The Garden of Promises and Lies is book three in Paula Brackston’s Found Things Series. While you don’t have to read the first two books in the series, I highly recommend it!
Xanthe has an odd gift – she can hear objects “sing”. Most recently antique objects “sing” until she can solve a problem that they are connected too – in their own time. In The Garden of Promises and Lies, Xanthe is attracted to an antique wedding dress that later whisks her off to the early 19th century. The more Xanthe experiences time travel, the more adept she becomes at maneuvering through time to her advantage. She learns that she can travel back in time with a companion, and so, she sets off to 1815 with lovely Liam in tow. Together, they acclimate to the time, make friends and foes, thwart the evil-doer and bring calm back to the wedding dress and its bride. But wait, there’s still mysteries to solve and a big twist at the end of the novel ensures us that Brackston plans another sequel!
I have thoroughly enjoyed reading the Found Things Series. In my opinion, the author jumped the gun on a few issues in The Garden of Promises and Lies, but by the end, I was so engaged in the story that I forgot why I thought that.
Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for the opportunity read and review the ebook of The Garden of Promises and Lies.

Another really good book in the series. I enjoyed the past that Liam and Xanthe found themselves going to.
I like how she has learned more about what she’s able to do. Everything was wrapped up in a neat little bow until the very end. Now I have to wait a bit impatiently for the next one. Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the early copy

First of all, I just have to say OMG because I thought that this third book in Paula Brackston’s Found Things series was the final one. And, suddenly, there was a cliffhanger! I’m not sure if I’m extremely ecstatic that the series is continuing or extremely sad that I have to wait a longgg time for Xanthe’s story to come to an end. Usually as series go on, the books aren’t as good as the first, but not so with this series. Each book is as good or better than the one before. I definitely suggest reading the books in order. They don’t work as standalones, in my opinion.

Reasons I liked this book:

Time travel told in a unique way.

Antiques, specifically vintage clothes are a focus in book 3.

The blending of historical details with modern times.

Very steady and un-cheesy romance.

Book Quote: Quotes to be added upon book release

Rating: 5 stars

Similar books you might enjoy: The Rose Garden by Susannah Kearsley, The Phantom Tree by Nicola Cornick.

I received a e-copy of this book from the Netgalley/the publisher in exchange for my honest review.

#indigoemployee

I loved the plot for this book. Character development was well and the storyline was consistent and grasped my interest throughout the story.

Perhaps if I had read the first two books in this series the plots, subplots and diversions wouldn’t have seemed so scattered. The Little Shop of Found Things along with Xanthe, a Spinner all seemed like the start of a charming tale. As a stand alone book I found it to be disjointed and hard to follow.
Thank you NetGalley for the advanced copy to read and review, my thoughts are my own and unsolicited.
I would give this book 3 stars.

This book was an absolute delight to read. As are all Paula's other books. The storyline is very well written which allowed me to stay intrigued through out the entire book!!

We own the other two in this series so I will purchase this one. However, I was bored by it and did not finish it. The original concept was a good one, but the writing doesn't sustain it.

The Garden of Promise and Lies is the third book in a series and it can be read separately. Each book contains a story line of its own with a different pace and atmosphere.
In the third part of the adventures of the heroine, it is nice as a reader to spend time reading about cosy everyday life ( but still with some "incidents") in a typical English town. And then, all the action happens. The ending is not resolving at all the mysteries and one feels that it is only the beginning in fact of a long story. So, five stars for all the know how of Paula to make comfortable her readers into her worlds, today and in the past, this is a book impossible to put down, true escapism.
The historical details blends with the adventures and romance, and the suspens about the time travel strenghtens till the end. Now, in our trouble times, hopefully the next book will be published asp because the opportunities to get immersed in such a good story are much needed !

I absolutely loved the first two books in this series, but I really did not enjoy this one as much. The beginning was very slow with what seemed to be setup for the story but in retrospect was just filling pages. All of the detail about the items in the store, like the vintage clothing, and the visit from Flora’s friend just slogged along. I am still not sure what purpose the dog and visitor served except the brief involvement with the fire. I also found the immediate friendship Xanthe formed with Petronella to be a little unbelievable, or that Fairfax would simply hand Xanthe the astrolabe. Overall I feel this book was an entire prologue to the next book. But with all that said I still look forward to the next book just to find out what happens next. I was provided an ARC by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I absolutely love Paula Brackston books!!!
I love intelligently written books that aren’t dumbed down for readers - hers are definitely not!!
I’m always drawn in by the characters; whether villains or heroes they’re explained with a deft hand so you know enough about them to either boo and hiss or fall in love!!!
This book is like the others in that the plot revolves around found things - and I love the descriptions - you can almost feel the beads on a dress or the finely tatted laces, smell the coffee and taste the deliciously descriptive desserts.
You’re hooked in by the time stepping and follow along willingly with Xanthes’ travels, the places and buildings always so vividly imagined in prose - So much so YOU lose track of time, I couldn’t put “The Garden of Promises and Lies” down!!!!

Xanthe and her mother run an antiques business and it’s time for Xanthe to find some stock at an estate sale. While scouting out new finds for the shop is all a part of the business, but it can sometimes provide a challenge for Xanthe as some items tend to call to her, which means she will need to use her skills as a time spinner to travel back to the time the item is from. Up to now only one friend knows of Xanthe’s talent and travels, and she needs to share that with her Mother and her boyfriend Liam at some point.

When a wedding dress from the early 19th century calls to Xanthe at an estate sale she wins the item in bidding and prepares to answer the call. This time she won’t be facing her nemesis alone this time as Liam is joining her to travel back in time and answer the call. But can she provide the help the dress is calling to her for, take care of the evil Fairfax, and get herself and Liam home safely?

This is a great series that I have enjoyed from the get go. Paula Brackston has some other books that I have also enjoyed, but this series is my favorite of all of her works to date. I await and look forward to each new release with bated breath and always wish they were longer as I get lost in the period and story. You can’t go wrong with a book by Paula Brackston!

I received this ebook ARC from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

This story is the third in a series, and judging by the ending of this one, there are more to come. The story follows Xanthe, a young woman with abilities that allow her to 'follow' the song of objects into other times, essentially allowing her to follow the object into a time of need, giving her the chance to correct a wrong or fix a problem. She's part of a group of people, known as 'Spinners' who each have this ability, in some form.

I did not read the first two books in this series, which I believe is pretty important to the understanding of some of the relationships and background of who Xanthe is, and what Spinners are. I would recommend starting with The Little Shop of Found Things, and Secrets of the Chocolate House, before beginning this one.

I really enjoyed this read, although the beginning was a lot to take in and slow going, probably because I didn't know the background of the first two books, so other readers might not have that issue.
I found the relationship between Liam and Xanthe to be a bit confusing. It was laid out as though they were in an intimate relationship, and maybe she was questioning it, or that she was considering allowing their relationship to become more intimate. Either way, the plot has Xanthe and Liam pose as brother and sister and that felt so much more natural to their characters than the few mentions of lingering looks and the occasional comment Liam makes.
This is a very wholesome book and and although the character is not a teenager, I would say this is more of a YA novel, than a NA.
I'm giving 4 stars because once the background was laid out and details mentioned, it was an easy read that I looked forward to going back to it after each time I put it down. I could possibly give it a full 5 stars if I had read the first two books because maybe the beginning wouldn't have been as daunting and jam packed with info.

Author Paula Brackston has added the third in her series of Found Things with THE GARDEN OF PROMISES AND LIES in which we meet former villains and learn about new threats. While this tale can be read alone, it really is the third in the series and makes much more sense read after the other two. Brackston provides a minimum of review which is wonderful for those of us that have read the other two books. It’s always frustrating to waste precious pages in summary; yet it may not suffice for new readers. Xanthe, our heroine, hears antiques call to her and, in turn, finds herself able to travel in time to their previous owners. She has some grand adventures and mishaps, all in pursuit of righting some previous wrongs. This tale ends on a cliffhanger so we are promised another installment that cannot come too soon, in my opinion. This is an endearing series, part time travel, part historical fiction, part mystery with a small dash of romance. As with all of Brackston’s work, there is an air of witchiness that permeates in a most delightful way. I received my copy from the publisher through NetGalley.

I really like this series. The first two books were great. The idea that an object from the past that is linked to someone who needs help and then facilitate time travel is an original idea. Xanthe is a time spinner and can time travel. When traveling back in time, by accident, this time, she managed to take a dog with her and realizes she can take people with her. A wedding dress is singing to her for help. Her nemesis, Benedict Fairfax is causing her trouble at home and is threatening to do her harm if she doesn’t give him the book on Spinners. Xanthe discovers that he and the wedding dress are connected and she decides to take Liam with her back in time to steal the astrolabe and end Benedict’s time travel forever. This is a dangerous mission and she could be putting herself and Liam in serious jeopardy. I like this series but I will say that this one was my least favorite. I don’t like cliffhangers and this one ends with a doozy. If I like a series I will read the next book, period. I find cliffhangers underhanded. Although I like the writing style, at times word usage is a bit archaic. Using unusual words like caliginosity and petrichor are unnecessary when we have modern words that wok just as well. I liked this but I’m a bit miffed by the ending and will now have to wait another year or so to find out what happens next. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for giving me an ARC in exchange for a fair and honest review. All opinions expressed are my own.

I was waiting patiently until this book is being published. This is book number three in the series and I would recommend reading it as such, not that it can't be read alone.
Of course, the book is well written, and the storyline continues in such a descriptive way. Plenty of magic and fun included!.
The author is such a wonderful storyteller I cant wait until her next book!

When I requested this I didn't realize it was a series so off I went to get the audiobooks from the library! Although the first book didn't truly grasp my attention, the series gets better as it goes on and this book was hard to put down!

I am not usually one for historical fiction but what draws me to this series is the time-traveling. It adds that bit of fantasy I need and the author does a great job of mixing it into the plots of each book.

This book starts off where the second left off. It's a series that needs to be read in order otherwise the issues between Fairfax and Xanthe will not make sense.

Xanthe is still very brave in her endeavors and will do anything to make sure Fairfax doesn't gain the power he seeks. She definitely puts herself in harms way but luckily this time she has Liam to help out. I was a little hesitant about her and Liam but there relationship grows stronger as he learns more about her gift and wants to be there for her when she tries to help make things right in the past.

I really liked the plot for this one and it has been my favorite out of the three books. It is packed with action that kept me turning the pages (obviously digitally 😂). It was interesting to see how everything would play out with Fairfax and I do enjoy him as a villain. He reminds me of the boiler hat guy in Meet the Robinsons.

That ending though! Why do authors have to make such wild cliffhangers that I will need answers for! It's just not fair. 😢

Overall, I really enjoyed this one. If you are into Historical Fiction and like time-travel then this would be perfect for you! I will now wait impatiently for the next book and contemplate what will happen, ha.

I've really enjoyed Brackston's Witch books so requested this not realising it was book 3 in a series. IMO you can read it as a standalone but I know I missed things by not having read the first two - which I now intend to track down. This was refreshing. If that sounds like an odd compliment, let me explain that the book was engaging, intelligent, undemanding and gripping. There was a sweetness balanced by shadow. And the concept really worked for me.

This is great addition to an already great series. It’s extremely well written and tells a story so vibrant with detail and prose that you want to keep reading until the book is finished. I can’t wait for her next book. I highly recommend both this author and series for anyone looking for a good solid mystery!

I had been having a bad few days: washer quit, faucet leaking, and a sick cat. I decided to read for a while and try to regain my sanity. All I can say is "Thank you,Paula Brackston" This book hooked me from the very beginning. you. However, if you like strong heroines, flawed but gorgeous heroes, and witty dialogue....this is it! Thank you Netgalley.

Xanthe and her Shop of Found Things returns in time for Christmas. She’s been able to keep her identity as a Spinner and her ability to travel through time a secret, but she knows she must take responsibility for mistakenly transporting the very dangerous Benedict Fairfax to her own time. Using the Spinner’s book, Xanthe finds herself back in Regency England, even as Benedict plans havoc in Xanthe’s real time. You must read the first two books in this series, or you will be hopelessly lost. I like this series, but it doesn’t measure up to Brackston’s Witch books