If you like a book with a bit of magic, this is one to read. Loved the two timelines and the two women - Sarah and Anna. Very well written.

I read The Lost Bookshop by Evie Woods and absolutely loved it, so I knew I had to pick this book up and can confidently say that you should too!

The Story Collector takes place in small town Ireland and follows Sarah who traveled to Ireland on a whim to try to escape her grief. Sarah discovers an old diary from a girl named Anna, whose family lived in the cottage she is renting 100 years earlier. Anna's diary describes her life as a young woman in 1911 rural Ireland, and we read her experience of being hired by a young scholar to help him compile stories about fairy stories and folklore in her town for a PhD thesis.

This is a beautiful story about processing grief and the love and friendship that can be found along the way. I love the incorporation of fantasy elements through the fairy stories and think that cozy fantasy readers should definitely give this book a try!

Thank you to Harper 360 and NetGalley for providing me with a free copy of this book in exchange for my review.

First my thanks to Harper Collin’s Publishing and NetGalley for the opportunity for an ARC copy of this novel 🫶

I adored The Lost Bookshop so when I saw a new title by Evie Woods I knew I had to get my hands on it!

Woods’ storytelling ability never ceases to amaze me. She seamlessly blends past and current POVs to form one cohesive narrative.

Her characters immediately grab you by the heartstrings and you cannot help but connect with them and feel the things they feel as you read.

I found myself laughing and crying while I read this story. I read it so quickly, I couldn’t put it down. I was so invested in the characters and story. It takes place during the winter over the holidays and I can absolutely see myself re-reading this again each winter.

I cannot wait for the next book Evie Woods puts out, I will be the first in line to snag it up!

This was such a cozy read!!! Made me want to be curled up by a fireplace during the holidays just reading it from cover to cover. A must read for any book lover. Big thanks to Netgalley & Harper360 for the Digital ARC!

Sarah, hoping to escape her grief, is waiting for her flight home from Newark to Boston when she is suddenly inspired to make her way to County Clare, Ireland, to see the 'lore of a beautiful hawthorn tree'. With the help of a friendly local, Sarah finds herself in Thornwood and settles into Butler Cottage. On a late-night run, she stumbles upon the diary of Anna Butler, a young farm girl, from 1911. In the diary, Anna documented her work translating for an American academic, Harold Griffin-Krauss, who was collecting stories of fairies. Despite the century between them, the women are linked through circumstance and grief. In both timelines, they find themselves on the edges of something otherworldly and contemplate the possibility that fairies are living among them, sight unseen.

The book felt well-balanced between the immersive Ireland setting, fairy folklore, and empathetic storytelling of intense loss. I enjoyed the quirky side characters and the "story collecting" in Anna and Harold's interviews of locals' sightings of the fairies. My only gripe is that I wish the ending to Anna's story had been given more time and attention; while readers can fill in any gaps in Sarah's story, I felt Anna's was unfinished in its' brevity.

I really enjoyed this. I had mixed feelings about the Lost Bookshelf by the author, but I love book themes. This one sucked me in from the first chapter and was a whimsical ride. I recommend for all book lovers.

Sarah lands herself on an unplanned trip to Ireland over the holidays. Reeling from a divorce. She soon becomes immersed in the legend and folklore of the village.

This book has mystery, romance and exudes a deep sense of love and loss.

A must read.

Thank you to #netgalley for the ARC.

The title in itself is to lure oneself to read this book. A mysterious, romantic, and captivating story that guides you through the life of Anna and Sarah. If you enjoyed The Lost Bookshop you will adore this one.

I received a copy of The Story collector by Evie Woods from HarperCollins and Edelweiss in exchange for an honest review. I love magical realism and I loved this book. I will definitely read more.

This is an interesting novel that didn't quite go where I expected - which, in this case, made it better. Sarah is an American woman who needs to get away from her life for a little while, and who flies to Ireland to do it, where by chance she finds a 100 year-old diary. The diary was written by Anna, a young woman who lived in the same house Sarah is currently staying in. Anna's diary is very detailed, and gives a beautiful historical perspective of Ireland in the early 1900s. There are parallels between Sarah's and Anna's lives - enough to augment Sarah's interest in Anna's life, to the point that she goes looking for information about Anna's life after she stopped writing in the diary, but not so similar as to seem unlikely. I was expecting more in the way of fairies from this novel; they are present, but in an entirely different way than I expected. The "story collector" referred to in the title is an American scholar, Harold, who is collecting stories about fairies for his thesis - a thesis that is eventually published in a book. This novel will appeal to anyone who enjoys historical novels with a bit of fantasy thrown in, as well as coming-of-age novels set in the past. Recommended for teens and adults.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Thank you Netgalley and Evie Woods, for the e-arc. All opinions are my own, and are being left voluntarily.

This was a dual-timeline, historical, magical, and mysterious read. This book was a little slow paced for my liking, and fell a little flat for me.

There is just something so magical about Ireland! I loved the way this book portrayed fairy folk and the feelings towards them. The dual past/ present perspective was interesting and continued to make me wish for more. Each character mentioned was important and intentional to the storyline. I wish there was more romance. I felt that both the past and the present rushed the storyline more than was necessary and left me feeling slightly unfulfilled. However, I do think this book felt genuine to Irish folklore and I felt immersed in the story. Very very sweet!

I want to thank the publisher for a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

This was a cute and cozy read for me, and I ran through it pretty quickly. I loved learning about the local fairy lore, but ultimately, think this story fell short. I wish that there was more interaction between the current-time main character and the fairies, and I wish that the dialogue was better. I found myself often cringing at the dialogue between characters - finding it both cheesy and unbelievable.

Unfortunately, I think this is one you could skip.

What a beautiful novel. The descriptions took me straight to Ireland. Again I'm such a fan of dual timelines and it works so well here. If you are a fan of Emily Wilde and want something not "quite" so fantatical, you will love this book.

I liked aspects of this book (the fairy story connections, the dark fairytale versions particularly) and the lead character was appealing in her struggles with life. I do think the romance felt a bit forced, and the trauma the lead character finally deals with could be quite triggering for young women (it was hard to read). I adored her previous book The Lost Bookshop, and while it had some very serious issues in it as well, it seemed to have more magic and spots of light that I appreciated a bit more

Thank you Evie Woods and One More Chapter for a #gifted copy.

This was an interesting dual timeline book. Magic realism? A little romance? Drama? All included.

I appreciated the overall story and found the inclusion of the fairy stories fascinating. I think that the author did a great job including it in the story. In both timelines.

It did take me a while to really get invested in the story, though. But once I was hooked, I couldn’t stop reading. It was tough to put down!

Overall, it was a fun, magical realism novel! Definitely enjoyed it.

I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book, received from Evie Woods and One More Chapter through NetGalley. However, all thoughts and views reflected are strictly my own opinions.

On the way to visit her parents Sarah makes a last minute decision to fly to Ireland instead. Trying to escape her life for a bit she discovers a diary written 100 years ago by Anna who is helping an American scholar collect stories about fairies. I liked the alternating stormy lines. I liked the stories of folklore in a small town mixed with bigger issues such as dealing with grief. The was a quick read with some interesting characters.

Synopsis: Sarah flies to Ireland and uncovers a mysterious story about Anna, and Irish woman who lived 100 years before.

Thoughts: oof. This was not great. It dragged and I couldn’t even force myself to finish. The first book that I’ve ever DNF. Something about the writing style and the characters didn’t feel developed enough. I had zero attachment to any character.

Thank you to Evie Woods, Harper360 and NetGalley for the copy.

This book was mysterious, magical and exactly what I was hoping for! Sarah and Anna were each such a relatable characters in many different ways.

I enjoyed the dual timeline aspect and felt the jump between time periods was well done and not confusing as I’ve experienced in other books.

This book makes me interested to visit Ireland and learn more about the Irish folklore!

The Story Collector is a captivating story that draws on the unique fantasy life that is part of Irish culture. Sarah Harper doesn't realize she is looking for an escape when she spontaneously boards a plane for Ireland instead of one to visit her sister at Christmas. Little does she know the decision will transform her life as she lands in an Irish village where the past and the present collide. Thus begins a tale of self-discovery and healing that draws on the rich, magical lore that dominates Irish life to this day. The format of the book successfully alternates between the present and the past, and the characters in each era are wonderfully developed. A quote from Roald Dahl is rightly used to sum up the fine line that divides reality and magic: "Those who don't believe in magic will never find it."

Many thanks to NetGalley for providing me with a galley proof to read.