Bloomsbury Girls
- Downloads：1393
- Type：Epub+TxT+PDF+Mobi
- Create Date：2022-05-18 11:21:36
- Update Date：2025-09-07
- Status：finish
- Author：Natalie Jenner
- ISBN：1250852315
- Environment：PC/Android/iPhone/iPad/Kindle
Reviews
Jenny Stanek
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First of all， I'm already a sucker for books centering around a bookstore before I even read the first page。 Best setting ever。This book centers around the stories of three women who are trying to find their way in 1950: Vivien （who lost her fiancé in the war and has an ongoing feud/rivalry with a male coworker）， Grace （an unsatisfied and unhappily married mom） and Evie （a former university student who was passed over for a man for an academic position） 。 They all work at Bloomsbury Books， ran b First of all， I'm already a sucker for books centering around a bookstore before I even read the first page。 Best setting ever。This book centers around the stories of three women who are trying to find their way in 1950: Vivien （who lost her fiancé in the war and has an ongoing feud/rivalry with a male coworker）， Grace （an unsatisfied and unhappily married mom） and Evie （a former university student who was passed over for a man for an academic position） 。 They all work at Bloomsbury Books， ran by men in a time when the world was dominated by men and their rules。 There are exciting characters introduced with names you'll certain recognize from the literary world， all who add to these interwoven storylines， and a few men who maybe aren't so bad。 Drama， secrets， girl power， and a lot of soul-searching throughout。This was a lovely book。 。。。more
Sue
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If you read and enjoyed Natalie Jenner’s The Jane Austen Society or if you are a fan of books set in bookstores， find a copy of Bloomsbury Girls。 If you have read and loved Helene Hanff’s 88 Charing Cross Road or can watch the film based on the book again and again， you will understand Jenner’s acknowledgment that Hanff inspired the setting of her second novel。More than a decade has passed since the opening of The Jane Austen Society。 It is now 1949， and Evie Stone， the servant girl who single h If you read and enjoyed Natalie Jenner’s The Jane Austen Society or if you are a fan of books set in bookstores， find a copy of Bloomsbury Girls。 If you have read and loved Helene Hanff’s 88 Charing Cross Road or can watch the film based on the book again and again， you will understand Jenner’s acknowledgment that Hanff inspired the setting of her second novel。More than a decade has passed since the opening of The Jane Austen Society。 It is now 1949， and Evie Stone， the servant girl who single handedly catalogued the Chawton Great House library， the sale of which funded the society’s purchase of the Jane Austen House， is a member of Cambridge University’s first class of female graduates。A man has beaten out Evie for the Cambridge job she wanted and deserved， and she soon finds herself working at Bloomsbury Books， located in London’s literary and intellectual hub。 Having walked in the door on the right day with the right experience back in Chawton， she now begins cataloging and organizing Bloomsbury Book’s chaotic rare books department。The shop’s other women employees， Grace Perkins and Vivien Lowry， are delighted to have another woman on the staff although they see little of Evie， who immerses herself In the stacks and piles on the third floor。 Due to the general manager’s illness and rare books department head’s frequent absences on buying trips， the women for the first time find themselves in positions to initiate change。 Along with Evie Stone， actress Mimi Harrison， and Southeby’s Yardley Sinclair—all familiar to readers of The Jane Austen Society， Jenner peoples her second novel with an assortment of other interesting new characters， primarily the men who own， manage， or work at Bloomsbury Books。 As the employees go about their work， members of London’s literary society also play their roles， including Daphne du Maurier， George Orwell’s widow， playwright Samuel Beckett， and others。 As the story progresses， secrets begin to surface， and Evie Stone， who seems to have been forced to take a job far beneath her education and abilities， turns out to have a plan after all。 Jenner cleverly opens each chapter with one of General Manager Herbert Dutton’s many posted rules。 Readers quickly see the connections between each rule and the chapter events that follow。 Certainly， so many rules are destined to be broken whether intentionally or unintentionally。Although the plot unwinds slowly， Jenner always kept my interest。 Bloomsbury Girls provides an engaging look at London’s literary scene， the world of books， and mid-twentieth century women’s experiences in a society still dominated by men。My thanks to NetGalley and St。 Martin’s Press for an advance reader copy of this enjoyable new historical novel。 。。。more
Carole
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What is not to like with a novel about an English bookshop， a group of diverse employees and famous writers here and there。 Bloomsbury Girls by Natalie Jenner is that book。 Although this is not listed as a sequel， there is a link to The Jane Austen Society in the person of Evie Stone who is an important character in both books。 The time is after World War II。 The place is London， which is beautifully described as characters wander there on their days off。 Bloomsbury Books has been in business fo What is not to like with a novel about an English bookshop， a group of diverse employees and famous writers here and there。 Bloomsbury Girls by Natalie Jenner is that book。 Although this is not listed as a sequel， there is a link to The Jane Austen Society in the person of Evie Stone who is an important character in both books。 The time is after World War II。 The place is London， which is beautifully described as characters wander there on their days off。 Bloomsbury Books has been in business for a hundred years and not much has changed in that time。 The management of this establishment are all male。 There are three female employees: Vivien， Grace and Evie。 Life is not easy to navigate for the women in more ways than one。 The relationship between men and women is at the centre of this intricate plot。 The rest of the story you must read for yourself。 Natalie Jenner has written a thoughtful， honest and fair look at life in a post-war London bookshop and reading Bloomsbury Girls is an absolute pleasure。 This is historical fiction at its best。 A cup of tea， a comfy corner and this book is all you need for a satisfying read。 Highly recommended。 Thank you to St。 Martin’s Press， NetGalley and the author for the e-ARC in exchange for an honest review。 。。。more
IgnoringMyKids
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When Evie’s plans to work for a Cambridge professor following her graduation from Girton College fail to work out， she accepts a position at Bloomsbury Books。 There， she meets a cast of characters， including Grace and Vivian， as well as the mysterious and dashing Ash。 While searching for a missing but historically important novel， Evie learns about the employees， famous literary figures of the time， and the 51 rules all employees are expected to abide by。 The growing frustration with the constra When Evie’s plans to work for a Cambridge professor following her graduation from Girton College fail to work out， she accepts a position at Bloomsbury Books。 There， she meets a cast of characters， including Grace and Vivian， as well as the mysterious and dashing Ash。 While searching for a missing but historically important novel， Evie learns about the employees， famous literary figures of the time， and the 51 rules all employees are expected to abide by。 The growing frustration with the constraints of the country， in general， and the store， in particular， and how those constraints seem to always fall harder on the women causes the three to form an important bond and leads to hope of an exit strategy。 Just as in her debut， The Jane Austen Society， Jenner builds a world of interesting， relatable characters that feel currently relevant， even in a book set 70 years ago。 This book is cozy and lovely and was just a wonderful comfort read for me。 Available today。 Thanks to @NetGalley and @stmartinspress for the eARC。 。。。more
pawsandpagesbyannie
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Thank you to @stmartinspress #StMartinsPress #SMPInfluencers for the finished copy。 Thank you to @macmillan_audio @netgalley for the ALC in return for my honest review。 。My thoughts…Timely。 I haven’t read Jenner’s “The Jane Austen Society，” but， I couldn’t pass on a book about a bookstore！ An emotional historical fiction set in post-war London。 In a century-old bookstore we met Vivien Lowry， Grace Perkins and Evie Stone。 The contrast was perfect between Bloomsbury Books and the women。 Where Bloo Thank you to @stmartinspress #StMartinsPress #SMPInfluencers for the finished copy。 Thank you to @macmillan_audio @netgalley for the ALC in return for my honest review。 。My thoughts…Timely。 I haven’t read Jenner’s “The Jane Austen Society，” but， I couldn’t pass on a book about a bookstore！ An emotional historical fiction set in post-war London。 In a century-old bookstore we met Vivien Lowry， Grace Perkins and Evie Stone。 The contrast was perfect between Bloomsbury Books and the women。 Where Bloomsbury Books persevered by resisting change， the women persevered by overcoming changes and trauma。 The audiobook was good。 But， because of the steady plot and the women’s character development， it felt a bit slow。 So， I moved over to the book and it worked better for me。 I just adored how the women met real life literary authors such as Daphne Du Maurier， Ellen Doubleday， and Peggy Guggenheim！ This book was about celebrating women and their strength to face patriarchal challenges。 。。。more
Kristin
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This is what 84 Charing Cross Road should have been。 It was wonderful to see the characters from The Jane Austen Society again - and I hope this is not the last time！ Jenner’s books are so relaxing and transport you to post-war England。 Loved it！
Page Journeys
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Bloomsbury Girlsby: Natalie JennerMacmillan Audionarrator: Juliet StevensonPub date: May 17， 2022Women's FictionI love discovering a new favorite audiobook narrator， and the talented Juliet Stevenson is now on my listen list！ Her style matches perfectly with that of author Natalie Jenner。 Lovers of literature will delight in the setting of Jenner's new book， Bloomsbury Books in 1950s London。 Although the hundred-year-old bookstore is run by men， Vivien， Grace， and Evie are the female employees w Bloomsbury Girlsby: Natalie JennerMacmillan Audionarrator: Juliet StevensonPub date: May 17， 2022Women's FictionI love discovering a new favorite audiobook narrator， and the talented Juliet Stevenson is now on my listen list！ Her style matches perfectly with that of author Natalie Jenner。 Lovers of literature will delight in the setting of Jenner's new book， Bloomsbury Books in 1950s London。 Although the hundred-year-old bookstore is run by men， Vivien， Grace， and Evie are the female employees who are eager for transformation and change。 Writer Jenner and reader Stevenson takes us through their roles both in the shop， their personal lives， and in an evolving society。 These three women are expected to follow the precise fifty-one rules established by the male general manager。 They know that change does not come easy， and each brings a back story to the narrative。 The stylish and bright Vivien lost her fiancé in World War II。 Grace is devoted to her family， but clings to her own aspirations as well。 Evie had the distinct honor of being one of the first women graduates of Cambridge。 Jenner's follow up to The Jane Austen Society is an incredibly rich story of women's rights in the workplace and the changing roles of women authors。 Readers are treated to the inner activities in the store， as well as in the literary world during this time period。 Issues of gender， race， domestic abuse and discrimination are addressed。 Eager to find out if the shop's fifty-one rules were broken， followed or changed， I appreciated being on these women's journeys。 Some famous literary figures made appearances along the way， adding to the appeal！ Thank you to Net Galley and Macmillan Audio for the advance reader's copy and opportunity to provide my unbiased review。 #NetGalley#TheBloomsburyGirls#MacmillanAudio#NatalieJenner 。。。more
Kristy Weldon
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*New Release Today*Thank you to @authornataliejenner and @stmartinspress for a gifted copy of Bloomsbury Girls by Natalie Jenner。 All opinions are my own。 I loved The Jane Austen Society and especially like the fact that one of the character's story continues in this one。 The bookmark says it all "One bookshop。 Fifty-one rules。 Three women who break them all。" Bloomsbury Girls takes place in the Bloomsbury Books bookstore in 1950。 Three very different women bond over changes they would like to s *New Release Today*Thank you to @authornataliejenner and @stmartinspress for a gifted copy of Bloomsbury Girls by Natalie Jenner。 All opinions are my own。 I loved The Jane Austen Society and especially like the fact that one of the character's story continues in this one。 The bookmark says it all "One bookshop。 Fifty-one rules。 Three women who break them all。" Bloomsbury Girls takes place in the Bloomsbury Books bookstore in 1950。 Three very different women bond over changes they would like to see for women in the world of books。 Whether it's working in the bookstore or getting a book published these women want change。 Natalie Jenner has a way of mixing fiction and nonfiction in a way to make an enjoyable read and learn some historical facts at the same time。 She made me curious enough about a few classic authors that I found myself online ordering more books。 I'm looking forward to future books from Natalie Jenner。 General Fiction （adult）Historical FictionWomen's Fiction Release Date: May 17， 2022 。。。more
Carol lowkey。bookish
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4。5 rounded upI enjoyed this book so much I’ve picked up a copy as a gift for my friend！Books about books and bookstores are an automatic book-buy for me。 In Bloomsbury Girls the author does an excellent job weaving the stories of these three women into the time period and stuffy old Bloomsbury Books。 I loved all of their stories。 I also enjoyed that the book featured literary figures of the time period including Daphne Du Maurier， Peggy Guggenheim， and others。Recommended for book lovers， histor 4。5 rounded upI enjoyed this book so much I’ve picked up a copy as a gift for my friend！Books about books and bookstores are an automatic book-buy for me。 In Bloomsbury Girls the author does an excellent job weaving the stories of these three women into the time period and stuffy old Bloomsbury Books。 I loved all of their stories。 I also enjoyed that the book featured literary figures of the time period including Daphne Du Maurier， Peggy Guggenheim， and others。Recommended for book lovers， historical fiction readers， anyone looking for a compelling and heartwarming tale。 。。。more
The History Mom
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One of my favorite books in 2020 was The Jane Austen Society by Natalie Jenner， and her new book， Bloomsbury Girls， is just as lovely！ Set in a cozy， musty bookshop in 1950 London， this novel is a delightful yet poignant look at the lives of the workers in the bookshop - from the women yearning for more to the men who feel their power slipping away to an Indian immigrant who finds himself on the outside looking in。 Vivien is a feisty woman determined to shatter the glass ceiling of the literary One of my favorite books in 2020 was The Jane Austen Society by Natalie Jenner， and her new book， Bloomsbury Girls， is just as lovely！ Set in a cozy， musty bookshop in 1950 London， this novel is a delightful yet poignant look at the lives of the workers in the bookshop - from the women yearning for more to the men who feel their power slipping away to an Indian immigrant who finds himself on the outside looking in。 Vivien is a feisty woman determined to shatter the glass ceiling of the literary world。 I loved her bold and challenging way of taking down the men standing in her way （both in the literary and literal world！）。 Grace’s storyline was the most heartfelt with her devotion to her family and her deadbeat husband。 Evie is a young woman with keen intelligence， just looking for someone to take her seriously。The men in the story also have interesting lives but it’s the women who shine。 Their tenacity and determination， earned by the hard-scrabble years of World War II， burst forth onto the page and make you root for their success！I was captivated by all of the storylines， especially the plots that involved the angst of writing。 I enjoyed reading about real writers from history who make an appearance and imagining their participation in the characters’ lives。 Jenner does a great job at weaving in details from her previous book but this is not a sequel so it’s not necessary to read before this book。 If you love books about the literary world， be sure to pick this one up！ 。。。more
Wendy（Wendyreadsbooks） Robey
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Review to follow
Katie | niftyreads
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The BLOOMSBURY GIRLS by Natalie Jenner is just a good read。 It’s a book that gives you feels and makes you smile。 I love that it’s a historical fiction novel that incorporates real people in the real world setting with fictional people that you only hope existed because you want to be friends with them。 The whole time I was reading， I wanted to be part of Evie， Grace， and Vivian’s friendship and the new friends they made along the way！Sometimes it gets very frustrating to read historical fiction The BLOOMSBURY GIRLS by Natalie Jenner is just a good read。 It’s a book that gives you feels and makes you smile。 I love that it’s a historical fiction novel that incorporates real people in the real world setting with fictional people that you only hope existed because you want to be friends with them。 The whole time I was reading， I wanted to be part of Evie， Grace， and Vivian’s friendship and the new friends they made along the way！Sometimes it gets very frustrating to read historical fiction because I hear these stories about how people are treated。 This novel focuses on women in the workplace with excellent side stories concerning biracial love， divorce， and abuse。 （There is one more， but it’s a plot point that could be a spoiler。） It’s frustrating to think that this took place in the 1950s after the war， and women are still fighting today for rights in the workplace。 We are still fighting to be heard。 To be believed。 BLOOMSBURY GIRLS is not a political book at all。 It will just make you think how far - or maybe how little？ - we have come。 Jenner’s writing is a joy to read， and I love that this book made me think。 Evie， Grace， and Vivian made me want to do more， take charge， and be a change。 It’s an inspiring story。 And there are many facets to it:•The female friendship•The female empowerment•There’s a female heist because we are the ultimate crafty masterminds。 •The real people。 It was like a surprise guest appearance！ Who would appear next？•There is all kinds of love。 But love doesn’t overpower in the book。 It’s just there and woven through beautifully。 •It takes place in a bookshop。 Need I say more？I smiled a lot while reading。 I can see myself picking this up again for a comfort read。 It’s just a good book。 A cozy read。 It’s a book about books and strong women。 What more do you need？Thanks St。 Martins Press for the gifted book！•Content Warnings: misogyny， racism， homophobia， domestic abuse， war-related discussions 。。。more
Louise Foerster
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Natalie Jenner's BLOOMSBURY GIRLS is remarkable。 Not only is this a story of Bloomsbury Books， a tradition-bound book store in rapidly changing， postwar 1950s London， but it is also a wise， layered view into the stories we are allowed to tell -- and to read。 Within the hierarchical， old world regimen of the bookstore， three women from very different backgrounds powerfully influence and forever change the lives of their fellow booksellers， book lovers， and themselves。 What most impressed me about Natalie Jenner's BLOOMSBURY GIRLS is remarkable。 Not only is this a story of Bloomsbury Books， a tradition-bound book store in rapidly changing， postwar 1950s London， but it is also a wise， layered view into the stories we are allowed to tell -- and to read。 Within the hierarchical， old world regimen of the bookstore， three women from very different backgrounds powerfully influence and forever change the lives of their fellow booksellers， book lovers， and themselves。 What most impressed me about the book is that beyond the pitch perfect， nuanced views into lives is that I was inspired to look into authors who visited the store and to poke into the reality of a publisher devoted to publishing and selling the works of formerly lost or neglected works of fiction and nonfiction by women。 I deeply enjoyed this read， wrapped up in the story and inspired by what I learned。 I received an advance copy of this novel and these opinions are my own， unbiased thoughts。 。。。more
Joan Happel
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Bloomsbury Girls is a wonderful follow up to Jenner's The Jane Austen Society。 It is 1950 and Evie Stone has graduated from Cambridge。 Evie soon finds that despite her intelligence and degree， the male dominated world of academia is closed to her。 She travels to London and finds a job cataloging books in a bookshop。 Here too， male employees virtually ignore Evie and her two other female co-workers。 Evie however has an ulterior motive for working at the Bloomsbury bookshop; she is on the hunt for Bloomsbury Girls is a wonderful follow up to Jenner's The Jane Austen Society。 It is 1950 and Evie Stone has graduated from Cambridge。 Evie soon finds that despite her intelligence and degree， the male dominated world of academia is closed to her。 She travels to London and finds a job cataloging books in a bookshop。 Here too， male employees virtually ignore Evie and her two other female co-workers。 Evie however has an ulterior motive for working at the Bloomsbury bookshop; she is on the hunt for a rare book written by a female naturalist that she believes in hidden somewhere in the stacks。 The other female employees have their own troubles。 Vivien Lowry， who lost her fiancé in the war， has dreams of being a writer。 She also has ideas to save the failing bookstore， but Vivien is thwarted by her boss Alec McDonough。 Meanwhile， Grace Perkins who is the secretary to the manager， is working to support her two sons as well as avoiding the increasingly erratic behavior of her husband。 The three women eventually pair up in an attempt to rescue the bookstore， as well as bettering each other’s lives。While this novel builds on many of the characters introduced in The Jane Austen Society， it works as an engaging and complex standalone read。 The strong female characters defy the obstacles thrown at them by their male counterparts as well as society itself。 Besides the main characters， the bookstore itself becomes a backdrop to many literary figures of the time。 Cameos abound with the likes of Daphne Du Maurier， Samuel Beckett， and George Orwell's widow Sonia Blair。 Besides the themes of feminism and patriarchy， Jenner touches on racism and homophobia with her introduction of the minor characters。 In the end this is a charming and uplifting read which I could not put down。 I fell in love with these three women and rooted for them until the end。Thank you to St。 Martins Press and NetGalley for the e-ARC。 。。。more
Jocelyne | readwithjocelyne
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I liked the idea of this story but for some reason the execution didn’t completely work for me。 It was interesting enough to keep going but I wasn’t as invested as I’d wanted to be。 The narration of the audiobook was great。 I have seen amazing reviews so I definitely encourage you to check them out！Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for providing a free advanced copy of this audiobook in exchange for an honest review。
Karen Parisot
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In the follow-up to her debut novel， The Jane Austen Society， Natalie Jenner has written another winner。 Some of the characters from the first novel are in this one most notably Evie Stone。 It’s 1950 and she has just graduated from Cambridge， one of the first women to do so， and ends up working in a century old London bookshop。 The manager of the shop is an exacting boss requiring his employees to always follow his 51 rules。 With an appealing cast of characters， a charming setting， and a clever In the follow-up to her debut novel， The Jane Austen Society， Natalie Jenner has written another winner。 Some of the characters from the first novel are in this one most notably Evie Stone。 It’s 1950 and she has just graduated from Cambridge， one of the first women to do so， and ends up working in a century old London bookshop。 The manager of the shop is an exacting boss requiring his employees to always follow his 51 rules。 With an appealing cast of characters， a charming setting， and a clever plot this story hits all the marks。 I’d never heard of Jane Webb’s， The Mummy！， and was fascinated to learn of its significance in science fiction literature。 I liked the way the women in the story all supported each other and pulled together to achieve their goal。 I’m also saddened to think that women still face some of the same obstacles today。 It’s historical fiction with some light romance that deals with misogyny and racism。 4。5 stars 。。。more
Donna Huber
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I did not read The Jane Austen Society because I'm not a Jane Austen fan （though I have the audiobook on hold at the library so I can listen to it now）， but I love stories highlighting the changing roles of women post-WWII。 This one is set in a bookshop and it was fun getting glimpses at Daphne DuMarier and Samuel Beckett among other literary personalities。 This novel stands on its own， but if you did read The Jane Austen Society， I'm sure you will be happy to see Evie Stone。 Full review soon。 I did not read The Jane Austen Society because I'm not a Jane Austen fan （though I have the audiobook on hold at the library so I can listen to it now）， but I love stories highlighting the changing roles of women post-WWII。 This one is set in a bookshop and it was fun getting glimpses at Daphne DuMarier and Samuel Beckett among other literary personalities。 This novel stands on its own， but if you did read The Jane Austen Society， I'm sure you will be happy to see Evie Stone。 Full review soon。 。。。more
Jenn Corcoran
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One of the first books I fell in love with in 2021 was Natalie Jenner’s “The Jane Austen Society” - so when I found out her second book was set to be released this May， I couldn’t wait to get my hands on it！ “Bloomsbury Girls” is set in post WWII London & follows the lives of the staff at independent bookseller， Bloomsbury Books。 Familiar characters from Jenner’s first novel appear in this story that follows Evie Stone （the servant girl at the Knight estate in Chawton and founding member of The One of the first books I fell in love with in 2021 was Natalie Jenner’s “The Jane Austen Society” - so when I found out her second book was set to be released this May， I couldn’t wait to get my hands on it！ “Bloomsbury Girls” is set in post WWII London & follows the lives of the staff at independent bookseller， Bloomsbury Books。 Familiar characters from Jenner’s first novel appear in this story that follows Evie Stone （the servant girl at the Knight estate in Chawton and founding member of The Jane Austen Society） and her new colleagues at Bloomsbury。 I enjoyed this book with its strong female characters and rich literary history。 Reading historical fiction often leads me to looking up actual figures or happenings to see what inspired the story and this book was no exception。 Big names like Guggenheim， Doubleday， de Maurier and George Orwell will be familiar enough to keep you wondering about all the factual connections alluded to in Jenner’s story。 I think anyone who typically enjoys the genre - & especially those who love books， independent booksellers， & women evening the playing field - will love “Bloomsbury Girls。” Thanks to @macmillanusa and @netgalley for the opportunity to read it in advance - “Bloomsbury Girls” is available NOW！ 。。。more
Rebecca
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***SPOILER ALERT*** While I'm reading this book， my review may contain spoilers。 Proceed at your own risk！（view spoiler）[ （hide spoiler）]Location: ___ ***SPOILER ALERT*** While I'm reading this book， my review may contain spoilers。 Proceed at your own risk！（view spoiler）[ （hide spoiler）]Location: ___ 。。。more
Faith Hurst-Bilinski
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I went back and forth between reading this and listening when I was doing other things。 Every time I began again， I had to go back and remind myself what this was even about。 It had the obvious theme of sexism and gender roles。 But it put it in a neat little package of civility and politeness。 The women were angry but not in a way that made their anger even interesting。 I enjoyed meeting these women but I fear I will forget them shortly。
Via
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Thank you kindly to the author and St。 Martin’s Press for a gifted copy of this novel in exchange for my honest thoughts。 I was a fan of The Jane Austen Society and was excited to get my hands on the next work by this author。 I loved the focus of the story on intelligent and independent women， and strong female friendships。 The theme of solidarity was reflected in the way the characters came together to support each other in a fast-changing world during post-war London in 1950。 Bloomsbury Books Thank you kindly to the author and St。 Martin’s Press for a gifted copy of this novel in exchange for my honest thoughts。 I was a fan of The Jane Austen Society and was excited to get my hands on the next work by this author。 I loved the focus of the story on intelligent and independent women， and strong female friendships。 The theme of solidarity was reflected in the way the characters came together to support each other in a fast-changing world during post-war London in 1950。 Bloomsbury Books becomes a safe haven for the three protagonists， who all come from different walks of life。 Along the way we discover the adversities they face， some of which include gender and class inequality， racism， preconceived societal norms， and familial expectations。 The turmoil that these women encountered was a significant part of their individual journeys， and it was nice for each one to have her story completed by the end of the novel。 It was apparent the care that Jenner put into developing her characters in realistic ways while still writing them to be great female role models。 I think that many readers will relate in one way or another to all three。 The story moved at a relatively engaging pace due to its short chapters， and I enjoyed the references to other literary figures throughout the narrative。 This study on female friendships and empowerment will surely make for a great women’s fiction choice。 Bloomsbury Girls is out NOW！ 。。。more
Booksandcoffeepleasemx
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𝘊𝘩𝘢𝘳𝘮𝘪𝘯𝘨， 𝘪𝘮𝘮𝘦𝘳𝘴𝘪𝘷𝘦 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘣𝘦𝘢𝘶𝘵𝘪𝘧𝘶𝘭！I loved The Jane Austen Society so I was beyond excited to get this copy， and what a great treat it was。 Historical Fiction， a bookshop， strong women， friendship and love， everything I love in a story。Thank you St。 Martin's Press for this gifted copy。https://www。instagram。com/booksandcof。。。 𝘊𝘩𝘢𝘳𝘮𝘪𝘯𝘨， 𝘪𝘮𝘮𝘦𝘳𝘴𝘪𝘷𝘦 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘣𝘦𝘢𝘶𝘵𝘪𝘧𝘶𝘭！I loved The Jane Austen Society so I was beyond excited to get this copy， and what a great treat it was。 Historical Fiction， a bookshop， strong women， friendship and love， everything I love in a story。Thank you St。 Martin's Press for this gifted copy。https://www。instagram。com/booksandcof。。。 。。。more
Kaileigh Wenglikowski
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I absolutely loved the jane Austen Society- so when I Saw that Jenner has a new book coming out I requested immediately。 This book follows Bloomsbury books which has been in business for 100 years （since 1950）。 There are three women working at Bloomsbury books and they are at odds with the Male department heads。 The men believe that they are in charge- but overtime you can tell that these three women are the ones calling the shots。 I love that this book focuses on Evie who was in the Jane Austen I absolutely loved the jane Austen Society- so when I Saw that Jenner has a new book coming out I requested immediately。 This book follows Bloomsbury books which has been in business for 100 years （since 1950）。 There are three women working at Bloomsbury books and they are at odds with the Male department heads。 The men believe that they are in charge- but overtime you can tell that these three women are the ones calling the shots。 I love that this book focuses on Evie who was in the Jane Austen Society- and I loved this connection so much！ One of my favorite things about this book is that each chapter starts out with one of the 51 rules that the owner of the book shop has and that the contents of the chapter are focused around that rule。 This book is such a great representation of strong women and how they can make so many changes， absolutely amazing！ 。。。more
Thebooktrail
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Discover the locations in Bloomsbury GirlsI love a story involving bookshops and books。 This then is a gift for me and all booklovers as we go back in time to post-war London and inside the Bloomsbury bookshop。 It’s a microcosm of not just the publishing world but the world at large with men in charge and women working tirelessly behind the scenes。The atmosphere and camaraderie in the shop is really well evoked and I wanted to start working there straight away。 Vivien ，Grace and Evie all work th Discover the locations in Bloomsbury GirlsI love a story involving bookshops and books。 This then is a gift for me and all booklovers as we go back in time to post-war London and inside the Bloomsbury bookshop。 It’s a microcosm of not just the publishing world but the world at large with men in charge and women working tirelessly behind the scenes。The atmosphere and camaraderie in the shop is really well evoked and I wanted to start working there straight away。 Vivien ，Grace and Evie all work there and I could imagine being friends with them all。 If you’ve read The Jane Austen Appreciation Society by the same author， you might recognize Evie as ie was she who worked tirelessly to preserve Jane Austen’s home and huge library。 She’s here in the shop cataloguing the rare books。 Oh to be her！The world of books and rare books， booskhops and people who work in bookshops is great to read about and I loved being inside this world。 What I really loved was when the door bell tingled and in walked Daphne DuMaurier。 I mean how cool is that！？ There are more authors and famous figures from that time in the novel and that really made the magic of the whole book soar to new levels for me。Despite the magic and the bookshop aroma to the whole affair， this novel still deals with some serious issues。 The male leadership and ways of working at the bookshop for example。 These three woman come to work at this store and together， they change the way things are done。 That is a delight to see how they work together and how things change for the better thanks to these remarkable women from various walks of life。The wider setting of 1950s Britain is brought to life with the social standards and mores of the time and it makes for a very interesting reading experience。 。。。more
Davida Chazan
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4。5/5 stars。 This sequel to Jenner's first novel was just a lovely read！ You can find my full review here https://tcl-bookreviews。com/2022/05/1。。。 4。5/5 stars。 This sequel to Jenner's first novel was just a lovely read！ You can find my full review here https://tcl-bookreviews。com/2022/05/1。。。 。。。more
Madeline Martin
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I always enjoy a well-written book with strong female characters， especially with a mix of literature thrown in - and Bloomsbury Girls delivers on all levels （and then some）！ While detailing life in London after WWII， Jenner give us a charming read that doesn’t shy away from addressing very real issues。 Lovers of book-related books and tales of heartwarming friendships will love this story！
Anna Lisa
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These days， we’re often reading about progressive women but I find it exciting to read about these women throughout history as with this gem taking place in the 1950s， a time when women not only knew they had a voice but began to turn up the volume。 The Bloomsbury Girls are three women employed at a historic bookstore that is dominated by men both in how things are done and who the women answer to。 How long until it’s time to crack through this secretarial view of women and allow their unique sk These days， we’re often reading about progressive women but I find it exciting to read about these women throughout history as with this gem taking place in the 1950s， a time when women not only knew they had a voice but began to turn up the volume。 The Bloomsbury Girls are three women employed at a historic bookstore that is dominated by men both in how things are done and who the women answer to。 How long until it’s time to crack through this secretarial view of women and allow their unique skills and personalities shine？ I greatly enjoyed Evie， Grace and Vivien and wanted nothing more than to share in their plights to be heard and appreciated。 。。。more
Vicky
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I’m not really sure why nothing mentions that this is a direct sequel to The Jane Austen Society， a book I have not yet read but want to。 There are many references to events of that book， but this book is totally understandable without having read its predecessor。Set in post-WWII London， this book deals with issues that many women faced in that time。 Having become accustomed to working while the men were away at war， many women found themselves at loose ends when the men came home and expected t I’m not really sure why nothing mentions that this is a direct sequel to The Jane Austen Society， a book I have not yet read but want to。 There are many references to events of that book， but this book is totally understandable without having read its predecessor。Set in post-WWII London， this book deals with issues that many women faced in that time。 Having become accustomed to working while the men were away at war， many women found themselves at loose ends when the men came home and expected the women to return to domestic duties。 Worse still， many men didn’t come home， leaving women without husbands and fiances。 And those women who did venture into academia or professional life were often constrained by what was considered “appropriate” for them to do。This sets the scene for us as we watch the women of Bloomsbury Books， a hundred-year-old London bookstore。 Its owner is an occasionally hands-on lord。 Its manager is exceedingly attached to his 51 rules， but when he has to take a medical leave， the women of the shop get to stretch their wings a little。While there is a great deal of social commentary， there’s also a bit of mystery， as Evie searches for a “lost” volume of one of the first-ever science fiction books， which predated Frankenstein and was written by a 17-year-old girl。All three of our women undergo a great deal of growth， with the help of each other and a cast of historical characters。 Watching them learn to mold their lives into what they want， rather than what society tries to push onto them， is very satisfying。It’s difficult to believe this book was nearly 400 pages—I read it in a day。Possible Objectionable Material:Homosexuality。 Mild cursing。 Unmarried people have sex—offscreen。 Domestic abuse。 Racism。Who Might Like This Book:If you love literature， this is for you。 There are so many works of literature name-dropped。 If you like to see strong women find their way， try this book。 If you like well-researched historical fiction that includes lots of people who really lived， this will satisfy。Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for providing an ARC in exchange for my opinion。This book is also reviewed at https://biblioquacious。blogspot。com/2。。。 。。。more
Susan
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