What a pleasant read! Xanthe has clairsentience, the uncanny ability to feel emotions left behind in objects by past owners and events. She and her mother, who suffers from crippling bouts of arthritis but pushes on with a smile, are opening an antiques and collectibles shop in the quaint village of Marlborough. Xanthe is strongly drawn to a chatelaine, a fancy piece of belt jewelry worn for both decorative and useful purposes, which they find at an estate sale. Thus begins Xanthe’s adventures between the present and the 17th century with colorful characters in both frames of time.
Paula Brackston does a beautiful job of making Xanthe normal, not perfect, someone we can more easily relate to. Her mother Flora is a strong, loving woman who you immediately like. The townsfolk and shop owners of Marlborough are diverse and interesting. Then Xanthe meets the people of her 17th-century world, who are characteristically true to that era of history. I’m really excited that this will be a series. The groundwork Paula has established in this book ensures future interesting adventures. And even though I don’t normally become interested in the future of those who fall in love in books, I’m anxiously awaiting what transpires between Xanthe and Samuel.
(I received an advance copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an unbiased review. Thank you to St. Martin’s Press for making it available.)

Thankyou to NetGalley, St Martin's Press and Paula Brackston for the opportunity to read an advanced readers copy of The Little Shop Of Found Things.
I found the book to be extremely well written. The central characters were well developed and engaging. I loved every aspect of this novel. I just couldn't turn the pages fast enough. Hopefully, Xanthe will go on more adventures,
Highly recommend this book. Such a beautifully written and engrossing story.

I have always enjoyed Paula Brackston's magical stories chiefly for the way she blends fantasy with reality. It has always been easy to put myself in her character's place. The Little Shop of Found Things had all the potential to transport the reader but in some aspects it fails to do so.

Young and troubled Xanthe can hear objects "sing" their past. What a delightful premise for a book! We know at the outset we will be transported to another time. Of course she meets a ghost-and so goes the rest of the story-it is merely a ghost of a tale with no real substance.

Primarily, there was little character development. Characters were introduced and then forgotten. Perhaps this is the first in a trilogy. Maybe Brackston is setting the scene for a more in depth story in the future. I certainly hope so, otherwise we were simply rushed through a plot--we met some lovely people--none of them fleshed out--and then rushed toward a dissatisfying conclusion. Flora? Samuel? Jason? What happened to them? Most of all---Alice. Why didn't we ever meet Alice?

If this is a jumping off place for sequel, then "Bravo," but as a stand alone piece, it lacks substance. Too bad-it reads like an outline--I would love to flesh it out--take it from the spectral and turn it into body and soul.

New York Times bestselling author of The Witch's Daughter, has penned a delightful tale of magic and suspense. Xanthe and her mother Flora have had a tough go of it over the past couple of years. Starting anew, they have purchased an antique shop in the charming little village of Marlborough. Xanthe has a unique power to sense the history of some antique pieces. When she touches them, she can sense something of the people who once owed them. When she and her mother attend an auction at a local country manor she is drawn to a silver chatelaine that has a powerful hold on her.
The chatelaine leads her to an ancient jail cell built into the wall of their new garden. A ghostly figure living in the house threatens to harm Flora if Xanthe doesn’t go back to the 1600’s to rescue her daughter. Paula Brackston spins a compelling story with dimensional characters that is hard to put down. I look forward to reading this continuing series.

Interesting premise, lovely setting, good characters, looking forward to seeing where the story goes next.

Ready for a new beginning Xanthe and her mother takeover a small antiques shop in Marlborough.. The quiet start she is hoping for is dashed when Xanthe finds herself dropped in the middle of a centuries old mystery where she needs to race against time and space to save a medieval girl from being executed.

if you enjoy fantasy and time travelling novels this is the book for you.

The Little Shop of Found Things is a fabulous new book by Paula Brackston. I absolutely loved the story, so well written, full of action, history, love, mystery, split time and unusual time travel. It certainly left me wanting more of Xanthe and Samuel. Now I can hardly wait for the next book in this series. My thanks to the author, the publisher and netgalley for making this book available to me to read and review.

I wasn't sure I was going to like this book at the beginning, but fell in love with the story. A time travel love story with some 16th century intrigue. It was well written and I was sad when the story ended. I would love to read a part two of the lives of the main characters. I highly recommend this for those who love clean, but not boring live stories.

Xanthe has a special ability when it comes to antiques, when she touches an item she is able to sense the era they came from as well as the stories they hold. When Xanthe comes across chatelaire she is transported back to the seventeenth century where she learns about a girl named Alice who is falsely accused of theft and as a result her life is in danger. Xanthe is soon confronted by a ghost who is the mother of Alice and demands that Xanthe help free Alice of suffer the consequences. What follows is Xanthe trying to piece together the mystery.

This took me a while to get into while the plot was being set up. You alternate back and forth between the past and present times as Xanthe transports between the time periods. In the present I enjoyed the relationship between Xanthe and her mother Flora as they work to open an antique shop. I also enjoyed the friendship between Xanthe and Liam, who becomes an essential part in helping Xanthe try to solve the theft mystery. The past timeline was interesting as Xanthe works undercover as a maid while she is trying to piece together what really happened with Alice and find a way to save her life. I enjoyed seeing the bonds Xanthe makes while in this time period, particularly with Samuel. He was someone that helped Xanthe a lot and was willing to risk his reputation in doing so. I enjoyed seeing their relationship grow over the course of the book.

While there were parts I enjoyed, I couldn't fully get into this book. There were parts that were confusing, mainly the time traveling parts and all the dynamics that went with it. There were some parts that dragged for me and then some scenes that felt rushed through. Overall, this was an okay read that had parts I enjoyed. I would recommend this book for fans of time traveling.

I usually immediately love Paula Brackston's witches, but I couldn't seem to get into this one as much or as quickly. I think the character development just took too long. Her "witchiness" wasn't obvious and her backstory took too long to come out. I also didn't understand why the girl she was rescuing was trapped in the tapestry. The objective was to prevent her death, there was nothing supernatural about the actual rescue. I was just confused and it distracted from the story.

Many people, while wandering through antique shops, wonder about the use of certain objects and the lives of the people that owned them before. Xanthe Westlake can actually hear certain object's pasts when they "sing" to her. While browsing a nearby auction for new items to sell in their antique shop, one antique calls so strongly to Xanthe that she has to buy it. This silver chatelaine has the frightening ability to send her back in time. To save what she loves in her own time, she has to solve a centuries old mystery and rescue a young girl from an unjust death sentence.
I love the description of this book and I was so excited to get a chance to read it. The details of the architecture, decorations, and clothing of the 17th century were wonderful and brought the story to life. The way the book ended makes me hopeful for a possible sequel or series. Thanks so much to Paula Brackston, St. Martin's Press, and NetGalley for the opportunity to review this book.

I received a free copy of The Little Shop of Found Things by Paula Brackston from NetGalley for my honest review.

Xanthe Westgate has a connection to objects. The objects sing to her and provide her with images and stories from the people who originally owned them. Xanthe moved to Marlbrough with her mom, Flora, to open an antique shop. There, she experiences her biggest connection ever with a specific object. She is trying to uncover it's secrets. In doing this she is going back and forth from the 17th
century to the present.

The characters in this book are so vividly written and you find yourself growing a connection with them. Her writing reminded me a lot of Alice Hoffman's with her magical context. I really enjoyed the historical aspects of this book as well.

If you enjoy time-travel and/or Outlander this book is right up your alley.

The premise of this novel is what sucked me in - Xanthe and her mother Flora are the new owners of an antique store in Marlborough. While on the hunt for new items for their shop Xanthe's gift of "hearing" the past in various objects shines on a new object but in a way that her gift hasn't worked before. Eventually she finds out the mission that she must take to save a woman in the past before it's too late.

Overall I thought this was an interesting novel and a fun take on time travel. There were a few bits that I felt dragged a bit too long. I also feel that the ending was a bit abrupt and I wish more of the loose threads were tied up. Still, it's a good read and quite engaging for those who like this kind of genre.

Such a lovely novel! Magical and entrancing. Must read for Outlander fans or anyone interested in the witchy or historical.

There were many elements in the description of this new novel by The Witch's Daughter author Paula Brackston that peaked my interest. A mother-daughter team, down on their luck, leave London for a fresh start and purchase an antique shop in the English countryside. Daughter Xanthe has a special magical gift. Certain objects that she comes in contact with will sing to her and reveal their history. A newly acquired silver chatelaine's past comes with a threatening ghost who insists she time-travel back into 1605 to save the life of her doomed daughter. Once there, Xanthe must blend into the household as a servant in attempt to solve the mysterious connection to the chantelaine, and then somehow, change history to save the girl, or she and her mother will die.

There is a nice combination of English history, magic and romance that help her on her journey. At times the pacing was slow and burdened with inner thoughts. Brackston is a skilled writer that would be better served with more showing and less telling in her prose. The characterization was bright, realistic and quite enjoyable.

The romance was slow to develop; the meet-cute of the heroine and her historical beaux does not happen until we are at the half-way point in the narrative. In addition, readers might see similarities to Diana Gabaldon's wildly popular time-travel novels in the Outlander series and want to compare them. Don't. That is too tall of an order to fill.

I can recommend this novel to those who like Alice Hoffman's Practical Magic series, the ultimate time-travel classic A Knight in Shinning Armor, by Jude Deveraux and to Anglophiles who would like to get lost in the English midlands, antiquing and finding romance.

The exciting thing about finding special items in a vintage shop is knowing that item has been around long before you found it and it has a past. We often must make up a past or imagine what travels the item has been on, but not so for Xanthe. She has a special gift that allows certain items to ‘speak’ to her. When she attends an estate sale with her mother, a silver chatelaine calls to her. While exploring the grounds of their new shop, she discovers a small shed like building towards the rear that fills her with the feeling of dread and despair. Crossing through the door, she is pulled into the past and witnesses the cries of a young girl being spirited away in a coach. Upon Xanthe’s return to the present, she is confronted by the ghost of Margaret Merton, mother to the young girl Xanthe has just seen. Margaret threatens Xanthe’s mother’s life if she doesn’t return to the past and help save her daughter. Carrying the chatelaine with her, she must go back to 1605 and figure out what led up to the arrest of Margaret’s daughter and discover a way to save her, to keep Margaret from harming her mother.
For fans of time travel fiction, this one even mixes in the theme of the ghost. Filled with adventure and romance, Brackston has managed to check many boxes in the fiction genre. I’m a huge fan of scouring vintage marketplaces for treasures and she even checked that box for me. This is a very satisfying book to escape into and I will gladly recommend it to teen readers as well as adult.
#LittleShopOfFoundThings #NetGalley

Xanthe has a special gift; she hears certain objects singing. What does this mean? It means that she can hear and feel the stories of the object's owner. Xanthe and her mother are starting a new life as owners of an antique shop. There is much to do before the grand opening and getting some antiques at a local auction is one of them. While browsing the items that will be auctioned, Xanthe hears an object singing; it a chatelaine. She must have it, even if it means that it will deplete their bank account.

The chatelaine comes with a very determined ghost. Xanthe soon finds herself forced to help a young maid in the 17th century accused of stealing pieces of the chatelaine which was owned by her employer. How can Xanthe help someone from the past? By going back in time. But time she does not have much of. To succeed in freeing Alice, she will need to act quickly. How will she do it? Who can help her along the way?

The Little Shop of Found Things by Paula Brackston is a light and lovely read. I love the language of the period and to read about how people lived in those times. The writing is beautiful and well-structured. The characters are well developed. This is the first book in this new series.

I want to thank NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for this beautifully written ARC. The Little Shop of Found Things by Paula Brackston will be available at your favourite bookstore on October 2, 2018.

Well written and interesting. Captured my interest very early on and I read it fairly quick. Always good when you find a good book you like.

I'll be honest. I requested this book, not just for it's description, but for it's pretty cover and charming title. I was so happy that my instincts were on target with this book. This novel has it all: a great story, suspense, romance, and tons of historical details. Once I started it, I could not put it down!

What I Liked:

Historical Details:

The author must have done extensive research because the historical details of daily life in the seventeenth century are impressive. Everything from what people wore, to how one asked to use the restroom ("Where is the necessary room?") are a part of the story. These authentic details are what make me feel like the characters are really in that time, and are one of the pleasures of reading historical fiction.

Characters:

I really liked the main character, Xanthe, who has seen her share of injustice. This helps her to identify so strongly with Alice who is wrongly accused of stealing back in the seventeenth century. In order to save her (and her own mother in modern times), Xanthe must use her ingenuity to solve the mystery of why Alice is accused, and what has become of the stolen items. Xanthe is both practical and impulsive, which I find endearing.

Xanthe's mother, Flora, also has many challenges. She is in the middle of a divorce, and is fighting to maintain her independence despite having a chronic illness. I loved Flora's determination and how she rooted for Xanthe.

In fact, the mother/daughter relationship in this book is one that I liked very much. There are very few depictions of healthy adult parent and child relationships in fiction. While Flora does depend on Xanthe's help, she never takes advantage of her daughter or guilts her into helping out. Their obvious mutual affection and respect are what I will strive for with my own children.

Time Travel:

Any book about time travel risks losing the reader due to it's implausibility. This book solves that by taking time to really map out the logic in this universe. How does this work? How can Xanthe realistically pull off going back in time without being found out (and risk being deemed a witch)? Won't people in her own time question where she has been? The author answers all these issues, and that keeps the reader in the story.

Story:

The novel itself is has several parallels between the story in the present day and in the past. In both, Xanthe is an outsider trying to make her way. Xanthe has been seriously ill-used by her modern-day boyfriend, and has trouble trusting men. She also must decide if she can trust Samuel in the past. Xanthe was wrongly accused of a crime in the present, and Alice faces the same thing in the past. Of course, the consequences of being branded a criminal in 1600 were far more severe than they are now. But the idea of losing control of one's own life to a nameless judicial system is the same.

Despite all the exposition, the story was fast-paced and I could not stop reading. I was constantly worried that Xanthe would be caught out in both time periods.

I also really appreciated that, even though this is the first book in a series, the story line was wrapped up in this book. It is one of my pet-peeves that series books stop mid-scene without any resolution to the main problem! Thankfully, this did not happen in this book.

Romance:

There are moments where I could not stop but to draw comparisons to the Outlander series by Diana Gabaldon. The romance between Xanthe and a man from the seventeenth century is believable and heart-wrenching. But I also wanted to know if there would possibly be some heat between Xanthe and a certain young man in the present. After such an epic romantic experience, will Xanthe be able to love anyone else? Is she destined to pine away for a man long dead? This may be answered in future novels, as I am happy to say that this is the first book in a series!

I really enjoyed this book. Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for an ARC to review. It took a couple of chapters to get into the story., but once I did I was hooked. Time-travel and mystery to solve kept me reading. I’ll definitely read more I’d Paula Brackston’s work.