Two women are sent to Lisbon, Portugal during WWII to preserve books and manuscripts with the possibility of other "missions". Bea and Selene both quickly become involved in espionage work and love affairs. They were both characters that I enjoyed reading about. I appreciated having a story from both viewpoints. It was a little confusing towards the end because their storied intertwined but you don't find out how until the very end. Some parts of each their relationships were a little cheesy for me, but I have never lived through a war so maybe I don't understand the intensity! Bea and Selene were also put in many situations where they needed to use skills learned on "the farm" but we were never really told enough about the farm for me to feel convinced they would know all these skills. A little more background at the beginning of the story would have made the story more believable to me. I did not know about the wolfram mines in Portugal or how that impacted the war. That part of the story was really interesting and made me want to know more about that. I really appreciated that the prologue started with Bea and Selene meeting in Lisbon in their old age. Since I knew this, I knew they would both survive their experiences and I liked that because I really loved both of them and didn't want to see them hurt. Overall a good peek into an unknown part of WWII involving the sale of wolfram. and women in espionage in Portugal during WWII. Thank you NetGalley for the advance copy of this book!

In books, Lisbon always sounds exotic and captivating with that special mysterious something. During World War II, Portugal was neutral but heaved with covert operations, spy networks, intelligence gathering, code breaking, sanctuary for refugees and the mineral wolfram.

In The Librarians of Lisbon, deceptions are rampant and no one truly knew who was on which side. American librarians were sent there to infiltrate and rescue documents with the MI15. Amongst them were Bea and Selene who were dear friends. Both had secrets and were extraordinarily adept at their intelligence gathering, though extremely different personalities. Gable and Luca had secrets, too, and sparks ignited.

Oh, how I loved the beautifully rich writing! The setting is beguiling, too. However, "romance" was on the steamy side and distracted from what was otherwise a gorgeous novel riddled with interesting information and characters.

The author's notes are extensive and wonderfully informative, loaded with fascinating history.

My sincere thank you to Zando Publishing and NetGalley for providing me with an early digital copy of this engrossing novel.

3,5* rounded up to 4*. I loved the suspense of this novel! I found the setting in Portugal interesting. Indeed, I did not know so much about what was going on in this country during WWII. A nest of spies, whom.to trust, whom to avoid? The plot was full of tension all throughout the novel. What irritated me however was Selene and Bea's immaturity as far as romance in this world of spies. Their training was definitely lacking in this respect as well as their psychological development. I still enjoyed this novel very much, but I could have done without the extent of the romance.
I received a digital copy of this novel from NetGalley and I have voluntarily written an honest review.

This is a dual POV, WWII spy story taking place in Lisbon. While it was interesting to read a book that takes place in Lisbon (which is not frequently a location for WWII historical fiction), this story fell a little flat for me and wasn't as engaging as I had hoped.
Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for access to this eARC.

1943: Selene Delmont and Bea Sullivan are best friends and librarians from Boston, they are trained to be agents for the U.S. Intelligence Office and sent to Lisbon. Selene and Bea are here to catalogue the vast quantities of information gathered by the allies, and by night, both women are undercover agents and they can’t tell anyone and including each other.

Selene is from a wealthy family she’s beautiful and poised, Bea is bookish and lacks confidence. Both librarians are caught up in treacherous game of cat and mouse alongside two of Lisbon’s most notorious men, Luca Caldeira a social outcast, and Rafael Delgado is an agent known as Gable. Despite Portugal and Lisbon being neutral, it’s the last gateway to Europe, full of desperate refugees and nobility, spies and double agents, a thriving black market and the top producer of wolfram and a mineral used to make ammunition.

Both Selene and Bea have night time missions and are under pressure to find out who’s the main leader of the spy ring, Selene and Luca, go to Lisbon's casinos, ballroom’s and hotels and she’s hoping to make friends with the mistresses of the underworld figures and get into their inner circle. Bea works for Colonel Fitzgerald and so does Gable and he doubts the stuffy librarian has what it takes and is shocked when he discovers she excels at deciphering codes and has a photographic memory.

I received a copy of The Librarians of Lisbon by Suzanne Nelson from NetGalley and Zando Projects in exchange for an honest review. Based on real people, events and what happened in Lisbon during the Second World War and the debut novel is told from the points of view of the two main characters. The reader gets an idea of the roles women played in helping the allies win and how important they were and what stopped me from giving the book a higher rating was the “romance” was a bit over the top, especially when the characters are agents and on high alert, very odd timing and it didn’t fit into the narrative. A story about friendship and secrets, survival and danger, action and intrigue, loss and heartbreak and four stars from me and well done to Ms. Nelson in having her first historical fiction novel published.

Librarians of Lisbon is told from the point of view of Beatrice and Selene. This is a story of secret identities, espionage, and risk. WWII, even in Lisbon and even for two librarians, wasn't without its dangers. Like any WWII story, this book is filled with a deep soul aching heartache that makes it very hard to reach but just as important to read and witness the accounts. While the names might be changed, while the journey or story might be fictional, these events are part of history and as such we must heed the warnings they carry.

This isn't my usual read, not since the chapter of my life when I became a mother myself, but this book was well written and the story is an amazing one. Suzanne did a great job and I am grateful for the opportunity to read it.

I received an electronic copy of the ARC in exchange for an honest review. Overall a well written and well researched story about female spies in Lisbon during WWII. However, the dual love story part of this book did not read authentic to me and almost felt like just a patch in addition to the main plot.

I truly loved reading this book! It was interesting being set in Lisbon during WWII. It gave a different perspective from books I normally read set in this time period. The two main characters were strong and endured a lot and I really loved them. Would highly recommend this book when it comes out next month!

Thank you NetGalley for this arc!!!

There's endless stories about the world during wartime. In particular, World War II. As I've read many, many of these books, both fiction and non, I'm still discovering new stories and ways to looks at wartime and those affected.

The Librarians of Lisbon is historical fiction about the neutral Lisbon, Portugal during World War II. Boson librarians are trained by the US Office of Strategic Services (early CIA). Assigned to work in Lisbon, the librarians go to their day jobs and try and integrate within Lisbon. However, they are also sworn to secrecy - even to each other.
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I wanted to love this book. I love WWII historical fiction, I love Lisbon and I love new ways at looking at various initiatives that the US took during this time. That said, I felt like the intimate scene were...a bit much. I would have preferred more on the personal growth and development of each of the women.

Suanne Nelson did provide plenty of excitement and mystery in this story so the intimate details were easy for me to overlook.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for the opportunity to read and review.

I had no idea how much Portugal had to do in WWII until I read this book. I appreciate the women we have not heard about finally getting their stories told. I loved Bea and Selene's stories being brought in as librarians to catalog surviving books, but also had other missions. This one had me guessing until the end. Thank you to NetGalley and Zando Projects for a chance to read this one early in exchange for an honest review.

Suzanne Nelson’s Librarians of Lisbon is a dazzling and emotionally resonant tale set against the tumultuous backdrop of WWII. With its lush depiction of 1940s Lisbon, richly drawn characters, and a plot brimming with espionage and romance, this novel captivated me from start to finish.

Selene Delmont and Beatrice Sullivan, two American librarians turned undercover operatives, are at the heart of this compelling story. Their contrasting personalities—Selene’s vivacious confidence and Bea’s thoughtful reserve—create a beautifully layered friendship that serves as the emotional anchor of the book. Their journeys into the shadowy world of espionage are both thrilling and heartbreaking, as the women navigate dangerous alliances and wrestle with questions of loyalty, love, and sacrifice.

Nelson’s meticulous research shines through, immersing the reader in Lisbon’s glittering yet treacherous wartime atmosphere. The city comes alive as a character in its own right, a haven for exiled royalty, desperate refugees, and duplicitous spies. The vivid descriptions of lavish ballrooms and dimly lit corners of intrigue heighten the stakes and underscore the peril faced by Selene and Bea.

The romance arcs add another layer of complexity. Selene’s dynamic with the enigmatic baron Luca Caldeira crackles with tension and charm, while Bea’s tentative connection with the mysterious double-agent Gable is a slow burn full of doubt and yearning. Both relationships are fraught with danger, and Nelson masterfully explores the fine line between trust and betrayal in times of war.

What truly sets Librarians of Lisbon apart is its exploration of the sacrifices made in the name of duty and love. Inspired by real historical figures, the novel doesn’t shy away from the harsh realities of espionage, yet it also celebrates the courage and resilience of its characters.

This is a story of bravery, heartbreak, and the unbreakable bond of friendship. Nelson has crafted a spellbinding novel that lingers long after the final page. Fans of historical fiction, espionage, and sweeping romance will find much to love in Librarians of Lisbon. An absolute must-read!

This book starts with you meeting Selene and Bea in a coffee shop years after the war that they were both a part of. They travel to Lisbon to help with the war effort and become librarians to save books from the Nazis. Selene wants to do more to help the Allied forces and does so. Unbeknownst to her Bea also wants to do more and does so. This story has romance, intrigue and of course sadness as we are reading about war times. Thank you to NetGalley, Zando Projects and Suzanne Nelson for the ARC of this book which I received for free.

Disclaimer, I must say I requested this book on Netgalley because I am portuguese, born and raised in Lisbon, and was trying to catch inconsistencies.

Well, I did find some, especially at a language level (it should have been reviewed by a native speaker, so these could have been spotted), but I also found a very good and solid story, well written, well researched, and I ended up learning many things about what it was like to live in my city 30 plus years before I was born.

The characters were compelling and we were invested in their fate, the plot had a nice pace, and I ended up enjoying myself very much.

Recommend it to all those that love historical fiction, well researched, with a dash of romance.

(A review will also be posted in my blog, on January 2025)

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Suzanne Nelson's Librarians of Lisbon took me on an emotional ride that is witty, palpable and so smart. This is first time author for me but I loved it. I loved the flashback with the historical fiction and take on what it's like to live through war. One thing I loved was how this read like a biography and documentary where I could feel like I was watching through their eyes. I loved that I learned so much reading this story and what it's like to live through times like those by women's eyes and their friendship and the romance in it? It was beautiful. such a beautiful story and truly enjoyed it. A must read!

This story goes fast and is full of WWII missions between two American women. There is a taste of mystery that winds through it. I was up all night reading.

This book does a great job of telling the story of two strong women that chose to sacrifice their life for a much bigger purpose. It follows them through the sacrifices and close calls, along with love interests.

While this book is a slow start, the ending has you unable to put the book down and so attached to the characters that have grown throughout the book.

The author did an amazing job of incorporating the stories of real life heroes in this time period that aren’t well known into some of the main characters.

I was clueless about what went on behind the scenes during WW2 until authors started sharing their talents. I am ashamed to admit that I thought most war was fought on a battlefield. Reading The Librarians of Lisbon removed the blindfold. The war was so much more complex. The war was so much more dangerous.

In the story, Lisbon was a hub of spy activity. The Allies and Axis were working to win the war. The Librarians of Lisbon tells the story of deep espionage. No one seemed to be who they said they were. Danger filled the pages as the allies tried to control the Wolfram exports. Double agents seemed to be everywhere. People disappeared without a trace.

Trying to keep track of who was good, who was a traitor, or who was only out for themselves kept me on my toes throughout the story. It left me in awe of what was going on during the war. This story made me realize that we are taught very little. This story made me realize the importance of those that worked in the dark, risking everything in order to help win the war.

The suspense created such tension. It was if it was all happening now. There are so many mind blowing moments. Adding to the drama was the romance that happened. I was reminded that one can't control the heart or protect it. For others it was all a game of survival. I closed the book wanting to know more, needing to know more. The unsung hero was the spy that risked all.

The Librarians of Lisbon is my top book I’ve read this year.

Fast paced and with so many twists and turns, I truely could not put this book down. Love, danger, spies, and double agents - it has it all. The historical information at the end of the book was also amazing, many of the characters are based on real-life people who did incredible things in WWII and I had no idea about the many ways Portugal affected the war.

5 stars out of 5 ⭐️

Selene and Bea, librarians at the Boston Public Library, were best friends. Selene had been a rich Newport socialite until she refused to marry the man of her parent’s dreams. Ostracized, she was taken in by Bea and they became inseparable. Selene was unafraid and beautiful, while Bea was quiet, and preferred the company of books.

In 1943 Selene joined the Army to be a spy, live a life of adventure, and forget her past. Bea would be lonely as her fiancé and brother were deployed, and her parents were dead, so she also joined. After training, the friends were assigned different roles in neutral Lisbon, Portugal. Bea would work with other librarians, saving books the Nazis were trying to destroy, while Selene’s beauty would be used to lure secrets out of rich men to find a Nazi informant.

Because of Bea’s photographic memory, she was reassigned to work as a spy. She and a double agent had to discover who was selling large amounts of wolfram to the Nazis. As danger began to press in for the friends, they knew they had been sworn to secrecy and their mission would be compromised if they talked about their work. However, neither of the friends knew their assignments would converge, leaving them to make the hardest decisions of their lives.

I was drawn into the story of these two librarians, especially because I’m also a librarian. It was disheartening to read about how brave librarians saved books the Nazis were destroying, while in books are being routinely banned in this country just like the Nazis had done. I learned there was a Portuguese version of Oskar Schindler and hope the name Aristides de Sousa Mendes, who saved thousands of Jewish refugees from death, becomes as well known. I also didn’t know Portugal, a supposedly neutral country, allowed a wolfram trade that leaned more towards the Nazis than other countries – especially knowing weapons made with it were armor piercing. Like many, I wonder what would have happened if they had not been neutral and, instead, had been on Germany’s side. It’s a scary thought.

“The Librarians of Lisbon” is an exciting, historical read and will make an excellent book club choice.

Highly recommended for Adults.

An amazing spy romance based on real events with characters based on real life heroes of WWII. Though Ian Fleming was a naval secretary working for military intelligence, not a spy.