DNF -- but I'm going to try on audio! I appreciate the gifted copy from Berkley, this was just a tricky one to get into at the moment I tried to read it. I think audio may be a better way to go for me.

I love the premise of The Minuscule Mansion of Myra Malone by Audrey Burges. I love the sense of magic through the ages and the idea of a home as a refuge. With this premise, I keep waiting for the unusual and the unexpected. The storyline and the connections between the characters seem obvious to me early on in the book, and the surprise never does come. Nevertheless, I did enjoy the premise of the book and do wish I could see the minuscule mansion.

Read my complete review at http://www.memoriesfrombooks.com/2024/11/the-minuscule-mansion-of-myra-malone.html

Reviewed for NetGalley.

A unique, quirky, and clever story. An engaging story, fabulous characters, and a whole lot of heart. I liked the slight magic elements of it and the bond it created between Alex and Myra. The writing was great and I liked the mix of story and blog writing that wove together nicely. There was also an aspect that was a bit insta-lovey for me, but it didn't deter from the overall enjoyment of the story. Overall it was a really good book. Would recommend.

Agoraphobic Myra Malone pours her heart and soul into the miniature mansion that once belonged to her step-grandmother. At the age of five, a car crash left her devastatingly injured and took her grandmother from her. Now, almost thirty years later, the mansion is still a spark of magic in a scary, unwelcoming world. At the encouragement of her best (and only) friend, Gwen, Myra blogs about the mansion to hundreds of thousands of fans. But that internet fame won't be enough to save her home. She and her mother have been cocooned in their Arizona cabin for decades, Myra refusing to leave and her mother refusing to abandon her daughter. But it turns out that's exacted a toll. Myra's mother has mired them deep in debt, and the house goes to auction in mere weeks unless Myra lets Gwen implement some of her creative, moneymaking schemes for the blog.

Alex came home to work at Rakes and Son in Virginia when his father's health became an issue. He hates working in sales, but he feels it's his duty to help even if he has to sell his soul in the process. To ease his ennui, he enjoys hitting up thrift shops for unique finds, the exact opposite experience of the warehouse furniture emporium manned by his father (and now Alex, too). When a customer comes in looking for pieces inspired by Myra's blog, Alex is shocked by what he sees. Myra's mansion is Alex's actual house. From across the country, Myra and Alex take up an email correspondence. They're mesmerized by the way the strangeness in each of their lives seems to be connected-- tied together by two houses, the exact same except in size.

The story thrives on an interesting mix of dual POV, flashbacks, and blog posts. You start to see the whole picture of how Alex and Myra came to be who they are. There are some witchy adjacent vibes, which I always support, and there's some timey-wimey stuff that I think worked well to keep things a bit mysterious.

To me, the main thrust of the story is complicated family history, even though it seems to be a romance on the face of it. The book explores chasms between parent and child, comfort between elders and grandchildren, and true love that doesn't so much fade as snap under the pressure of life's evils. My interest level in these stories was mixed. Because of all the POVs and timelines flowing through the book, I didn't get particularly attached to any one part. It keeps the story moving, but it kept my emotional reactions limited and my investment a bit surface-level. With this rush to see through all the loose threads of the story, some character arcs baffled me, and others felt anti-climactic. That could be said of the romance between Myra and Alex, as well, beleaguered by such a busy hodge podge of storytelling. Despite these misgivings, I think that the house, whether full size or in miniature, makes for a fascinating set piece, and that part of the story lived up to my expectations.

Readers who enjoy magical family histories and the mystique of an old house with a mind of its own will enjoy The Minuscule Mansion of Myra Malone. Crafters might like the spotlight on a miniaturist, and people who like a touch of closed-door romance will likely leave satisfied. Thanks to Berkley for my copy to read and review!

I love the concept of this book - a model house as a connection between very different people. I loved learning about these characters, their correspondence, isolation and hunger for a fulfilling life.

Thanks to NetGalley and Berkley Publishing for this copy of "The Miniscule Mansion of Myra Malone."

How to describe this book? Dazzling, enchanting, magical

A lovely story about Myra's dollhouse mansion and the man who actually lives in the real life-size mansion.

Together they try to discover the connection between the dollhouse and the actual mansion and how their lives are intertwined.

The Minuscule Mansion of Myra Malone by Audrey Burges is a magical realism fantasy novel with a touch of romance to the story. The story in The Minuscule Mansion of Myra Malone is also one that is told by changing the point of view between the characters.

For years now Myra Malone has cared for the dollhouse mansion in her attic carefully curating new rooms nightly. Myra’s best friend found a way for Myra to make money on her activities with the mansion by setting Myra up online where she can share photos and the stories of each new room she creates and now has a whole community interested in the mansion’s progress.

Meanwhile across the country Alex Rakes works daily in his custom furniture business when Alex is approached by fans of the miniscule mansion website. When the customers show Alex what they are wanting to duplicate from Myra’s site Alex is shocked when he recognizes the rooms in the photographs. Everything Alex is seeing in a miniture version of his one life and he knows she needs to track down the owner of the website.

The Minuscule Mansion of Myra Malone is the first book I’d read from author Audrey Burges so of course I had no idea what to expect going into the story. For me the book became one of those that I deeply appreciate the creativity of the story as this was definitely something I hadn’t read before and that can be hard to come by. However, on the flip side I found this one to also be a slow mover and that often leaves me wanting more as I go along in the story. So with my feelings flip flopping along the way between interest and disinterest with the pacing I finished this one rating it at three and a half stars but would return to this author again.

I received an advance copy from the publisher via NetGalley.

Thank you, NetGalley, for an e-ARC of The Miniscule Mansion of Myra Malone by Audrey Burges.
"The Miniscule Mansion of Myra Malone" is a charming novel featuring a unique storyline and lovable, quirky characters. It's both heartwarming and humorous, with a touch of magical realism that adds to its charm. Audrey Burges's vivid descriptions make the mansion come alive on the page, creating a delightful reading experience.

I've become such a fan of magical realism over the last year, but this one was just a little shy of what I was expecting. A great premise, but for me it just didn't work for me. It took a long time to set up the story and then I was always just slightly confused as I read or listened to it.

Maybe it was just too many pieces for me with both Alex and Myra in both the past and present? Or maybe it was just all me and my expectations.

There is a sweet story in here of family and love. And also a bit of loss and moving past it.

While I was confused, the narration of the audiobook was superb. Christine Lakin makes the most of the story and really brought the characters to life.

This is a delightful story of a woman who builds tiny rooms in a mansion in her attic. Online fans try to figure out who she is. Then, one day, a man sees a room on her blog and realizes it's his room in his family home. This man, Alex, and the woman, Myra, connect in a delightful and fun way to read. The premise was unique, and I enjoyed reading this story a lot.

I think this was the first book to discuss agoraphobia that wasn't a thriller, so that was a plus! This was the perfect chilly fall read. I love a magical realism book and it had just the right amount of quirky. The characters were great and memorable, as was the setting. The plot was unique, but the writing did run a little slow at times.

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for the eARC

I think the age when she started making miniatures/when her grandma died was a little too young to be believable. Not that this fiction story has to be believable but it was sort of distracting every time she mentions that she remembers everything her grandma taught her at age 5, especially with something so tedious as making miniatures!

Because of that I dnf'd at like 25%.

This was such a fun book to read that will give you the perfect combination of suspense, romance, childhood nostalgia and even a dash of paranormal that will have it hard for you to put this book down. I also have to say that I instantly fell in love with each character. From the first page I connected to each one and felt their happiness and pain right along with them. This was a very fast read and I highly highly recommend this book to all readers.

This was good! I liked the slight magic elements of it and the bond it created between Alex and Myra. The writing was great and I liked the mix of story and blog writing that wove together nicely. One thing that bothered me was that it used my most hated line in books "He let out a breath he didn't realized he'd been holding" TWICE! Two times in the same book. Whenever I see that line, I cringe. There was also an aspect that was a bit insta-lovey for me. Overall it was a really good book.

I was pleasantly surprised by this one. As someone who is obsessed with The Doll Maker, and before that, The Tale of the Dollmaker, loosely based on the aforementioned book. While this book is less about dolls, than the mansion that houses them, my interest was piqued.

As a woman in her mid thirties, it always interests me to read about protagonists of a similar age. That's not to say our interests always align, but there is certainly more to relate to. Myra blogs about a dollhouse mansion. Elsewhere, Alex recognizes the dollhouse as his family home. This is part mystery, part fantasy, with a healthy dose of magical realism, which isn't for everyone, but is definitely for me. I enjoyed seeing how the story played out, and how the two storylines eventually connect. Alex's family could use a little work, but we can't choose that, so I won't fault him.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher.

The Minuscule Mansion of Myra Malone is the most whimsical book you're gonna read all year! I love miniatures so I was immediately drawn to the title. This is much much more than a book about a miniature house. It's about love and magic and loss and finding out who you are and what matters most. Multiple generations of stories are beautifully interwoven together to make a truly wonderful story! I enjoyed making the connection between timelines and characters so much that I want to read it again soon!

But if a slow start but once you're in, you are IN. There's mystery, love, friendship, family, and of course a bit of magic. Was not expecting to fall in love with this story but I fell head over heels.

The Minuscule Mansion of Myra Malone is interesting and touching magical realism about Myra Malone’s Minuscule Mansion (dollhouse) and its connection with Alex Rakes’ actual full-sized Mansion that is exactly the same as Myra’s.

Writing is captivating, detailed, and beautiful. I absolutely loved the concept of a story around the magical house that kept its owner safe and timeless for ages making itself and the owner refuge for people who needed it. It made the house more than a setting and it was interesting to read stories of everything it contained, both living and animated objects alike.

I’m a person who loves to stay at home and I can be fine with no other physical contact with the outside world but Myra was on a whole different level. I get her fear of leaving the house but not how she couldn’t notice what her parents and especially her mother was going through. Let’s just say I didn’t warm to her for a long time and in my opinion, her family let her cooped up in the house so long that it didn’t feel right or realistic.

I loved Willa’s story and all past timelines related to her. It was heart-shattering to read what Willa has gone through in her life.

This is the story of the magical connection with the house, loss, grief, tragedy, dysfunctional family, friendship, resilience, and hope.

Why 3 stars- slow pace. There are lots of timelines in random order slowed the pace even more. plot was meandering and also predictable. I didn’t like Myra as much as I expected in the beginning.

Overall, The Minuscule Mansion of Myra Malone is unique and interesting fiction with magical realism and beautiful writing but I didn’t enjoy it as much as I hoped.

Aside from my bank account and a plate of nachos… aren’t miniature things just infinitely cuter than their larger counterparts!?⁣
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Myra Malone doesn’t leave her Arizona home after a car accident killed her grandmother and left her face severely scarred. She spends her days curating her “don’t-call-it-a-dollhouse” minuscule mansion while her best (and only) friend Gwen, has turned the spectacular tiny abode into a social media sensation.⁣
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Meanwhile, Alex Rakes, in Virginia, stuck in the family furniture business and quite miserable when he sees a photo of Myra’s magical miniature manor. ⁣
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He’s shocked though, when he realizes…it’s an exact replica of the home he lives in - right down to the furniture. And as he changes things in his own home, they instantly transform in Myra’s mansion as well.⁣
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The two connect and together try to solve the mystery of the connected homes. What follows is a several intertwining stories of love, tragedy, mystery, and a whole lot of magic. And while it’s a tad heavier than I expected, and a little bit sad - I enjoyed this unique and enchanting story so, so much and it was quite unlike anything I’ve ever read.

"She felt in her bones that the rooms weren't gone. They were living somewhere else, and someone else could feel the love she poured into them."
Titular character Myra is a 34-year-old recluse who spends her days physically in the attic of an Arizona mountain town. But her mind and soul are focused on a magical miniature house that she was gifted as a child. Rooms come and go, and the magical minuscule mansion has a rapport with the ever-grieving and wounded Myra, speaking to her through light and music and miniature objects that appear and disappear as required. There's a lot that goes unexplained in this debut novel that switches back and forth from the present (2015) to the past to tell the parallel stories of Myra Malone and Alex Rakes, who was born into a wealthy but troubled family in Virginia, which is where the IRL mansion stands. Alex lives in the mansion, which belonged to his mother before she disappeared at the urging of the overbearing Rakes matriarch. It's not clear how the Rakes came to be 'rakes,' but the name is a not-subtle clue. Alex is more like his mother than the family whose last name he bears, and the house is an extension of her. Thus, Myra and Alex form a long-distance relationship, with the house and the Lady of the house their touchstones. Fun premise. Solid enough execution.
[Thanks to Berkley and NetGalley for an opportunity to read an advanced reader copy and share my opinion of this book.]