The Last Bookshop in London: A Novel of World War II by Madeline Martin

4.02 AVERAGE

kirsty_dummin's review against another edition

4.0
Actually 3.5*

I really enjoyed this story - I haven’t read a lot about the London blitz and I enjoyed reading about every day characters getting through such a difficult period.

The big let down for me was the writing style. I found it to be quite overwritten with description and passive voice, telling rather than showing, which made it slow and distracting.

3 star for the first half, 4 star for the second.
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donnaalward's review against another edition

5.0
I adored this book! Seriously, I can hear Laura Linney's voice in my head announcing this as PBS's new miniseries (I wish!). It has all the ingredients: London in wartime, a sweet, strong heroine, a wonderful cast of secondary characters, a bookstore that is a character all on its own, and an ending that was just so lovely I had a good sniff and had to wipe my eyes. It's a warm, cozy book that doesn't shy away from the trauma of war and the pain of loss. Highly recommend.

nancyt's review against another edition

3.75
emotional informative inspiring reflective sad medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven: A mix
Strong character development: Yes
Loveable characters: Yes
Diverse cast of characters: Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes
The Last Bookshop in London tells the story of Grace Bennett who moves to London with her best friend Viv after losing her mother. While not being a reader, she happens to find work at a bookshop. She soon becomes an avid reader and uses the power of books to bring her community together. All this is set during the horrors of the London Blitz. I listened to it on audio and it was a perfect audio read. Loved the English accent of the narrator and could easily pick up wherever it was left off. A bit cliche and predictable it spots, but I enjoyed it. 3.75 stars rounded up to 4

annsofie's review against another edition

3.0
challenging emotional funny hopeful lighthearted reflective sad tense medium-paced

angfarley's review against another edition

4.0
Beautifully written! Predictable at many spots, but the writing was well-done and descriptive. I enjoyed this a lot.

a_mckeever's review against another edition

5.0
adventurous emotional hopeful inspiring fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven: A mix
Strong character development: Yes
Loveable characters: Yes
Diverse cast of characters: Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

eveak's review against another edition

5.0
adventurous emotional funny hopeful inspiring mysterious sad medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven: A mix
Strong character development: Yes
Loveable characters: Yes
Diverse cast of characters: Yes

shelley47's review against another edition

5.0
emotional inspiring sad medium-paced
Loveable characters: Yes

eddie_dee's review against another edition

4.0
medium-paced

rperry00's review against another edition

5.0
adventurous emotional inspiring fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven: Character
Strong character development: Yes
Loveable characters: Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus: No