It's what it says on the tin- a cozy fantasy about grief and grieving. The ruminations about life and love have all been said before, but that's what you want from this kind of story. You cry at the end and feel better for it (and I did cry at the end!). I think the narration style did fall into telling us the story and lessons rather than showing it, as others have said. This really applied to the found family aspect for me- we focus so much on two or three characters that we don't fully get the chance to connect with the rest. Saika's characterization in particular felt like it bounced around for me. She would alternatively put her foot in it and then interact with everyone with familiarity and know just what to say, which felt a bit jarring. The romance was sweet but also suffered a bit from telling us rather than showing us. All in all, it is sweet and a quick read with mostly lovable characters (and as many have said, very reminiscent of Klune).

House of Frank is a beautifully moving cozy fantasy that dives into themes of grief, loss, and love. Our main characters, Saika, is experiencing grief after losing her sister and travels to the Ash Gardens to lay her to rest but finds that she doesn't want to let her go. The garden's caretaker, Frank, who I was not expected to be a big fluffy monster invites Saika to stay for as long as she likes.

Saika helps around the house and over times finds herself with a new family and falling in love. This story helps build appreciate for the beauty of life and left me feeling warm and cozy. I didn't realize I would be so moved by this book but here I am. It is a wonderful break from the craziness that is real life and to enjoy finding happiness in it all.

Thank you so much to Kay Synclaire and Bindery Books for the ARC!

I have so many mixed feelings about this. It sounds like a cozy fantasy at first, but it ends up being mostly melancholic and reflective. I could relate to how the Saika felt about her sister and dealt with her grief in a kind of self destructive way. It didn’t make me properly cry but my eyes were leaking a little at multiple points in the story.

The author is a good writer and the story flows very well, I just had a few gripes with it that were increasingly hard to ignore throughout the book. The thing is, I’m just not a fan of the use of second person and I can think of only one example where I’ve liked its inclusion in a book before. Every time Saika suddenly addressed her sister it took me right out of the story. So, if you think you can handle frequent sentence long interruptions where the narrator speaks directly to you, you’ll be fine, but like I said, it bothered me a quite a lot.

I liked the characters overall. Each of them got the opportunity to shine on their own for a little bit. I loved Hilde’s story and the depiction of Frank’s (magical) dementia hit me quite hard as someone currently dealing with something similar in the family. I never really warmed up to Oli and I wasn’t a fan of her dynamic with Saika either. I didn’t care for their romance at all. The rest of the group was fun and interesting but near the end it was like a conveyor belt of tragic stories. Okay we got to know this one, who wants to tell their sad life story next?

I didn’t really get the found family vibe. I could see that the group loved one another but they all kept so many secrets and important information from each other. I get that people are like that sometimes, but it was just extremely dysfunctional in this case because everyone did it.
Also, a minor thing but I can’t understand why they didn’t find a way to communicate with Phil. Just give him some pen and paper since he can interact with objects. (view spoiler) They were all way too dismissive of obvious issues in the house.

What the book does well is exploring different sides of grief and how we deal with loss. The author writes well, and her characters are flawed but endearing. It’s a good book and I think I might’ve enjoyed it more at a different time. I do recommend it, if you think you can overlook the things that bothered me. Reading it was still a good experience.

Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher and the author for the opportunity to read the book early in exchange for an honest review.

My rating: 2.5 Stars

My main issue is that I do not like the main character, she is not a nice person and very self-centred. I also just cannot understand/relate to her obsessive grief and one would think that the book would make you at least like the person that's being grieved but no, I feel like I know nothing about Fiona.

The found family in this book does exist but it isn't a good one. They barley talk about anything that matters ever and I got the feeling they don't even like each other.
The characters in general felt rather flat. Most of them have like two characteristics and one of them is always grief.

Also the whole thing with Death making weird deals read like a fairytale not like the cosy book it's supposed to be.

The casual queer rep was nice though.

When you lose someone, you lose a part of yourself too.

I finished this book in one sitting and it made me ugly cry. Fans of cozy fantasy will find much to love in "House of Frank." It is a tale that balances whimsy with profound themes of grief and hope, ultimately leaving readers with a renewed sense of optimism and wonder. It reminds us that even in our darkest moments, there is a possibility of finding light, beauty, and family.

This was an astonishingly moving, lovely story that so perfectly encapsulated grief... The writing is lyrical and yet also crisp (a tricky feat), moving the characters and plot along at a perfect pace without sacrificing the magic of the storytelling. I could not believe how wonderfully Synclaire captured what it is to love, to grieve, and to find your family and place in the world. It was a wholly original story that somehow managed to feel comfortable even while its story and characters felt fresh and new (again, no small feat that). The book is pure genius and I hope she is already working on another title!

I really enjoyed this book. It felt warm and cozy, or at least as cozy as you can get when the story revolves around grief. It also contains my favorite trope: found family.

Saika is feeling lost after her sister's death and we meet her after a couple years of travel as she arrived at the location her sister requested to be laid to rest. She meets the crew at Ash Gardens and ends up sticking around and helping out while waiting to feel ready to bury her sister's ashes. As she works, we start to learn more about her past, slowly unraveling what has led to her current state.

My big criticism is that the romance line between Saika and Oli doesn't feel very organic while they're flirting and getting together. I honestly was hoping it wouldn't happen. Once they were established, it was fine, but I didn't feel chemistry between them that got them there.

“And I fear I still haven’t let her go.”

“Why should you?” He lifts a gentle brow. “She was a major part of you. Letting go of her would mean letting go of a piece of yourself.”

Cozy fantasy, but it's actually quite a deep exploration of grief and loss. I loved the cover, loved the magical aspects of it, and loved the idea of burying loved ones in an arboretum where their spirits connect with magical trees. That said, I hated the narration. The main character is talking to the sister she lost, so it's all in the second person and that kept me disconnected from the story. I liked a lot of the elements, including the found family and sapphic romance, but ultimately, I didn't like the execution.

House of Frank by Kay Synclaire was a grief heavy but magnificent story that managed to balance themes of fpound family and connecction as well as queer storylines. There is a perfect blend of greif and love, sadness and companionship that feels like a creative communal home for processing difficult emotions in a safe and supportive way. I feel like there is no other war to describe this novel but brave and transformative.

Interesting concept but I found the storytelling dry and hard to get into. It felt like a slog sadly.

When Saika travels to the Ash Gardens to bury her sister as per her dying request. She finds that she struggles to let go of her and fulfill her promise. Instead Frank the keeper of Ash Gardens offers her a place in his home in return for her help until she is ready to lay her sister to rest. Saika finds herself among a rag tag bunch of individuals, including but not limited to cherubs, witches, a ghost and a dragon, all who have lost something or someone in their lives and have found purpose at Ash Gardens.

Cozy fantasy is the vibe and House of Frank does it perfectly. With a hint of mystery added in and the slow unfolding of our main characters past. I was kept intrigued the whole way through.

I have struggled to find 5 star reads this year, but something about House of Frank just filled a gap that I wasn't aware required satisfying.
I got wholly attached to the characters and Ash Gardens. I adored each and every one of them and their unique personalities. The sapphic representation and budding romance was perfectly created and felt so natural and beautiful. While this book does deal with heavy topics, it never feels overtly depressing. Instead it explores the themes of grief with a touch of whimsy.

The narration was hard to get into at first as Saika continuously talks to her deceased sister Fi about everything that is going on, which removed me from the story at times. However, this improved as the book went on and was a stylistic choice that made sense, given that those who are grieving often crave ways in which to feel close to the deceased. For Saika this was talking to her sister.

Overall House of Frank is a bittersweet story of loss, grief and the measures we go to for the ones we love. It was a total winner in my opinion and has become one of my new favourite comfort reads. If you enjoyed the likes of The House in the Cerulean sea then House of Frank is right up your alley.

Big Thank-you to Netgalley, Bindery Books and Ezeekat Press for providing this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

"What's a gift?"
"Life. Especially after seeing how fragile it can be.
You're broken for some time, yes. But then you pick yourself up again."

There are so many things I wish I could say but I try to limit myself a bit because review pages have a word limit.
Let me start with how you grow attached to all and any of the souls you meet in the House of Frank, of the way the cherubs are the way are, how Hilde will sit down with you over a cup of tea and Oli will tell you about pirate stories, how Saika will try to help you no matter what and how everyone. And I mean everyone. Will sneak into a place in your heart.
This story is extremely heartfelt. And I loved it with every page I read. Grief and loss are such important matters. And it is shown in many of its forms here. Which makes it so gripping. So understandable. And yet it also shows very wonderfully but also messy healing can be.

Perfect for fan's of TJ Klune's Te Whispering Dorr, House of Frank is going to wealcome readers in with open arms. A tale about grief, and how moving on doesn't always mean letting go, this book addresses hard topics with compassion and kindness. Full of diverse, interesting characters House of Frank is a story that will warm your heart and wishing you could read it again for the first time.

The House of Frank is a story that will break your heart but also heal and rebuild it. The story follows Saika, who finds herself at Ash Gardens after spending some time grieving the loss of her sister. Her sisters wish was to be buried at Ash Gardens, but Saika is still grieving and is struggling following through her sister's wishes. Frank, the owner of the house, offers Saika a job in the meantime. Little does Saika know, that she's not the old one harboring a secret.

This story goes over grief and love in the best ways. I struggled on the public transportation while reading this, being on the verge of tears with every page. The characters are all so special and have really great backstories. This is definitely a book i plan on buying for myself, and maybe as a gift for someone who might need it.

Thank you to NetGalley and Bindery Books for the ARC of House of Frank! I am always happy to support new authors and I was so excited to read this, as it is being published by one of my favorite influencers. It did not disappoint!! It was such an emotional journey. I cried several times, and don't even get me started on the epilogue. I really fell in love with so many of the characters. I especially loved Phil, and to give so much personality to a ghost who doesn't talk is pretty astounding. It does give "Under the Whispering Door" vibes, but the story feels new and fresh. It does have some flaws, but overall I immensely enjoyed this story. 4.25/5 stars

What a heartwarming and lovely book. This book gave me all the feels and felt like coming home to a nice warm hug. The pacing in this was perfect and the characters were all so wonderful. I don’t know if cozy fantasy is a genre but that’s what it felt like to me. I really enjoyed it!

Thank you Bindery books and NetGalley for providing me with an advance copy in exchange for my honest review.

The House of Frank was an unexpectedly poignant and beautiful promenade through the process of grief, love, healing and support. The prose was so heartfelt and touching that it made this book incredibly easy to read and a delight to enjoy. I thought the book was extremely well-written and that the pacing was excellent. I loved the multiple journeys of healing, the growth of the characters and the found family moments. I also loved that the topic of death and grief did not feel overwhelming or heavy. Synclaire did a fantastic job of making the story feel accessible and for me, completely relatable. I've seen others calling this a cozy fantasy and while I agree the vibes are low-key, this book felt like more than what that genre has given me in the past. I guess wherever this book becomes categorized, at it's core, it was warm and kind and full of relationships that are representative of real people and real dynamics, not always perfect, not always present, but always there..

I picked this one up because I'm a fan of TJ Klune and I thought this might hit the same blend of cozy fantasy and emotional resonance.

Synclaire's magic is the strong element of this book. It's cozy fantasy with unique elements. I enjoyed the system and the relationship to the stars, etc. There is enough to set her magic apart from others without it being boring or overly familiar. The central premise, that the ashes of the dead can be planted in a magical arboretum and grow trees, is truly brilliant. I loved that idea.

Unfortunately, the book was disappointing in terms of emotional resonance and character development. The characters are very surface level and most are limited to a few identifiable traits. At no point was I really invested in the relationships because we don't see those develop and deepen in a believable way, particularly the romance.

Saika, the protagonist, is the worst culprit of this. This character seems to be serving a function in a scene rather than actively participating. She goes from insulting to caring, controlling to cooperative, without any rhyme or reason. She is completely lacking in self-awareness and does not earn her place in this "found family." She says and does harsh things to the other characters, especially Frank, without having a single moment of "this isn't my place" or remorse. Her place among the others is not earned, and as a result I was irritated by her. Her Music witchery doesn't seem to serve much of a function, since she actually (gasp!) can play an instrument without magic. At the same time, she's snide about witches who didn't declare formal elevated study - but we never get to learn why she has this bias. There are a lot of things about Saika which are contradictory, nonsensical, and which we never really get to understand.

The romance arc falls prey to this as well. It is obvious from Saika and Oli's first encounter that they will be romantically entangled, yet by the end of the book I was still question why. Besides their banter (at times well-done) I couldn't see any justification for why they were together. It seemed that the book needed a romance, and so Synclaire fit one in. I was not rooting for them not did I feel any romantic tension. Oli is arguably the strongest character in this book with a far more compelling story than Saika's, but I absolutely don't understand their connection. She just falls in love with her for... reasons?

The central theme of the book is grief, and Synclaire delves into this through every character, particularly Saika. I found this element to be executed fairly well, though the grief backgrounds of the other characters were rudimentary at best and often given in info-dumping dialogue.

Ah, the dialogue. I truly did not enjoy it. At times preachy and overly sentimental, and generally stilted and unnatural sounding, it was just not my cup of tea. With the exception of Oli and Morose, the dialogue does very little to illuminate the characters and help them feel real. I think it was a missed opportunity.

This was a miss for me, but I'm certain others will enjoy it.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

This was a lovely and deeply emotional book that was primarily about all the different ways that grief affects us, and the lengths we would go to get just one more day with a loved one who has passed on. I cried many times while reading this, and if you are interested in books about death/grief then I would recommend this! It is quite unique to anything I have ever read before, especially due to the the fantasy aspect. However, if you are expecting a complex fantasy with a developed history and magic system, etc. then this might not be for you.

The characters in this book are a lovable found family of fantasy creatures who are each dealing with their own grief process. They gave me the warm fuzzies, similar to how Becky Chambers' books do, so if you are a fan of her characters, then you would probably love this too! There was also so much queerness in this book, though I liked that it was not the focus of any character or their trauma, and rather just a small piece of the story for each of them.

I think I only found that Saika was a little unrealistic/chaotic at times, from helping to the point of self-destruction, to her sporadic headstrong behavior, to her too-fast-for-me-personally romance. I couldn't get really deep into her story because of that, although I still liked her and really felt the strength of the connection she has with her sister. Overall would recommend this very touching and deeply emotional book, especially if you have recently lost someone and/or have trouble letting go of people.

I enjoyed the found family aspect as well as the magic in this story. Yes, some parts were very depressing but overall it was amazing.