I loved this fantasy thrill ride. The story was engaging and the characters were likable. I'm not a fantasy reader but I could not read this book fast enough. A definite 5 star read for me!

*thank you to netgalley and the publisher for an early copy of this book in exchange for an honest review*

Absolutely beautiful!lost myself in this book. The characters and the writing are magnificent. Been a long time since I read something so magical. Definitely recommend this ! I am looking forward to reading more books by this author ! Brilliant! 5 stars.

Cassie has lived her life off to the side. She doesn't cause trouble, she doesn't ask for much, shes just content to be. Working in Kelner's Books is her favorite place to be. There she can be surrounded by the books that are her only paths to adventure and another life. While closing shop one evening Mr. Webber finds himself keeping Cassie company on yet another cold night. Sadly though this night Mr. Webber will not make it through. After discussing how much he and Cassie both enjoy The Count of Monte Cristo, Mr. Webber passes away at the table. After paramedics have come Cassie finds a battered book on the table next to Mr. Webbers battered copy of Count of Monte Cristo that she doesn't recall seeing before.
When she opens the book all she finds is nonsense until in a dark doorway she opens it again and finds an inscription to her from Mr. Webber.
The Book of Doors changes Cassie's life forever. As the book says, Any Door Is Every Door, and Cassie finds herself standing in the doorway to her hallway except instead of the hallyway its a night in Italy that she remembers from years ago. Reaching her hand out she finds that this is not an illusion its real.
She and her friend Izzy begin to travel unknowingly catching the attention of a gentleman who knows of these kind of books, who has spent his life in search of and collecting them.
Cassie is in terrible danger, many of these books exist, books that hold magic within their pages but there is only one Book Of Doors and many will kill for it.
#TheBookOfDoors is a wonderous book that many book lovers will find themselves lost in and daydreaming about what it would be like if these magical books really existed. The time travel element has always been something a little out of my grasp, something that I am always filled with questions about but I didn't mind it in this novel. I adored reading this and I have a feeling it will be one of my favorite books of the year.

Thank you #Netgalley for the chance to read #TheBookOfDoors by #GarethBrown in return for a fair and honest review.

Thank you to NetGalley for this arc.
I wanted to love this book, the premise of it sounds amazing. A story about magical books, yes please! However, the pacing was a bit slow for me, it took me almost half of the book for me to really get into it. I was also very confused with the different time lines, I had to go back and read multiple times to be able to understand. I still had a good time reading.

The Book of Doors by Gareth Brown is a twisty, turny trip of a book. Starting off a little slower, it quickly speeds up, and at times it made me feel like I was being left behind as the story changed, evolved, took on a new shape, and changed again. At no point was I totally sure what the plot was, and it was kind of fun to just let the story lead me along.

I did find myself wishing the characters had gotten more development, but by the end of the book you realize the story isn’t so much about the characters as it is about the books.

The ending leaves open the opportunity for Brown to return to this world with a possible series, and I’m curious to see if the characters will return for more bookish adventures.

This book is advertised as being something that those who enjoyed The Night Circus and The Invisible Life of Addie Larue will like, and I think that’s spot on marketing. If you really enjoyed those books, you’ll probably really like this one too!

Shoutout to Netgally for the e-Arc!

This is a great read--full of adventure and speculative elements. I loved it. My only complaints, if you even call them that, was not giving us the romance sitting RIGHT THERE between Cassie and Drummond (plus, Drummond as a name ugh), but I get it. It could be implied. I just thought it could also be blatant :) And my other complaint was the minor plot consideration that Cassie could have created a Book of Dispatching The Woman, but that wouldn't have been fun at all, would it. (As I said, not complaints!)

Overall, terrific read with an incredibly evil villain, no stone left unturned, and it's wonderfully giving Matt Haig's "How to Stop Time".

Thanks to NetGalley and William Morrow for an advanced copy!

Unfortunately, I could not get into this book and DNF at 15%. I tried picking it up dozen of times for a month and I wasn't able to connect to the characters or the story, the narration felt flat to me and the personalities weren't developed enough for me to care about the characters.

I had high hopes because I liked the concept and the first chapter, but everything after this just lacked something magical.

Rating for what I did read.

This book hooks from the beginning and it’s the type of story you have to put down to let yourself relax. The good vs evil trope is strong here which makes for some intense scenes. Saying that, our heroes Cassie, Izzy, Drummond and Lund are normal people thrown into amazing circumstance. Magical books that can give pain, joy, health illusion and one that can open a door to anywhere! Like so many things that could be a boon to mankind unless in the wrong hands.
Brown manages to explain all these sliding doors and time travel so it is understandable . But it is quite a ride.
I think this may be a debut author and it’s exhilarating. Totally recommend thanks to Netgalley and Harper Collin’s.

I can see this book having mass appeal to many readers — unfortunately the writing style wasn’t for me. DNF @ 25%.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC.

I absolutely loved this book. It was such a sad, hopeful, thoughtful, fascinating adventure. It's the kind of book that I know I'll end up rereading to see what I pick up on the next time around.

Without spoiling things, there are a lot of twists and turns and worlds to explore. The characters and writing were great. The villains were a bit one-dimensional but not to the point they bothered me.

I'd definitely welcome a return to this world, but I liked how well everything was wrapped up in the end. Of course, there are always more doors to open, so I can easily see how this tale could go on.

I read an ARC of this book from NetGalley. All comments are my own.

Well written, beautifully evocative with interesting characters and layers of meaning; what a fantastic novel. Cassie finds herself in possession of a book that can literally- not just figuratively, take her anywhere. Its arrival changes her life irrevocably. There is time travel, magic, thrilling adventure, terrifying villains, love and friendship, growth and struggle, loss and hope. This book is an affirmation of why we love to read, the magic and power of stories.

Thank you to NetGalley and William Morrow for sharing this ARC in exchange for an honest review

Thank you NetGalley for the opportunity to get a sneak peek at this incredible book! It is a wild, magical adventure that kept me at the edge of my seat from beginning to end. There are so many plot twists that left me guessing and I couldn’t wait to see what happens next. If you are a fan of The Midnight Library or VE Schwab’s books, put this one at the top of your TBR list!

*ARC review - I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review*

The Book Of Doors was a really great take on time travel that was a fun change from the usual rules (that changes in the past affect the future). This story has SO many twists - several that I should have figured out, some that I didn't see coming -, but I was so involved in the story that I wasn't even guessing, to be honest.

Cassie Andrews is a fascinating MC and an unlikely heroine, and her growth arc is just amazing. This also had a HUGE (and memorable) cast of characters, thankfully each distinct so it was easy to keep up with who was who.

But the plotting, y'all. I would love to see Gareth Brown's method for keeping track of everything going on in this book - it was seriously genius (and I'm just envisioning an entire wall covered with sticky notes.) Did I mention this story has a lot of clever twists? The storyline was just...fun and paced well - lightning fast for action, and slowing down a bit for backstory as needed. I'm not explaining it well - let's just say that it was just right.

When the Book of Doors was first revealed, my initial thought was "what I could do with that" until the inherent danger of the book's existence was revealed. WHEW did that up the stakes. The entire fantastical elements of the books and the character backstories was just so well done.

And The Woman - she has to be one of the most horrible villains I've come across.

If you like fantasy stories that involve secret libraries, time travel, magical books, evil villains - this is the one for you.

Thank you NetGalley for an early copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. I was really intrigued to read a fantasy about magical books providing supernatural powers. But this book just wasn’t for me. I was extremely bored. I had such a hard time relating to the characters & I personally didn’t like the author’s style or tone in the book.

Books. Lots of books. The love of books and libraries. Magic. Time travel. The unbreakable bonds of family and friendship. A truly evil archvillain. All these disparate elements are skillfully woven together by Gareth Brown into one of the most impressive debut novels of my recent memory, The Book of Doors.

Cassie works in a bookstore, where Mr. Keller, an elderly customer, stops by on a regular basis. One night, as she’s closing the store, she finds Mr. Keller dead at the coffee table. There she finds a book bequeathed to her, the Book of Doors. She finds that the book can magically transport her to places she’s been previously in her life. But as with anything that’s to good to be true, there are associated dangers that she learns all too quickly.

Skillfully plotted, and wonderfully written, The Book of Doors was one of the most entertaining books of recent years. It’s just so damn good. The story and characters just come to life. It’s an uncommon book when I find myself cheering when great things happen, and despairing when things go poorly for our heroes. I truly hated it to end.

My utmost gratitude to William Morris, and to Netgalley, for allowing me to read an ARC of this marvelous forthcoming book.

A great read. I loved everything about this book. The writing was fantastic and I didn't want to put the book down.

Thank you William Morrow & NetGalley for approving this ARC for me!

I did not like the beginning half of this book only because it was strange to me that Cassie accepted the book so easily, it felt very rushed. However, once you're about 30% of the way in, the plot really picks up. The premise of the book is very fascinating, revolving around these magical, special books. It could have been expanded into a duology or trilogy to allow the plot details to be fully appreciated (i.e. what happens to this new group of friends that will continue on to research/hunt down other rare books to keep the world safe?). Overall, a very compelling read and really makes you think about time travel and how certain "tweaks" can impact the future.

I like the premise of the book as I love all things book related and books about books. Magical realism is a favorite genre. But. I just couldn’t connect with this book.
Thanks to William Morrow and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this book.

If you compare a book to Addie LaRue, know that my hopes will be so high. And this did not live to that.

The premise of phenomenal. Such a unique and fun idea about a story with magical doors. The execution however, I found lacking.

The writing felt very clunky to me. There was very little dialogue, and the dialogue that was there felt stiff and unnatural. The characters I found very flat.

This one wasn’t for me.

3.5 stars, rounding up

Make sure to read this one with a croissant and a hot cup of coffee or tea. Or maybe a beignet. Or if you're feeling more hardcore, a whiskey.

This book was overall very good. I will say that my opinion on it fluctuated throughout, and this is why l've not given it 5 stars.

Things I loved: the premise of the book- it gives me Night Circus, Addie LaRue, Starless Sea vibes

I also loved that it made me want to be in certain scenes. If a book draws me in and wants me to be in the setting or enjoying something the characters are enjoying (ambiance, weather, food or drink, a conversation, etc), then I know it’s one I will enjoy.


Things I didn't love: the pacing of the plot, the lack of character development, and the extremes some scenes went to. The pacing felt choppy to the point of distracting me... and this is what really kept it from being a 5 star. The lack of character development didn't bother me too much, many times I wondered if that was intentional. I think it was most obvious when paired with the choppiness of the plot. And the extreme scenes... really could have gotten the story across without them being *so* extreme (and by this I mean language, descriptions, and dialogue).

Overall, I do recommend this book. It still gave me the magical feeling that I love.
Thank you to NetGalley and William Morrow for the opportunity to read this book with an Advanced Reader Copy in exchange for my honest review.