Oh, another Madeline Martin hit for me! The Last Bookshop in London was a breath of fresh air after reading so many dark books, and this newest book gives me all the same vibes (Keeper of the Hidden Books was very hard for me to read.) I loved Emma because of her love for her daughter AND books. She was relatable, and I just wanted to hug her throughout the book. All of the characters realistically face hard times, but they also get a happily ever after, which I need in my WW2 books. The book names dropped throughout gave my heart a little happy dance, especially ones mentioned for Olivia like Anne of Green Gables. A quick mention that the romances are chaste, and I appreciate the clean language. A great book to enjoy and recommend!

Title:  The Booklover's Library
Author:  Madeline Martin        
Genre: Historical fiction        
Rating: 5 out of 5

In Nottingham, England, widow Emma Taylor finds herself in desperate need of a job to provide for herself and her beloved daughter, Olivia. But with the legal restrictions prohibiting widows with children from most employment opportunities, she’s left with only one option: persuading the manageress at Boots’ Booklover’s Library to take a chance on her.

When the threat of war becomes a reality, Olivia must be evacuated to the countryside. In her daughter’s absence, Emma seeks solace in the unlikely friendships she forms with her neighbors and coworkers, as well as the recommendations she provides to the library’s quirky regulars. But the job doesn’t come without its difficulties. Books are mysteriously misshelved and disappearing, and her work forces her to confront the memories of her late father and the bookstore they once owned together before a terrible accident.

As the Blitz intensifies in Nottingham and Emma fights to reunite with her daughter, she must learn to depend on her community and the power of literature more than ever to find hope in the darkest of times.

This was such a lovely read! I do love World War II historical fiction, but Martin’s characters are always so well-done and vivid that I end up drawn into the story just because I’m so interested in the people. I loved the library, and I think being a book concierge would be a fun job! This is a great read, and I highly recommend it.

Madeline Martin is a bestselling author. The Booklover’s Library is her newest novel.

(Galley courtesy of Harlequin/Hanover Square Press in exchange for an honest review.)

Set in Nottingham, England in the 1930's as England enters WWII.

As usual, Martin has pulled us into a story of the heart, survival and the power or books, people and love all together.

Magical, heartwarming and even tearful at times, the journey with history woven in is so gripping you will not be able to put it down until the last page.

The Booklover’s Library is set in England during WWII and strongly focuses on the evacuation of the children during the war. Parts of the book were difficult for my mama heart, but it is a great story.

💚WWII England historical fiction
💚Single widowed mother
💚Motherhood
💚Community
💚Work challenges
💚Lots of book references
💚A dash of romance

I’ve always loved when a child discovers the love of reading. Maybe that‘s why one of my favorite quotes from the book is

“I do enjoy reading it myself,” Olivia said. “It’s like my brain drinking in something good, like warm chocolate milk.”

P.S. If you read The Last Bookshop in London, you’ll notice a little surprise 🤫

Thank you Net Galley and Harlequin Trade Publishing for the advanced copy in exchange for my honest review.

The Booklover's Library is a heartwarming tale about a mother and daughter and the love of books. This book brought me to tears more than once. This book explores what a mother will do to keep her daughter safe during times of war. I think any book lover will fall in love with this book.

A heartfelt story of resilience and hope.

The Booklover's Library by Madeline Martin is a beautifully written, heartwarming tale that immerses you in the lives of its characters during WWII. Emma has already lost her Father and her husband, now; she must send her daughter Olivia away to the country during wartime. The bond between Emma and her daughter Olivia is both touching and powerful. The historical details are so true to life. The reality of what happens during war time is heart wrenching but the emotional journey is so well-crafted that I couldn't put it down. I am an American, married to an Englishman, and while visiting England last year, we visited New Haven Fort with some of his family, where we sat in a interactive bomb shelter, to experience what it would have felt like to be underground during an air raid. It was an absolute revelation, sitting there in the dark, with nothing but a candle, the sounds of bombs going off above, the noise, the shaking, and the uncertainty of what you would find when you returned above. It was truly and eye opener visiting this fort and learning so much about WWII, from the rationing of food, women working during wartime, children being sent off to the country, the men that fought, just all the aspects about the war and how it affected the English people during wartime. This story really hit home for me. Martin truly captured the redemptive power of books, community, and love in the darkest of times. A must-read for anyone who appreciates heartfelt stories of resilience and hope.

I did a post on Goodreads, Amazon, B&N, Books a Million, TikTok, Instagram and I will be posting another video, a review on TikTok and Instagram about this book as well.

Thank you again for allowing me to be an ARC reader for this book.
It was such a great read.

Sincerely, Robin

The Booklovers' Library by Madeline Martin is a book that is right up my alley. I have said this before but I love books that have elements of truth that make me want to delve deeper into the subject. In this case, I wanted to learn more about the lending libraries during World War II that this book centers around. I had no idea these existed and in this story, they were part of Boots' pharmacies in England.

Apparently, these were a huge deal and had members of high society as patrons. They were treated to exceptional, professional service at all times. In this story, Emma has experienced some tragedy in her life and is raising her daughter, Olivia, alone. Even though she is widowed, she is technically not allowed to work, since she is a mother. This was true back then! However, Miss Bainbridge decides to make an exception and allows Emma to be the newest employee of the library.

Emma quickly becomes efficient in her job and finds she really enjoys it. Furthermore, a load is off her shoulders now, as she was in need of money. Emma not only works in the library but also volunteers where she can helping those affected by the war, working alongside her friends. I feel that is the story of how community comes together during a catastrophic time in our history.

My two cents: I enjoyed these characters immensely. I was invested in what happened to Emma and her friends and interested in learning more about the real libraries at that time. The author does a fantastic job bringing these characters to life and making them seem real, a trait I love in any book.

Madeline Martin is now going to be an auto-read author for me. I loved this entire story. I thought it was sad. I thought it was upliftings. The story just pulled me in and I didn't want to put it down every time I picked it up. This was such an easy book to read, but brought out so many emotions. I loved the mother/daughter relationship as well as Emma sharing her love of reading with Olivia. I loved seeing the difficult decisions that Emma had to make, not only for herself, but as a single mother. The entire concept of the Booklover's Library was amazing to read about, especially with all the characters who visited the library. I highly recommend this one if you enjoy historical fiction WWII novels.

I'm usually a sucker for anything WWII historical fiction and when it involves books and libraries, doubly so. However, for whatever reason I really struggled to get into this latest from Madeline Martin. I went back and forth between print and audio and not ever the voice talents of Saskia Maarveld could save this one for me. Recommended for fans of authors like Kate Thompson this was likely a me thing or a wrong book wrong time thing. Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an early digital copy in exchange for my honest review!

I always love a book set in a library, and I’m usually a fan of WWII historical fiction, so this was a perfect combination for me. The idea of a private lending library upstairs from a pharmacy was fascinating - I had no idea that was a thing. The policy of making sure all the women who worked there had a cup of tea and/or lunch made me smile. The rules about married women and widowed mothers being unable to work, not so much.
Emma’s story, as she navigates working in the library, sending her daughter away for protection, getting to know her new coworkers, and connecting with her neighbors, all while dealing with the threat of war, kept me turning pages late into the night.

Thank you to Harlequin Trade Publishing and NetGalley for an advance copy.

I love books about books and this one did not disappoint. Emma is a widow with a daughter and convinces a book lending library to hire her. The most eye opening part of this book was the restriction on married women to work. Even widowed mothers could not work to support their children. And yet they were shamed for the level of care they were able to provide (with no income).

Pick this up if you love:
- WWII novels
- books about books
- strong single mothers

‘The Booklover’s Library’ by Madeline Martin is my second book by this author. I was really pleased to find another book by Ms. Martin. First of all what could be more delightful for a bibliophile that reading about books and libraries. Add the fact that it is Historical Fiction during World War II and I’m in.

The famous department store Boots has a lending Library! Emma Taylor is a widow with a lively and lovely daughter named Olivia. Ms. Taylor is struggling to make ends meet and really wants to work. However during this time in history widows weren’t allowed to work. Emma grew up in a book store. She takes a chance by applying for a job at the Booklover’s Library. The head of the library takes a chance on Emma. Her life begins to transform. She is making friends and providing for her daughter.

The book is really a feel good story about Emma and Olivia. It starts out as they are two against the world during the looming possibility of war and ends up with them being surrounded by a small community. The book delves into the loss, pain, difficultly, and separation of family. The book gives us a feeling about the difficult choices people had to make during World War II. This story is much more on the softer side of then usual Historical Fiction Novels regarding this war.

It is heartwarming and leaves the reader with a happy ending. This was an easy read and a divergence from the usual World War II historical fiction novels. I am looking forward to Madeline Martin’s next novel. Well done.

I would like to thank the author, Harlequin Trade Publishing, Hanover Press Publishing and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I just finished The Booklover's Library in just about 24 hours. I was completely engrossed in this story. In particular, I loved the pacing. It felt like in each chapter something different was happening and there were a lot of subplots that kept me turning the pages.

If you like WWII historical fiction, this will be a good fit. Thank you, NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Set in London during WWII, Emma Taylor is a widow living with her daughter Olivia in a tenement house. Due to the war, Emma sends Olivia away as part of the evacuation plan to keep the children safe during the bombings. It becomes a trying time for both mother and daughter. Emma secures a job at the Boots’ Booklover’s Library, even though widows with children are prohibited from most jobs. She must hide that she has a daughter.

Through all the upheaval, violence, and turmoil of war, Emma embarks on an emotional journey. She finds solace and friendship at her job and sees firsthand the power of books to bring people together in good times and bad. The novel is a testament to the resilience of the human spirit, a well-researched and lovely story about a woman’s journey back from loneliness and her intense love for her daughter.

This novel resonates with me as I have also been fortunate to find friends through shared love books. Never underestimate the power of other people’s stories and their impact on our lives.

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC!

The Booklover’s Library by Madeline Martin is a captivating, heartwarming story of motherhood, friendship, love, resilience and community set in wartime Nottingham, England and how the power of books brings them together.

I loved this touching story, it is a must read.

Thank you NetGalley, Author and Publisher for the E-Arc.

Emma Taylor is a widowed mother who finds herself in need of a job just at WWII is amping up. She manages to convince the manageress at Boots’ Booklover’s Library to give her a job despite widows not being allowed jobs. She's looking forward to a better life with her daughter when the war arrives on British soil and she's forced to send her daughter away for safety. But danger doesn't only come from the Germans dropping bombs and Emma will have to decide if dubious safety far away is better than knowing where and how her daughter is doing.

It's a very sweet story about the hardships English citizens had to go through during WWII told through the lens of a kind woman determined to keep her daughter safe and do all she can to help those around her. The people Emma is surrounded by are almost all excellent people with their own stories to tell that contribute greatly to the world building.

I particularly appreciate that it's very much a WWII story that doesn't delve as deep into the horrors of war yet it still manages to get the point across by making it about the people. It's not just Emma's story, it's those around her who step up to support their community and their country.

Happy thanks to NetGalley and Hanover Square Press for the enlightening read!

The Booklover’s Library by Madeline Martin is a heartwarming historical novel set in Nottingham, England, during World War II.

The story follows Emma Taylor, a widow struggling to provide for herself and her daughter, Olivia, amidst the chaos of the Blitz. Emma finds solace and purpose in a local library, where she discovers the transformative power of books and the strength of community.

Martin’s meticulous research brings wartime England to life, highlighting the resilience and sacrifices of ordinary people. The novel beautifully captures the therapeutic nature of books and the bonds they create among readers. The characters are well-developed and relatable, making their journeys both poignant and inspiring.

This was a compelling read for me as I am generally someone who enjoys those slice-of-life stories set against a historical backdrop. The Booklover’s Library is a testament to the enduring power of literature and the human spirit and I would definitely recommend it!

The Booklovers Library has some of my absolute favorite things to read about: libraries and books in general, found family and WWII historical fiction.

We follow widower, Emma Taylor as she struggles to provide a life for her daughter Olivia. When Boots’ Booklover’s Library takes a chance on hiring her (widows aren’t allowed to work), her life transforms with the friendships she makes. As the threat of the war looms over England, Emma will have some tough choices to make regarding her daughter’s safety.

This book was so heartwarming and beautiful. It just leaves you with such a good feeling. The research the author did in getting the historical accuracy down really shows. As far as WWII historical fictions go, this one was on the more mild light hearted side. I definitely plan on reading more from Madeline Martin.

Thank you to NetGalley for this ARC!

Cozy, sweet, and sad; fans of The Last Bookshop in London will love this new novel from Madeline Miller. This historical fiction novel will have you asking, did that really happen?” and in most cases the answer is yes, it did. This tale of motherhood, friendship, and resilience makes an excellent comfort read.

Thanks to NetGalley for this eARC.

I had my doubts in the beginning of this novel. Obviously, since I loved her debut novel, I had high hopes for this novel. And with the way the novel began with tragedy following tragedy and even more tragedy and a war...well, I was just not sure how Emma would survive this novel! And she's the main character!

As it moved along past the string of tragedies, the story picked up quite a bit, more historical context was explored (in particular, the law about married and widowed women not being allowed to work!), and things moved along quite well. It's a powerful story, one which I enjoyed immensely. Highly recommend!