About the book

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 that Evelyn has built around herself 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?

The Lost Bookshop meets The Lost Apothecary in a beguiling novel full of secrets…

Why we love it

If you're looking for a light-hearted historical romance where nothing too awful happens, this is it. And let's be honest, with the world as it is these days, sometimes an enchanting bookish escape is exactly what we're in the mood for.

Following a dramatic change in her family's fortune and position in society, Evelyn Seaton and her mother are forced to leave behind their stately home and move to York. Left with no money, abandoned by her unreliable father and isolated from the aristocratic society she was once part of, Evelyn finds work in a small York bookshop where she soon meets enigmatic writer, William Morton.

Imagine Elizabeth Bennet if her father has lost his entire home and fortune, leaving her to live on the goodwill of a crotchety old aunt, and you'll be halfway towards the general vibe of this book.

Evelyn is smart, opinionated and open-minded, albeit somewhat naive and sheltered, while potential love interest William has all the brooding Byronic qualities you'd hope for in any historical romance.

Throw in a blonde-ringleted wealthy mean girl to stir things up, plus a heap of family secrets all waiting to be revealed, and you've got yourself an utterly delightful, fun read that you'll most likely devour in a a single sitting (well, I certainly did anyway!).

Hugely entertaining and just the book I needed right now.