Some of the fantasy aspects of this novel were hard to me to follow. I liked the overall theme of the novel though and the romance between Sophie and Will (though again, not entirely sure I understood everything about Will).

Kindly received an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I was hooked from the first page. This was everything I want in a book. It has magic, romance, mystery, heart. A perfect read. I cannot recommend it enough. I am absolutely going to be reading more from this author.
Thanks to the publisher and netgalley for allowing me to read a digital arc in exchange for an honest review.

This is an absolutely captivating, magical story that really tugs at the heart strings. Suspense, despair, love and sorrow all make for an emotional rollercoaster journey., A beautiful, well written descriptive story that makes you long for more. Thanks to Netgalley and Bookouture for giving me the opportunity to read this book.

I love libraries and books and have happily spent much of my life with my nose buried in a book. I wanted to read Jessica Thorne's novel, The Bookbinder's Daughter, because it sounded like a wonderful read. Libraries are naturally places filled with mysteries waiting to be discovered. The first half of the book was especially interesting and captivating. The idea of a library filled with spectacular books sounded just perfect for me. I found the different roles assigned to the library staff especially interesting, and the entire section that described the binding of books was especially well done. I didn't realize that the book would have such a supernatural/magical ending. I have not read any of Thorne's other books and thus I don't know if that is common in her other novels. I have needed some time to think about the last half of this novel and decide how I felt about this transformation. Books are magical and so I do not usually need any extra magic to keep me interested. I like authors to work harder at a solution, rather than just let magic fix problems. However, in spite of my reservations about the end of the book, I do recommend it for readers who enjoy reading about magic. The characters were interesting and there was a nice level of complexity that held this reader's attention.
I want to thank the author, publisher, and Netgalley for this ARC. I do intend to read another of Thorne's books.

'The Bookbinder’s Daughter' by Jessica Thorne is a tale about a mysterious library, family secrets, and primordial magic. When Sophie Lawrence begins a new assignment at an enchanted library, her past ensnares her in an ancient battle between chaos and order awakening her to wisdom and power as old as the mysterious tree that implicates the library and Sophie in a dangerous cosmic struggle.

A library as old as time itself and the knowledge contained within its books will bring every bibliophile’s fantasy alive with this spellbinding story. It’s magical, but its roots go deeper than spells or potions. It’s an ancient magic at the heart of creativity and love that tells the story of the beginning of knowledge and the custodians of that sacred knowledge throughout time, up to the present day with the protagonist Sophie. It has romance, heartbreak, gorgeously crafted books, beasts, and primeval magic. It’s perfectly paced, suspenseful, intriguing, and metaphysical.

This is the second ARC by Jessica Thorne that I’ve had the opportunity to read and review this year, and I think she is becoming one of my favourite authors. I did enjoy 'The Lost Girls of Foxfield Hall' a bit more than this one, because sci-fi isn’t my favourite genre, nevertheless, this story is just as intricate and archaic as her previous book along with having intense magic and complicated characters.

I would highly recommend 'The Bookbinder’s Daughter' to anyone who has ever let their imagination wander inside of a library, conjuring up images of the magic that lives on its shelves…and beyond.

Thank you to the publisher for providing me with this free ARC via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

A magical journey in a magical library.

4 stars

~ I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own ~

The Bookbinder's Daughter by Jessica Thorne.

Sophia takes on a job are the library in Ayredale. She loves the place and all the books within it.
It also holds a special place in her heart as it was the last place her mother , a bookbinding was seen before disappearing.
The plot thickens when Sophia finds a door which has the same markings as jewellery she has of her mother's. We are then transported to a different place entirely.
Wow , what a great book this is - magical and heart rendering , it's a cosy hug.
First time reader by this author. She is a delight .

When Sophie takes on a job at the Ayredale library the magic and mystery grow, I could not put it down, I wanted to find out what happened next. Thank you to netgalley and the publishers for giving me a copy of the book. I enjoyed it immensely.

The magic of libraries and collections is illustrated beautifully in The Bookbinder's Daughter by Jessica Thorne.

This was a magical read I finished in one session. When Sophie is offered a job at the Ayredale Library – the finest collection of rare books in the world, and the last place her bookbinder mother was seen when Sophie was just a teenager – she leaps at the chance. Will she finally discover what happened to the woman she’s always believed abandoned her?
Gripping ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Jessica Thorne writes a beautiful fantasy book about magic and the magic of libraries. The Bookbinder's Daughter may be Me Thorne's best novel yet.

Sophia is thrilled to have a job at Ayredale Library. It’s an amazing place filled with gorgeous antique books, and it’s also the last place her mother, also a bookbinder, was ever seen. Sophie enjoys her work at the library even if the Keeper of the Library refuses to discuss her mother and she’s stymied at her ability to read and understand the arcane language in the spell books that no one else understands. When Sophie finds a door with the same carvings that are on the pendant her mother left behind, she enters the room to find a place so magical, so unexpected, that when she hears an oddly familiar voice, she’s not surprised. A lovely book about the real magic that books create for all of us