Where the Library Hides: A Novel (Secrets of the Nile, 2)
Where the Library Hides is Isabel Ibañez's stunning conclusion to the story that started in What the River Knows. A lush immersive historical fantasy set in Egypt filled with adventure, and a rivals-to-lovers romance like no other!
Inez Olivera traveled across the world to Egypt, seeking answers into her parents' recent and mysterious deaths. But all her searching led her down a perilous road, filled with heartache, betrayal, and a dangerous magic that pulled her deep into the past.
When Tío Ricardo issues an ultimatum about her inheritance, she’s left with only one option to consider.
Marriage to Whitford Hayes.
Former British soldier, her uncle’s aide de camp, and one time nemesis, Whit has his own mysterious reasons for staying in Egypt. With her heart on the line, Inez might have to bind her fate to the one person whose secret plans could ruin her.
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Community Reviews
⭐️ ⭐️ It pains me to write this review after I so thoroughly enjoyed the first book to this two book series, and I am saddened by the fact that I just did not enjoy this read or the characters I came to love initially.
Maybe it's because I read two books by the same author back to back, maybe it's because the story was just that predictable, maybe I just need to pump the brakes on the YA/fantasy romance reads but I cannot believe the number of times I called the twists and pinnacle plot points in this book! I caught onto these early, and it made the SLOOOOW development of Inez to catch on that much more painful to read. I understand the inference is intended more for the reader, and Inez's intuition- or lack thereof- could be credited to her trauma but I seriously was at a loss..."how could she NOT know this? How did she NOT see that coming?" These were questions I asked quite a lot.
We once again got a lot of unnecessary detail about food. And I felt like the introduction of Isadora as Inez's half sister was a weird secondary plot point that also felt unnatural, alongside with her father's "grand reveal" as Basil Sterling. And we got several, several chapters about Inez's ongoing turmoil against her mother AND Whit. Which were almost instantly backpedaled on and forgotten about in the matter of a few sentences. It was quite exhaustive for a 400 page read, which don't get me wrong, I love when those lengths contribute something of value to the book, and in the case of WtLH was not so.
Inez fell flat for me this read. What was a strong FMC for me in the first book ultimately turned into an insufferable lead that lacked self-preservation, awareness, and confidence. Inez felt impulsive, naive, codependent in this book which was a stark contrast to what was portrayed in WtRK: a determined, loyal, and resourceful young woman who took herself to Egypt to solve her parent's disappearance. She charged head on into dangerous situations and trusted everyone she laid eyes on so often that I was in sheer disbelief of the character development from the first book. You mean to tell me, that after witnessing her favorite cousin's murder AND her mother's betrayal AND her falling out with Whit that she didn't learn to screen her emotions and, I don't know, perhaps expect the worst out of people for the safety of her loved ones and her own self? I could excuse these sorts of mistakes early on..but when we are still running into the same problems more than halfway through I am left to wonder if Inez is really a believable female lead.
Then there is Whit. I loved him in the first book and I loved the IDEA of him in the second. But this time around he unfortunately turned into another lackluster love interest. And his betrayal of Inez was so easily forgiven and forgotten that I was surprised more by that than any of the predictable twists that came later. You mean to tell me, that the fact he STOLE Inez's literal inheritance under the facade of 'falling in love', was forgotten because of the cliche 'he took a bullet for her' and a good bedding? So frustrating. He operated under false pretenses from the start, and we knew this from the previous book's cliffhanger, but then it magically was intended to be sincere AFTER the fact he got what he wanted? It felt like a shallow and under developed attempt for turmoil in paradise between the two lovers. And it was a monumental, unforgivable thing that Inez even acknowledged throughout the WHOLE rest of the book until well past the halfway mark. Then, nothing. There was also a staggering amount of repetitive "sweethearts" and the 🤢 inclusion of "good girl" scene to appease the audience of 'smut' readers. These felt completely out of character for Whit from the first book and felt like a reach to those readers intended to swoon over Whit as the book boyfriend he was...but that was honestly awful to read and repelled me from my preference to him. Plus, their relationship and ultimately marriage just felt "blah" to me: it lacked depth and again, underdeveloped and lacking structure.
Isadora, though lovely in the first book, felt like a weird secondary plotline/twist that did not really contribute to anything. We read about Inez's feelings for her quite a lot, and though it was bittersweet knowing that she was searching for something to balm her grief and missing hole left from her loss of Elvira, it was very clearly going to take a turn for the worst. Which it did.
And why is it, that every. Single. Person. Does wrong by Inez? Her mom still sucks, her half sister has a mommy complex and ultimately tries to take that out on Inez, her DAD sucks too now that we know his issues were with his wife, and then the weird redemption arc for Whit which never repented his sins either...but I digress. It was exhaustive seeing where things were going and waiting for Inez to catch on. Too heavy on the twists and betrayals.
I still don't understand the motive for her father's vendetta, and I am left to wonder why the heck they (Inez's parents) even got married or faked their deaths or anything? Sterling being revealed as her dad's persona was predicted soon as I read about the mustaches Whit found in his room, but I was still asking "but WHY?" And we never got clarification or answer of his assumption Inez may not be his daughter?? How many affairs is this woman having and WHY can't she keep it in her pants? I don't know it was just a weird thing to read in the last 25% of the book and I ultimately felt turned off by the whole thing because I got so lost in the underdeveloped leads.
Between the heavy waxing poetry about love and grief and presumably delicious food there were remnants of a story lost from WtRK...Egyptian history, brewing love amidst rivalry, and mystery. But this book just did not fill me up the way I wanted nor the way I anticipated.
Maybe it's because I read two books by the same author back to back, maybe it's because the story was just that predictable, maybe I just need to pump the brakes on the YA/fantasy romance reads but I cannot believe the number of times I called the twists and pinnacle plot points in this book! I caught onto these early, and it made the SLOOOOW development of Inez to catch on that much more painful to read. I understand the inference is intended more for the reader, and Inez's intuition- or lack thereof- could be credited to her trauma but I seriously was at a loss..."how could she NOT know this? How did she NOT see that coming?" These were questions I asked quite a lot.
We once again got a lot of unnecessary detail about food. And I felt like the introduction of Isadora as Inez's half sister was a weird secondary plot point that also felt unnatural, alongside with her father's "grand reveal" as Basil Sterling. And we got several, several chapters about Inez's ongoing turmoil against her mother AND Whit. Which were almost instantly backpedaled on and forgotten about in the matter of a few sentences. It was quite exhaustive for a 400 page read, which don't get me wrong, I love when those lengths contribute something of value to the book, and in the case of WtLH was not so.
Inez fell flat for me this read. What was a strong FMC for me in the first book ultimately turned into an insufferable lead that lacked self-preservation, awareness, and confidence. Inez felt impulsive, naive, codependent in this book which was a stark contrast to what was portrayed in WtRK: a determined, loyal, and resourceful young woman who took herself to Egypt to solve her parent's disappearance. She charged head on into dangerous situations and trusted everyone she laid eyes on so often that I was in sheer disbelief of the character development from the first book. You mean to tell me, that after witnessing her favorite cousin's murder AND her mother's betrayal AND her falling out with Whit that she didn't learn to screen her emotions and, I don't know, perhaps expect the worst out of people for the safety of her loved ones and her own self? I could excuse these sorts of mistakes early on..but when we are still running into the same problems more than halfway through I am left to wonder if Inez is really a believable female lead.
Then there is Whit. I loved him in the first book and I loved the IDEA of him in the second. But this time around he unfortunately turned into another lackluster love interest. And his betrayal of Inez was so easily forgiven and forgotten that I was surprised more by that than any of the predictable twists that came later. You mean to tell me, that the fact he STOLE Inez's literal inheritance under the facade of 'falling in love', was forgotten because of the cliche 'he took a bullet for her' and a good bedding? So frustrating. He operated under false pretenses from the start, and we knew this from the previous book's cliffhanger, but then it magically was intended to be sincere AFTER the fact he got what he wanted? It felt like a shallow and under developed attempt for turmoil in paradise between the two lovers. And it was a monumental, unforgivable thing that Inez even acknowledged throughout the WHOLE rest of the book until well past the halfway mark. Then, nothing. There was also a staggering amount of repetitive "sweethearts" and the 🤢 inclusion of "good girl" scene to appease the audience of 'smut' readers. These felt completely out of character for Whit from the first book and felt like a reach to those readers intended to swoon over Whit as the book boyfriend he was...but that was honestly awful to read and repelled me from my preference to him. Plus, their relationship and ultimately marriage just felt "blah" to me: it lacked depth and again, underdeveloped and lacking structure.
Isadora, though lovely in the first book, felt like a weird secondary plotline/twist that did not really contribute to anything. We read about Inez's feelings for her quite a lot, and though it was bittersweet knowing that she was searching for something to balm her grief and missing hole left from her loss of Elvira, it was very clearly going to take a turn for the worst. Which it did.
And why is it, that every. Single. Person. Does wrong by Inez? Her mom still sucks, her half sister has a mommy complex and ultimately tries to take that out on Inez, her DAD sucks too now that we know his issues were with his wife, and then the weird redemption arc for Whit which never repented his sins either...but I digress. It was exhaustive seeing where things were going and waiting for Inez to catch on. Too heavy on the twists and betrayals.
I still don't understand the motive for her father's vendetta, and I am left to wonder why the heck they (Inez's parents) even got married or faked their deaths or anything? Sterling being revealed as her dad's persona was predicted soon as I read about the mustaches Whit found in his room, but I was still asking "but WHY?" And we never got clarification or answer of his assumption Inez may not be his daughter?? How many affairs is this woman having and WHY can't she keep it in her pants? I don't know it was just a weird thing to read in the last 25% of the book and I ultimately felt turned off by the whole thing because I got so lost in the underdeveloped leads.
Between the heavy waxing poetry about love and grief and presumably delicious food there were remnants of a story lost from WtRK...Egyptian history, brewing love amidst rivalry, and mystery. But this book just did not fill me up the way I wanted nor the way I anticipated.
Alright, fellow bookworms, strap in for a wild ride through 1885 Egypt with Where the Library Hides, the stunning conclusion to the saga that began in What the River Knows. This lush, immersive historical fantasy is everything you didn't know you needed in your literary life. Adventure? Check. Rivals-to-lovers romance? Double check. Betrayal, murder, and ancient secrets? Oh, you bet. Here’s why this book deserves all five stars.
First, let’s talk about Inez Olivera. Girl cannot catch a break! Reeling from her cousin Elvira’s murder and her mother’s betrayal, she now faces an ultimatum from her delightful Tío Ricardo about her inheritance. And what’s the brilliant solution? Marriage to Whitford Hayes. Yes, you heard that right—her former nemesis and her uncle’s aide de camp. Because nothing screams "happily ever after" like being forced to marry the guy who used to be your mortal enemy.
Whitford Hayes, former British soldier with a past murkier than the Nile itself, is hanging around Egypt for his own mysterious reasons. He's got secrets, Inez has got trust issues, and we’ve got the perfect setup for a rivals-to-lovers romance that is as exasperating as it is electrifying. The chemistry between Inez and Whit is like a well-crafted cocktail: a little bitter, a little sweet, and entirely intoxicating.
Now, the adventure. This book takes you on a whirlwind tour of Egypt, and trust me, it's like Indiana Jones meets The Mummy but with more smoldering glances and sharper dialogue. The historical detail is so rich you can almost feel the desert sand between your toes and smell the spice markets as you turn the pages.
The plot is tighter than Tío Ricardo’s grip on Inez’s future. Betrayals lurk around every corner, secrets are unearthed with every turn, and just when you think you’ve figured it all out—bam! Another twist that leaves you gasping. The pacing is relentless in the best way possible, making it impossible to put the book down. (Goodbye, sleep. It was nice knowing you.)
And the ending? Let’s just say, it wraps up the duology in a way that’s both satisfying and leaves you yearning for more. The character arcs are beautifully completed, and every plot thread is tied up with a bow—though not without a few emotional punches to the gut along the way.
So, if you’re looking for a book that combines historical fantasy with edge-of-your-seat adventure, heart-stopping romance, and enough intrigue to keep you guessing until the very end, this is your next must-read. Five stars for a tale that’s as unforgettable as the Egyptian pyramids and as thrilling as a midnight escape through Cairo’s labyrinthine streets. Don’t miss it.
Many thanks to Edelweiss and Wednesday Books for this review copy!
First, let’s talk about Inez Olivera. Girl cannot catch a break! Reeling from her cousin Elvira’s murder and her mother’s betrayal, she now faces an ultimatum from her delightful Tío Ricardo about her inheritance. And what’s the brilliant solution? Marriage to Whitford Hayes. Yes, you heard that right—her former nemesis and her uncle’s aide de camp. Because nothing screams "happily ever after" like being forced to marry the guy who used to be your mortal enemy.
Whitford Hayes, former British soldier with a past murkier than the Nile itself, is hanging around Egypt for his own mysterious reasons. He's got secrets, Inez has got trust issues, and we’ve got the perfect setup for a rivals-to-lovers romance that is as exasperating as it is electrifying. The chemistry between Inez and Whit is like a well-crafted cocktail: a little bitter, a little sweet, and entirely intoxicating.
Now, the adventure. This book takes you on a whirlwind tour of Egypt, and trust me, it's like Indiana Jones meets The Mummy but with more smoldering glances and sharper dialogue. The historical detail is so rich you can almost feel the desert sand between your toes and smell the spice markets as you turn the pages.
The plot is tighter than Tío Ricardo’s grip on Inez’s future. Betrayals lurk around every corner, secrets are unearthed with every turn, and just when you think you’ve figured it all out—bam! Another twist that leaves you gasping. The pacing is relentless in the best way possible, making it impossible to put the book down. (Goodbye, sleep. It was nice knowing you.)
And the ending? Let’s just say, it wraps up the duology in a way that’s both satisfying and leaves you yearning for more. The character arcs are beautifully completed, and every plot thread is tied up with a bow—though not without a few emotional punches to the gut along the way.
So, if you’re looking for a book that combines historical fantasy with edge-of-your-seat adventure, heart-stopping romance, and enough intrigue to keep you guessing until the very end, this is your next must-read. Five stars for a tale that’s as unforgettable as the Egyptian pyramids and as thrilling as a midnight escape through Cairo’s labyrinthine streets. Don’t miss it.
Many thanks to Edelweiss and Wednesday Books for this review copy!
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