The Lamplighter’s Bookshop by Sophie Austen #NetGalley @HarperCollinsUK #histfic #romance #bookreview

I am delighted to share my review today of The Lamplighter’s Bookshop by Sophie Austen. This is a wonderful romance and historical fiction story. This is a debut novel and I cannot wait to see what this author comes up with next.

My huge thanks to Harper Collins for granting my request to read this title via NetGalley.

Every book tells a story. Every heart hides a secret.

In the shadowy aisles of The Lamplighter’s Bookshop, secrets lie as thick as the dust …

When Evelyn Seaton answers an advertisement for an assistant at a forgotten bookshop in York, she is not the only one with something to hide.

There she meets the enigmatic and prickly William Morton, an aspiring writer keeping secrets of his own. But when the walls of Evelyn’s carefully built defences start to crumble, there is only one person she can turn to.

As the layers are brushed away, Can Evelyn and William find the courage to write the next chapter of their story?

MY REVIEW

This is such a wonderful book to settle down with. It is a mix of those wonderful classical fiction and romance stories but written in a very easy-to-read style.

When Evelyn Seaton and her Mother suddenly find themselves out of their home they seek refuge with an Aunt. This is not something that Evelyn’s mother is happy about, she has always been about her status in society and how she came from nothing and married a Baron, she has spent years cultivating her friends. But these friends suddenly disappear. Her wish is for her daughter to find someone to marry to help them reclaim their status.

Evelyn is of a different opinion, she is a bluntly spoken young woman and decides that she can do more than just become a wife and so when she ends up working in a bookshop run by Mr Morton. He did have the help of his nephew until he went to London to become a writer.

The story is fabulous and it was so easy to get to grips with the characters, their stories, how they interact and who they are and their relationships or friendships with others. The author creates such a tangled web of lies and deceit as those with secrets try to hide them, after all, it would be very seemly to have all your dirty washing aired out for all to see!

As I read I was not aware of what the secrets were, some things were alluded to but the main core was kept hidden until much later in the book. Working and keeping it from her mother makes life tricky for Evelyn, especially as William has returned from London and wants to take his job in the bookshop back. Let us say they don’t hit it off straight away. They do manage an amicable arrangement concerning work.

This is such a wonderful book and is one for those who like historical fiction, romance and the lifestyle of 1899. With plenty of secrets, suspicion, opinions and social status. I adored everything about this book and I would definitely recommend it.

Many thanks for reading my post, a like or share would be amazing 🙂 xx