One Sentence Summary: Myra has spent a lifetime decorating and redecorating a miniature mansion, drawing thousands and millions to her blog, but she’s missing a major component to the story until Alex waltzes into her life and tells her he lives in the real mansion.

My thoughts:

The Minuscule Mansion of Myra Malone is the kind of story I love. It’s magical and soft with a sweet love story wrapped in the middle. Some family drama that goes back a few generations was some added tension, and the new problems Myra and her mother face just pile more on top. Unfortunately, I found the story a bit too predictable, so the only thing my mind latched onto was how, exactly, the mini and big mansions were connected. I really, really wanted to know how it worked, but this was much less about that and much more about a family trying to heal itself through love, considering what seems like what should be a big reveal was easy to see ten miles away and I just couldn’t slog through all the backstory anymore at some point.

First of all, I had a hard time getting into the story in the first place. There’s a constant shift in time lines and they just felt like they were coming out of nowhere at me at the beginning. The description didn’t allude to a woman from decades ago being a key character, so I was left feeling a little blindsided by the constant switching back and forth in history. It was disorienting and took me at least a quarter of the book for me to catch up, and then how to keep teh shifting years for three different people straight. Unfortunately, how the characters tied together was way too predictable and I felt like it was incredibly dragged out. There’s almost too much information I didn’t feel to be particularly necessary to tell the story, so I felt like I was reading a lot of padding and fluff. It also felt like a commentary on raising children who are unlike their parents, so I wasn’t quite sure if this was supposed to be about parent-child relationships or the incredible connection between Myra and Alex.

Myra and Alex are another component I struggled with. Myra just felt like a sad character. On one hand, I could kind of understand her position, but it also made it all seem very superficial. She was just stuck and unwilling to budge, which made me irritated with her at times. I was more fascinated with her minuscule mansion and her best friend Gwen. And thank goodness she had both otherwise I’m not sure if I could have stood to read her story. Alex, on the other hand, was absolutely lovely. I adored him. Except for the part where he falls into family patterns and gets stuck helping out with the family business when he’d really rather not be doing it. It was hard to feel for him because he got out once and seemed to be unable to get out again. His character was interesting, though, and a lot of fun to read. Myra and Alex’s correspondence relationship was sweet, but so dragged out that, when they did meet, their relationship just took off like a shot and I felt like I got whiplash from it all.

The Minuscule Mansion of Myra Malone, unfortunately, didn’t quite explain what I wanted to be explained. I’m no clearer on how the mansions worked together than I was before I started reading. I just got a lot of crazy family drama, a shut-in, and weird houses that work in tandem because there’s some magic underlying them, and I guess magic explains everything? Parts of this were sweet, but I just couldn’t get into the story, mostly because none of my burning questions were adequately answered.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for a review copy. All opinions expressed are my own.

I was eager to the bottom of why Myra wouldn’t leave her house and I also wondered how the two mansions, one doll-sized and the other Alex’s home were connected. Myra and Alex fall for each other gradually as they get to know each other through their emails and phone conversations. Willa and Ford’s romance in the past was sad but was necessary to for everything to come together.

This enjoyable story was magical and refreshingly different!

“As for Valentine’s Day, what better room than the library? Bookcases full of every possible kind of love, in addition to the love of words themselves. What better place for hearts and passion than a roomful of books?”

After suffering horrible injuries in a car accident when she was 5 — an event that took the life of her beloved step-grandmother Trixie — Myra Malone has spent the next three decades shut inside her house, refusing to venture out into the world.

Her one passion is a large dollhouse (though *never* refer to it as a dollhouse). She’s spent her life lovingly caring for it, decorating and redecorating the rooms (some seem to appear overnight and just as suddenly vanish). After her best friend launches a blog, The Minuscule Mansion of Myra Malone, fans the world over flock to the site, eagerly awaiting each new post, delighting in every new photo. Some fans even send packages, hoping for a chance to see their teapot featured on a shelf or a tiny knitted blanket draped on the sofa.

Myra always knew there was something different, something magical about the mansion, but she never expected the email from Alex Rakes, a man who claims the mansion exists in real life…and that it’s his home.

THE MINUSCULE MANSION OF MYRA MALONE feels like curling up next to a fire. It’s a cozy, whimsical tale spanning a century as it bounces between the lives of Myra, Alex, and Alex’s grandmother Willa. Lonely people finding each other is the backbone of this story (though I will admit some of the characters’ chemistry just wasn’t there for me). I wish the magical element had been explored more — I really loved the premise but its execution fell a bit flat. This could have easily worked as a family saga (there’s plenty of generational trauma in these pages) or a fantasy or a contemporary romance. As all three, however, there was something lacking. I did enjoy my time spent with this one, but I wanted to love it more than I did.

4.5 So Charming Stars
* * * * 1/2 Spoiler Free
Oh, this book captured me from the start. It presented so much in the blurb that I had an idea of where it was going...and I didn't care one bit, as I could not stop reading it.

This is something you need to buy in and then enjoy the ride. I certainly did.

This is a really sweet story with a great premise, and recommended reading if you need a bit of a pick me up.

I love dollhouses and miniatures, so I loved the unique spin on those things that builds the bones of this story. The idea of a dollhouse that corresponds eerily to a real house and what happens inside it was such a terrific concept, though be forewarned, this is very much rooted in Magical Realism, which doesn’t become apparent until partway through the book.

I liked both Myra and Alex, though the shut-in stuff is a bit shopworn and angsty for my taste. I liked the first half of the book better than the second, mostly because the story veers off into something akin to tragedy porn and then ties up just a bit too neatly in the end, all of which leaves the reader feeling a bit jerked around. If you like emotional roller coaster books or tearjerkers, you likely won’t be as bothered by this as I was.

It’s definitely a better story in concept than in execution, though I put some of my issues with the execution down to taste. Either way, it’s a worthy read for concept, creativity, and detail.

This story takes place over multiple generations of a family. It centers on a tiny mansion that has been passed down and which is a replica of a mansion. Myra is the current owner and the tragic circumstances that resulted in her ownership have left lasting marks on her body & mind.

After becoming a recluse, and through encouragement from her friend, she starts a blog which shares the minuscule mansion with the world. Is it possible to only share the mansion, or in doing so will she be sharing an intimate part of herself? Could that intimacy expand her world or will it isolate her even more? Does the mansion hold secrets to the past or is it just a single woman’s beloved hobby? Welcome to The Minuscule Mansion of Myra Malone. Thanks to NetGalley and Berkley Publishing for this ARC. This is my honest review.

The Minuscule Mansion of Myra Malone is a charming book of magical realism. I quickly became endured to the characters and was eager to find out what would happen. The story goes back and forth in time to tell the story of the characters and the mansion. Full of romance and magic, I highly recommend reading The Miniscule Mansion of Myra Malone!

What a wonderful and delightful read! The Minuscule Mansion of Myra Malone by Audrey Burges such a fun book. A bit of magical realism, romance, and a story that crosses decades – and a miniature mansion (NOT a dollhouse – iykyk) with all of the wonderful miniature everything as a part of it come alive as soon as you start reading!

Myra Malone is a 34 year-old internet sensation – but she is also a recluse. The world knows of her through her stories that she posts, as well as images of the rooms of the minuscule mansion.

She brings the mansion alive by weaving stories and creating the most perfect miniature everything for her mansion. Her friend Gwen is a genius marketer and helps her with the marketing so for a recluse, Myra is able to earn her keep in the world without being seen.

🪄Across the country a young man named Alex hears of, and sees images of, Myra’s minuscule mansion and he realizes – he lives in it! How is it possible? How does she own a mini mansion that is a small scale replica of his home/mansion? Why does his father want him out of the mansion? Why do both Myra and Alex feel as though their respective homes speak to them.

You HAVE to read this – romance, mystery, magical realism – it’s so great!

Thank you @berkleypub, @letstalkbookspromo, @dg_reads and @netgalley for the opportunity to read this gifted arc and for the buddy read! Highly recommend curling up with a cup of hot tea or coffee and losing yourself in this wonderful story!


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#buddyread #mustread #TheMinusculeMansionofMyraMalone #NetGalley
#bookishladiesread #dramafreenerdigans #bookpals3 #goodreads #ltbreaderteam #magicalrealismread

This book had the fatal flaw for me of having one timeline that I did not care about at all, which is how to make a book drag instead of bop along. A great concept, and I loved the twist that came about a quarter of the way through, but it fell flat after that. Not emotional enough for women's fiction, not romantic enough for a romance.

A Minuscule Mansion is not a dollhouse and this story is not a fairytale but it feels like one, under the current in the mystery and magic that connects people to places.

There was something about how the genres mixed in this one that just felt super off to me. It felt like it was two books smash-cut together at times.

This book is a delight in every single way even though it deals with some heavy subject matters. Myra has never left her house since an accident when she was 6. Her life is this “dollhouse” that shifts as its mood warrants. Her life expands as her friend Gwen decides to market Myra and the Minuscule Mansion and it will force her to make some hard decisions.

What I feel for this book is hard to express but to will be a favorite in 2023 and highly recommended by me.

Thank you to NetGalley, author Audrey Burges, and Berkley Publishing Group for providing me with a free ARC in exchange for my honest opinion!

This was a sweet little read! If you like cozy books, this is definitely the read for you. I could easily see this being a pick for lots of book clubs of older women lol and that's not a bad thing! The premise is interesting and filled with magical realism. Burges' descriptions are lovely and make me wish that I could see the minuscule mansion myself. However, it was just a bit too "cutesy" for me. I didn't feel that the magic elements were well-explained enough for my personal tastes, and I could have done without a romance plot line. Myra also annoyed me with just how reclusive she was, as I got tired of reading about her refusing to go anywhere and people just putting up with it. It was a pleasant reading experience overall, and I think it would be great to read in the fall with a nice cup of tea.

I love stories that incorporate magical realism because it makes all of my childhood dreams feel a little more tangible. The romantic element was also a huge standout for me. The way Audrey Burges ties these two characters together was as real as it was magical. I’ve read a romance novel or two in my life, but the shy way Alex and Myra circle each other gave me the most intense butterflies. The first moment they actually speak had me grinning ear to ear, and every time they had to overcome another obstacle, my stomach was in knots. I have not been this invested in a relationship in such a long time, and it was a breath of fresh air.

One of the most interesting aspects of this book was how its scope broadened over time. At first, we only have chapters from Myra’s point of view, some of which are present day and others from when she was a child. Next, Alex gets thrown into the mix, and we experience the mansion from another angle. And then another perspective joins these two, and we go even further back in time to learn about the history of this home. This keeps happening until the full picture is finally revealed.

There is a big story contained within these pages, one that spans across generations. As much as the magic adds an extra sparkle to these pages, the true heart of The Minuscule Mansion of Myra Malone is held in the hands of two families, forever connected. Love and loss are an inevitable part of life, and they are the hallmarks of this book. But even as some lives fade from our world, new ones take their place. The end of this book left me hopeful and content.

This book wasn't the same old story line I've been generally reading. It's a bit of a love story, but not your typical Hallmark ready plot. Which, to me, made it all the better.

Poor Myra. She's had a rough life but the few people in it have been good and she's enjoyed them. I don't want to give away why, but she's very self-isolating. She's not willing to meet new people or go out. Sadly, she's lost three of the people closest to her, two permanently. Funny, that then she should end up an internet sensation. The minuscule mansion is her passion. She decorates it and writes about it and with her friend's prodding has become a huge hit.

Alex's life hasn't been hard in the same ways as Myra's but it's not been idyllic either. We learn a lot about his past and his father's and it's all interesting. Then one day he realizes that Myra's mansion has inexplicable ties to his actual home. He contacts her and it takes massive effort for Myra to return his messages. Once they do start corresponding they get alone so well. A relationship, although unconventional, develops and deepens. When Alex wants to meet, Myra is beside herself. Can she get over her anxiety? Can he win her heart? Can they explain the seemingly unexplainable and impossible?

This story is unique and interesting throughout. It's part social anxiety, part paranormal and part love story.

Thanks to the author, publisher and NetGalley for the ARC.

I was that kid...

I wore frilly dresses and socks, I referred to my dolls as "my babies", and most importantly, I had a beautifully maintained dollhouse that I had to double check nightly to make sure there wasn't even so much as a chair out of place.

As an adult looking back on this mockery, I have chills up my spine. I was one heck of a creepy kid.

Now that I have provided you with some unnecessary information about myself, lets talk about The Minuscule Mansion of Myra Malone.

This book is NOT creepy, not by any means.

This was my first book by Audrey Burges, but I can say the narration of this book was done with perfection, characters are both lovable and heart warming, and the magic this book holds glitters across every page as the words sparkle before your eyes. I was instantly captivated by the first chapter.

There are elements of love, loss and family. All of this ties together to give us an easy five star read.

This was a book that sparked my imagination and lit up my soul.

Here is a bit of a teaser :

From her attic in the Arizona mountains, thirty-four-year-old Myra Malone blogs about a dollhouse mansion that captivates thousands of readers worldwide. Myra’s stories have created legions of fans who breathlessly await every blog post, trade photographs of Mansion-modeled rooms, and swap theories about the enigmatic and reclusive author. Myra herself is tethered to the Mansion by mysteries she can’t understand—rooms that appear and disappear overnight, music that plays in its corridors.

Across the country, Alex Rakes, the scion of a custom furniture business, encounters two Mansion fans trying to recreate a room. The pair show him the Minuscule Mansion, and Alex is shocked to recognize a reflection of his own life mirrored back to him in minute scale. The room is his own bedroom, and the Mansion is his family’s home, handed down from the grandmother who disappeared mysteriously when Alex was a child. Searching for answers, Alex begins corresponding with Myra. Together, the two unwind the lonely paths of their twin worlds—big and small—and trace the stories that entwine them, setting the stage for a meeting rooted in loss, but defined by love.

I love some magical realism, so I jumped at the chance to read The Minuscule Mansion of Myra Malone, by Audrey Burges. Thank you @berkleypub for the free #giftedbook! This book is available now!

Myra Malone, a 34 year old woman, spends her days alone in the attic decorating and blogging about her (not a dollhouse) mansion. The Mansion has secrets, and a magic to it: rooms and furniture that appear and disappear, mysterious music, and it seems to talk to Myra in a way, telling her what it needs or wants.

Alex, while working at his father’s furniture warehouse, discovers her blog and realized that the Mansion is an exact replica of his home. He contacts Myra and the begin a correspondence that will create and answer questions, and tell the story of both the big and minuscule mansion.

We also get flashback chapters, giving us more of a history of the Mansions (both big and small) and explanations of how both Myra and Alex are tied to them, and together.

I enjoyed this book quite a bit, although it didn’t have that ‘unputdownability’ that I was hoping for. I loved the descriptions of the Mansion and furniture pieces, and also the chapters about Willa. I will say that I felt some things weren’t explained enough at the end. Overall, this was a fun magical read, and I’ll definitely look forward to more from this author!

Take a little bit of history, mystery, and just the RIGHT amount of magical realism and what a treat The Minuscule Mansion was to devour. The pacing was perfect and the mystery of the story unfolds slowly throughout - I was hooked from the very beginning and loved the alternating points of view and the additions of Myra's blog posts throughout. I only wish I could've seen the mansion itself, but I suppose that's the point and the beauty of it all - it was exactly what those seeking refuge needed it to be.

A woman blogs about a magic dollhouse while she is beset with anxiety - a past accident - death - current connection over the dollhouse

The Minuscule Mansion of Myra Malone was a unique story about an enormous dollhouse, but don’t let the main character hear you call it that, to her, it was her mansion, her mission and her passion. This book’s genre falls into a mix of contemporary fiction peppered with magical realism.

Myra, the main character, struggles with agoraphobia, so to make her small world bigger, she blogs and posts pictures of each room’s décor in every stage of its creation. She is creative with an amazing eye, so her photos and stories she shares become incredibly popular. When Alex, who works in a furniture store is confronted by a customer to make a full size item of something she saw in miniature on Myra’s blog, Alex’s world turns upside down. He has actually seen the item the customer is looking for in his grandmother’s estate. It’s at this point that Alex and Myra strike up a correspondence.

How Myra and Alex connect, Myra’s relationship with her step-grandma Trixie, her love for her grandfather and BFF Gwen combined with Alex’s missing grandmother and poor relationship with his own father are all explored as the story progresses.

This is a sweet book that reminds the reader that looks and imperfections don’t make the person; it’s their hearts and souls that matter. It’s also a testament to the importance of grandparents and the pivotal role they can play in their grandchildren’s lives.

As a child I loved playing with my dollhouse, so I enjoyed the bones of the story. There were a few moments when I thought the connection between the three storylines got stretched, but it was a minor flaw at best. I look forward to see what else comes from this author.