The London Bookshop Affair: A Novel of the Cold War
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- Create Date：2024-01-23 07:21:44
- Update Date：2025-09-07
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- Author：Louise Fein
- ISBN：B0CGYZ4VF1
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Summary
MP3 CD Format A new historical drama from Daughter of the Reich bestselling author Louise Fein， about a London bookshop involved in an espionage network， set against the backdrop of the Cuban Missile Crisis， perfect for fans of Kate Quinn and Pam Jenoff。 In nuclear war， there can be no winners。 London， 1962: The world is teetering on the brink of nuclear war but daily life must go on。 Celia Duchesne longs for a career， but with no means or qualifications， spends her days working at a dusty bookshop。 The day a handsome American enters the shop， she thinks she might have found her way out。 Just as the excitement of a budding relationship engulfs her， a devastating secret draws her into the murky world of espionage。 France， 1942: Nineteen-year-old Anya Moreau was dropped behind enemy lines to aid the resistance， sending messages back home to London via wireless transmitter。 When she was cruelly betrayed， evidence of her legacy and the truth of her actions were buried by wartime injustices。 As Celia learns more about Anya--and her unexpected connection to the undercover agent--she becomes increasingly aware of furious efforts， both past and present， to protect state secrets。 With her newly formed romance taking a surprising turn and the world on the verge of nuclear annihilation， Celia must risk everything she holds dear， in the name of justice。 Propulsive and illuminating， The London Bookshop Affair is a gripping story of secrets and love， inspired by true events and figures of the Cold War。
Reviews
Melissa
，
Thank you， Partner @bibliolifestyle @williammorrowbooks for THE LONDON BOOKSHOP AFFAIR by Louise Fein， published on January 16th！I was very much drawn to this historical fiction story by the cover！ It is striking， and the woman is not walking away。 Points for the art team。Then I read the description & that made me curious。 The Cold War is not a period in which I often read。 This story does tie in a bit of WWII， but it is primarily in the 1960's。 It was a lesson for me。 I was a bit less drawn int Thank you， Partner @bibliolifestyle @williammorrowbooks for THE LONDON BOOKSHOP AFFAIR by Louise Fein， published on January 16th！I was very much drawn to this historical fiction story by the cover！ It is striking， and the woman is not walking away。 Points for the art team。Then I read the description & that made me curious。 The Cold War is not a period in which I often read。 This story does tie in a bit of WWII， but it is primarily in the 1960's。 It was a lesson for me。 I was a bit less drawn into the family drama than the espionage， but it did feel realistic。The synopsis is on the 3rd slide， but what that doesn't say， is how much of this is drawn from real events。 I will be candid and admit there were events that I felt were a bit stretched。 Then I read the notes at the end and it was REAL！ Obviously， this is a fictionalized conglomeration of factual events， all of which may not have happened quite so tight， but to discover so much was real made this novel for me。If you are ready for a lesson in Cold War espionage with impressive characters and strong women， check this one out now！ 。。。more
Jean Kolinofsky
，
In 1942 Jeannie Duquesne found herself unmarried and pregnant。 Disowned by her parents and forced to give up the baby for adoption， she decided to use her fluency in French to volunteer for the SOE。 In 1962 Celia Duquesne first learned of Jeannie’s existence and could not understand why her parents never even mentioned her。 When they refuse to talk about her， Celia decides to investigate on her own。 The bookshop where she works was recently taken over by an American divorcee who has money but li In 1942 Jeannie Duquesne found herself unmarried and pregnant。 Disowned by her parents and forced to give up the baby for adoption， she decided to use her fluency in French to volunteer for the SOE。 In 1962 Celia Duquesne first learned of Jeannie’s existence and could not understand why her parents never even mentioned her。 When they refuse to talk about her， Celia decides to investigate on her own。 The bookshop where she works was recently taken over by an American divorcee who has money but little interest in running the shop， leaving that to Celia。 It is here that she meets Septimus， an aide at the U。S。 embassy who knew the owner in America。 While Celia is working toward a career and trying to find more on Jeannie， she has no time for a social life。 Septimus， however， offers friendship and they grow close。 The people who come and go and messages left for her boss raise Celia’s suspicions and eventually lead to a connection to the events in 1942。Louise Fein’s story is told by Jeannie， Septimus and Celia。 Jeannie’s story is one of tragedy， having a brief engagement before her fiancé， an American pilot， is killed on a mission。 This is followed by the loss of her child and her eventual betrayal and capture by the Germans。 Septimus was raised with the goal of serving his country。 It is his job to build a system of agents and pass on sensitive information to his controller。 He vowed to never get seriously involved in a relationship， but then he met Celia。 Celia was raised in a home with a tension that she never understood。 While she wants a career， her controlling mother is pushing her to accept the life she has and to find someone to marry。 She is concerned about the world around her and campaigns for nuclear disarmament at a time when America and Russia could go to war over the Cuban Missile Crisis。 Having grown up at a time when schools held drills in the event of nuclear attacks， it was easy to relate to Celia and her beliefs。 This is a well written and emotional story built around secrets and the meaning of family that was difficult to put down。 I would like to thank NetGalley and William Morrow for providing this book for my review。 。。。more
Carol （Reading Ladies）
，
The London Bookshop Affair is a well-written and page-turning story of espionage set during the Cold War。In 1962， the possibility of nuclear weapons/warfare is worrisome。 Celia Duchesne dreams of a better future for herself but is grateful to have a stable job at a dusty， antiquarian bookshop。 One day， a handsome young man wanders in and Celia is thrilled when he begins to notice her。 Celia’s best friend persuades her to attend political rallies as they demonstrate for peace and a ban on nuclear The London Bookshop Affair is a well-written and page-turning story of espionage set during the Cold War。In 1962， the possibility of nuclear weapons/warfare is worrisome。 Celia Duchesne dreams of a better future for herself but is grateful to have a stable job at a dusty， antiquarian bookshop。 One day， a handsome young man wanders in and Celia is thrilled when he begins to notice her。 Celia’s best friend persuades her to attend political rallies as they demonstrate for peace and a ban on nuclear weapons。 Celia’s quiet life turns exciting as she begins to date the young man， Septimus， who coincidentally knows the new owner of the bookshop， signs up for typing classes in hopes of a better job， and attends political rallies。 Suddenly， Celia discovers a family secret and is caught up in an espionage ring。 The suspense escalates quickly as Celia’s quiet bookshop life takes a dangerous turn。If you’re looking for a side of suspense in your histfic， The London Bookshop Affair might be what you’re looking for。 Although the story does include a past timeline around the time of WWII， the most compelling part of the story （for me） is the 1960s timeline。 I have distinct memories of growing up in the Cold War era， and I can even remember having low-level anxiety about it as a youngster。Early in the story， I started to suspect that there were more complicated layers to Septimus， Celia’s love interest， than first presented， and my intrigue grew as this quiet story quickly became a page-turner。 The London Bookshop Affair is filled with intrigue， a family mystery， espionage， and danger…。。and a side of romance。The story begins in the past as we are introduced to Jeannie。 We revisit this timeline as we are taken back to WWII and Jeannie’s role in French Resistance。 In full disclosure， I skimmed through this timeline because I was always eager to return to the 1960s to find out what was happening to Celia。 In the end， these two timelines are connected in a poignant way。In addition to two timelines， the story is told from three perspectives: Jeannie’s （1940s）; Celia’s and （more minimally） Septimus’ （1960s）。 Celia is the main protagonist and her perspective drives the story。I always love reading author notes， and Louise Fein doesn’t disappoint as she describes her research in detail。Thoughtful themes include striving for a better life， uncovering family secrets， political activism， political tensions， bravery， understanding， forgiveness， reconciliation， the boy next door， friendship， adoption， and the fear of nuclear war。Content Consideration: WWII consequences for those caught in the resistance movementIf you’re looking for sides of suspense and espionage in your histfic， I think you’ll appreciate The London Bookshop Affair。 It’s well-written and brilliantly researched。Thanks #NetGalley @WmMorrowBooks @williammorrowbooks for a complimentary e ARC of #TheLondonBookshopAffair upon my request。 All opinions are my own。For more reviews visit my blog www。ReadingLadies。com where this review was first published。 。。。more
Selina
，
Really interesting book; dual timeline: 1962 - Cold War and 1943 - WWII。 I loved that the book took place more in 1962 and wasn’t just another WWII novel。 Celia was incredibly naive and innocent， but it was part of the storyline。 Her character did develop by the end of the book。 I would have loved to hear more about Sam， but again that was part of the storyline。 All in all， a great book。
Susan McAulay
，
Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review。 This is exactly what I like in a book: I love well researched historical fiction with a dose （but not an overdose） of romance plus some family conflict/drama。This book goes back and forth between the 1960s during the Cold War and WW II and mostly takes place in London although it does take the reader to France as well。 The main character is a young woman who is struggling to find herself during a t Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review。 This is exactly what I like in a book: I love well researched historical fiction with a dose （but not an overdose） of romance plus some family conflict/drama。This book goes back and forth between the 1960s during the Cold War and WW II and mostly takes place in London although it does take the reader to France as well。 The main character is a young woman who is struggling to find herself during a time period where women are starting to be recognized but not totally。 She finds out some family secrets that upend her life and she goes searching for answers。 There is also some politics and spy intrigue。I read this book in a day and am thirsty for more。。。waiting for this author's next novel。 。。。more
applekern
，
When I found out about this novel on goodreads I was excited， to say the least。 I‘m an avid lover of historical fiction and this sounded like a story of intrigue， friendship， betrayal - something up my alley。I unfortunately found the story a bit too straightforward， the twists a bit too predictable and the tone too serious in some scenes while not serious enough in others。However it‘s still a quick read， very plot-driven with some good character development :）
Maggie Boyd
，
The London Bookshop Affair is a dual-timeline tale of love， war， and family set amidst the dark days of WWII and the glamour of London in the 1960s。It’s 1942 when we meet Jeannie Duchesne， nineteen years old and newly in love with an American Airman。 He goes off to battle while she works quietly at a shop， dreaming of his return when they will marry。 Only life in wartime rarely has a way of going to plan。We then jump ahead to 1962， where Celia Duchesne is increasingly frustrated by her placid ex The London Bookshop Affair is a dual-timeline tale of love， war， and family set amidst the dark days of WWII and the glamour of London in the 1960s。It’s 1942 when we meet Jeannie Duchesne， nineteen years old and newly in love with an American Airman。 He goes off to battle while she works quietly at a shop， dreaming of his return when they will marry。 Only life in wartime rarely has a way of going to plan。We then jump ahead to 1962， where Celia Duchesne is increasingly frustrated by her placid existence。 If her elderly parents have their way， she will work as a bookshop clerk until she marries the literal boy next door。 But she dreams of having a career， of taking a secretarial course and becoming one of the glamorous women employed by the BBC， hobnobbing with celebrities and doing fascinating work that actually challenges her。When the elderly couple at the shop where she works sell it to an American divorcée， she is worried she will soon find herself in need of new employment。 Instead， Celia is given a raise and the opportunity to take a night course in typing and stenography。 With diligence， she should be able to complete the course in a few months and get a better job， one that will finally allow her to leave home and the bitter anger that always simmers beneath the surface of that tiny dwelling。Then， her dearest friend finds a file at a solicitor’s office that upends everything Celia previously believed about herself and her family。 Untangling the secrets contained in the scant papers within leads Celia to Miss Clarke， a mysterious woman who worked closely with Jeannie and might just have a use for Celia as well。Intertwining with all this is the narrative of Septimus Nelson， who works at the American Embassy and is quickly becoming enamored of the young sales clerk at the bookstore he frequents。 His work has never allowed him to settle down and he is not one for falling in love， but the more he gets to know Celia， the more he realizes he is ready for that to change。This novel is part women’s fiction， part cozy spy thriller， and the women’s fiction portion works quite well。 See the rest of my review at https://allaboutromance。com/book-revi。。。 。。。more
Donna Pike
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Good story of many actual events during 60s
Tammy
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Historical fiction。 London。 Bookshop。 Espionage。 These are a few of my favorite things！ This story is right in my wheelhouse and had all the intrigue， story development， and strong women characters （Anya and Celia） set during two eras that I'm interested in， The Cuban Missile Crisis and WWII （dual timeline）。 The author weaves a web in fascinating detail of what it must have been like to be in the high-pressure atmosphere during the threat of nuclear war。 Celia's journey is revealed and her conne Historical fiction。 London。 Bookshop。 Espionage。 These are a few of my favorite things！ This story is right in my wheelhouse and had all the intrigue， story development， and strong women characters （Anya and Celia） set during two eras that I'm interested in， The Cuban Missile Crisis and WWII （dual timeline）。 The author weaves a web in fascinating detail of what it must have been like to be in the high-pressure atmosphere during the threat of nuclear war。 Celia's journey is revealed and her connection to Anya in the WWII timeline。 Thought provoking and a sense of injustice as we learn of the treatment of former WWII spies and their abandonment by governments。I highly recommend this book。 Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for a complimentary copy of the book。 All opinions expressed are my own。 。。。more
Karen
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3。25。 Reading about the Cuban missile crisis， brought back memories of me as a young girl who grew up， adoring JFK whether he was right or wrong。 This is a spy/espionage novel。 Perhaps I’ve just read way too many WWII novel of this ilk。
Kelly Anne
，
I grabbed this book on the “new releases” because I enjoyed this author’s debut novel and because I love books about books or bookshops。 Turns out it had little to do with the bookshop but it did have a number of other intriguing elements to it， mainly for me the WWII era SOE。 My favourite chapters were those devoted to Jeannie as one of their spies but those were too few， coming only at the beginning of the sectioned parts。 I have never developed much of an interest in Cold War history， perhaps I grabbed this book on the “new releases” because I enjoyed this author’s debut novel and because I love books about books or bookshops。 Turns out it had little to do with the bookshop but it did have a number of other intriguing elements to it， mainly for me the WWII era SOE。 My favourite chapters were those devoted to Jeannie as one of their spies but those were too few， coming only at the beginning of the sectioned parts。 I have never developed much of an interest in Cold War history， perhaps having been a young child during the era of paranoid McCarthy-ism in the US。 So it took me awhile to really develop an interest in the early events of the book but once Celia began digging into Jeannie’s story I was hooked。 Having said that， I did find the British angle leading up to the Cuban Missile Crisis enlightening。 Early on I found Celia a bit too simplistic but then that was the mistake that Septimus made as well， eh？ She was anything but。 In fact my favourite line comes late in the book when Septimus， in thinking of Celia， “As it has ever been since the dawn of time， he realizes he has made the same mistake as countless men before him。 He has woefully underestimated his woman。”The description of Jeannie’s final moments are artfully handled with the true horror being apparent in the lengthy， detailed， and informative Author’s Note at the end and I like that the fictional main characters were able to find closure in a journey to Natzweiler-Struthof。As I said some of the aspects of the book， through no fault of the author， didn’t interest me as much as others （basically all of Celia’s activities with Daphne） there was so much that I did find engaging。 The book is well researched and documented with the fudging of factual events and people clearly expressed in the Author’s Note。 And if all of this weren’t enough to win my endorsement… the author obviously knows the importance of cats and that’s really all it takes for me， lol！ 。。。more
Eileen Goodwin
，
A little slow at first but I really did like this novel with touches of romance， of intrigue， of discovery。 One should never underestimate the wisdom of a woman。
ℳacarena
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This gripping novel is set during 1942-43 and 1962。 On the one hand， we follow Jeannie's courageous story （from 1942 London until 1944 France） and how her story is connected to the present （1962 London）。 On the other hand， we learn about Celia。 She's 19 years old and works at an antique bookstore in London。 She's seen as naive by most people， but she's a smart and brave young woman。Most of the story happens during 1962， during the Cuban Missile Crisis， therefore the almost Nuclear War。The power This gripping novel is set during 1942-43 and 1962。 On the one hand， we follow Jeannie's courageous story （from 1942 London until 1944 France） and how her story is connected to the present （1962 London）。 On the other hand， we learn about Celia。 She's 19 years old and works at an antique bookstore in London。 She's seen as naive by most people， but she's a smart and brave young woman。Most of the story happens during 1962， during the Cuban Missile Crisis， therefore the almost Nuclear War。The power of the people through groups such as Spies for Peace （associated to the Committee of 100） made possible powerful campaigns against nuclear weapons and also made people aware of the real situation。An unputdownable book， with interesting characters （based on real people） who lived during tumultuous times and were fully committed to a greater cause。 A considerable number of them were women， in times when being a woman meant: being a wife， being a mother， and take care of her family。 Those valiant women broke the pattern and did brave things in order to stop a war and give present and future generations a chance to live。Thank you so much， @louisefeinauthor and @harper360uk for this gifted paperback proof of The London Bookshop Affair。 。。。more
Danielle
，
This one was just ok。 I am not sure if because I listened to it I missed out on how some of the dual timeline played out。 But there were times that I didn’t quite catch when it jumped back in time。 I enjoyed the story overall， but was also left wanting a bit more。 It was interesting to get a glimpse of this point of time post WWII and pre-cold war in the UK。
Julie Ditton
，
This is an engrossing new Historical Fiction that you will not want to put down。 With dual timelines of 1942 wartime espionage and the 1962 Cuban Missile Crisis， the captivating plot will keep you guessing。 The author captures the time with well researched historical accuracy and nostalgic atmospheric details。 The story begins with a prologue in 1942 with Jenny， a young woman enamored with an American soldier。 The reader then meets the main character， Cecily， a young shopgirl in 1962。 Shortly a This is an engrossing new Historical Fiction that you will not want to put down。 With dual timelines of 1942 wartime espionage and the 1962 Cuban Missile Crisis， the captivating plot will keep you guessing。 The author captures the time with well researched historical accuracy and nostalgic atmospheric details。 The story begins with a prologue in 1942 with Jenny， a young woman enamored with an American soldier。 The reader then meets the main character， Cecily， a young shopgirl in 1962。 Shortly after the store is sold， her life is turned upside down。 Just when she begins a flirtation with a handsome young man from the American embassy， she learns that her family has secrets。 She learns about a family member that she is too young to remember， one that her parents have never mentioned。 Cecily is determined to dig up the facts about Jenny who died working as a spy during Worl War two。 The author handles the difficult task of dual timelines with finesse as she weaves the stories together。 She has created a tight， well thought out plot。 It isn’t often that a book keeps me guessing。 I love a mystery and I can’t pass up a novel set in a bookshop。 That is why I requested an electronic advanced reader’s copy of this book from NetGalley。 I can honestly say that I loved it。 。。。more
Jennifer B
，
The London Bookshop AffairBy: Louise FeinReview Score: 4 StarsBoogie’s Bulletpoints-I love the time jumps between World War 2 and the Cold War。 -There are so many amazing layers and plot twists to this story， I was on the edge of my seat the entire time！-This book has everything。 A little bit of history， a little bit of romance， and a little bit of a spy thriller。 -I really enjoyed how this story all came together at the end。 ——The London Bookshop Affair was kindly provided as an ARC by Netgalle The London Bookshop AffairBy: Louise FeinReview Score: 4 StarsBoogie’s Bulletpoints-I love the time jumps between World War 2 and the Cold War。 -There are so many amazing layers and plot twists to this story， I was on the edge of my seat the entire time！-This book has everything。 A little bit of history， a little bit of romance， and a little bit of a spy thriller。 -I really enjoyed how this story all came together at the end。 ——The London Bookshop Affair was kindly provided as an ARC by Netgalley and William Morrow。 Thank you for allowing me to enjoy this wonderful book！Release Date: out today！ The London Bookshop Affair is a really engaging story。 I loved learning about Celia， who wants to do more in her life， and Anya， a spy who is betrayed during World War 2。 As the story evolves， we see curious behavior from other characters， all set on the backdrop of the fear of Nuclear War。 I loved trying to puzzle out who was who in this story。 It was definitely a fun and engaging read， and a different take on a historical fiction novel。 What is your favorite part of history to read about （if you enjoy reading history/historical fiction）？ #bookstagram #books #readingnow #boogiereadsbooks #fivekeyfeels #audiobooks #audiobook #historicalfiction #arcreview #netgalley #boogiesbulletpoints #thelondonbookshopaffair #louisefein #williammorrow 。。。more
Michelle Herzing
，
Thank you， partner @bibliolifestyle， @williammorrowbooks for the gifted copy of The London Bookshop Affair by Louise Fein。 I thoroughly enjoyed this unique historical fiction novel， set in dual timelines during WWII and the 1960's in the period leading up to the Cuban Missile Crisis。 I especially loved the fact that nearly all of the major characters were based on actual people， with some changes to events or timelines。 The novel was suspenseful and tense， with doubt as to which characters were Thank you， partner @bibliolifestyle， @williammorrowbooks for the gifted copy of The London Bookshop Affair by Louise Fein。 I thoroughly enjoyed this unique historical fiction novel， set in dual timelines during WWII and the 1960's in the period leading up to the Cuban Missile Crisis。 I especially loved the fact that nearly all of the major characters were based on actual people， with some changes to events or timelines。 The novel was suspenseful and tense， with doubt as to which characters were being truthful， which were spies， and where loyalties fell。 It is always a plus， for me， when historical fiction is based in reality， and also when a book is set during a period that is not typical for the genre。 While one of the storylines took place during WWII， it was not the majority。 I have not read a book that took place during the Cold War， and I found the story quite interesting in that respect。 If you enjoy historical fiction， particularly involving espionage and resistance movements， The London Bookshop Affair is perfect for your TBR。 。。。more
Socrate
，
Louise Fein， autoarea bestsellerului Daughter of the Reich， îți oferă o poveste inspirată din evenimente și personaje reale， care îmbină istoria， dragostea și misterul。 Cartea este povestită din perspectiva a două femei: Celia Duchesne， o tânără care lucrează la o librărie antică pe Strand， și care se îndrăgostește de un american misterios， care se dovedește a fi un agent sub acoperire; și Anya Moreau， o curajoasă spioană care a fost trimisă în Franța ocupată de naziști în 1942， pentru a ajuta r Louise Fein， autoarea bestsellerului Daughter of the Reich， îți oferă o poveste inspirată din evenimente și personaje reale， care îmbină istoria， dragostea și misterul。 Cartea este povestită din perspectiva a două femei: Celia Duchesne， o tânără care lucrează la o librărie antică pe Strand， și care se îndrăgostește de un american misterios， care se dovedește a fi un agent sub acoperire; și Anya Moreau， o curajoasă spioană care a fost trimisă în Franța ocupată de naziști în 1942， pentru a ajuta rezistența， și care a fost trădată și torturată。 Cele două femei au o legătură neașteptată， care va ieși la iveală pe măsură ce Celia descoperă secretele trecutului ei și ale lumii în care trăiește。“Nu știam nimic despre el， dar îmi plăcea。 Îmi plăcea felul în care vorbea， felul în care mă privea， felul în care mă făcea să mă simt。 Era ca și cum aș fi deschis o carte veche și aș fi găsit o poveste nouă și fascinantă。” “Am simțit cum mă cuprinde frica。 Frica de a pierde tot ce aveam， frica de a nu mai vedea niciodată soarele， frica de a nu mai auzi niciodată vocea lui。 Dar am simțit și mândria。 Mândria de a fi făcut ceva important， de a fi luptat pentru o cauză dreaptă， de a fi fost parte din ceva mai mare decât mine。” 。。。more
Becky
，
Wow， what a story！ The London Bookshop Affair centers on Celia， a young woman in 60’s London who works in a bookshop。 The story has a dual timeline， with the other storyline focusing on Anya during the Second World War。 The way these two stories are woven together makes for an unforgettable book。 The author， Louise Fein， has written a well-researched novel that grabs the reader on the first page and keeps ahold until the last。 Thank you， NetGalley and William Morrow， for the advance reader copy Wow， what a story！ The London Bookshop Affair centers on Celia， a young woman in 60’s London who works in a bookshop。 The story has a dual timeline， with the other storyline focusing on Anya during the Second World War。 The way these two stories are woven together makes for an unforgettable book。 The author， Louise Fein， has written a well-researched novel that grabs the reader on the first page and keeps ahold until the last。 Thank you， NetGalley and William Morrow， for the advance reader copy of this five star read！ 。。。more
Anne
，
The London Bookshop Affair by Louise Fein is the story of a young English woman who works in a bookshop which mostly sells antique and rare books。 It is kept afloat by one large sale every few months。 The rest of the time， business is slow。 Then， the elderly owners decide to retire and sell the shop to an American woman who is divorced。 She doesn’t seem to take much interest in the shop but keeps Celia on。 Celia is nineteen years old and has been raised very conservatively。 Her parents are older The London Bookshop Affair by Louise Fein is the story of a young English woman who works in a bookshop which mostly sells antique and rare books。 It is kept afloat by one large sale every few months。 The rest of the time， business is slow。 Then， the elderly owners decide to retire and sell the shop to an American woman who is divorced。 She doesn’t seem to take much interest in the shop but keeps Celia on。 Celia is nineteen years old and has been raised very conservatively。 Her parents are older and don’t allow her to live the same life as many of her peers。 On the quiet she signs up for a typing and shorthand class two nights a week。 She notices several odd visitors that her boss has regularly but she has too much to worry about to be overly concerned。 Then， one of those visitors， a young man， starts paying her attention。 She keeps her parents’ warnings in mind but enjoys his company more and more。 At the same time her friend， Daphne， who works at at law office， discovers a file with her parents’ names on it。 Since she is archiving it， she brings it to Celia and so begins an investigation that shatters Celia’s views of herself and her parents。 Celia is an interesting character who fully intends to live a 1960’s life， not a 1940’s one。 She is ambitious， intelligent， and kind。 When Septimus starts paying her attention， she is flattered， but wary。 Her feelings for him grow， but at the same time she is suspicious。 She has made a friend， one who used to be in British intelligence during the war and together they discover a conspiracy larger than anyone could imagine。 This was a harrowing time: the Cold War， Kennedy and Kruschev， increasing technology for communication and travel; she is looking at a new world and is not sure she always likes what she sees。 It is a story told in two timelines and so touches on World War II as well as 1962。 Her life and her parent’s lives are opening up in ways she could never have foreseen。 Fein has written an interesting story， here。 One that should be read。 Thank you William Morrow for providing this book for review consideration via NetGalley。 All opinions are my own。 #Netgalley #WilliamMorrow #LouiseFein #TheLondonBookshopAffair 。。。more
Michele Anne Waite
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The London Bookshop Affair by Louise Fein was my first book by this author and won't be my last。 Louise created an intricate story of secrets， lies， and espionage during a tumultuous time in our history， The Cold War。 I thought I knew what was happening early on in this book， but boy was I wrong！ The twists definitely kept me reading late into the night。 The author notes are very detailed and help with the Google wormhole this book creates。 The London Bookshop Affair by Louise Fein is a book I r The London Bookshop Affair by Louise Fein was my first book by this author and won't be my last。 Louise created an intricate story of secrets， lies， and espionage during a tumultuous time in our history， The Cold War。 I thought I knew what was happening early on in this book， but boy was I wrong！ The twists definitely kept me reading late into the night。 The author notes are very detailed and help with the Google wormhole this book creates。 The London Bookshop Affair by Louise Fein is a book I recommend。I received an Advanced Readers Copy of this book in a Goodreads Giveaway in return for my fair and unbiased review。 。。。more
joyce w。 laudon
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This dual timeline historical fiction title is a winner！ The story was quite absorbing and kept me turning the pages with its two main focuses-one is about Jeanne/Anya a WWII SOE volunteer， and another is about a young woman named Celia who works in a bookshop as the novel opens。What is going on in the bookstore under its new ownership？ How will events from WWII and 1960s crises like the division of Berlin and Cuba come into the story？ How will the characters and events in the two time lines be This dual timeline historical fiction title is a winner！ The story was quite absorbing and kept me turning the pages with its two main focuses-one is about Jeanne/Anya a WWII SOE volunteer， and another is about a young woman named Celia who works in a bookshop as the novel opens。What is going on in the bookstore under its new ownership？ How will events from WWII and 1960s crises like the division of Berlin and Cuba come into the story？ How will the characters and events in the two time lines be connected？ Readers will want to know。In these pages， there are traitors， people who care deeply for their country， professionals and amateurs， all of whom are impacted by world events。 Along with these big world worthy plots， there are also storylines that impact the characters smaller， personal worlds。 There are about family ties， secrets， trust， being in love， friendship， creating a life one wants and more。 The author does a marvelous job of bringing the two time periods to life。 The social mores of each era are well portrayed and these societal rules definitely impact the characters。The complex plot that kept me engaged and always eager to read another chapter。 I was always wishing for the very best for Celia。Historical fiction lovers， this is surely worth a read。 The 1960s is a time period that I have seen less in historical fiction but one that is full of the conflict that makes for a good read。Many thanks to NetGalley and William Morrow for this title。 All opinions are my own。 。。。more
Anne
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London in 1962， a time of social change and new opportunities – and nineteen year old Celia Duchesne dreams of another life， away from the antiquarian bookshop on the Strand where she works， leaving her middle-aged parents and Southwark behind， along with the boy next door who seems to be her destiny， having some real excitement in her life。 A secretarial job with the BBC – now that would be just perfect， right in the middle of everything。When the shop changes hands， and its new American owner M London in 1962， a time of social change and new opportunities – and nineteen year old Celia Duchesne dreams of another life， away from the antiquarian bookshop on the Strand where she works， leaving her middle-aged parents and Southwark behind， along with the boy next door who seems to be her destiny， having some real excitement in her life。 A secretarial job with the BBC – now that would be just perfect， right in the middle of everything。When the shop changes hands， and its new American owner Mrs Denton is content to let her run it day-to-day in return for a pay rise， she uses the extra money to sign up for a shorthand and typing course at the Pitman school， the first step in changing her life and becoming more like her stylish best friend Daphne。 Daphne herself is heavily involved in the CND – the nuclear threat is ever present， and increasing – and Celia （admittedly rather half-heartedly） assists in the making of banners， attending meetings and joining marches。 And when Septimus Nelson walks into the shop one day – rather gorgeous， charming， an American working at the US Embassy – and takes her out for lunches and tea， it opens up the possibility of romance in her life too。But her world is about to be rocked by a discovery made by Daphne at the solicitors where she works – a file， wedged at the back of a drawer， revealing some devastating information about her past。 And we discover more about the short life of Anya Moreau， working for the SOE and dropped into France in wartime to work as a wireless operator – and Celia needs to find out more about the connection between them。 But， at the same time， she becomes increasingly aware that there’s more going on behind the scenes at the bookshop than she realised – and a little digging takes her into the path of considerable danger and a secretive world she never knew existed。The construction of this story is really excellent。 In the 1960s， the main focus is Celia – very likeable and wonderfully naive and innocent， but gaining in strength and confidence as she slowly uncovers all those hidden secrets – but we also see Septimus’ viewpoint， and he’s a far more complex character than he appears to be at first。 And then we have Anya – this becomes a dual time narrative， and her wartime story is one of villainous betrayal。 The supporting cast are superbly drawn – as is the setting， and the murky world of espionage。 I felt entirely immersed in the 1960s – a world of social and cultural change， overshadowed by the tension of the Cold War， the wrestling of the superpowers， the threat of nuclear war， and the flashpoint of the Cuban Missile Crisis。 The research is immaculate – her author’s note at the book’s end， setting out the true history， is almost as fascinating as the unfolding story – but she uses it so well to draw the reader in her largely unfamiliar but recognisable world。The storytelling is superb – I’ll admit that the world of espionage wouldn’t usually be one I’d seek out， but as the story unfolded I found it increasingly compelling， the tension mounting steadily with every twist and turn。 The wartime story， with its clever and unexpected links and connections， was equally engaging – and with considerable emotional impact too。 Inspired by real people and events， the individuals at the story’s heart feel just as real – there’s a depth of historical detail， but the story’s focus is always on the individuals at its heart。 Yes， it’s a story of secrets and love， but also of bravery， mystery and betrayal， engaging and original， with an unpredictable but wholly satisfying ending – I very much enjoyed it， and it’s a book I’d thoroughly recommend。 。。。more
DeeAnn
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Set against the backdrop of the Cuban Missile Crisis， Louise Fein's engrossing historical drama "The London Bookshop Affair" explores the world of espionage during the height of the Cold War。 The book deftly interweaves the tales of two brave women， Anya Moreau and Celia Duchesne， whose lives are linked by a secret that has the power to alter the path of human history。 Fein's painstaking study is evident in the rich historical settings and details that transport the reader to tumultuous 1942 war Set against the backdrop of the Cuban Missile Crisis， Louise Fein's engrossing historical drama "The London Bookshop Affair" explores the world of espionage during the height of the Cold War。 The book deftly interweaves the tales of two brave women， Anya Moreau and Celia Duchesne， whose lives are linked by a secret that has the power to alter the path of human history。 Fein's painstaking study is evident in the rich historical settings and details that transport the reader to tumultuous 1942 wartime France and London in 1962。 Three different points of view—those of Celia， Anya， and her love interest—are used in the story to provide the reader a complex understanding of the events as they happen。The book is structured into five sections， each of which opens with a chapter written from Anya's （Jeannie's） point of view。 Although this method gives the narrative more complexity， some readers may think that the changes between these sections feel a little jarring。 Fein， however， did a fantastic job of depicting Anya's chronology events and matching Celia's， resulting in a compelling narrative symmetry。 This book stands out in part because of its commitment to telling the histories of the women who acted as spies in WWII but were frequently ignored。 The book also provides a novel， non-American viewpoint on the Cuban Missile Crisis， which gives the historical background a deeper， more interesting dimension。This novel is a must read for those who love historical fiction， mixed with non-fiction， but also dabbles of sweet romance and the thought of a positive future。 。。。more
Agrippina Fadel
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This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers。 To view it， click here。 The London Bookshop Affair is historical fiction set in two timelines， in 1940s during the war and in early 1960s during the Cuban Crisis and Cold War。 The book explores themes of equality， political activism， differences between the classes， espionage， WWII and nuclear threat。 There’s a bit of a romantic plot but it seems an afterthought， to be honest。 Thank you， NetGalley， for the eARC。What I liked:📚 the story is well researched - many events and characters are based on real people and history The London Bookshop Affair is historical fiction set in two timelines， in 1940s during the war and in early 1960s during the Cuban Crisis and Cold War。 The book explores themes of equality， political activism， differences between the classes， espionage， WWII and nuclear threat。 There’s a bit of a romantic plot but it seems an afterthought， to be honest。 Thank you， NetGalley， for the eARC。What I liked:📚 the story is well researched - many events and characters are based on real people and history📚 the book is well written， with neat and uncomplicated sentences and chapters written from points of view of three characters 📚 the ending offers a bit of a twist and the heroine finally seems to believe in herself and finds an interesting jobWhat I didn’t care for:🥲 Celia constantly talks about how she is “just an ordinary girl” and how she can’t have big dreams or possibly be interesting enough to catch an eye of a young man she meets at work 🥲 overall， the author just does not sell Celia as a very likable person or a well rounded character。 She is unsure of herself， then goes on clandestine missions; afraid what her parents will think if she drinks a pint of cider， then goes on a government protest？ 🥲 there are some repetitions in text: Celia is like a drug for Septimus， mentioning of the UK government bunkers， some of the descriptions🥲 the pace of the book is uneven。 I think about 70 pages could be cut and the plot would not suffer one bit。 We get lots of action and then nothing for pages and pages。🥲 I understand the desire to portray how women were treated and how they saw themselves and others historically accurate， but some moments just gave me a pause。 Celia repeatedly thinks about her grandmother saying she was conceived “against the wall in an alley;” she has a moment where “her slutty part” fights against her “good part;” she judges her mother for having a child out of wedlock and believes her grandmother when she tells her Celia’s GI dad took advantage of her mother and never intended to marry her。 We never see a scene where Celia has reason to believe otherwise or learns anything additional about her father to prove he was a decent man （could she not ask her spy friends？）I finished it， but did not love it。 。。。more
Laura
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Louise Fein， the author of Daughter of the Reich， has written a well-researched， fascinating， fictionalized account of the Cuban Missile Crisis with a dual time-line with The London Bookshop Affair。 The second timeline revolves around Special Operations Executives in London during WWII。 The characters are based on real people during both of these turbulent times。 The writing is excellent and the characters are riveting。 After reading the novel， one must read the Author's Note。 Ms。 Fein has becom Louise Fein， the author of Daughter of the Reich， has written a well-researched， fascinating， fictionalized account of the Cuban Missile Crisis with a dual time-line with The London Bookshop Affair。 The second timeline revolves around Special Operations Executives in London during WWII。 The characters are based on real people during both of these turbulent times。 The writing is excellent and the characters are riveting。 After reading the novel， one must read the Author's Note。 Ms。 Fein has become one of my "must read" authors of historical fiction。 Thanks to NetGalley and William Morrow Publishing for the Advance Reader Copy of the wonderful， compelling book！ 。。。more
Nadine Ruiz
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The London Bookshop Affair is an intriguing story of a young woman uncovering long-hidden family secrets while trying to find a place in a world threatened by the potential of nuclear war。 This book was well-researched， but I sometimes felt over-detailed on the political aspects。 I would have enjoyed more insight into the spy aspect of this story and less of a historical walkthrough of the Cold War。 Throughout this story， Celia deals with a vast upheaval of life and identity。 While the world aro The London Bookshop Affair is an intriguing story of a young woman uncovering long-hidden family secrets while trying to find a place in a world threatened by the potential of nuclear war。 This book was well-researched， but I sometimes felt over-detailed on the political aspects。 I would have enjoyed more insight into the spy aspect of this story and less of a historical walkthrough of the Cold War。 Throughout this story， Celia deals with a vast upheaval of life and identity。 While the world around her is in a panic over the potential of nuclear war， her personal life is sent sideways when she finds out a long-kept family secret。 At times， Celia can come off as a silly girl full of self-pity - who says she is thinking for herself and wants to see change in the world but defaults to parroting the old-school dogma and mentalities her parents try to drill into her。 In actuality - Celia represents the transitional part of every person's life when you're trying to decide who you are and whether you want to become the person your parents want you to be or choose your path。 Jeannie's character is strong and independent。 Her sense of self-identity and courage makes sense once you learn her backstory。 A feminist influence for the changing times， Jeannie's 'radical' thoughts and actions contrast against Celia's more subdued thoughts and actions。 Considering the time difference between the two women's storylines， Celia seems to be going along with the changing times， while Jeannie actively fights for change and breaking stigmas。 The London Bookshop Affair takes the reader through love， betrayal， espionage， social and political transformation， and fear。 。。。more
Lynda
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What a wonderful read。 I love a dual timeline read but this one is unusual in that it is the more recent timeline that is the main storyline。 February 1942 Jeanie meets American airman Harry and they fall in love but he is shot down shortly afterwards。 1962 and Celia Duchesne is working in an antiquarian bookshop but she has ambition， she wants a career。 She meets American Septimus Melson and they start to meet up for lunch/picnics and she enrols at Pitmans typing school hoping qualifications wi What a wonderful read。 I love a dual timeline read but this one is unusual in that it is the more recent timeline that is the main storyline。 February 1942 Jeanie meets American airman Harry and they fall in love but he is shot down shortly afterwards。 1962 and Celia Duchesne is working in an antiquarian bookshop but she has ambition， she wants a career。 She meets American Septimus Melson and they start to meet up for lunch/picnics and she enrols at Pitmans typing school hoping qualifications will lead her to a better job。 A compulsive historical fiction novel with characters and events based on fact， I was completely engrossed。 Briefly， Celia’s friend Daphne finds a file in the solicitor’s office she works in that shocks Celia， but explains a lot and she determines to find out more。 Her investigation leads her to information about 19 year old Anya Moreau who was part of the Resistance in France during WWII。 The later storyline bears reference to the Cold War and in particular the Cuban Missile Crisis: a period of geopolitical tension between the Eastern Bloc， led by Russia and the Western Bloc by USA。 Celia and Daphne are both members of CND and demonstrate against nuclear weapons。 It is clear the author has done a lot of research and the book is all the better for it。 As a child/young teen in the 1960’s’s I remembered so much of what happened and it was a bit of a trip down memory lane！ A well written and very enjoyable book with some great twists and turns and that ending！ I certainly never saw that coming。 Fabulous。 。。。more
Sarah K
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The London Bookshop Affair is an interesting， dual timeline novel that alternates between the WWII era and the Cuban Missile Crisis。 Overall， I found this book to be good - but not great。 Though the writing was wonderful and the WWII era plot was fascinating， I felt bogged down in the Cuban Missile Crisis timeline。 I just was not sure why I was supposed to care about Celia。 Something about her felt pretty flat and I had a hard time drumming up much sympathy for her in her vocational， family， and The London Bookshop Affair is an interesting， dual timeline novel that alternates between the WWII era and the Cuban Missile Crisis。 Overall， I found this book to be good - but not great。 Though the writing was wonderful and the WWII era plot was fascinating， I felt bogged down in the Cuban Missile Crisis timeline。 I just was not sure why I was supposed to care about Celia。 Something about her felt pretty flat and I had a hard time drumming up much sympathy for her in her vocational， family， and relationship troubles。 That being said。。。her detective skills were pretty spot on and the last third of the book was interesting！ I wish there was more of a focus on Anya and her experience。 I also enjoyed learning more about the Cuban Missile Crisis and how ordinary folks may have experienced those days。 This book kept me engaged but I did not particularly like the characters。 The Author's Note at the end is also worth the read - I could tell that Louise Fein put alot of effort/research into this novel。 Thank you to the author， publisher， and NetGalley for the eARC。 All opinions are my own。 。。。more
Julie
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Set against the backdrop of World War 2 and the Cuban Missile Crisis， this historical drama is told from three points of view。 Jeannie， a 19-year-old English girl， falls in love with an American airman in 1942， little imagining how the relationship would change the trajectory of her life。 In 1962， Celia is longing for a career， not just a job， but her parents tell her she should settle for her lot in life and be happy with the job she has in a bookshop。 Meanwhile， Septimus has just been given a Set against the backdrop of World War 2 and the Cuban Missile Crisis， this historical drama is told from three points of view。 Jeannie， a 19-year-old English girl， falls in love with an American airman in 1942， little imagining how the relationship would change the trajectory of her life。 In 1962， Celia is longing for a career， not just a job， but her parents tell her she should settle for her lot in life and be happy with the job she has in a bookshop。 Meanwhile， Septimus has just been given a job as the aide-de-camp for the US ambassador in London， and with his life on path， he is determined that nothing should get in his way。 When their lives become intertwined， secrets are uncovered。I very much enjoyed this book。 It was very emotionally resonant。 I don’t always love books told from multiple perspectives on multiple timelines， but I found these stories captivating and the different perspectives easy to follow。All the characters are， in their own ways， victims of circumstance - of their times， their families， their classes， and their nationalities。 It’s the way each of them takes on those circumstances that makes them unique and makes this story special。 There are many twists and turns that made me want to keep reading。 Some I saw coming， and some kept me guessing。 In some books， it bothers me when I see a twist coming， but in this case， I really enjoyed watching Celia trying to figure out what was happening。 Things that are obvious to me as an adult woman in 2024， were certainly going to be less obvious in 1962 to a 19-year-old with extremely limited life experiences。 I think the author did an excellent job at portraying Celia’s inexperience and naivety in a way that made the reader want to see her succeed。 Underlying themes of this book are injustice， betrayal， bravery， sacrifice， healing and forgiveness。 It was in turns infuriating， heart-breaking， and heart-warming。 However， the most powerful theme throughout was the ways in which patriarchy impacted every character。 Men pulled together to help other men escape the consequences of their actions。 Women felt the need to punish themselves， and others， for not adhering to society’s rigid patriarchal norms。 Celia， who is an “innocent girl” and “nice girl”， reflects at one point on what those words mean， and it feels like a pivotal moment for her character。 There are coincidences at play in the story， but they were appropriate。 None was so egregious that it would be entirely impossible to imagine。 I was entirely comfortable with the way the stories were tied together， and， ultimately， I found the conclusion very satisfying。Many thanks to NetGalley for the free eARC in exchange for an honest review。 。。。more
Tag
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the london bookshop affair a novel of the cold war louise fein