Another interesting story about women and their children during the London blitz. This story was about how Emma dealt with having to send her daughter off to the country for safety and how Emma relied upon her new friends at the lending library and the flat she lived at to help her cope with Olivia’s being gone. Plus, mysterious things are happening at the Booklover’s Library. Books are being misplaced and missing. Who cold be doing such a thing? Very well written.

A heartwarming WWII historical fiction novel that beautifully captures the power of books and community during challenging times. Set in Nottingham, England, the story follows widow Emma Taylor and her daughter Olivia as they navigate the hardships of wartime.

Emma finds solace and purpose working at Boots’ Booklover’s Library, where she forms unlikely friendships and helps patrons find comfort in literature.

Martin’s writing is rich with historical detail and emotional depth, making the characters’ struggles and triumphs feel incredibly real. The novel highlights the resilience of the human spirit and the enduring impact of books in providing hope and connection. Sonetging all book lovers can agree on!

It’s a touching and uplifting read that will resonate with book lovers and history enthusiasts alike.

Book: The Booklover’s Library
Author: Madeline Martin
Release Date: September 10, 2024
Publisher: Hanover Square Press
Print Length: 432 Pages
Overall Rating: 5/5 Stars
Blog Rating: 5/5 Saltire Flag

This book is centered on a mother and daughter in Nottingham, England at the beginning of World War II and how books bring their relationships very close. All due to the power of written words. The heroine is Emma Taylor who is a widow and sadly has to make sure her daughter remains safe during such a horrific and dangerous time in history. Emma’s drunkard husband had previously died in an accident which makes her a single parent just like her father was to her. . On top of that she is suffering financially as her widows pension is definitely not enough for Emma and her daughter to survive.

Emma makes the difficult decision to send her daughter Olivia away to the English Countryside even though the separation is heart wrenching and breaking her heart! She luckily got a job at Boots, Booklovers Library. The one thing that eases her pain is all the friendships she makes at the bookstore, this includes her fellow employees like herself at the bookstore, local people and neighbors too. It shows how human connections are definite saviors in Emma's life!

This book also delivers the stigma and prejudice against those who are single mothers in this time period. This makes it very difficult for Emma to support herself where she had been trying to get a job for two years with no luck. She and Olivia had been basically living in poverty. Soon Emma discovers books are in the wrong shelves and some are just vanishing! She definitely doesn’t want to lose her job over this! Emma is committed to discovering why this is happening and on her watch. Furthermore she is determined to discover who is the culprit in this bookshelf mayhem!

England has declared war against Hitler and the Nazi regime. However with the blitz, bombings and air raids there is so much in jeopardy with danger and death surrounding the area. Emma will do anything to keep her child and wants her daughter safely back when the time is right. Yet it is books that are her safety net! As it had been part of her life since she was a child with her bookowner father. This is a horrible time for women where men are dying in the war at the cold, cruel, bloodied hands of Nazi soldiers and women have to be separated from their children just to keep them safe. Read and discover Emma and Olivia’s fate!

Again, Martin pens a brilliant novel that readers will absolutely love! A book that made me very emotional which is very rare. I have been reading Madeline Martin books since her book debut back in 2015. No matter if it is a historical Scottish romance, historical regency or a historical fiction novel she always tells a powerful gripping story that is an absolute masterpiece! Any book lover will definitely fall in love with this magnificent story! It is absolutely brilliant!

I have loved and read every single book Ms. Martin has written. An awe-inspiring storyteller that is absolutely phenomenal! Definitely a story not to be missed! A book I highly recommend!

Disclaimer: I received an advance reader’s copy for free from Hanover Square Press. I voluntarily agreed to do an honest, fair review and blog through netgalley. All thoughts, ideas and words are my own.

Thank you Netgalley for giving me the opportunity to read and review this book. These opinions are completely my own

A beautiful ode to books and the community that surrounds them. A was not sure if I would like this novel, but after reading the first chapter I was hooked. I also learned a lot about laws that made woman's lives almost unlivable, which led me to 1 am researching to learn more.

The Booklover's Library by Madeline Martin is a WW II historical fiction. I did not enjoy the writing style and for as long as this book is, there is very little character development it is much more caricature , stereotypes, and one dimensional. The angst all the time over Olivia felt like the boy who cried wolf, honestly. Even the romance, which was promising really lacked the banter that it was absolutely crying out for. I gave this 2.5 stars. Thank you to Net Galley #netgalley and the publisher for my advance reader copy.

I found this an interesting read. World War II was different for other countries versus the United States. The book has some heart breaking points in it, but it was a great read.
I received an ARC from NetGalley and the publisher and leaving a review by my own choice.

Set in Nottingham during the War, The Booklover's Library follows Emma, a young single mom who, by chance, finds herself working at the Boots Pharmacy's Booklover's Library, a lending library that offered bespoke recommendations. Through working at the library Emma finds herself rediscovering her love of reading, and so much more.
I love Madeline Martin's books because they feature strong female characters who love books. Definitely characters I could find common ground with. But I also love her stories because they're full of history. The war and especially the Battle of Britain are topics many are already familiar with, myself included, but reading about the efforts of the women during the war was newer to me. I adored Mrs. Pickering, Emma's neighbor, who takes to volunteering with the Women's Volunteer Service like a duck to water. What incredible work these women did!
But most of all, I loved this book because despite the aspects of war that made life so difficult, this book was infused with love. Emma and her friends and coworkers had a palpable love of books and reading, and books provided such solace during those difficult years. I loved imagining the Booklover's Library, with its shelves of gorgeously bound books and bespoke book recommendations. And I loved how the Library drew people together, bonded by books and a need to forge connections during a tumultuous time.
this was a charming and heartwarming book that is perfect for readers who love stories about readers and the power of books.

i don't usually read historical fiction — but guess what? i loved this! it was a quick and lovely read. emma's character is richly drawn and i found myself feeling so deeply for her and her daughter.

as the title suggests, this book is made for booklover's. i got quite a few classics added to be my TBR. it's noticeable the amount of research that went into this book. who knew there was a library behind Boots?? not me! (well, now I do.)

i imagine if you're a mother this book will hit especially hard. i immediately recommended it to my mother. it's the kind of book that swells your heart.

3.5 stars

This was FANTASTIC! This is my second book set during the Blitz in London, and Madeline Martin's version does complete justice in depicting the pathos and pain of war.


This is my second time delving into this period of history, and I was deeply moved by Martin's ability to capture the raw emotions and challenges of wartime. Her writing style and the deeply emotional depth of her characters made reading the book a profoundly moving experience. The historical accuracy was spot-on, such as Boots having a lending library and how hard it was for married and widowed women to secure jobs. Madeline Miller vividly conveyed the harrowing tales of war, loss, and pain. Along with it, a social commentary on women and society at that time.

Emma, our main character, was beautifully nuanced. Her own struggle with trauma, coupled with the gnawing guilt that comes with being a single parent, was written with such emotional depth that it made her journey inspiring. The sweet moments shared between mother and daughter in the backdrop of war made you weary each time they shared happiness, knowing that the ugliness of war is still lingering. Those moments pulled at my heartstrings, and Emma's emotional journey will stay with me.

I appreciated the focus on adult friendships forged in the eponymous Booklovers’ Library.

Oh, and the saccharine love story—it made me gush, smile, and cheer. The romance was so well written and well developed that it added a layer of hope and warmth amidst the bleakness of war. It was so well done!

The Booklover's Library played a pivotal role in Emma's personal journey, serving as a potent catalyst for healing, friendship, and positive change. Where Emma thought the world comprised of just her and her daughter, here she found friends, love and re- established a strained rel;atioship.


In conclusion, this book was a perfect read, leaving me thoroughly engrossed and satisfied. I am deeply grateful to Net Galley and Harlequin Trade Publishing for the opportunity to experience such a brilliant piece of literature. Thank you for sharing this with me. I look forward to recommending this book to others.


This was a perfect read. I thoroughly enjoyed it!

Thank you, Net Galley and Harlequin Trade Publishing, for giving me the wonderful opportunity to read such a brilliant book.

Who doesn’t love a book about books? This is such an engaging story about a young mother, Emma, who is searching for solace after a multitude of losses. When she finally finds a job as a librarian, she feels a sense of security and will be able to provide for her daughter but sadly, England is on the brink of war. Children have been evacuated to the English countryside, so Emma turns to a long forgotten pastime of reading while working with the patrons of the library. I loved the mystery embedded in this storyline and the power of literature!

The Booklover's Library has a little bit of everything. It's an historical fiction set in WW2 England that follows Emma, a widowed single mom who is just trying to make ends meet for daughter. Emma shared a love for books with her father, but when dies in a tragic fire at his bookshop, Emma gives up reading out of grief. That is until she finds herself taking an illegal job at a lending library (even widows with children were not allowed to work in the 1940's which is CRAZY!

Along the way, the relationships that Emma forms as a result of working at the library and needing to reach out to her neighbors for help with her daughter result in a wonderful found family story. Themes include romance, friendship, grief, motherhood and community all centering on the power of stories and the love of books that bring them together. I enjoyed it!

WWII Nottingham, England

Charming!

The author does a spectacular job of incorporating historical details into this tale about motherhood, friendship, loving books and more.

As a widow with a child, Emma isn't allowed to have a job. At the same time, her funds are quickly dwindling. The owner of a lending library agrees to take her on if Emma will go by "Miss" and talk about her daughter Olivia as if she were her sister. With having to choose between presenting a falsehood and not having enough to eat, the decision is an easy one. Emma meets so many interesting subscribers and co-workers at the lending library. Multiple nods to classics in the pages.

Away from work, Emma fears for her daughter's safety and sends her to the country. The events and feelings Emma and Olivia go through are heart breaking.

A simply delightful novel. The author's note at the end including her personal connections to Emma's story and personal additions to the novel from her life added to the joy of reading this novel.

I enjoyed reading this historical novel by Madeline Martin. The Booklover's Library took place during WWII when the Nazi"s were taken over Europe. The setting of this book is in England. Emma , a widow, needed to find a job to support herself and her daughter. England's legislature prohibit widows or married women from being employed. Emma persuaded Boots Booklover's Library to giving her a job. When England started to be bombed, the government urged children to be sent to the countryside to be safe. Emma learns to depend on her community and books to find hope during this uncertain time. Thank you to Netgalley for allowing me to read this novel.

Title: The Booklover’s Library
Author: Madeline Martin
Length: 432 pages
Format: ebook arc
Pub Date: September 10, 2024
Genre: General Fiction (Adult) | Historical Fiction | Women's Fiction
Rating Out of 5: ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️
Summary:
In Nottingham, widow Emma Taylor struggles to find work due to legal restrictions and persuades the manageress of Boots’ Booklover’s Library to hire her. As war threatens England, Emma's daughter Olivia is evacuated, leaving Emma to find comfort in new friendships and her role at the library. However, mysterious issues with the books and painful memories of her late father’s bookstore add to her challenges. Amid the Blitz, Emma must rely on her community and the power of books to navigate hope and reunite with her daughter.

Thoughts:
I first read (and absolutely adored) The Last Bookshop in London when it came out in 2021, and I have read and loved every Historical Fiction of Madeline’s since then. The Booklover’s Library was no exception. Madeline manages to make a WWII historical fiction a cozy read without diminishing the horrors that many had to endure during this war. This time she places focus on the evacuation of the children in the cities of England to the safer countryside and the families that are left behind which I found very unique. Lots of WWII historical fiction books I’ve read have our main characters on the frontlines. I loved reading about those that were left behind and how they were contributing to the war efforts. I love how much research Madeline puts into her books and how accurately she retells these events while also creating a wonderful story around it. Because I’ve read her books, I’ve learned so much that I never would’ve even thought to look up. I’d recommend this book to anyone! It’s heartwarming and uplifting despite all the terrible things that happen and highlights the best of people during a time of crisis. It’s a perfect historical fiction book for any book lover!

Special thanks to the @netgalley and @hanoversquarepress for the arc in exchange for my honest review!

The Booklover's Library, where Emma worked, provided subscribers with wonderful distractions from the looming war sweeping across Europe. Set in Nottingham, England, it was inspired by an actual library. Like all of Madeline Martin's historical fiction novels, it's well-researched and informative, and filled with intriguing characters. The characters have so much to cope with, including the evacuation of children from the city to the country, and the constant threat of bombing by the Nazis. The library is one thing that helps, and banding together as a community is also a heartwarming aspect of the book. I really enjoyed both the characters, and what I learned from this book. I highly recommend it to fans of historical fiction.

My thanks for the ARC goes to NetGalley and Harlequin Trade Publishing | Hanover Square Press. I'm voluntarily leaving a review.

Genre: Historical Fiction, WWII Fiction, Historical Romance
Spice Level: Nothing on the page
Language: I don't remember any profanity

THE BOOKLOVER'S LIBRARY is such a great window into a terrible time in history.

It's interesting to see how women were treated—and recognize how far things have come (in some countries) and how far we still have to go.

I found the characters sympathetic and interesting. I kept wondering about Emma's decisions with Olive. How heartbreaking to send your child to the country to protect them! But also so hard to know if that is the right thing to do when a child is miserable.

The themes of family come through in this book. Both found family and biological family.

I truly enjoyed this book and hope you do too!

Happy reading!

What's not to love about a book about books, specifically the lending libraries popular in England during WW II. This was such a unique piece of history that I've never learned before. Located above Boots' chemists (pharmacies) in London and many other towns, these libraries offered a paid subscription for readers to borrow books. And this is the world we're dropped into when widowed mother Emma realizes she needs some kind of job to keep her and her precious daughter Olivia afloat. The catch? At the time in England, married and widowed women were not allowed to work.

Emma finds employment at the Booklover's Library, but when the bombing threats escalate in her corner of Nottingham, Emma realizes that she must evacuate Olivia to the safety of the countryside. In her daughter’s absence, Emma forges unlikely friendships with her neighbors and coworkers.

I thoroughly enjoyed the themes of found family, books as comfort, and how reading can foster community. The way Emma converts her daughter to a reader through the likes of Anne of Green Gables just warmed my little book loving heart. As always with historical fiction, the author’s notes at the end were interesting and enlightening and added greatly to the book.

This was such an in depth book about lending libraries and saving your family during the war. I really enjoyed reading about the library and everything that goes on there.
The family has strong characters and even though they have to be apart, they are still close.

This will be a great book club book.

Thank you NetGalley for this ARC.

I loved this book! It is an absolutely marvelous, beautifully written, well researched historical fiction! Madeline Martin has written a story that is both heartwarming and heart wrenching. It kept me turning pages late into the night, and often brought tears to my eyes. I felt completely immersed in the time and the lives of the characters. The author is a master at creating characters that are realistic, evolve with the story and make you feel as if they are friends. The book is set in Nottingham, England during World War II, centered on the young widow Emma, and her daughter Olivia. As the threat of war becomes a reality, Emma is faced with choices that are beyond difficult. She must find a way to support herself and her daughter, despite the marriage bar that prevented both married women and widows with children from working. She was fortunate to find employment at the Booklover's Library (The Boots Booklover's Library did actually exist in Nottingham England) only by not disclosing her true status. As the war and the bombing of England intensified, she had also to decide if evacuating her daughter to the countryside to live with strangers would keep her safe. What a heartbreaking decision that must have been for so many, especially in a time when letters were the only common means of communication. The author's notes at the end of the book are a must read. Thank you to the author, the publisher, and Netgalley for my advance copy. The opinions of my review are my own.

What a dream of a book to read! It was perfect in every way!
It’s set during WWII and involves books galore. I loved the description of the smell and feel of a bookstore, one of the sensations ever!
I didn’t know much about lending libraries or their restrictive policies so this was a learning experience.
My heart broke every time Emma sent Olivia away and I wished she hadn’t.
My favorite characters were Mrs. Pickering and Mr. Sanderson, diamonds in the rough and each had unplumbed depths that I Adore when discovered.
Pluck this one off the shelf immediately!