The synopsis:
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. So when she has an intense connection to a beautiful silver chatelaine she has to know more.

It’s while she’s examining the chatelaine that she’s transported back to the seventeenth century. And shortly after, she's confronted by a ghost who reveals that this is where the antique has its origins. The ghost tasks Xanthe with putting right the injustice in its story to save an innocent girl’s life, or else it’ll cost her Flora’s.

My thoughts:
I wasn't exactly sure what I was getting into when I read this book. I originally thought it was going to be about a shopkeeper helping people fall in love, but that's probably because this book reminds of another book with a similar title. Oops! Still, with the first mention of a ghost, I was intrigued. Especially, because I read this book shortly after October ended and I was still in the mood for all the spooky things. Having read it now, it definitely was hardly a scary book. Again, oops! It was, overall, a romance book but not with the two people who you would come to expect after reading the first few chapters. The romance did catch me by surprise and I rather enjoyed that it wasn't the obvious pairing after all. Some things in the story seemed too farfetched and not at all possible. I know, the book contains a magical element, and I'm all for that. However, I just couldn't get on board with it. A good story overall but I will probably not be continuing the series. A 3/5

The Little Shop of Found Things by Paula Brackston is a story of Xanthe and her mother Flora, who move to Malborough to start anew. They take over a cozy antique shop and on a trip to the local antique sale, Xanthe encounters an object that will change her life. The young woman always had an unusual attraction to some of the historic objects, but she feels a very strong pull towards a beautiful silver chatelaine that she finds. Now, there is more to the chatelaine then a casual observer can see and Xanthe will begin a fight with time, to fulfil a ghost's plea, as there might be more than only her life at stake.

I've heard about Paula Brackston's books for many years, so I was happy to finally pick up one. The blurb seemed like my kind of story and I was very excited to read it. In the end, it wasn't completely my cup of tea but I did enjoy it.

The idea of the historical objects taking you back in time really appealed to me and intrigued me. I believe that there's a story to every object, new or old, so I was instantly drawn into the book. It brings a multitude of possibilities for the next books in the series, so the readers definitely have something to look out for.

All of the characters in the book were interesting, but I especially liked the bond between Xanthe and Flora. They had a great mother-daughter relationship and I loved their ocassional humorous banter. The side characters were all well written and enjoyable too. Still, I did wish that Xanthe's character could've been more developed, because I got the feeling that she was closed off from the readers just like she was closed off from other characters in the story. As a reader and onlooker, I would've liked to see a bit more depth to her.

The writing was great and as soon as you get used to the flowery style, it's really nice to read. However, what didn't fully appeal to me were frequent too drawn-out descriptions, that in my opinion didn't bring much to the overall story. I know that creating the setting, especially in historical novels, is very important, but I felt that this book had a lot of passages and descriptions which could have been as well omitted, that extremely slowed down the story.

All in all, I think that The Little Shop of Found Things will definitely appeal to the readers who like an interesting historical fiction or time travel book, and who don't mind a slow pacing but appreciate a story rich with details.

This was a perfect book when I needed a distraction. Not heavy, not cumbersome, it didn’t require intense involvement, it just required a brief suspension of concrete logic.

A myriad of topics is explored including; psychometry; ghosts, witches, Ley Lines, time travel; England in 1605 and the lack of women’s’ rights; a bit of the “upstairs/downstairs” life; familial love, romantic love, the creation of an antique shop. There should be something for everyone, but perhaps I was in the right place at the right time to be receptive to this book.

I really enjoyed The Little Shop of Found Things and thank NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for a copy.

I am not a fan of time travel so I did not enjoy this book. I liked that she felt things thru touch and would have liked it more if that was the whole story.

EXCERPT: Xanthe shook her head, refusing to let her own experiences hold her back. She was not here for herself. Someone was calling her. Someone else was trapped and afraid. Aside from her own memories, she could feel another level of anxiety. One that was connected to the antique silver in her hands. Was the fear that she was experiencing that of whomever had owned the chatelaine, or her own nervousness at what might be shown to her? At what she might be made to feel and experience? Or at her reluctance to meet again that malevolent presence that had so scared her the time before? And then, as she hesitated, she heard a voice, as clearly as if someone had been standing right in front of her. It was a young woman’s voice, and it was taut with emotion.

"Help me!" she begged. "Oh, please, help me!"

ABOUT THIS BOOK: A new series about a young woman whose connection to antiques takes her on a magical adventure, reminiscent of Outlander

New York Times bestselling author of The Witch's Daughter Paula Brackston returns to her trademark blend of magic and romance to launch a new series guaranteed to enchant her audience even more.

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. So when she has an intense connection to a beautiful silver chatelaine she has to know more.

It’s while she’s examining the chatelaine that she’s transported back to the seventeenth century. And shortly after, she's confronted by a ghost who reveals that this is where the antique has its origins. The ghost tasks Xanthe with putting right the injustice in its story to save an innocent girl’s life, or else it’ll cost her Flora’s.

While Xanthe fights to save her 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.

MY THOUGHTS: I don't know quite what I expected from this book, but I didn't get it. I thought the premise held so much potential that failed to be delivered, and I struggled to finish the read. I simply did not feel the magic.

I thought the writing was heavy-handed. The author belabored points, telling us the same thing several times to the point where I felt that I was being hit with a piece of 4 x 2! (Yes, I actually got a headache reading this book!) One example is 'The contrast between the world's workaday activity, her own problems with money, her mother's poor health, her time-traveling, and being haunted by a desperate ghost made her feel dizzy. Made her feel disconnected from the solid, sensible, non-time-traveling folk of Marlborough. Made her feel more than a little bit as if she were losing her mind.'

And the questions! The book is full of questions!

I really did not connect at all to any of the characters, found the plot slow, and can find little to recommend except for the very pretty cover, and that the book talks about the debilitating effects and pain of arthritis, not something we hear much about, not a 'glamour' affliction, but one that is very real to many. I am sorry that I failed to find the magic in this read, and I won't be following through on this series.

I understand that reading is an entirely subjective experience and that, while this book wasn't one I enjoyed, you may well love it. So if the excerpt piques your interest and you like the sound of the plot synopsis, please get a copy and read it.

THE AUTHOR: Paula Brackston (aka PJ Brackston)is the New York Times bestselling author of The Witch's Daughter, The Winter Witch, and The Midnight Witch(2014).

Paula has an MA in Creative Writing from Lancaster University, and is a Visiting Lecturer for the University of Wales, Newport. In 2007 Paula was short listed in the Creme de la Crime search for new writers. In 2010 her book 'Nutters' (writing as PJ Davy) was short listed for the Mind Book Award, and she was selected by the BBC under their New Welsh Writers scheme.

DISCLOSURE: Thank you to St Martin's Press via Netgalley for providing a digital ARC of The Little Shop of Found Things by Paula Brackston for review. All opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own personal opinions.

Please refer to my Goodreads.com profile page or the about page on sandysbookaday.wordpress.com for an explanation of my rating system. This review and others are also published on my blog sandysbookaday.wordpress.com

Spending time inside the novel The Little Shop of Found Things is like spending time inside the world of magic. I cannot remember the last time I found a book so magical. The storytelling prose inside these pages is delightful and unexpected. Highly recommended.

When Xanthe and her mother Flora move away from London to start a new life in Marlborough, Wiltshire, she doesn’t expect to find herself on an amazing adventure, having had enough “excitement” back in London to last a lifetime. They take over a quaint shop in a pretty town where life is certainly not dull. There is a whole lot going on in this book with its mix of time travel, history, ghost, magic, romance and intrigue. The cover itself is very enticing without even looking at the description. A lovely book with lovely characters. What will Xanthe get up to next!

I was intrigued by the description given about this book. The magical theme lured me into it. Lots of historical details that were well researched; however, the mystery felt rushed and there were moments where I had to push myself to keep reading.

Xanthe Westlake and her mother, Flora, move to a small town in Wiltshire and open an antique shop, which Xanthe later learns is haunted by a woman from the 1600s. Xanthe has a special gift, which allows antique items to “sing” to her and tell her their stories. At an antiques auction, she’s instantly drawn to a seventeenth century chatelaine and feels a stronger connection to it than anything she’s found before, and she can tell it’s trying to tell her something. She buys the chatelaine, and somehow through its powers, it whisks her back in time to 1605, where (when?) after being threatened by the ghost in her shop, she has to save the ghost’s daughter from being hanged for a crime she did not commit. Time travel, a touch of romance, ghosts, danger, a lot of old-timey language, and a partridge in a pear tree.

This book took me back like crazy to all the time travel-y, mystical books I used to read in elementary school and middle school. My baby child self would have loved this story!
That being said, as a thirty-year-old whose tastes have changed over the last, oh, 15-20 years, it took me a few tries to get through it. It was a bit overly descriptive and quite slow at the beginning, so I started it and put it down twice before I made myself stick with it on the third try. Once I powered through the beginning, I rather enjoyed it, particularly the last third, which I blazed through! This is the first of a new series from Paula Brackston, and I don’t know that I’ll read the next installments, but I’m glad I powered through this one because I ended up being pretty enchanted by this story, which is such a departure from what I normally read.

I really loved the characters and setting of this book. I thought the plot was unique, and although the ending made me a little sad, I’m hoping that it will play out in future books. I will definitely read any future books in th series!

I'm not usually much of a fan of time travel stories and yet somehow this is the second book in this genre I've read in the past month. I was afraid the book wouldn't hold my interest but I quickly became engrossed in the story and couldn't put the book down. I was distracted for the first hundred pages or so trying to figure out how to pronounce Xanthe until I was forced to Google it so I could concentrate on the story.

Yes, the story requires a willing suspension of disbelief, but once one achieves that, it is easy to fall into the past along with Xanthe. The characters are well done and the descriptions extremely accurate. The writing is good and I'll gladly read future work by Paula Brackston.

This is a charming read!

First let me start with COVER LOVE! This is such a fantastic cover for this story!

Xanthe and her mother have purchased and old antique shop. Xanthe has a unique ability with certain antiques. When she touches them….they sing! She feels the objects past and she wants to find out more. She finds an old, silver chatelaine and experiences an astounding connection. This leads her on the trip of her lifetime, and other lifetimes as well.

This story is right in my wheelhouse. Who can resist antiques, historical mysteries, ghosts and time travel. When Xanthe finds the chatelaine, it comes with a ghost. And not a nice one either. This ghost demands Xanthe travel back in time and save her daughter. If Xanthe refuses then her mother will pay.

The story is well researched and extremely creative. But, it is overly dramatic in places and a bit long winded. And Xanthe, she was sort of an enigma. She seems very intelligent but I was not a huge fan of how she interacted with the ghost. Just didn’t fit her characteristics. I expected her intelligence to come out more.

This is a very entertaining read. It has wonderful historical details, especially about the law and the way servants were treated in the 1600s. Enchanting to say the least!

If I'm not enthusiastic about a book, I always find it hard to not put a disclaimer on my review. I want to say: take my opinion with a grain of salt, this is just me, everyone has to come to their own conclusions, this author is probably the nicest person ever, ignore me and read this book if it speaks to you. Because I recognize each book published is something someone put a ridiculous amount of time into, blood, sweat, and tears, and is a creation that he is undoubtedly crazy proud of and should be. Who am I to throw out my unworthy opinions and flippantly say, Eh. That didn't rock my world? It makes you feel like a royal jerk, and I cringe SO HARD every time the author "likes" my review. I always want to contact her and apologize.
But here's the thing. On Goodreads, I feel reviewers fall into two categories that are forcefully opposed, like Oxford comma debaters--there are the reviewers that give stars based on their personal feelings about the book, and the ones that give stars based on the quality or significance of the book. I am 100% in the feelings camp, (no surprise because Jamie=feelings, all the feelings, all the time) and that is why I do things like give Pride and Prejudice two stars, which absolutely horrifies some. And one of my five starred favorite books of all time, Prep by Curtis Sittenfeld, got a whole lot of one star reviews. BUT, I don't think that one way is right or wrong, it's just that you have to choose and stay consistent in how you handle star reviews.

I digress. And there goes another review that ends up feeling like a blog post. Oops.

It took me until about halfway in to decide this book was worth it. So. much. exposition, so it was slow moving in the beginning, but 3/4 of the way through, I was unable to put it down. At first, there was something I can't pin down about the writing that grated on me. The syntax felt stiff and weird in spots. But then, when Xanthe was in the seventeen century, I think Brackston did an exceptional job with the language. Towards the end, the story got so exciting. There are several plot lines going at once to come to conclusion; Xanthe and Samuel, Xanthe and Liam, Flora's well being, Alice's fate.
There are interesting historical details and the time travel aspect, so Outlander fans will not be able to help drawing comparisons. That's never a bad thing.
So ultimately, my impressions are it's a not too heavy, not too light, good interesting read. Glad I stuck it out in the beginning. And it's the first in a series, so there are more to come.

Another great read from Paula Brackston! I love the time travel aspect of this story. Xanthe and her mom open a antique shop were certain pieces "sing" to her and transport her back in time to right a wrong. Can she save a innocent maiden from a sentence of certain death? I hope there are many more adventures for Xanthe.

I'm a fan of everything Paula Brackston has written, so I was so excited for the opportunity to read an advanced copy of The Little Shop of Found Things. Brackston's novels tend to feature strong female characters who grow mentally and emotionally with the help of magic or some other spiritual force. This novel felt like a slight, but welcome, deviation from her previous books, while still remaining true to the supernatural element. I enjoy historical fiction just as much as I enjoy a witchy novel, so this seemed like the best of both worlds to me -- I read it quickly and loved every second of it!

A fascinating and heartwarming story of an unexpected gift, rich with character and emotion from an author who beautifully integrates history with fiction.

Not a bad read and a really great concept but it was a little slow and convoluted. Quite difficult for me to fully engross myself in. A lot of promise that didn't end up culminating in a fluid read.

I really like the start of the book, it had everything I wanted in terms of magical realism and paranormal fiction. A female heroine who can sense things from the past merely by touching an object. Owning an antique store was of course a veritable treasure trove of potential adventure for Xanthe. And true enough when she and her mom just moved in to their new home and shop, strange stuff started happening and influencing her decisions regarding a certain object, a chatelaine which had the power to make her travel to the past and save a girl from a doomed fate. There is a malevolent ghost, potential romance, both past and present, competition with other antique dealers and friendship from the beautiful town in Marlborough. All these adds depth to a wonderful story. However, The LIttle Shop of Found Things did drag in the middle. I get the sense that the story is just being prolonged and there might be other books set in the same world. Nevertheless, Xanthe's abilities, her mom and the other people in the community is enough for me to actually read other books that might follow this one.

I am a fan of the authors work so I was thrilled to receive this for review through the publisher and Net Galley. My opinions are my own.
This book is classic Brackston with excellent charcters, a delightful mix of magic and a charming plot. .
In this book we meet a psychic who specializes in reading objects. This is called psychicmentry.
Xanthe and her mother Flora are beginning their new lives as antique shop owners in a small English town. They bought a old antique shop and flat above it. The shop was left as is by the former owner and they have much to sort out amid the antiques and dust. They are anxious to settle in and make the shop their own. They have a close relationship and enjoy setting up the shop together.
When Xanthe discovers her powers are strongly drawn to a chatelaine for sale at an auction she quickly pays too much for it and puts their savings in jeopardy , Xanthe discovers that the chatelaine and its memories are connected to a hidden jail on the property of their new home. Then she meets a ghost, who sends her on a journey back to the 17th century, where Xanthe not only has to save a girl who was wrongly convicted of a crime, but has to struggle with her own feelings of falling for someone who doesn't exist in her own time.
Wow what a wonderful book this was. I read it in one sitting and found it fascinating. I loved the well drawn charcters, the time periods and the plot. .I highly recommend this book for all who enjoy a paranormal edge to their books.

I love anything to do with time travel. I also love history. Fiction that allows me to see the world as it was lures me. Nonetheless, the writer is faced with two daunting challenges: First, how do you make the reader buy into the possibility, however slim, of time travel? Second, good historical fiction requires the skill of the historian to capture the details of daily life and combine with the novelist's craft. In The Little Shop of Found Things, Paula Braxton credibly handles both tasks. Our protagonist has a gift that allows her to hear objects that have a story to tell and eventually, travel back in time on a mission of mercy. Brackston provides enough of the historical detail so that you have a sense of the dress, social class, and the environment of the English country three hundred years ago. Brackston also manages to provide a bit of romance in both the past and present.

While this is neither the very best example of time travel or historical fiction, I was thoroughly entertained. I cared about the characters and the plot. It is the first entry in a series, and I am very much looking forward to the next book.

I received an electronic ARC of this novel from Netgalley, Paula Brackston, and St. Martin's Press in exchange for an honest review. Thank you.