This is a book that speaks to those of us who love books, and bookshops!! It has a really magical feel along with a bit of history/mystery vibes going on - I loved it!!

It's a story told over a dual timeline, both of which are so captivating! In the now we follow Martha who arrives in Dublin, looking to put an awful past behind her and finds work as a housekeeper to an old lady. And Henry also arrives in Dublin searching for a missing shop! How can a building just disappear?! Their paths cross and their stories begin to be told as they feel so comfortable with one another.

And in the past we follow Opaline, a young woman who always has her head in a book. But her family need money and she's to be wed to someone chosen by her family....her only option is to flee so she sells some precious books and sails to France to begin a new life and starts to work at Shakespeare & Co - sometimes it's not so easy to run and hide though.

Through these characters we really get some wonderful insights to the places of the time, alongside struggles that people were facing when they wanted to live their own lives. I was totally absorbed in watching how their lives would pan out and following your own heart is always the key. The perfect bookish book!

One of the most beautiful books I have ever read. It's magic just sucks you in to another time/place! Will definitely read this authors next book.

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A brilliant read and one I really enjoyed. The characters are loveable and varied, the plot is one that is engaging and medium paced. I found myself completely drawn into the story and enjoyed the writing style.

Lovely book that grabbed me right away. Three seemingly lost and unhappy unconnected characters in Dublin, Ireland. They end up leaving tragic lives behind in search of something better. And they find it while looking for a lost manuscript and a lost bookshop. Bit of magical realism thrown in.

Thanks to netgalley for the chance to read this book.

Opal one, Martha and Henry have been living their lives in the shadows until a vanishing bookshop casts its spell. They discovery their stories are extraordinary as the stories found int he pages of their beloved books. Together they find themselves transported to a world where nothing is as it first appears.

Unable to provide feedback or was never given a review copy. Potential review to be added to socials if read at a later date.

If you believe it, it exists.

This is one of those unexpected delights that satisfies the reader need for a story about books, magic, history, love, women’s empowerment and friendship.

This is the enchanting story of two women, Opaline and Martha. Set apart by years, Opaline’s story starting in 1921 and Martha and Henry’s in present day, their stories are brought together by Henry – a man who walks into their lives in pursuit of a bookshop he had been inside of just once, and then … lost. Opaline becomes a custodian of the bookshop after fleeing Paris from her overbearing brother who seems determined to control her, and Martha finds an intriguing home unexpectedly, whilst working as a career for an elderly lady after fleeing from her abusive husband.

I highly recommend The Lost Bookshop by Evie Woods. It’s a reminder that we are each our own epic story, and that someone will always want to know about it. I can’t do it justice. I can only say … make a pot of tea and sit down to a good read.

This book was wholly unexpected. I was expecting a bit of a historical drama with a tinge of mystery and instead pleasantly discovered a novel full of magical realism, fantasy and, my favourite, many literary references. I absolutely loved the stories of Martha, Henry and Opaline. I wish a bit more explanation of the mysterious and magical had been given, but understand that this would likely have taken away from the appeal of the book. Highly recommend this gem!

thank you to netgalley for the advanced reading copy. this was fantastic, just what i have come to expect from this author and look forward to carrying in my book store.

We all want to get lost in a bookshop, I do certainly. But what if it is the bookshop which is lost?

This dual timeline novel, switches between the present with Martha, running away from her abusive husband and finding solace as a housekeeper to Ms Bowden, a rather eccentric lady living in a big house.

In the past we meet Opaline, who is fleeing from her abusive brother and finds herself in Paris, in a book shop. The well-known ‘Shakespeare and Company’, she learns about the value books, the love of reading and finds herself back in her own magical bookshop.

Henry is the other main character in the book, in the present as PhD student, researching the missing manuscript of a well known dead author and convinced that the house of Ms Bowden is next door to a bookshop.

Not everything is as it seems in this book, and neither does it seem are the characters. There is some strong emotional scene played out and treated with a delicate nature that the author must be applauded. The magical realist aspect of the book was a surprise and whilst this is not normally a theme I would generally go to, I think because of the setting it worked really well.

Add to all of this is the strong setting of Dublin, Ireland which transports us to the modern university and the unpleasant past which Ireland is still coming to terms with. All of it the perfect setting for this story.

I was hooked, I was invested and I was waiting to see the how everyone grew in this story and whether the lost bookshop as ever to be found? But then did it even exist to begin with?

For those who enjoy bookshops, history and dual timeline novels then this is the book for you.

4.5/5. I wasn’t hooked I the first few chapters but, soon enough, I was invested and really interested in this book. It is a risk to generation-hop in a book but it mostly worked. I love the enchantment and mystical elements throughout the book - without giving spoilers there are a decent amount of supernatural happenings. The story is woven together nicely, though I did anticipate one of the twists earlier than the author probably hoped. Overall entertaining and could make a great movie or mini series. Thanks to Netgalley for the free arc in exchange for my review.

What a totally breathtaking read about a search for a missing bookshop and a mystery of a missing manuscript and what happened to the illusive Opaline. As Martha tries to rebuild her life helping care for an enigma of an old lady she meets Henry and together they set off to find the bookshop that Henry is convinced he saw in her new home and as things take a very unnatural twist can they get past their history to not only solve the mystery but also to bring comfort to each other, Its a beautiful read which will not only make you cry but also smile and bring some magic into your life.

Loved this book, in many ways. The author's skill full narrative construction ensures this book fast pace and the book will leave you stunned and wanting more.

This book is an interesting read with Evie’s story covering a range of timelines and themes. There are many elements including magical realism, however, this leads to some confusion with many details and events affecting the pace of the story. Alternating chapters and a mystery left me unsure at times.

I really wanted to love this ode to books and reading, especially with the literary references from the likes of the Brontë’s to Sally Rooney. Sadly, it just missed the mark for me but many are sure to find its connections to the power of books, hidden secrets in old bookshops and a twist of magical realism to their liking.

I adored this book. One of the best books I’ve read for a long time. Brilliant characters and I loved the bookshop. Highly recommended.

Thanks for letting me read this book but this wasn’t for me . This is a purely personal view ,I struggled to engage with this book

When people say "I want to curl up with a good book"... this is that book. It was so utterly charming and cosy. I love how the plot draws three people together through books and balances different points of view. Despite reading it during the summer, I wish it had been winter outside – it felt like a Christmas read. It's definetly an easy read but nevertheless had some lovely poignant moments. Certainly a book for book lovers

(Review on Waterstones, Amazon and Feautured on IG)

This book is perfect for book lovers who love multiple timelines and slightly fantastical, magical fiction such as written by Heather Webber or Sarah Addison Allen.

Enter the worlds of Martha, an abused housewife who got away and has taken up residence as a housekeeper for mysterious Madam Bowden; Henry, a Ph. D candidate that is on a hunt for his topic but finds Martha instead; and Opaline, the keeper of the secrets Henry's researching. Through the varying timelines of Opaline and Martha, there is an unraveling of a story regarding a lost bookshop, a mysterious story, Emily Bronte's lost work and what it means to be a strong woman of multiple generations.

#arc
#netgalley
#thelostbookshop

📖My Thoughts📖

Every once in a blue moon, I come across a book that just blows me away with such intricacies that I finish the book and feel completely tranquil. This book did just that. I’ve come to love historical fiction, but this book brought it even farther outside of the box. It also had duel points of view, an alternating timeline and a dash of magic. It was written so beautifully and it was almost like the book wrapped its pages around me. I honestly don’t even know how to describe it. It was like shutting the world around me down and just being completely submerged into this book. The title grabbed me from the start. Any book that includes books and a bookshop instantly gets my attention. This is definitely a must read. I think it would be a nice fall book where you can cuddle up in a warm blanket and drink a hot beverage.
Thank you Netgalley, Evie Woods and HarperCollins UK for the opportunity to read and review this book! It was an absolute gem! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

The ebook version got archived too soon. But I have also downloaded the audiobook and it is also excellent!
'𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐚𝐛𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐛𝐨𝐨𝐤𝐬,' 𝐬𝐡𝐞 𝐬𝐚𝐢𝐝, '𝐢𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐲 𝐡𝐞𝐥𝐩 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐢𝐦𝐚𝐠𝐢𝐧𝐞 𝐚 𝐥𝐢𝐟𝐞 𝐛𝐢𝐠𝐠𝐞𝐫 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐛𝐞𝐭𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐧 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐜𝐨𝐮𝐥𝐝 𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐫 𝐝𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐦 𝐨𝐟.'

And that is what this book is. A dream, even better than a dream. This book is a dream we all long for.

𝐑𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠: 5/5 ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

𝐒𝐲𝐧𝐨𝐩𝐬𝐢𝐬: Two women, one from the 20th century is fleeing a forced marriage and the other in the 21st century is fleeing an abusive marriage find refuge in books and a hidden bookshop. A bookshop that only those can find who really need help. It's a place full of mysteries. And a place where we all want to get lost.

The book is set in two timelines.
1. One talks about Opaline Grey who flees home to save herself from a forced marriage and becomes a book dealer and bookshop owner.

2. And the other talks about Martha who is running away from her abusive husband who secretly gets a job as a housekeeper in the home of an eccentric old woman who... really isn't what she looks like.

📌The story revolves around finding the missing manuscript of Emily Bronte which supposedly "doesn't exist". But Opaline gets her hand on it but will she be able to keep it safe from the greedy book dealers who want to take advantage of a lone young woman?

📌Martha finds words visiting her like a trance and she tattoos them on her skin like her life depends on it. Why does she sees these words? Why does she have that power to read peotand their stories?

𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐛𝐨𝐨𝐤 𝐢𝐬 𝐚 𝐟𝐢𝐧𝐞 𝐩𝐢𝐞𝐜𝐞 𝐨𝐟 𝐛𝐞𝐚𝐮𝐭𝐢𝐟𝐮𝐥 𝐬𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐲𝐭𝐞𝐥𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐠. The characters are flawed but good at heart. The timeline is adequately balanced.

The book shows many real life literary characters like Ernest Hemingway and James Joyce, interacting with our characters which greatly tickled my senses.

𝐈 𝐚𝐛𝐬𝐨𝐥𝐮𝐭𝐞𝐥𝐲 𝐚𝐝𝐨𝐫𝐞 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐡𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐥𝐲 𝐫𝐞𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐛𝐨𝐨𝐤.

Thank you so much @netgalley and @evie.gaughan for giving me an opportunity to read and review this book.