This is well done post WWII historical fiction. It tells the story of three women who work in an old bookstore with long established rules. They’re all in different family situations, and recognize that the world is moving on after the war. They meet many well known literary figures like Beckett and DuMaurier, and their horizons are expanded even further.

I enjoyed the setting and the characters especially. 4 stars.

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed as in this review are completely my own.

I enjoyed this sequel to The Jane Austen Society. The author has an easy-to-read, relatable style, so it was a quick read. Honestly, I liked The Jane Austen Society a bit better, as I felt the characters had a little more depth to them. The characters in Bloomsbury Girls had some surprises to them, but I didn’t feel as connected to the characters as I like to.

A worthwhile read all the same!

Having had the opportunity to interview to interview Natalie about her first book, I was so excited to have the opportunity to read Bloomsbury Girls before it’s release. The story immediately pulls you into post-war London and keeps you there right up until the end.. l loved getting tokno Vivien, Grace and Evie. Such an enchanting read!

A really great follow up to the Jane Austen Club. Such a delightful cast of characters that aren’t perfect but you root for them!

A great read that immediately pulled me into post-war London and kept me totally immersed until I read the last word with amazing characters that I wanted to know. l loved Vivien, Grace and Evie and was totally captivated by the Bloomsbury Girls. I received an advance reader copy of this book and am voluntarily leaving my review. I liked it so much, I purchased a copy to read again later.

Is there anything better than a book about a bookshop? I really enjoyed this follow up to The Jane Austen Society as it follows the brilliant Evie Stone on her quest to find a rare book and outsmart all the men around her who want to take credit for her discovery. With appearances from old characters and lots of details with new characters, this novel examines the following topics:

-the plight of women after WWII has ended
-homophobia
-sexism
-racism
-gender roles

It was interesting to read about women in publishing as well as famous authors. I did find the first third of the book to be pretty slow. But the last part of the book and what the women pulled off was really something!

3.5 stars

I enjoyed this book although found it slow moving in parts. I did like the characters and especially the intertwining of real people from history in the telling of the story. Each character had their unique situation and outlook which were well developed. This is an historical novel and could have used more background of the culture and events of the time to a greater extent. Overall it was enjoyable.

It is 1950 and the world is changing and these three women are changing with it, which the men surrounding them may not be happy about it. The world is also changing inside of Bloomsbury Books. I fell in love with Grace, Vivian and Evie as these strong, brilliant women find their way in a world that used to be only a man’s world. They interact with other literary women of the time and with each other, while pushing the boundaries, forming friendships and showcasing the true power of sisterhood.

Thank you #StmartinsPress and #NetGalley for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

Vivien, Grace and Evie each have more than a financial reason to work at Bloomsbury Books, Vivien lost her fiancee in WWII and no longer feels the need to find a new potential husband, instead being determined to go it on her own as a strong, independent, single woman. Grace married her husband out of a sense of duty and tolerance. After the trauma of the War took its toll, Grace's husband has made her home life unbearable through his lack of working, resentment and anger all of which he takes out on her. Bloomsbury Books not only offers a paycheck to Grace's family, but a respite from her husband. Evie, a serious and studious girl from a rural community landed a spot at the University and excelled, working far harder and proving more knowledgeable and adept than any of her male counterparts. After her graduation she was hoping to continue at the University, but the job she deserved and had earned was given to a male counterpart. Evie had a secret, though: a rare book that had been purchased by Bloomsbury Books. Evie also had a support system and network that helped her move forward and prove her worth.

So many reasons to love this book! I loved the time period and how Jenner captured the role and plight of women after World War II; after they had been called to the workforce to serve in jobs that were vacated by men fighting and then subsequently pushed aside after the War ended. It was eye-opening how dependent women were forced to be on men during this time. I loved the book store setting and at the characters that were thoroughly developed. Add in the bit of con (nothing illegal, but moving circumstances and people into places to even the playing field!) and the appearances of famous literary people, and the result is a book a did not want to end even after the epilogue. Highly recommend for historical fiction fans.

I loved Natalie Jenner’s debut novel and this one was pretty great too! I really connected to these characters and loved following their journey. Jenner is a special author and I love her writing style. Can’t wait for the next one!

“Bloomsbury Girls” is for readers who love the smell of pages, who spend hours searching for treasures in old bookshops, and who are predisposed to the empowerment of women. In short, it is a book lover’s dream.

Natalie Jenner’s debut novel, “The Jane Austen Society”, is a much-loved international bestseller. In her second novel, “Bloomsbury Girls”, she returns to the world of books. Jenner used to own an independent bookshop so it was easy for her to come up with a setting for her second book.

The novel was inspired during the pandemic when the housebound author rewatched “84 Charing Cross Road”, a favourite movie (and book).

“Bloomsbury Girls” begins in England, on 19 December 1949, with Evie Stone, who has recently graduated with honors from Cambridge University. What follows is the story of Vivien, Grace and Evie, three very dissatisfied female employees of a quintessential old fashioned London book shop in 1950. They are engaged with a battle of the sexes with their male department heads and they band together, plan to perform a coup and try to take over the book shop.

“Bloomsbury Girls” is a tribute to the power of the written word, and a captivating read.

Another brilliant novel by Natalie Jenner. Her love of Austen and books makes me a fan. Set in a bookstore and I was hooked.

I was happy to return to the world of the Jane Austen Society and see where Evie Stone ended up. This volume follows her from university to a job in London in Bloomsbury Books. There she meets a new cast of characters (and we see some old ones) while she pursues her goal. I loved the strong female characters and the setting!

Oh my goodness I loved this just as much as I loved The Jane Austen Society. I love that there was some character overlap from The Jane Austen Society. Bloomsbury Girls is set in a small bookstore and the three main women each have a story of their own. I enjoyed the way each chapter starts off with one of the bookstores rules. The characters are well developed and lovable. It was fun to read and recognize some historic names. Overall a very charming enjoyable book. I would recommend reading it!

The Bloomsbury Girls work at the Bloomsbury Book Store. Vivien's aristocratic fiance died in the war. She is very sophisticated and aspires to be a writer. Grace Lowery is the secretary to the manager, Herbert Dutton. She is in a difficult marriage with two young boys and needs her job to support her family. Evie Stone is a recent graduate of Cambridge but has been looked over for a research position for a fellow scholar with much less ability.

The book was slow but pleasant enough. The women didn't seem to have a really strong connection and I didn't feel the characters themselves were well developed.

I would like to thank Netgalley and St. Martin's Press for providing me with a digital copy.

A bit of a slow start but follows the same pattern that had me enjoying the first book in this series. Though stand alone (with mild spoilers) Bloomsbury Girls takes the reader to post war London, and a book shop hidden with secrets. But will these three women have what it takes to push past society’s expectations and find the lives they deserve?

Bloomsbury girls was a great look at the struggles women has to overcome to gain independence. The characters were strong and well developed and the setting was comforting (hey, I love book stores). Jenner has a way with developing characters and relationships that leaves you feeling a kinship with the whole group.

Bloomsbury Girls introduces us into the world of a London bookstore, five years after the end of World War Two. The novel mainly focuses on three women, all employees of Bloomsbury Books: Vivien Lowry, Grace Perkins, and Evelyn (Evie) Stone. They come from different walks of life, but become friends, and in the end they are tied by a common goal they'll see to fruition.

Readers who've enjoyed The Jane Austen Society, the author's first book, will enjoy this one, too. Characters from the first book make appearances in Bloomsbury Girls. One aspect I really liked is how the author managed to make the novel sound as if you're reading something written in the mid-20th century. I sometimes had the feeling I'm reading a classic. Yes, some choice of words did sound precious, but I loved this aspect. No bland writing here!

Another thing I enjoyed tremendously was using real life people as characters. Samuel Beckett, Peggy Guggenheim, Sonia Mary Brownell Orwell, Daphne du Maurier - all these become people of great impact in the novel. Besides there, there are a lot of characters in this book. The list at the beginning of the novel comes in handy, but for those reading an e-book version, keep a list, it'll be helpful. However, they all tie in well together, and no one is an unnecessary character. Each character, no matter how disliking they might seem in the beginning, is given enough background to help the reader understand them as a human. Looking back, I can't say there's a character I ended up not being interested in.

This is a historical novel, but we are not told a lot about the political, social, or economic state London is in 1950. The focus is more on the library's history and on its employees' personal histories. This is clearly what we call an inclusive novel, also one with lots of feminist tendencies. The desire to push the limits and go beyond the pre-prescribed norms of the past is reflected even in how each chapter begins: with one of the 51 rules of the store's general manager, Mr. Dutton. The chapters then go to show how they are, subtly or less subtly, broken. I thought that was a nice touch.

I also liked the observations sprinkled throughout the novel, via the characters' thoughts. The observations are mainly on a person's purpose and ambitions, the norms and regulations society imposes that constrain and never liberate. It's something that reminded me of her first novel, where the author would go into "a lecture" on various things. It's not something bothersome, especially since you get to understand the characters more. I must confess that at some point I was rather not in the right spirit to read, but upon further reflection, I realised this is not the kind of book to rush through. Nothing major happens, although the action takes place over a few months. It's more of what people would call a character driven book. I am glad I read it, though. I am sure I'll read anything else Natalie Jenner writers: she has a way of making a time period come alive and transport you in that setting.

This is the story of three women working in a bookstore after WWII. It made you realize the hardships after the war especially of women. A treasure read!
Thank you to Netgalley and publisher St. Martin's Press for the ARC.

Thank you to netgalley.com for this ARC.

I had never read the author's previous book, but was able to enjoy this one without having read it. There was some references to the Jane Austen Society but this book was able to be read stand alone without having read.

I really loved this book. I loved the setting, the time period, the characters, and all their quirks. While the ending did wrap up neatly, (and I usually don't like that) it just felt right with this story. The book was not overly happy but just the right amount.

I LOVED The Jane Austen Society so I was really excited for this sequel. Unfortunately, I think my expectations were a little too high. Overall, I like the premise of the book, the characters and the plot but I found myself not too engaged. I did love how it took place at a bookstore and in 1950. The story also included a fun array of secondary characters that I really enjoyed.

This book as I mentioned takes place at a bookstore in 1950. It is just after World War 2 and life is trying to get back to normal. The book focuses on the various employees of the shop, specifically the 3 women employees. The bookshop has a rigid set of rules that are highlighted at the beginning of each chapter.

I hate that I didn't love this more since I loved the first book. This did have a good plot and good characters but I just didn't connect too well with them. Still, I did read it in just a couple of days so it was holding my attention!

*Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for an advanced copy. Opinions are my own.