I’d like to thank NetGalley and One More Chapter for approving me for an ARC of this book. I buddy read this with my lovely friend Bex and thoroughly enjoyed our chat as we listened.

🎧 If you are a fan of audiobooks then I strongly suggest you give this one a go. The narration is perfection! Our three main characters are three different narrators, all of which give a fantastic performance and really bring the story to life.

🧔🏻‍♂️Of our three characters I loved Henry the most. His gentle nature and sense of humour often had me giggling away. He was an old soul in a young body, complete with all the gentleman mannerisms. Martha and Opaline were fantastic too but I had a sweet spot for Henry.

📚A book about books will always be a winner for me but the added magical element was refreshing. When you team that with a search for a lost bookshop, you know you are in for a real treat. Fans of the Bronte family history will love this one.

⌛The dual timeline helps keep the pace going throughout. The constant flipping back and forth gave the book more tension and certainly allowed my mind to create many different theories along the way.

Thank you to Netgalley for the l this ARC in exchange for my personal review.

This book was absolutely delightful! There are so many passages that I had to highlight! Let's start off with the characters:

O: a brilliant woman who suffered so much trauma and yet ended peacefully with love. I would have liked to have seen her find her daughter, but that is eventually done. Her own storyline was well developed, well split up in terms of people in her life, and well concluded. I loved the justice of L's death. Even though it was ultimately the style of the crimes he committed, cowardly. I would have liked to have seen the Fallout of him reading the journal articles. I think that really would have been icing on the cake. I loved A bit also thought he was a flight risk, that eventually penned out as so. How about the man who ends up carrying or helping her heart, is really the hero in this story and how ironic that he was also a pow just like her. And I say just like her because she was in her own way, as her brother/father continued to trap her, fight her, kidnap her, do all of the vicious things that really gave him the perfect villain Persona in the story.

M: the long descendant of O, who has her own gifts and is our initial narrator. Her story was also born of tragedy but ended in love. I DESPISED her husband and fell like he got his just desserts. I do wonder why her mother was sort for all this time and then suddenly started speaking. Her relationship with her mother was estranged but then fine? That was a confusing part for me, or how I read it but it was such a small part that it is what it was. I didn't have a picture of her until more midway through the book when ul she's described with blonde hair and blue eyes. I had her in my head as a brunette and H as a blonde. When it's actually reversed. I love that she finally got back to University. I can only imagine the PTSD from her husband and What that did to her. This eventually turns into a book adversity which she slowly gets over in this story. I thought the tattoo was a unique way to bring in the manuscript. I liked her gift but it was still confusing because it was lightly touched on yet almost fully revealed by the end of the chapter.


H: I'm still trying to determine his place but essentially in researching he helps put all the pieces together of both sorts and her is where it ends up connecting (in my mind). He did pull some typical male characteristics in being attracted to her and yet he ended up leaving his fiance for her? I mean is it really going to happen that soon in a story? Like you just met somebody and all of a sudden leaving the person that you've been with for however long. I mean it is what it is and I thought it was still a good storyline. I'm still trying to figure out why his sister was in the mix but I think that was just part of character development and his dad never pops back up after the talk that they have. So he could have been developed a little bit better, but at the same time I still enjoyed the little bit of story that he did have because he wasn't really the main character to me both of the other two were main characters and main story tellers, he was just putting things together.

I loved this story. It was evenly placed and almost each chapter ended in a cliffhanger or a A-HA! moment. There are so many beautiful and historical book references in this book, some of which I've read, that melted my little Grinch heart 💚. Interesting parts I highlighted:

"I learned something in that moment; you’re on your own in this world. No one is coming to save you. People don’t suddenly change, say they’re sorry and begin to treat you with respect. They are a jumble of hurt and pain and they will take it out on whomever they can. I had to save myself." ( this is so true! A deep realization!)

"That’s what was making me miserable: the hoping. I realised then that I would have to give up one or the other, happiness or hope." (This part was very touching. So many people go through the same routings but don't put it into words such as this)

" I recalled a book I had found at the bottom of a bargain bin in a charity shop near Camden. Something about the memories of buildings and how the walls are infused with them. They never forget, what we, as mere mortals, misplace. I hadn’t thought of it since, until now." (What a deep thought! )

"I looked around almost feeling guilty. It was the middle of the day and here I was acting like… what? A free woman, I supposed. Just then, I felt something I hadn’t experienced in a long time. It was like my heart was smiling. So I moved on to the shoe department and picked out some black slip-ons. Then I spotted some black capri pants and I hooked them over my arm to bring to the changing rooms. I found a white blouse that looked sort of professional and I even bought a red hairband with white polka dots! I was so impressed with myself and my good eye that I threw caution to the wind and picked up a new backpack, so I could get rid of the duffle bag I’d had since secondary school. I tried everything on and put my old clothes in the duffle bag. I took the tags up to the till, just like you’d see in the movies, and felt the thrill of starting my life right there." (I thought this was beautifully written and I could really FEEL this moment!)

"‘Here we are, sir. The Meisterstück Le Petit Prince edition.’ It was beautiful. A burgundy-coloured case with a tiny gold star on the clip. ‘As you can see, it’s engraved with a quote from the book.’ I read it aloud. ‘“ On ne voit bien qu’avec le cœur.”’" (BEAUTIFUL BOOK REFERENCE!!!!)

"‘Hello?’I whispered, feeling slightly ridiculous. Perhaps a cat had come in through an open window. I walked to the rear of the shop where the noise had come from. There was a modest glass cabinet of books, its doors open and a tome lying on the floor. The temperature was so cold and I was in my bare feet, so I bent to pick it up and replace it quickly. A cursory glance at the cover almost made my heart stop –Dracula, by Bram Stoker. A terrifying image of a vampire was on the cover. I looked around the shop. All was quiet now. I replaced the book and turned to go back downstairs when another thud made me jump. Looking back, I saw the book on the floor once more. ‘That’s very strange,’I said out loud, trying to sound calm. The very fact that I thought someone (or something) was listening confirmed my state of mind. I picked up the book and once again spoke out loud. ‘Yes, I think I shall take a book to bed,’I said with a little uncertainty, before bringing it back downstairs with me. I read until the candle extinguished, terrified, exhilarated and unsure whether the book was a warning or an invitation."(The anticipation of what it could be!!!)

This is just a small sample of the things that I highlighted in this book because every single thing that I highlighted either had a reference or it was a beautiful setting that I could absolutely feel. The atmospherics in this book were delightful. I felt like I was in the story the whole time and there was no part of it where I was an outsider looking in. I felt like I was sitting there and I was with these people through everything, including the good and the bad.

To give you an idea of how much I loved this book, I'll tell you more, it got me out of one of the worst book slumps I have ever been in.

Posted to Goodreads also.

I just can't go past a book with 'Bookshop' in the title! And I am certainly glad I didn't go past this one as it was such a delight to read in so many ways. And I'm just not sure where to start with this review as I loved it all.

London 1921 and present day stories bring this book to life and brings magic and joy to reading. Opaline, Martha and Henry are wonderful characters who bring so much to this story and are wonderfully well thought out characters. Love the historical aspects and even though it is dual-timeline it certainly isn't confusing at all. It is easy to read and flows well between the two times.

Magical, charming, captivating and fun. Loved it.


Thank you NetGalley and HarperCollins UK, One More Chapter for giving me the opportunity to read and review this book.

An intriguing and captivating story that was beautiful to read. On a quiet street in Dublin, a lost bookshop is waiting to be found. When a vanishing bookshop casts its spell, three unsuspecting strangers: Opaline, Martha and Henry discover their own stories are every bit as extraordinary as the ones they find in the books they love. And by unlocking these secrets, they are transported to a world of wonder where nothing is as it seems. A book that will capture your heart. Thank you to NetGalley, Harper Collins UK One More Chapter and the author for the chance to review.

Well I don't know where to start as an avid bookworm I couldn't wait to start this and wow it didn't disappoint
What a beautiful read, lovely charecters and a wonderful story, enjoyed every page

Thank you to NetGalley and Publishers for this ecopy of The Lost Bookshop.

I'm a regular reader of fantasy, so every now and then I like to change my genres and read something different. The lost Bookshop was perfect! I loved it so much.
Evie Woods is a fantastic writer and she manages to capture your attention from the beginning of the novel with the mystery. I really liked our characters they were created with a realistic dimension to them. This novel was written really well, It not only told the story, but it also pulled you in bringing the story to life. I loved the twists and turns throughout and was pleasantly surprised by some revelations.
The different point a views were an excellent way to dive deeper into the story and I loved Opaline, Martha and Henry.
Madame Bowden was so intriguing, I just loved her character.

I really enjoyed this read and recommend it to everyone.

I didn't really get into this book until maybe half way through. It had a strain of Magic or surreal happenings through the book but some I just didn't get. There are loads of five star reviews so it might have just been me and I won't mark it down for that. I enjoyed the story from the past better than the present.

An absolute delight - a truly spell binding novel that you can get completely lost in. I loved it! A magical story set around The Bronte’s and books. Written over dual time lines Evie also points out women in the 1940’s had no real voice of their own.

Lots of book lovers and bookstagrammers enjoy a novel set in a library or a bookshop and this one features a lost bookshop in Dublin.

It is a dual timeline story told by three different voices.
The first is that of Opaline Carlisle. Her timeline is set just after the First World War and her bullying brother is arranging her marriage against her will for the sake of the family finances, so she flees the family home. After working in Paris for a while at Shakespeare & Company where she meets Hemmingway and James Joyce, she eventually heads for Dublin and supports herself by trading as a book dealer.

Meanwhile, modern day Dublin provides the perspectives of the other two narrators’ voices : Martha, who has fled an abusive husband and found work as a house-keeper for a retired actress living on Ha’panny Lane, and Henry, a PHD student, whom she meets there. He is researching Opaline Carlisle, convinced that Opaline’s bookshop was next door to the house where Martha is now working. He needs to locate it as it is central to his thesis, but there is no firm documentary evidence of its existence.

What follows is a sweet and entertaining story, laced with elements of magical realism, and separate plot strands that are united by the search for a lost manuscript that will rock the literary world.

The characterisation is well done, and the prose is well written and flows well.

Whilst the novel touches on themes of addiction, violence, grief, PTSD and controlling behaviour, it is a heart-warming, and beguiling little read, with lots of charm.

Thank you to Harper Collins One More Chapter for the eArc in exchange for an honest review.

3.75/5

A bit historical fiction, a bit magical realism, a bit modern story about society dampening the voice of the unique in us, an overall nice book about three people trying to find their way through the world and the obstacles in front of them.

I wish the book was a bit less about the shop keepers and more about the shop if I’m honest, and some parts were a slog to get through. I would have preferred a bit more lyrical writing for a book on the power of books. but I enjoyed each of the character’s perspectives, the two story lines (one in the 1920s Dublin, one modern day) and found the wrap up good but not overly perfect. It feels like a good fall book to me. I’d recommend for those who like solving mystery of the past type books

Thank you Netgalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read this book for an honest review.

The Lost Bookshop by Evie Woods. This is as the title states a story about a lost bookshop. The three characters Opaline, Martha and Henry tell the story from the 1920’s through to modern day Dublin. This is a magical story based on a lost bookshop, a lost manuscript and a mystery about what really happened to Opaline the owner of the lost bookshop..

This book is also a love story about Martha fresh from an abusive relationship and Henry who has no confidence in himself or his abilities to find the bookshop and the lost manuscript.

The story is both magical, whimsical and a very real mystery of what happened to Opaline Grey and why did she disappear taking the lost manuscript with her.
This is a satisfying read, funny ( laugh out loud ) and very sad ( crying out loud) I highly recommend
5 stars

Suspend your belief in reality and enjoy the story. Multi faceted in time periods and circumstances. I fell for the story and every character. Enjoy the story I did

Thank you to the publisher, the author and to Net Galley for the opportunity. This is a wonderful. read. It is intriquing from beginning to end. This is one of my top 4 favorite books of 2023 from Net Galley. The story is told in a sweeping story from three different people absorbed in a mystery surrounding books and mysterious missing ancient bookstore. The timelines are pre war and present day. The charchters are richly drawn to the plot and all compliment the plot. The author has included wonderful referances to books gone by to add to your TBR list. I found it utterly charming and loved the charcters, the plot and the mystery. The ending is outstanding . Prepare to read through the night as this is a book you will not put down. This is a love story to Biblophiles and we are in love . Thank you to the author for this wonderful book.

The Lost Bookshop is an enchanting dual-timeline story shrouded in mystery, history, fascinating characters (some likeable, others detestable) and slivers of magic. It is told in three perspectives by very different people, all who are running from something and need to escape in more ways than one. Not only is there mystery and the horror of being locked away but also romance and love.

In 1920s Dublin, Opaline is fleeing a painful relationship. She finds solace in her very own charming bookshop which is described so colourfully it is easy to envision it. I can FEEL it. When her life takes a different direction, her life is torn apart and she is left broken. But when there is life, there is hope.

Decades later, Martha is running from a violent husband and becomes a housemaid. Her passion for rare books moved me, as did observing her evolving book knowledge.

Henry is a Ph.D. student and sees books from an academic viewpoint. He appreciates great writing and old books and is happy to share his knowledge. He also finds love when he doesn't expect to.

The three characters come together in a lovely way, creatively united by the magic of the written word. I felt despair and extreme frustration at circumstances and was also entranced at the how the bookishness was woven into the story. How can a reader not swoon at "the air was thick with knowledge"?

Historical Fiction readers who are intrigued by bits of magical elements will be besotted by this fascinating tale laden with secrets. Magical realism is not my wheelhouse whatsoever but this novel is different...here it reminds me of gentle fairytales in the background, not forefront. That cover! But what captured me most was the gorgeous prose with oodles of insight into human nature.

My sincere thank you to HarperCollins UK, One More Chapter and NetGalley for providing me with an early digital copy of this fabulous novel!

The Lost Bookshop by Evie Woods is a wonderful blend of magic and mystery set in Dublin and telling the stories of three charming characters, Opaline, Henry and Martha.
The story begins in 1921 with Opaline, a young English woman who is less than enthused about marrying the wealthy man her mother and older brother have chosen for her, Since the death of her father, the man who taught her about the magic of books and reading, the family finances have been strained and a good marriage would make all the difference. Determined to live her life in her own way, Opaline reluctantly pawns some of the rare first editions she inherited from her father and flees to Paris where she eventually finds a job working in Shakespeare and Co and starts her career as a rare book dealer. When her brother eventually catches up with her she is forced to flee again, and after some harrowing times eventually finds herself running a bookshop in Dublin.
Meanwhile in current day Dublin Martha has escaped an abusive marriage and is now working as a housekeeper for the enigmatic Madame Bowen. Early one morning she meets Henry , an academic who is searching for a lost manuscript, and the book shop which was apparently located next to Madame Bowen's home but which cannot be found on any map or historical record. While her initial assessment of Henry is somewhat negative, as could be expected given her experiences with her husband, she is drawn into the mystery.
I really loved this book, I was engaged by the story and I think anyone who loves reading and understands the magic of browsing in a bookstore and finding the unexpected gem that speaks to you will find similar joy between these covers. The characters go through some truly terrible experiences so the reader will run the whole gamut of emotions as it is impossible not to feel for characters that are as well crafted as these. While largely set in the real world with the mystery of the lost manuscript , there is hint of magic in the way that the bookshop seems to appear and disappear as the story unfolds.
I read and reviewed an ARC courtesy of NetGalley and the publisher, all opinions are my own.

A book to capture your heart. This is a quirky dual timeline story, with more than a touch of magic. Set around a Dublin bookshop, it features feisty Opaline in the 1920s and housemaid Martha in the present day. Sometimes it is hard to tell what year you're reading about, as the book flits from one time-frame to another, but it's good fun to read.

What a thoroughly lovely story. We are taken on a journey via two time lines, the story of Opaline through the 1920’s and beyond and the story of Martha in the present day. Both women are amazing, strong characters and their stories are similar and yet nothing alike. As the whole tale is centred around books it is just the ticket for everyone. I was so enthralled by the weaving of the story that I could actually transport myself into it.

The Lost Bookshop follows the lives of three main characters — alternating chapter by chapter between Martha, Henry, and Opaline. A story about running after your dreams and away from loneliness and fear. Finding the courage to pick up the broken pieces of life and bravely forge a new path, embracing eccentricities and a bit of magic. Includes unexpected twists and turns — roaming from sweet to sinister, all the while weaving in books and words, and the people they bring together. ♥️♥️♥️

Pseudo-spoilers ahead. I want to give this book more stars. This is really 3,75 stars. I really enjoyed this story. Truly. However, there are several supernatural-ish things that happen in this book without any rhyme or reason.

Disappearing bookstore with shifting stain glass, things that move and fall off shelves. Nothing.

Girl who can know a lot of details about someone without them saying anything. No explanation.

Woman who may not really be there (who’s to say)?! Again, nothing.

A story that randomly comes to someone and half it appears in a tattoo without getting the ink? Nope. No explanation.

Maybe not all of it needs to be explained, but literally none of the crazy things?! That was the most frustrating part of this. That doesn’t mean you shouldn’t read this book.

Thanks to NetGalley, the publisher, and author for allowing me to read this book for an honest review.

In the early part of the 20th century, Opaline Carlisle - strong independent woman - sets off on her own to forge a career (unheard of!) as a rare books dealer, firstly in Paris, before moving to Dublin.

Meanwhile, in 21st century Dublin, Martha is escaping a life of DV, and finds a job as a housekeeper for an eccentric older lady.

When she meets the somewhat hapless academic Henry looking for a bookshop that doesn't appear to exist, the paths of both women - Opaline and Martha - begin to converge across time, until they are exactly in the places they are meant to be, and WHO they are meant to be.

This was a truly delightful book. Each chapter focuses on one of the three main characters, picking up where the other had left off into a seamless story told from different perspectives.

This is a story about relationships, about identity, about books and about magic. It's also a book about the strength of women and what is endured because there is no other choice. A book about courage and belief in yourself. And it's magical.

I adored this book.

*Note- I was fortunate to have an audiobook version of this as well as the e-arc, and I read/listened to them concurrently.

~Many thanks to NetGalley, HarperCollins UK, and One More Chapter for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review~