The Midnight Bookshop by Amanda James — Book Reviw with Content Warnings

Author: Amanda James

Genre: Cozy Fantasy

Series: Standalone

Age Rating: Adult

Synopsis

Strangers Jo, Adelaide and Kye are the least likely people to find themselves across the threshold of a bookshop. But as their midnight book club shows them that a single book can change everything, all three realise that their own stories can be rewritten.

Content Warnings

General Rating: Teen+ (14A / PG-13 / TV-14)

• Spice Rating: None

• Violence Rating: Moderate—domestic abuse, physical beatings (off-page)

• Profanity Rating: Moderate-severe—25 uses of f*ck, 30 uses of sh*t

• Other Trigger Warnings: emotional manipulation, drug trafficking

Protagonists range in age from 19 to mid-30s. Some mature themes are portrayed, but not in explicit detail.

Overall Rating: 3/5

Charming and quaint! A cozy read with warm bookshop vibes and the hope that the written word will always comfort and guide those who are seeking. 

What I Liked

• The bookshop and its magical owner: Who doesn’t love a magical bookshop that disappears and reappears just like Diagon Alley? It was incredibly dreamy and cozy at the same time.

• Diverse representation: Each protagonist had their own struggle within their social class, gender, and economic situation. I appreciated the range portrayed—from domestic abuse to parental emotional manipulation to drug trafficking and chronic pain.

• The power of the written word: Books hit us in different ways at different times, and sometimes we’re drawn to just the right book at the right time.

  “You don’t choose the book. The book chooses you.”

What I Didn’t Like

It could have used another editing pass—there were several punctuation errors in my ebook copy, and the exposition was detailed and repetitive. 

Themes and Reflections

• Wisdom in the Written Word: Books pass on wisdom through fiction and non-fiction alike. Wisdom is communicated to each protagonist through their chosen book, and the books guide them into making different (better) choices in their lives.

  “What you bring to a book, meaning your particular experience of life, well, it can change everything. Two people reading the same book will have different perceptions.”

• Taking Charge of Your Story: Each protagonist moves from being bound to their story to changing it in positive ways. They are empowered by the books, the bookshop, and the owner.

  “If you imagine and believe something might happen, then it can become a physical reality.”

• We Can Always Learn Something: Books can always communicate something good and profound for the reader who is willing to hear it.

  “The book might not be the best in the world, but you can always learn something.”

Writing Style

Amanda James writes in a warm, cozy tone, portraying the magical bookshop with ease and brilliant, fantastical descriptions. However, the pacing was a bit off, and portions of dialogue were redundant; James preferred repetitive exposition, describing again in detail conversations that had already happened. Despite its redundancy, it was a warm, fun read!

If you’re looking for a cozy, relatively easy read, The Midnight Bookshop would do well with a mug of tea and a crackling campfire.

Tropes

• Magical bookshop

• Mysterious owner

• Found family

• Second chances

Books Like This

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• The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society by Mary Ann Shaffer & Annie Barrows

• The Spellshop by Sarah Beth Durst

Publisher Info

• Publisher: One More Chapter (HarperCollins UK)

• Release Date: May 16, 2025

• ARC from NetGalley

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