Garden of Promises and Lies by Paula Brackston

BIBLIOGRAPHIC DETAILS:
Print: 12/15/2020; St. Martin's (Griffin) Press; ISBN 9781250072450; 320 pages.

Digital: Yes

Audio: COPYRIGHT: 12/15/2020; ISBN 9781250772633; PUBLISHER: MacMillan Audio; DURATION: 10:40:06; PARTS: 10; Unabridged; FILE SIZE: 304409 KB

Feature Film or tv: No. At least, not yet.

SERIES: Found Things. Book 3

Major characters:
Xanthe Westlake – primary character—young lady with special gifts
Flora Westlake — Xanthe’s mother—Antique Shop’s primary owner
Benedict Fairfax—A sinister Spinner
Lidia Flight – mysterious woman with spinning powers
Harley – The owner of the Three Feather’s pub
Liam – A guitar playing automotive enthusiast
Petronella Wilcox - A bride-to-be
Evie Wilcox - Younger sister of the bride-to-be

SUMMARY/ EVALUATION:
A suspenseful story of time travel, antiques and romance; this third book held my attention as well as the first two.

AUTHOR:
Paula Brackston. According to Wikipedia, “Paula Brackston (aka P. J. Brackston, P. J. Davy, and Mabli Roberts) is the New York Times bestselling[1][2] author of The Witch's Daughter and other historical fantasy novels. She also writes the fantasy crime Brothers Grimm Mystery series under the pseudonym P. J. Brackston.[3][4]”

NARRATOR:
Marisa Calin. According to Wikipedia, “Marisa Calin is an American-born English actress, writer and producer.”

GENRE:
Fiction; Fantasy; England; Historical Fiction

TIME FRAME:
Contemporary; 19th Century

SUBJECTS:
Antiques; Psychometry; Time Travel; Occult; Romance

DEDICATION:
“FOR DEE. WHO IS MOST DEFINITELY NOT A WICKED STEPMOTHER, AND WHO KNOWS A THING OR TWO ABOUT GARDENS AND ANTIQUES. HERE’S TO ENJOYING LOTS OF BOTH IN HAPPIER TIMES.”

EXCERPT:
“The moon shadows in the garden created unfamiliar shapes beneath the tumbling climbers and chaotic shrubs. From the window seat of her attic bedroom, Xanthe had a clear view of the muddle of borders and the barely tamed lawn as they began to emerge from the chill of winter. The roof-scape of the sleeping town beyond the redbrick garden boundary glistened under a light frost. She thought of how quickly the weeks had passed. Christmas and New Year had come and gone in a blur of activity in the antique shop and extra bookings for the band. Then there had been January sales to organize, and work on the room of mirrors in order to accommodate the new vintage clothing venture. And now it was the first day of March, and their first spring in Marlborough, with the slumbering garden at last beginning to properly reveal itself again after the bare winter months.”

RATING:
5 stars. A wonderful continuation of the series.

STARTED READING – FINISHED READING
11/25/2022 to 11/29/2022 ( )

Many thanks to NetGalley, St. Martin’s Press and Paula Brackston for an ARC in exchange for an honest review. My thoughts and opinions are 100% my own and independent of receiving an advance copy.

This is the third book in the series Found Things and follows the story of Xanthe who is able to travel back in time with the aid of antique items. I think it beneficial to have read the previous books in the series and will probably help the enjoyment of this book. These books are a mix of contemporary and historical fiction with romance. This time Xanthe has found a wedding dress that sings to her and takes her back to 1815. Fairfax has come to the future and threatens Xanthe to aid him in his evil plans. This time Xanthe takes Liam back to help her but is she putting Liam’s life in danger to help her in her quest in becoming a Spinner.

This is the first story without Samuel and concentrates on Liam and Xanthe’s relationship. I was invested in the Samuel storyline but I really like Liam’s as well. These stories always have a bit of history, actually lots of detail about when Xanthe is visiting. There is always some sort of danger that everyone is in and of course Xanthe is always worried about her mom back home. Beware this book ends on a cliffhanger, so have the next one ready.

These stories are okay for me. I’m not super invested, but they are enjoyable. Since I started the series, I wanted to see it through and I will read and review the next book in the series. I’m not even sure what it is that I don’t like about them. The characters are okay, the writing is good - everything is just okay for me. But I can see why people are invested in these stories. ( )

Wow! This is the third book in the Lost Things series and what a great addition. At first I wondered how this could compare to the first two books and where it would take Xanthe. Although slow initially when it took off I couldn’t put the book down. It was a whirlwind adventure of whimsy and danger while Xanthe time travels as a Spinner once again to restore peace and history. I can hardly wait for the next installment in this series. What a cliff hanger! ( )

The Garden of Promises and Lies is the third book in Paula Brackston's Found Things series. While each book could be read as a standalone, given the just-enough amount of backstory Brackston weaves in, I think the story would be better appreciated if the prior books have been read.

I loved the first book in the series, and while I enjoyed the second, I felt as though it really served to further set up future stories. Thankfully, this third installment is back to the solid storytelling that I enjoy from the author.

The story picks up where the last one left off (which is why I recommend reading the prior two books). In this installment, it is a wedding dress that "sings" to Xanthe. The story moves quickly as a threat from another Spinner (what they call people with the ability to jump in time) looms overhead and in her present. On this trip back in time, she brings boyfriend Liam - a huge risk, as she'd never travelled WITH someone before, and an ability she discovered accidentally.

With the time jump set in 1815, this story is perfect for Jane Austen fans. The story is loaded with tension, intrigue, a bit of romance, and a quick paced story that is entertaining. Brackston is excellent with setting and complex characters.

My only complaint (and a bit of a spoiler) is that the book again ends on a cliffhanger, and is it a doozy!

The Garden of Promises and Lies was an excellent read that was hard to put down. ( )

This is one of my favorite series and this book is my favorite so far. I was so glad to be back in the world of found things and with these characters.

In this episode Xanthe is reflecting on the strange events of the past year. Other than one person Xanthe has kept her time travel journey ability a secret from her Mother and Liam, who she has grown very close to. Now that the evil Benedict Fairfax has shown up in her time, she most take responsibility for that and realizes she must use her skill as a spinner if she is to keep herself and her mother safe.

It is then that a beautiful antique wedding dress sings to her. Realizing the dress and her adversary are connected in some way, she answers the call. She finds herself in Bradford-on-Avon in 1815.

Xanthe realizes she can't make this journey alone and enlists Liam to help her confront Fairfax. The suspense will leave you on the edge of your seat and yearning for more. Book 4 can't get here fast enough. ( )