Madeline Martin Books in Order: The Complete Reading Guide

Martin's work splits cleanly into two lanes. Her WW2 historical fiction — the bookshop-and-library novels she is now best known for — are all standalones, so order is a matter of taste rather than necessity. Her earlier Scottish historical romances are organised into series. Here is how it all fits together.

The World War II historical novels in order

1. The Last Bookshop in London (2021) — Her breakout. A young woman arrives in London just before the Blitz and finds unexpected purpose in a struggling bookshop, discovering how stories bind a frightened city together. Warm, hopeful, and hugely popular with book clubs.
2. The Librarian Spy (2022) — Split between a Lisbon librarian gathering intelligence and a French woman in the Resistance, this novel follows two women whose lives converge through the war's paper trail. Quietly gripping.
3. The Keeper of Hidden Books (2023) — Set in occupied Warsaw, where a book club of friends risks everything to protect the literature the Nazis want destroyed. A tribute to reading as resistance.
4. The Booklover's Library (2024) — In wartime Nottingham, a widowed mother takes a job at a subscription library while navigating the evacuation of her daughter. Another love letter to libraries and the readers who need them.

These four share DNA — books, libraries, brave and bookish women — but not characters, so you can read them completely independently. If you love one, you will almost certainly love the rest.

The Scottish Highland romances

Before the WW2 novels, Martin wrote a string of sensual Scottish historical romances. If you want brooding Highlanders and medieval intrigue, start with these series:

• Mercenary Maidens — begins with Highland Spy (2017). A series of romances featuring women trained as spies in the Scottish Highlands, mixing espionage with slow-burn love stories.
• Borderland Ladies — medieval romances set on the turbulent Scottish borders, following a family of resourceful noblewomen defending their home and finding love amid the raids.
• Heart of the Highlands and other Highland novellas — shorter, steamy Scottish romances for readers who want a quick, warming read.

Because each romance is a standalone with its own couple, you can begin any series with its first book and follow the family from there.

Where to start

If you want the book everyone is talking about, start with The Last Bookshop in London — it is the perfect entry to her WW2 fiction and a gentle, uplifting read. If you would rather have brooding Highlanders and a bit of heat, begin with Highland Spy, the opener of the Mercenary Maidens series. Either way, because her standalones travel well, you can confidently pick the premise that calls to you loudest.