I would like this book injected into my veins please and thank you.

WHAT A WILD EMOTIONAL ROLLERCOASTER THIS ONE WAS, but also what a great filler to what I believe is a huge gap in the current Fantasy/Romantasy genre….STRONG STANDALONE NOVELS.

A fairytale-esque magical bookshop, with a whodunnit murder mystery, deadly ink magic and a rivals to lovers romance. This book was packed with whimsy, writing style was dreamy and rich and complex somehow without feeling over descriptive.

A beautiful story about how books have the power to be more than just words on a page, featuring believable characters in the most enchanting of settings.

Many thank yous to the author, publisher and NetGalley for sharing an advance copy of this book with me!

Thank you Hodder and Stoughton and NetGalley for providing me an e-arc in exchange for an honest review. My review is my own and not influenced by others.

This is the second book I’ve read by Georgia Summers, and it’s another book with a great world building.

In this book, we follow Cassandra, a woman who will become the owner of the bookshop after the previous owner dies, because the book shop always needs an owner. Not everyone accepts she is the new owner of this book shop because the book shop has magic and there are many people who want to have this magic for their own.

This book has an amazing world building full of bookshop and books with their own magic and personalities. I had to grow into the characters, especially Cassandra because she really is morally grey in the beginning of this book, but after the first half she and Biron, and Lowell started to grow into me. But the main reason why I kept reading and loved this book so much is because of the world building.

If you’re looking for a fantasy book with books and bookshop that have their own magic and personality like Sorcery of Thorns, than I suggest to read this book.

It has magic, morally grey characters, books and bookshop with their own personality, secret societies, murder and a romance. The ending of this book was something I hoped for, and the writer delivered!

A secret network of magical bookshops has existed for millennia but they are slowly disappearing and no one knows why. A spellbinding story where one dishonoured bookseller can uncover the truth, rewrite her story and attempt to save the magic from disappearing forever. Magical and beautifully compelling.

𝐓𝐡𝐚𝐧𝐤 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐭𝐨 𝐇𝐨𝐝𝐝𝐞𝐫 & 𝐒𝐭𝐨𝐮𝐠𝐡𝐭𝐨𝐧 | 𝐇𝐨𝐝𝐝𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐜𝐚𝐩𝐞 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐚 𝐝𝐢𝐠𝐢𝐭𝐚𝐥 𝐚𝐝𝐯𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐞𝐝 𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐞𝐫 𝐜𝐨𝐩𝐲 𝐯𝐢𝐚 𝐍𝐞𝐭𝐆𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐞𝐲 𝐨𝐟 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐁𝐨𝐨𝐤𝐬𝐡𝐨𝐩 𝐁𝐞𝐥𝐨𝐰 𝐛𝐲 𝐆𝐞𝐨𝐫𝐠𝐢𝐚 𝐒𝐮𝐦𝐦𝐞𝐫𝐬

The Bookshop Below is a cosy fantasy that made me want to snuggle under a blanket with a hot chocolate as I delved into its world.

Like many readers, I dream of owning a bookshop so I knew a story based around a magical bookshop would be a perfect read for me. Georgia Summers has created a delightful, mystical world in The Bookshop Below. I thought the world building was done really well and whilst the magic system was a little confusing at first, it develops and becomes clearer as the story goes on.

I really loved Cassandra and Lowell, their relationship is a slow burn that flourishes as they go from enemies to friends to lovers. The supporting cast are all fantastic and well fleshed out, although they’re in the book plenty I’d love to have seen more of Byron and Aloysius - I just thought they were a fantastic addition to the story!

Whilst this definitely holds its own as a standalone, the ending is left open to a second book and I eagerly look forward to reading it if it ever appears!

Thank you to NetGalley and Hodderscape for a copy of the ARC!

A book about bookshops - pure indulgent magic from start to finish. I adored the world building, and immediately felt immersed in the cozy magic provided by the bookshop. The development of from enemies to friends to lovers felt natural and I was rooting for it the entire time. It was beautifully planned and executed. It is a book which has left an impression.

I just finished The Bookshop Below and I really loved it. It had that perfect mix of magical and mysterious, but it still felt cozy in a weird, slightly dark way — like curling up with a cup of tea in a bookstore that might also curse you.

Cassandra was such an interesting main character. She’s messy and stubborn and has a complicated past, which made her feel really real. And the whole hidden bookshop under London with all its secrets? I was completely hooked. It gave off major magical world-next-door energy, which I love.

The romance was subtle but really satisfying. Lowell Sharpe kind of snuck up on me, but by the end I was totally into it. The dynamic between them was so fun to watch unfold.

Honestly, if you like books about books, a little danger, secret societies, and magic that isn’t all sparkles and light, you’ll probably enjoy this a lot. It felt original but comforting at the same time. I’m already hoping there’s more to come in this world.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read and review an early copy of this book.

A must read for every booklover!
I LOVED the bookish world we get to enter in this book! I love reading books about books so I was super excited for this story. I really loved how magical this book was. There were so many fascinating magical things in this story that I feel like I can’t even name them all. Sometimes I was a little bit overwhelmed with this huge magic system, but I had such a fun time exploring it that I can’t be upset about it. I loved how book heavy this book was and that there was still room for character development. I highly recommend this book!

It is an appealing book, I was attracted by the cover image and the fact that it was about a bookshop; seeing as I love bookshops.

It carried me all across the countryside as we visited places where 'special books' were to be found including other 'bookshiops' with their owners, until they weren't.

Cassandra has antagonists on all sides, she hasn't lived a wholesome life and has people who would take it all from her, including her bookshop and her life. But SHE inherited the bookshop and it's hers to keep.

I think because it was such a good story it was over too soon and from that aspect the book felt short. But I don't think it was, in all truth.

Thank goodness there was no overt sex scene in this book. I was worried there might be, but it faded out like an old movie. An extra five stars for not exposing all, it made the book so much more enjoyable.

4.5 stars, rounded up!

I really loved Georgia Summers first book, city of stardust and I loved this one almost as much. The dreamy writing and gentle romance I loved from her previous work were here too.

This book has everything I want in a slower paced fantasy, there was a dark secret society, a few murder mysteries, an adorable romance between Cassandra and Lowell and most importantly there is a magic book that manifests as a grumpy cat!

My only complaint about the bookshop below was that the idea of readers and ink magic was so cool but I felt that I didn’t get enough of it in the story. This is really a tiny complaint though and overall I adored this book and will read absolutely anything that Georgia Summers writes next.

Thank you to Hodder and Stoughton and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this ARC.

“Lady Fate will fuck you over, little girl.”

Absolutely ate this book up. 10/10. Will absolutely be purchasing a physical copy when they’re available!

First off I would like to say a huge thank you to @netgalley and @hodderbooks and Hodder Publicity for the E-ARC because I had such a good time with this one!!🙌🏻

An atmospheric standalone that holds complex characters and a villain that I absolutely despised - his descent into madness and desperation was so well written that at times he actually scared me😂

A murder mystery, magical bookshop and rivals to lovers this was the perfect start to Autumn🍂 Cassandra is our FMC who is dragged back into the world she left behind but learns that perhaps this was where she was meant to be all along, learning to forgive herself and let her walls down🫶🏻

Also: Lowell - no words needed👀🖤

@ge_summers this was such a wonderful read and I can’t wait for it’s release in the UK on 20 November!🥳

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

A young woman inherits a magical bookshop only to discover that the magic is starting to fade. This is truly a love letter to bookshops and bookseller, even better than The City of Stardust. Beautifully written with clever worldbuilding, and striking characters - a must read.

What if bookshops were alive? In this book, you can see the shelves shifting with the current of a magical river, their books whispering to be read, and every page written in ink that could quite literally change your life.

Cassandra Fairfax is no ordinary bookseller. Once a thief, now the reluctant owner of a very special bookshop, she’s inherited more than just dusty tomes and eccentric regulars. Her shop is one of the tributary bookshops on a magical river. When her former mentor dies under mysterious circumstances, Cass finds herself pulled into a web of secrets, rival booksellers, and dangerous bargains, all while trying to keep her shop (and herself) afloat.

This isn’t a fast-paced, twist-a-minute fantasy, though it certainly has its moments! Instead, The Bookshop Below is the kind of story that takes it time to weave a story for you that's atmospheric, gently mysterious, and full of inky magic.

The romance was particularly lovely. It was a believable and slow-burn enemies-to-lovers arc that adds warmth and tension in just the right places. Cass’s prickly independence plays perfectly against Lowell’s grumpy-by-nature composure, and watching their relationship thaw works so well.

Cassandra herself was a brilliant character, full of life. I loved getting to know her past and present personalities.

The magic system, based around ink and the act of reading, is wonderfully inventive and unique, it feels tailor-made for book lovers! The idea that words themselves can hold power, that reading can literally shape the world, is so cleverly imagined. It gives the story a rich, bookish texture that makes it easy to lose yourself in its atmosphere. What reader doesn't enjoy a somewhat meta book about books?!

And of course, we can’t forget the real star: Errata, the cat who is also technically a book. (It makes sense in context, I promise!).

If I had one complaint, it’s simply that I wanted more of this world! I really enjoyed falling into the world where magical tributary bookshops channel the current of a magical river.

The Bookshop Below isn’t a story that races; it meanders like the river it’s built upon, slow, magical, and quietly powerful. For readers who love stories about stories, magical bookshops, and characters who find redemption between the pages, this is one to curl up with on a chilly evening and savour.

It sort of combined the idea behind The Lost Bookshop and the feeling of Modern Divination. It was a little bit dark academia and suitable for young adults too.

I am a little biased on this book as I know the author from my school days! She was one of my sister's best friends at school. But genuinely, I had her pegged as "the one most likely to be an author" from the day I read an early draft of a novel she was writing at 14 or 15! Her first book, The City of Stardust, is also an excellent standalone fantasy that really stands out on bookshelves!

Thank you to Netgalley, the author and the publishers for an ARC of this book.

When I started this novel I was uncertain whether I would finish. I contemplated leaving it and reading another. But gradually, I got hooked. I finished it in one day.
It is a fairytale in itself, within a story of greed and evil and villains, but also with redemption. For everyone who loves to read, imagine what it it could be like if the stories you read can change the world's story. If there is magic that can alter reality to what you wish it to be. And that this stream of consciousness goes back to the first stories we humans ever told each other, especially ones where fate or luck changes the possibilities of what happens next. And imagine what people would pay for that privilege. The ability to change outcomes of actions.
And of course the novel gives us one possible solution and outcome, but could there be others?

My start rating increased the further I read inio the story.

Fantasy, library, bookshops and book magic, romance, second chances, lies, deceit, murder, mystery, secrets, twists, and a maybe, helpful, cat. Certainly enough of my favourite tropes to keep me very happily entertained.

This book comes alive with believable characters, all with secrets and questionable pasts. Their futures are questionable too, as there is always a price to pay when you are trying to change the path of fate.

Cassandra’s entry into the story, and our lives, suggests a nice cosy, fun and funny story. I thought. Fun and funny at times, yes. But as we are exposed to her past, it becomes clear that this is not going to be a cosy library tale, and happily ever after is very unlikely.

Thank you to Hodder and Stoughton and NetGalley for the ARC. The views expressed are all mine, freely given. Thank you to

If you want a story that will change your life, Chiron's bookshop is where you go, —this opening line instantly grabbed my attention! Bookshops and those who run them have always seemed enchanting to me, but this tale unfolds into an entirely new realm full of perilous deals and potent magic; I was captivated from start to finish. Cassandra’s childhood in a bookshop sets her apart, yet circumstances forced her departure. With Chiron’s passing, she returns, only to discover that nothing is quite as it seems. with booksellers, rich playboys and numerous characters with very questionable pasts - can she work with Lowell Sharpe and save the bookshop from unknown threats. The magic system incorporates reading, ink and books is just delicious, the romance is perfect, and the adventure is so believable it will have you asking where you can apply to work there – (seriously I have experience?)

This, this right here... this is a book for book lovers. Think Inkheart but for adults, with more danger and blood and a horror that lies more in the greed of humanity than anything magical. While there were a few plot holes when it came to the magic system, I found it impossible to not get swept away in this tale of magic and romance.

The story focuses on Cassandra Fairfax, or Cass Holt, depending on which mask she is wearing that day. Someone who grew up in a bookshop and then was thrown out for reasons we only realise towards the end of the book. She's a complicated character, someone who veers towards the morally grey end of the spectrum. She both reveres the bookshops and resents them, and when she finds herself back in the one she grew up in, she can't help but have mixed feelings. We learn fairly early on that Cassandra, as Cass Holt, spent years as a book thief for hire. Her uncanny ability with the books meaning she was highly sought after, and she didn't care who she screwed over to make her money, but then something happens, something that changes her outlook on books and magic forever. She's someone who keeps things locked inside, so it seems only fair that Summers keeps part of her past secret from her readers, at least until they will make the biggest emotional impact.

Alongside Cassandra, Summers graces us with a pretty tight knit cast. We do meet other booksellers, customers, but the two characters we spend the most time with are Byron, a bookseller who comes to work for Cassandra when she takes over the bookshop, and Lowell Sharpe, a rival bookseller who has his eyes on her shop. Byron is the sunshine to Cassandra's gloom, and the saving grace she needs just when she thinks that taking over the bookshop might have been a terrible idea. But it's Lowell we spend the most time with. Cassandra's rival and someone who has almost been ostracized from the bookish community. He looks down on Cassandra, seeing her as ill-equipped and selfish. But the more time they spend together, the more they realise that they might just want the same things.

I seem to be in the minority, but I actually prefer this to Summers first book. Though there were a few inconsistency's with the magic system, the plot felt more developed and the pacing slower, meaning I felt more drawn into the story. Summers writes in that delectable and lush way that never fails to create the most perfect atmosphere for her stories, and that is undoubtedly the case in this book. Featuring magical books that can be 'read' bestowing people with gifts of speed & strength among other things, booksellers who run bookshops only certain people can find, and only when they need it, and a magical river that ties them all together. I defy any book lover not to get a little swoony over the descriptions of the books and bookshops, how Summers brings her own kind of magic to these books that we already know to be magical in their own way.

But as with any kind of magic their comes a price, as well as people who will do whatever it takes to claim the power for themselves. In the Bookshop Below we get treated to both outsiders incredibly desperate to make their way into this magical world, and those who already reside there desperate to claim as much power as they can, no matter who they hurt in the process. Our 'bad guys' do stray towards the one dimensional, but I felt it worked for the story Summers was telling, and she managed to throw in a few twists regarding them that keep us on our toes.

Slow burn, rivals to lovers, strip teases to claim a book... The Bookshop Below features all this and more. I loved the romance between Cassandra and Lowell, their initial dislike of each other slowly verges into something closer to respect, and then something more. I enjoyed their arguments as much as their romantic scenes, and felt Summers did a fantastic job of building their relationship without detracting from the plot in anyway. If anything their romance adds an extra tension to it, especially towards the end when the real danger kicks in. An ending that was left open in the best way possible. I'm not normally a fan of an open end, but I thought this was so well done and just fit with the story.

If you love books about books, romance, the perfect blend of action and slower scenes and a morally grey MC who lives and works in a magical bookshops, I would absolutely check this out. This was my favourite of Summers books by far, and I can't wait to check out what she writes next.

If you’re looking for an action-packed, foot-to-floor fantasy adventure, or a cosy read all about the joys of being a second-hand bookshop, then this one isn’t for you. It’s neither of those things.

Summers’ writing is on the literary edge of fantasy, so the prose is beautiful, well-crafted and descriptions often verge on the lyrical, with sumptuous use of all the senses. You don’t just visualise the setting – you can also smell, touch and taste it. This inevitably means the pacing is more leisurely than your usual fantasy adventure – which is fine, so long as the story is compelling and you care for the characters. I’ll be honest – for the first slice of the book, it was a bit of a trudge. Cassandra is riven with guilt and anger. She’s done some bad things – one of which led to a terrible event that still haunts her. Summers needs us to realise she has hit the bottom. It’s a big ask to bond with someone so compromised – especially as the book starts with a very dark scene and then we don’t circle back to exactly who did it until a long way through the story.

But then there is a particular event that put me very much on Cassandra’s side and from then on, it was difficult to stop reading. The story is packed with suspense, while the magical system is complicated and difficult to comprehend – I’m still not sure that I entirely grasped it. Though I tend not to mind too much, so long as I’m confident that the author knows exactly what is going on. After all, with anything fantastical – there’s always a sense of the unexplainable, or it wouldn’t be magic. To a point, of course – I get do grumpy when it goes a bit fey and difficult because the author hasn’t bothered to work out what their magical system is doing.

This magical system has a long history, where Lady Fate – who has control over stories and therefore timelines – has granted her chosen owners of magical bookshops the option to bend or change stories, using the river as the source of the magical power necessary to do so. In return, a price has to be paid and the price is always high – or should be. There’s a constant sense of the ancient pact between humans and the river’s elemental force running through the book that is beautiful and mysterious, but also savage. Firstborn children are often the price, for instance. But at times, exploring that aspect of the magic fights with the pacing necessary in a murder mystery. Summers gets away with it – if she was a lesser talent and the characters weren’t so compelling, this one could well have collapsed in a meandering, messy heap.

As it is, this dark and often violent story explores what happens when a cadre of entitled people, with remarkable power, have to deal with that power trickling away. If and when it goes – they’ll die with it. None of them could be described as nice – and that goes for Cassandra and Lowell, too. Then there is that ending… I’d love to discuss it, but that would mean lurching into Spoiler territory and I’m not doing that. Suffice to say, I’ve been thinking a lot about it since I finished the book, so that means it works. This is an ambitious book dealing with the nastier side of human nature, which has had me musing about it a lot since I put it down. Highly recommended for those who enjoy darker fantasy with lots of tension, nuanced characters and a strong magical system. While I obtained a copy of The Bookshop Below from the publisher via Netgalley, the opinions I have expressed are unbiased and my own.
9/10