A witchy romance perfect for fans of Practical Magic!
I enjoyed accompanying Dora as she discovered her magical heritage and grappled with dark family secrets. There were plenty of sinister twists and turns and a truly scary villain. I would have preferred less POVs, sticking to just Dora and Ambrose so that their love story would have more screentime. Other that than, this is a fast-paced book with likeable characters and oodles of magic!

This was my first witch book as an adult. I remember doing research in high school about the Salem Witch Trials. It was interesting.

I thought by the title that this would involve the bookstore a little bit more. It was a good story about witches, curses, bad people, and history. The English sisters have lived several lives trying to break a curse put upon them. You follow them in their most current life. They have kept the youngest niece out of the mix this time to see if history wouldn't repeat itself. Unfortunately, it has kinda backfired on them because she doesn't remember her past until the very last minute. I feel like the Ambrose part was forced. I would have liked for that relationship to be built up a bit.

The story flips between the 1600's and present day but it moves around in a bit of hap-hazard way that feels disjointed. The premise sounded interesting but it's hard to describe why this book wasn't a good fit for me. The narrator is pretty good but so it's got to be the writing that feels stilted and lacking depth. I just felt like too many characters were introduced quickly and all over the place with the flashback and forward. I almost felt like I entered the book halfway through at the start. I'm sad to say that I DNF.

An enjoyable if somewhat predictable story about a family of witches forced to live their lives over and over again until they can defeat a witch hunter. I felt slightly underwhelmed by the characters, none of them felt fully developed to me. I would have liked a bit more back story regarding the origins of their magic. At some points it felt like the reader was thrust into a story in the middle without knowing what came before which is, I suppose, the way the main character feels given her lack of memories at the beginning. The ending was satisfying but felt a bit rushed. All in all an entertaining read but not terribly memorable.

I listened to the audiobook of The Vanishing Bookstore and found it an easy escape into the witchy lives of the English sisters. The narrator was good although the English accents were a bit lacking. I couldn’t correlate the character of Dora being in her 30s so I read the book pretending she was in her early 20s instead. Despite this, I really enjoyed the story and the writing and look forward to reading more from Helen Phifer.
Thank you to NetGalley & Bookouture for my digital copy to review.

The Vanishing Bookstore blends the generational mystery of Wayward, with the familial bonds of Practical Magic.

I really enjoyed the mystery. I thought the plot and characters were compelling, and I remained interested the entirety of the story. At times the plot would turn a little cozy, a little silly, which removed me from the eerie thrill and why this book fell into a 3-star "I liked it" rating.

It had all the witchy elements: a family curse, nature spells, secrets, hidden grimoires, familiars, and fated loves, making this a great choice for fans of all things witchy.

I had a good time, but I don't know that anything about this story will linger on in my mind. There were not any unique ideas or quotes that jumped out at me.

I enjoyed my audio experience as well. It was clear and easy to understand the narrator. There were a few character voices that sounded very similar, but there were also a lot of characters to create voices for.

Thank you to NetGalley for an audio ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review.

I loved everything about this. Salem witches. Reincarnation.
Animal familiars!!!! And love that finds them every lifetime.
Absolutely beautiful and the audiobook was done so well. I felt like it kept me interested and engaged in the story the whole timeeeee. I need more.

The Vanishing Bookstore by Helen Phifer
Release Date: January 7th
3.5 Stars.

What was wonderful about coming across this title was that it was recommended to me by a friend who had received the ALC before I had, knowing that I enjoyed books fantasy books that feature witches. The description reminded me of stories I had already read, in particular Weyward and The Once and Future Witches, and I was keen to apply.

I found Dora’s story quite enchanting, from being a young woman running a floral shop in London, to stumbling into a century’s old family mystery. I enjoyed the two timelines (1692 Salem and Present Day) and thought that it added a good sense of intrigue. The female characters in this book were also enjoyable, and in particular I enjoyed the bond between members of the family. Also, Hades was the best addition.

I did find issue with some of the plot (mostly being I found it difficult to conceptualise reasoning behind some of the actions that took place) and I would have liked a tad more romance, but overall, it was a well-done story.

The reader, Stephanie Cannon, also did a superb job and I would definitely listen books she has read again in the future.

Thank you to NetGalley and Bookouture Audio for giving me the opportunity to listen to the ALC.

This sounded like such a fascinating read, and I loved that I got to read this in audiobook form. It was narrated by Stephanie Cannon. She’s new to me, but was wonderful with this story, adding just the right touch of emotions to make this a believable story, despite it involving elements of fantasy or magical realism.

I was captivated by the story instantly. I was already prepared to love it, but the writing and characters sold me on this book, as if I needed more to be sold on. The idea of a vanishing bookstore and a family of witches with a hidden past was already appealing to me, but how Phifer wrote the story sucked me in from the start to the end.

The story is told in two timelines—the present day focusing on Dora and her journey, and a historical timeline that takes place just outside Salem in 1692 and focuses on a family of witches. Both timelines were equally appealing, which I don’t find often. I tend to enjoy one or the other more, but in this book, I couldn’t find one that I enjoyed a bit more. I loved the historical aspect of the past timeline, and watching how the story unfolded. I also loved how the present-day timeline incorporated elements from the 17th century yet made them thoroughly modern.

Dora was one of my favorite characters. Her ability to just accept strange things as normal was impressive, as she learned more about her family and who she is. I enjoyed watching her get to know her mother for the first time, and seeing her aunts interact with each other, showing how much alike the sisters are. Her aunts are wonderful as well, although we don’t really get to know her mother very much.

Basically, the main conflict in the book is women who very much love living together, and don’t want to do anything that will cause them to lose their autonomy. In today’s world, a woman who works and lives independently is an accepted thing in America and England, while in the 17th century, especially in Salem, it could get you labeled as a witch, with disastrous consequences. And that’s exactly what happens—a woman retaining control over her own life turns down a man who is smitten with her and won’t accept no for an answer.

There’s a lot of tensions in the story and it made this a fast-paced, exciting read. I finished it in less than 24 hours, and you know it’s a knockout read when I don’t even get distracted while listening to an audiobook for long periods of time. The story flows so smoothly it felt like I was experiencing it with the characters, and my heart was pounding by the end of the book.

Overall, I have so many positives listed, and I’m sure I forgot a few because that’s what always happens when I have to write a review for a book I loved. But the important thing here is that I didn’t notice any negatives. Everything about this story was wonderful, and I can’t recommend it highly enough. You might like this book if you like stories about witches, Salem, the witch trials, learning more about witch finders, books featuring a historical mystery, and stories with a touch of romance.

Thank you to NetGalley for this ARC of this audiobook.

It was part Hocus Pocus, part Practical Magic, and totally cozy. I enjoyed it. Would be a perfect October/Fall read!

Fantasy and romance are typically genres I avoid, but this novel was realistic enough to hold my interest throughout. It also includes a sprinkling of historical fiction, as it moves back and forth in time from the days of the witch hunts in Salem, MA to modern day London where the main characters live in the present day.

The three English sisters, Leonora, Sapphora, and Luciene, describe themselves as healers but are accused of witchcraft and were tortured and hanged in the 17th century, when the community of Salem was in the throes of witch hunts. Leonora's spurning of George Corwin's romantic overtures had led him to curse her and her family with a spell that both caused her early death and also immortalized them; the women's bodies died over and over, but their spirits returned to a new life, generation after generation. In present day London, the Luciene's daughter Dora is living with her aunt Lenny and working as a florist when Lenny persuades her accompany her on a business trip to America. The trip's real purpose is to return Dora to the home she has forgotten in order to put an end to the curse that plagues the family, but to accomplish that, Dora must find the book of magical spells that she hid when she fled Salem centuries before.

The title of the novel is somewhat misleading. Though a bookstore does play a part in the story, little of the novel's action takes place there, and it's hardly a focus of much of the plot. But this quibble aside, it's an engaging story that will probably appeal to those who enjoy low fantasy, witchy tales, and historical fiction. 3-1/2 stars. Thank you to the publisher and #NetGalley for providing a complimentary audiobook download in exchange for an objective review.

(3.5 stars)
First let me say that I really enjoyed this story! This was my first book by Helen Phifer and I will be looking to read others in the future.

The Vanishing Bookstore takes place mostly in two time periods: 1692, Salem, Massachusetts (yes, the witch hysteria) and current day in both London, England and Salem. Three sisters are considered witches and are arrested and hanged in 1692, along with one of the sisters’ daughter. Somehow - and for this you need to suspend your disbelief and go with the flow - they are cursed to live over and over again and die over and over again at the hands of a witch hunter from 1692.

The three sisters have distinct personalities, which was great. Dora/Isadora is the daughter of one of them and in present-day, is around 30, running a small flower shop in London. She lives with one of her aunts, nicknamed Lenny, who is a doctor. When Lenny receives a frantic message from her sisters in Salem, she convinces Dora to come with her on a “holiday” - since Dora knows nothing about her history.

George Corwin is the witch hunter and makes an excellent villain. And I loved Hades, the crow, who was the sisters' familiar. They referred to him as their "watcher."

I did have a few issues with the book, starting with its title. The bookstore aspect is barely there, and it wasn’t even really a bookstore at all. The magic wasn’t described well, and it took almost to the end of the book to explain how the women were able to be reincarnated over and over again and how George Corwin managed to seem immortal. There was another character, Ambrose, who tried to save Dora in 1692 and somehow he kept getting reincarnated too, but that never really got explained. Also, while the audiobook narrator did a lovely job, I missed having authentic accents for the characters from England and from Massachusetts. No one had any particular accent at all - and accents, for me, truly make audiobooks come alive. In addition, the epilogue didn’t add anything to the book, unless it was supposed to be a hint about a future sequel.

Thank you to Bookouture and NetGalley for the opportunity to read an advance reader copy of this book and to Bookouture Audio and NetGalley for the opportunity to listen to an advance copy of this audiobook. All opinions are my own.

*The Vanishing Bookstore* is an enchanting tale about Dora, a Salem witch who has lived for centuries but has lost all memories of her past life. Now, she must rediscover where she hid a powerful book long ago—a book that could hold the key to saving herself and her loved ones.

This novel is perfect for readers who adore cozy witchy vibes and the nostalgic charm of '90s classics like *Practical Magic* and *Hocus Pocus*. From the very first page, Dora’s story draws you in, plunging you into the suspense of her daring escape from the town folk.

The ending, while satisfying, left me craving just a bit more—a testament to the compelling world the author has created. Aunt Lenny was by far my favorite character and reminded me of the actress Stockhard Channing from Practical Magic.

The audiobook, narrated by Stephanie Cannon, is a true delight. Her performance brings each character vividly to life, and even the male voices are skillfully done. I usually cringe at most narrators male voices.

I would definitely recommend *The Vanishing Bookstore* to all my fellow witchy friends. It’s a spellbinding journey you won’t want to miss!

Thank you NetGalley for the ALC of this novel.

Wow! I knew based on the blurb alone that I would love this. It more than delivered. 4.5 stars ⭐️

Witch? Curses? Salem Witch Trials? Endearing familiar? Strong female family relationships? Check!

The only place this novel fell short for me was the romance aspect. Ambrose and Dora had such a strong bond that lasted through lives centuries, but we didn’t get to see much of it. Romance isn’t at the forefront of the plot though so I’m willing to overlook that. However, if there’s any chance of a look into more of their story I am READY!

The narrator on the audiobook was lovely. I listen at 2.5 speed regularly, but had to slow down to 2.0. Probably could have gotten away with 2.25, but the NetGalley app doesn’t allow. *sigh*

Really enjoyed this! I would be so surprised if this doesn’t take off in popularity. So fun!

What an interesting story.
Parts kinda dragged and others kinda rushed but overall an enjoyable book.
Will definitely read more by this author.

This book is a bit out of my usual genre but I am finding the storyline compelling. A group of women who had been accused of witchcraft during the Salem witch trials are reincarnated, generation after generation, and try to rewrite their tragic end. Enchanting.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I was given the opportunity to listen to the audiobook before it was released. Thank you NetGalley and Bookoutoure Audio.

The narrator for this was Stephanie Cannon. I am always in awe by the different voices that any narrator can present when reading a book. She did such a wonderful job with the differentiation and she is very understandable. Her voice was pleasant to listen to.

This book was not what I was expecting. It has witches, magic, dual timeline, witch hunting and is set in Salem Mass. Their lives span over many centuries and they are cursed. They die and come back. Dora can only live to 35 and dies a different way each time. She comes back never remembering her past lives. The others believe she is the key to breaking the curse. They are on the run from this certain witch hunter and he seems to find them at some point in each lifetime.

This goes between current day and back to 1600 Salem during the witch trials. It was action packed and very easy to follow. I really enjoyed this book!

First of all I want to say thank you for the ARC, this is my first!

The plot takes place over many generations, in which the English sisters evolve and keep coming back to try to break the curse that began back in Salem during the witch trials.

What I liked: I was hooked on chapter one and wanted to read to know what would happen next. I loved the prose and figurative language that the author used. I loved reading about the historical aspects and enjoyed learning more about the witch trials.

What fell short for me: It started to get very predictable and hokey toward the middle through the end of the book. Maybe this was because I was reading the audiobook version and the reader's voice didn't match the story, in my opinion. The author developed the characters well over the course of the book, but at the beginning I found it confusing to keep up with, which again could have been due to the audiobook version. And I wish the actual vanishing bookstore was developed more. Throughout the book it was referred to as a cabin with a missing book hiding inside it but the bookstore part wasn't clear or an essential part of the story.

Overall, it has potential, but I would have recommended an alternate title such as The Immortal English Sisters or The Salem Sisters or The Language of Flowers or even The Blood Witch. The Vanishing Bookstore title gave it an erroneous expectation for the plot of the book. Readers who love historical fiction, witch trials, or time-travel type books will enjoy this book.

This story was a unique change of pace for me. After the Christmas season, a witches tale was definitely needed.

1692. On the outskirts of Salem, a bookstore stands covered in overgrown vines. Inside, a young woman hides a linen-wrapped journal under a loose floorboard and runs away, panicked by the sound of hounds barking in the distance. The bookstore vanishes into thin air…

Present day. Stepping inside a pale-pink house on one of the oldest streets in Salem, Dora can’t believe she’s about to finally meet the mother she thought died tragically when she was just a child. But the excitement is short-lived. Dora’s mother has fear in her eyes, and with a trembling voice she whispers: ‘my life is in danger, and now so is yours…’

I love these dual timelines, and believe me, there is action in each one. It is hard to pick which timeline I liked the most. The 1692 in Salem is so interesting but the present day is more intense.

Dora is a character I enjoyed…heck I enjoyed all of them. They are quirky and serious all at the same time. Add in the pet crow and you have a fun, intense and unique story.

The narrator, Stephanie Cannon, is pretty good. There were places that I felt she was a bit overly dramatic. But that could have been me.

Need a good witchy tale…THIS IS IT! Grab your copy today.

I received this novel from the publisher for a honest review.

The Vanishing Bookstore by Helen Phifer was a spellbinding story about a family of women accused of being witches during the Salem Witch Trials. This book has wonderful magical realism. The characters were complex and dynamic. The writing was beautiful. There were so many enjoyable aspects to this story that totalled up to being a fantastic historical fiction read perfect for fantasy lovers. The audiobook was wonderful. The narration really immersed me in the story.

Thank you to Bookoutoure Audio and Netgalley for this arc in exchange for an honest review.