Audiobook

Foss Butcher lives a boring life until one day she is "snagged" by a sorcerer. Mystics take pieces of human hearts to feed and strengthen their kind. However, there are only sorceresses per lore, so when a handsome sorcerer "snags" Foss, everyone is confused. She sets off to find a way to free herself and others from this ancient custom. Along the way is a slow-burn romance and a fun talking cat.

I appreciated the world that Andrea Eames built. There are different motives and magical worlds. However, I feel the characters needed more development. Foss's personality seems to be that she thinks very little of herself and the MMC is not much better. I also did not like the narrator's choice of style for Sylvester and Cornelius's voices.

Thank you NetGalley and RBMedia for the advanced listening copy.

I really enjoyed this book! The setting was a fairly standard high fantasy-type, but it had an interesting magic system which wasn’t really like any fantasy world I’ve read before. Foss was an engaging POV character, and though the plot wasn’t especially fast paced, it easily kept my attention all the way through. I also found the romance had an interesting way to approach a female main character who is described as ugly – not merely “plain” or “homely,” but ugly – with a highly attractive love interest. The audiobook narrator was fantastic, too. Highly recommend!

I really liked this story. I thought that it was good good mix of dark and cozy! The best character by far was Cornelius the cat and the evil sisters were fun too. I didn't really think the relationship between Foss and Sylvester was super convincing but it was decent. Over all this was a fun read.

When the blurb of a book mentions a cosy fantasy for fans of Howl's Moving Castle and The House in the Cerulean Sea, it's a no-brainer that the book would be a good read. Sadly, this did not seem to be the case here.

A Harvest of Hearts is a tale of magic, or more precisely heart magic. In this world we are introduced to, magic is only performed by a very few select individuals and is done so with pieces of a person's heart. This on it's own doesn't seem like an issue but when it comes to be known that these sorcerers enthrall and 'snag' innocent people from villages to take pieces of, if not their whole, heart, then it takes on a less than cosy vibe.

The main idea of the book was quite intriguing in the beginning but the story soon became quite, unnecessarily, confusing. While the idea of 'heart magic' of a sort is quite interesting, there are just so many random occurrences and situations that we don't see addressed even at the end of the book, outside of having to assume 'its probably because of magic'. There are even situations in the book that felt very over-the-top and were done to add a sense of urgency to the story, which didn't really work for me.

This book also did not feel like a cosy read in any sense of the word. If you're familiar with Howl's Moving Castle then you may enjoy this book because there are similarities; a lot of them. It's just hard to ignore at times. The one character that always made me happy when they made an appearance was Cornelius, the cat. Other than that, unfortunately, the book was a disappointing read with a mishmash of trying too many things while accomplishing very little.

4.5/5. Thank you to Ms. Eames, RBMedia, and Netgalley for the advanced listening copy!

The comparison of this between Howl's Movie Castle is apt - a distant sorcerer, an enscorceled housekeeper, a magic-imbued house, and (in this case) a sassy cat who tries to steal the show (and does, in some scenes). But this is a version far more for adults than the original. Foss and Sylvester's relationship develops at first because of a stolen heart (literally) and then because of romance itself. Following their journey is really the heart (no pun intended) of the story.

In short, the City is kept safe by the King and the magic users in return for the use of magical currency: their hearts. Little bits and pieces of it here and there (and becoming Snagged, a state of forever longing) is well worth the constant protection and abundance they provide. The world that Andrea Eames makes is a tease - there's just enough there to be intrigued but not enough fully explained to truly live in it. That's what knocked half a star off for me: I wanted more about the world. The hints near the end at the world outside the city left me wanting. But what was shared was done well!

The characters, though, are the stars here. Between Foss, an independent woman who hates the situation she's in (at least, at first) and the petulant, sulking Sylvester who has to learn about himself as well as the realities of his magic, the relationship is a pleasure to read.

I was given an advanced listening copy and I will say, I loved how narrator Jessie Elland did Cornelius's voice. That sassy cat made me smile. The pace was right on, voices done well, and was a pleasant listen. Kudos.

I will be watching what Andrea Eames puts out in the future!

Okay, so super hot sorceresses come to town to harvest hearts of folks to power the magic needed to protect your kingdom. In her small town, Foss Butcher sees a black carriage roll up, and the first (and likely only) male sorcerer emerges. As he leaves with his wares, he meets Foss’ eyes and she is Snagged. Her whole body is pulled toward him and his carriage is off. The snag compels her to seek him out to retrieve the piece of her heart he had harvested for his magics. But when she arrives, he is far from who she expected. With the help of his sentient house and the cat Cornelius who can now talk, Foss searches for a cure as relief from this heart sickness.
The writing had me cracking up! The narrator was a joy with their delivery! And I loved how the stakes progressed and intensified and concluded! I would give it some semi-cozy vibes too!

This review is going to be a long one, so strap in. I did not find this book compelling. Harvest of Hearts is described as a cozy fantasy that pulls from the tradition of Howl’s Moving Castle and The House in the Cerulean Sea. Personally, I’ve only ever watched Howl’s Moving Castle (HMC) but the elements are there and I think it takes away from the story in the beginning. If you are familiar with HMC, than you get a lot of moments in the beginning of the book where you’re like “isn’t that just like…..?” so I was concerned as to the direction of the story. By the end, the book comes into its own and I’m confident in that fact; I just wasn’t engaged or interested and found myself wanting speed through. I found the cast to be enjoyable but the story that they were set in to be meh.
I think our main character, Foss, is amazing. Her struggle throughout the book (self-image) is so real and is articulated well in my opinion. My favorite (and most gut wrenching) part of the book was when Foss said “I had been magical in the night and was no more. He was magical always.” Like, wow. I had to pause the audiobook when I heard that because it hit so deep and true for me. Listening to it on audio gave Foss so much life (thanks to the narrator, Jessie Elland!).
I also think Foss and Slyvester’s relationship progression made sense. It’s not a dual-POV so we never know what he is thinking but there were nuggets of his yearning throughout. Now, personally I do not mind that the magic system wasn’t thoroughly explained because I would forget anyways but that’s where it reminds me of HMC. I think if you try to focus on making sense of the magic system, then you’re not letting yourself fall into the story. So why a 3.5? Well, Harvest of Hearts for me would most likely be a grower and translate better as a movie. As previously mentioned, I’ve watched HMC but it took me 3 watches before I fell in love with it. I think Harvest of Hearts is the same and I commend the author for this story.

Foss Butcher lives a simple life in her village. When beautiful woman shows up in extravagant carriages, the villagers know the woman are sorceresses looking to snag hearts from the villagers to power their spells. Many villagers are excited about the visits and although Foss has always been interested in these visitors, she has never joined the spectators until the first sorcerer comes to the village. When the sorcerer looks at Foss, she feels her heart snag and a piece taken away. With Foss cursed, she soon travels to the city to find the sorcerer to try to undo his spell. She is thrown into the sorcerer's world where her only friend is a talking cat and an enchanted house. Foss quickly learns there is more to the hearts than she ever imagined.

This book was darker than I imagined it would be, but I enjoyed this fantasy. The narrator does a great job in sucking the reader in to the story and bringing you into the mystery of the hearts taken by sorceresses and the magic they are powering. Although, the main characters are great, I fell in love with Cornelius. Who doesn't love a talking cat? My one disappointment in this book is the romance. I thought this story would have a little more romance based on the description and found the romance between Foss and Sylvester a little underwhelming.

Thank you to NetGalley, Kensington Publishing and RB Media for the opportunity to review A Harvest of Hearts. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

I was really intrigued by the premise of A Harvest of Hearts—a whimsical fantasy with magic, romance, and adventure? Count me in! However, while the book had some strong elements, it didn’t quite live up to my expectations.

The world-building was one of my favorite parts. The idea of heart magic and the mystical forces at play in this story had so much potential, and I enjoyed the atmospheric writing. Some moments felt reminiscent of Howl’s Moving Castle, but the book managed to carve out its own identity.

That said, I struggled with the characters. Foss was an interesting protagonist, but her self-doubt and indecision sometimes made her frustrating to follow. Sylvester, the love interest, felt underdeveloped and lacked the charm or depth I was hoping for. Their romance had a slow-burn quality, but it didn’t quite spark the way I wanted it to.

The pacing also had some issues—some sections dragged, while others rushed through key moments. I found myself wishing for a bit more consistency in the storytelling. However, Cornelius, the talking cat, was an absolute delight and easily my favorite part of the book!

Overall, A Harvest of Hearts had a unique concept and some lovely prose, but it didn’t fully click for me. If you enjoy whimsical fantasy with slow-building plots and don’t mind a protagonist who takes time to grow into herself, you might still enjoy this one.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read this ARC. All opinions are my own.

So my initial thought for this book was oh my gosh this is cute and cozy not super great but not terrible. Eh Im enjoying it. However, as the book kept progressing, it got worse and worse. While the first half of this might be cozy and cute the second half definitely wasn’t it turned very dark very fast and it drug on and on I feel like this book could’ve been at least 100 pages shorter than it was. The narrator did very well though and made it a bit more enjoyable honestly she might be the only reason I kept reading it. Thanks to NetGalley for the arc for my honest review.

To me this book is categorically NOT a cozy fantasy at all! It is gruesome and disturbing in a way that I would never expect from a book described as a cozy fantasy. I was really trying to work out why I didn’t enjoy this book because it is not badly written & the story is good. But I am a mood reader and I realised that I was wanting something cozy and heartwarming which this definitely wasn’t.

The people having their hearts ripped from their chests then turning into mouldy, disgustingly fungus ridden dying husks is not what I would expect from a cozy fantasy. It’s pretty gross and made me feel quite queasy.

I struggled to get into the book at the start because it felt like a lot of looking back and telling stories from the past in a way that felt a little unnatural and meandering. I was wondering what the point of it was.

The narration was excellent and I enjoy that the narrator has a northern English accent but does other voices and accents convincingly.

Cozy, lovely, and real, "A Harvest of Hearts" melds the vibes of "Howl's Moving Castle" with a commentary that questions the cultural understanding of beauty, power, and what the people want. I could swoon for this world with its mystery, rivaling components of "Alice in Wonderland". A sentient house, grumpy talking cat, and MMC with a vague backstory add to the found family our main character stumbled into unexpectedly. Foss has no idea the mess she's found herself in, nor the key roll she plays in the fate of her world. Magic, though, has an interesting way of working things out when all else is lost.

What I enjoyed:
- The lovable characters and the struggle to find their place in the world.
- The character development in this book is both cozy and impactful, focusing on how the positive way someone else sees us can change how we view ourselves.
- The high stakes plot felt simple in the best way as we, the readers, are immersed into a dynamic, magical world with all the ambience of a ghibli-style tale.
- The romance in "A Harvest of Hearts" is incredibly sweet and may have changed my brain chemistry a tad.
- This book left me feeling hopeful and at peace with its satisfying last moments.
- The audiobook narrator has the most comforting voice, enhancing the atmosphere of the story.

What didn't quite hit:
- The only thing that threw a wrench in my experience was part of the ending, which felt abrupt, needing further development. It's like we built up to the climax and it just... wasn't everything I personally had hoped for. Now, that's not to say the actually plot points were problematic, because I think what happened was appropriate. However, it didn't feel as well executed as I would have liked it to be.

With all this in mind, I thoroughly enjoyed "A Harvest of Hearts"!

I really wanted and expected to like this more than I did. I actually enjoyed the story but thought it was much, much longer than it needed to be. I remember thinking "this is definitely coming to a conclusion" and then realizing there was still over 5 hours left of the audiobook.

A Harvest of Hearts is a fantasy novel that reminds me of Howl’s Moving Castle, weaving together magic, adventure, and a touch of romance. The story follows a young girl named Foss that comes upon a sorcerer that has harvested a piece of her heart. She journeys to find her missing piece by seeking out the sorcerer, and comes across a house. A house that is magical, that can accommodate your needs and is complete with a talking cat which is where the mysterious sorcerer lives. She pretends to be a new housekeeper and begins to learn more of the sorcerer in hopes to find the piece of her heart, but instead finds the sorcerer’s true nature.
Overall, A Harvest of Hearts is a good read, especially for fans of Howl’s Moving Castle and Sabrina the Teenage Witch. While it doesn’t fully reach the depth or complexity of a fantasy novel I would normally enjoy, it had enough interesting magical elements that were different enough to intrigue me to finish the book.

A whimsical and cosy fantasy that is also dark and emotional.
As I haven’t read Howls Moving Castle I don’t have anything to compare the book to, but I am pretty sure that this book didn’t disappointed my expectations of fantasy romance, magic or darker magic because I absolutely loved the story. I enjoyed the characters too especially Cornelius the cat.
The narrator did an excellent job in making the story and characters alive because she took me with her through her narration.

Thank you NetGalley and to the publisher RBmedia for the ARC-audio.

🎧 Audiobook: A Harvest of Hearts-a standalone

✍🏾 Author: Andrea Eames-new to me author

📅Publication date: 3/18/25 | Read: 3/13/25

Genre: YA, Sci Fi/Fantasy, Romance

Tropes: slow burn, magic, sorcerers, sentient/magical house, hidden secrets, forbidden romance, forced proximity

🗣️Narrator: Jessie Elland voices all the characters with standouts from Foss, Sylvester, and Cornelius. The reading style brought the text to life, and the author and narrator worked together perfectly. The pacing and flow allowed me to get lost in the story. The narrator paused and announced new chapters and there was a table of contents which helped me follow along.

🏃🏾‍➡️Run Time: 13:33

🌎 Setting: Village to The Grand City

👆🏾POV:1st person, single Foss

⚠️TW: bullying-h, death of a parent-h, kidnapping-H, human experimentation

Summary: In Foss's village, King Darius and his sorcerers protect the village in exchange for magic workers taking human hearts. They use the hearts for spells and Foss falls victim to a male sorcerer Sylvester. Feeling heartsick, she travels to his enchanted home to make him fix it. Posing as a housekeeper, Foss uncovers what magic users really do with the hearts while fighting her attraction to Sylvester.


👩🏾 Heroine: Foss Butcher-her mother died in childbirth, she believed she was cursed.
👨🏾 Hero: Sylvester- the only male sorcerer, has unpredictable magic. The king created all 13 magic workers

🎭 Other Characters:
*Cornelius-Sylvester's talking cat
*Dav Mallet- a fellow villager taken by a sorceress, returned but was never the same
*Clarissa-a sorceress who knows Sylvester
*Basil-a scribe, invites Foss to a secret meeting about magic users

🤔 My Thoughts: There wasn't much interaction between Foss and Sylvester until the end. Most of Foss's time was spent with Cornelius or the secret society of the "Snagged." They all had stories about the effects on their lives and the literal rotting of their hearts. When Sylvester made the ultimate sacrifice to end the devastation and gave Foss the life she deserved.

Rating: 4/5 ✨
Spice level 1/5🔥kissing only

🙏🏾Thanks to NetGalley, RB media | Recorded Books, and Andrea Eames for this ALC🧙🏾! I voluntarily give my honest review, and all opinions are my own.

Foss and Sylvester both grow into their personality as the story moves forward. I loved seeing their confidence grow. The suspense throughout kept me invested in the story, and for a moment, I even feared that they would not get a happy ending. Also, who doesn't love a talking cat?😺

Thanks to the publisher for the ALC and e-arc!

A cozy fantasy with heart-stealing magic, a grumpy sorcerer, and a stubborn heroine? Yes, please! A Harvest of Hearts gives major Howl’s Moving Castle vibes with its witty banter, a sentient house, and a snarky talking cat.

Foss, a butcher’s daughter, never expected a sorcerer to literally steal a piece of her heart. Furious, she storms into his enchanted home, demanding he fix it—but clueless, broody Sylvester has no idea how. What follows is a delightful mix of adventure, humor, and unexpected romance.

The world-building is whimsical yet dark, and Jessie Elland’s narration brings the characters to life beautifully. If you love found family, reluctant magic, and slow-burn tension, this one’s for you!

Thank you, NetGalley and RBmedia, for the ARC audiobook!

A story with whimsical writing and out-of-the-box adventure, A Harvest of Hearts snagged me from the first sentence. The story follows Foss Butcher, a village girl who lives and works with her butcher father, in her plain, practical, and somewhat-lonely life. But when a sorcerer comes to her village and accidentally snags her heart, she leaves all she’s ever known to find him and break the curse. Filled with heart and a cast of endearing side characters, this book was fun from start to finish. The narrator also did an excellent job and although I enjoyed the performance for all characters, I’d say Cornelius was my favourite.

A Harvest of Hearts is perfect for readers who like:
- Sentient houses
- Awkward characters finding love
- Talking cats
- Whimsical writing
- Slow-burn romance
- Standalone fantasy books

Thank you to NetGalley and RB Media for the audiobook ARC. I look forward to Andrea Eames’ future projects.

I really enjoyed this audiobook! I absolutely loved this book. It reminded me of Howl's Moving Castle, and with that in mind, I essentially visualized that kind of animation in my head as I listened to A Harvest of Hearts.

What a gorgeous, dynamic, and insightful book about perseverance, staying true to oneself, the power of kindness, and finding strength when all seems dark. I loved the overall plot, unexpected plot twists, the comedic relief from the talking cat (so sassy), and the constantly brooding MMC. I highly recommend this book to people that love Howl's Moving Castle, movie and book, and those that may like a YA novel. Although it has one spicy scene in the book, there's a lot of slow burn in the beginning, and then it turned into a snowball effect. The story in itself was light, but super cozy to read. I cannot wait to read/ listen to more from Andrea Eames.

I hope there will be more to this story, or a spinoff novella, but I thoroughly enjoyed the ALC.
Thank you NetGalley, Andrea Eames, and RB Media!