House of Frank is a unique read and it deserves the right words to describe it. I will try. Saika arrives at the famed Ash Gardens intent on fulfilling her late sister’s final wishes, to have Fiona’s ashes planted in the enchanted arboretum. As soon as Saika enters the old decrepit house, the most wonderful group of oddballs meet her. Foul mouthed cherubs, a diva witch, a dapper ghost, a tenderhearted fairy, and a smart, sharp-tongued gargoyle/witch who for me, stole the book. All of them lead by a gentle giant, furry beast who manages the bunch with an absent-minded, professorial air. Saika is also a witch but a bit of a castoff from her family and from her own powers.

The characters are the strength of the book, everybody is so well rounded as individuals. Yes, their magical elements are there but it’s the slow reveal of personalities and pasts that make their mark so strong. Because above all, this story is about grief and the struggle to get through the loss to find a way to be happy again. Saika is often at the center of the recounting of her housemates’ tellings. She’s a classic “fixer” and can’t help but want to take care of everyone, sometimes to her own detriment. I would also say this book is about found family, this group of imperfect beings holding each other up. Finally, the chemistry between Saika and Oli, although mostly fade to black, is potent and made me smile every time. Expect secrets and some suspense too.

This is a story about grief, acceptance and found family. Saika is having a rough time letting her sister Fiona go. She has been deceased for a while and she is tasked with having her ashes put into the ground in Ash Gardens. She is unable to let go and do this right away. So Frank tasks her with a job while she waits until she is ready to do this part of her duty to her sister.

She is having a rough time but as she gets to know the other people in Frank's house she sees that she isn't so different from them. This story is one of the first for Bindery Books and I can't wait to read more.

It is a very heartfelt book and I was teary eyed in some places. Grief is different for everyone so this was a sweet, warming way to show that.

This is one of the best books I’ve read this year. I can barely even begin to describe it…

This book is about grief processing. But it’s not self help. It’s a fictional story with witches and cherubs and magic. And while there is a plot twist I think you’ll see coming, it won’t make you enjoy it less.

I’ve lost a brother, and this book spoke to me in a way that a book hasn’t since The Bone Witch. And it’s given words to so many feelings I’ve had. Sometimes a book finds its way to you for a reason. This book was written for me. And if you’ve lost someone, I think it was written for you too.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for providing this eARC.

House of Frank follows witch Saika as she arrives at Ash Gardens with the intention to bury her sister's remains, but is quickly enveloped into the community of the estate's caretakers.

I think, on the whole, this book definitely delivered on the cozy promise, as well as on the fantasy promise. House of Frank does seem to exist in this more nebulous New Adult space, where the characters and their struggles are grown up, but the narration and simplicity of plot almost skews young. While I loved the way this book explored loss, in all its different forms, I did also feel like it did not fully deliver on its premise. The characters were interesting, but needed more time and attention to feel sufficiently fleshed out. The plot itself stood on incredibly shaky legs, with a setup that felt frustratingly inorganic and nonsensical, and often only introduced the next plot point as it felt the most convenient, rather than when it ought to have happened (ignoring Frank's blatant signs of memory issues for most of the book had me feeling heated!!). There also didn't seem to be any meaningful justification for Saika to be the central character of this story, especially as we learn so much more about Phil and his relationship with other characters prior to his death. Beyond all that, while I'm generally on board for 2nd person narration, framing Saika's inner thoughts as directed at Fi often felt disorienting and awkward. Any time something reminded Saika of Fi, the narration was addressed to Fi, but overexplained in the way only an uninformed reader would require (at one point Saika mentions to Fi that there were some flowers in a scene, which were Fi's favorites, but Fi wouldn't benefit from being told "this flower was always your favorite"! That's information only the reader needs).

In all, I think House of Frank had some great concepts, and it's clear both what it was inspired by and what it sought to accomplish. The execution, however, was a bit clunky and left me wanting more. Even so, I think this will certainly find its place among other popular cozy fantasies on the shelf, and I do look forward to what Kay Synclaire will write next.

Oh my goodness is this book an absolute must read! In some ways, it is a cozy fantasy filled with wholesome characters and relationships, all of whom are magical in one way or another. It's also a journey of exploring profound grief and loss, the multitude of ways that is experienced, and the desperation that comes with it. Every part of you will leave this reading experience wishing the book was just a little longer so you could stay in the world Kay Sinclaire created, while knowing that it was also the perfect length!

I loved the idea and big parts of the story.
But for me not all the relationships felt very believable, if that is the right way to say it.
And the way Saika thought about other and spoke about the others while she was the new girl didn't always feel good.

This book made me cry - it was a beautiful story about friendship, love and grief and was both cozy and heart wrenching at the same time.

Cozy, Queer, Heartwarming. I loved this book! It gave me all the feels.

The characters and the pacing I thought worked really well.

I liked the choice of 2nd person narrator a lot and I can see why the parallel is made with T.J. Klune. The vibe is there, and I really enjoyed it. Can't wait to see what the author will write next !

If you love The House in the Cerulean Sea and Under the Whispering Door by TJ Klune, then there is a fair chance you will enjoy this one. They all have very similar vibes. I enjoyed most of this book but it did fall short in a few places for me. I found the first half very slow so I had to really push myself to keep going but the second half of the book made up for it. I also struggled to connect with the main character Saika and enjoyed the secondary characters a lot more. The motley crew were an absolute delight and I wish I got to see more of them. This is a cosy fantasy focused on grief, loss and falling in love despite it all. It might not be for everyone at all times particularly if you are experiencing acute grief but this could be a book that provides great comfort for people ready to work through their feelings of grief.

3.5⭐️
This was such an interesting story, the author has lots of interesting ideas - and the blurb really grabbed my attention. I thought it was an interesting idea to have Saika kind of narrate to her deceased sister, as this story revolves around grief this was an effective device. I will say overall I had trouble connecting with the characters, there are a lot of them to keep track of. Also, if it is meant to have a cozy vibe, that did not come through for me. I did love the creativity of Frank’s house and the concept of Ash Gardens and the author does beautifully capture how debilitating grief is. I also thought the romance between Saika and Oli was well done, Oli was a highlight in this for me and added a bit of lightness.

I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book.

House of Frank was a disappointment for me, and maybe my opinions on cozy fantasy are changing generally as this was not the only title in the sub-genre to let me down recently. There was so much potential for me to love this story. Found family, healing from grief and trauma, a house affected by magic, and of course the cozy, witchy vibes but it just didn't all come together for me.

Maybe my first issue is, for a title like House of Frank, Frank felt like one of the most underdeveloped side characters in the story, and I think he was done the most dirty and definitely was one of the least respected characters. Saika is a witch who arrives at Ash Gardens (Frank's house) to fulfil her sister's final request and plant the sister's ashes in the arboretum. Saika has been putting this off as she's not ready to say goodbye and she's given the opportunity to live and work at Ash Gardens while she takes the time to get ready for the tree planting ceremony. I'll get into more detail under spoilers.

[Things are amiss at Ash Gardens, and the weather is getting worse and the house is falling apart. Saika joins the other inhabitants of the house to try and fix the problems at the gardens. There's a bunch of diverse and different characters and it's supposed to be a lovely story of found family, but the characters are really not very nice to each other. The love interest for our main character is constantly teasing her like a child on the schoolyard might. Not mature or cute at all, just awkward. Frank's memory is failing, and instead of anyone helping or actually being concerned enough to figure out what's happening, they just get angry when he forgets things and have to do all his work for him. Saika is very judgemental, short-tempered, and self-centred when it comes to most of her thoughts and interactions with the other characters, and even her own sister. Many times I felt quite uncomfortable with her quick reactions of perceiving others as "not doing their part" when she is very new to the house and is keeping a mountain of secrets for herself.

There were many times where instead of feeling cozy, I just felt very uncomfortable with the story. Saika's treatment of others and making decisions based on her own beliefs and then saying "they'll thank me later" just didn't sit well with me. What she did to her sister, and all the deals with Death were so icky and senseless. There were really no consequences for Saika, no matter how inappropriate or wrong her actions were. I'm not sure I like any of the so-called morals that could be taken from this story. (hide spoiler)]

Writing wise, I usually like 2nd person narration, but the way this is a blend of 1st and 2nd, with the reader essentially taking the roll of the late sister, Fi, was really interrupting to the flow. Also there is some swearing and mature themes that felt quite out of place for some reason. It felt like a cozy book that was trying to be edgy and more "adult" than was needed...almost it was trying to prove it was in the adult audience category instead of feeling genuine. I've noticed this happening in several new releases as well, and I'm concerned about the trend.

The cover gave me Diana Wynne Jones and the synopsis gave TJ Klune and maybe it would have been better if I hadn't loved books by those authors so much. I'm really sad this story didn't work for me personally.

One of my favourite fantasy storiee this year! The main character is loveable and so are the rest of the unexpected and magical characters living in the house of Frank. A beautiful and thoughtful narrative weaving in grief and love. The writing was clever and Saika, the main character, had an engaging inner dialogue. The novel felt familiar and unique, warm and heartbreaking. It was a pleasure to read and to accompany Saika on her journey towards healing with found family.

House of Frank is a beautiful story about love and grief and all the ways those two all-consuming feelings are tethered together. The story follows Saika, who lands herself at Ash Gardens so she can plant the ashes of her sister in the magical arboretum that grows there. The trees are tended to by Frank, who founded Ash Gardens with his wife Kay, who is also growing amongst the grove. There is a charming cast of characters who help to keep the house running, including Oli, who is probably my favorite love interest of everything I've read in 2024.

This was a special book. Every page was touched by love and empathy and an understanding and respect for grief and loss that so many people need. I devoured the second half of it in a single sitting, and I enjoyed every heart wrenching moment of it. The book invites you to mourn, and rewards that heavy lift with a happy ending that not only felt earned, but real. It doesn't always get easier, but it does get better.

The casual queerness of many of the characters, and Saika's sweet point of view as she caught her beloved sister Fiona up on her life, made this such a delightful read for me. Whether you've lost loved ones or want to support those that you love who have, I cannot recommend this book enough.

Thanks to NetGalley and Bindery Books and Ezeekat Press for an Advanced Reader Copy - pub date 10/15/2024. Before I roll on into this review, a big warning for the reader. If you are grieving, have lost someone very precious to you, or are dangerously empathetic, House of Frank is going to be a tough read. For all of the found family elements and magic scattered throughout the pages, the lynchpin of the entire book is grief and how it can affect you and how it can make you do some really good or really bad things, depending. I mean, I am not currently bowed beneath loss but I was still shaken in places. There. Consider yourself warned.

So, simply put, House of Frank is about grieving witch Saika (strangely magic-less, carrying secrets, etc) arriving at a magical arboretum/cemetery Ash Gardens to perform the last thing her beloved sister asked of her. Finally. Two years after the fact. Better late than never, of course, but Saika still can't bring herself to bury her sister's ashes and close the ceremony. The owner/director/proprietor Frank, a one of a kind beast, empathizes with the pain of loss and offers her a haven and a chance to work there until she can bring herself to say goodbye. Of course, there is always more to the story and Saika is soon tangled up in it all - the various crew of the Gardens and their reasons for being there, their losses, the crumbling house around them all, Frank’s increasing forgetfulness and odd behavior… And Saika’s loss of power and swiftly aging body. So there is a mystery but, to be honest, it is not a terribly complex one and a lot of the big picture elements are telegraphed. If you have a sense of story beats and pay attention to the clues, you will know a lot of what is coming.

Likewise, a lot of the characters have a certain level of stock-build to them. You can still see that structure beneath the fleshing-out in some of them (the cherubs, poor things) but a few do shine beyond the trope and the diversity in race, visuals, gender presentation, and sexuality is natural-feeling. Hilde, in particular, has a backstory to her and a wryness and very non-crazy Norma Desmond fabulousness that makes me want an entire book about her. We see deepest into Saika by virtue of the chatty, first person POV and so she is naturally more realized, warts and all. In fact, she has a lot of warts and, because she is in her head, we the reader sees them all over the course of the book. Saika is not quite likeable to me if I’m being honest but she is fascinating in the way that an inherently decent but painfully self-focused and hurting person can be. She is the epitome of Letting The Grief Do the Decision Making and, when we find out the price paid and her continued justifications, it is so true to the Saika we’ve been given that it is hardly a surprise. Watching her grow in fits and starts is like watching a toddler take first steps, whacking their head against furniture as they go. Painful but proud. Ever the would-be problem-fixer and martyr, Saika keeps us hoping that she will learn and keep the lesson.

The strongest legs this book has to stand on are vibe and empathy. It has some lovely language. It has a heart. It 100% gets how painful losing someone is and how it can drive people in all sorts of ways. It rips open emotional wounds and reassures you that you’re not alone. It lets you continue to believe in love and hope. Unfortunately, there is that third, somewhat wobbly leg of plot/character where I found some gaps. The plot can’t quite settle fully into a mystery or a cozy family-healing fic and so inadvertently leaves crack to peek through. (Why did no one else notice Frank’s decline until Saika got there? Why didn’t they treat Phil with more seriousness? For that matter, why didn’t Phil try to communicate with someone before Saika, why not his buddy Evie? Why does Oli flirt like a 12 year old boy?)

I must admit that I expected so much more from this book and that is my own fault and no one else’s. I enjoyed a lot of it but, in the end, feel like I could have done with a little more work to close some holes and shine up some characters.

4 ⭐
2 🌶️

The House of Frank is a delightfully heartwarming book about found family and learning to live with grief. Saika has been lost and wandering for some time and she lands on the doorstep of Ash Garden and meets Frank and the inhabitants of his home. It is a magical place in a magical world where everyone can contribute. Even those who don't feel they have much left to give. This book speaks to finding a place to belong, finding your inner strength, and so much more. The cast of characters is diverse and so much fun to get to know. The book is funny at times and will have you reaching for your Kleenex too. This is definitely a book of the heart.

Thank you, NetGalley and Bindery Press, for the eArc. These opinions are my own.

I would like to start off by saying thank you to Kay Synclaire and NetGalley for this ARC.

This book was such a cozy fall read. There are heavy themes of grief and LGBTQIA+ aspects in here so please be mindful of those as you consider this one.

I absolutely adored this book. There is such a diverse and wide range of characters incorporated into this fantasy read. It took me a couple of tries to get into but once I finally got swept away, the characters lept off the page for me. The magical aspects of this book are what caught my attention initially but I ended up falling in love with the characters and genuinely rooting for them. Personally, I really appreciate a book that handles grief and loss in such a beautiful way. If you are looking for a cozy fall read that will make you feel all of the feels please add this to your short list ASAP.

I might’ve just found one of my favorite cozy fantasy books.
But let me start from the beginning. This book felt like a warm hug right from the first pages. Saika’s arrival at Ash Gardens and how welcoming and caring Frank was made my eyes immediately wet, I knew I’m about to be swept up in a beautiful and emotional story. It is a tale based in a fantastical world of witches, beasts, elves, faeries but it is incredibly gentle at that. We don’t need a bunch of world building or magic systems, it’s just a lot of magical people working together and facing difficult times. Even though it’s cozy it has stakes (quite high by the end) and there is never any feeling of boredom. The cast of characters is diverse and lovable but also flawed, no one is perfect, not even the protagonist, and sometimes they can make you angry or frustrated with their behaviour but it makes them authentic and complex. The story flows at a really nice pace, there is a lot we learn and discover as it progresses and maybe some things can be predicted but it really doesn’t take away from the emotional impact of it. House of Frank is about loss and grief, it goes into it fully and deeply but carries all the difficult emotions with such grace, it literally holds your hand as you face the depths of grief (I’m actually crying writing this). If you ever lost someone, reading this book is like therapy, it really reinforced my belief in the power of storytelling, how it can help us heal and get through hard times.
I went into this book knowing it will be a good time, it wasn’t just good, it was excellent, I cried 5 times and came out of it a little lighter and a little bit more whole. I know I will read it again and again.

Thank you to Bindery Books, Ezeekat Press and NetGalley for the eARC!

This was the cozy, lesbian version of under the whispering door and I ADORED IT!

Saika and Oli were so easy to love and root for and the premise of a magical arboretum that people can come and spread their loved ones ashes. This book is filled with love and grief and all sots of emotion I didn't expect. I still can't believe this is a DEBUT novel! I am in awe.

I will be rereading it soon so I can absorb even more of this story. It has such depth and layer that the readers experience will change depending on where they are in life.

Thank you so much to NetGalley and Bindery Books for the chance to ARC read this.

I received an ARC from NetGalley.
It's the ideal cosy read for a rainy day, perfect for curling up with a warm drink. This whimsical tale explores grief through the lens of a delightful cast of characters.

A word of warning: the story is told in the first person, which some readers may find a bit jarring at first.

Saika, a witch, is tasked with fulfilling her sister's final wish: to plant her ashes at Ash Gardens. However, Saika isn't ready to let go. She ends up working at a sanctuary owned by a mythical creature named Frank. As she tries to keep her secret hidden, Saika gets to know the residents of the house and may even find love with an elf. But she soon discovers that something sinister is lurking within the house and that Frank may not be all he seems.