The Little Shop of Found Things – Review

Many thanks to St. Martin’s Press and Netgalley for the chance to read and review this novel early.

I have only good things to say about The Little Shop of Found Things and I’m delighted this book lived up to and even surpassed my expectations! I didn’t read the entire blurb when I decided to request this book from Netgalley, so I wasn’t quite sure what this story had in store for me. Judging by the cover and title, and the Historical Fiction genre, I pinned my hopes on these things delivering a great story for my sentimental heart. Based on my own love of old, historical things and the stories they could leave behind, I knew if this novel was well-done it would be one I loved. You could say this novel sang to me.

I’m exceptionally excited to learn this is the start of an upcoming series, but don’t let that discourage you if you’re a lover of standalones. I think this book reads perfectly on its own and doesn’t leave hoards of unanswered questions like many first books tend to do. I only hope the series will continue with the same characters because I’ve grown attached to those featured here!

BLURB:

Xanthe and her mother Flora leave London behind for a fresh start, taking over an antique shop in the historic town of Marlborough. Xanthe has always had an affinity with some of the antiques she finds. When she touches them, she can sense something of the past they come from and the stories they hold. So when she has an intense connection to a beautiful silver chatelaine she has to know more.

It’s while she’s examining the chatelaine that she’s transported back to the seventeenth century. And shortly after, she’s confronted by a ghost who reveals that this is where the antique has its origins. The ghost tasks Xanthe with putting right the injustice in its story to save an innocent girl’s life, or else it’ll cost her Flora’s.

While Xanthe fights to save her amid the turbulent days of 1605, she meets architect Samuel Appleby. He may be the person who can help her succeed. He may also be the reason she can’t bring herself to leave.

Lovers of Outlander will find similarities in this story, but enough originality to readers guessing and eager to find out what will happen next. This story features everything, from bits of romance, mystery, paranormal aspects, time-travel, and a heartwarming mother-daughter relationship. I could not help but become completely immersed in this novel, feeling as if I was in a charming English village, alternating with the past of the seventeenth century.

Because I wish I had the ability myself, time travel is one of my favorite sub-genres to read about. This has made me pursue numerous books on the subject and has allowed plenty of time to reflect on the practical difficulties people would face if they were to travel back in time. My only small reservation about the story and the reason I ultimately gave 4-stars instead of the full five was due to this issue. When Xanthe went back to the early 1600s, she was wearing her Dr. Martens. This seems like a simple thing, and it was mentioned that some of the characters in the past mentioned how odd her footwear was. However, my mind leads me to suspect the labels on these boots would raise some eyebrows in a time when shoes weren’t likely printed with the modern labels or brands of today. The same could be said for a scene when the characters inspect the clothes she wore on her journey back in time, I suspect even a tag would seem strange. These are small issues in an exceedingly enjoyable novel, but ones I couldn’t help but question as I read.

I couldn’t get enough of this story and I hope the follow-up novel will come soon, only due to my desire to learn more about the characters’ lives, rather than unanswered questions. The Little Shop of Found Things was a truly captivating story, full of magic and wonder. I’m so happy I decided to pick this up and was able to learn interesting things about a time so long ago with a modern main character. This book is releasing in no time at all, so be sure to get your copy on October 16th or pre-order with the links below.

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