I just finished reading The Story Collector by Evie Woods, and I have to say, I really enjoyed it! The book switches between two timelines: Anna, a farm girl in 1910 Ireland, and Sarah, a modern-day woman who goes to Ireland looking for some answers and a fresh start.

Anna’s story is full of mystery and a bit of magic, which I loved. She’s helping an American visitor translate fairy tales, and her journey is both touching and intriguing. Sarah’s part of the story is equally compelling. She finds Anna’s old diary, and as she reads it, she starts to uncover secrets that connect the past and the present.

The descriptions of the Irish countryside are so vivid, I felt like I was there. The characters are really well-developed, and I found myself rooting for both Anna and Sarah. The way the two timelines are woven together is really well done, making the story rich and immersive.

Overall, The Story Collector is a charming and magical read that left me with a warm feeling. If you love stories with a bit of history and a touch of enchantment, you’ll definitely enjoy this one.

I love a good setting, but libraries, Ireland, faeries? Count me in! This was an enchanting book and I really enjoyed it.

One hundred years ago, Anna, a young farm girl, volunteers to help an intriguing American visitor translate fairy stories from Irish to English. But all is not as it seems, and Anna soon finds herself at the heart of a mystery that threatens her very way of life.

In New York today, Sarah Harper boards a plane bound for the West Coast of Ireland. But once there, she finds she has unearthed dark secrets—secrets that tread the line between the everyday and the otherworldly, the seen and the unseen.

The book combines historical fiction, magical realism, and contemporary romance. It was a quick but enjoyable read. I liked the atmosphere of the book. You know where the story is going but the author does a great job of weaving together the two storylines.

I found this book difficult to engage with due to its disjointed storyline and the frequent shifts between timelines, which disrupted the narrative flow. As a result, I struggled to remain invested and ended up skimming through much of it by the end.

Thank you to NetGalley for providing an ARC in exchange for my honest review.

This was so enchanting and whimsical. The perfect book for a cold, rainy day with a cup of tea and a cozy blanket. I loved the magical realism in this book, and the way that traditions of fairy stories were treated with respect.

In 1910, an Irish farm girl, Anna, is asked to assist an American anthropologist in interviewing her neighbours about their beliefs in and traditions surrounding fairies. In the present day, Sarah spontaneously travels from New York to Ireland, and finds a journal that links the two women. Such a beautiful story. Highly recommended.

2.5 stars. Liked the historical timeline/story, modern one was meh. Sarah was somewhat annoying and I'm not sure what Oren sees in her since she the story doesn't show her to be in any way appealing in their early meetings.

Thank you so much, NetGalley for sending me this ARC!
The Story Collector is a tribute to Irish folklore. It tells the story of two women, Sarah and Anna, who despite living a century apart both find solace from their grief in the unexpected. Both women find interest in the small-town superstitions surrounding ‘the Good People’, or fairies. The Good People are “capricious creatures whose inclination towards good or evil turned on a sixpence” ( Loc 3890).
In 2011, Sarah find herself in Ireland after leaving her failing marriage. In trying to find herself, Sarah spends time learning the local folklore and listens to the stories of the townsfolk. These stories have her questioning the values of her life thus far.
In 1911, Anna, a local towns girl, finds herself in the company of an American studying Gaelic folklore. Anna helps the American collect stories from the townsfolk, learning lessons along the way.
Evil Woods beautifully depicted Irish folklore in this book, while coming back to the themes of kinship, self love, and finding your roots.

Dual timeline line featuring two female characters who are impacted by Ireland and a man who is publishing a book on folklore and fairies.

I loved the story, the world building and meeting the different characters. I felt completely immersed in the story and couldn't stop reading it.

Thank you so much for this book. I really wanted to love this one, however it was so slow, I didn’t get into it until about 75-80%. Both Sarah and Anna’s stories had so much potential, but it just fell flat for me. I liked the dual timeline however the “diary” chapters did not read like a ”diary”.

I enjoyed the atmosphere of the Irish countryside and the folklore. Anna's story was beautiful, up until the ending. Sarah's story evolved nicely through her experience with grief and finally allowing herself to stop running and hiding from her feelings. The ending for both of them just didn't feel executed very well.

Thank you Netgalley for my advanced copy!

A quaint tale of fairies, love lost and found, and family. Anna, a farm girl in 1911, keeps a journal of her life, which suddenly becomes very interesting when an American anthropologist, Harold, arrives in town looking for stories of the fae. In 2010, Sarah decides on a whim to go to Ireland after leaving her husband, rather than to her family in Boston. And it is at Butler’s Cottage in Ireland where the two women’s worlds converge.

Told in alternate viewpoints - Sarah in 2010 finds Anna’s diary and it piques her interest, so she begins to read. And I think this is perhaps my main point of contention with the story - it isn’t written in diary format, but rather like a novel, so it was hard to take it seriously as a ‘diary.’ However, it was a quick and charming read with a lot of female trauma at the root of the story.

This book enthralled me. I love the alternating storylines and the parallels between the story of old and the newer story line. The heartbreak of Anna's story of losing her sister and looking for her in the Good People, meeting Harold and helping him with his own search for the true story of fairies was enchanted. Her own world was rich and full, yet her prospects for the future was limited. Harold opened new doors for her, and she for him. At the same time, in current days, Sarah's and Oran's quest for peace was truly endearing. I loved the old and new feel of the book, and the ending was "not what you hoped for" and yet at the same time it really was,

I found myself invested in all the characters, even finding some compassion for the plight of George and his sister, despite their snooty airs. They paid dearly for the sins of their distant ancestors actions, which set the whole story in motion.

Honestly, I wasn't sure what to expect going into this book. I was so pleasantly surprised with it. It had just enough drama, and magic, and Ireland. I loved the stories of the good people shared throughout and the setup for this book, the blended timelines, the finishing touches were all amazing. The story seamlessly flowed from present day to the early 1900's.

I sped through this book in a little over 24 hours. I just couldn't year myself away from Harold and Anna's story.

Also, I can't remember if there were content warnings at the beginning, but TW for child loss and SA.

I'd like to thank the publisher, author, and Netgally for and ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I started this book immediately after finishing ‘ the bookshop’ and this book felt even more magical than the first one. There was talk about fairies and I got to see firsthand how two women helped each other go through unimaginable grief. This book made me cry a little bit more than the first, but I enjoyed it just as much as the first one. If there is going to be a another book apart of the series, I would love to read it!

A sweet story with some magic and a little dark at times. Loved reading about fairies in a whole new light.

Full of beauty and a particular kind of broken darkness yearning for healing and understanding. The Story Collector is a romance but also has a depth of grit and pain that does not shy away from the realities of grief and how each person travels their own path. I loved each of the storylines and how they cycled back and forth to bring the whole story full circle. Beautiful imagery of the lush Ireland landscape and full stories from each set of characters. This is the kind of book you can sink into with a pot of tea and linger for hours.

This novel felt like I was sitting by the fireplace with a hot cup of tea in hand listening to a seanchai, an Irish storyteller! As I was reading this book, I was reading it in an Irish accent, with all the sayings and phrases, the quick retorts. I truly loved this story, it felt like home and the stories I grew up with.

I have very much enjoyed this book, and I'm not one for romance. This book is about so much more than that, it's about retaining your heritage and legacy in the face of "progress." The Story Collector starts off talking about Sarah and broken marriage, her drinking problem, and her battles with depression and anxiety. She finds herself in Ireland (by mistake, or by fate) instead of her sisters house for the holidays. While fighting one her anxiety attacks with a late night run, she ends up finding a diary of the girl who lived in the cottage she now inhabits, Anna Butler, as luck would have it, the diary is aligned with her current day, 100 years apart. From there we follow young love for Anna, another chance at love for Sarah, and the some magical realism-fantasy from beginning to the end.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Harper 360 for gifting me a digital ARC of this wonderful book by Evie Woods – 4 stars!

Sarah’s life in NY is falling apart and as she prepares to board a plane to Boston to be with her sister, she suddenly changes her mind and heads to Ireland. She finds herself in a quaint village and comes across a diary written by Anna, a local young farm girl, over 100 years ago. Anna had agreed to help an American visitor translate fairy stories from Irish to English, but soon found herself wrapped up in her own tale of fairies and danger.

I really enjoyed The Lost Bookshop by this author, and this book was just as charming and full of magical realism. The two timelines work together seamlessly, with both women trying to find their way out of grief and pain.