This was a speed read and very enjoyable.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an advanced copy of the book in exchange for a review.

Thank you to @onemorechapterhc for my copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Wow! I loved this book, I loved the characters (except Shaun) and I loved everything it conjured up in my head.

Martha runs away from a horrid life, and finds the mysterious Madam Bowen who gives her a job and somewhere to stay whilst she decides what to do. Henry is searching for a lost manuscript and a lost bookshop, and finds Martha who turns his life upside down. During their search, they find Opaline.

Opaline runs away too from a horrid brother and flees to France where she finds the wonderful Sylvie in a bookshop, who gives her a job, teaches her all she knows about ancient books and finds her somewhere to stay.

All three lives intertwine through multi view chapters of past and present, secrets and love are uncovered as we search for the manuscript alongside all three characters. We laugh with them, cry alongside them and enjoy the conclusion with all the magic it has to offer.

Thank you netgalley for this opportunity.
This book took me awhile to really sink my teeth into, but if you're like me make sure to give this the space it needs to breathe: the story is absolutely worth it.
Told from multiple POVs, multiple timelines (the 1920s and present day) and multiple locations (the imagery of Paris in this is quite wonderfully done), this story is perfect for people who LOVE books. You can feel the love the author has just jump off the page. The idea of a bookshop that essentially vanishes, and focuses on Emily Bronte, AND has a quiet love story between two leads? a pretty good recipe for success. Magical realism in this capacity really works for me, just a hint, and this book has a ton of great 'grab you' quotes about reading that made me keep flipping the pages.
My biggest compliment: 3 distinct voices, over two generations, is NOT an easy feat, and Woods does this really well. Each character feels unique. It made it a fun read, and I really loved headhopping.

It would be unkind to give too much away. Suffice to say that this beautifully , researched and well written book has left me gasping for air. After all the books I’ve read this is one of the most refreshing ones that I’ve encountered for a very long time.
At the start I wondered what this was all about and as I delved further it drew me in leaving me reading until the early hours of the morning.

I really struggled with this one. I wanted to love it because, yay, magical realism and books! But it was really hard for me to get invested in. I ended up putting it down and coming back to it about four or five times. I did love the magical realism but the story itself was bogged down in trauma and different time periods, and the ending felt really rushed. Glad I finished it but not something I will read again.

Thank you NetGalley for the opportunity to read The Lost Bookshop. It was an easy read but I got lost in the jumping about of the characters per chapter........perhaps I should have paid more attention to the titles at the top of each chapter but by then it was too late. May give it another try later.

The characters are well written especially Opaline. Ms. Woods has talent with using the written word and she is very adept with her insights into human nature. The book is absolutely charming and the ending is delightful. You will not be able to stop reading The Lost Bookshop. I am looking forward to see what Ms. Woods has in store for us next. Top marks!

This is an amazing story about books, love, a vanishing bookshop and discovery and I loved every word. This is not the first time I have read anything by this author, the first time was The Story Collector which was another beautiful story.

The Lost Bookshop is something Henry has been searching for, he has followed manuscripts, links, leads and rumours to find its whereabouts yet to no avail.

Martha is also trying to hide and finds herself working for Mrs Bowden as her housekeeper. She has found her own version of a new life and yet keeps her head down.

Opaline is a character who is from the past, she works in France for the Shakespeare and Company bookshop, another one who is trying to escape from her past.

While these three are the main characters, there are some amazing others that the author has drawn into her storyline. Opaline's story is of her brothers' trying to force her into an arranged marriage, but being the 1920s Poaline has other ideas. Henry is struggling with something that has happened in his past, just as Martha is but for different reasons. These three characters tell their story in their own voices so you do get a personal sense of narration.

As well as having three different voices there are also two timelines, this may sound as if it starting to become a little complex but it honestly is not. The author has woven it brilliantly and I soon found myself automatically recognising the different voices and timelines.

The story is about finding your own future and having the confidence to take the steps forward on that path. Sometimes a little nudge is needed. The Lost Bookshop is a character in its own right, it is an amazing sounding place and it becomes what it needs to be when it is needed. A truly fantastical-sounding place that I would love to visit.

A mix of historical fiction, romance, fantasy and contemporary fiction. I adored this one a huge amount and I would highly recommend it.

A love letter to readers, The Lost Bookshop is a fantastic choice for those who are craving a bit of magic in the mundane.

Following Duel timelines, readers will be introduced to and array of characters who's lives are both touched and intrinsically changed by books and the sacred spaces that sell them.

I think like most books written with bibliophiles in mind, this had the potential to feel a little heavy handed with it's commentary on books but the strong character work and overall themes of courage and reinvention work hand in hand in making it feel just right. The magic realism is subtle making this one feel more rooted in reality. Still the magic is there and helps bouy the story into something special.

Thank You to One More Chapter and Netgalley for the opportunity to read this one early and give my honest review.

"The Lost Bookshop" by Evie Woods is a Blend of Historical and Romance Fiction with a Sprinkle of Magical Realism on top!

In 1921:
Opaline flees England before her treacherous and much older brother forces her into an arranged marriage. She finds employment in a Paris bookshop called "Shakespeare and Company". The love of books she shared with her deceased father is a passion that will sustain Opaline through her tumultuous future...

In present day:
Martha, a young Irish wife, manages to escape her abusive husband and secure employment in Dublin as a live-in housekeeper. Her employer, Madame Bowden is a bit unusual but it's a job and a safe place to live. Martha has never felt a connection to books but they seem to keep appearing in her basement apartment...

Henry, a Ph.D. student, is searching for a lost manuscript. His search brings him to Dublin to locate a bookshop that he sees at first, but when he turns around, it's no longer there. The location of the mysterious bookshop is right next door to where Martha is currently working and living at #12 Ha’Penny Lane...

"The Lost Bookshop" is a well-written story with three fully-developed main characters and diverse secondary characters. Madame Bowden is by far my favorite character, she adds so much magic to this story. The multiple timelines, meaningful topics, touches of romance, and lots and lots of nods to books makes this a solid read.

I was fortunate to have both a DRC and an ALC of "The Lost Bookshop". The digital copy was great for bedtime reading but this was mostly daytime listening for me and my busy day. The narration was excellent and the voicing skills of all three narrators were equally satisfying. The audiobook is my preferred format for this read.

I enjoy how the author ties this story together at the end with a surprises or two. My one quibble was that I wanted more Magical Realism. What was there was terrific, it just wasn't nearly enough. I'll take more, pretty please.

"The Lost Bookshop" was a fun read that I'm thrilled I squeezed in at the last minute and I recommend it to readers who enjoy a blend of Historical and Romance Fiction with a little Magical Realism sprinkled on top.

4⭐

Thank you to Evie Woods and One More Chapter for a DRC and ALC of this book through NetGalley. It has been an honor to give my honest and voluntary review.

This is one of the most beautiful stories I’ve read this year. I was drawn first to the cover and title, I skimmed the blurb and knew I had to read this one.

The story is rich and well plotted. The characters—each in their own but interconnected journeys—have depth and complexity. The setting is warm and inviting. An ode to book lovers everywhere. This is every magical thing that a book can be.

5⭐️ read and it made my top reads of 2023 list.

The Lost Bookshop by Evie Woods is a charming dual timeline story about 2 women. One from the past and one from the present. A missing bookshop links both and along with the rare book dealer, Henry. This turns into a cute romance with Henry and Martha. Such a cute and comforting read.

The Lost Bookshop is an English novel by Evie Woods. It is a book with two timelines that are ingeniously connected.

In the story in the present, it is Henry and Martha who play the main role. Martha is on the run from her aggressive husband. She finds a job as a housekeeper with Mrs. Bowden. She is slowly coming to rest there.
On the sidewalk, Henry walks around, looking for a bookstore. He is sure it must be there, he has been there once, but there is now a house on that spot and he meets Martha there. Henry is looking for a lost manuscript and Martha goes to help him.

The second line is the story of Opaline, early 20th century. When her father dies, her older brother Lyndon takes over the family business and forces her to marry. She refuses and flees, first to Paris where the well-known bookshop Shakespeare & Company gets a role, and later to Dublin where she starts her own bookshop. Unfortunately, her brother manages to find her and she is safely locked away in an institution for mental patients.

Both storylines are strongly intertwined and with a touch of magical realism it is a wonderful story to read. Empathizing with the characters in both times is no problem. Evie Woods expresses everything beautifully, develops her characters carefully and the descriptions of the environment are easy to imagine, even if it is unusual and fairytale-like. In the end, the stories slide together like a puzzle. The beginning of the book becomes the end of the book and that makes it a wonderful ending.

A great story about believing in yourself, perseverance, trust, family ties and above all a lot of love.

In addition to the ebook, I also listened to the audiobook version. With three voices that match the characters perfectly, it was a great pleasure to listen to the book.

I so loved this book. I became completely immersed in it, and didn’t want to put it down. It’s such an unusual story, told from dual timelines, and with three points of view. I was intrigued by the magical other- worldliness woven throughout it. I am not usually keen on fantasy in a novel, but occasionally one comes along which is so well written, that I am hooked in spite of myself. This is one such book.
I loved that there was no effort made by the author to try to explain the magical happenings. They just were.
The story of Opaline, in the 1920s, was harrowing at times, and pointed out the way that women were completely subjugated by men - husbands, fathers, brothers. What happened to many women then was horrific and heartbreaking, as they were considered to have no rights whatsoever, not even to their freedom.
The present day story of Henry and his search for an Emily Brontë unknown manuscript was intriguing. His relationship with Martha, a young woman desperate to escape from her abusive partner, and how they come to meet, is so well written. All of the characters are rounded and believable. I did like Madame Bowden, whose home Martha went to live in as her housekeeper.
History, literature, romance is all here in this delightful, whimsical novel Highly recommended.
My thanks to the author, publisher and Netgalley for my advance copy of this book.

This is such a wonderful book, combining historical fiction, romantic fiction, and modern contemporary fiction, all with a magical twist. It is such a good book and I highly recommend it.
Thank you to Netgalley and the Publisher for my ARC.

The plot of this book centers on three characters: Opaline, living in the early to mid-1900s; Henri; and Martha, living more recently. In the book, therefore, we alternate a chapter for each character: Opaline, Martha, and Henry.
Opaline is the daughter of a wealthy family. Upon her father's death, her brother would like to marry her off to someone of his wealthy acquaintance. Opaline, however, decides to sell the first printing of a book very dear to her, and with the money, she runs away to become a rare book researcher.
Martha runs away from home, from a marriage to an abusive husband, and from a family that does not support her, and finds herself working as a maid in Madame Bowden's house.
Henry enters the story in front of the basement window where Martha sleeps, one morning, because he is looking for Opaline's lost bookshop for some studies.
It took me a while to read it because the book is quite long. Also, it is interesting at the beginning and at the end, but at some point in the middle, there is a kind of lull in the story.
I liked all the characters—I would say even Madame Bowden—and especially the slightly more sophisticated language in the chapters dedicated to Opaline. I think the character who faced the most difficulty was Opaline, from the beginning to the end of her story. She wanted to be independent as a woman in a historical period where women, if they wanted to help the family, had to marry into an influential family.
Marta and Harry, on the other hand, find themselves at one point investigating Opaline and her book shop together, each for a different reason.
There are quite a few references to the literature of the historical period in which Opaline lives, especially at the beginning of the book: she meets Joyce and Hemingway when they were still fairly unknown, and in her bookstore she has books like The Wizard of Oz for sale. Speaking of which, I would have liked more references from some authors or some slightly less well-known books, since Opaline is looking for rare books.
I recommend the book to those who do not mind reading books with this structure and where there are multiple stories intertwining. It is a book about books; there are romantic stories and a few scenes that are a bit strong.

This is a perfect book if you want to read something that mixes historical fiction, women's fiction and a pinch of magic.
There's plenty of potential, there's some very intriguing moment but I wasn't a fan of the characters.
3.5 upped to 4
Many thanks to the publisher for this ARC, all opinions are mine

3.75

This book isnt something I would naturally gravitate towards but the blurb sounded interesting so I thought Id give it a go and so glad I did

It took me a long while to get fully into it, I enjoy books with multi-pov and duel timeline, and did think by the end it really did work for this book. However, at the start to middle I found it really jarring and wasnt enjoying it as much. Id get sucked into one persons story and then suddenly dumped into another and I just struggled to find the rhythm of the book and really get into it

The last third of the book I flew though, I love seeing the different pieces fitting together and how the two timelines/povs came together, I also really enjoyed the element of magic

What an amazing and cozy read.
Historical fiction across a few timelines. Involving a mystery bookshop that appears to only particular people at certain points in time.

This story really transported me to different worlds seamlessly. Some chapters became very worrisome when it involved nuns and men taking control over a woman’s life and the extent they will go to.
I really enjoyed the unique plot and seeing the similarity in their different eras. From a husband to a brother or father and how they treat these women. To Henry who I was so annoyed with at his idiot ness when it came to women really did make me wonder how did he even have a fiancé with how his character went on.

Thank you to the author for making an interesting and beautiful covered novel.

Thank you to the publisher, author, and Net Galley for an ARC of this book, in return for my honest review.

Sometimes when books are told from multiple different characters, I tend to focus on one character more than the others and follow their version closer. This was not the case here, all three perspectives drew me in and kept me engaged. I felt that the story really brought together Historical Fiction and an element of magical realism that was just divine. Under all of that, you find the element of Human Nature and how it drives our lives and choices. The whole book was phenomenally thought out and written. The only downside to the story, is I felt the ending came too a quick close and would have liked more detail.