The Garden of Promises and Lies

This book was an absolute delight to read. As are all Paula's other books. The storyline is very well written which allowed me to stay intrigued through out the entire book!!

The Garden of Promise and Lies is the third book in a series and it can be read separately. Each book contains a story line of its own with a different pace and atmosphere.
In the third part of the adventures of the heroine, it is nice as a reader to spend time reading about cosy everyday life ( but still with some "incidents") in a typical English town. And then, all the action happens. The ending is not resolving at all the mysteries and one feels that it is only the beginning in fact of a long story. So, five stars for all the know how of Paula to make comfortable her readers into her worlds, today and in the past, this is a book impossible to put down, true escapism.
The historical details blends with the adventures and romance, and the suspens about the time travel strenghtens till the end. Now, in our trouble times, hopefully the next book will be published asp because the opportunities to get immersed in such a good story are much needed !

I absolutely love Paula Brackston books!!!
I love intelligently written books that aren’t dumbed down for readers - hers are definitely not!!
I’m always drawn in by the characters; whether villains or heroes they’re explained with a deft hand so you know enough about them to either boo and hiss or fall in love!!!
This book is like the others in that the plot revolves around found things - and I love the descriptions - you can almost feel the beads on a dress or the finely tatted laces, smell the coffee and taste the deliciously descriptive desserts.
You’re hooked in by the time stepping and follow along willingly with Xanthes’ travels, the places and buildings always so vividly imagined in prose - So much so YOU lose track of time, I couldn’t put “The Garden of Promises and Lies” down!!!!

Xanthe and her mother run an antiques business and it’s time for Xanthe to find some stock at an estate sale. While scouting out new finds for the shop is all a part of the business, but it can sometimes provide a challenge for Xanthe as some items tend to call to her, which means she will need to use her skills as a time spinner to travel back to the time the item is from. Up to now only one friend knows of Xanthe’s talent and travels, and she needs to share that with her Mother and her boyfriend Liam at some point.

When a wedding dress from the early 19th century calls to Xanthe at an estate sale she wins the item in bidding and prepares to answer the call. This time she won’t be facing her nemesis alone this time as Liam is joining her to travel back in time and answer the call. But can she provide the help the dress is calling to her for, take care of the evil Fairfax, and get herself and Liam home safely?

This is a great series that I have enjoyed from the get go. Paula Brackston has some other books that I have also enjoyed, but this series is my favorite of all of her works to date. I await and look forward to each new release with bated breath and always wish they were longer as I get lost in the period and story. You can’t go wrong with a book by Paula Brackston!

Author Paula Brackston has added the third in her series of Found Things with THE GARDEN OF PROMISES AND LIES in which we meet former villains and learn about new threats. While this tale can be read alone, it really is the third in the series and makes much more sense read after the other two. Brackston provides a minimum of review which is wonderful for those of us that have read the other two books. It’s always frustrating to waste precious pages in summary; yet it may not suffice for new readers. Xanthe, our heroine, hears antiques call to her and, in turn, finds herself able to travel in time to their previous owners. She has some grand adventures and mishaps, all in pursuit of righting some previous wrongs. This tale ends on a cliffhanger so we are promised another installment that cannot come too soon, in my opinion. This is an endearing series, part time travel, part historical fiction, part mystery with a small dash of romance. As with all of Brackston’s work, there is an air of witchiness that permeates in a most delightful way. I received my copy from the publisher through NetGalley.

This is great addition to an already great series. It’s extremely well written and tells a story so vibrant with detail and prose that you want to keep reading until the book is finished. I can’t wait for her next book. I highly recommend both this author and series for anyone looking for a good solid mystery!