The British Booksellers

Everything I have ever read by Kristy Cambron is always a treat and of the highest quality, and this book was no different. What sets her apart is her breathtaking prose, her excellent characterization, and the quality of her historical accuracy. Combine that with books, lost love, and redemption during WWII Blitz and you are swept away yet glued to your seat! Absolutely wonderful! I recommend all her books, but I believe this one is my favorite and her best yet! TEN STARS!
In short, this was a fantastic WWII novel that is unputdownable. Authentic details and superb writing raise this book above the rest. I really enjoyed it and will read anything this author decides to write!

Another great read from one of my favorite authors. I loved reading the story from multiple perspectives and was so happy that the book had a happy ending.. The mystery was a great benefit too. It was a fantastic read and I could hardly put it down.

This is a beautiful, heartfelt story that begins in 1914 through 1915, when WWI, known as the Great War, is happening. Amos Darby, the son of a tenant farmer, and Charlotte Terrington, the daughter of an earl, have secretly been best of friends since childhood. The story unfolds during the challenges and hardships of the Great War and is expertly woven into the time of the 1940s when WWII, Hitler and more devastation is imminent.
As they Amos and Charlotte grow older, a true affection develops between them. They even discuss marriage. However, the Earl of Harcourt chooses Charlotte to be his wife. Her parents are in favor of the match, and Charlotte feels she is destined to a loveless marriage.
During the saga of the second war, in the 1940s, Charlotte is a widow, and has an 18-year-old daughter, Eden, who is determined to preserve the legacy of the father she never knew. Unexpectedly a lawyer from the United States shows up during the war, with a lawsuit that could end everything Charlotte and Eden have worked hard to save.
Over the many years between the end of WWI and the beginning of WWII, Amos, and Charlette both own competing bookshops on the same street, nearly across the street from each other. Although they have never spoken to one another in many years, they never lost their love of books or the value they play in life.
This captivating story has many interesting facts and details of the eras in which it takes place. I loved all the details and descriptions of life during the challenge of living through two wars. There is a large cast of intriguing, delightful characters. This is a fast-paced story with numerous surprises and secrets.
I received a complimentary copy of this book. All opinions expressed and remarks are totally mine.

This complex and compelling book covers both World Wars in dual timelines. Some of the characters are affected by both wars, along with other players in each period. I laughed. I cried. I stayed up late reading. Cambron describes the affects of the war on the area around Coventry in heart-breaking detail, and makes it come alive because I cared about the people it affected.

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

Another powerful dual timeline by Kristy Cambron. This novel encompasses both WWI and WWII. The central theme is the impact of different events on our lives and how we deal with them, how they shape us into who we are, but also the choices we can (but might not) make. Ms. Cambron tackles this topic through the pain, struggles and growth in the lives of Charlotte, Amos and Will. The setting is mainly around Coventry in the U.K. with some scenes set in France during WWI. Besides the huge life lessons, the reader learns a lot about history, in particular the German attacks on and around Coventry. As always, the research is impeccable, in-depth and beautifully woven into the story. Very likable main characters, and a bad guy with a hidden surprise side which comes to light after many years. The author brings in many different aspects and some other unexpected elements that are super interesting and keeps one reading as if there’s no tomorrow. She’s an excellent writer and you feel part of the scenes. When there’s a piece that needs to have a number of facts summed up, she does it in such a gracious way that you don’t even notice that she just packed a bunch of information in half a page. Ms. Cambron has very much mastered the art of showing versus telling. Favorite lines “Books are an escape that beckons the reader from the heavy burdens of this world”, …”that tall dreamboat over there…”, “When you read a book as a child, it becomes part of your identity in a way no other reading in your whole life does…” I once read “Number the Stars” (about WWII in Denmark) with a class. Fifteen years later, one of my former students visited me (he had moved to Europe and so had I) and said, “My love of history started with that book.” To all you history lovers, the British Booksellers is another one you do not want to miss!

Many thanks to Thomas Nelson and NetGalley for providing me with a free complimentary copy. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

Kristy Cambron takes you on an emotional and heartbreakingly beautiful journey in the British Booksellers. With the perfect transitions and balance between two different timelines, I was captivated by our main characters stories and life changes especially through times of war. I was blown away by Kristy Cambrons ability to weave the past with their present so flawlessly and unravel the twists and the turns in such a bittersweet way. The character growth in this book was some of the best I’ve ever read, especially the redemption story of one particular character. You see different types of love portrayed throughout the book and the strength it can give in times of weakness. You will find themes of forgiveness, redemption, courage and faith all woven together to tell the story so beautifully, and it all begins with a boy and a book and a girl and her cello and the friendship between them.


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

THE BRITISH BOOKSELLERS by KRISTY CAMBRON is a beautifully written family saga that takes place in Coventry, encompassing the first and second world wars. This author’s command of the English language and her understanding of human nature is remarkable. This is the story of people’s lives and how they are affected by war, not only that between nations but also between one another. It is about secrets, second chances and unconditional love. Books play a huge part in the novel and in Charlotte and Amos’ relationship, as does Charlotte’s cello playing, as they meet in the glass house from their childhood until things change….
There are true events such as the destruction of Coventry, and real people such as King George V1, backing up the fictional parts of the story. I like the “tea queue” set up at Waverley Novels in Bayley Lane, the Land Girls who bring light and laughter into everyone at Holt Manor’s lives, and who are treated as family as they work hard and bravely for the war effort. Also the enigmatic American lawyer, Jacob Cole, who soon becomes part of the family - what is he really doing there?…..
I am not going to tell you any more for fear of spoiling things for you.
I really enjoyed The British Booksellers, with all the tension of relstionships and the poignant love stories against the backdrop of the horrors of war, and found the book most inspirational. I cannot recommend the novel highly enough.
I was given a free copy of tye book by NetGalley from Thomas Nelson. The opinions in this review are completely my own.

The British Booksellers explores as Kristy Cambron does best, how the past influences our future. This book travels back and forth from WW1 to WW2 through the main characters of the story Lady Charlotte Terrington and her daughter Lady Eden Holt.

Lady Charlotte Terrington is a heiress who is in love with one of her childhood friends Mr. Amos Darby, however life and circumstances leads her life away from the dream both planned when they were younger.

Lady Eden Holt is the daughter of Lady Charlotte and William Holt. She’s is the only heiress of her father state and expends every waking hour working to make her dead father proud by preserving her crumbling inheritance until a young and dashing solicitor from America, Mr. Jacob Cole, appears and threatens everything she held dear.

Secrets needs to be discover and heartaches need to be mend in order for this story reach a happy ending.

Even though, the back and forth story telling might confuse some readers, I do believe that it’s the only way to actually narrate both stories while explaining the connection between them.
I learned so much about the Coventry Blitz disastrous event while also learning about the first WW1 events in France. Therefore, I hope you enjoy this book as much as I did. Now, I’m hooked up on this author that surprisingly I just discover though NetGalley.

Wow. She’s done it again. Kristy Cambron somehow writes books that break my heart but the story is so good that I come back again and again. Deep, poignant, and real, her stories capture me and this one is no exception.

There is incredible loss, sacrifice, love, and just about every other emotion one could think of in this book. Cambron's writing has you grieving what you know is coming but also, when it happens, you just want to sit with the characters in their pain. Even though my life in no way mirrors that of these characters, somehow I can relate to them. Cambron makes their emotions accessible to a modern reader and that is a gift.

There are, however, light-hearted moments as well. Such as:
"You carry an emergency book?"
"Doesn't everyone?"

I highlighted and bookmarked a LOT in this book, because there is so much wisdom in it, but these two I think sum things up very well:

"... love meant to accept all - the grit and the grief alongside beauty. To endure the harshness of life not with despair but hope."

"Some pain would never go away. Some choices, never alter. But if they'd learned anything from the beauty and brokenness of this world together, it was that light always overshadowed the darkness.

This is an intriguing and heartbreak story the spans WWI (the war to end all wars) and WWII. War causes so many terrible things, but it can also bring people together.
Those in England did not escape Hitler’s wrath. They two had many casualties and bombed out buildings to rebuild. But that helped each other and in this tale even found love.

A beautifully written love story that spans two world wars.
A teenage friendship, and a love of books, but from two different worlds. A story filled with music, books, sweet romance, and tragedy.
A story that draws you in and doesn't let go, and through out most of the book we end up at war. A heartwarming read, that made it a page turner for me.
Be sure to read the epilogue, a gift!
I received this book through Net Galley and the Publisher Thomas Nelson, and was not required to give you a positive review.

This story is about a man who came home after WWI, opened a book shop as a recluse. He was scarred and hid away. He had been good friends with Charlotte. She married another man only to become a widow later. As WWII comes around, they must work together to keep the things they love. Living through the Blitz is something I cannot imagine.

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

Kristy Cambron weaves a riveting dual-time novel set in WWI & WWII. Amos Darby - a farmer's son - and Charlotte Terrington - an earl's daughter - form an unlikely friendship as children. Their love of books - albeit different ones, draws them close and as they grow up, daring escapades and laughter binds their hearts. But soon war interferes as well as society and before long they take very different paths. Jump ahead to WWII and Charlotte's daughter Eden is trying to keep the family estate from crumbling. Enter an American solicitor with a lawsuit in hand and what will become of Eden's future? Then a devastating bombing hits their town of Coventry and all those who are at odds put their differences aside to pull together. Skillful character development and gripping war-time scenes had me on the edge of my seat! This was an amazing novel!

I adore Kristy Cambron's novels. She has a way to captivate her readers all throughout her stories. The British Booksellers is no different. I loved it. Five stars.

There’s a lot to love about this story centered in Coventry and on her people— loves, mysteries, hopes, dreams, war, anguish, healing, hope—and in the end all is as it should be. War is never pretty, but hope and healing prevails. Recommended.

An incredible, atmospheric, page-turning, clean romantic historical fiction book about WWII. I adored it, and I'm an avid reader who doesn't easily assign books "5 stars", but this one earned that rating to the core.

In this duel-timeline novel, Charlotte and Amos are neighbors growing up in the early 20th century, but their stations in life are disparate and even though they fall in love as children, circumstances keep them apart. Fast forward to the early days of WWII, and Amos and Charlotte are both living in Coventry, England with their separate responsibilities and shared past scars that keep them apart. The author reveals details of their past slowly, which kept me engaged and turning every page to find out what really happened decades ago. I was rooting for the couple throughout the whole book, in addition to thoroughly enjoying the stories of the endearing side characters. As a excellent historical fiction book should do, this book taught me a ton about WWII that I didn't know previously, without ever feeling like a droll history text. I loved this book and I think the story and characters will stay with me for a long time.

This is the first book from Kristy Cambron that I've read, but I already requested more of her titles from my library and shared the information about this book with a friend. I fell in love with Kristy's atmospheric writing style, ability to weave details in the early text that will be important later, and her masterful way of showing instead of telling.

Content: Clean, kisses only.

Thank you to NetGalley and Tommy Nelson Fiction for providing me a free copy of this book in exchange for my honest review. I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

This was an absolute treasure. I enjoyed it from start to finish. Kristy Cambron creates engaging characters and captivating settings, all with a background of the early years of World War II in England. There was so much that was enjoyable--the delayed romance, the moments of suspense, and the inclusion of competing bookshops. I can honestly say that it was one of the best historical romances I've read this year.

A compelling novel that weaves between WWI and WWII and a story of all that's lost and found between the two. It also highlights the secrets that can come between us and those we love. It is only in revealing those secrets and letting the light seep in that freedom in found. Kristy has again crafted characters you will enjoy spending time with and set the story firmly in an important part of WWII history. If you weren't aware of the history surrounding Coventry, you'll be gripped by all that the people living there endured. I thoroughly enjoyed this story.

I loved this book.

Very easy to read in a sitting. The second chance theme was beautiful. I loved how love won even after so many years.

My favorite was Eden's and Jacob's story. Love truly transcends culture.

The author did a beautiful job in writing a novel about war but still bringing out beauty.

I received a copy of this book and this is my honest opinion.

I always love how Kristy Cambron brings the reader so fully into the story world. THE BRITISH BOOKSELLERS provides another wonderful example. This is a beautiful, heartfelt story that brings WWI to life through the characters of Amos and Charlotte. There is another timeline the focuses on the onset of WWII. In this jump forward we see that Charlotte is now a widow with a teenaged daughter. She is faced with the task of protecting her father's legacy in the face of a contentious lawsuit.

The emphasis on bookstores and the love of books adds another delightful and relatable layer to the story.

There is a large cast of characters to keep up with; however, the author does a good job of keeping the reader's attention.

I received a complimentary e-galley of this title; all opinions expressed in this review are 100% my own.

This is a beautiful and heart-rending novel based on the true events of the bombings in Coventry. The novel covers both world wars from the views of two families from the aristocracy and a tenant farmer. I could not put this down as the story was so compelling. Definitely recommend.

A captivating tale of the complexity of humanity told through the stories of so many individuals, I finished this book in a day. Cambron weaves together the stories of multiple family members over time with incredible fluidity. Set in Coventry, England during World War II, with references back to pre-WW1, these are the stories of strong women on a mission, complemented by men seeking to understand the complexity of the human experience through various parts of their lives. There are elements of mystery, a bit of romance, and quite a bit of vivid and powerful imagery of the what the people of Coventry experienced during the war.

The book begins with an early introduction to the young characters whose stories will be told throughout the book, grounding you with a firm understanding of their long withstanding affections for each other. The powerful imagery of what transpires next helps you see the characters, as they are now, and what experiences have shaped the personalities that help them come off the pages. You can easily imagine the haughty expressions of Lady Eden as she handles Jacob and the perceived silliness of the Land Girls, the tenderness of Charlotte, and the gruff exterior of Amos, and the brash audacity of Will. The characters in this book are as complex as their experience, and the backdrop of both Holt Manor and Coventry highlights the beauty of their characters in contrast to very difficult circumstances.

Make no mistake, this is a story about humans, not merely about war-torn experiences. It highlights the choices we all make and the importance of love, forgiveness, and redemption.

Young Charlotte Terrington loves playing her cello and reading books. Her parents only approve of one of those activities. After all, heiresses in England must adhere to strict propriety guidelines in all they do. Even if those guidelines go against their nature. Amos Darby, son of a tenant farmer, becomes her conspirator in music—he reads while she plays. Together, they have an idyllic childhood, and as they mature, both acknowledge their friendship has blossomed into something deeper.

But as the world careens toward the Great War, each has a choice. Choose each other or choose duty. Charlotte’s parents want her to marry the heir to their neighbor’s estate, the future Earl of Harcourt. If she chooses duty, Charlotte will forego love. Duty wins when Amos fails to meet her at the blacksmith shop in Gretna Green.

Twenty-five years later, war looms again. Charlotte, a war widow within a year of marriage, spends her time raising their daughter, running a quaint bookshop in nearby Coventry, and scheming ways to keep her husband’s estate solvent.

Her first love has opened a rival bookshop across the street and spends his time as a recluse, eager to hide his horrific battle scars from curious friends and neighbors. Although they work in the same village and live near each other, Charlotte and Amos haven’t exchanged a kind word since the Great War.

Lady Eden, Charlotte’s daughter, schemes to save her inheritance with her mother. When a young, handsome, brash American lawyer shows up on her doorstep questioning her right to receive part of his inheritance, Eden doesn’t know what to think.

When Hitler decides to drop bombs on Coventry, everyone must put the past aside to survive the present.

What I Loved About This Book

Cambron has mastered the time-shift novel and knows exactly when to leave storylines hanging and readers wondering what will happen next. Each story unfolds seamlessly, revealing secrets at just the right time. The historical details help readers understand the pathos of the period and the deprivations faced by ordinary citizens who must step up in extraordinary ways during times of war or disaster.

Fans of Roseanna M. White will enjoy this latest beauty from Kristy Cambron.

It's been a while since I've read a Kristy Cambron book. I've almost forgotten how satisfying her stories are. The newest offering from this masterful author once again proves why she's a favorite in the historical fiction world. Set in Coventry, England during the early days of WWII, the history of the blitz of this area is seamlessly woven into a tale of regret, misunderstanding, bravery, sacrifice, and redemption between star-crossed lovers. The flashbacks to what happened between Amos and Charlotte during the years of WWI flow beautifully into how they work together during WWII preparing for an inevitable blitz of their beloved city.
I loved Amos and his loyal, tender heart beneath his gruffness. He was so real - complete with scars, hurts, secrets, and shame. Charlotte and her strong, steady spirit was admirable. I liked Charlotte's daughter Eden and her independent attitude and outlook. And Jacob, the American solicitor, rounded out the fabulous main character set and added a heaping dash of charm, fun, and intrigue.
It's a beautifully written historical fiction that probes at the meaning of community, humanity amidst war, forgiveness, and sacrificial love.

I received a complimentary copy courtesy of Thomas Nelson via NetGalley and was under no obligation to post a positive comment. All opinions are my own.

A wonderful immersion into the lives of childhood friends who are challenged by social barriers, family expectations and even by war. Charlotte and Amos are kindred spirits, but of differing social classes. They are bound by an undeniable love and admiration for one another, but separated by circumstances over which they either have no control or have an incomplete understanding. Also factored into their choices is a sense of honor that prohibits them from crossing boundaries that they see as possibly harmful to the other. The author brings forward the horrors as well as the heroics of war.The beauty and heartbreak of sacrificial love is woven into both personal relationships as well as into love and duty toward ones country. A lovely read and highly recommended.

"The British Booksellers" was a beautiful work of historical fiction. The idea of warring bookstore owners was appealing itself, but to combine it with lost love, the horrors of war, secrets from the past, new love, and resilience was even better. The cast of characters is great -- Amos, Charlotte (Charlie), Eden, Ginny, Jacob, Flo, Dale, etc. I liked the way the author alternated between the past and present, giving the readers little pieces of the history of Amos and Charlie and how they came to find themselves in their current circumstances. How Jacob was connected to the Holt family (Charlie, Eden) was quite creative. His intrusion into their lives served well as a partial catalyst to unlocking years of hurt and pain between Amos and Charlie. The book has its fair share of twists, none more surprising than the actions of Will. Book lovers will enjoy the banter between Amos and Charlie over the merits of certain authors and categories of books.

I was captivated by the writing of this book. Going back and forth in time from the early 1900's to the aftermath of WW II, I was intrigued by the way in which the author kept certain facts hidden from view until late in the book. The characters were engaging. The plot lines of what took place during WW I and WWII were involved and frightening. Bravo to the author for pulling off a grand story!

The British Booksellers drew my attention because of the title implying the story would take place in bookstores. While it did take place in two bookstores, that was not truly the focus of the story. Competing bookstores are across the street from each other in the Enclish town of Coventry yet people are unaware of why there are the two stores and the owners who apparently dislike each other immensely. As you read the book, you learn the backstory of the two families and how they are connected.

Written with a dual timeline, The Brisish Booksellers focuses on Charlotte, daughter of a wealthy family, who is best friends with Amos, son of a farm worker on her family's land. They share the love of reading, which Amos absorbs almost through his pores, as he assists Charlotte in her love of playing the cello...a very unladylike musical instrument. As with all dual timelines, the reader has to keep track of the time period and locations of the parts of the story.

The story's timelines are 1908-1915, which encompasses WWI, and "current day" of 1940, WWII. The earlier time period focuses on Charlotte's and Amos' youth, her marriage into a wealthy family, and his service in the military. The friction between the classes of the families is a major problem and shows how the different classes could seldom interact. By the 1940s, both Charlotte and Amos have aged and changed greatly, seldom acknowledging each other and as far as most people know, they are enemies..but why, no one knows.

Towards the end of the book, we do have bombings taking place in WWII. Set in England, that is not really a surprise. To be sure this was actual facts, I did double-check and the events did occur as recorded. At the end of the book, the author does give details about her research and includes books for further reading. Also included are discussion questions which could be used in a book club or other group readings.

As a teacher, I am asked would I recommend this book? I would not have a problem recommending it as a personal choice for an older student as it is based on actual events and is correct with the time period. I do not think I would use it as a class book, but might use portions to explain specific events. There were times I found myself rereading portions. I am not sure if it was the way the author wrote the book that made me have to go back and check for sentence construction or if I was simply reading too fast.

I absolutely loved this book! The author grabs the attention of the reader right from the beginning and skillfully crafts an unforgettable story! I didn't know much about the Forgotten blitz bombing but now I'm eager to know more! I appreciate how much the author clearly researched to write this book!

The characters are wonderful! Each one touched my heart. I loved Amos from the very first sentences! He's loyal and a true friend. The land girls brought a smile to my face! Their unique personalities added a bit of excitement! Frank is a favorite, too! He's not what you would expect.

There are moments in the book that made me sigh in contentment, and others that caused my heart to stop. It's definitely a book that will make you think.

I was provided a copy of the book from Thomas Nelson via Netgalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Wow! Kristy Cambron really penned a zinger of a story in The British Booksellers! This novel has the makings of a classic: unrequited love, mysteries flowing through every chapter, and enough suspense to keep you on the edge of your seat.

I really didn’t want to put this one down, and I read the whole thing in a day. I simply couldn’t wait to find out what would happen to Amos and Charlie! They were characters you just have to love – though nobody in this story is quite whom they seem to be.

And that’s part of the fun of it. There isn’t just one big mystery – there’s that plus lots of little ones that Cambron trickles out as you read, just at the perfect pace to keep you longing for answers.

Cambron’s writing skills are masterful: lyrical and quotable and full of wisdom, I found myself highlighting much throughout the story – and I’m not typically one to mark up a book.

Give it a read, though, and I think you’ll see why. Whether it’s to answer the questions about what all is real – because The British Booksellers is based on real events – or because you need all the answers now, or merely because the writing is that beautiful, you won’t be able to put this book down, either.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

Coventry, England, 1914 & 1940

A tenant’s farmer's son has no business of daring to dream of a future that includes an earl’s daughter, but it doesn’t stop him from having a secret friendship with Charlotte Terrington.

The Coventry County Blitz serves as the background for The British Booksellers. This is a dual-time story and while I am not always a fan of them, having a dual time frame I felt really it served the plotline very well. I liked how the Great War and the experience that Amos and Will Holt went through prefaced the experience that is shown in WWll. There is usually a timeframe that I like better than the other, but as the layers are revealed, I couldn’t but want both to find out what would happen in 1914, so that I could understand what was happening between Amos and Charlotte in 1940. I usually connect more with the female protagonists, but I liked Amos more in the beginning.

The British Booksellers is filled with books, romance, mystery, and intrigue, and I was pulled back to read so that I could find out the secrets that spill onto the next war that devastated so many in Europe. The ending is so satisfying but I encourage you to read the beginning, and the middle too! Kristy Cambron has really outdone herself in The British Booksellers.

My gratitude to Netgalley and Thomas Nelson. All opinions expressed are mine and honest.

Historical fiction is one of my favorite genres but during the pandemic, I read so many historical fiction books that I needed a break. And the historical fiction novels that I've read since haven't hit the mark. Until now.

The British Booksellers by Kristy Cambron renewed my love for the genre. Dual timelines, two love stories, broken hearts, historical references, a small town, and TWO bookstores! Be still my heart. I loved this book.

I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own. Thank you, NetGalley and Thomas Nelson.

Five Stars. Oh my heart.
There needs to be some movie or show rights on this book stat! The story is so devastating, romantic, and hopeful. I loved that you got to see so much character growth in each of the main characters, especially with the use of dual timelines! The blitz didn’t just hit London, it also impacted several other parts of England, like Coventry. I am so thankful that Kristy Cambron writes beautiful stories that also educate and enlighten us. I would definitely recommend to anyone looking for a heartfelt historical romance that will make you laugh and cry! Thank you, NetGalley and Thomas Nelson for an ARC! I recieved a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

I absolutely loved this story. Kristy Cambron has such an captivating way of expertly leading the reader along with new revelations in each timeline that one can simply not stop keep turning pages. She writes such beautiful and satisfying stories. I could not put The British Booksellers down!

1908, 1914, and 1940 Coventry England.

"How many times in life could a boy say he was risking his neck, doing the very last thing he'd expected....for a girl?" From the first line to the last, this sweeping saga begins the with a prologue in 1908, then the two time lines occur in 1914 with WWI, and 1940, with the backdrops of World War I in England and France, and The Coventry Blitz in Coventry England during World War II. The Christmas Truce in 1914 in WWI plays a small but pivotal role in this story.

Beautiful story of books, music, love, friendship, duty, sacrifice, heroism, forgiveness, and second chances abound. I love the fact that instead of one hero, there were several, including one that surprised and delighted me. I loved the stories in both timelines, the historical detail, and the way the author makes you feel like you're there.

I HIGHLY recommend this excellent historical fiction! Thank you to publisher Thomas Nelson and Net Galley for allowing me to read an early ecopy. All opinions are my own. I can't wait for my own preordered copy to arrive for my keeper shelf.

I absolutely loved this book. Kristy Cambron takes two world wars and manages to show both the horror and the beauty that can be found. The characters are flawed and perfect. Yes there is a love story intertwined, but it is so much more than that. You see the MCs, Charlotte & Amos grow and mature and with that their perspectives on life. During The Great War Amos sees the death and distruction of the front lines, while Charlotte deals with the pain and suffering on the home front. This book shows how war can change not only the landscape, but our hearts as well. It reminds us that even in times of deep sorrow there is always hope for something better. A must read.

Many thanks to Thomas Nelson and NetGalley for providing me with a free complimentary copy. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own..

The British Booksellers by Kristy Cambron is her latest WWII novel and it is so good. I have been taking a break from WWII fiction, as it seems so heavy sometimes (as it should). But I’m so glad I read this one. Told in two timelines, both World War 1 & 2, it will remind you of the resiliency of the human spirit and the beauty in life, even in the midst of war. Five stars! #NetGalley

Amos and Charlotte were childhood friends who fell in love. The problem is that Amos is a tenant farmer and Charlotte's future has been arranged by her parents to marry the Earl of Harcourt, another childhood friend. When the Great War breaks out, all their plans suddenly change. Both Amos and the Earl head off to France and Charlotte finds herself married, pregnant, and trying to help out the war effort as best she can by opening a bookstore. Thirty years later, a new war has broken out and Coventry, an industrial center, has become a target for the Germans. Charlotte's daughter, Eden, and a mysterious American lawyer now are trying to keep both Eden's estate and Coventry safe. A wonderful historical fiction novel highlighting "The Forgotten Blitz."

The British Booksellers tells the story about love that spans two World Wars and brings together a couple of people from different social environments.
Although the events in this book also take place in different periods, there is less of a split time, split couples storyline than in many other books. This is because, apart from some flashbacks, there is more of a chronologically told story. Somehow this felt more natural than a lot of other similar books set in WWII.

The main story is set in London during the forgotten Blitz bombings, a period and setting I don't know much about, so this made the story extra interesting for me. I think that the historical background is really well researched and documented. What makes it extra interesting is that the story spans two world wars and even two continents.

I can highly recommend this book to everyone interested in historical fiction and I enjoyed every minute of reading this book.

I thank Netgalley and Thomas Nelson fiction for providing me with an ARC of this book in exchange form my honest review. All opinions expressed are my own.

Kristy Cambron is one of my very favorite authors. Her books never disappoint and The British Booksellers is definitely no exception! It is my favorite book so far this year. Both parts of this dual timeline story are achingly beautiful filled with harrowing and difficult details of wartime life, family loyalty, romance, mystery, intrigue, and of course books. The characters and the plot have lots of depth and the story is crafted around well researched events and beautifully described places. Both engaging and inspirational it is sure to be one of my most often recommended books.
Thank you to NetGalley and Thomas Nelson for the opportunity to read for my honest review.

The British Booksellers was a beautifully written historical fiction by Kristy Cambron set in England during war times. The book was written in dual timelines. The characters especially Charlotte and Amos had so much depth that I felt very connected with them and the surroundings in which they lived. If one likes Downton Abbey, they will certainly love this one. I highly recommend it.

Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC.

Life-affirming, warm, descriptive and tender. A delightful historical.movel you will want to finish in one setting.

Thank you to Thomas Nelson-FICTION and Net Galley for the chance to read and review this book. All opinions expressed are my own.
This is another good story by author Kristy Cambron. This story takes place during the Forgotten Blitz bombings. It centers on the relationship between Amos Darby and Charlotte Terrington. They are in love, but Amos is not of the same social class as Charlotte. Amos goes to war, and Charlotte marries another man. Now it is 25 years later, and they are both booksellers. Even though they are in competition with each other, they must come together to help the community when the bombing starts. I enjoyed this story. It was well-researched, and I learned a lot about this time in history. Highly recommend!

What an epically amazing story! I couldn't put it down!

There's so, so much to unpack here, from the main characters' shared history and friendship to their current circumstances as business rivals, to the impact of war on families and communities, and of course, to their love of books.

Some parts were hard to read and some parts were lovely. The writing is amazing as always. Amazing, amazing story!

I received a copy from the publisher through NetGalley and this is my honest opinion.

A tenant farmer’s son dreamed of a future with an earl’s daughter, but had to settle for his secret friendship with Charlotte Terrington, but war got in the way. Now decades later, he bears the scars of battles fought in the trenches and their futures that were stolen away. His return home comes with opening a bookshop on his own and retreating as a recluse within its walls. When the future Earl of Harcourt chose Charlotte to be his wife, she knew she was destined for a loveless match. Though her heart was with another, she pledges her future even as her husband goes to war. Twenty-five years later, Charlotte remains a war widow who divides her days between her late husband’s declining estate and operating a quaint Coventry bookshop—Eden Books, lovingly named after her grown daughter with Amos as the rival bookseller across the lane. As war with Hitler looms, Eden is determined to preserve her father’s legacy. Then an American solicitor arrives threatening a lawsuit that could destroy everything they’ve worked so hard to preserve, and mother and daughter prepare to fight back. Then their town is devastated by the Luftwaffe’s local blitz terrorizing the skies, and Amos and Charlotte must fight together to help Coventry survive.

Kristy Cambron does an outstanding job setting the scenes and describing the aftermath of the Coventry Blitz during WWII. She also describes her characters well and shows how time and change can make a difference. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read another outstanding historical fiction by this author. I highly recommend it to anyone interested in WWII.

I was given The British Booksellers by Kristy Cambron in exchange for my honest review by NetGalley.

This book takes place during the Second World War in Coventry, England and in flashbacks to the First World War. We follow Charlotte and Amos from their childhood friendship through the pains of first love in 1914. Time and events outside their control force the couple down different paths, but fate tends to bring them back together in ways neither expect. And the next generation must now contend with their own war and reaches much closer to home.

This book is written so beautifully that I was swept up in the history of the Coventry Blitz and the lives of all of these characters. I have read all of Kristy Cambron’s books, but this is my favorite. I loved the sense of community and faith of Coventry during such a heartbreaking time. You are really transported into this story, and care deeply about Charlotte, Amos, Eden, Jacob, and the land girls. I read this book slowly just to make my time with the British Booksellers last a little longer. A wonderful read.

I absolutely loved The British Booksellers by Kristy Cambron. This novel is about so much more than booksellers. It does have main characters who own and/or work at bookshops but the bookshops and selling books are not the main emphasis. There is certainly a love of books by the main characters which plays a part in a key relationship that we follow from pre-World War I into World War II. Overall, I believe what I loved most about this book were the all of the characters who the author brings to life with her excellent writing. If I were to try to describe the main emphasis if not about bookshops and selling books I would say that the novel shows how life changed from Downton Abbey style of strict class expectations to World War II requiring everyone - whether male or female - of every economic class - to do their part in the war effort in their part of Britain. I strongly recommend this book to anyone interested in historical fiction. I received a complimentary copy of this book The opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

Torn apart by a world at war, by misplaced blame, and by a society that would not allow them to be together, Charlotte and Amos each find solace in the books that fill their lives. Years later, as yet another war explodes around them, will they be able to put aside the past, and will they dare to claim the future they once dreamed of together?

Rich with history and beautifully written, this split-time, second-chance-at-romance tale highlights the power of forgiveness to heal and restore. Completely captivating!

*Thank you to Netgalley and Thomas Nelson for the complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

ENDURING LOVE SURVIVES AGAINST ALL ODDS

Award-winning writer Kristy Cambron has gifted readers with an exquisite novel based on an enduring love that survives against all odds. Cambron is passionate about her research, as illustrated in the depth and richness of her writing. She has chosen the setting of Coventry and the period from the Great War through the Coventry Blitz of WWII for this novel.

Cambron has written a story that will touch your soul. Amos and Charlotte have been friends all of their lives, even though she was the daughter of an Earl and he was the son of a tenement farmer. They were best friends and planned to marry, but another man who wanted Charlotte for himself interrupted their plans. That one act would change the course of both their lives for many generations. Amos and Charlotte eventually become competitive booksellers but respect one another enough to “stay in their own lane.” War has a way of changing things, righting wrongs, and making people realize the truth that has been in front of their eyes the whole time. It opens your eyes to those who have been constant, loyal, and always ready to put their lives on the line for the other one. This is a beautifully moving story of an enduring love that survives against all odds!

I was provided a complimentary copy of this book by Thomas Nelson and NetGalley. The opinions expressed here are entirely my own and without influence.

Kristy Cambron brings another part of history back to life in this wonderful story of war and love and the consequences both bring to life. The Forgotten Blitz bombings during WW II are revealed through the detailed research and amazing pen of Kristy Cambron. This dual timeline story tells of the courage of those who faced war and the way their lives were forever changed. And how one person's choice can have ripple effects on other lives for decades. A tenement farmer and Earl's daughter are world's apart, even if they fight to ignore it. When that difference forces them apart and war erupts, the future becomes murky and unclear. Fast forward to another erupting world war and the same two people have the choice to pull farther apart or join together for the good of their community, and maybe for each other as well. The Coventry countryside comes to life during the World Wars with stunning detail. The picture is painted and then the characters fill in the story. They leap off the pages and into a movie that brings history to life. They showcase the love and sacrifice made by so many during a time in history that formed and highlighted unbreakable bonds. Amos, Charlotte and Eden breath life into the amazing book. They felt like close friends that are sharing their stories over an intimate dinner. The struggle to keep a bookstore open during the outbreak of war and rationing. The air raid sirens that pulled everyone out of bed and into bunkers for protection. The men who monitored radios for information on locations of bombers. The people who stood on rooftops to watch for the Luftwaffe and to defend their communities. The people who ran through streets with bombs dropping to try and put out fires and pull neighbors and friends from the rubble. They draw the reader in, caring about the outcome of each decision and not wanting the story to end. It stayed with me long after the last page was read.
I loved learning about a part of both World Wars that I had not heard of before. It seems hard to believe Forgotten Blitz bombings happened, though the proof of them are brought to light through this powerful book. Kristy Cambron has such an amazing talent and I love that I get to enjoy it. I am already looking forward to the next book she writes. I highly recommend this book. I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

Thank you NetGalley and Thomas Nelson for an early read of the book in exchange for a fair review. I devoured this book - read it in 2 days! This is dual timeline book set primarily during the WW2 Coventry Blitz with brief sections set during WW1 to provide background. Lady Charlotte and former tenant farmer, Amos, put aside their differences and join forces to save their city, their country and their book stores. Truly, a good book - I could not put it down.

Bookstores…booksellers…war time…love…friendship…family…all ingredients for a real page turner, written by this talented author. A cannot put down novel…realistic characters keep the story moving quickly. They come alive on the pages. The war time setting added to the intrigue. Historical fiction at its best. Thanks Netgalley.

This is a book that is set in the UK and is a time slip between the two different World Wars. The story is a unique telling of a historical event we all have learned of, but rarely seem to truly bring to life. Cambron weaves a tale that takes young love, already strained at the seams due to societal and family expectations, and thrusts it directly into the middle of a war. You will love, hate, and want to strangle and hug these characters all at the same time as they bumble their way through a journey and love that is anything but easy. So well written and a book you will not want to set down.

I received an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Amos, a tenant farmer’s son, once dreamed of a future with earl’s daughter Charlotte. The Great War shattered their hopes. Scarred by the trenches, Amos returns home to open a bookshop. Now a war widow, Charlotte runs a rival bookstore. When an American solicitor threatens their future, they must set aside their differences to preserve their legacies amidst the looming danger of war and the local blitz.

I loved this book! It’s part romance, part mystery, part family saga against the backdrop of WWII. The characters are endearing, and the story engrossing. It’s fast-paced and complex, uplifting and deeply emotional.

Thanks, NetGalley, for the ARC I received. This is my honest and voluntary review.

I'm so grateful to authors who research and study and learn about a moment or more in history and share that with us in beautiful and powerful stories! Kristy Cambron is one author that I automatically read. I love when I see that she has a new book coming out and I can't wait to dive in and experience the emotions of it all. Because let me tell you, there are so many emotions in her books. This one is one you'll want some tissues for. Especially at the author's note when she discusses some of the historical dates and facts that she based her book on. I was in tears. My heart went out to those who experience and lived through these moments. The strength they had and the resilience as they had to pick up and rebuild all while mourning and grieving and trying to process so much loss—family members, homes, belongings, friends, communities. So many emotions!

This story was so touching! Two childhood friends and their experiences as life and the people around them make decisions and cause problems that affect their friendship and relationship. The story goes between 1914 & 1940. And if you're looking at those dates and recognize what was happening you'd be correct. World War I and World War II.

Kristy Cambron weaves together a story of family and friends and community over many years. The hope and joy mixed with heartache and sorrow, loss and love. It was so beautiful! There's so much within these pages. Another story is woven in that is so touching as well. I love how everything was connected together and how the further you read into the story, the more you see and understand and will be in awe.

I listened to the audiobook of this one and loved the narrator. She did a fantastic job. The emotions she shared through her voice were touching and brought more depth to the story. As I was listening I felt like I was transported to where these characters were and to their story. I highly recommend you pick up this book, whether it is the audio or paperback or kindle version. A definite Must Read for any lovers of Historical Fiction!

Content: Clean. This book does deal with war so there is death and loss and bombing and guns. But the author did a great job being sensitive to the subject and was not overly graphic. There are some kisses but nothing further. This is a Christian Fiction book but I felt it was not overpowering with the messages but very natural for the time period and characters. Beautifully done.

I received a digital ebook copy from the publisher, Thomas Nelson Fiction, via NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions in the review are my own.

Happy Reading!!!

“The British Booksellers” is a well written story of British life before WWI and during WWII. The reader learns the past friendship of Charlotte and Amos, and then learns the current life happenings of the two friends with flashbacks to earlier life events. I appreciated the way the author told the story and then flashed back to events of the past for each character. It was well written and well thought out and answered the questions I had right after I had the question or drew my curiosity out in the best way possible to answer my curiosity a little later. Charlotte and Amos faced big challenges and hurdles - society expectations, family obligations, financial and social status differences, national security concerns, etc. Each of them suffered heartbreak and overcame heavy challenges. I was deeply touched by the resolution of the various conflicts from earlier in their lives and from their current lives in the story. I loved the multiple layers of story that the author included in this plot. I highly recommend this book to any reader of fiction, but especially to those who enjoy historical fiction. The author includes a wonderful section verifying history and clarifying details of the historical content at the end of the book that is insightful and educational.

I requested a copy of this book for review and the thoughts expressed here are wholly my own.

#TheBritishBooksellers #NetGalley

A story told in two time periods-1914 and 1940, and two World Wars. Kristy Cambron became a favorite when I read her book The Butterfly and the Viloin. Her research on WWII and the way she writes drew me into this story set in Coventry England and is known as The Lost Blitz.
Two friends who are from two different worlds, a poor farmer and an earl's daughter have no business being connected to each other in any way. When Amos Darby rescues Charlotte's cello after her mother sold it, to keep her from playing, saying it wasn't respectful for an earl's daughter. When war hits and Amos joins the war, he finds himself in Charlotte's husband Will Hart, Earl of Harcourt's regimen. When the war ends and sends Amos back to Coventry broken and hollow. Charlotte is also facing a world alone with her daughter Eden as heiress to the Harcourt estate. Twenty-five years Charlotte as a widow is trying to hold together a declining estate and her dream of running her own bookstore fulfilled and teaching her daughter how to best run a failing estate. 1Can secrets tear everything apart in the time of war, or can hearts be healed?

An engrossing dual timeline novel that weaves together the lives of two characters against the backdrop of war. The plot addresses class disparity and unbreakable bonds forged through love.
Many thanks to Thomas Nelson Fiction and to Netgalley for providing me with a galley in exchange for my honest opinion.

I adore Kristy Cambron's books and The British Booksellers consumed a full day while I read through meals and into the wee smalls. No one does dual timeline stories better, and here, we find ourselves gripped by the tale of Charlotte, an Earl's daughter, and Amos, a farmer's son, during WWI and WWII, including the deadly Coventry bombings during the blitz. A compelling must read as only Cambron can write!

Kristy Cambron, in The British Booksellers, has once again shown me why she is one of my "must read" authors. Centered around the 1940 bombing of Coventry, this story goes back and forth between World War I, including the hierarchy of landed gentry versus the working class, and World War II. Charlotte, Amos, and Will are caught in a love triangle with Amos being among the working class. This love has caused ripple effects still evident in 1940. When Jacob, and American, comes on the scene with a lawsuit against the estate, stories from a generation back start to come together. Through it all, there is woven the characters' favorite books and the impact those books had on their lives.

Unrequited love, battle scars, guilt, forgiveness, courage, self sacrifice... It's all here. It was a great read!

Kristy is a truly remarkable writer who brings distinct historical moments to life with vivid imagery, captivating characters and truly lovely prose. She is unmatched in historical fiction storytelling!

I knew I wanted to read this story as soon as I heard Kristy was writing it. A book set in WWII in England about a pair of booksellers? Yes, please. And this novel lived up to my lofty expectations.

The characters are complex and offer compelling new aspects of themselves as we get to know them through the story. Getting to know Charlotte and Amos through the years was a privilege. I loved experiencing their journeys both separate and together. They come from different social classes at a time in history when class was shifting. I enjoyed their childhood friendship and bonding over books. I enjoyed their “war” as adults who have experienced both the joys and deep hardships of life. I loved when they opened up to each other and realized how much they mean together each other even years later. They are surrounded by a lovely cast of characters that I became deeply invested in. From Eden Holt, Charlottes independent and strong daughter determined to save their estate. To Jacob, the American who comes asking questions and keeping secrets. To Will Holt who is a surprising mix of respect, force and loyalty. And the girls who come to work in Coventry. The Eden Books staff and even an appearance from King George VI. These characters shape this beautiful story.

I love the story is told in multiple timelines. We piece together Charlotte and Amos’ history through experiences over many years and two world wars. They start as innocent children. And then war changes everything. Their road is not straight. They hurt each other. They take risks and make mistakes. They falter and deal with grief, loss, addiction and pain. But I love the forgiveness, healing and redemption woven throughout this story. I really appreciated the insights into life during WWI both in the at times horrific trenches and at home. The Christmas truce and Amos’ experiences with the Germans were so vividly described and I appreciated the many details of that time. That contrasts with his experiences at home during WWII and how he and his fellow townspeople band together during the Coventry Blitz.

As usual, Kristy offers a compelling story during a lesser known pocket in history. Certainly WWII is well documented in history books and fiction. But this particular time in Coventry was new to me. The way these people had to endure bombings just as fatal and intense as in London astounded me. I couldn’t believe how much destruction and death occurred in this one city. The details about hiding RAF planes and the tea lines after bombings were such beautiful examples of the resilience and hope of people who endured this war. I was impressed to learn how much of those details are based on historical facts. Kristy always includes helpful notes about her research and how she weaves history into her stories (which she does so well!)

A truly beautiful story about the power of love, hope and healing in the face of war and loss. One of my favorites from Kristy!

I love stories about libraries and bookstores. Add a little history to the mix to make it a dream book for me.

A long time rivalry between bookstores comes to end end when bombs take them out.

A wonderful love story told in a dual timeline which brings all characters together in the end.
A love torn apart by war and an untold story for a young man seeking answers.

I am still reeling with everything this book made me feel and think...

I have many Cambron books on my shelf, but I believe this is the first one I've actually read, and WOW 😍 This book is rich in historical details and just as rich in beautiful storytelling and strong characters!

With each chapter I found myself gaping over how perfectly she pulled off the storyline; the way details lined up and one thing led to another had me turning the page late into the night.

I'll be pulling those other books off my shelf within the next couple weeks if this story is anything to go by!

I really enjoyed the story. The background, setting and characters all felt real and relatable. I enjoyed Kristy Cambron's writing and am interested in reading more that she has written.

Wow! This book was so very good! It’s so well written.
Two story lines that flip back and forth effortlessly.
I had a hard time putting this book down. There’s a few surprises at the end that surprised me. Definitely recommend.
Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for the early copy

"He'd already decided, deep down, if there ever was a boy who'd risk his neck for a girl more than once in his lifetime, over and over again, it would be him for her. All she had to do was ask."

Who doesn't love a story about characters who also love books? The British Booksellers was not at all what I expected. If you know me, you will be aware that I do not like to read the book blurb before reading the book. I prefer, especially when the book is wrtiten by an author I love - a category Kristy Cambron definitely falls under - to just discover the stroy as it unfolds. That being said, I incorrectly assumed these Bookselllers would be passing messages to resisitance fighters through their beloved book pages. A premise I have read before but was not opposed to reading again. This was not that book - it was even better!

It's a story spanning two World Wars, a story of forgiveness, sacrifice and bravely choosing to love your enemy. It's beautifully written and depicts life on the battlefield in the first world war as well as in Coventry in the weeks leading up to The Coventry Blitz, an airborne attack by Germany that loosed 30,000 bombs killing 600 and injuring nearly 1000 others. Otherwise known as, The Forgotten Blitz.

I loved the addition of the Women's Land Army and the bonds of found family the ladies created while serving their country. The story line set during the first World War will stick with me for a long time. It was both heart breaking and beautiful....you'll need to read it to find out what I mean. I also how Kristy tied everything together in the end. I would have enjoyed more development between Jacob and Eden - I wanted to read more! I miraculously pieced together the mystery thread before Kristy Cambron spelled it out for me. I'm becoming a super sleuth! The British Booksellers was a story I didn't want to end and would recommend to readers who love war time fiction and complex relationships.

Read if you like;
Second Chances
Sacrificial Love
England Setting
Split-time Dual POV
Sweet Romance

Thank you, Kristy Cambron, Thomas Nelson and Net Galley for the complimentary copy of this book. The opinions expressed here are my own.

I loved this book. It was a little Downton Abbey, Land Girls, and Jane Austin.

Here is the setup: The setting is Coventry, England, with multiple time periods. The story starts before WWI and then goes back and forth between WWI and WWII. Two young people from different classes fall in love. The tenant farmer's son Amos and the Earl's daughter Charlotte are fast friends and dream of owning a bookshop together someday. The Great War and classism make this impossible. In the time of WWII, Coventry has two bookshops, and the townspeople gossip about Amos and Charlotte's feud. The German Blitz comes to Coventry, England, and Amos and Charlotte are pressed to save the town, their family, friends, the manorhouse, and their bookshops.

Kristy Cambron lays this story out in a unique way. It feels like you have many threads to the story that you pick up and pull on to learn the details. You slowly unravel the entire story. The language is formal and feels very Austin-like. It might take a moment to settle into this style, however I found that the slower pace suited the novel. When I finished the book, I missed it. I loved the focus on community, books, and the Land Girls. The Blitz in Coventry is overlooked in history but Cambron tells this story to add to the historical novels that give details to World War II on the homefront.

#kristycambron #thebritishbooksellers #wwI #wwii #coventryengland #booksellers

This was such a beautiful story! I loved the characters, the storyline, and the setting. I will definitely be recommending this book to friends and family who are fans of historical fiction.

With strong characters and an arresting plot, this was a memorable WWII story set in Coventry, England, when the unthinkable happened to devastate this quiet village.
Told in split time between WWI and 1940, the story revolves around the lives of Charlotte Terrington Holt and Amos Darby and their roles in the class system of days gone by. The author takes us back to a time when the whole country banded together to support the war effort by conservation, rationing, uprooting their lives and putting aside long held dreams for a united cause. “Childhood dreams had no place in the real world..”
The author delves into the background connections of Charlotte and Amos to give us the differences between classes and how that perspective changed during wartime. And as times change new romance takes wings. “To love meant to accept all the grit and grief alongside the beauty. To endure the harshness of life not with despair, but hope.”
Blackouts, sirens, Land Girls, loneliness, hidden secrets, surprising connections, second chances, a common goal. All these things and more come together in one emotional tale.
An exceptional story that gives yet another slant on what people went through during WWII on the home front.
*I received a complimentary copy of the book through NetGalley. All opinions are mine alone.*

"...Wayfarers and wanderers, and Coventry storytellers of old...we bring you The British Booksellers."

I had never read a book before by this author, I had heard of her and her books but hadn't had the opportunity to pick one up. This cover and blurb convinced me to make the time for it and wowee! This book is incredible!

This book is definitely a top read of the year. If you like historical anything-this should be on your list to read. The changing timeline going in the past and back to the present was an intriguing way for the reader to discover details about our two main characters. This book is well researched, well plotted and well written.

The side plots felt so much a part of the main story that I feel like I got two books in the package of one. That's a win/win for any reader! This book came full circle and was so complete that I feel like no stone was unturned in it's writing or expectation of the reader.

The romance was sweet, and my feelings were everywhere in this book. If you want your heart to grow ten sizes bigger-again, add this one to your TBR and bump it to the top!

I can't say enough good things about this one! It has definitely earned it's spot on my bookshelf and in my kindle...this is one you'll want in all of the formats, reading friends!

"...war may not change the past, but it could change who we become in the future"

I highly recommend this book for readers who love historical books with a healthy dose of romance and intrigue!

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

Content: friendships, alcoholism, mild war scenes (mentions of fighting and wounds), romance - kisses only.

While I own several of Kristy’s books, this is the first time reading one. And immediately fell in love with her writing style, the attention to historical detail, and the beautiful characters she creates.

The British Booksellers contains many of my favorite aspect of fictional romance. She gives us a tender and tragic love story with class differences, a second chance romance, a broody, physically and mentally scarred veteran, and an amazing plot that comes full circle with satisfying and sigh worthy conclusion.

I love the way she presented the foundation of Charlotte’s and Amos’s doomed relationship. Then how the story unfolded with flashbacks, giving us clues as to all that transpired to bring them to the present. I love the redemption arc of a character I was eager to dislike. And then she gave us the sweetest bonus romance between strangers meant to be enemies.

Overall, an outstanding and compelling historical fiction. I highly recommend.

Thank you to NetGalley for my advanced copy, all opinions are my own.

Outstanding historical fiction! Juxtaposition of the Great War and World War II-the impact on Charlotte and Amos-is well done and moving. Their thwarted early romance and subsequent rivalry adds emotion to the story. As they ultimately work together to support other Coventry residents through nightly bombings and tragedy, they reconcile their past and move forward. The Coventry Blitz was tragic and its survivors were heroes.

I love a good historical fiction novel, and this book was everything that I could have ever hoped it would be. For me, a sign that a book is a great historical fiction story is when it has you feeling those big, glorious emotions, and this book did that for me. I found myself near tears at times; other times, I was at the edge of my seat, and then there were times when my heart fell in love with the love story Kristy had created. This is a dual-timeline story, and I loved how both timelines unfolded in a manner that complemented each other. One timeline is set during the Great War (1914), and the other is set during World War II (1940). I loved weaving between these two timelines. It made for a great reading experience. We get to spend time in Coventry, a town that was devasted by the bombing that took place during Blitzkrieg. Spending time in this town as all the bombings were destroying it was a heart-wrenching experience. Kristy did a wonderful job at researching these tragic events and bringing these historical facts into her story.

Kristy is really a master at creating a story that is sure to take her readers on an unforgettable journey. There is something so beautiful and powerful about her writing. As a bookworm, I loved the bookish theme in this story. Amos and Charlotte's love for books leaps from the pages. There is also this wonderful message of how powerful books are. Books can be an escape from the horrors that are happening in the world, or they can be a comfort for those who need them. Amos and Charlotte have both lost so much because of the wars, but their love for books remains. This story has so much to offer its readers: romance, friendship, secrets, second chances, mystery, and a bit of intrigue. We get to see how women's roles in society have changed over the course of both Wars and even how the class system changed in Britain.

Overall, this is a wonderful story that is sure to draw its readers in and not let them go until the very end.

I love when authors focus on the lesser known parts of history like Kristy Cambron’s latest, The British Booksellers, where she writes about the “Forgotten Blitz” bombings that decimated the English town of Coventry in 1940. With amazing historical details and an enduring love story, I couldn’t put this book down!

The London Blitz is underway, but the Luftwaffe bombers also have their sights set on factories in the countryside. The Holt estate is caught near the crosshairs of the bombings as its residents, Lady Charlotte and her daughter Eden, try to protect their home and the people around them, including a mysterious young American lawyer. They also own a bookstore in Coventry that is at war with the bookstore across the street - owned by Charlotte’s first love, Amos, who bears the scars of his time in the WWI trenches on his face and in his heart and mind. Charlotte and Amos have to decide if love is worth saving - from the German bombs and from past hurts - while Eden has to determine if love is worth the risk of letting her guard down.

This book takes you from the idyllic English country estate gardens to the trenches of the Great War to the rubble of bombed-out homes. I enjoyed learning more about this “Forgotten Blitz” as well as the horrific details of fighting during WWI. If you’re a fan of “Downton Abbey,” you’ll love this story about a forbidden love between “downstairs and upstairs” and a woman’s fierce fight to protect the estate she loves. Plus the sweet love stories make you want to hug the book at the end!

Thanks to Netgalley and Thomas Nelson for my ARC.

The British Booksellers by Kristy Cambron was a beautifully crafted story.
This is such a wonderfully depicted story full of courage, unbreakable bonds, love, loss, hope, despair, and kept me engaged from beginning to end.
Cambron's vivid descriptions and rich historical detail bring the story to life. As a reader, I felt as if the characters were real people.
Cambron pays loving attention to character development and historical detail
She did a magnificent job of writing The British Booksellers.

Thank You NetGalley and Thomas Nelson for your generosity and gifting me a copy of this amazing eARC!

The British Booksellers is a historical second-chance romance filled with sweet but challenging relationships, battling booksellers, and that famous British determination in the face of Nazi bombings. The dual timeline allows readers to follow the relationship between Charlotte (Terrington) Holt and Amos Darby from its beginning to the "present" as well as meet Charlotte's daughter, Eden, as she faces off against an American solicitor visiting the Holt estate for mysterious reasons. The secondary cast is fun and fleshed-out (I'd read a book following the Land Girls' lives after the war), the settings are detailed, the history is interesting and terrible, and the lessons on forgiveness, acceptance, and love are easy to understand and relate to. Cambron's latest novel is vivid, realistic, and entertaining and shows how hearts can change even as the world is falling down around you.

I love anything by Kristy Cambron. Her books are an intriguing mix of complex characters and twists that add depth to the story before me. Her latest, The British Booksellers, was a perfect mix of history, romance, and mystery. And truly, Cambron delivered a plot that left me completely unprepared for the ending twist. I devoured the dual WWI and WWII timeline, the sense of intrigue, and the subtle romance. This book certainly held my attention!

Cambron never ceases to enthrall with her multi-faceted plot and complex characters. She is one author I never miss!

I received a complimentary copy of this book from Netgalley. I was not required to provide a positive review. All opinions expressed are mine alone.

I first came across Kristy’s writing a couple of years ago with The Italian Ballerina and found it to be wonderful. Therefore I was quite excited to read her latest, The British Booksellers and I found this to be even more remarkable. Of course there were many things that readily ticked the box for me - historical fiction, two timelines, romance and it involved a bookstore! So imagine my delight when it was all of that and so much more!

‘I was willing to give up my entire world for you, Amos. I thought you were too. Weren’t we to make a new world together, you and I?’

Kristy’s books are special in that they are so detailed and intricate in their plotting (mind blowing if truth be told) but also provide twists and turns that kept me hooked until the last page. She keeps dropping little ‘crumbs’ that will have you following the trail to a fitting conclusion. Charlotte and Amos are in both WWI and WW2 timelines, so the narrative jumps back and forth for that. However, the greater part of the story is dedicated to the WW2 timeline and the focus being the ‘forgotten blitz’, the deadly Coventry bombings.

“Perhaps days like this are exactly why we have books in the world. To remember that not all is lost, even if we find ourselves in the unknown. I like to think we provide a haven for the wanderer. And help him remember he has a place to call home.”

This is the kind of narrative to just lose yourself in for it certainly has it all and I am now a firm fan of Kristy’s writing. It is deeply emotional and pulls at the heartstrings - two wars, two romances, two ways of living (before and during war) that make this book memorable. I think perhaps Kristy’s secret is the little things that are memorable like a book, or a cello, or a pocket watch.

‘… things she’d loved once. The cello, books, childhood dreams, and a farmer’s son who’d shared them.’

This book is not only rich in historical details but equally rich in storytelling with characters that will long be remembered. Kristy Cambron is a wonderful storyteller weaving this epic tale of family drama across the decades.

“War does not change everything; it cannot change secrets of the past.”








This review is based on a complimentary copy from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own. The quoted material may have changed in the final release.

The British Booksellers by @kristycambron
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

This book kept me up until 2am to finish it. I think it is Kristy's best novel to date. It is a beautiful marrying between the brightness of love and the darkness of war. It is history, prose, romance, and full of classic book references, sure to make your heart soar.

Fall into a time where young love is destroyed by Duty, selfishness and war. Lady Charlotte knows her own mind. She has dreams that she has every intention of fulfilling; no matter the cost. But when her family brokers an advantageous marriage for her, her plans must change. When she later finds herself widowed and a single mother, can her dreams for her life be rescued before they are threatened again by war?

You'll find:
📚 Dual timelines
📚 Dual POV
📚 Dueling bookshops
📚 Dueling suitors

I just can't get over the feast contained in this story. You might think so many intersecting stories might get too tangled, but here, Kristy forces you to willingly turn the pages to know how it all plays out. I wouldn't describe this story as a mystery, but she keeps the carrot dangled for 95% of the book until we get our satisfying ending.

This story was absolutely stunning and it will be a long time before I can get it out of my head and my heart. ❤️

Thank you to my friends at NetGalley for an advanced copy of this book.

** “Benevolence, compassion, and love — bombs will never silence them when we put those virtues into action. Ordinary people like us become extraordinary fighters when we first seek to serve, and love others.” **

Kristy Cambron delivers an incredible dual-timeline novel of fortitude, sacrifice and redemption with “The British Booksellers.”

The story follows the lives of Lady Charlotte Terrington Holt and Amos Darby, a tenant farmer’s son, during both world wars — starting in 1913 and 1940. The tale of two friends who can barely even be friends due to their positions in life, Charlotte and Amos must overcome trials and hurts — personal and literal wars — to find healing, grace and forgiveness.

As Charlotte and her daughter Eden work in 1940 to protect their home on Holt Estate, as well as protecting their community in Coventry, they reconnect with Amos, as well as a strange American bringing a lawsuit to their door. As the German air raids come closer and closer, they must work together to protect their homes, each other and their lives.

Kristy Cambron does an incredible job of researching a very real and devastating event in England, all while spanning the bridge between two generations and creating great characters the reader can’t but help to root for. She brilliantly weaves together their stories and their connections over several decades.

She also offers a number of great themes, like books offer freedom and life (“Books are an escape that beckons the reader from the heavy burdens of this world. … They can challenge as well as comfort. Entertain and educate. Even save us in ways we’d never expect”); having a dream; forgiveness over retribution; the importance of caring for others; and to love through the good and the bad (“To love meant to accept all — the grit and grief alongside beauty. To endure the harshness of life not with despair, but hope”).

A huge theme of the book is dealing with scars — literal, physical, mental, emotional — and the impact they can have on us (“The scars we bear should make us more worthy of understanding, not less”).

Fans of historical fiction, stories centered around the two world wars, and authors like Rachel McMillan, Katherine Reay and Kate Morton will love “The British Booksellers.”

Five stars out of five.

Thomas Nelson provided this complimentary copy through NetGalley for my honest, unbiased review.

“Everyone is something to someone. Remember that. The scars we bear should make us more worthy of understanding, not less.”

I absolutely loved this book. Kristy Cambron has written a new classic in historical fiction. This tale of war and love from both the Great War and World War II had me spellbound. Second chance romance, split time periods, mystery, wounded hero, and a strong heroine make this book a must-read. Add in a second romance with a satisfying ending, and it's a 5 star read for me.
*I was given a copy of this book by Thomas Nelson Publishers and this is my honest opinion.

This story, set in Covington, England during the 2nd World War, highlights the struggles of their stations in life, familial expectations, duty to their country and neighbors as well as the way a Great War silences childhood dreams between the two main characters. Amos and Charlotte’s unlikely friendship grabbed my attention for the start and held on to me tightly until the very last page.

While the characters and their stories are fiction, many components of this story are true, including the historical background of the Forgotten Blitz bombings on Coventry and the way the community rallied together in its wake. The incredible imagery used throughout the story transports you into the story itself. The story unraveled in a way that I could have never predicted.

Thank you @NetGalley & @ThomasNelson for this ARC. It’s available NOW so grab your copy! This is definitely one of my top 10 books this year!

Kristy Cambron has penned another breathtaking novel. Unlike her last two novels that focused solely on World War 2, this one encompasses both World Wars 1 and 2. Thankfully, the flashbacks were a bit more linear than some of her previous novels, so I was able to follow them without keeping notes. The story follows Amos and Charlotte. They were childhood friends who fell in love, but while one war tore them apart, another brought them back together. The story also tells about the little-known destruction of Coventry, England during World War 2. We learn about the efforts of the British to defend their homeland from the Nazi attacks. Mrs. Cambron is a gifted author who can evoke such emotion with her writing. The tragic backstory between Amos and Charlotte broke my heart with every chapter I read about them. I think I cried for almost half of the book. Just a warning for those of you who might not enjoy that kind of thing. It will probably be a long time before I can read this story again. I definitely need a good romantic comedy to follow this up with. With that being said, this is a very well-written story that will make you think and feel and I definitely recommend reading it.
This is my honest opinion based on the complimentary review copy sent by NetGalley and the publisher. I was not required to give a favorable review.

You’ve Got Mail meets Downton Abbey in this heart-achingly lovely dual time period historical romance from Kristy Cambron. Taking place mainly in 1914 and 1940, this book took me on a page turning journey as childhood friends Amos & Charlie (Lady Charlotte) share their love of books and more through war, heartbreak, rivalry, and second chance love.

I absolutely loved Amos, the grumpy, wounded farmer’s son with a heart of gold, and Charlotte, the resilient, kind hearted, cello playing heiress. Torn apart by class differences and WWI, they’re now rival bookshop owning enemies. I loved finding out what happened in 1914 and WWI to make their relationship what is was in 1940.

I also loved Eden and Jacob! Eden is Charlotte’s daughter who’s doing everything she can to keep their estate running amidst the Coventry Blitz. Jacob’s an American lawyer who’s come to present her with papers naming her in a contested will. They start off as enemies, but as they work together to help the Coventry community, they begin to grow closer.

Both time periods were so compelling and I couldn’t wait to unravel the mystery in each one. Each storyline comes together for a stunning, touching, heroic ending that left me in tears. War brings out the best and worst in people and I loved seeing the best for once. I enjoyed learning about the Forgotten Blitz and the Land Girls through this amazing story.

Full of romance, intrigue, heroism, and love of music & the written word, The British Booksellers is a new favorite book by Kristy Cambron. Highly recommend to historical romance fans! Definitely add this love letter to books & second chances to your must read list! I received an advanced complimentary copy from the publisher. All opinions are my own and voluntarily provided.

This book was a must-read for me because of my love of books, historical fiction, and interest in WWII because of my father’s service in England then. The resilience of love and hope is brought home through this novel taking place in the lives of Amos and Charlotte during the horrors of WWI and WWII. Childhood best friends, whose friendship grows into love, are split apart by the separation of class, Charlotte coming from a life of privilege and Amos a tenant farmer’s son. War further rips them apart and they end up hardly speaking to each other, each suffering from their own secrets and pain, owning competing bookstores on the same street, until the next war gives them a second chance at love. The romance drew me in, telling not only their story, but including Charlotte’s daughter’s love story as well, while the mystery involving the American solicitor added to the intrigue! I also enjoyed the sense of community in Coventry with everyone pulling together during difficult times with the secondary characters of the Land Girls, who added humor and spunk, and the twists and surprises from Frank and Will. Gripping, beautifully written, thought provoking, and inspirational! I received a complimentary copy of this book from Net Galley and Thomas Nelson Fiction. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

“Perhaps days like this are exactly why we have books in the world. To remember that not all is lost, even if we find ourselves in the unknown. I like to think we provide a haven for the wanderer. And help him remember he has a place to call home.”

From the very opening pages this story swept me away and I couldn’t put it down. It’s a beautifully crafted historical romance, with a dual timeline.

Amos and Charlotte had dreams of a future together, but were torn apart by class differences and WWI.

Twenty five years later, they’re rival bookshop owners. Amos is a recluse who is physically and emotionally scarred. Charlotte is a war widow, taking care of her estate and running her bookstore with her daughter, Eden.

As WWII looms and blitz bombings affect their community, Amos and Charlotte are drawn together again and may get a second chance at love.

I loved Amos. Underneath that hard exterior, he had such a heart of gold, and never stopped loving Charlotte. Charlotte’s character was also wonderful. She was strong, resilient, and kindhearted. I adored their relationship and romance!

There’s a second storyline with Eden and Jacob, a lawyer from America who is there to contest his father’s will that mysteriously names Eden as a beneficiary.

Both storylines were excellent and resolved in such a beautiful and touching way.

I loved the themes of the beauty and solace of books, the beauty of music, and the strength,courage, and resilience of people during wartime. Honestly, I loved everything about this book, and highly recommend it to anyone who enjoys historical fiction. It was outstanding!

I received a copy from NetGalley, Thomas Nelson Publishing, and Austenprose PR. All opinions expressed are completely my own.

Thank you to NetGalley, Thomas Nelson -- Fiction, and Kristy Cambron for the opportunity to read the ARC of The British Booksellers. I thoroughly enjoyed this historical fiction book set back and forth between WWI and WWII. I also was totally enthralled with the long lasting love between the main characters that was carefully weaved between the two time periods.

Most of the story took place in Coventry, England where the characters of Amos, Charlotte, and Will grew up together. Amos and Will both fell in love with Charlotte beginning as early as WWI and lasting all the way through to WWII and beyond. Both men were also sent off to fight during WWI while Charlotte remained at home. Jealousy and secrets kept the the truly in love couple from being together.

The author, Kristy Cambron, did a wonderful job of presenting historical facts about WWI and WWII as the backdrop to a complicated love story. Her characters were wonderfully built and it was difficult to dislike any of them. It was one of those stories where you could truly find something good in all of them, including the obvious enemies.

I learned quite a bit of new information about Coventry, England and the part they played during WWII. I thought Cabron also described the trenches during WWI and the "No Mans Land" area incredibly well. I visited that area a few years ago and she was able to transport me back to those exact spots with her amazing descriptions. If you love reading historical fiction, while also enjoying a wonderful love story, I highly recommend this novel for you. #NetGalley #TheBritishBooksellers

The story itself is just incredible. My heart wept and grieved for what was lost and soared for this second-chance love story that takes place across two timelines. Amos and Charlie’s (Lady Charlotte) story is full of longing, bravery, and heartache. These two were secret childhood friends, who didn’t let the difference in their stations stop their affections from growing. But life and society expectancy did their best to thwart their dreams at every turn, and just as they hoped to make their escape for their love, the Great War ripped them apart. Now 25 years later and another war to face, Amos and Charlotte are at odds as competing bookshop sellers. Charlotte is a war widow and has a grown daughter, while Amos seems intent on staying a grumpy hermit. With the Germans blitzing Coventry nearly daily, Amos and Charlotte must come together to help their community through, and maybe find that their love can bloom again.

I particularly loved the way the author, Kristy Cambron, wove the past and present together. It’s like looking through an old family photo album and hearing all the stories behind the pictures. While the book is mainly about Amos and Charlie, it’s also about Eden, Charlotte’s daughter, and a mysterious American solicitor who threatens everything she holds dear.

The audio narration was magnificent. Barrie Kreinik has a melodic voice and draws you into the story. Many thanks to @kristycambron @austenprose and @thomasnelson for the physical copy of the book and for having me be apart of this tour. Also thanks to @netgalley and publisher for the early audio copy to listen to in exchange for my review.

My friends read this book if you love:
📖 Great War & WWII setting
📖 Downton Abbey/ Upstairs Downstairs/ You’ve Got Mail vibes
📖 Slow Burn/Enduring Love
📖 Rich Historical Details

I was provided a free advanced copy from @netgalley in exchange for my honest review.
An Earl's daughter, Charlotte, and a tenant farmer's son, Amos, form a special friendship throughout their childhood. But as they grow up, society, and it seems like the world, won't let them be together. Twenty-five years later they are rival bookstore owners in Coventry, England as Hitler rages across mainland Europe. Contending with new challenges and old wounds they will try to figure out how to save their town from what has become known as the Forgotten Blitz.
We get to know these characters through their current struggles as well as flashbacks to their childhood and WWI.
@kristycambron is an excellent author. I love getting to know her characters as they become so real to me. This story will stick with me for a while. Definitely check it out, as it has already been published!
#NetGalley #TheBritishBooksellers

This is a fantastic historical fiction about the forgotten blitz during WWII. There are lots stories out there from the WWII period, but this one took a different angle.

I loved that books had such a space in this story, and I adored the heart-achingly beautiful love story that was woven in as well.
The romance was there and was delightful, with meaningful kisses, and a slight love triangle, however, I would classify this as more of a historical fiction than a historical romance.

Do you like to read books about bookstores or libraries? I love to visit both, and I enjoy reading books about them.

The British Booksellers is a dual timeline novel set during WWI and WWII. In the pre-WWI timeline, there is a love triangle. Amos Darby is a farmer’s son and is in love with Charlotte Terrington, an heiress. Will Holt is the Earl’s son and also in love with Charlotte. Charlotte has been promised in marriage to Will, but what happened to her relationship with Amos? What happened to Will? In the WWII era, Charlotte and her daughter Eden ran a bookshop in Coventry. Across the street is their bitter rival, Amos Darby and his bookshop. When a mysterious American comes to town with a legal case against Eden, will all the secrets of the past come out?

My thoughts on this novel:
• I really enjoyed the dual timeline and how they perfectly went together. The events of the past were finally revealed at the end of the WWII era to explain what was happening at the time.

• The story was told through multiple points of view.

• It was interesting how the trauma of WWI (the Great War) had ripple effects that impacted the next generation that were then at the forefront of WWII. It’s always said to me that there was not any help for soldiers who suffered from PTSD.

• The Coventry blitz was devastating. Afterwards, the Germans termed a new term in modern warfare: Coventrieren which means “to devastate or raze a city to the ground.”

• The build-up to the blitz was also nail-biting as bombs started to fall, the finding of hidden German paratrooper gear, and questions on whether the American lawyer is really an American or a German spy.

• I liked the addition of the land girls to the story and how they came to town to help run the Holt estate.

• I really enjoyed the characters in this novel. I particularly enjoyed that when I thought a character was not a good person like WWII era Amos, or WWI era Will, the story grew deeper, and more complex as you learned more about each person and that there was more to them than met the eye.

• This story was also about forgiveness, second chances, and moving forward with life after a devastating occurrence.

• It was interesting how the differences between classes was strict before WWI, but had eased by the time of WWII.

• I enjoyed that this novel had both a second chance romance as well as an enemies to lovers romance.

• This novel was a clean read.

• Author Kristy Cambron included a great author’s note that explained her inspirations and the real history behind this novel.

Overall, The British Booksellers by Kristy Cambron is a compelling historical fiction novel with engaging characters and a great dual timeline plot. I highly recommend it.

Such a great story! I loved the historical time frame and the flashbacks between the current settings and years before. The romance was perfect and I felt their chemistry throughout the whole book. I found myself rooting for them the entire book and couldn't wait to see how everything played out. Loved the side romance of the daughter of the main character as well. Very well done book. Will definitely read more books by Kristy Cambron.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

I found #thebritishbooksellers to be a delightful historical fiction novel about a little known period in WW II England that also has a touch of romance. Kristy Cambron has given us fully developed characters that we grow to know and enjoy through the course of the story. This book feels very well researched and is intertwined into its history so seamlessly that you’ll believe it’s all about real people. I definitely enjoyed this and thank #netgalley and the publisher #thomasnelson for the ebook to read and review. All opinions are my own.

This beautiful story seamlessly travels from the time leading up to WW1, WW1, and WW2 and is full of well-researched history and charming characters.

I loved learning more about the Land Girls and the forgotten blitz and really fell in love with the characters in this story. I loved the bit of mystery and the second-chance romance. Not to mention the rival bookstores!

This was my first Kristy Cambron book and I’m excited to go read from her backlist now!

Highly recommend!

A historical fiction page-turner is just what I needed. Having never read a Kristy Cambron novel, I wasn't sure what to expect, but when you throw in a bookshop in war time, I'm all in. The British Booksellers is set in Coventry, England, during the Great War and WWII. A tenant farmer's son (Amos) and the earl's daughter (Charlotte) strike up an unlikely friendship around music and books. They vow to have a bookstore together when they grow up, but societal pressures and trauma from the Great War thwart those plans. Instead, they have competing bookstores on opposing sides of the street (with Charlotte running hers with her daughter Eden). With WWII in full swing, can they put aside their differences to help their community?

The British Booksellers is everything I look for in a war novel. There is history, romance, and conflict. I connected with Amos, Charlotte, and the Great War timeline more than Eden storyline, but it was still worth reading all the parts because the two timelines are woven together masterfully. Just be sure you have big chunks of time! I really wasn't planning on reading the last 100 pages in one sitting, but I couldn't put it down!

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

Amidst the bombing raids in Coventry during WWII, secrets long buried are beginning to emerge from the rubble. It starts with a cello and a deep and abiding love of books and ends with a romance not meant to be before the outbreak of WWI.
The story is told in different points of view and timelines, effectively moving back and forth between the wars. Lady Charlotte loves the music of the cello, but it’s not a very ladylike instrument, and her path is already laid out for her. She shares a love of books with Amos, who works on her family’s estate, and they daydream about owning a bookshop together one day.
In the story’s present, there are two bookstores across the street from one another. The young shopkeepers are fiercely loyal to Lady Charlotte and want to protect her from the dastardly bookseller across the road. Scarred and grumpy Amos is about to close his shop for the night when a stranger walks in. His presence stirs the pot and everything changes—as the bombs fall around them, the past catches up with the present.
Highly recommended emotional historical fiction, so well researched reading feels like inhabiting the place and time.

This is such a heart touching story. Lady Charlotte Terrington, "Charlie," has had a wonderful friend, Amos Darby, since childhood. He supports her interests to the point that he helps her reclaim a beloved item her mother got rid of. The problem, she is of nobility. He is not. This means nothing to children but is everything in society for young adults during the early 1900's.
It is hard for me to find words to honor the beauty of this story. I received this e-book from Thomas Nelson Publishing through NetGalley. This is my own unsolicited opinion. Kristy Cambron brings us a dual timeline with intense characters and plot. I love it.
The World War One story has information that I didn't know much about. I've read a lot on World War Two which is also a featured timeline for these characters and more. The writer switches smoothly back and forth between the two plot lines to give the reader the entire story of an enduring friendship that led to a deep and genuine love. This is an intense story of devotion, sacrifice and loss.
The addition of a set of characters which taught me about the "Land Girls" who kept the country going and fed is interesting to me. Women had a very important mission during the two wars as they not only assumed duties that men were expected to perform but they also began to break down the 'class system' in my opinion.
I'd rate this book a five plus out of five.
PTSD, War, Trauma, Land Girls

Histoitical fiction that will keep you engaged. Duel timelines, friendship, booksellers and wartime.. A great read for anyone who enjoys a great story line and enthralling characters and how life circumstances define us.

This split time novel is set during WWI and WWII in Coventry, England. In the past, Charlotte must learn how to do what is expected of her even though she has different wants and desires for her life than others have for her. In more recent times, Charlotte must help keep her family's name, especially as a solicitor from America comes and threatens a lawsuit against them. Will Charlotte be able to put her past with Amos aside and join forces with him to help their neighbors stay safe? The characters in this book are so beautifully written and the story is perfectly woven between the two times. I couldn't have predicted the connection between the two stories. Highly recommend this book for lovers of historical fiction.

The British Booksellers is a historical novel told in two timelines. In 1914, the aristocratic Charlotte Terrington is in love with Amos Darby, a tenant farmer's son. World War I and an arranged marriage threaten their happiness. In 1940, Charlotte owns a bookstore in Coventry, England, across the street from Amos's bookshop. Her store is named Eden Books after her daughter. Charlotte and Amos have years of animosity, but they are asked to work together to help the World War II effort at home. Will this bring them closer together? And what will happen with Charlotte's daughter Eden and the mysterious young man who is visiting from America?

I wanted to read this novel because I love historical fiction, and especially books set during World War II. I have read Kristy Cambron before and really enjoy her writing.

This book started slowly for me. There were a lot of characters and there was a lot of back and forth between the WWI and WWII time periods. (A cast of characters page would have been helpful!) But about 20% in I suddenly found myself engrossed in the world of this novel and absolutely could not put it down. What a lovely, sweeping story that takes place over so many years and several interwoven storylines!

I especially liked Charlotte and Amos's story. They were characters I really cared about. They both are brave and determined, and so truly well-suited, with their love of the land and especially their love of books.

This novel is a valentine to reading, with passages like:

"Why was it so easy for Charlotte to cross her arms over her front in mock defiance? 'It remains my opinion that there is a Jane Austen reference to fit nearly any situation in life. And Emma being the wittiest of the lot would have the most to say.'” (eBook location 2215)

I loved the passages about the warring booksellers, which reminded me a bit of You've Got Mail.

The historical references were also well done, including the Forgotten Blitz in Coventry, the Christmas Truce during WWI, and the Women's Land Army.

I highly recommend The British Booksellers for fans of historical fiction, and for anyone who loves World War II novels or stories about books and bookstores. Prepare to be swept away by this immersive book!

Kristy Cambron is one of my favourite writers and this moving and beautifully-written novel about the star-crossed love of Amos and Charlotte is one of her best.Before the Great War, Charlotte, a daughter of the aristocracy, and Amos, a poor servant, fall in love and share a passion for Dickens. But Charlotte is destined to marry Will and become a countess.

When World War Two arrives, Charlotte and Amos are fierce rivals because of their respective bookshops. When bombs start falling over Coventry and an American solicitor arrives to threaten Charlotte’s estate, old secrets are brought to light, and new heartfelt lessons must be learned.

A carefully-structured plot, well-rounded characters, a powerful story and meticulous research make this a must-read.

I received this free ebook from NetGalley in return for an honest review.

EDITION Other Format
ISBN 9780785232247
PRICE $17.99 (USD)
PAGES 384

BOOK REVIEW - The British Booksellers - Kristy Cambron - 5/5 Stars

THE STORY
I always love Kristy Cambron's books and I think this one might be my new favourite! The pace is a bit slow for the first half but the storyline is so addictive that I. Must. Keep. Reading! Charlotte and Amos *sigh* I don't think I've rooted for a couple more! Put their heart wrenching story and love of books against the back drop of not one but two wars and you have one book that's hard to put down. Anything else I say about the storyline will giveaway spoilers so I'll just leave it there and you definitely need to find out the rest for yourself.

THE ROMANCE
This story incorporated all my favourite tropes - Second Chance, Beauty and the Beast/Grumpy-Sunshine, Forbidden Love (Rich vs Poor) and a little Enemies-to-Lovers. That alone should be enough to get you pick up the book if your a romance lover like me!

THE TRUTHS
The whole time I was reading this story I had the Jeremiah passage in my mind that says that God knows the plans He has for us and that they are good and full of hope. Life often doesn't turn out the way we planned so it can be easy to give up hope. Charlotte and Amos' life certainly didn't go as they initially planned but God had their futures in mind and brought the pieces of their lives back together in a beautiful way only He could've designed. Our lives might not look like how you envisioned but God knows what we really need in life and has designed our lives with our welfare in mind. So when our lives feel messy and we can't see how the pieces will fit together, don't give up hope, God has a beautiful future planned especially for you.

When I started this book, I'd forgotten that Kristy Cambron writes in dual timelines. I love that we get so much history, but there are times I'm too impatient to find out what's happening in one timeline, I want to ignore the other. I loved the story of Amos and Charlie. They were so sweet together when they were young, and it broke my heart to see the change in the future, but I loved seeing them come back together.

I loved the history in this book. I never knew about the blitz reaching farther than around the London area. It was disheartening to see the devastation, but also wonderful to see them come together. I love that Cambron enjoys bringing forgotten history to light.

I received a complimentary copy from the publisher through Netgalley, and this is my honest review.

A beautiful novel based on an enduring love that lasts through some crazy odds. Learning about some war history was a bonus which included the Coventry Blitz of WW2.
This story also has linear flashbacks of the character’s early life and present life that included both world wars. A clean historical romance for anyone to enjoy!

We have two timelines; 1908 and 1940, both world wars. In 1940, Charlotte and Amos have rival bookstores. Charlotte has a daughter, Eden. Eden knows about the rivalry, but doesn't understand the root of it or know that they have a past history. In this time period, London is underattack in the Blitz. It is a rich, enjoyable story.

A fun sweet read! Highly recommend.

Many thanks to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for my ARC.

Wow. This book is amazing! Sometimes I’m in the mood for WW2 romance, and this one did not disappoint. I loved the dual time story. I think those can sometimes drag, but in this case, the story flowed nicely.
The characters were perfectly flawed, and I fell in love with them. Multiple viewpoints, timelines and love stories, with a little danger and a plot twist or two make this book a new favorite!
I received a copy of this book from the publisher. All opinions are my own.

The British Booksellers captured me from the first page to the last. A dual timeline story, it begins in WW1 with a secret friendship deepening to love between Amos Darby, the son of a tenant farmer, and Charlotte Terrington, the daughter of an earl, then continues through WW2. The story in both time periods centers on Amos and Charlotte, but with so many twists and turns! This one tugged my heart and made me laugh.
Historical fiction is my jam and Kristy Cambron does not disappoint, I will be looking for more of her books.

My thanks to Thomas Nelson and NetGalley for providing me an ARC of this wonderful book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

Between the not very well-known story of the Nazis bombing the Coventry countryside during the Blitz and the rich girl/poor boy love story of the main characters Amos & Charlotte, (plus a secondary love story of Charlotte's daughter Eden) The British Booksellers is a really interesting book.
Although the book opens during the opening months of WWII, the back story is a large part of the plot. Without giving too much away, both Amos & Charlotte love music, books, and each other, but Charlotte is forced to marry the soon to be Earl of Harcourt and give up Amos forever. The outbreak of WWI intervenes, and fate puts Amos under the command of Charlotte's husband, who has made it his life's mission to keep Amos down and possibly dead.
After the war, both Amos and Charlotte open bookstores -- right across the lane from each other -- but stay as far away from each other as they can in the years that follow, until WWII starts and a mysterious solicitor from the US shows up and events manage to push them together -- whether they like it or not.
There's SO much more to say about this story, class differences, the Land Girls, Charlotte's daughter Eden's love story, civilians involved in military subterfuge to defeat the Germans, all I can say is it's a riveting story and if you like historical fiction, this is a must read for you!

I don't always love multiple perspectives, but Kristy Cambron does a wonderful job with this book!

It's nice to read books inspired by real life, and still get a happy ending.
If you love WWII historical fiction, this is the book for you.

Thank you to NetGalley and to the publisher for an arc. All opinions expressed are my own.

In this dual timeline and multiple perspective World War II historical fiction novel, readers follow Eden, her mother Lady Charlotte Harcourt, and Amos Darby. Lady Charlotte, the widow of the Earl of Harcourt who died in the first World War, and Eden oversee the estate and run Eden Books in Coventry. A soldier during World War I and the son of a tenant farmer, Amos knows Charlotte from when she was Lady Charlotte Terrington, the headstrong daughter of another earl, and he now owns a bookstore across the street from Eden Books in Coventry. As World War II continues, so does Amos and Charlotte’s professional feud, and Eden must contend with this feud and a lawsuit from a strange American lawyer while holding down the home front. An incredibly complex historical fiction novel, readers will see how Charlotte and Amos’s relationship changed over the decades and uncover their hidden history with Eden. Charlotte, Amos, and Eden are fantastic protagonists, complex, lifelike, and intelligent, while the other minor characters are also complex with interesting backstories. As this fantastic historical fiction novel progresses and characters’ secrets are revealed, readers will become part of the bookstores’ community with stakes in everyone’s survival of the Blitz.

I know you are not supposed to judge a book by it's cover... but oh my!
This was a great book that weaved two World Wars. Amos and Charlotte, Charlie, were childhood sweethearts but couldn't get married due to their social status. They were separated by World War I. Then World Wat II starts raging and Charlotte's daughter Eden, is trying to save her father's legacy. An American lawyer arrives and they try to piece together a puzzle that can potentially save them all.
If you like historical fiction, this book is for you! I have never read a book by Kristy Cambon before, but I look forward to reading more by her. Many thanks to the author, Thomas Nelson and NetGalley for a complimentary copy of the book. The opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own.

Friends who dreamt of building a bookshop together, separated by class and war, find themselves years later facing a second world war as they fight for their hometown.

A riveting dual timeline read set during both World Wars, following both Lady Charlotte and Amos Denby, their close friendship and the events that brought them to where they are. The nonlinear timeline really served this novel well, as we uncover the secrets of their past.

I really liked Jacob and Eden in the 1940's timeline, as well as getting to know the Land Girls. Amos was one of my favorite characters, and I really enjoyed seeing the man he was while in the midst of the first world war.

Overall, a captivating story of forbidden love in a time of war, with a well paced plot, and well developed characters. Highly recommend for fans of Downton Abbey era reads, with realistic historical settings and engrossing plots.


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

Kristy Cambron is a very skilled author who weaves the story lines so effortlessly that the reader has to remember all the syntax and basically every word matters. I loved the dual time with World War I and II storylines. This was a pleasurable and powerful read!

Every new Cambron story dazzles me. I was so entranced I couldn’t stop reading. Charlotte, Amos, Eden, and Co. were real to me. Their lives and struggles and dreams and heartaches lived beyond the pages and came to life in my mind. And as always, I needed tissues because Kristy nails the emotional rollercoaster every time.

I don’t have enough words or the mental acuity at present to encompass all the reasons why I adored this book so much (*cue a serious reading hangover*!). But know this, my history loving heart rejoiced over the dual timelines of WW1 & WW2 and the story… the truths… the people aren’t ones I’ll soon forget. 💛

Easily a 2024 favourite!!

*Thank you to NetGalley, the author, and the publisher for the complimentary copy of this book. I was not required to write a positive review. These are my honest thoughts and opinions.

I enjoyed the rich history in this story! I wish that it didn't skip back and forth between the two wars quite so much, but I still thought the story was well written and interesting.

Mystery, a love story, suspense, intrigue, fascinating history, danger, redemption … so many of my favourite things in a story. I really loved the time-slip aspect to this book, going back and forth from World War 1 and World War 2. Kristy Cambron is a master at time-slip storytelling and The British Booksellers was as superbly done as always.

The British Booksellers has an abundance of depth, with characters carrying deep wounds from the past, and those wounds impacting their present greatly, as well as impacting those around them. Insert, the redemption thread. I loved this but also would have liked a slightly stronger faith thread.

It’s really unfathomable how people lived through both world wars. I think that was one of the most gripping aspects of The British Booksellers for me… watching Amos fight through World War 1, then how he became a pillar to supporting Coventry during the second world war, reliving the horrors in real life that he relived every time he was alone besides. I love how fiction can bring a new perspective to history, and Cambron really brought this to light in Amos for me. Her characters jumped off the page, bringing Coventry alive. I didn’t know anything really about Coventry before reading this novel, and I encourage you to read the author’s notes at the end because they are so interesting and sobering.

One thing I have to add, without giving spoilers, is that in the end, my heart wrung for Will and I found myself cheering for him after all.

Thank you to NetGalley for my copy! I give The British Booksellers 4.5 stars out of 5.