This book was objectively very good. I just don’t think it was the book for me. It was written very well, and I my interest in it did peak at some points but ultimately I was just bored most of the time. I did thoroughly cry though when we found out Anna and Harold never saw each other again… I wish it was just left to our imagination😂 I would’ve imagined them happily married. Good book just not my thing! I really do think others can really enjoy it though.

I was so excited to read another book by Evie Woods, having just finished The Lost Bookshop. First, I love the magical realism and the folklore about fairies. Having been to Ireland, it is a magical place so this story was just waiting to be told. This story is rich in character development and has such beautiful language that I paused often just to write a phrase or two down to remember later. "His face was well used like an old leather shoe that had seen many roads," Isn't that a wonderful way to describe an older person, wise in what they've experienced in the world? Told in a dual timeline with present day Sarah, an artist seeking to find herself and lost in her grief so she flees to Ireland, and that of the past with Anna, a young Irish maiden helping Harold collect stories about the fairy world, both in the small village of Thornwood at the Butler cottage. It seems as if both storylines are connected somehow. Fast paced, this story engages you and will keep you reading. A bit of romance, a bit of mysticism, along with redemption, renewal, and hope for second chances. A most enjoyable book. Another 5/5 for Evie Woods. Many thanks to #netgalley #eviewoods #thestorycollector for the opportunity to read and review this book.

3.75/5 ⭐️
This was such an intriguing setup and very prettily written. However, I think it could’ve baked a little more. Like I saw its potential but didn’t quite hit what I would hope it would. Like I loved the story in the past and the romance there, but really wasn’t a fan of the present day storyline. That one felt more rushed and half baked. But I think the final nail in the coffin for me was the ending. It hurt me. And not in the good way. Although, I will say it is written well enough to have me gobbling the story up and intrigued to keep reading and not put it down. I think people could really like this story. For me, I’m slightly disappointed cause I think it could’ve been executed better.
Thank you to NetGalley and Harper 360 for providing an advance reader copy of this book for my honest review.

This was a story of hope, friendship, and discovery. It is set in two different time lines, I enjoyed Anna's story better! The story itself moves at a slower pace than I am used to, and took a bit to get into. Well worth the read thought!
I received an advance copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

My thanks for the ARC go to NetGalley and Harper360. I'm voluntarily leaving a review.

Genre: Historical Fiction, Magical Realism, Books About Books, Fantasy, Mythology
Subgenre: Romance
Format: Dual timeline, 2 main POVs, a third slipped in rather unobtrusively

Dual timelines are my catnip! *THE STORY COLLECTOR* has all of the best aspects of a Susanna Kearsley novel with the added twist of Irish fairies and secrets.

In the early 1900s, Anna has a secret—her family knows part of it, but not the entirety. And when she meets this American scholar, she volunteers to help him collect stories. She struggles to decide if she should share hers with him. But then her life completely changes.

During the more modern time period (I'm not quite sure why it's also set in the past except for the parallelism of the year), Sarah's life is in the dumpster. She ends up in Ireland. Sarah also holds a secret—again her family knows part of it, but not the depth. Her path converges with the past through a diary written by Anna.

This is a lovely story. I enjoyed the entire ride. It has the sense of found family, being lost and finding yourself, love, friendship, and hope.

The interplay with the Hawthorn tree is wonderful—do fairies exist? Do people still follow the superstitions? Is it worth believing?

*THE STORY COLLECTOR* is going among my favorite books of the year.

Happy reading!

*Spoiler alert in the content warnings: Some readers may be upset from incidents of assault, child loss, death, and excessive drinking.

Evie Woods' "The Story Collector" is a lovely tale that beautifully weaves together folklore, romance, and the intertwined fates of two women separated by a century. Set in a quaint Irish village, the novel transports readers through vivid imagery and rich descriptions, making the village feel alive with history and myth.

The story begins with Sarah Harper, a modern-day artist from New York, who's struggling to cope with a profound trauma. Her life is unraveling, and her reliance on alcohol to numb her pain only deepens her despair. On Christmas Eve, Sarah dreads the thought of facing her family and their concern for her emotional state. At the airport, a whimsical sheep figurine and a peculiar newspaper story about a centuries-old Harthorne tree that halted a freeway construction catch her attention. In a twist of fate, Sarah finds herself landing in Shannon, Ireland, instead of Boston.

In Ireland, Sarah stumbles upon Anna Butler's diary. Anna, a young farm girl from a hundred years ago, had volunteered to assist an American scholar in his quest to find proof of fairies. Through Anna's diary, Sarah learns about Anna’s own struggles with loss and her journey of healing and love.

The narrative alternates between Sarah and Anna's stories, drawing parallels between their lives and the magical elements they encounter. Sarah's journey of facing her trauma and finding love again mirrors Anna's own experiences, creating a poignant and heartwarming connection between the two characters.

Woods’ writing shines in its ability to blend the everyday with the otherworldly. The secrets that Sarah uncovers and the myths she explores tread the delicate line between reality and fantasy, adding an enchanting layer to the narrative. The village and its inhabitants, both past and present, are vividly brought to life, making the reader feel the magic and mystery that surrounds them.

"The Story Collector" is a tale of healing, love, and the enduring power of stories. Woods’ deft storytelling and rich character development make this novel a delightful read for those who enjoy a blend of history, romance, and a touch of magic.

i’m not sure if this book was for me. the idea was interesting and sweet, but i just couldn’t get into it. i was bored 90% of the time, sometimes i couldn’t figure out what was going on. the switch between past and present was done perfectly though, i really enjoyed that aspect. i just think this isn’t the right book for me

Set in both Ireland and the USA in dual timeline, this book wasn't like any I've read before. Anna and Harold are an unlikely pair that meet when Anna is asked to be his assistant as he is writing stories of the fairies often present in Irish folklore. Meanwhile Sarah is fighting her own demons and ends up in Ireland and comes across a book — the one Harold wrote about the fairies. Are they real or representative of things unseen? Sarah does some healing of her own as she reads the fairy stories.
This book was given to me by the publisher but all of my opinions are my own.

A delightfully charming, quaint & cozy story with deep roots in the fairy lore of Ireland, this book captures the story of both present day Sarah as she attempts to escape from her grief and failed relationship, as well as a young girl 100 years in the past - Anna - as she grows up and navigates life. The parallels between them, exactly 100 years apart, is stunning, and the gorgeously written and often times spooky tales of the beyond through the fairies makes for a fascinating read!

I loved The Lost Bookshop by the same author and was delighted to be gifted this ARC of her new novel coming out later this summer!

Wow. Thank you Netgalley and and Harper360 for the arc

This is set during two timelines but the present day is in Ireland…in the winter. And boy oh boy do those cozy vibes come spilling out of the pages. I don’t want to spoil the plot but just know there is a chunk in the first half that is slow and you’re worried the book isn’t going to go in the fantastical direction you thought it would, but it does. That second half makes it impossible to find a place to pause your reading.

This book is released next month so be sure to add it to your TBR!!!!

I received a free e-book of this title through NetGalley, and while I really liked the concept of this book, I didn’t love it and struggled to finish. At times the storytelling felt disjointed, and I found the ending to be sudden and anti-climactic.

The Story Collector is a delightful novel, however, I didn't really connect with it the way I thought I would. I expected there to be more of a connection between Sarah and the diary but there wasn't. I enjoyed Anna's story, even though it didn't feel like diary entries but more of a story being read from a regular book. The Irish folklore and mention of fairies had to be my favorite part, but aside from that, the story itself felt very flat. I wanted to love it but it was just mediocre to me. 3 stars
Thank you NetGalley, Harper360, and Evie Woods for this read.

I thought 'The Story Collector' by Evie Gaughan was a beautifully written tale that intertwines Irish folklore with historical fiction and romance. The narrative follows two timelines: Sarah in present-day New York, who impulsively travels to Ireland after a breakup, and Anna, a farm girl from 1911 Ireland, who helps an American translate fairy stories. The characters are vividly described, making them feel incredibly real, and the world-building captures the enchanting beauty of Ireland and its myths. While Sarah finds solace in Anna's story, I wished Anna's journey had a more satisfying resolution. The plot moves at a medium pace, seamlessly blending the two storylines and keeping the reader engaged. This book is a must-read for those who enjoy historical fiction with a touch of mythology. 4/5 stars.

When Sarah’s relationship comes to an end on Christmas in 2010, she makes a rash decision to fly to Ireland to visit Thornwood and the hawthorn tree; she stays at Oran’s house that he and his daughter, Hazel, vacated after his wife passed. This is also where she finds Anna’s diary from exactly 100 years before. A quest for fairies aligns the two throughout the years. As she reads Anna’s story, Sarah grows closer to Oran and Hazel, and he has to cross the threshold of his house to move on. However, Anna’s story is accompanied by a researcher, Harold, and it was a full circle moment when Sarah got his book as well. Sarah and Anna have both known loss and reading Anna’a journey provides Sarah with some peace. I just would have liked for Anna’s story to also find that, since we spent so long with her.

Thanks to NetGalley and HarperCollins360 for the eARC! The Story Collector has a past and present storyline, Anna's diary 1911 and Sarah in 2011. The book was extremely slow and only started to pickup around 60%. Unfortunately, I didn't connect with Anna's POV and it really made the book drag for me. However, given that I don't typically lean towards historical fiction, I do think that others would love this. I also felt like the folklore / fantasy elements were very surface level and not flushed out, which is a large selling point of the book.

Thank you Netgalley, Harper 360 and Evie Woods for the eArc of The Story Collector.

This is a beautifully written story about Irish folklore and fairy folk in Ireland. Set in 2 timelines, present day and back in the 1920's Anna, a farm girl, who helps an intriguing American translate these myths from Irish to English. In the present day, Sarah boards a plane from New York to West Coast Island and once there she finds she has some mysterious linkage to this place.

The characters in is historical fiction are so wonderfully described, they just pop out the page! They feel as real as if you were sitting in the room with them. I loved both of the main female characters, both on roads to personal exploration and looking for answers.

The world building was breathtaking, Ive only ever been to Ireland once and Evie has managed to capture they beauty of the land as well as the whimsical myths and legends of fairy folk.

The plot line ticks on at a medium pace. There is enough going on, combined with the 2 storylines that entwine and the beauty of Ireland, you don't realise that you have read most of the book. The ending is well wrapped up. If you like historical fiction with myths and legends thrown in. Then this needs to be read!

4.25 stars for Storygraph, 4 for Amazon, Netgalley, Goodreads and Waterstones

The Story Collector by Evie Gaughan as a wonderful combination of historical and romance. In the book we meet two main characters who live a century apart. Anna, a young woman living in 1911 Ireland and Sarah a Boston native who drunkenly ended up in Ireland after reading about a tree (and perhaps subconsciously trying to flee from a life she feels is falling apart). Once in Ireland, Sarah is living in the same village that Anna lived generations ago. While Sarah is figuring out how to put her life back together, she's simultaneously learning about Celtic lore through Annas stories.

Many people associate the topic of fairies as works of fantasy. And while that may be what they represent in present day, like all good fantasy topics, they are built and developed through Celtic folklore similar to the Greek gods and goddesses. Over the course of the book, the reader gets a first hand experience of why people believe in the fairy folk - while in present day we may find other explanations, in the past belief in this lore was the explanation people needed for all things good and bad.

Having recently read The Lost Bookshop for book club, I was eager and nervous to be offered an early access copy of The Story Collector from NetGalley thanks to Harper360. One thing I struggled with in The Lost Bookshop was that Evie Gaughan requires readers to think for themselves and connect the dots and after having read a lot of books where things get wrapped up very obvious and succinctly, in The Lost Bookshop readers may be confused if reading the book as it is and not trying to think about it on a deeper level. That being said, The Story Collector does have literary moments like that, but not quite as extreme as The Lost Bookshop.

For future readers of The Story Collector, I would encourage them not to try and disprove the existence of fairy people as their reading, but instead appreciate how Evie Gaughan has brought a lovely piece of work that gives a great portrayal of how local lore, Celtic in this instance, influenced life in past generations. The Story Collector is a refreshing and unique piece of historical fiction and romance that is focused around one of the less common historical setting - rural Ireland.

Amazon, Target and Barnes and Noble review links will be posted as soon as it is available.

Once I started, I couldn't put it down!
Fantastic storyline and relatable characters. Highly recommend!!!

This book touched on all the genres that I enjoy - historical fiction, romance, a bit of mystery - and even covered fantasy which isn’t usually my favorite but in this case I found very fun and endearing.

Sarah is running away from her troubles, and a split-second decision at the airport finds her on a plane to Ireland instead of heading home to spend the holidays with her family. Settled into a cottage among Irish farmland, Sarah finds an old diary that tells the tales of fairy lore from the area, and Sarah is immediately enchanted.

Told in alternating timelines and narratives between Sarah’s story and the story of Anna from the diary, I enjoyed the parallels that existed between the two women and their experiences. I was drawn to Anna’s story and found the tales of the fairies very mysterious and fun to read. While there were some gaps in Sarah’s story that I wish had been explored further, overall I thought this was an enjoyable read with a lot of elements that wove together many genres very well.

I rate this book 3.5 stars.

I loved the unique but relatable style of the story. The characters are sympathetic but not predictable. I loved that this was not a story I had ever seen before and it was so beautifully written, with obvious love and care for every character. I bought another one of her books, based on the strength of this one. I look forward to many, many more from her!

Will be doing a video review on TikTok and leaving written reviews at Amazon and Goodreads. Thank you for the galley!