I found this to be a bitter sweet tale. It was interesting getting a new perspective. Darby's inner turmoil had the right blend of emotional stress and frustration. Growing up in my own small town I understand the need to be out, even if out isn't always the best. I know this is not the first ever book told from the trans perspective, but it was for me and I appreciated the look into a world that was new to me. As a rule I'm not big on the slice of life fiction, but this one kept me interested throughout. The narrator, Shaan Dasani, was an excellent choice in my opinion.

*The In-Between Bookstore* is a charming and whimsical story that weaves together the magic of books with a sense of wonder and discovery. It follows a young protagonist who stumbles upon a mysterious bookstore that exists in a space between worlds, offering more than just stories—it offers a chance for transformation. The book explores themes of self-discovery, curiosity, and the power of reading. With its heartfelt narrative and enchanting setting, it captivates readers of all ages, reminding them of the magic that can be found in the pages of a book. A delightful, imaginative read for book lovers!

Darby is a trans man returning to his hometown to help his mom move out of their home. Darby left right after high school and started his life the way he wanted. When he returns home he longs to go back to the bookstore he worked in as a teen. When he enters the bookstore he meets young Darby. He is transported back to the bookstore and himself. Throughout the book Darby is trying to find out how to help both his younger self and his current self.
I often read books that will put me in someone else’s shoes. It’s the best way to have an open view of the world and gain empathy. I really enjoyed this book, but Darby seemed so young to me. It was hard to picture him as a 30 year old. I’m not sure if this is because the author’s normal genre is young adult. I will recommend this book though.

Well, there were good things here! I liked the voice and the premise of seeing your younger self. And I always enjoy stretching my reading experiences by reading widely. I haven't read many books with transgender protagonists. However, I wish it had gone deeper. Darby was like, "Oh, I hate New York I love New York I hate New York I love my friends I'm ignoring my friends" back and forth an exhausting number of times, without much depth. And the final decision seemed to come out of nowhere. I still enjoyed this, but I think it could have been much more.

I found this book slow to start, and by the time I started caring about the story, all of the action was over and the ending came. I didn't find any of the characters particularly compelling, though there was some growth for Darby which was good. I thought the magic bookstore/time travel element was kind of weak, and I went in expecting that to be more of a focus than it was. I think my main problem was that this read more like YA, and the cast of characters were supposed to be older but were still behaving like teens, which just threw me off a lot.
Overall, this was a good idea for a story, but it fell short for me.

Book Review: The In-Between Bookstore by Edward Underhill
🏳️‍🌈LGBTQIA+ story about a trans man returning to his hometown and confronting aspects of his past

I am a reader who is *always* drawn to a story with a bookstore setting or a character who is obsessed with books or works with books, and I know I'm not alone in this love! I was instantly drawn to the cover and synopsis of this story, and it took me a few chapters to get into but ultimately I did enjoy it. There's a time travel aspect to this one that begs the question:

What would you tell your younger self if you were able to go back and do so?!

I'd absolutely tell myself to spend a bit less time worrying what other people think of me, but I'd also not believe that at the time, I'm sure. 🤣

With a few 13 going on 30 vibes, a great group of side characters including family and friends and a doggy, and a plotline that made me want to give The Lightning Thief another try, this book felt relatable and nostalgic and it opened my eyes a bit to an experience of coming out that I've not had first-hand. I appreciated that and would recommend this to anyone looking for a bit of a cozy and insightful contemporary fiction story that requires a bit of suspension of belief.

Actual Rating 2.5

This slow, quiet work is certainly much more literary fiction or general fiction than fantasy. In fact, not much happens in this work as Darby spends most of his time trying to figure out how the time travel works and how to time travel again rather than focusing on his problems in his contemporary timeline. And even then we don't learn why the time travel is happening, it's just a plot point for Darby to learn more about his past self. There were actually many aspects that I felt that the author chose to skim the surface of rather than dive deep, leading to many missed opportunities.

I wanted a bit more from Darby's character. With the work being as character-driven as it was, I was hoping for more growth and some stronger resolutions when it came to his character. The relationship between him and Michael could have been written to be a bit stronger or more compelling - I wasn't feeling much chemistry there or really much of anything. This is probably partially due to the fact that Darby just spends a lot of time trying to avoid Michael. The characters were just okay in general, but for some reason Darby's mom was a lot of fun.

This work started off strongly, but just kind of fizzled out towards the end and felt quite YA in tone and execution. It's still an okay read, but I just wanted more from it overall. My thanks to NetGalley and Harper Audio for allowing me to read this work. All thoughts and opinions expressed in this review are my own.

The In-Between Bookstore follows Darby, a 30-year-old living in New York. He suddenly gets laid off from his job and decides to move back to his small town where he grew up, but he never felt that he belonged there. While navigating life back in his hometown he discovers that every time he walks into the old bookstore where he used to work, it took him back in time to when he was 16. He takes that as an opportunity to fix a falling out he had with his childhood best friend, Michael.

I enjoyed this book more than I thought I would. I related a lot to the story of coming home after being away for so long and seeing how everything moved on without you. The miscommunication made me mad at some points, but overall, it worked itself out. I was satisfied by the end, and I will be looking forward to more by this author.

Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with this arc in exchange for an honest review.

I have mixed feelings about this book. It took me a little bit to get into it. I wasn’t that invested in the characters at the start, but they kind of grew on me. It’s an interesting concept (time travel/multiverse/whatever is going on here), but I found the ending unsatisfying, even if it probably did make sense for the character. Maybe I’m just too used to the happy ending, but after going on this journey of self-reflection and trying to change things for their younger self/save their crumbled friendship, I just expected a bit more. Even if it wasn’t the happy ever after, some deeper personal growth/awareness would have been nice as there were times when it felt like, ‘yes, growth!’ only to weirdly backtrack on something else that seemed sort of contradictory. I did enjoy the small town vibes and cast of characters. Some of the observations felt really spot on and very relatable, though I wish there had been more time to dive into those a bit more. While the story was about Darby, in some ways I found myself more invested in Michael towards the end and wish we got more about his arc to really understand/explore the ways in which each were shaped by their choices of going/staying. Overall, interesting book with a really enjoyable narrator - they did a great job bringing the characters to life, but if you’re looking for happily ever after vibes, you too might leave unsatisfied.

What a wonderfully unique story! I thoroughly enjoyed Edward Underhill's marvelous The In-Between Bookstore. Beautifully written, incredibly creative, just a terrific tale.

Darby's story starts when he moves back to his hometown to help his mom move out of his childhood home. Coming into contact with folks who knew him before he transitioned is a challenge, but Darby navigates these issues and grows in the process.

The audio version of The In-Between Bookstore is performed by Shaan Dasani and they do a fantatic job! I hope to hear more from both Edward Underhill and Shaan Dasani soon.

Unfortunately, this book wasn’t for me. The first half was a solid 4⭐, but then it started going downhill, with unexplained and (conveniently) inconsistent magic, underdeveloped romance, and lack of character growth. Character development is not always a must for me, especially when reading standalone books, but I do believe it’s essential for character-focused books. This novel felt like a coming-of-age story… but the main character was simply a self-centred and immature 30-year-old! I hated how he didn’t care how much emotional stress he caused his past self in his own quest to fix past mistakes (that he was too self-centred to realize he had made). The writing was fine, and the voice actor great, but it was otherwise a disappointment for me. If you can get past that and you like time travel, trans rep, self-discovery stories, gender identity crisis stories, and bittersweet endings, you might enjoy this one.

Tropes to expect: magical bookstore, return to hometown, present self helping past self, second-chance romance, miscommunication

❤️ The first half
❤️ Vivid and sharp prose
❤️ Relatable, flawed characters
❤️ Impactful and emotional storytelling
❤️ Voice actor
❌ The main character
❌ The second half
❌ Lack of character development
❌ Disappointing ending
❌ Repetitions (“There’s Michael” galore!)

Trigger warnings: homophobia, panic attacks/disorders, dysphoria, bullying, etc.

• unemployed & in need of a fresh start, darby moves back in with his mum in small town illinois to help her move. when visiting the bookstore he used to work at, darby is suddenly met with his 16-year-old self, right before he came out as trans. can darby in the past help present darby change his situation for the better?
• this is very much a book of self-discovery, and while there is a sprinkle of romance, darby’s story is definitely at the forefront.
• this book very much read like a young adult novel, which isn’t a bad thing, but the adult characters just felt very juvenile. it makes me wonder if this author should stick with the YA genre.

"There's this theory of the universe. Every time we make a decision, reality splits, like a tree branching."

Darby feels cut adrift when he loses his job in New York City. When he finds out that his mom back home in Illinois plans to sell his childhood home and move to a condo, he leaves behind his friends and gives up his apartment, driving 13 hours to help her move with no idea of what he's going to do next. The first thing he does when he returns to his hometown is peek through the windows of the bookstore where he worked in high school. The kid behind the counter looks...eerily like him. Moments later he literally runs into his former best friend.

By going back into the bookstore, which turns out to be a portal into his past, Darby has the chance to make things right with his friend and possibly repair their relationship that was broken for so many years. But will he end up undoing important parts of his present life?

First of all, I want to thank Edward Underhill for writing the first book that I've read that stars a trans character. Darby is an amazing MC and I was so moved by his story. This book is packed with LGBTQIA+ characters which I absolutely love. Darby's mom reminded me in some small ways of my own mom. I could just picture her so well as she complains about her neighbor's penguin decorations and prepares to move into a smaller place, all the while doting on Darby without a hint of judgment. Very cool.

Michael is a complicated character who came out after Darby moved away, and like any LGBTQIA+ person he faces at least some resistance living in a small town and teaching at the high school. I really liked his character.

There were some parts of this book that I found to be a bit slow and repetitive, but all in all I really liked it. I thought the scenes involving adult Darby and young Darby were so touching. I once had an idea of writing a similar story (going back in time to try and counsel my younger self) and I love how Underhill brought the concept to life. Lots of time-traveling craziness happens and I think it's my new favorite "trope."

The audiobook narration was excellent. Full of emotion, full of humor, very reflective vibes.

4.5 stars.

I read The In-Between Bookstore on audio. My favorite part of the book is when the main character, Darby, talks about when they really started to understand their own identity.

Darby is a transgender man who is living in NYC when his life starts to change which results in him not knowing what to do next and where to go. He goes home to try and figure out his place in life. Once home he stops by the bookstore he used to work at in high school and is transported to the bookstore from high school. He begins a back and forth in time connecting with his high school self, back when he didn't even have the words for transgender.

Darby is a little all over the place, maybe not completely sympathetic at times but someone with flaws. His mom, any time she was on the page made me smile. Michael's character never felt fully explored, nor any of Darby's NYC friends even though there was a constant pull back to them.

This read a little YA even though the characters are 29 and Darby seemed very immature, which at times for me felt unbelievable (I know it's fiction but it read in a way that took you out of the story). I could see how some might think the ending is unresolved but I think it was true to how life can be.

Giving this one 3 stars is generous. A whole star is added because it has good trans/queer representation.
Things that were lacking in this book are easily broken down:

1) The time travel, magical realism aspect here is redundant and irrelevant. It’s merely a mechanism for our MC to learn about himself instead of a way to move the plot forward. It’s never explained, appears to have limited rules, and very random. To say I’m not a fan of unstructured magic like this would be an understatement. I feel the same emotional growth could have been had by our MC by finding a journal he wrote but couldn’t remember much from and experiencing his own words on the page or in another format. The time travel was totally unnecessary.

2) Nothing happens. Okay that’s a lie, sex happens, once. And it’s a wasted opportunity to discuss what sex is like for a trans man, instead of having a narrative about it the sexual partner indicates he knows what to do or be aware of and nothing more is said. It could have been a great moment of education for readers, and a better understanding of a trans man who has had too surgery but not bottom. Instead it’s totally wasted. Otherwise our MC just wanders around his home town whining and acting like a teenager (even though he’s supposed to be 30!).

3) This author is better known for YA books. And in all honesty he should stick to them. The In-Between Bookstore reads like a coming of age novel; except our MC is 30 years old, whiny, annoying, and makes no sense. It was so weird for him to flip back and forth regarding who he wanted to be friends with, who he cared about, and other emotional issues.

Unfortunately this novel, while short enough, shouldn’t have hit shelves as is. It needed more direction, mature editing, and a real purpose that made more sense to the reader. It also needed some guts to really push on what gender dysphoria feels like, sex with a trans man, and the difficulty of coming out. Instead it glazes over most of these issues without really drawing the reader in. There are many better trans books to read out there (thankfully). I would leave this one on the shelf.

Please note: I received an eARC of this book from the publisher via NetGalley. This is an honest and unbiased review.

Review: The In-Between Bookstore 📚

Thank you @avonbooks for the #gifted copy of this thoughtful read! 🥰

Written By: Edward Underhill
Published: January 14, 2025

Darby finds himself unemployed and in need of a fresh start, so he goes back to the small town in Illinois he left behind. However, Oak Falls has changed almost as much as he has since he left. Onething that hasn’t changed much—In Between Books, the bookstore that was Darby’s refuge and high school job. When he enters the bookstore, there’s an eerie sense of deja vu…everything is exactly the same, even the newspapers are dated 2009. And, behind the register is a pre-transition, teen Darby—giving Darby the opportunity to change his present for the better, if he can figure out how before this connection to the past vanishes forever.

Talk about a powerful, thought provoking read!

The story really is all about Darby, a transgender man living in NYC going through a quarter life crisis, trying to figure out what he wants and what would make him happy. Darby ends up back in Illinois, helping his mom move into a new home because she’s downsizing. Darby transitioned after moving to NYC, so there’s so many emotions, memories, friends, and acquaintances waiting for him in Oak Falls.

The book really was so heart wrenching because you feel Darby’s emotional turmoil throughout his return home and then he goes into In Between Books, meeting his sixteen year old self. Imagine everything that’s happened to your life since sixteen and what you would say to your past, teen self to maybe change things for current you. For Darby, he figuring out his gender identity after he left Oak Falls and wonders how his life would change if his past self figured things out sooner. While I’m cisgender, I’m also gay and can’t tell you how often I think about how different my life would be now if I had come out earlier in life.

This book truly struck me, it & Darby will be with me for a while.

Verdict: Loved 😍

The In-between Bookstore by Edward Underhill is a really cool and imaginative read. It’s about this small bookstore that turns out to be way more than it seems—it's actually a gateway to other worlds. The author does a great job of creating a mysterious, almost magical vibe that pulls you in. There’s a nice balance of adventure and self-discovery, and the idea of books having this kind of power is awesome.

Brief overview:
When Darby returns home to help his mother move, he notices some strange happenings. When he walks into the bookstore he worked in as a teen, he discovers a time capsule, and ends up face to face with someone he never expected to see.

My thoughts:
Ah, yes, the bitter sting of nostalgia and regret. Darby's story will pull at your heartstrings and leave you feeling warm and cozy. I truly enjoyed this audiobook. The narrator's voice fit the character perfectly and it was a joy to listen to.

Thank you NetGalley and HarperAudio for the eAudiobook ARC! Darby is looking to start over. He's without a job, tired of the bustling New York City where the rent's too high and he can feel alone in a crowd. He has a fantastic group of friends, but even that is not enough, so Darby packs up and heads back to his hometown. But things have changed there as well. Years ago, Darby escaped small town life and its prejudices (not yet understanding his own journey as a trans man). Now, his former best friend is hanging out with his former bullies, his mo is sellling the family home, and even the stores are changed. But when Darby steps into the bookstore where he used to work, he is transported back in time. Can he help his former self at having a more successful, self-accepting future? And can he repair and rebuild his relationship with his former best friend? This is a poignant piece of finding your true place in the world and seeking out happiness.

4 stars.

What would you change if you could go back in time and see your younger self? "The In-Between Bookstore" by Edward Underhill attempts to answer that question for Darby, a trans man who sees himself back in his small-minded tiny hometown after he finds himself unemployed and burnt out with his life in the Big Apple. When he visits the bookstore where he used to work with his best friend, Michael, he soon discovers he can talk to and interact with his younger self before he came out as trans. Soon he realizes that the town he always thought of as close-minded might not have been that at all, that the place he couldn't wait to leave might have needed him all along. Darby gets the unique opportunity to see who he was in the past and perhaps correct some of the mistakes he made or change some of the things he said. It's magical realism at times, with a heavy focus on the human and growth aspects of the story. There is a lot of healing, heartbreak, and critical examination going on here. I found it to be messy and cathartic and great! There is also a heavy dose of found family, which I think is the strongest element of the book. I also enjoyed the ending. I found the pacing to be good, and I didn't find it to be overly long. You have to take the time-traveling aspect and its "rules" (??) ith a grain of salt, but that's okay with me, we believe books about aliens and dragon riders. I know that Edward Underhill is coming from the YA genre, and while I am not a huge YA fan, his vivid, impeccable writing style makes me want to go back and read his other work. I loved Shaan Dasani's audiobook narration of this story, and I think it added to my enjoyment of the book as a whole. Terrific narration work going on here. I recommend this book!

Thank you to NetGalley, Edward Underhill, HarperAudio Adult, and HarperAudio for the complimentary ALC of this book. All opinions are my own. I was not compensated for this review.