Thank you to NetGalley and Vintage Anchor for the ARC! This was a delightfully unique book about a society of puzzle makers who had a baby dropped at their doorstep. We follow the story of Pippa, the crossword specialist of the group, and her creation of the Puzzle Makers as well as the story of Clayton, the baby who is all grown up and and is on a journey to find his birth parents. This is a feel-good novel filled with good people who want the best for each other. The puzzles sprinkled throughout were a welcome bonus! Keep your eyes out for this one when it comes out in April 2024.

This was a really interesting book for me and I very much enjoyed it. The plot and characters were all 10/10 and I can’t wait to read more by this author. Definitely recommend!

Can a man trying to find his birth mother while living with a group of eclectic actual puzzle (all different types) makers actually succeed? For Clayton, who was left on the doorstep (in a hatbox!) of the puzzle makers' abode, this becomes an all encompassing endeavor after the women who was his surrogate mother (along with help from the rest of the puzzelmakers) died. She left him a series of clues designed to thrust him into new experiences all the while meeting new people and forging new relationships that help him solve his very own puzzle.
An engaging storyline along with a variety of eccentric characters, all caring for Clayton in their own ways, does make for a read that warms the heart.

This was a fun book to read. It's too bad the Fellowship is fictional. I'd love to be a part of it or at least attend their fayres. The characters all seem like people I'd spending time with.

I enjoyed this story but have mixed feelings about it. Based off the synopsis, I was expecting to follow Clayton's journey in solving the puzzle to find his birth parents, but the main focus of the book seemed to be told in the POV of Pippa's past. I think I would have enjoyed this story more if it was told in the present POV. There were times were the story dragged and felt overly descriptive with scenery that distracted me and led to moments of boredom. The ending was endearing but very anticlimactic and emotionless. It was a good book just not what I expected.

Thank you to the author, Vintage Anchor, Doubleday and NetGalley for granting me digital access in exchange for my honest review!

My thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for letting me read snd review an advanced copy of this book.

This is a delightful story about Pippa, a crossword puzzle maker, who has a dream of putting together a group of people who create all kinds of different puzzles, and Clayton, left on a doorstep as a baby, who is basically adopted by Pippa and the fellowship, and needs to find out how he ended up there.

When Pippa forms the fellowship, who live together in an old hotel, she faces new challenges and struggles. When she dies, however, Clayton is left with Pippa’s final puzzle, a search for his birth story. Alternating between past and present, we read about struggles and triumphs, as a cast of quirky characters live out their dreams.

I liked the story, especially because I like jigsaw puzzles, a lot, and enjoy other types of puzzles, as well.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the chance to read this early for an honest review. The cast of characters in this book are so quirky and cozy! I want to join their fellowship of puzzle makers. I like Scrabble and word games, so maybe they’d have a place for me.

I guessed who Clayton’s birth parent was rather early on, but that didn’t detract from the story. Clayton was so sweet. I can relate to being an introvert and not wanting to get out there and experience things.

The structure of this story, with alternating chapters in the past with Pippa starting the fellowship and the now with Clayton solving his puzzle was an interesting way of presenting the story. It was good to see Pippa as a character and her perspective since she was so sick at the beginning.

I’d recommend this story for people who like puzzles (as quite a few and their history were described) and those that enjoy a cozy, quirky cast of characters (like Murder in the Building without there being any murder).

In a perfect world, this book would be out now, I would be able to talk openly about it, and we would share our love for it. But unfortunately, “The Fellowship of Puzzlemakers” by Samuel Burr, doesn´t come out until next year. Let me share my thoughts on it, so you can see why this is awful for all of us.

Clayton Stumper was left at the fellowship´s doorstep. Pippa, founder and president of The Fellowship of Puzzlemakers, after realizing this, decides to raise him as his own. Years later and after Pippa´s death, Clayton decides to find out who left him behind, and even from the grave, Pippa still helps him out with puzzles that made me stare at the ceiling in thought and had Clayton running around the entirety of London.

The book tells the story of both, Clayton´s journey finding out where he comes from, and hoe Pippa founded the fellowship and the story of it, through a dual point of view.

This book has a promising everything: cover, title, and premise. And the delivery is nothing short of amazing.

I had a fantastic time reading this. The main characters were not only interesting to read about, but they were likeable without being the same kind of person, and they both had me itching to know more about where their stories would lead. And more than anything, they both shared one characteristic; they were caretakers. They took care of everyone they met, and it made me care about each character that was mentioned, too.

I think it goes without saying that this book was a fun read, but I would like to say that it did make me sit in my bed and think about it for a while. Because more than puzzles, this book is about loneliness and love. Love of all kinds. It comes with a beautiful message: What you do and what you say matters. You will always have an impact on other people and is never too late to remember that.

The one thing that I think could’ve been done better, was that I really don´t think we got to see Clayton process the news at all. I would´ve liked to see more character development, specially from him.

Aside from that, I think the book ticks every box that could be mentioned.

Thanks to NetGalley for the Arc!

While I appreciated the central themes of this book (i.e. it's never to late to find your people/a place you belong and the importance of community) and the interactivity of the puzzles throughout, I feel as though the writing felt slightly distanced from both the plot and the characters. Clayton is the primary character giving us the present day-POV, while his adoptive mother, Pippa, is the past-POV. I truly think that more time should have been spent in the present day. While it was interesting seeing the creation of the Fellowship, at times it felt like it dragged. I would've appreciated more time in the present, letting Clayton gain a bit more agency as a character, or, if there had to be a POV set in the past, that it followed Clayton from his early years, so that both Clayton and the other members of the Fellowship would get more fleshed out as characters. As it is, I never really connected to any of the characters and the more emotional beats never quite hit in the way that I wanted them to. The ending as well felt rather anti-climactic and, given how much it was built up, something that didn't feel entirely earned.

I guess I just wanted something that showed more than told, while also inviting the reader into the Fellowship. I appreciate what it tried to do, but ultimately the book wasn't for me.

Puzzlers, this is your book! Clayton has grown up in the Fellowship of Puzzlemakers, where he was left as a baby. His mother, Pippa, was the president of the Fellowship, although Clayton has always felt as though he was truly raised by the group. After Pippa’s death, Clayton is ready to find out the truth of his parentage, and of course, Pippa left him an elaborate puzzle to help him uncover it all.

This book is at once heartwarming and logical, with puzzle embedded into the story. As Clayton is working to solve each puzzle, the reader has the chance to do so, as well. Clayton is said to be kind and bright, but perhaps doesn’t feel like the brightest or most interesting, and has not spent much time with peers his age. The writing is so delicate in creating a Clayton that is bashful, yet brazen when he needs to be that we cannot help but root for him. Told in alternative timelines, the story unravels bit by bit until at the last moment, we see the puzzle’s full picture come together, and of course, all of a sudden it makes sense.

Thank you to Vintage Anchor and NetGalley for this ARC!

This was a fabulous read! I enjoyed the story being told from two main point of views, Pippa and Clayton, while also viewing events in the past and present. In the present, 25 year old Clayton is tasked with finding out who his birth parents are upon the death of the woman who loved him and raised him as if he was her own upon her death. As Clayton follows various puzzle clues, he learns a lot about life, family, developing different types of relationships and connections. In between Clayton's solving puzzles and narration, is the lovely story of Pippa Allsbrook, with it's highs and lows, and how she developed and came up with the fabulous Fellowship of the Puzzlemakers, an interesting group of all kinds of individuals that are interested in creating and solving various types of puzzles. Initially, Pippa is the only female in the group, and it's Pippa who discovers a newborn Clayton in a hatbox literally at the Fellowship's doorstep. I thoroughly enjoyed this book and definitely recommend it

"The Fellowship of Puzzlemakers" by Samuel Burr is a heartwarming and whimsical novel that explores the power of friendship, belonging, and the unique bonds that connect people.

The story revolves around Clayton Stumper, a young man who has been raised by a group of eccentric enigmatologists at the Fellowship of Puzzlemakers since he was abandoned at birth. Clayton's life takes a significant turn when Pippa Allsbrook, a beloved crossword compiler and maternal figure in the commune, passes away. Before her death, Pippa leaves Clayton with a final puzzle: to uncover the mystery of his parentage and prepare for a life beyond the walls of the Fellowship.

What follows is a delightful and often humorous journey as Clayton sets out to unravel the secrets of his birth and discover his place in the world. Along the way, he forms unexpected friendships, faces challenges, and learns valuable life lessons. The novel beautifully portrays the theme of found family and the idea that sometimes the people we choose to surround ourselves with are just as important, if not more so, than our biological families.

Samuel Burr's writing is charming and filled with whimsy. He creates a vivid and endearing cast of characters, each with their quirks and idiosyncrasies. Clayton's growth and transformation throughout the story are heartening to witness, and readers will find themselves rooting for him at every turn.

At its core, "The Fellowship of Puzzlemakers" is a celebration of love, acceptance, and the joy of discovering where one truly belongs. It reminds us that family is not solely defined by blood but by the connections we forge with others who understand and appreciate us for who we are.

This novel is a delightful and uplifting read that will warm your heart and leave you with a smile. It's a testament to the enduring power of human connection and the sense of fulfillment that comes from finding your people, no matter your age. If you're in search of a feel-good story that celebrates the beauty of human relationships, this book is a wonderful choice.

I want this book for book club. It is such a fun quirky story. I loved it. I loved the characters. I wish the puzzle make group existed
So I could Join.

What a fabulous story. young adult Clayton is tasked with discovering where he actually came from following caretaker Pippa's death. As Clayton follows clues he learns a lot about life, family and connections.
Interspersed between the puzzles and narration is the story of Pippa Allsbrook and how she created the wonderful Fellowship of the Puzzlemakers, an interest group bringing together persons of all kinds interested in creating and solving puzzles. As the only woman at first, Pip is a fearless leader and it she who adopts Clayton when he is found abandoned in a hatbox. Fun to read- an absolute pleasure!
If you love a puzzle, a crossword or a cozy, this is a book for you! #TheFellowshipof Puzzlemakers #SamuelBurr #VintageAnchor