While the time-traveling premise sounded intriguing, this book failed to captivate me. I could not really connect to the characters, making them forgettable. This book reminded me of “The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue” and although that book was a hit for many, I was not a fan. Perhaps it was the sluggish pacing or the repetitiveness but it made reading a chore for me. Despite appreciating the time travel elements, the overall experience felt lackluster. I was just completely over it by about 30%. I was very close to DNFing it midway in.

This was a beautiful story, but nothing really impressive or mesmerizing, although a good time. I requested it because I loved the cover.

Friends, I have that satisfying feeling you feel when you read a book that's taken you to places you never thought to journey, explore the world outside the humble walls of your little home. I'm transported, as if jet setting across the world; the highest peaks, the lowest valleys kind of feeling. And when I closed the book on its final page, I sat back in my chair and thought, what a lovely ride that was.

The Book of Doors is a magical realism story centered on Cassie, a young bookseller who's life hasn't been glamorous, but filled with the stories and people who she cared about most in her life. When one of her regular customers, Mr. Webber, suddenly has a heart attack at the bookstore, she is beside herself. But it's only for a short moment when she noticed he carried his worn copy of The Count of Monte Christo and a rather odd little book. The pages filled with unfamiliar text and drawings and only a small inscription inside "This is the Book of Doors. Hold it in your hand, and any door is every door." From there Cassie embarks into a world of mysteriously magical books revered by collectors, searched by treasure hunters, and all the joy and pain that a magical and very special book can possess in a person.

This book is a reader's book. I know so many readers who wished they call fall into the worlds they read about and this one makes it feel just a little bit closer to reality. And if you're a fan of Neverending Story or Doctor Who, then you'll truly get a kick out of this book. It definitely felt like this book plotted itself out. Any loose threads happen to have the perfect reasoning and questions that might come up while you're reading (like who created these books? and what happened to that person?) do get a satisfying answer. I love when a great big puzzle of a book comes together in such an elegant way and makes you desire a world that only exists within its pages.

Of course, there's always politics when it comes to a set of books with special abilities. People will pay top dollar and kill for books that can change matter, create illusions, bring despair or joy, and it makes the story feel more genuine. If there weren't people out in the world trying to get their hands on a book that brings them luck, then I would be skeptical about this story. While I do wish there was a bit more about the darker underground of magical book selling, I think the taste we get from Gareth Brown's storytelling is enough to give you an idea and it was definitely enough to be the bigger catalyst and plot of the story.

On top of all the wild murders and plotting to solve all the more heinous crimes, this book was about lonely people finding each other and forming a friendship and family through the wildest circumstances. I loved the little crew Cassie forms with her roommate, some book hunters, and the librarian. It was great to see Cassie find family after so many years without one. It's also about a human's ability to withstand the trials and tribulations that life tends to throw at us; a case study on how people react when faced with loss, difficult circumstances, pain, and suffering. Some people take to it and run away, others face it head on, others turn it into something dark and cruel.

Overall, a breathtaking story that felt truly realistic. Nothing was rushed and the pacing was excellent for a story that really packs a gut punch at the end. I cannot wait to read more from Gareth Brown in the future.

Three Stars!
(minor spoilers ahead)

This story begins with an enticing premise that immediately captures the imagination. The concept of a mysterious book bestowing extraordinary powers upon its possessor promises an exhilarating journey into the unknown. Initially, I found myself eagerly flipping through the pages, excited to uncover the secrets hidden within.

However, as the story progressed, I couldn't help but feel that it became weighed down by unnecessary elements. While the core concept of the Book of Doors held my interest, I found myself becoming increasingly bogged down. The introduction of romance, in particular, felt forced and lacking in substance, detracting from the overall narrative rather than enhancing it.

That being said, I must commend Brown for his skillful execution of the time travel aspect of the story. Navigating the complexities of time travel can be a daunting task for any author, yet Brown manages to craft a coherent storyline (although jumpy at times - but we can blame the aspect of time travel here). The well-thought-out plotline is undoubtedly one of the book's strengths, providing a solid foundation upon which the story unfolds.

In conclusion, while "The Book of Doors" boasts a promising premise and a well-thought-out storyline, it ultimately falls short of its potential for me.

Thank you NetGalley and William Morrow Publishing Company for the advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

Absolutely loved this book and forgot to rate it. The premise was beautiful, the editing was superb, and I remained engaged the entire time. Truly one of my favorite books now.

BOOK OF DOORS is such a cool concept. And some of the prose was really beautiful. I had a hard time connecting to the character's, though, and the speed was really slow. Overall, though, recommended if you enjoy a book with a bit of whimsy.

I found myself needing to read just one more page and really getting sucked into this book. I love the interesting magical premise and how things start to come together more and more as the story goes on, but I also felt like sometimes it was all TOO pat and perfectly aligned (but then again, the story isn’t going to be about some random uninvolved person so I could be too harsh there!). The one thing that was off for me was the writing - it felt like it was a translation, or written by someone who spoke English as a second language, with something a bit distant and stilted about the language. It wasn’t at all bad, it just didn’t quite flow, and I wished for more poetry. That said, it was a great, smart story and full of wonderful magical what ifs. Highly recommended!

I take full responsibilty for not being over the moon for this book. When you compare anything to Night Circus, my expectations are THROUGH THE ROOF! This book was not that. It reminded me more of the Jasper Fforde Eyre Affair, but not as well done. I really wanted to like this book, as I love all things books.

I received a complimentary copy of this book "The Book of Doors" and all opinions expressed are my own. I listened to the audio book that I downloaded from the library but I also had a kindle book from netgalley. Definitely a unique story but a bit slow to start, since I was listening it didn't stop me from continuing. I did find it confusing at times with the characters. Overall I did like it, I'm sort of in the middle, didn't hate it but it wasn't wow.

What an interesting story, very unique unlike anything I've ever read before. Cassie is a bookseller living an ordinary life when she is given a book by one of her customers. This book is magical, and can take you to other magical worlds! It took a few chapters to really get going, but once the excitement started it had me flipping the pages. I really enjoyed this and anyone who loves a good fantasy read will also enjoy it. Gareth Brown's story building was phenomenal as well, very well written. This is the kind of book that can have you lost from chapter to chapter, but I didn't feel overwhelmed or lost, I didn't have to go back and re-read parts to keep up.

I really loved the second half of this book and couldn’t put it down! But the first half was very slow so I had to dock it a star, as it was hard to keep reading. Thankfully the magical books portion and having to run from others was enough of a hook to keep me interested until the real action starts. I was a fan of all the philosophical questions that were brought up, like can you change anything with time travel or is it the way it always happens? These made for a more meaningful connection to the story.

My favorite part of the book was how everything fit together in the end, and while some of the twists you can see coming, because if you are keeping track of the books you should, it still left me a bit surprised and kept the last half more surprising and made me keep reading and wanting more.

Honestly, I wanted to like this book, but it just wasn’t for me.

Giving 2 stars because I appreciate any author that puts themselves out there to write a book. I just wasn’t the right audience for this one.

It was a little slow to start, and took me a while to get really into the book. I think the premise of the story is unique, and overall I really enjoyed it. Thank you NetGalley for the e-arc!

This is one of my favorite fantasy books of this year. It is a lot of fun to read and has a nice epic good v. evil thing going on. Parts were very heartwarming. The pacing is good and I didn't want to put the book down. I liked the time traveling elements and I loved finding out about the origin of the Books. I look forward to more by this author.

Thank you to Netgalley and William Morrow for an advance copy of this book for review.

This had a very interesting concept and I really wanted to like it. But it didn’t grab me like I had hoped it would. The pacing just felt off.

I’ve seen mixed reviews but Goodreads gives it 4 stars and so many people have loved it but there are a few that either DNF’d or were just completely turned off- so this book apparently isn’t for everyone. Did I enjoy it? Yes, mostly.

The beginning was interesting and flowly- I did audio so I felt it was easy to get into but the middle fell flat and long and I found myself getting a little bored. (This is where I have seen people dnf.) If you can swing past that it does pick up- there’s quite the adventure towards the end.

The villain is pretty terrible- so there’s some trigger warnings in the sense of- if you’re sensitive to unique ways of murder- this isn’t for you. She’s pretty terrible- and then the ending with the time travel bit and the why is the villain so villian-y just was like, “huh.” Confusing at times? Anti-climatic? Yes?

All in all- unique story-good vs. evil- time travel adventure similar to books like Sea of Tranquility and 10,000 Doors of January.

Thank you @NetGalley for this arc in exchange for a review!

"Each day, in every place she went, she was bumping up against other lives, a million other people at the center of their own stories, and Cassie loved to touch them all."

Cassie lives a peaceful life in NYC - working at a bookstore, sharing an apartment with her best friend, Izzy, and quietly grieving the grandfather who raised her. When one of her favorite regular elderly customer dies in the bookstore, she finds a small, unassuming book next to him that is inexplicably inscribed to Cassie. Once she quickly figures out that the book has the ability to carry her effortlessly to any doorway, in any city and any time, Cassie and Izzy are thrown into an underground world of an untold number of magical books, the people who search for and collect them, and the danger found in both.

After a slow start of somewhat convoluted exposition and the rapid introduction of seemingly endless characters, the story took off about halfway through and rollicked along to the end. I love a time slip tale that leaves me still questioning impossibilities, and this one was a delight to read. Cassie is a somewhat reluctant participant in this new world she inhabits, but as the secrets of the books reveal themselves, she finds her involvement is more than accidental. The good versus evil is very black-and-white in this book, highlighting that some people are drawn to power for all of the evil it can do, while others are determined to protect it.

This is such an incredible read! I loved the atmospheric vibe so much, that I bought 2 physical copies of this book! I absolutely love stories that teleport me into different worlds and this one was just that. Thank you so much for this ARC!

Fantasy is so hard to do well, especially when you have several narratives that combine like in this book. Cassie was by far my favorite, but from there, the other storylines I didn't necessarily care about. And even with Cassie, I felt like she just jumped straight to belief in the power she held in her hands, versus taking more time to deliberate/disbelieve. The writing itself wasn't bad; I just personally prefer a bit more interiority to my characters. A classic good versus evil trope (plus a magical set of books--but then again, all books are magic.

Thank you to Net Galley and William Morrow for this advanced copy!

This one surprised me. It had strong essences of “The Invisible Life of Addie Larue” and “Midnight Library .” Fantasy is not my preferred genre but the good vs. evil and appreciation and preservation of books kept me interested .