This is a fantastic story that mixes Groundhog Day vibes and the Salem Witch Trials as the four English women are cursed to live a portion of their lives while being hunted. I loved the story and the relationship between the English women - the writing is vivid and engaging. The only thing I wish is that the bookstore played more of a role throughout the book, but I did love the last chapter of the book.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publish for an advance audiobook (ALC), all opinions are my own.

As someone who doesn't often listen to audiobooks as they typically do not hold my interest for long, this story held my interest for all 8 hours at speed 1.

The storyline was wholesome with the right amount of sarcasm. The story was pleasant to follow even with the switching between time periods.

If you are looking for a lighter read with a great storyline, I highly recommend.

First, a huge thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me the audiobook preview of this book in exchange for my honest review. I would say this book is at a 3.5 ish for me for a few reasons. First, the narrative structure at the beginning was really unclear, so it took a hot minute to understand the premise of the book and then to connect fully with the characters. Also, the ending for me was really unsatisfying and anticlimactic. In the middle chapters, though, the book and characters really came to life and once the lead up to the final confrontation was underway, I couldn’t put it down until I knew what happened. I think this book has awesome bones, but lacks the clarity to hold it in a higher range for me. I would be excited to see the author expand more on this genre and continue to branch out from her thriller roots.

Cosy witchy book! Easy read/listen, great for when you just want to sit down and relax with uncomplicated story. There's an interesting take of the curse to bevrebotn again and again but otherwise fairly predictable plot. Not necessarily a bad thing, depends what you are looking for.

P. S. My favourite was Hades! :)

3.75 ⭐️’s If you loved Practical Magic and the Unfortunate Side Effects of Heartbreak and Magic then you will enjoy this story. The generations of witches trying to overcome untimely death in each life time was a touching sentiment. Loved how they all bonded together to save one of their own so she could have a happy ending!

I received an ARC of this audiobook from NetGallery and the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

A 5-star premise with a 3 star execution. I wanted to love, and really thought I was going to, but found the ramp-up and resolution to be automatic and eye-rolling. For the seasonal reader, it would be a fantastic late-September/early-October read to get you excited about pumpkin spice lattes and maybe make you want to book that trip to Salem, MA for some sightseeing! But if you’re looking for exciting and intriguing, this may not be it.

This was a fun ride that would be great for an October read . . . the January release is a bit perplexing, if I’m being honest! Told from multiple POVs, and using different time-periods, we are introduced to the English witches who are on, I believe, the eight iteration of their lives. The premise is great, a family of witches that were captured and hanged are cursed to relive their lives over and over while being chased by the witch-hunter who originally accused and captured them in Salem, MA. The locating of a “book,” hidden by the youngest witch in 1612m appears to be the critical piece to breaking this curse.

I was truly engaged with the book/audio in the beginning and loved the idea of it. The story was compelling and exciting and who doesn’t love a book about witches, set in Salem, with callbacks to the witch trials of the 1600s? But I’m sad to say that once the ball was rolling and all the women were reunited, there were just so many holes and unexplained story points that I was a bit frustrated. For example, these women keep being reborn and suffer the same outcome at the same ages, and appear to maintain their memories of each life. But it is unclear what, if anything, they learn from life to life in an effort to break their curse. But, more importantly, you never know why they’ve done things “differently” this time. What in their previous life suggested that eliminating their niece's memories of all previous lives and raising her in a separate country would lead to the curse's end.

Another point of contention--immediate resolution. There was no tension or excitement as we approached the climax, it was simply boom, character suddenly has all of her memories and now a once meek woman knows just what needs to be done. It was whatever the magical-realism equivalent of “instalove” is called.

Thank you NetGalley for letting me listen and review this book. I'd recommend this book if you liked The Bell Witches or enjoy cosy, light, witchy books. The narrator on the audiobook was lovely, I could listen to it all day long.

Thank you NetGalley and the publishers for the opportunity to listen to this book.

This was a fun family focused witch book that was like Hocus Pocus and Practical Magic and a bit of Halloweentown but also something else entirely. Super fun for getting in the spooky season mood.

Promise of the cozy mistery read that spuns through centuries and lovely bookcover, that only added to my initial feeling about this book, led me to request my first ever ALC through the NetGalley.

And it stayed true to many of the promises made. The narrator was great in portraying and balacing so many different personalities through intertwined storylines. With the great narration and pacing the book grabbed me from the first few sentences as the worldbuilding and settings were both inviting and intriguing. I enjoyed the familly dynamic, their love, trust and hopes of a better future for each other.
The main villain was good , especially in few scenes, where a narrator got his lines so well, it had chilled me to the bone.

Why 4 stars?
Because somewhere around last third of the book parts of the initial set -up led to some of the expected conclusions, that felt unearned or to fast. It felt like the part of the book was missing or was cut out and changed and therefore parts were left underdeveloped and unanswered.
The final part picked up the pacing and brought all storylines to a hopefull and great conclusion, which I trully loved. This book fullfilled most of the promises and trully helped me to start the year with a lovely written, cosy book that I can honestly recommend.
Thank you to NetGalley, Bookouture and Helen Phifer for the advanced copy of The Vanishing Bookstore in exchange for my honest opinion

Back then they were witches, hanged in the Salem witch trials. Since then, they were reborn and hunted down as witches again and again. To break this cycle, Dora must locate her mother's magical manuscript, which has been missing for many years, along with a magical bookstore.

The essence of this story was so incredibly imaginative and enchanting that I found myself swept away, completely unbothered by the fact that it took nearly half the book for the plot to unfold truly. That slow beginning was a beautifully constructed foundation, paving the way for a magical and moving finale.

Yet, I must admit, the execution faltered in the finer details. For example, I thought the dialogue to be a little stiff and on the nose. Yet, the delightful portrayal of the diverse magical women more than compensated for these shortcomings, filling the narrative with vibrant life and personality.
I would have loved to see even more of the historic event events that these witches navigated throughout their many rebirths; there was a rich tapestry there just waiting to be explored! I can’t wait to read more from Helen Phifer. I wholeheartedly recommend this gem to anyone in the throes of their witchy phase; it's an experience not to be missed!

I had high hopes for this book. I recently had the opportunity to visit Salem, MA and learn a bit about the witch trials so I was excited to explore a bit more of this history with a magical twist. The plot started off strong then felt underdeveloped and sections seemed to drag on. For the book being called The Vanishing Bookstore, the bookstore was a surprisingly small plot point. Overall the plot had potential but I didn’t feel any connection to the characters or desire to see them succeed in breaking their curse. Thank for the ARC for my honest review!

Overall, this was a nice read - 2.5*, rounded to 3. I enjoyed the glimpse into modern and historic Salem. I even feel tempted me to break out my old copy of The Crucible.

The aunts were the highlight for me. They all had unique personalities and felt more-or-less like real people. That said, some of the conversations with Dora felt very stilted, which took away from the natural flow of the story.

Speaking of Dora, my biggest criticism of the book is with her character. We’re told she’s 33 years old, which I initially thought was great - I’d love to see more main characters this age in stories! But she felt so much younger than her age. I don’t know a single person in their 30s who is so naive, such a pushover, and just rolls with what they’re told. Unfortunately, her character growth came too late for me to really connect with her.

Another disappointment was the titular bookshop, which was barely in the book. I had expected it to play a much larger role.

The audio narration was fine overall, but I did have some issues. Some characters, like Dora and Seffi, sounded too similar, which made it hard to differentiate them at times. I’m also not sure why Dora wasn’t given a British accent, especially since her friend had one.

Despite these criticisms, I did enjoy aspects of the book, particularly the setting and the aunts. If you’re a fan of stories about witchcraft, sisterhood, or enjoy stories with a mix of history and magic, it’s worth a reading.

Thank you to Netgalley, Helen Phifer, and Bookouture Audio for an advanced audio recording of this book.

This beautiful spellbinding tale of a witchy family spanning centuries of a curse had me captivated! I loved the characters and the story. Loved stepping back in forth on the timeline and seeing everything come together in the end. Beautiful story and the narrator for the audiobook was wonderful.

Thank you Net Galley and Bookouture Audio for the beautiful ALC

I really enjoyed the narrator of this audiobook, she did an excellent job. I didn’t really know what to expect from this story, since fantasy/witches aren’t typically my genre. The book alternates between 1692 Salem and present day. My favorite thing is the close bond of the sisters and niece over many centuries.

If you are ready for a page turning, don't want to stop reading book this one is for you! Helen Phifer kept me on my toes with this read. I am a huge fan of historical reads and this book had a touch of history and present day. Phifer wrote with mysteriousness and charm. Dora finds herself being watched as curiosity leads to a discovery of something she could have never imagined.

"I received a complimentary copy of this book through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own."
I listened to the audiobook version read by Stephanie Cannon, and I really enjoyed her narration. She kept me engaged and interested in the story as she was telling it.
It was also a good story to tell. I thought overall there was good plot development, and the way their magic worked was interesting. I do wish there had been more closure on some points, but it didn't ruin the book for me. It was an enjoyable read overall.

I asked for this book first as an audiobook, which is very rare for me to do. However, I found after a few pages that I really disliked the narrator, especially as it was an American voice narrating events in England, and written by an English author.
I do understand that many authors use American narrators due to the market in the US for their books, but personally just found it irritating.
I then asked for a kindle version, and so will give the audiobook the same 4 star rating as I did for that, so my personal preference doesn't skew the ratings. I also won't submit this review online.
But it would be great, publishers, to know the nationality of the voice before requesting an audiobook again!
I will give the links below for the kindle version, lest I be accused of not posting!

Thank you NetGalley for letting me read and review this book. It’s the perfect combo of all the witchie movies I love and just what I needed. It was a slow burn but hades made it all worth it!

This was a fun book to listen to, something totally different from what I’d normally choose. The evolution of Dora was well written. The ending fell short for me, however.

Thank you to Helen Phifer, NetGalley, and Bookouture for this ARC!

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the audiobook.

This story started out with all the typical romance tropes and a slightly off vibe, so for the first few chapters I was a little confused and more than a bit concerned for the MC.

Dora runs a flower shop and lives with her rich doctor aunt. One day a handsome stranger walks into her life to place an order for his dead girlfriend's funeral and promptly starts flirting with Dora. See what I mean? Luckily we take a sharp left turn with aunt Lennie whisking Dora off to Salem to rediscover her witchy roots and hopefully break a 300+ years old curse. There she meets her thought-to-be-long-dead mother, another aunt she hadn't known existed, and a lover from her past lives. Can she regain her memories and find the book that started everything before the witch hunter finds them again?

Rather than the mystery, this book's strength is its atmosphere and well rounded main characters. The aunties are a riot. They both have strong, sometimes conflicting opinions, and personalities just so full of life. All the animal companions are lovely and even have plot-relevant roles, which is a big plus for me. Dora's friends back home in London are people you could actually know.

It's just Dora herself whose behaviour constantly contradicts the descriptions given of her. She is a goth girl, but she's also somehow sweet and bubbly. It did not help that no matter what the text said, e.g. she barked a question/replied angrily, the narration made her sound insecure and panicky. I probably would have liked her more if I was reading a text version.

As for the setting, we see a lot of flashbacks to old Salem, as well as an introduction to modern day museums and attractions of the town, but I did wonder a couple times how historically accurate was the setup of a young man/teen trading books in the 1600s, and then not even selling most of them. Said young man may be painted as the perfect, kind, handsome love interest who only has eyes for the MC, but honestly they had so little chemistry he felt irrelevant to the plot.

Overall, The Vanishing Bookstore is a nice read, and I *am* curious about that other book mentioned in the epilogue, so I hope there will be a sequel eventually.