I would give this book 10 stars if I could. For a former librarian and life-long book lover, it hit all the right notes. A plucky young woman goes to London to escape a dismal home situation. It is the eve of World War II, and the world is very unsettled. She gets a temporary job at a cluttered disorganized book store run by a grumpy old man, despite the fact that she had never before had the time for, nor interest, in reading..
What follows is a vivid story of the war told from the perspective of decent men and women displaying courage and fortitude.in heartbreaking situations. Of course my interest was captured immediately when Grace (the perfect name for this young lady, by the way) sets to organizing the book store over the owner’s objections. What librarian wouldn’t enjoy such a scenario! The story is peopled by well-drawn characters — friends, neighbors, salt-of-the-earth Londoners and yes, a young man who first introduces her to the joys of literature.
I won’t spoil the story by revealing important details, but I found myself tearing up at the observations Grace made as she grew in understanding and acceptance about her place in the world.
A thoroughly lovely book for fans of historical fiction, books about London and readers in general..

The Newcomer is a delightful mystery,romance set in Florida.Letty is on the run with her niece after she finds her sister murdered in NYC. She hides out in a small family run motel on the Florida coast where she gets involved with the family and motel residents. An enjoyable beach read!
Thanks to @netgalley for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

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

The Last Bookshop in London is a love letter to books and bookshops. Grace moves to London in 1939 and gets a job at a book store even though she is not a reader. World War II begins, bringing rations, conscriptions, and bombs to London.
I'm not a fan of historical World War II fiction, but I sure did enjoy this book. Then I immediately recommended it to friends who like historical WW2 fiction, and to a friend who enjoys books about books.

It is during one of the darkest periods in history as London is about to be engulfed by World War II with Hitler's armies getting closer and closer. Despite that, Grace and her best friend Viv arrive in London with big dreams. Grace doesn't get the job she wants, but instead ends up working at what just might be the very last bookshop in London for years to come.

Times are indeed perilous with sirens announcing bombing on a daily basis. This certainly was not a good time to go live in London. Both girls each had hope against hope that things could be far better for them. The girls found lodging with a friend of Grace's mother. Due to the loss of her parents, Grace had been living with and working for her uncle. When she is told about a bookshop, her previous sales experience proves hopeful, although she knows very little about books and reading.

Despite the bookstore's owner, Mr. Evans, being less than welcoming, and the shop in very poor condition, Grace raises her chin and soldiers on. Even with the nightly air raids and finding safe shelter with others during the bombing, Grace faces each day with determination. One thing Grace gains from her employ is a love of books she never expected. It is this love that leads her to helping others, all the while giving her hope for better days ahead.

Surviving the Blitz during World War II was no easy feat, especially with tragedy facing Grace at every turn. Grace's discovery for the love of reading due to a regular bookshop customer named George led to great promise, even when George went away to war. Correspondence with George as well as reading aloud to other people hiding from the bombs went a long way when it came to Grace never giving up.

This book was inspiring for so many reasons. For one thing, it is literally impossible for me to imagine having to find safety from nightly bombings. Factor in the great loss of life while never knowing when the end of the war would come. I loved Grace, and their landlord, Mrs. Weatherford, as well as several other characters in this compelling read. Then, of course, the fact that the book was set in a bookshop. As much as I love reading, this alone made this book a five star read. However, there are far more reasons than that to make this book one that I highly recommend, as this remarkable book is very inspiring as we are in a time now that we need hope to survive.

Many thanks to Hanover Square Press and to NetGalley for this ARC for review. This is my honest opinion

You know a book is good when you read an eARC of it and have to buy a hard copy so you can read it again and again! The Last Bookshop in London takes place in London 1939 during the Blitz. The main character Grace moves to London and begins working in a bookshop and discovers a love of books. She uses these stories to bring comfort to both herself and others during a time of darkness and despair. I not only loved the main characters, but enjoyed so many of the side characters as well.
I really felt a connection with this book and the main character in the sense that, especially this past year, books became a way of escape and a source of comfort amidst uncertainty. There is so much more to this novel than what I have described, but it is both beautiful and heartbreaking. The way Madeline Martin writes made me feel like I was right there in London! Thank you Netgalley for a chance to read this early release copy!

This was an utterly charming read, and I was definitely charmed by it. I’m saying that in spite of, just yesterday, claiming that I seemed to be suffering from a bit of WW2 historical fiction fatigue. It appears that that book just wasn’t the right book, where The Last Bookshop in London definitely was.

When we, along with Grace and her bestie Viv, arrive in London in 1939, Primrose Books is far from the last bookshop in London. It’s just that the rest of them seem to be congregated on Paternoster Row, while Primrose Books is a bit off the beaten path – albeit a bit closer to where Grace and Viv take up lodgings with Mrs. Weatherford.

The young women are from Drayton, a country town the dust of which neither of them could shake off their shoes fast enough. Mrs. Weatherford grew up in Drayton, like the girls, but of an earlier generation. In fact, the generation of Grace’s late mother. And they were besties back then, just as Grace and Viv are now.

And there was a war coming then too. History, damn it all, repeats the worst of its patterns.

Grace needs Mrs. Weatherford’s help, in the form of Mrs. W’s ability to boss around pretty much everyone in her orbit – including Mr. Evans, the curmudgeonly owner of Primrose Books. Which is very much within the scope of her bossing.

Grace needs a job but doesn’t have a reference – and isn’t brazen enough to fake it the way that Viv most definitely is. Mr. Evans needs someone to brighten up both the store and his life for reasons that are not apparent when we and Grace first meet him, although his need certainly is.

And Grace, dives in with a will, even though she has no idea how to sell books because she hasn’t been much of a reader – at least not so far. But she understands marketing, as she’s done it before back in Drayton, and she’s good at organization, and she needs to work with/for/at Mr. Evans for 6 months in order to get a good reference. That’s the deal he made with Mrs. Weatherford. Grace just has to earn that reference, which will just take hard work and a bit of managing – of Mr. Evans, that is.

But the dark clouds of war that have been looming on the horizon much longer than anyone wants to admit turn into a full blown storm of German bombs, just as Grace gets her feet under her in London. A London that is now on fire.

Escape Rating A-: Although this story covers very large events, the London Blitz being the obvious exploding elephant in the story’s “room”, it’s not actually a big story. It isn’t about important people directing earth-shaking events – even though the earth does frequently shake under the nightly assault by German bombers.

Rather, this is a story about ordinary people rising to the occasion, managing through adversity, keeping calm, carrying on and doing their bit to keep themselves, their friends and their neighbors together in the face of their world seeming to fall apart.

And in the midst of grief, loss and rationing, bombs falling and spirits all too often falling right along with them, it’s also a story about the power of a good book to take a person – or a whole group of people in a bomb shelter – away from the worst parts of their here and now into someone else’s there and then. Knowing that when they come back from their imaginary adventure the world will seem just a bit less grim for both the tiny escape and the shared camaraderie.

Grace’s Primrose Books may not have actually been the “Last Bookshop in London” even in the story. But Paternoster Row, the center of the British publishing industry, was destroyed during the Blitz as described herein, taking most of London’s bookstores along with it.

In spite of the Blitz, the retreat from Dunkirk, the deaths among Grace’s family of choice in London, The Last Bookshop in London is actually a hopeful story. Not just because as readers we know the result of war, but because of the way that the community that Grace has built around herself and the bookstore rallies ‘round and lifts her up – along with themselves – at even the lowest moments of the story.

So, as I said at the very beginning, The Last Bookshop in London was simply a charming and lovely read. If you like historical fiction centered on World War II, especially about the British Homefront, and/or stories about the power of reading and stories to lift people up and carry them away, this is a story that will bring as big a smile to your face as the stories that Grace reads aloud do to all of her listeners.

The Last Bookshop in London: A Novel of World War II by Madeline Martin released on April 6, 2021. This new historical fiction book set in London during WWII has wonderful characters and is great for book lovers. I really liked the main character, Grace, who was a young woman that moved to London and began working in a bookshop. I would highly recommend this book for fans of historical fiction. Thank you to Hanover Square Press via Netgalley for this review copy.

Grace Bennett arrives in London just prior to the start of World War II and gets a job working in a bookstore. Even though she has no interest in books, she is introduced to reading by one of the bookstore's many patrons and thus begins a newfound love for reading. She shares her love with the patrons and bookstore owner providing hope and an escape from the terrors of the war that will impact them all.

I fell in love with the characters, especially Grace, and the bookstore. It is so nice to have a heroine that does not have a superpower or amazing skill but can use what she does have to become a hero in her own way. I felt like I connected with Grace so much. The story contains heartache and tragedy, as well as hope and friendship, and is an excellent read for anyone who loves books and/or historical fiction.

Bookshops and World War II historical fiction? I'm pretty sure Madeline Martin's latest novel was written just for me. The Last Bookshop in London delighted me while allowing me to learn through reading what it would have been like to live through the Blitz.

Here's the book's description:
London, autumn 1940: the Blitz has only just begun when Grace Bennett arrives in London to find the city she’s spent a lifetime dreaming about now cast in the clouds of war, and all of her plans unraveling at the seams. After accepting a job at a charming bookshop nestled in the heart of the city, a haven for literary-minded locals, she feels like a fish out of water – she’s never been much of a reader, after all.
As the bombs rain down on the city night after night, a devastating air raid leaves London’s literary center in ruins, and the libraries and shops of Paternoster Row are destroyed in a firestorm. But against all odds, one bookshop miraculously survives. Through blackouts and air raids, Grace continues staffing the shop, discovering a newfound comfort in the power of words and storytelling to unite her community in ways she never imagined, a power that triumphs even the darkest nights of war-torn London.
As I've read books set during the World Wars during the last year, I've been struck a few times at the similarities between war time and this current global pandemic. It puts things into perspective a bit, too, especially as Martin wrote about the Blitz. Night after night, for months, bombs were dropped on London by the Germans. Blackout curtains were a must and there were fines if even a speck of light could be seen from outside. I've read about this time before but I hadn't really thought about what it would have been like outside at night if there wasn't a single light on. Martin wrote an especially poignant scene as Grace stays too late at work and has to make her way home after dark, in the rain, and could not even identify her own front door. Imagine how frightening that would be. The beginning of the war, when this book was set, saw the posters "Keep Calm and Carry On" begin to sprout up around England and that mentality shines through in this novel. Londoners were terrified - they were sending their children away to the country and having to go to shelters or Tube stations every night to stay safe from bombs - but they carried on. They could emerge every morning and find their house or business (or both) destroyed. And yet, they carried on. Seems the least I can do right now is stay home as much as possible and avoid getting together with friends and family whom I miss dearly.

I was so thrilled when I read that Grace would be getting a shop assistant position at a little bookshop in London. I was less thrilled when I realized she wasn't much of a reader. She had no idea the joy she was in for! She quickly learns the magic of reading thanks to a handsome shop patron. George tells her to read The Count of Monte Cristo and Grace's life is never the same. She inhales novels and works on advertising for the shop to promote books to give other Londoners the magic of escaping into a good read. Partway through reading I began to wish I had written down all the titles Grace reads and recommends. Austen makes a few appearances, as does Charles Dickens. She reads Middlemarch and is gifted Vanity Fair. Martin does such a wonderful job of capturing what it means to be a reader and how important books and stories can be during times of hardship.

Grace was a lovely main character. She was young without being annoyingly naive. She had a big heart and my own hurt for her as she saw friends help the war effort and all she was doing was helping out in a dusty old bookshop. She was scared and I'm sure I would have felt the same in her position. She does step up, as I think most of us would, and she volunteers as an ARP (Air Raid Precautions) warden which saw her out during the bombings three nights (and eventually five nights) a week. She narrowly missed bombs and saw horrifying sights. Through it all she supported her friends and made the bookshop thrive. You couldn't help but be in awe of her strength even when you see her faltering due to sheer exhaustion. She didn't give up even when that would have been the easiest option. You'll love her and will root for a Happily Ever After for her and all of the other characters, even though you know the scars of war will impact them long past VE Day.

I didn't want to stop reading The Last Bookshop in London. Madeline Martin's novel was a joy to read, even as I mourned for and with the characters as they went through the horrors of war. If you're a book lover and a fan of historical fiction, this novel is a must read for you.

About the author
Madeline Martin is a USA TODAY bestselling author of historical romance novels filled with twists and turns, adventure, steamy romance, empowered heroines and the men who are strong enough to love them.

Connect with the author
Website * Facebook * Twitter * Instagram * Pinterest

Buy the novel
Amazon * Barnes & Noble * Bookshop * IndieBound * Libro.fm
Books-A-Million * Target * Kobo * AppleBooks * Google Play * Audible

*An egalley of this novel was provided by the publisher, Hanover Square Press. in exchange for a review for the purpose of a blog tour. All opinions are honest and my own.*

I enjoy Historical Fiction and it is always interesting to see how the people who are keeping the home fires burning survive and keep busy. This was a really interesting story and I enjoyed it very much. Of course being a retired teacher librarian and self-professed bibliophile, a book that shares the importance and love of reading is sure to be a hit.

Grace Bennett has always wanted to move to the city, but moving to London when they are at the brink of war is not what she was expecting. She finds a job at an old and dusty bookstore, called Primrose Hill. The owner is a bit of a curmudgeon, but she perseveres in cleaning and organizing the old bookstore. Her family in London is her friend who moved with her and her landlady. As war looms closer, she deals with black-out curtains, air raids and fear. As she continues to work at Primrose Hill, she develops a love for books and reading, as well as developing a friendly relationship with one of their patrons, handsome, book loving George. Once Britain declares war things change and many Londoners become complacent, that is until German troops move into France and the British Troops limp home. London is now constantly living with bombing, death and destruction. Grace does what she can to keep spirits up using books and reading as well as doing her part working with the ARP.

There is so much to love about this book. The first is the book talk. Sharing books, reading aloud, using books to keep your mind off the war, bringing people together etc. The characters were amazing. Grace was such a strong character, with more guts than most people I know. She was so caring of everyone she came in contact with. All the other characters were well drawn. There were some that started off unlikable and even selfish, but by the end, they come around and are thankful for what others are trying to do. This small neighbourhood was close knit and caring, like a family. Madeline Martin's writing was so descriptive. The bombings during The Blitz were so well detailed that I could almost hear them and see the residents huddled in the tube stations. The destruction was so vivid that I could almost picture it. There was a bit of a romance between Grace and George, but as he was at war, it was developed through letters. That is my one complaint, that I would have loved to hear some of the letters, but the first one was described as what was left after it had been redacted and that was interesting in itself.

This was a well-written and developed story. It had great characters but also an interesting plot which makes it a story that it will appeal to people who like plot driven or character driven stories. The Last Bookshop in London has some poignant themes: perseverance, loyalty, found family, community, service to others/your country, loss, grief, sharing, and of course the power of books. It is obvious that the author did a great deal of research to make this book as historically accurate as possible and I appreciate that. I highly recommend this book to all.

Reviewed in the United States on April 10, 2021
A story that slowly weaves its way into your heart for so many different reason. It shows the power of love and how it unites us in both good and bad times. Grace and Viv have such different personalities yet their friendship is solid. And its because of this support that they can take different paths and yet each help the war effort. Mrs Weatherford is a safe space for Grace and Viv to land in the beginning as well as instrumental in getting Grace her job at the bookshop with Mr. Evans. Each of the characters faces challenges and deals with them in their own ways. When one of them falters , the others are there to help. It shows the power of helping your neighbors, that we are stronger together and that the smallest act of compassion can make a huge difference in a person's life. Surviving the war and all its tragedies can be so difficultbut "It is through books that we can find the greatest hope".
I received an advanced reader copy but the opinions are my own.

This novel was inspired by the true story of the only bookshop to survive the Blitz during World War II.

After her mother’s passing Grace has been working for her uncle in his shop but is never appreciated. She and her best friend Viv move to London in hopes of finding a job while they live with Grace’s late mothers’ dear friend, Mrs. Weatherford.

Begrudgingly Grace accepts work in a dingy, messy, old bookshop. Through the bombs and horrors of WWII, Grace transforms the bookshop into a place of light and hope using the power of a book to bring a community closer together during a dark time.

I absolutely loved Grace. She was so kindhearted and strong. Although every single character was well thought out and the storyline was really engaging and captivating the whole time!

I highlighted several quotes while reading but one of my favorites was: “Books are what have brought us together. A love of the stories within, the adventures they take us on, their glorious distraction in a time of strife. And a reminder that we always have hope.”

This novel was utterly fantastic- a lovely and moving story of hope and second chances. It was a beautiful story that will stay with me for a long time and I found myself crying both happy and sad tears throughout the book. I highly recommend it.

Thank you to Harlequin Trade, Hanover Square Press, and the author for my copy.

This story made me bawl toward the end of the book. I loved that the story is around a bookstore and there is a little bit of romance. This is a story of joy and heartache and growing up. I love Grace and Mr. Evans and Mrs. Weatherford. Grace helps Mr. Evans and Mrs. Weatherford to handle what happens during WWll and they help her. This is a beautiful story. I received a copy of this book from Mira and Harlequin for a fair and honest opinion that I gave of my own free will.

For me, The Last Bookshop in London hits perfection in every aspect: storytelling style, characterization, historical accuracy, plot execution, setting, pacing, and emotion.

This book is set in London throughout WWII, but it isn’t really a story about war. It’s very much a story about human connection, resilience, love, loss, fear, and hope. It’s a story about how one person can make an enormous difference, not in ending a war, but in holding together a community.

You know the kind of book that draws you in deep, so when you look up, you’re surprised by your surroundings, and the characters’ emotions linger as your own? That’s this book.

Comfort in a time of trial!

The building of a story around a young woman, Grace Bennett, discovering the joy of books and bookshops. Translating that love into something special during these times. Grace ends up working in a bookstore off from the main drag. Ultimately she finds herself reading to assorted people who share her Underground Shelter during the London Blitz. Sometimes they come to the bookstore for continuations, a masterful stroke! Oh and yes there is a gentleman. He really is!
Such a joyous story in the midst of hardship and tragedy.
What is special is the way Grace grows from a shy country girl into her own person

A Harlequin ARC via NetGalley
(Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.)

𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘓𝘢𝘴𝘵 𝘉𝘰𝘰𝘬𝘴𝘩𝘰𝘱 𝘪𝘯 𝘓𝘰𝘯𝘥𝘰𝘯 by Madeline Miller was an absolutely beautiful and moving story with a strong female protagonist, a love letter to books and the power of stories (which as a lifelong bookworm I loved so much), heartening relationships, and a setting so vividly brought to life you feel like you’ve been transported back to WWll-era London. It’s a story of tragedy, resilience, love, fraternity, grief, and finding yourself. Martin’s storytelling is poignant and captivating. Fans of historical fiction will absolutely devour 𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘓𝘢𝘴𝘵 𝘉𝘰𝘰𝘬𝘴𝘩𝘰𝘱 𝘪𝘯 𝘓𝘰𝘯𝘥𝘰𝘯.

𝙄 𝙬𝙖𝙨 𝙥𝙧𝙤𝙫𝙞𝙙𝙚𝙙 𝙖𝙣 𝙚𝘼𝙍𝘾 𝙘𝙤𝙥𝙮 𝙤𝙛 𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙨 𝙗𝙤𝙤𝙠 𝙗𝙮 𝙃𝙖𝙧𝙡𝙚𝙦𝙪𝙞𝙣 𝙏𝙧𝙖𝙙𝙚 𝙋𝙪𝙗𝙡𝙞𝙨𝙝𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙃𝙖𝙣𝙤𝙫𝙚𝙧 𝙎𝙦𝙪𝙖𝙧𝙚 𝙋𝙧𝙚𝙨𝙨 (𝙩𝙝𝙖𝙣𝙠-𝙮𝙤𝙪!). 𝘼𝙡𝙡 𝙤𝙥𝙞𝙣𝙞𝙤𝙣𝙨 𝙚𝙭𝙥𝙧𝙚𝙨𝙨𝙚𝙙 𝙖𝙧𝙚 𝙫𝙤𝙡𝙪𝙣𝙩𝙖𝙧𝙮 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙢𝙮 𝙤𝙬𝙣.

The bombing of London by the Germans in WWII was obviously heartbreaking, painful and destructive but what this book does is highlight the things that people did to make it though the war, even with a fictionalization of events. Grace has never been a lover of books but being surrounded by them as she works in a bookshop develops her into a reader. It also saves her life and the lives of others as she begins to understand the value in stories.

In Madeline Martin’s The Last Bookshop in London, small Town girls from Dayton, England find adventure in London. Grace and Viv escape overbearing guardians when they use their savings to hop a train to London to find work and live with Mrs. Weatherford, a good friend of Grace’s late mother.

The two friends find work and a loving home, and with the start of The Blitz, they find more adventure than they bargained for. Like many Londoners, they find an inner strength that keeps them keeping on. Through a customer, Grace discovers the joy of reading and eventually shares that joy through a storytelling hour at the bookshop she works in. It unites her neighborhood in ways she could not have anticipated.

The Last Bookshop in London is based on a true story of grit and determination through the darkest nights of the war. I loved the characters, the discussion of books and bookshops, and most of all, I loved how Ms. Martin portrayed that books can lead to friendship and friends create hope in the darkness.

The Last Bookshop in London by Madeline Martin
Source: NetGalley and Hanover Square Press
Rating: 4/5 stars

When Grace Bennett moved to London, she saw her whole life before her. Grace saw a glamourous job as a shop girl, nights spent out with friends at the theater, dancing, and simply celebrating being young and alive. The reality is quite different as England is on the verge of war with a very determined Adolf Hitler and Grace’s options are far different than she once dreamed of.

The reality of Grace’s lie in London is sharing a small room with her best friend in a small boarding house, thanks to curfews and restrictions there are no fun nights out, and the job in a glamourous department store is actually a position in a dusty old bookshop. While Grace is not all pleased with her placement, she soon sees ways in which she can turn her negative into a positive. The shop’s proprietor is a grumpy old man who largely leaves Grace to her own devices. Over the course of many, many weeks Grace makes huge changes to the store in terms of cleaning, accessibly, and organization.

A happy result of Grace’s efforts is an increase in traffic and sales. As the war inches every closer to England’s shores, books are still plentiful when so many other goods and products are not. The bookstore is thriving, and Grace spends much of her free time dreaming up new and improved way to further improve the store’s appearance and offerings. Unfortunately, Grace’s free time becomes far more limited as she begins to work more closely with community volunteers to help protect citizens once the German bombs begin to fall on a regular basis. Grace’s nights are filled patrolling her neighborhood, ushering citizens to the underground shelters, and reading to those gathered in the darkness while her days are filled praying her beloved bookshop survives another day.

The Bottom Line: I’m not entirely sure what I expected from this book, but I got a truly fine read. Grace is perhaps one of the strongest characters I have had the pleasure of reading about in a good long while. Grace’s strength is quiet yet determined and while she never feels she is doing enough for the people around her; she eventually realizes her efforts are exactly what is needed just when needed. In so many ways, Grace becomes the center of her small community, the calm in the storm others know they can count on, rely on. What’s more, and perhaps the real message of this book, is how the community rallies around Grace when she needs them. I am a sucker for a book with a great sense of spirit and community and I certainly found that in spades here.