A thoroughly enjoyable story surrounding Darby, a transgender male, as he reassesses his life just prior to his 30th birthday. When his New York City life takes a downturn, he reaches out to his mother in Oak Falls, Illinois, where Darby grew up and couldn't wait to escape from as a high schooler., only to discover his mother is planning to sell the family home to move into a condominium elsewhere in town. To buy some time for himself, Darby agrees to go back to Oak Falls, ostensibly to help his mother pack up and move. In a clever twist on not being able to go home again, Darby discovers that the weird doubling of things that stay the same and those that have changed in small towns over the course of more than a decade jumbles together in In Between Books, the same bookstore a young female Darby worked at during high school, in her last year before leaving Oak Falls. For some reason, when Darby enters In Between Books, he is returned to the exact same day and the exact same time thirteen years earlier, but only while he remains inside In Between Books. Faced with his younger self, Darby explores his life at this pivotal moment, hoping that understanding his past, will help him understand his place in the present as he comes to realize thigs were not always what they seemed even then.

A quick and thoughtful read, I'm not sure if Underhill has truly shed his YA leanings. The book definitely leans heavily on the YA character of young Darby and feels a little weak on the "adult" nature of present Darby. Still, it was an enjoyable look at the what-ifs that tend to plague us all at each of those milestone birthdays, be it 30, 40, or 50.

A second chance romance with time travel and a bookstore lured me right in, and I'm so glad. I really enjoyed this book, especially the ending. Id absolutely recommend this book, I think many people can connect with this story in different ways.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for this ARC! The In-Between Bookstore truly gave off nostalgic and contemplative feelings. It was a very reflective lgbtq+ book that I would happily recommend to others. The story was easy to follow and the concept of talking to your past self is very novel where past choices truly dictate the future but then you play the what if game and hope to make it even better. The main character goes through a comforting and empathetic journey which validates who they are and gives them hope for their future in their acceptance of their i identity. While this book is very nostalgic to me, I feel like it truly is written for a niche audience: young millennials/zillennials from the Midwest fachg identity issues and acceptance. The references were all very 2010s and since I grew up in that time as a teenager, I understood them very well, but I can see others outside this age range would not be able to relate at all.

After reading the synopsis of this book, I was really excited to start reading. The idea that you could go back in time and talk to your past self sounded interesting to me. However, right off from the beginning I just didn't like Darby. Could be the writing of the character or maybe going into this book without a clear head. Not sure, but I just didn't vibe with the book. I wish the themes can gone more in-depth and just scratched the surface of what Darby's life was like. But overall a wonderful look at oneself and the conversations you could have if you had the chance to talk to your younger self. Loved the exploration of Darby's transness and self discovery, just didn't vibe with the book.

Thank you to NetGalley and the Publisher for this E-Arc in exchange for an honest review.

Darby is at a crossroads in his life. He’s out of work and feels like he doesn’t quite fit in New York anymore, so he decides to return to his small hometown of Oak Falls, Illinois. When he gets there, he finds that a lot has changed—his mom is moving into a new home, and the town itself feels different. But one thing stays the same: The In Between Bookstore, a place he used to hang out as a kid and later worked at in high school. When Darby steps inside, he gets a strange feeling that he’s been there before, even though something’s off. The newspapers are all from 2009, and behind the counter is a teenager who looks just like Darby did when he was sixteen.

This book takes readers on a journey of self-discovery, love, and reflecting on the choices that shape our lives. I really enjoyed seeing how Darby grows throughout the story, and it was nice to read about his old friends from New York, though I kind of wished there was more focus on them. I think it would’ve been interesting to explore more of Darby’s life in New York, and his connection with his friends, especially since we only get glimpses of that part of his life.

The book is under 300 pages, so there’s only so much you can fit in, but the author did a good job of showing Darby’s growth in a short amount of time. Still, I think I would’ve liked it if the book were longer to really dive deeper into his life and his time in New York.

Overall, I really liked the story and it stayed with me for a while after finishing the book.
4 Stars

3.5 stars

I loved the concept behind The In-Between Bookstore, because who hasn't at one point thought about being able to go back in time and talk to their younger selves? Overall I really did enjoy this, but at times felt Darby came across too immature.

Edward Underhill’s wistful debut follows trans man Darby at a crossroads after being laid off from his job in New York City. Darby reluctantly returns to his hometown of Oak Falls, Illinois to help his mother pack up and sell his childhood home. When Darby visits the local bookstore, he’s magically transported back in time and encounters his younger pre-transition self. As Darby wrestles with what to say and how that might affect his future, he reconnects with an estranged friend and learns to embrace the choices he’s made.

This was a very beautiful and melancholy view into what it’s like growing up queer and specifically Trans* in a small town. This book is full of journey, self love, forgiveness, healing your inner child, self discovery, second chances, nostalgia, and the question of “where do I belong?”. I really enjoyed this one, but it still made me sad - and that’s okay. I love a happy ending, but sometimes I need a dose of reality, and this story gives that. This book made me want to hug my younger self.

This was an intriguing time-travel tale where the main character got to revisit their past teenage self (before having transitioned) and mend some relationships with the perspective of a decade as an adult whilst simultaneously encountering the friends they'd unintentionally lost in the present. I had read the author's previous YA title and this one was similar in tone. I'll be curious to see who he writes for next: YA or new adult or both?

The In Between Bookstore was a charming novel about Darby who is unsure about his life in New York and is given the opportunity to go home to Illinois to help his mom move. While back home he visits the bookstore he used to work at in high school and is actually transported back to 2009 where he meets his younger self before he came out as trans. I found this book interesting as Darby explored his former friendships and what it was like to grow up in his hometown. I do wish there was a bit more growth with him and Michael, it still felt like they couldn’t be honest with each other, but maybe that’s more realistic. Overall, I enjoyed this book and would recommend it to others.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for an ARC in exchange for my honest review.

4.5 rounded up. Thank you so much to Edward Underhill and Avon and Harper Voyager for the opportunity to read this beautiful ARC!

Darby has been running away from his hometown since he was young, but when he starts to feel out of place in New York, he decides to take the leap and return to a community that calls to him like a "What if?" With an impersonal connection to his mother, an ex-best friend whose abandonment felt nonsensical, and a town where everyone knows everyone, Darby doesn't know what he's looking for - but finds a hint when he walks into the bookstore he used to work out and spots his teenager self behind the counter, pre-transition.

With a story filled with reflection and redemption, The In-Between Bookstore offers us a chance to consider all of the ways we can go through life, and all of the possibilities that could have been. With real characters whose flaws add instead of taking away, getting to watch Darby go on a journey to remember his roots and come to terms with who he has become was something special. I think many of us will be able to relate to his feelings of overwhelm and struggling to tell the people we care about how we really feel.

The ending was not what I expected, and I adored it for that very reason. I'm so glad to have read a book that shows so many ways friendships can form, develop, fall apart, and be rekindled. How nostalgia can be so powerful. How mistakes don't need to be erased to be fixed.

Really gorgeous. Highly recommend to people who enjoy a bit of magical/sci-fi realism while exploring complex characters. The In-Between Bookstore will be available Tuesday, January 14th, 2025 so definitely pick it up. Thank you again for the ARC!

This was such a good book. I loved the story and the writing so much. The characters were great and the story flowed smoothly. Will definitely read more books by this author in the future.

One of my favorite hypothetical questions is, "If you could go back in time and tell your younger self one thing, what would that be?" Obviously, I don't want to mess with the timeline too much so I always say that I would tell my teenage self that everything will be okay. You'll have a rough go, but pay attention, learn the lessons, and stick with it because you'll meet some amazing people who will lift you up and be your friends for life. I'd also probably give myself a set of winning lottery numbers that I could play once the younger me turns 35 (when I was mature enough to handle the wealth). Now, all I need is an opportunity to go back in time and make that happen.

In this book, author Edward Underhill explores this hypothetical question through the lens of 29 (almost 30) year-old Darby, a trans man who has hit a roadblock in life after losing his job. One night, Darby calls his mom, who tells him she is selling his childhood home and moving into a condo. Darby decides to rent a car, pack all of his belongings, and travel back to his hometown of Oak Falls, Illinois (much to the chagrin of his friends in NYC) to help his mother out. He feels like he needs to get away, clear his head, and decide what his future holds.

Darby doesn't anticipate running into his former best friend, Mike - a friend with whom he had a falling out just before their senior year of high school. He also doesn't expect to walk into the bookstore where he used to work as a teenager - back before he transitioned or even really knew he was trans - and find his younger self working there. As the days pass, and Darby reconnects with old friends, and continues to encounter his teenage self whenever he walks into the bookstore, more questions and feelings arise, but will he find the answers he is looking for?

There's a lot to like in this book. I found the characters to be likable and engaging - I think any queer kid will see something of themself in Darby and/or Mike. I felt for Darby. I know what it's like to grow up in a small town where you don't fit in. I also know what it's like to return to your hometown and feel both at home and like an outsider whenever you run into someone from your past. I also really enjoyed watching Darby discover his old self and, in a way, reconnect with who he was then. When I first started reading this book, I thought that this would be about Darby helping his younger self through a difficult time, but that's not exactly the case. The younger version of Darby helps the future version more than vice versa.

While I enjoyed the concept and liked the characters, I felt something was missing in the novel. While reading, I often found myself thinking that the book felt almost like a young adult novel, and then once I read that the author has written several YA novels and this is their first adult novel, it made sense. Some of the conflicts felt a little juvenile - something a teenager or someone in their early 20s would get worked up over. I also felt that the author could have gone deeper into the characters and the subject matter. Figuring out who you are as a gay kid is a scary thing, and I wanted more from the scenes between the two versions of Darby. I realize that the author was obeying the laws of "don't mess with the timeline in time travel." but I would have liked to have seen a more emotional connection here.

Overall, this is a touching and insightful read that touches on important themes. I just wished it had dug a little deeper. That said, I did appreciate that the book didn't go in a predictable direction. I expected it to end one way, but it went in a different, more bittersweet direction, which I appreciated. Sometimes, a happy ending comes in unexpected ways.

This book is special and wonderful and I cannot recommend it enough, especially to queer readers.

This story started with us meeting the MC, Darby, when he’s newly in a really heightened emotional space. I think that could have been a difficult entry point, but instead I found I could completely understand his thought processes and motivations, and that I was immediately invested. I really like time travel books and felt that the travel in this one was really unique, being rooted to a place. It was also a great way for Darby to have a heartwarming and healing exploration of his transness and his teenage years.

I never cry at books but this ending had me crying happy tears. Darby felt like a real person and I was just so happy for him. This book was advertised as healing and it really, really was.

This book was a huge disappointment for me. The idea—trans man meets his (perceived as female by others) teenage self self. But the adult man is every bit as whiny and self-obsessed as his teen self is—maybe more so. And, yes, he grows and learns, but I just don't need that kind of insecurity and self-hate. I'm giving it 3 stars because I do think there are readers this title might work for, but it didn't work for me.

I received a free electronic review copy of this title from the publisher via NetGalley; the opinions are my own.

This fantasy time travel book is actually a book about finding one’s self. While it seemed that it would become a romance story, it was much more than that. It was about someone learning to love themself.

Darby is a trans man who doesn’t feel like he belongs anywhere. After being let go from his job in NYC, he goes home to IL, where he definitely feels out of place. After finding himself (literally) in the bookstore where he used to work as a teen, he realizes he has a chance to give himself advice to hopefully make things easier for his future and to hopefully repair a very special friendship before it is ruined.

Though things do not go as expected, the journey helps him realize a few things. While not a romantic HEA, I think the ending was great. You will just have to read to find out.

This was a great book with plenty of LGBTQ+ representation. And while I cannot identify, I feel like I was able to understand a lot of what they go through thanks to the wonderful characterizations in this book.

Great read!

Thank you to NetGalley and Avon and Harper Voyager for sending me an advanced copy of this book.

I request this book because I like Edward Underhill writing and I knew I was going to like this book, even love it. And it didn’t disappoint me at all. It’s a cute book with an interesting character (Darby, I really love you, my darling boy) and wonderful trans rep.
I totally enjoyed reading this lovely novel. The plot is a little bit a pretext, but it’s cute.

Thank you Netgalley and the publisher for the arc.

Thank you to Avon and Harper Voyager for the ARC in return for an honest review!

The In-Between Bookstore follows Darby, an aimless twenty-something who detours back to his hometown of Oak Falls to help his mother move and regain some direction. Everything is eerily similar and yet so incredibly different. Stepping into In Between Books, the town’s bookstore which once employed a teenage Darby, is bizarre; suddenly Darby is faced with his younger self behind the counter, and wonders if he can help both of them with this unique convergence of past and present. Did Darby run away from something in the past, and is Darby running scared now, too?

Darby also doesn’t expect to run into Michael, his high school best friend, whom he has unfinished business with. Underhill takes a familiar premise and revitalizes it, engaging in an interesting conversation about acceptance, and queer identity. The importance of choice, and the way that our life can carry down a myriad of paths hangs over the story. Rarely does one have the opportunity to change something that’s already happened; it’s in hindsight that we often learn the lessons and know what was truly best. The ending is unexpected, not leaning into anything easy and tidy, but launching Darby into something even more necessary than history: the future, and what’s next. The past, after all, is prologue.

I had come into this really thinking that I was going to love this book. It has all the elements for things that I enjoy. But for some reason I just couldn't click with this book. I wasn't able to really sympathize or care about the main character and it affected my enjoyment of the book. While this may not have been for me, I can definitely see this being a comfort book for many others.

I went into this book blind. I just really enjoy reading and anything with “Book” in the title I will immediately grab without a second thought. This was a very easy read and it flowed well. I related, as I feel anyone could, to the struggles of finding oneself in highschool but also as an adult. I did find the main character Darby to be a little insufferable at times. I feel the author missed the mark with the time travel aspect and so much more could have been done with that. Overall I did enjoy the book.