First off, thank you NetGalley for granting me access to read The Library Thief as an ARC.

I am sad to report that this book is not for me. The Library Thief follows Florence, the main character, trying to find her way in the world. She becomes the keeper of many, many secrets. I don’t know that I really liked a single aspect of this book. If it weren’t for being an ARC and needing an honest review I would’ve marked as DNF and not have put myself through this whole book. It was a struggle to get through. I tried really hard to keep an open mind about real things that happened back then, but the woke-ness felt forced for the majority of the book. It was to the point of cringy-ness. And honestly the way it was written about was extremely modern feeling to me. If you want a book that dwells on drama and sexuality/gender politics, this one might be for you. It was not for me as I disagree with the majority of the things that were talked about. I wish I would’ve known more about this one before I applied. Last thoughts: did I miss something? Or does this book not even really relate to its title at all? “The Library Thief” seems so off, I was not expecting to read about what I read about from the title. The biggest relation is Florence fixing library books. Or… I must’ve missed something.

Content Warnings: rape, gender politics, mild open door scenes

First off: if you haven't yet read the publisher's blurb for the The Library Thief at the top of its GoodReads page, DON'T. There's a spoiler in it that will have a significant effect on how you experience the unfolding of the plot.

That said...

The Library Thief is neither a full-on mystery nor a full-on Gothic, but it has elements of both and makes for an engaging read. Florence, a bookbinder's daughter who hopes to work in the same field—and who has been banished from her home—takes on a job doing major repairs on a Lord's rare book collection. A job that just happens to come with room and board.

Florence is living in an uneasy, liminal space. No longer welcome at the not-all-that-welcoming home in which she was raised, she's now living on the "downstairs" side of the upstairs-downstairs divide. When Lord Belfield tells her she should give up her dreams of attending university or making a living binding and repairing books, that becoming a governess would be a great step up for her and probably as high as she can hope to go, she smiles politely and nods. His "generosity" in employing Florence is the only thing standing between her and homelessness.

There are tensions and a mystery in Lord Belfield's home. His younger brother, furious at not being the heir, is constantly asking for money and urging Belfield to sell family heirlooms. The brother also feels free to force his sexual "favors" on any woman with a class standing lower than his. The mystery involves the death of Lord Belfield's wife, who apparently went out walking in the middle of the night and fell from a local bridge. Out of respect to Belfield, the death isn't being investigated by police, but it is fodder for lots of local gossip. Most locals are happy to accused Lady Belfield's lady's maid—who just happened to be Black—because, you know, "they're not like us."

This gives you a good sense of all that's roiling beneath the surface in this book. As Florence becomes convinced Lady Belfield was murdered and begins her own hunt for the culprit, her situation grows increasingly dangerous.

If you enjoy mysteries/Gothics with independent heroines who are willing to take all sorts of risks and if you enjoy rooting for downstairs in that upstairs-downstairs divide, you're in for a treat with The Library Thief.

I received a free electronic review copy of this title from the publisher via NetGalley; the opinions are my own.

Written as a narrative from Florence’s point of view, the book delves into race and sexual orientation as well as women’s rights in the 1890’s. The book is well written with characters that have multiple facets some with more depth than others. Florence is a spitfire, however there wasn’t enough background about Baxter to gain much understanding. The men were truly despicable as I’m sure the author intended.

Set in 1896 this is a book about Florence who lived with her father who was a bookbinder. She was sent away from her home after her father found her in a compromising position with an anarchist. Being an intrepid woman though, Florence steals her father's bookbinding tools and a letter from Lord Bandfield asking her father to come to his house to repair some books in his collection . When she gets there she becomes friends with the footman Waverly and somewhat with the cook Baxter. Florence learns that the lord is a widower and there is a question about his wife Penelope's death near the river. This is a great mystery keeping the reader involved and wanting to keep reading. After a break in in the library while Lord Banfield's sister in law is visiting, the mystery gets even deeper. Florence eventually learns about Sybil, Penelope's sister whom everyone thought was her maid. Eventually the mysteries are solved but being a good reviewer I am not going to tell you how they are.

This book has a great concept but the language felt forced and did not always make sense. I felt the author was trying too hard to mimic the Victorian era. I would have preferred the descriptions not convey two or three ideas in one sentence; it made the book weighted down and not enjoyable to read. It felt like a burden and I want to relax into my reads. Had the author chosen simpler language I think the plot would have benefited greatly,

I am usually an easy sell on all things historical fiction and especially if you throw in a library/librarian element. However I seem to be on a bad run of just not for me books lately and this one just wasn't grabbing my attention. Life is too short and I decided to move on after only a few chapters. Might be this is one better read in print since I wasn't loving the narrator. Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for a chance to read an early digital copy in exchange for my honest thoughts!

I'd like to start by saying my low review has nothing to do with any of the "woke" subject matters others are complaining about—I feel like these topics are important to have in historical fiction and in our writings. Very disheartened to see so many folks reviewing it low for that reason.

That being said, The Library Thief was just not for me. I found the story dragged beyond belief—I kept looking at the pages and wondering how I still had *that* much more to go. I think the writing, in my opinion, wasn't strong enough to keep me engaged the way I should have been. There was a lot of telling instead of showing. The pacing was also incredibly off—we spent so much time on certain aspects but glossed over crucial moments and relationship-building.

I also just never connected with the characters in the way I wanted to. I don't know—I was just very disappointed with this book. And it's only been a few weeks since finishing but I was struggling to even remember basic plot points to write the review, which is never a good sign.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advance copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

The characters were well-developed and the setting was described in such detail that you felt like you were right there with Florence as she uncovered the mysteries of the Belfield house. The plot twists were unexpected and kept me on the edge of my seat until the very end.

Overall, I recommend this book to anyone who enjoys a good mystery. Florence's journey of self-discovery and determination to uncover the truth was truly inspiring. I couldn't put this book down and I can't wait to see what other stories this author has in store.

Amazing, atmospheric and diverse. I don't think I could sing enough praises on this book. The only thing I would give as a negative is that the plot does seem to drag; but the journey was important to the story. I like slower-paced books so it wasn't a negative for me but something that others may see as one. I enjoyed this so much and thank you to the publisher for an eARC in exchange for my honest review. My blog tour post is also up on my blog now.

Florence’s father is a bookbinder who returned home to Manchester from Jamaica with a baby for him and his mother to raise. Growing up with a father that seemed to despise everything about her from her fuzzy hair to her inquisitive nature Florence used books to feed her curiosity and fill in the space that loneliness created. After Florence’s father found her bringing shame to their family, she was thrown out with nowhere to go. When Florence intercepts her father’s mail, she found a letter requesting his expertise to restore a collection of rare books. After talking her way into the job Florence stumbles across a diary that belongs to the late lady of the house. As Florence reads the diary, she discovers there are many secrets in the house that she suspects lead to a murder that was covered up as a suicide. Now Florence is determined to find out what happened to Persephone Belfield.
I love a good historical fiction. This was a captivating story about a woman who was cast out by the only family she had ever known and found herself discovering things about herself she never knew while entering a whole new world of secrets and lies. This book starts off with a scandal but doesn’t tell you what the scandal is, so you have to patiently wait for it to be disclosed while also trying to figure out what happened to the late Lady Persephone. The path I thought the story would take was not at all where the book went, but I was very pleased by that. There were several different themes in this book from passing, LGBTQ+ representation, survival, and friendship.
Florence had such a hard time and my heart break for her, so I was glad she was able to find some sort of solace in the end. I did shed a tear or two in the end for Florence and all she had to go through. I enjoyed the mystery behind what happened to Lady Persephone. This was a very complicated story with complex characters who were all just doing what they needed to do to survive in a world that deemed them unworthy whether it was because of the color of their skin, their gender, or their sexual preference. This was a great debut novel and I look forward to seeing what this author writes next.
Content Warning: sexual assault

Thank you to Hear Our Voices for my ARC copy! This review contains my personal thoughts and opinions.

"The Library Thief" by Kuchenga Shenjé is a departure from my usual reading preferences as it is historical fiction, and I am more of a romance reader. However, I found myself drawn into the quite interesting narrative that unfolded.

The storyline was certainly engaging, maintaining my interest throughout as I was eagerly waiting to solve the mystery. Although the main plot was captivating, there were a few side stories that seemed tangential in the grand scheme of things. I also wondered why the title was named as such for most of the book.

I enjoyed most of the characters as they all were unique. The main character, Florence, was such a spitfire, and I was rooting for her the whole time. As the story unfolded, I became increasingly invested in the characters and what would happen to them. I also felt that the ending was pretty satisfying, which I appreciated.

Overall, "The Library Thief" was a good, solid read. For people who enjoy historical fiction and mysteries, I think they will definitely enjoy this one.

I am a sucker for historical fiction and stories involving libraries. The book starts with a scandal; although you don't immediately know what the scandal is, it's not hard to guess, given the time period and she's a woman. She intercepts what turns out to be a life-changing missive, taking Florence to Rose Hall.

Lord Belfield is just as mysterious as the library of Rose Hall. He is recently widowed, but there are rumors about how his late wife died. There was so much mystery and intrigue that I didn't know what to do with myself. This is such a multi-faceted book that is dynamic and hard-hitting. Shenjé covered a multitude of heavy-hitting topics (that are still relevant today), and she did it with grace.

The complexity of the characters kept me glued to the story. I just adored Wesley. His willingness to accept Florence and befriend her was just powerful. He was the much-needed friend who had his own secret—another heavy-hitting topic.

It was refreshing to read a historical fiction that wasn't war-based. I cannot believe this is Shenjé's debut novel. If she's doing all this with her DEBUT novel, I want to read her school papers because, my God, can she tell a story!

This book transported me to Victorian England while weaving a tale of mystery, scandal, and self-discovery against the backdrop of a remote estate and its mysterious inhabitants. Florence Granger, a young woman disowned by her father, finds herself entangled in a web of secrets as she undertakes the task of restoring Lord Francis Belfield's rare book collection at Rose Hall.

Shenjé's debut novel offers a setting reminiscent of classic Gothic mysteries (i.e., Victoria Holt) that drew me into a world filled with intrigue and tension. From the moment Florence arrives at Rose Hall, the sense of foreboding is evident, setting the stage for a compelling narrative filled with twists and turns.

The novel explores complex themes such as racism, colorism, sexual abuse, and gender identity within the confines of Victorian society. Shenjé adeptly confronts these issues, providing a thought-provoking examination of the social norms and prejudices of the time. I found it quite “uncomfortable” at times to read.

I did find myself struggling a bit with the execution of the plot. The story became overly complicated and somewhat tedious.
Still, "The Library Thief" is a captivating read with its haunting narrative and fresh take on the Victorian mystery genre.

I received an advance copy from the publisher. The opinions expressed here are my own.

This is a title I was invited to read. It was a little outside of my typical wheelhouse, but I said I would give it a try. The writing is solid and the concept an interesting one, although I must confess that I found it slower going than I hoped. On the whole, it wasn't for me.

The cover of this book is what drew me to the book. The story ended up being something different than I was expecting. To me it doesn’t really feel like a gothic mystery. It’s more a tale of enlightenment.
Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for the early copy

I'm so sorry but I did not enjoy this book at all. It fell so short for me.

I love historical fiction but this one just did not pull me in or hold me. I found it lacking in so many ways.

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC.

3 stars and that is up from 2.5

love a good historic mystery so this book appealed to me for that reason. However despite the many twists and turns, especially towards the end it was very slow in parts and dragged a bit for me. The writing is excellent with very atmospheric descriptions but the plot seemed to drag and become overly complicated. There is a diverse set of characters, each with their own stories developing through the book, some very likeable, others not so likeable.

When white-passing bookbinder Florence Granger arrives on the doorstep of Rose Hall in late 1896, she finds an isolated house still in mourning. She is greeted by Wesley, an androgynous manservant, whom she befriends. The only other servant is a rather taciturn cook. Widowed Lord Belfield, a long-standing customer of Florence’s bookbinder father, keeps to his rooms at first, barely acknowledging Florence’s presence. His valuable book collection is to be sold now that the estate has fallen on difficult times, but Florence has stolen Lord Belfield’s letter to her father and pretends to have come at her father’s request. She fails to divulge that her father threw her out after finding her in flagrante delicto with her anarchist lover. Destitute and without prospects or home, Florence delays her work, melding into the enigmatic household. Lady Penelope Belfield’s half-burned diary, discovered after a break-in, leaves Florence pondering the woman’s untimely death.

This late-Victorian Gothic, with bookbinding and a love of literature at its heart, begins well. Descriptions of Florence’s work are fascinating, and her slow awakening to her mixed-race heritage is very well handled. Characters are multi-faceted and unorthodox in an atmospheric setting, but trouble for me began as the plot sidetracked. Florence learns to ride for no reason I could determine, other than to meet ostler Joseph, whose romantic relationship proves distracting. A small cast of racially and sexually diverse characters displaying so many secrets and misrepresentations in a tale of class distinction, rape, arson, theft, revenge, and possibly murder, turned a taut plot into a confusing medley that didn’t seem sure of its purpose. I thoroughly enjoyed much of the novel and would have liked more development of the cook’s part, as there are some excellent scenes, but my overall sense is that the novel is trying to be too many things and a tighter plot would be of benefit.

"The Library Thief" offers a refreshing array of diverse perspectives and characters, enriching the narrative tapestry. However, while it held promise, the plot occasionally felt contrived, detracting from its overall impact. Of interest for bibliophiles.

This might initially seem like a trope-y gothic novel- a young woman on her own, a creepy house, a found diary, a mysterious death-but it's actually more. Florence is a woman of color and she's also immoral in the view of her father because she likes women in a time when that was seen as unacceptable. She finds a sanctuary of a sort at Rose Hall but there are so many secrets there, dangerous secrets. Thanks to the publisher for the ARC. Good characters and atmospherics with a different sort of plot line make this a good read.