Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this arc!

This was such a good and unique cozy fantasy read! The folks comparing to T Kingfisher are right on. It was dark but cozy and just so interesting.

The plot labored a bit in some spots and pacing wa off, but I still rather enjoyed the whole of it.

If you loved Howl’s Moving Castle you will love this adult novel. It definitely has similar characteristics and vibe as Howl’s. With a talking cat, a magical, sentient castle, a strong and brave female protagonist, and a moody sorcerer that isn’t in full control of his magic, what’s not to love? Add a bit of darkness and a touch of romance and this is a fun read. Although a bit slow paced with a rushed ending, I enjoyed every bit of this story.

Thank you NetGalley and Kensington Publishing, Erewhon Books for this digital arc in exchange for my honest review which is not affiliated with any brand.

I really wanted to love this book, but it unfortunately just wasn't for me. I couldn't mesh with the writing style or really connect with the characters. I have too much of my own personal negative self talk for this book to give me the true escape I was looking for.

But If you are looking for a cozier fantasy with howls moving castle vibes then you may really enjoy this one.
Thanks to Netgalley and the Publisher for an ARC.

I really enjoyed this book! Some reviews seem bothered that it was compared to Howl’s Moving Castle because it gives this book too much to live up to, but I thought the worldbuilding and character development was similar enough without being a rip-off. A fun read!

The blurb of A Harvest of Hearts on Net Galley compares this dark fairy tale-style novel to Diana Wynne Jones' Howl's Moving Castle. And I can definitely see it. We've got the weird house, we got the sensible/exasperated heroine with powers she isn't aware of. We have the talking magical creature. The style however is more comparable to T. Kingfisher. (Not to say that Diana Wynne Jones wasn't capable of being dark--Dogsbody was extremely unsettling and dark, from what I remember when I first read it when I was kid. I just feel that the tone is closer to some of T. Kingfisher's work rather than Jones.)

Our Heroine Foss is the daughter of a butcher, who lives in a kingdom supposedly protected by sorceresses whose powers are powered by hearts. The sorceresses visit towns on the outskirts of the kings, and charm people into giving up their hearts or pieces of their hearts (which is somehow both a physical and metaphorical process) to them. The sorceresses are all supernaturally beautiful, and no one seems to mind about it, but under the glamor, there is a sense of dread and horror. (Which is very effectively written.)

Foss has spent most of her life being bullied for being unattractive, so it's a surprise to our heroine when the only sorcerer (rather than sorceress) Foss has ever seen "snags" her heart. The love spell draws her yearning after the sorcerer and eventually becoming extremely ill. When she realizes that the illness is because of the sorcerer having snagged her heart, Foss rather boldly decides to find a way to regain her heart by finding the sorcerer and (hopefully) stealing it back. This leads to her becoming the sorcerer's housekeeper--and getting in over her head when she draws the attention of the sorcerer's sisters and father.

Foss is an engaging character, with a lot of determination and tenacity--while having also having the kind of lack of confidence that comes from having been bullied. The sorcerer--whose name is Sylvester--hovers somewhere between terrifyingly eldritch and disturbing and strangely sympathetic. The various revelations about the rot (literal rot) lying at the center of the kingdom are well paced and the plot is engaging. It does however get slightly bogged down by Foss' hesitance to act at critical moments. (They do feel natural to the character, and most of the twists and pitfalls of the plot are well worked.)

My only--very mild--objection is that the romantic aspects of the plot are not as well paced as the overall plot. I would have liked more interaction between Foss and Sylvester. The romance worked, and they definitely have chemistry, but I would have liked more development of the relationship. There was also a point near the end where the romantic subplot got in the way of the main plot. Despite this point, I enjoyed reading this book.

This review is based on a galley received from Net Galley.

2.5 ⭐️
I really wanted to love this book. The Howls moving castle comparison is what made me interested in it, the the vibes are there at the beginning but that’s it. I feel like this book was 150 pages too long. It’s so over descriptive for no reason. Paragraphs and paragraphs that we don’t need.
Also, I could not find the MC interesting or relatable at all. So repetitive about how she’s not pretty.
I was ready to dnf it so many times

A Harvest of Hearts was a pleasant enough read, but it didn't quite capture my heart completely. The story, set in a picturesque village, follows the lives of several interconnected characters as they navigate love, loss, and the challenges of rural life. Eames' writing is warm and inviting, creating a cozy atmosphere that draws you into the story. I particularly enjoyed the descriptions of the countryside and the sense of community among the villagers.

However, the plot felt a bit predictable at times, and I found myself wanting more depth and complexity from the characters. Some of the storylines felt a bit rushed, and I didn't always feel fully invested in their outcomes. While the book had its heartwarming moments, it lacked the emotional punch that I was hoping for.

Overall, A Harvest of Hearts is a light and enjoyable read, perfect for a lazy afternoon. If you're looking for a feel-good story with a touch of romance and a charming setting, this book might be for you. However, if you're seeking a more profound and emotionally impactful reading experience, you might want to explore other options.

2.5/5⭐️

This book was full of dark whimsy, inspired by howl’s moving castle I saw the similarities. The story was easy to follow and I felt the magic system was quite straight forward. The authors use of metalepsis also did not go a miss! I really think it added to the story being portrayed!

I was ‘snagged’ straight away! Our FMC Foss’s dialect was immediately captured throughout the story, her tone was set emulating where she came from and her story which I thought was very nicely done. Her bond to her father was very endearing and made me wish her Da had a bigger role, he was just so loveable!

I thought the descriptions were very eerie in a poetic way, the acceptance of a slow mutilation once harvested. Everyone’s brainwashed in awe of their beauty while being snagged, this part of the story really captivated me just like how the villagers were drawn in.

Our MMC, is described as beautiful yet lazy, I wish to have known more about Sylvester. I feel there’s so much more to his story and how he was made, I would’ve liked to see more in depth dive into his background.

I feel Cornelius and the House really carried the story, I loved their personas and how they truly added to the story. It showed how magic could be used in others ways and not just to ‘harvest’.

I would also have liked to see a bit more on the ‘snagged’ secret society, to truly connect with the others on deeper emotional level.

Thank you to NetGalley and Kensington publishing for this arc!

Once again I requested this book after seeing it was similar to howls moving castle. And once again I didn’t enjoy it the way I did howls so I’m a little pouty about that. Cornelius was honestly my favorite part. Fmc was too focused on how ugly she was and it made it hard for me to get past it because her development came so far into the book.

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

I have to say I only got through 35% of this book in over a month of stopping and starting it, struggling to read this book is an understatement.

I did enjoy the start of the book as it felt light and fun as it was set in a small town and these sorcerers came to visit but as I read on I felt the story get weird, dark, I would of assumed that harvest of hearts was a metaphor as the book is meant to be for young people. When Foss when to the Secret meeting and there was one guy talking about how he saw someone’s chest and the heart was literally gone and his chest was caved in I had to put the book down and call it a day, it is not for me, I’m not into dark stories with mentions of suicide, and death in childbirth. This is definitely not a cozy but as described.

I did enjoy the idea of the house moving and granting her what she needed, and the relationship between Foss and her cat Cornelius. Although when she described his butt hole it did turn my stomach a bit.

Thank you to NetGalley and KensingtonPublishing for providing me with an ARC of Andrea Eames novel in return for an honest review.

Foss is a young woman in a kingdom where magic exists but can only be wielded by the king's children and relies upon the harvesting of human hearts to power the spells. The kingdom's inhabitants are enthralled by the unnaturally beautiful magic workers and accept that this harvest must happen to ensure the kingdom's stability, health, and success.

But when she is accidentally "snagged" by a sorcerer and she learns the truth of what happens to those who lose their hearts, Foss knows that something must change and that corruption is at the heart of the kingdom itself. It's up to her to set things right and hopefully find and accept herself in the process.

Early reviews are likening this story to Howl's Moving Castle, and I see the similarities in the whimsier aspects of the story and in the comparison of Sylvestery and Howl. You even get a Calcifer-type character in this, in the form of a talking cat. I loved that about this book: even when the stakes are high, the whimsy of it keeps a little nugget of joy and light heartedness that kept me reading. Despite the comparisons though, I do believe A Harvest of Hearts brings a unique representation of magic and stands on its own legs.

Some weaker moments in character development let me down or frustrated me a bit, but overall the characters themselves are strong and well done (Cornelius is my favorite, which won't be a surprise if you know me).

I'll be looking forward to reading more from this author and seeing the reception around this book upon its official release!

Happy reading 📚
Shell

A fun, fresh magical system with a robust cast of supporting characters really carried this book. The Howls Moving Castle influence felt distinct and further supported Eames's world. Absolutely loved Cornelius, maybe more than Sylvester. I'm not convinced that "cozy" fits the bill for this particular book with it's higher stakes and sometimes brutal description of death but I enjoyed the read regardless and would recommend it to a YA audience with an interest in fairytales, folklore, and slow burn romance.

I have never read Howls Moving’ Castle, but I have seen the cartoon — so that’s the limit of my ability to compare the two storylines. Yes, you have the frumpy main character chasing after a beautiful sorcerer, barging into his house and offering to be his house keeper and cook, but this is its own story with its own world building, characters and plot. The similarities feel very surface level (again, compared to the cartoon), and I was easily able to separate this book from the comp title.

Foss is a character that I think you’ll either get along with or be annoyed by. She’s blunt, pragmatic, and above all, self-deprecating. Not once in the course of the book does she ever think highly of herself, and it’s one of my few small nitpicks. I would have liked to have seen some character growth from her but, at the end of the book, she is much the same character she was in the beginning, only having lived a little more and had a few adventures.

Spencer, the sorcerer, is harder to pin down, character wise. His slow growing love for Foss feels more like friendship than romance — which isn’t a bad thing. But this isn’t a breathless, whirlwind courtship with explosions and violins in the background, and it feels a little … taken for granted. Like, because this is a romantasy, of course they fall in love; I would have liked to have seen more tension between them, more time spent building them up as a couple rather than it feeling like Foss was given Spencer for no more reason than because she was the main character.

Honestly, Foss had more adventures and more of a connection with Cornelius, the cat, than Spencer.

The world building is a slow burn, itself, with much time spent in Spencer’s house and the world itself only eventually being revealed. The magic system is pleasantly vague, with magic users able to do grand things … but how is the question, and who are they is another. Why are there only so many of them? Why are they all inhumanly beautiful? Why hearts?

Honestly, the magic system was the best part of this book for me. The plot is solid, the pace is nicely brisk with no moments of lagging or filler … even though I might have, myself, preferred a bit more time spent in the world and on the romance, as I said. But that’s just me.

Overall, this is an easy read and a fun book — more of a 3.5-3.75 than a 4 star read — and I’d consider it more fantasy than romantasy. Still, if you give it a try, I hope you enjoy it. Thank you to Net Galley and the publisher for letting me have an ARC.

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.