The cover and title immediately drew me in, and I was excited to discover the magic promised by The Midnight Bookshop. Unfortunately, the story didn't fully meet my expectations.

While the initial idea was wonderful (a magical bookshop and its mysterious owner) the emotional depth I hoped for never quite materialized. The relationships between the three main characters developed very quickly but felt unconvincing, leaving me disconnected from their journey.

I found that the conflicts were resolved too easily, and conversations sometimes felt repetitive, slowing down the pacing. The magical elements I was looking forward to took a backseat to a friendship storyline that, for me, lacked the necessary development.

Despite my best efforts to stay engaged, I ultimately decided to DNF at 89%. I believe the concept had great potential, but unfortunately, it didn’t fully deliver the magic I was hoping for.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This is the ultimate escapist book journey. Everyone loves to be lost in a good book and a book that you can actually jump into is truly incredible. Great idea, great characters, great storyline.

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

A very beautiful magical read . Loved it. Three very different characters with very different lives meet and a lovely story follows . Books lead the story. Very well written. It is amazing. You will love it .

I really enjoyed this book! It features three main characters, all struggling in different ways, who are brought together by a magical bookshop. The book is well written, and the character development is excellent. Several well known books are read and discussed by the characters, which I also enjoyed. I also highly recommend the author's most recent book, The Garden of Memories.

DNF @ 40%. It's all just a bit...trite. The idea of Fay being a sort of avatar for the bookshop itself is intriguing, but it's not the focus of the book, and so it's not enough for me to keep reading. This is also trying for magical realism, but magical realism really relies on the characters treating the magic as a matter of course, which is not the case here, so I don't think it's a successful application.

I recently read Welcome to the Hyunam-Dong Bookshop and think that's a great choice for someone looking for a story about the healing power of books and bookshops. It is cozy without being trite and also highlights some more niche books rather than going on about Harry Potter (in 2025, seriously?), Lord of the Rings, The Great Gatsby, etc.

An amazing story about an amazing book shop. Who wouldn't want to visit such a magical book shop that can help transport you into the actual book of your imagination. Book have always been a place to escape to in more ways than you realise.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC. I wanted to love it based on the synopsis and cover but it just fell short for me.

The characters were a hodgepodge of random misfits that become a close knit group of friends. However, they didn’t really work together. We get a slight background on each character. Jo is a spoiled brat, Kye lives in poverty with his family, and Adelaide is in an abusive marriage. They’re all different ages too which makes this less believable. The characters lacked personality. The three main characters practically foamed at the mouth for Fay, the bookshop owner, it was a little weird.

The writing is very choppy, some parts didn’t really come together. It seemed like a mix of ideas that didn’t quite make it out fully. The premise was interesting but the writing fell short. It was very repetitive with many recycled quotes. I thought the book was good up until the 50% mark. In my opinion it should have completed there when the characters realized the purpose of the book or the message they needed to hear. The last 50% was boring. The dialogue between the characters was weak and poorly delivered.

There are multiple books and their endings mentioned in this book. So there could be some spoilers if you’re not familiar with these books. I think this book had a lot of potential but just didn’t quite capture my attention like I thought it would. I skimmed the last few chapters because I needed to finish it. I don’t feel like there was much to be missed there. It was all just fluff and filler at that point. This is also a UK book so phrases and words are different than America.

The cover is beautiful though!

The Midnight Bookshop is a heartwarming story filled with hope and new beginnings. A story about what a book gives the reader and what we as readers get from reading.

'Two people reading the same book will have different perceptions - perhaps not hugely different, but they will have them, nonetheless'

It follows the lives of Jo, Kye and Adelaide, strangers brought together because of a leaflet, advertising The Midnight Bookshop. All three are drawn to finding this mysterious Bookshop. When a chance encounter sees all three of them in the same place, they decide to meet up at the Midnight Bookshop and see what its all about.

Jo, Kye and Adelaide seem to live completely different lives but underneath they live a life that sees them abused and controlled by the people who are meant to love them. Then they meet Fay at The Midnight Bookshop and she fills them with hope and purpose.

'You don't choose the book, the book chooses you'

Fay shows them how a book can change your life, how one can help you rewrite the direction of your story and take back control over it. This is so true there are books out there that can answer questions you've been asking, and guide you in the right direction. I know I've read a few myself.

This is a story about the magic and healing properties of stories. Our one true friend that will always be there for us. The imagery this book creates as you're reading is beautiful.

You can't help but love the characters here. They each have a heartbreaking story to tell. I just felt that the dialogue felt a little flat and one-dimensional. At times it felt like I was reading a YA book. It also felt like the end of their stories were quickly and neatly wrapped up but I think I'm looking into it too deeply and not taking it for what it is.

'Don't question things too closely as the answer isn't always available'

I did enjoy this story. It was an enchanting and magical read, Filled with hope, believing in ourselves and taking back control of our own story.

Thank you One More Chapter for my advanced copy of this book.

Gentle, cosy and magical fantasy. There is a book, ready and willing to be read. This book. If you find yourself needing some joy, or a little uplift, then maybe this book will find you. Midnight or not, don’t be scared if it falls into your hands, this book brings magic and healing for all those that spend time in its words. Thank you to Harper Collins UK, One More Chapter and NetGalley for the ARC. The views expressed are all mine, freely given.

The Midnight Bookshop. I thought I was getting a story full of intrigue.

Instead, I received a story about do-overs and relationships. What happens when a life is empty of happiness? The Midnight Bookshop, if one is lucky enough to be chosen. Through Fay and the Midnight Bookshop, one finds that reading can be enough to bring joy.

Hard to believe? I thought so, but then I decided that the pages of a book bring escapism and travel to new lands, new book friends, and adventure. So carrying that forward to a “what if…” degree, this could excuse book plausibility, right? It’s nice to think that a book imagination could bring the do-overs that some may need.

This story is about 3 strangers who follow instructions on a flyer to a magical bookshop. Each one has not only their own personal struggles but also their own respective relationship with reading. You could say this book qualifies as cozy because while there are some high stake situations they're dealt with very quickly which was a little frustrating to me.
The story is told in multiple POVs between the main characters which was difficult to differentiate at times. I would have liked for the characters to have more distinctive viewpoints. I would have also liked to learn more about the mysterious owner, Faye, but understand that was part of the mystery.
Overall I did enjoy this book and felt like it was a cute love letter to book lovers everywhere.

Thank you NetGalley and HarperCollins UK for the ARC!

I absolutely loved the Concept A magical library that happens to give it's patrons the book they need? Plus, its filled with whimsical imagery and foliage that make it ethereal? Stunning! The imagery was so beautiful in this book, and the details of the locations always made me feel like I was there! The story however didn't fully reel me in. Some of the scenes felt a bit flat and a bit too mundane, a few inconsistencies with details here and there, and some of the characters problems felt a bit too caricature, which made it hard to fully immerse. The story however did a fantastic job of making the characters bond and show that people can overcome struggles in their lives, and learn to strive forward. While the book wasn't fully for me, I can confidently say many others will be able to enjoy this wonderful story and it's characters!

The Midnight Bookshop only appears to people who need it, people who's lives are spiralling out of control.
People like Jo who can buy anything she wishes to but instead loves the thrill of stealing from shops. She has always felt unloved by her parents so in return she treats them with contempt and pushes boundaries.

Adelaide, who loves reading but is forbidden to do so by her abusive husband. She is not allowed to lose weight or wear nice clothes or go where she wants or he is physically abusive.

Finally there's Kye who is under the thumb of his elder drug dealing brother who expects him to work for him and not persue his own ambitions. Kye stays because his mother is sick and he can't leave her to his brothers mercy.

All three find a leaflet advertising the bookshop and decide to visit together.
The bookshop owner, May is a friendly enigmatic woman who seems to know their hearts desires. She tells them that the premise of the bookshop is the book chooses you, you do not choose the book. They are all in awe of what waits for them inside and the bookshop will become a big part of their lives until the day their lives are different.

Oh my goodness I loved this book. I felt like I was a child again and immersed my self into the magical world of Fay and her bookshop. I could imagine, through the author's words the forever moving cat and the dragon and all the other magical occurrences that went on around out three broken characters.

As well as the bookshop the stories of what the characters were going through kept me page turning wondering if things would gett better or worse for them.
I did of. Course have lots of questions at the end of the book. Where did the bookshop go? Did it spin through time with Fay inside? Who else did the bookshop help? And more questions that to ask here would give the story away.
I'm sure my answer is something Fay said in the book, "Don't question things too closely, as the answer isn't always available "
Another great read by Amanda James.

Nice easy cozy fantasy vibes. The dialogue felt a bit flat for me throughout, and a lot of inconsistencies which let the book down for me, little things like Adelaide ordering tea and cake, then taking a sip from her coffee, or Kye being referred to as Kyle (not by the other characters either). The odd one or two I can pass off as a typo or a lapse but they are throughout the book which leaves it feeling a bit amateur.
The story itself and the idea of a magical bookshop that appears to those who need the escape, and the book chooses you, is unique and full of potential.

I thoroughly enjoyed this story. It had all the elements to make a really good read: mystery, magic, romance, and friendship. The storyline was well-crafted, and I quickly got into it and found it hard to put down. I do love a story set around a book shop, and this one was very special, a book shop that appears to those who need it, along with a mysterious and enigmatic bookseller.

The three main characters, Jo, Adelaine and Kye, are all dealing with serious problems in their lives and don't know how to sort things out. They each find a flyer for The Midnight Bookshop and feel drawn to visit it, and the story begins.

I loved the magical elements in the story, the friendship that develops between the three and seeing their lives grow and improve because of the books. I found the ending a little less exciting, hence the four stars, but I loved the story and would highly recommend it.

Thank you Netgalley for this ARC

This book wasn’t at all what I expected, but it was entertaining enough to keep me reading until the end.

Three strangers—Adelaine, Jo, and Kay—find themselves drawn to a magical store called the Midnight Bookshop, run by the mysterious Fay. At this shop, it’s said that the book chooses the person.

Each of them is dealing with their own personal struggles, and through the stories they read and the friendships they form, they experience meaningful growth.

I really liked the concept of a magical bookshop, but the story didn’t quite hit the mark for me—it was missing a certain spark. That said, I genuinely enjoyed following everyone’s journey and seeing how they evolved. It was sweet and heartwarming.

Overall, it was an easy, cozy read about personal challenges and self-discovery.

This was a story that made you think about how books can bring people together. A shared interest in literature and wandering are bookshops. This was a lovely read and had me hoping they would get together eventually. My thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for giving me the opportunity to read this book in return for an honest review.

The Midnight Bookshop by Amanda James is the most delightful novel that will fire up your imagination.
This is a tale about three people and their new-found love of reading. “It doesn’t matter how much you read… as long as you attempt it.” Books are the doorway to brave new worlds. They offer possibilities and show you a new way of living. The Midnight Bookshop “is built on the imagination, mystery and magic.” As the reader sinks between its’ pages, we ‘feel’ the power of the story.
The leading three characters are all floundering. Life has not been kind to any of them. They all face different challenges.
A twenty-one-year-old has everything that money can buy but money cannot buy love. “I didn’t want their money… I wanted their love.” Everyone desires to be loved.
In contrast an eighteen-year-old is living in poverty and declares, “I feel trapped.” Caught between an ailing mother and a drug dealing older brother, his life is going nowhere and he cannot see a way out.
And finally, we have a young woman who has been trapped in an abusive marriage for ten years. “He wanted her to feel unattractive, worthless… a woman with no confidence is easier to control.” Day upon day, her husband has put her down, either with his words or with his fists. “She felt she was a non-person.” She feels invisible.
A flyer for the Midnight Bookshop brings the three to its’ doors. Each one finally finds a place of refuge from the world. “It’s as if she’s come home. A sense of belonging.”
Books do not judge us. As the Midnight Bookshop opens its’ doors to the lost and the hurting, they find that they do not choose the books, the books choose them. Hurting, lonely lives begin to open up. There are new friendships and new possibilities ahead. “Hope is still with me, and right now it is stronger than fear.” Lives inter-twined support each other, helping to provide firm foundations as well as friendship.
The Midnight Bookshop is a positively delightful read. I never wanted it to end. It fired up imaginations as it gave the characters the courage to let go of their ‘little’ lives and to begin to really live.
The Midnight Bookshop was my first book by Amanda James and I want more, more, more!
I received a free copy. A favorable review was not required. All opinions are my own.

What if you could rewrite your life, as if it were a book? What if you had the power to choose the next chapters yourself?

The story of The Midnight Bookshop follows Jo, Adelaide, and Kye. These characters seem completely different, but each of them struggles with life in their own way. Their paths cross in a mysterious, magical bookshop that is only visible to those who know where to look.

"You don't choose the book. The book chooses you."

The bookshop is a character in itself. To understand the Midnight Bookstore, you have to let go of logical explanations and believe in imagination and magic. Books are more than ink and paper. Books can change lives and bring people together.

"Imagination can be surprising. Perhaps what’s in our head is as real as you or I.”

Although the story is intriguing and the atmosphere of the bookshop is enchanting, I struggled to connect with the characters. Their personal issues sometimes felt a bit simplistic or superficially explored, which made their development feel unconvincing.

For those who enjoy magical realism, mysterious bookshops, and the idea that imagination can change the world, this book is definitely worth reading.

3.5 stars

Thank you NetGalley, HarperCollins UK, and One More Chapter for the e-ARC!

This had me hooked from the very first page. Each character has their own individual journey of redemption and hope. All tied to a love of books and the power they have to impact a person. At the heart of the story are characters dealing with pain and tragedy—grief, loneliness, and personal battles that feel all too real. But the Midnight Bookshop brings them all together and well... Just go read it.