Cover Image: Mrs Boots of Pelham Street

Mrs Boots of Pelham Street

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Member Reviews

The year is 1892 and we come upon Florence Boot, her husband James and their children. A women ahead of her time, she works alongside her husband even though she has 3 children. Florence doesn't have to work, but she has an independent mind and personality. She is a champion for women even when it, at times, conflicts with her husband. This book was a delightful read and had I known, I would have read the first book. Quite enjoyable and highly recommended. My thanks to NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

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This is the next book in the series about Florence Boot, wife of Jesse Boot and co-owner of the Boots drugstores. This book begins a few years after their wedding, and chronicles the birth and childhood of the three Boot children. Now as her family is growing Florence grapples with the struggles that ever modern woman today can recognize - the work/home balance. Florence enjoys being a mom to her three children but is unwilling to give up her career in order to stay home with them. Add to that is the strain of Jesse's declining health, which he refuses to acknowledge. Florence was truly a remarkable woman and I am thoroughly enjoying getting to know her through this series. She did so much good for women of the lower-class during that time. She was definitely a force to be reckoned with. If you love historical fiction you will definitely want to read this. I would suggest reading the first book before this one, if nothing else, just so you grasp the full picture of how much she has accomplished.

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Historical fiction at its best.Second in this engrossing series.Love reading about Mrs.Boot and the boot empire.I hope there will be more in this series, Highky recommend to all English saga lovers. #netgalley #harpercollinsuk

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Brilliant sequel and a fascinating inside into the boots empire. Will there be Another book who knows great to carry on from where Mr&Mrs Boots left off in the last instalment. Great read highly recommended

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I voluntarily read this ARC for an honest review
All thoughts and opinions are mine

I really enjoyed this
I found it informative and entertaining. Historical fiction is really my favourite genre and this was great from start to finish

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An entertaining, well researched and engrossing historical fiction that kept me hooked till the end.
I appreciated the well thought cast of characters, the well researched and vivid historical background and the plot that flows.
Recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine.

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Don't worry if you didn't read the first book in this bio-novel series- Carr will catch you up! Florence has been married to Jesse of the Boots Empire for some time now. In fact, she's worked very hard to help build it (without much appreciation from him). She's also a crusader for women, making sure they have some of the things they need. The Boots children- Margery, Dorothy, and John- are sometimes the source of marital conflict but they do bring joy as well. John, in fact, has emigrated to Canada. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. This is a nice piece of historical fiction and a family saga that will make you look at that familiar label differently.

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I would like to thank NetGalley and the publishers for asking me to read and review.
This story was a wonderful read and after reading the first I had to get right into the next.
It is well written with some characters that are well rounded and as a reader you feel you are right there with them and feel the emotions that they are going through. The plot draws you in, keeping you wanting more and turning those pages.
A brilliant, addictive read.

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This book is good, light reading for those with an interest in British history and culture. This novel shows the development of the Boots pharmacy chain, including the emerging role of women in the workforce and the issues that people talked and discussed at the time.

This is a quick read, perfect for light reading or something to read on vacation.

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The second book in the Mrs Boots series about Florence Boot, the woman behind Boots the Chemist of England. I had read the first book a short while ago, so got onto reading this second carry on installment promptly

Florence is now the wife of the esteemed druggist and businessman, Jesse Boot and her position in society is very much changed from her quiet life as shopkeepers assistant in Jersey. She has a son and daughter (and another on the way) and works tirelessly within the Boots empire - primarily with a view to bettering the conditions of the female workforce, who she actively employs in any role across the booming empire. She organises works outings and christmas gifts to treat her employees, who are generally struggling to make ends meet. With a number of shops across the country and Boots is moving away from just being a chemist outlet, into a gift store as well. They also opened their won printing capability to reduce the need to outsource. Very progressive for the time, as was Florence..

While it is nice to revisit old characters such as Florence and Jesse and meet their new family, I spent the whole time waiting for something dramatic to happen. Although there was an early birth and illness, I was quite bored a lot of time. The back and forward conversation and sometimes conflict between Florence and Jesse just couldn't hold my attention.

But for those who enjoy reading of a forward thinking woman within a well researched historical background, I would recommend both books in the series.

Thanks to NetGalley, One More Chaptor and Deborah Carr for this advance copy.

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An interesting follow on from the first book in this series this covers Florence and Jesse's life after their marriage. Jesse is very business minded, so is Florence except she is also very considerate for the people who work for the company, especially the women. For example she realised that many of the women didn't have breakfast before they came to work, so provided them with hot cocoa before they started. She also organised works outings to treat their employees to reward them for their work.
At the same time she uses her business acumen to extend the range of products sold in Boots stores over and above the original pharmacy products.
They both came across as very visionary employers and it was fascinating to read their story in this book closely based on their lives and I'm looking forward to the next book in the series.
Thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for the opportunity to read an advance copy of this book, however this did not influence my review.

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What a shame.....I really was keen to read this as I lived in the part of Nottingham where the original BOOTS factory is still part of the HQ for the company. I had heard a talk from the archivist about Florence and Jesse and knew they were particularly keen to use their wealth and growth of the company to help local people - particularly on Florence's part for women and young girls with education, libraries and holidays alongside good working conditions.
I know this is the second in the series by the author so maybe the first gave more of the background to the development of BOOTS and Florence's growing part but by the time this novel begins they are married and settling towards family life with their children and a new home back in Nottingham (now part of the grounds to the University of Nottingham and the park given over to all the general public as an open space)
But the plot revolves on mini incidents with Florence and didn't go into much detail about the working and living conditions of others apart from Florence's home. The trip to Skegness perhaps livened up and added to the atmosphere but if was after I had lost a lot of interest overall in the novel.
Perhaps a widening historical aspect to the story that focused on the family would add more to the reading but as a story of one woman and her responses to daily incidents it serves its purposes.

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I read the first book and was invited to read this one by the publishers. The story of Florence and Jesse continues on their three children and a business that keeps expanding. I'm not sure how much of the story is fact but I began to detest Jesse half-way through the story for his attitude and wanting to control not just Florence who was clearly ahead of her time but not willing to accept that John may want to do other things outside of the family business. This was an enjoyable read and If the author writes another book in the series, then from the timeline, it will centre around WW1. I would like to thank the publishers and netgalley for giving me the book to review and the opinions expressed are entirely my own views and are completely unbiased.

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This novel was very enjoyable. I greatly enjoyed the character of Mrs. Boots, her drive, her spunk and her determination. (I am a sucker for a strong, female lead.) Deborah Carr was very good at fleshing out Florence and Jesse, and wasn't afraid to dive into their story, which not every author can boast. I felt the story moved a tad slow in the beginning, and didn't always move smoothly; meaning now and again I had to stop and re-read a sentence or two, to see if I understood what was being portrayed. However, this did not detract from the story itself. Quite the good book.

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Omg how lucky was I to be given the chance to read both of Mrs Boots books. Florence is such a brilliant character and love that the book follows on from the previous novel and doesn't miss anything out. All I can say is keep then coming

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