Two of my favorite subjects come together in Madeline Martin's 2024 book, The Booklover's Library: WWII and books!

A couple of years ago, I read Martin's The Library Spy and thoroughly enjoyed it. The Booklover's Library is set on the home front in a factory town in England.

I've read a few home front books lately, but I still learned something new about the war and the lives of people living during that time. Since they aren't in London, there isn't quite level of danger from bombing. Nottingham is a major factory town and therefore a target. This book was much more of a slice-of-life type novel.

Emma is a window with a young child. While windows could work, they were not allowed to if they had children. Yet, she has no one to support her, and the life insurance and government supplement are just enough to eek by. By chance, she seizes on the opportunity to become a librarian at the subscription-based lending library attached to Boots drug store. This is a job she is uniquely qualified for as she and her father lived above her father's bookshop until a horrific fire destroyed the bookstore and killed her father (yes, Emma has known a lot of tragedy).

Before reading this book, I had never heard of The Booklover's Library. It was a chain of libraries across England run by the Boots drug store. You paid a subscription fee, and then you could check out and return books to any of its locations. You could also request books from other locations to be sent to your location. Librarians served as concierges of sorts, providing personal recommendations to the subscribers.

Having read other library stories set during WWII, I knew that libraries served as a place of respite as well as a source of entertainment and could bring the community together. Since this isn't a public library like the one in Bethnal Green, there aren't programs drawing in the public, and due to the fee, only a certain type of person is a subscriber. Yet, Emma makes friends who are as close to family as she's ever known.

Emma is forced to send her daughter to the country for her safety. We get to understand the turmoil that parents (particularly mothers) had about evacuating their children.

The boarding house Emma resides in is also a source of comfort and family during the war years. Giving the reader yet another way neighbors came together during this difficult time.

Again, Martin creates wonderful characters that you could be friends with. The day after I finished the book, I kept thinking about Emma and Olivia and what would happen next in their lives, only to remember that I finished the book and I would not be part of their lives any longer.

If you love books about books and WWII fiction, then you should pick up this book.

My review will be published at Gril Who Reqaqds on Friday - https://www.girl-who-reads.com/2025/05/the-booklovers-library-by-madeline.html

This was an absolutely beautiful book of friendship, a mother's love, and the power of books in bringing people together. When widow Emma Taylor needs a job to provide for herself and her daughter, Boots' Booklover's Library takes a chance on her. Even though laws prohibit widows with children from working, Emma will do what it takes to provide for Olivia. When war finally reaches then in Nottingham, England, the community comes together and friendships are made in the hopes of surviving and rebuilding together.

Emma is an amazing mother and the bond that she has with Olivia is what any parent would dream. Emma allows herself to accept help from her friends, even though it is difficult for her to do so. She puts everyone ahead of herself, so I was so happy that she got her happy ending as well. I loved this book so much.

Madeline Martin is quickly becoming an auto=buy author for me. Her penchant for writing World War II novels that have a literary theme appeals to me as both a historical fiction lover, and lifelong bibliophile.

I previously read and enjoyed her first historical fiction novel, The Last Bookshop in London, and I hesitate to compare my feelings about The Booklover's Library to how I felt about that novel because despite them both involving books and taking place in England during WW2, they struck me so differently. The Booklover's Library really explores not only the challenges that women had to go through during the war, but mothers, especially single mothers, in particular.

I am not a single parent, but I was raised by one and now having a daughter of my own, my heart aches thinking about the decisions that Emma was forced to make for her daughter Olivia. Even today, every decision a parent makes is scrutinized, There will always be someone who thinks you're right, thinks you're wrong, or thinks they know better. Emma was confronted over and over with difficult decisions about what was going to be best for her daughter, including just figuring out how she could provide for her and keep a roof over their heads in spite of the roadblocks in place that prevented her from working to make an income.

One of the most heartbreaking pieces of England's history during WW2 was the parents in cities who had to make the decision whether to entrust their children to strangers in the countryside where there were less likely to be attacks, or to keep them home with their families. This is something that is explored multiple times in The Booklover's Library as Emma grapples with her decisions and the consequences of them and as a mom, my heart hurt for her knowing that no matter what she did, she would feel like she was wrong.

The Booklover's Library is a novel that will stick with me for a very long time. I look forward to continuing to work my way through Madeline Martin's backlist.

Thank you to Netgalley and Hanover Square Press for providing me with an e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I really loved how this book highlighted the strength of a mother facing impossible choices during wartime. My favorite part was seeing Emma find solace and purpose in the Booklover's Library, connecting with others through the power of books. This book is great for readers who appreciate stories of resilience, community, and the healing power of literature during challenging times.

I received an advanced copy of this book from Netgalley. All opinions are my own. I greatly enjoyed Madeline Martin’s read in a day first book and eagerly picked up this e-copy. She doesn’t disappoint and if you’re looking for good historical fiction, look no further.

I wanted to like this story, but it just wasn't working for me. It is slow paced, and I just struggled to get into it. It starts slow and doesn't really pick up until later int the book.

Hmm. I loved Martin's debut, but each book since has been more of a struggle to finish. This book's title and cover seemed to promise a heartwarming novel about a lending library. I always enjoy stories that use the war as a backdrop to show how ordinary people persisted in their daily lives (DEAR MRS. BIRD is a book that does this quite well). However, much of the book set in the library becomes a repetitive motion of clashing with another staff member, making book recommendations and discussing the magic of reading, and a strange mystery revolving around misshelved books.

The central focus of the book is actually on widowed mother Emma, and her precocious young daughter, Olivia. There is nothing inherently wrong with this, but so many of the dramatic moments and chapter cliffhangers revolve around Olivia's happiness and safety--and it became repetitive and boring quickly. I can absolutely appreciate a story of a mother struggling to make ends meet, especially with laws prohibiting a mother from finding work, and trying to protect her child during the war, but after a certain point, it felt like an endless loop.

The romance was also incredibly rushed. Emma talks about marrying Olivia's father so quickly and not really understanding the consequences of that decision, but she seems to rush equally into a relationship with a man that she has hardly any interactions or conversations with before they're declaring their love for each other. Baffling.

Everything about this book felt surface-level at best. There are interesting things to say about the marriage bar, and people clinging to ordinary things like lending libraries in a fraught time, and about the horrendous conditions some children faced in the English countryside when they were told it was for their safety. All of these topics are dipped into briefly, but nothing significant is ever said about any of them.

It's a cute, heartwarming novel, and it's perhaps my fault for expecting something with more depth or insight--but this may be the last novel I read from Martin, at least for a while.

*Thank you to Hanover Square Press and NetGalley for giving me an e-ARC of The Booklover’s Library by Madeline Martin. I receive no compensation whatsoever, and I write this review willingly.*

I loved The Last Bookshop in London so much I am thrilled to be able to review her newest book! Thank you!!!

Please note: I received this e-ARC right before my open-heart surgery, so it took a while for me to get this review ready due to my recovery. However, it does not at all reduce my enthusiasm for this title.


The Positive Points
Ah! The beginning is so poignant and heart wrenching. I love the literary comparison to describe the characters and what's happening. It already puts us right into major elements of this book: love and family tied with a bow of literature.

I’ve got to say, Emma’s father's love for her is resounding and touching. It reminds me of my own mother and her sacrifices and kindnesses for me. The fact that Emma lost everything she knew and loved is touching and I can relate after having lost my grandparents due to natural causes, and the rest of the family because of stupid drama. At least I got my mom, my aunt and my cousin. It's hard, Emma, I know. What a hard but striking beginning.

Also, the vocabulary is respectful of the times with "bob" for "shillings" and “chemist" for pharmacist. And as always with a Madeline Martin book, all the feels. The FEELS, I’m telling you. I cherish her books because of the historical accuracy, their ambiance, and mostly, the feels—and The Booklover’s Library is no exception to that. You can never go wrong with a Madeline Martin book!

The story revolves around Emma, a single mother, who wants to protect her daughter from the oncoming war while also providing for them both by working at the Booklover’s Library. We get to experience her ups and downs, and the hard decisions she has to make.

For example, what a heart-wrenching decision to make for a mother: to send your child away with strangers for an unknown period of time or keep her with you and put her in harm's way. A nightmare. But that’s exactly what Emma has to decide. I still have goosebumps as I remember a few of the scenes, wow.

I particularly loved how Emma pulled her daughter closer into her arms, wishing deeply and feeling as though love could be enough to shield Olivia from all harm, including the war’s.

Such a beautiful way to put it and so genuine. It’s really like that, when you hug someone or keep them close to you, and you want the best for them and feel that your love ought to be enough to protect them! So touching, I can’t get over that part of the book. It resounded to my core.

On another topic, I really like the friendships between the women at the Booklover’s Library. There is one that is sweet and easy and profound and the other one is more difficult, which really shows the range of getting to know people and befriending them.

Moreover, there is always a little something happening… a hinder, a setback or an issue. It’s small, and at other times it can be big, but there is always a new obstacle or event even if small. It’s interesting and it keeps the tale going.

Also, I love that we have subplots with all the characters in Emma’s surroundings. They don’t feel like furniture (which is a rare thing in novels!), but like real people she interacts and lives with. We get to learn about them as Emma does, and it’s heart-warming. Like Mrs Pickering, the landlady; Mr Sanderson, a mysterious and gruffy tenant; Margaret, her kind friend at work… it makes the story a living, breathing book. And I love it there!

There is a glorious uplifting surprise too! I won’t spoil it for you, but I was in a wild emotional state a few days before my second open-heart surgery in October and here came the surprise from The Last Bookshop in London, a novel I just adored and devoured from the library! (I swear I talked—and still do—so much about it my entourage knows it well, haha!) It made me so genuinely happy I forgot about my troubles for a little while. I was meeting with old friends, ok? That was the feeling. And it was wholesome.

I remember very well that my eyes were wet with emotions (lovely feeling in my chest) at the end of the book. If that’s not telling, I don’t know what will.

Honestly, The Booklover’s Library should be retitled: A mother’s love. It’s the true underlying current of this story.


The Negative Points
Alas, there are two downsides to this book (if you’re like me), yet they encompass strengths of their own when you look closely. Unfortunately, it’s rather slow (at 28% of the read and we were still not in the war…). Nonetheless, I think it shows the depth of the characters notably, Emma the main character, and how she behaves and deals with loss and grief, and her job as well as the people around her. Just when I think it’s getting boring there is a little something happening I mentioned earlier, and there we go again into the story!

As I mentioned previously, the war doesn’t happen until later on (after a good 50% of the book), so don’t expect it to like I did. It will slow down your reading experience and seem boring when it’s not; it’s just a different pace to really encompass the life of Emma, her daughter, and her neighbours, and the impact of the stress and the decisions to make in the face of the oncoming war.

When you’re not aware of this, the story does seem way too slow; otherwise, it’s a really good read set at a different pace that serves to show other aspects of the war that are not often deeply tackled in books.


In Conclusion
I give The Booklover’s Library an emotional rating of 4.5 stars out of 5! It took me a long while to get the subtle plotline so I found it to be a bit long. However, it’s also an emotional, cozy, and heart-warming read! I highly recommend it to people who love a character-driven story with a lot of emotions and coziness and being left with a fuzziness in their heart.

I love historical fiction books and especially those that taken place during WWII. This one was a little different focus in that you spend most of the time in the library with Emma and discover how women who were married or widowed were not allowed to hold jobs. I was not familiar with lending libraries at that time and the levels that people paid a subscription for in order to check out books. There are so many delightful characters ... as well as a few who will make you grit your teeth in aggravation. It was a moments heartbreaking when Emma has to send her daughter out of London to the countryside in order to be safe during the bombings. You will experience so many emotions as you experience the sadness of having to send your child away, the angst of why books are being misfiled and being blamed for the errors, the sense of community, the joy of sharing books with so many people. Through it all, there is a sense of love, hope, and anticipation. Definitely one to put on your to-be-read list if you are a historical fiction fan.

Thank you to NetGalley and Hanover Square Press for my advanced review copy. All opinions and thoughts are my own.

For more reviews, please visit my blog at: https://www.msladybugsbookreviews.com/. Over 1000 reviews posted!

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I really enjoyed this book. The setting was a little different than the usual WW2 story, and the focus on the lending library and the effect that had on the characters during this difficult time was really interesting to see. It is true that books really can bring people together and libraries can become the center of communities. The story was interesting enough to keep my interest through the whole thing and the characters were compelling enough to make it fun to read.

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

Oh, there is so much that I adored about this book. This was my first experience with any of Madeline Martin's books and I'm so thankful to have read it. The cast of characters is impressively vast, and yet, Madeline seamlessly weaves their roles throughout the story and enables the readers to keep them straight.
I absolutely loved every single player in this dramatic WWII historical fiction novel. But the mother-daughter relationship stands out as the duo endures so much together and finds strength in each other.
Thank you for the ARC!

I’d originally requested this book here on NetGalley but it was archived before I could finish it. It came to Libby!!! Yay, so I finished it and I’m so glad I did. I loved the characters and Nottingham. Tubby, Pip and Noname also. WWII history has now become one of my favorite eras to read about (I don’t like the suffering or the hate, but the resistance and determination of the characters win my heart over!) Happy I was able to follow through with reading and reviewing this book!

The Booklover's Library by Madeline Martin is a captivating and heartwarming novel that celebrates the magic of books and the joy of reading. The story follows a woman who discovers a hidden library filled with stories that change her life in unexpected ways. Martin’s writing is engaging and immersive, with well-drawn characters and a plot full of charm and intrigue. The book beautifully captures the transformative power of literature, making it a delightful read for book lovers and fans of heartfelt, inspiring stories.

The Booklover’s Library by Madeline Martin is a beautifully written, heartfelt story about love, loss, resilience, and, of course, the power of books. Emma Taylor’s struggle to find work as a widow, the heartbreak of being separated from her daughter, and the solace she finds in the lending library make for an emotional and mesmerizing read.

The historical details feel authentic, and the bookish setting adds a special charm, especially for fellow bibliophiles. The most striking detail for me was finding out that a widow with a child would be breaking the law by taking a job. I can't imagine the trapped feeling the widows of that era must have felt with no legal way to support 5eir family.

With mystery, found family, and a deep appreciation for the written word, this is the kind of historical fiction that lingers long after the final page.

This is a heartwarming and charming novel. The story follows Emma, a bookshop owner, who stumbles upon a hidden library filled with rare and magical books. As Emma explores the library’s secrets, she discovers more about herself and the people around her. The mix of magic and personal growth makes the plot captivating, and the characters are relatable and lovable.

a five star read!

“A heartwarming story about a mother and daughter in wartime England and the power of the books that bring them together.”

Once I started reading this wonderful story, I could not put it down and ignored all my chores just to sit in my chair and read. And I hugged the book when I finished. Wonderful characters, a gripping plot and well-researched details brought this story to life. A beautiful story that reminds us all that books and stories have great power. So well done.

📖 Book Review 📖

📗🎧”The Booklovers Library" by Madeline Martin

⭐️⭐️⭐️💫
published September 3, 2024

Another well-written, well-researched WWII story set in England, showcasing the mother-daughter bond. The young widow Emma gets a coveted job at the Boots' Booklover's Library, despite her having a daughter. I did not know the legal restrictions prohibiting widows with children from working, which seems crazy as during wartime how were families supposed to make enough money to eat. With the bombings getting closer to Nottingham, Emma makes the hard decision to send Olivia to the countryside to better protect her. This was an easy and heart wrenching read that was the perfect pallet cleanser. The author's note is interesting, informative, and always my favorite part of historical fiction.


#somanybooks #readsomemore #audiobooks #bookstagram #bookrecommendations #readersofinstagram #readmorebooks #booklover #bookishlove #readersgonnaread #bookishaf

Some books just let you feel all the feels, and this is one of them. Set in Nottingham, England, in the early days of WWII, Madeline Martin reveals details we may not have known, introduces us to a cast of characters with whom we’d love to share a cuppa, and surrounds us with the healing power of books.

Countless trips to Boots and I never knew it was ever more than a chemist – at one time it was a premier lending library! What an intriguing basis for this novel. As with all books, always – ALWAYS – listen to the author’s note, so many nuggets to find there.

If you enjoy feel-good historical fiction that shapes books into a main character, this is one you should pick up! Perfect for readers of THE LAST BOOKSHOP IN LONDON also by Madeline Martin, or THE UNDERGROUND LIBRARY by Jennifer Ryan.

Synopsis: Emma’s beloved father died in a tragic fire that took their home and their bookstore, she lost her husband in an accident, and now she is struggling to support herself and her young daughter in a time and place where married women and mothers are barred from holding a job. When England enters the war, Emma must evacuate Olivia to the country. Pretending to be a single woman, Emma is hired as a librarian at Boots Booklover’s Library, and faces the terror of the Blitz with the help of new-found friends, co-workers, and the power of stories.

Thank you to HTP Books, NetGalley, and author Madeline Martin for the complimentary copy. It was my pleasure to write this candid review.

This is a story that I loved from beginning to end. It’s one that felt so realistic, that you wish you could tell them to keep holding out to hope, that everything will be okay! I felt so protective over these characters! It’s a story that will stay with you!

I started reading the ARC of this book in October and could not get into it, so I waited until it was published so I could listen to the audiobook. I still struggled with the first half of the book. It just felt as if nothing much was happening.

The story did pick up in the second half. I ended up really liking all the characters and I always appreciate a well-researched book, which this one clearly was. It illuminated an aspect of WWII I did not know anything about, and tied it into something else I did not know much about - the existence of booklover's lending libraries. I learned a lot from the book, I just would have liked a more compelling story.