One of my top reads of 2024! Friends have described House of Frank as a “warm hug on your worst day” and that could not be more accurate. House of Frank is an unforgettable novel. It’s one that I have thought about long after I have finished. How the House of Frank explores the different kinds of grief each character experiences is deeply relatable. I cried for all of the characters. Several times!!!

As joyful as the cover looks, this book is about the dark depths of grief and how it affects an individual personally and the people around them. It was a cathartic read for me but this story may cause some readers stress. Especially, if you have recently lost a loved one.

Sweet and comforting, this book reads like a warm blanket. It shows us how people can connect and support each other in a way that so many people are missing these days. it is a beautiful comfort read.

reviewed after assignment for the web newsletter Shelf Awareness. review can be found in full at https://www.shelf-awareness.com/

I wanted to love this story so much, but while the ideas for the characters and the plot were great, they didn’t quite come through on the execution. For example, everyone at the Ash Gardens had very similar backstories, with multiple characters willing to take potentially deadly curses for the same reasons, despite seeing the very clear evidence why that is a very bad idea.

There is a lot of grief and loss in the book, but I didn’t quite emotionally connect to any of it, so it didn’t move me to tears… I was just curious to see how things would turn out, without being deeply invested. Similarly, the cosy found-family vibes were disrupted by some arbitrary nastiness, constant secrets and miscommunications between ‘family’ members, and a lack of follow-through on their alleged care for each other. This meant that while I did get Under the Whispering Door vibes from the premise and set-up, I didn’t fall in love with the story (and characters) the way I did with TJ Klune’s after-death novel.

I generally have no problem with reading first-person narratives, but this one threw me at first, as I struggled with being addressed in the second person, as the main character’s sister. It just took a little getting used to though and stopped feeling as strange after a while.

All that said, I did love the range of the characters – fairies, gargoyles, beasts, dragons, witches, cherubs – and the system of magic, which is divided into types like nature witches but also allows for use of power sources outside of their specialisations. I also love the whole idea of the Ash Gardens and the use of falling stars, and how attempting to change fate or cheat death comes with serious consequences.

And with all of my minor quibbles about some of the plot elements, I did keep reading with absolutely no urge to DNF or pause, and I mostly enjoyed the book, so I would definitely look out for more by this debut author in future. As I said… the ideas here are brilliant!

This book was so sweet. The characters and their depth was amazing, so much emotion. I do think the ending was rushed, but overall I loved the book.

absolute 5 stars, if you loved Bookshops and Bonedust and feel like a cozy found family fantasy, then this will be perfect for you. I loved every moment.

House of Frank by Kay Sinclaire? Absolute banger. This book had me hooked from page one—it’s dark, it’s twisty, and the gothic vibes are immaculate. The family drama mixed with the eerie supernatural elements? Literal chills. Every twist had me gasping like, “Wait, WHAT just happened?”

The characters were so layered, and the writing? Pure ✨chef’s kiss✨. It’s giving haunted house goals, but also, I’d never wanna live there. If you’re into gothic horror with a side of juicy secrets and nonstop suspense, this is a must-read.

Massive thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.

4 stars

This is an interesting mix of cozy fantasy and one that takes on the subject of grief. There is an odd cast of characters that are a bit flawed that makes this story stand out. A large portion is told like the main character is talking to her sister. There is a part that really annoyed me with how the rest of the house were (mis)treating a dragon. Besides this a pretty solid read. If you like cozy fantasy and found family you should try this book.

Thank you to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for an advanced copy to form opinions from.

I’ve given this 3 stars but it’s more like a 3.5 or just below 4. Fans of TJ Klune will gobble this up as it has everything a cosy fantasy low-stakes romance could ask for. Readers should know it focuses heavily on bereavement though, and this is the central theme throughout. For me (and this is just personal preference), it takes up a little too much of the plot, and I felt like character depth and inter-personal development pay the price for this as it was somewhat lacking. I really would have liked some more back story for all of the characters, and for the main romantic story to have been fleshed out a little. On that note, I do hope there’s a sequel!

Thanks to NetGalley and Bindery for this arc. This was an emotional read that reminded me of the House of the Cerulean Sea. I’m thankful for the opportunity to have had early access to this novel. Congratulations to all involved.

YAYS
The exploration of grief is so important.
Diversity and queerness.
Nays
Pacing was off. A lot of it was drawn out and slow. Some of the events were discussed too quickly.
Note to self- slipping from first person to second person at random is odd to write.

Thank you to Kay Sinclair and Net Galley for this e-arc!

Such a beautiful read. Honestly hard to believe it’s a debut novel. The story flowed well and all the characters were interesting. At first I was a little worried about reading this with such an overwhelming theme of grief and loss, but in a way it definitely helped some to process complicated grief.

I received an ARC of this story and didn't get to it before pub date because I really enjoyed savoring it. The characters were perfect, and the emotion it makes you feel is why people read. Another review compared it to TJ Klune and it really was a combination of the Cerulean Sea characters with the grief of Under the Whispering Door. I loved every minute. Thank you NetGalley and Bindery books for the copy!

It’s not easy to capture the complexity and all-consuming nature of grief, and Kay Sinclair did a beautiful job while creating a beautiful story of found family, queer love, longing, and magic. I cried during each of the first 3 chapters.

Publish date: 15th Oct 2024
Date finished: 3rd November 2024

4⭐
📱

Thank you to @Netgalley for approving this eARC in exchange for an honest review.

As soon as one of my favourite booktok creators announced he had started a publishing house and this would be the first book to be published, I just had to get a copy of this one. Also, just look at how stunning the cover is.

This is a very unique cosy fantasy that looks at death, grief and finding yourself again after the passing of a loved one. It was really charming and fun to read. It has a good mix of characters and a really sweet sense of found family.

At the start, the second person P.O.V took a bit to get used to. Once I had wrapped my head around the P.O.V., I found I quite enjoyed it.
While I enjoyed the characters, I found there to be a few too many. This left me feeling as though some of them were a tad underdeveloped and 2-dimensional. I also found the romance a little underwhelming. Like it was cute, but definitely missing something.

Overall, this one was quite a fun read and I can’t wait to see what this author comes up with next.

I LOVED THIS BOOK. I cannot believe this was a debut novel. From the very first chapter, I was sucked in to the world of Saika and how she navigates her grief. I don't know how this book managed to be both cozy, heartwarming, and devastating, but it was pure magic. The grace with which the author discussed heavy topics was incredible. There was so much representation, I feel that anyone could see themselves in this book. I laughed, I cried, I devoured this book. It's not often I stay up late into the night reading anymore, but I truly couldn't put this down.

I will be recommending this to everyone I know.

House of Frank by Kay Sinclaire is a powerful and cozy story about magic, accepting ourselves and others, grief, and the power of community. This is an absolutely fantastic found family story with an incredibly diverse group of people (and magical folk of course) at its center.

House of Frank is about a woman who travels to Ash Gardens to bury her sister but struggles to let go. She stays on to work at the gardens and help solve the issues that are becoming more and more frequent. Along the way she meets lots of people that all deal with grief differently and it helps her understand her own response better.

This is a heartfelt story of grief and community that I would recommend whether or not you’ve lost someone close to you.

I really enjoyed it. This book is filled with a ton of emotions. It taps into the deep inner thoughts that anyone deals with after a sudden and hard loss. The format is mental letters to Saika’s sister. It dangles information about the past in front of us in an interesting way. I liked the setting. It’s cozy and quirky. The characters were unique and realistic. They could be annoying but in an endearing way. Everybody also had a sad backstory and that’s always up my alley. If you are into found family vibes and some queer romance. I’d recommend House of Frank.

3.0 Stars

Thank you NetGalley, Bindery Books, and Kay Synclaire for this arc in exchange for an honest review!

Thoughts:

House of Frank is described as a cozy fantasy and while it is at times, it is also a much deeper and darker read than one may expect due to the topics of loss, death and grief all throughout the book. This read comes with many surprises in store for its readers, and some of them heavier than expected.

I immensely enjoyed getting to see creatures that I don’t often run into in a lot of other reads as of recent. This book is unique and touching and charming and fun and lovely in so many parts of it.

For some of the things I didn’t love in the book as much, first on the list is the romance. While it had some beautiful moments and was overall kind of cute, I wanted more. It felt very background, and if that was intentional… well I still wanted more lol. Additionally, the narration perspective wasn’t done flawlessly and felt choppy as it bounced back from 1st and 2nd.

This is a plot over character development read, but still gives you enough to become attached to at least a few of the characters! (Frank - I adore you to bits!) However, I did find myself craving more to some of the other side characters.

I wouldn’t recommend this to everyone, but I would say this one that someone could take a chance on for sure!

Paperback/Hardcover/Audiobook/E-book:
E-book
Pace:
Slow/Medium
Cover thoughts:
Drew me in right away!!
Triggers:
Death, Dementia, Grief, Suicidal Thoughts, Suicide, Injury, Illness, Abandonment, Transphobia, Animal Cruelty, etc.

4.5 stars. Kay Synclaire's HOUSE OF FRANK is proof that themes of grief can be dealt with in a cozy and comforting way. Like TJ Klune's THE HOUSE IN THE CERULEAN SEA, Synclaire emphasizes the whimsy with an emphasis on found family. In this fam, you'll find: hairy cherubs, faries, witches, beasts, and a cute lil' dragon named Beezlebub. Every character deals with profound losses in their own way, and I honestly think this would be a good book to read if you are grieving since it deals with death/loss in such a magical, yet relatable and honest way. I mean, the idea of growing the remains of your beloved one into a tree is quite romantic. You'll gush over the lovable characters, sapphic cuteness, and surprisingly deep reflections on grief. A very special thanks to Bindery Books for the ARC in exchange for an honest review!