I read the first book of this series and loved it. It seems that time travel is a popular theme in writing now. This book was well written and continued the story in the first book rather well. A couple portions of the book seemed to move slowly and felt a bit disconnected to the main storyline. Overall though a good summer read.

Secrets of the chocolate house

Despite not really liking the first book in this series, I wanted to give the second one a try because I like the base story so much. It really has a fresh feel to it and makes you want to learn more about spinners and having an antique store in a small English town. However, I cannot make any sense at all of any of Xanthe’s decisions. Why does she hide spinning from her mom? Why does she give in even a little bit to the man whose cowardice caused her to go to jail? Why does she try to please everyone? I didn’t enjoy reading this and I won’t be reading any more in this series.

I enjoyed this book! It was a little hard to follow at first as I didn't realize this was a sequel. Once I continued it was easy to get into. She is a very good writer. Describes stuff very well. The characters are likeable and I really liked the story. Will definitely be going back to read the first and can't wait for more! Would definitely recommend!

I received this ARC from Netgalley and the publisher in exchange for my honest review.

I received a free e-copy of Secrets of the Chocolate House by Paula Brackston from NetGalley for my honest review.

Secrets of the Chocolate House by Paula Brackston is the second book in the Found Things series, centered around Xanthe, a woman with the ability to travel through time with the aid of antiques that carry a significant history. These items Sing to her in a special way.
I read book one and loved it, book 2 didn't disappoint. If you didn't read book one this could work as a stand-alone...but why miss a wonderful book??
Paula Brackston writes wonderfully and her characters are endearing. The story is filled with suspense, secerts, danger and lies and, of course, bits of romance! 4 stars

Very engaging time travel adventure! This is the second in a hopefully long series of travels by Xanthe, a gifted singer, sleuth and traveller. She and her mother own an antique store and find many treasures at estate sales. Some of the treasures "sing" to Xanthe and she has visions of people who need help and justice. She is a kind, brave, and smart woman who risks so much to travel or Spin Time to help others. Xanthe is just beginning to learn and master this art and I look forward to her next lesson.

Many secrets were revealed in Secrets of the Chocolate House by Paula Brackston. Xanthe, the time traveling antique seller introduced in The Little Shop of Found Things is back. Xanthe can hear the objects she finds singing to her. This time it’s a chocolate pot that she uses to transport her to the seventeenth century to help her lost love, Samuel Appleby. Villain Benedict Fairfax, who we discover is a fellow time traveler who has escaped the hangman’s noose, is threatening Samuel and his family. Helped by Chocolate House proprietor, Mistress Flyte, who also is a time traveler, or Spinner, as we find out they’re called, Xanthe discovers more about this supernatural power she possesses, and how she can use it to ensure Samuel’s safety.

I was very hopeful after reading The Little Shop of Found Things. That story had all the elements of stories I love: time travel, history, and romance. But Secrets of the Chocolate Shop didn’t live up to the potential that it had. Yes, there is still all those elements, but the story, for me, just was not that exciting. Xanthe and Samuel could not make their love connect in this story. The history, for me, was not that exciting, and I didn’t really care about the villain at all. That being said, I’m willing to stick with this series because I still think that once the kinks are worked out, it has potential to be a good story.

I received an advanced e-copy of this book from the publisher for an honest review. Thank you! #netgalley #secretsofthechocolatehouse

I should have paid attention and realized this was the second in the series, not because I felt lost or out of touch with the events, but the concept, the spinning and the main character, Xanthe were just so marvelously drawn and intriguing. But, I entered with her second find and ‘assignment’ and it was both gripping and engaging. Xanthe and her mother have moved to Marlborough and opened an antiques shop: after Xanthe’s rather catastrophic end to her last relationship. She and her mother are close, and Xanthe worries about her mother: her arthritis is a constant companion, and frequent flare-ups that make it worse have limited her mobility. But, not one to be coddled, her mother is determined to make a wonderful Christmas for the two of them, and to continue re-finishing and repurposing their stock. They both have an appreciation for the past and its items, and the very special items ‘sing’ to Xanthe… such was the chocolate pot they found.

The pot continues to sing to Xanthe, and while she knows that using the little ‘blind’ in their garden will allow her to travel back in time, she’s torn because of the lies she needs to tell her mother, her worries about being able to “guide” her landing in the past, and her heartbreak over the man she met – an early 17th century architect of some renown, Samuel. She thought with the last ‘task’ set her by an object that she had completed her mission, but she now knows that Samuel is in some danger due to his politics and thoughts, and she has a recurring dream of him being in a jail cell (or blind), alone, cold, scared and in danger. She uses the chocolate pot as a gps – it lands her in the blind just yards from a chocolate house, but in the sight of a dangerous man. Unsure of her purpose, or just what dangers she faces, it is the proprietress of the Chocolate House who has some answers, a task and the pot that was singing to Xanthe – newer, unblemished and purposed.

The story was one of contemporary and past times, questions and answers, and plenty of intrigue. Samuel is under the employ of Benedict Fairfax, a man of great (and growing) power, and with the ability to ‘locate’ other time spinners at will. With his work on the abbey for Fairfax, the end of the construction means the end of Samuel’s life, and places both Xanthe and Samuel in a very precarious position. Meanwhile in the present, she is still singing occasionally at the local pub, her ex has returned to ‘demand’ her cooperation and Christmas is fast arriving, with their stock needing to be topped up and hopes for successful Christmas sales being of primary importance for their survival. Brackston’s prose and character development are marvelous, the historic moments are clearly well-researched, and the lore of the time spinners is as unique as it is unusual. Xanthe will risk everything in her determination to save Samuel and allow him the life he should have, while keeping Fairfax ‘contained’ and restrained. A read in one sitting book, there was plenty of information, heartache and heartbreak among the intrigue and dangerous moments, with Xanthe’s understanding of her gift and purpose as a time spinner grows. A curious and dangerous second appearance of a man from the past adds that bit of “oomph’ to the story, leading us into a third book as Xanthe’s travels continue.

I received an eArc copy of the title from the publisher via NetGalley for purpose of honest review. I was not compensated for this review: all conclusions are my own responsibility.

Review first appeared at <a href=” https://wp.me/p3OmRo-auI/” > <a> I am, Indeed </a>

Secrets of the Chocolate House by Paula Brackston is the second book in the Found Things series, centered around Xanthe, a woman with the abitlity to travel through time with the aid of antiques that carry a significant history.

When I first came across this book and saw that it was recommended to fans of Outlander, I was excited to start reading. But besides the time traveling woman and her romantic history with men from both time periods I didn't see too much of a connection, this had a much different vibe. If a story involves time travel doesn't mean that it needs to be equated to Outlander, this story can stand on its own as something seperate.

I really liked the concept that objects hold on to their histories and carry the emotions they they once envoked or which their previous owners strongly felt.

Full disclosure that I have not read the first book in this series, so perhaps if I had this book would have had made a greater impression on me. May have made it more powerful. But I believe that it was not really necessary to understanding the understanding of the book, as things from the last book that were needed to understand events in this book were explained along the way.

Interesting story with great detail but often got bogged down in details and descriptions, which make the story drag a bit. It was a slow read for me and I found that the forward progression for this plot was very gradual and I found myself tempted to skip ahead.

I felt that Malcom was unnecessary to story and that he just got in the way, delaying when we would see Xanthe do what she needed to.

Further I found some of Xanthe's reasoning or choses to be illogical or that I just couldn't agree with her reasoning. But we can't always see eye to eye with our characters.

Although it's not necessary to read the first in the series prior to read this book, I would recommed it to really pull the story together and so that you feel more of the emotional obligation Xanthe feels to help Sam.

Many thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for sharing an eARC copy with me for reviewing purposes. This is my honest review.

I really enjoyed the first book in this new series. The idea that an old item could be calling to someone to tell their story is genius. The storylines based off this are limitless and only inhibited by the authors imagination. Brackstons imagination is there, combining the everyday world of modern day Marlborough with the adventure and fantasy of where the 'singing' object is going to take Xanthe the main character give us a sense of realism and fantasy combined.

Brackston really tried to work on the whole theory of 'Spinning' through time. Sometimes this became confusing and I wasn't sure she even knew how the time travel really worked. I found myself racing over Xanthe's inner monologue about the right and wrong of traveling through time and how she worried about lying to loved ones and moving onto the actual story of why she was in the past. It was very Samuel orientated and if you haven't read the first book you might wonder why she cared about him so much.

I was more interested in the evil character of Benedict Fairfax. At once so cold and chilling but with a past that made you feel sorry for him. He was a character I could get behind and I really hope he pops up in the next book. Many of the characters from the modern day are dull and uninteresting and I feel that Brackston needs to develop them to make us care more about Xanthe coming back to her own time.

I am very much looking forward to reading the next book in the series and I have enjoyed learning about small moments of history that I knew nothing about. Keep up the great work Paula Brackston!

Thanks for the ARC, this is my honest review.

This is the second book in the Found Things series, and I loved the first one so it was no surprise that I'd want to follow Xanthe further into her adventures! Now that they've settled fairly well into their new antique business, Xanthe and her mother Flora are becoming part of the fabric of the little town they live in. Of course, Xanthe’s specialty is still in full force, and still allows her to hear stories from certain objects that she touches. It's no spoiler to let you know that she does indeed find a new item to take her back, once again, to the place she left behind. Back to the 17th century where goes, where she learns that there are others like her. Other "spinners".

What fell short for me this time around was all the tiptoeing around that Xanthe had to do to complete her missions. I felt like Brackston had to spend more time making excuses for Xanthe's departures than felt necessary. On top of that, the idea of "spinners" is dangled in front of the reader, with a little more background given, but there wasn't as much forward movement as I would have liked. I loved the unrequited romance in the first book, but I'm ready for something new. I want to know who Xanthe descends from, and what her future will hold. This book read a lot slower for me than the first one.

Will I continue on, despite that? Absolutely. I'm too invested in this antique shop and its dealers not to.

I received a free e-copy of Secrets of the Chocolate House by Paula Brackston from NetGalley for my honest review.

This book is the second book in a series; the first book being "Little Shop of Found Things". Another wonderful and adventurous time traveling read. In this second book you get to learn more about the characters and their abilities. Xanthe has the ability to go back in time using antique objects that sing to her. She travels back in time to help friends from the 1600's where she also gets to meet others who have the same ability.

A well written and fun read.

I want to thank Netgalley for the opportunity to read this book. I did not read the previous book in the series and found I was able to follow the story line. I have read one other fiction book with time travel. I really enjoyed this book and I am eager to read the next one in the series. It was a fun read.

When I initially started reading this, I was unaware this was a sequel, so I was a tad bit confused about the time travel part. However, I quickly caught up, within one chapter, to figure out the characters and to understand that Xanthe had previously traveled to another time period. For some reason, time travel always throws me...perhaps it's b/c I don't read what the book is about but instead I open up a book and just start reading. I quickly got into this story and came to love the characters, the setting, the plot.

The Found Things Series is a must read for everyone's list! While returning to this amazing, page-turning story full of adventures, I found myself immediately engaged with the characters, setting, and action once again almost immediately.

Through this adventure, Xanthe's ability to travel to the past is tested as she meets her most dangerous adversary. Her true destiny is discovered along the way and her fate seems to be sealed.

I found myself itching for more and more time to finish this book until I finally stayed up all night just so I could reach the ending and relish in the joy of having traveled alongside so many wonderful characters. The action and adventure throughout will not disappoint and is sure to engage even the most reluctant of readers.

I HIGHLY recommend this book!

As I'd mentioned in my review of The Little Shop of Found Things, Paula Brackston is one of my favorite authors. I absolutely loved Little Shop, so it will not be surprising that I adored Secrets of the Chocolate House.
Firstly, why are chocolate houses no longer a thing? Pshaw on coffee houses--bring on the chocolate!

Secondly, as much as I adored book one, this one was even better. 

We got to know more about Xanthe as she grew as a spinner, and her motivations were clearer in this story. I felt like the story itself was deeper and richer. 

Xanthe faced not one, but two, villains--Marcus, her annoying mildly menacing ex, and a mysterious, sinister fellow spinner who posed a real danger to both her and Samuel. It was an interesting contrast to see how she chose to deal with each.

Harley also stepped into his own as a main character and I really enjoyed his larger role. 

Secrets doesn't come out until October 22, but it will make a great cozy autumn read. I recommend it highly to all my witchy, time travely readers.

I received an ARC via NetGalley from St. Martin's Press in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are mine.

This is the second book in the Found Things series. Reading the first book definitely makes the second book more enjoyable. Xanthe finds a small copper pot that "sings" to her and ends up returning to Samuel in the 17th century. She becomes more adept at time travel and meets another time traveler who has evil intentions.
Overall, I would continue to read this series. However, it's time for Xanthe the to tell her mother the truth about her time traveling. She's an adult. I became impatient with all the lying. Her mother understands that some objects sing to Xanthe, so she's likely to accept the time travel. I'd like Xanthe to be a stronger woman.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the chance to read this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Charming, magical, delightful! Author Paula Brackston does not disappoint in this second novel in the Found Things series, Secrets of the Chocolate House.

In this sequel to The Little Shop of Found Things, the reader returns to Xanthe and Flora’s antique shop in their quaint little village. With her special power to time-travel, Xanthe hears the song of the copper chocolate pot and knows she must follow its call. But when it brings her back to a familiar time, and familiar people, she finds herself embroiled in another dangerous adventure that may change the course of her life forever.

Secrets of the Chocolate House is another wonderfully woven tale by the talented Ms. Brackston. I enjoyed this story immensely, and look forward to the next one. If you love fiction with a magical touch, you’ll enjoy this story.

Thanks to St. Martin's Press, via NetGalley, for an e-ARC in exchange for my honest opinion. I was not aware that this is Book #2 in a series called Found Things or I would not have wanted to read it since I had not read Book #1, The Little Shop of Found Things. I was lost without any background on the story line and characters. I should have checked it out so please be sure to read Book #1 before reading this one. I have never been a fan of time travel novels but once I got about half-way through, it was interesting enough to finish. Of course, Book #2 ended with a cliffhanger so hopefully you'll want to continue the series.

The protagonist is Xanthe who, along with her ailing mother, runs an antique shop in present day England. She's a time traveler, called a "spinner" in this novel, back to the 17th Century where she has a friend, Samuel, now in need of her help. I never fully understood their relationship but assumed he was an ex-boyfriend.

In present day, Xanthe comes across objects (one is a copper chocolate pot) that "sing" to her and give her insight to what is happening back in the 17th Century and she decides to take the object with her as she spins back in time to find Samuel. She must always come up with an excuse for her travels so her mother, who doesn't know she's a spinner, won't worry while she's gone.

This novel is too detailed in scenery, clothing worn, conversations, weather, etc. But it was enjoyable to learn about the Chocolate Houses that existed and how they were run during earlier Centuries.

I received this ARC through Netgalley.com in exchange for an honest review. Thank you to Netgalley.com, to St. Martin's Press, and to Paula Brackston for this opportunity.

Xanthe's life is just getting back to normal in her present time when a chocolate pot sings to her and gives her a vision of Samuel in danger. Just when she thought she had said her final goodbye to Samuel and wished him well on his life, she is beckoned back to save him.

This book was fantastic. It introduces exciting new characters and adds more elements to the idea of time travel. It also adds a new antagonist and hopefully sets us up for book 3! Highly recommended in the magical realism/time travel genre.

I enjoyed the first book in this series, and was looking forward to this second book in the Found Things series. To my delight, this was an intriguing and enjoyable follow up. I may have liked this one even a bit more than the first book. I am definitely excited for what I am hoping and assuming will be a third book.

I do recommend reading the first book, The Little Shop of Found Things, before reading this one, as Secrets of the Chocolate House picks up where the first book ends. I liked how this storyline allowed for more details and characters directly associated with time travel and being a time spinner were revealed. I also especially enjoyed some previous characters and relationships developing.

As in the first book, I loved the small English town setting and the magical and time travel elements. I found that this book had a bit more suspense than the first. There were some loose ends left at the end of this book, and I can't wait for a third book to find out what happens next.