A story that combines magical realism with a dual timeline, bookish adventure and a family saga, The Lost Bookshop pieces together the lives of present day Martha, a woman who escapes to rural Ireland to start a new life away from her abusive partner, as well as Englishman Henry, a PHD student in search of the elusive Lost Bookshop of the title, and Opaline Carlisle, a bookseller from the 1920s, another runaway, in pursuit of her own dreams.

The author tackles domestic abuse, corrupt institutions and real emotion with a sheen of the magic of the lost bookshop, a mysterious place once a library in Italy, rebuilt in Ireland, now seemingly lost forever…

I enjoyed this but there was a lot going on with it and some heavy eye roll moments at times. There is also a lot of reference to domestic violence
I liked the idea of a lost bookshop waiting to be found by the right person. I found the twists a bit predictable but, I am still very confused by Mrs Bodin and who she was. A one to read slowly. Themes; death, domestic violence, mystery, romance, supernatural

There's a lot going on in this story, but I also found it predictable. I didn't like Henry, and didn't enjoy the romance. Overall, it's a mixed bag.

This was a lovely book, very magical and I loved how it was set around books and reading. I loved the main characters and the narrators voice suited the book.

I think I would have enjoyed this book more if it had had a little bit more magic, but the magical realism was well done!

While the story was intriguing and the characters likeable, I wasn't the biggest fan of the multiple POVs and felt they were a little bit too similar. Although the narrators did a brilliant job.

I was engrossed into the story at first, but started to lose my interested the further we got along. Unfortunately not really for me.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for this Audiobook in exchange for an honest review.

2.5 Stars.
I've just finished reading "Weyward" by Emilia Hart and it reminded me so much of this book and that I've forgotten to write a review for it. The main idea of the story is women being abused and used by men with a touch of magic about a hidden bookshop and a lost Emily Brontë's missing manuscript. I was expecting something different from this book.
I'm sure about one thing which is that I will not read another book with this kind of plot because I got tired of books about women of the same family being victimized through different period of time.

I liked the audiobook and the narration which was the reason I could finish this book.

On a quiet street in Dublin, a lost bookshop is waiting to be found…

The Lost Bookshop is a dual timeline story. Opaline Carlisle's story is set during the 1920s. She comes from a wealthy family, but when her father dies, her older brother arranges a marriage for her that she wants no part of. She leaves England and runs to Paris, France. She gets a job at the Shakespeare and Company Bookstore. After something happens, she needs to flee Paris and ends up in Dublin. She purchases a bookstore and does well. She is a huge fan of the Brontë sisters and is sure that Emily Brontë finished her second novel. She searches for it and when she thinks she might have found something, her brother finds out where she is and comes to get her. The second timeline is present day where we meet Martha Winter and Henry Field. Martha is an abused wife and flees her husband. She gets a job as a live in housecleaner/servant for an elderly, wealthy and mysterious woman named Mrs. Bowden. Martha is scared that her husband will find her and she is very docile with little self-respect. Henry is a scholar, searching for Emily Brontë's missing manuscript and the lost bookshop. Henry had visited the bookshop in Dublin, but now it is not there. Is he mistaken? Did he imagine the store? When he meets Martha, who lives in the house next to the missing bookshop, he is attracted to her. With Martha still married to her abusive husband and Henry in a relationship, what will happen between these two? What is causing the mysterious writing on Martha's skin?

This is a book full of magical realism, which I enjoyed. It is also full of literary references which made me smile. Opaline and Martha were sympathetic characters. Both were dealing with situations not of their making, but ones that determined their paths. The story is told alternating between the past and present, but I had no problem following the story. I usually enjoy one timeline more than the other, but I appreciated them both equally. It is beautifully written with lovely prose. Henry, Martha and Opaline all give their points of view in this one and they are all needed to give a fully rounded story. This is a unique love story with themes of heartbreak, romance, mystery, magic, hope and courage. I did a read/listen and enjoyed both formats. The narrators, Avena Mansergh-Wallace, Olivia Mace, and Nick Biadon did an amazing job giving voice to the characters and kept me engaged. I recommend this one to all who enjoy a book about books and authors with some magical realism.

The Lost Bookshop follows three main characters Opaline in the 1920’s and ,Martha and Henry in the present day. It moves between their stories and their links to a bookshop that appears as if by magic.
There wasn’t enough ‘magic’ for me in this book and I felt it moved too frequently between the characters meaning I failed to become invested in any of them.

Sometimes I like to pick up a book not having a clue about it and jump straight into it. This is what I did for The Lost Bookshop and I'm so happy that I did, because it ended up surprising me and being something so much more than what I expected. For some reason I was expecting something cosy and cute but this story was a lot more complex and deeper than that. There were some pretty emotional and hard to read threads to the plot that I did not see coming, but I appreciated and I think will stick with me for some time.

Opaline was my favourite character and I loved following her story. She was so brave and made some really bold decisions that I admired her for deeply. She didn't have an easy life, but she always stayed true to herself and followed what she thought was the right path. I loved the connection between her storyline and Martha's. Martha was also a very strong woman, but she had to work hard to find her strength.

I loved listening to this book. The narration brought the characters and the story to life brilliantly and I think gave me a different experience to if I had read it. If you like historical fiction, books about books and love audio books that draw you in deep, The Lost Bookshop is definitely for you.

The premise of The Lost Bookshop has a lot to look forward to: multiple POVs, magical realism, Paris and Dublin, a bookstore that comes and goes, a lost Bronte novel. I'm not quite sure Woods pulled it off though. The story is interesting enough and the characters are likable. The search for the lost novel is interesting. The narration in the audio version is superb, as was the choice to have each POV narrated by its own narrator. Unfortunately, the thing that compels the reader, the bookshop, was largely absent from the story. I expected more magical realism, but there was just the faintest trace of it. Some of the POVs were similar enough as to be confusing whose story I was in the midst of and at times I lost track of the story altogether. A promising start that felt kind of middling by the end.

It's not really a story about a bookshop. It's a story about people being abused and then what happens after. It's a generational story, so starts with Opaline, and then finishes in modern times with Martha, both of whom have been subjugated by men. We never really find out the story of Opaline being a bookseller, which is a real shame. Madam Boden is the best character, but we never really find out her story either. Most of the book spent on the abuse and consequences for Martha and Opaline. The bookshop is really just a vague symbol and setting

This is a new Author to me and a different genre to what I usually read. The story is intriguing as you flit between the generations of three character’s lives. It is very well written and stretches your imagination. There are some very sad situations covered within these pages. However those concerned manage to come to terms with their sorrow and follow their heart to find what they had been searching for. I will look out for other books by this Author.

I received this audio book from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. I listened to the audio version, which is usually my preferred way to reading. However, I found the voices of the characters read by one narrator, somewhat confusing. I don't know if that's just me that got a little confused with the story but I did find that it all came b’ack together at the end which I loved. At some parts of the book I was sat here imagining what happening like it was film, that's how detailed the story was.


‘A must read for readers that love books'

This book is a great idea. As many are these days, it is set-in two-time frames but with three main characters. I listened to the audio version, which is usually a medium I enjoy very much. However, I think this is a book better read as I found the ‘voices’ of the characters read by one narrator, somewhat confusing. A good story nether less and one I will look out for in print.

This was a lovely book to listen to. The narrators were warm and easy to listen to and the story was wonderful. Martha runs away from an awful life. She meets a magnificent woman and becomes her house keeper. Strange and magical things start to happen to her and her life begins to change.

The Lost Bookshop
Audio book
Martha is lost. But she’s managed to escape an abusive husband and gets a job as a housekeeper to the demanding Mrs. Boden in halfpenny Street.
Henry is a man in search of a manuscript. A PhD student and on his first day in Dublin enters the Lost Bookshop only to find himself outside again with no sign of it ever having been there.
1921. Opaline is a woman of her time and so much more. After the death of her father she is being forced into and arranged marriage by her brother. Rebelling, she escapes to Paris where she finds a job at the Shakespeare Books and starts an independent life as a bookseller.
Three characters in search of a story they are brought together by the bookshop. This story is told by the three narrators which is unusual for an audio book that often has only one. Th8is adds a dimension to the story because not only do we have the unique point of view of the three people they also have their own voce and this is sharply brought into focus when the narrator mimics the voice of another character. Set across two time periods this is a tale of magical realism where you will be asked to leave your cynical, frozen heart at the door of the bookshop and embrace the supernatural within the story. The story of Opaline is of a woman betrayed and imprisoned in a mental hospital by her own brother; not an uncommon fate for women who didn’t conform to social norms. With Martha it is her big heart that condemns her to a brutal marriage and her loss of freedom as she falls for his lies, is just as awful as Opaline’s prison. Henry the only male narrator has to be the connection between them. His enquiring mind and non threatening innocence help forge the links that help the bookshop find them.
The audio book is beautifully done with three narrators telling their own story. I really loved how it’s not afraid to embrace the magic. Those three narrators emphasise how each character feels isolated as they struggle with life’s problems. The bookshop breaks down the barriers allowing all three to achieve knowledge and clarity. Yes it’s a whimsy of a story but it also has some hard edges within it. There is definitely room for more magic in the world and it seems it begins with books, of course.

In 1921, Opaline Carlisle escapes an arranged marriage organised by her brother Lyndon by running away to Paris where she finds a job at the Shakespeare and Company Bookseller where she begins trading as a bookseller. But Lyndon is hot on her heels and Opaline has to make yet another quick exit - this time over to Dublin. Over to the present day timeline we meet Martha who is in an abusive relationship with her husband and is also on the run and Henry who is doing research on somebody called Opaline Carlisle. The two begin a hunt to look for the missing bookshop. The dual timelines interconnect so well and even more clever is the love of books that emerges on every page of this novel - a book about books is a winner for me. The audiobook was such a special enchanting experience to listen to on this occasion. The narrators are Arena Mansergh-Wallace, Olivia Mace and Nick Bladon who provide a great performance. Thank you to Netgalley and Harper Collins.

This audiobook was done really well. I loved the different accents and voices that were used for each character. The story was fun and unlike anything I've read before.

What an amazing story! Complex and rich in details, taking turns that I had not expected. I believe that all booklovers will find a special place in their hearts for The Lost Bookshop.

The story is told in 3 first-person narratives, in 2 timelines (1920s-onwards and the present), but it’s not difficult to follow.
I felt that some explanations were missing, specially at the end, but this does not cancel out the amazing experience of reading/listening to this book.

Thank you NetGalley and publishers for a sending me a free copy of the audiobook in exchange for my honest review.

This particular audiobook isn't doing it for me - having multiple narrators voicing different ascents makes it more like a radio play for me. I will be reading the ebook instead, and give this 3 stars as its just not my personal taste.