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.

In this aching story of what-if Darby approaches his 30th birthday out of a job and apartment in New York City, a little lost and looking for a new start. He goes back to his Midwest hometown to help his mother pack up their old home and finds everything has changed but the In Between Bookstore—in fact when he walks in the person behind the counter is the sixteen-year-old version of himself. This is a tender look at how misunderstandings and events change and create us—and how not even the closest people to us can know what’s going on in our heads—especially through those hard teenage years.

When I started this book, I was not sure if I was going to like it. A lot of books I have read will throw a trans character into the mix just for diversity's sake without fully fleshing the character out. I assumed that the MC being trans was a throwaway line without much meaning.
While the story is not fully about being trans, I was pleasantly surprised to read that the main premise was discovering yourself. I enjoyed reading Darbys inner conflict of where he belongs and how to move forward.
Darby was a likeable enough character and I resonated with his internal struggle of trying to understand who he is and who he was in the past. However, I ended up wishing the book was longer to see where Darby ended up and if he found happiness.
Either way, this book was a 4 star read for me and I recommend to those struggling to find their place in the world.
Thank you to NetGalley & Avon Harper for giving me an ARC.

The In-Between Bookstore is a captivating novel that delves into the complexities of identity, the power of second chances, and the enduring magic of books. Underhill's debut is a poignant exploration of a trans man's journey through time, offering a fresh perspective on a familiar trope.

Darby, a character both relatable and extraordinary, finds himself transported back to his teenage years, presented with the opportunity to confront his past and shape his future. As he navigates the familiar yet unfamiliar landscape of his hometown, he grapples with the challenges of adolescence and the weight of societal expectations.

Underhill's prose is both lyrical and insightful, capturing the essence of nostalgia and the bittersweet nature of time. The bookstore itself serves as a magical portal, a place where the boundaries between past, present, and future blur. Through its shelves, Darby discovers not only the power of stories but also the power of self-acceptance.

The In-Between Bookstore is a heartwarming and thought-provoking read that will resonate with readers of all ages. It's a reminder that it's never too late to rewrite your story and embrace your true self.

Edward Underhill’s The In-Between Bookstore has a lot going for it—nostalgic pop culture references, themes of found family and self-discovery, and a warm exploration of second chances. If you’re into Buffy, Veronica Mars, or Television Without Pity, you’ll find delightful nods to those cultural touchstones sprinkled throughout, which I loved!

While the story unfolds with intriguing potential, I couldn’t help wishing it had focused more on Darby providing guidance to his younger self. The premise seemed ripe for a heartfelt exploration of how we might help our past selves navigate life’s challenges, but that emotional thread took a backseat to unraveling a sort of “mystery” (that didn’t really feel like a mystery) with Darby’s high school best friend.

I also found it odd that Darby, despite being nearly 30, didn’t feel like a fully-fledged adult. His mindset and behavior often felt stuck in high school, and by the end of the book, I wasn’t so sure he had truly progressed as a character.

That said, if you enjoy a good blend of found family and self-discovery with a light touch of romance, this book will likely be for you! However, if you’re looking for a deeper exploration of trans experiences, this one might leave you wanting more.

While this book didn’t work for me in some areas, it did have many charming moments!

Thank you to Avon and Harper Voyager for providing me with a NetGalley ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I’m undoubtedly a tremendous fan of this author’s previous works. There isn’t a book of his that I wouldn’t read at plain face value. I truly expected to love this move into the adult fiction space but something about it fell completely flat for me. While his previous works have a lot of heart and exuberance, this one felt misguided almost.

Our main character really just doesn’t make sense to me. Darby wants to be in New York and then doesn’t want to be there. He misses his friends and then completely disconnects from them. I completely understand reaching your thirties and wanting to find yourself, move away, broaden your horizons but that doesn’t mean everything from the past just vanishes? How does he not remember the fall out between Michael??? He mentions every couple chapters or so that he has no idea how their friendship ended but I’m not sure how that’s possible. There’s no explanation given at all.

The relationships and connection just feel frigid and detached and the time travel element is so underused. I understand that it wasn’t ever meant to be a romance and I wasn’t looking for that. I just thought that the bond between past and current self might be more pertinent to the story. It’s such a cool concept to not be taken more advantage of.

Overall though, I was glad that Darby found his way, even if I didn’t completely agree with how he went about it. The writing was great and I loved the description. It was enough to keep me vibing through it to get to the end.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with eARC in exchange for my honest review.

If you could go back in time and talk to your younger self, what would you say? Would you try to change the path you took?

Darby is a trans man living in New York City. When he loses his job, he decides to move back to the rural town where he grew up (much to the disappointment of his big city friends). Back in the town where he felt out of place, he has to face his past and his younger self. Literally. He discovers he can travel back in time via the bookstore where he worked one summer when everything he knew fell apart. Through this discovery Darby explores if leaving home all those years ago was really the right path for him.

I really enjoyed this book. The exploration of home and family and self were all well executed. Darby undergoes some real growth and realizations when he is forced to face his past and the people he left there. The story and characters feel genuine. Darby is struggling to define himself as a trans man and where he belongs. We are given insight into the internal struggles a member of the LGBTQ community goes through living in a small town. Darby gets a chance to experience the life he could have had, and doesn’t some part of all of us wonder about that?

I also like that this book isn’t really nicely wrapped up in a bow at the end. I don’t think it should have been. It’s real life. None of us should ever stop growing or questioning.

Thank you to Harper Collins for the ARC! The In-Between Bookstore releases on January 14, 2025.

I really loved this book. It is so queer and so trans and so Midwestern. It's all about reflecting on your past and figuring out where your future is. Moments of it felt a little repetitive (a lot of Darby feeling overwhelmed and Michael giving him weird looks), but overall I absolutely recommend it.