Nope, nope, nope. What a disappointment. I feel awful for dnfing an arc but I refuse to slog through this… in the nicest way possible.

The writing is so clunky and wooden. I could feel my eyeballs glazing over like I was reading a book for school or something. It was a lot of telling and not showing. Nothing takes me out of a story more than unrealistic dialogue and that’s prevalent. The characters don’t feel real to me at all. They just exist and speak like robots with no emotion.

I only made it to 15% and by that point nothing had really happened plot wise so I can’t speak to it. I don’t think the characters reactions were appropriate to the things that DID happen. “It’s like… the best thing ever” is not the appropriate reaction to opening a door in your apartment and finding Italy on the other side.

I can see what the author was trying to do, I really can. And I appreciate any attempt to write a book FOR people who love books… but I’ll go re-read The Starless Sea or Addie LaRue. They executed it flawlessly. Those are big shoes to fill if you wanna compare and this fell flat.

On a side note I saw another review talking about some icky things written about women in later chapters and just wanted to add that I didn’t love the talk surrounding food in the bit I did read -

“I am disgusting. It’s midnight and I am doing this to my body.” (She ate pancakes AND bacon *gasp*)

“There’s nothing wrong with your body and you know it.”

“There might be if I keep eating like this. Have you seen my aunts? They’re all huge. That’s in my genes.”

Like??? Incredibly unnecessary for a fantasy about magic, loving books, and traveling etc

I enjoyed this book and would purchase it to add to the library I manage. It was unique and interesting. I think it got confusing at times but not too much so that I regretted reading it. It was intense and darker then I thought but I still enjoyed.

3.75/5 stars rounded up to 4 but it is definitely for a certain person to enjoy

SPECTACULAR!!!! I was drawn In immediately to the story! Every character has a personality you can feel. I thought I knew what was going to happen, but nope. So many twists and turns of creative unique doorknobs. Please please everyone pick this up and read !!! I loved it 🥰 Will there be a sequel?!?!?!

Disclosure to be fair to author and other readers: I only got about a quarter through this, also skimmed to parts in middle and end then decided this is just not the book for me.

I love good, well written fantasy usually, but find I rarely enjoy stories about miserable, unhappy people, or ones that have no good resolution. I also detest blasphemy - taking the name of the Lord - in books. I see no reason to use that ever. Profanity is bad enough, stick to that please, authors.

This story starts on with a death, goes on through the main character Cassie having fun and joyful days exploring places via her magic Book of Doors. Almost immediately we meet other characters, several who are depraved, cruel and greedy, and other books, ones that are anything but joyful - despair, pain, destruction.

Drummond Fox allies with Cassie and her friend Izzy to try and hide the books they own together from the worst of the book seekers. They encounter the woman who enjoys torturing people to death, the man who cheerfully kills. Drummond owns several books that are happy - Luck, Joy - which he treasures and several that he fears and hates - Pain. I don't know why he doesn't burn the Book of Pain, perhaps he cannot.

The tone of the story got darker and darker and the characters did not get more developed., I quit to read something I might like.
I apologize to the editors, publisher and author for not finishing this. I am not publishing this review anywhere since I did not read teh entire book.

The synopsis of this book was very intriguing to me, and even though it's a fantasy/sci-fi genre I figured I'd give it a try. Aside from some of the violence that I did not like, I honestly had a hard time following the plot. Granted, it is a time-travel story with multiple POVs and various interconnected plot lines. But it just got to a point where I was having such a hard time keeping up I wasn't enjoying reading anymore.

***CONTENT WARNING*** - 25% into the book is a chapter with sadistic torture, completely unnecessary for the plot. This book was in the romance and sci-fi fantasy category, leading me to believe it was more in the magical realism genre, but I was assaulted with horror I wasn't expecting and did not like. DNF due to misrepresentation.

Really dull, MC has no personality, the villains are practically caricatures of evil, and there's nothing very special or interesting about the magical books. There's no reason for them to *be* books; Brown could as easily have made the enchanted objects pocket watches or marbles. I'm one of many bookworms who love to read about the (non-literal) magic of books, but Book of Doors doesn't tap into that, isn't actually about that - or if it is, it's failing at it big time.

DNF at 21%. If you're looking for an amazing book about magic books, may I recommend instead Ink Blood Sister Scribe by Emma Törsz - THAT is marvellous, and gives me everything Book of Doors didn't.

This is an interesting story of fantasy and suspense that is multigenerational
and brings people with interest in special books together while they are being
torn apart. The story is not so much complicated as it is there are a lot of
characters one must keep track of in both the present and the fantastical
slight past, present and future. The “Books,” and there are many, are the vehicle
that drives the story. These are not ordinary bools, and the lives of the group
of characters are greatly impacted by their possession of said books. Whether
driven by simple greed, or other less than admirable intentions, folks find themselves
in tough situations. Even the attempts to use these books for good can go badly.
This story had the elements to be great but for me, there was just too much of it.
I had to start over twice, and had a hard time with repetitive dialogues through the
middle sections.
I am not a big fantasy reader, but I do enjoy the genre. I would recommend it to
Fantasy Fans.
My thanks to Transworld Digital via NetGalley for the download copy for review purposes.

Book of Doors is an okay debut, as it is for the most part an interesting concept. Unfortunately, the characters are underdeveloped and uninteresting. Cassie's (the main character) obsession with her appearance and weight is tiresome and boring. I'm not sure if Brown knows how to write from a young woman's perspective or just misses in this book.

The authors writing style offers moments of enjoyment, yet I am uncertain about the book's overall direction and who and what I am rooting for. However, the concept of a magical book opening doors to anywhere, and the discovery of other books with diverse abilities, is a delightful aspect of the story. There is a good story in here somewhere - sadly Brown fails to pinpoint it.

Although this book didn't hit the mark for me, I think it could for others, especially younger readers. Because of this I have rounded my 2.5 stars review to a three.

Thank you to NetGalley and William Morrow for the eARC of The Book of Doors!

This was so interesting; I had no idea what I was getting into when I picked this up and I have zero regrets about picking if up now! I recommend going into this one completely, 100% blind if possible.

Where would you like to go? What if you could get there instantaneously? That is just one part of "The Book of Doors" by Gareth Brown. If you possess the correct book, all you need is a doorway to walk into the place of your dreams.

Of course, it wouldn't be a proper story without problems. And Cassie, a bookshop employee, and Izzy, her roommate, quickly get into trouble.

Other books exist, and other people-- some of whom are not very nice-- have custody of them. As you can imagine, these not-very-nice people want to take other people's books away from them. They want all the books for the power it will give them.

The magic world is a tough world. I don't know if this book will be part of a series, but I can certainly see it becoming that. "The Book of Doors" is well-written and it hooked me right away. Because it moves so quickly, it's hard to put down.

I recommend "The Book of Doors." It's one of those books I keep thinking about even though I finished it a few days ago. If my description of the book seems rather spare, it's because I don't want to take the chance of ruining one of the many surprises that crop up in the story.

I'm looking forward to Gareth Brown's next book!

Thank you to NetGalley for letting me read the advance reader's copy. I am writing an honest review.

Thank you netgalley and William Morrow for early access to this read.

Synopsis: one of Cassie’s long time customers—friend—dies at the bookshop. He leaves her behind a book that starts a whirlwind of adventures. It’s not just any book, it’s the book of doors—it can take you through any door. It’s a coveted item though and dangerous people are after it. One in particular she learns about through her new friend Drummond. The woman is a ruthless human and she will stop at nothing to acquire the books that hold special magic. Cassie and her friends must stop her before she annihilates the world. And we get to go on that journey of magic with her.

Whhhhheeewwie! What a ride.

What worked for me: my gosh, the entirety of the book worked for me. I love the magic, the books(even the bad books), the loops, swoops, and pulls that it took to create this complex and creative novel.

In the beginning of this book I thought I might get tripped up and lost because there are a lot of characters and a lot of layers to this book, but Gareth Brown does a WONDERFUL job at walking through this book.

I had only one question running through me and it’ll be the same one you’re asking up til the very end. I won’t tell you what it was cuz I don’t wanna include spoilers.


This book is incredible. I highly recommend it. I will be after a beautiful edition of this book to add to my shelf. Definitely a top read for me. It’s fantasy done different and I absolutely enjoyed it. Gareth Brown has taken an incredible dream and put it in writing for us to enjoy.

Marvelous! This story was engaging and interesting, the characters were realistic, and it kept my attention throughout and I truly enjoyed it. A must-read!

I’m usually not a huge fan of fantasy but this well written book won me over.
Cassie works in a bookstore and is given a magical book which involves time travel and opening doors to anywhere she wants to go. Unfortunately there is danger involved and she and her roommate get caught up in a secret underworld of book thieves and unsavory characters.
I loved all the twists and turns that pulled it all together. .It was clever, dark and enchanting. I really cared about the characters and wanted the good guys to triumph. I’m so glad I took a chance on this book and hope it becomes successful.
Thank you to NetGalley and HarperCollins for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you @williammorrowbooks for the #gifted copy of this book.

Magical doors! Say no more! Cassie is an ordinary girl working in a bookstore living a pretty average life. Her favorite customer gifts her a wonderful present that seems to be one of a kind. It’s extremely unique with odd drawings and words that are strung together and almost nonsensical. Cassie realizes this is an extraordinary possession that can transport her to other locations just by opening a random door. Her best friend Izzy and her set out together to make the most of this gift and travel anywhere their hearts desire. Soon they discover they aren’t the only ones with a magical book and they are being hunted by evil people. There are many secrets to be uncovered in the world with these one of a kind books!

WOW. This book I think has it all. Magic, fantasy, danger, time travel, super power and a friendship between a young girl and an older man that I just wanted to hug, squeeze and place next to my heart. I don’t know why but the opening chapters completely grabbed me and didn’t let me go.

If I could use one word to describe this book it would be enchanting. I felt completely swept away in this world and love the idea of opening a new door and stepping into a new world at each turn! How fun and spellbinding! This book is beautifully written and although there is a small portion I felt like went a little slow I was completely lost in this fantasy world filled with characters I loved and a journey I didn’t want to end. So exciting to find a new author I enjoyed so much!

I love books about books and book lovers. This one packs some punches and is both fantasy and fiction. At times dark, with battles of good against evil, it is also hopeful with characters trying to do the right thing. This author has a great imagination and the story is quite an adventure !

A huge thanks to NetGalley for providing an eARC of this wonderful, magnificent, brilliant novel.

On the list of books about books, this might have to be in the top 5 at least.

Cassie and Izzy are roommates. Cassie works at a bookstore, and Izzy works for Bloomingdale's. They work different hours, which lends to the strength and length of their friendship. They're in their 30s, which is part of the reason why I absolutely love this book. Why shouldn't 30-somethings and 40-somethings (and beyond) have magical adventures anymore? Why does everything fantastical and fabulistic happen to teenagers nowadays?

I digress.

One of Cassie's favorite patrons at the bookstore, Mr. Webber, dies one quiet evening as she is closing up the store and stops to admire the scene outside the store window. After the police have left, she picks up his copy of The Count of Monte Cristo, and finds another book, a smaller book, underneath.

The Book of Doors.
"Any door is every door."

There is writing on the inside from Mr. Webber, giving the book to Cassie and telling her to go see the world. At first, she is confused, but she thinks it is a sweet gesture from the man, even though she doesn’t understand much more in the book since it seems to be written in multiple languages with multiple writing forms, none of which she understands. There are pictures, as well. She closes up and heads to the apartment, and tells Izzy about her day. She is reminiscing about when she visited Venice and the bakery she at ate. When she gets up to go to bed and opens the door to her bedroom….it opens to that same place she had just been talking about. Not wanting to believe she was crazy, she calls Izzy over to confirm what she is seeing. Izzy is scared by the whole thing – the book, the going to other places, and she consistently warns Cassie of her fears, and after Izzy Googles Book of Doors and comes up with nothing…nothing at all, she is certain that no good can come of the book because to her, it looks like someone is wiping the trail. Because Google knows all.

Someone is watching Cassie and Izzy, following them, trying to figure something else. And someone else is watching the watcher. And others, still, want all the books, because yes, there are more books like the Book of Doors, they want them all for themselves, usually at no good to others.

First of all, the character building in this book is phenomenal. The relationship building is incredible. Backstories. Internal conflict. Character evolution. This book has character down. The imagery wasn’t bad, either, from the desperation of nowhere to the mountains of Scotland, you could imagine yourself, no, you could feel yourself there. You feel their losses and their fear and their rage at the things people are willing to do for the books, and for no reason at all.

There are some points in the book where you feel that there is no way for the author to close that hole in the plot, but then she does. The theories on certain possibilities are incredible. The story is a book lover’s dream come true, but also shows how even wonderful, magical, amazing things can be twisted and used by evil people for evil things.

I am usually not a fan of fantasy books but this one grabbed me from the beginning. The concept of having the ability to travel in time has always intrigued me. The story and plot are great and kept me reading! The characters are well thought out and developed through out. Really looking forward to this being published in 2024 and I can see it being a series or have a sequel.

The story is about a woman, Cassie, who is gifted a book called "The Book of Doors", that enables her to travel anywhere or any time. As the book develops you find out there are many other of these "magical books"-book of joy, despair, shadows, safety, e

Thank you so much to Harper Collins and NetGalley for the ARC of this book!

I have so much to say about this book but I also don’t want to give anything away because it was such a wonderful journey. First off, I cannot believe this is a debut novel. The prose is elegant with just the right amount of wonder. It pulled me in in a way that most books can’t do: quickly and for almost 400 pages. It’s long but not meandering, which is a feat in itself.

I think this book has everything someone could want in a book: beautiful imagery (and not so beautiful imagery), subtle romantic undertones, magic (but not the cheesy kind), and lovely characters that have unique and lovable personalities. There is excellent closure on all the important storylines that feels satisfying to the reader and still holds complexity of conflicting human emotion.

Seriously, an incredible debut and something that I’ll hold in my brain for a good while (and recommend to lots of friends the second it comes out). Congrats to Gareth Brown on a job well done!

This was a wild ride. Multi-dimensions and time travel and who knows what's going on sometimes. There's the battle between good and evil, repeating travels, stepping through doors to anywhere you want to go. But where there's power, there's always danger. A book that starts off only a little bit paranormal becomes increasingly strange and hard to explain. I enjoyed the read, it was thought-provoking, confusing, and mystical.