Lost Bookshop: Charming Novel For 2024

This book was a wonderful read. It was hard to put down once I got started. The characters were interesting well developed, and for lack of a better word, flawed, which made them seem very real. The story was very much a mystery that came together beautifully at he end. With a hint of magic, some romance, some mystery and intrigue, and some plot twists, there is something for everyone to love about this novel.

I had great expectations for The Lost Bookshop. For this novel, I switched back and forth between the e-book and audiobook. I found myself going back because I thought I forgot or missed something while listening to the audiobook.At the end of the book, I found I had more questions than answers. There were also things that just didn’t sit well or make sense to me. For example, Martha did not know how to check out a library book and thought she could just take it. Henry left Martha a written note with milk bottles. In the age of texting/emails? And who gets glass bottles of milk delivered anymore? Henry, a researcher, did not think of doing a simple google search to find Opaline in Paris.Martha’s tattoo – was in reality, really long and why would her abusive husband allow her to spend money on this. The fact that they glanced over the part where she had no recollection of completing the tattoo.Madame Bowden was never really explained. Who/what was she really and if she was a real person where did she end up.At the end, the building transforming into the bookstore. Neighbors don’t notice anything? Also, at the end, realizing that Martha is telling this story to a group of boys on their way to school. I don’t think this group would be interested in any of this except possibly the building turning into a bookstore.Seeing how highly this book is rated, I’m not sure if it’s just me or the fact that I was switching back and forth between the audio and e-book versions.

*The Lost Bookshop* is a thoughtfully researched story with intriguing characters and rich ties to the past. While I initially found the shifting timelines a bit confusing, once I got my bearings, the narrative came together beautifully. However, this isn’t a light read—you really need to pay attention to fully appreciate it.

I deducted one star because a few sections felt incomplete, as though certain storylines were left unresolved. I found myself wanting more closure.

That said, it’s a lovely book overall, and I would happily recommend it. I think reading a physical hardcover copy might add a certain magic that the Kindle version lacks.

I thoroughly enjoyed this story from the start. Written like a good book should be, beginning, end and a lot of great stuff in the middle. It was recommended by a friend as it’s not my normal genre. Glad that I took her advice.

“The Lost Bookshop”, is pure gold, a masterpiece that implements the here and now into the magical forces of the other world, a world beyond reality. What a glorious book! It’s a story that weaves together three extraordinary, charming and peculiar characters in Opaline, Martha and Henry, each striving to write their own stories or to simply find them. Either way, this book is hypnotic in its prose, it takes fictional writing to a whole new level for those who truly love books. It is an enchanting illustration in a world where books are fundamentally important, playing a pivotal role for those who choose to hold those majestic gems in their hands. When a book whispers, you listen intently to what it has to say. This book speaks volumes, it absolutely peaked my curiosity, it was definitely a page turner and it was so hard to put it down. I basically plowed through it full steam ahead, like I was under some type of hypnotic spell compelling me to read on.

Life can cause individuals to view their own lives from the sidelines, not fully engaged within the confines of what life has to offer. It goes without saying that at times we all need a Madame Bowden in our lives just to add clarification to the things we don’t yet fully comprehend, a unique wizard of sorts who has the power to unlock secrets just sitting on a shelf. This vanishing bookshop has something to offer both Martha and Henry, they just need to conjure up the confidence to read between the lines and to see what cannot be seen, the author magically intertwines Opaline’s past life with the present. It’s pure genius, a fantastical journey where something lost can eventually be found if you stay on the majestical current path.

This book adhered the conforming gender roles during Opaline’s storyline, a time when women were viewed as the weaker sex and therefore not taken seriously at all. Women had voices, but were never heard. It is noted that women writers used pseudonyms when writing back in the day, otherwise they wouldn’t get published as efficiently. Author Evie Gaughan used pseudonym Evie Woods at the author of this particular book, just to drive that point home.

This novel incorporates great classic books, manuscripts and its authors into its storyline, and I liked that Sylvia Beach and her bookshop Shakespeare & Company were included as I read and enjoyed “The Paris Bookseller”. I am compelled to mention the cover, the concept brilliantly designed. My book was on my coffee table and the lights from the television changed the colour of the leaves on the front cover, the leaves twinkled with different shades, it was magical just as its content is.

This novel will take the reader to a place of mystical magic with a dash of myth and I highly recommend it. Evie Woods lives Ireland and has created the most amazing book using her magical mind. It’s an intricately woven story with two vivid timelines that will burrow its way into your heart.

LOVED THIS BOOK!!!!!

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