This was just ok! I don't have any strong feelings about it one way or another. The saving grace of this story was the talking cat, Cornelius. Thank you Netalley for the ARC.

"A Harvest of Hearts" by Andrea Eames is a riveting fantasy adventure that follows the story of Foss Butcher, narrated from her point of view in the first person. The book's description is a bit misleading; it isn’t a cozy fantasy but rather a dark fairy tale/fantasy, more akin to Uprooted by Naomi Novik than Howl’s Moving Castle. Despite this, it was a fantastic adventure, and I loved it! The author weaves together an excellent, unique book that hooked me from beginning to end.

Foss Butcher is the butcher's daughter and is quite unpopular in her village. Her mother died giving birth to her, leading the villagers to deem her cursed. Her plain looks (as she describes them) keep suitors away, much to her heartbreak. Every now and then, sorcerers arrive in her village and snag hearts - partly or whole - using them to enhance their abilities and protect the kingdom, or so the tales go.

A good book needs two key ingredients: a compelling story and skilled writing. This book has both. I enjoyed it immensely and couldn’t stop reading. The pace is slow at times, but this was necessary to set up the plot and introduce the history and magic system of the world. The world-building is impeccable and intriguing, immersing the reader and keeping the tale exciting and believable. We meet characters living in a detailed, feudal society and are thrust into the land’s web of politics and social issues.

The book starts with a little quirkiness but then takes a dark turn. The heroine's dry humor and strong personality come across loud and clear, making it easy to like her and root for her. Contrary to other opinions, I didn’t find her irritating at all, and my heart went out to her. Foss’s character may be more developed than Sylvester's, but I was invested in both of their struggles. I loved the development of their relationship, their interactions, and the slow-burn romance.

My favorite character was the cat! It’s often said that children and animals steal the show, and that was certainly the case here. Go, Cornelius! I also loved the bond between Foss and her father and the way she cared for her village, despite their bad treatment of her. She chose to let bygones be bygones, which only made her more endearing. Some of Foss’s choices made me pull my hair out, but they did propel the plot.

I found the writing engaging in most parts, and the plot was compelling enough to earn full stars. The themes of friendship, family, love, attachment, and self-image issues are skillfully interwoven into this dark tale. The excitement builds, especially in the second half, culminating in a more-than-satisfying ending. I loved the book and highly recommend it to fans of dark fairy tales and cleverly imagined, unique plots.

* Thank you NetGalley and (publisher) for the opportunity to read this arc. All opinions are my own.

3.5 stars, Metaphorosis Reviews
Summary
Foss Butcher is likely to never amount to more than a butcher's life and perhaps some widower's second wife - until a sorcerer steals a piece of her heart, dooming her to follow him to his magical home, where she finds herself unwittingly involved in the fate of the entire kingdom.
Review
I read this book immediately after The Lost Bookshop, and for some reason linked them, though they really have very little in common. As I noted there, Bookshop has better prose, and this book has a better story. Rather to my surprise, I ultimately found myself rating this book higher.
A Harvest of Hearts has some trouble getting off the ground. The prose is clunky (though you get used to it) and there are a fair number of awkward (or just wrong) formations and word choices. I found it a notable obstacle, initially.
Gradually, however, I was won over by the plot, which is innovative, if built on familiar elements. The characters that move it along are fairly standard types, and there’s no great surprise in their choices or resolutions, but they’re well deployed and engaging. There’s a little inconsistency (or maybe tension) – e.g., the protagonist sees herself as ugly for reasons beyond her control (and unsurprisingly, learns to think she isn’t), but sees no problem with describing a villain as ugly (with the hint that that means lacking in moral fiber). Foss’ choices aren’t always consistent, and at times feel forced for the sake of plot movement, but overall the lapses can be skipped over.
There’s a talking cat, which ordinarily I’m not keen on, as being a very overused device. But here, it’s charming and adds to the story without being coy or overly cute.
The prose isn’t great, frankly, but the story as a whole is engaging and fun.
I received this book for free in exchange for an honest review.

3.5/5! ⭐⭐⭐

I was absolutely captivated by the idea of a book with 'Howl's Moving Castle' vibes and a talking cat (who yes, was my absolute favorite character🐱🐱🐱). However, I don't think this book was the best fit for me.

We meet Foss, a butcher's daughter, who doesn't think highly of herself because she is 'bigger framed', has pale skin and red hair. She doesn't think anyone would ever love her because of that, and she lacks a lot of self-confidence. The land where she lives is ruled by the king and his 'children', sorcerers who come and harvest bits of hearts in order to 'protect the kingdom'. People are mesmerized by them. We then meet the sorcerer Sylvester, who accidentally snags a piece of Foss, and she goes on a mission to get it back from him.❤️‍🩹❤️‍🩹

I did not connect with the characters at all, Corenlius the cat being the exception. I thought Foss seemed very young and childish. Sylvester didn't show much growth for me, and his character fell a little flat. The romance felt a little forced, and didn't do much for me. I wasn't a fan of the verrryyy long chapters, and I did find myself skimming through the long descriptions.

The book definitely gave off cozy village vibes, and I loved that. It was definitely a 'cup of tea and a cozy blanket' kind of book, however I just think the book wasn't for me. 😊😊😊

Thank you to Netgalley & Kensington Publishing for this arc!

3.5 stars rounding up to four.

I see a number of reviewers mentioning that this book is too similar to Howl's Moving Castle... lucky for Andrea Eames, I am maybe one of the only people that haven't read or seen HMC. That said, I've made it a priority to do so after reading this book.

I found the plot line itself fun and enjoyable. The pacing didn't feel like a drag and I enjoyed the magic system.

My reasons for the 3.5 star rating:
- the number of times Ross calls herself "fat" or "ugly" made it difficult to see her as an empowered FMC. I imagine the intent was for her to be more relatable but I think the sheer number of times she's self-deprecating felt excessive.
- Sylvester's character leaves much to be desired. I appreciate a "happily ever after" as much as the next fantasy reader but this felt incredibly abrupt and I find it hard to believe in his final declaration to Foss. Maybe if the book itself was dual POV, it may have helped?
- The only reason I'm rounding up to 4 stars is because Cornelius is the star of this book. He is snarky, adorable, and a wonderful sidekick character.

I saw "Howles Moving Castle" vibes and I was all in. Diana W Jones was my favorite as a tween, all of her writings fascinating me, with amazing imaginary worlds, so obviously I had big expectations.
The story is fine, a fantasy romance very much in the tone of what people seem to want today... but the book could have been 1/3 of its current length and not lost anything. While at first we get acquainted with Foss her voice gives a certain bite to the book... but the bite wares off, and becomes rather whinny, snappish, grumpy, bossy and overall annoying. The whole book is too wordy, the constant complaint about how ugly she is, and her focuses on the beauty of the sorcerer makes her feel extremely shallow.
I'm disappointed, I guess I had too much expectation, and the book is way too long.

Thank you Netgalley, the author, and the publisher for this ARC!

A fun, whimsical read, with definite Howl's Moving Castle vibes. This was a cozy story, that took its time to introduce the world and get set up, but once it was going and Foss was in the city with the sorcerer, I was swept along by the charms of the house, the cat (the cat!), Sylvester, and the general narrative. The romance was sweet, Sylvester very Howl-coded, and I loved the house pouting and rearranging itself.

Really happy I got a chance to read an early copy! Would recommend!

I wound up really enjoying A Harvest of Hearts, but I must note - this is absolutely not a cozy cottagecore fantasy. While I can certainly see the influence of Howl's Moving Castle, the 'cozy' bits of the story only last a short while before it turns into something far darker, with body horror and some truly very upsetting scenes. The book is actually fantastic, with gorgeous prose and so many unexpected twists, but I dread the inevitable disappointment we're going to see when people pick this up thinking they're about to get Ghibli - and find it more like a Guillermo del Toro film! Don't miss this book - just adjust your expectations and be willing to go along for the ride. My thanks to the publisher & NetGalley for the opportunity to read this in advance.

Andrea Eames, someone needs to get your publicist in line because this is NOT a cozy cottagecore romantasy, it's a freaky deaky fairytale that made me cry. I'm pleasantly surprised to say I liked A Harvest of Hearts much more than I initially thought I would - no thanks at all to its truly baffling promo materials and synopsis.

Firstly, after years of fantasy pub lineups full of arcano-tech cyberpunk magic and fairies sending emails (not naming names SJM), it's refreshing to read a well-developed and out-and-out medieval fantasy novel. These bitches live under feudalism and shit in buckets. It's an unjust society full of characters trying (imperfectly) to make it more fair, and it's a relief that our rural peasant main character manages to be bright and engaging without having to also somehow have a PhD in international politics.

The vibes are perhaps more Coraline than Howl's Moving Castle, and the overarching effect feels reminiscent of T. Kingfisher (peace be upon her) and her darkly comedic little forays into fable. After a killer first and second act, the tidy and rather quaint conclusion fell a teeny bit flat, especially come right on the heels of some late-game revelations about the context and conflict of the larger world. I would have liked to follow those threads more and was disappointed that what seemed like a natural transition to a bigger stakes wasn't taken - again, someone somewhere thought this was a cozy romance, and the actual story is veritably straining against the confines of those rather simplistic aesthetic trappings.

Lastly, Foss Butcher is a devastatingly charming, heartbreakingly cynical main character and it's absolutely insane to me that anyone could find her annoying. As a fellow Fat Girl With (Human) Feelings, several scenes deep into the meat of the book made me absolutely weep. It was truly such a gift and a joy to meet her in all her simultaneous weirdness and overwhelming normalcy. When people say "she's just a girl," they're talking about Foss, and it's the greatest compliment in the world.

Thank you to Erewhon Books and NetGalley for the chance to read the e-arc of A Harvest of Hearts by Andrea Eames.

I will admit that I am a bit perplexed at the description of this book as a cozy fantasy. I read it as more fairy tale like and a sometimes dark one at that. Foss Butcher begins her life as many fairy tale heroine’s do, motherless. While her father, called lovingly “Da” in this story, raises her to be strong, independent and above all else loved, Foss feels the sting of being “other” in the almost perfect world created by the heart magic that protects the kingdom from things like crop failures, still births and war. This kingdom has lived in peace under the realm of King Darius and his Sorceress daughters for a hundred years as the story begins. However, the people of Foss’s village and all the outer ones, are subject to the harvesting of hearts when the kingdom is in need of power for the spells that ostensibly protect it. One day, Foss’s life is caught up when a piece of her heart is “ensnared” during a visit by the King’s one son, a rare Sorcerer who comes to town for rare herbs and quickly leaves. Unable to fight the sickness that follows, she follows the Sorcerer to the city and offers her services as his housekeeper. It is there that the story truly gets set into motion. Foss becomes snared in the larger story in more than one way during the course of the action that follows, and learns more about the sinister story behind the power of the Sorceress’s and the fate of the lives of her countrymen.

The world building was quite extensive, particularly in the descriptions of the house that Foss lives in with the Sorcerer, and the background of the King and the power that he wields. While the story moves slowly at first, the final portion of the book has more action which brings the threads together in a satisfying way.

Cornelius the cat is a delightful sidekick to Foss and I was glad for his inclusion in the story. (Especially to bring Foss’s thoughts to us as conversation as opposed to additional inner monologue.) I also loved Foss’s relationship with her father, and the way it helped her rise above throughout the story even when they apart. 4/5 star read

A Harvest of Hearts starts off so strong. I was really enjoying it, the imagery was top tier and we all love a cozy read right?! Right. Sadly around 30ish% the story started to DRAG. It was too descriptive and made the book way longer and less interesting. It the author could have kept the pace going or maybe ended it a little sooner, I think I would have stayed more engaged. I hate that it ended up falling flat after such a strong start.

This book was an engaging and fun, cozy fantasy.
Not sure that it exactly gives off Howl’s Moving Castle and Studio Ghibli vibes, but, if you enjoy an endearing story with likable characters set in a cozy fantasy world, you’ll probably enjoy it.
The overall story felt very whimsical and I thoroughly enjoyed it.
Definitely recommend.

This book promises a Howl’s Moving Castle vibe, cozy fantasy and romance which I was so excited for. I’d give it that it really does feel like a Ghibli film, the world building and imagery was fantastic. Foss’ narration was entertaining at the start. The magic system and “snagging” of heart concept was actually intriguing. And I’d admit that I’m really interested with Sylvester’s character when he first came to Foss’ village, the mystery surrounding the only male sorcerer and how would the story unfold.

While all this sounds fascinating, Foss’ narration could only entertain me so much until I start to get bored of it. The pacing felt so slow, and by the time that Foss became Sylvester’s housekeeper, it just felt so stagnant. While it is intriguing how things would unfold, it doesn’t keep me from picking it up again as I feel like nothing was ever really happening. Foss might be ‘in love’ with Sylvester through the snagging of heart, but I couldn’t really feel the romance at all. Foss constant belittling of herself and her “beauty” became so repetitive when you can’t even see why she feels that way without proper description on how she felt ugly — except having a sturdy body and being a butcher’s daughter.

I was really hoping that things would start moving once she arrived at his house, but it became even more stagnant to the point that the chapters feel like filler.

This was quite not what I expected as I really expected a lot from the blurb, hoping it would somehow be like a Ghibli film, and while it does paid off at the beginning, the lack of action made it hard to motivate myself to continue reading. Moreover, both the main leads character felt so flat and they became uninteresting by the middle. Foss’ narration was good at the beginning but it became tiring and repetitive as it goes on. I was curious about Sylvester the moment Foss saw him, but when she arrived at his house, he did nothing but lounge all day. I thought it would be a good chance to know more about his character, but the House was more interesting than the sorcerer.

The slow pacing added with uninteresting characters and plot that doesn’t seem to move at all, it makes reading it feel like a chore.

I do think though that this would be a good fit for those who are a big fan of Howl’s Moving Castle and just wants to read for the vibe, a really cozy and light story where not a lot of things happen.

Thank you Netgalley and the publisher for this ARC!

Thank you to NetGalley, Erewhon Books, and Andrea Eames for giving me the opportunity to read the eARC of this book ahead of its release on February 25, 2025.

As a fan of Howl's Moving Castle, I was really looking forward to reading A Harvest of Hearts. The concept of stolen hearts fueling magic was super interesting! However, the book didn't quite meet my expectations. This may be that I couldn't help but compare the main characters to Howl and Sophie, especially since the story felt very similar to Howl's Moving Castle early on.

Our main character, Foss, is clearly intelligent and has personality, but I found myself put off by her preoccupation with her looks. While she describes her focus on appearance as practicality, it often came across as self-deprecating. It left me wondering why she feels so unattractive—we learn that she has close-set blue eyes, red hair, and a sturdy build, but there’s no clear reason for her self-image issues. While Foss does show some development in terms of her thoughts and personality, I felt that she didn't truly grow throughout the story, which made the conclusion feel, as another reviewer stated, unearned.

On the other hand, the sorcerer, Sylvester, felt a bit flat and didn’t really develop or grow at all throughout the story. This made the sudden emotional moments, romance, and self-sacrifice in the final 20% feel rushed and hard to believe.

It was tough to really feel their emotional connection. However, I loved Cornelius so much. He reminded me of Calcifer from Howl's Moving Castle and brought much-needed humor and insight to the story; he quickly became my favorite character.

The magic system in this story and its effects on the world was a definite highlight. The world-building was rich and well-crafted. Even if I didn’t always feel immersed, I could vividly picture the settings.

Unfortunately, this aspect was overshadowed by dry and overly descriptive writing. Even for an adult reader, the language was dense, making it a bit of a slog to get through. There were also some pacing issues, with certain sections dragging on while others felt rushed.

Foss's first-person narrative was somewhat stiff, which made it challenging to connect with her feelings, particularly in her interactions with Sylvester. In contrast, her relationships with other characters, like her father and the cat, felt more genuine and engaging.

While A Harvest of Hearts has an intriguing premise, I felt the execution missed the mark in a few places. The dry writing, character development that could use more advancement, and uneven pacing held it back for me. I think fans of Howl's Moving Castle might appreciate some of the familiar themes, but ultimately, the novel didn’t quite meet the expectations I had hoped for.

Thank you Kensington Publishing & NetGalley for this great ARC!

I would give this a 4.5/5⭐️

I am a normal human being, which of course means I LOOOOOVE Howl’s Moving Castle - when I saw the description of this book, I knew I had to give it a read.

I really enjoyed this book; it’s a very cozy fantasy novel with a bit of romance that just found to be the sweetest. I thought Foss was a wonderful main character. Sylvester is very Howl-coded and I loved him. Don’t even get me STARTED on Cornelius the talking cat, LOML.

The length of the book seemed a little daunting at first, but I don’t think it felt long at all. It was a little slow to start but once things started ramping up, it was go time. I looked forward to reading this book everyday which was a great sign!

I need 10000 more Foss x Sylvester books STAT

This was a wonderful fantasy novel following Foss Butcher who is "Snagged". There was a talking cat, sorcery, a magical house, romance and adventure. I devoured this book. The characters were endearing and the story was fun. This book is perfect to cozy up with and read into the middle of the night (I know because I did).

I intend to buy my book club friends this book because I know they will love it.

Thank you to NetGalley and to Kensington Publishing for the ARC of A Harvest of Heart by Andrea Eames.

This book was engaging to read, and if you think of it in the context of a cozy fantasy adventure and lower the stakes to that level, it is enjoyable if you don't think too hard about potential plot holes / lack of visible character development. I don't mean that in a bad way, though I know it sounds badly worded this way. I read this in two sittings over two days, and I was absorbed in the story, but by the time I approached the midway point or the 80% mark, things had occurred that didn't really seem to make sense in the big picture.

In a Harvest of Hearts we are in a fantasy kingdom where beautiful sorceresses "harvest" the hearts of the rural towns for power that keeps the kingdom safe from war, keeps crops healthy, and keeps mothers safe in childbirth. To the townspeople, it's something they do not question, even if they do not understand it or they downplay the horror stories some have heard. When the first male sorcerer appears at the town, he locks eyes with Foss, our main character, and accidentally snags her heart. Within weeks Foss realizes she has been afflicted, and she follows the sorcerer to the city because only by proximity can she live without the pain of being distant from him; her heart being snagged also means she is forcibly in love with him.

The story goes a lot of directions from this point and I had in no way anticipated where it would end up. I wonder if maybe the author had the same feeling when writing it. At first there is a magic House and a talking cat and a mysterious covered portrait and room of an unknown sister, and Foss just being a housekeeper because though she wants to be free, she doesn't actually confront the sorcerer for weeks about the fact that she is snagged. I can see why some other readers were frustrated with Foss - in one moment she will seem strong and outspoken and in the next she thinks "well, this is fine" and carries on. The sorcerer, Sylvester, just sits on a throne all day in a dirty room and plays with magic fireballs - he says he has a task but he doesn't actually seem to do anything besides lounge about. The one time he does magic in a room filled with notes and spellbooks and materials is barely a few pages and doesn't tell us anything about why he does not try at his craft or what his goal could be.

From there the story grows into a larger kingdom-wide dilemma that has a lot of action. It's fast paced and covers a lot of ground and I don't want to spoil it for readers. What I can say is, there appears to be a lot of intrigue and growing magic system that I wish was explained a lot more. The magic system stayed a bit out of reach for me, and the major turning point of the story was one even the characters acknowledged as "why are we doing this again?". It just seemed like a lot of REALLY big things happen after the 50% mark and they make a story, but it's spread really thin and it never really goes back to the first 50%.

I did struggle a bit with the writing here and there. I have never seen the word eldritch before, but I know I saw it at least three times in A Harvest of Hearts. A few times word choices like this just really took me out of the story.

"This love, the dogged devotion, might still have been an ensorcelled illusion, but something else had grown up around it, like a vine curling around a tree."

The concept of this book is very intriguing. The only magicians that exist take hearts to perform their spells and become stronger. We also get the opportunity to see a corrupt magic system from the inside through Foss's eyes, rather than just observing it from the outside.
I have to be honest—the writing style initially put me off. Even though the entire story is narrated through Foss, it felt a little distant at first. However, I kept reading and eventually started feeling the story.
My favourite character is, hands down, Cornelius. I mean, who doesn't love a talking cat? I also re-evaluated Sylvester, who didn't seem interesting at first, but by the end, I even preferred him over Foss.
Lastly, I appreciated the presence of a father who is actually alive, loves his daughter, and supports and believes in her.

Thank you so much to NetGalley and the publisher for allowing me to read this eARC in exchange for an honest opinion.

Thank you Netgalley for a free ARC in exchange for my review. Despite, feedback is my own.

This book has so many interesting parts including a fun magical system and a talking cat.

The language, written intentionally, made it difficult for me to get in a groove with reading

3.5⭐️
There was a lot to love about this book, but at the end of the day it fell a little flat and couldn't keep me hooked.

I blew through the first 30% of this book and was so intrigued. The vibes are immaculate, the world is really cool, and the mystery and intrigue is definitely there. Cornelius, the fury companion and talking cat, the family dynamics, the sentient house - all top notch.

After about 30% I started to get a little bored. The plot moves at a snail's pace and I kept setting the book down (the long chapters don't help). That said every time I did pick this back up, I got excited to read again... Unfortunately, that excitement only lasted a chapter or two before I was frustrated that the plot wasn't moving fast enough.

If you want vibes, atmosphere, and love a cozy fantasy this could be a great one for you. Personally I do LOVE a cozy fantasy but I need a bit more plot to accompany all that atmosphere and vibes.

Thank you NetGalley and Kensington Publishing (Erewhon Books) for sending this book (eARC) for review consideration. All opinions are my own.