“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!

The magic system in this book was intriguing, but other than that, it didn't particularly stand out to me. The characters were fine, but they didn't jump off the page or anything. As for this books classification as literary fiction, I don't really understand where that came from. It was okay, and I certainly enjoyed bits of it, but it wasn't terribly remarkable, unfortunately. the writer was talented, but this book just didn't quite land.

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!

I lovee Howl's Moving Castle and this fantasy book literally howls this theme (pun intended)! The Howl in this book is a sorceror of heart magic who has a magically alive house (that expands, adds, subtracts itself). And the Sophie of this book is Foss, who came to be the sorceror's housekeeper!

I adore this story so much! Concept wise it's really rich and unique. It has amazing mysteries and thick plot that would mesmerize many fantasy readers. But what I love the most about this story is the two main characters. Each are unique, flawed, and has been so consistent throughout the story, which made their slowburn burned brightly. It was cute but at the same time heartwarming seeing them together. Not to mention the great relationship between the FMC and her father against all odds. I love that the author took time in exploring each character's background and personalities. Especially I adore the talking cat!

However, I struggle with the pacing of this story. It started off more like an info dump -which I didn't really mind as I am a heavy fantasy reader. But I wouldn't find it unfair if people think it's boring from the start. I believe the story could have started at chapter 3 when the FMC suddenly declared she wanted to be the housekeeper of the sorceror, then had flashbacks of her upbringing. The pacing suddenly increased during the last third of the book especially during the action scenes. Scenes that were supposed to be majestic and magical seemed flat and rushed. And then at times it felt stretched out before the pace picked up again. Some of the magic system at the last third of the book seemed to appear out of nowhere like deux ex machina and the villain was defeated... pretty easily... in my honest opinion.

BUT I still love the plot, the characters, and what this book stands for sooo it's a ⭐️⭐️⭐️ from me ❤️

Unlike the other reviewers who picked this book due to it being inspired by Howl’s Moving Castle, I requested Harvest of Hearts from Netgalley because I fell in love with the cover and the premise was interesting. Stories about a new take on magical system is usually a go for me. What Harvest of Hearts is offering is definitely right up my alley. And now that I am writing this review, I am happy to report that it totally stayed true to its mission.

A Harvest of Hearts revolves around the life of our heroine, Foss Butcher, a country bumpkin whose desires are so simple: to be wanted and loved. She’s quite contented working in the butcher shop her father owned and her usual interests are centered around the sorceresses that visit their small village from time to time. Though apprehensive of the sorceresses in general, Foss is not beyond admiring the ethereal beauty of such dangerous creatures. There’s also the complacency that she’s beyond the grasp of these sorceresses’ enthralling charisma as it’s usually the males who gets victimized and eventually, harvested. Yes, you read that right. Human hearts are literally harvested by these crafty creatures to fuel their magic, magic necessary to protect the kingdom from invading armies, to lessen infant mortality, starvation, etc. So despite the gruesomeness of getting harvested, the people of the Kingdom views the whole thing as somewhat unnaturally normal if there’s ever such a term. Foss is also critical of the whole system but is not actively doing anything whenever she knows of someone getting snagged/harvested. Her life was normal until a male sorcerer (which was unusual) visited their village and accidentally enchanted her. And thus, Foss’ ordinary life got turned upside down.

While Foss is not much of likeable character (her relentless internal monologue about being ugly and fat is suffocating), A Harvest of Hearts is not without a lot of merits. The prose is perfect, it’s whimsy and lyrical that it’s easy to just lie in bed and soak up all the coziness the book has to offer. The magical system was fresh and easy to wrap my mind around. The feudalish world building was definitely stirring, it’s no wonder it’s easy to get lost in the world Eames has created. And of course, there is the magical house that seems to provide for everything. Can I live there because I’m going to eat all the meat that I want? And who would ever forget Cornelius the boss? I’m so glad that he was spared. I also liked our male protagonist, Sylvester, by the way. Although the page time is mostly focused on Foss, I cannot discount the fact that Sylvester has undergone more character development than our heroine.

Honestly, this book is almost perfect; it’s a beautifully written fantasy novel set in a quaint Kingdom with lots of interesting characters and magical system that is both gory and fascinating. It’s only pitfall is that it chose Foss to be its leading character. I’m just so fed up with her constant woes about herself when there are bigger things to worry about. Yes, I understand where she’s coming from (I’m a fat and average looking person myself) but can you still think about your ugliness when your heart is missing and your about to die? Lady, what is your priority here?

Summing it all up, despite the glaring flaws, A Harvest of Hearts still made for an entertaining read as its lovable traits are more than enough to compensate for its exasperating heroine. Highly recommend to all fantasy fans out there.

Sylvester is a sorcerer who took Foss' heart by accident.... She's surprised because she sees herself as plain..

A cozy magical story. I was surprised by the twist. Reminds me a bit of Diana Wynne Jones' stories a bit... A fun book.

Thanks to the publisher for the arc.

**4-Star Review of *A Harvest of Hearts* by Andrea Eames**

* A Harvest of Hearts* by Andrea Eames is a whimsical and captivating fantasy that will resonate with fans of *Howl’s Moving Castle*. The story follows Foss Butcher, an ordinary girl thrust into an extraordinary situation when a sorcerer accidentally snags a piece of her heart. What ensues is a delightful adventure filled with magic, mischief, and unexpected friendships.

Foss’s journey to confront the sorcerer, Sylvester, who turns out to be more petulant and clueless than menacing, is both amusing and heartfelt. Eames creates a vivid world where even the walls of a house have moods, and a talking cat is Foss’s only ally. The dynamic between Foss and Sylvester is charming, as Foss’s practicality clashes with Sylvester’s idle nature, leading to moments of humor and growth.

While the plot's twists are somewhat predictable, the enchanting atmosphere and unique characters make up for it. Eames skillfully balances light-hearted adventure with deeper themes of self-discovery and the nature of magic. If you’re a fan of whimsical tales like *Howl’s Moving Castle*, *A Harvest of Hearts* is definitely a book to add to your reading list.
#AHarvestOfHearts #NetGalley #HowlsMovingCastleVibes

The story is very interesting and unique. However, it’s so slow paced and there is entirely too much detail. Getting lost in Floss’s never ending internal thoughts/monologues jerks the reader out of the action. This book could use some heavy editing.

Netgalley approved ARC.

Standalone YA, high fantasy.

First of all, let me congratulate the author on what was a very unique novel.
The magic system and "harvesting of hearts" was very unique!

The rest of the book took elements from already established ideas and I found myself not as captivated as I could have been. In saying that, I have read alot of books in my time and for an actual Young Adult, this would be a different story.

Our FMC, Foss, is brave and clever but also very self conscious and I really feel she is a relatable character to lots of young girls and boys these days.
And our MMC, Slyvester, is a little doe eyed and "out of it" as a magic worker. He doesn't see the world the way we do and often voices this, yet he is compassionate and open minded aswell.

The story line is fast paced and I like the back story of the king, however there wasn't actually much info beyond the basics. The author really could have delved into this a little more and relayed and a more complicated process to really give that impact and "wow" moments we all look for in a book.

Cornelius was just the most perfect side characters anyone could have ever written! And I really go appreciate that he was able to keep his voice throughout, and help Foss when needed. He really was an extension of Slyvester, and a companion to Foss right from the start.

Overall, I really enjoyed this novel. Perfect for those wanting something a little different from their fantasy novel!

I really liked the premise of this book, and was excited to start reading it.

Unfortunately I only made it to chapter 5. The style of writing is just not for me. It comes across as rather amateurish, and I am quite disappointed.

I feel this could have been really good, and maybe it will be for others, but I am unable to finish it when the issue I have is the style of writing, and I know that that wont change or improve throughout the book.

Im rating it 1/5☆, but keep in mind my review is more on the writing style then on the story itself. It is a personal preference, therefore should not prevent others from giving the story a go. You will know as quickly as me whether it's a style you will enjoy or not.

Thank you so much for the arc to NetGalley and Kensington Publishing!

It took me quite a long time to finish this book (by my standards). I liked the blurb that was posted for this book and I think the story in all is quite sweet, sort of cozy. It just didn't get me hooked, and I had a lot of trouble continuing with reading, especially in the first 100-150 pages. I'm not completely sure why continuing was hard, as I did like the main story. I think it was maybe a bit of a slower story than I am used to reading/ tend to pick up, and I felt that there was not a lot happening in the middle of the book.

I think Foss is a nice change from FMC that we often see in other fantasy books, and it was nice to read the transformation she went through. But I did have a problem with the degree of her talking herself down in the book. I felt like it constantly came up in the story, which I understand is part of the journey but in my opinion just a little too much. Then the change in relation to the romantic interest came a bit as a surprise. Ofcourse, I guessed that it would happen, but based on the interactions between the two I felt like there was not a lot of ground for their romantic relationship yet.

Coming to the climax of the story, this was over so quickly I was a bit confused. It went a bit too easy in my opinion, almost a bit like a Disney fairytale story. The ending (or near ending) did have me shedding some tears... and I really loved Cornelius the cat. I am silently asking my house to do me a favor while looking at my own cat... So far no luck yet ;)

I'm rating the book with a 2,5 (rounded up to 3), because I think the story was nice, the writing style was just not completely for me.

Foss is just a butcher’s daughter. Nothing special besides being cursed (according to her). Her kingdom lives in prosperity due to the king and his sorceresses. They steal bits of heart from the villagers to maintain their protections. Never before have the villagers seen a sorcerer until one day one showed up and stole a bit of Foss’ heart, forcing her to follow him back to the city to get it back.

This book was incredible. It gave me the same fun, silly feeling that Assistant to the Villain gave but with the heart and soul of Once Upon a Broken Heart. Absolutely fantastic and fantastical.

I loved Foss as a character. She was strong and well written. A little insecure but aren’t we all. Sylvester was perfectly written.

The only issue I had with this book was the format, which honestly could have been how it was sent to my kindle, but it was a bit like a wall of text. There definitely needs to be some separation of paragraphs and indentation to help make reading the book a bit easier. But quite literally that was the only thing that I did not like about this book.

If this author does not write a book from Millie’s POV next I will be so sad. I would love to see how she grows up after everything that was done to her!!

Thank you NetGalley for allowing me to read this fantastic book!

Thanks to NetGalley and Kensington Publishing for this advance readers copy in exchange for an honest review!

3.5 stars!

The concept for this story was incredibly unique and well-thought-out, the magic system was especially interesting to read about and the book had a cosy and magical feel throughout. It draws similarities to Howl’s Moving Castle and I don’t know what it is or whether it counts as a trope but, if it does, I just love the sentient house trope!

The writing was lovely and the descriptions were otherworldly, giving the book a bit of a Studio Ghibli feel! It felt whimsical with super sinister undertones and made for an interesting read.

I did have some issues with the pacing of the book, lengthy chapters that didn’t seem to carry as much plot as I’d like. I became quite invested at points but that came in ebbs and flows and I’d love there to have been a bit more going on slightly earlier.

The relationship between the two main characters also felt a bit like it came out of nowhere. There was a lack of meaningful interactions between them until very late in the story so I struggled to connect with their romance. I also found the repeated FMC’s criticism towards herself quite uncomfortable and it would have been nice for her to have more of a definitive switch up in that regard. I want a strong and self-assured FMC, constantly calling herself ugly and lumpy made for a difficult read.

Beyond this, many of the characters were well fleshed out, particularly Cornelius and Foss’ father, but the villains could have been explored slightly more, I would’ve especially liked more interactions with /information about Darius.

Overall though, this was a fun, and wonderfully unique read!

Wonderful! I did feel the Studio Ghibli vibes throughout. Reading this was like drinking a hot cup of coffee after being in the snow all day. It had a good balance of darkness, lightheartedness, magic, romance, and adventure. I would read another book from this author! I would recommend this book if you enough fantasy and adventure.

Thank you Kensington Publishing and NetGalley for the ARC!

I really enjoyed this author's writing style, the world they built and the characters in it were interesting, and like most - I enjoyed that it was inspired by Howl’s Moving Castle. The only main disappointment was the way the romance was written between the characters, it felt like it was lacking and could have been built better with them. I like that there were some realistic characteristics to Foss though, that she seemed like a real person one could relate to - negative thoughts and all.

Thanks to NetGalley, Andrea Eames, and Kensington Publishing for the advanced copy of this title in exchange for an honest review.

I loved how the book sometimes made me feel like I was reading a new work of Diana Wynne Jones and loved the prose and the magical system. That being said, Foss really got on my nerves and, because of that and because of the fact that the romance was a little bit lacking, I couldn't connect with the story and was left a little bit disappointed since I had high expectations for Harvest of Hearts :(

I didn’t expect to grow so attached to a house or a cat but DAMN!! This book was INCREDIBLE!! The magic system is SO unique!

The only reason I didn’t rate it 5 stars was because 1. it didn’t trigger a physical reaction from me (although it was very close at the end), and there were a few other little things that peeved me.

The word ‘shite’ was used SO many times at the beginning. I forgot about that for ages though because it was only used once in the rest of the book. And the chapters were unnecessarily long. Even though the chapters had purposeful diving pages, they were warped and odd on the kindle so my brain wouldn’t let me pause there and I felt like the chapters could’ve just stopped at each page divide and then started a new one.

GOOD THINGS NOW!!! The characters were beautifully fleshed out, even a HOUSE for goodness sakes!!! The magic system was SO cool and nothing like i’ve ever read or seen before. This was truly a unique reading experience and I’m so grateful to have been able to enter this world. The plot was super interesting and I never wasn’t invested in the story. Super grateful to have received this ARC!!

I adore anything that’s compared to Howl’s Moving Castle and this was an absolute delight 🤍 Foss and Sylvester are everything and I could not put this book down!