A truly beautifully written story. At the core, it's about love, acceptance, and choices. I really enjoyed the descriptive qualities...just enough to let my imagination roam.

This was simply a tender and sweet love story of two special characters. Dan is a harpmaker of extraordinary talent. He lives on Exmoor and knows that he has difficulties. He has problems communicating and he thinks he is ‘made of the wrong ingredients’. But you will fall in love with him! Ellie is a lonely housewife with a manipulative husband. She happens to come across Dan’s barn, where he makes the harps. I am not going to say more about this except that it is a very special story.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

This was okay. Dan, the harpmaker, is excellently drawn, but I could not empathize much with Ellie even though her husband could be a big jerk. I enjoyed learning about harps and Exmoor.

It was refreshing to read a book with a character on the spectrum where his diagnosis wasn't the main focus. But I was more interested in the harps than the characters! I didn't feel connected to any of them, even annoyed at times. It was a fast read...because there wasn't much depth in the characters or their life events.

Not my usual genre, so this was an interesting book for me to choose. I suppose the title was catchy. Anyway, the harp maker character was intriguing because I saw some similar characteristics to my own (focused on both creating and paying attention to the smallest things in our surroundings, discomfort in groups, etc). I could also relate to Elle, especially her need for harmonious relationships. As for the book itself, I kept putting it away and coming back to it days later. In some respects, the story dragged on unnecessarily but then you'd realize that was necessary to characters development. I'll give it three stars -

I admit that the overall plot is very good. I liked the character of Ellie and think that she developed a lot growth throughout the story.
But it seems like the feelings between her and harpmaker are forced, and that the husband is made to be a kerk with the specific purpose of Ellie falling for another man.
The development of the relationship seemed forced to create drama, and in the end it was just too predictable.

First things first: I love when stories match their covers. And with Ellie and the Harpmaker, it fit so well that I went back and stared at it when I finished the story. So much simplicity, but so much meaning to the story as a whole. I think that is very important in the books that I read. 

The author's writing in this book was purely lyrical. That is the only way I can put it. The words and descriptions flowed so nicely together that I wasn't even annoyed that things were being described so much. I think had any one else wrote this, I would have grown bored on the second chapter. But I really, really enjoyed Hazel Prior's writing.

I know that I have touched on this before in my previous reviews, but when stories include a character with a mental illness or a "difference" from the typical characters we read about-- I love to see where they go and I love to explore the characters and almost study them in a way! Dan was such a wonderful character. And with the author giving us his POV, I enjoyed the story as a whole so much more. When the author explores these types of characters with such delicacy, I am happy and intrigued. 

I love, love, loved Dan and Ellie's friendship. I love it. There is simply no other way to put it. The safety and friendship that Ellie finds in Dan and vice-versa, I loved that. It was so precious to me. 

Ellie and the Harpmaker was such a sweet and simple story. I absolutely adored the way the author described and wrote so well about how the two main characters experienced the world around them. Two different types of people and worlds colliding the way Dan and Ellie's did is one of my favorite things to read about.

I loved this book, especially as one of the main characters is a pheasant named Phineas! It is a lovely story, beautifully written with good character development. Highly recommended!

What a beautifully written story of two people who find each other in an unusual way. Dan is a simple man, a harp maker in a barn in the woods of Exmoor. Ellie stumbles upon the barn, lost and looking for direction. Ellie becomes enamored of Celtic harp music, and begins to see hope. I highly recommend this story for the lyrical writing and the unique characters. Thank you to Netgalley for the ARC.

When Ellie walks into the Harp Barn one day, her life and the lives of Dan and Clive, are bound to change. Dan, the harp maker, is a sensitive soul and, though it isn't mentioned in the book, comes across as someone on the autism spectrum. He is very good looking and when Ellie mentions that "playing the harp" is on her before 40 list, gives her a harp. Ellie's husband Clive, thinks the gift is inappropriate and does not support Ellie's desire to learn to play. So, Ellie goes and takes lessons behind his back. I don't want to give away what happens next. You will just have to read the book. I thoroughly enjoyed this engaging and tender book.

5+ stars
I am shaking with excitement over this book. I am bubbling with praise!

The author's words were so eloquent, vivid, and emotional! They had a rhythm and beauty like a poem or a song.
The magnificently descriptive writing was illuminating- I could see what they saw, I felt what they felt.
This book was complete bliss to read!! I was captivated and could not stop reading.
This is her first book, I hope not her last...I will be anxiously waiting for her next one- It will go on my bookshelf.

I highly recommend this - everyone needs to experience this book!!

I will be adding more once I read the final copy
to ensure these quotes are still in.

This is a sweet, cozy, atmospheric novel with characters to root for and a beautiful setting. Hazel Prior’s style brings you to the small world of Exmoor with vivid descriptions of the setting and very well-developed characters

This book was a bit of a slow start, and at first I did not have a lot of patience for Emma, but the story really grew on me, and the second half of the book seemed to move along much better than the first.

That was one good book! I loved it! Such a sweet story. I will be recommending it to my friends! I am so glad for the happy ending.

The title caught me immediately. My daughter played the harp from age 7 until she was 18. She’s given it up. Now, the harp sits in my dining room in the corner, all alone. I’m trying to sell it. A girl recently came to see it, and as soon as she started playing it, I cried. Such a beautiful sound!
This book was very sweet, and Ellie, wistful as ever, starts to play. As she learns to play, I too, can hear the music. I like the simple life Dan lives and yearn for days such as his, just like my childhood. Does all this make sense? I doubt it, but what a nice ode to harpmakers and Ellie and Dan.

This could have been a sappy love story but it isn't. It could have cliched--introvert and lonely housewife--but it isn't. It is a lovely story with wonderful characters and written in a lyrical manner. I believe it is a debut novel, and I look forward to more from this writer.

A single word keep going through my head while I was reading this book. That word was lyrical and it really had nothing to do with the poetry Ellie wrote or the music created by the harp. It was the beautifully descriptive writing. I loved the way the author described how the two main characters experienced the world around them. Dan's simple outlook on life and his appreciation of the world around him was mesmerizing and a joy to  read. When he took his walks through Exmoor I felt like I was there with him seeing the views he was seeing. From the dewdrops on the grass to the smell of the pine to the tweeting of the birds, I felt like I was with Dan walking through the woods. I loved the way Dan spoke about the wood he used for his harps and how he always noticed color. Also, the way Ellie described harp music as a breath of fresh mountain air and a shaft of sunlight rippling in the water... those were just perfect similes to me. Overly detailed descriptions like this can sometimes bog down a book for me, but not this time. The author's words were perfectly chosen and really helped me get into the mindset of Ellie and Dan and understand the things that were important to them. Like I said... lyrical!

This is a unique, unexpected love story and one that was incredibly sweet and innocent between the two main characters. Ellie was a lonely housewife with an inattentive husband. Dan was an introvert, disliked crowds and loud noises, and mostly kept to himself in the Harp Barn where he lived and worked. Neither of them really thought their lives might be missing something special until they met and started to get to know each other. Dan introduced Ellie to harps and music and gave her space to explore both in his Harp Barn. Ellie ultimately introduced Dan to something he never could have fathomed.

I really don't want to say more about this book, because it is one of those kinds of books that needs to be read to appreciate it. You will root for Dan and Ellie. You will actually fall in love with Dan! He is a really unique and special character. I highly recommend you get this book and get to know him.

This was the 216th book I read in 2018. It became one of my top 10 favorite books read in 2018 with ease! This is a debut book by this author and I look forward to reading more of her work.

Thank you NetGalley and Berkley Publishing Group for a free advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Story alternates between Ellie, a bored housewife and Dan, a quiet/sensitive guy who lives by himself making harps by hand and lives in the woods amidst nature. Ellie is very insecure (like a lot of women) and she allows her arrogant husband to run her life. But she yearns for more and that’s what is at the heart of this tale. Stepping away from a life that isn’t what you really want and finding where your passion is. Friendships, families and secrets lead to a disturbing climax. I was nervous about the ending. It could have gone several ways but was satisfying. A very nice read!