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3.88 AVERAGE
3.88 AVERAGE
This series is very enchanting and magical. I love that the main character, Xanthe, can basically read and see visions of the history of some antique objects. What an interesting ability! I also love the attention to Ley Lines and her ancient blind house in the backyard of her home. All of this mixed with time-travel makes for a treat!
(But the best part is the romance)
There were some things that bothered me, I did not approve of Xanthe leaving her mom who suffers from severe arthritis so badly that she needs crutches. I personally take care of my mom, and to be honest, I do not care what happens.... my mom comes first. I just couldn't see myself leaving my mom in a possibly bad situation for any reason. This just really irritated me on a personal level.
Otherwise, the book is delicious. It's a treat. I recommend it to readers that enjoy some history with their fantasy!
(But the best part is the romance)
There were some things that bothered me, I did not approve of Xanthe leaving her mom who suffers from severe arthritis so badly that she needs crutches. I personally take care of my mom, and to be honest, I do not care what happens.... my mom comes first. I just couldn't see myself leaving my mom in a possibly bad situation for any reason. This just really irritated me on a personal level.
Otherwise, the book is delicious. It's a treat. I recommend it to readers that enjoy some history with their fantasy!
adventurous
emotional
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
N/A
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus:
N/A
This book was so frustratingly repetitive and the ending was so long. I kept on waiting for something to happen towards the end of the book and when it finally did, the book was over. I wouldn’t have needed a cliffhanger to read the next one in this series- it’s a time travel tale after all.
As I'd mentioned in my review of The Little Shop of Found Things, Paula Brackston is one of my favorite authors. I absolutely loved Little Shop, so it will not be surprising that I adored Secrets of the Chocolate House.
Firstly, why are chocolate houses no longer a thing? Pshaw on coffee houses--bring on the chocolate!
Secondly, as much as I adored book one, this one was even better.
We got to know more about Xanthe as she grew as a spinner, and her motivations were clearer in this story. I felt like the story itself was deeper and richer.
Xanthe faced not one, but two, villains--Marcus, her annoying mildly menacing ex, and a mysterious, sinister fellow spinner who posed a real danger to both her and Samuel. It was an interesting contrast to see how she chose to deal with each.
Harley also stepped into his own as a main character and I really enjoyed his larger role.
Secrets doesn't come out until October 22, but it will make a great cozy autumn read. I recommend it highly to all my witchy, time travely readers.
I received an ARC via NetGalley from St. Martin's Press in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are mine.
Firstly, why are chocolate houses no longer a thing? Pshaw on coffee houses--bring on the chocolate!
Secondly, as much as I adored book one, this one was even better.
We got to know more about Xanthe as she grew as a spinner, and her motivations were clearer in this story. I felt like the story itself was deeper and richer.
Xanthe faced not one, but two, villains--Marcus, her annoying mildly menacing ex, and a mysterious, sinister fellow spinner who posed a real danger to both her and Samuel. It was an interesting contrast to see how she chose to deal with each.
Harley also stepped into his own as a main character and I really enjoyed his larger role.
Secrets doesn't come out until October 22, but it will make a great cozy autumn read. I recommend it highly to all my witchy, time travely readers.
I received an ARC via NetGalley from St. Martin's Press in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are mine.
If you like The Outlander series (show or book) I definitely recommend picking up these books. These are more fast paced with a little more history. Facts that I wouldn't have known without picking up this book. Now that it's colder the hot chocolate is what I needed, can't wait to pick up the next
adventurous
lighthearted
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
It’s hard to resist a book with chocolate in the title! Not just chocolate, but a chocolate house! And secrets!
In this sequel to Paula Brackston’s Found Things series, readers find themselves back in Marlborough with Xanthe and Flora, as they search for antique items to sell in their shop in preparation for the upcoming Christmas season.
As luck would have it, Xanthe comes upon another item that sings to her in a way she cannot ignore. This time the item is a copper chocolate pot. From the pot, Xanthe senses danger for Samuel, a man she met from the past and cares deeply for. Understandably, Xanthe feels she must journey back in time and do what she can to help Samuel.
This trip to the past proves much more enlightening for Xanthe. She comes into contact with two other people who have the ability to travel to another time. The first is Mistress Flyte, who owns the Chocolate House and the other is Benedict Fairfax, a man who soon becomes a formidable adversary to Xanthe. I expect readers will see much more of these new characters in the next book of the series.
The ending was very atmospheric, with the shopkeepers getting together to have a 17th century theme to welcome in the Christmas shopping season. Just as the event is over, the big cliffhanger comes and it will have readers impatient for the next book in the series!
An enjoyable read and one that will appeal to historical fiction and fantasy readers.
Many thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for allowing me to read an advance copy and give my honest review.
In this sequel to Paula Brackston’s Found Things series, readers find themselves back in Marlborough with Xanthe and Flora, as they search for antique items to sell in their shop in preparation for the upcoming Christmas season.
As luck would have it, Xanthe comes upon another item that sings to her in a way she cannot ignore. This time the item is a copper chocolate pot. From the pot, Xanthe senses danger for Samuel, a man she met from the past and cares deeply for. Understandably, Xanthe feels she must journey back in time and do what she can to help Samuel.
This trip to the past proves much more enlightening for Xanthe. She comes into contact with two other people who have the ability to travel to another time. The first is Mistress Flyte, who owns the Chocolate House and the other is Benedict Fairfax, a man who soon becomes a formidable adversary to Xanthe. I expect readers will see much more of these new characters in the next book of the series.
The ending was very atmospheric, with the shopkeepers getting together to have a 17th century theme to welcome in the Christmas shopping season. Just as the event is over, the big cliffhanger comes and it will have readers impatient for the next book in the series!
An enjoyable read and one that will appeal to historical fiction and fantasy readers.
Many thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for allowing me to read an advance copy and give my honest review.
This is a fantastic little series! I've said it before, but it reminds me of Outlander a bit. Longer review later.
I enjoyed this book much more than I did the first one. I am a fan of time travel books and I thought that Brackston handled the subject well. I love Xanthe as a character and I think she is written in a way that is easy for the reader to relate with her. I love the idea of objects finding her and being the way that she travels through time. The inclusion of other time travelers and it being some kind of secret society with its own rules was interesting to read about as well. I am really excited to continue reading about Xanthe's adventures in the third and final installment in this series.
I received this book from NetGalley and am leaving my review. I love all Paula Brackston’s witch series but this book didn’t engross me like those did. Some of the descriptions were too YA, such as the details of Xanthe’s clothes. Chunky sweaters, repeated mentions of her Dr. Martins,etc. The way Xanthe narrates her feelings for Samuel and Liam gave me a YA feel too. Nice book if you enjoy time travel. It just didn’t captivate me though.