A beautiful spelling page turner about magic and witchcraft. Dora, the main character, learns that there is so much more to her story than she ever imagined. Living in England, with her aunt Lenny, she embarks on a journey to Salem, Massachusetts, where she learns who she and her family are. Reincarnation, mysticism, and adventure make this a wonderful read. I thank NetGalley (https://www.netgallery.com) for an advanced copy. I really enjoyed this novel and am sure you will too.

I very much enjoyed this book! It was a little bit of a slow start of me and getting used to the past/present chapters took a minute but once I got into it I really enjoyed it!

It's a lovely throwback story to the Witches of Salem with a modern twist. I did think parts of it were a bit predictable and I would have loved more of a witchy world build.

I do think the title doesn't really do the book justice as the Bookstore isn't as significant as I thought it would be!

All in all, very much an enjoyable witchy story and I'd love to read a sequel of how the characters proceed now!

If you’re feeling a little lost and in need of a bookstore sanctuary with magic realism… this one may be for you 💚

📚 Magic realism
📚 Salem Witch Trials
📚 Multiple timelines
📚 Multiple POVs
📚 Practical Magic vibes but different

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5
Closed Door Romance

First of all, the description gave me goosebumps instantly. I knew I needed it! We start on the outskirts of Salem and here Isadora suddenly has to flee the only home her family has ever known as they are hunted. At least that is where it begins but then we find ourselves moving through time and perspectives.

This book had me crying, laughing, and nostalgic for familial and maternal bonds between family members and true loves willing to do anything to protect each other. If I had to pick a favorite character, it would be the English sisters. All of them. Lenny’s bigger than life presence. Sephy’s caring but blunt kindness. And Lucine’s beautiful love story. Lenny is who had me turning the pages for more. But the romance between Dora and Ambrose was swoonworthy, too.

This book is very, very descriptive. If that is not your thing, it might not be for you. The author is very much a storyteller. If you enjoyed books like Weyward and The Lost Bride trilogy you will like this book. I found the relationship between the sisters the most beautiful though. This book was slow to start and get engaged with. It was about the 60% mark that everything started flowing really well and I became invested when I finally had the full story. But after that? I flew through needing to know what was coming next!

I enjoyed the read! Thank you for my advanced reader copy for an honest review.

✨Thank you to NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for my honest review✨

If you’ve been searching for the perfect witchy read that includes a family of strong women who have worked tirelessly across centuries to put an end to a curse, then The Vanishing Bookstore by Helen Phifer is what you’ve been waiting for!

Characters
I loved these characters!!! We follow the English women on their quest to end a familial curse that’s been plaguing their family since 1692. My favourite character was definitely Aunt Lenny - the sassy, ‘Eda the Owl Lady’ type character. The family reunion was heartwarming and it was nice to see Dora learn more about herself - where she and her family have come from and who she really is.

Plot
Wow, did I not want to put this book down! The Salem Witch Trials have always been interesting to me, so to have an entire novel that centres around these events was perfect. Helen Phifer did an amazing job marrying her fantasy elements to the actual history of the Trials, while being respectful of those who were persecuted and lost their lives during this dark time. Around the 60% mark, things quieted down a little bit, there were some things that I was left wondering about (the English women’s life after the final battle, and the fate of Dora’s friend Katie and Dora’s flower shop in London, for example), and I thought that the big finale was a little rushed, but I definitely enjoyed my time reading this novel!!

Setting/Vibes
The setting and overall vibes of this book were ✨everything✨. Salem? Cozy witchy vibes? Autumn? Yes, yes, YES!!!!! I just loved it so, so much. I have been to Massachusetts and Helen Phifer describes everything (the sights, the sounds, the scents, and everything in between) so perfectly - you really feel like you’re there alongside the English women, working to kick Corwin to the curb.

🔮 Witchy Women
🔮 Family Reunions
🔮 Ending A Familial Curse
🔮 Sassy Aunts

This was what I would call a cozy book with magical realism woven throughout. It follows the English sisters (and niece) from their violent deaths in the Salem Witch Trials of 1692 to the modern day. They have been destined to follow the same paths in multiple lifetimes until Dora (Isadora, the niece) is able to reclaim a book she hid and discover her powers. It reminds me of Practical Magic with some of the characters but lacks Alice Hoffman's talent. Still it was an enjoyable read and definitely good for an escape.

The writing is exquisite. It feels like you are living in the book. Such a great story.
The ending was AMAZING I cannot wait to read more from this writer, definitely a book I will revisit many times and get a paper copy

I usually enjoy Helen Phifers writing but I think she should stick to thrillers. I really didn’t like The Vanishing Bookstore, the first chapter set in the past was good but the recent day second chapter was like something from a Disney film. I couldn’t carry on.
Sorry to the author but this was not for me.

Hundreds were tortured and executed during the Salem witch trials of 1692. Isadora English was just a small child when her mother and three aunts were accused of witchcraft. All four women were given a death sentence. They were also cursed to liver their lives over and over again.

This story has a dual timeline - the past, 1692 and the present day. Dora English is hoping to find the vanishing bookstore so that the curse that was put on her family can finally be broken. The chapters alternate between the past and the present day. The book has been well-researched and it's descriptively written. Although all of the loose ends were tied up, I did feel the ending was a bit rushed.

Published 7th January 2025

I would like to thank #NetGalley #Bookouture and the author #HelenPhifer for my ARC of #TheVanishingBookstore in exchange for an honest review'

Thank you to netgalley and the publisher for an early eARC of this book!

I had high expectations for this as I've read all of Helen Phifer's books and I always enjoy them. The dual storyline was great and it made it easy for me to go back in time to the Salem Witch trials.

Dora as a main character was not ideal ( or more her description ). I was confused when I remembered she should be 33. She felt like a naive teeny. Also her connection to Lenny - yes it is your aunt, but she raised you since you were a baby - so you basically are like her daughter! It felt weird that she never accepted any of Lennys help "to not take advantage" .

Thank you to netgalley for the opportunity to read & review this book.

3.5 * I just loved the idea of this book. A family of witches cursed to live their lives over & over again, unable to clear this curse & move on whilst regaining the memories the past lives have left them with.
All the cozy witch vibes, set in Salem & a dual timeline. What's not to love?

The dual timeline fell a little flat around 50% of the way through the book & the narration became a little stilted too. I did care for the characters, so I continued with the story as I wanted to know the outcome.

I did struggle with our main characters, Dora & Ambrose. Their love is described as one across the age's but i just couldn't feel that between them? Sure, there was attraction & great respec, but I didn't feel that great love from within these pages.

Although there are a few things that left me confused, The Vanishing Bookstore did hold my attention. Helen Phifer has written a story that is a combination of fantasy and supernatural events combined with mystical images and populated with mythical people and creatures. The storyline was fun. I found it best not to ask too many questions, but it is likely that readers will have plenty of questions.

Although the actual content had little to do with the title, The Vanishing Bookstore did contain many good descriptions. The characters included Dora, her mother, two aunts, a long time beau, and an evil villain. They all seem to have some variation of mystical powers. There are two timelines and two locations, but Phifer does label the chapters clearly enough. The focus of The Vanishing Bookstore (and don't look too hard for the bookstore) is women's lives. This novel is also a form of the coming of age novel, with a slight variation, as Dora discovers her story. Some scenes are too brief, when readers will want more than a paragraph, while other scenes are too long. I would have liked better balance.

Overall, I did like The Vanishing Bookstore and I am recommending it. For people who like witches, myth, and a supernatural world, The Vanishing Bookstore is perfect. Thank you to Bookouture and NetGalley for providing this ARC. The comments above reflect my honest thoughts.

This is a story about Dora, a florist who lives in London with her only family, her aunt Lenny. One day, a creepy guy called George appears in her shop and raises all kinds of red flags for her aunt, who convinces Dora to go visit Salem.

There she finds not only that they are witches, but that she has two more family members, a beloved pet and a long-lost love.

With all of their help, she embarks on a voyage of self-discovery and the process of learning about her blocked magic powers. She has to do it fast in order to recover the book that will save them from a curse to relive their lives over and over, hunted by the witch-hunter, George Corwin.

I highly enjoyed the story; it’s very entertaining and fun in the right places. There are flashbacks to tell the story about their several past lives, but they are not the typical flashback chapters, instead appearing as passages where the main character regains her memory. I found it very original and beautifully accomplished.

Overall, it was a beautiful and entertaining read. I highly recommend it to anyone who enjoys stories filled with magic, self-discovery, and a touch of romance!

This book was a quick, enjoyable read that didn’t demand too much of my brainpower—which was perfect for what I needed. The characters were fun, though the FMC felt like she could’ve used a bit more dimension. The story itself was interesting enough to keep me turning the pages, but I’ll admit there were moments where I had to ignore some of the plot’s less logical elements. If you’re the kind of reader who loves a good hand-wave for the sake of moving the story along, you’ll probably enjoy this.

The battle at the end felt anticlimactic, almost like the author was leaning toward a cozy vibe instead of high-stakes drama. Honestly, I couldn’t tell if that was intentional, but it definitely felt low-pressure. The whole thing kept reminding me of TV shows like Charmed or Buffy—fun, a little campy, and not particularly deep. If that’s your jam, this might be right up your alley!

3.5 rounded up to 4.

This was a DNF at 25%. It was compared to Wayward and The Lost Apothecary both of which I really enjoyed. It didn’t hold my interest and I kept forcing myself to continue reading. I’m sure many will find it enjoyable but it wasn’t for me. Thank you NetGalley for the ARC.

The Lost Bookshop was a very enjoyable book.
When reading a book, I want to get lost in the details and get a mental image of what I'm reading.
This book did just that without over doing it.
This is my first book by Helen and I will surely be reading more.
Thank you NetGalley for allowing me to read this.

Helen Phifer is one of my favourite authors and I didn’t know what to expect but I was disappointed ‘The vanishing Bookstore’. It is a fabulous mystical read.
It’s set in two timelines 1692 in Salem and preset day. Dora English runs a flower shop in London when a mysterious stranger arrives at the shop. Saying that he is buying flowers for his girlfriend that has just died. But as Dora finds out his name is George. But he seems familiar, and she wonders if she has seen him before.
Her Aunt Lenny asks her to take a trip to Salem which she agrees, where she meets her other aunt that she has never met before. This introduction delves into the family history, which includes the Salem Witch trials and all things magic.
This is a great mystical read for all fans of with the vibe of Practical magic and Sabrina the teenage witch. Even though the protagonist is older. It has great characters and full of suspense with the storyline. I couldn’t put this down. I am just wondering if there is more to tell of this story to come. 5 stars from me.

This book was so much fun. I loved all the witchy and historical elements that were tied into the story. The story also kept me wanting to figure out what was going on. Highly suggest reading this book.

The concept behind this book was interesting, and I expect it should do well just because of the number of people with an interest in witchcraft and the Salem trials. For me, the execution was lacking: there were many spots where I noticed clunky writing (telling, repetition, factual errors) that distracted me from the story. I also feel the title is manipulative; it's meant to pull in readers with an interest in bookstores and magical books when actually the "bookstore" in question can hardly be called that and the way the story returned to it at the end felt gratuitous.

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the chance to read a digital ARC in advance of publication.

3.5/5 ⭐️

"You are honourable, brave and courageous, Dora, the way you always have been"
I definitely felt this way about our main character, and I especially enjoyed the short litlle moments she had with her mother.
I really liked the dual timelines and they fleshed out the story more, but I do feel like some of the story was lacking. I think the moment when Dora found the bookstore was way to short and should have been longer compared to some other aspects of the story.
But overall this was an interesting story and i could really feel the author's interest in the Salem witch trials and how much time she had spent researching for all the information.
So I would highly recommend this if you have an interest in witches and the trials of them in 1692.

I absolutely loved this read! What a fun and unique plot leading to a lot of suspense. I enjoyed the main character, and the writing is very descriptive, you feel immersed into the story! The magic was so fun and it turned into a heartwarming story! Would definitely recommend.