From the moment I began reading this book I could not put it down. I loved the way the three characters' stories are interwoven together, from the past through to the present. I enjoyed the magical realism woven into the stories of Opaline, Martha, and Henry.
The writing style, the descriptions, and the plot pace all worked for me. I think I just may have found a new favorite author.


Thank you NetGalley and publisher for the e-book in exchange for my honest review.

I simply had to read The Lost Bookshop after having read and reviewed The Story Collector. Readers should do the same. The Lost Bookshop is a delightful, magical, and yet very realistic story of the women who struggled with personal matters, yet got the strength to move ahead in many ways thanks to a magical shop that opened itself to them. From Opaline to Martha, and to the good men they reluctantly let into their lives, this story embraced the promise of a better life, and love. I highly recommend this sweet book. I couldn't stop turning the pages to find out what happened next!

This book was a heart felt story about a bookstore and the people at were impacted by the love of books as well as the power of a magical bookstore. You get to see three different perspectives and how they all come together. I loved the relationship of Martha and Henry, as they find their way to each other.

Trigger warnings: abuse and death.

Thanks to NetGalley for the opportunity to read this book.

The Lost Bookshop is told with 3 narrators, Opaline, Martha and Henry. At times I had forgotten who was narrating each chapter but I think that's on me and not the author. Opaline's time in the asylum is heartbreaking and shows the reader how in that timeperiod, this happened to many women even without a proper diagnosis. Martha and Henry are very loveable and it was great to see Martha come full circle to trust and love again.

I loved this book and read it AFTER the author's 'The Story Collector.' I liked this book much more!

This book has it all…romance, fantasy, fiction and mystery. How do you find a bookstore that isn’t there? Ah, that’s the fantasy part woven with historical fiction.. You will fall in love with Opaline, Martha and Henry. Their adventures and secrets will lead you to the surprise ending.

Evie Woods’ writing adds a little bit of magic and will take you on an unforgettable journey. Madame Bovine will captivate you along with the 3 main characters One night read for me! Loved it!

Really enjoyed this book. Written well and easy to read. The story is a bit of a puzzler but the author worked hard to make the plot clear yet remain intruiging. Tough thing to do. Especially when using alternate timelines and narratives. Tough to elaborate without giving plot details so I’ll leave it at that.

Quite the intriguing read - a disappearing bookshop that only appears to certain people at certain times until its meant to be found. The backdrop of Ireland, France, England and WWII all provide a fascinating story and history. Poor Opaline suffers so much at the hands of several of the men in her life ,but most especially Lyndon, who ends up p!aying a dual role in her life, which she only learns once she escapes from through cunning and blackmail. She also learns just how deceitful and cruel he was and sets out to try and recover part of the past he stole from her which is how the bookstore becomes the mysterious vanishing place it is. Marthq, another of our protavgonists, also suffers at the hands of a dangerous man from whom she escapes, and ends up in Ireland. She finds a job as a live-in housekeeper for Madame Bowden, who rounds out our trio of heroines. Madame Bowden is elderly eccentric and almost a.shut-in who likes things just so. She provides a small, basement apartment that is magical for Martha and this is where she meets Henry, a nerdy young man who helps Martha find herself and inturn, she helps him find himself. The intertwining of the characters is amazing, the story that develops pulls the reader into all of the lives involved. At firat, the back and forth of the characters got to be a bit of a challenge. I have always liked reading changing timelines and different POV books, each chapter changing to a new POV/character, but this one proved a bit difficult at first. But the farther I got into the book, the less difficult it became as I got wrapped up in their stories and the magic of Martha's rooms. And the ending was wonderful. Madame.Bowden was simply and angel when Martha needed one! A very good read!

I read this book as an arc for the publisher.

Thank you for this arc ! I love magical realism and all things Ireland. I loved the whimsical magical feel weaved throughout this story !

A young boy in Dublin on his way to school is distracted Opaline’s Bookshop, a magical looking bookshop with twinkling lights, trinkets, miniature hot-air balloons, music boxes, and carousels. Since the bookshop holds far more interest than school, he enters and begins a conversation with Martha, the shop’s proprietor. She promises him a story about Opaline, and the rest of the novel is that story and more.
Opaline’s story is one of two timelines, and three points of view. Her tale starts in London in 1921. Opaline’s life revolves around reading and books, a love she inherited from her late father. But her family, namely her brother, Lyndon, is forcing her into a marriage she doesn’t want. Opaline realizes her books are her way to a new life. The sale of her first book sets her off on a journey full of fear, heartbreak, and love. But the story Martha tells isn’t just about Opaline, a young woman seeking independence from her domineering older brother, in an era when young women did what they were told.

The second timeline and point of view is Martha’s. In many ways, it mirrors Opaline’s, only in current times. Martha has fled to Dublin to escape from an abusive marriage. In hiding from her husband, she is offered a housekeeping job to the eccentric Madam Bowden. Martha’s quarters, she’s a live-in housekeeper, are in the basement. Next morning Martha is distracted by a pair of boots walking back and forth outside her basement window. They belong to an Englishman named Henry. Their initial conversation gets off to a rocky start. Only when she threatens to call the police does Henry try to tell her what he’s looking for, but Madam Bowden calls Martha away before he can explain.

The story then becomes Henry’s point of view. He’s in search of a lost bookshop. This is his chance to make a name for himself in the world of rare books, but so far, his search has left him empty-handed.

The Lost Bookshop integrates touches of magic, especially Martha’s mysterious tattoo of sentences on her back. Not to mention the tree that begins to appear in her room. But this isn’t just a story of a mysterious bookshop. It is also about three people trying to find their way in a world that hasn’t been easy for them. Traveling alongside these characters put me through all the emotions. I enjoyed watching them grow and change as they confronted and overcame the obstacles they faced.

I love books with fairy tale touches/magical realism woven into the story. Woods does an excellent job tying together all the loose ends in ways I didn’t see coming. I’m looking forward to reading her soon-to-be-released novel The Story Collector. If magical bookshops, multiple storylines/points-of-view, and touches of magical realism are your thing, this book may very well be for you. It certainly was for me.
Five stars.

"The thing about books is that they help you imagine a life bigger and better than you could ever dream of."

I adored The Lost Bookshop! It's a captivating story that has it all: historical fiction, mystery, heroism, love, and magic. The characters are so relatable, and their stories are heartwarming, heartbreaking, and magical. I especially love the interweaving storylines that come together so beautifully at the end. Evie Woods has such a talent for creating a world that feels both realistic and dreamlike. I was transported to the story and didn't want to leave!

This is a good story that flips back and forth in time. In the 1920's, Opaline was a bit of a rebel. She was not going to marry the man her brother picked for her. So, she sets out to make a new life for herself. Her brother keeps finding her and she has to run again. She ends up in Ireland at a bookshop. Her brother finds her again and ends up putting her in a mental hospital for years. She bides her time and plots her escape. In the present time, Martha escapes from her abusive husband and finds a job working as a housekeeper. She meets Henry, who is trying find out the story of Opaline. It seems that Fate takes a hand in all their lives, whether in the past or the present. A story full of magic and eventually, love.

The author skillfully crafts a narrative that celebrates the transformative power of books, using the vanishing bookshop as a metaphor for self-discovery and personal growth. The central theme, encapsulated in the quote about books helping to imagine a bigger and better life, resonates throughout the story, inviting readers to reflect on their own relationships with literature.

One of the novel's strengths lies in its character development. Opaline, Martha, and Henry are initially presented as side characters in their own lives, a clever narrative device that many readers will find relatable. As the story unfolds, we witness their evolution from passive observers to active participants in their own extraordinary tales, mirroring the journey of self-discovery often found in great literature.

The setting of Dublin adds a layer of charm and mystique to the story. The author's depiction of the quiet street where the bookshop resides creates a vivid backdrop that transports readers into the heart of the narrative.

The element of magic realism, introduced through the vanishing bookshop, adds an air of wonder and possibility to the story. This supernatural touch serves as a catalyst for the characters' transformations and allows the author to explore deeper themes of personal growth, destiny, and the power of imagination.

This was a wonderful read! The way the story was woven across time and place and the characters were a pleasure to get to know! I can't wait to read her next book...

Thank you Netgalley and Evie Woods, for the e-arc.

I'm sorry, but I was literally so bored reading this 😩 I may end up coming back to this just to see if I can finish, but I am 50% in and just not enjoying it...

Told in alternating chapters featuring different characters and time periods, "The Lost Bookshop" tells the tale of the search for the manuscript for a rumored second Emily Bronte novel. Opaline is an unusually independent woman for her time who is constantly tracked down by her overbearing and dangerous brother who is demanding that she marry his friend or face the ruin of the family through scandal. Martha is a young woman on her own who has escaped an abusive marriage and found refuge as a housekeeper and carer for Madame B. As Martha begins to feel safe, her attachment grows to the old lady and her new home. When mysterious/magical things begin to happen at the old lady's home and Martha meets a young gentleman scholar, her life takes a drastic change of direction.

The interweaving of the two story lines is seamless with just enough hints of the magic to come sprinkled throughout the novel. The parallel stories of Opaline and Martha and their ability to prevail despite the circumstances in which they find themselves feels true to their time periods. The ending was a bit rushed with a lot more magical elements thrown in to tie up the loose ends of the tales. Better pacing of the introduction of the magical elements at the end of the tale would have earned a five star rating.

A big thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for giving me this ARC!


This isn't a book that I typically read but, I was hooked on this story from the beginning. I find it very well written and a definite page turner. I have personally been going through some tough times right now and this book gave me a lot of hope and inspired me to keep moving forward. I absolutely loved the characters and all the twists. I would definitely recommend this book to anyone that wants a good heartwarming story.

Thank you to NetGalley for allowing me to read and review this book.
Evie Woods started out really strong with this story, I was instantly drawn in with her writing style and characters…
However I feel like once Opaline found the manuscript it really went downhill, every bad thing that could have happened to her happened, the story then veered off into such a predictable place that even the big twist at the end didn’t feel like a twist it just felt like another “well this is happening now” moment. Also the fact that Opaline loves books and Martha hates them and we didn’t really ever get an explanation as to why was a little disappointing. Overall my reading experience was positive and I’m looking forward to reading Evie Woods other book I received as an ARC from NetGalley as well “The Story Collector”

This was a 3.75 / 5 for me.

“I didn’t doooo anything, I simply arranged to have the matter taken care of..”

“It’s only in something’s absence that you realize how much space it takes up.”

The prose was beautiful. It flowed well. So many beautiful quotes.

I like how it had themes of women’s rights and addressed the mistreatment of women throughout history.

Opaline’s brother was the absolute worst. He and her father made me so upset. I’m assuming it was Opaline…I had a hard time keeping her and Martha straight. My attention span was lacking for this one.

I really enjoyed it though. I could see this being turned into a movie and if that’s the case I’ll definitely look forward to watching it.

I guess I somehow misunderstood the blurb and thought this might be more of a fantasy. No. It's a story of women frequently leaping full-force to false conclusions and the consequences of those leaps. I get the feeling the author fancies herself to be writing literature on a level equal to the authors her pro(an?)tagonists follow.

Thank you to NetGalley and Harper 360 for providing me with an ARC copy of The Lost Bookshop.

The Lost Bookshop is a beautiful story that follows the characters of Opaline, Martha and Henry. Opaline's timeline is set in the early 1920s and Martha and Henry's stories are told in present day. I thought Woods did a beautiful job of weaving the characters together in the book.

Each of the characters face their own tragedies and/or hardships. Opaline and Martha are victims of abuse, and I have to say that I was definitely enraged at what both of the women went through. I thought Woods did a great job of showing how the characters worked through their abuse, and let their healing shape who they became later on in their stories. Henry brought some awkward, comic relief to the story, and I loved that he also had some growth along the way. And, of course, I fell in love with Madame Bowden's character. Her eccentricities and no non-sense personality, were just so fun.

The magical realism and historical fiction themes of the book were a big draw for me. I loved that Opaline's bookshop had it's own personality, and the changes that took place in Martha's rooms, as the story went on. I also loved seeing Opaline's love for book collecting and how her journey took her from Paris to Dublin, and the other book lovers that she interacted with.

I did find that I was annoyed by Opaline's different love interests. She seemed to fall in love with each one the second that they met. I felt like she could have been a little more independent in that area, but I could see where Woods may have written it that way, because she was looking for love because of the loss of her father and the disdainful treatment by her brother.

Overall, I really enjoyed The Lost Bookshop and found it to be a delightful story that shares my love of the magic of books.