Wow. Thank you Netgalley and and Harper360 for the arc

This is set during two timelines but the present day is in Ireland…in the winter. And boy oh boy do those cozy vibes come spilling out of the pages. I don’t want to spoil the plot but just know there is a chunk in the first half that is slow and you’re worried the book isn’t going to go in the fantastical direction you thought it would, but it does. That second half makes it impossible to find a place to pause your reading.

This book is released next month so be sure to add it to your TBR!!!!

I received a free e-book of this title through NetGalley, and while I really liked the concept of this book, I didn’t love it and struggled to finish. At times the storytelling felt disjointed, and I found the ending to be sudden and anti-climactic.

The Story Collector is a delightful novel, however, I didn't really connect with it the way I thought I would. I expected there to be more of a connection between Sarah and the diary but there wasn't. I enjoyed Anna's story, even though it didn't feel like diary entries but more of a story being read from a regular book. The Irish folklore and mention of fairies had to be my favorite part, but aside from that, the story itself felt very flat. I wanted to love it but it was just mediocre to me. 3 stars
Thank you NetGalley, Harper360, and Evie Woods for this read.

I thought 'The Story Collector' by Evie Gaughan was a beautifully written tale that intertwines Irish folklore with historical fiction and romance. The narrative follows two timelines: Sarah in present-day New York, who impulsively travels to Ireland after a breakup, and Anna, a farm girl from 1911 Ireland, who helps an American translate fairy stories. The characters are vividly described, making them feel incredibly real, and the world-building captures the enchanting beauty of Ireland and its myths. While Sarah finds solace in Anna's story, I wished Anna's journey had a more satisfying resolution. The plot moves at a medium pace, seamlessly blending the two storylines and keeping the reader engaged. This book is a must-read for those who enjoy historical fiction with a touch of mythology. 4/5 stars.

When Sarah’s relationship comes to an end on Christmas in 2010, she makes a rash decision to fly to Ireland to visit Thornwood and the hawthorn tree; she stays at Oran’s house that he and his daughter, Hazel, vacated after his wife passed. This is also where she finds Anna’s diary from exactly 100 years before. A quest for fairies aligns the two throughout the years. As she reads Anna’s story, Sarah grows closer to Oran and Hazel, and he has to cross the threshold of his house to move on. However, Anna’s story is accompanied by a researcher, Harold, and it was a full circle moment when Sarah got his book as well. Sarah and Anna have both known loss and reading Anna’a journey provides Sarah with some peace. I just would have liked for Anna’s story to also find that, since we spent so long with her.

Thanks to NetGalley and HarperCollins360 for the eARC! The Story Collector has a past and present storyline, Anna's diary 1911 and Sarah in 2011. The book was extremely slow and only started to pickup around 60%. Unfortunately, I didn't connect with Anna's POV and it really made the book drag for me. However, given that I don't typically lean towards historical fiction, I do think that others would love this. I also felt like the folklore / fantasy elements were very surface level and not flushed out, which is a large selling point of the book.

Thank you Netgalley, Harper 360 and Evie Woods for the eArc of The Story Collector.

This is a beautifully written story about Irish folklore and fairy folk in Ireland. Set in 2 timelines, present day and back in the 1920's Anna, a farm girl, who helps an intriguing American translate these myths from Irish to English. In the present day, Sarah boards a plane from New York to West Coast Island and once there she finds she has some mysterious linkage to this place.

The characters in is historical fiction are so wonderfully described, they just pop out the page! They feel as real as if you were sitting in the room with them. I loved both of the main female characters, both on roads to personal exploration and looking for answers.

The world building was breathtaking, Ive only ever been to Ireland once and Evie has managed to capture they beauty of the land as well as the whimsical myths and legends of fairy folk.

The plot line ticks on at a medium pace. There is enough going on, combined with the 2 storylines that entwine and the beauty of Ireland, you don't realise that you have read most of the book. The ending is well wrapped up. If you like historical fiction with myths and legends thrown in. Then this needs to be read!

4.25 stars for Storygraph, 4 for Amazon, Netgalley, Goodreads and Waterstones

The Story Collector by Evie Gaughan as a wonderful combination of historical and romance. In the book we meet two main characters who live a century apart. Anna, a young woman living in 1911 Ireland and Sarah a Boston native who drunkenly ended up in Ireland after reading about a tree (and perhaps subconsciously trying to flee from a life she feels is falling apart). Once in Ireland, Sarah is living in the same village that Anna lived generations ago. While Sarah is figuring out how to put her life back together, she's simultaneously learning about Celtic lore through Annas stories.

Many people associate the topic of fairies as works of fantasy. And while that may be what they represent in present day, like all good fantasy topics, they are built and developed through Celtic folklore similar to the Greek gods and goddesses. Over the course of the book, the reader gets a first hand experience of why people believe in the fairy folk - while in present day we may find other explanations, in the past belief in this lore was the explanation people needed for all things good and bad.

Having recently read The Lost Bookshop for book club, I was eager and nervous to be offered an early access copy of The Story Collector from NetGalley thanks to Harper360. One thing I struggled with in The Lost Bookshop was that Evie Gaughan requires readers to think for themselves and connect the dots and after having read a lot of books where things get wrapped up very obvious and succinctly, in The Lost Bookshop readers may be confused if reading the book as it is and not trying to think about it on a deeper level. That being said, The Story Collector does have literary moments like that, but not quite as extreme as The Lost Bookshop.

For future readers of The Story Collector, I would encourage them not to try and disprove the existence of fairy people as their reading, but instead appreciate how Evie Gaughan has brought a lovely piece of work that gives a great portrayal of how local lore, Celtic in this instance, influenced life in past generations. The Story Collector is a refreshing and unique piece of historical fiction and romance that is focused around one of the less common historical setting - rural Ireland.

Amazon, Target and Barnes and Noble review links will be posted as soon as it is available.

This book has magical realism, historical fiction, dual timeline, romance, folklore, mystery, and a dash of fantasy all mixed into one book effortlessly! I loved learning about the older timeline the most. All of the folklore about the fairies in Ireland was very interesting and had me wondering how much of the general beliefs were held to be true in real life over there. I also enjoyed that I did not know how the book would end. A book that keeps me guessing is always one I enjoy! While one ending was less satisfying, but more realistic, the other was more of a HEA and some healing from grief. If you like Ireland settings, magical realism, & historical fiction this is definitely a book for you!!

Once I started, I couldn't put it down!
Fantastic storyline and relatable characters. Highly recommend!!!

This book touched on all the genres that I enjoy - historical fiction, romance, a bit of mystery - and even covered fantasy which isn’t usually my favorite but in this case I found very fun and endearing.

Sarah is running away from her troubles, and a split-second decision at the airport finds her on a plane to Ireland instead of heading home to spend the holidays with her family. Settled into a cottage among Irish farmland, Sarah finds an old diary that tells the tales of fairy lore from the area, and Sarah is immediately enchanted.

Told in alternating timelines and narratives between Sarah’s story and the story of Anna from the diary, I enjoyed the parallels that existed between the two women and their experiences. I was drawn to Anna’s story and found the tales of the fairies very mysterious and fun to read. While there were some gaps in Sarah’s story that I wish had been explored further, overall I thought this was an enjoyable read with a lot of elements that wove together many genres very well.

I rate this book 3.5 stars.

I loved the unique but relatable style of the story. The characters are sympathetic but not predictable. I loved that this was not a story I had ever seen before and it was so beautifully written, with obvious love and care for every character. I bought another one of her books, based on the strength of this one. I look forward to many, many more from her!

Will be doing a video review on TikTok and leaving written reviews at Amazon and Goodreads. Thank you for the galley!

******Publishing August 13, 2024*****

The story begins with the legend of the Thornwood house where a Hawthorn tree was cut down, which cursed the people who lived in the house!

This book alternates between 1910 and 2010 surrounding the Legend!

2010-Sarah’s marriage was not working out, so she leaves her husband, Jack, on Christmas Day to move in with her sister Megan, who lives in Boston. She gets to the airport, but in her drunken state, somehow gets on a plane to Ireland instead! Megan is upset when she finds out! Sarah is welcomed by the community and finds Anna’s diary at the house she is staying at. Sarah begins to investigate the Thornwood house. Who will Sarah meet and what will she find out? Does this experience help Sarah give direction to her life?

1910-Anna meets an American visitor, Harold, when his bike breaks down at her family’s farm. Anna agrees to be his assistant, investigating the fairies and lore surrounding the Thornwood Village and house! Anna translated stories for Harold!
What will they find out? Will the curse live on?

Definitely not an uplifting book, but it was an entertaining read! I enjoyed both timelines and loved how Sarah found Anna’s diary! Which set Sarah on her own journey of discovery! Perfect for book clubs as this book will lead to interesting discussions!

Thanks to Harpercollins360 for the gifted copy!

The Story Collector 📔🌲🧚🏽‍♀️

⭐️⭐️
Genre: Historical Fiction
Author: Evie Woods

“The story of my childhood is etched all over this familiar landscape. Living this close to nature, I feel as though I am part of it; as much as the river flowing through it or the ever-changing clouds passing overhead. We alter together with each season, transforming, yet always staying true to our nature. I can read the weather coming in across the hills like I can read my own moods. Leaving Thornwood would be like leaving a part of myself.”

After leaving her husband on Christmas, Sarah travels to Ireland. Once she settles in, she finds a diary written one hundred years ago. The diary tells the stories of the fairies in Ireland and the legend of the Thornwood fairy tree.

I had such high hopes for this book, but I was really disappointed. The idea of a historical fiction mixed with magical realism (fairies) sounds like a book I would love. However, this book had very little to do with fairies. We only got bits and pieces of the fairy folklore and the legends about the fairy tree.

The Story Collector was written in a then/now POV. The past POV is from Anna’s diary written in 1910-1911. The present POV is Sarah’s visit to Ireland in 2010-2011. The descriptive writing of this area in Ireland was really beautiful and easy to follow. However, the book was extremely slow and only started to pickup around 60%. The ending was also very anticlimactic and abrupt.

I think I would have loved this book if Sarah’s POV would have been left out. I enjoyed the past storyline and would have liked a book simply based on Anna’s diary. I didn’t feel the two timelines were well connected. I also wanted more about the fairy folklore. The magical realism was why I originally chose this book, and it just wasn’t there.

While this book wasn’t for me, I am sure there is an audience that will enjoy it. Thanks to NetGalley and HarperCollins360 for allowing me to read and review this novel. It will be published on August 12, 2024.

The two timelines flow and fuse well together. In 1910, you follow the story of Anna and Harold at times with bated breath as it takes a dark turn. In 2010/11 a bruised and damaged Sarah comes back to life and begins to accept the things that have been weighing her down. Much of this is with the aid of the 1910/11 story and by the characters she meets in County Clare.

Overall, I enjoy this novel from start to finish which has a lovely end to a lovely read.

I read The Lost Bookshop by Evie Woods and was enthralled with the story. When I had an opportunity to be an early reader of The Story Collector by Woods, I jumped at the chance. The Story Collector is equally as absorbing as The Lost Bookshop.

In 2010, Sarah Harper and her husband Jack are divorcing amicably after a few years of marriage. Later in the story, readers will learn of the tragedy that tore them apart because of their inability to grieve together. Sarah, drinking too much, makes a sudden flight change and flees to the West Coast of Ireland rather than going to her sister’s home for Christmas.

Sarah finds a quiet cottage in Thornwood Village. Soon after her arrival on a late-night walk, still suffering from jetlag, Sarah throws an empty whiskey bottle toward the base of a tree. When the bottle hits, Sarah hears a clank rather than a soft thud of the bottle hitting grass. She digs into the earth and finds a tin box which she takes back to her cottage.

Once she opens the box, Sarah finds a diary from 1910; the writer is Anna Butler, a young woman, born and raised in Thornwood Village. Sarah becomes enthralled with reading about Anna’s life, thoughts, and experiences.

Woods throws in a bit of magical realism, romance, and stories of the Good People, otherwise known as fairies, to create a satisfying story. Sarah meets some of the local people and becomes friends with them, especially Hazel, the granddaughter of the man who owns her cottage, and Oran, Hazel’s widowed father.

The dual storyline kept me reading to see what happens with Anna and Sarah. The answers are not all straightforward, which makes for an intriguing story. Along the way, readers learn about Irish folklore, especially about the faeries. The Story Collector is a delightful story.

Thank you, NetGalley, Evie Woods, and Harper 360, for this ARC!

4.25⭐️

I’ll be honest—I picked up this book purely out of intrigue based on the cover art, without knowing what to expect. I was pleasantly surprised to find that it was set in Ireland! Ever since my intense Sally Rooney phase during the pandemic, I’ve had a soft spot for anything set in Ireland.

From the beginning, I was a bit unsure where the story was headed, but Evie Woods beautifully connected the past and present. I felt particularly connected to Anna and Harold, but seeing Sarah and Oran use Anna's story to process their own grief was poignant and well-executed.

Evie did a fantastic job of capturing the complexities of grief and the journey of learning to live again.

All in all, this was a wonderful read—cozy, sweet, and lyrical. I highly recommend enjoying it with a nice cup of tea!

This is a great cozy read. I love a story that has two timelines and it was very interesting to see how events from the early 1900’s affected the village in the 2000’s. The characters were likable. I wish there was a little more character development with the modern day characters, but I still enjoyed their story as well.

Through a mixup, I read The Lost Bookshop directly before this book and that was a HUGE mistake.

While Evie Woods is a fantastic author, The Story Collector lacks the magic of The Lost Bookshop. It felt like a scrambling to recreate it and it fell short.

The characters were not as intriguing, the storyline was more predictable, and the dual timelines were not as seamless. However, this is still a great novel. Lightning doesn't strike twice but Evie Woods is a pretty great author.

Thank you to Harper 360 and Net Galley for the eARC!

In the Story Collector, by Evie Woods, is a whimsical book about 2 souls who are finding their way in their respective worlds as women of their time blended with the Irish culture and folklore surrounding fairies and magic. We follow Sarah through the modern-day timeline of finding herself after a divorce and family trauma, and we also follow Anna through her early 1900s timeline, as she tries to find a way in a world that believed women should not have rights, and who is also dealing with family loss. Both our heroines find ways to discover themselves through loss and love.

You do have to suspend believe a little because we go from Sarah being in an airport, heading home to Boston, to somehow finding herself embraced by locals in the Shannon area of Ireland. In addition, she just happens to find a hidden book that just so happens to tell the story 100 years ago, that is related to events 100 years later. In addition, there is a heavy dose of fairy lore that figures heavily in the culmination of the story. Sarah’s character grows into a strong character who overcomes the trauma that she was dealing with and finds love in the end. Anna’s character overcomes adversity and deals with a family trauma that held her back and allows her to also find unexpected love and safety. The pacing of the story is even and mostly holds your attention, as it is told in a dual timeline POV and jumps back and forth between our two main characters and their stories. Overall, I liked the story. I though it was a sweet telling and an interesting attempt at incorporating Irish folklore into a story. However, it does switch POV frequently and it feels a little too convenient that Anna’s story just happens to fill in all the holes in the events that Sarah and her timeline are investigating. The intended audience for this story is adult general fiction readers, those who enjoyed Woods’ previous book, will enjoy this story as well. Trigger warnings: miscarriage and attempted sexual assault. I would recommend this story to book club readers, adult fiction readers and even young adult readers. I gave this book 4 stars.

In conclusion, Woods’ The Story Collector is a story that deals with trauma, loss and love in a sweet, whimsical way.