A magical realism book where the action centers around a bookshop? Yes please! The Lost Bookshop alternates between perspectives and times; Opaline in the 1920s and Henry and Martha in present time.
In the 1920s we follow Opaline as she attempts to break away from her family and become an independent woman and bookseller. So many obstacles stand in her way but she relentlessly works to better herself and her life. In the present day, Martha is also attempting to better her life as she escapes an abusive relationship while Henry is looking for Opaline's bookshop and a lost manuscript. How do all of these stories intersect? And will any of them find what they are looking for?
I really enjoyed the book and the slight mystery and magical aspects. The book was strongest when Henry and Martha are working together to figure out who Opaline was and where her bookstore could be. As a fellow Bronte fan I enjoyed Opaline's search for a lost Emily Bronte manuscript. I felt like the ending was a little abrupt and would have like more explanation as to who Mrs. Bowden was.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC of this book.

This is told in multiple timelines and had multiple points of view. It was a very promising plot and i expected to thoroughly enjoy it but unfortunately it just missed the mark with me. I found it be very slow at times and I didn't feel invested either with the plot or the characters. I personally found it to be a book I really had to motivate myself to read. From reading other reviews I seem to be in the minority.

Obsession, bothe good and not, crossing between past and present, all woven together intertwining two central lives with a bit of magic. Quite the rollercoaster, and seamless as it weaves mysteries between past and present almost as a modern fable.

Told in three alternating timelines, The Lost Bookshop is a nostalgic romantic trip perfect for readers that love to get lost in a story. Brimming with love, family, friendships and magic the stories of Opanline (from the 1920s), Martha and Henry (both in present day Dublin). Opaline is escaping an arranged marriage that she wants nothing to do with and finds a new home in Dublin where she knows no one. Martha has also escaped to Dublin, leaving behind an abusive husband and turning to herself to find a new, safe version of life. It’s in Dublin that she meets Henry, an eccentric young man writing his PhD on lost books and manuscripts. Magic and fantasy are intertwined in the history of Opaline and present day Dublin, keeping readers entranced to discover how both past and present collide.

A sincere thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

1921 London - Opaline.
Her brother said she had to be married and had found her a husband. Her love of books enabled her to sell a rare copy of David Copperfield to escape to Paris. I loved the passion she has for books. Needing a job and money, she was hired as an apprentice in a bookshop. Her passion for books certainly helped her get the job. I just loved the stories of different books and authors dotted amongst the storylines. The different timelines woved seamlessly together.

Martha and Henry, Dublin (present day)
Martha has escaped an abusive relationship to become a housekeeper for Madame Bowden. An eccentric woman who had a lot of books.

Henry, from England, was looking for a Bookshop, but there are no records it even exsited, just an old letter written by Opaline. He has a big fascination with books, not just the words but with the story behind the book, who wrote it, when, etc. I loved his passion for finding the lost books and his tales of the ones that are still lost. There is an air of ghostly gothic vibe within the story.

I've really enjoyed this book from start to finish. I just loved how it all played out.

I'm afraid this book didn't quite capture me in the way I had hoped. It was enjoyable, and I'm sure it will do well because of the subject matter. I also think Evie Woods is talented, and I'll be happy to read her future offerings. I just felt that certain mysterious/fantastical plot points needed to be better explained or at least addressed.

Thanks to the publisher and to NetGalley for the opportunity to read an electronic ARC in advance of publication in exchange for my honest opinion.

Just in case, like the bookshop, this book also magically disappears, can I assure you I have read the book. It does exist, and you should definitely search until you have the book in your possession too! This a magical story with a mystery bent that captured my attention from beginning to end. It is about a lost bookshop. Who would have guessed? It is superbly entertaining and emotionally gripping. Thank you to One More Chapter, Harper Collins and NetGalley for the ARC. The views expressed are all, mine freely given.

The story is full of magic, love, mystery and most importantly, books. It tells the story of three strangers who finds their own stories, by unlocking the secrets of the Bookshop.

I liked the premise of the story but had the hardest time getting into it.

*3,5*
Favorite character: Opaline
Three words: mysterious / enjoyable / slow
Favorite quote: In a place called lost, strange things are found.

Women just got the right to vote, but it's still the 1920's and Opaline doesn't get to decide what she wants to do with her life and who she wants to marry. When her brother, who is responsible for the household, wants to marry her off to a stranger, she sees no other option than to flee.Opaline begins to pursue her passion for rare books and becomes a book dealer while traveling around Europe trying not to leave any traces for her brother.
Martha has escaped her abusive husband and starts working as a maid for an old lady in Dublin. She's not at all interested in books or reading until a strange stranger lurks outside her window looking for a vanishing bookshop.
It's Henry, a scholar who came to Dublin searching for a lost manuscript and a bookshop. A woman named Opaline appears to be connected to both, and after Henry and Martha befriend each other, they use her research talents, to find out as much as possible about the mysterious woman.

The Lost Bookshop follows two timelines, Opaline's, starting in the 1920s and Martha's and Henry's today. I enjoyed both and also the individual storylines of the three main characters, especially Opaline's.
For me, magical realism is mostly a hit or miss, and in this book I found the magical aspects kind of unnecessary and confusing. The story was interesting and dramatic enough without it; A young woman with a love for books not wanting to be married off, traveling alone through Europe in the 1920s, hiding from her cruel brother. Another woman escaping a violent marriage, trying reconnect with herself, and a passionate academic searching for something no one believes in. The book is probably for you if you like historical fiction, mixed with a mystery and a bit of romance, not so much if you're looking for great magic.
I really enjoyed most of the book, but oddly enough some parts of the story progressed too slow, while simultaneously too fast for the characters. Many of the subplot problems were just solved too fast to be realistic and yet it didn't advanced the story.
The Lost Bookshop is a story abbout book lovers and the magic and secrets books and their stories hold.

This book was kindly provided to me as a reviewers copy by Netgalley and Harper Collins UK

I loved this book so much. A lot going on and told from three persepctives, two current and one in the past it was well written and has a well controlled plot. A really lovely read.

The Lost Bookshop is a captivating and interesting fantasy that follows the lives of three individuals and their link to a magical bookshop in Dublin. The narrative moves easily between present day Dublin and Paris/Dublin/London of the 1920s. After a slow start, it had me hooked until the end. While it deals with quite difficult subject matters, and the two main female characters suffer at the hands of the controlling men in their lives, there’s fantasy, romance and mysteries galore . A must for any book lovers out there as it references various books throughout the story.

This novel has so many features that I enjoy: a dual timeline, a magical element, a bookshop setting, and a literary mystery. The story is a lot of fun to read but also has a serious underlying theme: the oppression and abuse of women throughout the decades, both in the professional arena and on the domestic front. I loved the two female main characters, Martha and Opaline, with their many contradictions, similarities, and differences. Henry is also an appealing character whose development from the story's beginning to the end is authentic. The charming scoundrel Armand and the abusive Shane provide good foils for the main characters, and the mysterious Madame Bowden lends color to the tale as well. Opaline's incarceration at St Agnes Home is chillingly true to life, and the hunt for the letters and manuscript of Emily Bronte also adds interest to the plot. I enjoyed the ways in which the various strands of the story weave together by the end.

This is a spellbinding, captivating book that takes the reader on a journey of discovery from the perspective of three main characters. I loved the insight into aspects of the Brontes and the concept of the lost bookshop and the impact it had on each life. We are shown how controlling and coercive relationships create long standing issues with trust and self-belief in differing ways for both Opaline and Martha, despite them being almost a century apart. I couldn't put it down!

I was invited to read this novel by One More Chapter (a BIG thank you), and although I would not normally read a fantasy book I settled down and hoped I would enjoy it. I was totally captivated from the start and couldn’t put it down! Beautifully written, with such well developed characters that at times I felt I was them. This was such a clever and original plot, full of mystery, love, sadness, sorrow, and magic. I absolutely loved it. Spellbinding is the word that sums it up best I think!

I received a free copy of, The Lost Bookshop, by Evie Woods, from the publisher and Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. In Dublin, Opaline, Martha, and Henry, all come across something special, different, magical. I do not want to give it away, but I loved this book, with all its magic and charm.

This was a lovely read. It's a story about women, growth, and a little magic. It's beautifully written and thoroughly enjoyable.

I loved this charming, warm-hearted book and couldn't put it down. Yes, it contained a lot of cliches, but the characters are so appealing, that this doesn't actually matter. A beguiling and heart-warming book, which I will definitely recommend.

A beautifully written wonderful read a touch of mystery characters that come alive.I sat down to read a few pages could not put it down read from first to last page.#netgalley#harpercollinsuk

The first time I saw the book cover as I was browsing titles on NetGalley, I stopped and kept looking at it. It is one of those book covers. The next thing I noticed, was the title. I found it intriguing. I promptly requested the book and One More Chapter most graciously allowed me to have this advanced copy.

It took me some time to get to the book, but get to it, I did. And, I enjoyed it so very much!

The Lost Bookshop has two timelines for the readers to follow and its pretty easy and simple to keep a track of everything despite the changes in POV among three characters when a couple of them even interact with each other. The changes in POV and the changes in timelines are simply put and are easy to track.

The characters start with being names on paper and grow to be individuals with their strengths and weaknesses. Their hopes and insecurities. The best part? We are not told of these. We are shown these. The character growth kept me intrigued throughout as I wanted to know what happens next to a particular character and what choices would the character go on to make.

The story moved at a moderate pace but at around 70% of the story I was able to guess what will happen next. I was right in my guess but that did not at all take away from the enjoyment of reading this book.

I recommend it to anyone looking to read something with Magic and Heart.

Thank you NetGalley and HarperCollins UK, One More Chapter for the copy of The Lost Bookshop by Evie Woods. I loved the premise of this book, but it ultimately wasn’t for me. I can see why others loved it though, because it really was a love story for book lovers. The writing was good but it was too long and I never connected with any of the characters. The story dragged in the middle but I liked how everything came together at the end. 2.5 stars rounded up to 3 because I loved the premise and some of the scenes were great.