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.

I enjoyed the storyline but I honestly wish it had a different name, the bookstore was a part but not the main focus and I didn't live that even though I know that's nit picky. I enjoyed to characters as well as the multiple lives and the full circle feel at the end. Very interesting use of magic.

2.5

*Audiobook*

First, the audiobook narrator only did a British accent for the friend of the MC, despite the MC being…British?

This book sent me a sirens call and sucked me in with the cover and a story about Salem witches. And then the plot happened. What I ordered: magic, mystery, and a disappearing bookstore. What I got: brambles, melodrama, and—ironically—a distinct lack of bookstore.

Our main character spends most of the book stumbling through the woods, avoiding bad guys, recovering her powers and making references to Hocus Pocus. It felt more like a Scooby-Doo mystery, minus the snacks. a misplaced scavenger hunt. By the time she actually finds the bookstore (for about five minutes), I’d lost the will to care—and possibly the plot.

The writing tries hard to be atmospheric but ends up like a lame fog machine. The dual timeline and the vanishing bookstore were shoved so far in the background they might as well have vanished themselves. Sigh.

Thank you to NetGalley and Bookouture Audio for providing me with an advanced readers audio of this book in exchange for my always honest reviews.

Final grade: C-, my interested has vanished

A cute and charming piece of fantastical historical fiction merged with fantasy. I have no idea what the correct genre is…Fantastorical?

With a dual timeline set in old Salem and modern day London/Salem, we follow Dora who is on a quest to understand more about her past and what it means for her future.

As a fantasy fan I enjoyed the magical story elements and the witchy settings. The story did seem to take a long time to get properly underway but overall I enjoyed this easy listen. Narration was great for the most part, aside from a few ‘Dick van Dyke’ English accents.

Thank you to Bookouture audio and Netgalley for my review copy.

The Vanishing Bookstore follows Dora, a florist living in London, who is unexpectedly surprised to discover that she comes from a family of witches. To break a curse that has haunted her family since the Salem Witch Trials in 1692, Dora must solve a mystery and find a hidden book. The story alternates between Salem in 1692 and present-day London and Salem.

As a history enthusiast who loves magic and has a strong interest in the Salem Witch Trials, I really enjoyed this book. I've always loved Hocus Pocus and Practical Magic, and this book reminded me of those stories. The dual timeline was fun and I loved all the references to present-day Salem. I do wish there had been more focus on the bookstore itself, though.

I listened to the audiobook, and it was really well done. Stephanie Cannon did an excellent job with the narration, making it easy to visualize the setting as the story progressed. I was never bored and was always eager to see what would happen next. The different characters each had their unique traits and voices , which made the audiobook even more enjoyable.

Thank you to Netgallery and to Bookouture Audio for my copy.

I feel like the provided blurb of the book isn’t very accurate after reading it. Dora doesn’t know she has more family other than her aunt Lenny and that they are a family of witches doomed to die and be reborn since 1692 when they are first murdered during the Salem Witch Trials. Dora and Lenny live in London in present day, but return to Salem when Lenny asks her to go with her on a trip to the states. The trip is really to help get Dora to remember her previous lives and hopefully to finally break the curse that has been haunting them all these centuries. Before they leave Dora encounters a man, George, who gives her bad vibes. He plays a major role in the story.

Ambrose, Dora’s love, since 1692 helps find the bookstore that he created all those years ago. When they do find it in the brambles, the books are still in great shape and they locate the book they need if they are going to be able to stop the curse.

The story was okay. I gave it three stars but it's more like 2.5 stars. I have questions such as what about the parents of the cursed sisters? Are they the same every time they are reborn? How do they always have the same house? I also felt the story was somewhat choppy.

Stephanie Cannon did a great job narrating the book. Thanks to NetGalley and Bookouture for the ARC of the book in exchange for my honest opinion.

#TheVanishingBookstore #NetGalley.

If “Addie La Rue” and “The Lost Apothecary” had a witchy, flower shop baby, it would be The Vanishing Bookstore. This was a very cute read with historical 1600s charm and a modern day story. I love the idea of remembering past lives and being destined to the same fate in each life. The ending 20% felt a little rushed and jumbled to me, but overall it was a fun read.

Story: 3/5
I had such a hard time getting into this book unfortunately. The synopsis sounded right up my alley with mysterious bookstores, witches, family bonds, etc. But the story didn't keep me interested, and I tried both reading and listening to the book. I felt very little connection to the characters and although there was a lot of descriptive writing, I felt like I was often told instead of shown. I also wish there would have been more on the bookstore itself. However, this would be a perfect read for someone that likes a blend of historical fiction and a touch of fantasy!

Audiobook/Narration: 4.5/5
The narrator did a great job creating a compelling and interactive narration of this book. I loved the different voices for the characters! There were some points that felt a little stiff, but overall was an enjoyable listen!

Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for an advance copy of this title.

First and foremost, I will say I do not think the summary of this book truly reflects the story we are given. However, when i picked up this book, I did not read the summary and was pleasantly surprised by the story which unfolded and found it to be a cozy, witchy, historical fiction story.

Dora has been living in London with her aunt most of her life. She owns a flower shop, has a best friend who seems awesome, and a cute little old lady who lives near her shop and give me really cozy grandma vibes. Dora's pretty content with her life until a guy named George wanders into her shop looking for flowers for his girlfriend who recently passed. For me, he immediately gave off creepy stalker vibes, but for some reason and the fact he smells good to her, she doesn't think too much about it other than he seems to be popping up a bit more.

When her Aunt Lenny gets a call from her sister, a sister who Dora doesn't know about, they take an impromptu trip to the United States to handle some family matters. This is when we learn George is definitely a creepy stalker guy which I don't think is a spoiler, and he hurts Dora's best friend who is watching her shop while she is gone. George is hunting Dora and her family and has been for several lifetimes.

About a third of the way into the book, we finally discover the goal and ultimate plot of the story. I do wish we had gotten a bit more of that a bit earlier to know what we were building towards. However, I do think the story was good, even with some flaws and feeling a bit rushed in the end. I do think the story could have also benefited from a different title because I feel the title paints a different picture of what the story might be about. However, I would recommend this book and do wonder if there might be another in the future.