I received this book for free for an honest unbiased review from Netgalley.

I wish more books were this well written. Characters were witty and the setting fantastic.

Enjoyed the writing and the characters, but the plot had some pretty big holes that were hard to ignore. Like why did her dad figure everything out, take the time it set it all up, and not just burn the pages himself? Why would Lilith not just have taken down the door to the spire or taken the elevator rather than acting like she couldn't get into the room for 30 years? If a name could be crossed out and replaced before, why couldn't that be done again? How did the ghosts NOT notice that she kept coming back every 10 years and was somehow friends with all of them? Etc.

This was a very cute and fun book. Perfect for teens and adults alike. It isn't the deepest book in the world. But if you love libraries and the ghosts who may or may not haunt them, then this book is for you. The main couple was great. There were light enemies to lovers vibes. Overall, I definitely recommend this book.

Content: There is a single f-word that I remember. I would say this book is appropriate for older teens. The spiciest they get is a makeout session.

Thank you to NetGalley and HarperCollins for the advanced reader copy of this book. This review is voluntarily written and the thoughts and opinions contained in this review are my own.

Spooky yet cosy paranormal YA mystery.

Este Logano has just enrolled at Radcliffe Prep, the third most haunted school in the country. It was also the same school that her dad went to, and she’s hoping the experience will help bring her closer to his memory. Cue a whole bunch of strange happenings and a paranormal obsessed roommate and before she knows it, Este is wrapped up in a whole new world of things she would never have believed in before.

This was a spooky and fun read and the idea of it was right up my street! I love haunted boarding schools with secret passageways and ghosts! This is the perfect read as the nights are drawing closer.

I absolutely adored the ghosts and their personalities, and I also thought the friendship group was brilliant as well. I perhaps didn’t connect as much with Este and Mateo as much as I would have liked, but that might just be because I had such a strong connection with some of the supporting characters. Sometimes I felt the pacing was a tad off, but overall, it was a very enjoyable read!

I would recommend this for sure and absolutely loved the premise of The Library of Shadows.

The whole premise of this book is just brilliant, a spookily haunted school and library where a girl in search of her father's mystery meets a definitely very dead ghost who then frames her and puts her in the same danger her father may have been in! Brilliant!
I found the plot and pace great, with good development of the characters and their relationships - how can one ghost be so annoying *Chandler Bing voice*?? Overall I loved this read and would definitely recommend it to dark academia fans!

Thank you to Net Galley and the publisher for my eARC

The Library of Shadows by Rachel Moore drew me in with the dark academia vibes of its cover and kept me hooked with its intriguing mysteries.

What Worked
1.Good pacing and foreshadowing
2. believable development of friendships

What I Didn't like as much
1. dialogue seemed somewhat stilted

Who would I recommend this title for
Readers who love mystery but are craving a slightly fantastical spin may enjoy this read.

𝗖𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗿
i love the cover, it screams dark academia and looks like a Draco/Hermione fanfic as well!!

𝗧𝗵𝗼𝘂𝗴𝗵𝘁𝘀
I really liked this. I'm not Always the biggest fan of dark academia books. However, I really do love books with ghosts in them. Especially when there is a romantic aspect as well.

𝗖𝗵𝗮𝗿𝗮𝗰𝘁𝗲𝗿𝘀
I didn't love any of the characters. But I also didn't hate anyone as well. Mateo was interesting but I feel he could have had more depth to him. The main girl whose name I have already forgotten was sort of interesting.

𝗪𝗿𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴
I thought it was written really well but I feel like the romance could have been explored further.

𝗔𝗻𝘆𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗜 𝗱𝗶𝘀𝗹𝗶𝗸𝗲𝗱?
Nope, other than just more romance.

This was a fun, fast read. It wasn't super original and it could be a bit predictable, but it was still enjoyable and had a fun mystery at its core.

Thank you to Harper 360 Ya, netgalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read this book as an advanced copy apologies it took me so long because I enjoyed this one so much.

It's dark academia but ghosty and cosy.

This was 4 🌟 for me sadly I couldn't rate it higher as I guessed a few endings early on but it didn't stop my enjoyment of reading the book.

I absolutely loved the premise of this book I thoroughly enjoyed reading it and it kept me guessing through out it is a slow paced book but I do understand why it was, it built ever thing up slow but not in a way it made it drag.

I love how Este and Mateo developed as well as all there friends

If you are looking for a ghosty, dark academia, cosy Ya book I'd recommend this one!

I wasn't able to finish the book before it was archived, but I thoroughly enjoyed the part I was able to read and will be finishing it when my library gets its copy.

It was okay. I don't really have much to say other than this is a simple okay read, not bad but not great. The characters felt a little hollow and inconsistent but not horrible.

Thank you to the publisher for sending me a copy of this book.

I had such an entertaining time reading this book. I adore school settings, especially when they involve ghosts and family members who have passed away.

The dynamic between Mateo and Este was amazing. I loved reading all of their scenes and the conversations would have me extremely invested in the story. The other ghosts added so much to the story and they were definitely my favourite people to read about as we learned more about the school and the characters' backgrounds.

The plot was great. There was always something going on and to learn about. I could feel the intensity in the plot which kept me invested and wanting to read when I needed to go back to work.

I will be recommending this book and I hope other people enjoy it as much as I did, if not more.

this book!!!! perfect for spooky season. the perfect autumnal read. i will now be reading all the paranormal romance books. i am addicted.

This was so much fun! I had such a great time reading it. Ghosts, libraries and paranormal investigators - what more could you want?

It was a little bit predictable but that’s just my opinion. I really liked the characters and I thought the plot was pretty cool.

I’d definitely recommend if you’re looking to start getting into fantasy/dark academia, although there is less focus on the school than the fantasy if that makes sense.

Overall, a perfect, atmospheric read for autumn.

The Library of Shadows by Rachel Moore is a young adult paranormal mystery. Radcliffe Prep is the third most haunted school in the country. A student disappearance isn’t uncommon and no one dares stay in the library after dark. And Este Logano enrolls with the hopes of finding her dead father. Not literally, of course. She doesn’t believe in ghosts. Going to her dad’s school just seems like her best hope at figuring out who he was. But then Este meets Mateo, who is maybe—probably—definitely—a real ghost. And an annoying one at that. When Mateo frames Este for the theft of a rare book from the library’s secret spire and then vanishes, Este will have to track him down or risk being expelled and leaving Radcliffe early just like her father did. Except following her father’s footsteps might be more dangerous than Este ever anticipated. As she investigates the library with its secret passageways, hidden tunnels, and haunted halls, she learns that the student disappearances aren’t just myth. And if she isn’t careful, she’ll be next.

The Library of Shadows is an interesting read. I liked getting to know Este, and thought her thoughts and behaviors were realistic, and I could relate to some of her efforts to stay unconnected to those around her. Her struggles to do everything herself, and do the best she can were completely on point for me. Mateo, the mystery of the book, and her father's connect to it all were revealed in a slow but steady pace, and I think that was done very well. I will admit that I saw certain reveals and aspects of the story coming, but the ride was worth it. I do have to admit that at some point I started to drift from the story, but that could completely be blamed on a busy life and could very well have nothing to do with the read. However, I felt like there was just a little bit of a lull in the story, but it picked back up for the ending.

The Library of Shadows is an engaging read with a nice balance of mystery, ghosts, and romance.

While reading the story I was easily transported into each scene, this is due to the creative and skilful way Moore has brought life the words on the page. I am eagerly awaiting more from this author.

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“There is life, there is death and there is love - the greatest of these is love”

Today is my stop on the tour for this brilliantly crafted dark academia book which is perfect for this time of year

We follow Este as she navigates her way round a full scholarship at her Dads old prep school, and ends up being drafted in as the archive assistant after dark. When she meets Mateo her school year begins to get a lot more interesting and life (and death) will never feel the same again

I loved my reading experience of @byrachelmoore debut and I will be re reading this in the future as there are plenty of moments which need annotating and documenting

Thank you to @harper360ya and @instabooktours for having me along on this tour - this was one of my most anticipated reads for 2023 and it didn’t disappoint 🖤

“I don’t want to know another life without you in it”

I made the decision to put this book down around the halfway point. It has all the hallmarks of a great dark academia novel, but while I love that subgenre, I'm not the target audience here. The writing in this book is trying too hard, while still somehow managing to come across as shallow. And the instant attraction between the main character and her love interest bothered me. I think I went into this book expecting that, while it's labeled YA, it would be on the upper end of that bracket. Alas, it seems much more geared toward younger teens that the characters portrayed, in my opinion. Which is absolutely fine, and will no doubt make it a beloved story for a plethora of readers. I am simply not among them.

This was a fun read - a quick and engrossing romance filled ghost story. Este enrolls at the prestigious Radcliffe Prep, following in her deceased father’s footsteps, hoping to feel a connection to him. She hopes to settle into a normal high school experience, but then she meets Mateo and everything goes topsy turvy from there. Because he’s a ghost, isn’t he? And the disappearances of students are real, meaning Este may be next.

The Library of Shadows is the perfect cozy romantasy book for your fall TBR! With complex characters that captured my heart right from the start and a mystery that held my attention throughout, this book was a quick and immersive read I'd recommend to all fans of young adult romance and fantasy.