A cozy fantasy filled with found family, learning to cope with grief and a magical arboretum. This book will make you feel all the feelings, and I recommend it to T.J. Klune fans!

Saika arrives at the infamous Ash Gardens to have a burial for her sister’s ashes and sticks around to help rebuild the house after a massive storm. The magical beings inhabiting the home come in all shapes and sizes, my favorite being Evette.

I really enjoyed the story overall, even though it took me a bit to adjust to Saika's narrating style. She often uses a second-person POV when speaking to her sister, but it catches on after the first few chapters.

I recommend House of Frank to anyone looking for a cozy fantasy this fall and if you are a fan of emotional, diverse, found family stories!
I would also suggest looking into potential triggers before starting this book

3.75 ⭐️ rounded up

Thank you to Netgalley, Bindery Books, and Kay Synclaire for the advanced copy in exchange for my review.

Incredibly heartwarming. Such Incredible commentary on grief and moving on, but not letting go.
I love the found family vibes, and each character was truly lovable. For such a large cast that's a rare accomplishment.

Saika is a witch who has lost her magical powers following her sister's death. She has arrived at an arboretum to plant her sister's remains at the Ash Gardens. Consumed by grief, she is taken in by the beast, Frank, who owns the sanctuary. She begins to help the magical creatures that run the garden. Saika uses the power of a fallen star to perform enchantments to protect the refuge and the magic beings from powerful storms. She gradually comes to terms with her grief and begins to reconnect with her sense of magic and self-worth and discovers that love and grief can coexist.

The book explores the slow, painful process of healing and the importance of community. Saika's vulnerability and self-doubt make her relatable and resonate with the reader. I identified with her struggle; she gives us hope to find joy after loss. The story's whimsical and mystical atmosphere balances the deep emotional themes of the story. It is perfect for readers who love cozy fantasy and the healing power of love and found family.

I received an ARC ebook for my honest review. Thank you, NetGalley and Bindery Books, Ezeekat Press.

House of Frank by Kay Synclaire dives into family secrets and supernatural twists with an engaging narrative. The setting and character depth are strong, though the pacing slows down at times. Despite this, the blend of drama and eerie elements makes it a captivating read, leaving me keen to check out more from Synclaire.

Reading this book felt like watching a Ghibli movie in the best way possible! I even noticed some similarities between this and my favorite Ghibli movie Howls Moving Castle, which made for a fun and lovely reading experience.

The ever growing home/found family and the shooting stars imagery are the two most prominent similarities I noted, but I also think that Sophie (from Howls Moving Castle) and Saika had a few similarities as well. Both are somewhat flawed main characters who are stubborn and do things they believe to be in the best interests of their hosts (Howl & Frank) even if their hosts don't appreciate it much and even have minor meltdowns over it lol (think about Howl sliming everthing when Sofie cleaned the bathroom and then with Frank & Sophie something similar happens regarding a dragon 👀). In the end though they both grow tremendously as characters and are fiercely loyal and well loved by their new found families.

Please note that while this book reminds me of a Ghibli movie, be warned this is an adult book and you should be prepared to cry! House of Frank has very strong themes of grief, loss, depression etc. and is obviously much more of an adult story. However, while the "heavier" parts of the book did make me cry, it still felt like a warm hug and was immensely comforting, cozy and an all around beautiful story.

I absolutely loved all the characters in this book, Hilde especially has a warm place in my heart. There were times I was frustrated with Saika, Oli, and even Frank, but I know that's because the narrative needed to show how each of these characters deal with grief in their own ways and I was really happy to see them each grow and learn.

I wish there had been a bit more information on the magic system of the arboretum and would love to see more of Kye's journals/backstory on how she built the arboretum. I also wish Saika had been a bit more communicative and honest with everyone earlier on, but again she is MEANT to be flawed and it didn't annoy me *too* much.

Frank's story also hit me hard and reminded me of what my grandma went through in her later years.

Sometimes you need a book that will make you ugly cry in the best way possible and this is that book. Cozy and Cathartic are the best adjectives I can use to describe my experience reading House of Frank. I can't wait to see what Kay Synclaire writes next!

When I first started this book it gave me “the house in the cerulean sea” vibes - which is one of my favorite cozy fantasy books. Unfortunately that vibe disappeared soon after starting.

I really liked the whole “found family” vibe it was giving right off the bat, and plot is entertaining enough, but I did find myself bored quite a few times - it just felt repetitive and a bit dragged out at times. And, to be honest, the whole book could have been a lot shorter if the characters only communicated with each other (spoiler alert, they suck at communicating).

I didn’t care for the MC talking to the reader as if we’re her dead sister, and there was so much of it. Sometimes it felt like more inner monologue than anything else.

The characters fell a bit flat for me. I just never felt any chemistry or connection between them, and some of them are generally very hard to like.

All in all it could have been better, but I’m not upset that I finished it. And I did enjoy how it ended (it might have made me shed a few tears).

I adored this book!

We follow Saika, who has lost her sister to illness and, according to her sisters last wish, travels to Ash Gardens Arboretum in order to plant her sisters ashes there.

This story packs an emotional punch the likes of none I have read before. I laughed, cried, cried-laughed and everything in between.

It’s very well written, well thought out, with wonderfully fleshed out characters that were likable and with a depth that made you care deeply about each and every one of them. I especially loved watching the romantic subplot between Saika and Olivie grow. Characters are flawed and feel real, as well as the banter between them.

It’s a story about life as opposed to living, grief and death, healing and those left behind. It’s about forgiving yourself and finding your place in the world and where you belong.

I would note that though this is a cozy low stakes book, you do have to make sure you’re in the correct frame of mind to read it. There’s joyful emotions but there’s some rather painful ones too. It deals with serious and meaningful issues that you have to be at a point where you can read and keep an open mind.

I would recommend this book to anyone and everyone. Thank you to Bindery Books and NetGalley for the Arc. These opinions are my own and I am posting them voluntarily.

This was brilliant! I went straight online to order a physical copy. This is a great start for Bindery

The concept of this novel is striking- an arboretum where people are laid to rest, and there is a cozy found-family involved. Unfortunately, this just didn't do it for me. I found the characters a little grating at times, but the overall plot and message was lovely. If you are someone who doesn't care as much about depth in character interaction, this could totally work for you in ways that it didn't for me. I'll be keen to look for other books by the author, this one just didn't quite meet what I expected it to be.

I couldn't quite engage with the narrative or the characters, though others might find it more appealing. It just wasn't for me.

Look. No one wanted to love this story more than me. I admire the premise of Bindery Books Publishing who promotes reader communities to choose books they’re passionate about. This book was chosen by someone I personally follow on IG, who has many a time recommended reads I’ve enjoyed. Sadly, this was not a win.

Just like the blurb says, Saika is grieving her dead sister and arrives at Ash Gardens to finally lay her remains to rest. There, she’s pulled in with the denizens who reside at the sanctuary and finds a place of belonging and redemption. Everything else in between missed the mark.

When I don’t like a book, the last thing I want to do is nitpick it to death but inevitably a review must review. This book promised healing and found family but really fell short for me. Most of the characters were clueless as to what was going on around them which made no sense if this “family” truly cared for one another, and many were not at all likable, often coming off antagonistic and abrasive which also included the main character. The sapphic romance was not believable, mistaking insults for flirty banter and desire, and don’t get me started on the multitude of secrets everyone is keeping from each other. It didn’t help at all that Saika jumps from first person pov to a stream of consciousness dialogue to her dead sister constantly, and it was absolutely jarring everytime she did this, ruining storytelling flow and momentum.

I will concede that the magical system was interesting, and I liked the variety of fantastical beings that were included. Each character had their own tragic grief that they dealt with separately and that did nudge me a little in the feels. Otherwise, I was mostly bored and impatient to get conclusive answers to all the issues, challenges, problems that Saika and her “friends” were confronted with, and when the reveal and solution finally came, it just didn’t satisfy my particular self in its simplistic incongruous answers.

Overall, my unimportant opinion in the grand scheme of things is miniscule, as the vast majority who has read this book emphatically adored it. I just wish I was one of them.

Thank you to Bindery Books via NetGalley for a copy in exchange for a honest review posted to Goodreads

I really wanted to love this book, but I just couldn't fully connect with it for some reason. The story was cute overall, but I struggled to finish the book.

In House of Frank by Kay Synclaire we meet Saika, a witch, who has come to Ash Gardens to plant her sister in their magical arboretum. Saika, however, is not ready to say goodbye and instead takes an offer from the owner Frank to stay and work for as long as she wants. Ash Gardens is falling apart and Saika and the other magical inhabitants are working to keep Frank’s home and dream standing. Everyone at Ash Gardens has been touched by loss and grief in some way.
This book does a great job showing the different ways we all handle grief and loss. As well as the dangers of holding on too tight and the comfort that can come with time, perspective, and connection.
With such a large cast of characters and found family it does take awhile to learn about everyone, but once you finally get there you are not left wanting.
I would recommend this book to anyone who has ever experienced loss or felt alone or just wants an emotional story. Overall, it is a satisfying read where you can take comfort even in loss.

Thank you Ezeekat Press/Bindery Books, Kay Synclaire, and NetGalley for this ARC.

Content Warnings: Grief, Memory Loss (Alzheimer’s/Dementia level)

The novel was a great read. It’s a gentle, but engaging, story of navigating and overcoming grief. I loved the amount of LGBTQ+ representation present, which included men loving men, sapphic romance, asexual, and trans. These are all just portions of the characters, but to have such a diverse array interacting within the same space really made it feel queernormative. People of color are also well-represented, especially in the main character, Saika. I wish there had been a bit more world building at times (see also: if Architecture and Music Witches exist, what other kinds exist?), but overall I really liked this book.

This is a must read for anyone who has lost someone close to them. A cozy fantasy that will make you *feel*, House of Frank is a beautiful debut.

Saika shows up to Ash Gardens to plant her sister's ashes like she wanted, but Saika isn't really ready to let go. Frank offers her a deal to stay at the house and work until she's ready to do the ceremony. Along the way, Saika gets to know the other residents, including a fairy, a pair of cherubs, a couple other Witches, an elf, and a ghost. Each has their own reason for being there.

My dad passed away last year, and reading this book healed part of me. It's about grief and moving forward and not letting the grief consume you. I loved all the characters, and the Sapphic romance subplot is sweet. The story remained interesting throughout and had me wondering what brought everyone to Ash Gardens. Finding out is a journey, and it highlights how grief can be a shared experience even when not knowing who the other person lost.

Thank you so much to NetGalley and Bindery for the opportunity to read and review!

Thank you, Kay Sinclaire and Bindery Books/Ezeekat Press for making this ARC freely available via NetGalley.com. They have not influenced my review.

I gave this book a try because I was curious about Bindery Books' publishing/marketing model. I am pleased to say that I enjoyed this book quite a bit. The author handled the heavy themes of love, loss and grief in a way that was surprisingly comforting. The intimacy and uniqueness of the setting (a magic-infused arboretum for the departed) and the imperfect yet interesting characters (various magical beings of various types) was whimsical without being overly precious. I also appreciate that the in-book world was queer-normative without ever feeling preachy.

I recommend this to fantasy fans who want something "cozy" but that still deals with serious subjects.

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.