The Bookseller's Secret by Michelle Gable

After a broken engagement and facing a bad case of writer’s block, bestselling author Katie Cabot flees Virginia for her best friend’s home in Mayfair, London. As she takes time to regroup, Katie finds comfort in the nearby Heywood Hill bookshop, a book lover’s paradise that has survived both world war and the internet.

When a customer arrives one day seeking a lost manuscript written by the iconic Nancy Mitford, eldest sister of the famous aristocratic family, Katie thinks she’s stumbled on the perfect distraction. During World War II, Nancy worked as a bookseller at Heywood, where she hosted midnight literary salons, and spied on French officers for the British government. But the more involved in the search Katie becomes, the less it seems she can avoid her own reality. And when her quest reveals a surprising link between the past and present, she’ll have to decide if life can ever measure up to fiction or if she’ll need to redefine the idea of a storybook ending.

Alternating between wartime and contemporary London, and featuring fascinating historical figure Nancy Mitford and the real-life Heywood Hill bookshop, The Bookseller’s Secret is Michelle Gable’s most thrilling novel yet. 

Kindle Edition, 400 pages

Published August 17th 2021 

by Graydon House

3/5 stars

This is my first time reading Michelle Gable, I was drawn to this book partly because of the bookish theme but also it's fun to discover new authors.

Told from 2 POVs, with one being author Nancy Mitford during WW2.  She is also a new to me author, I was hoping to feel that desire to read some of her books. I enjoyed getting to know her and her family dynamics, what an assorted bunch, and the setting of an actual bookstore, Heywood Hill's was nice.

Current day is Katie who has an obsession with Nancy Mitford.  I found it interesting how she arrived in England, a recent separation from fiancée/writer's block (she is also an author). While searching for inspiration discovers Heywood Hills and begins a search for a long lost manuscript.

The Bookseller's Secret is a dialogue driven story and while that works (sometimes) I missed the atmospheric elements and feeling the era. While I struggled to connect with the characters I did enjoy the history lesson of Mitford's life but given the time period I would have liked more of a connection to the war to have felt more of an impact it had on the lives of Nancy and her friends.

For me The Bookseller's Secret was an okay read, while I didn't love it I have The Paris Apartment by Michelle Gable in my TBR pile and will give it a go.

My thanks to Graydon House (via Netgalley) for an e-arc of this book.  It is on sale now.

 

Review: The Summer I Met Jack by Michelle Gable

New York Times bestselling author imagines the affair between JFK and Alicia Corning Clark - and the child they may have had.

 Based on a real story - in 1950, a young, beautiful Polish refugee arrives in Hyannisport, Massachusetts to work as a maid for one of the wealthiest families in America. Alicia is at once dazzled by the large and charismatic family, in particular the oldest son, a rising politician named Jack.

 Alicia and Jack are soon engaged, but his domineering father forbids the marriage. And so, Alicia trades Hyannisport for Hollywood, and eventually Rome. She dates famous actors and athletes and royalty, including Gary Cooper, Kirk Douglas, and Katharine Hepburn, all the while staying close with Jack. A decade after they meet, on the eve of Jack’s inauguration as the thirty-fifth President of the United States, the two must confront what they mean to each other.

 The Summer I Met Jack is based on the fascinating real life of Alicia Corning Clark, a woman who J. Edgar Hoover insisted was paid by the Kennedys to keep quiet, not only about her romance with Jack Kennedy, but also a baby they may have had together.

Kindle Edition, 448 pages

Expected publication: May 29th 2018

 by St. Martin's Press

****

Michelle Gable is a new author to me, her book The Paris Apartment has been sitting very patiently waiting but instead I grabbed this, her latest. I was given an ARC from the publisher (with my sincere thanks) but time just got away from me. The Summer I Met Jack was released last week. I grabbed the audio version and my kindle alternating between the two.

Beginning in 1951 when Alicia meets Jack Kennedy. I don’t know a lot of Jack's history but I’ve gleamed enough over the years to get a feel for his character. It’s obvious that a lot of research went into this book. Based on fact the author filled in the gaps nicely to create this fictional account of Alicia and Jack's long affair. There were lots of well known names dropped and the Kennedy’s were a powerful family that took care of themselves. Told from Alicia's side of the story it wasn't hard to feel her plight, from immigration, to friends, to the Kennedy's and just surviving in this new country.

“...my goal was to make the story plausible” and that Michelle Gable did very nicely.

Thank you to St. Martin Press (via Netgalley) for an advanced copy.