Take a photo of a barcode or cover
3.81 AVERAGE
3.81 AVERAGE
While I enjoyed this book, I hadn’t originally realized this was book #2 in a series. It could be read on its own but I think I would have had a better understanding of some of the characters had I read the other book first.
Bloomsbury Books is an old-fashioned new and rare bookstore that has resisted change for a hundred years. It is run by men and guided by the general manager’s unbreakable fifty-one rules, but in post-war 1950, the world is changing, especially the world of books and publishing. At Bloomsbury Books, the women who work in the shop have plans.
Vivien Lowry: Brilliant and stylist, Vivien has been single since her aristocratic fiancé died fighting during World War II. A budding writer, she works in the shop’s fiction department. Grace Perkins: Married with two young sons, she’s been working to support the family following her husband’s mental breakdown in the war's aftermath. Evie Stone: In the first class of female students from Cambridge permitted to earn a degree, they denied Evie a position as a research assistant in favor of her less accomplished male rival. Now she catalogues books.
Although the business is struggling, the owner is reluctant to sell, because it is a London fixture. In post-war London, these three women are determined to battle misogyny and find their own way. If they work together, their dreams just might come true. The characters all have secrets, secrets that could change their lives if exposed.
Remember on Seinfeld when Jerry and George pitched a sitcom about nothing to network executives? Well, that’s how I felt about the first half of this novel. It focused on plodding character sketches without much of a plot and I had a hard time keeping my mind off my grocery list. When the pace picked up, I started to enjoy it. I particularly liked the literary and cultural references to Daphne du Maurier, Samuel Beckett, Ellen Doubleday, Sonia Blair (widow of George Orwell), and Peggy Guggenheim.
The author used some clever writing conventions. For example, each chapter begins with one of the 51 rules that are posted in the bookshop and then the storyline deals with that rule. The book is richly detailed with a strong sense of place and has well-drawn characters, some delightfully unlikeable. I adored the ending. I supplemented the book with audio, which was well narrated. Bloomsbury Girls is a light summer read fans of The Jane Austen Society, also by Jenner, will find charming. Other reviewers liked it better; I give it 3.5 stars.
Published Date: May 2022
Genres: Canadian fiction, historical fiction
Read-alikes: Freya by Anthony Quinn; The Last Bookshop in London by Madeline Martin; The Paris Bookseller by Kerri Maher.
* Thanks to the publisher and Netgally for review copies of the book and audiobook. The opinions are my own.
Vivien Lowry: Brilliant and stylist, Vivien has been single since her aristocratic fiancé died fighting during World War II. A budding writer, she works in the shop’s fiction department. Grace Perkins: Married with two young sons, she’s been working to support the family following her husband’s mental breakdown in the war's aftermath. Evie Stone: In the first class of female students from Cambridge permitted to earn a degree, they denied Evie a position as a research assistant in favor of her less accomplished male rival. Now she catalogues books.
Although the business is struggling, the owner is reluctant to sell, because it is a London fixture. In post-war London, these three women are determined to battle misogyny and find their own way. If they work together, their dreams just might come true. The characters all have secrets, secrets that could change their lives if exposed.
Remember on Seinfeld when Jerry and George pitched a sitcom about nothing to network executives? Well, that’s how I felt about the first half of this novel. It focused on plodding character sketches without much of a plot and I had a hard time keeping my mind off my grocery list. When the pace picked up, I started to enjoy it. I particularly liked the literary and cultural references to Daphne du Maurier, Samuel Beckett, Ellen Doubleday, Sonia Blair (widow of George Orwell), and Peggy Guggenheim.
The author used some clever writing conventions. For example, each chapter begins with one of the 51 rules that are posted in the bookshop and then the storyline deals with that rule. The book is richly detailed with a strong sense of place and has well-drawn characters, some delightfully unlikeable. I adored the ending. I supplemented the book with audio, which was well narrated. Bloomsbury Girls is a light summer read fans of The Jane Austen Society, also by Jenner, will find charming. Other reviewers liked it better; I give it 3.5 stars.
Published Date: May 2022
Genres: Canadian fiction, historical fiction
Read-alikes: Freya by Anthony Quinn; The Last Bookshop in London by Madeline Martin; The Paris Bookseller by Kerri Maher.
* Thanks to the publisher and Netgally for review copies of the book and audiobook. The opinions are my own.
emotional
funny
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
relaxing
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:
Complicated
Loved this story!! And the narration on the audiobook was outstanding - there were MANY characters and the narrator managed to differentiate all those voices. I'll avoid spoilers, but I loved this book because: multiple female protagonists, emphasis on work and calling, 1950 London setting, several surprises, collaboration/coordination, a little romance, aspirations achieved, mixing of fictional and historical characters.
1950: Bloomsbury Books has been in business for 100 years, run by men, following the general manager’s 51 unbreakable rules. The women who work in the store have plans, though. There is Viven Lowry, whose aristocratic fiancé died in World War II and who butts heads constantly with Alec McDonough, head of fiction; Grace Perkins, who supports her family since her husband’s breakdown after the war; and Evie Stone, one of the first females to graduate with a degree from Cambridge, looking to remake her future at Bloomsbury after being denied a career in academia.
This book is a sequel to The Jane Austen Society but can easily be read as a standalone. With the influx of World War II novels over the past decade, it was refreshing to read one set a few years post-war. The story started a bit slow for me but soon picked up as I became invested in the store and everyone’s lives. The three women all had their own distinct personalities but were strong in their own ways. A solid 3.5 star read
Many thanks to NetGalley for providing me an audio ARC of this book.
This book is a sequel to The Jane Austen Society but can easily be read as a standalone. With the influx of World War II novels over the past decade, it was refreshing to read one set a few years post-war. The story started a bit slow for me but soon picked up as I became invested in the store and everyone’s lives. The three women all had their own distinct personalities but were strong in their own ways. A solid 3.5 star read
Many thanks to NetGalley for providing me an audio ARC of this book.
the author mentioned in the afterward that she drew inspiration from the real Persephone Books which lead me to their website and a very enjoyable browse through and bookmarking of many pages in their online catalogue of re-prints
Maybe time to admit this writer isn’t a good fit for me. I’ve tried, but just not enjoying them enough to try another one. Maybe if this book had been slashed by a huge chunk of the middle? It dragged and the characters weren’t compelling enough to carry the lull. This was the same issue I had with the Jane Austen Society. I was more invested in that plot as a huge Austen fan. I know Evie even less after this book than the first novel. This book began so promising, but just didn’t deliver.
challenging
funny
hopeful
inspiring
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
I knew that Natalie Jenner was a familiar author, but did not immediately realize that this book was a sequel to The Jane Austen Society which I had thoroughly enjoyed as I do all stories based on literary favourites. I had completely forgotten about young Evie Stone and her mentor Mimi Harrison, but, as soon as I made the connection to TJAS, I immediately turned to the first page of prose and reread the first chapter, marvelling at all the hints I had missed, including “Chawton”...duh! I don’t know if it was this newly-found awareness or the author’s maturation as a writer (this book was created during pandemic lockdown), the numerous references to actual historical events and cameo appearances of celebrated people or even the overriding feminist perspective—whatever the reason, as I continued to read, I became completely smitten with the characters and story in this novel. Way to write, Jenner!