Nicole has kleptomania, but with a difference. She doesn't steal things, she simply "relocates" them to the places they tell her they want to be.

This story is told from different points of view, with complex characters that I did struggle at first to embrace. However, as the plot unfolded I found myself becoming engrossed and invested and found this an intriguing read. This is the first book I have read by this author, and also with this subject underlining throughout. This has everything within its covers; drama, mystery, romance, fantasy, but in the perfect quantity as to not overload or confuse the reader.

The only reason this is not a five-star read for me, is due to the fact, it did not grab me from the beginning, but I am so pleased that I stuck with it, and will definitely be recommending this in the future.

This fun & quirky read was just what I needed to read. I loved the different POVs and I was able to imagine each scene with clarity and vibrancy. There is just the right combination of suspense, romance, and magic to make this reader want to keep “turning” the pages.

It was well written, easy to follow and I thoroughly enjoyed reading it. Thank you @letstalkpromo for the eBook.

People didn't understand Nicole and gave her all kinds of labels and wanting to fix her. I thought this was such an interesting concept that made sense to me.
Nicole thinks she is cursed because she thinks some objects just need to be moved elsewhere, and the universe has chosen her to do it, so that is what she does. While the story unfolds, we see how it has affected her life, but we also see a chain of events that will have you thinking about the universe and is this possible.
We meet some wonderful people, have some mysteries to try and solve, and wonder is she cursed or is it a gift. This is a book that will take you away from your life and showing you a concept that will not only make you wonder, but will have you thinking about it. Then we each can decide what we believe or think.
There is one more thing in the book that Kerry Anne King tells us about, and that is tapping. It was one of those things I didn't know anything about it, but it intrigued me to find out what it was.
I received an ARC from Lake Union Publishing through NetGalley.

Kerry Anne King’s novel, Other People’s Things, was just the uplifting realistic-with-a-bit-of-magic book I needed right now. After finishing several books that were amazing but downers, I needed a character like Nicole. I needed a character like Hawk. I needed a grumpy but ultimately kind character like Andrea.

Nicole has faced a lifetime of thinking she’s a kleptomaniac and thief. After her first “object relocation” at the age of 6, she begins years of therapy, arrests, and family mistrust, along with her own self-hatred for actions that she feels she can’t control.

Now Nicole has “relocated” a large sum of money and lost the trust of her family and her husband. After reaching rock bottom, Nicole realizes she must set things right herself. She faces her own fears, and in the process, she meets an amazing man and wonderful new friends.

What I loved: Nicole. I loved her optimism and her unwillingness to give up. Yes, she starts out in a dark place, but ultimately, her kindness brings good things into her life. The story. I loved the somewhat magical element to Nicole’s “gift” and the way she affected the people around her. The story never drags and it kept me engaged the entire time I read it.

What I didn’t love: The family dynamic. Nicole’s family is too quick to blame her and too quick to suddenly change their minds. This didn’t hurt the overall story, but the characters in her family were the least interesting of the people in Nicole’s life.

However, the new people that Nicole brings into her life with her unusual gift make up for any lack in her family. I loved this book! I recommend it for a light and quick read.

To the outside world, Nicole Wood is a petty thief. Her soon-to-be ex-husband Kent and frustrated family call her a kleptomaniac. She’s been sent to jail numerous times. But while Nicole take things that don’t belong to her, she doesn’t keep them. She is compelled to take items that she senses are out of place within the universe and need relocating. Recently, Nicole has taken something valuable from her husband’s desk and he wants it back. Kent hires Hawk, a private investigator, to track Nicole’s every move. Nicole needs a job and sister Roberta gives her a chance to work in her house-cleaning business. But it doesn’t take long for Nicole to find an item in one of the houses they are cleaning that needs relocating. This one action brings a group of quirky characters into Nicole’s life while her ex-husband is desperate to get what she took back.

Other People’s Things is a lovely, oftentimes humorous, magical book. Author Kerry Anne King has created an inventive story filled with mystery, drama and a sprinkling of romance. Sometimes you need a book where you can suspend reality, sit back and simply enjoy. It captivated me.

The premise of Other People’s Things is quite intriguing. I’ve never read anything like it. Get this: our main character, Nicole, doesn’t “steal” things. Instead, she just “moves” or “relocates” the objects to another place. People see her as a kleptomaniac, but she maintains that she is just heeding the calls of the objects and trying to make them happy by transferring them to their rightful locations. And so goes the story of Nicole in this novel. Throughout the book, I felt so sorry for her —- nobody believed her. Not even her own family and husband! They treated her so poorly and unfairly, I was literally so irked I wanted to hurl my kindle!!! But, just as there were bad people, she was still fortunate enough to have a loyal best friend and know some good friends. I loved Hawk and I rooted for him and Nicole. I wouldn’t mind reading more of their adventures together! (Kerry Anne, will we get a book 2?!?!?🙏🏻🙏🏻🙏🏻) I also loved Andrea’s story, and I may have ugly cried in some parts of the book. Overall, I enjoyed reading about this novel and if you want something unique, I urge you to pick this up.💖

"...but logic is a life preserver that is way down the river already, while I'm stranded on a rock in the middle of whitewater rapids."

Nicole is a kleptomaniac. Or is she? Nicole claims that she relocates items that want to be placed elsewhere. She doesn't do it maliciously,she doesn't lie, and she doesn't steal. But unfortunately this gets her in a lot of trouble anyways, as not everyone appreciates their belongings being relocated. And the latest person to be upset about this is her husband. Nicole found a large sum of money in his desk drawer that wanted to be elsewhere, so she moved it. And now Kent has kicked her out of the house and is threatening divorce. Nicole knows she needs to take this chance to make amends, by while cleaning houses with her sister she sees another objects that is begging to be relocated....

I LOVED this book. I loved the quirky twists and turns the book took and the completely original storyline that reminds that people are not always what or who they seem to be. Nicole's struggle with herself and the people that become involved in her story honestly just pulled my heartstrings. This was just a great, heartfelt story that I became wholly invested in and couldn't put down.

Other People's Things
by: Kerry Anne King
Lake Union Publishing

Upon meeting Nicole Angelica Marie Wood Brandenberg, aka Nickle, in chapter one, I craved knowing all of who she was, and especially the nature of her driving urge to move around the belongings of others. As author Kerry Anne King slowly and intently peels back the layers of Nicole's persona, readers realize just how complex and perplexing her life is, both now and in her complicated past.
Nicole is in a problematic marriage, but has thankfully just found employment in her sister's Sunny Side Up Cleaning Service. This is a major accomplishment, given her background in what might be considered by some to be theft. Then, it happens again, the urge, the desire, the force that overpowers Nicole's whole being. She is suddenly drawn to an object, one that is not her own, that needs to be relocated.
King's plot is magnetic, as the circumstances in Nicole's life lead her toward people, occurrences, and correlations that no one could predict. This book is an irresistible page turner, full of magical mystery and unique individuals. Nicole's story is one that teaches us to dive deeper in the quest to understand someone and their actions without judging or labelling them.
It certainly made me ponder if certain things in my own life are where they should be.
Thank you to Net Galley and Lake Union Publishing for the advance reader's copy and the opportunity to provide my unbiased review.
#OtherPeoplesThings #NetGalley

Other People’s Things by Kerry Anne King
@Kerry_Anne_King
Pub date: September 21, 2021
4 stars

I always enjoy a little magic in my stories and Other Peoples Things incorporates a sense of wonder and magic into a tale about a woman who just can’t help herself from ‘relocating’ other people’s things.

Nicole aka Nickle has felt an overwhelming urge to move certain items from one place to another since age 6. And although these items belong to someone else, she isn’t taking them for personal gain – each item she takes speaks to her and lets her know when it’s time to be relocated. As you can imagine, this has caused a lot of chaos and mistrust within Nickle’s family and has destroyed her marriage not to mention the legal ramifications. When her sister gives her one last chance by offering her a job with her successfully housecleaning business, it sets in motion a series of actions with secrets that could have disastrous ends but with the help of a kind hearted PI, maybe this time things will turn out differently.

Nicole is so dang likeable; flawed and emotionally scarred, she’s still got grit, humor and sass. She’s the perfect protagonist in every way. The story filled with whimsy, humor and magic, perfectly paced with a few twists that made me sigh in satisfaction.

My thanks to @AmazonPublishing for the #Gifted copy and to @LetsTalkBooksPromo for hosting the tour.

I loved this and will definitely read more by this author. Nicole has a compulsion to move things. Some call it stealing but she prefers to call it relocation. Objects tell her if they want to be somewhere else and there always seems to be a reason for the relocation even if others don’t see that. Others being her family and soon to be ex husband Kent who comes across as if butter wouldn’t melt but that is far from the truth!

With the help of Hawk, a PA hired to follow her, Nicole attempts to make sense of it all.

A book that kept me interested and enthralled all the way through. Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC.

This book started off great but quickly disintegrated in to a mish-mash of a story line that I found very difficult to finish,

In a Nutshell: If you enjoy books with a bit of magical realism and some really memorable, albeit flawed characters, this is the book for you!

Story:
Nicole is a self-proclaimed “jailbird, nutcase, and spectacular failure.” Reason? Society considers her a kleptomaniac, constantly on the lookout for things to steal. But Nicole doesn’t “steal”. She ‘relocates” objects based on the energy vibes she gets from them. Needless to say, this ‘Object Relocation Program” of hers gets her in severe trouble with family, friends and the law. Nicole, however, has stuck to her gut feeling all these years. But with her latest relocation, something drastic seems to have altered in her life and the consequences seem to spiral out of control. Add to this the fact that her soon-to-be-ex-husband Kent has assigned a private investigator named Hawk to retrieve what she had “relocated” from him. Will Nicole be able to handle this the change in her circumstances? Will she finally be able to figure out whether her urge to move objects is a gift or a curse?
The story comes from the first person point of view of Nicole, Hawk, and a local resident Andrea, who is a recipient of Nicole’s latest relocation activity.

Where the story worked for me:
• The lead characters are AWESOME! In fact, none of the main characters are straightforward except for one somewhat-predictable fellow (charmer outside, snake inside.) Nicole is not a black or white character, but she isn’t even a typical grey. Her moral compass works on a very different level and you initially struggle to accept her justifications for stealing as ‘relocations”. But soon, you begin questioning your own preconceptions and wonder if there’s really some truth to her words. Andrea’s character is grey in a more typical sense. She is a pharmacist running from her past and her social anxiety is so extreme that she uses her training to mix and match medications. The way her mental health crumbles after Nicole’s latest endeavour is really well-written. That leaves us with Hawk. Sigh! Let me just say: if you are looking for a potential new literary crush (male), say a warm hello to Hawk. He’s your dream man: strong, protective, funny, caring, rushes to rescue women in trouble while still giving them their own space, and a GEEK. (Chick-lit writers take note: Wealth and looks aren’t part of my requirements.)
• The plot is based in Spokane and it uses this location so wonderfully. An apt setting for the story!
• I loved the overall story. It is so different compared to the usual magical realism plotlines. It’s more of reality with just a sprinkling of subtle fantastical parts. I especially loved these magical bits, even though they aren’t a dominant part of the narrative. The way Nicole could “feel” the energy of objects and couldn’t rest until she completed her ‘relocation’ was quite innovative to read.
• Though the plot doesn't directly lend itself to other themes, the author still wove in marital abuse and family pressures seamlessly in the storyline. I loved how this flowed naturally through the story rather than seeming like forced add-ons.
• Extra points for being a very quick read in spite of being 350+ pages. I could not put this book down even after the story changed tracks towards the last quarter and traversed down the more clichéd route.

Where the story could have been better for me:
• The turnaround in the reactions of SOME of Nicole’s family members was too abrupt. While I did empathise with them -- (would you believe it if a family member stole things and called it “relocation”?) -- I wish the change in their opinion was also portrayed as realistically. I could also not see how so many intelligent people were being fooled by that secretive-snake character.
• The last quarter of the book goes very, very predictably. This should actually not be a major problem because this genre is meant to be predictable. But my expectations were so high because of the stupendous first half that the finale fell flat in comparison. Everything fitted in too conveniently to bring about the neatly-tied-with-big-sparkly-bows resolution.

There are many factors that make a book memorable: plot, writing and characters. In this book, the lead characters were brilliant and the writing was very good. The plot was outstanding in the first three-fourths. All this leads me to my 4.25 stars. (If the last 25% were as good as the rest of the book, I would have gone to 4.5 stars.) It is a beautiful book with mild Ruth Hogan vibes. Go for it if you want a little bit of magic within a realistic setting. I really enjoyed this book and found it as appealing as its cover.

Thank you to Lake Union Publishing and NetGalley for the ARC of the book in exchange for an honest review.

Loved this.

Was a bit of a slow burner but once the fire was lit there was no putting it out.

Nicole and Hawk have to be my most favourite characters and I Truly hope that maybe their story will continue.

Full of equally good and bad characters with a wonderful plot and a hint of magic.

What more could you ask for.

Highly recommended 5 stars from me.

Such an unusual premise and so well written.

A heartwarming read with an unusual premise. Nicole (or Nickle) is uniquely memorable edgy heroine who doesn’t exactly steal but relocates objects. You can imagine not everyone sees it that way though, including her family.

Add in a husband who I wanted to strangle and deserves a medal in gaslighting, and it’s easy to see why Nickle has a crisis of self-confidence to deal with, in addition to her “gift” getting her in real trouble.

With a good dose of magical realism thrown in, this is the kind of book that makes you think “Man, I wish I came up with that idea!” So dang clever and a fabulous read.

Just the kind of escapism I needed right now. Love, love, loved it!

Intriguing, Fascinating and Suspenseful are what comes to mind when I think of my experience with Kerry Anne King's New novel Other People's Things. I enjoyed my time with these characters.

I found the premise of this book Intriguing. Nicole has a calling and a behavior she calls the Object Relocation Program. Most people thinks she steals things but the things call out to her to be moved. She moves them where they want to be. Her family and friends don't understand. Heck, she doesn't understand! It is beyond her control. Good and bad comes from her gift.

The gift was fascinating to me and kept me reading. I wanted more! Then came the Suspense. The best part of the book. What is up with the soon to be ex-husband? Why doesn't her family see what's going on? What about the crazy boss lady? Oh and what about her psychologist? Then what happens with Hawk? Umm...you're going to have to read the book to get those answers.

I hope I've peaked your interest. This was a fun book that also kept me on edge. You must think about picking up a copy for yourself. I think you will be intrigued and fascinated like I was.

I received a complimentary copy of this book #OtherPeople'sThings from #Netgalley and #LakeUnionPublishing. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

Thank you to the author, Lake Union Publishing and NetGalley, for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This improbable story is about a young woman who "relocates" things because they somehow communicate to her that they belong elsewhere - problematic because everyone else sees this as stealing and she has collected quite the rap sheet. Trying to make a fresh start and working with her sister, she relocates a used book and sets a mystery in motion. This morphs jnto a sweet nerdy love story, also touches on family and friendship, spousal abuse and gaslighting (TW!) and has a lovely, although very rushed ending. I look forward to reading more from this author.

Other People's Things - Kerry Anne King

I received an advance review copy for free thanks to NetGalley and Lake Union Publishing and I am leaving this review voluntarily

Jailbird. Klepto. Spectacular failure to launch. Nicole Wood’s sticky fingers have earned her many names, but it’s not that she’s stealing—some objects just need to be moved elsewhere, and the universe has chosen her to do it. Still, being a relocator of objects isn’t easy. With her marriage on the rocks, no real-world skills, and the threat of prison hanging over her head, Nicole is determined to change her ways.

Things seem to be looking up, thanks to a godsent job with her sister’s housecleaning business—until she encounters a seemingly harmless paperback that insists on moving from one client’s home to another’s. Nicole hopes no one will notice, but the action stirs up long-hidden secrets and triggers a series of fateful events that threatens to destroy the life she’s creating and hurt those closest to her. She’ll need to embrace her unwieldy gift and take a chance on love in order to unravel the mystery and fix what’s gone wrong. 

This book has been on my want to read list for a very long time and I really wanted to enjoy this book. The premise seemed very interesting but unfortunately I just don't think I clicked with the book. The book is written in a nice way and it is nice and easy to follow, but I thought that it was just lacking depth.

I thought that the second half of the book was slightly better than the first, which slightly redeemed the book for me, however I thought that the ending was just a little too rushed for me.

Rating 3/5

I have to admit that this book had some good twists in it. I was going into it thinking one way and then it flips and I am like "what just happened". From that point I was really hooked.

The way that Nicole dealt with her kleptomania was interesting. She did not steal items for the sake of keeping them but she took the items and "relocated" them. The reason Nicole relocated the items is because they do not belong in the original destination. So when Nicole relocates her latest item at a client's house, it sets off a chain of events that Nicole can not stop.

This was a very fast read for me. I read it in two days. The first half of the story was good but the second half was a bit better. This is where the twist happened at the half way point and the intensity went up as well. I will be checking out more books by this author. Other People's Things by Kerry Anne King is not to be missed.

This is one of those books that crops up once in a while that makes you think and hits you in the feels.

Nicole is labeled a kleptomaniac but in fact she relocates things. She feels energy of objects who are not in the place they are supposed to be and moves them to where they indicate they should be. Unfortunately, this has landed her in a lot of trouble with the law but the need to relocate things is sometimes so overwhelming it causes physical anxiety symptoms. While trying to start her life over after being thrown out by her husband (whom she "moved" some money for and he is not happy), she feels compelled to move a book from one of her sister's client's house to another. While this act of relocation is simple, the consequences are not. What follows is a story of friendship and standing in your own truth. To quote the wise emperor from Mulan "No matter how the wind howls, the mountain will not bow to it."

I appreciated the rich characters of this book. It is told from three different perspectives- Nicole, PI Hawke who comes into Nicole's life under dubious circumstances and turns out to be a great ally and Andrea, a pharmacist with severe anxiety and panic disorder who is running from ghosts in her past. You can feel the emotions of these characters, the writing is so powerful. I was near tears a few times. I was actually sad when it ended, and that is the sign of a really great book.

Nicole- known as Nickle to her friends and family- can't stop herself from moving objects to where something tells her they need to be. Not good and it's landed her in hot water more than once. Her very patient sister hires her to work for her housecleaning service even though it means she has to fix things. Nickle finds a book which she moves from house to house and that' s interesting but it's nothing compared to what happens when her ex hires Hawk to find the $20k she "relocated" from him. Its a lively plot driven novel that's more than a little implausible in spots but still entertaining. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. A good read.