This book was absolutely breathtaking for me. I loved every second of it. The world building and magic system is so clever and unique. I was a little off put by Sophie in the beginning but the character development with her was executed so beautifully that she’s easily one of my favorite MCs of 2021. I found the plot to be griping and found myself wanting every detail and every angle to view what was unfolding. Jessica Thorne wove a story so enticing that I really was upset when it was over. I cannot wait to read more of her writing, and am genuinely excited to see if she expands this world she created in the Book Binder’s Daughter.

I fell in love with this book the moment I started reading it but it started disappointing me as it went on hence the three-star rating.

I wanna start with positive aspects. This book is original and fresh. I honestly enjoyed the beginning of this book way too much. A magical library, a mother mystery, and a hot boy with dark hair? Sign me up! I actually loved the style of the author too. It was in a way that confused you but did not annoy you. It made you wonder. To be honest I loved many things about this book but my favorite was Will Rhys.

Now to the not-so-pleasant parts. First of all, the rushed romance. Will and Sophie's whole dynamic was rushed. They were childhood sweethearts, yes. But they got separated for fifteen years with no contact whatsoever. Plus, Sophie got into a long-term relationship with another man in those years so like... It should've taken longer than a few days to develop feelings or redevelop if you will. Plus they were teenagers back then, they're ADULTS now. Maybe it's because I don't like insta-love but I really wish they got to spend more time together and have more chemistry.

I also would like to mention, I disliked the erasure of dyslexia. For context, Sophie is dyslexic and she struggles with it. I honestly loved the representation and it made her more realistic. Then her uncle comes and tells her she's not dyslexic, she's just different. (Add sparkle emojis here.) That was quiet annoying honestly.

This book definitely lacked world-building and a magic system. I'll let the world-building slide but the magic system bothered me because there is literally no magic system. The info you get about magic is that it exists. That's it. No explanation, no limits, no rules. Nothing. The magic was supposed to be a big part of this book, at least that's what I thought, not this. Plus people rarely used magic. We get to see people casting spells like five times and I'm not being sarcastic. Literally five times or less.

I also would like to mention how repetitive some dialogs were. I honestly don't wanna read what Arthur said or what exactly happened on that day like seventeen times with the exact same words. EXACT SAME WORDS. I can't begin to explain how much it annoyed me. I can repeat what Elizabeth said that day by memory and I have the memory of a fish. Somebody needs to edit those parts out, please.

I would like to rant a little bit here, so spoiler warning. I hate how annoying Sophie becomes when it comes to Victor aka her manipulative ex. Victor comes around, annoys and angers Will by talking shit about his parenthood and how he should screw Sophie, then Victor asks Sophie to talk about their relationship. Sophie says yes, right in front of Will aka her goddamn boyfriend BUT Will is the villain when he punches the guy in the face. Plus Will is facing losing everything he'd ever known because of it but Sophie goes after her ex? Ma'am, believe me when I say I wanna slap you across the face so hard that I want you to lose a tooth or two. Sophie literally said, "Yeah I'll spend time with my manipulative, possibly abusive ex who is literally the seed of Satan himself but gods forbid I'll listen to my boyfriend whom I claim I love.". I'M NOT EVEN KIDDING. GIRL GET A GRIP.

Overall, I like this book. It could've been better but I have high hopes for the author and I'll be following her from now on. She has a new obsessive fan.

I thought this book was absolutely incredible. The plot and pacing is good, the writing is beautiful, and the descriptions of books and book binding and libraries are insane. As someone who really loves books, I absolutely adored that side of things.

Our protagonist Sophie is both a bookbinder and the daughter of bookbinders. She’s caught in a toxic relationship when her estranged uncle comes to offer her a job at one of the most exclusive and exciting libraries in the world. Sophie gets the chance to revisit the place where she grew up, and of which she has little memory since the night her mother vanished. She also wants to find out once and for all what happened to her mother. And she’ll be seeing her first ever love, now grown up.

Of course, the library is fantastical and there are hidden things below the surface. Scheming and betrayal and magic. Gods and goddesses. Books in unreadable languages. All the good stuff.

Honestly, it’s brilliant. I couldn’t put it down and ended up reading through the night. Fantastic. Wholeheartedly recommend.

I was drawn to this book because of the links between library’s and spiritual fantasy.I loved the descriptions of the library with a great tree whose leaves were made into books that only people with special abilities could interpret .These elements of the book were fantastic
What I didn’t enjoy so much was the young adult elements of the book with the love story between the juvenile leads .I found all the deep meaningful looks and unrequited love detracted from the story
The last section with the potential destruction of the library I found rather too over dramatic and not to my taste

Thank you to Netgalley and Bookouture for letting me read the ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Absolutely stunning cover, simple but eye catching.
I enjoyed the premise of the book but found it hard to read at times, the magical library aspect had me very excited and was interesting but not well executed. I do think the characters were well written, especially Victor. While reading parts containing him I wanted to reach in and smack him. I didn't feel as though some of the characters were adults though, it felt more like a YA book with teen main characters.

This was such a good book. While I don't read a lot of fantasy, I got sucked in right away. I alternated between joy, anger, suspense and heartbreak. Thank you Netgalley for introducing this story to me. I will certainly recommend it!

I had a really hard time getting into this book, and it might’ve just been my mood this week, but once I was in I enjoyed the magical, mysterious, adventure of the story! It was entertaining.
Thanks to NetGalley, the author and publisher for an advanced reading copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

I absolutely adore this book! I love the way the author immediately brings you into this story! I will absolutely get a printed copy of this!

2.5 stars

I'm actually scared and skeptical if I would like this book and I'm just glad that I kinda enjoyed it (mainly becase I have low expectations). Do not get me wrong, it's just my own preference to not enjoy some atmospheric types of books this one's a little bit different because it kept me intrigued. And yeah, this one's slow paced but if you're the type to like slow paced and have a worthy ending, this one's for you.

Thanks to NetGalley, Jessica Thorne and Bookouture for an e-ARC for this.

The Bookbinder's Daughter, Jessica Thorne

Review from Jeannie Zelos book reviews

Genre:Sci-Fi & Fantasy, Women's Fiction

Darn....women's fiction Again....Why? Just why? I think this book will appeal to all ages and sexes.

Anyway, what a fabulous read, some magic that's so very different to whats usually found. I loved the story and the way it unfolded.
Sophie was a great lead, trying to retrace her past in a way after her mum's mysterious disappearance. The more she learns though the more danger her specific talent puts her in.
The Library is wonderful, a truly magical place and I adored the story connecting the leaves and the ideas going out into the world. The characters were fascinating, from Villus the intriguing cat, Edward, Sophie's uncle, her mum's brother. Then there's Tia who's a whirlwind of energy, and of course Will. There are others, all play a particular role and are well described, fit the story perfectly.
Its a magical read, in every sense of the word, and kept me totally engrossed. I know its one I'll love to re-read, I love something like this that I've never read before. Something outside the usual book norms of magic.

Stars: Five, a story I loved and know I will re-read.

ARC supplied by Netgalley and publishers

I received a free eArc of this title in exchange for an honest review; thanks to NetGalley and Bookouture for the opportunity. All opinions are my own.

This was an absolutely lovely novel to read. It's perfect for fans of mystery, magic, and libraries. The story leads us into a dark unknown, like walking into a haunted house, and is pieced together a bit at a time. This is a highly atmospheric and well-written novel, not quite Night Circus but the closest work I've seen come to that level of semi-spooky magical mystery.

I loved how well-thought out the mythology and worldbuilding were. The Special Collection was detailed and properly magical. There were details upon details, and the relationships were lovingly crafted and pieced together. I would absolutely read a prequel about Keeper Hypatia, and bonus points for a library cat.

For me, the one weak point of the story was that the heroine was a bit fragile - damaged and insecure - and the book should include content warnings for abusive, manipulative, scumbag boyfriends. There were a few times that some nonsensical decisions were made for the point of a story point, but they were fairly minor transgressions.

I got super invested in these characters and this is definitely a good book to add to your collection of magical library stories. I'd recommend this for fans of A.J. Hackwith's Hell's Library and Genevieve Cogman's Invisible Library series. Actually, this book was everything that I wanted A Discovery of Witches to Be (but wasn't).. One of the things I keep thinking about is that even though I generally don't like heroines who seem to lack initiative to "save themselves," what sets Sophie apart from those other heroines working in magical libraries is that she starts out damaged, and stays that way, and it's done in a way that actually (for once!) makes sense. I would have liked to see her rely more on herself rather than a romantic relationship to help her prop herself up, and find her way to healing herself, but the circumstances of this situation weren't totally unbearable. It seemed to end in a setup for future books, which I would probably read. Although I would also have liked this book if it had ended with different possibility for Sophie's ending.

If you like love stories about books, the craft of bookbinding, or want a bit of a modern gothic romance comfort read, definitely check out this one..

Sophie Lawrence repairs and binds books for a living. She was taught by one of the very best, her father. In the aftermath of his death she is feeling lost until one day her Uncle Edward shows up with an offer she can’t turn down - to work in one of the most coveted library positions in the book world, inside the Special Collection in Ayredale. Sophie grew up in this library but she has trauma induced amnesia of her time there. Her mother was lost in the Library under circumstances she cannot remember, and shortly after her father took and left, cutting all ties to those remaining in the Special Collection.

As Sophie rediscovers her memories and searches to find out what really happened to her mother she reacquaints herself with the library and the magic within. And reunites with her first love, Will, the guardian of the library.

This book broke my heart and then carefully knit it back together. I loved every minute of it. Sophie and Will, the magical Library, Tia and Edward. The villains, the sacrifices.

It gave me vibes of some other lovely books - Sorcery of Thorns and the Hell’s Library stories.

The perfect read for me.

5/5 stars

"Creativity is born in chaos', her voice whispered in Sophie's ear. But it cannot thrive there'. It needs to be brought to order, so it can live and be spread. That is the job for the keepers and guardians and binders of the Ayredale Special Collection.
Sophie is a lonely young woman, her mother mysteriously disappeared when she was a teenager, and after suffering a breakdown she remembers practically nothing about the disappearance or of her childhood years before that. Her father, after his wife's disappearance became a shell of his former self, refusing to talk about Sophie's mother, he took his daughter and left the library, a broken man, living his remaining days feeling nothing but hatred toward those he blamed, namely anyone connected to the Special Collection.
After her father's death, Sophie's uncle appears offering her a much coveted job at the Ayredale library as a bookbinder a job for which she has trained all her life. Knowing her father would disapprove and forbid her taking the job, but thinking that maybe this is a chance to find out what really happened to her mother she accepts his offer and travels back to Ayredale where she grew up and where it all began.
I really enjoyed this book, I normally do not read fantasy based novels, but since this one was centered around a library and books I was interested. I was not disappointed. The magical elements fit nicely with the ethereal air of libraries and I found it totally believable that there would be guardians and keepers of the ancient books upon which all creativity stems.
I do not want to give too much away, this is the kind of book that you need to read for yourself to get the full impact of. It has wonderful characters that are easy to connect with, a magical atmosphere that prevails throughout, a villain or two to defend against, and a lovely romance amid it all. So a little something for everyone, oh yes, don't forget the mystery of Sophie's mother's disappearance also.
I recommend this book for everyone, as I said it has it all, and is a smooth, flowing read that you won't want to put down.
Thank you to the publishers at Bookouture and to NetGalley for the free ARC of this novel, I am leaving my honest review in return.

Archivist Sophie is offered a job at the prestigious Ayredale Library. Renowned for having the greatest collection of manuscripts around, it is also the place where her mother went missing. Sophie’s father swept his daughter away and warned her to not go back. Heading back there, Sophie does not know what to expect because much of her memory of the place is gone. However, the job does not go as she hoped. People are reluctant to talk about Sophie’s mother and magic soon becomes and important part of her life. The setting of Ayredale Library is the highlight of the book for me. Who doesn’t want to spend time in an Enchanted Library? The images Thorne creates of this place will stay with me for a long time. I was confused at some parts about the magic system itself. However, I would happily go back and visit Will and Sophie anytime.

Thank you to Bookouture via Netgalley for providing an eARC in exchange for an honest review. All opinions expressed are my own.

This author's use of the English language defies adequate description by any reviewer. The plot sounded good - practical aspects of book restoration, an enormous specialist library, family and romance all mixed with magic. This didn't do it justice, the writing was incredible! The descriptions were so good the reader can 'see' the magic, and quickly gets lost in the enthralling story. There's no way anyone could guess the final outcome, or even whether it's going to be happy or sad - but there's no spoiler in saying it's a mix of both, just be prepared to be unable to put this book down.

This book is about a girl with no memories of her childhood trying to find those memories, which she thinks might be related to a library back at her hometown. It was written very beautifully and almost too vivid description. It's about a library (not haunted but definitely spooky)
There are multiple twists in the book. There is plenty of drama. Even though it starts pretty rough with some dangling pieces of information but it's very beautifully knit together in the end. Sophie has a love interest, Will. It would have been amazing to see more if them. Also I felt the book could be written in first person rather than forced third person. There were few places where the book got a bit lengthy and voluminous which sort of took my interest away for a while but overall a very interesting read. AND the ending was killer. I was not expecting that!!

This isn't exactly fantasy and it isn't exactly paranormal but it is an interesting read. Sophie has left a bad relations and has found herself working at Ayredale Library. It's the last place her mother was seen and now Sophie has an opportunity to find out what happened to her. It's not an easy path, though, as others don't want her to find out the secrets of the library, which is, btw, a character in and of itself. There are villains afoot! Thanks to netgalley for the arc. This would also make a fine YA crossover read.

What I Loved:

The Ambiance. A mysterious library in the outskirts of London, a dreary town at the end of a subway line that hides all of the world’s rare books and knowledge. A girl with spotty memories and a dark past who speaks the language of the leaves, and who dreams of golden leaves that turn into pages. Book Binder’s Daughter screams spooky, autumn ambiance. I loved diving in right in time for the pseudo beginning of fall. How can you not love a book set in a gigantic library with stunning staircases and expansive grounds while the wind and the rain howl outside? This book allows you to fully imagine yourself there.

Will and Sophie. I am a sucker for a “reunited lovers” trope, but throw in a dash of amnesia and sprinkling of fate, and you have the recipe for an epic romance. It helps that Will is adorable like a puppy (but in a good way) and he strikes the perfect balance between being protective of Sophie while giving her enough room to fulfill her destiny and emerge as the strong woman she is destined to be. Sophie, in turn, doesn’t remember Will at first, but instinctively knows he is one of “her people” and knows she can trust him. Watching her remember their sweet youthful romance while also starting the next phase was so beautiful to read.

What Didn’t Work as Well:

The Pacing. While I loved the ambiance and mood of Book Binder’s Daughter, there are places where the descriptions get repetitive. There are swaths of the book that I skimmed because the descriptions of Sophie’s mental state or the beautiful imagery repeated, while in other places, it felt like a whirlwind with how quick the plot advanced. This was particularly true when we approached the climax.

The Villains. I don’t need a particularly complex villain in general. Villains are villains, and black and white suits my Scorpio nature. However, Victor is written as such a caricature of a shitty human being, that it is hard to see what Sophie would have ever seen in him. When Victor pops up again later in the book, it isn’t even surprising because he is clearly Big Bad. It makes you respect Sophie less the more you get to know Victor.

Sophie gets a job offer which bring her back to the place where she grew up. Back where her mother was last seen before she disappeared. There should be lots of memories there, but Sophie doesn't recall much about her childhood. Was it because of trauma as she claims or was it something else something more strange? From page one I was already into the story. I love the detailed descriptions and prose. It's all very mysterious. Then I don't mean just the disappearance of her mother but the library itself. The magic in this book is complicated, even after finishing the book I'm still not 100% sure I understand it. I liked that there was a romance in the book, even though it was lacking. Will and Sophie hardly talked, it was more like an attraction than a true romance. I didn't like the confrontation at the end, which is why I only give this book 3 stars. (less)

I really wanted to love this book😭 The Bookbinders daughter had such a great premise that it had me jumping out of my seat with excitement when I received a copy, Sadly the story fell a little short.

The book follows Sophie an expert bookbinder on her journey to the prestigious Aryedale Library after being offered a job by her uncle. It is here that she discovers the truth of her mother's tragic death as she has since lost most of her memories of her childhood at Aryedale.

Despite its downfalls this was still an enjoyable read. The magic system and setting were beautifully done creating so much mystery and intrigue. Will and Sophie's second chance love story was swoon worthy!

However the author did tend to overwrite certain points that really slowed down the pacing of the book.

I've heard wonderful things about Jessica Thorne so I will definitely be checking out her other works !!