Some bookshops sell stories. Others hold them.
In The Lamplighter’s Bookshop, Sophie Austin whisks us away to a dusty corner of York where time seems to pause, secrets whisper from between the shelves, and every unread book carries a weight of memory. If you loved The Lost Bookshop or The Lost Apothecary, get ready to lose yourself once more in this utterly beguiling tale of found families, second chances, and literary magic.
This isn’t just a story about a bookstore—it’s a story about the people who find themselves there, sometimes when they least expect it.
🕯 The Story: A Bookshop with Shadows, and Two People Trying to Rewrite Themselves
When Evelyn Seaton answers an ad to work in a nearly-forgotten bookshop tucked into a quiet street in York, she hopes to bury her past in the dust of the old tomes. What she finds instead is William Morton, a man with just as many secrets as books, prickly on the outside but clearly battling his own ghosts.
What begins as an awkward work relationship soon turns into something deeper—a quiet unraveling of walls, a gentle story of healing through shared solitude, ink, and the power of words.
But the Lamplighter’s Bookshop is more than just a hiding place. Its walls remember. And as secrets come to light, Evelyn and William will both need to choose whether they’ll keep living in the margins—or write something new.
📚 Why You’ll Love It
✔ A bookshop setting so vivid you’ll smell the pages
✔ A slow-burn, tender romance that feels earned
✔ Hidden grief, soft healing, and emotional growth
✔ Beautiful writing filled with warmth and wit
✔ The perfect read for fans of The Lost Bookshop, The Keeper of Lost Things, and The Secret Book of Flora Lea
💭 Final Thoughts
This book will appeal to every reader who’s ever found themselves in a quiet bookshop corner, running a hand along spines, hoping for an escape—or a beginning.
The Lamplighter’s Bookshop is a novel about second chances, old books, and how the stories we carry might just be the key to finding home again.
✨ 5/5 – Wholesome, heartfelt, and utterly enchanting. A comfort read with depth.
Reading Caffeinated 