There is the wonderful landlady Mrs. Pickering, Mr. Fisk, Emma's romantic interest, and more.

Incredible. 5/5 stars.
It’s been awhile since a book had me crying, not just teary-eyed, but full on crying. This is a beautiful story and one everyone should read. Go get this book!

I loved the history so much that I’m inclined to request books about lending libraries.

Thank you Hanover Square Press for the ARC opportunity!

The story in this book grabbed me from the beginning. I've been reading Madeline Martin's books since she began writing and have always recognized her talent for character development, conversation, historical correctness, and plot. Her story effortly whisks you back in time in just a few short pages.

As the air raid siren sound and bombs fall, Emma Taylor and her daughter Olivia are struggling to make ends meet. As a widow, Emma isn't allowed to work but her experience in her father's former bookshop affords checking out Boots' Booklover's Library. Accepting a position as a 'single' woman, Emma commences a new chapter.

While working, the friendships and patrons she meets mean more to her than the paycheck provides. When Emma is forced to send Olivia to the countryside to keep her safe, it breaks her heart. Olivia is devastated to leave Nottingham and begs to return. Will Emma and Olivia find the courage to carry on while separated?

Thank you to #NetGalley and the publisher for the early edition of #TheBookloversLibrary in exchange for an honest review. As a booklover and history buff, I have a fascination with World War II stories. While living in London, I saw some of the setting firsthand and could picture what transpired during the war era. Historical fiction fans will find themselves eagerly paging through Madeline Martin's novel until the final chapter.

Story set during WW II in Nottingham, England about a widow who finds work in a bookstore to support her daughter and must make the agonizing decision whether to send her daughter to the country for safety. I didn't find that there was much of a plot beyond this, but it did offer a nice slice-of-life story on what life must have been like in England during this time period.

What a well written story! I learned so much about lending libraries and their purpose. The impact of war on regular citizens was well researched. Emma’s story did not focus on the political aspects of war; but rather on the every day people being affected, the hard decisions that must be made for safety’s sake and the positive influence books and reading have on us all.

Set in Nottingham during WWII, the book is rich with characters, story line and hope. Emma is a widow with a daughter, Olivia, barely scraping by as the war approaches. The marriage bar prohibited widows and married women from working, but Emma was able to get a job at a lending library, part of the Boots chemist chain. Her love for books began with her father and the bookshop they owned. When Emma has to make the heartbreaking decision of whether to evacuate Olivia, the depth of emotion in the book really resonates. Secondary characters such as Mrs. Pickering, her landlord, and Margaret, her coworker, enhance the story. Highly recommended. Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC.

Madeline Martin’s The Booklover's Library is a powerful WWII historical fiction that follows Emma, a widowed mother in Nottingham, England. The story highlights the struggles mothers faced during this time, especially with archaic laws that prevented them from working. Still, Emma finds a job at the Booklover's Library, a lending library that becomes a safe haven for her and others in the community.

As the war escalates, Emma must make tough choices to keep her daughter safe. In a heartbreaking decision, she sends her daughter away, showing the deep love a mother has for her child. This act of sacrifice truly highlights the difficult choices parents must make during hard times.

Books play a vital role in the story, serving as a source of comfort and hope. Emma finds strength in literature, which reminds us how stories can provide solace when life gets tough. The friendships she builds at the library add warmth and purpose.

I also loved the connection to Martin's previous book, The Last Bookshop in London. :)

Many thanks to NetGalley and Hanover Press for the opportunity to read The Booklover's Library!

Martin is consistently very good with her historical fictional……great story and characters inspired by real events. While I was aware of children sent to rural England during World War II in England, I knew nothing about private subscription libraries. Thanks to #NetGalley and #Thebookloverslibrary for advanced digital copy.

Will be published on my Instagram and Goodreads on 9/20/24.

The Booklover’s Library by @madelinemmartin
published by @harlequinbooks

Set during WWII, it follows Emma, a single mother working at a lending library during a time when married women and widows are not allowed to work. You read about Emma’s struggles and challenges to keep her daughter safe. She’s able to find joy, love and friendships during those tough times. I wanted more moments of Emma interacting with the library subscribers. This is only because I wish I could go to Boot’s Booklovers Library and have Emma recommend a book or chat with Mrs. Chatsworth and her dog—honestly, that could easily be me! 🫣🤣

I do recommend when reading this book that you find a cozy spot and pair it with a warm cup of tea
🥰🫖📚✨

These are favorite quotes from the book:

“He told me that the world is full of readers, some just haven’t found the right book yet.”

“In her right time at the Booklovers library, she had become more than a man’s wife. More than even a mother. She was a reader, a lover of books who could procure the right story for the right person at the right time.”

This is now one of my favorite WWII books in that the focus is on what happens to the people from a widow’’s viewpoint with a young daughter in Nottingham, England. The story begins with Emma losing her father in a fire at the bookshop they owned. Emma marries soon after, though still grieving. They have a baby girl, named Olivia.
The remainder of the story is about Emma and Olivia and their lives and those they touch as WWII is just beginning. Families are faced with deciding if they should send their children away from the cities to strangers in the country where it might be safer from the bombing. Women struggle to support themselves because only single women who were never married, are allowed to work.
The story is both heart wrenching and heartwarming and I highly recommend it. The characters are wonderful and if you like historical fiction this should be on your list to read.
Thank you Netgalley and the publisher for this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

A widow struggles to provide for her daughter despite restrictions on her employment. Unfortunately, waiting for a war to start in England, preparations are underway to send children out of the cities to the country. Torn between working and taking care of her daughter, mishaps and mistakes are proponents for evacuation. The bond of reading between mother and daughter establishes a common thread, a thread all the people of England need to take away the rising anxiety of war. Martin writes a realistic view of living in war and coping with it's daily trials and tribulations. The value of a book is priceless.
I voluntarily read and reviewed a copy of this book from NetGalley.