belles_bookishlife's review against another edition
4.0
The magic is really coming alive in this book. A lot less magical realism and more fantasy. The development of Liam’s character and their relationship is just so darn lovely I can’t. The ending was a great cliffhanger
kairosdreaming's review against another edition
4.0
Agh; I go back and forth so much with this series. The first book was just meh for me, the second got better, this one; well I'm not going to say it got better but it definitely got more engaging with enough intrigue that I absolutely have to read the fourth book now.
And all of that to say that it's not a bad book by any means, I just get frustrated with the characters and their actions sometimes. Premise = great; love the time traveling history stuff and objects that sing their stories. Setting = also great; nothing wrong with being in a quaint village whatever time period you may be. Again, characters is where I struggle. Xanthe is just a bit too good and a bit too full of luck; while that can somewhat be explained by her abilities, I also just want her to have some sense and not have things just work out for her.
This one had a touch of romance in it, but not as much of the others (due to certain plot elements, or I'm sure there would have been more). For a "middle" book in a series, it had some exciting elements to it and its own storyline, but I will say this one felt more like a placeholder for more stories to come than other ones did. But despite all that, I still really enjoy the concept of "Spinners" and the magic(?) system that these books explore. I like the delving into history (I learned what a chatelaine was last book) and how these objects are very lovingly described.
I'm definitely going to have to go read the next one; I just hope Xanthe is a little easier to understand motivation.
Review by M. Reynard 2023
And all of that to say that it's not a bad book by any means, I just get frustrated with the characters and their actions sometimes. Premise = great; love the time traveling history stuff and objects that sing their stories. Setting = also great; nothing wrong with being in a quaint village whatever time period you may be. Again, characters is where I struggle. Xanthe is just a bit too good and a bit too full of luck; while that can somewhat be explained by her abilities, I also just want her to have some sense and not have things just work out for her.
This one had a touch of romance in it, but not as much of the others (due to certain plot elements, or I'm sure there would have been more). For a "middle" book in a series, it had some exciting elements to it and its own storyline, but I will say this one felt more like a placeholder for more stories to come than other ones did. But despite all that, I still really enjoy the concept of "Spinners" and the magic(?) system that these books explore. I like the delving into history (I learned what a chatelaine was last book) and how these objects are very lovingly described.
I'm definitely going to have to go read the next one; I just hope Xanthe is a little easier to understand motivation.
Review by M. Reynard 2023
jdodd's review against another edition
adventurous
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.0
Very slow-paced. Not much actually happened.
kfrey's review against another edition
adventurous
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
mindlessmartyrr's review against another edition
4.0
This is the third book so I got the others from the library, and it makes sense to read them in order or you will be so confused. I really like this series, and the covers are awesome. This story has great details, wonderful prose, and interesting characters. This is a must for fans of the series and those who want a new series to get lost in.
booktimistic's review against another edition
4.0
The Garden of Promises and Lies by Paula Brackston is the third (but not final) installment in the Found Things series and is every bit captivating as its two predecessors. It includes all that I love about this series - magic, suspense, time travel and a dash of romance.
Xanthe is getting better at spinning time with the help of her prized book, Spinners, and yet her talent still remains a secret. When a wedding dress sings to her at an estate sale, she knows she is needed back in time but this time stakes are much higher. Fairfax is threatening her and her loved ones in the current timeline, and Xanthe is wary of keeping her mother and Liam in the dark. Does Xanthe manage to go back in time? Can she stop Fairfax from executing his vile plans?
The Garden of Promises and Lies is another magical journey, full of suspense, danger, history, love and friendship. Paula Brackston pays attention to the tiniest of details, be it her characters or the lush descriptions of the Regency era England. Just like the previous two books, I savored every moment. And, while the story in this timeline wrapped up nicely, there was an extremely unexpected cliffhanger at the end that has me waiting impatiently for the next book!
I highly recommend reading this series if you're a fan of historical fiction and time travel.
**An e-ARC provided by St. Martin's Press via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review**
Xanthe is getting better at spinning time with the help of her prized book, Spinners, and yet her talent still remains a secret. When a wedding dress sings to her at an estate sale, she knows she is needed back in time but this time stakes are much higher. Fairfax is threatening her and her loved ones in the current timeline, and Xanthe is wary of keeping her mother and Liam in the dark. Does Xanthe manage to go back in time? Can she stop Fairfax from executing his vile plans?
The Garden of Promises and Lies is another magical journey, full of suspense, danger, history, love and friendship. Paula Brackston pays attention to the tiniest of details, be it her characters or the lush descriptions of the Regency era England. Just like the previous two books, I savored every moment. And, while the story in this timeline wrapped up nicely, there was an extremely unexpected cliffhanger at the end that has me waiting impatiently for the next book!
I highly recommend reading this series if you're a fan of historical fiction and time travel.
**An e-ARC provided by St. Martin's Press via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review**
rachelleoliver's review against another edition
4.0
This is such a solid series. It's entertaining with really nice characters. Each book is getting better than the previous one. Looking forward to the next one coming out later this year!