This book was absolutely adorable and the narrator did a wonderful job keeping me engaged. I will be picking this up as a shelf trophy after seeing how cute the edges are!

A Harvest of Hearts by Andrea Eames

A truly captivating novel with a unique storyline that makes for a great read listen. I preferred the audiobook over reading the physical copy. Going through twice made me enjoy it more. The narrator did a great job!

It weaves a whimsical and dreamy narrative, infused with magic controlled by the heart. The characters were delightful, quirky, and full of charm.

Overall a different take on magic, combined with a little bit of adventure really made this one stand out to me, and even though it wasn’t as fleshed out as I would’ve hoped, I quite enjoyed it.

Thanks to Netgalley and RB Media for the audio ARC of this book.

I chose A Harvest of Hearts for its comparison to The House in the Cerulean Sea and for its whimsical, cozy vibes. It is also compared to Howl's Moving Castle, which I am unfamiliar with. I would say there are also some similarities to Beauty & the Beast. It is listed as a whimsical, cozy fantasy/romantasy. I was under the impression it was adult, but it definitely reads more like YA, in my opinion.

What I liked: I liked the cover art! The cover art is what initially sparked my interest in reading this. (As a side note, I also love the cover art of the rest of Andrea Eames' books!)
The story was intriguing, and the world-building was very thorough. Foss was determined to save her heart and her people, but she lacked self-confidence, which ultimately made her more relatable. Cornelius, the talking cat, was a bright spot throughout the story! The enchanted house served as an additional charming character. Da, Foss' father, was also a very warm, likable character.

What didn't work for me: I felt like the book itself was a bit too long, especially the individual chapters. The first half had a slower pace, making the ending feel rushed. I personally felt that there could have been more detail added to the love story between Foss and Sylvester! I think that would have helped seal the story into being more of a whimsical romantasy. I would have also liked to see more of Sylvester's growth.

Narration: The narrator beautifully portrayed the essence of the book and provided a great voice for Foss Butcher, our FMC. She definitely made the audio fascinating and I would love to read more books narrated by Jessie Elland.

I knew nothing about this book when I saw it was a new release but when I read it was compared to Howl's Moving Castle and The House In The Cerulean Sea I knew I had to read this story.

The main female character Foss Butcher has my heart in the first two chapters. The side character Cornelius the talking cat was a great addition to add some humor. The novel had a unique magic system. I was intrigued on the mystery involving the stolen hearts that it made me want to read more on how it was going to be resolved.

Thank you RBmedia for the audiobook arc.

3.5 stars

Thank you NetGalley for an ALC of Harvest of Hearts in exchange of my honest opinion.

I quite enjoyed this book. I found the world building intriguing. I quite understand the comparison with Howl's Moving Castle and I think that was a great comp title for this book, as you follow similar imagery of sentient house, aloof/mysterious lone guy in a mannor/castle.

The concepts were there and the story itself was interesting with good pace. However I had an issue with the FMC's voice as she seems to have low self confidence and whine about almost everything. I also found the romance just fine, as I expect a bit more yearning as it's a slow burn.

The best part for me was the cat Cornelius that had way more personality and great lines than the main character themselves.

Overall, it was a good read.

A beautiful, whimsical tale of growth and discovery, I adored this book. Jessie Elland captured Foss's snark and attitude perfectly, and I cannot wait to see what else she does in the future. The narration, the pacing, the character growth and development were all beautifully done, and this audiobook was a great debut for Andrea Eames, and a great first introduction to Jessie Elland's narration.

╰┈➤ ★★★★☆ | 3.75 stars

This read was such a captivating journey filled with unique magic and strong character dynamics. From the very beginning, Foss’s self-esteem issues are glaringly evident, and they shape her perspective throughout the story. This aspect makes her character very relatable since the start.

As for favorite characters, Cornelius quickly became my absolute favorite. By the 40% mark, he’s already stealing the show, showing more emotion than some of the human characters. Foss's Da is an absolute gem from her perspective, bringing a warm and affectionate touch to the tale.

The magic system is intriguing, and the world-building draws you in, I understand why it was compared to howls moving castle with the same whimsy tones.

As misunderstandings pile up, Foss's strength shines through despite her insecurities, especially as she embraces her identity. I found the portrayal of the sorceresses interesting; they aren't just evil villains but rather lost souls that evoke some sympathy.

That said, I was a little disappointed with the ending. It felt anticlimactic and didn’t deliver the punch I expected. The chemistry between Foss and Sylvester was still cute but lacking some depth, and I wished they'd had more meaningful interactions. The villains—the king and sorceresses—felt a bit flat, needing more complexity.

The writing itself is lovely, with beautiful descriptions that pull you in. However, the pacing had its ups and downs; it started slow and rushed toward the end.

It was a fun read with charming characters and a magical setting, though it could have benefited from stronger relationships and a more impactful conclusion.

Thank you to NetGalley and RBmedia for the free arc in exchange for my honest review!

This is the most unique fantasy book I've read in a while. Foss was an interesting FMC who lives an extremely plain life in an extremely plain body, and she is fine with it. When she gets a taste of a new life she begins to question her line of thinking.

What I especially enjoyed about this book is the ending didn't whip out some magical spell to turn Foss beautiful at the end, the MMC fell in love with her because of who she was on the inside, truly.

I will be thinking of this book for years to come. Thank you to Andrea Eames, RBmedia, and NetGalley for the ARC!

If you are a fan of Howl's Moving Castle (the movie), this is the book for you!

You are introduced to the main character Foss who is a butchers daughter and is accidentally ensnared by a sorcerer that goes by the name of Sylvester. Feeling such heartache and pain from being too far form the sorcerer she traveled to the city to get this situation handled to end up being is housekeeper. But life isn't too terrible as she got to go into this magic house that gives you the things you need along with a black (now talking) cat named Cornelius. Once she is in the house she starts her mission to find her missing heart and bringing the sorcerer his food throughout the day.

In this book hearts are precious things to be protected by both the humans and sorceresses. As humans need their heart to feel complete and the sorceresses and the king need them to "protect" the kingdom. Once you get further into the book you discover more things about what the hearts are used for and why they're being taken. This isn't necessarily a romance story, but you can just tell between the two main characters that just belong together or at least be in each others orbit.

I received the audiobook version and I absolutely loved listening to it. The narrator, Jessie Elland, captured the true essence of Foss and I often found myself engrossed in the story. Trying to figure out what was going to happen next. Was she going to get her heart back? Was she going to get it taken? What was Foss and Sylvester going to do next? Overall, this was a great read for me and I would love to read future works by Andrea Eames and listen to more audiobooks read by Jessie Elland.

Thank you Netgalley and RBmedia for the Arc!

This has been one of my favorite stories in a long time. The magic system was so interesting to me. I really enjoyed reading this story. Foss was a great character. Cornelius was the best!!! I definitely recommend everyone pick this up.

Oh my god, I loved listening to A Harvest of Hearts Audio Book. It has a whimsical, quirky, and magical theme to the story and Jessie Elland did a fantastic job narrating the book!!! Love her accent!

If you love Howl’ Moving Castle, then you would love this story because it has similar elements. Foss Butcher is a girl from a smaller village and her heart was snatched by a sorcerer by accident. She sets out to the city to take back her heart and ends up living & working in the sorcerer’s enchanted house. Her only friend is a talking cat and let me tell you, Cornelius was the best character in the book. His sassy attitude, banter, and wit were everything you need in a side character. LOL I love Cornelius so much and he always showed up at the best moments.

I think the romance is very tame and a little lacking. This story focuses more on the magic and Foss's journey. The romance doesn’t feel like the main point in the book. Foss and Sylvester start to grow on each other, but I don’t understand why. Sylvester is what you call a man with very little words and action; he just didn’t win my heart. He... just seems meh in the book.

Overall, I think the story is interesting, characters are decent (Cornelius is the best), and the magic in the world was unique in my opinion. I would recommend this book if you were looking for a low romance story with a magical element and a sassy talking cat.

Thank you NetGalley for the Advance Audio Copy!

"A Harvest of Hearts" is a tale of Foss Butcher, an ordinary village girl whose heart was held captive by a sorcerer. It's not uncommon for the king and the sorceresses in their world to harvest the hearts of villagers and so Foss is expecting this to be her fate when she encounters Sylvester but....Sylvester can't bring himself to do the one thing his family is demanding of him- harvest her heart.

The world building was great, there was so much potential and yet...I found myself wanting more. Foss had a redeeming third act, desperately trying to restore the hearts of those around her. Not surprising, the cat Cornelius was the best part, bringing Foss and Sylvester together and connecting the dots.

I loved the way the world came alive, loved the narrator but I wish the pacing was a bit clearer. I'd certainly give the author another shot.

Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC!

The promise of a whimsical Howl’s Moving Castle-like story got my attention, but unfortunately I don’t think it lived up to that description.
I found the world building and magic system to be interesting, and although I personally would have liked to dive deeper into it, I feel that it worked well for just being a single novel.
I enjoyed the main characters, but I didn’t feel like there was any real tension or chemistry between them, making the romance plot fall a little flat.
Overall, it was an enjoyable read, it just left me wanting more from it.
Thank you to NetGalley and RBmedia for providing me with an ALC in exchange for my honest review.

This story was absolutely fascinating. I loved the originality of the magic and how the magic works. In a world where one individual wants full control, the main characters are pushing the barriers to make all right again.
Chefs kiss!!

I thoroughly enjoyed this story , I felt very privileged to be given the approval to review before publishing date . It’s a real easy listen . I love Cornelius . I kinda predicted there would be a connection between Fos and Sylvester so that was lovely to listen to . Ooooo the sourceresses were nasty weren’t they .

Definitely looking forward to more books x

Thank u so much once again .

Went in with few expectations, not sure what I would find and was pleasantly surprised! Story and world building were solid and not overwhelming the way that some fantasy tends to get. Foss is an earthy, pragmatic heroine who nicely compliments the more moody Sylvester with her realistic outlook. Comps mention Howls Moving Castle as an influence but, while those elements are there it’s enough of its own thing that I wasn’t annoyed. Audio narration was engaging. I usually don’t do well with strong accents in recordings but, this was alright!
Thanks to NetGalley and RB for the audio arc!

As soon as I saw this book had Howl’s Moving Castle vibes, I knew I had to read it! I listened to the audiobook on NetGalley and it did not disappoint! Such a unique story with nostalgic vibes, an interesting magic system, a dark brooding sorcerer who lives in a sentient house with a talking cat, a determined butcher’s daughter who just wants her heart back. I fell in love with this story and the main characters! I gave it 4.5 stars!

Thank you RB Media for an early copy of an audiobook of A Harvest of Hearts! 💕
This audiobook was amazing!!! The narrators voice was great and their accents were perfect! Sometimes I've found that some audiobooks where the narrator does accents (or naturally has an accent) from the UK, if you listen to the audiobook at any speed over 1X, it can be difficult to follow BUT this amazing narrator enunciates so well that I was able to easily hear the story AND love the accents!!!
Also, talking about voices, the voice of the main character is the perfect combination of funny and cool! Foss (the FMC) is an interesting combination of lovestruck/magicstruck BUT also grows to be independent and strong and leads the changes in the kingdom!
Also, to make this a little easier, I think people who liked My Lady Jane + Lightlark + The Spellshop! A Harvest of Hearts has suspense, magic, a sentient house, AND a talking cat!?!? I mean how fun is all of that! This audiobook was a little larger than I'm used to listening to but it felt like it FLEW by because I was so curious and obsessed with the story! I really loved this book and cannot wait to see more from Andrea Eames! 💖

A Harvest of Hearts Honest ARC Review:

This is a whimsical and interesting tale about an ordinary village girl, Foss Butcher, whose heart was snagged by an attractive sorcerer. Setting out on a journey to reclaim it, she discovers the sorcerer’s enchanted home and befriends a talking cat.

The story starts off just heartbreaking as Foss is tormented by neighboring boys. Understandably, her self esteem is shattered and she believes she cannot possibly deserve love from another. I found this to be terribly sad. I was really rooting for Foss as an underdog, hoping she would overcome all obstacles. Foss’ character was frustrating at times as she seemed to self sabotage. At the same time, this is relatable, to an extent.

I really hoped that Foss would find love with the sorcerer. This novel is beautifully written and I find myself feeling like a bit of a hopeless romantic regarding their relationship.

The writing paints a beautiful image of the story with vividly crafted descriptions. The story was filled with unique magical systems, intriguing MMC, fantastic and whimsical side characters and a slow burn.

Overall, this is a truly unique and interesting read. I’m glad to have this opportunity to read and go on this adventure with Foss. If you are looking for adventure and escape, this is a great addition to your TBR!

Thank you for sharing this ARC with me. I really enjoyed it!

Thank you so much NetGalley for providing me with an Advanced Listener Copy of A Harvest of Hearts. This was my first ALC that I have received. I really enjoyed the experience of listening to this. I think that the narrator did a great job. While I normally prefer duet or even dual narration, I did not mind the single person narration as the narrator's accents and inflections provided an elevated element to the story. I do think the difference in voices for the characters could've been a bit more drastic so it was easier to differentiate when different characters were speaking.

As far as the actual story, I definitely enjoyed this and thought the premise was unique, however, I do think this is being marketed incorrectly. I have read many synopsis's saying that this was a "cozy fantasy" with "whimsical vibes" and while I can see certain aspects of the story falling under those categories, the underlying plot is quite a bit darker than I was expecting. The whole premise is based off of heart magic, and hearts being stolen, and a lot of them time when this is being described it is quite gruesome. I would not describe this as cozy at all.

I think that this book would've benefited from a bit more world building. As a reader, I felt very thrown in head first and I wish we could've gotten more back story to feel more connected to our characters. While I do not feel like I had a strong connection to them, I do feel like the characters were well thought out and likeable enough. A talking cat and a sentient house though, those were the real show stealers. I enjoyed those aspects of this book the most.

I honestly think this book would've done much better focusing more on the magic and not bringing in a romantic element into the plot. It doesn't feel authentic in any way as our FMC Foss has her heart snagged by our MMC Sylvester. As a reader, in my eyes it almost feels nonconsensual, like Foss's feelings are not her own. It almost feels like she is being forced to love him instead of choosing to do so on her own.