Review: The Royal Librarian

Title: The Royal Librarian

Author: Daisy Wood

Publisher: 11th April 2024 by Avon Books UK

Pages: 384 pages

Genre: General Fiction (Adult) | Historical Fiction | Romance

Synopsis:

A royal palace. A closed book. A betrayal that will echo through generations…

Windsor, 1940: War rages, and as bombs rain down across Britain, nowhere is safe: not even a royal palace.

Secretly tasked with foiling a suspected plot, Sophie Klein is placed in the Royal Library at Windsor castle, where the princesses reside. But when she learns that Windsor is compromised, Sophie must sacrifice everything she knows to save the future queen of England…

Philadelphia, Present day: Digging into her great aunt’s family tree, Lacey Turner comes across a mysterious book bearing the stamp of Windsor Castle’s royal bindery. But how did it come to be in her family’s possession?

And so begins a journey that will take Lacey from battlefields to Buckingham palace in a quest to reunite the book with its rightful owner…

My Thoughts

I have read and enjoyed previous books by Daisy, so I was excited to see how this story would unfold. This is a dual timeline with the first story about two Austrian sisters at the beginning of Nazi rule in 1938. I found this part very interesting especially with regards to escaping their homeland - one goes to America and the other ends up being the Royal Librarian at Windsor Castle and working in intelligence. The second timeline is in the present when a granddaughter discovers that she does in fact have an aunt and travels to discover her story. 

‘I am the Royal Librarian, she reminds herself, straightening her shoulders, and I have done nothing wrong.’

The story of Sophie, royal librarian, and her work at Windsor castle was the highlight. The whole issue concerning the role of the abdicated Edward and the espionage resulting was very engaging. I did not appreciate the contemporary timeline as much and felt the book would have been better served with just the one timeline and events would have evolved more quickly on the page. Daisy has undertaken a wonderful amount of research surrounding everything from the atrocities to Jews under Nazi rule to what life was like working in the British royal household during the war. The Royal Librarian is an entertaining read with interesting historical details - mystery, romance, family drama provide the icing on top!

‘Oh no, I want a quiet life.’ Sophie made an effort to smile back at him. In that moment, she could think of nothing better: losing peaceful hours in the archive, reading about history rather than living through it.’

This review is based on a complimentary copy from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own. The quoted material may have changed in the final release.

 

Review: The Forgotten Bookshop in Paris

Title: The Forgotten Bookshop in Paris

Author: Daisy Wood

Publisher: 27th October 2022 by Avon Books UK

Pages: 400 pages

Genre: historical fiction, WWII

My Rating: 4.5 crowns

Synopsis:

From an exciting new voice in WWII historical fiction—and the author of The Clockmaker’s Wife—comes a tale of love and a betrayal that echoes through generations…

Paris, 1940: War is closing in on the city of love. With his wife forced into hiding, Jacques must stand by and watch as the Nazis take away everything he holds dear. Everything except his last beacon of hope: his beloved bookshop, La Page Cachée.

But when a young woman and her child knock on his door one night and beg for refuge, he knows his only option is to risk it all once more to save a life…

Modern day: Juliette and her husband have finally made it to France on the romantic getaway of her dreams—but as the days pass, all she discovers is quite how far they’ve grown apart. She’s craving a new adventure, so when she happens across a tiny, abandoned shop with a for-sale sign in the window, it feels fated.

And she’s about to learn that the forgotten bookshop hides a lot more than meets the eye…

My Thoughts

‘He will call his shop La Page Cachée - The Hidden Page - because he knows the magic that is to be found within the covers of a book.’

The Forgotten Bookshop in Paris is the second book I have read by Daisy and I absolutely loved it! To have a combination of Paris, WWII and a bookshop in past and present timelines was wonderful. There is a love of literature woven throughout and setting up a bookstore in Paris is a dream for many. With themes of love, war and betrayals, it all comes together for a riveting read. 

‘Bookstores and libraries were her spiritual home, so quiet and calm and full of knowledge - and now here was the ghost of a bookstore on her doorstep.’

The two past and present storylines meld together in a surprising mystery. Included are the tragedies of WWII with the Nazi occupation of Paris and Daisy does a superb job of telling not only the love story of Jacque and Mathilde but also his evolution throughout this experience. The contemporary tale, whilst a well worn trope of marriage breakdown and moving to a new country for rediscovery is well used, with the addition of setting up a bookstore and discovering family heritage, Daisy does a solid job of it. All up is a poignant tale told from many aspects with engaging characters and tribulations to overcome. 

‘All my life, I’ve been making decisions based on what other people wanted.This adventure is just for me. Is that selfish? Maybe, but I don’t want to wake up in thirty years’ time and realise I’ve wasted my life. We only get one shot–might as well make the most of it.’

My only wish would have been more focus on the unfolding of the family mystery as opposed to the setting up of the bookstore in Paris. The story came to a close quickly, whereas I wished to be immersed in the discovery for longer. The two timelines weave together well with the historical narrative being slightly stronger - I really appreciated the evolution of Jacque’s character and the risks taken as being part of the French Resistance. 

‘Books were his livelihood, his passion, his raison d’être; how could he allow them to be destroyed? He had already accepted so much humiliation from the Nazis but this was a step too far.’

The Forgotten Bookshop in Paris is a story of love and courage, sacrifice and surrender. It’s a tale of heartbreak and hope as the two lead characters from both timelines are on a journey of self discovery. I highly recommend it as I found it a moving and memorable story. 

‘Here’s to you and The Forgotten Bookshop. May she soon be remembered.’

This review is based on a complimentary copy from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own. The quoted material may have changed in the final release.

Review: The Clockmaker’s Wife

 

Title: The Clockmaker’s Wife

Author: Daisy Wood

Publisher: 8th July 2021 by Avon Books UK

Pages: 400 pages

How I Read It: ARC book

Genre: historical fiction, World War II, mystery

My Rating: 3.5 cups

Synopsis:

The world is at war. And time is running out…

London, 1940. Britain is gripped by the terror of the Blitz, forcing Nell Spelman to flee the capital with her young daughter – leaving behind her husband, Arthur, the clockmaker who keeps Big Ben chiming. 

When Arthur disappears, Nell is desperate to find him. But her search will lead her into far darker places than she ever imagined… 

New York, Present Day. When Ellie discovers a beautiful watch that had once belonged to a grandmother she never knew, she becomes determined to find out what happened to her. But as she pieces together the fragments of her grandmother’s life, she begins to wonder if the past is better left forgotten… 

A powerful and unforgettable tale of fierce love, impossible choices and a moment that changes the world forever, perfect for fans of Fiona Valpy and Suzanne Kelman.

My Thoughts

The Clockmaker's Wife is a dual timeline story about Nell (the clockmaker’s wife) in London during the blitz and then her granddaughter Ellie who travels to London in the present day to investigate and hopefully discover the mystery surrounding her grandmother. 

I love historical fiction and particularly dual time narratives so I was really looking forward to this read. The story starts off really strong with the bombing and frenetic fallout. I enjoyed Nell’s relationship with her husband Arthur and learning all about clocks, particularly Big Ben, I found to be really interesting. However, after Nell receives a mysterious phone call from Arthur, to which she then pursues to uncover what was happening, it really tapers off somewhat. Certain happenings just did not seem realistic and the whole spy/fascist aspect difficult to believe. Lots of questions and not enough answers to support outcomes. I would have loved more of a contribution from Arthur. Still, it was engaging to read of how the Londoners attempted to counteract the nightly attacks. 

The present storyline with Ellie finding a watch belonging to her grandmother (of which she knows so little) sees her jetset to London to begin a search to uncover the mystery surrounding questionable aspects of her grandmother's behaviour. This part of the story was okay but things seemed a little rushed. I liked it when she met up with Brenda, yet conversely, I wish the whole love interest with Dan had not been included. The interactions with Gillian could have been far more pivotal rather than completely over the top. 

Overall this was an entertaining story in Daisy’s first attempt at writing an adult novel. The whole aspect of Big Ben was well researched and fascinating to learn about the running of clocks as a whole back then. Daisy’s writing of locations were on point and absorbing. If you enjoy historical fiction about strong determined women then I suggest you give this book a go.

‘Wars had been fought, fires had raged and people had died in the streets below, but these bells had carried on striking and the vast clock had counted the minutes through it all.’

This review is based on a complimentary copy from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. The quoted material may have changed in the final release.