I read some of the other reviews while reading this book. So many people complained about the ending I thought Darby died or something horrific like that. Kind of a spoiler but not really, he does not die. Their frustration with the ending seems overblown.

Overall, I enjoyed this story. Darby and Michael really touched me. Darby's quest to find himself and figure out his place in this world was so relatable. I found the ending very sweet and hopeful. It left me content and satisfied.

As for the narration, I didn't like it at first. It felt like the voices didn't fit the characters. It kept taking me out of the story. But, for whatever reason, the narration clicked about the time Darby reached Illinois and it wasn't an issue after that. This makes me think the issue I had with it at the beginning was more a 'me' problem versus a problem with the actual narrator. I ended up giving the book 4 stars and would read gladly read more books by this author/narrator!

This one overall reminds me a little of The Midnight Library, with the way life branches based on choices.

Darby grew up in a small down and didn't know how to find a space for himself in that smallness as he discovered and explored being trans. Instead he found room to grow and people to surround himself with in New York where he attended college and found a job. However a job loss and his mom's planned move takes him back to his small town and he discovers how much he missed as a teen wrapped up in his own struggles.

Slightly spoilery - I'm not a huge fan of the ending for this, but I think that's the point - life isn't all perfection. Still a pretty fun read and relatable as someone also from a small town (much smaller than Oak Falls) in Illinois.

This book sounded so interesting, but for some reason could not get into it. Something about the main characters didn't speak to me. With that said I think certain people will adore this book.

This was an unexpected gem. In a nutshell: the main character who identifies as trans goes back to his hometown to help his mom move and visits a bookstore that sends him back in time. He is only sent back when he's in the bookstore and he converses with his younger self who has not yet transitioned nor realizes he's queer.

I really liked the time travel in here because it was limited. It wasn't a Groundhog Day time loop and there weren't going to be any repercussions or impacts in the future because Darby was meeting himself and didn't tell his younger self who he was. I also liked that the time travel was used as a lesson of sorts to figure out what happened with Michael in high school and using that to inform the choices he'll make in the future.

This also doesn't end with the neat little bow that you'd expect. I appreciated that both Darby and Michael matured and figured out who they were as individuals, which is evident in the choices they each make about where they want to be and who they want to be with.

This also was a good audiobook to listen to also - engaging narrator with fluid pacing. Enjoyed this one all around.

3.5 ⭐️ The MC in the story, Darby, is a trans man in his late 20s who just lost his job in NYC and decides to move back to his small hometown in Illinois. Once he’s home he walks into the bookstore where he used to work at as a teen and is literally transported back in time. It’s there that he has the unique opportunity to interact with his 17 year old self two weeks before his moves to NYC. Throughout the book Darby is forced to reflect on his past prior to his transition as he tries to find out how he and his former best friend Michael had a falling out.

Overall I enjoyed the LGBTQIA aspect, the time travel and moving back to your hometown. I liked the concept of self discovery and reflecting on choices made with the possibility of second chances with underlining message - be true to yourself. It was a quick read and unique plot although the ending might be hit or miss depending on what you thought was more important in the story, romance or self discovery.

I loved Darbys mom and how accepting she is. My favorite part was when she called Girl Scout cookies, sexless cookies as her way of showing her support for her son. 🤣

*NOTE: I had the opportunity to experience the audiobook as an ARC (advanced reader copy) through NetGallery, and I’m grateful to the publisher for providing it. This review reflects my honest opinion.

So, where do I even begin?

I really wanted to love this book. The premise sounded fantastic, and it seemed incredibly promising. The concept reminded me of some of my favorite "bookish" books (I know that sounds a bit funny) like "The Cat Who Saved Books", "Almond", "Days at the Morisaki Bookshop", "Before the Coffee Gets Cold" (this one is about time travelling), and "Welcome to the Hyunam-Dong Bookshop". These are the types of stories I gravitate toward, and I thought this one would be right up my alley.

But I was wrong.

So, the plot. The novel follows a trans young adult (he is almost in his 30´s I believe) living in New York City with his queer friends. For various reasons, he decides to temporarily return to his hometown in Illinois and help her mom pack up everything in their house so she can move to a smaller condo. While there, he visits the local bookstore where he once worked as a teenager. Through a strange twist of fate (or maybe the bookstore’s magic), he encounters his teenage self—pre-transition. The two versions of him get to interact, understand one another better and help each other navigate self-acceptance, life choices and personal growth.

On paper, this sounds like a heartwarming, thoughtful story that touches on important issues. It promises great queer representation and positive messages about being true to oneself, and it has the potential to be a deeply moving narrative. But unfortunately, it didn’t quite hit the mark.

Let’s start with the pacing. The rhythm of the book is all over the place. Some scenes rush by while others drag on for far too long. There are entire chapters that feel unnecessary, contributing little to the overall story and could easily be skipped without any impact on the plot. This inconsistent pacing made the reading experience feel disjointed.

Another issue is the characterization. The protagonist, while well-meaning, is unidimensional and annoying. He constantly repeats the same thoughts about himself throughout the book. For example, whenever his mother is mentioned, he says something like, “I didn’t know my mom was working on this project, but I haven’t called her in months” or “I didn’t know my mom was planning to move, but I barely call her once a year.” This kind of repetition happens in almost every chapter, which makes it feel less like a fully realized character and more like a character stuck in a loop.

When it comes to the other characters, the mother is the only one who feels well developed and like a real person. Everyone else is merely a token, filling a specific role in a particular scene before fading into the background to be forgotten. I wish we got to see more of them.

The overall structure of the story felt more like an unpolished draft than a finished product. It seemed as though the book was rushed to publication, perhaps in an attempt to capitalize on the current cultural conversation around queer identity, which, although probably well-intentioned, gave the book a sense of being hurried and incomplete.

Ultimately, I had high hopes for this story, but the execution fell short. The concept is intriguing and the representation of queer identities is commendable, but the storytelling doesn’t do justice to the potential of the idea. If you’re looking for a meaningful, heartwarming tale about self-discovery, there are better options out there.

Sadly, I can’t wholeheartedly recommend this one. Great premise, but poor execution.

3.75 stars

As an incoming superfan of Underhill's YA novels, I was very excited to read this adult debut. While I enjoyed the premise and various motifs, it did not knock my socks off with the same power as previous works.

Darby, the m.c., is a NY resident and has recently found himself unemployed. This latter circumstance, along with his mother's impending move, serve as the impetus for him to return to his midwestern hometown and face some potential discomfort.

While Darby finds a great deal of nostalgia and familiarity in his hometown, one of the most surprising connections he discovers is at the location of his teenage employment: the titular bookstore. This place creates a kind of sliding doors opportunity wherein Darby can actually interact with his teenage self and other relics - and relationships - of the period.

I was much more interested in Darby's identity-based interactions with his younger self than on his relationships with others, and I found myself a little too noticeably more or less engaged depending on the focus at the time. Additionally, while I really loved the concept of the bookstore as a sliding doors style portal, I really wanted a different final outcome.

As noted, I was an incoming fan of this author, and I remain that way after finishing this most recent effort. I am looking forward to more Underhill undertakings!

I absolutely loved this book. It was cute and emotional. It really touched on some great topics. I loved the idea of the underlying questions of if you could go back and give advice to your past self would you? What would you say and do differently? This was a celebration of finding yourself and accepting your choices made in life.

I really did struggle with the correct rating for this one, because the first half of this book was SO promising. It's the second half that just fell flat and left me feeling... empty. Which is a serious shame, because Edward Underhill's first two books were some of my favorite releases in recent years! As his first adult releases, I had high hopes for "The In-Between Bookstore" as well! It seemed to have all of the pieces I'd want to create the perfect story, but something was just sadly lacking.

After finding himself unemployed and about to be priced out of his tiny New York City apartment, Darby decides the best course of action is to return home to Oak Falls, Illinois to lick his wounds and figure out his next steps. His mother preparing to move out of the family home is the perfect excuse. But Oak Falls isn't the same as he left it; new shops line the Main Street and there's a small but thriving queer community, including a former friend named Michael who Darby lost touch with after a falling out years ago. Lost and looking for purpose, Darby stumbles into In Between Books, his one-time refuge from the rest of the town and the place where he worked during most of his high school life. Except... In Between Books looks exactly the same as it did back in 2009. And the kid behind the counter looks an awful lot like 2009 Darby. This might just be his chance to fix a mistake from his past, if he can figure out what those mistakes are.

I really did like a lot of this. As a queer person growing up in a tiny rural town, the story of Darby's life in Oak Hill hit me hard - as did his eventual realization that not every rural town stagnates; that they grow and change and can become the pockets of community we make them. The overall plot, of the "wormhole" to 2009 in the bookstore, was also a lot of fun! I would have loved so much more of an explanation for why it was happening, or even some sort of conclusive statement that there was any point to his ability to travel back in time or not.
His friends in New York City were all so fun, which made it frustrating to watch him make the repeated mistake of pulling away from them. And then the whole mystery over his falling out with Michael had a disappointing conclusion. Yes, I absolute believe two teenagers would have a friendship-ending argument over these things, but Darby's continuous lack of communication was just so frustrating. And while I know this book wasn't a romance, the ending was... honestly? A bit of a downer. I think any sort of follow-through on the potential of other timelines would have boosted this up a star or more for me (even a short aside chapter would have been lovely!). Instead, I just leave the book feeling more melancholy than anything else.
And maybe this is more nitpicky than anything, but I don't know why this needed the "adult" labeling except that the characters were in their late-20s/early-30s. It read more like an upper-YA novel, which is absolutely okay, but not what I was expecting going in!

(Which has no bearing on Shaan Dasani as narrator. He was lovely and brought so much warmth and life to these characters, and I always love to see trans stories read by trans narrators!)

The In-Between Library is a heartfelt and bittersweet story about self-discovery and second chances. I especially enjoyed Darby’s opportunity to connect with his younger self and how it created a dynamic where both versions of Darby learn and grow from each other.

The In-Between Library is a sweet story that will continue to stay with you even after you've finished reading. It is a perfect read for those who appreciate emotional storytelling with just a touch of magic.✨️

Thank you, NetGalley and HarperAudio, for the ARC of this audiobook!

Title: The In-Between Bookstore
Author: Edward Underhill
Format: 🎧
Narrator: Shaan Dasani
Publisher: Harper Audio Adult/Harper Audio
Genre: Sci Fi & Fantasy
Pub Date: January 14, 2025
My Rating: 3 Stars
Pages: 272

I love bookstores and I like time travel stories plus this story starts on August 12 – my birthday- I was sure this was going to be a winner.
When Darby, a Trans man loses his job as the company folded, he return to his hometown was he walks into the bookstore where that he worked when he was in high school -he is immediately transported to 2009 and meets his teenage self.

Although a quick read it did slowdown in parts.
Don’t mean for this to be a spoiler – there is mention of making decisions and being curious ‘what if’ you chose the other option. In this case, I would have liked this story if it had also have gone down that route.

Want to thank NetGalley and Harper Audio Adult/Harper Audio for this early audiobook.
Publishing Release Date scheduled for January 14, 2025.

This was a great book that dealt with trans identity, which I don't know much about, and adolescent angst, which I recall vividly. There's that age-old question we like to pontificate, if you could go back in time and talk to your younger self, what would you say? Here, our main character has that exact opportunity, so he chooses to help ease his younger self into the idea of being trans, while also trying to find out why his best friend stopped talking to him in an attempt to try to repair that divide. It's really lovely, gave me a lot to think about. This would make a great book club book because I think it would spark a lot of introspection and inspire discussions about the things in our lives we wish we'd done differently, as well as empathy and generosity toward our younger selves.

Thank you to Netgalley, the publisher, and the author for providing a free audio arc of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I wanted to try to read this book as something different than my regular read. Unfortunately, it just did not hit the mark for me, but then again, I am not the intended audience, which I feel this book would be great for.

It was a good coming of age kind of story in which you see the main character struggling with his true identity during his high-school/early college years while also rekindling an old relationship from his school years and turning it into something more.

There is magical realism with time travel to the bookstore the main character worked at when he was a teenager while returning to his mom's house to help her move back in his hometown. I feel like the story was still kind of YA feeling even though I could see it as new adult. The author has mainly written YA books, so that is understandable.

I felt like the story dragged a little and became redundant after a while and by the end of the story I just didn't seem to care about the relationship that develops and why it kind of deteriorated in the first place. Give the book a try as it may work well for you, but unfortunately, it fell flat for me.

Thank you Net Galley and Harper Collin’s for the ARC of this audiobook.

I dnf’d this book at about 25%. I just couldn’t get into the story and don’t really care for any of the characters. The book is very inclusive and has more reflective tones to it, so if you’re looking for something like that, this book might be for you. Honestly, the most interesting thing for me was wanting to know more about his mom’s neighbour with the penguins.

I wish I loved this book but it fell pretty flat for me. I loved the queer representation but at times it was a bit much, Really, all these people you didn't like in high school are now queer? Come on.
This definitely read more YA than adult and in fact felt like it was written by a YA.

I really loved this audiobook! It has great LBTQIA + representation and had similar vibes to "The Midnight Library" (sort of). There was a little bit of a mystery as well trying to piece together what led to the fallout between the main character and his best friend Michael. Additionally, the main character gets to meet his younger self and I loved those interactions the most!

𐙚 Found Family
𐙚 LGBTQ+ Representation
𐙚 Self-Discovery & Healing

Edward Underhill’s The In-Between Bookstore is an emotional, reflective novel that blends time travel and LGBTQ+ representation. Darby, a trans man returning to his small hometown stumbles upon a magical bookstore that transports him back in time, offering him a chance to confront his younger self and revisit life-shaping moments. The time travel element adds a layer of poignancy as Darby faces his past while grappling with adult responsibilities and relationships. Darby’s journey is relatable for anyone navigating identity and nostalgia. Overall, The In-Between Bookstore is a tender, thought-provoking novel that shines in its exploration of themes like self-acceptance, healing one’s inner child, and questioning where one truly belongs.

Rating: ✰✰✰✰/5

Thank you for providing me with an advance copy of this book in exchange for my honest review. All opinions expressed are my own. ・❥・

I loved everything about this book. To be honest I did not read the synopsis before requesting the arc, I just saw the title and the LGBTQIA+ and said that's for me! I like going into my books blind so I don't have any expectations.

This book follows a transgender adult trying to come to terms with where he is in life at the age of 30. As a mom of a transgender teen, and as a queer person myself, I loved the representation in this book. So many books that say they're queer-coded just have auxiliary characters that are queer. In this book almost everyone was queer and it was great to see.

I looked at some of the lower rated reviews and the theme seemed to be people not liking the ending. I actually loved the ending because it felt very real life. Not everything is sunshine and rainbows and that's okay.

I got the arc for this audio and I think the narration was really good. I couldn't finish it fast enough. I will absolutely be buying this one for my personal collection.

I was first drawn to this book for a multitude of reasons one major one is trans representation there are so little books with good transgender representation , another is well I love books and book stores and the cover just completely pulled me in.

The in-between bookstore follows Darby a ftm transgender man who is about to turn 30, he lost his job in New York City leaving him feeling like he doesn’t belong so he packs up and heads back to his hometown.

This is a slow burn book that takes a long time to get to the point, it gives a really good look into the life and thoughts of a trans person, their fears and wants .

I loved this book all the way up to just before the end, I was ready to give this book 4 stars but the ending ruined the entire book for me.

I hate, absolutely hate with a fiery passion harsh reality endings. I understand why the author chose to go in the direction they did and I am sure a lot of people will enjoy the ending of this book but it just yanked me out of the magic of this book and slammed me into the wall back into reality.

Shaan Dasani did an amazing job narrating, good speed and his voice fit the character well.

Thank you netgalley, harperaudio adult and HarperAudio for the arc

Thank you, NetGalley and HarperAudio Adult | HarperAudio for this ARC audiobook for review. This book did not turn out how I was expecting when I picked up it up, but it was very good. What would tell your teenage self if you had the chance? Darby is about to turn 30 and finds himself unemployed and back in his home town. He couldn’t wait to get out of this small town in Illinois when he was a teenager, but the town looks different now. Darby has a chance to reconnect with people from high school and through the old bookstore he worked in, Darby is able to reach across time and connect with his teenage self. Through a summer back at home, Darby is able to take a good look at himself now and when he was younger and maybe figure out who he and who he wants to be.