Xanthe has a special gift, she can sense the history and connections of inanimate objects. With this gift, Xanthe has left London behind to open an antique shop in the country. When Xanthe touches a chatelaine, she is transported back to the 17th century. A young woman is accused of stealing scissors and a sewing kit from her mistress. The ghost of the girl's mother threatens Xanthe into helping Alice.

This story reminds me a lot of Outlander. Xanthe travels back and forth to get information to help Alice in the 17th century. She meets a handsome man in the past, knowing that they could never work out. It was decent but wasn't as memorable as I hoped it would be.

This was a good story. It had some interesting elements with a few moments that really caught me. I do not know if this had anything to do with it, but I read Kindred by Octavia Butler right before I read this book. I couldn't help drawing comparisons between the two. My experience of Kindred made this book feel...a little trite? Too clean? Too academic, but not detailed enough? Not enough truth? As much as Outlander disappointed me, this felt a little like a poor man's Outlander. Things were just far too easy for Xanthe. And the world of the early 17th century felt more like the way a reenacter would describe it than an historian. Brackston obviously did her research on the town, the manor house, and the antiques, but it seems like she skipped a lot of the historical research to really bring Xanthe's experience alive.

Magical, lyrical, engrossing. What a brilliant book! I’m looking forward to reading more in this series.

This is the first book in a continuing series, about the gifted Xanthe and her mother Flora’s small antique shop in the market town of Marlborough. I chose this hoping for a lighter, easier read, and for the most part that is exactly what I got. I also loved the setting of the shop however I do wish there had been a bit more build up to Xanthe’s travels in time and I found I had to suspend belief a fair bit during these travels.

The Little Shop of Found Things by Paula Brackston has an intriguing premise. Xanthe Westlake can get memories from antique items that call to her. She always gets a feeling when near a special object. After finding a silver chatelaine at an estate sale, Xanthe finds herself in the past to correct an injustice. I liked the idea of a woman with psychometry ability delving into the past. Unfortunately, I had a difficult time wading through The Little Shop of Found Things. I struggled to get through the story. I kept hoping it was just a slow starter and that I would soon be completely engrossed. That did not happen. The pacing is sluggish and certain details are repeated often. The author has an old fashioned writing style and there are overly detailed descriptions. I was astonished that Xanthe would travel back wearing Doc Martens and no one notices the odd shoes (really). I could not connect with Xanthe and I did try. It took me several attempts, but I did finish the story. I was just not the right audience for The Little Shop of Found Things. I wanted to like this book because it is the type of story that appeals to me. While The Little Shop of Found Things was not right for me, it did appeal to many readers. I suggest you read a sample of the book and judge it for yourself. I failed to find the magic in The Little Shop of Found Things.

Overall, this book was a fun read. It had a little bit of everything---family issues, ghosts, time travel, romance, friendship, etc.

I have a lot of mixed feelings about this book. There is a lot going on here: time travel, ghosts, and romance, plus all of the modern-day struggles on top of that. There were some interesting parts and other times when I didn't want to keep reading. For a long time I thought this book would be two stars for me, but it ended up being OK enough to be three. That said, it was an odd one, and I'm not really sure how to feel about it.

I absolutely loved this book and will highly and frequently recommend it to my customers! Thank you, NetGalley, for the advance copy!

This sounded like the perfect book for me, however I'm not sure if I read it at the wrong time as I didn't feel connected to the story or the characters throughout the book. This book could be perfect for other people, unfortunately it wasn't the book for me.

Absolutely fell in love with this series and I'm totally hooked!! What a great story!! I'm loving this main character and her mom. Hands down my new favorite series!!! Get it now!!

First line: It is a commonly held belief that the most likely place to find a ghost is beneath a shadowy moon, among the ruins of a castle, or perhaps in an abandoned house where the living have fled leaving only spirits to drift from room to room.

Summary: Xanthe and her mother move to a small town in the English countryside with the plans of opening an antique shop. Using their knowledge of antiques and Xanthe’s unique skill of hearing and learning the history of special pieces, they believe this is the change they need. But when Xanthe accidentally falls back in time with her newest acquisition she finds that there is more to this new place and her gift then she originally thought.

My Thoughts: This book has so much promise. I have enjoyed Brackston’s books about witches. They had lots of history and were very well written. Almost more literary. This one seemed more like fluff. There was not much to characters but at the same time there was SO MUCH about the characters. They each had something that put them in a certain group or gave them a gift. And the story was so basic but I could not find myself caring about anyone. I almost knew what was going to happen before it happened. I was really bummed about this book.

FYI: First in a series.

I LOVE THIS BOOK! Okay, I've never read a Paula Brackston book that I didn't love, but I especially loved this one. Historical time travel is one of my absolute top genres. That it is first in a series fills me with serious glee. From time travel to the antiques, mother/daughter relationship, and village life, I loved it all.

The Little Shop of Found Things should have been a home run for me and it grieves me it just didn’t work for me. I’m all in for witchy fiction, suspending belief, time travel. There was a distinct disconnect over the book I chose and the book I was reading. Somewhere I missed the part about a very menacing character in the book. This comes up as read alikes with some of my favorite feel good, cosy, uplift books. My experience certainly didn’t match this. Also, similar to some other readers the writing was a bit repetitive and sometimes heavy handed. I did enjoy very much the use of location as a distinct character, very atmospheric. I loved that aspect. I’ll definitely try another book from Paula Brackston.
I received an advanced reader copy (eGalley) from St. Martins’s Press through NetGalley. This review reflects my honest and unbiased opinions.

I'm so sad that it took me so long to read this book because what a treat it was. This book promised romance and a bit of magic and boy did it deliver.

An interesting time-travel novel. A bit of a love story, as well, but not too much. Intriguing characters and storyline - worth the read!

It took me awhile to get into the book, but once I got halfway through the book, I really enjoyed it and can't wait to read the next one. I loved the relationship between Xanthe and Flora, her mother. I also really like the idea of antiques "singing" to Xanthe. I look forward to continuing the series.

Great read for historical fiction/time travel fans. The characters are incredibly likable (or unlikeable as the case may be) and the plot never stops.

I was rooting for Xanthe and her mother from the beginning and loved her magical ability because I have never read about that particular kind of magic before. Plus, picturing all of the antiques in the shop and how they would be cared for was a lot of fun.

For me this felt like a cross between Outlander and Downton Abbey, so needless to say, I was in love. Can't wait to read book two.

I think my issue with this book is that it was meh. I just... didn’t love it. It’s not like anything was bad about it but I didn’t connect with the story line and it was hard to get into.

"The Little Shop of Found Things" is a surprising book. I definitely enjoyed the time travel aspect, especially as I wasn't quite sure what I was in for at first. Unfortunately, I did find some of the story to be a bit cliche but it's an overall enjoyable story.

The cover of this book is gorgeous. At first, I thought it would be more about a shop but instead, it was about time travel. Xanthe, the main character comes in possession of a chatelaine which leads her on a time travel journey to the 17th century to help bring justice to a young maid. She works on help the young girl with the help of characters in the 17th century and those in her current day. This was an enjoyable book and I look forward to reading book 2.