Honestly the only reason I finished this book was because of Cornelius (the fabulous talking black cat). I struggled terribly with the pacing. The first half of the book was incredibly descriptive but to the point of redundancy…..I can only handle so many ways you tell me the fmc is plain……or that the house is black…..and everything in it is black….and Sylvester is just a slob and uncaring……but then I’m supposed to shift and want Foss and Sylvester to be in love? I just couldn’t quite manage to care.
So for me……Cornelius earned all 3 of the stars and I would probably read a whole book just based on him.
I received an ARC of this book, all opinions are my own.

"A heart could be taken in bits and pieces, with the victim barely noticing, or all at once, prized from a chest like an oyster from a shell."

2 stars. DNFed at 60%.

My hopes were crushed. I was genuinely excited to read A Harvest of Hearts, but unfortunately, this book just didn’t work for me. I had seen comparisons to Howl’s Moving Castle, which raised my expectations, but honestly, I don’t see it. While I can understand why some readers might draw parallels, I believe those comparisons oversell what this book delivers.

One of my biggest disappointments was the romance between Foss and Sebastian. The potential was there — so much potential — but it felt squandered. Their relationship barely scratched the surface, lacking the emotional depth and development that could have elevated the story.

The writing itself was fine; there were moments of lovely prose, and some descriptions stood out. However, the plot dragged, and I found myself growing impatient, constantly wishing the pace would pick up.

In the end, I couldn’t push myself past the 60% mark. It’s a pity because I wanted to love this book — the premise had promise, but the execution didn’t deliver.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing an ARC copy in exchange for an honest review.

If youre searching for a story that is reminiscent of Howls Moving Castle, then this is the one! Down to Sophie's mannerisms, Calcifer's companionship and Howl's moodiness, you can find it all through the wonderful characters in this book through Foss, Cornelius the Cat and Sylvester! I really enjoyed this story and can't wait for this book to be published.

A Harvest of Hearts by Andrea Eames
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ | 🌟 Fantasy with heart... literally!

Let me tell you about this book that completely SNAGGED my attention! 📚✨ I dove into "A Harvest of Hearts" expecting Howl's Moving Castle vibes and got that PLUS so much more! This magical tale had me utterly captivated from the moment Foss Butcher's heart got accidentally snagged by a ridiculously handsome sorcerer, setting off a chain of events that mixes whimsy with darkness in the most delicious way.

This story follows Foss Butcher (already loving that name) who gets her heart accidentally "Snagged" by Sylvester, the kingdom's only sorcerer with cheekbones that could cut glass. Next thing you know, she's stomping off to the City, living in a magical house with MAJOR mood swings, and befriending a talking cat named Cornelius who—not gonna lie—totally stole the show! 😻

The vibes we're tracking:
🫀 Heart magic that's both cute AND creepy
🏠 Architecture with ATTITUDE
🐱 Sassy cat companion energy
💕 Slow-burn romance that'll make you giggle then sob
📚 Cozy reads that pack a PUNCH

What starts as whimsical fantasy takes a DELICIOUSLY dark turn midway through—suddenly we're dealing with some seriously visceral heart harvesting! Foss herself is the perfect protagonist—practical, stubborn, and convinced she's "plain as a boot" while carrying the inner fire of a warrior.

The real standout? Cornelius the cat deserves his own spin-off series immediately! 🐈‍⬛✨

The book is available now, but the audiobook drops March 18th, and I'm absolutely grabbing a copy! If you need a fantasy that feels like Miyazaki with a darker edge, THIS IS YOUR NEXT READ. It's cozy fantasy that isn't afraid to show its teeth, and I am HERE FOR IT! 💖🔮

Thank you Kensington for the arc gifted copy!

A Harvest of Hearts includes a FMC with a macabre connection to a sorcerer, a magical house, and a talking cat. I enjoyed the beginning of this book, but I lost interest before the halfway point and never seemed to reconnect with the characters or the pacing. I did enjoy the narrator Jessie Elland and would absolutely listen to future narrations by her.

I received an ARC and ALC from Kensington Publishing | Erewhon Books and RBmedia | Recorded Books via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

At the heart of A Harvest of Hearts is the slow-burn romance between Sarah and Alec, both of whom come from different worlds. Sarah is an aristocratic woman trying to navigate the constraints placed upon her by her social standing, while Alec, a man with a rough past and a complicated present, enters her life in a way that forces her to question her world. Their initial interactions are filled with tension, as their differences create friction, but as the story progresses, they find common ground and discover deeper emotional connections. The novel is filled with emotional highs and lows as Sarah and Alec face obstacles both internal and external, including societal judgment, family expectations, and personal doubts. Their relationship isn’t without its struggles, which makes their eventual growth together all the more rewarding.

This novel explores themes of love, redemption, and the challenges of overcoming class and societal barriers. Both Sarah and Alec deal with issues of personal worth and identity — Alec struggles with his past, while Sarah wrestles with her desires versus the expectations of her class. Their journey towards mutual understanding is not just about love but also about personal growth and acceptance. The supporting characters, particularly Sarah’s family and Alec’s friends, add depth to the story, serving as both obstacles and catalysts for the central couple’s journey. These characters are well-developed and add layers of complexity to the plot.

After overcoming their personal struggles and societal challenges, Sarah and Alec find a way to build a life together. The resolution of their relationship is earned, with both characters growing significantly through the course of the book. While the ending is fulfilling and sweet, it does not shy away from the complexities of love and the hard work that comes with it, making it all the more rewarding A Harvest of Hearts is a poignant and beautifully written historical romance that explores love, redemption, and societal constraints. The chemistry between the two protagonists, combined with the rich historical setting and emotional depth, makes it an enjoyable read for fans of the genre.

This was a nice read. There was some world building in the beginning to set up the second half of the book, which did make it feel like it was a very slow paced book. There were times that I had to take a break from the book due to the main characters negative self image, however, she is a strong character. I ended up enjoying the magical house and talking cat more than anything!

2.5 (rounded up) ✨ A whimsical cosy fantasy reminiscent of Howl’s Moving Castle sounded just like my cup of tea.

My key takeaway is that I would very much like my own talking black cat because Cornelius was genuinely the best thing about this book. And I would also love to live in a grumpy, sentient house that can conjure up any food I want.

I liked the underlying plot and finished the book because I genuinely wanted to know how it ended, but the narration unfortunately fell flat. I found that the first POV monologue was meandering with short sentences and lots of commas, which made the flow of words in my head choppy and frustrating. The FMC Foss’s self-deprecating narration also made her unlikeable to me as a reader (she repeatedly calls herself ugly and relentlessly talks down on her efficacy and traits).

While I found it hard to emotionally attach to Foss, I did enjoy reading about the side characters and her interactions with them. Her monologues about the reciprocal love with her “Da” (her father) were moving, and I also loved the MMC Sylvester (because he’s pretty much Howl 2.0) so this bled into Foss by proxy.

She’s clearly not the hateful hag she perceives herself to be because they all love her, especially sweet little Cornelius. So it’s a shame that her narration didn’t reflect any character development around this.

——

Tropes:
- Magic
- Hidden truth
- Ugly duckling
- Forced proximity
- Unattainable love interest
- Dark lord and femme fatale antagonists
- Closed door spice (barely any spice)
- Standalone

I enjoyed the premise of Hearts being needed for "real" magic to occur. I especially liked the House and Cornelius. The sorcerer's sulking and Foss' constant habit of putting herself down got on my nerves. 4 stars.

Witches need hearts to perform magic – and the people in Foss Butcher’s village have long accepted this fact. As long as they themselves are left alone, they simply look the other way. Foss, however, feels invisible, unlovable, and trapped in her life. Until a sorcerer appears in the village and awakens something in her that she can’t ignore. She follows him to the city, becomes his housemaid – and finds herself in a house full of magic, secrets, and a talking cat named Cornelius.

Right from the start, I loved the book’s snarky, witty narrative style. Foss’ thoughts are sarcastic, sharp, and full of self-doubt – a combination that often made me smile. The enchanted house was also a real highlight for me: it seems to have a will of its own, grants wishes, and occasionally forces Foss to discover things she might rather not see. I especially enjoyed the chemistry between Foss and Sylvester. Their dynamic was unique, and his mix of eccentric professor, absent-minded genius, and mysterious coldness made him an intriguing character.

However, the story also had its weaknesses for me. While the beginning drew me in, the middle dragged noticeably. Foss was too hesitant at times, and I wished for bolder decisions and more interaction between her and Sylvester. Although the second half picked up the pace, I still felt a lack of connection to the characters, and the suspense never fully gripped me.

Overall, this story had a lot of potential, a great atmosphere, and fantastic ideas – but in the end, it wasn’t a standout read for me.

firstly, thank you to the publisher for an arc and an alc!

while this was certainly heavily inspired by howl’s moving castle, this was neither cozy or whimsical for the most part — there are quite a lot of trigger warnings that should be emphasized, specifically the removal of bodily and cognitive autonomy through the process of “harvesting hearts”.

i found this harvesting of hearts to fuel magic to be rather original, but also the graphically gruesome descriptions of those divested of their hearts was simultaneously horrifying but interesting.

despite the darkness of this world and the magic, i really enjoyed this book, especially the cat companion cornelius 💗

as for the narrator, she did a fantastic job!

Unfortunately I did DNF this book because at the time I didn’t realise this is a sort of cosy fantasy which is not usually I pick up. Maybe that’s why I wasn’t gripped into the story.

What this book is about:
Everyone in Foss Butcher’s village knows what happens when the magic-workers come; they harvest human hearts to use in their spells. That’s just how life in her kingdom works. But Foss, plain, clumsy, and practical as a boot, never expected anyone would want hers.

When a sorcerer snags a piece of Foss’s heart without meaning to, she is furious. For once a heart is snagged, the experience is … well, unpleasant. So, Foss finds herself stomping toward the grand City to keep his enchanted House and demands that he fixes her before she keels over and dies, or whatever happens when hearts are Snagged.

But the sorcerer, Sylvester, is not what she expected. Petulant, idle, and new to his powers, Sylvester has no clue how to undo the heart-taking, or how to do much of anything really, apart from sulk. Foss’s only friend is a talking cat and the walls themselves have moods.

As Foss searches for a cure, she accidentally uncovers that there is much more to the heart-taking – and to the magic-workers themselves – than she could have ever imagined…

This book is aptly described as akin to Howl's Moving Castle: full of whimsy and dynamic world-building, this story follows Foss, a butcher's daughter in an unremarkable village, who becomes a sorcerer's housekeeper in his magical, ever-evolving house. For as long as anyone can remember, sorcerers and sorceresses have come to various villages and harvested people's hearts for their magic, which they use to protect the kingdom and its people. Foss falls victim to this and of course becomes embroiled in the kingdom's growing issues, and shenanigans ensue.

This book was so fun to read. The world-building was succinct yet detailed, Foss was an easy protagonist to root for, and the side characters were truly a joy. The pacing was great - a lot of times in fantasy romance books the last 25% is so jam-packed that you get lost and the emotional notes don't quite hit, but here the build felt natural and the stakes high. Eames does a wonderful job of maintaining a cozy atmosphere while not making it feel too schmaltzy, and the whole story feels very unique. I loved this one!

Thank you to NetGalley and Kensington Publishing for an advanced reader's copy in exchange for an honest review!

At the end of the day I am just a girl who became enamored with the wizard Howl and that castle at a formative age. So I really liked this.
Look. This book was imperfect. Slow paced start. A lot of walking around and housework in the beginning. Clunky paragraphs. The pacing was sporadic, all or nothing. I’ll admit I don’t really care though.
Foss was a great main character, she actually reminded me more of Sophie than Sylvester reminded me of Howl. I really loved her attitude and the way she handled herself. And Cornelius the talking cat gets 5 stars.
It’s like this story scratched an itch I’ve had for a while. I want more adult romantasy’s with this specific whimsical lighthearted vibe, or even in this specific world. I’d be glad if Andrea Eames decided to write more. :)

Out now is the newly published novel, A Harvest of Hearts by Andrea Eames. Foss is the butcher's daughter. In her mind she is oversized and unattractive. Nothing compared to the beautiful sorceresses from the city whose infrequent visits fill the town with envy, lust, and fear. The sorceresses are said to gain power by stealing bits of people's hearts. When one day a male sorcerer turns up, Foss believes he has stolen part of her heart. In trying to get it back she journey's far away to an moody black castle made of magic where a talking cat and the sorcerer who fills her dreams live. In order to restore her heart she takes up working there as a housekeeper and must unravel the mystery of the magic makers, who she learns are as much victims as the people's whose hearts they steal.

This story very much had the feel of a modern take on a classic fairy tale. It had the magic of the stories I read as a child, but Foss is able to save herself and her love. I also liked the closeness between her and her father since so often is classic stories the fathers become distant when the mother of the heroine has passed away.

Thanks to NetGalley and Erewhon Books for an ARC of Harvest of Hearts, by Andrea Eames.

Well, this did not continue that promising as it has started. I was thrilled about whimsy fantasy and I did not get it at all. The story was just okay for me, nothing less nothing more.
The characters... I did not like, except the talking cat, and the plot was just boring. I did like the worldbuilding though and the initial intention, but then it went downhill for me.
I suppose I was not the right reader for this book.
2,5 stars from me.

A Harvest of Hearts was an interesting story that was enjoyable to read. Foss has a dry sense of humor that is witty, which reminded me of Emily from the Emily Wilde series but not delivered as well as it is in the Emily Wilde series. The story unfolds through an enchanting story of Foss confronting a newbie sorcerer who has no idea how to give Foss back the piece of her heart that he had taken. The relationship between Foss and Sylvester was cute to read; however, the pacing of the story was quite slow to start and then became rushed, which affected the quality of the development of their relationship--a relationship that is already a super slow burn romance. This also isn't a book to read if you're looking for any spice, which I didn't mind. Honestly, it seemed like they should have just ended up as maybe good friends based on the amount of chemistry. I think the characters could have been developed a bit more, especially Foss who seems to have the worst self-esteem imaginable. The self-esteem issues alone prevents me from labeling her as a strong female lead character. The star of the book was Cornelius. There was a lot of repetitiveness with description throughout the story in different instances, which added to the pacing feeling slow. The world building was well-done, so I was able to envision it.

Foss, the butcher's daughter, falls under a spell that makes her leave her home and travel to the city to work as a housekeeper for the hot sorcerer Sylvester, who bespelled her, in his magical house. After lots of cleaning of the house, and lots of incidents in which Foss doesn't deserve nice things because she considers herself ugly, and after lots of languishing about on Sylvester's part, the two have to fight the evil villain, fall in love and live happily ever after.


Here's what I liked about the book: Cornelius.

There was potential here. Unfortunately, I found the world-building lacking, and would have liked to see more of the magic system. Instead I got a female MC that was so busy with telling me that she saw herself as ugly on every other page that I started to skim the pages very early on. She isn't ugly, of course, but she needs the hot sorcerer to tell her that she is beautiful to believe it herself.

Foss lives in a village on the outskirts of her kingdom. A kingdom protected from war, famine and disease by a powerful magic. The kingdom sorceresses travel to the outlying villages to acquire the ingredient needed to power this magic- human hearts. When Foss finds part of her heart snagged by the only male sorcerer she's ever seen, she's determined to retrieve it and go back to life as she knows it. Traveling to the heart of the kingdom on her quest, she discovers it might not be as easy as she had hoped, and things within the kingdom may not be as they appear. Faced with handling a sassy sorcerer, a sentient house, and a talking cat, will Foss be able to make her heart whole again?

I really enjoyed this book and definitely think it is worth the read. The unique magic system was interesting to see. I liked Foss's character- she was independent and strong willed, which I always enjoy in a female main character. She does frequently fall into negative self-talk, so that can be a little difficult to read through at times. I was hoping for more banter and build-up from Foss and Sylvester and it kind of felt like their romance just went from 0 to 60 out of nowhere. Cornelius, the resident chatty cat, is the star of the show and, without a doubt, stole my heart!

It does make me think a bit that it’s an adult (new adult probably) version of Howl’s Moving Castle. Foss is not a terribly happy person but she seemed content enough working in her father’s shop but a dark magic ruled the kingdom and she’s snagged in its web. She’s stronger than she thinks though. And there’s a talking cat. Bonus points for a good cat character. Cats improve everything. Just ask them.