Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for giving me free access to the advanced digital copy of this book.

The Frost Fair, by Natasha Hastings, follows 13-year-old Thomasina, whose twin brother, Arthur, died of an asthma attack in front of her four years previously. When a sorcerer named Inigo promises that he can bring her brother back to life if she only accompanies him to the magical nighttime Frost Fair four times, Thomasina readily agrees. As she makes her visits, however, Thomasina begins to realize that not all is as it seems at the Frost Fair, and, indeed, that something sinister is going on beneath the surface.

This is a lovely middle grade fantasy book set in 17th-century London and filled with all of the wintry magic one could possibly want. The atmosphere alone is enough to highly recommend it, but the characters and plot are amazing in their own right, all combining to make for a truly wonderful reading experience.

This is definitely a little darker than I would necessarily expect from a middle-grade book, both in the plot and the way in which it handles grief. As compared to other middle-grade books dealing with grief that I've read, this one really does not hesitate to show its adult characters completely falling apart, leaving their children forced to pick up the pieces. The plot and mystery itself is also a tad more horrifying than I would expect for this age group. I still really enjoyed it, but I would definitely only recommend it to more mature middle grade readers. I personally feel like I would have been fine reading this in middle school, but it's definitely something I would only recommend on a case-by-case basis.

Overall, The Frost Fair is a really exemplary middle-grade novel, and I would definitely recommend it for more mature middle-grade readers or for older readers looking for a whimsical, wintry fantasy adventure. I'm knocking off a star only because I'm unsure of its suitability for its target audience and thought it could have done with a bit better pacing, but it is otherwise an enthusiastic 4/5 stars.

Thanks to NetGalley and HarperCollins Children's Books for providing me with a free eARC in exchange for a fair and honest review!

Thanks to NetGalley and HarperCollins for the copy in exchange for an honest review. Sadly, I could not get past 20% of the book.

I think it was a combination of the writing, pacing, and flat characters that cinched it for me. It's a cool concept but the execution fell flat.

This was a really wonderful MG novel! I thought the characters were great, and the plot was excellent. And I love the cover! Overall, I would definitely recommend trying this book!

I received an e-ARC from the publisher.

I had such high hopes for this book because I love the concept of the Frost Fairs of London. The characters were not well developed. Instead of them forming friendships (as they were said to have done) it was more that they met up with each other randomly. The whole book I just felt like something (or somethings) was off...the main character was 13 but she's starting her own business. Her male merchant apprentice friend lives in a mansion (I could see a nice town house, but not the sprawling mansion described in the book for merchants...it would be more landed gentry) and is paying for carriages, wood for fires (shouldn't it have been coal?), food. I just feel like the time period historical aspect wasn't researched well and the "friends" were added in to give her the way to spin off more books in the series with them as main characters.

This had a great fairy tale element to the book, the writing was what I wanted from this type of book. I really felt for Thomasina, she felt like she belonged in the time period in this story. This book does what I wanted from the first book in a series, it created the universe magnificently and made me want to follow the characters in the next books in the series.

"She needed to know who was speaking. Thomasina scrabbled to unbolt the front door, alert for any sounds of Father thundering downstairs or of Mother crying herself awake. When she opened it, the cold blasted through her, knocking her knees together. No one was there. Only the empty street greeted her, the cobblestones iced and sparkling in the moonlight."

Thank you to NetGalley and HarperCollins Children’s Books for the opportunity to read an advanced reader's copy of this book for an honest review. (Publish Date: November 1, 2022)

“The Frost Fair” by Natasha Hastings had a heart wrenching beginning, fascinating middle, and a happy ending. The author kept me guessing throughout the story with vivid imagery and magical details sprinkled throughout.

Thomasina Burgess is a troubled character dealing with the heavy loss of her twin brother Arthur. Her father barely acknowledges her, and her mother is suffering from depression that’s so severe that she won’t speak or even leave her bed. Thomasina is doing her best to care for her mother while also taking over her duties – like running the household, cooking meals, and keeping everything tidy. If this doesn’t sound exhausting enough for a 13-year-old, Thomasina also has to make the sweets for the family business: Burgess & Son’s: Sweetmakers.

Just when things seem to be at an all-time low for Thomasina and her family, a magical stranger shows up and offers to grant her an impossible wish – to bring her brother back from the dead! There are rules she must follow for the wish to be granted, but Thomasina will do anything to bring her brother back to fix all the problems with her family and their business.

When everything seems too good to be true, Thomasina starts questioning the rules and things take an unexpectedly dark turn. Thankfully, with the help of new friends, Thomasina realizes her strength and makes some brave decisions to help save herself and her family.

I loved how this story took place in London during the winter of 1683. It was fascinating to learn how people lived turning that time – wildly different and yet familiar in many ways. I also loved how clever Anne and Thomasina were to create medicinal sweets to sell on the river!

Since this book was the first in The Miraculous Sweetmakers series, I’m hoping the next book will focus on Thomasina’s friend Anne – who was incredibly likeable and interesting. I'm eager to learn more about Anne and her background.

Overall, I would recommend this book to teens and adults who are looking for a magical wintery tale of historic fiction. I would not recommend this book to children due to some dark scenes, but it's a magical adventure worth discovering.

This was a fun read! I thoroughly enjoyed and look forward to sharing this with others! It took a minute to get into it, but once I was in, I couldn't stop reading. Very enjoyable.