This concept is so cool! It got a little confusing at parts and some sections seemed to drag but overall I really enjoyed this! I loved the twists and the magic. I will definitely read more from this author.

This was a book that had well developed characters and they were likeable! The good guys and the bad guys almost always leaves you wanting more. This was definitely a "just one more chapter" for me. I am not sure I fully understand the bookstore's magic but the story is still good

3.25 ⭐️

-Magical Bookshop
- secret society
- Hidden World
- Blood & Ink Magic

The Bookshop Below had all the things that should capture my attention. A secret society, magical realism murder mystery, blood & ink magic, books, hidden worlds, etc. All that to say, it fell a little flat for me. I feel like I needed more detail about each of the aspects that should have been catching my attention. It almost felt like they were in the book to try and make it more interesting but it honestly was more of a “why was that necessary.”

I also didn’t really feel a connection to the main characters. They were fine but I didn’t feel the tension with the love interest. I wanted more background on the other characters to feel the betrayal. I think that would have made the reveal more shocking.

The pacing was off but I think that was because there was too much going on and a lot of telling and not showing.

Thanks to the author and net galley for the ARC.

This was a tough one for me. I really liked the concept of the book. The premise was unique and something I hadn’t read before, so it had me excited to delve into the story. From the get go, I felt a bit lost. The story kind of throws you into the middle of things without much explanation, which is okay because most of the time that explanation comes as the story is unfolding. Unfortunately, it never seemed to come. The book finished and I still have absolutely no real idea what was happening, how the magic system worked, why things went the way they did, or even who some of the characters were. This book had tremendous promise, but needed another couple hundred pages to properly flush out all the necessary components to adequately relay to the story. Ultimately, I absolutely feel like this book has ridiculous amounts of potential, but the way it is currently written, unfortunately leaves the reader floundering and misses the mark. I think this author is one to watch though as the story is conceptually brilliant and I’m excited to see what future stories she produces!

Special thanks to NetGalley for the e-Arc in exchange for my honest review.

Thank you to NetGalley, Georgia Summers, and Orbit Books for the e-arc in exchange for an honest review.

4.25 stars

The summary intrigued me immediately. It seemed like a book that I would enjoy. I'm happy to say that I enjoyed this book. I enjoyed most of the story. Some parts were difficult to understand the significance. Specifically, the letters that were embedded in the story. I didn't understand most of them. I also feel like the world-building needs a bit more introduction for the reader to understand everything that is going on, which would include introducing the characters a bit. I did enjoy the way the story turned out and the cliffhanger at the end. I look forward to reading book 2! I know I will need to re-read this book again before it releases. I might understand some of these things better in round 2.

Thank you to NetGalley and Georgia Summers for providing me with an ARC of this book in exchange for my thoughts!

I really enjoyed this book. I think Summers absolutely nailed the pacing, and I really empathized with Cassandra. The magic system for this book was fascinating. I wish we had gotten a little further into the logistics of what it means to use magic in this world, as for the most part we heard of past readings that took place rather than getting into the technical aspects of a reading in real time.

I will say- there were some moments of suspended disbelief, like accepting that the alias she went by while stealing books was... basically just her name. Her fear with people connecting the dots didn't really line up with how easy she made it for that to happen.

That being said, I really was rooting for her (and eventually Lowell) and would happily read another book set in this universe!

Thank you NetGalley for the opportunity ti read the ARC. The Bookshop Below was amazing! Cassandra Fairfax a bookseller turned thief under the alias Cass Holt. She takes over the magical bookstore where the store and the books are magical. The magic is a lil hard to understand and follow. The book was a fun and interesting read. A lil more detail on the magic would have been a wonderful touch, other then that’s a 10 out of 10.

I was excited for this because of the cozy bookstore vibes. However, the magic made no sense to me and the plot felt all over the place. I also felt like a lot of the secondary characters were flat. There were so many of them and they all had similar motives/personalities. All in all, this missed the mark for me.

It's been a while since I've stayed up too late to finish a book, but this one got me.

4.75/5 stars

Things I loved:
- the unique magic system - the idea of a river, linked to Lady Fate that imbues magic into books, and by accessing those books, humans get magic in various forms/levels. But of course, magic comes at a price. I love the idea of how stories and fate are intertwined, and how stories can influence our (non-magical) lives.
- compelling characters. Cassandra's inner conflict and element of moral greyness feel realistic. There is a tension in the story of the reader waiting for the characters to learn the truth about her, but also we get to see character growth.
- realistic interpersonal interactions. I love a slow burn romance. I also appreciate that while we get the romance, we don't get major declarations or even self discovery of love. It feels natural and not overstated, with the relationship driven by actions between the characters and not by overly purple prose or banter.

My only complaint (and its minor) is that there was a A LOT going on - between the magic system, Cassandra's past, romance, secret society, it was sometimes hard to keep track of the stakes. The POVs do jump around a little bit, without much warning, which is a bit jarring at times. I wish we either got more of Lowell's POV, or we just didn't get his or Roth's at all. I feel like the tiny bit we get doesn't really add any additional insights into the story.

Overall - highly recommend for fans of bookstores, magic books, slow burn romance and a dash of murder mystery/intrigue!

Thank you to NetGalley/RedHook/Orbit Books for an advanced review copy of this lovely book!

This was such a fun and magical read! I loved following Cassandra as she tried to figure out why bookstores and their owners were disappearing. The world-building is really creative, with a unique magic system and a cozy bookstore setting. The characters, especially Cassandra and Lowell, really grew on me, and I found myself rooting for them. The story kept me guessing, and the ending definitely surprised me—even if it left me with a few questions. Some parts were a little hard to follow, but overall, I had a great time with this book. Thanks so much to the publisher for the ARC in exchange for my honest review!

A magical bookstore full of life and secrets - sign me up!! What a cute little story or new beginnings, overcoming challenges, and finding family in those that used to look down on you.

And let’s talk about that ending - wow! threw me way off course. That better not be the end of Lowell or I will cry with no end! I can’t wait to see if Cassandra’s story continues in a second book, and if Roth will come back in some way with a vengeance.

Plot 3.5/5 ⭐️
Emotion 3/5 ⭐️

I finished reading The Bookshop Below by Georgia Summer which was an ARC provided by Redhook Books via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Overall, I loved this book so much and really think anyone who likes to read for the vibes would love it too.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ / 5 stars
🌶️ / 5 spice level

The book follows Cassandra Fairfax who is trying to figure out why bookstore owners and their shops are disappearing. There is a unique magic system between the books, owners, readers and book sellers, all linked back to a river that runs below. The characters, the plot, the magic; it’s all so original. And who doesn’t love bookstore vibes?

The book is written in third person narrative, which I don’t read a lot of, so it took me a minute to get used to. But by the end I didn’t even notice the difference.

I felt like I was trying to solve the mystery alongside Cassandra the whole time, and I fell in love with other characters along the way. I may have also shed a few tears at the end, but that just means this book had a hold on my heart. Everyone mark your calendars because the book comes out November 18, 2025!

This started out really, really promising. The writing is very lush and beautiful and I loved the idea of magical bookshops that give you books containing either the means to accomplish what you want or what you desire. Cassandra, as a character, was very complex and, for the most part, I quite liked her character arc. There was a romance that actually worked quite well for me. Lowell, while prickly and uptight, plays off Cassandra nicely and the way both of them slowly start to open up over the course of the novel felt very organic and sweet.

The biggest problem, though, was the the book really started to lose me in the second half. I feel like the plot got a lot more confusing and I'm really not sure that it worked for me. Particularly when it came to the resolution at the end. Only mild spoilers, but the book does something that I particularly hate right at the very end that left me pretty exasperated.

While I think this book shows the author's growth in a lot of ways, I think that the larger plot sort of collapsed at the end and didn't tie up in a way that felt like it made sense. The writing was really, really lovely though and I truly love this author's creativity. While I didn't love this, I'm not giving up on the hope that this author will write a favorite of mine some day.

Review: 3.75 rounded up to 4

I was so excited to read this book, but it just wasn't what I was expecting.
The story was slow pace, and some passages felt confusing. I also didn't enjoy the ending.
I did like the magic system of the bookshops and the books and I liked the books throwing tantrums and acting up.

The Bookshop Below is a magical, murder-tinged mystery that takes readers deep beneath the streets of London, where magical bookshops, ink-and-blood spells, and ancient rivalries shape a world both enchanting and dangerous.

This isn’t cozy fantasy. Cassandra Fairfax is sharp-edged, clever, and morally murky. Kicked out of a magical bookshop by her mentor and left to hustle rare enchanted texts to shady collectors, she’s pulled back into the fold when he dies under suspicious circumstances. The mystery begins small and personal but steadily expands, with high stakes that touch not just Cassandra’s past, but the very survival of the bookshop network itself.

The magic system is one of the book’s standout features—unfolding gradually through river-touched pages, enchanted ink, and the rare skill of “reading” magic into life. The writing is atmospheric, with a slightly removed narrative tone that works well for the gothic-adjacent mystery. You’re never fully in Cassandra’s head, but that distance allows space for intrigue, tension, and glimpses into the hidden world around her—including other booksellers with shifting motives.

Lowell Sharpe (a rival bookseller with a name as elegant as his suits) adds a touch of romantic tension without derailing the plot, though this is not a romantasy.

If you’re drawn to mysterious bookshops, morally grey heroines, and a magic system built on ink and story, this one’s for you. A spellbinding, layered read full of mystery, magic, and the quiet power of stories.

Thank you to NetGalley and Orbit for the free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Such a wonderful book, especially for all those bookish folks who love bookstores. Not lighthearted, but filled with real emotion. I sped through the last half, completely absorbed.

A cozy, good time! A book about a bookshop?? Sign me up! I loved Georgia Summers’ debut novel and her sophomore novel is even better! Highly recommend.

The idea behind this book is so neat. Books are literal magic. A book can be dipped into the waters of a magic river that runs below a series of tributary bookshops and the story becomes magic. A reader can then use the story to change their reality. They can make themselves stronger, enter a land of fairytales, or even alter past events.

Owners of these tributary bookshops start being murdered, one by one, and Cassandra, the newest bookshop owner, along with a rival book seller, Lowell Sharpe, try to uncover the culprit behind these murders and discover much more than they ever anticipated.

This urban fantasy has mystery, intrigue, and a plot unlike anything I’ve read before. There is one closed door spicy scene, but the focus is not on the MCs relationship. For me, this book was a little slow to get into. I was probably 60% of the way in before it really hooked me.

If you’re looking for a fun story where magic abounds, all thanks to the wonders of reading, and mixes fantasy with a little bit of who-done-it mystery, you’ll want to mark your calendars for the November 18th release of this book.

In so many ways, I loved this book - it’s about magic bookstores full of enchanted booksellers and books that can help solve your problems (for the right price). It’s set in London and full of atmospheric, lush writing that really brings you into the story. But the worldbuilding felt a little off to me. It’s not a book that gives you a long overview of “how this magic stuff all works”, and usually that’s fine, but I felt like there were so many loose ends about how the bookshops worked, about being a “reader”, and about the paradox books that just weren’t tied up well enough for me to feel like I really understood what was happening. It was like there were whole chapters of exposition that had been pulled out in order to make the story move forward, and I really needed that exposition. I loved Summers’ first book so much, and I wish that this one had just been a bit better edited so that I could love it just as much.

This was a really fun and magical twist with many elements of mythology and lore. The owner of the bookshop dies mysteriously, and because someone must always own it, it becomes a supernatural race for it.