My #tobereadpile is so behind that this book is one of my original #netgalley downloads I am just now getting to read. I know I picked the #bookbyitscover because I had just recently moved back from #Rome. Turns out this is an Italian book translated into English so the #culturaldifferences and style of writing might not be for everyone. The story follows a bookbinder from the 1800s and one in the 2010s as they each navigate their romantic paths. A ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ #historicalromance for those who like to mix their history with a bit of #storybookromance fantasy. 📚📚📚 #netgalleyreads #netgalleyarcreviewer #thebinderofloststories

Not very enjoyable. Some parts were somewhat interesting but i found Sofia to be boring most times..
Sometimes i felt like nothing happend over a long time and the characters were annoying.

Sometimes, a book tells more than one story.

What book lover hasn't combed the shelves of a used book store and pulled out a volume that once belonged to someone who wrote in it? Perhaps it was just an inscription: "To Sarah on her on her birthday." Or maybe it was something more personal, like underlined passages or notes jotted in the margin. Regardless of what is written in the flyleaf or the pages, you wonder who that book belonged to. Did they love it? Was it a treasured part of their library or was it a gift from the relative who insisted on giving books when the person wanted a baseball mitt?

When Sofia Bauer visits a bookshop in her neighborhood in present day Rome, the owner gives her a volume much in need of repair. A bookbinder and librarian, Sofia decides to repair the volume. When she takes it apart she finds a letter tucked inside the endpapers. A letter from another bookbinder, a woman who lived two centuries before. Intrigued, Sofia decides to find out more about this woman and the book she chose to hide her letter in.

Clarice Von Harmel did not start out to be a bookbinder. As a girl in early 19th century she is sent to live with her aunt and uncle in Vienna following the death of her parents. She is bright, curious, and life in her new home is not easy. When she escapes through a door in the cellar into a bookbinding shop she knows she has found both refuge and enlightenment.

But this is not a time when a girl gets to choose her destiny. Especially not an aristocratic girl. Her fortune is tied to her husband, both literally and figuratively, and she finds herself wed to a monster. It is through her books she finds the strength to escape her brute of a husband and forge a new life for herself.

The story of Clarice, a woman who wishes only to choose for herself what her life will be, is scattered among the story of Sofia. Sofia, also unhappy in her marriage, finds courage in the letter Clarice tucks into the binding of her book. She, too, leaves her husband to regain her independence and sense of self. As she searches for the other volumes linked to Clarice she seeks out Tomas Leoni, an antique book and handwriting specialist. Their journey takes them to cities throughout Europe, only to find the answers they need much closer to home.

There are fairy-tale touches to this story, the good kind, where things happen or work out almost effortlessly. There is romance, too. It is the best kind of romance, where each person recognizes the importance of embracing the freedom of the other person. Each female character possesses wit and strength and determination. The partners they choose know how to enhance these traits and how to offer support without smothering.

I was utterly charmed by this book. It was uplifting and warm. It made me feel hopeful and at peace with the idea of happy relationships and that alone is testament to the author's storytelling talent! I hope all book lovers add this to their list of wanted books. It is the perfect way to pass a summer afternoon.

Sofia Bauer worked as a book restorer at a Rome library, she’s talented and her husband made her give up her job. Sofia’s miserable, she’s lost touch with all her friends and work colleagues and she decides to leave Alberto. Sofia visits a second-hand bookshop, as a child it was her happy place and the owner gives her a battered book and Sofia plans to restore it. The book's by the famous Prussian author Christian Philipp Fohr, it’s an antique, extremely rare and written in German. While repairing the book, Sofia finds a letter written by a woman, Clarice Von Harmel, she’s a fellow book binder and the secret message is over two hundred years old.

Clarice Von Harmel, went against societies and her families beliefs and studied the profession of book binding. Like Sofia, she’s unhappily married and her husband August's violent and abusive. She leaves her husband, she meets author Christian Fohr, she want’s to share their story and she writes three letters and hides them in a special pocket she created in three of his books.

Tomaso Leoni, is a Graphologists, he and Sofia try to solve the two hundred year old mystery, and find the two other books in the series. They travel from Rome, Munich and to Vienna, trying to figure out where they could be, and that's if they still exist. The dual timeline story is about, secrets, the art of book binding and restoration, finding the courage to leave a relationship, self-discovery and being able to start again. I received a copy of The Binder of Lost Stories in exchange for an honest review, an interesting story and four stars from me.

I loved this book. There is a magic classical quality to it. and it also opened my eyes to the important and overlooked art of bookbinding. Lovely to dive into and escape for a few hours!

Thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for letting me access an advance digital copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

i really enjoyed getting to know Clarice, the story itself was amazing and I loved the way the author writes.

Lovely story historical fiction that drew me right in.Fascinating topic of book binding.za book I really enjoyed will recommend.#betgalkey#amazoncrossing

This was an easy read, and I loved the concept of bookbinding. Tied up very happily but I liked the relationships explored.

This is a book for those who love books!
Characters: relatable and have a depth that I feel is not often captured within a single book. During the course of the novel Sophia strives to overcome her fears, re-learn who she is, find her own voice, start a new life, and open herself to love. Tomaso learns to let go of responsibilities that aren't his and open his life to Sophia.
Plot: intriguing and relatively fast moving. Amidst lifechanging events in each of their own lives, the characters travel to various cities in search of a set of extremely rare books that contain clues to a unlock a mystery. The twist at the end, the nearly immediate depth in Sophia's and Tomaso's relationship, as well as the speed with which they find the rare books, all require a small suspension of disbelief, however it is not too extrem; the author took care to establish that seeming coincidences were anything but chance.
Format: switches between two points of view, Sophia in modern times and Clarice in the early 1800's. There is a notable contrast in pacing, but it fit the different time periods and different experiences of the characters; Sophia's story takes place in a matter of weeks, while Clarice's covers years. Therefore, I did not find the contrast jarring but, rather, a useful tool of the author that enhanced the experience of the reader.
Setting: Rome, with trips to Munich, Vienna, and London. The beautiful descriptions make me want to plan a trip to Europe, and all the rare booksellers :)

Final thoughts: Some of my favorite things were the quotes from other literature at the start of each chapter as well as the references to other literature within the chapters. Lovers of classic literature will appreciate these tidbits along with all the great quotes about the power of books and writing.

Oh, how I love a book that is made for lovers of books. The Binder of Lost Stories is a love letter to bibliophiles. Cristina Caboni writes beautifully and masterfully connects the lives of two women across 200 years. This is a book about doing what you love and finding yourself. It's a pure delight.

Many thanks to NetGalley, the author, and the publisher for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an unbiased review.

I'm always up for reading a book about books, reading, bookstores etc. and this book didn't disappoint. It was about peoples relationships with books and love and loss and hope. It occupied two different time lines and I am a sucker for those types of books also. I like seeing a female character that is broken become whole again through life, love and self discovery. I liked that there were many different locales in this book and the writing was very descriptive about those locales. There was mystery and intrigue that was welcome in the storyline. It got a little slow for me in places but overall it was a really good book.

Thank you to the publisher and #NetGalley for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.
A wonderfully romantic story examining both the relationships we have with people and books, Caboni offers a twisting plot combining history and mystery. I appreciated all of the locations that were visited in both current and historic times, as they provided this reader with a unique lens into the heritage and importance of the written word - conceptually and physically.

An excellent historical fiction novel, of one woman's determined efforts to uncover the past story of a lady bookbinder who lived nearly a century ago. Full review to appear in the May 2020 Issue of The Historical Novels Review magazine.

Sofia is a woman who gave up everything she loves to become the perfect wife for her controlling husband. But a chance visit to a favorite bookshop has her offering to restore an antique book by her favorite author. While restoring the book she finds a letter hidden in a secret pocket inside the cover. The letter contains part of the story of heiress Clarice von Harmel, a story that Sofia longs to continue. She hires Tomaso Leoni to help her find the remaining books by this elusive book binder, and in the search finds her own independence and a chance at a new love.
This is truly a story for book lovers! Secret stories hidden through time in beautifully bound books, loving restoration of these old books, two women in different times learning to live their own lives through the love of books. The language and descriptions are just beautiful. I really loved this book.
I received a complimentary copy of this book through Netgalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own. Thank you for the opportunity to read and review this book!

When I started reading the Binder of Lost Stories, I was not sure what to expect, as the plot alternates between the past and the present, with a woman wronged in each storyline. Sofia Bauer was feeling disconnected to her life, discontent with the direction it was going. She had married young and made her husband her sole priority, forsaking friends and work to be available to him. With the realization that he lost herself and wanted more out of life, Sophia comes across an original book by an author she used to study, with the binding in disrepair. Determined to restore the ancient tome, Sophia begins the laborious process, only to find a secret message from a book binder of centuries past, Clarice Von Harmel. Clarice’s note is the first of three, each one offering a clue to her fate as well as the author of the books, whose life ended abruptly among mysterious circumstances.

Though it did take me a little while to warm up to each storyline, once I did, I was hooked. There are some turns and twists throughout the story, with a satisfying ending for both tales, bringing the two individual plot lines together. I found the story similar to the plot in Letters from Paris by Juliet Blackwell, in that the past story influences the present and there is a good twist at the end.

"The Binder of Lost Stories" relates the story of two women whose lives are parallel, although they are separated by many years in time. Sofia desires to break out of her unfulfilling marriage, but lacks the courage to do so. She finds Clarice's secret letter in a book she is rebinding, which begins the adventure of her new life. While at times all seems lost, the story comes full circle in the end.

The parallel stories within the book push the action and plot forward, using cliff-hanger endings to keep the reader engaged, although things slowed down and lagged a bit at the end. Themes of romance and love underlie the main plot line. The characters are described quite well, with just enough detail to allow the reader to paint his or her mental picture of them. Spanning several countries in Europe, the descriptive settings draw the reader into the world of antique books, libraries, book binding, and handwriting analysis. Readers will find no graphic descriptions of violence or intimacy, although these elements are present in the story. Those who enjoy a thoughtfully paced novel set in exotic locales, with an added interest in books, will find this an enjoyable read.

I received this book from the publisher and from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. The opinions expressed here are entirely my own.

The Binder of Lost Stories is a story of love and women's empowerment. Sofia is given a book by a random bookseller in Rome and discovers a hidden letter inside the binding. This mystery letter is from Clarice, a women from the early 1800s who originally bound the book. Clarice's letter indicates that she has hidden a secret that needs to be found. Sofia goes on a journey to find the other two books in the trilogy that this book belongs to in order to discover Clarice's secret.

As this journey related to the books is occurring we learn about the personal lives of Sofia and Clarice. One has been drained of herself by her husband and the other physically abused. As these women find their escapes they begin to find themselves. In the end they are able to discover that one can be fully themselves while being with another.

I really enjoyed this beautiful story and would give this to any reader of fiction. There feels like there is something for everyone in the story.

This is a book that I'd wrap my arms around and snuggle if I could. It is one of those books that booklovers will count among their favorites - at least I will. It is the story of two women in two different time periods - Sofia and Clarice. Sofia was trained as a bookbinder and encounters a worn and torn old book at a bookstore in Rome that intrigues her. She asked the owner if she can take it home and rebind it. Of course, the owner agrees. And that is the beginning of a wonderful journey in the past and present. I hope I have intrigued you with the little information I have provided. I loved not knowing what was going to happen next. I took my time with this book because first, I didn't have a lot of time to read. But second, I wanted this book to last.

Thank you to NetGalley and Amazon Crossing for this amazing book! It was a pleasure to provide an honest review.

Thank you to Netgalley, the publisher and the author for the opportunity to read a complimentary copy of this book in return for review based upon my honest opinion.

This is the first book I’ve read by this author, I will definitely be looking for her works. I really enjoyed the story it was epic, spellbinding, and everything a book lover would enjoy. Sophia discovers that she’s in a loveless marriage, and not sure who she is and where to go from here the chance encounter with a bookseller and an old book brings about her salvation. She encounters Tomaso and keeps running into him, she sees something in, something that scares her, but something that drives her forward. Her and Tomaso try to discover the secrets of Clarice, a Woman bookbinder in the 1800’s and her connection to a famous author.

I loved the story and the scenery; the people and the story. Wonderful book.

I received an advanced copy of this book through NetGalley for an honest, unbiased review.

A lovely story in which a married woman, who has lost herself in her marriage, finds within the margins of a book markings that initiate a quest to find more about who wrote them. During her journey, she delves deeper into the world of books and book-binding, and finds her strength, hope, and love for herself. The author includes details such as the alternating storylines, quotes at the start of each chapter, and well described scenes of Europe that envelope the reader.

Recommended for book lovers, historical fiction, rom-com lovers.
Happy Reading!