Cozy paranormal romance set in with witches and Salem. Cute story, for fans of romantic magical realism such as Joanne Harris and Practical Magic.

I wanted to enjoy this book but genuinely could not. While the general plot was an exciting idea (being resurrected and dying in a continuous cycle they were cursed to repeat) the way it unfolded for me was truly unsatisfying. I was either given too much information (usually from the aunties) or not enough (the flashbacks without enough context to be meaningful)

Very creative idea, I just didn’t personally enjoy how it unfolded.

4.5 stars!

I received both audio and ebook advance copies from netgalley.

The Vanishing Bookstore by Helen Phifer is so amazing! The characters are so well written and I love their personalities. I want to know these women.

This was a fun book. Witches and Salem and past lives? Yes please.

This was an almost a DNF for me. It was an interesting concept but later on i got sooo bored that I picked this up several times just to finish it. Only to gave me a slump. The main character was already in her 30s but she sounded like a teen. 😭 The ending was like the "final battle" scene in The Sorcerer's Apprentice where that "apprentice" beat the main antagonist without the Merlin ring. IYKYK.

And yeah, it's like The Vanishing Bookstore only appeared twice in this book. It's misleading yah know. 😬

This was a lovely, atmospheric book. I knew from the premise that I would really enjoy this book. It was very fast paced in my opinion, however sometimes I wish it did slow down the pace a little to allow the story to really develop.

Loved the plot and the vibes, but at times struggled with the pace and also did not really connect to any of the characters. I didn’t dislike any, but also didn’t love any either.

I was really excited about The Vanishing Bookstore. The concept of a vanishing bookstore in Salem sounded like the perfect mix of mystery and magic. However, while the premise had so much potential, I found myself a bit disappointed with how it played out.

The vanishing bookstore, which felt like it should have been central to the story, ended up playing a much smaller role than I expected. Once Dora figured out what she needed to do, the resolution happened very quickly, without much tension or real obstacles.

I also struggled to connect with the characters and their unrealistic reactions. Dora’s belief in the strange events around her seemed to flip-flop constantly. The villain’s motivation felt underdeveloped—his actions stemming from an unrequited crush didn’t feel believable or strong enough to drive the story forward.

Overall, the story moved at a very fast pace, but this left it feeling a bit half-baked, as if there wasn’t enough time to fully explore the intriguing concept at its core.

Witches? Salem? Historical fiction? Magic? Familiars? Witchy cocktails called Black Magic?

Absolutely yes, I'm in.

This book was ultimately a really fun and atmospheric read. The story itself captivated me from start to finish. It was full of intrigue, amazing strong female characters, atmosphere, and a bit of suspense. I could barely put it down to be honest.

What I liked:
- Historical Elements - The first half of this book regularly goes back and forth between present day and Salem in the 1600s. It was really fun to read both of these narratives, and then see Salem in the present day compared with how it appeared in the past for these characters.
- Salem. The atmosphere of Salem is perfection, and it was the perfect setting for this book. The detail of the people around the town, the witchy-inspired shops, the description of the landscape - it all worked for me.
- Hades! A magical talking crow familiar? Need I say more?
- Fun witchy details like the black magic cocktail. There were little details like this scattered throughout that were really fun.
- The sisters - Lucine, Sephy, and Lenny. I love them all. I want to join their witchy sisterhood and drink black magic cocktails. Is that really too much to ask?

Didn't like:
- The dialogue felt very cheesy and awkward at times. It almost felt YA?
- The bookstore. The title of this book is quite misleading. I was expecting to see a bit more about the bookstore, but really it only had a few pages in the book. I was a bit confused by this.
- The writing was fairly repetitive at times.
- Unanswered questions. After reading this I still had some questions and there were definitely some logical gaps. At one point one character says that it would be too much for their pretty heads to understand the details of what was happening... but really after 400 years of going through something you'd think they would have figured out a few answers.

The vanishing bookstore by Helen phifer
Lot many times you feel that a book will be going to be a hit only to get disappointed. This book needs so many changes in my opinion.

First of all, the main character Dora doesn't sound or behave like a 30 something adult woman but rather a naive, teenager. There's not much character development, there's hardly any relationship or bond development in the book. These women who has been suffering and suffering and yet there was no emotional dilemma or turmoil throughout the book.

The two main characters specifically annoyed hell out of me. When you come to know something you believed whole your life wasn't really true, how would you react? The reactions the characters had for lifetime of shocks were like "ughhh okay so this happened." There is no fleshing out of characters or plot.

The villain, was unbelievable and the way characters behaved was too. Like some characters were introduced in the start and later they are shown to be in danger and then author almost totally forgets about them except for a mention towards the end. There are many loopholes in the story. The interactions between characters are done very poorly and unrealistically and totally emotionless.

There were points in the book when I was so annoyed with dumb reactions to a life changing altercation from characters. I feel that the subject that is Salem witch trials was a perfect setting but very poor execution.

Thank you Netgalley and bookouture for ARC in exchange of an honest review. I had so many expections but was very disappointed by this book.

Magical spellbinding a perfect story.
A thrilling ride to the end.
This author's work is absolutely phenomenal.

It all started in 1692.
From there, the story just takes you on a wild adventure . A vanishing bookstore. It is such a magical story. A perfect witchy read . grab a copy of this wonderful story,

I absolutely love some of the quotes in this book. Referring to harry potter. Practical magic. Simply just an amazing story.
And the cover is gorgeous.

present day
Dora, owns a flower shop but needs to go home for family business.
So having a friend tend to business at the flower shop.Everything should work out.

Helen Phifer 💜🌹🌹🌹

4 stars

Dora and her aunt have always been close, since she's the only family Dora has ever known. But when events transpire that put her life in danger, her aunt takes her back to their ancestral family home in Salem, Massachusetts. There, Dora has to learn very quickly that the life she thinks she knows is not all it seems to be. A battle between witches and witch-hunter has been raging for centuries and now Dora needs to look within and find her power in order to stop her family from being hunted and killed. Again.

I thought this was a really fascinating read; it grabbed my attention from the beginning and wouldn't let go. The action oscillates between 1692 Salem (you know what was happening then and there) and modern-day London and then Salem. Action and pacing were good, and there were a couple of good twists that happened throughout to keep the story interesting and keep the reader guessing. I will be honest - I kind of expected the titular bookstore to feature more prominently in the story, but it was more of a secondary character waiting to be rediscovered; nothing wrong with that but it just wasn't my expectation.

Thanks to NetGalley, author Helen Phifer, and Bookouture for giving me access to a digital ARC of this book to read and review. All opinions are my own and are provided here voluntarily.

I think this book suffers from a bit of incorrect steering and marketing. While a few tweaks could make it better, this book ultimately isn't anything new or memorable, unfortunately.

I think my biggest gripe about this book is that it's a YA book but rather than recognize that they're trying to transcend the genre. The plot, romance, dialogue, everything about it would be better received if presented as a YA book, because that's what it is. You could change the main character from owning the floral shop to working there, with the elderly owner living upstairs, for instance. As it stands, none of the book seemed plausible for a 30-something woman. I nearly got whiplash from her back and forth on whether she believed everything or not, it was such a teenager level of emotional maturity throughout.

I was also wondering if they'd forgotten about the friend halfway through, but she eventually gets a brief one-off mention near the end.

The villain isn't really believable except from a teenage perspective, again. I don't know, maybe I'm too cynical. But this whole thing was because of an unrequited crush? I just feel like there's so much more opportunity for character development there, but instead we're left with a flat character whose lack of complexity ruins any chance of heightening the narrative tension that's *supposed* to be driving the story.

Many parts of the story were formulaic or have been done before, so from plot to background there's not really anything new here. Even the reincarnation bit was something that I felt like I'd read before, just with a different background. Even the animals were a bit cliche, as hard as that is to say.

Another misstep is calling this The Vanishing Bookstore. The bookstore weirdly has hardly any relevance, even though ultimately it's the most important bit. But then they find it and a few seconds late it's over with.

I wanted to like this book, I really did. I was intrigued by the summary and wanted a fun witchy read. Ultimately, did I get that? I guess so. But I wish I had gone into it realizing I was reading a witchy YA book that had nothing to do with a bookstore. This is a book of familiar tropes rather than any innovative storytelling.

I received an eARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. My thanks to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for the opportunity.

Oooh, I absolutely loved this one! Super atmospheric and cozy in a way. Great main characters and really engrossing story too. Would definitely reccomend!

This was great read in the romantasy genre. I loved reading about the witches and witch hunter. Salem plays a huge part, with witches on seemingly every corner, with lots of ‘want to be’ touring around. And who doesn’t love a story of a mysterious bookstore.

This book is so far away from my usual crime thriller genre but certainly had more than a hint of criminal behaviour and baddies! I thoroughly enjoyed the story and hope to read more similar stories. I will be looking out for future novels from this author.

Thank you Netgalley and bookouture so much for the arc opportunity!!

Absolutely loved this book! The magic system could of been better but it was decent.
The three sisters distinct personalities really sets each other apart. Watching Dora grow to be the witch she ends up to be was so good! Her figuring out who her aunts are and the curse that's been put on them by George Corwin in 1692 for being accused of being a witch.
As her memories come back they was determined to break that curse once and for all, but there's challenges and struggles along the way.
As much as I loved the idea of the vanishing bookstore I wish it had more focus on it than it did but overall this book was an easy, fast contemporary Fantasy read.

First of all, I want to extend my heartfelt thanks to NetGalley, Helen Phifer, and Bookouture for providing me with an advanced copy of The Vanishing Bookstore in exchange for my honest review. From the moment I saw the intriguing blurb and the beautifully designed cover, I knew this was a book I had to read. Sometimes, we all need a story that offers a satisfying and uplifting conclusion—especially in today’s world, where a little hope and magic can go a long way.

I found this novel to be incredibly engaging and wonderfully easy to read. It was one of those books that I simply couldn’t put down. The writing is immersive, drawing the reader into a well-crafted world filled with mystery, magic, and history. Helen Phifer has done a remarkable job in her research, bringing both the settings of modern-day London and the historical backdrop of Salem to life with vivid detail.

Interestingly, this isn’t a book I would typically gravitate towards when searching for my next read, but I was pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoyed it. The dual timeline structure, alternating between the present day and the harrowing events of the Salem Witch Trials in 1692, was seamlessly woven together, making for an atmospheric and compelling read.

One of the things I loved most about this novel was its perfect blend of intrigue, mystery, and magic. Themes of reincarnation, family ties, and dark secrets kept me hooked, and there was even a touch of humor that balanced the heavier aspects of the story. And, of course, I have to mention the animals—Hades, the pet crow, absolutely stole my heart! In my opinion, he might just be the reincarnation of Dora’s father, which added an extra layer of fascination to the plot. Then there’s Caesar, the dog, who also brings warmth to the story.

While I thoroughly enjoyed the book, I did feel that the resolution could have been slightly stronger, particularly when it came to Dora’s friend, Katie. The epilogue left me a little confused, and I would have liked a bit more clarity on certain aspects of the ending. However, these minor issues didn’t take away from my overall enjoyment of the book.

Overall, The Vanishing Bookstore was a captivating read that offered a unique perspective on the Salem Witch Trials while blending history with the supernatural in a compelling way. For readers who love historical fiction with a twist of magic, this book is definitely worth picking up. Helen Phifer’s writing is atmospheric and engaging, and I will certainly be keeping an eye out for her future works.

I didn't like this book because I think the dialogues wete too cringy, even the characters. I understand that the author wanted to portray them as warm and funny but it didn't like that to me at all. Towards the end I was actually pissed and I wanted to finish this so bad so I can move on.
Also, I was a bit disappointed that the Vanishing bookstore, which is the title as well, didn't play that much a significant part. It kind of felt like a background thing of the story. The book revolved more around witchcraft and cheesy dialogues. The book had so much potential but it didn't deliver.
Maybe other people would like this, but I don't think it's for me.

This was really cute and I enjoyed most of it. I loved the premise and the characters. Truly loved the concept too. I was really invested the whole time and wanted to know where it was going. The setting was fantastic. The way it evokes Hocus Pocus, Practical Magic and dash of Charmed worked so well. I was invested in the shifting timeline. In fact I would have enjoyed even more insight into their past lives.

But a little underwhelming in a few ways. I didn’t really believe the romance and I still feel there are a lot of questions about how the constant reincarnation really worked. It didn’t make sense to me that this was the life time where they finally used their powers. If they knew he was coming, why not make this plans decades ago? And then there’s the epilogue that almost sets up a sequel?? I would have rather the page count gone to a little more of us seeing the HEA.

Added video review from TikTok:

https://www.tiktok.com/t/ZP8YJnxog/

i enjoyed this book and the magical aspects, though i did get confused at times. i enjoyed the characters and wanted to continue reading to learn what happened, but there are times i was really lost and definitely found some plot holes.

The shifts between timelines were handled really well—enough mystery to keep me hooked without feeling lost. I liked how the story unfolded, always leaving just enough questions to make me want to keep reading. That said, I was a little underwhelmed by the explanation of the curse, especially since it was such a big part of the setup. It felt like the story kept referencing it, only to move in a completely different direction by the end. I just wish that part had been tied together more smoothly. I’m rating this a 3.5 stars.