The Last Bookshop in London-Blog Tour (Review)-Historical Fiction-Coming April 6

Done right, historical fiction not only evokes the time period in question, but also makes the reader truly feel the emotions of the events in the book.

This book is highly successful at that.

Descriptive and elegant, yet also haunting and brutal at times, I felt everything Grace was feeling as she found her way in London.

Right from the beginning, with the date stamp of August 1939 London, the reader knows what the background of the story is going to be, even as Grace and her friend Viv don’t. This added a sense of foreboding as the girls’ excitement at finally being in the city was quite apparent.

I liked the opening chapters because they set the scene for what was to come while also giving the reader a good look at just how “normal” everything was.

Until it wasn’t.

It also gave me time to get to know pivotal characters before the Blitz began (no spoiler there – if you’re reading historical fiction, you should know the time period and the history). This was a very good thing, because once the bombs started dropping, there were new things to focus on.

**Buy Links can be found beneath the Author Bio**

I thought Grace was a strong character and I loved her development over the course of the entire book. Even her name was an excellent choice because she was often the personification of it, even in the worst of times.

I really enjoyed her journey into reading. It was smart of the author for Grace to have that epiphany because it made her actions later in the book that much more poignant and impactful.

While I loved the scenes involving the bookstore, I do have to mention the details of the Blitz. I have read several books that contain scenes from the Blitz, but I don’t remember a time that it was described so thoroughly.

I felt like I could smell the smoke, see the fires, and feel the concussions of the bombs right along with Grace. It was harrowing and emotional. I honestly needed a break after a couple of the scenes and could totally identify with Grace’s exhaustion.

As the author writes, it’s a true testament to Londoners that they survived that onslaught.

But not only did they survive it, they pulled together. Even writing this part of the review right now, I’m tearing up thinking of the last few chapters.

It was that well-done. I’m not doing it justice. But it was just so good. All of it.

This book had a great story, a lead character to root for, charming supporting characters, and accurate depictions of war, both the good and bad sides of it. All of this together made for an excellent read that I highly recommend.

And make sure to have the tissues nearby.

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About the Author:

Madeline Martin is a USA TODAY bestselling author of historical romance novels filled with twists and turns, adventure, steamy romance, empowered heroines and the men who are strong enough to love them. Her website is http://www.madelinemartin.com/

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