This. Book. Was. So. Good.

I also need to mention that as someone who has experienced being in a shitty relationship similar to Ellie's I did experience anxiety at times, when she would justify her husband's abusive/controlling behavior ultimately leading to the pinnacle (which I will not spoil in this review).

However, I LOVE Dan. And all the other characters really. Really well done story! Will be looking out for more work by this author in the future!

🦀🦀🦀🦀 Charming! A lovely, somewhat predictable, achingly sweet, heartache of a story. This was an enjoyable read. Thanks to the publisher and to NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this title. #EllieAndTheHarpmaker #NetGalley

4.2 - unique, sweet story; great characters (both positive and negative); someone else used the term "lyrical" to describe - that's a perfect description

An absolutely heart breaker of a novel. Beautiful and haunting. Cannot wait to see what comes next from Prior.

What a lovely, charming book. I was pleasantly surprised by this novel about an unlikely friendship between a quirky, harpmaker and an unhappy housewife. I really enjoyed the writing. This novel is full of heart, humor and I loved it.

I requested this book as background reading as Berkley marketing (Fareeda) are promoting it on BookBrowse. Personally, I found it enjoyable. More importantly, it has been well received by our members who reviewed it for our early reader program, First Impressions, and in addition to the promotion activity, it is likely we will also feature it as an Editor's Choice editorial section.

Hazel Prior has a way with words!

I'm not usually one who enjoys great amounts of description in my books. I prefer lots of dialogue and action. Ellie and Dan, however, are the exception for me. I loved Dans thoughts and explanations; his very literal understanding of comments made to him by the very few people in his life.

I found myself thinking about the characters when I couldn't be reading the book. Hazel Prior's writing is as magical as harps and fairies and pheasants named Phineous!

Thanks to the author and publisher of #EllieAndTheHarpmaker and #NetGalley for allowing me to read this advance readers copy in return for an honest review.

Dan is living his dream, making harps. His life is uncomplicated and going smoothly until Ellie wanders into his barn. She is searching for something to bring some excitement into her life and decides she would like to learn to play the harp. This decision has an interesting effect on all concerned. An unusual and compelling story,

This was a sweet story, although I found the characters frustrating. Ellie lied to everyone about everything. Her husband was just an awful person, and I didn't understand her motivation for wanting to stay with him. Dan was a good character, although perhaps could have had more depth. His "backstory" was a bit unbelievable as well. In the end, I did enjoy the book, and it was a light enjoyable read, but I had seen it compared to A Man Called Ove and Eleanor Oliphant and but it did not come nearly to that level for me.

If you like romantic stories from authors such as Nicholas Sparks, you will love this book, which features a flighty poet and a neurodivergent hero who makes lots of sandwiches and is obsessed with creating unique Celtic harps. The narrative helps to foster deep connections between the reader and the characters. As a trigger warning, it does contain some domestic violence scenes, but it is overall a fairly pleasant read.

sounded better in the summary than execution, but i looved the writing and am eager for more from this writer

While the premise of the book sounded interesting and I was invested for the first half, the plot became predictable and I predicted what was going to happen long before it did. I'm also convinced that one of the main characters falls on the Autism spectrum, and I'm not sure that this was portrayed particularly accurately or with the proper sensitivities. It was a fine one-time read for me, and if I worked in a public library where contemporary fiction was popular, I'd consider this an optional buy.

This is a charming, upbeat novel that will appeal to a wide group of readers. The characters are lovable and you quickly root for them to grow and be successful..... and they do grow and change for the better.

Dan has a barn in Exmoor where he makes beautiful harps by hand. He is content being alone for hours on end. Then one day, Ellie happens upon his barn, and starts to chat with him about his harps, which she cannot believe he made himself. Taken aback, Dan gives a harp to Ellie, which she promptly returns, after being convinced by her family that Dan is expecting payment in exchange for it. They are already on the path to an odd friendship however, and continue to see each other, hoping for something more.

The story is interesting, but the writing doesn’t work for me. It’s a lot of explanations. A lot of “I did this... She did that...” kind of sentences. The story could’ve been good, if told by a different storyteller. I also didn’t really care for Ellie. She’s a bit weak and wishy washy, but her biggest crime is the way she talks down to Dan. All the sneaking around and trying to expose Rhoda’s lies, it just frustrated me more than entertained

Ellie and the Harp Maker by Hazel Prior is a sweet story about a woman and yes, a harp maker. I loved the authors writing style and wanted to walk right into the book, into the barn where the harps are made.

This isn’t full of thrills and suspense but its a beautifully written story. Dan is just a simple harp maker (I think he is on the autism spectrum though the author doesn’t address this) who doesn’t desire money for his harps, rather he is content to give them to people for pure enjoyment. Ellie is tired of her controlling husband and after stumbling upon Dan and his harps, begins to take an interest in learning to play the harp. She might be interested in Dan too… Both Dan and Ellie are different in their own ways but they connect over music.

I really enjoyed the author’s descriptions of the town of Exmoor!

In the rolling hills of beautiful Exmoor, there’s a barn. And in that barn, you’ll find Dan. He’s a maker of exquisite harps – but not a great maker of conversation. He’s content in his own company, quietly working and away from social situations that he doesn’t always get right.

But one day, a cherry-socked woman stumbles across his barn and the conversation flows a little more easily than usual. She says her name’s Ellie, a housewife, alone, out on her daily walk and, though she doesn’t say this, she looks sad. He wants to make her feel better, so he gives her one of his harps, made of cherry wood.

And before they know it, this simple act of kindness puts them on the path to friendship, big secrets, pet pheasants and, most importantly, true love.



Due out May 2.

Ellie and the Harpmaker is a unique love story, full of whimsy and heart. Ellie, who is lacking direction and fulfillment in her life, stumbles across a barn down a lane near where she lives. There she is amazed by the array of beautiful harps created by a master artist. Dan, who creates these wonderful instruments, knows each harp’s unique personality and characteristics. He impulsively gives one to Ellie, which sets her on a path to discover the beauty of harp music and reverence for the instrument. Soon Ellie is enchanted by the harp and the pull she feels towards the harp, the barn, and even Dan, changes her life - and Dan’s.

#EllieAndTheHarpmaker #NetGalley

Lovely story about art, friendship and life struggles. An artistically curious woman serendipitously meets a harp maker and a magically woven relationship prevails.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for giving me an advance copy of this book. I truly enjoyed Ellie and the Harpmaker and did not want to put it down. It’s a beautifully written book. Dan makes beautiful wooden harps. He meets Ellie and this book is about their story. I loved it!

OMG I loved this book! Probably one of my favorites this year. The writing is flawless, and the story so ful of heart and charm and magic!

I'll review it fully closer to the release date on my blog.