I was so excited to read this book and I wasn't disappointed. This is brand new take on time travel books. The description of the settings, artifacts, clothing and even the time travel were so captivating, that the author must had done a massive amount of research for this book. I found Xanthe, who is the main character, to be a wonderful and very real heroine. The rest of the characters were just as interesting and had such depth that by the time I was done with the book I found that quite a few felt like friends. This is one of those books that is so well written you "see" it playing in your mind as you're reading. There is romance, some suspense and a few twists. Toss in time travel and some great characters and the book is definitely a winner. This is the first time in a very long time that I have been excited by the thought of a series and I can't wait for the next installment!

This book tells the story of a woman who is pulled back in time and helps save another woman's life. Overall, I found it interesting. I enjoyed the characters, and I am always a big fan of historical fiction. If you like history, and do not mind paranormal elements you will probably enjoy this book.

From the author of the The Witch’s Daughter comes a brand new time bending adventure story that will make you never look at antiques in the same way again.

Without giving away any spoilers, this story follows a Mother & Daughter duo as they attempt to rebuild their lives in rural England by opening up an antique shop. What follows is a magical silver piece with a sordid past , a violent ghost, ley lines, a good old-fashioned love story, English politics, and proper English gentleman.
The author’s use of descriptive language to evoke a charming English village and its previous centuries old history, not only transports the main character, but also transports the reader to another time and place.

The strong relationship between the main character Xanthe and her Mother Flora was a nice added break from stories about estranged parents and dysfunctional families. It’s what kept the reader anchored to the present but also floating to the 17th century sub plot as well. It is their mutual love that drives the story forward like an old-fashioned carriage, a little bumpy, but reliable nonetheless.

The supernatural aspect of the story was tasteful and effective as were the bits of romance. Readers will appreciate the female characters who were each strong in their own ways appropriate to their statuses. The main character Xanthe is a heroine, with her mud-stained cheesecloth rags she rescues an innocent young girl from her terrible fate, and in doing so, rescues a part of herself that she lost after enduring her own terrible fate prior to moving to Marlborough.

We see how this charming English village of Marlborough evolved into a more modern version of itself but still retained the same type of personalities even after hundreds of years. This made the story more believable, as the past and present are always interacting with each other and it is those long forgotten items and discarded antiques that are some of the greatest witnesses of history. If we started treating them as such, as opposed to a price tag, we would develop a greater appreciation for the present.

Be careful not to hold onto this book too tightly, for you might find yourself transported to 17th century England…oh and if you do, a minstrel is always a good disguise.

Rounding up to a four; reality is a 3.5.
Funny thing... I own all of Brackston's "witch" books, but haven't read any of them yet. When this review copy came available, I decided to request it, as I was sure I'd enjoy it. It started and ended strong, in my opinion, but the middle lagged. It felt as though the description of the 17th century portion of the story was bogged down in repetitive detail - and the people, one in particular, were not as fleshed out as I would have liked.

Despite my criticism, still an entertaining read, and good concept.

This is a wonderful story with a little bit of everything thrown in.
It left me wanting more, which is no bad thing.

In the spirit of complete transparency, I did put this book on my THE list. !y only issue with the book was that it was a cross between Garden Spells and 11/23/63.

I was hoping for a sweet magical book ~ something in the vein of Sarah Addison Allen and I didn't get that i got time travel and some magic and the book just didn't work for me

I'm really sad because I was in the mood for a sweet, magical story ~ this did not hit th mark for me.

I would like to thank Net Galley and the Publisher for the Advanced Readrs Copy in exchange for an honest review.

I'm so excited about this new series from Paula Brackston. I mean, the cover alone is enough to make you want to visit...
Xanthe (don't you just love that name?!?) and her mother are looking for a fresh start. Both of them are trying to move on, and the charming little town of Marlborough seems like just the place to do that. They're ready to make their dream of owning an antique shop a reality.
It's while they're looking for merchandise that Xanthe comes across an ancient chatelaine (I had to look this one up) that she just has to have. You see, it speaks to her. Xanthe has an intense connection to certain antiques. And this chatelaine speaks to her loudly. In the form of a ghost. She finds herself transported back to the seventeenth century. There's a mystery to be solved, and that ghost won't let her have any peace until it's done.
This is such a promising start to a new series. It's historical and mysterious and suspenseful and magical all at the same time. The author has a true gift for these kinds of stories. I can't wait for the next one!

Flora and Xanthe have pooled their resources to buy an old antique shop in Marlborough, in the south of England. Flora suffers with chronic pain from her arthritis and has to walk with sticks to get around, Xanthe is very aware of her suffering and wishes to ease her through it. Despite having just arrived and moved their boxes into the small space above the shop, Flora still wants to go to the next 'sale' at a nearby old hall and persuades Xanthe that this is just what they need.

While at the sale, Xanthe is drawn to an object in one of the glass cases used to display valuable items and is given the funds that Flora has kept safe for new purchases, in order to buy the item. Flora knows that when Xanthe wants an item, she just has to have it, so does not make a fuss about the amount that gets spent on the item.

It is when Xanthe gets the item home that the fun and games start! Particularly as there is a very interested party in the guise of a ghost, that wishes Xanthe to engage with the item and save their child from terrible circumstances. And Xanthe is thrust into the seventeenth century, where she has to learn new ways very quickly in order to survive and save both herself and the innocent girl.

The descriptions of the transport between times is exceptionally good, giving a feel for the trauma experienced by Xanthe as she passed the centuries. And the shock on transition the first time, the realisation of the reality of the experience, evidenced by the changes in her clothing, is so well described.

I am sure that there will be a follow up to this book, if it is as well written as this one, it should be a fine piece of work as well. I look forward to reading it.

Paula Brackston has produced an intriguing time slip mystery here, which is not exactly what I was expecting. The story is interesting and somewhat unusual. I cannot recall many other time slip story where the person from the present is forced into the past by a ghost as menacing as Mistress Merton. The characters are appealing, and the relationship between Xanthe and her Mum is heartwarming. I thought the whole drug back story was a little odd, but it didn’t detract from the story. All in all, this book provides a pleasant escape for a couple hours.

Just a fun, fast read that is also the first of a new series, yeh! Xanthe has a connection to objects and in the antique business that can be a problem when a ghost discovers her gift. Traveling back to 1605 to save the a relative of the ghost when said ghost threatens Xanthe's mother, complications of course insue. Mixing romance, mystery and time travel with interesting characters is always a good combination and this book does not disappoint. Looking forward to the next book in this series.

Easy holiday read with pacy writing and atmospheric environment. I enjoyed the historical details but found the ghost 'villain' somewhat cartoonish and the plot premise a bit clunky.

Paula Brackston's witches have a new sister: Xanthe Westlake. Her story begins in modern-day England, where she and Flora, her mother, are about to re-open their antique shop in a charming town bustling with appreciation for the old and the beautiful.

Xanthe's magic is very specific. She can not cast spells or create potions. She can, however, when the circumstances are right, hear the songs of objects, almost as if they are beings are reaching out to her in song. A singer herself, she is as sensitive and open to these songs as she is to the songs of Old England that she sings. She knows that historic Marlborough is probably rich in stories and songs, but she does not know that it is about to involve her and her mother in the dangerous demands of a desperate ghost.

As the story begins, Xanthe and Flora attend an auction at Great Chalfield Manor, hoping to replenish the stock for their new store. Xanthe is drawn to a glass case that holds a silver chatelaine, which sings and calls and almost insists to be held and purchased. The chatelaine's chains hold a button hook, a scent bottle, and a notebook; its other chains hang empty. Flora approves of the purchase, despite the chunk of their meager budget that it requires.

Although this is a cozy novel, rooted as it is in a picturesque town, it is not a murder mystery. Instead, genres blend into the realm of ghost story and time-travelling adventure-romance. The chatelaine is connected to a miscarriage of justice in the Manor: an imprisoned young girl is about to be put to death for the supposed theft of objects from the silver chatelaine. The girl's mother is the desperate ghost who impels Xanthe to set things right or risk harm to Flora. A round outbuilding, once a jail, proves to be a portal at the intersection of ley lines. Xanthe's sympathy with the girl is tied to an injust imprisonment she once endured, but she undertakes the quest more out of love for - and fear for - her mother.

How will a thoroughly modern woman survive in the dangerous and unsettled world of the early 17th century? By her wits, by dips into the timestream, and by the songs that define a true minstrel of any age. The dangers are real, past and present - so is love.

Readers will delight in the charming present, where the women are welcomed and befriended by characters who will doubtless recur in future installments of this new series. They will also be drawn to the people of 1605, both the nobility, and those who serve in situations rarely illuminated with such detail and sensitivity.

Not only do I look forward to meeting Xanthe again, but I also hope the author will create a Spotify list to let the reader be immersed in the songs of present and past. Thanks to NetGalley for providing an ARC of this book.

A lush, magical journey that only Paula Brackston can take a reader on. For fear of spoilers, I would highly recommend to anyone that has enjoyed her other novels, as well as fans of Alice Hoffman,

3/5 stars for the fantastic writing and somewhat original story line. I should have known better than to fall for the publisher's advertising gimmick comparing this novel to Outlander and probably would have rated it higher if I didn't have that expectation from the get-go. This book is to Outlander as lean boiled chicken is to spicy Thai food.

The Little Shop of Found Things does feature time travel, in that the main character, Xanthe has a magical ability to sense the past when she touches antique items. The book starts off when she and her mother move from the city to English countryside to open their own antique shop. It is there that Xanthe comes across an item more powerful than any others before. It also comes attached to a rather nasty ghost who blackmails Xanthe into using the antique to travel back in time to the 1600s and try to save her daughter from capital punishment.

Fans of historical fiction focused on English country life in the seventeenth century will probably really enjoy this cute story. Readers who are searching for a new Outlander while waiting for Diana Gabaldon to finish the next in series are likely to be disappointed by the flowery writing style, overall bland characters, and a weak romance.

Paula Brackston is one of my favorite authors and I read this book in two days! I loved the main character with her very cool supernatural ability, and funky antique store her and her mom were opening. The historical details were wonderful and truly took you back in time. The romantic subplot was a little disappointing, and I felt let down by the ending.

Wonderfully descriptive with just the right mixture of mystery. The Witch's Daughter author Paula Brackston takes magical realism one step further with this new time travel tale.

Y’all, I know I wrote a review yesterday, but I was so engrossed by this book that I read it in one sitting, and I just have to share my excitement!

My excitement actually started when this book was announced. Paula Brackston is one of my favorite writers. Probably top three. Her books are a little niche-ey, but they are right up my niche.

Fear not, dear reader, this book breaks out of the niche and into full out universal appeal!

It has a lot going for it–time travel, true love, historical richness.

Xanthe, our protagonist, has grit, determination, and a tender heart that pushes her to do extraordinary things. She is at times hapless, but that made me root for her even more.

This is a love story, but not just one of romantic love. Love is woven into all parts of this book; there is the familial love that Xanthe has for her mother, Flora. The love that is shown by the cast of characters that welcome them into their little village, and the love that pushes Xanthe to fight for justice in a world 400 years in the past.

Brackston is a great story teller and one of her strengths is world building, but in an understated way. The magic is subtle and the descriptions of time and setting place you into the fantastical nature of the story seamlessly.

I especially recommend this book to those of you who like historical romance. Samuel Appleby, the architect Xanthe meets in her travel back to 1605, reminds me vaguely of Mr. Darcy, and what woman can resist that?

I’m very thankful to Thomas Dunne Books for providing me with an ARC for this title. The publish date is a little far out (October 2nd), but I wanted to get my review up here and on Goodreads as soon as possible, so as to get the good word out.

This a hands down 5/5 for me and I hope is for you, too!

Brackston, Author of the beloved Witch series turns to time travel in her newest book. Xanthe and her mother take over a charming little antiques store in Marlborough, England. Xanthe has a special affinity for old things, she can tell who they belonged to and where they’ve been. When she picks up a seventeenth century chatelaine, she’s transported back to 1605, where she meets a ghost who demands that Xanthe fix a wrong that was done 500 years earlier. If she can’t put right the wrong, Xanthe will die. Bloodshed, tyranny, treachery and love await Xanthe in the past, a place she may decide she doesn’t want to leave.

This is the first book I have read by Paula Brackston, but it definitely will not be my last. The Little Shop of Found Things is an engrossing, cozy mystery. What makes it unique is that traveling through time is an essential element of the plot. There is a touch of romance in the story, but that is secondary to the main storyline which involves the main character, Xanthe Woodlake, and her attempts to save the life of a young servant girl. At the end of the book, the mystery has been resolved and the reader is left to hope that she has not heard the last from Xanthe.