It’s almost two years since lovely Louise Fein featured here on Linda’s Book Bag with a guest post linked to her novel The Hidden Child. I’m delighted to feature Louise once more with my review of her latest book, The London Bookshop Affair and would like to thank Anne Cater of Random Things Tours for inviting me to participate in the blog tour.

Published by Harper Collins imprint William Morrow on 29th February 2024, The London Bookshop Affair is available for purchase through the links here.

The London Bookshop Affair

Two courageous women. One astonishing secret. A world on the brink of war.

London, 1962: The world is teetering on the brink of nuclear war but life must go on. Celia Duchesne longs for a career, but with no means or qualifications, passes her time working at a dusty bookshop. The day a handsome American enters the shop, she thinks she might have found her way out of the monotony. 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.

My Review of The London Bookshop Affair

A story of the Cold War.

The London Bookshop Affair is a totally wonderful story. Louise Fein’s writing is accomplished, engaging and entertaining, with such fabulous historical texture it is effortless to read. Indeed, the amount of research and the time spent crafting this book must have been considerable, as this supreme quality of writing is not easily achieved. I loved the story telling, the sense of history and the sheer sweeping drama. 

There’s a vivid, realistic and illuminating sense of the early 1960s in Celia’s thread of the story that I found fascinating. The impact of the narrative is even more highly charged as the aspects relating to espionage, mis-information and the threat to global peace feel prescient in today’s society too, making for a riveting story. I also found The London Bookshop Affair exciting and so absorbing I that I resented my ordinary life intervening in my reading time. It’s one of those books that permeates the reader’s mind, making them think about it in between reading and after it is read. 

However, whilst the backbone of The London Bookshop Affair is the Cold War with Jeannie’s story interwoven, it is the more personal elements that have the greatest impact. Both Celia and Jeannie are desperate for approval, love and recognition – themes that we can all relate to. The social aspects of the story, the role of women in society and the nature of trust at so many levels make The Bookshop Affair not only entertaining and engaging, but absolutely, and rather emotionally, affecting. The sense of inequality that permeates much of the narrative is brilliantly handled, making me rage and providing sensitive insight into the characters so that they become all the more real.

I think what I found so impactful was the way in which global events that seem so far removed from the ordinary person are shown actually to affect them at a very personal level. Indeed, Celia’s entire life and identity are wrapped up in them.

I loved Celia. Along with the more obvious examples of Daphne, Miss Clarke and Jeannie, Celia is spirited, free thinking and feminist regardless of how she might at first appear or believe herself to be. She’s such a realistic creation. Like Celia, I found myself enchanted by Septimus. It wasn’t until the very end of the novel that I was able to make up my mind about him, but to say what my conclusions are would be to spoil the story. 

And it’s a magnificent story. The London Bookshop Affair is, quite simply, fabulous. There’s personal tragedy and international danger. There’s historical accuracy and interest. There’s a touch of romance and lots of mystery and intrigue. Every reader will find an aspect that resonates with them. The London Bookshop Affair is historical fiction of the very best kind. I thought Louise Fein’s narrative was completely wonderful and feel it mustn’t be missed.

About Louise Fein

Louise writes historical fiction, focusing on unheard voices or from unusual perspectives. Her debut novel, Daughter of the Reich (entitled People Like Us in the UK edition) was published in 2020 into 13 territories and is set in 1930’s Leipzig. The book was shortlisted for the RSL Christopher Bland Prize 2021 and the RNA Historical Novel of the Year Award, 2021. Louise’s second novel, The Hidden Child, was published in 2021 and is centered around the eugenics movement in 1920’s England and America. It was a Globe & Mail bestseller in Canada. Her third novel, The London Bookshop Affair, about one woman’s journey to uncover secrets of her past, set against a backdrop of espionage and looming nuclear war in 1962 London, will be published in January 2024.

Louise, previously a lawyer and banker, holds an MA in Creative Writing from St Mary’s University and now writes full time. Equally passionate about historical research and writing, she loves to look for themes which have resonance with today’s world. Louise lives in the Surrey countryside, UK, with her family, and is a slave to the daily demands of her pets.

For further information about Louise, visit her website, follow her on Twitter/X @FeinLouise and find her on Facebook and Instagram. There’s more with these other bloggers too: