I just finished reading "The Garden of Promises and Lies" by Paula Brackston. This is the third book in a series and I have also read the other two books. I am not sure how many books are planned for the series, but I know for sure that there will be a fourth one. The book ends on a major cliffhanger! I have enjoyed the other two books in the series, and this one was great too! Xanthe, the main character, is very likeable and though the book involves time travel it is very believable. I love to follow the stories of all the other characters too. I will be reading the other books in this series.

Having been disappointed by the second installment, “Secrets of the Chocolate House”, I was hesitant to take this on. Happily, this portion of the larger story is more tightly drawn with a clear path forward. The characters have crystallized as has Xanthe’s commitment to perfect her ability to spin and time travel. Good thing as she is going to need it in the fourth volume which has to be around the corner.

Brackston has found her groove and hopefully she won’t keep us waiting too long to see what happens next. Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin’s Publishing for a copy.

What a fun and thrilling romp through time! Xanthe, a "spinner", is one who can spin time and travel through it. Her access point is the old blind house facilitated by objects which "sing" to her, calling her back in time to right a wrong or correct an injustice. This is the call of the "spinners".

This story picks up where the the previous installment leaves off. Greed and evil against good plays heavily throughout this story. This time, an 18th century wedding dress "sings" to Xanthe and encourages her to travel back to its time of origin. Simultaneously, the evil one has found his way to current day England and is wreaking havoc on Xanthe's life and loved ones. Will she prevail in the end? Only time will tell. Again, Ms Brackston leaves the reader with a dire situation, some unanswered questions and an eagerness for the story's next installment.

Author Paula Brackston, through her extensive research, is brilliant at world building and deftly creates two - the now and 17th century then of England. Her writing is exquisitely crafted and at times poetic. Such a wonderful imagination this author has to spin such a fabulous yarn.

This third in series book, stands well enough on its own. However, there are a few tantalizing references to the first and second which encourages the reader to explore the earlier installments of this series. I eagerly await the next installment in this grand and adventurous series.

I am grateful to Paula Brackston and her publishing team at St. Martin's Press for having provided a complimentary uncorrected digital galley of this book through NetGalley. Their generosity, however, has not influenced this review - the words of which are mine alone.

This series by Paula Brackston is wonderfully entertaining! Brackston's characters are so endearing. Each of them could very easily have a story written just about them. The main character's exploits go beyond anything that she has encountered previously. That results in a story that is filled with suspense from start to finish. Complicated relationships, deception and lies, burgeoning friendships and romance, coupled with familial obligations make this book such a delight. And let's not forget about that ending!!!! A delicious read and one that won't disappoint.

The Garden of Promises and Lies by Paula Brackston is the third book in her original time travel series that includes thrills, history, adventure, danger and romance. The ending left me on edge wondering what happened and where Xanthe will be going next. Who is the new time traveling villain and why? What will Xanthe’s book reveal? Xanthe’s time travel journeys bring her more knowledge, control and many surprises. I didn’t want to put this book down and had to make myself slow down for fear of missing any detail. I loved it!
Don’t miss this series,each book is more compelling than the last.
I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own. I appreciate the opportunity and thank the author and publisher for allowing me to read, enjoy and review this book. 5 Stars

Xanthe Westlake has always heard the "song" of lost objects. Her mother, Flora, knows this and accepts that Xanthe will purchase these objects for their antique shop. What Flora doesn't know is that these objects don't just "sing" for Xanthe, but they also pull her through time. The only local person that knows about Xanthe's time travel is the local publican, Harley. Fortunately, Harley is a good sounding board and offers great advice to Xanthe, especially when she's faced with a fellow time-traveler or spinner, Benedict Fairfax, who is threatening not only Xanthe but her mother and their livelihood. The only thing Xanthe can do is to allow the most recent "singing" object, a wedding gown, to pull her through time and try to figure out what is required of her, but this time she'll go through time with company, her boyfriend, Liam. Her trip back in time reveals that Fairfax is no longer in the seventeenth century, but the nineteenth century and is preparing to get married. Her nineteenth-century travels also reveals that Mistress Flyte, of <b>Secrets of the Chocolate House</b>, is still alive, well, and now prospering as a tea house proprietor. With the advice of Mistress Flyte in the nineteenth century and Harley in the twenty-first century, can Xanthe finally best Fairfax before he does grave harm to Xanthe, Flora, their shop, or someone else?

I re-read <b>The Little Shop of Found Things</b> and <b>Secrets of the Chocolate House</b> in preparation for reading <b>The Garden of Promises and Lies</b>. Was it absolutely necessary? Of course not, but I wanted to refamiliarize myself with Xanthe, Flora, and the previous action and adventures. This book was a bit different from the previous two books because Xanthe finally takes more people into her confidences about the time-travel or time spinning other than Harley and Mistress Flyte. Needless to say, there's a lot of angst and drama in this story, and no I won't reveal it all, but I will tell you that Xanthe and Liam make new friends in the nineteenth century and all does not go exactly as hoped or planned (read the book to learn more). There's quite a bit of family drama in the story as well since Xanthe has been keeping secrets from Flora and those secrets are partially revealed. I enjoyed the blend of contemporary and historical storylines, especially within this story because it involved more than just Xanthe going back in time. I also enjoyed the fact that we were reintroduced to Mistress Flyte and learned more about the history of the "Spinners" and Mistress Flyte's history in particular. Like I said, there's a lot going on in this story: hints of romance, intrigue, time travel, family drama, and more. If you've read <b>The Little Shop of Found Things</b> and <b>Secrets of the Chocolate House</b>, then I strongly encourage you to grab a copy of <b>The Garden of Promises and Lies</b>. If you haven't read any of the previous books in this series and you enjoy reading books that combine time-travel, romance, intrigue, and drama, then I encourage you to begin with <b>The Little Shop of Found Things</b>, before reading <b>Secrets of the Chocolate House</b> and <b>The Garden of Promises and Lies</b>. I've enjoyed everything I've read by this author and am greatly looking forward to the next installment in the <i>Found Things</i> series.

Happy Reading, y'all!

THE GARDEN OF PROMISES AND LIES by Paula Brackston is a well-written and entertaining mix of historical fiction, fantasy, time travel and suspense. It is the third book in the Found Things series and readers will benefit from reading the series in order as there are references to events in previous books. The novel is set in and around Marlborough, a market town in the English county of Wiltshire in a mix of contemporary times and 1815.

Our protagonist, Xanthe, and her mother Flora live in Marlborough above their antique store, The Little Shop of Found Things. Xanthe has found that she can time travel to address injustices, an ability known to a few as Spinning. Also, objects sing and whisper to her. When Benedict Fairfax shows up in contemporary times coerces Xanthe’s assistance and an antique wedding dress calls to her at an auction, she knows that the two are somehow connected and she will once again be time traveling. But how will she determine what the dress needs her to do? Will the Spinner notebook she discovered provide the necessary information and will she be able to interpret it accurately? Who can she trust in the past?

Xanthe has gained some confidence in herself and her ability to understand what the found objects need her to do. However, she is still learning what it means to be able to travel to other times and places. Fairfax is well-portrayed as her nemesis and his motivations are personal to his history and upbringing. Secondary characters provide the emotional support that Xanthe needs at this juncture of her understanding of Spinning. They also bring realism to life through their quirkiness, hobbies and personalities.

Paula Brackston does a great job in giving the reader a sense of both time and place, and her descriptions help the reader to travel with Xanthe. The story has history, mystery, suspense, danger, deceit, uncertainty, secrets, a villain, hope, friendship, duty to family and much more.

Despite a somewhat slow start, overall, this is a steadily paced novel that brings history to life with an entertaining story that is both suspenseful, dramatic and emotional. Be prepared for the imagery to engage your visual, tactile, auditory and olfactory senses. While the climax was not a total surprise, the cliffhanger ending left me wanting more.

Readers that enjoy time travel mixed with suspense and history should enjoy this novel. I look forward to reading more books by Paula Brackston.

Thanks to St. Martin’s Press and Paula Brackston for a digital ARC of this novel via NetGalley. This is my honest review. Opinions are mine alone and are not biased in any way. Publication date is currently set for December 15, 2021. This review was originally posted at Mystery and Suspense Magazine.

I have voluntarily read and reviewed a copy of this title given to me via NetGalley. Wow what can I say about this title it was just an awesome read. This book was just something so wonderfully different I’ve never quite read anything like this. You should read to find out you won’t be disappointed. I’m definitely going to read more by this author.

This is the third book in the Found Things series and I have enjoyed them all. Although you could read this book separately and keep up, it would definitely be good to start at the beginning of the series to get the background history.

Old items 'sing' to Xanthe, and she's had this ability all her life. In this book an 18th-century wedding dress is calling to her and she eagerly responds because there is evil following her from the previous book that she wants to deal with and bring to an end. Xanthe, once again, goes back in time to face this evil.

Brackston's prose is lyrical and invitingly draws you into the story of Xanthe's life in the present and the unveiling of the mysteries she faces in the past. All the favorite characters from the previous books are back and get pulled into the adventure as Xanthe finally accepts what she is and what she can do.

Thanks to St. Martin's Press through Netgalley for an advance copy.

This is the third in a series that I haven't read, however I still enjoyed this rather wholesome book. It does tend to read a little young for my taste but still...it was a good read for me.

Xanthe has the ability to follow the history of items and travels through time to the object's owners, engaging in mishaps and adventure.

Thanks for netGalley and the publishers for the opportunity to read and review this book.

The Garden of Promises and Lies by Paula Brackston
This is my third book in the series I’ve read from Paula and I looked forward to and enjoyed all of them. It took me a bit to remember who the characters were since it had been a while since my last read but they quickly fell in place.
Of the 3, this was probably my least favorite, not that this is bad, it’s just that it took a while to take off. We spent a lot of time in the beginning setting the stage before we actually spinned away. The spinning is my favorite part, this one also had some twists from the others and a bit more romance. The ending left us hanging but is a perfect setup for book number 4. She is really going to have to up the game to keep this series going. 5 Stars……
I want to thank St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley for allowing me the opportunity to read and review this book for my honest unbiased opinion. This is a 5-star review. Highly recommend.

For all of you readers who loved Secrets of the Chocolate House, we are back in the Found Things Series, with Xanthe.

Things are coming together in the Little Shop of Found Things as Spring slides in. While she is still keeping her time travel secret, except for Harley, things get tricky right away.

Fairfax is back. In her own time! Watching her. She knows what he wants. The Book. Spinners. He isn’t content to be a Spinner, he wants all control. So now Xanthe must use her spinning skills to go back and stop him from harming the people she loves.

Before she goes, however, she attends an auction at an old estate and that is where she finds her next thing. An antique wedding gown is singing loudly to her. The visions she is getting tell her that the gown is tied to Benedict Fairfax somehow and she now needs to find out who needs her help.

There is no question that she is going back, but there is going to have to be an explanation and that could be tough on Flora and Liam.

When Xanthe accidentally takes a dog back with her and returns with both intact, she has an idea of how to tell her mother. She takes her along. Not for long, just a peek at what she does. Her mother is on board but agrees with Harley that taking Liam would be a smart idea. Fairfax is strong and could harm a lot of people.

So into the blind house, they go, and just like that, they are in Bradford-on-Avon around 1815. Liam is gobsmacked to say the least and her old friend and mentor at the Chocolate House is not impressed with what she has done. She is also acting very oddly.

As the two concoct their story and meet up with the owner of the wedding dress, Fairfax ups the odds. Things are happening at a lightning-fast pace and someone may not be coming back.

This is the series that my sister and I wait for. And then dissect every paragraph together. It really is that good.

And Oh! What a cliffhanger!

NetGalley/ December 15th, 2020 St. Martin’s Press

Thank you, Paula Brackston, NetGalley, and St. Martin’s Press for the opportunity to read this book!

IT’S HERE! IT IS FINALLY HERE! The wait for The Garden of Promises and Lies by Paula Brackston is over and I couldn’t be happier! This is the 3rd book in the Found Things series. So if you haven’t read the first two books, I highly suggest it. We pick back up with Xanthe and her mother Flora, who run a little shop of antiques. Unique items have been “singing” to Xanthe since she was a child. In the previous books, she discovers she is a Spinner, which means she can travel through time. Xanthe should be enjoying her life with her mother, friends, and Liam. But the arrival of Benedict Fairfax in her own time period does not bode well. In the meantime, an Edwardian wedding dress sings to her at an estate sale. Somehow, it is linked to Benedict Fairfax and she will need to travel back to set things right. This time, she won’t be alone in her travels…

Is it weird that I cried when I began this book? Not sobbing or sad tears but just little happy tears of joy of reading about some of my favorite characters. I have missed them!–Especially since the last book ended on a little cliffhanger. It was well worth the wait. Benedict Fairfax is back and not playing nice, did he ever though? This time he targets Xanthe’s friends and family. I love her courage in the face of fear and danger. She would willingly sacrifice to save the world. This book dives more into her relationships in her time. Mainly her mother and Liam. She hasn’t told them of her gifts and expects that they will think she has lost her mind. She is torn between telling them and keeping it a secret and lying to them when she travels.

This time Xanthe travels to the Regency period and once again, I love the attention to the historical detail in the story. Her mission always depends on her being able to navigate these details which are very delicate. It is not as easy as one would think.

This book does end on a MASSIVE cliffhanger and be prepared for the bittersweetness of it. It is a fantastic end that will leave you wanting more and the next book IMMEDIATELY. So the wait begins again. But this magical series is worth the wait. Do not miss out on this book! It is available on December 15th! This book gets 5 magical stars!

Special thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for a free, electronic ARC of this novel received in exchange for an honest review.
Expected publication date: November 3, 2020
“The Garden of Promises and Lies” is the third novel in the “Little Shop of Found Things” series by Paula Brackston. In this instalment, Xanthe is called by an eighteenth-century wedding dress, and when she returns to the era, she soon discovers that the dress’ owner is set to be married to fellow Spinner (and Xanthe’s nemesis), Fairfax. Xanthe must solve the mystery of why the dress called to her, and what problems she is there to solve, but also must ensure that the Spinner book is kept far away from Fairfax, who plans to use its power all for himself.
After reading the first novel in this series, I found it to have a bit of Alice Hoffman flare, mixed up with a large portion of Gabaldon’s Outlander novels. The third novel continues along this vein.
The unfortunate part for me is that I did not get to read the second novel (“Secrets of the Chocolate House”), so a good portion of my time at the beginning of this novel was spent trying to catch up with what I’d missed. I really wished I had read the second novel, as I would not have felt so instantly lost. However, once I was (relatively) caught up, the novel sucked me in to its magical journey and I was hooked.
Brackston is indeed a creative and poetic storyteller. Her novels (and this one in particular) are full up of very specific descriptive detail about antiques and clothes, and any fashionistas will love all the clothing elements that this novel holds (I am not a fashionista by any means, this era or any other so I can’t say I connected with these parts). I did, however, enjoy the beautiful language Brackston uses to describe historical settings, estates and landscapes.
I highly recommend reading the first two novels in the series first before taking on this story, or, like me, you will not get to fully enjoy the story as it deserves to be enjoyed. Unique, historical and full of time traveling fun, “Garden” is pure magic.

Answering the call of a song spun through time -- Xanthe is at it again in this third installment of the series.

Though technically they can be read as standalones, I would highly recommend reading in order as there is a lot going and so much storyline in the overall ARC of the series that a reader just picking up somewhere in the middle can get confused and take awhile to catch up, thus missing out on something that may be important.

This story opens up more of the world of the Spinners and what a lonely life it has been for Xanthe thus far only having one person to confide in. Now with her archenemy brought forward from the past to save her love, she not only doesn't know when and if he will strike next, but who to seek help from.

Xanthe starts to come into herself in this book. Her character continues to learn to build trust and believe in herself as she tries to protect her family and those she loves from the evil that seems to nothing more than to take what and who she is way. This is a journey that not only continues to explore the dynamics around the Spinners and her relationship with them, but also a personal one for her as she begins to close the chapter on the past and starts looking forward to the future with someone else. Trust will be tested; danger will follow; and a mysterious wedding dress may change they fate of these two friends.

I will say that with this book I was a little leery going into it knowing she left her love behind in the past to return to her life in the future. I felt that any feelings she develops for Liam may be forced or because of a love she can't have so Liam would almost be a replacement. After reading, I, personally, still felt that Liam was a rebound despite how much he felt for Xanthe. It felt too forced to me. No one says you have to get over a great love in any certain amount of time, but I don't know. None of if it makes since, love, heartache, so who knows. Like I said, my opinions. The author was able to capture my imagination and thoughts so she succeeded

** Thank you to the author and NetGally for the ARC. These thoughts are my own and I am voluntarily leaving a review. **

This is one of my favorite series and this book is my favorite so far. I was so glad to be back in the world of found things and with these characters.

In this episode Xanthe is reflecting on the strange events of the past year. Other than one person Xanthe has kept her time travel journey ability a secret from her Mother and Liam, who she has grown very close to. Now that the evil Benedict Fairfax has shown up in her time, she most take responsibility for that and realizes she must use her skill as a spinner if she is to keep herself and her mother safe.

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.

Xanthe realizes she can't make this journey alone and enlists Liam to help her confront Fairfax. The suspense will leave you on the edge of your seat and yearning for more. Book 4 can't get here fast enough.

(4.5/5) I am loving this series. For those that are interested in reading this book, I would highly recommending reading the first two books in the series as it might be a bit confusing reading this one first. That said, Xanthe's adventures in "spinning" (time-traveling) continue as a wedding dress she comes across at an estate auction "sings" to her. As with all objects that sing to her, she must find out the reason why they are calling to her and the only way to find out is to time-travel to that period in time. She worries about leaving her mother alone again while she time-travels and lying to her once again about her absence. And to add to her worries the sinister Benedict Fairfax has now been transported to her time causing her to fear for her and her mother's safety. She has to get him to leave. Something she accidently discovers is that someone can actually time-travel with her and return safely. She confides in her boyfriend Liam, telling him about her spinning and how she must leave again to find out why the wedding dressing is calling to her and to make certain Fairfax leaves her current time and stays back in his time. (I hope that's not too confusing.) Anyway, Liam offers to go with her this time to help as he does not want her to deal with Fairfax alone. Liam actually does very well going back in time with Xanthe and is a great help to her. Why was the dress calling to her and did Fairfax stay behind? I'm sorry but I can't tell you. You must read this book (but first Books 1 and 2) to find out. Don't want any spoilers here. I do have to say that the beginning was a bit slower, more so than the first two books, but once she's on her time-travel adventure with Liam, things do get very interesting. And the cliffhanger at the end........well, it was totally unexpected and now I have to wait for the next book to find out what will happen next. It will be such a long wait! If you enjoy books about time-traveling, I highly recommend this series.

A big thank you to St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for the review copy.

THE GARDEN OF PROMISES AND LIES is Book Three in Paula Brackston’s magical Found Things series. I so enjoyed the first two books and couldn’t wait to be back with Xanthe and all the other charming characters. Although I did read Books One and Two, enough background is given that a new reader could still enjoy this one as a stand-alone. It’s holiday time at The Little Shop of Found Things that Xanthe runs with her mother, Flora. Xanthe now knows she is a Spinner, a person capable of time travel and part of an ancient society. As we learned in the first books, special items “sing” to Xanthe and call her to travel back to their time. This time, a beautiful antique wedding dress calls her back to Bradford-on-Avon in 1815 where she again meets her dangerous nemesis, Benedict Fairfax. Xanthe has tried to keep her time-traveling a secret, but at last, she is forced to tell Flora and her boyfriend, Liam about her abilities so she can keep them safe. What is the connection between the wedding dress and the evil Fairfax? The story is full of history, adventure, suspense and drama. The beautiful writing kept me entranced from beginning to end. Since the book ends with a cliffhanger, I am thrilled to know there will be another installment in the series and can’t wait to read it. I highly recommend this book and the whole Found Things series. Thank you to the author, publisher and NetGalley for the chance to read an early copy.

Title: The Garden of Promises and Lies
Author: Paula Brackston
Genre: Fiction, historical
Rating: 5.0 out of 5

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.

I think I’ve read the first book in this series—The Little Shop of Found Things—but I’m not positive, and I know I haven’t read the second book. Honestly, that didn’t detract from reading this at all. Sure, it would have added some depth, but a reader coming into this series at book three would be totally lost and unable to figure out what was going on.

I love the quirky characters—Harley especially—and find the whole basic premise fascinating, twining the past and present together like pieces of a puzzle. Brackston is an excellent writer, bringing both modern day and historical settings to vivid life and I’m now going back to read (or maybe re-read) the first two books in this series.

Paula Brackston lives in Wales. The Garden of Promises and Lies is her newest novel, the third book in the Found Things series.

(Galley courtesy of St. Martin’s Press in exchange for an honest review.)

(Blog link live on 11/6.)

While many others may enjoy this book, I did not. I would not be able to recommend it to all of my patrons. ARC provided by NetGalley in exchange for a fair review.