Books are magic. This is a truth I have known since childhood and one that I continue to marvel at. Gareth Brown's THE BOOK OF DOORS illustrates that truth beautifully. Though the story has a slow and sleepy start, I was ultimately happy that I stuck with it. What I found as soon as I endured the first couple of chapters was an atmospheric ouroboros of a book.

A young woman working in a New York City bookshop spends the final few minutes of her day chatting with an older man who is a frequent customer. They have a passing friendship, one characterized by warm smiles and friendly chatter about books. So, when the man passes away in the chair and leaves a mysterious book to Cassie, she is quite confused. The book is small and unassuming. There are sketches and scribbles inside, but nothing seems to make much sense, even this seemingly simple sentence:

"This is the Book of Doors. Hold it in your hand, and any door is every door."

A marvelous journey unfolds in the pages of THE BOOK OF DOORS. It is filled with friendship, darkened by danger, and filled with truly unforgettable adventures. A true testament to the timeless and time-bending quality of books to take us anywhere and everywhere.

Special thanks to NetGalley for the advanced reader copy of this book. "The Book of Doors" is a truly magical novel filled with suspense, time travel, murder and chaos. I loved all of the different places this story took me to and all of the emotions it made me feel throughout. Such a cool concept, it was well thought out and unfolded with perfection.

The Book of Doors was a great read about friendship, time travel, and the power of books...with some magic thrown in. The world that Brown has built is wonderfully and realistically rendered, and I enjoyed this alternative theory of time travel. And of course, the battle between good and evil (with the twist of how the evil came to be) makes for a wonderful climax.

One thing that reading has taught me is to never accept a mysterious book from anyone; yet, fortunately, book characters continue to do so, and all kinds of adventures ensue.

This debut novel had several tropes I love – a bookshop, a ragtag group of unlikely heroes, and time travel. It was about friendship, found family, magical books, the people who wanted to exploit that magical power, and those who wanted to protect it.

Look, I don’t know if the time travel in this book works consistently within the author’s own parameters, but it certainly worked for me from an entertainment perspective. It tied my brain in knots in all the right ways and had me on the edge of my seat more than once. The plot line was fun and engaging, there were likeable characters to root for and some truly despicable ones whose evilness oozed off the page and got under my skin in a visceral way.

I did wish the author had spent a bit more time on character development of the main characters. I was also a little challenged by some periods of time that were covered quite quickly when I would have wished to have spent more time there. Overall, though, I found this book to be an enjoyable and imaginative foray into exploring what it would be like to have a book that could take you from any doorway to any other doorway.

For me, this book had vibes of The Midnight Library and a sprinkling of The Invisible Life of Addie La Rue but ultimately lighter than both of them. I enjoyed my time with this book, and look forward to what Gareth Brown writes next.

3.5/5. Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with a free eARC!

I really did enjoy the idea of special books that hold immense power, but much of the book fell a little flat for me. The characters felt generic and not fleshed out, I felt no connection to them, and their relationships with other characters in the book weren't represented well (and I could have done without the hints of attraction that made no sense to me).

I did really like the plot, despite some things that felt confusing (but that's a me problem, time travel tends to do that to me). I did really like how the story was told in non-linear format, I enjoyed the parts where Cassie went back to the past, and I liked how the book itself was laid out, like the chapter headings - thought it was a fun touch.

Cassie works in a bookstore in New York. One night a regular customer dies while sitting in the bookstore leaving behind a book for Cassie. The books turns out to be magic, it can open any door in the world. Cassie and her roommate start experimenting with the book and going places till they meet Drummond Fox who warns of danger with the book now that there are book hunters looking for this book she is holding. The book was okay for me, if you like time travel and magic then this would be a definite read.

Thank you to NetGalley, author, and the publisher for this ARC

The Book of Doors' premise is wonderful; Cassie works at a bookstore where one day a regular customer gives her a book, The Book of Doors, a mysterious book with seemingly magical powers that allows you to travel into any door, anywhere, at anytime. I had a problem with the execution of the story tho. It was slow at first and I almost gave up reading it. I was so glad I didn't stop as it got really good after the first slow part. Halfway thru tho it got slow again but I was invested in the characters and the mystery enough to continue until the end. It does pick back up and had a satisfying ending. I really liked the characters (although there were a few moments when I became frustrated with how stubborn Cassie was being!), the settings and idea of this book.

What a beautiful and imaginative story. A snack for the imagination on a rainy day. I nibbled on it sparingly as the story pulled me down many winding corridors. The characters were full and hearty. They were good, bad, both. They were indecisive, selfish, compassionate. And they did a lot of things that I did not expect. I love the idea behind the book. It's a very original take on a common theme. I'm sitting here with my coffee thinking about it now. While it took me some pages to get thoroughly into the story, once it grabbed me, it wouldn't let go.

I look forward to where this author's mind goes next.

Thank you Gareth Brown, NetGalley and William Morrow Publishing

I received this DRC from NetGalley.

I liked the idea of this story and overall, I was invested in it. It was an easy read and didn't get bogged down in convoluted explanations despite trying to include a lot of elements. I think the general storyline was good enough for me to forgive some of the things that annoyed me.

Examples of things that were meh: Several too convenient things happen (some others that happen have an explanation, so I'm not counting those). Characters keep saying that one of them is so lovable and charismatic and and beautiful, but she's only really shown to be just regular at best but also often annoying. Some of the dialogue, especially at the beginning, was rough. Implied insta-love, blah. Some dumb decisions that lead to totally avoidable consequences. I think my biggest wtf was the explanation for how this all started, but maybe this fits under the too-convenient category.

But anyway, I did like how there were no unanswered questions at the end, even if those answers were sometimes too obvious or convenient. I also like when a book takes a turn and surprises me. To avoid spoilers, I'll just say that they end up using a device fairly early that I wasn't expecting, which transitions to the middle section of the book where loneliness and longing are explored, leading to some touching moments. And the ending was fine.

Wow. This book has touched me. I'm so thankful I got to read it early. 💜 It brings back the nostalgia of reading as a teenager. Being lost in a story & so invested in the characters. The little twists & turns are so well done!

The way the book is broken down really helped with learning the characters & keeping track of the plot. The way it all ties together so beautifully at the end had me in tears. 🥹

I love it. Amazing book! 💜

What an interesting read! Just a lovely wonderful story for book lovers. Books with magical powers, and battles between good and evil, you easily get swept up into Cassie's adventure. I did feel it lagged in parts, but overall I enjoyed it.

I received a free electronic ARC from NetGalley.
Cassie works at a bookstore in NYC. One night, a regular customer has a heart attack and dies at the store, leaving Cassie a strange book. Inside the cover it reads:

This is the Book of Doors.
Hold it in your hand, and any door is every door.

The book gives the holder the power to move through space and time, using any door. And what starts out as a fun way to travel eventually attracts the attention of others, some of whom want the book for their own and are willing to do anything to get it.

The premise of The Book of Doors was really interesting, but I didn't love the execution. The pacing was awkward and the wrap up of some of the "bad guys" was unsatisfactory.

An interesting concept for sure, and definitely better than Midnight Library, though it felt reminiscent of that. Not my typical genre, but I did enjoy it. It is not a book I could have read in one sitting, but I did find myself picking it up when I was unable to sleep or when waiting in line at the grocery store. It took me a bit to get through it, but not because it was boring or poorly written; simply because it wasn't quick and suspenseful like my typical favorite reads are.

Thank you NetGalley for gifting me an advance copy of this book in exchange for my honest review and opinion.

Imagine receiving a book that allows you to open any door and be anywhere in the world on the other side. It sounds great. But then imagine that there are people who will do anything to take this book from you (and others like it), and you are in grave danger as long as you hold on to the book. That is the premise and the premise isn't bad, but ultimately, the book didn't work for me. I struggled with the characters. I struggled with the cruelty and the extreme level of gore that was included. The cause and effect of time travel made my head spin (but that holds true of every book that includes time travel). I finished the book, but in the beginning, it was dragging, in the middle it was upsetting, and at the end it was just a bit too much for me. I can see how this book will appeal to a lot of people, especially those who liked "The invisible life of Addie LaRue."

My thanks to NetGalley and HarperCollins for an advance copy. My opinion is my own.

Thank you to NetGalley and William Morrow for providing this book, with my honest review below.

I had heard so much about The Book of Doors that I was eager to read it and grateful to get the opportunity to do so early. Do you know when you have such high expectations and the build up doesn’t allow for the book to ever reach them, no matter how well written? Well, this isn’t that book. This book delivers on the build up and the expectations so well, and I completely understand why it’s been so complimented already.

Following Cassie as she gets a magical book, I felt transported in this story that was part mystery and part fantasy. This book is the best adventure, and the struggle between good and evil felt real and visceral. I adored every page and believe any book lover would feel the same. There are books that completely transport and perfectly balance creating an environment that feels like an escape but so real, with well illustrated characters and settings. I felt every bit of that here. There were a few places where we wallowed in the author’s writing, but the plot is so engaging you don’t really feel frustration with it. Highly recommended for all readers.

The Book of Doors is trippy, a thrilling realistic fantasy that is unputdownable.

There is some cozy world building at first, as we get introduced to Cassie, who works at a bookshop and Mr. Webber, an old man who visits the bookshop she works at. But once Cassie gets her hands on the Book of Doors, the story takes off and we’re treated to twists and turns that finally lead us to some shocking revelations.

I don’t want to give anything away, as it’s best experienced with little expectations, but let’s just say wow!

The one criticism I had was that the book could be gory at times, which is something I don’t like to read. I skimmed those parts quickly to get to the next. It didn’t really stop my enjoyment of the book overall.

Thanks to Netgalley, William Morrow and Gareth Brown for the ARC.

I was delighted to see this title on the Modern Mrs. Darcy Spring 2024 Book Club recommendation list. That was just the impetus I needed to read this book immediately. Debut author Gareth Brown creates a setting that coexists in the real world, primarily New York City, and the world of magic and illusion. This magical mystery carries the reader all around the world, back and forth through time, and alternating between fantasy and reality.

Bookshop employer Cassie Andrews receives an unusual gift from her elderly bookshop patron on the day of his death--The Book of Doors. Curiosity leads her (and her roommate Izzy) through doors to places that exist in their memories, but these doors soon lead them to be part of a dangerous chase. The fast-paced plot and rapidly changing settings kept me guessing to the end. Heroes and villains, as well as those ambiguous characters in between, are clearly drawn in the way one might expect in a superhero or supervillain story. The ending, while open-ended, still felt satisfying.

Fantasy lovers and magical realism enthusiasts will enjoy this book about the magical power of books. Fans of Peng Shepherd and Alix E. Harrow will enjoy this!

I will be honest, the first 30% of the book was horribly boring. The concept was fascinating and I wanted to finish the book (which sadly took me three weeks) but I pushed on because I really thought it had potential.

If you are a fan of Addi La Rue or the Lost Apothecary, you will love this book. I was not a huge fan of either of those books, but I will say once the plot picked up, I could not put this book down.

The idea that they are magical books with different powers, hidden all over the world and the secret society of people that want them is so fascinating. The story takes you over several timelines, and several continents.


I think Brown did have a tendency to be very wordy and I felt like there were several side stories that could’ve been excluded, but, again, the entire scope of this book was a fantastic concept. I would absolutely recommend it to my friends with the caveat that it can be a bit hard to get into. about halfway through at every intention of rating this book 3 stars, but Brown really surprise me. It was absolutely worth the slow start.

I found the lead character, Cassie, very likable. I tend to be a harsher critic of female leads because I find a lot of them to be very annoying and stupid but I think Brown excelled here.

Thank you to NetGalley for the complementary copy.

This book. The Book of Doors is a book that will be on my mind for a long time, and I know will come up when I’m thinking about my top reads at the end of the year. While I’m not a typical fantasy reader, this was so much more than just fantasy. It is a book about good and evil, love and loss, newfound friendship and the most complex and developed characters. I really enjoyed reading about the characters as they developed and went through the book, and was sad when it came to an end. There were many memorable moments and lines in this book that i have highlighted to return to. I also preordered a copy for my shelf, as I could see myself coming back to reread this one in the future. This book had me questioning so many things and asking myself numerous times, “what would you I do?” I love that in a book! There were some super intense, disturbing scenes, that helped you to better understand a character, and there were some great moments with friends and old family that left my heart happy. I highly recommend this book to all readers of books.

This was such a unique story!

It is so rare to find an original book these days - and this definitely surpassed my expectations.

It had a perfect mix of magic and plot.

Cassie, our FMC, works at a bookstore. When one of her customers died, he left her “the book of doors”. This magical book has the ability to send her to different places and times.

As you can imagine, people would do ANYTHING to get ahold of this so she had to face a ton of trials! She went through such an adventure and it was so fun to get to know her. I loved all of the characters in this book!

I would definitely recommend this book to others who enjoy books about magic!

Thank you William Morrow and Netgalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review!