The Bookbinder’s Apprentice
P.J. Braley
Spyglass Hill Press (2025)
ISBN: 979-8999464729
Reviewed by A. Crimin for Reader Views (07/2026)
The Bookbinder’s Apprentice and Other Impossible Love Stories by P.J. Braley is a short story collection encompassing four tales of love. The main short story is the third: “The Bookbinder’s Apprentice,” which is longer than the other three combined. It follows a woman who chooses to go by Helena as she enters a mysterious bookshop. Despite being warned not to, she damages a book and is pulled into a time-slip by the mysterious spirit Aiden, who explains that this is his personal paradise: a place where he, as a spirit, can continue to learn and grow. And, as Helena has damaged a book he has personally made for Heaven, she must remake it perfectly. Thus, she finds herself with no choice but to become the Bookbinder’s Apprentice.
The exacting nature of bookbinding is on full display in this story, and it spares no details. Just as Helena must learn, so must we. Aiden’s exacting character is well suited for this teaching role, and he’s able to convey a great deal of information without seeming out of place in the story. His varied and often older tools can be explained by the fact that he has existed for so long and enjoys the physical process of creating a book page by page, despite the difficulty. He is stern and unforgiving, but he fully expects Helena to make mistakes, presumably, because he once did. There is some difficulty with the sheer amount of information, especially in earlier chapters. In these, Helena can feel as if she is a stand-in for the reader, as a great deal of her initial dialogue involves asking Aiden questions or to elaborate on the printing process. Later, she truly comes into her own; stubborn and self-reliant and so very human.
The romance is interesting, especially as it develops between someone who is human and someone who isn’t. Aiden is a mystery that slowly unravels as the story unfolds. This story also delves into the idea of the afterlife, of Heaven, Hell, and Hades, and what they might look like. Aiden, being a spirit, is quite knowledgeable about such things. The deceptions are classically correct, but are also fascinatingly fresh. And, like all the other stories in this book, the twist ending will surprise you.
This book contains three other short stories: The first is a charming piece of historical fiction that follows George, a well-known and much beloved actor, and Rose, from whom he hides his identity. The second is about a researcher obsessed with a certain house and historical figure who gets a chance to see it (and him) in a new light. And, lastly, the end of a woman’s lifelong love of cigarettes.
If you enjoy complex love stories that are, in their own ways, impossible, then take a chance on this book. These stories are original and twisty, and come with a suggested playlist curated by the author.
At a Glance: A speculative romance collection explores four unconventional relationships shaped by time, history, mortality, and the supernatural. The centerpiece follows a woman apprenticed to a mysterious spirit bookbinder, blending meticulous bookmaking with an imaginative vision of the afterlife.
Best for Readers Who Enjoy: speculative romance, supernatural love stories, time-slip fiction, bookish fantasy, impossible relationships, afterlife fiction, historical romance, twist endings, short story collections
Thank you very much for your kind review. In my mind, I wrote these stories as a love letter to books and literature, and I hope the gratitude I feel for the authors and teachers I have known and loved shines through in every word.