I love reading books about magic and libraries, but this one wasn't particularly my favourite. Easy to read but not as good as I was hoping it would be.

Apologies for the delay—things have been a little hectic lately, but I finally got the chance to reviewit!


The Bookbinder’s Daughter by Jessica Thorne is a beautifully written, atmospheric story with a touch of fantasy and mystery. It follows a woman who returns to her family’s ancient library and discovers secrets about her past, her legacy, and the magical world hidden within books. The story blends emotion, intrigue, and a bit of romance, making it an engaging and imaginative read.

Magical books, magical libraries, mystery and romance.

This is a entertaining read. It takes a minute to get into it. I didn't love the main character, Sophie, but I did really like Will so it all balanced out. I didn't find the plot quite as exciting as I'd hoped but I did find it an entertaining, quick read. It's a nice distraction read but not one I think stands out from other magical library/book stories.

A huge thank you to the author and publisher for providing an e-ARC via Netgalley. This does not affect my opinion regarding the book.

Sophie is in an unhealthy relationship and struggling to cope following the death of her father. Her uncle sweeps in to offer her a job and home but Sophie is haunted by a past she doesn't remember. Can she finally reveal the secrets fo the past and find out the truth about her mother's disappearance...?
The Bookbinder's Daughter is a mixture of emotional self discovery and magic.
Sophie is a vulnerable woman and has a huge sense of loss. Her relationship with Victor has chipped away at her self esteem and her identity whilst the death of her dad has hit her hard emotionally. She dreams about a tree and hears her mother's voice, to the extent that she questions her mental health.
Her uncle Edward steps in to invite Sophie to a career and lifestyle change. Gradually she adjusts to the changes especially being reunited with her mother's side of the family as well as her first love Will. There is something magical about the library and her dreams become more vivid: could they be memories instead?
I enjoyed the gentle relationship between Will and Sophie. He is shocked at first at how much she has changed but he still sees sparks of the girl he loved. Sophie needs to find her own self again before she can think about love, and key to this is resolving issue with her mother and the past.
The Bookbinder's Daughter is an enjoyable mystical and emotional book

"It wasn't just a library. It was magnificent. A work of art."

The Bookbinder's Daughter by Jessica Thorne is such a cosy little read, it the book equivalent of a massive hug.

When Sophie is offerred a job restoring books in the beautiful Ayredale Library she sees it as a chance to a controlling relationship, but that is not the only reason she wants it so badly. She grew up in the Ayredale Library, and it was the last place she saw her mother alive. Since leaving at the age of 15 she has no memories of the place and she can't help but wonder if anyone there knows what happened to her mother.

"It was the offer of a lifetime. A chance to escape. A chance to get some answers about a part of her life which had been wiped away.

And maybe, just maybe, to find out what happened to her mother."

Strange things happen within the library and Sophie cannot help but be drawn to it's mysteries, and to her first love Will Rhys.

I liked the way the author left the reader to make their own decisions about the nature of Sophie's relationship with Victor and I enjoyed the way the characters interacted with each other.

It took me less than a day to read The Bookbinder's Daughter and I am a little disappointed that it took me so long to finally get around to reading it, such a wholesome read.

The Book Binder's Daughter by Jessica Thorne is a captivating tale that will enchant readers who adore fantasy, magic, and the mystical world of libraries, and is particularly suited for those who delight in uncovering family secrets, exploring the mysteries of ancient tomes, and getting lost in a world of wonder and romance.

I have long thought libraries were places where magic dwells in the books and all you have to do is open them up for worlds beyond imaging to come to life. This book has an interesting take on the with the Ayredale Library and its Secret Collection of special books that funnel creativity into the world all due thanks to a goddess bound so long ago, and a special tree whose leaves can be made into books.

Sophie left that place long ago when her mother died, losing all her memories of that, but finally returned after her uncle invites her back as a binder. That was great timing, especially so she can escape her completely awful boyfriend. There is nothing redeeming about that Victor. Instead she gets to meet Will again (a much better choice) and figure out what happened all those years ago.

You have the magic of the library steeped in lore, nasty people trying to take control of it and sell it all off to the highest bidder, and a few good people doing everything they can to keep it all together.

I liked the book binding bits, it is a fascinating art, plus old books are cool too, especially when they are made with those leaves. So, I enjoyed this book a lot, even if it did get a little confusing with Keepers and how they work with the tree to keep it all safe and growing.

It’s okay. The bookish bits are intriguing, at the first library. But things are just too convenient for me to believe how things settled in with the beginning of the second library. I read the audio version of this, and usually like audio books. But I just couldn’t get into the book. Other books jostled this one out of the way on my currently reading list, and I never finished it. I wanted to like it. I wanted to let it take me away. It just couldn’t. Thanks to netgalley and the publisher for my copy of this book. My opinions are my own.

This riveting story of a young woman forced to confront the mysterious disappearance of her mother kept me enthralled until the last page and still hasn't let me go.

It has everything I (and probably anyone who grew up with a fascination with books) could ever want. There is romance, beautiful books, an enchanted library, a secret society, magic, heart-wrenching mystery, coming home, and healing from personal traumas. The story pulled me in so thoroughly it hurt a little when the book was over.

I especially enjoyed the character development in this piece. Each of the characters focused on were touched and found growth naturally throughout the story.

This book will be a fantastic read for any lover of books, libraries, or academic conspiracies.

I loved this book, the thrilling story of the sacred book kept me on my toes wondering what would happen next, highly recommend. I loved it

Unfortunately this just didn't click with me. i just couldn’t connect with the story or characters , I’m sure others will enjoy just not for me

I thought I had gotten over my magical realism phase, but this book made me really happy to find out I wasn’t.
The mystery of the missing mother, the forgotten past and the prospect of discovering the mysterious library hooked me pretty much from the beginning, but this was not the kind of book that was so immersive I couldn’t put it down. I loved alternating between the ebook and the audiobook, which helped me staying into the story.
When I reached 45%, I was finally unable to put it down. I adored the way the magic was described, the legends and the lore surrounding the library and the way it felt like a character in itself.

There were a few things that made this book slightly less engrossing than it could have been, though. One of them was that I wished the characters had been more layered; some of them were too one-dimensional, which was a shame, and the feelings they had were not always as deep as I would have needed to feel fully invested. There were also a few repetitions, with sometimes the same exact sentence being repeated in the following paragraph (and not in a stylistic way). The numerous flashbacks increased this feeling of repetitiveness.

I was a little disappointed in the romance. I was really into the slow burn part, but as soon as the romance fully started, I felt a bit cheated out of all the sweet moments we could have had. This would have given the climactic events more of an emotional impact. I also felt that Sophie should sometimes have been a bit harder on Will about the fact that he hid a lot of things from her. This was emphasized by the fact that Will himself felt she would never forgive him for it, but then she did very easily.

Overall, I still had a great time reading this book and I would completely recommend it for people who like books about books and magical libraries.

The Bookbinder's Daughter by Jessica Thorne is a magical, spooky story of a girl who loses her mother and many of her childhood memories of living in a library. The story unfolds as she returns to the library following her father's death, and the birthright she claims. The characters are well crafted and I found myself unable to put the book down - the pace and suspense increased through the book. I'll definitely be recommending it to others.
With thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Bit hit and miss, enjoyable in parts but other parts were just a bit of a letdown. The end picked up but Sophie seemed a bit of a wet blanket to me and all the to-i g and fro-ing with Will was pointless. At parts I didn’t know what was going on and couldn’t picture it in my head. Don’t know if I’d read more from this author or not.

Unfortunately following multiple attempts to connect with this book I have had to mark as dnf. I just couldn't get into it.

I liked the premise of this novel, a magical library. However, the protagonist Sophie was not very interesting and I could not engage with the narrative.

Thank you Netgalley & publishers for the opportunity to read this!

WOW. The storyline. The characters. The cover Art. I was sucked in immediately and couldn't put it down!

I very much appreciate being gifted this copy of The Bookbinder's Daughter by Jessica Thorne, and the opportunity to read & review it. Thanks to the publisher.

What reader wouldn’t enjoy a book about a mysterious, magical library? But is that enough to keep you hooked? Nope! And therein lies the reason this book faltered a little. This book will make you feel great at the start but the end doesn’t create any impact.

eeep this could have been packed with mystery and is the ideal book lovers read... however it faltered on it's delivery and wasn't great