This is a great debut novel which I thoroughly enjoyed. It is set in beautiful York enriched with wonderful characters.
It’s an easy historical romantic read which also includes a bookshop. What’s not to like. The cover of this book really had me hooked to begin reading.
Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC in return for an honest review.

This is such a wonderful book to settle down with. It is a mix of those wonderful classical fiction and romance stories but written in a very easy-to-read style.

When Evelyn Seaton and her Mother suddenly find themselves out of their home they seek refuge with an Aunt. This is not something that Evelyn's mother is happy about, she has always been about her status in society and how she came from nothing and married a Baron, she has spent years cultivating her friends. But these friends suddenly disappear. Her wish is for her daughter to find someone to marry to help them reclaim their status.

Evelyn is of a different opinion, she is a bluntly spoken young woman and decides that she can do more than just become a wife and so when she ends up working in a bookshop run by Mr Morton. He did have the help of his nephew until he went to London to become a writer.

The story is fabulous and it was so easy to get to grips with the characters, their stories, how they interact and who they are and their relationships or friendships with others. The author creates such a tangled web of lies and deceit as those with secrets try to hide them, after all, it would be very seemly to have all your dirty washing aired out for all to see!

As I read I was not aware of what the secrets were, some things were alluded to but the main core was kept hidden until much later in the book. Working and keeping it from her mother makes life tricky for Evelyn, especially as William has returned from London and wants to take his job in the bookshop back. Let us say they don't hit it off straight away. They do manage an amicable arrangement concerning work.

This is such a wonderful book and is one for those who like historical fiction, romance and the lifestyle of 1899. With plenty of secrets, suspicion, opinions and social status. I adored everything about this book and I would definitely recommend it.

First can I say how stunning the front cover art is.
This is a debut historical romance for Sophie, set in York which is one of my favourite cities in the UK. It follows Evelyn who finds herself and her mother homeless after her father gambled away a fortune. They find themselves in York, staying with her Aunt Clara. Evelyn’s mother is desperate to keep her daughter in society but the plan fails when Evelyn is mocked at the ball. She flees the ball and find herself applying to The Lamplighter’s Bookshop and in competition with Williams for the position.
I did enjoy the story between Evelyn and William, I was hoping the bookshop played an even bigger part to the storyline, I was wanting secrets held within the bookshop to be prevalent which wasn’t the case.
Aunt Clara was such a standout, I could literally visualise her giving her no nonsense advice which made me giggle.
Thank you NetGalley, Sophie Austin and HarperCollins for this ARC, all opinions expressed are my own.

When people arrive to repose the house Evelyn and her mother live in, they think it’s a mistake, surely her absent father would soon sort out the misunderstanding.
They move to stay with an aunt and Evelyn quickly works out what is going on and what she must do to help herself as well as her mother.

What follows is a lovely tale of self preservation, making new friends, finding your own way in life and not sticking to what is deemed your station.
This book is set in the late 1800 but in some ways it did feel more modern than that.

I loved the way the characters developed, how the plots brought them together and also pushed them apart.

This was really well written and I felt myself become fully submerged within the tale. I don’t normally turn to historic fiction, but really did enjoy this one.

My favourite character has to be aunt Clara. I love her humour, her forthrightness and how she is an integral part of this story.

All in all a great read.

"The Lamplighter's Bookshop" is a feel-good Victorian romance set in York. Evelyn Seaton was born to a privileged background, but when the bailiffs come knocking at their door she and her mother have to move out of their large house. Evelyn's mother is distraught by the whole situation as she had fought her way up from the workhouse to become a Lady. However, Lord Seaton is missing in London and not communicating with his family to let them know what is going on.

Evelyn decides that she will need to work to help support them as they are lodging with a kindly, but not particularly wealthy, aunt. By chance, Evelyn finds an advert for a position at a bookshop, formerly known as the Lamplighter's Bookshop.

This is an enjoyable period romance with some great characters and moral lessons.

Thanks to Net Galley and the publishers for the opportunity to read and review this book.

This was a really absorbing read, that centred around Evelyn as she faces living a very different life after her father loses all their money. The privileged lifestyle is gone overnight, so her and her mother are forced to move to York to live with her Aunt and start over.

And that's when she stumbles across an advert asking for help at a nearby bookshop and the mysterious Mr Morton enters her life. He is very set in his ways so they do clash to begin with but it's interesting to see how their dynamics change as she grows in confidence and really throws herself into the job.

It's a very different way of life for her in York but she adapts quite well and it's very interesting to see how those who used to be in her life now treat her, now she doesn't have money. It shows up that divide that was prevalent the time.

it's quite an inspiring read t o see her turns things around for herself and the people she meets along the way add to her journey and I found myself immersed in that world and enjoyed it!

I was drawn to this book by the beautiful cover, the bookshop theme and the York setting. I found the story quite slow to get into and I would have liked more about the bookshop. Not a gripping tale but if you are looking for an easy to read romance this might fit the bill. A promising debut.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an arc in exchange for an honest review.

The Lamplighter's Bookshop is a disorganised muddle of a shop in late 1800s York. Evelyn Seaton, a down on her luck ex debutante has had to leave her glitzy life behind her as a result of her father's poor financial choices and is now living with her mother and eccentric Aunt Clara while the women scheme to improve their circumstances. Evelyn, however, has other plans. She demands a job in the bookshop. Problems arise when the owner of the shop's nephew returns to take said job.

I'm very torn on this one. While it's set in the late 1800s, it really doesn't feel like it. The characters speak and behave very modernly and, on occasion, very contradictory. But then on the other hand, you can really feel the relationships between the characters and the drama in the plot worked well. Definitely an author to watch!

A mum and daughter have to leave their own after it is repossessed. A story of how the daughter tried to build a new life in York all,the while being talked about because of the sins of her father. She meets a new friend and starts to build new relationships when her father comes home and tries to derail her.

Was attracted to this title because it was set in York in the late 1800s and set in a Bookshop. I liked the descriptive writing, especially of the bookshop itself - how it was overflowing with books and organised in a strange way that only the owner knew where everything was. I am not into romance but I liked how Evelyn took her future into her own hands.
I loved Great-Aunt Clara - she added much humour to the story.
Three and a half stars for me.
Many thanks to Netgalley/Sophie Austin/HarperCollins UK for a digital copy of this title. All opinions expressed are my own.

The Lamplighter’s Bookshop by Sophie Austin provides a lighthearted escape into the quaint world of books and bookstores. The setting is charming and the characters are endearing, making it an enjoyable read.

However, the plot unfolds with gentle twists and turns that may come across as predictable. Still enjoyable.

Overall, The Lamplighter’s Bookshop is a cosy read perfect for a relaxing evening, but it may not leave a lasting impression.

Enjoyed reading. Took a while to get into the story but then the pages flew by. A reminder of how self made people were never accepted by the old money families.

It was an overall good story and romance, but there's a few things that made me hard to reach over 3 stars.

The story was interesting. I really enjoyed the different plots but mostly the morality about lies, on the reasons they can be made up, and the fact that there are people who can really change if given a second chance, while others can't. The difference between true excuses, and finding excuses. I also loved the bookshop side of the plot, especially with uncle Howie being actually cute with his story, and what became of the bookshop and overall Evelyn trying hard to make a living by herself.

However, the story took too long to pick up (took some time to finally meet William), and the multiple plots went there and nowhere at the same time so it made the story long, and sometimes bland. Evelyn isn't a very touching character, and she hasn't really changed much. There were only three characters that I really enjoyed and they were all side characters as Auntie Clara, Jack and Naomi, as they were the only ones being honestly from beginning to start.

I don't like the idea of giving books a 3-star rating. I truly appreciate the time and effort that everyone involved in the process puts in. However, this book just didn’t resonate with me. The cover is absolutely beautiful, and that was what initially drew me in. But as I read, I struggled to connect with the main characters and the plot. It wasn’t what I expected. I was hoping for a mystical story with hidden 'depth', but instead, it felt more like a Bridgerton-ish love story, which isn’t really my thing.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Set across the span of a year from June 1899 - June 1890, we follow headstrong girl Evelyn through turmoil after turmoil. Going from a spoiled bourgeois girl to a woman who understands the importance of money and how to be independent and make her own place in society without worrying about scorn from others. I enjoyed the banter between Evelyn and William, and the setting of the bookshop, but the story was slow to get to the plot actually mentioned in the summary. I didn't understand what I was reading for the first ten chapters. I enjoyed Naomi and Jack, but the other characters just made me annoyed and that led to me not really enjoying this book. It's a decent romance, worth borrowing from a library, or if you are in need of a palate cleanser between heavier materials, but the pace needed work and I found myself getting bored with the descriptions so I just focused on the conversations and towards the end skimmed the last chapters.

I really wanted to love this book, but it didn't quite hit the high notes, but still very enjoyable. Let me explain why.

It's a mixture of genres; it's an historical piece, and there's romance (although at times that felt a little forced), but most importantly, it's about books and a bookshop.

The start was very bewitching and beguiling, I will admit. I was really sucked in to begin with.

I really liked Evelyn as a main character. I love it when female characters are tough in times where t hey should have been subservient. She was loud and honest and she almost had to be the man of the house and I loved her for it. Even more so because she's like a foil to all the traditional elements of the time.

The male characters didn't really gel with me. I know they are of their time, but I didn't get on with any of them for various reasons. For me, this is a woman's story - Evelyn, her mother, her aunt, her friends. The men are almost surplus to requirements, just making the reading a little awkward. Although I will concede that the majority of them did work their way through by the end, but they still didn't match up to the women.

Did I want more about the bookshop given that it's the title? Yes I did. What is there is enjoyable and I liked it, but maybe just a bit more focus on the bookshop, because it isn't introduced to about 1/4 of the way through. Having said that, to contradict myself, I do understand you need some time to build up the character and the story, otherwise you wouldn't care what happened.

I do wonder if there were maybe one too many storylines happening. I didn't dislike that completely because they were all interesting, but I thought if she'd chose a few of them then they may have been developed further, as some felt a bit like skimming the surface.

It was a really lovely ending. Sometimes it can be hard to wrap everything up, and I was worried it'd perhaps fall a bit at the last hurdle, but it was a really pleasing finale. I think the beginning was really good, and the ending; it was just the middle where it sagged a little.

At nearly 370 pages, it's not a short book - not is it overly long - but it flew by and I read it over one evening. This is Sophie's debut, and whilst in my opinion there were some pacing issues, I will definitely look out for her future work. There was even a taster of her next book, The Memory Binder, which sounds enchanting.

It is 1899 and Evelyn Seaton and her mother have been forced to leave their home and move in with Aunt Clara in York.

Due to Evelyn’s father’s gambling debts, they have lost everything … including their status.

When Evelyn flees from a ball after being humiliated by so-called friends, she meets budding writer, William Morton.

After lying to her mother, Evelyn starts to work in a bookshop in York and soon meets up with William again.

This is a beautiful debut from the author and I devoured every word, hungry for more.

The characters made me smile, especially Jack and Naomi. It was hard to like Evelyn’s dad, but I did find myself feeling a little sorry for him.

This is a heartwarming and romantic story, full of mystery and intrigue. A beautifully written tale that brought the stunning city of York to life.

My thanks to Harper Collins UK and NetGalley for a copy in exchange for my honest review.

The writing was good and I ended up getting quite invested in the characters' story. I liked that you got to see the main story from the two main characters' points of view. That gave a well rounded feel to the story. I liked that we got to see what the characters were hiding from one another. That added tension as you weren't sure when or if it would all suddenly come crashing down!

The chapters were fairly long which meant that you got a good chunk of the story before moving on. There was a good pace to the book with some of the chapters being dated which showed the passage of time and kept you moving forward. There was a good flow between the chapters despite the occasional jumps in time.

The characters were good. I enjoyed the mix of personalities and how the characters tried to make things appear differently to what they really were. It highlighted the social difficulties of the time and showed how the rules differed depending on your social class and standing. It was interesting to see the characters get tied up in knots trying to keep their secrets hidden.

Lastly the settings. I enjoyed following the characters around and particularly enjoyed the work that was happening in the bookshop. The descriptions of the settings were light as this was a character focused story. I liked that the bookshop itself was a character in its own right.

Overall an interesting story.

Evelyn Seaton and her mother move to York, to stay with her Great-Aunt Clara after the police evict them from their home in Yorkshire. Lady Cecilia has always made excuses for her husband and her solution to their current problems is for daughter to marry and she doesn’t want to listen when Evelyn points out her reputation is in tatters and due to her father's actions.

Evelyn needs to find a job and she answers an advertisement for an assistant at Morton’s Emporium or The Lamplighter’s Bookshop as it’s known, run by an eccentric elderly gentleman, inside it’s dark, dingy, dusty and packed to the rafters with books, and has odd opening hours.

William Morton is Howard’s nephew, an aspiring writer, he returns from London and his Uncle and friends think he’s sold the rights to his first novel and has he? William isn’t happy Evelyn has taken his job, and he and Evelyn rub each other up the wrong way and they start a competition to improve the shop and it's sales. Both Evelyn and William have problems and secrets, been let down by a parent, it’s made them rather peevish and put up defences.

I received a copy of The Lamplighter's Bookshop from NetGalley and HarperCollins UK in exchange for an honest review. The narrative written by Sophie Austin is a quick and enjoyable historical fiction read for those who enjoy stories set in Victorian England and quaint bookshops.

A tale about breaking down walls people build around their hearts, to be able to rewriting their own story and one they can hopefully share together. Evelyn and William were friends with Naomi and Jack, two likeable souls and they help the couple see sense and so did Uncle Howard. I look forward to reading the authors next book The Memory Binder and four stars for her debut novel and I recommend.

Thank you to HarperCollins and NetGalley for my pre publication digital copy of this book, in exchange for an honest review. I honestly don’t like giving only 3* for a novel, as I know how much work must go into each and everyy one. However, on this occasion I felt I must, as the storyline is just too shallow and not faithful to the historical context, especially with regards to social etiquette around relationships. I wouldn’t have finished the book if I had not been reviewing it, as it as so obvious what was going to happen. There is far too much repetition of words and phrases, and I really hope it will have been much more fully edited before the release date.