There's really not a way for me to describe this book. It's a weird and fun story that just throws it all at the reader: fantastical creatures, witches, ghosts, love, life after death, storms, magic, promises, grief, falling stars, and dealing with loss. Every character here deals with loss, memory, and love in a different way, and they all felt real (whether it be a small cherub or a purple witch covered in tattoos, or a huge beast-man of indeterminate origin).

The one thing I disliked, and the reason I took a star off, was the main character narrating in first person to her sister. It was distracting, and having to read "Fi" however many times took me out of the narrative. But otherwise, great writing, great story, great representation, wonderful feeling when I was done reading.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing an ARC of this book.

3.75/5 ⭐️ (rounded up to 4 on NetGalley)
Thank you to NetGalley, the publishers, and the author for giving me a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Just like many debuts, this book was lacking in a few areas, but was good enough that I can overlook those issues and recommend this book. My biggest gripe was with the pacing being a little off, certain scenes should’ve been cut shorter so others could have been longer and more prevalent. The ending felt a little rushed and I think the book could’ve had a stronger ending if we got another chapter or two, instead of a quick end chapter and epilogue. Also, the spell work from Saika felt a little juvenile, though I’m not sure if that was intentional or not (I do not want to speculate in a review and spoil anything).

However, all issues with standing this book made my grief filled heart full and made me feel less lonely in my grief. I’m incredibly thankful for the space the author created and cannot help but wish the House of Frank was a real place that I could visit and plant my loved ones. As well, the author nailed the found family trope. I absolutely loved the characters in this novel and felt as if I was part of their found family. If you want a book that either feels like coming home or recieving a hug this one is for you!

This book has a very intriguing premise and the theme of grief and love kept me intrigued the entire time. I feel so deeply for the loss of a loved one, in light of a recent loss, and this book has done much to help me come to terms in my own process of healing.

On the surface House of Frank is telling a story of loss, grief and found family with a side of teasing, tender love that develops slowly.

Looking closer, this book may be a warm hug for those who mourn and try to find their way back to life. Like Under the Whispering Door by T.J. Klune or the animated movie Up by Pixar, it deals with the topics of loss of loved ones, the going on adventures to fulfill promises, the feeling of loneliness and the search for a new anchor.

The cozy fantasy setting and the slow pace may not be everyone's cup of tea but to me it was exactly what worked in this setting. I think this book is precious for what it does and Kay Synclaire's writing is beautiful and makes you feel perfectly welcome in the House of Frank.

Thank you to Bindery Books, NetGalley and Kay Synclaire!

House of Frank was a book I did not expect to enjoy. Since it was a fantasy novel, I was hesitant to pick it up. However, as I read the book, I discovered it was actually a cozy fantasy which was something I grew to enjoy. The characters were flawed but lovable. They had their own charms that added to the interesting demeanor of the female lead, Saika. It was absolutely wonderful to get to know their stories and the reasons behind their stay at Ash Gardens. It was a lovely read with enough adventure, suspense, and heart to keep you going. The characters deserve a five star rating but, as for the plot, I would have to give it a four star rating overall. It was a wonderful medium paced read that could be improved. I hope this book does well upon its release. It was truly a one of a kind experience to finally dip my toes into fantasy through this book. Thank you for approving my request and I am looking forward to more books to read from this author and publisher.

**4.5 Stars**

Oh, I loved this so much more than I anticipated considering I requested it on Netgally on a bit of a whim. I love the concept of a cosy fantasy but the few I've read have always fallen flat for me. It seems quite difficult to write a cosy fantasy with enough plot and/or character development to make the story interesting while also not relying on most of the usual fantasy conventions (since within the cosy fantasy genre, the fantasy part is generally just the backdrop). So other cosy fantasies like 'Legends & Lattes' were such a disappointment to me because they wound up being quite boring.

But oh this book did it so bloody well, the story had such heart to it and the fantasy aspect was just a really nice means of delivering the story.

Above all 'The House of Frank' is a story about love and loss, what it means to deal with such deep grief that it changes who you are as a person and how to keep living in the aftermath of such a loss. Our main character Saika arrives at the Ash Gardens to finally honour her sister's burial wishes, however, the prospect of finally saying goodbye is too much for her and so Frank (the proprietor) invites her to stay at the house until she's ready. It is here we meet our full cast of characters, each magical in their own way and each dealing with their own grief.

But when violent storms start hitting the area and the house (and Frank's mind) starts to rapidly deteriorate it becomes clear that the Ash Gardens and the House of Frank are in serious danger of being destroyed and the inhabitants must all band together to figure out what's wrong and save the home they love so much.

Add in a few deals with death, some curses, a pet dragon and a well-done allegory for dementia and we have such a beautifully written story that I think nails the premise of cosy fantasy. I think this story does a fantastic job of exploring grief in a way that isn't desperately heavy but still gives space to the weight and seriousness of the topic.

There is also a romance plot that I really loved, it was fairly well-paced and I really thought the characters were well suited to one another, and it played in nicely with the themes of choosing to keep loving after loss.

Thank you to NetGalley, Bindery Books and Ezeekat Press for an arc in exchange for an honest review.

this book broke my heart in the best way. full of magic, tenderness, and the reality of grief. i love that this still had cozy elements while having real stakes and characters involved. i'll be thinking about this book for a long time!

This was a touching story about grief and the sacrifices we are willing to make after losing the people we love. There are so many lovable characters in this story. It was a good, comforting read that had me feeling reflective on grief and love. I’d recommend it to fans of TJ Klune and the like.

Grab your tissues while finding your life in this book. Kay has brought forth this heartwarming tear-jerker that is sure to keep your interest and grow your empathy. For Saika life has been no crystal stair, but she has decided to stop running from her obligations. At Ash Gardens she finds more than she bargains for in more ways than 1. I enjoyed this book, it pulled my heart out and squeezed it til there was nothing left. I laughed, I loved and I found my way within the lines of the House of Frank. Grief shows itself in many forms, how you come out on the other side or even navigate thru it is what matters most. Know that you don't have to be alone.

I am a sucker for witch stories and found family. This book has them both. I really enjoyed this story and am considering it for a future read aloud for my grade 3 class.

house of frank a fantasy driven book about a lonely witch consumed by grief which then journeys to to a place where she discovers a whimsical cast of characters.

first and foremost, i would like to give the author a round of applause because they have outdone themselves with this book! it kinds of remind me of “hotel transylvania” (the movie) as well as “the house in the cerulean sea”. but the major difference this book has for me is how well written it is!

it was sad, funny, courageous, and everything in between! i absolutely loved the characters and the main character all the most. the plot was well paced, it wasn’t rushing anybody and it just kind of lets the characters move on their own. ALSO!! *ahem there’s sapphic romance !! EVERYONE CHEERED !!!!*

definitely a great read if you are into found family and wholesomeness <3

despite every lovely detail, i gave this a 4.75 star rating because i was actually finding a bit more coziness to the story. although yes, it was cozy and wholesome but it was also really HEAVY at most times. so definitely watch out for that! overall a fun experience <3

Thank you so much to NetGalley for this wonderful ARC and for the author who kindly allowed me to review this book <3

Don't let the harmless cover fool you - this is an incredibly sad book, exploring grief, sorrow and trauma on every single page, and I don't think I've cried this much reading a book in a long time. I'll include some other Content Warnings at the end of the review as well, but please go into this book forewarned that it is a heart-wrenching depiction of bereavement, which may be challenging for some readers (particularly those with recent experience of loss themselves).

I loved so much about this book, from the brilliant queer representation, to the heartfelt moments describing how people survive the many different forms that raw grief can take. It explores how people cope with loss (losing loved ones and losing themselves) and how they find support & love with each other - it's truly lovely to read, just also rife with tragedy.

I felt some of the characters deserved more in-depth explorations of who they are now, not just ticking off "what was your loss" one-by-one and then never addressing it again, but I still really enjoyed them all. The main character Saika's development and growth was good - I found her lack of self-awareness and empathy difficult to connect with at first, but she won me over by the end. And honestly I am all for a flawed MC, particularly when so many of their flaws likely have genuine justification like processing trauma (as Saika’s do).

I would say this is a great debut novel that I would highly recommend - and many thanks to NetGalley and Bindery Books for sending me an ARC in exchange for an honest review, I'm so glad I got to read this fantastic book! - and I'm keen to see what else Kay Synclaire has in store for us.

Content Warnings for those who find them useful:

**SPOILERS BELOW**

- Bereavement and grief (throughout), including bereavement by suicide
- Sexual harassment & predatory behaviour by a man in a position of power (multiple instances - described briefly as a recollection, not depicted in detail)
- Suicide (mentioned, not depicted, and not described in any level of detail at all)
- Terminal illness

Horrifically awkward prose, even discounting the very poorly done switching between first- and second-person (or maybe it's all meant to be second-person and is even *more* poorly done to the point that it's not clear? Possible.) Clearly trying to tap cosy-TJ Klune energy (as opposed to Klune doing angst or comedy) and failing *abysmally*. And I don't even like cosy!Klune! But he does cosy infinitely better than this trainwreck.

The cover's beautiful, the blurb is lovely, but the book itself is embarrassingly simplistic, clunkily-written toxicity in every direction. Everyone is *awful* and this found-family is borderline - arguably outright - abusive. What even. Just, no. This isn't the book the author thinks it is and it *desperately* needs to be taken back to the drawing board and rewritten a couple more times before it's ready.

Bindery Books, the indie publisher 'membership platform' launching House of Frank, is not off to a promising start if their editor/s missed how extraordinarily badly this book missed its mark - to say nothing of how it's being mismarketed.

If you want a cozy fantasy story, this book isn't for you. It is heavy with grief and losing.
I loved all the mythical creatures and the diverse cast of characters (especially Oli!). The writing is sometimes a bit clunky but still enjoyable. As I already said, be prepared for a story full of grief and dealing with losing someone and not so much a cozy found family book.

Thank you NetGalley for providing an eARC of this book!

I don’t read very much cozy fantasy but I always love books that delve deep into grief so I wanted to check this out. Overall very cute and emotional, but I just never really connected with the plot as much as I’d hoped for!

This does not read like a debut novel. This is the first book from Jaysen or Ezeekat's imprint with Bindery and it was equal parts cozy and heart wrenching. I went into this story somewhat blind, and I appreciated it so much so I won't go into too much detail. This follows the main character Saika, and she is dealing with the loss of her older sister. Her sister Fiona's final wish was to be planted at Ash Gardens.
When she gets to the estate she meets a cast of characters that are so unique and lovable. This story is about grief, holding on to those you hold dear and the struggle of moving on with life without wanting to move on without them. It's crazy how life comes full circle, l've been following Kay since her journey writing this story, before Bindery's Pitch Fest when she tasked herself with writing this book in 30 days. I had a similar loss to the main character last year, and she was one of the people who reached out to make sure that I was okay. And just like her reaching out felt like such a kind gesture, this felt the same but even more so. People need this story. Beyond how unique the characters are, there are so many different kinds of love. This is truly a precious book. Jaysen couldn't have chosen a more perfect story, I understand why he fell in love with it, I fell in love for the very same reasons. I highly recommend.

2.5 rounding up to 3. I really enjoyed the setting and concept of this book. Grief is a universal experience, and very difficult to talk about. It is good to see a theme like this handled in a cozy fantasy. Thank you to NetGalley and Bindery Books for the digital ARC.

House of Frank is a delicately crafted story exploring grief and healing as Saika, a witch lost in her grief after losing her sister, begins processing how to finally honor her sister’s wish to be laid to rest (“planted”) in the magical arboretum of Ash Gardens. When Saika arrives and agrees to help out around the large estate in exchange for a place to stay - and in turn prolong the time before she completes her sister’s wish - she begins to unravel the many secrets and mysteries of Ash Gardens, the other residents, and herself.
For me, this was a beautiful story not so much about coming back to yourself, but about discovering and learning to embrace fully living as who you are NOW.


Thank you to NetGalley and Bindery Books/Ezeekat Press for this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

This one's for the queer fantasy lovers.
A pretty cozy, magical, warm book-- a Sapphic romance with grief at its core.
The story is about death, love, and found family, with positive queer representation.

I appreciated the unique/grumpy characters-- elves, a mute ghost, bickering cherubs, a half-witch etc-- the setting and message.

For fans of The House on the Creulian Sea.

Thanks to Bindery Books for the digital Advanced Readers Copy!
When Saika’s sister passes her one request is to be planted in the Ash Gardens but years pass before she can bring herself there to finally say goodbye. This book has a crew of characters that have all either lost someone or something. As you travel with Saika she learns the Ash gardens could use more help than it’s getting so she takes on a task that could save everything but if she fails it could all fall apart. I enjoyed this book as a view of grief and the journey it takes you on and how healing is not in a straight path.