3.5⭐️
This was such an interesting story, the author has lots of interesting ideas - and the blurb really grabbed my attention. I thought it was an interesting idea to have Saika kind of narrate to her deceased sister, as this story revolves around grief this was an effective device. I will say overall I had trouble connecting with the characters, there are a lot of them to keep track of. Also, if it is meant to have a cozy vibe, that did not come through for me. I did love the creativity of Frank’s house and the concept of Ash Gardens and the author does beautifully capture how debilitating grief is. I also thought the romance between Saika and Oli was well done, Oli was a highlight in this for me and added a bit of lightness.

I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book.

House of Frank was a disappointment for me, and maybe my opinions on cozy fantasy are changing generally as this was not the only title in the sub-genre to let me down recently. There was so much potential for me to love this story. Found family, healing from grief and trauma, a house affected by magic, and of course the cozy, witchy vibes but it just didn't all come together for me.

Maybe my first issue is, for a title like House of Frank, Frank felt like one of the most underdeveloped side characters in the story, and I think he was done the most dirty and definitely was one of the least respected characters. Saika is a witch who arrives at Ash Gardens (Frank's house) to fulfil her sister's final request and plant the sister's ashes in the arboretum. Saika has been putting this off as she's not ready to say goodbye and she's given the opportunity to live and work at Ash Gardens while she takes the time to get ready for the tree planting ceremony. I'll get into more detail under spoilers.

[Things are amiss at Ash Gardens, and the weather is getting worse and the house is falling apart. Saika joins the other inhabitants of the house to try and fix the problems at the gardens. There's a bunch of diverse and different characters and it's supposed to be a lovely story of found family, but the characters are really not very nice to each other. The love interest for our main character is constantly teasing her like a child on the schoolyard might. Not mature or cute at all, just awkward. Frank's memory is failing, and instead of anyone helping or actually being concerned enough to figure out what's happening, they just get angry when he forgets things and have to do all his work for him. Saika is very judgemental, short-tempered, and self-centred when it comes to most of her thoughts and interactions with the other characters, and even her own sister. Many times I felt quite uncomfortable with her quick reactions of perceiving others as "not doing their part" when she is very new to the house and is keeping a mountain of secrets for herself.

There were many times where instead of feeling cozy, I just felt very uncomfortable with the story. Saika's treatment of others and making decisions based on her own beliefs and then saying "they'll thank me later" just didn't sit well with me. What she did to her sister, and all the deals with Death were so icky and senseless. There were really no consequences for Saika, no matter how inappropriate or wrong her actions were. I'm not sure I like any of the so-called morals that could be taken from this story. (hide spoiler)]

Writing wise, I usually like 2nd person narration, but the way this is a blend of 1st and 2nd, with the reader essentially taking the roll of the late sister, Fi, was really interrupting to the flow. Also there is some swearing and mature themes that felt quite out of place for some reason. It felt like a cozy book that was trying to be edgy and more "adult" than was needed...almost it was trying to prove it was in the adult audience category instead of feeling genuine. I've noticed this happening in several new releases as well, and I'm concerned about the trend.

The cover gave me Diana Wynne Jones and the synopsis gave TJ Klune and maybe it would have been better if I hadn't loved books by those authors so much. I'm really sad this story didn't work for me personally.

One of my favourite fantasy storiee this year! The main character is loveable and so are the rest of the unexpected and magical characters living in the house of Frank. A beautiful and thoughtful narrative weaving in grief and love. The writing was clever and Saika, the main character, had an engaging inner dialogue. The novel felt familiar and unique, warm and heartbreaking. It was a pleasure to read and to accompany Saika on her journey towards healing with found family.

House of Frank is a beautiful story about love and grief and all the ways those two all-consuming feelings are tethered together. The story follows Saika, who lands herself at Ash Gardens so she can plant the ashes of her sister in the magical arboretum that grows there. The trees are tended to by Frank, who founded Ash Gardens with his wife Kay, who is also growing amongst the grove. There is a charming cast of characters who help to keep the house running, including Oli, who is probably my favorite love interest of everything I've read in 2024.

This was a special book. Every page was touched by love and empathy and an understanding and respect for grief and loss that so many people need. I devoured the second half of it in a single sitting, and I enjoyed every heart wrenching moment of it. The book invites you to mourn, and rewards that heavy lift with a happy ending that not only felt earned, but real. It doesn't always get easier, but it does get better.

The casual queerness of many of the characters, and Saika's sweet point of view as she caught her beloved sister Fiona up on her life, made this such a delightful read for me. Whether you've lost loved ones or want to support those that you love who have, I cannot recommend this book enough.

Thanks to NetGalley and Bindery Books and Ezeekat Press for an Advanced Reader Copy - pub date 10/15/2024. Before I roll on into this review, a big warning for the reader. If you are grieving, have lost someone very precious to you, or are dangerously empathetic, House of Frank is going to be a tough read. For all of the found family elements and magic scattered throughout the pages, the lynchpin of the entire book is grief and how it can affect you and how it can make you do some really good or really bad things, depending. I mean, I am not currently bowed beneath loss but I was still shaken in places. There. Consider yourself warned.

So, simply put, House of Frank is about grieving witch Saika (strangely magic-less, carrying secrets, etc) arriving at a magical arboretum/cemetery Ash Gardens to perform the last thing her beloved sister asked of her. Finally. Two years after the fact. Better late than never, of course, but Saika still can't bring herself to bury her sister's ashes and close the ceremony. The owner/director/proprietor Frank, a one of a kind beast, empathizes with the pain of loss and offers her a haven and a chance to work there until she can bring herself to say goodbye. Of course, there is always more to the story and Saika is soon tangled up in it all - the various crew of the Gardens and their reasons for being there, their losses, the crumbling house around them all, Frank’s increasing forgetfulness and odd behavior… And Saika’s loss of power and swiftly aging body. So there is a mystery but, to be honest, it is not a terribly complex one and a lot of the big picture elements are telegraphed. If you have a sense of story beats and pay attention to the clues, you will know a lot of what is coming.

Likewise, a lot of the characters have a certain level of stock-build to them. You can still see that structure beneath the fleshing-out in some of them (the cherubs, poor things) but a few do shine beyond the trope and the diversity in race, visuals, gender presentation, and sexuality is natural-feeling. Hilde, in particular, has a backstory to her and a wryness and very non-crazy Norma Desmond fabulousness that makes me want an entire book about her. We see deepest into Saika by virtue of the chatty, first person POV and so she is naturally more realized, warts and all. In fact, she has a lot of warts and, because she is in her head, we the reader sees them all over the course of the book. Saika is not quite likeable to me if I’m being honest but she is fascinating in the way that an inherently decent but painfully self-focused and hurting person can be. She is the epitome of Letting The Grief Do the Decision Making and, when we find out the price paid and her continued justifications, it is so true to the Saika we’ve been given that it is hardly a surprise. Watching her grow in fits and starts is like watching a toddler take first steps, whacking their head against furniture as they go. Painful but proud. Ever the would-be problem-fixer and martyr, Saika keeps us hoping that she will learn and keep the lesson.

The strongest legs this book has to stand on are vibe and empathy. It has some lovely language. It has a heart. It 100% gets how painful losing someone is and how it can drive people in all sorts of ways. It rips open emotional wounds and reassures you that you’re not alone. It lets you continue to believe in love and hope. Unfortunately, there is that third, somewhat wobbly leg of plot/character where I found some gaps. The plot can’t quite settle fully into a mystery or a cozy family-healing fic and so inadvertently leaves crack to peek through. (Why did no one else notice Frank’s decline until Saika got there? Why didn’t they treat Phil with more seriousness? For that matter, why didn’t Phil try to communicate with someone before Saika, why not his buddy Evie? Why does Oli flirt like a 12 year old boy?)

I must admit that I expected so much more from this book and that is my own fault and no one else’s. I enjoyed a lot of it but, in the end, feel like I could have done with a little more work to close some holes and shine up some characters.

4 ⭐
2 🌶️

The House of Frank is a delightfully heartwarming book about found family and learning to live with grief. Saika has been lost and wandering for some time and she lands on the doorstep of Ash Garden and meets Frank and the inhabitants of his home. It is a magical place in a magical world where everyone can contribute. Even those who don't feel they have much left to give. This book speaks to finding a place to belong, finding your inner strength, and so much more. The cast of characters is diverse and so much fun to get to know. The book is funny at times and will have you reaching for your Kleenex too. This is definitely a book of the heart.

Thank you, NetGalley and Bindery Press, for the eArc. These opinions are my own.

I would like to start off by saying thank you to Kay Synclaire and NetGalley for this ARC.

This book was such a cozy fall read. There are heavy themes of grief and LGBTQIA+ aspects in here so please be mindful of those as you consider this one.

I absolutely adored this book. There is such a diverse and wide range of characters incorporated into this fantasy read. It took me a couple of tries to get into but once I finally got swept away, the characters lept off the page for me. The magical aspects of this book are what caught my attention initially but I ended up falling in love with the characters and genuinely rooting for them. Personally, I really appreciate a book that handles grief and loss in such a beautiful way. If you are looking for a cozy fall read that will make you feel all of the feels please add this to your short list ASAP.

I might’ve just found one of my favorite cozy fantasy books.
But let me start from the beginning. This book felt like a warm hug right from the first pages. Saika’s arrival at Ash Gardens and how welcoming and caring Frank was made my eyes immediately wet, I knew I’m about to be swept up in a beautiful and emotional story. It is a tale based in a fantastical world of witches, beasts, elves, faeries but it is incredibly gentle at that. We don’t need a bunch of world building or magic systems, it’s just a lot of magical people working together and facing difficult times. Even though it’s cozy it has stakes (quite high by the end) and there is never any feeling of boredom. The cast of characters is diverse and lovable but also flawed, no one is perfect, not even the protagonist, and sometimes they can make you angry or frustrated with their behaviour but it makes them authentic and complex. The story flows at a really nice pace, there is a lot we learn and discover as it progresses and maybe some things can be predicted but it really doesn’t take away from the emotional impact of it. House of Frank is about loss and grief, it goes into it fully and deeply but carries all the difficult emotions with such grace, it literally holds your hand as you face the depths of grief (I’m actually crying writing this). If you ever lost someone, reading this book is like therapy, it really reinforced my belief in the power of storytelling, how it can help us heal and get through hard times.
I went into this book knowing it will be a good time, it wasn’t just good, it was excellent, I cried 5 times and came out of it a little lighter and a little bit more whole. I know I will read it again and again.

Thank you to Bindery Books, Ezeekat Press and NetGalley for the eARC!

This was the cozy, lesbian version of under the whispering door and I ADORED IT!

Saika and Oli were so easy to love and root for and the premise of a magical arboretum that people can come and spread their loved ones ashes. This book is filled with love and grief and all sots of emotion I didn't expect. I still can't believe this is a DEBUT novel! I am in awe.

I will be rereading it soon so I can absorb even more of this story. It has such depth and layer that the readers experience will change depending on where they are in life.

Thank you so much to NetGalley and Bindery Books for the chance to ARC read this.

I received an ARC from NetGalley.
It's the ideal cosy read for a rainy day, perfect for curling up with a warm drink. This whimsical tale explores grief through the lens of a delightful cast of characters.

A word of warning: the story is told in the first person, which some readers may find a bit jarring at first.

Saika, a witch, is tasked with fulfilling her sister's final wish: to plant her ashes at Ash Gardens. However, Saika isn't ready to let go. She ends up working at a sanctuary owned by a mythical creature named Frank. As she tries to keep her secret hidden, Saika gets to know the residents of the house and may even find love with an elf. But she soon discovers that something sinister is lurking within the house and that Frank may not be all he seems.

My favorite thing about this was Saika's POV and the way she tries to deal with grief, especially in the form of talking to her sister in the actual inner dialogue. That may be kind of hit or miss as there is the use of 2nd person here, as she refers to Fiona as "you" very often. I think it made it more realistic because I would be talking to someone in that way too.

But unfortunately my bigger thing about this book is that I didn't really feel connected with a lot of the characters. While it certainly tried to be cozy and whatnot, I didn't really feel the found family vibes as much as I was hoping/wanting to. For people hoping for another experience close to House in the Cerulean Sea, I'd say to go in with low expectations and you'd enjoy it better that way.

I feel like I would give the author another chance in the future though since there is definitely potential.

First, a moment for this absolutely stunning cover.

This was a beautiful exploration of grief and found family delivered in a cozy package. This book hit some hard themes, but also had sweet moments. I wish the characters were a tad more fleshed out, but overall this was delightful.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher Bindery for an ebook in exchange for my review.

Saika travels to the magical and well known Ash Gardens to complete her sister's final wish of having her remains planted. The owner of the gardens is a large mythical beast, Frank. Seeing that Saika is not quite prepared to let go of her sister, Frank invites her to stay and work at Ash Gardens. She finds herself working with a fascinating crew including a ghost and cherub. It soon becomes clear that there is something going wrong with the house and with Frank. Saika must work to overcome her grief and find a way to help save Ash Gardens.

This was a really lovely book that deals with grief and loss in a beautiful way. It is such a healing story. I was completely sobbing by the end. The characters are all so unique. I enjoyed the slow burn romance between Saika and Olivie. This is a perfect fall book. This is a debut novel from Kay Synclaire. I can tell you after reading this book I will be watching closely to see what she does next.

Thank you to NetGalley and Bindery for the ARC in exchange for the honest review.

What a joy this was to read. Yes i know that seems off for a book about grief. I laughed. I cried. I’ll recommend this to friends :)

TL;DR Review: A deeply emotional, heartfelt, and poignant exploration of loss and grief wrapped up in a cozy story.

Full Review:
I’ll be honest: I don’t quite know how to do The House of Frank proper justice in a review. Words fail me to fully express just how deeply emotional this story was…but I’m going to give it a try.
The House of Frank follows Saika, a witch grieving the loss of her sister, Fiona, carrying out her sister’s final wish to be buried in Ash Gardens, a magical arboretum where planted ashes grow into trees. Even just this setup is wonderful. The notion that we’re not just saying goodbye to a loved one, but through the piece of them we leave behind, something beautiful is born. No silent headstone or grave marker, but a tree, a living, breathing memory of the ones we once loved.
Ash Gardens is home to Frank, a giant cardigan-loving mythical beast (never fully explained, but it doesn’t matter), who keeps alive this homage to his dead wife. In his home, he has gathered other souls as dented and damaged as Saika—from an aging witch who’s lost her coven to a pair of twin cherubs who couldn’t be more opposite, from a speechless ghost in a bowler hat to a half-gargoyle, half-elf witch.
Saika attempts to leave her sister’s ashes, but it’s clear from the first page—when she’s talking directly to Fiona (really interesting use of “second-person” dialogue)—that she’s not ready to let go. Frank invites her to stay as long as she likes, until she is ready to say goodbye. All he asks is that she helps around the house, which is crumbling as such old houses are prone to.
Through her interactions with every member of this eclectic—and eccentric—household, the protective layers Saika has built around herself are slowly stripped away and the truths of her heart and soul laid bare. We learn why she carries so much guilt around her sister’s death and why she feels so alone in a world where she has family, a chance at a prestigious career.
At its core, The House of Frank is a story about grief. The pain of loss, the burden of guilt associated with death, the fear of letting a departed loved one go, the struggle to try and “live life to the fullest in honor of those gone”, and the fight to keep their memory alive as life continues to fly past all around you.
If you've lost anyone—family, a friend, pets, distant relatives, a random person you met one time—this one is going to break you into little bits and pieces. And I say that as a good thing.
As I embarked on this emotional journey along with Saika, it felt like I was given a safe space to face the emotions and feelings I have carried for years over the deaths of two of my brothers (long ago, but still hard to deal with). The character’s struggles mirrored my own, in a way, and the things she came to understand through her interactions with everyone else who had lost someone or something special gave me insight into my own life, situation, and heart. And in the end, when Saika gets her happy ending, I felt a true sense of catharsis, a burden lifted.
As the book makes clear, “The loss remains, but the pain lessens, grows easier to bear.”
Get ready to cry, but it will be a freeing, healing cry, and I promise that when you come out the other side, it will be with a smile on your face and a new lightness in your heart.
With a colorful cast similar to Becky Chambers’ The Long Way to a Small Angry Planet, a cozy feel, and a deeply emotional theme, this is a book that anyone who has lost someone needs to read.

I can´t thank enough Netgalley for giving me the oportunity to read this awesome book! I cried at the end. It´s journey through loss teach us, that we must keep living and Fiona though us that. Every character journey was amaizing and I couldn´t stop reading about Olive and Saika´s love. Truly a master piece.

If you’re looking for a found family, cozy fantasy, you’ve come to the right place. Saika is grieving the loss of her beloved sister and finally decides to honor her wishes about being planted as a tree in a place called Ash Gardens. There she finds a job and slowly starts to realize that she’s not the only one with issues. I enjoyed this sweet story! I will say, though, that some of the relationships fell a little flat…they just seemed to develop a little bit quickly for my taste. Still, Kay Synclaire is very talented, and I look forward to her next book!

Thank you to NetGalley and Ezeekat Press for the eARC. All opinions are my own.

CW: There are a couple of sexual situations in here, but it’s kept relatively clean.

A good story about many kinds of grief, with magic and way too many secrets, ruined by a really off-putting and weirdly written romance. The "romantic" interest is cruel and disdainful, for literally no reason, like a school bully. It's instant and gross; this person is out here negging the main character by belittling her name before introductions are even complete. Literally interrupting the introduction to get in some insults. What a charmer! An enemies to lovers thing is fine, but if the enemies part is just one character hating the other on sight based on their outfit, then purposefully endangering them several times for kicks, I'm thoroughly bewildered by the lovers part. This is not some legitimate grievance, a misunderstanding, or an inital incompatibility that has to be overcome, this is just a deeply unpleasant person with no explanation ever provided.

You guys! This book is such a delight! Anyone who loves cozy fantasy’s like Travis Baldree’s Legends & Lattes or T.J Klune’s Under the Whispering Door will simply adore The House of Frank.

The characters are all magical, diverse and oh so charming. I just love our girl Saika as a main character, and her sapphic romance with Oli is ridiculously cute. Franks house with its special aboretum for a setting was truly the perfect cozy fantasy setting. Yes, this story is all cozy wozy but it’s also filled with grief of loss of loved ones.

This is a wonderful debut from Kay Synclaire and I highly recommend to anyone who ever wished for a pet dragon.

I did not expect to have my heart completely shattered and put back together when I began this book.

The author beautifully covers many types of grief and the many ways one can cope with these experiences. Throughout the story the characters all slowly open up and share more of their personal lives with the reader making you actually feel like you’re becoming friends with them. By the end you are actually feeling a little grief yourself knowing you have to let the characters go.

The found family and healing that comes in this story is some of my favorite I have ever read.