The In-Between Bookstore is a cute, mostly sweet and wholesome book where an unexpected job loss prompts a nearly-thirty trans man to leave New York where he has his chosen family to visit his small hometown in Illinois.

The positives: I mostly really enjoyed this novel. It was light, but also serious in terms of depicting this struggle with questioning your purpose, your place, juggling between loved ones in different places, rebuilding neglected relationships, starting again where you are. I enjoyed the chosen family component, as a trans man with an English degree who often questions his life trajectory I loved those traits in the main character.

The negatives: the ending fell flat for me. I don’t feel like the bookshop time travel was explained well enough in consideration to how much of the novel is dedicated to it. And I really don’t like how the relationships pan out. It’s all painted as going well for Darby, but I feel like his problems in life aren’t resolved in the least and I’d rather the character end in a more secure place than just beginning another start after exorcising his “unfinished business” from his hometown.

The novel is pretty sweet and I enjoyed Darby’s mom and her relationship with him, I enjoyed Michael and his relationship to Darby, and I enjoyed the small town energy and queer found families but overall I feel like I needed more in the third act.

Once again, we are exploring another bookstore and revisiting different points of time for our main character. However, the title and cover were huge factors that made me stop and want to read this book. But I think this tagline is the main reason.

‘The In-Between Bookstore is a stunning novel of love, self-discovery, and the choices that come with both, for anyone who has ever wondered what their life might be like if they had the chance to go back and take a bigger, braver risk.‘

I appreciate how the story gently pulls you into Darby’s life and explores the reasons behind his feelings of not belonging. Even surrounded by friends, he had unresolved things in his past and present that prevented him from finding meaning in his present.

The use of flashbacks is a great touch; even when certain details come up again, they reveal new layers that help us understand Darby’s thoughts and emotions in a different light. I may not relate to Darby’s experiences in the same way, but especially when you’re young and the world feels so heavy, it is easy not to see the whole picture. Or to be blind when others are struggling, too. I was rooting for him throughout the book. Every time he revisited his younger self, I was excited to see what new things he would learn about himself.

I was so invested in Darby’s search for what was missing in his life. This book got me thinking about my life and what it means to belong. The concept that everything consists of choices and that each decision creates a branch of possible outcomes lingers long after you turn the last page.

The publisher provided my arc via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

This is a really cute book about a trans man who returns to his small hometown from New York City and meets his younger self at the bookstore he used to work at. I think the writing is incredible and the story is one that should be in every library across the country. Everyone should read this book, no matter what your gender expression is. I love it.

I loved the premise and the well-drawn trans character. I wished for a more concrete conclusion but agree that how it worked out was tidiest.

I really enjoyed the writing of this book, the concept about the bookstore, the trans/queer representation and so many little details. However, I didn’t enjoy that Darby didn’t seem to grow very much from teenage Darby to adult (in his late 20s). I did see some growth there, but continuing to not open up and shut out friends was a part I didn’t love and wish he grew more in that way. For that reason, I bumped it down to about 3.75 ⭐️

Thank you to NetGalley for the free e-arc in exchange for my honest review.

A light yet thought-provoking adult debut where a trans man approaching 30 goes back to his small hometown and has to confront his younger self in a bookstore time loop where the year is 2009. I've read Underhill's YA debut, Always the Almost and loved it. Needless to say, I was excited to read his adult debut and it delivered.

As a trans man myself, I loved how it made me reflect on what I would do if I were in Darby's shoes. What would I say to my high school self? I loved seeing Darby learning to appreciate his small town and seeing that queer people do exist there.

The time travel aspect was light and did it's job. I didn't think it was too cheesy or over the top. This was quite a page turner and had me on the edge of my sea eagerly awaiting the next time we got to visit Young Darby.

I highly recommend this to anyone who wants a light, reflecting read about small towns, childhood, adulthood and transness.

A stunning piece of magical realism. Often painful but ultimately hopeful, this is Underhill all grown up. His stories have a way of reaching into you and tugging out a truth you didn’t know you were ready to hear. But like Darby, The In-Between Bookstore found me when I needed it.

People who are roughly 30 think their lives are so hard because of miscommunication that happened 12 years before. Also a queer guy from a small town being surprised that there are queer quys in small towns.

This was fine, but not spectacular. I'll probably forget it soon.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an advanced copy.

The In-between bookstore was an interested read but I was so frustrated by the lack of communication between the characters

I can connect to the themes of grieving what could have been, wishing you could redo moments, and feeling lost in who you are, and I know that there are plenty of other people who might feel the same.

This was just an enjoyable story. A time travel book that felt refreshing. Darby returns to his hometown to help his mother move. He also happens to be going through a bit of a personal crisis. When he walks into his hometown bookstore, he goes back in time and comes face to face with his high school self.

I really liked how Darby is trying to figure out the purpose of him being able to go back in time, but in the process learns more about his present. I liked how he also discovered more about his hometown and the people who live there.

This was just cozy and fun and heartwarming.

The In-Between Bookstore was a pleasant surprise to read. Did some of the book feel juvenile, yes, but was seeing Darby, a trans man, struggle to forgive his inner child and rehash high school drama during a rough period in his life intriguing, also yes. I really liked the ending of this story and have found myself going back to it and thinking of all the what ifs in my own world; wondering if in another universe I would be happy where I am. I feel like thats all a part of the human experience, it’s messy but beautiful at the same time.

Thank you to NetGalley and Avon and Harper Voyager for a copy of this ARC in exchange for an honest review!

I always approach adult novels from YA authors a bit cautiously, but for this one the slight in-betweenness of the genres ended up working great. Underhill was great at capturing the return to a childhood small town and all the various ways a town and the person who has moved away can change. The contrasts between the expectations and the reality were done really well and there is quite a lot of charm and nostalgia in the bookstore along with a lot of hope, acceptance and a sense of community.

As far as the story goes, miscommunication is central to the plot in some ways and I was a bit exasperated about that. I do think there was a time in my life where figuring out what went wrong was more important to me and that’s sort of why I think this might work better for the YA audience.

I think there is a lot of insight for someone who is just figuring out who they are here. While there is a bittersweet tone to the ending, I think Underhill does an important job of reminding us that there is hope, there will be heartbreak and joy and that one will find their place in life.

This book was a delight to read! Dealing with uncomfortable emotions from high-school, floundering and figuring out what you want to do with life, and reconnecting with your past were all themes of this book and as someone close to Darby's age and also queer, this book was both a rehashing of my high school days and also a breath of fresh air. I really enjoyed reading this, I also teared up at the end, of course. 4.5/5

Darby, a trans man, is weeks away om his thirtieth birthday when he loses his job. He sells his furniture, packs up a rental car and drives home, unsure of what he wants or what he should be doing. While home, he walks into the bookstore and is transported to 2009, when he was working as a high school student.

Why I started this book: Time traveling book store? Yes please.

Why I finished it: This was more about understanding yourself and your journey than a time traveling magical adventure. So I struggled with it and with Darby. A case of missed expectations. Plus I hated how much Darby was floundering in life, in this adventure and in his communication.

I absolutely loved this new adult novel from Mr. Underhill! I binged it quickly and loved learning about Darcy and his life in between the bookstore in Illinois and NYC! I highly recommend! 5 stars!

"The In-Between Bookstore" is an entertaining story of Darby and how he approached life after coming out as transgender.

He stumbles on this unique ability to travel back in time through his favorite, childhood bookstore. He sees young Darby who has not come to terms with being trans and attempts to help spark the realization slowly.

Additionally, adult Darby must also come to terms with his falling out with former best friend, Michael, and how a misunderstanding completely changed the trajectory of their friendship.

While some of the book felt a little too "high school," I suppose it did make sense as Darby was rehashing high school emotions. It just sometimes felt a little too much. All in all, I think this is a great book to read, especially for allies as these stories deserve to be told and broadcasted.

Thank you to NetGalley and Avon and Harper Voyager for selecting me for this ARC.

I will be honest in saying I had a very hard time getting into this novel. This book felt very YA despite being billed for adult audiences. The premise is fun, though not wholly original, and the book has a least of heart and warmth. This one was not for me.

An interesting idea that could have benefited from a little more refinement and world building.

Darby has just lost his job and his rent is going up so he decides he’s done with New York. He heads back home to the small town he’s been running from. When he visits In Between Bookstore, where he used to work as a teenager, he finds himself transported in time and his younger self working behind the register. This is the perfect opportunity for him to figure out where he went wrong with his childhood best friend, Michael.

The location specific time travel was an interesting premise, but it ultimately felt underdeveloped. Darby spends most of the book trying to figure out why the time travel is happening but we’re still left with a lot of questions at the end. For example, what causes the instability in the time travel? Darby’s problem solving also was lacking in creativity. Instead of trying something new he kept repeating the same things over and over. Like seriously, why not just leave his phone in the car?

I’m torn on the idea of Darby trying to help his younger self by requesting Transgender History. It feels simultaneously like an act of kindness and a selfish decision. He’s willing to sacrifice changing everything about the world he knows to help himself figure out his gender sooner.

The idea of time traveling through the bookstore appealed to me but the execution felt clunky. If you’re not looking for the most complex and thorough world building this could be an enjoyable read. Overall, this wasn’t my favorite story by Underhill but it’s always good to have more stories about transgender characters.

Darby is living in New York City when he loses his job and his direction at the same time. I think it's safe to say he is feeling a bit lost, and takes the opportunity to go home to small town Illinois to get a handle on things. Once there, he reconnects with his best friend from childhood and tries to figure out where things went wrong.

This is absolutely a coming of age novel, and a great one at that. Darby is transgender, and that is a huge part of this book. Darby grapples with feeling at home in his body and at being secure in his identity and that comes through in his struggle to fit in in the world. I ached for Darby reading about his struggles, and wanted him to find his peace in the world. This is a beautiful story of found family and discovering who you are, as well as how to be okay with that. Overall, I enjoyed the character development and the slower paced plot. I would call this a more character driven book, so be ready to enjoy the journey.