WW2, Czech-people, German-occupation, German SS, bookseller, puppeteer, historical-figures, historical-novel, historical-places-events, history-and-culture, historical-research, romantic-suspense, resistance-efforts, despair, grief, book-banning, riveting*****

Jana and her widowed father continue to run the bookshop once owned by her mother as the German occupation of their homeland worsens. She becomes involved with the resistance and all the personal agonies involved. This is a very moving story that borders on reality that kept me riveted to the end.
I requested and received a free temporary EARC from Boldwood Books via NetGalley. Thank you!

The Last Bookshop in Prague is the story of Jana who is trying to keep her mother’s bookshop going in occupied Prague during 1942 and 1945. Jana was an amazing character, she saved the lives of three Jewish children and joined the Czech resistance. I also enjoyed the simple things she did to keep up spirits within the community by having a children’s book hour and book exchange with banned books. It was nice to see her romance blossom with police officer Andrej, I was a bit worried how that one might have turned out.

Inspired by a movie set in Prague, you really got a feel for the town and what it was like to live during the time. It’s a little bit of history I wasn’t aware of and really enjoyed learning more about it. A good mix of romance, heartbreak, books and action. I found it hard to put down. This is my first book by Helen and I look forward to catching up with her backlist.

I was pulled straight into this emotive read based in Prague in WW2 and during their Nazi occupation. Helen Parusel doesn’t shy away from what life was like during these times and her attention to the historical facts shows just how much research she puts into her writing. The main character is Jana who runs the family bookshop and the story follows her journey through supporting and helping the resistance, to taking in a young Jewish boy and so much more. This covers so many topics from friendship, family, heartbreak, determination and love. I can’t recommend this enough. It’s a page turner that’s captivating, emotional and shows the courage and strength of those involved in this very dark time in history. Thank you to Boldwood Books , Netgalley and Helen Parusel for writing such an utterly brilliant book.

Amazingly emotional!
This book was very well written and very emotional, heart breaking at times and uplifting in places.
I loved this book Helen Parusel is one heck of a writer!
Thank you netgalley

This is the first book I read by this author and it was a great surprise! I love historical fiction and somehow I end up reading books about the same period of time. I have read lots of books like this one but not based in Prague, a place I haven't visited yet and that I really want to go to. The pace was great and the character development was really good, love a strong female character! The subject definitely is not for everyone but I do recommend it if people read these type of books.

This was my first book by Helen Parusel in a genre I don’t often read, however I was engrossed from the beginning and read it in a few days. The writing flowed and the characters came to life, making me want to read more about that period.

Wow what a journey. This book was hard to put down. I was completely captivated with the story set in Prague during WWII.
I have a heritage family trip planned there in a few weeks, so Prague really stood out to me when i first saw this book. I knew very little about that city during WWII. What a great story of strength and perseverance. Highly recommend

Whew! What an intense, emotional rollercoaster ride The Last Bookshop In Prague was. It gives the reader an inside look at living in German-occupied Czechoslovakia under the control of Reinhard Heydrich, the Butcher of Prague, through the end of World War II. It was terrifying.

"Was she incredibly brave or incredibly stupid? Neither. Just a bookshop girl doing what she could against her country's oppressors." This is Jana's story, a 22-year-old trying to keep her mother's small bookshop going as the Nazis keep banning more books and requiring her to stock Hitler-approved books in German. Although this story begins in 1942, her country has been occupied since 1939. The Czech Resistance isn't an organized group, trained & supplied by the Allies as in other European countries. It's just small pockets of people doing whatever they can in the face of relentless Nazi oppression and cruelty. I understood their desperation and sorrow, feeling that the outside world had forgotten them.

"How ironic it is that by banning books, people want to know even more about them." Books as a source of inspiration and comfort in difficult times are woven throughout this story, from the book locket Jana wears in remembrance of her mother to her homemade bookmarks used to pass information. I loved that the passcodes used between resistance members were lines from banned books. My favorite one was from Virginia Woolfe: "Why are women so much more interesting to men than men are to women?" This is the third book I've read by Helen Parusel and it was worth the wait. Her characters have such depth and are believable, just ordinary people trying to live through extraordinary times while retaining their humanity. I highly recommend this latest book. I loved it.

Jana Hajek and her father live in a flat above a bookstore and it was once run by her deceased mother. Jana keeps the shop open, it’s not easy as the Germans have banned so many books and she has to stock a section for them. To boost moral Jana has a children’s reading time and she decides to hold a book exchange club for women and it’s a place for them to come together and take their minds off the occupation.

Jana helps three Jewish children, and she meets Captain Kovar when he searches the shop, at a time when she doesn’t know who she can trust and the Czech police are working for the Germans. Jewish people are being rounded up and sent to camps, everyone’s starving, tired and exhausted.

Jana employed as a part time cleaner at Prague Castle, the chance arises to help the resistance and the bookshop is the perfect cover. The windows can display signs when it’s safe to enter, and Jana hides secret codes in bookmarks she makes and she's keeping track of the movements of a high ranking German officer. The resistance and Czech citizens are waiting for the right time to rise up and fight the Germans and take back their city.

I received a copy of The Last Bookshop in Prague from Boldwood Books and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. The narrative it set from 1942 to 1945 and constructed perfectly to give readers an idea of what it was like to live in Prague during the German occupation and leading up to liberation.

The story is engaging and gripping, Helen Parusel easily achieves what she set out to do, and that’s write a historical fiction novel about war, bravery, helping others and taking risks and the power of books and people, and five stars from me.

Wow wow wow! What a book! I was totally invested at all times and couldn’t put it down. Very emotional, hard hitting and thrilling! Highly recommend!

The Last Bookshop in Prague is a historical fiction novel set in WWII, focusing on a bookshop owner named Jana who joins the resistance.

Using her bookstore as a cover, she helps the resistance by using hidden signals and codes.

The arrival of a young Jewish boy and a fascist police captain complicates her already dangerous situation.

This book was thrilling, kept me on the edge of my seat and emotional.

A beautiful and sweeping WWII historical fiction novel about one women's fight against the Nazi regime: Jana has inherited her mother's bookshop, but now it is at risk since the Nazis took over Czechoslovakia. Jana can not stand the censorship of books and hates being forced to carry Nazi propaganda pieces and German-translated books. Still, she knows the importance of a good story and desperately tries to remain open to give the people of Prague a place to come and escape into a book, even if it is books deemed appropriate by the Germans. When the Gestapo sweeps away one of her young regular patron's parents for being Jewish, Jana vows to protect him and keep him safe, and so begins her journey into the resistance movement. From spying, to carrying illegal parts, to helping Jewish children, Jana will stop at nothing to give hope to the people of Prague. But all actions have consequences, and is she ready to face the consequences of her actions?

This moving book has themes of self-discovery, love, patriotism, and betrayal. I loved how brave and yet relatable Jana was. When she realized the consequences of some of her actions, you felt her pain and doubt, which made her more relatable. She wasn't just some gung-ho patriot who would stop at nothing to save her country; she struggled daily with her actions and felt the heavy weight of them. Her story is one of hope in the face of darkness and desperation.

This story is set in Prague during WWII. The story revolves around a young woman and her friends. It is a heart wrenching story of the hardships endured by people during the war. It is also a story of hope and forgiveness. Thank you to net galley for an advanced readers copy.

Such an emotional storyline and suspenseful plot! I really enjoyed reading about books' lovers and their fight against the Nazis! The resistants were impressive showing so much courage. Of course, the group was not perfectly organised, often led by affect which makes the novel even more realistic. I learned quite a bit about Prague during WWII, some of the events I was not aware of. Rather emotional, tension full, this novel is definitely well worth reading. My first book by the author, and I know I am already a fan of Helen Parusel!
I received a digital copy of this novel from NetGalley and I have voluntarily written an honest review.

I really liked the setting in prague, and it was an entertaining book. But it felt a little too naive sometimes, the characters were strong but they felt a little bit naive too for me. But the book had a lot of glimmer of hopes .
Thank you to netgalley for letting me read this e arc in exchange for an honest opinion

A lovely window of historical fiction. Loved the setting of Prague and the main character was fun to read from. Highly recommend