Thank you to Harper 360 and NetGalley for providing me with a copy of this book to read and give my honest review. The opinions expressed here are my own.
I really enjoyed The Lost Bookshop by Woods. I'm not much of a historical fiction person but she intertwined it with modern day magical realism and that really drew me in. The same can be said with this book. Though the magical realism isn't quite as prominent in this one.
I loved the idea of an American abroad in Ireland learning about the culture through the locals and a diary hidden in a tree! It was fun to jump between the present of 2010 and the past of 1911. And the folklore of the fae as related to Ireland was really fun.
The prose is eloquent and easy to read. Each chapter easily moved the story along. Woods inserted the historical parts at just the right times to ensure the reader understood the story line. This made it easy to see the story unfold.
The modern romance was nice enough but not really a huge part of the story. I liked watching the FMC, Sarah Harper, grow and learn about herself. It was interesting to see how she was able to come into her own while being in another country and trying to learn their traditions and understand their culture.
Going into this book, I was not aware of the Irish folklore associated with fairies. I know about them from reading some paranormal books. But never in the context of Ireland the the superstitions that go along with them in that country.
I will admit the pacing was sometimes a bit slower than I would have liked. Mostly with the chapters set in 1911. But overall I enjoyed the story and I really enjoy the way this author writes. I will be picking up future books by her! I would recommend this book to anyone who loves stories by TJ Klune and/or Meg Shaffer.
3.75 stars rounded to 4