This is an intriguing story of mystery and magic and one that you have to be open minded about. As always with this author there is always a hint of something different interwoven amongst a story covering difficult issues In this case the midnight bookshop told the story of three people who are each facing their own difficult situations in life and how through the power of books and friendship they can help each other when they are brought together by the midnight bookshop.

I loved the literary quotes and references within the story and also the concept that within this bookshop the books choose the reader rather than the other way around and how books can be used to help heal and deal with life’s problems.

This was an emotional and heartfelt read and had me invested from the start.

Amanda James always seems to write intriguing, sensitive books with that touch of magic and the Midnight Bookshop is no exception. Jo, Adelaide and Kye are the main characters who all appear to be unhappy with their lives in some way or other. After finding leaflets advertising it they agree to meet up at the Midnight Bookshop. After meeting the shop's enigmatic proprietor Fay and borrowing their first book, the friends fall under it's spell. Will it's magic help them find that missing something they didn't know they needed but now so desperately seek? Although the problems the friends are struggling with are common ones they can be difficult, at times insurmountable ones to get free from. I think this allows the reader to identify easily with one or all of the main characters at some time during the book. The plot takes the friends through lots of heart searching and adventures aided by the bookshop, Fay and a little magic.
A thoroughly uplifting enjoyable read that will certainly leave you feeling better with the world.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read an advance copy. All opinions are my own.

A quietly magical, contemplative read about the stories that shape us—even if the bookshop’s own spell didn’t fully take hold.

The Midnight Bookshop draws readers into a whimsical and reflective space where books have the power to rewrite lives. Strangers Jo, Adelaide, and Kye—each at a personal crossroads—find themselves drawn to a mysterious shop run by the enigmatic Fay. There, a specially chosen book nudges them toward healing, self-discovery, and new ways of seeing their past, present, and future.

What I appreciated most were the emotional truths embedded in the characters' journeys. Themes of connection, grief, purpose, and the quiet ache of regret are woven throughout, and certain lines—particularly about how we change with each rereading—genuinely resonated. The novel encourages introspection, and its message about the transformative power of stories is heartfelt and moving.

That said, I did struggle a bit with the pacing and tone. The prose felt dense in places, and I found it hard to pin down whether the story wanted to be heartwarming or quietly tragic. The overall concept and structure—while charming—felt familiar, echoing titles like The Midnight Library and Before the Coffee Gets Cold without offering something distinctly new to the genre. Readers who enjoy this kind of reflective magical realism may still find it a perfect fit, but those familiar with similar stories might find some elements a touch predictable.

I was also left wanting more explanation about the magical mechanics behind the shop itself. Fay’s vague responses—like “you don’t need to know that”—felt like missed opportunities for deeper world-building, and certain plot moments—like a character’s sudden disappearance—felt underdeveloped and lacking resolution.

Still, there’s a quiet wisdom to this book, and a sincere love for the way stories shape lives. The Midnight Bookshop may not have surprised me, but it left me reflective—and sometimes, that’s enough.

Recommended for fans of Before the Coffee Gets Cold and The Midnight Library.

Kye, Jo and Adelaide all have problems in their personal lives. On finding the Magical Midnight bookshop, and its owner, Faye, they discover the joy of reading and, through individual books, they find a way to ease their problems. Wonderful reading to show the magic of books.

'The Midnight Bookshop' is a fantasy, cozy book about books!

The story is a perfect match for fans of The Reading List and Before the Coffee Gets Cold, as it contains themes like healing and 'editing' your life through reading books, all taking place in a magical bookshop with a whimsical bookkeeper.

In addition, the three stories were interesting and covered a lot of difficult subjects; however, I did find the solving of them kind of quick and too convenient. Also, I would have loved for the characters to have read more than four books.

But, overall, the characters were interesting and the story magical.

This is quite an intriguing and magical story of fantasy and realism. The Midnight Bookshop, not easily visible by day and bathed in moonlight at night, appears to those who need it. And when its chosen readers, in this case Jo, Kye and Adelaide, seek this portal into the imagination, amazing things begin to happen as they re-imagine their lives for the better.

This fascinating bookshop is engineered by a timeless lady named Fay. She is full of mystery and magic and only good comes from her hand. She helps three wounded and desperately lost souls, get back on track through the wonderful world of books. She adds a dash of magic, care and happiness to sweeten their lives. Jo, Kye and Adelaide are three strangers who come together from very different backgrounds, yet in time evolve into close friends. They support each other through many trials and transitions. The positive energy they create together is exciting and the revelations they receive from Fay and each other are essential. Morsels of wisdom are released in the dialogue and we see the effects. Theirs is not a selfish journey as they attempt to improve each others lives.

This book is about finding courage, personal growth, kicking bad habits, understanding responsibilities and achieving viable dreams. It is also about learning how to break free from psychological and physical control and bullies. Sometimes no matter what we try in repairing a relationship will actually work. Yet it is vital to remember that the one who extends the olive branch is not responsible for the outcome. Learning to let go and releasing oneself from the guilt, is necessary, if efforts do not yield the desired result. The fact is, nobody can change another person.

The guidance offered by Fay gives the three seekers a fresh start. Allowing them to put a new spin on their lives. Fay helps them realise how the real world must be balanced with the power of the imagination. For in reading good books, knowledge is gained and boundaries are extended. Fear is attacked when knowledge is imparted. Jo, Kye and Adelaide learn how to deal with their problems—in visiting the pages of a book. In many ways, the meetings in the Midnight Bookshop are addictive once they open the doors of hope and dreams become reality. But will this magical realm remain when lessons have been learned and new paths are started? These readers learn that the Midnight Bookshop is like a lighthouse that leads endangered souls to safety; then gives them fresh starts and new tools to continue succeeding. The Bookshop becomes their saviour for it saves each of them and releases hope into their lives. For here in this mystical place where you don’t choose the books and the books choose you, tailored guidance is offered for those who need it.

This, in many ways, is a complex novel about relationships and Amanda James successfully weaves magic with realism to create a potent tale in an unforgettable way. The Midnight Bookshop clearly has an imaginative and inspiring plot. Plus the author is resourceful in how she draws upon the classics of literature to help the three troubled, lost and defeated souls to overcome their trials. I loved the community spirit these three developed, along with the closeness, honesty and love they shared as a result. And the resounding eternal theme of the power and magic of books is refreshing! There are so many book truths in this story such as how we each can get something different from reading the same book because: ‘What you bring to a book, meaning your particular experience of life, well, it can change everything. Two people reading the same book will have different perceptions…” Even the same person reading the same book at different times in their lives, can develop a different view. As over time we change and learn new things and take those experiences with us into the reading experience. As Fay says: ‘You’re not the same person when you first read it.’ This is a truth I have shared many times with readers of my poetry but it applies to all literature. There is so much in this novel that resonated with me!

I encourage lovers of books to read this novel! Beware, though, it will unsettle your mind with its twists, turns and imaginative plot and stir up lots of emotion and ideas. But healing, happiness and harmony will be the end result. And what better experience can you ask of a book! I highly recommend this beautiful uplifting story that will stay with you a long time. 5 Stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Thanks to One More Chapter and Netgalley for the ARC>

The Midnight Bookshop, a novel by Amanda James, connects the lives of three strangers—Jo, Adelaide, and Kye—through their shared love of books.

Jo, the main character, navigates loss and self-doubt but ultimately demonstrates strength and resilience. Adelaide brings wisdom and warmth to the group, while Kye's struggles offer redemption and hope.

These characters are relatable and inspiring, and their interactions are as touching as they are uplifting. The book underscores the importance of community and self-reflection, especially in a time when many people feel isolated or overwhelmed.

Books can be about ideas, stories, and beauty, offering the chance for personal growth and inspiration if readers are willing to open themselves up to the experience. The Midnight Bookshop is a magical place where anything can happen and characters confront their truths without judgment.

James's writing is both beautiful and accessible, making the story engaging and easy to follow. However, some readers might find parts of the story predictable or wish for more complex plot twists. The magical bookshop setting feels alive and draws readers into its world, but some secondary characters could have been more developed.

The Midnight Bookshop is an emotional read that invites readers to reflect on the power of literature to shape our understanding of ourselves and others.

It’s a timeless story that emphasizes the healing and transformative power of books.

The Midnight Bookshop by Amanda James weaves the stories of three unlikely friends who find a mysterious bookshop and an intriguing bookkeeper with the best advice, Fay Revil. Jo is a twenty one year old who lives with her rich parents and doesn’t work or go to school. She is quite spoiled and treats her parents with disdain. Adelaide is married to an abusive alcoholic and dreams of doing something else with her life. Kye deals drugs for his brother to help pay bills and take care of his mother. He longs to be a writer, but struggles to find the time or money to do it. The books chose the reader and the characters bond over hot chocolate and deep conversations with Fay during the magical hour of midnight.

I recommend this book for fantasy readers. It’s a magical bookshop with characters who become immersed in the books they are reading. Each book gives the person the courage to face their problems and make changes to follow their dreams. The Great Gatsby, Oliver Twist, One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest are the books that chose the characters. A word of warning if you haven’t read these books, there are major spoilers that are part of the stories each of the characters experience.

Thank you Harper Collins Uk/ One More Chapter and Netgalley for the advanced reader copy. All opinions are my own.

A very quirky but enjoyable book.

Three strangers - Jo, Adelaide and Kye - are drawn to the bookshop and its enigmatic owner, Fay.

Each is struggling with their situation and each has a book chosen for them which gives them insight and direction. Each has to understand where their lives started to go wrong and use the book as an opportunity to reset and move forward. Each is helped by the others and nudged forward by Fay and the magic of the bookshop.

A delightful tale of the power of books to change lives, magical thinking and friendship.

One I will be recommending.

In a nutshell, three characters brought together by fate and bookstore owner who gives them life advice and creative writing assignments 🙂

We meet three main characters, or four if you count the owner of the bookshop, Fay. Adelaide (Lade, Addy), Joanna (Jo) and Kye. Everyone was miserable in their own way. Adelaide married to a wrong guy and lives a quiet life until one day she comes across a leaflet saying “The Midnight Bookshop, all welcome” which reminded of her love of reading. Jo is what it seems to have a perfect family. They might have all that they need financially, but are they really there for their daughter. A classic case of a child with an emotionally immature mother and an emotionally unavailable/absent father. An 18-year-old, Kye, is doing his very best to keep their family together and attends to their sick mother, which is not an easy task with an older brother who’s throwing gas on fire.

The multiple POVs are very hard to carry out. While the writer is the same, they have to be two or in this case three different people, they think differently, and they obviously have a different manner of speech. While Kye had a few words and phrases only he was using, when it came to the ladies - the way they talk (especially when we’re not in Jo’s head/POV) - it’s almost as if Adelaide is taking to herself. I liked when Jo was in her own world, interacting with her parents. I believe that’s where the writer’s skills shined the most, when the main characters were not interacting with each other.

Another dilemma and common mistake with the POVs is repetition. Something happens while the three of them were apart, and then the friends meet to debrief. Basically, we’re put in a position of hearing the same information over and over again.

While I appreciate the pop culture references and allusions. I think the writers have to be careful not to rely on them too much. If it’s not done right - it distracts the readers from the main plot and characters, making them think about a work of someone else’s imagination.

This novel is about three strangers, three musketeers, as one called them, who found each other in the right moment and right time. I relate to Kye, Jo and Addy on different levels. Perhaps that’s why I was looking forward to seeing them resolve their issues and wished to know how they are going to do that. Even so, I can’t say my curiosity was satisfied, this and other questions were unanswered. When Kye asked Fay how exactly the bookstore worked, she said they “didn’t need to know that”. Well, I as reader, do in fact wish and need to know. And before that, Fay simply said, “you’re meant to go to this store”. And how, exactly, <spoilers>Mark left? He just disappeared into a thin air. As Jo said, “he just upped and went”.</spoilers>

To sum this up, I feel very torn. When rereading a book, you’re not the same person you were when you first read it. This and similar thoughts really spoke to me. The lines about family, books and friendship, life goals and were beautiful. But regardless of how certain ideas appealed to me, I couldn’t quite get the tone and the pacing of this book. As if the book itself couldn’t decide to be lighthearted or dark and tragic. For all know, it is possible it was intended, maybe it’s supposed to feel this way. Anywho, like Fay has said that people will have different experiences reading the same book. I loved the general idea, but I can’t say my experience was entirely positive. But again, this was mine, I’d love to hear about yours.

P.S. I think we can agree that some people do need a push to make a first move and confess their feelings, but it has to be a gentle push (I’m talking about you, Addy).

I loved this book told through three perspectives. Three very troubled people find solutions for their life problems by visiting a magical library and make life long friendships. This book had me rooting for all three of them and didn't disappoint.

Wow what a book! I absolutely loved reading The Midnight Bookshop, the vibes of this novel made me think of Evie Woods, both authors have created magical and beautifully written novels.
The Midnight Bookshop hooked me as soon as I started reading, the concept of a magical bookshop that helps our characters was fascinating for me and I loved seeing how it played out.
The characters were all created with lovely qualities, each one (with the exception of Mark) was a delight to journey with. Addy.. what a beautiful soul she was and it was so saddening to see her behaviour treated like that by Mark. I loved how she needed Jo and Kye as much as they needed her. The likeliness of their friendship was outweighed by their bond over the bookshop. Each character had a different background and struggles of their own but together they fit and it was lovely reading especially with the mysterious Fay and the Bookshop.
Amanda James has created a magical world that takes books and swept us all away with the magic of it all. Her writing so beautifully captured all the emotions throughout the novel. As a reader I felt immersed into the novel like the characters became my friends too.
A beautifully written story and one that I think everyone will love.

Those who enjoy stories imbibed with magic realism are going to love the fairytale aspects of this charming, well-written book with its uplifting message and sweet romance.

I particularly liked the premise of the story: a bookshop that heals through books that mirror the turmoil in the character’s own lives. The linking of well-known and well-chosen books to the three disparate main characters was skilfully and tenderly executed and brought perfect resolution.

I also loved the premise of getting lost in a book: to inhabit the world created by the author so completely that your own life gets suspended while you take on that character’s struggle. By immersing yourself so deeply, by seeing them through their jeopardy and any injustice they face, their perils become your perils and their world, your world, so that when you finish the book your own demons seem surmountable and a way forward seems clearer. This was very skilfully executed.

I think it’s important to add that in the description on the back cover there is no mention that the genre is magical realism which requires the reader to suspend belief. I believe this should be made clearer.

My thanks to NetGalley and One More Chapter for giving me the opportunity to read and review this book.

What a strange novel! Three people each tell their own troubled stories in the magical world of the Midnight Bookshop. It is so far removed from reality, there is nothing tangible to cling onto. Each find their lives can improve through a close bond forged from their escapades to the bookshop. A book for dreamers, but not one for me - but other readers may enjoy it.

My thanks to NetGalley and the publishers HarperCollins for this ARC.

I will admit I stopped reading this during chapter three because I was bored. The story didn’t hook me in like I hoped it would.

A lovely story told from three perspectives. These three are brought together by all responding to a flyer for The Midnight Library. The seek it out and in doing so become a tight group and begin to find a way to happiness in their unique situations through the magic of the bookshop and Faye, it's keeper. Really lovely.

This book started for me as just another easy fluffy read to devour whilst on a sunbed with a cocktail in hand. However it soon became much much more.

To appreciate the book fully you have to leave any preconceived ideas at the first page and open up you mind to a magical world.

Jo, Adelaine and Kye are all struggling for one reason or another in their fairly mundane lives without being able to see a future. From a brief meeting at a food bank and a mysterious leaflet about the Midnight Bookshop, little do they know that their lives are about to change.

There is much talk in the book about escaping into a book and becoming part of it. As a deaf person I have said for years that I am no deaf when I read as I become the narrator or a character or just intrinsically woven into the story.

The magical part of this book does require you to suspend belief for a while but I suggest you do to have the full experience of a fabulous story!

I will be recommending this to my Bookclub

A magical bookshop that inspires people. Wouldn’t it be wonderful if a book helped you change your life? This is what happens to three unhappy people who discover the Midnight Bookshop, run by the enigmatic Fay, where the books seem to choose their readers, rather than the other way round. Jo escapes into The Great Gatsby, Kye to One Flew Over The Cuckoo’s Nest, Adelaide to Oliver Twist. Each person learns from their special book how to solve a problem and improve their life. There’s romance in the air for some of them too. A book I was sorry to finish.