Book Review: The Little Shop of Found Things by Paula Brackston

How do I describe this book? Fantastical, magical and thought-provoking. Fans of Outlander, Highlander & Quantum Leap will love this book. Luckily for me, I love all three of those shows. The dual timelines allow the main character to jump between the past and present. The Little Shop of Found Things has elements of fantasy, magic & historical fiction woven amongst a beautiful love story.

Bravely, Xanthe is trying to save someone's life. Obviously, there’s a lot at stake. Although some parts seem a bit wordy, I thoroughly enjoy this book. 

THE VERDICT

I am Really Into This book! I love that Paula Brackston really gives readers a first-hand account of each character's thoughts. With this style, I feel I can connect with the characters more.  The Little Shop of Found Things is a solid 4.5 stars rounded to 5 for me. 

Special thanks to Paula Brackston, St. Martin's Press & NetGalley for providing my copy in exchange for an honest & fair review.

In the first of a new series from Paula Brackston, Xanthe Westlake and her mother Flora move to small town Marlborough to rebuild their lives. Flora bought the property and stock from a now-deceased fellow antiques dealer and retailer. He left the place in a pretty big mess, but the women are up to the job.

Right from the start, we learn that Xanthe has a special talent called psychometry. That means she gets visions and feelings when she holds certain objects. And if you’ve read other recent reviews from me, you realize it’s become an unexpected theme. This is the third—and best—book I’ve read lately where the main character has this talent.

At a nearby auction, Xanthe spends a pretty penny on an antique chatelaine. Chatelaines were typically worn by the woman of a fairly grand house. They included practical items like thimbles, tiny scissors, and also things like prayer books or small perfume bottles. The various items hang on chains from a central piece attached to the belt of her dress. Xanthe’s new chatelaine “sings” to her, producing both feelings and visions.

What she does with those visions is the meat of the story. Brackston tells a present-day story, including the Westlakes integration into their new home and shop. She also weaves a seventeenth century story into the plot, with Xanthe trying to save a young woman from almost certain death. Of course, the stakes and the drama are high!

My conclusions
This is everything I hope The Firebird would be and more. Xanthe’s character and story drew me in quickly. She is resourceful, smart, and likable flawed. And absolutely my favorite kind of heroine.

Brackston draws a clear picture of Marlborough in both time periods, as well as the manor house and people of the times. She strikes the perfect balance between action, character development, and descriptions. Plus, there’s a little romance thrown in for good measure too.

After reading Unmentionable recently, I also appreciated Brackston’s ongoing mentions of the smelly realities of the 1600s. She never romanticizes the time period, but rather tells it like it is. Chamber pots, trenches of varied, stinking waste, and necessary houses all make appearances.

Brackston builds suspense by pulling Xanthe back and forth between time periods. There’s just one “baddie” character, along with several folks who are understandably confused at her continued disappearances. It’s interesting to see how she parlays her present-day knowledge and talents into assets in the centuries-old story line.

I thoroughly enjoyed this historical fiction (with a time travel, psychometry twist) novel. Now I’m excited to read book two, coming in October 2019.

Acknowledgements
Many thanks to NetGalley, the author, and St. Martin's Press for a digital ARC in exchange for this honest review.

I've enjoyed all Paula's Witch series, this was a little different. A spin with time travel. Very intriguing little read. Break out your finest Tea and settle in with a pot in your favorite reading spot. This story is a treat.

The Little Shop of Found Things is the first book in a new series by Paula Brackston. It is a fun, charming time travel novel rich in historical detail of a past era. It is a supernatural mystery with some romance too, perfect if you enjoy the magical realism genre.
Oh! And isn't that cover gorgeous?
For fans of Outlander.

The Little Shop of Found Things was my first Paula Brackston novel but won’t be my last. I really enjoyed the time travel element of this read which was both exciting and unpredictable.

Xanthe and her mother Flora are attempting to make a new start by buying an antique store where Xanthe’s “special” skills are put to good use for the greater good of those in the present as well as the past. Xanthe is determined to help her latest charge as she transports back and forth to her present time and 1605.

This cozy book consisted of great characters that you’ll wish well. I’m looking forward to the second book of the series coming out this year.

I received a review copy of this book from the publisher through NetGalley for my honest review. Opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own.

Thank you for extending the ARC of "The Little Shop of Found Things" to me -- I was unable to finish this book before it expired, so I plan to purchase a copy and read it Thank you anyway!

This was a wonderful story! I have to admit that I was probably first drawn to this book by its lovely cover. Isn't it gorgeous? I also loved the idea of a book set in a little shop but once I knew that the story had an element of time-travel, I knew that I had to read this book. I was completely captivated by this book and couldn't wait to see how everything would work out.

Xanthe and her mother, Flora, are starting over. They have bought an antique shop that they will be opening to the public as soon as possible. Xanthe is particularly suited for this kind of work because she has a very handy special ability. Xanthe is called to certain objects and intuitively knows the history of the items that speak to her. Xanthe sees a chatelaine at an auction and that purchase will end up taking her on quite the adventure.

The chatelaine is tied to a young girl from the seventeenth century. The girl's mother is a ghost in Xanthe's present day and she insists that Xanthe go back in time to make things right for her Alice. I had a great time watching Xanthe trying to navigate the past and solve the mystery of what really happened with Alice. While in the past, she is able to help Samual with a project he is working on and he helps her work to save Alice.

I believe that this was the first time that I have had the chance to listen to Marisa Calin's narration and I thought she did a fantastic job with this book. There is a lot of emotion in this story and I thought that she really brought it out through her narration. The voices that she used were very distinct and I thought that the dialogue in the story flowed nicely. This was a book that I found myself wanting to listen to for hours at a time.

I would highly recommend this book to others. The ending was a little bittersweet but since it is the first book in a series, I have a feeling that there will be more developments in future novels. I had a fantastic time with this book and cannot wait to get my hands on future books in the series.

I received a digital review copy of this book from St. Martin's Press via NetGalley and borrowed a copy of the audiobook from my local library via Overdrive.

"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, take over an antique shop in a little town outside of London. Xanthe has a special gift with the items in the shop, when she touches them, she can feel a sense of their past. So when she is drawn to a silver chatelaine, she decides to examine it closer. 

All the sudden she finds herself transported back to the seventeenth century where the chatelaine originated. From there she embarks on an adventure that is full of intrigue, danger and maybe even some romance. 

This book is so fun! It's a quick, easy read full of magic and history and suspense. And the best part is that it's the first in a trilogy! The second book, Secrets of the Chocolate House, is due to be released October of this year!

St. Martin's Press and NetGalley provided me with an electronic copy of The Little Shop of Found Things. I was under no obligation to review this book and my opinion is freely given.

Xanthe Westlake and her mother Flora are determined to make a fresh start after life in London is soured by bad relationships and broken dreams. Reopening a closed antique shop in the historic village of Marlborough, the two women must rely on Flora's skills of repair and Xanthe's special gift. When her ability to sense the past history of objects and their owners morphs into a journey to the past, will Xanthe put her life in danger to save another?

This fantasy based historical fiction brings to mind the television show Doctor Who, especially when Xanthe is hurtled through space and time. I liked the world building, in regards to both the present and the past. Some of the backstory was unnecessary, as Flora and Xanthe's failed relationships and the reasons behind them did not enhance the plot to any significant degree. Xanthe's journey, although interesting from a historical standpoint, went on a little long and dragged the plot down. In an age where any anomalies were detected rapidly, I found it hard to believe that suspicion did not fall on Xanthe more readily in the past. Readers who like historical fiction mixed with fantasy and science fiction may find The Little Shop of Found Things to their liking.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for a copy of this EBook in exchange for an honest review.
I have often imagined at the stories that antiques and old buildings might tell if they could talk. Many stories to tell we will never hear. This book let's us imagine such stories. Brackston takes us on a magical historical journey through Xanthe, who has the talent to see the past in the things she sells. She ends up going back to the seventeenth century to right a wrong.
The Characters are vivid and appealing. The story is well written and flows, but it is slow in the beginning, so be patient, you will be rewarded! it has an exciting, even paced, enjoyable plot. And while I don't normally "judge a book by its cover", this one is very eye catching!
This is the first of a series, and looking forward to the next!

Based on the description, I thought this was going to be more about spirits/witches, that kind of thing. It turned out to be more about time travel, religion, and medieval culture. I probably would not have requested it if I had known this.

I do enjoy Brackston's writing style in general - she is very descriptive, and I even found myself reading some lines out loud just to hear the combinations of sounds and phrases, some of which were really beautiful. However, a few things became annoyingly repetitive. For example, the main character has a lot of difficult decisions to make, and in her uncertainty wonders aloud - but always in questions of three. What if I did do this thing? Would it affect how something else happened? And how would this make so-and-so feel? It became a predictable pattern, and seemed more and more frequent through the end of the story.

So all in all, a fine book. just not in my particular wheelhouse. Will definitely give her backlist a try though.

The Little Shop of Found Things is about Xanthe and her mother who move from London to a small town in Marlborough to open an antique shop. Xanthe has always had an affinity for some of the antiques she came across through the years, able to glean information about their pasts. When she came across a chatelaine from the 17th century, she was transported back to help right a wrong from 400 years before her time.

One of the main reasons I chose to read this book, besides the fact that Paula Brackston’s The Witch’s Daughter has been sitting on my TBR shelf for quite some time, was because of its comparison to Outlander, which I read and loved. However, to compare this book to Outlander is a tad misleading. Yes, both books are about a woman that is thrust back in time to an era so unlike their own, and yes, both of these female protagonists fall in love with a man from that same past, but The Little Shop of Found Things felt a little too tame for me, at least based on what I was expecting, and the story wrapped up a little too neatly. And although I was also hoping for a bit more magic, as I read this around Halloween, I found that I did enjoy the story. I might check out the next installment(s) in this series.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for a copy of this eBook in exchange for an honest review.

Part mystery, part romance, part time travel. Pleasant to but not my favorite by her by far. The first part sucks you in, and the second just pulls you through.

The first book in a new series by the wonderful author Paula Brackston. Ms Brackston has written a story line that will keep us reading her books for the forseeable future,
Xanthe is an antique store owner who can see the past in the items she sells. While concentrating on a silver chatelaine, Xanthe is transported back to 1605 where she finds herself the protector of a child. She must save the child or risk losing her own mother, Xanthe receives help from Sam Appleby, the love interest in this story. How she and Sam save the day makes for an exciting adventure.
Since the end of this book is setting the scene for the next one, it ends with many questions. I'm marking my calendar to make sure I read the next book as soon as it comes out.

Enjoyable read. Characters are vivid and appealing. Love the setting and English flavor of the book. The time travel and ghostly element can be a bit hard to swallow, but if you can allow yourself to be swept along, the plot is interesting and absorbing. The romantic element is not heavy handed, which I appreciate. I enjoyed the historical element and the details about antiquities.

A magical historical journey full of adventure, romance and a dash of fantasy, The Little Shop of Found Things by Paula Brackston is a charming start to what I presume will be a delightful series.

The author has a distinct story-telling style, simple and atmospheric with a steady pace. The characters, be it the present day ones, or those in the 1600s are all vividly sketched, complicated, flawed and relatable. The amount of research put in to portray the day-to-day seventeenth century lifestyle was also quite impressive, I personally love how much I learn random historical facts by reading a well researched historical fiction. I've seen reviews saying the prose was slow, but if you think about it, life in those times wasn't very fast paced or glamorous. I believe the author has done a great job of weaving the story between the present day and past, trying to balance the pace and storyline.

Overall, I really enjoyed this and would recommend it to historical fiction lovers. I can't wait for the second book to come out. Also, one last thing, in spite of this being a series, it could easily be read as a standalone, there was no cliffhanger and most if not all mysteries were solved towards the end.

The Little Shop of Found Things is a historical fantasy and the first in a series for Paula Brackston and definitely one we are looking forward to reading more of.

The Little Shop of Found Things is a charming and intriguing adventure through time with a mystery, some historical details and a dash of romance (well maybe a bit more than a dash) that I really enjoyed from start to finish. It does start off a bit slow and takes some time to get into.

Paula Brackston creates an interesting character here with our hero Xanthe Westlake who has a unique gift to see connections by touching found things. I loved the dynamics here between her and her mother Flora and I really enjoyed their caring relationship and it was a nice change of pace from those stories with dysfunctional families.

I really enjoyed the supernatural parts to the story along with some historical details to this adventure through time while Xanthe races against time to solve a mystery and save the daughter of a ghost who threatens her. I thought Paula Brackston weaved all the elements to this story well, creating an engaging and entertaining story. The suspense is slow but very rewarding in the end. I recommend!

This one started out a little slow. I stayed with it, and am glad I powered on. Xanthe and Samuel's attraction became the best part of the book for me. I would like to read the next book to see what happens between these two. I enjoyed the time travel. I am sure the author can go lots of places with Xanthe's gifts.

I love Paula Brackston's books but this one did not grab me. I must say I am usually not a fan of time travel books to begin with but this one was just too slow and descriptive for me. I so wanted to like this as it is the beginning of a new series but the story just wasn't for me.

I adored this book. I have been in the mood for a great magic realism novel forever and I just have not found that story to grab me. The Little Shop if Found Things was the trifecta! Setting was whimsical but real, I cared and believed the characters, and there was just enough magic to make it all seem possible.