Thanks to NetGalley and Kensington Publishing for the ARC.

This wants to be the next Howl's Moving Castle so bad, and that unfortunately sets a high standard that it did not achieve. The comparison asks for something cozy, and it was until about halfway through. Talking the idea of stealing hearts literally is interesting and magical, but it also takes it seriously as a conversation on consent. and it gets really dark at that point. I also feel like for going in that direction, it doesn't go far enough to justify it. Foss is a complex character; her insecurities might be a lot for the narrative, but her thoughts were very familiar to me. Where small slights add up throughout your life to leave you subconsciously feeling like you are not physically meant to have a romantic partner, that no one could consider you an option. So frequently that any other possibility is inconceivable, never came to your mind until someone else suggested it. I really liked Foss' growth because it's something I wish I could do. Everyone else was fairly flat. The villains were cartoonishly evil, save for a little bit from Clarissa. The king especially gave a whole lot of nothing. Sebastian also didn't have a lot going for him. There weren't a lot of genuine romantic moments between him and Foss, so by the end, I really didn't buy into them as a couple and the hea wasn't satisfying. It was good prose, but structurally I was disappointed.

Thank you NetGalley and Erewhon Books for this ARC Audio Copy!

I was really intrigued with the premise of this book and the magic system was quite interesting. I really enjoyed the relationship with talking cat, and the house, that was probably my favorite part of the story. I wish the FMC would spend less time talking about how plain or ugly she was, I feel like we got the point pretty fast on, especially when we have literal examples of her being bullied because of it. Definitely something I feel like should have been caught in the edits, but I guess it's better than saying how tiny and skinny she is every 5 min. The romance was a bit lack luster as well, but all in all it was a cute little cozy story.

I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book all. the way through to the Reader’s Guide at the end. Reviews have said A Harvest of Hearts has a similar vibe to Hayao Miyazaki’s Howl’s Moving Castle and I agree. Though at times gruesome there is a whimsy to the story especially with regards to the House, Cornelius and even Sylvester. I appreciated the themes of self-esteem and self-image, learning to know your worth and that you deserve to “take up space”. Judging from the results I think the author took Ms. Gabriel’s sensitivity reading to heart (no pun intended). Spoiler alert: I found Eames’ love scene to be one of the more inventive I’ve read. Her descriptions transcended the physical and instead allowed the reader feel the full emotional impact of the scene and how it led Foss to accept herself. It’s also clear that the author is a cat “owner”. Her descriptions of Cornelius were spot on. Finally Eames has written with great whit, sarcasm, imagery and poetry. This was an excellent read and I will be recommending it frequently. Thank you.

Love, love, love, love! While I haven't read Howl's Moving Castle yet, I have a feeling that I will also love that book based on how many other people compared this book to that one. There was adventure, there was found family, and there were plenty of cozy vibes. I am so grateful to have received an advanced copy of this book. I even purchased a physical copy since the sprayed edges and cover are so beautiful. Thank you, NetGalley!

Well.. this wasn’t really my cup of tea. I found Foss pretty annoying and the way she keeps talking about how plain and ugly she is speaks of so much internal misogyny that I found exhausting.

The pacing was off, the magic system was confusing until the end, the solution seemed mysterious and overpowered at the same time and the relationship between the main characters was kinda cringey due to the love spell Foss was under.

The only really good thing was Cornelius, you can’t go wrong with a snarky talking cat! And the writing was okay I suppose, at least there was a very distinct voice to it which I like in a story. Anyway, for me this wasn’t it, but maybe other people will like it better!

Nevertheless thanks to Netgalley and Kensington Publishing for the e-arc!

Lovely read, definitely reminiscent of Howl's moving castle! Will be purchasing a copy for my shelves!

What initially made me want to read A Harvest of Hearts was the comparison to Howl's Moving Castle, on of my personal favorites. And this does indeed remind me of Howl's Moving Castle. This story revolves around a butcher's daughter, a sorcerer, and an accident that sends Foss on a adventure.

Watching how the relationship between Foss and Sylvester develop over the course of the book was slow, but made sense with the pacing, as they both were figuring out themselves and each other. Cornelius, the cat, was an unexpected character where they dynamic between him and Foss was very reminiscent of Howl and Calcifer, both with the banter and Cornelius's attitude. The magic system is different from others, as small magic seems to not necessarily have a cost while larger magic is more on par with alchemy and requiring the use of hearts.

Overall I really enjoyed the book, the pacing and character development was consistent throughout the book except at the end. The ending for how much build up happened felt like everything came to a close very quickly and that if drawn out just a little more could have explained what occurred in better detail.

I would recommend this book to anyone who is a fan of Howl's Moving Castle, as it has a similar feel when it comes to some of the characters, the magic, and the whimsicality.

A Harvest of Hearts truly had swept me away for almost the entire book! I loved how unique the world felt, how whimsical and humorous the writing was. It lost me a little towards the end with wrapping everything up. I finished the booking wishing there was less time spent on learning the magic house and more time on the plot, as well as a deeper exploration of the 'perception of ugly' theme.
I'd love to read the novella version that this story was originally!

A Harvest of Hearts was a fun read full of adventure and fantasy. The main character was a bit stereotypical, but once I got passed the constant "omg I'm so ugly" trope the book was enjoyable. I liked how tame and not in your face the romance was kept things going just enough that I didn't feel like I was a reading 'Spicy" story.

This is a unique and unusual romantasy that I would recommend to anyone who enjoys the genre. It features a reluctant sorcerer, a talking cat, a sentient house, a butcher’s daughter, and a grotesque magic system. It was a bit of a slow start, but it was worth it in the end. I would read more stories set in this universe.

Harvest of Hearts is a whimsical fantasy focusing on Foss who fears a sorcerer has taken a piece of her heart. She finds the sorcerer named Sylvester and begins working as his housemaid since she is in pain when she is away from him. She quickly becomes friends with Cornelius, the talking cat of the house. While working, she discovers more about Sylvester and what he does as a sorcerer.

I found it hard to get into this book. I didn't care much about either character but I did love the talking cat and sentient house. I think this book could have been shorter and I wished it had more action.

Thank you to Kensington Publishing for providing this book for review consideration via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

A cozy fantasy adventure story centered around Foss who finds herself drawn into a world of magic.

I loved the description here, but something in the writing style was not really for me. I think it just was really dense early on that I was not able to really connect with the characters like I wanted.

I enjoyed this book for what it was. I enjoyed the creativity but felt the main character really did not like herself a whole lot and stated she was ugly and curse a lot. I get why it was mentioned so much but felt it was a bit over done. Overall was good read.

A very cozy fantasy romance with a magic system at the same time familiar and fresh.

I might not remember the actual plot forever, but I'll remember the whole Heart-Magic or at least the way people in this world describe it. The characters are nice enough, not memorable enough, though. I'd recommend this to anyone who loves cozy fantasy in general, but more specifically to those who love sentient houses, ominous talking animals and whimsy.

Pretty much for a Coraline fan who wants something a bit more cheerful but still creepy when you write down the facts.

I enjoy reading about FMC who make decisions that move the plot along, and not just have things happening to them. It only took a few chapters for our main character to take matters into her own hands, which I appreciate (both the action itself but also the fact that we did not waste time thinking and pondering about what to do). Plus, the cat. Always something to enjoy there.
I would've liked to get to know the MMC a bit better, to get me to care about the romance in general. Even with that being said, I feel like the story went on for a bit too long for me to absolutely love it.

This is a 7/10 for me, a 3.5 star if you will

***3.0 Stars***

Overall,
There were quite a few good things about this book that I enjoyed and there were quite a few things that left me wanting. The book was fine. The main character, a cynical young woman who has gone through life shunned and being told how ugly and unwanted she is by everyone except her father finds herself snagged by a Sorcerer who is not the most talkative young man. For much of this book I was honestly confused about the magic system, I think the author was going for we only know what the main character knows since everything is being told from her perspective, which I understand, but I am not a big fan of being just as confused as the main character for 75% of the book. When we do get more understanding there is a lack of actual detail about how things are done, which again I felt lacking. The story is refreshing and new, the overall plot is does not feel like a carbon copy of anything else. I would recommend this book to those who are interested in a more gothic fantasy genre (though not really a gothic setting it gives off the same vibes). The Audiobook was done well the voices and narration was good, I was reading it tandem and found that the audio did not always match the ebook, as these are arcs it could be due to some editing.

I received an eARC and an Audio Arc of this book from NetGalley in exchange for my free and honest review.

This is a review of the audiobook.

This is a very unique book with a colorful group of characters. My favorite character is the talking cat. It dragged a bit for me, but the plot was interesting enough to keep me reading.

*Thank you Netgalley and the publisher for providing me with a copy of this book for review, all opinions are my own*

2.5 stars

I'm really happy I finished this book—it took me a while, not because it was bad or anything, but because I just couldn't quite connect with the way the author wrote it.
I get that the writing style was a choice to match the vibe of the story, but for me, it just didn’t click.
I also think reading an early copy didn’t help. The formatting wasn’t great, and the chapters were super long, which made it feel kinda exhausting. Like I said, it’s not a bad book—it just wasn’t the best reading experience for me.
I actually liked the idea of the story, the characters, and the mythology—it all had a lot of potential. But I felt like some things were held back, or not explored as much as I hoped. I wanted a bit more romance.
We spend a lot of time in the main character’s head, and that made things feel a bit repetitive, and scenes took a long time to actually happen.
That said, if the synopsis grabs your attention,give a try it might be a good read for you!

If I was forced to fall in love with someone, I would be livid—and that was what Foss Butcher felt, when her heart was snagged (literally) by a sorcerer who passed her village ❤️‍🩹🩸

Growing up being labelled as ugly and cursed, Foss never thought any sorceress would ever look her way, gracing her with their beauty and charm directly. But then a sorcerer dropped by her village for the first time, and before she knew it, her heart was stolen and she had no choice but to run after him back to the main city to demand back what was hers.

This book screams Howl’s Moving Castle for the first half of it, but then it bloomed into a bloodier and uglier storyline, which I absolutely love with all my (still beating) heart. There was the House, which was super sassy with Foss but funnily adorable and kind nonetheless. And then there was Cornelius, a talking cat (he’s the best 🖤)! Together, these three made such lovely companions, and I think it got sweeter when Sylvester the sorcerer finally opened up to Foss (the slow-burn!) 💞

I loved every single element in this book, both the beauty and ugliness of it all. Magic was magnificent but also vile when used in the cruel selfish way, and this book did not shy from the horrors of it. I love Foss for her brave character, and despite her insecurities about her looks, I’d say that only because of this part of her that everything started changing for the better. I wish we had more insights on Sylvester’s thoughts, but at the same time, I think I also like that this story focused more on Foss and the bond between her with him.

This is the very type of cosy fantasy with a dash of romance that I will find myself rereading again and again. So much to love and to adore! If you enjoy cosy fantasy with a headstrong, no-nonsense FMC, please please please pick up this book. In fact, I don’t care what’s your preference: READ THIS BOOK OR I’LL EAT YOUR HEART–

Just kidding ✨🧚🏻‍♀️ …or am I?

Thank you Netgalley for the e-ARC!

The concept for this sounded super interesting, but then the magic system isn't really explained at all in the story. Said there would be some Howl's Moving Castle vibes, eh not really. The cat was my favorite character, gave me like Coraline cat vibes in a way. Foss as an MFC was fine? Sylvester had no depth to him, which seemed like a waste. Then, of course, there is the romance. I could have done without that. Foss' side made sense by like the almost 80% mark, but it just felt unfinished in its development. The ending happened suddenly and almost too easily. I wish it had either been longer or shortened some of the middle of the book.

I wasn't able to get into this book. I read about 50% in and just couldn't finish. I think if I read it more in the fall then I would of devoured this book. I was so excited for it :(