Mesmerizing, magical & bewitching!

The premise and themes that are featured in this book are probably some of my most favourite elements that I love to read about in my books. The supernatural, magical realism, time travel and antiques. Then bring all those things together into a book adding a little bit of romance to the storyline then I’m one happy and very contented reader!

THE LITTLE SHOP OF FOUND THINGS by PAULA BRACKSTON is a charming, haunting, suspenseful and romantic novel that I absolutely adored and loved the journey that this book took me on. The novel did take a little bit of patience in the beginning though to get used to the beautiful descriptive writing style but once that was mastered the rest of the novel flowed perfectly for me.

PAULA BRACKSTON delivers an atmospheric, engaging and beautifully written tale of intrigue, suspense and mystery here with great characters, a captivating setting and an extremely enchanting storyline. I absolutely loved this storyline and the dynamics between Xanthe and her mother as well as a couple of the male characters. Which I won’t say too much about.

I really connected with Xanthe, she was such a likeable and heartfelt character and I was totally fascinated with her ability to sense an antique objects past just by touching it and the magical adventure that it took her on, transporting her back to the seventeenth century. The adventure, details and descriptions back in this time period was absolutely fascinating and loved every minute of it. There were some pretty exciting scenes in the present as well that definitely kept me turning those pages.

This book is by no means a fast-paced read but it definitely had a spellbinding affect on me and thoroughly entertained me!

Norma’s Stats:
Cover: Beautiful, mesmerizing, eye-catching, intriguing and an extremely fitting representation to storyline. The pretty cover alone definitely enticed me to read this book!
Title: Appealing, suspenseful, intriguing and absolutely loved how the title played into the storyline. Absolutely perfect!
Writing/Prose: Well-written, meticulous, engaging, captivating, and fluid.
Plot: Suspenseful, enchanting, exciting, intriguing, engrossing, steady-paced, enjoyable and extremely entertaining.
Ending: A lovely ending that I was extremely satisfied with and also left me feeling extremely excited knowing that this is the first book in a series. Can’t wait to read book #2.
Overall: A fascinating and fully absorbing read that had me totally engrossed within this tale from start to finish! I absolutely loved this storyline! Would highly recommend!

Thank you so much to NetGalley, St. Martin’s Press and Paula Brackston for the opportunity to read an advanced copy of this book in exchange for a review.

Review featured at www.books-n-kisses.com

3.75 Hearts This cover is breathtaking isn’t it? I just love it. So how could I not request this book and I am glad I did. I love magic and wish so much that I could have some but when asked that question “if you had a super power what would it be?” I always say I do not know. But after reading this I wonder if I wouldn’t want the ability to know the history of anything I touched. This may be my answer from now on.

Back to the book…. I found the story as mesmerizing as the cover. This story has a bit of history thrown into the magical world. I loved the relationship between mother and daughter.

I look forward to reading the next in the series.

Disclaimer:
I received a complimentary copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.

this was interesting, but I did have to push myself to keep reading, and was definitely not sold fast-tracked romance. However, that said, the characters that seem to be an integral part of the modern day setting? They might bring me back again

I hate to say that I did not like this book. I’m not into fantasy. I rarely like time travel and I just did not like this book. I appreciate the publisher giving me a copy in exchange for my honest review and this is my honest review. I just could not get into it. I just did not like it. It did not pull me in or hold my interest. In the beginning I thought. I was going to like it but that didn’t last long.

Thank you to NetGalley for this copy.

The little shop of found things draw my attention immediately. Unfortunately once I started reading it, it was difficult for me to get into the story. I will not lie; it was slow and had so many details that were not important for me. The plot seemed weak too, I couldn’t understand why everything had to happen that way and I certainly did not understand why Xanthe had to be the one to save Alice, or why Alice´s mother had to be like that.
Nevertheless I kept on reading, because my mother raise no quitter. As I kept reading, even when I still thought the main idea of the book was weak I genuinely wanted to know what was going to happen. And that’s how I got to the 93% of the book without realizing it. At the end it is a nice, magical and unique story. I really liked Xanthe, and I liked Samuel and Liam too.
I can say that it is a book very different from what I usually read, but it was enjoyable and interesting. I have always felt interested by time traveling and this book offered and nice story about it. It also makes you think about how the society work centuries ago, how people with no money suffered so many injustices.
Overall, it is a good book, it’s certainly different and it makes me wonder about the other books by the author.

This is one of those books I just could not put down! The author’s writing is evocative and descriptive, perfectly bringing to life a beautiful romantic story of magic, mystery and suspense. A truly wonderful read.

4.5 stars

Paula Brackston has been a favorite writer of mine for a while now. I have read almost all of her ‘witch’ novels and I love them! She has such a nice voice in her stories and I love the mixture of magic and realism.

When this book came up for review, I was so excited to read it. I loved the cover and the title so much. It looked like something that I was going to be an instant favorite in my magical realism category.

Xanthe and her mother Flora leave London behind for a fresh start, taking over an antique shop in the historic town of Marlborough. Xanthe has always had an affinity with some of the antiques she finds. When she touches them, she can sense something of the past they come from and the stories they hold. So when she has an intense connection to a beautiful silver chatelaine she has to know more.

It’s while she’s examining the chatelaine that she’s transported back to the seventeenth century. And shortly after, she’s confronted by a ghost who reveals that this is where the antique has its origins. The ghost tasks Xanthe with putting right the injustice in its story to save an innocent girl’s life, or else it’ll cost her Flora’s.

While Xanthe fights to save her amid the turbulent days of 1605, she meets architect Samuel Appleby. He may be the person who can help her succeed. He may also be the reason she can’t bring herself to leave.

With its rich historical detail, strong mother-daughter relationship, and picturesque English village, The Little Shop of Found Things is poised to be a strong start to this new series (summary from Goodreads).

This book has been marketed to fans of Outlander and I can see why. Romance and time travel in an English village. But I don’t know that this is an ‘epic’ in the way that Outlander is. Though if you love Outlander (like me) then you will find lot to love in this book.

There is a lot of mystery, magic, and romance in this book and I absolutely loved watching those three elements come together. Xanthe, the protagonist, has the ability to ‘read’ objects in her antique shop and I thought that was an interesting aspect of this novel. I always wonder what stories antiques could tell and this novel explores just that and for that reason alone I was compelled to read this book!

Xanthe and her mother are quite close and while that was a nice touch in this book, for me it wasn’t necessary. I personally wanted the book to focus just on the romance and magic rather than having this mother/daughter relationship but in the end it worked nicely and was fine, just my preference would have been just the romance.

I thought the story itself was enchanting and exactly what I needed during the late fall nights. It was a fun read and I was thrilled to see that this is going to be a series. There was plenty of romance, history, and magic, as well as some mystery to keep readers engaged and excited to pick up the book and start reading whenever they have a minute to spare. I loved the characters and the plot, and the chemistry between Xanthe and Samuel was well balanced and rich.

As always, Brackston has penned another lovely read. Her witch books are still my favorites, but this book is right up there with some of my favorites. If you love Outlander and magic and romance, then this is the book you have been waiting for, it all comes together flawlessly under Brackston’s talents!

Also, side note—I want to go antiquing now! Especially in the English countryside and maybe happen upon an item that will magically time travel me!

Challenge/Book Summary:

Book: The Little Shop of Found Things (The Little Shop of Found Things #1) by Paula Brackston

Kindle Edition, 336 pages
Published October 2nd 2018 by St. Martin’s Press
ASIN B079DW82NL
Review copy provided by: Publisher/Author in exchange for an honest review, all opinions are my own
Recommendation: 4.5 out of 5
Genre: magical realism, romance, time travel, historical fiction
Memorable lines/quotes

I loved The Little Shop of Found Things! As Xanthe and her mother are trying to collect antiques and open a new little shop in a different town, Xanthe comes up an antique chatelaine and understand that she must travel into the past to make a wrong right. She travels back to the sixteenth century, where she must help Alice who has been wrongly convicted of stealing items from the woman she works for. Along the way, Xanthe meets Samuel and feels an instant connection to him, even across the centuries. The Little Shop of Found Things is filled with magic, suspense, love, and a will to do what is right.

I'm still dabbling in Historical Fiction because, I'll freely admit, it's a genre that intimidates me. It might be irrational, but when I don't know much about the time period the book is set in I get anxious. I'm worried that I'll be lost. So when I started The Little Shop of Found Things, and found myself in the tiny town of Marlborough, I was utterly enchanted. Xanthe and her mother immediately felt like home. The people she met in town felt like family. Brackston made me feel like this was a story I belonged in, and it was wonderful.

Granted, this was all before Xanthe actually sent off on her historical adventure. However, even when she did find the chatelaine and discover she could travel back in time, I never had a moment where I felt out of place. This story makes it easy to follow along, no matter how much you know about the 1600's. Xanthe's character is sweet, but determined. She's someone who you would follow forever. It helped that Brackston puts all manner of intriguing people in Xanthe's path as she navigates the 1605 version of her new home. The fact that there was also no heavy romance present, but simply the sweet outline of one, made me smile. I won't spoil, but Samuel Appleby is definitely one of my favorite people in this book.

In terms of pacing, this story does an excellent job of gently leading the reader by the hand. There's no hurry, but neither did I ever feel like things were dragging. Xanthe spends just enough time in each location to make it feel realistic. I loved how she consistently had to remind herself of what a person of her standing would say, and do, in that time period. It felt like Brackston had a lot of fun fitting Xanthe's fiery personality into an older world where women were better seen and not heard. It made this a lot of fun to read.

Rambling aside, I'll simply say that this book was a treat. I wasn't expecting to love it, and yet the story was so easy to get lost in that I soon found I couldn't stop reading. Accessible historical fiction like this, stories that reach out and pull you in, is exactly what I've been looking for. I'm so pleased that I discovered The Little Shop of Found Things.

The Little Shop of Found Things by Paula Brackston
Review by Dawn Thomas

320 Pages
Publisher: St. Martin’s Press
Release Date: October 16, 2018

Historical Fiction, Romance, Fantasy, Magic, Time Travel

Xanthe and her mother, Flora, are starting over. Flora suffers from a severe case of arthritis but is relocating and opening an antique store after her divorce. Funds are tight so the two women work together to get the shop ready. At an estate auction, Xanthe sees a chatelaine, a metal belt worn by the lady of the house during the 18th century. The item calls to Xanthe and she must have it. She spends more than their budget can spare but Flora understands the connection between Xanthe and the chatelaine.

Xanthe does not know at the time how owning the chatelaine will change her life. When they return to their new home, Xanthe meets the ghost of Mistress Merton. She threatens Xanthe and Flora unless Xanthe agrees to save Mistress Merton’s daughter, Alice. The problem is Alice does not live in this century. Xanthe must find a way to travel back into the past. She knows the key lies with the chatelaine.

The book is written in third person and revolves around Xanthe. The characters are well developed and historical references make the story feel more authentic. I have enjoyed other books by this author and look forward to reading more about Xanthe’s adventures. I highly recommend this book to anyone who enjoys historical or time travel stories.

Xanthe Westlake has a gift; the ability to touch a precious object and know its history. But after she acquires a silver chatelaine for the antique shop she runs with her mom, she leans some things can also transport her through time where she meets a handsome 17thcentury architect. The first in Brackston’s latest series is bewitching.

Wonderful premise. Appealing characters. Hints of intrigue and wonders to come. However, all these terrific elements did not yield a book that I could bear reading. Perhaps I'm not that right target for the story with long, descriptive paragraphs that were possibly intended to create setting and set the atmosphere, but they did not work for me. Sad to say, had to abandon about 40 pages in, realizing that I couldn't bear any more slogging along.

I loved this story! I love the idea of time travel so this was super fun to read! The characters were so real to me, I enjoyed going along for their adventures! This is the first book i have read by Paula Brackston but it won't be the last!

Xanthe and her mother Flora leave London and move to small town of Marlborough to start anew . Taking over an antiques shop Xanthe come across a silver chatelaine that brings forth a ghost that wants justice for her wronged daughter .finding she can travel to the past Xanthe begins to set right the pasts wrongs. Filled with , magic , romance and time travel this is truly a wonderful book

If you left your life behind and traveled back in time what kind of magic would you bring back with you?

Xanthe has a special gift. She is able to touch antique objects and feel a connection to the people that once owned the item. While at an auction, she finds a silver chatelaine that produces one of the strongest feelings she's ever had with an object. After returning back home to her newly acquired antique shop in Marlborough, she discovers that the chatelaine has the power to transport her back in time to the 1605. Shortly after returning to the present, she is visited by an angry ghost who threatens to harm her mother if she doesn't go back in time and right an injustice that occurred with a young woman in the early 17th century. Worried for her mother's safety, Xanthe agrees to tackle the task but finds that the challenge is much more difficult than she ever imagined.
The first thing that drew me to this book was the beautiful cover. I also think the book has an intriguing premise that someone could know something about an object just by touching it. I had never even heard of the word "chatelaine" before reading this book so I learned a new word too. Now I've seen women wearing them in movies since I started this book and had to laugh because I never knew that it was they were called. I always think that time travel books are interesting. Since I've read a couple of other time travel books recently, I found myself comparing this book to them. I wasn't as convinced with the plausibility of this book's time travel methods as the others I've read. Xanthe traveled too easily between one time period and the next. Xanthe appeared overly confident that she could step back in present day, grab something that she needed, and then return and hope that not too much time had passed in 1605. I'm not sure that someone who had the ability to time travel would take so many risks going back and forth like Xanthe did. I felt like the book ended a little bit on a cliff hanger so I was pleased to see that there will be a sequel. Thanks to St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for a copy of this book to read. In return, I have presented an honest an unbiased opinion of this book.

This is the first time I have read a Paula Brackston story. I didn't pay too much attention to the description, because I really liked the title. So as I began to read and discover the scope of the story, including time travel and a ghost, I was pleasantly surprised! I loved the character of Xanthe. Her courage, fortitude and back story captured me. The Little Shop of Found Things is a treasure that I will read again and again, and look forward to reading more of Ms. Brackston's work, especially the next book in this new series!

Fine fiction! A quaint town in England, both now and in the 1600s. A story of ghosts, time travel, romance and antique shopping. A whirlwind of a tale that keeps you reading so you can find out how it will all end.

The synopsis:
Xanthe and her mother Flora leave London behind for a fresh start, taking over an antique shop in the historic town of Marlborough. Xanthe has always had an affinity with some of the antiques she finds. When she touches them, she can sense something of the past they come from and the stories they hold. So when she has an intense connection to a beautiful silver chatelaine she has to know more.

It’s while she’s examining the chatelaine that she’s transported back to the seventeenth century. And shortly after, she's confronted by a ghost who reveals that this is where the antique has its origins. The ghost tasks Xanthe with putting right the injustice in its story to save an innocent girl’s life, or else it’ll cost her Flora’s.

My thoughts:
I wasn't exactly sure what I was getting into when I read this book. I originally thought it was going to be about a shopkeeper helping people fall in love, but that's probably because this book reminds of another book with a similar title. Oops! Still, with the first mention of a ghost, I was intrigued. Especially, because I read this book shortly after October ended and I was still in the mood for all the spooky things. Having read it now, it definitely was hardly a scary book. Again, oops! It was, overall, a romance book but not with the two people who you would come to expect after reading the first few chapters. The romance did catch me by surprise and I rather enjoyed that it wasn't the obvious pairing after all. Some things in the story seemed too farfetched and not at all possible. I know, the book contains a magical element, and I'm all for that. However, I just couldn't get on board with it. A good story overall but I will probably not be continuing the series. A 3/5

This was a perfect book when I needed a distraction. Not heavy, not cumbersome, it didn’t require intense involvement, it just required a brief suspension of concrete logic.

A myriad of topics is explored including; psychometry; ghosts, witches, Ley Lines, time travel; England in 1605 and the lack of women’s’ rights; a bit of the “upstairs/downstairs” life; familial love, romantic love, the creation of an antique shop. There should be something for everyone, but perhaps I was in the right place at the right time to be receptive to this book.

I really enjoyed The Little Shop of Found Things and thank NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for a copy.