Book Review: The Lost Bookshop

Cover art for The Lost Bookshop by Evie Woods

Author: Evie Woods

Published: 2023

Format Read: Paperback

Genre: Historical Fantasy

My Rating: 5/5 stars

I currently base my reviews loosely around the CAWPILE system developed by Book Roast on YouTube. I modify the categories depending on the format of the story I’m reviewing.

My star ratings are purely by my opinion and not measured by any particular metric.

SPOILER WARNING: This review will contain spoilers! Proceed with caution!

Summary

‘The thing about books,’ she said ‘is that they help you to imagine a life bigger and better than you could ever dream of.’On a quiet street in Dublin, a lost bookshop is waiting to be found…For too long, Opaline, Martha and Henry have been the side characters in their own lives.But when a vanishing bookshop casts its spell, these three unsuspecting strangers will discover that their own stories are every bit as extraordinary as the ones found in the pages of their beloved books. And by unlocking the secrets of the shelves, they find themselves transported to a world of wonder… where nothing is as it seems.

Characters

We have 3 main POV characters: Martha, Henry, and Opaline. Each has their own (yet similar) trauma that they are dealing with.

Martha is on the run from her abusive husband and trying to find herself again. The author has done well in capturing that mentality a lot of pattered spouses have: Embarrassment, anger with themselves, and a belief of uselessness. Yet she does still have a spark of feistiness.

Henry is always trying to line up to someone else’s standards, a skewed belief of what makes him worthwhile. Despite his daddy-issues, he is kind and has a love for stories and mysteries. He’s written very real and I like that.

Opaline is the history of the story. Trying to escape her abusive, jerk of a brother, she runs away to make her own way in the world. Despite all she goes through, she never really gives up hope, and I’m glad she is able to find happiness in the end.

Atmosphere

It’s almost like historical fiction, with a tiny sprinkle of magical bookshop. A tiny bit hard to picture since it’s set in Paris and Ireland and I have yet to visit there.

Writing Style

Clear and clever. She didn’t make things complicated with her words, so it was easy and interesting to follow each character.

Plot

I’m very impressed how the three characters’ stories wound up intertwined. There was just enough magic and romance to keep me interested and the misunderstandings weren’t so bad. The parts in the asylum were too much almost, but I’m glad there was a happy ending. Plus, most of the villains got their comeuppance.

Intrigue

The mystery of the bookshop held me the whole time. What happened to it? Is it magic? Why is it magic? How powerful is it?

Logic

All followed real-world logic, even if the past was a mess and horrible. And of course a little magic thrown in.

Enjoyment and Final Thoughts

Asylum section aside, I did really enjoy this book. Henry in particular says some really sweet things and I loved the bookstore and the mystery around it.

Deep, fun, sweet, heartfelt.

Would I Recommend?

Yes! This was a five-star read for me and I would happily love to recommend it to others. I’ve even looked at getting her next book.