The Little Shop of Found Things...#BookReview

About the book:
New York Times bestselling author of The Witch's Daughter Paula Brackston returns to her trademark blend of magic and romance guaranteed to enchant in The Little Shop of Found Things, the first book in a new continuing series.

An antique shop haunted by a ghost.
A silver treasure with an injustice in its story.
An adventure to the past she’ll never forget.

Xanthe and her mother Flora leave London behind for a fresh start, taking over an antique shop in the historic town of Marlborough. Xanthe has always had an affinity with some of the antiques she finds. When she touches them, she can sense something of the past they come from and the stories they hold. When she has an intense connection to a beautiful silver chatelaine she has to know more.

It is while she’s examining the chatelaine that she’s transported back to the seventeenth century where it has its origins. She discovers there is an injustice in its history. The spirit that inhabits her new home confronts her and charges her with saving her daughter’s life, threatening to take Flora’s if she fails.

While Xanthe fights to save the girl amid the turbulent days of 1605, she meets architect Samuel Appleby. He may be the person who can help her succeed. He may also be the reason she can’t bring herself to leave.

I absolutely loved the premise of this story: that a person can have an emotional or physical connection to inanimate objects or places. Xanthe realizes this affinity as a child as she learns the history and provenance of antiques that her mother sells. After relocating to an English village, Xanthe feels a connection to a beautiful silver chatelaine she finds at an auction. As she learns more about it, and the village in which she lives, she discovers the chatelaine is connected to a spirit that inhabits her home and who wants Xanthe to save her daughter in the 17th century. Xanthe learns she can travel in time and finds herself in 1605, trying to save a young maid from death.

She meets architect Samuel Appleby who helps Xanthe in her quest. But, can Xanthe leave Samuel behind?

I adore quaint English villages with their quirky residents. I enjoy stories with elements of magical realism that mix in with the everyday. I love a story that compels me to continue reading and The Little Shop of Found Things did just that. It was a little haunting with some suspenseful moments and it was charming and romantic in others. I found the juxtaposition of Xanthe traveling to and from 2018 to 1605 fascinating.

The descriptions were quite detailed and I found myself skimming some passages, but the story flowed well and kept me engaged. This is first in a series and I'm looking forward to more.

Thanks to Netgalley and St. Martin's Press for the opportunity to review this book. You can learn more about Paula Brackston on her website and follow her on Facebook and Twitter.

Read 10/19

* * * *
4/5 Stars


Comments

  1. Anything to do with a bookshop is my cup of tea. This sounds delightful.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Love the sound of this one! (And it's sequel, too.)

    ReplyDelete

Post a Comment