The House of Frank is a story that will break your heart but also heal and rebuild it. The story follows Saika, who finds herself at Ash Gardens after spending some time grieving the loss of her sister. Her sisters wish was to be buried at Ash Gardens, but Saika is still grieving and is struggling following through her sister's wishes. Frank, the owner of the house, offers Saika a job in the meantime. Little does Saika know, that she's not the old one harboring a secret.

This story goes over grief and love in the best ways. I struggled on the public transportation while reading this, being on the verge of tears with every page. The characters are all so special and have really great backstories. This is definitely a book i plan on buying for myself, and maybe as a gift for someone who might need it.

Thank you to NetGalley and Bindery Books for the ARC of House of Frank! I am always happy to support new authors and I was so excited to read this, as it is being published by one of my favorite influencers. It did not disappoint!! It was such an emotional journey. I cried several times, and don't even get me started on the epilogue. I really fell in love with so many of the characters. I especially loved Phil, and to give so much personality to a ghost who doesn't talk is pretty astounding. It does give "Under the Whispering Door" vibes, but the story feels new and fresh. It does have some flaws, but overall I immensely enjoyed this story. 4.25/5 stars

What a heartwarming and lovely book. This book gave me all the feels and felt like coming home to a nice warm hug. The pacing in this was perfect and the characters were all so wonderful. I don’t know if cozy fantasy is a genre but that’s what it felt like to me. I really enjoyed it!

Thank you Bindery books and NetGalley for providing me with an advance copy in exchange for my honest review.

The House of Frank was an unexpectedly poignant and beautiful promenade through the process of grief, love, healing and support. The prose was so heartfelt and touching that it made this book incredibly easy to read and a delight to enjoy. I thought the book was extremely well-written and that the pacing was excellent. I loved the multiple journeys of healing, the growth of the characters and the found family moments. I also loved that the topic of death and grief did not feel overwhelming or heavy. Synclaire did a fantastic job of making the story feel accessible and for me, completely relatable. I've seen others calling this a cozy fantasy and while I agree the vibes are low-key, this book felt like more than what that genre has given me in the past. I guess wherever this book becomes categorized, at it's core, it was warm and kind and full of relationships that are representative of real people and real dynamics, not always perfect, not always present, but always there..

I picked this one up because I'm a fan of TJ Klune and I thought this might hit the same blend of cozy fantasy and emotional resonance.

Synclaire's magic is the strong element of this book. It's cozy fantasy with unique elements. I enjoyed the system and the relationship to the stars, etc. There is enough to set her magic apart from others without it being boring or overly familiar. The central premise, that the ashes of the dead can be planted in a magical arboretum and grow trees, is truly brilliant. I loved that idea.

Unfortunately, the book was disappointing in terms of emotional resonance and character development. The characters are very surface level and most are limited to a few identifiable traits. At no point was I really invested in the relationships because we don't see those develop and deepen in a believable way, particularly the romance.

Saika, the protagonist, is the worst culprit of this. This character seems to be serving a function in a scene rather than actively participating. She goes from insulting to caring, controlling to cooperative, without any rhyme or reason. She is completely lacking in self-awareness and does not earn her place in this "found family." She says and does harsh things to the other characters, especially Frank, without having a single moment of "this isn't my place" or remorse. Her place among the others is not earned, and as a result I was irritated by her. Her Music witchery doesn't seem to serve much of a function, since she actually (gasp!) can play an instrument without magic. At the same time, she's snide about witches who didn't declare formal elevated study - but we never get to learn why she has this bias. There are a lot of things about Saika which are contradictory, nonsensical, and which we never really get to understand.

The romance arc falls prey to this as well. It is obvious from Saika and Oli's first encounter that they will be romantically entangled, yet by the end of the book I was still question why. Besides their banter (at times well-done) I couldn't see any justification for why they were together. It seemed that the book needed a romance, and so Synclaire fit one in. I was not rooting for them not did I feel any romantic tension. Oli is arguably the strongest character in this book with a far more compelling story than Saika's, but I absolutely don't understand their connection. She just falls in love with her for... reasons?

The central theme of the book is grief, and Synclaire delves into this through every character, particularly Saika. I found this element to be executed fairly well, though the grief backgrounds of the other characters were rudimentary at best and often given in info-dumping dialogue.

Ah, the dialogue. I truly did not enjoy it. At times preachy and overly sentimental, and generally stilted and unnatural sounding, it was just not my cup of tea. With the exception of Oli and Morose, the dialogue does very little to illuminate the characters and help them feel real. I think it was a missed opportunity.

This was a miss for me, but I'm certain others will enjoy it.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

This was a lovely and deeply emotional book that was primarily about all the different ways that grief affects us, and the lengths we would go to get just one more day with a loved one who has passed on. I cried many times while reading this, and if you are interested in books about death/grief then I would recommend this! It is quite unique to anything I have ever read before, especially due to the the fantasy aspect. However, if you are expecting a complex fantasy with a developed history and magic system, etc. then this might not be for you.

The characters in this book are a lovable found family of fantasy creatures who are each dealing with their own grief process. They gave me the warm fuzzies, similar to how Becky Chambers' books do, so if you are a fan of her characters, then you would probably love this too! There was also so much queerness in this book, though I liked that it was not the focus of any character or their trauma, and rather just a small piece of the story for each of them.

I think I only found that Saika was a little unrealistic/chaotic at times, from helping to the point of self-destruction, to her sporadic headstrong behavior, to her too-fast-for-me-personally romance. I couldn't get really deep into her story because of that, although I still liked her and really felt the strength of the connection she has with her sister. Overall would recommend this very touching and deeply emotional book, especially if you have recently lost someone and/or have trouble letting go of people.

I enjoyed the found family aspect as well as the magic in this story. Yes, some parts were very depressing but overall it was amazing.

CW: Grief, Suicidal Thoughts, Dementia, Death, Mentions of Past Child Death, Mentions of Past Suicide


3.5 / 5 Stars


This is a book about grief and learning to move on. It's also attempting to be a book about found family, but it's kind of not really succeding on that front, but more on that in a second.

Because the parts where we focused on the loss stuff was done greatly. I have seen people hint at spoiler stuff, so I might do the same as well. It's just hard to talk about some of the things that went down without mentioning Death. Cause Death, is very important for this story, and the consequences of getting touched by Death are too. You might have noticed that I made the effort to spell this a certain way. You might make assumptions based on that. And those assumptions might be very right. The unclusion of death is what makes this book very strong, but the inclusion of Death is also what makes some stuff not so great. Because you'd assume that Death doesn't discriminate, right? Death doesn't care who you are or how much life you've still got to life. He comes and he takes, because that's just how life is, no feeings involved. Death wouldn't gain anything from seeing you suffer, nor would Death gain anything from destroying your home. Why should he? No really??? What would that do? What exactly were we tryin to say, if something like that were to happen in our story? It makes for good stakes. Sure. But if it's just meant as symbolism, to show how deep people will fall in their grief, how intense loss can affect someone, then I'd say it kind of misses the mark a tiny bit. So let's ignore Death and focuss on the emotional aspect of things.
Because everyone in the House of Frank has felt death and loss and pain. It would make for a great found family. Trauma bonding. But some people, like our mute ghost don't get allowed to communicate at all and others are kind of forgotten until the plot recalls their existence. While I didn't mind the sapphic romance, it also asked for a lot of attention and focus, so the rest of the cast got even less page time, resulting in an ending that kind of fits, really. Cause that's what happens when you get so caught up in your own grief, that you forget that other people suffer too. Loss is hard and I love the way it hunts our MC still, even after all this time. It makes her journey exciting to watch. And the conclusiion of her arc a good one. That being said, if the only person you can think of while grieving is yourself, you might miss out on the people in the here and now who are still there and need you, too.

Final Thoughts:
I did like the book overall, I really did. There's just stuff I wished it had done better.

This is going to be a book that stays with me for a long time. House of Frank is billed as a cozy fantasy, and that is true, but it is mainly a beautiful book written about grief and the variety of ways that people experience it.

It is set in a beautiful, fantasy world and follows a witch dealing with the grief of losing her sister. She finds community in the staff of Ash Gardens, a place to plant a loved ones' cremated remains. At Ash Gardens she meets a witch sea captain, a ghost, a cherubs, a loving beast, and a cantankerous elf.

I had a hard time putting this book down. It is very queer, and a safe space to those who need one, The world/character building was so delightful, but the story itself was a love letter to anyone who is grieving. This is a book that you need to be in the right place to read. It is heartbreaking and deals with every type of loss, but it also gives you the space and safety to grieve.

HUGE thank you to Kay Synclaire, NetGalley, and Bindery Books for the chance to read and review. My thoughts and opinions are my own.

I really struggled with the writing style for this book. The second person passages felt clunky to me and it was hard to switch between the second person and then first person present. I usually have a hard time with first person present tense so it's definitely a me as a reader problem and not the book.

Cosy Fantasy
Magic
Found Family
LGBTQ

Reading this book feels like the warmest embrace.

It is a beautiful love story about a witch who loved her sister so much that she gave her power and her youth just to have more time with her before death finally claimed her.
It’s about learning to deal with grief with the help of her new found family who are all dealing with the same pain. Learning to say good bye to the ones you love dearly in your life and to help others say good bye to their loved ones in the best possible way.

Saika’s sister’s last dying wish is to have her ashes planted in Ash Gardens. Saika however has trouble letting go and in her time at Ash Gardens she finds love again in her new found family, all of them going through similar heartache.

If you enjoy cosy fantasy then this is a beautiful book for you.
My heart is warmed and I would read this book again and again.



I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts are my own.
A huge thank you to Netgalley and Bindery Books for this e-arc.

cozy fantasy at its prime but filled with grief....... i loved it. if you're looking for a book that peers into your soul and reveals fears about losing loved ones, and then hugs you and tells you things will be okay... this is it.
i loved all of the characters and the found family aspect saika discovers in them. i'd honestly die (HA) to be a part of it.

Themis cozy whimsical fantasy was so beautifully written. Do you have characters such as witches, cherubs, fairies, monsters in cardigans, ghosts and more who are all in various stages of their grief journey. They’re helping each other navigate through that journey and for anyone who’s ever been on that grief journey, this is a must read. I lost my best friend five years ago, and this helped me feel very understood in my journey.

It's 1am and I am bawling me eyes out over a book. This book reminded me a lot of one of my favourite books of all time (Under the whispering door- TJ Klune) in that it dealt so beautifly with the concepts of grief and loss, as well as friendship, love and life. It's a comforting book that at the same time will completely tear you to shreds, but in an almost cathartic way.

The characters and found family in this book was honestly just so lovely, Each and every character was funny and enjoyable to read about while also being complex and having floors.

This book does cover some very painful topics, but it does so in a beautiful way while holding your hand through the whole journey.

“And I fear I still haven’t let her go.”

“Why should you?” He lifts a gentle brow. “She was a major part of you. Letting go of her would mean letting go of a piece of yourself.”

Cozy fantasy at its core, House of Frank is a book with such lovely depths. Centering around grief and shame, it had the potential to be a completely depressing book… but the earnestness of the characters, the whimsy of this magical place, and the beauty of the found family kept it from becoming so.

The protagonist and the diverse side characters felt relatable, and their reasons for coming together were heartbreaking. I would have loved a bit more to their backstories, because I truly grew to care for each of them. The house and arboretum felt like the perfect blend of solemn and whimsical, the ideal place to lay a loved one to rest after the worst has happened.

Having been dealing with grief on a huge scale this year, this book really spoke to me on how we view and handle death. There was at least one section where I cried out of sadness and a few others where I had tears when it felt like the characters were consoling me.

Some other topics dealt with included finding and accepting one’s true self, treatment of sentient creatures, vulnerability, trusting others with our whole selves, and the lengths we’d go for those we love.

This was a wonderful debut from Kay Synclaire, and I can’t wait to read future books from this author!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this eARC!

This book is a warm hug and a genuinely moving story of grief in its many many forms. I struggled initially with the use of second person writing, as it’s not my favorite POV to read, but genuinely grew to like it’s utilization alongside first person to showcase Saika’s processing of her own grief.

There were some elements of miscommunication between members of the house that felt inconsistent with their dynamics and relationships. The biggest being the mistreatment of a dragon left behind by Frank’s late wife. It seems like someone in the house, least of all her husband, would know how to care for her most beloved creature. I also felt at times characters revealed depths of their grief to support Saika’s own processing, but were never given the opportunity within the novel to have it addressed again.

That being said, I did deeply enjoy this book, its queer representation, and its exploration of grief.

Finished reading House of Frank by Kay Synclaire. I've seen @ezeekat talk about it and when I saw it pop up on NetGalley I thought I'd apply. I didn't really think I'd get it and, honestly, I did no research into the book, past thinking 'oh pretty cover.' Now here I lay with my eyes red and a headache pounding, on the other side. I haven't cried this much since I watched Up.
Reading the blurb, after the fact, I realize the signs were all there that this was a book about grief, but I just blissfully ignored them and proceeded to plunge into a book where I cried almost from page one. Maybe it's just me. Maybe other people will think it's a nice, sweet, cozy fantasy. It is! But it could also wring all the moisture from your body.
It was a great story, well written, and filled with lovely characters, but be forewarned, have a lot of tissues and water on hand. Just in case.
The House of Frank doesn't come out until, I believe, October 15th. So be on the lookout.

I found this a little too heavy personally to finish right now, but look forward to returning to it when it is released in the fall.

Thank you to Netgalley and Bindery Books for the arc. I have to start off by saying I have loved every book I have read from Bindery Books and this book is no exception.

This book is cozy, heart warming and a beautiful representation of found family during grief. I really enjoyed reading this on the cozy days I have been spending with my son curled up in our rocking chair.

I loved the characters, especially the dynamic of the cherub brothers. Every character felt detailed and memorable. The representation was wonderful, I loved the chemistry between Oli & Saika. Phil had my heart. This book definitely had me in my feelings for multiple characters and how they each represented different ways of grieving. Saika’s connection to her sister was beautiful and reminded me of the love I have for my own.

This book at its root was an amazing exploration of grief, I usually do not read books that touch on the subject but I felt this book did a wonderful job at it. It felt like a hug, like your loved one tucking you into bed and telling you that everything would be okay. That our loved ones live on within us and different ways we can keep them in our thoughts and hearts.

I will be recommending this to any of my friends wanting a cozy winter read, queer representation, found family fantasy novel with witches, monsters and creatures alike.

If you're looking for a cozy read, that's a little fantastical and full of found family, this is a good fit. While the pacing was a little quick at some times and a little slow at others, overall it was an entertaining read.