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.

Another World War II book, but before you roll your eyes, this one is so good! Most readers can get easily sucked in by a book set in a bookstore, so the setting is ideal and while there are numerous amounts of World War II books, this one just felt unique from the beginning.

Grace Bennett has escaped the country and is now in London trying to find a job with the added benefit of being able to land at the friend of her deceased mother's and only worry about finding work and the onset of World War II. She ends up in the sweetest of bookshops with of course an ornery owner, but this is just the start of the story!

I adored this book so much, I read it basically one sitting. Grace was such a wonderful character to go on a journey with and I was enthralled by her from page one. She was sweet and kind and vulnerable, but not saccharine. this may be weird to say, but my favorite parts to read where when she was an ARP volunteer and she was rescuing those affected by the bombs that were dropping. That was something I had never read about and with a few recent books that I have read set in London about bomb diffusing units, it was just another perspective on living through a war that is invading your home turf.

I would love to read more like this - a unique viewpoint of something or some time that I know of and may have read about quite often.

A truly heartwarming story of the transformation possible through reading, friendship and perseverance set against the backdrop of London during WWII. It shows that goodness never goes unnoticed and the power of the written word to bring together a community. I thoroughly enjoyed it.

I absolutely loved this novel, set in London during WWII. Grace has to leave her home after her mother dies and her Uncle moves in with his family. Alomg with her best friend, Viv, the two women move in with Mrs. Weatherford, Grace’s late mother’s best friend. It is 1939, with preparations underway due to the expectation of a war declaration. Once the “bore war” of waiting for something to start actually comes to an end, and the blitz begins, Grace will face losses and challenges she never expected. Her only solace is Mr. Evans’ bookstore,where she works and begins to immerse herself in reading. I can’t recommend this book enough, with the characters you will love and their heartfelt stories. Thanks to Edelweiss for the ARC.

I always anxiously await the new book emails that I get from publishers. I always know that I am going to find something in it that will be a total me book. Once again the email didn’t disappoint. Not only did I find one book but I found another! This one I was excited to read. Bookstores, a reader as well as historical fiction. It was a trifecta in my eyes. I couldn’t wait to read it.

Grace and her best friend Viv arrive in London, hoping to see something bright and shiny. However, London is preparing for the possibility of a war that is right around the corner. Viv thankfully has a recommendation letter for employment. Grace unfortunately does not. Her uncle refused to write one before she left her village. Grace thankfully has a job lined up through her her landlord and her deceased mother’s best friend. The job is at a local bookstore just a short walk from the house. However, things didn’t go as planned at London declared war. This book was soooooo good. I binged read over half the book in one sitting. I was immediately pulled into the story. It didn’t take me a few chapters like normal. I loved the character of Grace. I wanted to be her friend. She was kind, compassionate and thoughtfully. She was also very business savvy.

I really enjoyed the build up of the war with this book. Most books I have read the war has already started and the city is in total disarray. Seeing the people prepping for it and having them deal with their loved ones being sent away to war or volunteering. The story also took an interesting turn when Grace decided to do her part and become a warden in her area. Her having to deal with the hardships of war was devastating at times. I really loved the character of her boss. He was at the beginning a crumundgingly man who really didn’t want her around. In the middle of the book we learn why and it absolutely broke my heart. By the end everything was copastetic. I really enjoyed this author. I do wish however that she would write more about Grace. There were things that I wanted to know that didn’t get answered at the very end.

A Touching Story about World War II

This book will make you weep. It will touch your heart. War is ugly, and war is cruel. It brings out the worst of us, and yes, it brings out the best. There is death, pain, and sorrow, but there is also hope. This story is about the resilience of the human spirit and how humanity endures. German bombs destroyed London. They brought death and destruction, but they also brought people together. This is the story of Grace, a woman who brings people together through books. She also brings people together because of the goodness in her heart.

This is not the type of book I typically read. However, the author is one of my favorite writers, and I was compelled to read it. Even though this is not an ordinary romance like she writes, it is a touching story. I found myself crying throughout the book. It was impossible to stay dry-eyed. This was a very difficult book to read because of the loss and pain the war caused. World War II was decades ago, but how far have we come? There are still those who kill because they believe they are better. There is prejudice, still alive and well today. When an Italian café was destroyed, it reminded me of the reality of today and how people are attacked because of their nationality, race, and color. You cannot help but be moved by this story. Yet, despite the sorrow, there is a glimmer of hope. The war brought people together. People embraced each other. They helped each other and provided comfort even when they were hurting. This might have been one of the hardest books for me to review. I read to escape reality, and I shy away from books that bring that reality to the forefront. However, I could not give the book less than five stars because it was so well-written and touching. It also adds the element of hope, and the goodness of most of us. Now, I will go back to romance books that allow me to escape the pain of war and prejudice.

Title: The Last Bookshop in London
Author: Madeline Martin
Genre: Historical fiction
Rating: 4.5 out of 5

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.

It seems like every World War II novel I read is sad, but this one proved to be an exception. Don’t get me wrong, there are definitely sad and horrifying moments, but the overall message of this novel is hope and helping others. I thought it was a wonderful touch that initially Grace isn’t even a reader, so we get to experience her falling in love with books as she grows to love the bookshop and its patrons. This is a lovely read!

Madeline Martin is a bestselling author. The Last Bookshop in London is her newest novel.

(Galley courtesy of Harlequin/Hanover Square Press in exchange for an honest review.)

(Blog link live 4/13.)

Such a great historical novel. As a person who as read a lot of HF, I can sometimes feel like theres nothing new to experience. This book changed my mind and I cant recommend it enough.

I had gotten away from historical fiction, but in the past few months, I've fallen back into the habit of getting one in here and there. Truthfully, I wasn't sure about this one, but given the basis for it, I had to check it out. I'm so glad I did. Everything about The Last Bookshop in London pulls you in - the characters, especially Grace, the setting, the time period. It just all comes together for a story that I read in an afternoon. It caught hold of me and I didn't want to put it down. There's a saying about anyone can be a reader, it just takes the right book. That came to mind as I read this one with Grace's growing appreciation for books. This story also made me a bit homesick for the small-town local bookstores of my youth. Granted, this one was before my time, but it still inspires the feelings. What it all comes down to is The Last Bookshop in London is a wonderfully written compelling story, and if you enjoy historical fiction, you don't want to miss it.

I love a cozy book about bookshops. A different kind of WWII novel, Martin shares with us the kindness during the war, what we can do for others in The Last Bookshop in London. Even better, main protagonist Grace doesn't even start as a reader. I love that part about her. She was only needing the right book. And my favorite character honestly had to be the shop owner. He was stereotypically a curmudgeon and I absolutely loved him from the start. This novel had so many passages that I highlighted and wonderful side characters. I will leave you with two of my favorites quotes from early on in the story:

"But books served a purpose. Distractions were always needed. Most certainly in times of strife" (RIGHT?!)

AND MY FAVORITE:

"Reading is..." His brows knit together and then his forehead smoothed as the right words appeared to dawn on him. "It's going somewhere without ever taking a train or ship, an unveiling of new, incredible worlds. It's living a life you weren't born into and a chance to see something colored by someone else's perspective. It's learning without having to face consequences of failures, and how best to succeed." He hesitated. "I think within all of us, there is a void, a gap waiting to be filled by something. For me, that something is books and all their proffered experiences." Le sigh.

I received an advanced copy of this book. All opinions are my own.

Thanks to NetGalley for the opportunity to read this title.
It's 1939 when Grace arrives in London with high expectations of a glamorous job, the theatre, clubs and all the excitement the city offers. Her hopes are dashed quickly when war is declared. She's soon helping dig a Victory garden and volunteering as an air raid warden while working in the Primrose Hill Bookshop during the day. Grace has never been a reader but she reorganizes the cluttered shop and introduces new ideas to the elderly shop owner. In the process, with a gentle nudge from her employer and suggestions from a handsome customer,she's soon reading one book after the other. Books see her and her customers through the terrible days of the Blitz.
There is much sadness and loss in the book but also hope and renewal and even a bit of romance.
Ultimately, it is a glowing tribute to books, reading, sharing of stories and the power of words to see us through dark times. Warning ----have Kleenex at the ready!

This is great historical fiction!!!
The characters are richly written. The setting (London during WWII) is fantastic. The action is fast paced and riveting.
Grace leaves her village, with her best friend Viv, for London and a new start. The war has yet to start and the world is full of possibilities.
The war comes and watching the difference one person can make ... well, it was inspiring!
The references to literature make me want to re-read several classics. LOL
I need to read more by Madeline Martin. She's a gifted storyteller!
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing an ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Many books have been written about WW2 war heroes, and they have their place on shelves to inspire and tell the story about the battles. I love stories about ordinary people who got up every day, went to their jobs, and also volunteered in the evenings or in their spare time to help those in their neighborhoods. Grace Bennett's is just the perfect example of this. She has no recommendation letter to get herself a job and has way bigger dreams than working a dusty old book shop. Inside the bookshop with a curmudgeon older man who doesn't want her, she gains a whole new perspective on books and the magic they have when a crisis is brewing. Throughout the novel, grace comes into to own as she braves the blackouts to read to fellow Londoners in shelters as the bombs explode around them. She volunteers to help keep those she now calls family as safe as she can and, in the end, gets the greatest treasure all book lovers can escape when the worse is brewing outside your door.

Thank you for my invitation to participate in the 2021 Historical Fiction Blog Tour for The Last Bookshop in London. Thanks, #NetGalley @HarlequinBooks for my complimentary e ARC of #TheLastBookshopInLondon by @MadelineMMartin upon my request. All opinions are my own.

The Last Bookshop in London is a book about bookstores and a book about books set during the London Blitz during WW11. Grace Bennett has always wanted to move to the city, but the life she finds is not nearly what she expects as she hunts for a job, endures air raid shelters, and puts up black-out curtains. The only job she can find is at Primrose Hill, a dusty, old bookstore with a curmudgeonly owner. Grace, not sure she even loves reading that much, organizes and cleans the bookshop, gradually develops a love for books, enjoys a friendly relationship with a handsome and well-read customer named George, finds ways she can contribute to the war effort and the book community, and discovers the power of storytelling during the most difficult times.

The magic of reading in George’s words: “Reading is going somewhere without ever taking a train or ship, an unveiling of new incredible worlds. It’s living a life you weren’t born into and a chance to see something colored by someone else’s perspective. It’s learning without having to face consequences of failures, and how best to succeed.”

Lots to Love! I’ve been eager to write a review for The Last Bookshop in London ever since I read the ARC last fall and it made my “Most Memorable Reads of 2020” list! This memorable story earns all the stars because it checked all my boxes for an especially satisfying, engaging, and enjoyable reading experience:

* likable, endearing, spunky, and realistic characters
* all the book talk…the joy of bonding over a book (The Count of Monte Cristo for Grace and George)
* a small, supportive community
* London and bookstore setting
* vivid details of the Blitz that will put you right on the street and in the shelter
* thoughtful and poignant themes: determination, perseverance during difficult times, kindness, found family, power of storytelling, community, the “keep calm and carry on” attitude of Londoners, loss and grief, and friendship
* a sweet romance
* a good balance between character-driven and plot-driven
* ordinary people making a difference, serving/helping others

I found myself wishing that the author would have included letter excerpts between Grace and George. It was mentioned that they exchanged letters and built a relationship…readers like me would have appreciated a glimpse! Letter excerpts would have added even more enjoyment for me.

I’m enthusiastically recommending The Last Bookshop in London for WW11 histfic fans, for readers who love stories set in London, for those looking for a story about regular people courageously facing life in difficult times, and for book clubs. The story is surprisingly uplifting in light of its heavy subject matter.

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.

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!

Wow, what an amazing story this was. While reading, I found myself laughing and crying. Very emotional story. I was so impressed by the level of detail to history that the author portrayed during the telling. I learned so much about WWII and what the people of London must have gone through during this time of unease. I never realized that they had to carry their gas masks with them whenever they went outdoors and how heavy and big, they were. They had special purses made to carry them in. The detail about how black everything was at night that you couldn’t see to walk five steps in front of you. Just picturing that made me shiver. I did like the part about Harrods having live animals. That was another bit of history I wasn’t aware of. It must have been like going to the Zoo at a store. This story was also about friendship and family and how they stuck together to get through the good and bad times. Very well written and enjoyable story. I would highly recommend this to others. You don’t have to be a history buff to enjoy this story.

I love homefront books and this might be the most homefront of homefront books I've ever read. Grace is just an ordinary girl trying to make her way in the world after her mother died and her aunt and uncle made it clear she was no longer welcome. Grace and her friend Viv go to London to stay with Mrs. Weatherstone, a dear friend of Grace's mother, and her son Colin. They're really two normal nice girls who just want to experience the glamourous life in London. Grace soon finds herself working in a bookshop run by the curmudgeonly Mr. Evans who makes it clear that Grace's job is only for a short time.

I was quickly pulled into this novel and liked Grace from the first. She's a truly nice character without being vapid and spineless. I also adored how she became involved in Primrose Hill Books and then pulled into books in general. I loved the dynamic between Mrs. Weatherstone and Grace and Viv. Mrs. Weatherstone has been through war before and remembers the rationing and the bomb raids while Grace and Viv have only heard occasional stories and have no idea what they could be facing.

This book is sweet and tragic, absolutely heartbreaking and heartwarming all at the same time. I loved Grace and all the other characters and the world that Martin created.

Loved this book and highly recommend. You will need to keep a couple of hankies close by because it is set in London during the German bombings of WW II. Full of lovable British characters. Readers will just know hat Grace will get a happy ending, but not every one does in war time. Viv is a very interesting character who might need a book for her own story. Next to your hankies you'll need to keep some note paper to jot down all of the good book recommendations. A must read for those who love WWII fiction, women's histories, book stores, and books.

The Last Bookshop in London is a fictional account of a few surviving bookshops of WW2. It has that coming of age feel that begins on the eve of the war in London. Friends Grace and Eve arrive as the world is changing drastically and what follows is a journey of self discovery that is filled with heartache, grief and personal growth. It isn't just Grace's friendship with Viv but developing relationships and how books comfort during a horrible time. I love bookish themed books

This was an enjoyable read with authentic characters that showed a side of the war I don't often read about. From the air raid sirens, the men fighting and women doing their part I liked getting to know Grace, Mrs. Weatherford and even cranky Mr. Evans. The author did the research and it showed. The historical part put me there as I witnessed bombings from a street level.

This is my first time reading a Madeline Martin book, I liked her writing style, her attention to detail and drawing me into a story that kept me entertained. Definitely a book and author I recommend, especially to those that love historical fiction.

My thanks to Hanover Square Press (via Netgalley) for a digitial arc in
exchange for a honest review.