4 stars

This is an interesting mix of cozy fantasy and one that takes on the subject of grief. There is an odd cast of characters that are a bit flawed that makes this story stand out. A large portion is told like the main character is talking to her sister. There is a part that really annoyed me with how the rest of the house were (mis)treating a dragon. Besides this a pretty solid read. If you like cozy fantasy and found family you should try this book.

Thank you to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for an advanced copy to form opinions from.

I’ve given this 3 stars but it’s more like a 3.5 or just below 4. Fans of TJ Klune will gobble this up as it has everything a cosy fantasy low-stakes romance could ask for. Readers should know it focuses heavily on bereavement though, and this is the central theme throughout. For me (and this is just personal preference), it takes up a little too much of the plot, and I felt like character depth and inter-personal development pay the price for this as it was somewhat lacking. I really would have liked some more back story for all of the characters, and for the main romantic story to have been fleshed out a little. On that note, I do hope there’s a sequel!

Thanks to NetGalley and Bindery for this arc. This was an emotional read that reminded me of the House of the Cerulean Sea. I’m thankful for the opportunity to have had early access to this novel. Congratulations to all involved.

YAYS
The exploration of grief is so important.
Diversity and queerness.
Nays
Pacing was off. A lot of it was drawn out and slow. Some of the events were discussed too quickly.
Note to self- slipping from first person to second person at random is odd to write.

Thank you to Kay Sinclair and Net Galley for this e-arc!

Such a beautiful read. Honestly hard to believe it’s a debut novel. The story flowed well and all the characters were interesting. At first I was a little worried about reading this with such an overwhelming theme of grief and loss, but in a way it definitely helped some to process complicated grief.

I received an ARC of this story and didn't get to it before pub date because I really enjoyed savoring it. The characters were perfect, and the emotion it makes you feel is why people read. Another review compared it to TJ Klune and it really was a combination of the Cerulean Sea characters with the grief of Under the Whispering Door. I loved every minute. Thank you NetGalley and Bindery books for the copy!

It’s not easy to capture the complexity and all-consuming nature of grief, and Kay Sinclair did a beautiful job while creating a beautiful story of found family, queer love, longing, and magic. I cried during each of the first 3 chapters.

Publish date: 15th Oct 2024
Date finished: 3rd November 2024

4⭐
📱

Thank you to @Netgalley for approving this eARC in exchange for an honest review.

As soon as one of my favourite booktok creators announced he had started a publishing house and this would be the first book to be published, I just had to get a copy of this one. Also, just look at how stunning the cover is.

This is a very unique cosy fantasy that looks at death, grief and finding yourself again after the passing of a loved one. It was really charming and fun to read. It has a good mix of characters and a really sweet sense of found family.

At the start, the second person P.O.V took a bit to get used to. Once I had wrapped my head around the P.O.V., I found I quite enjoyed it.
While I enjoyed the characters, I found there to be a few too many. This left me feeling as though some of them were a tad underdeveloped and 2-dimensional. I also found the romance a little underwhelming. Like it was cute, but definitely missing something.

Overall, this one was quite a fun read and I can’t wait to see what this author comes up with next.

I LOVED THIS BOOK. I cannot believe this was a debut novel. From the very first chapter, I was sucked in to the world of Saika and how she navigates her grief. I don't know how this book managed to be both cozy, heartwarming, and devastating, but it was pure magic. The grace with which the author discussed heavy topics was incredible. There was so much representation, I feel that anyone could see themselves in this book. I laughed, I cried, I devoured this book. It's not often I stay up late into the night reading anymore, but I truly couldn't put this down.

I will be recommending this to everyone I know.

House of Frank by Kay Sinclaire is a powerful and cozy story about magic, accepting ourselves and others, grief, and the power of community. This is an absolutely fantastic found family story with an incredibly diverse group of people (and magical folk of course) at its center.

House of Frank is about a woman who travels to Ash Gardens to bury her sister but struggles to let go. She stays on to work at the gardens and help solve the issues that are becoming more and more frequent. Along the way she meets lots of people that all deal with grief differently and it helps her understand her own response better.

This is a heartfelt story of grief and community that I would recommend whether or not you’ve lost someone close to you.

I really enjoyed it. This book is filled with a ton of emotions. It taps into the deep inner thoughts that anyone deals with after a sudden and hard loss. The format is mental letters to Saika’s sister. It dangles information about the past in front of us in an interesting way. I liked the setting. It’s cozy and quirky. The characters were unique and realistic. They could be annoying but in an endearing way. Everybody also had a sad backstory and that’s always up my alley. If you are into found family vibes and some queer romance. I’d recommend House of Frank.

3.0 Stars

Thank you NetGalley, Bindery Books, and Kay Synclaire for this arc in exchange for an honest review!

Thoughts:

House of Frank is described as a cozy fantasy and while it is at times, it is also a much deeper and darker read than one may expect due to the topics of loss, death and grief all throughout the book. This read comes with many surprises in store for its readers, and some of them heavier than expected.

I immensely enjoyed getting to see creatures that I don’t often run into in a lot of other reads as of recent. This book is unique and touching and charming and fun and lovely in so many parts of it.

For some of the things I didn’t love in the book as much, first on the list is the romance. While it had some beautiful moments and was overall kind of cute, I wanted more. It felt very background, and if that was intentional… well I still wanted more lol. Additionally, the narration perspective wasn’t done flawlessly and felt choppy as it bounced back from 1st and 2nd.

This is a plot over character development read, but still gives you enough to become attached to at least a few of the characters! (Frank - I adore you to bits!) However, I did find myself craving more to some of the other side characters.

I wouldn’t recommend this to everyone, but I would say this one that someone could take a chance on for sure!

Paperback/Hardcover/Audiobook/E-book:
E-book
Pace:
Slow/Medium
Cover thoughts:
Drew me in right away!!
Triggers:
Death, Dementia, Grief, Suicidal Thoughts, Suicide, Injury, Illness, Abandonment, Transphobia, Animal Cruelty, etc.

4.5 stars. Kay Synclaire's HOUSE OF FRANK is proof that themes of grief can be dealt with in a cozy and comforting way. Like TJ Klune's THE HOUSE IN THE CERULEAN SEA, Synclaire emphasizes the whimsy with an emphasis on found family. In this fam, you'll find: hairy cherubs, faries, witches, beasts, and a cute lil' dragon named Beezlebub. Every character deals with profound losses in their own way, and I honestly think this would be a good book to read if you are grieving since it deals with death/loss in such a magical, yet relatable and honest way. I mean, the idea of growing the remains of your beloved one into a tree is quite romantic. You'll gush over the lovable characters, sapphic cuteness, and surprisingly deep reflections on grief. A very special thanks to Bindery Books for the ARC in exchange for an honest review!

DNF at 50%.
While this book had lots of ingredients for a great cozy fantasy with deeper themes, it fell flat. I didn’t find myself endeared to the characters the same way other books in the genre have done. The beats in romantic subplot seemed to come out of no where.

House of Frank is a sweet novella that tips into the saccharine, providing a found-family narrative that has attractive tropes but limited real depth. It capitalizes on the popularity of stories such as "The House in the Cerulean Sea" with a cast of quirky, likable characters, but at times there are too many to keep track of. I also struggled with the first-person narrative, which made the protagonist feel and sound younger than she actually was. This story is comfortingly but not groundbreaking, easy to read but unspectacular compared to similar stories in the genre.

With pages brimming with magic, emotions of all sorts, and wonderful diversity, HOUSE OF FRANK takes the reader on their own journey in a strange place.

I loved how this book handled the intermingling of grief and love, with a wide range of characters depicting different ways of handling emotions. The characters were all quite interesting, if not a bit cliche, and the main relationships were very cute.

Something I struggled with a bit was the writing style and pacing. I was shocked to find out this was classed as an adult book, with typical middle-grade/lower YA writing. It sports a simple plot and simple characters, with an easy enough to guess ending.

This being said, there is something so relaxing about being taken through this magical world, almost like a bedtime story. Synclaire’s cast of characters with PoC, disability, and queer representation is definitely the icing on the top of this deliciously warm cake.

This was a nice cute story. Perfect for people who love a cozy mystery or cozy fantasy. It really gave me House on the Cerulean Sea vibes with the house made up of misfit magical creatures.

My biggest issue with the book is that I didn't love most of the characters. I found Saika especially frustrating and annoying. So many of the things that went wrong could have been easily solved if they stopped lying to each other. I guess that is also true in real life too.

While this book wasn't my favourite. I can see how people are going to love and adore it.

3,5/5
House of Frank is a cozy fantasy about loss and grief. About letting go but also about letting people in your life and accepting help. The concept of the story is unique and very interesting in my opinion. Sometimes books about death and grief scare me, but this one didn’t feel that heavy personally.

I loved the diverse mix of magical characters like cherubs, an elf, a mythical beast and more. Each resident had their own backstory, their own bagage and reason to stay at Ash Gardens. Some of the characters we get to know better than others. The queer rep was lovely. It was casual and everyone was accepting. I love queer normative worlds 🥹.

There was a small romance in the book and I liked how it was kept as a side plot. However, i struggled with the interactions between Saika and her love interest. Maybe it’s me, but I don’t get why you would tease someone you have a crush on. Sadly these confusing social interactions weren’t exclusive these two characters. The book is described to have a found family, but I had trouble finding it. There was so much miscommunication, teasing and irritations. Characters withholding information and making decisions for others without consent. It made me uncomfortable, frustrated and confused. Sometimes it was hard to believe they cared for each other. I was really missing the coziness and found family that was promised.

The plot with Ash Gardens falling apart was very interesting, and was the main part that kept me curious. I love some (cozy) mysteries. I just wish it was a bigger part of the story and that all the action wasn’t all crammed in the ending.

Fortunately it wasn’t all negative. All in all, I still think it’s a good and enjoyable debut. The writing was immersive and engaging. Though,I had to get used to Saika speaking in second person (‘you’) when she was adressing Fi, her sister that had passed away. The autumny atmosphere was lovely and I loved some of the characters. Evette, Phil and Hilde were my favorites!

This novel is a cozy, heart-wrenching, and beautifully magical—a warm hug of a story. Perfect for fans of The House in the Cerulean Sea or Legends and Lattes, it follows Saika, a witch grieving her sister’s death, as she arrives at Ash Gardens to fulfill her sister’s last wish. But letting go isn’t easy, and Frank—the cardigan-wearing, gentle beast who runs the sanctuary—offers her a room to stay as long as she needs.

Soon, Saika is wrapped up in this wonderfully odd family: there’s Oli, a half-witch she shares a subtle spark with, Evette the sweet-hearted fairy, the cheeky cherub twins, and Phil, the silent ghost. Despite being very different, this group provides Saika with what she has been needing…. Reminding her of the true colours & magic of connection. As they work together to protect Ash Gardens from mysterious storms, Saika begins to uncover long-buried secrets about the sanctuary—and herself.

What I loved most was how the book balances heavy emotions with lighthearted whimsy. The setting feels like pure comfort, and the layered characters, especially Saika’s slow-burn connection with Oli, give the story such heart.

House of Frank shines a little light on life’s darkest moments, showing how love can grow in unexpected places. Huge thanks to NetGalley and Bindery Books for the ARC—this story will stay with me for a long time.

Thank you to NetGalley and Bindery for providing me with an advanced reader copy for my honest review!

House of Frank follows a young witch who has lost her sister. After two years of carrying her sister’s ashes, Saika finally makes her way to the Ash Gardens to place her sister, Fiona, in her final resting place. Saika is greeted by a growing cast of characters as she embarks on the journey of finally laying her sister to rest. But Saika can’t seem to bring herself to do it. Instead, she enlists herself into the servitude of the Ash Gardens as she processes through her grief. Along the way, she learns about the house, the tenants, and the traditions of Ash Gardens. She learns very quickly that not all is right and the home is in desperate need of help. As Saika works to keep the house in order, she learns to love life again and what it feels like to be loved by an unexpected family.

Before I give a fully review of the book, I must say, I have not experienced a lot of loss in my life. I am a fortunate few who still has both parents, grandmothers on both sides of my family, and even a great-grandmother still with us! With that being said, the story is still beautifully written and well done. I enjoyed the characters throughout the book. I appreciated the atmosphere and the well described layout of the home. It made me wish I could visit the place! The story’s primary focus is on grief and loss though, so it is a very heavy book.

If I had a chance to read this book all over again with fresh eyes, I feel it would be far more impactful if you’ve experienced loss of someone close. It explores some of the emotions and responses one would normally have when processing grief. An additional detail I find VERY important is this book is written as an epistolary. If this knowledge is provided upfront, I feel it would be received better by readers as it does have a first person/second person narrative.

Overall, I really enjoyed this book! The characters do fall a little flat at times and there are some minor issues with pacing and the plot but nothing I felt was overwhelmingly unattractive. I have settled on a solid 4/5 stars!