Brackston’s sequel reads a bit more like Kindred than Outlander to me: I don’t quite know why. Outlander does have the same theme of witches, but, in Kindred, the protagonist has a lot more at stake. So, the story is somber. It is also rich, something I’ve come to expect from the author. The descriptions and beautiful and exact. The women are fully developed, strong and autonomous, an irony considering the threat of persecution. I was on tenterhooks, but, somehow, Brackston made me happy to be snared.

The language is lyrical and lovely. It is also dense. That fact maybe the reason for the comparison to Galbadon, but don’t be fooled. Galbadon describes everything object and setting ad nauseam. Don’t get me wrong, it works, although it is laborious, but it’s also not necessary and it’s not poetic. More similarly, Katherine Howe’s Deliverance Dane and Deborah Harkness’s A Discovery of Witches tell stories about time travel and witches. And yet, neither does what Brackston has. Her language is more about exactitude than it is about the minutiae of her surroundings, immersion in a culture or the intricacies of scholarship. It is neither erudite nor pedantic.

Secrets of the Chocolate House is organic and subtle. It is a study in semiotics that I appreciate, even if she did not struggle with word choice. The story makes space for realizations. The words breathe and expand as they leave the page. They mimic incantation. They enchant. I could observe the transitory and precarious nature of humanity; feel how nebulous spirituality is to the faithful. Brackston’s writing does the work of those fireside poets. It is metaphysical as opposed to fantastical or science fictional. I

Secrets of the Chocolate House reveals the secret between genre fiction and literature, if anyone out there is unclear. This kind of novel isn’t new. 20th century vanguards wrote blues and jazz novels. Books that often used music, but better examples that did not but managed to be musical. They mimicked the riffs, staccato beats, experimental nature music. Brackston’s writing sounds, for a lack of a better word, like magic. Xantha reads like a woman in and out of time, an old soul, a timeless beauty. As a reader, I feel like a crucial ingredient, an alchemical catalyst necessary to her brew work. I wholeheartedly recommend, especially for students. There’s enough fodder for discussion, close reading and critiques. It’s a veritable cornucopia for instruction.

Thank you Net Galley for the ARC.

I really like this series. When I first saw the books I didn't want to read them because of the time travel aspect; too many times authors treat the time travel device poorly. However, Paula Brackstone does a wonderful job of weaving the two timelines together believably. Once I started reading I couldn't put it down.

Thanks to St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for the ARC of this book.

I just love this author and these stories. It’s easy to lose yourself in them which is my favorite part. I’ll admit I liked the first book in this series a little better but I still really enjoyed this one and continue to love this author!

This author continues to surprise with this well paced fantasy. I love the time travel elements. Not exactly sure how it all works but I'm not sure if thats important. I enjoy the how the author always explains the preparations and how to get around family and friends. I wanted the romance to be more epic but I'm starting to think thats not the point of this series. I'm for a third installment1 I have a lot of people at my branch who love time travel so I am constantly telling people about this under the radar series.

Thank you, St. Martins Press for our gifted review copy.

Yes! I'm so happy to be back in this time-traveling world. I loved the first book in the series & have high hopes for this one. The writing is magical and transformative. This book is fun, hopeful & so fun to just enter this world for a bit. Highly recommend.

The Secrets of the Chocolate House by Paula Brackston is the second book of her Found Things series. In it, a copper chocolate pot “sings” to Xanthe, who runs an antique shop with her mother in the English town of Marlborough. A vision leads Xanthe to believe that her beloved Samuel is in danger so she travels back to the 17th century yet again. Xanthe learns that she is not alone in her ability to travel through time. She meets two other “spinners”, as time travelers are called. One is evil and is threatening to hurt Samuel. The other is an elderly woman who becomes a mentor to Xanthe. From her, Xanthe learns more about her gift of spinning and starts to learn how to better control her abilities to travel to specific time periods.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. I like Brackston’s writing style. She gives wonderful descriptions of the scenery, the architecture, the objects, and the clothing of the different time periods. As someone who does not read fantasy, I was reluctant to read the first book in the series, The Little Shop of Found Things, when it became our book club’s selection a year ago. However, it ended up being one of my favorite books that I read that year! I became totally immersed in the story and could not wait to continue to travel through time with Xanthe. The second book, The Secrets of the Chocolate House, did not disappoint and I am looking forward to the release of the third book in the series.

Thank you to Netgalley for providing a free e-copy for my honest review.

3.5 *

I'm enjoying this time travel series by Paula Brackston. I find it very well researched and the Seventeenth Century in England fascinating. I was delighted to learn that hot chocolate houses were popular in that time. This book certainly had me wanting to have some as I was reading about the making of the hot chocolate!

I was interested to catch up with Xanthe and her travels as I enjoyed the first book as well. The present day story of the antique store setting (and her mother Flora) I am enjoying as well although the old boyfriend (Marcus) is getting a bit annoying. I felt like yelling at Xanthe to just forcefully tell him to LEAVE! She is a strong character and the way she is interacting with Marcus is grating on my nerves a little! Her present day love interest (Liam) I am slowly warming to although I want to learn more about him.

Xanthe has a special gift, time travel which we learn is being referred to as, "Spinning." In the second book it is the old copper chocolate pot which "sings" to her. When an object from the past that Xanthe touches, "sings" to her she knows she is needed in the past and must travel in time to help solve a mystery. This book leads her back into the 1600's and she is reunited with Samuel and meets some new people as well as a disturbing figure.

I really enjoyed the story but parts of it got a little bit slow (around 60% of the book.). It then bounced back with a fabulous cliffhanger ending. I will most certainly read the third book! As I was reading the book I kept thinking that this might make a good series for tv. I know I'd watch it for just plain escapism.

I'd like to kindly thank NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for granting me access to this Advanced Reader Copy.

After I read the first book in Paula Brackston’s recent series, Found Things, I was super excited to read the next book. Called Secrets of the Chocolate House, I finished it in the midst of our current global pandemic crisis. Naturally, I wished for escapist reading. Unfortunately, it didn’t captivate me as much as the first.

However, I now want to drink all the hot chocolate and spike it with any appropriate alcohol I have handy while in quarantine.

In the Found Things series, Xanthe Westlake and her mother Flora own a sweet little antique shop in the Wiltshire district of England. Wiltshire includes Stonehenge, and lovely towns like Marlborough, where the Westlakes live. It’s also home to Salisbury Cathedral, which inspired Ken Follett’s Kingsbridge Cathedral in Pillars of the Earth. Brackston uses real life places like the nearby White Horse carving in her narrative, and all the locations add layers of atmosphere. Given that I’m currently confined to my home, I enjoy the armchair travel.

Brackston also injects magical elements into her story, as she often does. In Found Things, Xanthe connects to certain antiques, and in return, they help her time travel. As you’d guess from the title, Xanthe finds a seventeenth century copper chocolate pot, typically used to make and serve drinking chocolate in a chocolate house. Whenever she gets near it, she sees images of her back-in-time love interest, Samuel Appleby, in a precarious situation.

Of course, Xanthe takes her antique chocolate pot, and promptly transports to Samuel’s time. While there she gets tangled up in politics, intrigue, and even dispenses some medical care.

My conclusions
I wished for much more from Found Things #2. All the chocolate in the world doesn’t overcome a lackluster plot and dithering heroine. Xanthe mode is “love him, can’t live with him, what about this other guy in my own time.” She also pops back in time with virtually no plan beyond what outfit to wear. This attitude shows her youth and inexperience, and that frustrates me.

On the other hand, who acts completely logical when they’re whisked through the centuries? Still, I wanted Brackston to immerse me in the adventure, but it wasn’t gripping enough. The chemistry between Xanthe and either century’s romantic prospects fizzled. On the other hand, my new favorite character is the fantasy-curious pub owner who gives Xanthe practical advice and helps cover for her when she travels.

Brackston portrays Flora, Xanthe’s mother, as a fairly helpless, 50-something woman with arthritis. Given how much disability she lives with, I wish Brackston would be clear that this is more than osteoarthritis. I’m guessing it’s more along the lines of Rheumatoid Arthritis, which sometimes begins harming joint tissue in childhood. Nevertheless, Flora and Xanthe love and care for each other. And it’s a charming aspect of the story.

If you’re trying to escape life in our current world, the Found Things series may work for you. I recommend it with reservations about its depth of intensity.

Acknowledgements
Many thanks to NetGalley, St. Martin’s Press, and the author for the opportunity to read a digital ARC in exchange for this honest review.

An enchanting second book in the Found Things Series, Secrets of the Chocolate House by Paula Brackston is another bewitching journey back in time filled with magic and intrigue. 

The writing is vivid and atmospheric and I simply love the author's style as she brings to life the small town of Marlborough with its shops and cottages and the characters. There's a certain comfort in returning back to familiar and beloved characters as they embark upon a fresh new adventure, and going back in time with Xanthe was a treat, and a very suspenseful one too. Despite the characters and plot being familiar, the story was as fresh and engrossing as it could be. 

I've mentioned it before in my review of The Little Shop of Found Things that the pacing isn't very brisk but rather pretty slow and it's the same for this story, but having said that, I had no issues and it worked perfectly for the storyline.

The author maintains the suspense and mystery surrounding the characters and wraps up with a satisfying conclusion and an exciting cliffhanger. I am very excited to see where it'll all lead to and will be eagerly awaiting the next installment in this delightful series.

This is the second book in a series, a bit of a bump until I got reading and understood there's a bit of time travel mixed with very good historical detail. The trope of needing something from the past is common in this type of story and was fairly well done.

Secrets of Chocolate House is the second book in the Found Things Series. Not having read the previous book, The Little Shop of Found Things, I was a little nervous that I would be unable to connect with the characters or be invested in the story. Gladly, this did not happen. The historical fiction, romance and science fiction/ time-travel elements instantly pulled me in and kept me turning the page. The idea of the character Xanthe, being able to connect with items in her antique shop that allow her to time travel and unearth secrets is so intriguing. I am excited to see what else the author has in store - this was a solid read.

First off, thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for letting me read this novel.

Well... this is probably a "it's me, not the book" kind of thing. I just don't vibe with Paula's writing prose. I get bored and start looking for stuff to do other than read anything she puts out, this series was my third try with her writing. I just couldn't get into the first book completely, but forced myself to read it (my library had an ebook copy) and then tried to read this one and just gave up at 10% in.

Terrific novel. The world building Iis pitch perfect. The characters and predicaments might sound outrageous and be unbelievable in any other author's hands but Paula pulls it off brilliantly. I hope the series continues for volumes!

In this second book of the series, Xanthe reluctantly succumbs again to time travel, this time to save her friend Samuel. A copper chocolate pot takes her to a 17th century chocolate house, run by a mysterious woman who seems to know all about her and desires to protect her. In this book, Xanthe learns more about her place in the time traveling world, receiving tools to learn how better to control her journeys. I received this wonderful story from the publisher St. Martin’s Press through NetGalley. This publisher informed NetGalley readers upfront that the first book was the beginning of a series, which I don’t normally read, but the premise sounded too fun to pass up, and this second book is also labeled part of a series. Kudos to St. Martin’s Press for their forthrightness. A big thank you to Paula Brackston for introducing Dear Readers to chocolate houses, where you got a steaming cup of creamy, homemade on the spot hot chocolate, so much better than beer.

This fantasy,historical novel is the continuation in the Found Things series.
This book has so much charm it will make you sit up and take notice.
A true page turner with a split time frame including seventeenth century and modern day life in Marlborough.


Running an antique shop with her mother she comes in contact with many unique pieces some of which "speak" to her. Beckoning her back to the seventeenth century again is a copper chocolate pot, dare she return?


Xanthe's life is modern times but yet she can't get Samuel off

her mind and in the past.
There are still so many injustices to be seen to and secrets to

discover about the past.


If Xanthe does return to the past will she be able to return home once again and will her mind be at peace?
Edge of your seat reading that completely made me want to sit and read this all at once.

Pub Date 22 Oct 2019
I was given a complimentary copy. Thank you.
All opinions expressed are my own.

4.5

I really grew to like Xanthe when I first encountered her in the first book of the Found Things series. So I was pretty excited to read book two.

Xanthe is strong spirited and has a kind heart. She is willing to take action, even when it scares her, because she believes in using her time travelling abilities to help others. In this installment, she travels back in time to help Samuel, the man she fell in love when she first time travelled. In several ways, the circumstances between Xanthe and Samuel have changed. Also, there is an evil nemesis that she must try to outwit.

While I enjoyed book one, I thought this was more exciting and suspenseful. I like that we are getting to know some of the other characters better. And boy, did the author give us quite a cliffhanger of an ending! I'm looking forward to the next book in the series!

My thanks to St. Martin's Press and Netgalley for this ARC.

I had a great time with this book! After enjoying the first book in this series, The Little Shop of Found Things, I was really excited to see what would happen next in Xanthe's life. I went into the book hoping that I would like it as much as I did the first book and I did. This was a story that was able to grab me from the very beginning and was enjoyable until the end. I am so glad that I made the choice to give this series a try.

Xanthe is able to move through time. She runs an antique shop with her mother in the present time and when she finds certain items, they call to her. Sometimes these items are connected with an event and Xanthe has the ability to go to that time to make things right. When she finds a chocolate pot, she has a vision of Samuel and he is in trouble. She goes back to Samuel's time, the 17th century, to try to help him and find things have become very complicated.

I loved the fact that in this book we learn more about the act of time traveling, or spinning. I have a feeling that we are only at the beginning of learning all about what Xanthe can really do. There were some great characters introduced in this installment and I enjoyed seeing Xanthe interact with the mistress of the chocolate house. I also really liked the fact that Xanthe bounces around in time a bit during the story so we get a pretty clear picture of what is going on in both time periods. She has quite a few challenges to overcome in both time periods.

I thought that Marisa Calin did a fabulous job with the narration. I loved how consistent the voices that she uses have been throughout the series. Each character has a very distinct sound and I thought that she added a lot of life to the characters. The way she reads the story adds a lot of emotion and excitement to it. I think that I might have enjoyed this book just a bit more because of her narration.

I would recommend this book to others. I do recommend reading this series in order if at all possible since the relationships between the characters do change over time. I had a great time journey through time with Xanthe and look forward to her future adventures.

I received a digital review copy of this book from St. Martin's Press via NetGalley and borrowed a copy of the audiobook from my local library via Overdrive.

Wow, I absolutely loved reading these stories! From the very beginning I was flipping pages so quickly it was hard for my kindle to keep up. I loved how the main character, Xanthe, was able to see the history of an object by it ‘singing’ to her and the time traveling was a blast. Many people struggle going back and forth through different time periods but I had absolutely no difficulty going through the different time periods and know it would be easy for anyone to be enthralled without that difficulty. These stories both were just absolutely magical and a treasure that any book lover would love to get their hands on! I highly recommend this series to anyone who loves a great page turner! I can’t wait to read the next book to come out in 2020!

Bewitching, atmospheric, and adventurous!

I absolutely love this series! The time-travel aspect is one of the highlights for me!

You know when you pick a book to read and it sits on your TBR pile and when you get around to reading it, you’ve forgotten what it was about or why you wanted to read it?

That happened with Secrets of the Chocolate House. It wasn’t until I started reading it that I realized I was back in Marlborough with Xanthe, my favorite time traveler from The Little Shop of Found Things.

The story is similar to the first one in that Xanthe can time travel after finding an object that “sings” to her. She has to travel in time to fix whatever the object needs fixing.

This time she has found a copper chocolate pot. She also “sees” Samuel a man she met the last time she traveled back in the past and has feelings for. She she sees that he is in trouble and it is related to the chocolate pot.

I really am enjoying this series so far (only 2 in.) I like the characters, I like the settings both past and present. This one went a little further by introducing “spinners” and I’m looking forward to seeing how those play out in future books.

If you like love stories, time travel and charming books, this one is for you.

I received an ARC of the book.