The book sucked me in and I couldn't stop reading. A very unique and enticing story.
Higly recommend

A cosy about a witch with no powers in a house that is falling apart
Saika, on her late sisters request, has brought her ashes to the Ash House to have her ashes planted in the arboretum to grow into a tree but she isn’t quite ready to let her sister go yet so frankly lets her stay
It’s a found family magical cosy fantasy with dragons and cupids (cherubs??) fairies etc
The whole way through the book saika talks to her sister so it reads in second person a lot it was a little slow paced as Cosys can be. I wasn’t keen on the message throughout kinda being thrown out at the end and saika is a bit of a hypocrite so she wasn’t my favourite but overall it was cute enough

Thank you to Bindery Books, Ezeekat Press, and NetGalley for the chance to review this book, all opinions are my own.

House of Frank is a very interesting kind of cozy fantasy and an incredibly moving one. It reminded be a lot of Under the Whispering Door by TJ Klune and I think fans of that book will really enjoy this one.

House of Frank is a book about Saika, a woman who is fulfilling her dead sister’s final wishes and is bringing her ashes to be planted in a magical arboretum. The book deals with grief and loss and how we move on after those things and how they shape the rest of our lives.

I’ll admit it took me a little while to get into the writing of the book. It is written in first person but Saika is also addressing a “you” throughout the book, the you being her dead sister. Sometimes this writing style would flow easy and other times I would find it very jarring and it pulled me out of the story. I struggled with this for most of the book.

It also took me a while to actually like and enjoy reading about any of the characters. All of the characters Saika meets (and Saika herself) are secretive and cold and often combative early on. But slowly as Saika got to know everyone and you got to see all of their personalities come through, you realize that all of these people have been suffering great hurts and loss and grieving people are not always fun and easy to be around. By the end of the book I actually loved them all and totally found myself crying multiple times.

The setting of this story is truly the most unique part of this book. A magical arboretum where your loved one's ashes get to nourish the trees and plants is really beautiful. I also found the types of magical creatures interesting and unique and I really wanted to know more about all of them and how their society worked. It was kind of hard to figure out about the world outside of the arboretum. I couldn’t really tell what kind of technology they had or how big the world was or what people did outside of the magic arboretum. There was mention of going to sea and traveling and I really wanted a bit more depth to that kind of thing. But as with a lot of cozy fantasy the focus is on the smaller scale and I do think the world of Ash Gardens was very well developed and interesting.

I think for a debut novel that really wanted to explore grief and how to continue on when the person you love most has gone, it was a really beautiful story. And I would really love a sequel with everyone just living their best life at the arboretum!

What a wonderful gem of a book about love and grief, learning how to handle the grief and how to let go and say goodbye. Saika was talking to her sister but it felt like she was talking to me, she talks to her sister the way I talk to my mom. Thank you netgalley for an e-arc, this may be one of my favorite reads this year.

I love a found family, especially when they are healing each other. So not only do we have a lovely found family that are there for each other, but we also have a house that is cozy and a garden that is magical. The grief is not too heavy, but it is not treated lightly either.
The POV is first person and sometimes second person. I think it makes sense and it is used well, but not everyone is going to love that POV.

This was such an amazing debut novel that is so grief centered and full of the found family. I laughed, I cried and I even swooned.

4.5 stars

Oh how this book HURT me. My grandpa passed away from Alzheimer’s earlier this year, so this was an incredibly tough read at times and I can’t seem to stop crying. I really appreciated how this book tackled grief in its many stages. The characters were all very well fleshed out and the magic system was so interesting. Frank literally broke my heart. The middle of the book felt a little bit dragged out, but I didn’t mind too much. While this book was cozy, it was *very* heavy. There is a lot of discussion on death of loved ones and grief. This one hurt, but it was a beautiful book.

I'd like to thank Bindery Books, Ezeekat Press, NetGalley, and Kay Synclaire for an advanced reader copy in exchange for an honest review!

The House of Frank felt like an empty one; despite the various mythological beings this story contained, little was there about the world in which they inhabited. Saika is unlikeable, which doesn't mean a book is for me, quite the opposite when balanced with redeeming characters, but I found the miscommunication and barbs caused a disconnect. I'd be interested to read more from this author to see how they take feedback and round out characters should there be more books in the future!

When I think of a cozy fantasy read. THIS. This is exactly what I envision. It’s like a magical warm hug that you don't know you need until you are submerge into its story fully invested in it’s characters and nestled into that hug not wanting to let go. What stood out to me the most what this story’s perspective on grief and how it is looked at from an individual approach and as a collective group. It was beautiful. It was refreshing. It was heartfelt. I look forward to reading other stories from this author.

Thank you NetGalley and Bindery Books for this eARC.

I had such high hopes for this one since the premise sounded amazing but unfortunately it did not quite live up to my expectations. Most people seem to love this book though so it is very much just a me thing. I did like the setting and some of the worldbuilding (like how witchcraft works) but overall I found myself hoping for more. Before I go on to the rest of my thoughts I'll just say that although it is heavily marketed as a cozy fantasy, it does deal with some heavy topics like grief that may push it out of the cozy category for some readers. This did not impact my experience, but it could affect how others experience the book.

While there is nothing inherently wrong with this book, there were a few small elements (no, not the heavy themes) that came together that made it difficult for me to read. Although some of the writing was beautiful, I wasn't a big fan of the combination of first and second person narration. I tend to struggle more with first person narration than third person narration in general though. A combination of first and second person narration is even more difficult to get right so it was a very ambitious choice, especially for a debut novel. There has to be a kind of connection with the character that third person doesn't quite require to make it work. And I just didn't feel that with Saika. Although she had her moments, I wish we had gone a but deeper into who she is (especially since she can come across as harsh at times). It is possible that some of this is explored later on but I need a bit more earlier on in the book to make it work. I would also have loved to have more information about the other characters. Again, it might have come later but for a book that relies so heavily on characters over plot it felt like it was developing very slowly. Unless all of this was intentional (and it's just a me thing) I feel like a lot of the issues could have been improved on with some extra editing/expanding on some of the interactions and the like. But I do seem to be in the minority with most people rating it highly so there could be something happening that I just wasn't "getting".

This could also be a matter of the wrong book at the wrong time and I might pick it up and try again in the future, but looking at how slowly I was getting through the book (and having to reread sections I apparently glossed over) now was clearly not the right time.

I got about half way through this and it just is not keeping my attention. Beautiful cover but I find myself struggling to connect to the story and the characters, DNF

House of Frank is a wonderful book. It is deeply emotional and magical. The characters are wonderfully relatable. This book is full of family, romance, grief and love. It is a touching and sweet story. I really enjoyed this book.

This book follows our main character, Saika, as she deals with the grief of loosing someone close to her. Though this story promises cozy, diverse, and found family, it’s important to note that the book digs deep into the feels surrounding grief. Overall a great read with a refreshing look on an emotional journey that we all have to face in our lives.

House of Frank was just incredible. Soulful, heart wrenching and heartwarming, and beautifully written. The story of Saika, a woman who lost her sister and in turn was cursed to lose her magic, as she finally comes to terms with the idea of laying her sisters ashes to rest at the enchanted arboretum known as Ash Gardens within the House of Frank.

A funeral home filled with wayward witches and other mystical creatures welcomes her with open arms and gives her refuge. While struggling to accept the situation she’s found herself in, her new found family offers her support and connection during an otherwise dark time.

When a storm hits The House of Frank and damages the house and food gardens severely, the group clamors together to regain normalcy. The collateral damage is more than just broken windows as secrets are reveled and the future of Ash Gardens remains in the balance.

This novel had me tearing up, I felt so deeply for every member of this found family and it was so moving to follow along on their journey. Saika was such a lovable character and I just wanted to give her the biggest hug.

This book will warm your heart!

House of Frank was just a cozy and beautiful story of grief, found family, and learning to love and accept ones flaws.

Disclaimer: I did receive an e-book advanced reader copy through NetGalley for the novel. But I did actually read it via audiobook that I purchased myself. this is my honest and voluntary review.

House of Frank was not what I was expecting at all. I knew going in that it was about profound grief, but it was so relatable and well done. There was great representation for a found family, as well as a diverse cast of characters and a normative queer relationship. I related emotionally to all of these characters in someway. That was probably my favorite part of this entire novel, was that the characters were so real and three-dimensional. Their feelings and experiences were so varied and all tied around the instrumental, mountable theme of dealing with grief. I feel like we got a wide range of examples of what grief can do to a person and I did sob at the end of this book.

The overall part of the book was interesting and absolutely kept me reading. I found it to be very unique and cozy and I definitely wanted to know what happened at the end. I did not see the twist at the end coming. It was completely a surprise to me so I did not find this book to be predictable in my opinion.

As far as the audiobook, I felt the narrator did a fantastic job. I felt like I got a lot of emotion in context through the voice of the narrator, and the speech was well done and very clear and concise. Even turning the speed up to 2.5 times which is what I read, I still understood the narrator perfectly.

I can't wait to see what else this author puts forth. This was an absolute stunning debut, and I definitely need more in this cozy theme.

3.5 STARS

This is a hard review to write, because I am of two minds toward this book: on the one hand, I am happy to have read it, because it is original, poignant, and it does its work extremely well (more on this in a moment), on the other hand, I think that another round of editing would have been good for it. It is a bit rough around the edges, and there are some things that didn’t work so well for me. But I’ll try and go with order.

This book is about pain and heartbreak—pain so huge and devastating that it’s all-consuming. The depiction of this pain, of Saika’s heartbreak, is magnificent. And I think it talks to everyone, at least up to a point.
This book is about the mourning process, and it offers some space for it. When grieving this space is sorely needed, and this book sort of provides it. And Saika is not the only one suffering, so the author shows us that the grieving process is not a block, something unique that has to happen in the same way for everyone.
And the depiction of this is real, it is rough, and it makes you feel seen. It is also devastating and all-encompassing.
But… it’s not the only kind of pain, because death is not the only thing that can make you suffer. It is also about losing yourself, partly to the pain, partly to the choices we make when we are desperate, but also partly to time. Everyone in this book is dealing with mourning, but Frank is also slowly losing himself. He becomes forgetful, he becomes confused, in short, he is alike a person who suffers from dementia. His ailment is of a more magical origin but still, the symptoms are the same, and even this is masterfully portrayed.

The House of Frank (I mean the place in the book, not the book as a whole) is a place where mourning has a new meaning to it because you go there to plant the ashes of the departed and they will grow into something magical and alive. It is a way of creating life again, and the trees that grow from the ashes are magical and beautiful. And this is a great idea, and a nice touch, too. And the people who work here, well, they understand pain and loss. This place is not only their workplace, but it has become their home and their sanctuary, and we get to know some really interesting characters (and this found family is really nice and diverse).

The central points of this book are the vibes and the feelings. And on this side, the author did an amazing job, I will repeat it, because it is true, and she really did an astounding work with it, but the more practical side of things is not so well developed or so well thought through.
The plot is quite bland, and I know that this is a somehow cozy book, because it has some cozy vibes and some of the features you’ll find in that genre, and even if the themes aren’t cozy per se, the vibes kind of are, and I know that the plot is not the major point but still… things happen and you just go with them but really, it all feels kind of meh.

And then we have Saika’s attachment to Frank. And this was a thing that for me didn’t work so well.
It is true that Frank offers space and empathy to Saika, he makes her feel seen and accepted, not judged. I get that this is somehow a novelty for Saika, and I get that he is offering her the help she desperately needs, but… while all the other characters were there for longer, and so their attachment to Frank and to the house makes sense, Saika doesn’t have the time to develop a proper bond with him before things start going south. The house is plagued by tempests that are trying (and quite managing) to tear it apart, while Frank is slowly losing himself. It is sad and tragic, and you feel all of these, but Saika’s loyalty to him, her strong-minded need to help and to sacrifice herself and everything she has and she is to him, well… that seems a tad sudden.
Mind me, I am not saying that she should have just shrugged it off and continued with her life, it makes sense that she wants to help, because she has found a new family between the people who live there, a more accepting and welcoming one at that, and that’s everything that kept her afloat, but what you see is not her dedication to the new family or her new love, no, you see her loyalty to Frank. And to me, this didn’t make a lot of sense.

Another small thing that could have been better developed is the magical system. I get that it is not central, but still, it irked me that you know there is a problem with Saika’s magic, because she constantly refers to it, but you don’t know why or how or what, because you don’t have an understatement of how things should work. You’ll get it, but later on. And it was maddening, seeing the problem, knowing it was a problem but not understanding why it was a problem.

I get that this is more about feelings and vibes than story and details, but still… this buggered me while I was reading. And now I will also add a couple of things that are mean, but I think they still should be said. The central point of the book is the grieving process and the fact that everyone is different in their pain and in the way they deal with it. And maybe what we see in this book is about an ideal, of a world where you can grieve with your time and as you need, but… Saika’s way of dealing with everything is not so sane (mind me, I am not qualified to talk about what is sane and what is not, so I am expressing an opinion, I am not stating some facts). She is dealing with her sister’s death, and I get that we are in the presence of a pain that is all-consuming, world-breaking, and devasting, but she can’t move past it for years. She can’t let her sister go, and she flew her previous life to go and live the life her sister should be living.
And she abandons the daughters her sister had, because of this. So sure, I am glad that Sakia can finally find the help she so desperately needs, and I am glad that she managed, at last, to come to terms with her pain. And I am awed by the work the author did, and I am glad that she talks about these themes, that are not really talked about enough, but I also think that this had to be said, too.

That said, this is a unique book, and I am grateful because I had the opportunity to read it. It is unique, and it talks about some really important topics, that aren’t so often found in books.

This debut novel is about grief, about acceptance and the challenges they pose. Saika embarks to fulfill her sister’s dying wish to have her ashes planted at this enchanted arboretum. There she meets Frank and the inhabitants of his home. Each character has layers steeped in pain.

Overall I thought this one was good but I left wanting a bit more in the plot. Sometimes the chapters felt repetitive. I’d give it 3.5/5 stars.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an arc.

I really thought I'd love this one, but it's too much like a Hallmark Channel movie with magical creatures, and a couple of witches. It's also VERY slow moving; the 39% of the book that I finished could easily have been written as two well-edited paragraphs. I have no doubt that many will love this book, and I wish the author the best of luck, but I'm happy as an enchanted clam that I don't have to read it anymore.

House of Frank follows Saika, a witch who is still grieving the loss of her sister but wants to follow through on the last promise she made to her and bury her ashes at the magical Ash Gardens arboretum. When Saika hesitates to bury her sister and ends up stuck at the sanctuary during a storm, the estate’s caretaker Frank invites her to stay on and work to care for the arboretum alongside a misfit group of other magical beings. As a witch, Saika knows Frank wants her to use her powers to help fix the estate. The problem is that Saika is actually powerless, a fact she’s hiding from Frank and everyone else at Ash Gardens—both because it would potentially risk her position there, but also because it would mean opening more old wounds she’s trying to keep buried. However, not everything is as perfect as it initially seems at Ash Gardens, and it becomes clear to Saika that the sanctuary is in trouble. Figuring out how to help could save Ash Gardens, but it will also require her to learn to open herself up to others again.

While I usually have a clear sense of where I stand with a book by the end, I am oddly unsure how to feel about this book! I was really hopeful that this would be a slam dunk for me, but I personally struggled to love this one like some other reviewers have.
❤️ What I loved: I thought the way that this book depicted and spoke about grief was honest in the variety of experiences and emotions displayed through the cast of characters. The book was touching, the setting was unique, and I was really compelled to find out what happened next!
💔 What I didn’t love: Most of my qualms about this book are a matter of personal preference. I did not personally love the writing style of the book, where the main character was speaking to the reader/her dead sister. It added an odd shift in the perspective of the storytelling that didn’t feel necessary. I also struggled with the characters, which is usually a make-or-break for me. While I was rooting for all of them to heal, I didn’t personally feel the relationships they were supposed to have with each other—there was more telling than seeing in this way. I see a lot of read-alikes for Under the Whispering Door by TJ Klune, but I unfortunately didn’t feel the same kind of connection to the characters here.
Despite this book not quite hitting the mark for me, I do think a lot of people will find a lot to love in House of Frank. I recommend fans of fantastical settings and emotional stories give this book a try.

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐/5 (3-3.5)

Acknowledgments & Disclaimers ✨ Thank you to NetGalley, Kay Synclaire, and Bindery Books/Ezeekat Press, for providing an ARC and the opportunity to share an honest review of this book. ✨ All thoughts and opinions expressed in this review are my own. ✨ My reviews and ratings strive to evaluate books within their own age-demographic and genre.

Really enjoyed this cozy fantasy exploration of grief, found family, and decision making. I can always go without a romantic subplot and I feel like it wouldn't have done much to lose that in this book, as well. I kind of wish it was longer, because I wanted more of the market time and more time in the arboretum, but I have no doubt that the author will continue to publish and maybe we'll be able to see some more of those cozy and low stakes places.