3.5 stars

It’s been a hot minute since I read one of Paula Brackston’s novels. I have read almost all of her books though and I have loved many many many of the stories. This novel is the third in her Found Things series which I have really enjoyed thus far.

I was so excited to see that this one was coming out this month and while I tried to keep my calendar open for all the Christmas books this month, I made an exception for this one and added it to my December calendar because I simply love her books!

If you love historical fiction with some time travel and paranormal/magic then you don’t want to miss this series, or the author’s other books for that matter. I highly recommend reading this series from the beginning though because you will definitely feel lost jumping in this late in the game!

Summary

New York Times bestselling author Paula Brackston’s second novel in the Found Things series, Secrets of the Chocolate House, was called a time-swapping romance [that] will please fans of Alice Hoffman (Publishers Weekly). Now, Brackston returns to the Found Things series with a third book, The Garden of Promises and Lies.

As the bustle of the winter holidays in the Little Shop of Found Things gives way to spring, Xanthe is left to reflect on the strange events of the past year. While she’s tried to keep her time-traveling talents a secret from those close to her, she is forced to take responsibility for having inadvertently transported the dangerous Benedict Fairfax to her own time. Xanthe comes to see that she must use her skills as a Spinner if she and Flora are ever to be safe, and turns to the Spinners book for help.

It is then that a beautiful antique wedding dress sings to her. Realizing the dress and her adversary are connected in some way, she answers the call. She finds herself in Bradford-on-Avon in 1815, as if she has stepped into a Jane Austen story.

Now in Xanthe’s time, Fairfax is threatening Xanthe into helping him with his evil doings, and demonstrates all too clearly how much damage he is capable of causing. With Fairfax growing ever more powerful, Xanthe enlists the help of her boyfriend Liam, taking him back in time with her. It is a decision that might just ensure she prevails over her foe, but only by putting her life–and his–on the line. (summary from Goodreads)

Review
The second book in the series ended on a cliff hanger and I was really looking forward to seeing what happened next in the saga, only to be let down by this one ending with yet another cliffhanger! I mean this book answered some lingering questions I had from previous books, but the ending was a bit of a surprise for me. I don’t know if this book was as strong as the others in the series, but I did still enjoy me time with the characters and of course the time travel/mystery parts.

The first part of the book starts a little slower than I would have hoped but it picked up pretty quick and I though the author did a good job orientating readers back in the story and familiarizing the readers with the characters. I had forgotten a couple of little plot points and I was glad that the author went back and covered some of the bits that readers might have forgotten. But as I said earlier, I would read this book out of sequence from the larger series.

I also loved where Xanthe and Liam went in time. I thought the author did a lovely job with the historical elements and details of the story as per usual. Brackson is a jewel in the historical fiction market, her stories are always well researched and have loads of details without being overwhelming.

Readers of the series will know that Xanthe and Liam are boyfriend/girlfriend and in this book they are posing as brother and sister. I struggled a little with their relationship in this one which I think is why I didn’t love it as much as I did the others. I was hoping for more progress or maybe more passion in their romance than I got in this book. Something about it just felt off to me this time around and I am not sure why. The only thing I could think of was that because they were posing as brother and sister, maybe it made their relationship more platonic in nature than was intended?

Overall though, this book is a good solid read and a nice installment to the saga. I am looking forward to the next book in the series. I don’t know that I loved it as much as the other books but it was good and I love the historical details and finally getting some answers about the Spinners.

Book Info and Rating
Hardcover, 320 pages

Expected publication: December 15th 2020 by St. Martin’s Press

ISBN125007245X (ISBN13: 9781250072450)

Free review copy provided by publisher, St Martin’s Press, in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own and in no way influenced.

Rating: 3.5 stars

Genre: historical fiction

The Garden of Promises and Lies by Paula Brackston is the third (but not final) installment in the Found Things series and is every bit captivating as its two predecessors. It includes all that I love about this series - magic, suspense, time travel and a dash of romance.

Xanthe is getting better at spinning time with the help of her prized book, Spinners, and yet her talent still remains a secret. When a wedding dress sings to her at an estate sale, she knows she is needed back in time but this time stakes are much higher. Fairfax is threatening her and her loved ones in the current timeline, and Xanthe is wary of keeping her mother and Liam in the dark. Does Xanthe manage to go back in time? Can she stop Fairfax from executing his vile plans? 

The Garden of Promises and Lies is another magical journey, full of suspense, danger, history, love and friendship. Paula Brackston pays attention to the tiniest of details, be it her characters or the lush descriptions of the Regency era England. Just like the previous two books, I savored every moment. 

And, while the story in this timeline wrapped up nicely, there was an extremely unexpected cliffhanger at the end that has me waiting for the next book!

I highly recommend reading this series if you're a fan of historical fiction and time travel.

This was fantastic! I tend to enjoy time travel stories so I was drawn to this series from the start. Once I started reading the series, it became evident that this was something really special. I was really looking forward to this installment and it delivered on every level. I found this book to be a wonderful escape and really enjoyed going along with Xanthe during this adventure.

Xanthe is a Spinner, which is the term used for individuals with the special skill of being able to spin time. Certain objects sing to Xanthe and pull her into time so that she can set things right. When Xanthe finds an antique wedding dress, she knows that it has a story to tell. She also must continue to deal with Fairfax who is determined to get what he wants from Xanthe at any cost and in any time.

I loved the characters in this book. There were some pretty big developments for Xanthe in her personal life in this story and I loved seeing how supportive everyone in her life turned out to be. I found the characters in the past to be just as likable and I found myself hoping that Xanthe would be able to help their situation. I loved getting to know Xanthe better as she learned more about her abilities.

I would recommend this book to others. I found this to be a very well done and exciting story that kept me glued to the pages until the very end. I do have to say that the ending has left me very eager to read the next installment in this wonderful series.

I received a digital review copy of this book from St. Martin's Press via NetGalley.

Paula Brackston has done it again! Another wonderful adventure with marvelous people. This is the third book in the Found Things series and there promises to be a fourth one. As with the others, you do not need to read the others to be able to fully follow and enjoy each of them but be forewarned, you will be wanting to read the fourth book as soon as it arrives because this one ended with a cliffhanger.

Found objects call and sing to Xanthe and the item assists her in traveling back to a time in which her help is needed. Brackston is meticulous in her attention to historical detail and it shows. The reader readily feels transported to the era with all its customs and clothing. Xanthe again faces a familiar villain who is at the center of the problems. The time traveling is a fun part of the book and is more varied in this one.

By the middle of The Garden of Promises and Lies you will feel that you know Xanthe well and that you could sit down to tea with her and have a great conversation, filling the time without any moments of silence. The reader also gets to know other characters that are important to Xanthe. All of her characters are richly drawn as are their relationships with each other. The story flows and keeps to a good rhythm, maintaining the interest of the reader throughout.

Paula Brackston has a natural flair for words. I love that the time traveling is referred to as spinning time in these books. I highly recommend the other two books in the series as well as this one. Personal note to Ms. Brackston — please hurry with book 4!

Thank you to St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley for an advanced reader copy in exchange for my honest opinion.

Paula Brackston is one of my favorite authors. This is the third book in the enchanting " Found Things Series. I highly recommend this series . Every reader will benefit from reading this trilogy in order. You do not want to miss any of this wonderful series. This is a charming story that spans fantasy , magical realism, suspense and time travel . Our protagnist Xanthe does psychic readings off of antique objects which tell her of wrongs they want her to right in their time. For this next in series we are visiting a small town in Wiltshire in 1815 as well as present time.

Xanthe, and her mother Flora own and manage a antique store named "The Little Shop of Found Things. "Xanthe is a active time traveler as she interprets request from antiques in her store. She will often go to their time period to right a wrong and or solve a mystery. As she returns back in time to 1815 the suspense grows as she attempts to correct what has been wrongfully done. Its exciting and fun as the author seamlessly crafts her story from present time to the past. I love the extraordinary detail of past times in these books that is so interesting to read. The reader is quite simply swept away . There are villains, friends , family and secrets uncovered. The author leaves us with a wonderful ending that has all her readers hoping for a fourth book ! Very well done to the author !

At the old home – Corsham Hall – where many items were being sold, Xanthe was looking for something to sing to her; something that needed her help. She was also there to add stock to The Little Shop of Found Things, the antique shop she and her mother Flora, ran together. When she saw the beautiful wedding dress, she knew she’d found it. Xanthe was hoping the wedding dress would help her – a Spinner – to remove the dreaded Benedict Fairfax from their lives. Xanthe’s time travelling abilities was something she had held close to her chest to keep her mother safe, but she felt it was time Flora knew what was going on with her daughter…

Bradford-on-Avon in 1815 was very different to Xanthe’s own time and on arrival, she saw Mistress Flyte who had helped her in the past. Discussing what needed to be done, Xanthe returned home to plan for her biggest adventure yet. With the Spinner book by her side, Xanthe asked for answers, for guidance. But as usual the book was cryptic and frustrating. One thing she decided, bringing her good friend Liam up to date with everything, and taking him with her, was an option, that although dangerous, would be helpful in Xanthe achieving her goal.

Would Liam and Xanthe’s adventure run smoothly? Would she succeed in stopping Fairfax and returning to their own time? The danger was immense – time travel could leave travellers lost in time forever – but it had to be done.

The Garden of Promises and Lies by Paula Brackston is the 3rd in the Found Things series, and I thoroughly enjoyed it. I hadn’t realised I’d missed #2, and although I’d love to read it still, this one after #1 flowed well and I didn’t feel I’d missed a lot. Xanthe is an excellent character, and her good friend Harley, who knows Xanthe’s secret, is supportive of his friend. Antiques, time travel, mystery, good and evil flow through this book, and I have no trouble recommending it.

With thanks to NetGalley and DJ DeSmyter of St Martins Press for my digital ARC to read in exchange for an honest review.

The Garden of Promises and Lies is the third book in Paula Brackston’s Found Things time travel series. In this book, Xanthe, the main character who “spins” through time, moves between her present-day antique shop and a grand English country estate in the nineteenth century just after the Napoleonic wars. A wedding dress she buys at an estate sale “sings” to Xanthe, cueing her that she must go back in time to solve an unknown problem. In the present day, she is concerned about hiding her time travel from her mother and her boyfriend Liam. When her enemy from the past, Fairfax, appears in front of her store and makes vague threats, she realizes he will not leave her in peace, and wonders how the dress and Fairfax might be connected. Brackston’s opening chapters employ extended summaries to fill in the reader on the other two books in the series. This makes for a gradual start although the pacing picks up later in the story when Brackston introduces higher stakes for her characters and more action. There is an exciting twist that brings the book to a cliffhanger ending, setting up for Brackston’s next book in the series.

This review appeared in Historical Novels Review Nov 2020 issue

So this is book 3 in this series and I still find the series interesting to read. I like how we have the mix of the past and the here and now. We do get a resolution with a part of the series that started in book 1. The book ends on a cliffhanger. You get a great mystery with help this time around. We also go to the Regency Era so we get a time frame to learn about. I look forward to what happens next.

*I received this free book from NetGalley and am leaving my honest opinion*

Is anyone else utterly addicted to Paula Brackston’s Found Things series? Thanks to st. Martins Press for giving me an e-galley of The Garden of Promises and Lies before it comes out on the 15th.
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This is the third installment in the series about Xanthe who is a spinner of time. As objects sing to her, she feels compelled to follow them so they can her their story. ⁣
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In this book, a wedding dress is calling to her but, Mr. Fairfax, an enemy from the past, will stop at nothing to get what he wants. Xanthe realizes that she must go back to the 1800’s and confront Fairfax in his own time if she is to have a chance as stopping him. ⁣
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This book will leave you hanging- argh. I cannot wait for the next one! ⁣

This is the third in the Found Things series, and while I actually haven’t read the first book (yet) I loved the second one The Chocolate House.

Xanthe lives in a little town in the UK, runs an antique shop with her mum, sings in a band, and can time travel. More accurately, she’s one of a handful of Spinners who can spin backward and forward through time. Xanthe just started discovering her gift fairly recently and is still working out how to use it, control it, and who else might be like her.

She is often ‘called to’ by antique objects that have a story to tell, and pulled back through time to right a wrong, or save someone. In this book, a vintage wedding dress starts singing to her and she has to investigate, finding herself in Bradford-on-Avon in 1815, as if she has stepped into a Jane Austen story.

Of course it’s not all smooth sailing. It’s difficult enough to step into an unfamiliar time, but there are also people out to get her and harness her abilities for themselves!

Take some historical fiction, throw in some mystery, a dash of adventure, and a hint of romance and you’ve got The Garden of Promises and Lies. I find the author’s writing is compelling, and I don’t want to put it down, but it somehow also feels like home. The characters and places feel familiar and comforting, despite the fact that they’re fictional and often in a time and place that is obviously not my own.

I am already dying to find out what happens in the next installment (and there better be one) because Xanthe has some serious unfinished business to sort out! The only reason it didn’t get a full five stars from me is that I wanted a little more from Xanthe’s current-day relationships this time around. It felt like the people in her life were introduced in the last book, and while they did evolve through this one, I wanted just a little more depth and connection between them. Having said that, I loved this book so much, and if The Chocolate House is anything to go by I’ll still be thinking about this one a year from now. This author just has a way of crafting characters and stories that stay with you, and revisit your thoughts long after you’ve turned the last page.

I will say that I was able to pick up the second book and follow the story despite not having read the first, but this latest installment builds so much on previous events I do think you should read the other two first. And that’s definitely no hardship, so enjoy!

The Garden of Promises and Lies by Paula Brackston is part of the Little Shop of Found Things Series. A time-traveling story with Xanthe trying to right a mistake that she unknowingly first made. The story takes her to early 1800’s Bradford-on-Avon. Fans of the Jane Austen period will love this story. A villain to stop, friends and love ones to help and a wedding dress that calls to her make this an interesting and compelling read.

I missed the first book but have it on my TBP list. Still I think this book reads fine even without the beginning background of the series. The author catches the reader up on any pertinent information that is needed so I never felt confused.

An ARC of the book was provided by the publisher through NetGalley which I voluntarily chose to read and reviewed. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

This is the third book in this series,but it's the first book of the series I have read! Don't worry like I did when I figured out it was a series,it catches you up enough to know where you are! Paula Brackston, she's done a excellent job on the descriptions of where you are and the things found that you really feel as you see the places and for example feel and see the wedding dress! The characters in this story,whether you like them or not,you really get to know them and you feel like you really know them they come to life for you and to me that's so hard to do,she just has her way with words! Follow the adventures and mystery of this one book in the series! I will be looking to catch up before the fourth book comes out!! If you can,start at the beginning of not,like I said it will get you caught up! Received from Net Gallery!

This is definitely a series to read in order. The plot and action kept everything moving forward at a nice pace. The series would be of interest to anyone who likes time travel or magical realism. A great addition to the series.

This isn't a genre I normally read, but I read the first book in this series and loved it (missed the second one) and looked forward to reading this one. I wasn't disappointed. The author has a way of writing to make the hard-to-believe seem perfectly feasible. The descriptions are detailed and complete, the characters are interesting and believable.

Although this is a series, it isn't necessary to have read previous books in the series. This book works well as a stand-alone. The plot kept me totally entranced right up to the end - and OH NO - a cliffhanger!!

Can't wait for the next installment!!

Thanks to @stmartinspress #partner for sending me an early Arc of
The Garden of Promises and Lies
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I fell in love with Paula Brackston beautiful writing years ago after reading The Witch’s Daughter. I have all her books , and I adore her enchanting way she pulls the reader into her novel. In this series is a historical fiction interwoven with magical realism.
Highly original magical elements with the main character Xanthe is a time spinner, and certain antique objects sing to her. Compelling her to follow them,
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This is the third installment in the series about Xanthe who is a spinner of time. As objects sing to her, she feels compelled to follow them.⁣ a beautiful antique wedding dress sings to her. Realizing the dress and her adversary, Fairfax are connected in some way, she answers the call. She realizes she must travel back in time to Bradford-on-Avon in 1815. She must confront Fairfax in his own time if she is going to stop him.
It’s a thrilling book with innovative world building and incisive character development make this compulsively readable. I can't wait for the next installment
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Caution this book is all consuming, so set aside some time and enjoy. ⁣
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This third book in the Series picks right up where the previous book ended, making the Series a continuing story that will pick up in Book Four. I don't have any problem with this type of series, because you have your characters grow and evolve till you feel like you know them.
I enjoyed this chapter in the story, Pie, traveling companions, and returning villian(s).

This is the third book in an intriguing time travel/historical series. I really love time-slip and historical stories and this fits the bill.

The series follows Xanthe and her mother and their antique shop, The Little Shop of Found Things. Xanthe has the ability to touch an object and feel it’s past, oh and travel to the past too. The Garden of Promises and Lies take Xanthe to the early 19th century, the era of Jane Austen and Regency England. The ability to time travel allows Xanthe the ability to address and correct wrongs, but there is inherent danger too, especially when another time traveler with less than good intentions is released on the present. Xanthe must race against time to correct the past and prevent havoc in the future.

This is a fun series for anyone who likes time travel, history and a bit of mystery thrown in. I recommend this series, though each book can be read alone, starting with the 1st book will make the stories easier to follow and more enjoyable. I look forward to the next installment in this fun series.

A very entertaining book. It is the first book I read by Paula Brackston surely will not be the last. Xanthe has tried to keep her abilities to travel through time a secret. However, she will have to take responsibility for having transported the dangerous Benedict Fairfax in her own time. Also, Xanthe will have to use her abilities as a Spinner if she and Flora want to be safe. One day, Xanthe hears the singing of a beautiful wedding dress. She thus realizes that the dress has a connection to her adversary in some way. So she will have to travel to Bradford On Avon in 1815, immersing herself in a story in the style of Jane Austen. I loved this story because it is full of action, fantasy, and mystery. The telling of the story made me feel like I was with Xanthe, traveling back in time. I liked Xanthe's courage and perseverance to carry out her mission in a century where everything was very different. The words and the interactions were just right, which I relished. I thank NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for providing me with a copy of the book in exchange for my honest review.

The Garden of Promises and Lies by Paula Brackston is a different kind of novel: historical fantasy, I guess. A portion of it takes place in the time and place Xanthe, a spinner, has traveled to; called by a wedding dress to right some wrong. The other portion of it is her daily life in the present, where at the beginning of the story, only one other person knows about her life as a spinner. There, she runs into a man from the past, which appears to be after her, or more likely the Spinners book she has. After taking preliminary trip to her location, she discovers that someone (something) else can travel with her as a visiting friend's dog hitched a ride and got back safely. Because of the nature of her mission, she shares it with her mother, and her boyfriend, Liam, inviting Liam to join her, as she may need some muscle.

This is third in the series and the first for me so it took a little catching up, which the author did nicely. It was a story well told with several enticing cliffhangers to entice the reader back for the next volume. It was easy to follow despite the complicated story, with characters both in the present and in the past. It is an intriguing concept: time travel. Interestingly, the butterfly effect was not mentioned or worried about, unique for time travel. I will be giving the next book a read. I recommend it.

I was invited to read a free ARC of The Garden of Promises and Lies by Netgalley. All opinions and interpretations contained herein are solely my won. #netgalley #thegardenofpromisesandlies

Paula Brackston has woven her magic again in this newest addition to The Found Things series. Garden of Promises and Lies picks up where we left off in Secrets of The Chocolate House. Xanthe is recovering from her broken heart and trying to setting back into life in the 21st century when at an auction a beautiful wedding dress starts to sing to her. Fairfax has made another appearance in her own time and she must rely on those around her to understand her secrets and help her out.

I loved this book. Paula Brackston is such a beautiful writer and I will always be first in line to purchase her latest works. This book is full of magic and beauty and you can simply tell that Brackston does her research. The different times that Xanthe travels to are so wondrously described it’s like being there but not so over detailed as to make you lose interest. The characters are so likable and relatable that I really just want to live in the same town as Xanthe and her companions.

As I previously mentioned, I loved this book. The Garden of Promises and Lies is probably my favorite of the series so far and I will be waiting not so patiently for the next installment to learn of Liam, Xanthe, and Mistress Flytes fate. Simply put, Paula Brackston is a true storyteller and weaver of words.