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lauralovestoread's review against another edition
5.0
Paula Brackston will always be one of my favorite authors. She blends fascinating characters with magical elements that I have grown to know and love about her writing.
I loved the second book in the Found Things series, and have really enjoyed the concept of time travel. I discovered this after reading The Little Shop of Found Things, and furthermore with Secrets of the Chocolate House. Xanthe has such an interesting gift, and I love that she is able to find objects that have a magical past as they “sing” to her.
All the stars, once again!
*Thank you to St Martin’s Press for this gifted copy for review.
I loved the second book in the Found Things series, and have really enjoyed the concept of time travel. I discovered this after reading The Little Shop of Found Things, and furthermore with Secrets of the Chocolate House. Xanthe has such an interesting gift, and I love that she is able to find objects that have a magical past as they “sing” to her.
All the stars, once again!
*Thank you to St Martin’s Press for this gifted copy for review.
sheilabookworm3369's review against another edition
3.0
Parts of this book were excellent, the action parts, the crushing on you parts. Where we're building up tension can use some more finesse, but overall I liked it enough to keep picking it back up, sometimes with great enthusiasm.
booktimistic's review against another edition
4.0
An enchanting second book in the Found Things Series, Secrets of the Chocolate House by Paula Brackston is another bewitching journey back in time filled with magic and intrigue.
The writing is vivid and atmospheric and I simply love the author's style as she brings to life the small town of Marlborough with its shops and cottages and the characters. There's a certain comfort in returning back to familiar and beloved characters as they embark upon a fresh new adventure, and going back in time with Xanthe was a treat, and a very suspenseful one too. Despite the characters and plot being familiar, the story was as fresh and engrossing as it could be.
I've mentioned it before in my review of The Little Shop of Found Things that the pacing isn't brisk but rather pretty slow and it's the same for this story, but having said that, I had no issues and it worked perfectly for the storyline.
The author maintains the suspense and mystery surrounding the characters and wraps up with a satisfying conclusion and an exciting cliffhanger. I am very excited to see where it'll all lead to and will be eagerly awaiting the next installment in this delightful series.
**An e-ARC provided by St. Martin's Press via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review**
The writing is vivid and atmospheric and I simply love the author's style as she brings to life the small town of Marlborough with its shops and cottages and the characters. There's a certain comfort in returning back to familiar and beloved characters as they embark upon a fresh new adventure, and going back in time with Xanthe was a treat, and a very suspenseful one too. Despite the characters and plot being familiar, the story was as fresh and engrossing as it could be.
I've mentioned it before in my review of The Little Shop of Found Things that the pacing isn't brisk but rather pretty slow and it's the same for this story, but having said that, I had no issues and it worked perfectly for the storyline.
The author maintains the suspense and mystery surrounding the characters and wraps up with a satisfying conclusion and an exciting cliffhanger. I am very excited to see where it'll all lead to and will be eagerly awaiting the next installment in this delightful series.
**An e-ARC provided by St. Martin's Press via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review**
transportedlfl's review against another edition
5.0
This is definitely a series to read in order. I initially started this sequel first and realized within the first five pages that I needed to go back to book one.
Having done so, I adored this book. We learn so much more about time travel and found things. The romantic tension works amazingly well, such that I almost changed my review of the first book. I have come to admire Xanthe so much. It's such fun to travel with her through her quests to right injustice. And the world she inhabits is fabulous. This book adds a clear villain and other great characters.
Having done so, I adored this book. We learn so much more about time travel and found things. The romantic tension works amazingly well, such that I almost changed my review of the first book. I have come to admire Xanthe so much. It's such fun to travel with her through her quests to right injustice. And the world she inhabits is fabulous. This book adds a clear villain and other great characters.
i_hype_romance's review against another edition
3.0
I was provided with an ARC of this title by Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
Xanthe is a time spinner on a quest. She needs to right the wrongs of the past and save a man from being mistakenly hung for treason. A man she is convinced will always hold her heart.
Xanthe's trips back and forth between her time and the seventeenth century are clandestine and perilous. In this second installment in the series that began with The Little Shop of Found Things, Xanthe walks a tightrope to keep everyone guessing. She is attracted to two very different men in two very different times, is being stalked and pressures by a master manipulator and villain, and learning a new trade.
This was an intriguing glimpse into the political unrest of seventeenth century England and the intellectual wrangling that engulfed places such as chocolate houses.
Recommended if you enjoy complex plots, conflicted characters and diverse eras.
Xanthe is a time spinner on a quest. She needs to right the wrongs of the past and save a man from being mistakenly hung for treason. A man she is convinced will always hold her heart.
Xanthe's trips back and forth between her time and the seventeenth century are clandestine and perilous. In this second installment in the series that began with The Little Shop of Found Things, Xanthe walks a tightrope to keep everyone guessing. She is attracted to two very different men in two very different times, is being stalked and pressures by a master manipulator and villain, and learning a new trade.
This was an intriguing glimpse into the political unrest of seventeenth century England and the intellectual wrangling that engulfed places such as chocolate houses.
Recommended if you enjoy complex plots, conflicted characters and diverse eras.
lynburn's review against another edition
3.0
Many secrets were revealed in Secrets of the Chocolate House by Paula Brackston. Xanthe, the time traveling antique seller introduced in The Little Shop of Found Things is back. Xanthe can hear the objects she finds singing to her. This time it’s a chocolate pot that she uses to transport her to the seventeenth century to help her lost love, Samuel Appleby. Villain Benedict Fairfax, who we discover is a fellow time traveler who has escaped the hangman’s noose, is threatening Samuel and his family. Helped by Chocolate House proprietor, Mistress Flyte, who also is a time traveler, or Spinner, as we find out they’re called, Xanthe discovers more about this supernatural power she possesses, and how she can use it to ensure Samuel’s safety.
I was very hopeful after reading The Little Shop of Found Things. That story had all the elements of stories I love: time travel, history, and romance. But Secrets of the Chocolate Shop didn’t live up to the potential that it had. Yes, there is still all those elements, but the story, for me, just was not that exciting. Xanthe and Samuel could not make their love connect in this story. The history, for me, was not that exciting, and I didn’t really care about the villain at all. That being said, I’m willing to stick with this series because I still think that once the kinks are worked out, it has potential to be a good story.
I received an advanced e-copy of this book from the publisher for an honest review. Thank you! #netgalley #secretsofthechocolatehouse
I was very hopeful after reading The Little Shop of Found Things. That story had all the elements of stories I love: time travel, history, and romance. But Secrets of the Chocolate Shop didn’t live up to the potential that it had. Yes, there is still all those elements, but the story, for me, just was not that exciting. Xanthe and Samuel could not make their love connect in this story. The history, for me, was not that exciting, and I didn’t really care about the villain at all. That being said, I’m willing to stick with this series because I still think that once the kinks are worked out, it has potential to be a good story.
I received an advanced e-copy of this book from the publisher for an honest review. Thank you! #netgalley #secretsofthechocolatehouse
sportsmom7's review against another edition
5.0
I enjoyed this one more than the first book. I cannot wait for the next one!
aimsiu's review against another edition
4.0
I love these books so much. I'm happy I found them. They are perfect, in their way, some of the best exemplars of the time travel genre.