INSTANT NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER“An irresistible tale which showcases the transformative power of literacy, reminding us of the hope and sanctuary our neighborhood bookstores offer during the perilous trials of war and unrest.”—KIM MICHELE RICHARDSON, author of The Book Woman of Troublesome CreekAugust 1939: London prepares for war as Hitler’s forces sweep across Europe. Grace Bennett has always … prepares for war as Hitler’s forces sweep across Europe. Grace Bennett has always dreamed of moving to the city, but the bunkers and blackout curtains that she finds on her arrival were not what she expected. And she certainly never imagined she’d wind up working at Primrose Hill, a dusty old bookshop nestled in the heart of London.
Through blackouts and air raids as the Blitz intensifies, Grace discovers the power of storytelling to unite her community in ways she never dreamed—a force that triumphs over even the darkest nights of the war.
“A gorgeously written story of love, friendship, and survival set against the backdrop of WWII-era London.”
—JILLIAN CANTOR, author of In Another Time and Half Life
“A love letter to the power of books to unite us, to hold the world together when it’s falling apart around our ears. This fresh take on what London endured during WWII should catapult Madeline Martin to the top tier of historical fiction novelists.”
—KAREN ROBARDS, author of The Black Swan of Paris
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A great read that show the power of books and their ability to bring hope in the darkest of times. The characters are well written such that you feel the highs and lows that they go through.
Grace and Viv left their small home town of Dayton and moved to London to get away from an uncle and overbearing parents. They had no idea things would get as bad as they did.
Grace found a job in a bookstore….how fun to arrive in London and to work in a bookshop. Viv worked as a sales clerk at Harrod’s.
The funny thing was that Grace had no love of books, but that was the only job she could find since war was about to break out. She had to deal with the grumpy shop owner, but she made the best of the situation.
A handsome, helpful customer, George, that visited the book shop and smiled at Grace made the shop more bearable. He was also helpful and gave Grace ideas about getting the shop organized after all these years.
Grace brought new life and more business to Primrose Hill Books. Her organization had customers buying more and staying longer. She was a success and knew she would get a wonderful letter of recommendation if she could last for her required six months.
All things weren’t great, though. The children in London were taken from their parents and sent to the country, and George and Colin, their landlady’s son, were sent off to war leaving Grace, Viv, and Mrs. Weatherford alone.
As the women are alone, Grace learns the beauty of books and how they can take you to another place and keep the story with you.
Viv learns that she can’t work at Harrod’s when she knows other women are doing things for their country.
Mrs. Weatherford learns to cope with her son being gone and with helping others while continuing to take care of Grace.
Readers will hear of the London bombings which I didn’t know were so often and so devastating, but for the most part bookworms will not want to miss THE LAST BOOKSHOP IN LONDON.
It is a must read because of the bookshop setting, London, and the endearing characters. The characters are just so heartwarming and genuine.
This book would definitely be good for a reluctant reader because Grace shares how she turned from a non-reader to one who can’t stop reading and recommending and turning others into readers and book lovers.
THE LAST BOOKSHOP IN LONDON is a lovely, lovely read and a tribute to mankind in times of need.
You will need some tissues and many ways to tell everyone how wonderful this book is. 5/5
This book was given to me by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
This story started a bit slow for me but, once it ramped up, it became an emotional roller coaster. Grace wanted independence and to help with the war efforts. Her love for books grew as she worked in the bookshop and helped her assist the people of her community. It was interesting to see how the books related to the moment. Through her efforts to protect the neighborhood, Grace saw the worst of the war, yet she again guided her community to survive. I am pretty sure that I cried for the last 20 pages as I read to the last page. I recommend this story, rich with historical details and flavor.
I received an ARC through Netgalley, and this is my unsolicited review.
A profound journey that takes the heroine, Grace, to London, on the eve of WWII, with her friend Viv. With no true home of her own, Grace hopes to find a job, but with no true references, ends up at Primrose Hill Books, a dusty bookstore owned by a Mr. Percival Evans. Having never had an interest in books, Grace is a great organizer and gets to work cleaning up the shop to pull in more customers.
But as fate would have it, a handsome gentleman one days gives her a book to read, and although it takes her a bit to get started, it literally changes the direction of her future! With everyone going off to war, she gets involved as an ARP-Air Raid Precaution, volunteer. As she patrols London, she shares her new love of reading with the people she comes in contact with and helps protect her area.
An outstanding historical fiction story, by an amazing author, who continues to stretch her writing abilities to the point there is no end to her creativity. Emotional at times, with characters not soon forgotten, brings joy and sorrow with the highlighting of books that we as readers understand their power. Perfect.
This book was stunning. It was so much more than I had hoped for.
The story follows our heroine Grace who heads to London after the death of her mother and enduring mistreatment from her relatives. Once there we get to see life through Grace’s eyes.
With the author’s extensive research you get a realistic glimpse into the everyday lives of the people of London as they prepare, endure, and live through the Blitz, the bombings, and the air raids.
The whole book from beginning to end transports you to another time and place. I was so captivated by it I could not put it down. With everything happening in the world today we need a book like this to remind us we can survive and find hope again.
Poignant, affecting, and beautifully written!
The Last Bookshop in London is an engaging, moving tale set during WWII that follows Grace Bennett, a young woman who heads to London in the fall of 1939 in the hopes of a better life and a glamourous career only to find herself employed in a dusty bookshop and war being declared.
The writing is seamless and smooth. The characters are brave, resilient, and supportive. And the plot is an absorbing tale of life, loss, family, heartbreak, friendship, self-discovery, community, determination, tragedy, survival, and love.
As some of you may already know, I’m originally from Coventry, a city heavily bombed during the war. And as my dad was born in 1937, I grew up hearing how a bomb exploded in his backyard 30 ft from the house leaving a crater two garden widths wide, and how he would count the number of new houses missing each morning on his way to school. But as that generation ages and memories start to fade, these stories are so important in reminding us how much novels helped and continue to help people cope with devastating circumstances and unimaginable losses, as well as how the strength, courage, selflessness, and sacrifices of that generation enabled us the lives we lead today. I loved The Last Bookshop in London, and I hope everyone who enjoys historical fiction picks this one up.
Thanks go to the publisher and Net-Galley for the electronic copy of The Last Bookshop in London by Madeline Martin. An absorbing novel that takes place in war-torn London. I voluntarily agreed to read and review this book prior to publication. My opinions are my own and nothing influenced my rating.
The Last Bookshop in London is a well written historical fiction story, and the descriptive writing is so vivid. I could feel the tension when the bombing started. The fear pulsated as I read, making me feel like I was right there experiencing what with the characters were going through. I loved the aspect of the book where Grace starts working at the bookshop with no love of reading, and she finds that books open the world to in a way she never expected.
Grace Bennett is the main protagonist, and I quickly became vested in her. Her character development is incredible. She goes from a scared eighteen-year-old to a mature young woman refusing to let the devastation of the war dampen her perspective of the world. I loved everything about her. While this book is not a romance, it does have a lovely romantic element, and I enjoyed how that played out. I really wanted Grace to find happiness after so much sadness.
This is a real tribute to the Londoners who lived through WWII. As an American, our country only saw the war from a far. The Londoners lived through the brutality of it every day for years. In 2016, I visited England, and while in Plymouth, the touring coach past a shelled-out church. I asked why the church had never been torn down, and the guide explained it was left that way so they would never forget the horrors of that terrible war.
If you enjoy historical fiction novels with compelling characters and an intriguing plot, then you will love The Last Bookshop in London as much as I did. I didn’t want it to end! If it were possible to give this amazing book more than 5 stars I would. This is the best book I’ve read in quite some time, and it will go on my list of books I will reread. Happy reading!
August 1939: London prepares for war as Hitler’s forces sweep across Europe. Grace & Viv arrive in London from Norfolk, both are hoping to work as shop girls but Grace’s mean uncle refused to write her a recommendation & thanks to the intervention of Mrs Weatherford, their landlady Grace winds up working at Primrose Hill, a dusty old bookshop nestled in the heart of London but she’ll get her much needed recommendation after six months
This isn’t a genre I normally read but I love the author’s other books so I gave it a go & highly recommend that you do too. Strong characters & a story that flowed effortlessly. I found it to be very well researched & it tugged at my heart strings on so many levels. I loved Grace who wasn’t a reader at the start of the book but as she tidied and cleaned Mr Percival Evans’ bookshop she became curious & when George, a handsome customer gives her a book when he was called up her love of books begins. Soon the quiet shy Grace is reading to an ever increasing crowd in the underground station during the Blitz. I loved how the author gave a true feeling of the life for ordinary people in the capital during the harrowing times of WWII, night after night of bombings, lack of sleep, rationed food & how communities came together. I was taken on a roller coaster of emotions & be warned to have plenty of tissues at hand. Whilst I was sobbing at times it was also an uplifting book. Worthy of more than five stars
My honest review is for a special copy I voluntarily read
I loved it, loved it!! Delightful characters. Tight plot. A little romance. But the absolutely best thing about this book is the recognition of how the love of reading can change your life. How you can immediately fall into another world just by opening that book. Ms. Martin wonderfully expressed how I have always felt about reading.
“She turned the pages to the first chapter, the sound a quiet whispered shush in the empty store. There was a special scent to paper and ink, indescribable and unknown to anyone but a true reader. She brought the book to her face, closed her eyes and breathed in that wonderful smell.”
This book made me realize just how difficult – and dangerous – it was to live in London during World War II. The constant bombing destroyed homes and villages – and so many people died. Day after day, night after night they endured. But at this little bookshop people found a few moments when they could escape into a different world and momentarily set aside the grim reality of their daily lives.
Grace Bennett, the protagonist of the book, has moved to London in 1939 with her best friend Viv. They stay with Grace’s deceased mother’s best friend, Mrs. Weatherford. Grace, who has never been keen on reading, gets a job at a little bookshop. All is going well until the war begins. Amidst the horrors of war, Grace finds not only a love of reading, but also courage, family, and a sense of community. She experiences heartbreak but also finds heartwarming moments.
This book evoked strong emotions within me. I loved the relationship between Grace and Mrs. Weatherford and the relationship between Grace and Mr. Evans (reminded me of “A Man Called Ove”). I rejoiced, I cried. (The tear ducts were flowing with those last two chapters.) I did not want to put this book down. The story was just so beautiful.
I believe this is Ms. Martin’s first venture into historical fiction, but it should certainly not be her last. (She normally writes romance novels.) Well done! Perfect for book clubs.
Grace Bennett left Drayton to start a new life in London on the brink of War II. While her friends soon leave London to serve in the military, Grace builds her life on the home front. The Primrose Hill Bookstore is her retreat to survive the bombings of London and her work with the ARP. Never much of a reader, the gift of a book from a friend and her job in the bookstore changes her life. As she escapes the horrors of London reading books, she soon sees a need to read to others to soothe their pain and sorrow. Martin writes a realistic, in-depth look at the sacrifices of Londoners to survive in WWII. A touching story of the bond between friends and strangers in one of the most horrible times in history.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book.
The author’s knowledge about WWII is amazing and is very realistic, you could imagine yourself there with her. In the bookstore, in the tube, and helping Mr. Stokes. It was an easy read and had a smooth pace. It kept your attention and was entertaining throughout the book. The characters were engaging, friendly, and very appealing. So much happens in the tale of a girl trying to find her way.
Her friend, Viv, wants fun and excitement. When Hitler starts sending his bombers over, it scares everyone. WVS was an organization where she helped taking care of people. She served food, coffee, and an ear to listen. Grace joined the ARP Warden she felt she could help. She was one of those who yelled at people to put their lights out. Viv wanted to join the ATS, Auxiliary Territorial Service, a women’s branch of the British Army. I enjoyed the little interaction between George and Grace. George had volunteered for the RAF and was gone for most of the book. I loved it, read it, and can hardly wait for the next one.
I received this ARC from Net Galley and voluntarily reviewed it.
Descriptive and elegant, yet also haunting and brutal at times, this book successfully puts the reader in the middle of London in the days of the Blitz. I liked the opening chapters because they set the scene for what was to come while also giving the reader a good look at just how “normal” everything was. Until it wasn’t. I thought Grace was a strong character and I loved her development over the course of the entire book. Even her name was an excellent choice because she was often the personification of it, even in the worst of times. This book had a great story, a lead character to root for, charming supporting characters, and accurate depictions of war, both the good and bad sides of it. All of this together made for an excellent read that I highly recommend. For a detailed review, please visit Fireflies and Free Kicks. Thank you to Harlequin Books and Hanover Square Press for a digital ARC of this amazing novel.
This is an engrossing, exciting, hold-your-breath read that will suck you right into the story and won’t let you go. I read it in one sitting because I absolutely couldn’t put it down! It had all of the ‘feels’ in it – sorrow, grief, happiness, friendship, love, family (blood & not), terror, loss – you name it, you will feel it before you are through with the story. The tale is crafted with descriptions so vivid they put you right in the scene – they break your heart, make you smile, make you tremble with fear, and make you hear the bombs as they drop on London. Martin’s research is always impeccable and that again holds true with this book. I’m thinking if you only read one book this year – this one ought to be it. What a wonderful way to celebrate and honor books and how much they mean to all of us in one way or another. Frankly, I’m writing this review, but I don’t think any review can do it full justice.
Grace Bennett has dreamed of moving to London for a very long time, but feels she has no choice after her bully of an uncle – and his wife – force her to leave the home in which she was raised. Even with the rumblings of war on the horizon, she and her friend Viv are excited about what the future holds for them. Both Grace and Viv desperately want to be a shop-girl at Harrod’s, but only Viv has a letter of recommendation – thanks to Grace’s nasty uncle. Without the reference, Grace cannot be hired at Harrod’s. That actually turns out to be one of the best things to ever happen to her – though she doesn’t realize it at the time.
Grace and Viv are renting a room from the best friend of Grace’s deceased mother. Mrs.Weatherford is a wonderful, wonderful character who lost her husband during the first world war and now the ominous drums are beating again. Mrs. Weatherford is a bright, funny, loving, caring lady who dotes on her only child – a son, Colin. Colin is the gentlest of souls and has long been friends with both Grace and Viv.
Since Grace can’t find employment without a reference, Mrs. Weatherford browbeats the owner of Primrose Hill Books, Mr. Percival Evans, into hiring Grace as his assistant. Grace is a bit disappointed in the dusty, disorganized shop, but she can do it for six months until Mr. Evans will write her a recommendation letter. Grace is accustomed to running her uncle’s much larger business and sets off to clean and organize the bookshop – and maybe even bring in more customers. Grace’s only problem is that she isn’t a reader or book lover – but she is a wonderful organizer and salesperson. Well, she isn’t a reader until a tall, handsome, very quiet man named George actually gives her a book to read. It takes her a while to get started – not until after he’s already deployed – but – the gift he left her changes her whole life.
As the war begins, those Grace loves begin to leave for battle – will they return? Grace doesn’t know, but she does know she has to do her own small part. While her friend Viv joined the ATS (Auxiliary Territorial Service – a branch of the British Army), Grace knew she couldn’t go and leave Mrs. Weatherford all alone since Colin had also deployed. So, Grace continued working at the bookshop until she just felt she had to do more and volunteered to be an ARP Warden (Air Raid Precaution).
While WWII is the background of this book, the real story is Grace and how she comes into her own. With her ARP job, Grace probably saw as much sorrow, death, and carnage as those on the front lines. Her job was a dangerous and harrowing one and she grew into the challenge with more courage and bravery than most men would have displayed. During her days, she brought some happiness to those trapped in war-torn London by reading to them and sharing her newly discovered love of books – and in the evenings, she patrolled her sector – along with her partner Stokes – and helped to save London and her people.
This was an exceptional book and I can definitely recommend it. It is such a deep and meaningful read that I just know you’ll love it as much as I did. For me, the only thing that would have made it better would have been for it to be George on that train at the end rather than Viv. I know the author didn’t want to write a romance – but – there is love and caring even in the depths of wars and it would have felt really nice to see that it survived.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an Advanced Reader Copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
The Last Bookshop in London
A Novel of World War II
Madeline Martin
https://www.facebook.com/MadelineMartinAuthor/
Release Date 04/06/2021
Publisher Hanover Square Press
August 1939: London prepares for war as Hitler’s forces sweep across Europe. Grace Bennett has always dreamed of moving to the city, but the bunkers and blackout curtains that she finds on her arrival were not what she expected. And she certainly never imagined she’d wind up working at Primrose Hill, a dusty old bookshop nestled in the heart of London.
Through blackouts and air raids as the Blitz intensifies, Grace discovers the power of storytelling to unite her community in ways she never dreamed—a force that triumphs over even the darkest nights of the war.
A coming of age tale with books as incentives …
Firstly I need to harangue the author :
Madeline!
You made me cry …
This book is not a romance in the common sense of the terme, yet it is a love story.
How books bring people together, how they help them face adversity, how they rescue them from dark places and make them be better persons.
I even googled Paternoster row, and the war pictures were devastating, yet from those ashes life rose and blossomed.
Being French, I am not fond of the WWII period, it was a dirty war which revealed the blackness of the human soul, and the stories told by my grandfather a policeman and my father a teen turned photographer did not alleviate its bleakness. And maybe it is also because it is too close to home, time and distance I am not attracted by the era.
But after watching The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society, I was curious to learn more about this dramatic time through the prism from the other side of the Channel.
And I just loved this book, a love declaration to books and their sheer power of one is willing to be open to them.
During this destructive period, books were nearly the only entertaining, the news only brought lists of death and destructions, so being able to jump in an other life, place or time regardless of the time or area, it was an incommensurable luxury.
One of the reason Hitler destroyed some many previous books in his gigantic auto-de-fe.
So, here we follow Grace, a young woman now orphaned who makes her way in London at the worst possible time, on the Eve of the WWII, she needs a job to help her sustain her and provide a recommendation letter for a better job later.
She is no reader, so when she lands a place in a bookshop, she is like a bull in a china shop.
But hard work never scared her, so she rolls her sleeves and goes to work.
One day at a time she slowly wins her employer’s regard.
All the while enduring the hardship of a war period, with all its losses and horrors.
From the lost young woman who first stepped in the big city, she morphs to a self assured one. she, with compassion and efforts, builds a new family, made of add-on-parts, but one of the heart. She is no warrior nor amazon, but she finds her own way to provide help, comfort and respite.
A wonderful tale of ordinary heroes, with their sole courage kept going and living, of their resilience, thirst of life and love shared for words.
5 stars because there is no higher ranking number.
none
I have been granted an advance copy by the publisher Hanover Square Press, here is my true and unbiased opinion.
https://www.facebook.com/429830134272830/posts/822800204975819/?d=n
Quietly seduces the reader with an irresistible story of a young lass from the country who goes to London to “discover life” and finds instead something very different – the destruction and heartbreak of the Blitz. Madeline Martin does a wonderful job of drawing the reader into the story, much like Grace Bennett the main character draws in the traumatised Londoners to her book readings in underground stations and the “Last Bookshop.”
Grace doesn’t start out as a reader, but she becomes one, escaping the heartbreak and death around her into other worlds, created by Charlotte Bronte, Alexander Dumas and F Scott Fitzgerald.
Martin doesn’t soft pedal on the shock and destruction faced by the bombed inner city residents, but she captivates with a tale of how the power of story telling overcomes darkness and despair. Truly a book to lose yourself in.
When Grace Bennett moves to London with her best friend Vivienne “Viv” Bailey in August of 1939, there is no way she can even begin to imagine how much not only her life is about to change – but how much the world is about to change as well!
Grace arrives in London full of hopes and dreams, she and her friend Viv, rent rooms from her late mother’s widowed friend, Mrs. Weatherford, and her grown son Colin. While Grace had high hopes of becoming a shop-girl at Harrod’s, she had no written references, she instead gets a job at Primrose Hill Books, a small bookshop owned by Mr. Evans, due to the help of Mrs. Weatherford and even gains the promise of a referral letter after six months. Grace is not pleased, she is not a reader and while she has basic shop knowledge from working for her uncle, she knows nothing about books, which is made clear on her first day. She arrives to work, the shop is a mess, cluttered and unorganized, Mr. Evans clearly doesn’t want an employee, and Grace feels hopeless when a customer asks for help finding a book, but things begin to look up when another customer, a man named George comes to her rescue, and even suggests a book for her to read. She leaves the shop a bit more hopeful, but that changes later that evening when the radio announces the mobilization of the fleet – a sure sign that war is coming.
This book is not my normal genre, but having read this author’s historical romances, I was sure I would find a well-written, well-researched story with a strong heroine and an interesting story – and I was not wrong, but I was not prepared to be sucked into the story and held captive the way I was! While reading this book, I experienced a complete array of emotions – shock, pain, heartbreak, loss, wonder, hope, and love – I felt Grace’s struggles, her fears, her disappointments, her hope, her horror, and her joys – I watched her find an escape in reading and happiness in sharing her newfound love of reading with others. I finished this book with a new respect for not only the men and women who served in the military and sacrificed so much but also for those who fought on the Homefront – who were separated from their children, who made do with meager rations, who supported each other and never gave up hope. I loved this book and am so glad I decided to give it a go, it was wonderful, and can’t recommend it highly enough.
*I am voluntarily leaving a review for an eARC that I requested and was provided to me by the publisher. All opinions in this review are my own. *
We first meet Grace and Viv on their way to London. All too soon WW2 starts and they’re pulled into the war. The book mainly follows Grace through the London blitz and her job at the bookshop. Before working she never reads but as time goes on she starts reading and soon comes to love books and the bookshop. It was a descriptive book, you could feel the bombs falling and smell the smoke. I found myself holding my breath during each bombing hoping none would hit the bookshop. I really enjoyed this book!
Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for the early copy
Madeline Martin, one of my all-time favorite authors has just written one of my all-time favorite books! This magnificently written, extremely well researched story has touched my heart and soul.
Having been unhappy after the death of her mother and rather mistreated by her aunt and uncle, Grace and her best friend Viv strike out for London for a new start.
The story through the authors extensive research gives you a realistic glimpse into the everyday lives of the people of London as they prepare, endure and live through the Blitz, the bombings and the air raids.
The story of a young woman who upon arriving in London takes a temporary position at a bookshop, Primrose Hill Books, under the employment of Mr. Evans who isn’t too keen about taking on an employee. Having never been a reader Grace sets about clearing the dust from the shelves and organizing the books. It’s only when George, a customer gives her a copy of “The Count Of Monte Cristo” and Grace begins to read, she finds a love and passion for books that she can’t contain. It’s a passion she freely shares with customers.
By day Grace works in the bookstore and by night she volunteers as an ARP warden, putting out fires and doing safety checks. Through her work as an air warden Grace sees and experiences the horrors, the devastation and the sorrow of war.
Grace was an absolutely wonderful heroine. She was strong and brave, determined and impactful. She brought her community together and saved lives. She unknowingly impacted everyone she came into contact with. She read books aloud in the air raid shelters to help those sheltering there to take their minds and focus off of all that’s going on around them. If only for moments she takes them to another time and place through her readings, distracting them from the horrors going on around them. She spread her new found love for literature and the magic of books with others at a time when people desperately need an escape. She brought calm and hope in the darkest of days. She was a true inspiration to all.
The characters are absolutely divine and Miss Martin’s talented writing brings them to life beautifully. I loved the relationships that developed between Grace, Mrs. Weatherford and Mr. Evans. It was wonderful to see that they became almost a surrogate parents to Grace. I especially loved the romance that developed between George and Grace through their letters after he left for war. It was sweet and gentle. I loved the characters/customers and their interactions with Grace.
The story resonates the power and magic that words and reading can have over us. It gives hope in times of despair. It’s a story of friendship, love, courage, and selflessness. It’s a story of everyday people and how in times of great devastation they came together to get through and overcome the horrors falling around them with hope and courage. It’s a poignant and beautiful story about the impact and importance of literature in our lives.
Thank you Ms. Martin for this charming and lovely story so brilliantly written.
The Last Bookshop in London is a well written and poignant story of the devastation of war and those who help to make life a little better. Although historical fiction, this story is so realistic in its telling that you actually feel like you are there and living through the challenges faced. The characters are relatable and engaging, their stories are such that there are hidden reasons to their actions that are revealed. Grace, a shy young woman, starts working in a dusty, cluttered bookshop in order to obtain a letter of reference for a better job but soon learns the joy of books and reading. As the Blitz of London begins she starts to engage others in the joy of the escape in the written word for a little while and soon has such a following that she is overwhelmed with the friendship and love developed. This is a story of community, friendship, family, love, loss, and survival during times when hope is tested. Madeline Martin has written a wonderful story that will have you enraptured until the very end.
I received an advanced reader copy from the publisher but all thoughts and feelings are my own.
The Last Bookshop in London, by Madeline Martin. I absolutely loved reading this book. Madeline Martin I feel did a great job with historical information about War World ll in London. She shares stories of what the people of London had to endure then. The book is easy to read. It provides a lot of entertainment that kept me transfixed into the book. The book is very realistic regarding what England did to survive the war. There were a number of things that I didn’t know and some things that answered questions that I had about survival back then. The romance is a slow burn, but it makes up for it later in the book. Grace, Viv, Mrs. Weatherby, Mr. Evans and Colin are characters that I think I will never forget. Each character contributed so much to this story. Each story touched my since of compassion for those who need help, who can’t seem to know how to ask for it. I recommend this book. It shares so much information about war, survival and romance. Until next time my fellow readers… read on. I received a free copy of this book and I am voluntarily leaving a review.