Gentle wartime espionage adventures
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This is not the book you expect it to be. From the title, you might imagine that it’s one of those redemptive East Asian books that have little plot or character development but lots of quirk and detail. But no, this isn’t one of those.

It’s also not a MOR romcom with a city girl lost in a rural backwater who stumbles upon the perfect emporium and the love of her life.

Instead, it’s a Second World War coming-of-age yarn that morphs into a light British Intelligence mission, with funny voices, heist-lite manoeuvres, and the Duke of Windsor and Mrs Simpson. Also the protagonist’s love of her life.

In 1938, Lara Hope finds herself stranded in Lisbon after trying to trace her late mother’s family, without a penny to her name and no passport. Depending on the kindness of strangers, she finds a job and a home, both through her landlady Bea, a formidable ex-journalist now trying to keep her bookshop open even as the Nazis encroach on the currently peaceable Portuguese. Brought up in the theatre by her director dad, Lara’s special skills—funny voices, mimicry, DRAMA—come in handy when the local branch of British Intelligence needs to bolster its disinformation team, trying to distract the Germans from a little upcoming action around Dunkirk… Throw in a lovelorn Nazi, a cast of odd Brits faceless Nazis, and as much male chauvinism as you can stand, and we have another narrative in the vein of Dear Mrs Bird, as if Miss Read wrote Le Carré.

A gentle almost comedic tone, clearly learnt at the feet of Dad’s Army, but with narrative holes wide enough to fly a Spitfiire through and an eleventh hour romance that could have been so much more, this was worth my time but I’m not sure I could read much more.

Three and a quarter stars.

Really enjoyed this book, especially as I'm here in Lisbon reading it now on holiday.

I liked the characters and the story was interesting. It's been great to actually see in real life some of the places mentioned in the book.

Really think we need a sequel as I'd love to know what happened to the characters after the war.

Thanks netgalley and Kerry Barrett for this wonderful book, not only did the description of Lisbon sound amazing but Lara’s life how different it became after leaving London in 1938.
Lara decided to,go to”Lisbon when her father died, he told her that her mother was Portuguese and she should go and find her family.
After discovering her only remaining grandfather was dead, and then fate decided what Lara was going to do with her life after an Incident loosing her passport and money to,getting a job in a bookshop to,earn enough money to get back to England , war came and Lara got another job never in her wildest dreams would she have thought she could get.

Great book loved it

Lara is in search of family after the death of her father, She quickly gets caught up in the war and has to use her acting talents to get through. I throughly enjoyed this read and adored Lara.

The Bookshop of Secrets was fantastic, Truly enjoyed the premise of this novel being set in war time Lisbon and joining Lara on her adventures out of the theatre to track down her long lost family. This book was full of fully enjoyable friendships and silly moments that had me laugh out loud. This one will stay with me for quite some time!

A great book set in a stunning location of Lisbon, Portugal. Lara sets of on an adventure around the time of the war (WWll) .The main character has somewhat of a double life. Lara has found details regarding a family member so off she goes in search of family members in a city unknown to her.
The war begins and Lara has nowhere to go and nowhere to turn to other then a quaint bookshop she likes hidden in the city. She sees things happening in the bookshop and cannot understand what is happening in the store, She throws herself into a mystery of something she knows nothing about and meeting new people as she moves along the process of uncovering what is going on. she advances on slowing the eager Hitler and being friends with the royal family... double agent Lara.
War time novel aren't my thing, but this was an easy read for me and I would love to visit Lisbon after reading this,

This is my first read by author Kerry Barrett and I absolutely loved it. 5 stars from me.

We meet Lara Hope, her father has died and she decides to go to Lisbon to search for family that she has never met. The story is set in the time of World War II. She takes a job in a lovely little book shop and she soon realises that not all is as it appears.

Lara is drawn into a world that completely new to her. I loved reading about Lara and the many other characters in The Bookshop of Secrets and loved the back drop of Lisbon.

If you love a story about strong women then is a book to read for sure.

Thanks to Netgalley, Kerry Barrett and the publishers for allowing me an ARC in exchange for my honest review.

I read a lot of ww2 fiction along the lines of this book but never one set in Portugal before. It was interesting to hear the familiar story retold and I thoroughly enjoyed this book.

I usually read psychological thrillers so this book was very different for me but I loved it. I loved the setting and I loved the main characters and the unlikely relationships they formed between themselves. It made a nice change having characters that I liked as I've read some books recently with characters that I couldn't care less about. I enjoyed the plot and found it flowed well and I kept wanting to read on to find out what happened. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for my ARC.

After reading The Garden of Lost Secrets a couple of years back I was looking forward to starting thjs book.

This took a while for me to get into however as a fan of WW2 fiction I hadn’t read anything which involved Lisbon so it was good to learn about the part they played. This was a fairly easy read once I got going, engaging and emotional in parts.

Thank you NetGalley and HQ Digital for this eCopy to review

"The Bookshop of Secrets" by Kerry Barrett is a captivating novel.

Set in Lisbon during the tumultuous times of World War II, the story follows Lara Hope, a young woman seeking solace and a fresh start after the tragic death of her father. Lara's journey takes her to a serene bookshop owned by her kind and welcoming landlady. However, her seemingly peaceful life takes an unexpected turn when she witnesses a mysterious customer secretly swapping a book, sparking her curiosity and leading her into a world of hidden secrets.

As Lara delves deeper into the mysteries of the bookshop, she uncovers a web of intrigue that connects her new friends, potential love interests, and even royalty. The author skilfully weaves together themes of love, friendship, and courage, while vividly portraying the historical backdrop of Lisbon during the war.

"The Bookshop of Secrets" has a rich and immersive atmosphere. The bookshop, with its shelves filled with stories and secrets, becomes a character in its own right, providing a sense of refuge and wonder for both Lara and the reader. The historical details are well-researched and seamlessly integrated into the narrative, enhancing the authenticity of the setting.

The plot is well-paced, with enough twists and turns to keep you engaged without overwhelming the reader. Lara's personal growth and her interactions with the supporting characters add depth to the story, making you care about their fates and the secrets they hold. The romance is subtle yet satisfying, adding an extra layer of warmth to the narrative.

Overall, "The Bookshop of Secrets" is a heart warming and intriguing read that will appeal to fans of historical fiction and mystery. Kerry Barrett has crafted a delightful tale that reminds us of the power of books to connect us to the past and to each other.

I was offered the chance to read The Bookshop of Secrets by the publisher, so read the synopsis and wondered whether I would enjoy a story set during WWII but without the device of a dual timeline, historical and modern. But I needed have had any concerns. Written with a modern voice, this is a really enjoyable story.

London-based Lara decides to travel to Lisbon to connect with her Portuguese family, following the death of her father. War is raging across Europe but Portugal is in a neutral position, so following the discovery that she has no family to speak of, and the misfortune of having her passport and money stolen, Lara finds herself looking for work.

Taking up a position in a bookshop, Lara finds herself thrown into subterfuge and espionage and we follow her adventures as her and her team help slow Hitler's advance across Europe.

Written with a light touch, in an engaging manner with a cast full of well-drawn, well-rounded characters, this is a joy to read. The setting of Lisbon gives some warmth and glamour to the story, and the plot is fabulous. No, it's not a gritty, hyper-realistic depiction of life in war-torn Europe but it's an enjoyable, believable romp, filled with cracking characters.

I absolutely loved it.

This was a thoroughly readable and engaging book. I enjoyed the different setting of Lisbon for this war time story and was completely gripped by the story. Very much enjoyed and would recommend - thank you.

Lara Hope has always wanted to be on the stage, her dream is to go to Hollywood to be in the movies. Her acting bug started early whilst growing up in her fathers theatre. Her mother died when she was young so she has never connected with her family in Portugal. Her father leaves her money to make the trip to Lisbon so find her maternal family. As time goes by Lara finds herself using her wits to get by working as a barmaid amongst other things. Her talent for mimicry gets her noticed and she receives an unexpected offer. Interesting take on the early stages of the Second World War.

This book surprisingly really filled a hole after I’d finished In Memorium, and I really loved the emotions it really pulled out of me as I connected with Lara, particularly on the themes of loss.

In 1938, shortly after her father's death, Lara left England for Portugal to find her mother's side of the family. Portugal doesn't give her the roots she desires but leaves her stranded. A fortuitous meeting leads to a job and a place to stay, but when WW2 breaks out, Lara cannot return to England as planned. The bookshop job comes after the outbreak of war, and Lara soon finds it hides much more than long-forgotten novels. At this time, Portugal is a place of betrayal, danger and intrigue, and Lara's acting skills involve her in the war effort, which proves challenging and rewarding. I like the cast of character and their connection, the volatile Portuguese setting and the balance of humour, menace, mystery and romance. It's a heartwarmingly poignant story.
I received a copy of this book from the publisher.

Thank you to HQ Books for the opportunity to read and review a digital proof of The Bookshop of Secrets by Kerry Barrett, a new author to me.

I was initially drawn to this book because I enjoy reading books set during the war and also love books set around a bookshop. I’m pleased to say that my initial interest led to me discovering one of my five star books of 2025.

I loved how Kerry brought the characters and the city of Lisbon to life in this historical fiction book. Lara is a wonderful character who finds herself in Lisbon in a strange era of history where nations are fighting each other in neighbouring countries but are sat in the same bar in Portugal.

Lara finds herself being recruited to help the British war effort using her acting talents and quickly finds herself caught up in a world of espionage, trying to divert the attention of Nazi Germany to enable evacuations to take place.

It is an emotional read, with refugees trying to escape Europe via the port, and the threat of the secret police monitoring everyone. I can’t imagine how strange it must have been to live in that situation.

I loved how the story evolved and I’m hoping that Kerry has a sequel planned – I need to know what happened next please. The book was published in paperback and ebook on Thursday 13 February so is available to buy now.

A very readable story about Lisbon during WW11.
As Portugal was neutral, Lisbon especially became a Mecca for refugees and espionage.
This is a light romance/spy story which flows well and has some very interesting characters.
In this story a mixture of people from diverse backgrounds are brought together and their stories are told in a non threatening manner.
I found this book very entertaining

THE BOOKSHOP OF SECRETS is the latest book by Kerry Barrett and is set in Lisbon, Portugal, during the early 1940's. Lara has travelled there from London following the death of her father, in search of family on her dead mother's side. She finds a family of friends, but not the one she thought she would. A series of events leads her into staying there and there she is when war breaks out.

I loved this story! It is the third or fourth book by this author I have read and, just like the others, I was gripped by the story and the characters. The descriptions of the world Lara lives in are crisp and clear, defining the current state of affairs for her without hitting the reader over the head!

Fleming is a name that is dropped (which I loved!) as well as Edward and Wallis. There was also a hint about Sandra's background which was perfect and I would love the know who the inspiration was for her part. How the story was woven around these characters and situations astounds me. I found it to be phenomenally written and perfectly paced.

If I had one bad thing to say it would be that my romantic little heart was desperate for an official, rock-solid HEA for Lara. Don't get me wrong, it was alluded to, but I want to know for sure. In fact, not just for Lara, but for Bill, Phil, Miguel, Bea, Hector, Sandra... do you want me to continue? Suffice it to say, this book was outstanding but I'm not ready to let go of these characters yet. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED by me and I can't wait for the next book by this amazing author.

** same worded review will appear elsewhere **

* A copy of this book was provided to me with no requirements for a review. I voluntarily read this book; the comments here are my honest opinion. *

Merissa
Archaeolibrarian - I Dig Good Books!
Feb 5, 2025

Lisbon 1940, a young aspiring actress from, London, the Portuguese secret police, war breaking out across Europe, Edward and Mrs. Simpson, The British secret service, and a rescued Nazi soldier..'But dying or not, we still have a Nazi in the bedroom, and that is not good'...A proper funny tale...Read it! (And laugh out loud)