2.5 stars rounded up. I went back and forth on my rating for this one a lot. I liked the idea of heart magic and was so excited to dive in after looking at the cover/reading the Howl's comparison. But this just wasn't for me. The magic system was cool, but I did not like either of our main characters. Unfortunately, the protagonist spent a lot of time talking about how they weren't pretty or special... and it didn't seem like the book really had much purpose for that. I almost DNF'ed multiple times, BUT there is an awesome talking cat, the idea of using hearts to power magic was fascinating (even if it wasn't developed deeply), and I liked the familial relationship of the main character and her father. There are definitely some things that work well and a great cat, so check this one out and see if you like it better than I did!

Thanks to NetGalley, Andrea Eames, and RBmedia for the chance to read and review. My opinions are my own.

Book review: 3.5/5 ⭐️
Genre: YA fantasy
📖 Read if you like: Immortality: a love story, Starling House, Within These Wicked Walls

As someone who will never have enough of witchy reads, I was very excited to receive this ARC from NetGalley and RBMedia. With hearts the primary source of magic it promised to be both dark and endearing. With an alluring premise and a heart wrenching love story it was a dark yet cozy fantasy.

Foss Butcher is plain and clumsy. Long known as cursed in beauty and birth she unexpectedly follows the first male sorcerer ever seen to the city after he accidentally snags her. With nothing to do but follow her heart’s desire and seek proximity to the sorcerer Sylvester she ends up working as a house girl. She uses the cover to seek means to undo the spell and regain her heart. Yet her heart is only part of the story, for there is much more to magic and the magic wielders than she ever imagined.

The sorcerers are part vampire, part frankensteins’s creature and part witch. Entirely ensnaring with otherworldly beauty they steal the hearts of humans and drain their lives slowly. These sorcerers are not born, but made to be this way by the king in order to wield magic that secures the kingdom. Yet this magic requires the high price of human hearts, one which the people are seemingly willing to pay.

They lived unquestioningly in a kingdom where magic workers came into villages to pluck hearts and never seemed to really wonder what “threats” the king claimed he was defending the people against. The characters themselves seem to come to this realization three quarters of the way through this novel after which the darker truth is revealed.

The characters: Foss’ plainness and insecurities was a refreshing change for an MC. Her self depreciation can be viewed as off putting, but I think this may be a more realistic narrative. The romance was rather banal, but I liked that it didn’t overtake the plot, and offered a nice complement in the later half of the book. Sylvester is petulant at first and then makes the change to self aware and selfless rather quickly. I really wish he was given a POV and more thoroughly developed so I could make out his character and experience his transformation. My impression of him is essentially a beautiful newly made robot. The best character in this book was hands down Cornelius the cat, who was somewhere between the Cheshire in Alice in Wonderland and Salem in Sabrina. He added some charm and quirkiness to this story along with the house.

The plot critque: The villains (besides Clarissa) lacked complexity so the wider story required hearsay. In a long book I expected the king and the other sorcerers to be given a little more time and personality. Now on to our leads. There is a fine line between goodness and stupidity, and Foss walks it. Her need to stand up for others and save all the ensnared children is admirable even if it came at the coat of common sense. Whenever she makes a plan to escape a dangerous situation and is moments away from success, she walks right back in and falls into an obvious trap. It makes you want to shake Foss and tell her to use her brain every once in a while and consider risk assessment. If she gets caught while attempting to save another that just means two hearts for the monsters, which she never seems to realize. I liked Sylvester and his house, but didn’t really understand his motivation if I am being honest and there were some conveniences in his story near the end that didn’t really make sense to me. I also didn’t understand how Foss could be snagged in the first place given her ability.

Overall I liked the story and the magical system was inventive even if there were some small holes. The mystery itself was dark and kept me reading. I was surprised with some of the revelations and the house and cat were brilliant. The first half was slow and repetitive in heart harvesting chatter and Foss’ deemed humiliation. Most of the plot happened in the second half, but at least we had a lot of atmosphere and background for this world.

🎧 This book had a slow pace, especially at the beginning, making it perfect for an audiobook. Jessie Elland is brilliant as a narrator giving voice and character to this story. Her evil drawl and northern English accent were just what I pictured for this book.

I liked elements of this book but felt the relationship between Foss and Silvester was a bit forced. I wish the two had more dialogue and interaction in the early novel. Cornelius was the best, and I loved his relationship and connection with Foss. I thought it was entertaining and would recommend it to a select group of readers.

This book is a lovely tale of fantastical adventure, personal growth and the triumph of love over all obstacles in the tradition of Howl’s Moving Castle. It feels like a fairytale retelling while wholly original.

If you've ever felt like the ugly duckling and looked over, as if life's pressures and privileges were set aside for the golden beautiful ones, this is the tale for you, about Foss Butcher, a plain butcher's daughter who has more skill than beauty but discovers her own kind of magic when she gets snagged by Sylvester, the only wizard in a kingdom where magic is wielded by stealing parts of people's hearts or the whole of them.

This is only the beginning of a wonderfully whimsical story and I urge you to pick it up.

Thank you Netgalley for this ALC.
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Like others I have to agree that the beginning of Harvest of Hearts was slow for me. It was not necessarily difficult to engage with the MC’s but the pacing of the first half of the book was sluggish. Additionally, there are some loose ends that I wish were fleshed out a bit more. After 50% though, the storyline & action picks up and this is where we immediately get tied in. I have to admit that the last hundred pages had me at the edge of my seat and I was really nervous for Foss, Sylvester & Cornelius. I knew that sacrifices would be made in order to save themselves and the kingdom, but I didn’t anticipate what would truly happen in the end.

As for the narration, I felt a slight disconnect and found myself wanting more emotion. The narrator does a great job with her accent variation and you can distinctly tell what kind of person Foss is interacting with and their title/station based on their dialect. However, there are some instances within the story where Foss is raising her voice or Sylvester is having a conversation and it feels flat. I believe that I would have had a better listening experience had there been more emphasis on the characters emotions or if it was a duet with a male narrator.

All-in-all, I loved that this story was about courage, bravery, and finding beauty within strength. It is unique but also feels like a classic fantasy book with a dash of Howl’s Moving Castle.

Thank you to Andrea Eams, the team at RB Media Recorded Books, Kensington Publishing, and NetGalley for the opportunity to listen to A Harvest of Hearts audiobook before its release.

Thank you NetGalley and RBmedia for the audio of this book in exchange for an honest review. I decided to do an immersive read with my KU book since I didn’t finish it in time for the release.

This book gives serious Howl’s Moving Castle movie vibes. We follow Foss, a butcher’s daughter, from an outlier village ensnared by Sylvester’s failed magic as they discover the truth of their kingdom and heart magic. Cornelius the cat follows Coraline “inter-realm” walking magic. Honestly, I loved the nostalgia of this sweet book. I was immediately pulled into the story. There is a charming and honest love that forms between the characters. This book ends as a standalone and I am pleasantly surprised how well it wraps things up.

Warning, I listened to the audio at 1.75x and could never do it any lower.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (5/5)

If Howl’s Moving Castle and Beauty and the Beast had a baby… and then that baby got eaten by a horrifying monster and spit back out, you’d get A Harvest of Hearts. Don’t let the fairy-tale vibes fool you—this book takes a dark turn, and I was hooked from the start.

The first half is rich with world-building, setting up a universe that feels both magical and unsettling. The story is far heavier than it appears at first glance, so go in with caution if you’re expecting a light fantasy.

As for the characters? Chef’s kiss. Foss and Sylvester are complex and engaging, even if their romance might feel rushed to some. Personally, I saw it as a slow burn—one where the main character needed to be absolutely sure before giving in to love. And while the book is low spice, the plot is so strong that I never felt like it needed more.

And we HAVE to talk about Cornelius, the talking cat—because what’s a fairy tale without a sassy, intelligent feline companion? Easily my favorite third main character! He provides some light comic relief, which is perfect in dark moments!

Overall, this book is a wild, emotional ride—a dark fairy tale with real stakes, a fascinating plot, and a unique twist on familiar tropes. Highly recommend!

A Harvest of Hearts is a tale about an ordinary girl, Foss Butcher, who has her heart accidentally snagged by a passing Sorcerer. In her quest to retrieve her heart we meet a talking cat, a sentient house and a tempestuous sorcerer. And this is where the similarity to Howl's Moving castle ends.

Luckily, the plot stands on its own two feet, and Jesse Eland does a fabulous job bringing it to life with her narration. The story is well paced and I was always invested in finding out what happens next . It is not as whimsy as I had anticipated, but instead felt very grounded. Foss helped to make it feel very grounded. The chemistry between Foss and Sylvester wasn't quite it for me. I enjoyed their partnership, but the romance didn't quite feel right's

Thank you to NetGalley for the an advance copy of the audiobook.

Thank you to RB media and net galley for this audio. I loved this world and the fantasy elements of this story. It was really addicting and easy to follow.

I really enjoyed this cosy unique fantasy!

With unique magic elements that were so captivating, a charming magical house with its own personality, magic carriage & horses, and my favorite, a talking cat, to name a few.

A Harvest of Hearts by Andrea Aemes is a charming and whimsical fantasy with an engaging premise, but it didn’t fully connect with me on a character level. The story offers a delightful mix of magic, adventure, and an unconventional heroine, drawing clear inspiration from Howl’s Moving Castle. The worldbuilding is creative, and Foss’s journey from an ordinary village girl to someone entangled in powerful magic is compelling. However, while the plot kept me intrigued, I found it difficult to form a strong emotional bond with the characters, which left some of the story’s more heartfelt moments feeling distant. Overall, it’s an enjoyable read with a unique magical atmosphere, but it didn’t leave a deep impression.

It was good! A fun witty read with some heavy moments and good romance! The characters were interesting and the plot was original, it's a fun cozy fantasy with good banter. If you're looking for an easy fun fantasy to read this is for you!

I’ve upgraded my review from 2 to 3, due to getting an ARC of the audio. The narrator, Jessie Elland, did an amazing job bringing the story to life. She had a great voice for the tone of the story. Overall, I still think the book could have used some more editing but the overall story was much more enjoyable as an audiobook in my opinion.

The premise of A Harvest of Hearts really drew me in. Although I've never seen Howl's Moving Castle, I know the idea it. I'm just beginning my adventure into fantasy and this is an easy intro into the fantasy world without it having heavy world building.

Foss is a commoner from a village where female sorcerers come to visit from time to time. Those sorcerers come to snag bits and pieces of people's hearts to take back to their kingdom. No one really knows why they take their hearts, but those that are snagged eventually start feeling repercussions from it's magic and some eventually pass away. Foss does her best to avoid the sorcerers when they come to town, however, one day a male sorcerer comes and she is intrigued by him and he accidently snags a piece of hers.

Determined to find out why he took it, what he plans to do with it and get it back, Foss sets out to find him and demand answers. Along the way, she meets an adorably funny cat who can speak to her, a house that comes alive and can shape shift and a sorcerer, who might not be who she originally thought he was. All in all, it's a great story line and plot.

My issues with the book, however, are that the story line moves very slow in the first half of the book and then the 2nd half feels rushed. I believe there could have been a better balance to this and it would have helped with the relationship building between Foss and the sorcerer as that was also lacking in depth. I really wanted to see more of a romantic relationship develop between them and their interactions were minimal and not ones that would indicate an interest in one another. The writing itself was a bit lackluster for me. I felt a lot of words or phrases were being repeated over and over again and it became redundant. There was a lot of descriptions of things in the first quarter of the book that I feel were unnecessary and didn't add depth to the book and could have been left out as to help develop the plot instead. I honestly had a hard time continuing the story to the end because of the writing. Personally, it just didn't keep my interest enough and I almost DNF'd it several times, but I feel with the changes mentioned above, this could be a stellar book.

Thank you NetGalley, RBMedia, Andrea Eames and Erewhon Books for giving me an ARC copy to read and review. Best of luck to you and your book on release day!

A Harvest of Hearts was a joy to listen to (audiobook). This book brought the whimsy and magic.

Plot: Foss Butcher, a clumsy, self proclaimed “ugly” girl, is snagged into the sorcerers home in the area. She never cared about magic users and where she lives, to use magic you need at least part of a heart. She became the sorcerers son’s personal “heart.” Foss learns more about the magical world which she didn’t have a care about before being taken, Sylvester the son to which she belongs, is rather distant. She befriends the talking cat which increases her knowledge of the enchanted house that she now must live in, and learns more about the magical world herself while she searches for her heart.

The narrator did a great job conveying the beautiful writing style that the author had. The world was beautifully crafted but without needing excessive world-building as many fantasy stories encompass. It was enchanting but not overbearing.

The beginning of the story took a bit for me to get into, likely due to the necessity of world building and understanding “heart magic.” But the descriptions from Foss are wonderful. Also I really enjoyed her character. She is rather smart and doesn’t care what other thinks so she gets to the point pretty quickly. Her interactions with Sylvester is a bit limited at the beginning which does limit the romance that could have been built better, but it’s a represented in the second half of the book (but it felt as though the romance needed to be built up more earlier through learning more about Sylvester and their interactions). This was my slight let-down but I feel the second half included this better but felt rushed. As the story is told from Foss’s viewpoint, it would have been interesting to hear some items from Sylvester’s viewpoint. I feel there is a lot more we could have learned about the magic and villains in this realm if we had more of his side.

Cornelius the cat was such a delightful character to throw in there. Cornelius tries to pick up on the “magic lessons” with Foss where we don’t get to hear from Sylvester’s side. I think he was like a magical guide for her and the bond made this story feel cozy with him in it.

I think the second half of the book felt rushed between explaining and understanding the villains and the relationship between Foss and Sylvester. But ultimately, I found this story to be highly enjoyable, with minimal world-building for a fantasy (which is a plus for me), and enjoyable characters. I would recommend it to fantasy lovers, YA, and others who like a bit of cozy magic. I’ll be interested to see what this author writes next.

I’d like to thank the author Andrea Eames, NetGalley, and the publisher Kensington publishing as well as the wonderful narrator for allowing me to listen to this advanced copy of the story in exchange for an honest review.

What a delightfully eccentric audiobook! I love having something to listen to when I'm in the office, and this was the absolute ticket for putting my headphones on and getting lost in the magic. Speaking of magic, the magic system itself is unlike anything I've read before, which was super refreshing coupled with the sense of humour sprinkled throughout. I had an absolute blast listening to it!

Andrea Eames is new to me as a narrator but had a wonderful voice for bringing this story to life!

It was refreshing to experience the Ghibli-esque vibes you get with the likes of HMC, but with its own unique twists and undertones. The world building towards the start flowed perfectly without feeling too much like a lore dumb, which I also really appreciated. The pacing was well kept, and from an audiobook perspective, I could listen to it a little faster than the normal x1 speed and it didn't feel rushed at all. I cannot wait to pick up a copy of this for my shelves.

Thank you NetGalley for a copy of this alc in exchange for an unbias review <3

Howl’s Moving Castle is one of my go to comfort movies/ novels. It is one of my favorites, so when I read the synopsis and saw that a Harvest of Hearts was pitched as Howl’s Moving Castle-eqsue I could not wait for it to publish and instead sought out an ARC. THANKS Netgalley and RBmedia for the audiobook ARC.
To put it simply it did not disappoint. This story had a lot of cozy, light and whimsical moments but it also had some heavier undertones and themes. Foss Butcher is our FMC and much like Howl’s Sophie is overlooked within her village. One day the magic-workers travel to her village and among the typical femal magic workers there is a male (Sylvester), who happens to snag Foss’ heart. Foss’ embarks on a journey to find the magic-worker and what she finds is more than she bargained for.
I absolutely adored this book. The Howl’s Moving Castle comparison was spot on! I loved Foss. She was snarky and flawed but also strong. Sylvester the male magic-worker and love interest was a pinch of grumpy but introspective and sweet and then there was Cornelius, the perfect Ghibliesque sidekick.I’m a sucker for animals in general but a talking cat, how can you not fall in love with him! He reminded me a lot of JiJi for Kiki’s Delivery Service. We also get Foss’ dad who is supportive, understanding, and his daughter’s number one. The way he loves and supports Foss is admirable. He is a treasure and a half. The magic system and how it works was interesting and it was neat to see how it all came to be. I loved it and the ending and the message. To put it in Syvester’s words “There is nothing of you that should be other that it is” Reading this book felt like catching up with an old friend. I hope that those that pick it up enjoy it just as much as I did and that they take Foss’ message to heart.

Had to DNF because as much as the premice and the cover were great, I think the publisher and I have VASTLY different views of :
1. Howl's moving castle
2. the word "whimsical"

If a book is described as a tradition of Howl's Moving Castle, so I was a bit put back when the events that brought the two MCs together were not a strange set of circumstances but just... the FMC falling under some sort of spell? and being strangely absolutely LOVESICK of the MMC, without any control whatsoever on her emotions? I had to stop the book when she was in her bed, tucked under the covers, and kept staring at the door, while desperatingly hoping he might open it and join her in her bed. (at this point, the man had spoken a total of 10 words to her). Miss? Self-respect? Do you know that term?
And the book is not whimsical at all. It's dark, strangely unsettling.

In a way, it reminded me a lot of Sorcery of Thorns, and not in a good way.
The FMCs are exactly the same (not like other girls, bulky, practical, describe themselves as plain). Which I didn't like in Sorcery of Thorns and made me want to DNF that book. So I'm pulling the plug here, not making the same mistake as when I read Sorcey of Thorns.

I adored this story so much! I had the pleasure of listening to the audiobook and highly recommend picking that up over physically reading it! Jessie Elland does a phenomenal narration, smoothly blending between chapters and making each character come to life. Cornelius’ narration was one of my favorite things about listening to this story, please do yourself a favor and listen! While there is a whimsical atmosphere and similarities between Howl’s Moving Castle- A Harvest of Hearts was unique and the magic system more dark. I loved the wit and dry humor in this. Foss and Cornelius are undoubtedly the best duo I absolutely loved all of their interactions. Disappointingly the romance was the only thing I didn’t love in this book. I enjoyed the slow build up but overall felt the ending was a bit rushed and didn’t feel that deep connection.

A harvest of hearts is a interesting take on magic. This book had me laughing, almost crying and intrigued the entire time.
I got to listen to this as an audio. The narrator did a wonderful job of bringing all of the characters to life. She kept you engaged and gave each character a voice of their own.
Our main character is a small town butcher. That gets enthralled by the sorcerer. We follow her as she follows her heart and what is right. Our FMC is considered not attractive and our MMC is considered perfection. We follow our FMC as she contest with a personal affliction that affects many of us with seeing ourselves as less than and unworthy and ugly. she works her way to our MMCand has to fight the spell she’s under as her and our MMC fight to their HEA.

A Harvest of Hearts immediately drew me in with its intriguing take on witches, offering a fresh perspective that stood out from other fantasy novels I’ve read. The narration was enjoyable, and I especially loved the main character’s father—he was truly precious. The talking cat was another delightful addition, and several plot points kept me engaged and eager to see what would happen next.
However, the story started to lose me once the protagonist arrived at the sorcerer’s house. One recurring issue was the constant reinforcement of the FMC’s supposed unattractiveness. While it’s clear she’s a butcher’s daughter and not considered conventionally beautiful, the repeated self-deprecation in nearly every chapter felt excessive. I think the narrative would have been stronger if we saw how others perceived her rather than being told how she saw herself. Personally, I prefer a “show, don’t tell” approach to character development.
Specifically with the audiobook- there were some issues as well. Chapter 17 wasn’t labeled as such, which made for a confusing transition, and the subsequent chapters were misnumbered. Despite these hiccups, the story moved along at a good pace and remained plot-driven rather than turning into a long-winded journey.
Overall, it had a compelling start, an engaging premise, and some memorable characters, but certain repetitive elements and structural inconsistencies detracted from my personal experience.