Thank you to NetGalley and Kensington Publishing for letting me read the ARC of this book!

The magical system and the concept of harvesting hearts was very unique and made for a storyline that was different from any book I read before. This was very well thought out and is what made me give the book 3 stars. I especially loved Cornelius ( a talking cat!) who was my favourite character in the book and I found so funny!

However, this book took me a while to read as it just didn’t have me hooked and think this was due the pacing of it being very very slow. Too much detail was given in places when it was not needed and I noticed myself skim reading lines so that I could get to the important parts of the story as I just wanted the book to be over with.

I enjoyed getting to know the FMC Foss who wasn’t afraid to say what she thought but I found the repeated self-critical towards herself about being ugly was a bit too much and felt maybe she could have learnt her self-worth about herself more steadily throughout the book.

Overall though, this book was a cozy, fun and unique read that I will be recommending to others!

I would have give the first part of this book three and half stars and the second half two. I think and hope that before the publication date the problems I have with the book will be cleared up so I'm not currently going to rate this anywhere else.
Spoilers:

The first half reminded me of Howl's Moving Castle, I liked the fairy tale setting, the main character Foss, the magic house, the talking cat, the magician who was obviously not completely bad. There were fun magical things happening, and it was mostly a pleasure to read. The thing I didn't like about the first half was that the innuendo seemed out of place and almost vulgar in comparison to the quaintness of the rest of the story. Interestingly enough the second half didn't have any of these references. Even when Foss and the magician had sex it wasn't as jarring as the innuendo at the beginning of the book.

The second half of the book didn't seem like it had been worked on as much as the first half. There were some things that I'm assuming will be fixed before this goes to publication. For example, the King's name was never mentioned and all the sudden he is called Darius. In the beginning they say that there is an excess of food that the magic-workers didn't need. They never explained why they didn't need the food when it was the hearts that were molding. There are many inconsistency and repetitions that I hope will be cleaned up. But besides that the second half of the book wrapped up a little too cleanly and easily for my liking. Too much emphasis was placed on the wellness of the girl Millie even though they barely knew her. It was just a bit cheesy honestly. I'm really only giving this negative of a review because I really liked the book and I have high hopes that there can be some fixes. The only thing I feel like can't be fixed is that I think Foss might have a little bit of Stockholm Syndrome.

Are publishers just allowed to slap the “cozy” tag on anything? Because, while this book does have some cozy aspects, there’s a lot of things that I found to be the antithesis of cozy.

I will give the credit where credit is due and that is Cornelius. He’s a talking cat that is wonderful and I love him. Unfortunately, I could not get behind any other character. Foss doesn’t seem like a pleasant person. She doesn’t even seem like a relatively decent person. Anytime she actually seemed like she was concerned about anyone other than her father, I immediately thought “Well this doesn’t seem in character” and then it turns out those moments felt largely like they were needed for the plot. Even her father is basically a cardboard cutout. He’s a saint who has never done anything wrong and is largely just a reason for Foss to want to get back to her village after being magically bound to a sorcerer and leaving to go find him in the city. She’s also really weird in the beginning about thinking about other people’s genitalia? Like when the sorceresses show up, she talked about men getting “bulges” about them and also what the sorceresses would have in their skirts. And then also she thought about Cornelius’ butthole when he was walking in front of her when she first came to the magical house before he was able to speak. It’s obviously not the same, but it’s so weird.

The book names Howl’s Moving Castle as something similar and, unfortunately, Sylvester is no Howl. In my mind, Howl was a man who could act very childish. Sylvester straight up feels like a child. This severely hampers the romance. Foss is also magically bound to be in love with Sylvester and this isn’t sorted out until extremely late into the book, so I didn’t feel like she had nearly enough time to sort through how she would have really felt. There was a sex scene late in the book and I just cringed through it, partially because of the fact that I couldn’t see Foss and Sylvester together and also because the writing was odd.

The book is in first person with Foss as the POV character, but the problem with this is, Foss is trying to tell us that she’s a very plain person and that sometimes shows in the way she is telling the story. However there are also times when she gets really flowery, to the point that it just feels like the author is talking instead of Foss. The writing also sometimes feels like there is a gap between Foss and the reader. Foss is talking like she is telling a story, which feels like she’s telling the story after the fact. It just didn’t carry the urgency some of the scene really needed. I also have no idea how old Foss is because of this.

The pacing was also very off. Foss doesn’t even get to the house until something like 55 pages in and the first few chapters are mostly worldbuilding. Then the house is largely abandoned like halfway through the book, leaving behind a lot of whatever whimsy this book had.

Speaking of, this book is kind of brutal. Normally, I wouldn’t mind that, I love fantasy of all kinds, but for something being sold as “cozy” it felt really dark. Someone would die in front of Foss of mold growing because their heart had been taken by the sorceresses and I couldn’t stop myself from making the a “You know, cozy!” remark to a friend. I made that joke so many times. Obviously, the movie of Howl’s Moving Castle is bleaker than original book (I recommend both), but Foss wets herself multiple times while in captivity and then also kills someone with a meat cleaver.

Finally, mentioning Howl’s Moving Castle again, there are some similarities where I couldn’t help but think they were in the A Harvest of Hearts because they were in Howl’s Moving Castle. Foss shows up at Sylvester’s house and just goes “I’m your housekeeper now,” which Sophie does in HMC because she’s hiding from someone and thinks Howl’s castle will be the safest place. Foss does it because, she literally doesn’t know why at first. Foss ends up looking around for the piece of her heart that was taken, but the way it’s written feels so indistinct. This happens multiple times. In fact, a lot of stuff feels indistinct. I’m not actually sure what happened with Foss’ heart because there are a few theories thrown around, but nothing is ever settled on. That also happens a few times with different parts of the plot.

Overall, I really wanted to like this book. But even the ending doesn’t feel earned or really make a ton of sense? Foss asked questions that had me thinking “Wait, yeah why can’t that happen?” and then she would just move on. Also at one point, while the big bad is likely taking as many hearts as possible, Foss and Sylvester have that sex scene and then fall asleep in the woods until morning and then later Foss has the gall to think about how she wished they could have gotten there sooner or something similar and they could have! This book was just really frustrating.

Cozy Fantasy with a Dark Twist: A Harvest of Hearts by Andrea Eames

Perfect for a rainy afternoon, A Harvest of Hearts had me hooked from the first page. The story follows Foss, a cynical butchers daughter, whose life becomes entangled in heart magic when she is “snagged” by a sorcerer visiting her village. I loved following Foss’ (story, learning the lore of heart magic, and—most of all—Cornelius the witty, loyal cat! 🐈‍⬛ His dry humor and devotion really brought out Foss’ character, and together they’re a duo you desperately want to succeed.

While this book is labeled as cosy fantasy, there are darker elements, especially in the magic system which relies on harvesting human hearts! The story gave off Studio Ghibli vibes but with higher stakes. Foss and Cornelius are a duo you can’t help but root for!

With themes like body image, suicide, and death in childbirth handled sensitively, this book is a must-read for romantasy lovers and fans of Howl’s Moving Castle.

Release Date: 4th March 2025
Thanks to @netgalley and Kensington for the ARC! 🖤

The comparison to Howl's Moving Castle made me want to read this book, and the talking cat got me through to the end.

The disadvantage of marketing the book as similar to Howl's means inevitable comparison of the plot and characters. The MMC is no Howl and is characterized as... lazy and beautiful? I can't much remember any other details about him. The MMC barely interacts with the FMC, so I was not moved by the supposed romance and didn't feel much about him at all.

The FMC somewhat resembles Sophie in that she's stubborn and driven, but Sophie is more endearing. The FMC makes for an okay POV, but the persistent negative self-talk is a downer. The FMC walking until the sorcerer's house and declaring herself as housekeeper in the sorcerer's magical house with his magical companion and the sorcerer accepting this without question was a little too similar to Howl's for my tastes.

I suppose the talking cat is meant to be a Calcifer, but the cat is, thankfully, his own distinct, delightful character. I would have much preferred more of the FMC and cat interacting than any other parts.

The writing was good and had several great descriptions and bits of imagery, but it was longer than needed.

Thank you, Kensington Publishing, for the arc!

Overall, the story is great and the magic elements were amazing! The main female character was difficult to get behind. However, the imagery kept you going along for the ride. I think most readers who also enjoyed Howls Moving House will also love this story :)

I really loved this one! I enjoyed the magic and the fantasy and main characters so much, especially the talking cat. I would love to actually read Howls Moving Castle now!
I loved the banter between the two and the accidental obsession Foss was spelled with.

Thank you for this eARC.

Thank you NetGalley and Kensington Publishing for the arc.

I’m glad that many readers in the reviews were able to enjoy this book, but it was simply not for me.

I was intrigued by the promise of a Howl’s Moving Castle journey, but I think the story tried too hard to be like Howl’s and so it fell short. The story had it’s intriguing moments and there is much potential, but it didn’t pick up until Foss became the housekeeper and by that point I just couldn’t get into it no matter how hard I tried for several reasons.

Some Young Adult Fantasies deliver high level writing within the genre, but this book did not. I’m also not sure why this is tagged as a YA Fantasy (at least on goodreads) when there are several allusions to sex and sexual acts. Which is fine, but they seemed to be dropped into the story without reason. Maybe to develop the romance? Not sure, but it felt unnecessary.

Regardless of genre, the writing was juvenile, the sentences very choppy, paragraphs seemed to never end, and there was an overuse of hyphens. The narrator’s constant “supposition” statements, and the narrator describing how she’s feeling and then explicitly affirming it right after got tiring quickly, as I kept getting pulled out of the story. Lastly, the characters did not have distinct voices so conversations between them felt forced. All in all, the flow of the story actually felt robotic.

I am really impressed with this-I have read a few ARCs thus far that are filled to the brim with writing mistakes. Spelling errors, grammar problems, etc. made it quite difficult in one of the ARCs I read to actually stay in the scenes I was reading. I totally get that ARCs are not final copies and will have mistakes so I don't include those problems in my ratings, but this book felt more well written in a way that I knew the final copy will be great, whereas some other ARCs it is difficult to tell whether fixing the mistakes in the final edit will make enough of a difference for the writing to flow well. Every sentence just felt very comprehensive. There was no sloppiness, and you could tell that either the author is a very natural writer or they have thought very hard about every word that they put down on paper.

That isn't to say I didn't have my doubts about this book initially. When I was a couple of chapters in, I was very iffy about it. The voice the narrator (and main character) has is different than recent books I've read. It felt more classical and a bit lyrical, and the first few chapters of setting up the scene felt almost removed. It was first person narration, but it didn't quite feel that way if that makes any sense? The writing reminded me in a way of Ava Reid's Juniper & Thorne, which is one of the few books I have ever DNF'ed. However! I kept going and for some reason, this book grew and grew on me. I don't say "for some reason" in a catty way, I just can't quite pinpoint what exactly caused me to suddenly change tune about this story. Perhaps once the scene was established I had an easier time connecting to the writing, or maybe I just got used to the way this author writes as I went on, or maybe I just stopped noticing it as the plot became more interesting. The point is, I suddenly found myself having read half the book in one day, and that is pretty uncommon for me.

The magic in the book is very unique, and what an interesting blend of dark and whimsical! The characters like Cornelius and the setting of the magical house was very reminiscent of Sanderson's Tress of the Emerald Sea, but the slightly less humorous writing style than in Tress and the gory theme of literally stealing hearts makes the book feel ever so slightly Tim Burton-esque. One thing I really appreciated in this is that Foss is notably a little larger and "less attractive" according to herself, and this does play a role but without drilling the point home over and over. The same way that books about beautiful, super model-like girls can emphasize how perfect and teeny tiny they are, books about the "undesirable" girls can also take it too far. This was a great balance-I pictured Foss as she was, she acknowledged herself as she was, but it was not mentioned over and over to the point where I got sick of it and rolled my eyes. I got to know her and commiserate with her insecurities, and she felt like a real person.

The imagery in this book was also exceptional, and the author did a phenomenal job adding many layers of the world (the Invisible Kingdom, the shadows, the Snagged, the Sorceresses & where they come from, etc) in this book without making it confusing. All in all, it was just an enjoyable read with many really interesting elements that kept my attention and made me want to keep reading. This will be a great winter read-so I hope others pick this book up when it's released!

This was such a beautiful and unique story. It's exactly what the title says, harvest of heart. And bonus point's, that it's a standalone so you don't have to wait for the conclusion.
Romance part was soooo good. If was slow burn and I just loved getting to know the characters well and reading their stories. Cornelius is my absolute favourite (no, it has nothing to do with the fact that's he's a cat) (okay, maybe a little bit?)
Definitely recommended!

I "staggered" and "stomped" my way to 50% and had to stop. Seriously, the amount of times "staggered" and "stomped" were used were too much. It was weirdly written and boring. I couldn't connect with Foss because, while I understand that she thought she was "snagged", she was blaming the sorcerer and was angry that she dragged her there to be a maid. She was always mad and just unlikeable. If she was going to the sorcerer because she felt like she had to because of whatever the heart thing was, then explain it that way or explain it better.
I'll be posting the review on Instagram at some point as well.

Overall I liked this. I really enjoyed Foss as a narrator and I'm a sucker for talking animals. I can say with confidence that Cornelius was my favorite character in the book. I was less enamored with Sylvester than I wanted to be. This was grim in parts, but also some how fluffy? I don't really know how to explain it. It made me feel good while reading, but it was also dark. Overall I enjoyed it.

Andrea Eames' A Harvest of Hearts is a whimsical fantasy that beautifully channels the charm of beloved tales like Howl’s Moving Castle. With its blend of cozy magical elements and a slow-burn romance, the novel offers an intriguing premise set within a richly imagined world. However, despite its potential, the book doesn’t fully deliver, leaving readers with a mix of admiration and a bit of frustration.

The story centers on Foss Butcher, an ordinary girl whose life takes an unexpected turn when Sylvester, a sorcerer, accidentally steals a piece of her heart. This sets the stage for a charming journey through a world filled with magic and mystery. Eames shines in crafting an enchanting atmosphere—there’s a sentient house that shifts its form, a talking cat named Cornelius, and a unique magic system that revolves around harvesting human hearts. These elements infuse the narrative with a delightful whimsy, making it a treat for fans of cozy, fairy-tale-like fantasies.

However, the novel’s pacing and character development present challenges. The story opens with a substantial amount of backstory and exposition, which can slow down the plot and make it hard to stay engaged. The romance between Foss and Sylvester, though promising, takes a long time to develop, and when it does, it feels somewhat unconvincing. Foss’s ongoing struggles with self-deprecation and low self-esteem are recurring themes that could have been explored more deeply, yet they often come across as repetitive, which can be frustrating.

Despite these issues, A Harvest of Hearts has its strengths. The relationship between Foss and her father is heartwarming, and the magical world Eames has created is both imaginative and inviting. The book's whimsical tone, coupled with the cozy, almost nostalgic feel of its setting, is likely to appeal to readers who enjoy light-hearted fantasy with a touch of darkness.

In summary, A Harvest of Hearts is a book full of charm and potential, though it falls short in some key areas. Fans of Howl’s Moving Castle and those who appreciate cozy, magical stories may find much to enjoy here, but they might also wish for a more tightly woven narrative and stronger character development. While it’s not a perfect read, it’s certainly one that will resonate with anyone who loves a bit of whimsy and magic in their stories.

Thank you to #netgalley and the publisher for the opportunity to comment on ARC. A mammoth task to write a book, thank you to the author. It just didn’t gel with me. Maybe I am not the demographic.

Thank you to netgalley and the publisher for the e-arc.

I was so intrigued by the concept of harvesting hearts and loved the howl’s moving castle vibes (I didn’t even mind the similarities in the beginning). But as someone who isn’t a fan of 1st pov the main female character irritated me at times and i felt that neither her love interest nor their relationship were fully developed.

While the slow burn was a little too slow for my taste, Harvest of Hearts is a delightful fairy tale with Howl's Moving Castle vibes. I adore the two leads and wish there was even more of the romance to enjoy.

“A Harvest of Hearts” by Andrea Eames is a charming fantasy that clearly draws inspiration from beloved stories like *Howl’s Moving Castle*. It has a lot going for it: a quirky house with a mind of its own, a talking cat, and a slow-burn romance between Foss, a practical butcher's daughter, and Sylvester, a sorcerer who's as clueless as he is handsome. The world-building and magical system are intriguing, with some delightful and whimsical moments that made me smile.

However, while I enjoyed the overall premise and characters, the pacing threw me off. The book started with a lot of backstory and info-dumping that slowed things down, and while I appreciated the depth it gave to the world, it made it hard to stay fully engaged. The romance also took a bit too long to really develop, and when it did, I wasn’t fully convinced by the connection between Foss and Sylvester. Foss’s low self-esteem was a constant theme that could have been handled with more growth and depth.

That said, the magical atmosphere, Foss’s relationship with her father, and the cheeky talking cat were definite highlights. If you’re a fan of cozy fantasy and don’t mind a few pacing bumps along the way, this might be a good pick for you!

2.5/5⭐


I still don't know how I feel about this book.

On the one hand, I liked the story, the magic component is well thought out, the descriptions are great, the writing style is easy and recognizable.

But on the other hand, maybe it's just not my story, all the time I was haunted by the feeling that I don't believe in this story, and the events are stretched by the ears.

The heroine was annoying, either she was ugly and didn't deserve love, or she wanted it, but she didn't need it because she wasn't beautiful.

I liked Cornelius and the House the most.

I can definitely appreciate that the magic system in this is unique and different from anything else I’ve read about however I personally was incredibly bored for most of this. I had little to no interest in the romance between Sylvester and Foss, or any of the characters really, and it took me forever to get through the whole thing when it’s a relatively “short” book. Foss called herself ugly the entire time and Sylvester had the personality of a spoon.. Giving 2.5 ⭐️ mainly because I enjoyed the house and the cat Cornelius but everything else is unforgettable.

Thank you Kensington for the ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

The deal breakers: the protagonist’s self-esteem issues have little growth, superfluous details drag the story’s flow, romance is currently unconvincing
The redeemers: its whimsical Ghibli-esque house, Stockholm syndrome-like premise, and novel magic system.

Character development/relationship premise:
For a girl with self-esteem issues, is it possible for her to be coveted by anyone, especially a mystifyingly beautiful sorcerer?

There is also the main issue of saving the kingdom and its people from losing their hearts, but my review and my interest lie more in the characters.

Background:
This book captures the homeliness and nostalgia of Howl’s Moving Castle with its magic-infused house, talking non-human companion, and mysterious main love interest, while capturing a bit of Sophie’s stubborn resourcefulness that is often lost within a turmoil of negative self-talk and shallow perceptions of self-worth - the typical faults of a hormonal teenager. Foss, the daughter of a baker who believes she’s the ugliest woman alive, falls under the accidental love spell of the only known male Magic Worker in the kingdom (aka one of the most beautiful creatures alive), Sylvester. The book begins with the origins of Foss’s belief in her ugliness and how her peers have confirmed her suspicion.

Feedback #1 - broaden definition of self-worth
To me, the repetitive slew of self-bashing became cumbersome and concerning but others may not fault it as much. This story would have been more interesting to me if Foss learned the multidimensionality of self worth more steadily throughout the book.

Praise #1 - intrigue in the world
Feedback #2 - pacing
While the low self-esteem interferes with her ability to connect and relate with the love interest Sylvester, which detracts from any investment in their relationship’s future, the generated world surrounding the protagonists was interesting at times. The story drops mysterious questions every now and then, such as if a cure is possible or what the citizens experience within the greater social and political context. At times, however, these details were redundant and severely slowed the plot. I ended up quickly skimming the last 20% of the book because I was no longer invested in the story and I wanted a 5 minute denouement.

I did appreciate that Foss cared deeply for Da and wanted to share her story with him, but including the whole chapter with her retelling may have killed the story for me. The story was building up and up to the climax and then it stopped dead in its tracks to fill in Da with information the reader already knew.

Feedback #3 - romance
It took a long time for feelings to turn into action. When things did start to happen, the descriptions, set up and writing style failed to convince me that the feelings were deep and sometimes the flowery writing muddied the scene.

This was a tricky situation because of the magical Stockholm Syndrome-like premise. Foss is under a spell so it is hard to tease apart genuine and magical feelings. It may have been more convincing if the story had dropped bigger breadcrumbs in scenarios with less magical influences.

Praise #2/ Feedback #4 - imagery and writing
One element of the writing style that I did start to enjoy was the writer’s use of imagery - “...but I fell, plop, down on my bottom in a puddle, my skirts spreading out around me like a great ugly lily pad, and I the frog croaking in the centre.” I liked that the imagery of Foss as a frog was carried throughout a few chapters, but the imagery was quickly forgotten. The writing in the beginning was also sometimes jarring to me, but the author quickly found her flow after a few chapters.

The deal breakers: the protagonist’s self-esteem issues have little growth, superfluous details drag the story’s flow, romance is currently unconvincing
The redeemers: its whimsical Ghibli-esque house, Stockholm syndrome-like premise, and novel magic system.

Thank you to the publisher, author, and NetGalley for providing me with an advanced reader copy in exchange for my honest feedback!