House of Frank by Kay Synclaire is a story of grief, healing, found family, and personal power.
What I loved
-Cozy vibes while tackling serious topics
-queer representation done well.
-Small setting in what feels like a much larger world

What Didn't work for me as well
-Dialogue felt very stilted during the first bit of the story
- I wanted a bit more of who these characters were and their lives before the house.

Who would I recommend this title for

House of frank is ab excellent read for fans of stories such as bookshops and bone dust or Can't spell treason without tea.

Heartbreakingly beautiful!! I loved this book and also cried my eyes out. Thanks to the Author, Publisher, and Netgalley for this ARC.

Thank you to Kay Sinclaire, Bindery books and NetGalley for an eARC of this book in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

WOW WOW WOW! I completely underestimated this book (yes, i judged a book by it's cover)!

If you love "The Spellshop" or "House By The Cerulean Sea" than this book will be right up your alley!

It was the perfect read for lovers of found family, magical-realism, fantasy and dealing with big life milestones like the loss of a loved one and the various ways people deal with grief during the process.

A must read for 2025!!

Halloween and All Saint's Day run back to back, and while the one focuses more on ghosts and goblins, the other makes room for grief. House of Frank is much the same; while the cast involves ghosts, cherubs, fairies, and witches, the soul of the story is about a woman whose sister has died—and who doesn't know how to cope with the hole her death left.

Saika is a witch who doesn't ride a broom; she says she prefers walking. The truth is, she has limited magical power remaining, and none of it her own. Instead, she draws on what's left of the magic of a fallen star, using enchantments instead of innate magic like most witches. Though she's on a mission to fulfil her sister's final request—being planted in Ash Gardens, a place where her ashes will grow into a tree—Saika finds it hard to let go, especially as she becomes involved in the lives of the people at Ash Gardens. Something's going on with Frank, the keeper of the gardens, and strange storms threaten to destroy them altogether. In order to help others, Saika may just have to learn to accept help herself. Synclaire creates a loveable group of eccentric characters, all of whom have suffered loss, and all of whom deserve to find joy in the lives that lay ahead of them.

House of Frank by Kay Synclaire is the story of a lonely witch that is grieving the death of her sister. Her sister's last wish was that she was buried at a magical arboretum. So Saika goes to this magical place, and she encounters such a special cast of characters. This story was so beautiful and heartwarming. Here's a section that I highlighted: "I wish you were here, Fi. That way I could talk to you about my feelings of love, and desire, and you'd give me the wisdom that only older sisters can give. Even in your absence, I think I can conjure some advice that sounds like you. Love fully. Speak truthfully. That about sums it up, right Fi?" Thanks to NetGalley for the free digital review copy. All opinions are my own.

This book made me happy, sad, cry and even hope for what's to come. If you're looking for found family, queer rep, stories of grief and moving forward, this one's for you! Highly recommend!

What an utterly beautiful story about grief and love. I don’t think I can count how many times this book made me well up. Thank you Jaysen for publishing this gem, I would have never got to read it without you.

This is a cosy fantasy style story about grief and death and the process of grieving, building friendships, found family and finding a home

A deeply moving story of grief that manages to be warm and hopeful. I loved the characters and how the supporting cast brings out a journey for the main character without it feeling that they are just there to serve her narrative. This is a master class on found family and manages to feel cozy without feeling empty or low depth.

Thank you NetGalley and BineryBooks!
Exquisite! No other words can adequately describe how well done and emotional this book is. I went into this book expecting it to completely consume me and it did. So far every book I have read from Bindery has been a huge success and it just makes me more excited to see what is put out next.
House of Frank is full of so much depth and reflection on themes like grief, love, and family while being wrapped up in a beautiful and 'cozy' setting. Cozy isn't even the right word but it is as close as I can get to the tranquil and homey but still wistful vibes of this book. Overall this was such a unique story and more people definitely need to check it out!

This novel was a beautiful debut with an equally beautiful writing style. I felt that Synclaire handled difficult conversations surrounding grief sensitively and accurately while maintaining a joyous and hopeful tone. The magical element was interesting and had a simplicity that honestly felt quite refreshing and unique.

I feel there could have been further character development and I would have loved to see the romance blossom more (perhaps in a sequel). Overall though, this was an engaging novel with such a heartfelt storyline and one that I would recommend.

TW: grief, death

A moving and poignant story that moved me and kept reading
Highly recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher for this ARC, all opinions are mine

Thanks to Bindery Books / Ezeekat Press for an eARC in exchange for an honest review!

Sadly, I didn't love this as much as I hope I would. At first, Saika was quite unlikeable with her attitude and behavior towards the staff at Ash Gardens in the beginning, but she grew to be nicer and I grew to understand her grief towards the death of her sister. I just don't think cosy fantasy is for me. The world-building was not heavily detailed, which is a plus for cosy fantasy fans, but not for me. The side characters were likable, but I don't think they will be memorable over time for me. Saika's romance with another character was kinda cute and it didn't bog-down the story either, which I was grateful for.

Overall, this was fine with some good elements, but not for me, unfortunately.

Content Warnings: death, grief, dementia, child death (past, mentioned), suicide (past, mentioned), terminal illness, injury

Thank you to NetGalley for an E-arc in exchange for my honest review.

This is a book about death, love, grief, secrets, and family. It deals with what is left behind after someone dies and what happens when those who are left behind get stuck.

The story is touching, kind, but something was missing. Some of the character actions seem completely unprompted, seem like something no one else in that situation would do. I'm also very tired of the "I have a terrible secret that I can't tell anyone even if it ruins every relationship around me" trope.

I did like the ending. I felt like it was well done and handled with care. I can't put my finger on what exactly was missing, but there was just some aspect of the novel that felt incomplete or superficial.

This is a beautiful exploration of grief and love set in a fantasy world. Synclaire's writing is warm and hopeful, and I adored the strange and wonderful cast of characters in this novel. A perfect "found family" book, this story is perfect for fans of The House in the Cerulean Sea.

This was my first book from the publishing company bindery. So as a debut novel I thought it was a well written one, of course there would be better flow but I'm confident that the author will find their stride. This was a cozy fantasy that had some emotional moments throughout.

House of Frank follows a MC who cannot let go of the death of her sister and has been requested to bury her ashes, which the book opens with her attempting to do. She cannot let go at first and so stays as the aforementioned house while she grows to accept her grief and meets the people who live at the house. A main subplot involves saving the house and the magic of falling stars. It is a nice arc of grief, and the subplot holds up well too, but I never really bought into the characters. People compare this to TJ Klune which makes sense with the grieving and quirky house vibes, but everyone felt flatter. There was a side romance that just felt included to be incldued. However, it is a sweet and light read for anyone who likes the description and a nice treatment of grief especially for a sibling.

This book was such a cozy read! It was the perfect read for the fall season. I would definitely recommend this book to people who want a story about grief and letting go. All the characters in this story added to Saika’s process. Additionally , all of them were also dealing with their own grief. It was beautiful to read how having an understanding and supportive community around through a loss can aid in healing. Finally, the magical arboretum is such a beautiful concept, and a reminder of how even after death, we can still connect with nature and be fruitful.

*I received an ARC via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. Thanks for the free book.*

I really wanted to like "House of Frank", the writing style was beautiful and the world building as well as the characters with their secrets were interesting. I liked the idea of planting the ashes of a loved one so that a tree might grow out of it.

For the majority of the book, I was wondering when it would really get started though: yet neither the world building nor the characters were ever truly explained. The short revelations as to their losses made sense but I did not form attachments.

When is this set? How does their world work? What magical beasts are there? What happened to Beebee?

Magic was universally accepted in a Diana Wynne Jones style but it left me with too many questions. It's an interesting book but could've dealt with grief more. It also felt underexplored.

Overall I was disappointed because I had wanted more. I love found family tropes but I didn't not really understand how our main protagonist became such a vital part of the house after...ten minutes. The book had a bit of the vibe of the game "Spiritfarer" which I loved deeply. Maybe that's why I am disappointed that this book couldn't give me what the game did?

Anyhow. Interesting. Sweet and queer.

Compared to other recent reads, I got through this quickly and always wanted to pick it back up. I really liked the characters, but even more than that, I was fascinated by the different reactions to loss and death the characters had. The cast of characters, the explorations of grief, the immersive world. Wonderful book that's perfect for autumn!

charming, cozy, diverse, and original. this was a very enjoyable and fresh read— the book equivalent of sitting on a backyard swing in the early morning with a warm tea. i also cannot stress just how good of a story this would be for studio ghibli to adapt: rich, magical, wistful, bittersweet. bottom line: i can’t conceive how someone could not find something in this book to connect to. it’s great if you’re already a fantasy fan, and a wonderful bridge book if you’re new to it.