Evie Woods’ THE STORY COLLECTOR is a dual timeline story that follows Sarah in the present day, when she accidentally finds herself in a small village in Ireland, and Anna/Harold in pre-WWI Ireland.

I requested this book when I was halfway through Woods’ first novel, The Lost Bookshop. Unfortunately, I ended up not loving that one and didn’t find much more redeeming in this one. The characters fell flat and the magical realism didn’t hold up. I didn’t find myself invested in any part.

No more Evie Woods for me. Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC.

Absolutely loved the Lost Bookshop and have been anticipating this second book. Evie has such a wonderful way of writing that allows you feel like another character in her stories. Instantly transported into the environment and timeline of each character. I loved added suspense/drama that comes along with her stories and this one did not disappoint in that aspect.
The mother daughter relationship was also one that drew me into the story and hooked me.
The Story Collector has made an impact and has been on my mind the past week since finishing it. This will definitely be a highly recommended novel and will have a lasting impact on me.
Evie Woods has officially become an auto buy author for me!

I really enjoyed this book 😊 It’s set 100 years apart (in 1911 and 2011) and the author takes you both time frames. It starts in 2011 when Sarah boards a plane for Ireland unbeknownst to her (she thought she was traveling to the US) and ends up staying in a cabin during New Years. She finds diary from Anna that was written in 1911, where she tells a her story.
If you enjoy a story that takes you an adventure, then I highly recommend this book. I’ve read another book by this authors and it was just as wonderful ❤️
Thank you NetGalley and Evie Woods for the opportunity to read this book before it’s been released ☺️

Another Evie Woods book that I loved. When I saw another book coming i HAD to request it. It was so enjoyable and I was sad to reach the last page. The story was so great and easily to connect with.

My Thoughts /

First and foremost, a huge THANK YOU to NetGalley, publisher HarperCollins UK, One More Chapter, and author Evie Woods, for providing me with a copy of this publication, which allows me to provide you with an unbiased review. Publication date is currently set for July 18, 2024.

There have been great societies that did not use the wheel, but there have been no societies that did not tell stories.
— Ursula K. Le Guin

Oral traditions are the backbone of Indigenous knowledge transfer, and storytelling is the beating heart by which much of this is shared. Storytelling serves to connect individuals and communities to their place and time as well as each other. Other important aspects to storytelling are that stories are used to teach history, cultural beliefs and etiquette, values, customs, and spiritual beliefs.

In The Story Collector, author Evie Woods, takes the reader on a journey into the past, back to a time and place full of myth and storytelling.

Written with a dual timeline, you follow the story of Anna Butler, a young girl, who lives with her family in the small town of Thornwood in Ireland during the early 1900s; and then during 2010/2011 we meet Sarah Harper, who lives in New York City. The author has the two stories interconnect in such a way that the two separate tales become one [captivating story].

At the start of the story, we learn that Sarah Harper has made the decision to end her marriage. She is at the airport ready to board a plane heading to Boston, where she will meet up with her family for Christmas. But an impulse decision has her abandoning those plans and sees her boarding a flight to Ireland. Immediately upon arriving in the Irish Republic, Sarah is realising the consequences of her impulsivity. Nevertheless, she's here now and wants to make the best of it. With a little help, Sarah finds her way to a pretty little village called Thornwood; and the cottage she's staying in could grace the cover of a postcard. Exploring the area, Sarah finds a book hidden in the trunk of a tree. The book, Anna's Diary, was written by eighteen-year-old, Anna Butler, in the year 1910.

Anna's Diary chronicles her days as the daughter of a farmer and a young unmarried woman. Then, by chance, she meets a gentleman by the name of Harold Griffin-Krauss, an educated man, who is travelling through Ireland as part of his thesis studies. Interviewing locals and collecting stories regarding the local folklore and paying particular attention to whether the fairy faith is still alive. He wasn't just collecting fairy stories - he was keeping the memory of his ancestors alive.

Both timelines were well documented - the characters: well, they ranged from charming to oddish, from surprisingly different to strange and then just weird. However, I was drawn more to the earlier timeline. In a nutshell, it was more memorable. Opposing chapters flowed seamlessly throughout and the past and present melded together like melted wax.

I'd like to believe that as a species we haven't lost our connection to folklore and mythology or a connection to our immediate environment - to the flora and fauna. But I'm more inclined to think that in our 'modern' world we seem to have lost touch with the natural sense of feeling connected to nature. This story has rekindled my senses and inquisitive thought processes surrounding why it's so important to keep these stories alive, and for that I'm very grateful Woods for bringing us this story. On the face of it you might think this is just a story about fairies, but we need to appreciate the inner meaning of the dialogue and the fact that you can't apply conventional thought and thinking to what is substantially, unconventional writing.

With thanks to NetGalley and especially to publisher HarperCollins UK, One More Chapter for the much appreciated arc in return for an honest review.

This was a nice enough read with an interesting concept. The characters were likable, but I didn't feel like I got to know them all that well throughout the story. It felt quite surface level. Despite having an interesting concept, I felt like we didn't really get enough substance. The idea of the fairies was brushed over and overshadowed by other things so I didn't really feel like we'd explored it enough in the end. For me, the 3rd person perspective for Sarah meant I didn't connect as closely to her as I did to Anna. The first half of the book felt too slow and then the last 50 pages seemed to rattle off an ending too quickly. I didn't feel as satisfied when I finished the book as I hoped I would.

Overall, this was okay but I'm not sure it was for me. Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for this advance reading copy in exchange for an honest review.

Really enjoyed this book especially the links to the past and present. Great characters and a great read would definitely recommend. Thanks to NetGalley, author and publishers for the ARC

This book takes the reader on a journey of self-discovery, magic, wonder, and healing old wounds.

We discover the story of Anna, an Irish girl who lived 100 years ago, through her diary read by Sarah, an American woman who went to Ireland on a whim. As both of their stories unfold, the scene starts growing into magical realism, introducing us into a world of fairies that are much different to Tinkerbell. Emotional, adventurous, heartwarming, but also strong, this book is perfect for a cozy night in with some tea, while also having fierce undertones of fighting for what's right and overcoming trauma.

Personally, I did feel that the story was a bit flat at times, mainly because I was mostly invested into Anna's narrative rather than Sarah's, but I loved the different take on fairies and all the reports we read about in Anna's POV.

Thank you NetGalley and One More Chapter for granting me an eARC of this book.

A cute/nice read. The historical story of Anna and Harold involving fairies and mystic was more enjoyable than the present day story of Sarah and her quest to find solace with her life. The book had characters that were flawed but they were outnumbered these who were kind and sought to bring happiness to others .

Sweet easy read. I enjoyed the characters and especially the beautiful setting Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for this great read.

Arriving in Ireland unexpectedly (after boarding a flight while worse for wear from drinking), Anna makes the best of it and finds herself renting a cottage and settling in to recover from the end of her marriage and to contemplate how far her life has diverted from its expected trajectory.

Discovering a diary of a previous occupant of the cottage-Anna Butler from 1910- she develops a deep interest in the story unfolding in its pages, of Irish folklore and The Good People, and of loss and love.

I was drawn into the story quickly and it kept my interest though Anna’s story was definitely the main driver for me. Being delivered back to Sarah’s narrative was somewhat frustrating at times as it was on a far more predictable arc.

Altogether enjoyable- 3.5 stars rounded up. My thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the eARC to review.

"The Story Collector" by Evie Woods is a whimsical tale that weaves together elements of magic and mystery. Set in a quaint English village, the story follows the journey of protagonist Lily, who discovers a hidden bookshop filled with enchanted books that can transport readers into the worlds within their pages. While the concept is intriguing and the writing style charming, the pacing occasionally feels uneven, and some plot points are left unresolved. However, Woods' vivid descriptions and imaginative storytelling make "The Story Collector" an enjoyable read for those who love a touch of magic in their fiction.

Amidst the holidays, Sarah unintentionally flies to Ireland, a country of magic and folklore, good fairies and bad. Could the good faries have directed her path? Having left the hustle and bustle of New York City along with her personal problems she finds that this, right now, is the place for her. Greeted warmly by strangers, given a place to stay and providing a rest that was sorely needed, Sarah is able to refresh. She finds an old journal in a tree stump that tells the story of Anna and Harold and the good and bad fairies of the county. The story is told in dual POV's without any difficulty switching time lines.Cute, heartwarming, sad in turns, this book was a sweet read. Thank you to One More Chapter and NetGalley for the digital ARC. This review is my own words.

A fun sweet read! Highly recommend.

Many thanks to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for my ARC.

An Irish Village and an old diary.
Set in the village of Thornwood in Ireland mostly in 2011 and 1911.

At Christmas time 2010, Sarah leaves her husband Jack in New York intending to travel to Boston to spend Christmas with her sister, Meghan. Sarah is on medication for an anxiety disorder and splashes too much Irish whisky in her coffee while she waits for her delayed flight. Unfortunately, she ends up on a flight to Ireland by mistake.

I loved the way a newspaper article about a hawthorn tree in Clare County and its connection with fairies gives Sarah a cover story to explain why she has arrived in Thornwood at Christmas.

Sarah rents a small cottage in the village of Thornwood; while out walking, Sarah finds an old diary hidden in old tree hollow. The diary was written by Anne Butler between 1910 and 1911. Anna writes about her life in Thornwood and the meeting of a man collecting stories about fairy folklore and fairy faith.

I loved the way Sarah’s life changes as she settles into Butler’s cottage and her decision to drink less after seeing things that could have been fairies.

A romance about fairies, grief and families.

Thank you NetGalley and One More Chapter for a chance to read and review this e=book book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

Thank you to netgalley and the publisher for this ARC

I really enjoyed this book and reading about the Irish folklore. Sarah impulsively boards a plan from the US to Ireland and ends up staying in a cottage that was formerly the home of the Butler family 100 years previously. She finds Anna Butler's diary and from that point on the book flicks between the present day and flashbacks told through Anna's diary.

A sweet and cosy read. 4.5 stars rounded up.

I enjoyed this book like I enjoyed the author's other book, The Lost Bookshop. While I liked the 1910 diary more than the modern story, I loved all the fairy elements throughout the book and the Irish setting. Thank you to Net Galley and Harper Collins's One More Chapter for this ARC.

Sadly, this novel did nothing for me. I really struggled to get into it and it didn't improve the further I read.
Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for the ARC.

I absolutely adored this magical book. The writing was so good and kept my attention throughout the novel. I loved the flashbacks through Anna's journal. It left me wanting to read more about Anna's life and Sarah's. The setting of Ireland and the enchanting stories of the faeries makes you want to travel to Ireland and find "the good people" yourself. I highly recommend this book if you enjoy historical fiction and want to learn more about Ireland and it's folklore history surrounding the faeries.

Thank you Netgalley and Harper Collins UK, One More Chapter for the digital arc in exchange for my honest opinion.

I received a free copy of, The Story Collector, by Evie Woods, from the publisher and Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. Sarah Harper goes to Ireland to get away, she finds a book that was written a hundred years ago. Anna a farm girl was helping an American translate a book. Sarah is intrigued by Anna. I really enjoyed this story, Anna and Sarah are great characters, very strong women,