I was truly excited when I saw this was described as a cozy fantasy romance reminiscent of Howl’s Moving Castle. While it indeed captured the essence of Howl’s, in the long run it wasn’t enough to sustain the magic for me.

The fmc, Foss, had so much potential. I understand and appreciate the message the author was trying to communicate regarding body image, but after a while, Foss’s self-deprecation seemed to become her entire personality. This got pretty old about 50% of the way through. I know we as women are incredibly hard on ourselves, but Foss seemed to tie all her worth to her appearance. It shouldn’t have taken the mmc, Sylvester, telling her she was beautiful for her to believe it. And Sylvester’s character was pretty stock romantasy male, nothing really stood out about him and he just seemed to be…there. Tall, dark and brooding of course. As a couple, I don’t think their relationship was given ample time to develop as they didn’t spend a significant amount of time together until about 60-70% into the story.

Pacing in the beginning was slow and probably did not require all that much time for world building as the magic system was fairly straightforward. All the action happens at about the 80% mark, at which point, it felt rushed.

The best part of this was of course the magical cat, Cornelius (duh), who was the star of the show. Again, I appreciate the author’s message regarding body positivity, but for it to consume Foss’s every thought just became too much for me. The narrator of this audiobook was fantastic though. I could listen to her tell stories all day long.

This was fun and different. I loved the way Eames combined insta-love and super slow burn in the same romance.

In this world, magic comes at the expense of human hearts. That is just the way it is... When a handsome sorcerer takes a small piece of her heart without any warning or care at all, butcher's daughter, Foss is furious. It is a very unpleasant situation. With a piece of her heart belonging to him, she needs to be near him, both because she is compelled to and because it hurts not to be.

Arriving on his doorstep unannounced she believes one look at her and he will immediately know why she has come. He took a piece of her heart and she wants it back! I adored the juxtaposition of her rivaling feelings for this man. It was so entertaining. And Sylvester... what a cinnamon roll under the surface. He is just so bumbling and adorable.

Foss and Sylvester begin a tentative friendship, and the two of them, along with his talking cat, try to find a way to get Foss her heart back. There are secret plots, deception, betrayal, and romance. I love Foss. She is strong-willed and sassy. This was such a joy to listen to. I found the narration whimsical and entertaining.

This dark fairy tale about a butcher's daughter who becomes ensnared by a sorcerer in a kingdom that uses human hearts to fuel their magic is not particularly whimsical or cozy as advertised, but contains enough interesting world building and characterization to be worth the read. The narration of the audiobook by Jessie Elland added texture and who doesn't want to read a book with a talking cat?

Thank you NetGalley for the audio version of this book!

I went into this book only knowing that there is a cat and it did NOT disappoint! I truly loved the cat and quickly fell in love with him. I also enjoyed the magic house which felt a bit like The House of Wind (this house doesn’t read books).

The sorcerers were a bundle of curiosities, which grew curiouser and curiouser still. So many questions, and the hat you did find out about them lead to more questions. There was a….stickiness about them; certainly not lovable but not entirely likable either. There is one specific whom you may grow to loathe entirely. While another seems to bore into your heart and eventually warm it over.

The FMC I enjoyed. It was refreshing to have a FMC who is not your typical petite beauty. Her relationship with Da is heartwarming. What she experiences as being unconventionally pretty and how the boys and girls in her village treat her? Every outcast girl FELT all of that when she has her run in with Clarissa.

I really enjoyed this story and look forward to more books from Andrea Eames!

Andrea Eames’ A Harvest of Hearts introduces an intriguing premise: a magic-steeped realm where hearts fuel spells, and pragmatic Foss Butcher, whose overlooked heart becomes a sorcerer’s accidental prize. Sadly, I DNF’d at 25%. While the plot’s potential—grudging alliances, sentient settings, hidden magical truths—is undeniable, the glacial pace undermines its charms. Foss’ journey begins with vivid worldbuilding, but the first act drags, burying urgency under dense exposition. Quirky elements (a talking cat, a sentient house) add whimsy, yet Sylvester’s underdeveloped petulance and Foss’ reactive role struggle to sustain momentum. What could be a sharp, heart-driven quest feels tedious rather than tantalizing—a promising harvest left half-reaped.

Thank you to RB Media for the audiobook ARC.

This book felt like a treat, a fantasy treat. It was easy to follow along, I liked the characters a lot and the plot kept me captured until the end.

When we’re introduced to Fuss’ world it’s a quite captivating one, and when we get to meet her with all her strength and insecurities it is hard to not fall for her. Add to that a great sassy cat and our sorcerer trying to find his place in the world and we’re all set!

I recommend this book if you want to get into a magical world fall in love with the characters and root for them until the end!

Okay first of all, we as a whole MUST protect Cornelius AT ALL COSTS! 🥺😭🖤

This gave me Beauty and the Beast vibes at some points and I’m here for it. I really enjoyed the magic system and the grumpy MMC Sylvester that ended up being a big softie! The FMC Foss was a bit stereotypical female stumbling into being special at first but honestly I ended up loving her character. Honestly it felt like all the characters added to the story.

This was such a good read, it took me two days (one day too long!) and I absolutely loved it! The talking cat and the magical house were perfection. I am looking forward to more from Andrea Eames!

Jessie Elland did a great job with the narration, keeping the listeners engaged and entertained! What a good listen 🤩

Thank you NetGalley and RBmedia for this enchanting eARC! As always, all opinions are my own. 🖤

e-ARC & audio-ARC from NetGalley.

When her heart is stolen (literally) by a sorcerer, Foss has no option but to travel hundreds of miles to find him. Once there, however, she finds herself entangled in a magical conspiracy, traversing his sentient house, with only a talking cat to help her.

This book is compared to Howl's Moving Castle, and I couldn't imagine a more accurate description. A Harvest of Hearts is very Studio Ghibli coded and, most of the time, very whimsical and endearing. It's a very cozy fantasy novel but impressively not lacking in self-awareness.

There were two main downfalls for me.

The first was the romance. I wanted them to fall in love, but there was no build to it. One minute, they were nothing. The next, they were swapping v-cards in the woods. I loved the romantic scenes themselves, but I needed hints of it much sooner.

The second issue was Foss herself, but I think it's because I can never truly connect to characters embodying this amount of prickliness. She just seemed rude and off-putting. But I'm cognizant that this is a me thing.

Overall, this was a very entertaining book and is perfect for fans of cozy fantasy, Studio Ghibli, and Disneyfied versions of classic fairytales.

This is a tough one for me to review, because I have so many mixed feelings about it. I think, in the end, my take is that it could have been successful if it knew what it was.

First, I don’t think this is a cozy romantasy. Its advertised comps are Howl’s Moving Castle and Cerulean Sea, and I think a more accurate comp is actually Sorcery of Thorns by Margaret Rogerson. It has ELEMENTS that cozy fantasies have: a domestic focus, talking animal companions, a potentially twee magic system, but then it has put these in a universe where they are a very dark sign of a very dark magic. The stakes are sky high, the magic system is quite visceral and gory, and the implications of what happens in this book stretch to multiple countries! Not cozy. In the acknowledgements Eames mentions two things that might explain the book’s sort of disconnect from itself: first, that it was originally a novella, and second, that it had two editors from two different publishers. I wonder about that original novella, and can’t help but wonder if maybe that was the form this book should have had if cozy was her goal.

All this to say, I didn’t have a BAD time reading it, and a lot of that I believe was due to Jessie Elland’s astonishing narration. I’d listen to her read a shampoo bottle. Her sense of humour, pacing, and characterisation were all truly lovely, and her actual voice is so listenable and engaging. For her work alone, it’d be a five star. The rest of the book, however…

I’ll try to make sure it finds its way to the people who it’s for, even if that isn’t me.

Could not turn the audiobook off! Halfway through, I did end up going to Barnes & Noble to buy the physical copy of the book because I was enjoying it so much. For audiobooks I do prefer dual narration however I understand that is totally up to how the book is written and this one was structured in the way to have only one narrator. That being said, I enjoyed the narrator’s reading of the story. The story itself was very interesting and as a fan of howl’s moving castle, I was able to see the similarities, but I will say the story’s magic is very unique to itself. Read so fast and easy. I can also notice how the writer is a fan of poetic language. She really painted a beautiful story.

A Harvest of Hearts felt like a dark retelling of Howl's Moving Castle, complete with dangerous magic, a talking cat, and atmospheric worldbuilding.
I really enjoyed the story - the magic system was really unique and written in a way that made sense, which I appreciated. The scale felt a little too large for a stand-alone, and I think this would have made a good duology to avoid the rushed ending.
The characters were also refreshingly new - while Foss's constant self-sabotage became difficult towards the end of the book, she was really admirable overall and I loved her wit and perseverance. Sylvester definitely had the potential to be an excellent MMC and I liked that he moved away from his selfishness towards the end. However, I had a hard time connecting to his character as opposed to Foss. The romance was there, but the chemistry was lacking a bit, and I wish that the "snag" spell hadn't lasted as long as it did.
Cornelius was probably my favorite character - he reminded me of Jiji in Kiki's Delivery Service. Overall, I really enjoyed this book, which paired the cozy magic of Howl's Moving Castle with T. Kingfisher's atmospheric worldbuilding and unique characters.
The narrator did an incredible job bringing all of the characters to life as well! Thank you to NetGalley and RB Media for the audio ARC!

I've seen this compared to Howl's Moving Castle, and superficially, I think this does bear a slight appearance to that terrific story. However, this novel by Andrea Eames is much darker, and bloodier, with a world where people are randomly taken from their homes by sorcerers for some unknown purpose.

Foss Butcher, a daughter of a loving father and a long line of butchers, is minding her own business, a little sad that no one sees her as much more than a plain young woman, but more sadly, a curse, as her mother died giving birth to her.

Sorcerers have been through their village in the past, taking people, and she knows one man who returned, but seems really diminished from who he had been. Thinking how terrible it would be to be taken by a sorcerer, and one's heart extricated, is nothing she wants a part of. And then a sorcerer arrives one day, and one look from him is all it takes to snag her, and once he's gone, she impelled, forced, urged to follow him back to wherever he dwells by ferocious pain in her body.

She leaves her home with a short note left behind, and makes her way to the city, and eventually the house of the sorcerer. Once inside, she's greeted by a cat, who begins talking once she wishes for it, and Cornelius shows her around, and Foss meets the sorcerer, and begins keeping house for him. The house, a semi-alive thing, helps her out, providing food, cleaning sheets, and other things.

Sylvester, the sorcerer, is bemused by her presence, but goes along with it, eating her good, and not really noticing anything else about her. Foss meanwhile is determinedly searching the entire house, at least where the house allows her to go, for her heart.

She's horrified and attracted and entranced by Sylvester, and begins learning more about how he became a magic worker, and learns more when Clarissa, who whisked Foss' fellow villager away, visits, and begins to realize, after meeting others in the city whose hearts have been taken, that she's in danger of wasting away terribly if her heart, or a piece of it, is removed.

Of course things become worse for Foss, (and Sylvester who struggles to act like the other sorcerers) and though she tries to escape, is captured by the king, who needs ever more hearts to maintain the magic of the land.

Andrea Eames has created a wonderful heroine in Foss Butcher. While looked down on in her village, she's likeable, smart, determined, and caring. She's also funny, and unwilling to meekly take what others tell her to do. Her relationship with her father is heartwarming, and Foss is easy to cheer for as she navigates one dangerous situation after another after departing her father's home abruptly.

Sylvester is surprisingly sympathetic, being much less in control of his life than Foss initially thinks. He's also a gentle person, who would rather not hurt others, even after all that has been done to him.

The star of the book, though, is Cornelius, the black cat living in Sylvester's house. He's got that know it all attitude of cats, but he's also a staunch ally when Foss needs one.

I enjoyed this story a lot, with its engaging story to its wonderful main character, and her friendship with Cornelius. I was a little less invested in the romance, but I did think it was handled well by Eames, building slowly over the course of this satisfying novel.

I went back and forth between the prose and the audiobook, and Jessie Elland does a fantastic job voicing Foss, from her time in the village and the pain she feels at her treatment there, to her growing determination to save herself and others from the sorcerers. I loved Elland's Cornelius and Foss' loving father.

Thank you to Netgalley, Kensington Publishing and RBMedia for these ARCs in exchange for my review.

Audiobook

Foss Butcher lives a boring life until one day she is "snagged" by a sorcerer. Mystics take pieces of human hearts to feed and strengthen their kind. However, there are only sorceresses per lore, so when a handsome sorcerer "snags" Foss, everyone is confused. She sets off to find a way to free herself and others from this ancient custom. Along the way is a slow-burn romance and a fun talking cat.

I appreciated the world that Andrea Eames built. There are different motives and magical worlds. However, I feel the characters needed more development. Foss's personality seems to be that she thinks very little of herself and the MMC is not much better. I also did not like the narrator's choice of style for Sylvester and Cornelius's voices.

Thank you NetGalley and RBMedia for the advanced listening copy.

I really enjoyed this book! The setting was a fairly standard high fantasy-type, but it had an interesting magic system which wasn’t really like any fantasy world I’ve read before. Foss was an engaging POV character, and though the plot wasn’t especially fast paced, it easily kept my attention all the way through. I also found the romance had an interesting way to approach a female main character who is described as ugly – not merely “plain” or “homely,” but ugly – with a highly attractive love interest. The audiobook narrator was fantastic, too. Highly recommend!

I really liked this story. I thought that it was good good mix of dark and cozy! The best character by far was Cornelius the cat and the evil sisters were fun too. I didn't really think the relationship between Foss and Sylvester was super convincing but it was decent. Over all this was a fun read.

When the blurb of a book mentions a cosy fantasy for fans of Howl's Moving Castle and The House in the Cerulean Sea, it's a no-brainer that the book would be a good read. Sadly, this did not seem to be the case here.

A Harvest of Hearts is a tale of magic, or more precisely heart magic. In this world we are introduced to, magic is only performed by a very few select individuals and is done so with pieces of a person's heart. This on it's own doesn't seem like an issue but when it comes to be known that these sorcerers enthrall and 'snag' innocent people from villages to take pieces of, if not their whole, heart, then it takes on a less than cosy vibe.

The main idea of the book was quite intriguing in the beginning but the story soon became quite, unnecessarily, confusing. While the idea of 'heart magic' of a sort is quite interesting, there are just so many random occurrences and situations that we don't see addressed even at the end of the book, outside of having to assume 'its probably because of magic'. There are even situations in the book that felt very over-the-top and were done to add a sense of urgency to the story, which didn't really work for me.

This book also did not feel like a cosy read in any sense of the word. If you're familiar with Howl's Moving Castle then you may enjoy this book because there are similarities; a lot of them. It's just hard to ignore at times. The one character that always made me happy when they made an appearance was Cornelius, the cat. Other than that, unfortunately, the book was a disappointing read with a mishmash of trying too many things while accomplishing very little.

4.5/5. Thank you to Ms. Eames, RBMedia, and Netgalley for the advanced listening copy!

The comparison of this between Howl's Movie Castle is apt - a distant sorcerer, an enscorceled housekeeper, a magic-imbued house, and (in this case) a sassy cat who tries to steal the show (and does, in some scenes). But this is a version far more for adults than the original. Foss and Sylvester's relationship develops at first because of a stolen heart (literally) and then because of romance itself. Following their journey is really the heart (no pun intended) of the story.

In short, the City is kept safe by the King and the magic users in return for the use of magical currency: their hearts. Little bits and pieces of it here and there (and becoming Snagged, a state of forever longing) is well worth the constant protection and abundance they provide. The world that Andrea Eames makes is a tease - there's just enough there to be intrigued but not enough fully explained to truly live in it. That's what knocked half a star off for me: I wanted more about the world. The hints near the end at the world outside the city left me wanting. But what was shared was done well!

The characters, though, are the stars here. Between Foss, an independent woman who hates the situation she's in (at least, at first) and the petulant, sulking Sylvester who has to learn about himself as well as the realities of his magic, the relationship is a pleasure to read.

I was given an advanced listening copy and I will say, I loved how narrator Jessie Elland did Cornelius's voice. That sassy cat made me smile. The pace was right on, voices done well, and was a pleasant listen. Kudos.

I will be watching what Andrea Eames puts out in the future!

Okay, so super hot sorceresses come to town to harvest hearts of folks to power the magic needed to protect your kingdom. In her small town, Foss Butcher sees a black carriage roll up, and the first (and likely only) male sorcerer emerges. As he leaves with his wares, he meets Foss’ eyes and she is Snagged. Her whole body is pulled toward him and his carriage is off. The snag compels her to seek him out to retrieve the piece of her heart he had harvested for his magics. But when she arrives, he is far from who she expected. With the help of his sentient house and the cat Cornelius who can now talk, Foss searches for a cure as relief from this heart sickness.
The writing had me cracking up! The narrator was a joy with their delivery! And I loved how the stakes progressed and intensified and concluded! I would give it some semi-cozy vibes too!

This review is going to be a long one, so strap in. I did not find this book compelling. Harvest of Hearts is described as a cozy fantasy that pulls from the tradition of Howl’s Moving Castle and The House in the Cerulean Sea. Personally, I’ve only ever watched Howl’s Moving Castle (HMC) but the elements are there and I think it takes away from the story in the beginning. If you are familiar with HMC, than you get a lot of moments in the beginning of the book where you’re like “isn’t that just like…..?” so I was concerned as to the direction of the story. By the end, the book comes into its own and I’m confident in that fact; I just wasn’t engaged or interested and found myself wanting speed through. I found the cast to be enjoyable but the story that they were set in to be meh.
I think our main character, Foss, is amazing. Her struggle throughout the book (self-image) is so real and is articulated well in my opinion. My favorite (and most gut wrenching) part of the book was when Foss said “I had been magical in the night and was no more. He was magical always.” Like, wow. I had to pause the audiobook when I heard that because it hit so deep and true for me. Listening to it on audio gave Foss so much life (thanks to the narrator, Jessie Elland!).
I also think Foss and Slyvester’s relationship progression made sense. It’s not a dual-POV so we never know what he is thinking but there were nuggets of his yearning throughout. Now, personally I do not mind that the magic system wasn’t thoroughly explained because I would forget anyways but that’s where it reminds me of HMC. I think if you try to focus on making sense of the magic system, then you’re not letting yourself fall into the story. So why a 3.5? Well, Harvest of Hearts for me would most likely be a grower and translate better as a movie. As previously mentioned, I’ve watched HMC but it took me 3 watches before I fell in love with it. I think Harvest of Hearts is the same and I commend the author for this story.

Foss Butcher lives a simple life in her village. When beautiful woman shows up in extravagant carriages, the villagers know the woman are sorceresses looking to snag hearts from the villagers to power their spells. Many villagers are excited about the visits and although Foss has always been interested in these visitors, she has never joined the spectators until the first sorcerer comes to the village. When the sorcerer looks at Foss, she feels her heart snag and a piece taken away. With Foss cursed, she soon travels to the city to find the sorcerer to try to undo his spell. She is thrown into the sorcerer's world where her only friend is a talking cat and an enchanted house. Foss quickly learns there is more to the hearts than she ever imagined.

This book was darker than I imagined it would be, but I enjoyed this fantasy. The narrator does a great job in sucking the reader in to the story and bringing you into the mystery of the hearts taken by sorceresses and the magic they are powering. Although, the main characters are great, I fell in love with Cornelius. Who doesn't love a talking cat? My one disappointment in this book is the romance. I thought this story would have a little more romance based on the description and found the romance between Foss and Sylvester a little underwhelming.

Thank you to NetGalley, Kensington Publishing and RB Media for the opportunity to review A Harvest of Hearts. All thoughts and opinions are my own.