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3.81 AVERAGE
3.81 AVERAGE
Charming historical fiction but the characters didn't feel entirely realized
This was great!!! Smart, engaging fiction that also was such wonderful escapism, with appearances by a bunch of real life people, including Daphne Du Maurier and Samuel Beckett.
Natalie Jenner has another hit on her hands. The Bloomsbury Girls is a much anticipated follow up book to The Jane Austen Society and features Evie Stone and a few other characters from the first book plus several cameos by real historical figures like Daphne Du Maurier and Peggy Guggenheim. Set in 1950s London three young women band together to secretly take over the very male dominated Bloomsbury bookshop. This was a real delight to read. The story was engaging with so many colourful characters, and great dialogue. I could visualize this as a movie - someone call Julian Fellowes!
Now that I’ve had a night to process this novel, I can definitely say that while enjoyable, it wasn’t as good as the first one. It came across as defeatist at the worst of times, but for the most part I was rooting for all of the characters. I’m a little disappointed about the endings for the love stories. All three romances were teased throughout the entire novel, only to be wrapped up in throw away lines in the final chapter, which felt a bit rushed in general. I realize this isn’t a romance novel, but a confession of love wouldn’t have gone amiss in at least ONE of the three romance plots.
Overall a lovely read! 4.5 ⭐️
Overall a lovely read! 4.5 ⭐️
emotional
funny
inspiring
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
When I started reading this one, I had no idea that it was related to Jenner’s previous Jane Austen Society (which I loved) as the reviews I read did not mention it.
Set in post-war London (1950s), this story follows Evie Stone (from the previous book), a young woman who is among the first class of Cambridge female students to earn a degree. Though more qualified, she is denied an academic position at the college in favor of a rival male student. She lands at Bloomsbury Books, a 100-year-old bookstore as a rare book cataloger…with a secret agenda. The store is run by men, guided by the manager’s 51 unbreakable rules and includes a motley crew of eight employees. I loved them all.
Vivien is a temperamental, ambitious shopgirl who has been overlooked for a promotion and dreams of being a successful writer. Grace is a married mother of two with an unhappy marriage and grand but unfulfilled ideas for store improvements. Ash is a young man from India who is a scientist that has had to take a lesser position because he faces a different kind of discrimination than the women.
There are several themes at the heart of this story: female friendships/sisterhood support; discrimination in various forms; and taking steps forward for change (both for oneself as well as for the community). There is some romance, but the spotlight here is on the strong, supportive women who no longer want to serve at the tea breaks or blend quietly into the background. They want to be recognized for providing the inspiration, the backbone and the glue that holds the store together. This was a joy and a pleasure to read, and I totally recommend it.
My thanks to Natalie Jenner, St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley for providing the free early arc of Bloomsbury Girls for review. The opinions are strictly my own.
Set in post-war London (1950s), this story follows Evie Stone (from the previous book), a young woman who is among the first class of Cambridge female students to earn a degree. Though more qualified, she is denied an academic position at the college in favor of a rival male student. She lands at Bloomsbury Books, a 100-year-old bookstore as a rare book cataloger…with a secret agenda. The store is run by men, guided by the manager’s 51 unbreakable rules and includes a motley crew of eight employees. I loved them all.
Vivien is a temperamental, ambitious shopgirl who has been overlooked for a promotion and dreams of being a successful writer. Grace is a married mother of two with an unhappy marriage and grand but unfulfilled ideas for store improvements. Ash is a young man from India who is a scientist that has had to take a lesser position because he faces a different kind of discrimination than the women.
There are several themes at the heart of this story: female friendships/sisterhood support; discrimination in various forms; and taking steps forward for change (both for oneself as well as for the community). There is some romance, but the spotlight here is on the strong, supportive women who no longer want to serve at the tea breaks or blend quietly into the background. They want to be recognized for providing the inspiration, the backbone and the glue that holds the store together. This was a joy and a pleasure to read, and I totally recommend it.
My thanks to Natalie Jenner, St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley for providing the free early arc of Bloomsbury Girls for review. The opinions are strictly my own.
emotional
lighthearted
relaxing
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
funny
hopeful
informative
inspiring
lighthearted
reflective
relaxing
medium-paced
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No