2.5

*Audiobook*

First, the audiobook narrator only did a British accent for the friend of the MC, despite the MC being…British?

This book sent me a sirens call and sucked me in with the cover and a story about Salem witches. And then the plot happened. What I ordered: magic, mystery, and a disappearing bookstore. What I got: brambles, melodrama, and—ironically—a distinct lack of bookstore.

Our main character spends most of the book stumbling through the woods, avoiding bad guys, recovering her powers and making references to Hocus Pocus. It felt more like a Scooby-Doo mystery, minus the snacks. a misplaced scavenger hunt. By the time she actually finds the bookstore (for about five minutes), I’d lost the will to care—and possibly the plot.

The writing tries hard to be atmospheric but ends up like a lame fog machine. The dual timeline and the vanishing bookstore were shoved so far in the background they might as well have vanished themselves. Sigh.

Thank you to NetGalley and Bookouture Audio for providing me with an advanced readers audio of this book in exchange for my always honest reviews.

Final grade: C-, my interested has vanished

A cute and charming piece of fantastical historical fiction merged with fantasy. I have no idea what the correct genre is…Fantastorical?

With a dual timeline set in old Salem and modern day London/Salem, we follow Dora who is on a quest to understand more about her past and what it means for her future.

As a fantasy fan I enjoyed the magical story elements and the witchy settings. The story did seem to take a long time to get properly underway but overall I enjoyed this easy listen. Narration was great for the most part, aside from a few ‘Dick van Dyke’ English accents.

Thank you to Bookouture audio and Netgalley for my review copy.

The Vanishing Bookstore follows Dora, a florist living in London, who is unexpectedly surprised to discover that she comes from a family of witches. To break a curse that has haunted her family since the Salem Witch Trials in 1692, Dora must solve a mystery and find a hidden book. The story alternates between Salem in 1692 and present-day London and Salem.

As a history enthusiast who loves magic and has a strong interest in the Salem Witch Trials, I really enjoyed this book. I've always loved Hocus Pocus and Practical Magic, and this book reminded me of those stories. The dual timeline was fun and I loved all the references to present-day Salem. I do wish there had been more focus on the bookstore itself, though.

I listened to the audiobook, and it was really well done. Stephanie Cannon did an excellent job with the narration, making it easy to visualize the setting as the story progressed. I was never bored and was always eager to see what would happen next. The different characters each had their unique traits and voices , which made the audiobook even more enjoyable.

Thank you to Netgallery and to Bookouture Audio for my copy.

I feel like the provided blurb of the book isn’t very accurate after reading it. Dora doesn’t know she has more family other than her aunt Lenny and that they are a family of witches doomed to die and be reborn since 1692 when they are first murdered during the Salem Witch Trials. Dora and Lenny live in London in present day, but return to Salem when Lenny asks her to go with her on a trip to the states. The trip is really to help get Dora to remember her previous lives and hopefully to finally break the curse that has been haunting them all these centuries. Before they leave Dora encounters a man, George, who gives her bad vibes. He plays a major role in the story.

Ambrose, Dora’s love, since 1692 helps find the bookstore that he created all those years ago. When they do find it in the brambles, the books are still in great shape and they locate the book they need if they are going to be able to stop the curse.

The story was okay. I gave it three stars but it's more like 2.5 stars. I have questions such as what about the parents of the cursed sisters? Are they the same every time they are reborn? How do they always have the same house? I also felt the story was somewhat choppy.

Stephanie Cannon did a great job narrating the book. Thanks to NetGalley and Bookouture for the ARC of the book in exchange for my honest opinion.

#TheVanishingBookstore #NetGalley.

If “Addie La Rue” and “The Lost Apothecary” had a witchy, flower shop baby, it would be The Vanishing Bookstore. This was a very cute read with historical 1600s charm and a modern day story. I love the idea of remembering past lives and being destined to the same fate in each life. The ending 20% felt a little rushed and jumbled to me, but overall it was a fun read.

Story: 3/5
I had such a hard time getting into this book unfortunately. The synopsis sounded right up my alley with mysterious bookstores, witches, family bonds, etc. But the story didn't keep me interested, and I tried both reading and listening to the book. I felt very little connection to the characters and although there was a lot of descriptive writing, I felt like I was often told instead of shown. I also wish there would have been more on the bookstore itself. However, this would be a perfect read for someone that likes a blend of historical fiction and a touch of fantasy!

Audiobook/Narration: 4.5/5
The narrator did a great job creating a compelling and interactive narration of this book. I loved the different voices for the characters! There were some points that felt a little stiff, but overall was an enjoyable listen!

Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for an advance copy of this title.

First and foremost, I will say I do not think the summary of this book truly reflects the story we are given. However, when i picked up this book, I did not read the summary and was pleasantly surprised by the story which unfolded and found it to be a cozy, witchy, historical fiction story.

Dora has been living in London with her aunt most of her life. She owns a flower shop, has a best friend who seems awesome, and a cute little old lady who lives near her shop and give me really cozy grandma vibes. Dora's pretty content with her life until a guy named George wanders into her shop looking for flowers for his girlfriend who recently passed. For me, he immediately gave off creepy stalker vibes, but for some reason and the fact he smells good to her, she doesn't think too much about it other than he seems to be popping up a bit more.

When her Aunt Lenny gets a call from her sister, a sister who Dora doesn't know about, they take an impromptu trip to the United States to handle some family matters. This is when we learn George is definitely a creepy stalker guy which I don't think is a spoiler, and he hurts Dora's best friend who is watching her shop while she is gone. George is hunting Dora and her family and has been for several lifetimes.

About a third of the way into the book, we finally discover the goal and ultimate plot of the story. I do wish we had gotten a bit more of that a bit earlier to know what we were building towards. However, I do think the story was good, even with some flaws and feeling a bit rushed in the end. I do think the story could have also benefited from a different title because I feel the title paints a different picture of what the story might be about. However, I would recommend this book and do wonder if there might be another in the future.

Thank you Bookouture for the ARC!

This book has everything that I asked for! Odysseus and Penelope vibes of finding each other in any lifetime? Perfect. Sisterhood focus and the relationship between women? Perfection. Witches! YESS

I loved the switch between the Salem trials and the modern era, and how the change impacted them. I also really appreciated how it explored that this was a result of male jealousy, not anything the women did wrong. Men could learn to take rejection.

I do wish we had spent more in the magic system. It felt like the rules could have been more explored.

Witches and Salem and a bookstore are things that always interest me in book descriptions and this read did not disappoint. The mystery was done well and I enjoyed the read very much. I loved the setting and descriptions.

The reader is fully immersed into the feel of the mysterious, magical town of Salem. The knowledge of the Salem witch trials and of the history of witchcraft is very clear in Phifer's writing. We feel completely enveloped into the heritage of this bewitching group of women; Dora, her mother, and her aunts Lenny, and Sephy. As readers, we come to learn that the witches have been living and re-living lives for centuries. Long ago, a bookstore vanished and - along with it - so did a family secret. One that desperately needs to be found so the English women can live their full lives.

And as if these magical women aren't a cast alone enough, Phifer gives us a forbidden love story that is a page-turner. This coupled with some impulsive moments of female sensuality will keep you enthusiastically re-reading paragraphs for the experience of it (or in my case, hitting the rewind button). This was a wonderful listen! Stephanie Cannon is a captivating narrator that adds a ton of magic to the already lively text.

A family of witches has spent every lifetime trying to get away from a witch hunter and the key to their survival is hidden in a bookstore that no one has seen for generations.

This was a cute cozy, witchy fantasy with a bit of mystery too. It very much gave me Practical Magic meets Hocus Pocus vibes. It’s one of my favorite audiobooks so far! The narrator was very good as well and did a good job differentiating between each character.

Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with a copy of this audiobook in exchange for my honest review!

This was my first ALC and I enjoyed the narrating. The characters and story plot gave me Weyward and a hint or The Lost Apothecary vibes as the story goes back and forth from the present to 1692. The mystery and magic in this story is lovely and enchanting. This is an easy book to follow and definitely had me intrigued throughout. Hades, the family's pet, was a lovely touch to the story. Overall, a fun and enchanting story and the narrator did a fantastic job.

This book has great bones! I love anything surrounding the Salem Witch Trials, and Phifer puts an interesting spin on the hangings and the witchcraft that led to them. Though the book spends much of its time in present day, it has the feel of a Salem historical fiction.

Phifer has all the elements of a great story. Magic and curses, sisterly bonds and long-lost loves. Good versus evil. However, the whole story felt rushed. This is the kind of book I want to be pushing 500 pages or more because there is so much to develop in terms of history, backstory, characters, motivations, magic, etc. Phifer did a great job at creating such strong personalities in her characters, and I would have loved to see them fleshed out. Everything just needed a little more time. I will say, based on the title, I expected the bookstore to play a larger role, but it was a relatively minor plot tool.

Overall, it wasn't my favorite book in this genre, but I liked it well enough.

This book was not 100% srue what my next book would be, but I knew I wanted it to be an audio book so that I could finish up an embrodery project. Once I hit play on this book, I wasn't 100% sure because it started off and gave me another book. I was a little worried. But oh my goodness. I fell in love with this book. I couldn't wait to hear what was going to happen next. I wasn't even half way before starting to see if this book was a part of a sereies or a stand alone. I am so excited to read more from this author.

"The Vanishing Bookstore" by Helen Phifer is a captivating tale expertly woven between two timeframes. The author's unique plot seamlessly connects characters from the 1600s to their modern-day counterparts. The book's cover art is equally impressive, boasting an eye-catching design and vibrant colors.

Stephanie Cannon's soothing narration brings the story to life, making for a delightful listening experience.

I received this ARC from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. "The Vanishing Bookstore" is scheduled for release on January 7th, 2025.

This book is magical, enchanting, and incredibly entertaining. Set in both present-day Salem and 1692, the story follows Dora (Isadora), who has been living with and running a floral shop with her aunt, Lenny, in London. When Lenny takes Dora on a trip to the U.S. to visit Salem, Dora is unaware that she will be reconnecting with her aunt, Sephy, and her mother, Lucine—whom she thought was dead.

As Dora uncovers the truth, she learns that her family has been cursed. For generations, they have been fleeing the vengeance of George Corwin, a cruel man who was rejected by one of Dora’s aunts in 1692. Corwin is determined to persecute and kill them, just as he did centuries ago. The English women are dedicated to breaking the curse, but in order to do so, Dora must find a mysterious spellbook hidden in a long-forgotten bookshop nestled in a forest.

I absolutely loved the vivid imagery in this novel, especially the character of Hades, the crow who protects the women as they escape Corwin’s pursuit. The setting of Salem, combined with historical fiction elements, and the kinship amongst these strong females characters. It added an extra layer of intrigue that I thoroughly enjoyed!

Thank you to Helen Phifer, Bookouture Audio and NetGalley for an Audio ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

What a delightful book! I finished this book in less than a day and adored it! If you loved "the spell shop" this book will be right up your alley! It has everything you are looking for in a cozy fantasy - easy to understand magic system, {found again} family, a low stakes mystery and all the cozy vibes you'd expcet to find in a witchy bookshop book!

This was my first novel by Phifer and I thoroughly enjoyed everything from the writing styles to the pacing of it. very well done! The Narrator also did a fantastic job - very easy to listen to even at a faster speed and she did a wonderful job at making each character, just that - their own character. I will be seeking out more books narrated by Stephanie Cannon in the future!

4 stars!

Alternating between two timelines 1692 and present day, we follow the English women of Salem as they are accused of being witches and subsequently cursed for many lifetimes afterward.

Everyone knows about the Puritan Salem witch trials, what they don’t know is the curse that gives three sisters and one daughter immortality, reliving their lives over and over, knowing they will not live past a certain age. The English sisters need Dora to remember where a special bookstore was hidden in her past to break the curse.

Filled with witchy vibes: familiars, spells, etc, The Vanishing Bookstore will appeal to those who relish this type of tale. I personally feel like this story should be categorized as a YA novel. Dora, who is supposed to be 33, reads to me like an unsure teenager who relies on her elders. There was also a little too much telling rather than showing, which affects the pacing of the plot and not in a good way. The author did do a great job handling the alternating timelines. Bravo to the cover artist!

Thank you to NetGalley, Bookouture Audio, and author Helen Phifer for the advanced copy of the audiobook. The Vanishing Bookstore is out tomorrow. All opinions are my own.

I thoroughly loved this cozy witchy read. It was very descriptive both in present and 1692 Salem. The three sisters and one daughter, finally facing their fears and ending it all, but have they? The ending has left us on a cliffhanger for more, especially with Isadora and Ambrose. Did I mention I love Hades? Thank you to NetGalley for this book in exchange for my review.

I could not put this book down! This is one of the best urban linked to past witchy books ever! This book features a group of Salem witches that tried to escape the Salem witch trials and ended up not being able to or did they? With the help of a familiar friend their souls were saved, but at the cost of having to relive their lives until they can fix the problem. They’ve tried for years and years to fix the problem and each year. It’s the same. They finally figured out that Dora and her father’s book are the key to helping break the curse that they are under. The witch hunter from their past that had them hung for witchcraft. Also seems to be enjoying this curse as he tries to hunt down these women. Dora with the help of a friend is eventually able to hunt down her father‘s missing book and her aunt’s help her to come up with a plan to defeat the witch hunter.