A 4⭐️/5 read. This is not a spoiler free review.

This novel is supposedly about Myra, the Mansion and Alex, but it is so much more. It is principally a family drama (two families actually) imbued with magical realism, which is actually the best part. It is charming but the story can also be dark.

You root for Myra to emerge for the claws of her own (mental and physical) reclusion. You root for Alex to get away from his family’s grip and past. You also root for both of them to make sense of their lives, to understand the Mansion’s powers, their families’ pasts and how they entwine, especially since they are very much influencing their present.

I have enjoyed the prose and found the story very interesting, and liked going back and forth between timelines (past and present) and how they all connect.

This was a story that defied genre-typing. It reminded me a little of Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children with its aura of magic that isn't always wholly benevolent. Myra's minuscule mansion - which she inherited from her step-grandma Trixie when she was just five - consumes her lonely life, while its real-life counterpart shapes and influences the life of its current inhabitant Alex. In both houses, objects move, music plays, lights flash, and the two halves of the whole draw together almost inexorably. The rarefied atmosphere of the narrative is balanced by the characters. They may be living in a slightly alternative universe, but both Myra and Alex are strong, believable and very sympathetic characters, while their friends - elderly Ellen for Alex, Gwen for Moira - lend humour to the story with their down-to-earth attitude to their friends' apparent foibles.
The narrative jumps back and forward in time, to explore the history of the mansion and the "lady" associated with it. She and her home are supposed to be a source of good, but it felt rather sinister at times - I suppose, like people, even houses will do what they have to do to get the results they want. Overall, a compelling read, and one that leaves you thinking about the story long after you have finished it.

I didn't finish this book, there was so much jumping around and so much description of furniture that I was lost, I found some of it a bit uncomfortable to read, I really wanted to like it, sorry.

Myra has a miniscule mansion (don't ever call it a dolls house!) that she renovates, decorates, and blogs about. A nasty accident when she was small has left her a recluse, and the only contact she really has with the outside world is via her best friend and her blog. When a strange response to a competition brings Alex into her life, she realises that her mansion may not be as unique as she assumed. Can they figure out how they are linked and can Myra learn to relive in the world?

I wanted to love this book, but I struggled with what it was actually about. I didn't know if I was supposed to literally take it as it came, or if I was supposed to be seeing a metaphor among the pages - I was confused, and it rather hampered my reading. However, I did really like the descriptions of the furniture, the tiny rooms, and trying to figure out in advance which elements Alex would know about through his own life. An interesting, if puzzling, read.

Beautifully written, compelling and thought provoking, I was drawn by the cover and blurb, not one I would normally read but I’m glad I did, im recommending this to my book club as I’d love to chat about this to others, thanks to net galley for the advanced copy.

I’m not sure why this worked quite as well as it did, but this was a really fabulous story. The magical realism aspect felt so wonderful, and the connection between miniature life and real life was delightful.
I loved all of the characters, even poor Ruth, and the fact that you could understand the “why” for them all makes it even better. Loneliness, loss, and that awful sense of exclusion, we’re all deftly balanced with a sense of humour and some truly heart warming love stories. A definite recommend.

I had very high hopes for this many of which were realised. The writing felt warm and cosy, like a hug, while the sprinkling of magical realism added a nicely intriguing edge. The concept was wonderful and this could so easily have been a five-star read had the pace been a little faster and had Myra been a more sympathetic character.

The biggest turn-off for me was the constant changing between timelines, though that is entirely a personal dislike rather than a criticism. I could cope with it at first but then as more viewpoints were added it all became too disjointed for my taste, leaving me detached from the story. My attention was held quite readily whilst I was reading this but I wasn't chomping at the bit to return to it when I had to put it down.

I'm sure many readers would love this book, it just wasn't quite for me.

But nevertheless she persisted - I'm talking about myself whilst reading this book. I was deeply disappointed with this read for which I had high expectations for. Ever wonder what on earth the author is rambling on about and you have no idea what is going on? This is one of those books.

The story had potential but it completely fell flat for me. The characters were just plain weird and odd. There was too much time and detail spent describing furniture; if only the author had put in more effort with Myra and Alex's relationship instead. There was no chemistry and the ending was rushed.

Perhaps my biggest issue was that there was no actual explanation between whole miniature/real mansion thing.

A beautifully magical modern fairy tale. This was a true delight to read and I loved every moment. It truly captured me from the start, and I was completely spellbound.

After reading a lot of thrillers this was such a beautiful story to read and as I was reading I could feel the beaming smile on my face as the book progressed. It’s a simple story and quite short but told in a completely unique way with different timelines and a whole host of some amazing characters. It’s impossible to actually describe the book as it so different but it’s partly a love story and of course a story about a magical mansion. The writing is what made this book such a joy for me and also the stories of the characters, it really is a lovely read.
My thanks to NetGalley and Pan Macmillan for giving me the opportunity to read the ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

There are some books that you just know will stay with you forever and you will read over and over again this is one such book. The plot is one that keeps you reading and you find yourself getting more and more into the world of the main characters whilst still trying to figure out what is happening. This is a unique book and to say much would give a lot of the plot away.
It is masterfully written revealing the story bit by bit with parts where I actually gasped at the clever twists that I never saw coming.
This is a must read of 2023.

Such a lovely read - I'm always looking for a bit of magical realism and this is so charming. Myra is a virtual hermit after a car accident which killed her step-grandmother, Trixie, when she was 5 left her badly scarred. Every day she locks herself away in her attic decorating and redecorating her miniscule mansion which she inherited from Trixie. This is not a dollhouse - there are no dolls - rather it is a mansion that has secrets. Rooms appear and disappear and Myra believes that the house understands her. Her best friend, Gwen, is her 'manager' and has persuaded Myra to share the mansion on a blog. The blog is a huge success and Myra has thousands of followers, all as besotted with the mansion as she is. Then one day, she receives an email from a young man called Alex who tells her that the miniscule mansion is identical to his own residence, even down to the furniture and the paintings. What follows is a their correspondence as they try to work out why the mansion ios so important to both of them. Within the story, we also have the story os a third person who also has a very close connection to the mansion. This is a slow burn novel and the details, and the relationship between Alex and Myra, keep you reading. There is sadness and heartbreak here as well as an exploration of grief, loss and isolation. I know some will be a little frustrated that the magic is not explained at the end - but it's magic and magic should always be kept out of reach.

The reclusive Myra Malone never leaves her home, spending her time in her attic, decorating rooms in the mini mansion (she is adamant it's not a dollhouse) she received from her step-grandmother and revealing them on her popular website. But then she gets an email from someone claiming to live in the real-life version of her mini mansion and they begin to correspond. It's a lovely story combining magic and romance but the slow pace stops it from being a four-star read for me. Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for the ARC.

The Miniscule Mansion of Myra Malone is such a unique and heartwarming story about Myra Malone who writes a blog about her miniature mansion. Alex works in his family's furniture store and saw Myra's blog post about a miniature mansion that is the exact replica of his house. I mean there are a lot of layers to the story. I love the main characters' personalities. Reading them fall for each other slowly was so lovely. I highly recommend it.

"The Minuscule Mansion of Myra Malone" by Audrey Burges is a delightful and charming children's book that tells the story of a girl named Myra who inherits a small and dilapidated house from her grandmother.

As Myra sets out to fix up her new home, she discovers that the house is actually a magical mansion that is full of surprises and hidden secrets. Along the way, she makes new friends and learns important lessons about the power of determination, imagination, and the importance of family and community.

Burges' writing is engaging and playful, with vivid descriptions and fun wordplay that will keep young readers engaged and entertained. The story is beautifully illustrated by Tom Brown, with colorful and whimsical drawings that perfectly capture the spirit of the book.

Myra Malone has a miniscule mansion (don’t call it a dollhouse) which she blogs about. Through a contest run through her blog she happens to get to know Alex who apparently lives in the miniscule mansion. How are they connected through the mansion?
I am usually not someone who reads magical realism. I just don’t get it. However this was a beautiful story about loss, love and family told by unraveling the story behind the miniscule mansion. I found those topics being portrayed very well however the jumps between times and perspectives put the pacing of the book off a bit and at times it read really slow. Which in the end led to me eating it 4 ⭐️.

Thank you to #netgalley and the publisher for providing me with an e-arc in exchange for my honest review.

I went from potentially choosing to DNF this book to loving it.

Initially I was finding it difficult to keep track of the multiple POVs and timelines of the characters, but around 20% of the way in it seemed to click and from there on I couldn't put this book down!

An intriguing concept; it is difficult to peg what genre this book falls under - supernatural, romance, family drama, and it was so much better for the way it interweaved them all.

Highly recommend!

The young recluse who lives to decorate and organize her enormous, ornate doll's house in this book fascinated me and reminded me of the Colleen Moore's famous doll house, which I obsessed over as a child

I absolutely adore magical realism reads, and this was exactly that.

Myra Malone spends her days meticulously maintaining a miniscule mansion, left to her by a late family member. The mansion is the main feature of Myra's exceptionally popular blog - a key component of the story. When keen followers of the blog show Alex, a furniture salesperson, photos of the mansion rooms they're trying to recreate, Alex is astonished to realise that the mansion is actually an exact copy of his family home. We then get a winding story of alternating perspectives as Alex and Myra attempt to work through the connection between them.

I loved how this book manages to explore themes of belonging, self-worth, and mental wellbeing, while still staying true to the magical house trope. I loved being able to follow Alex and Myra's individual journeys, as well as the intergenerational narrative throughout - this is more than one timeline.

The multiple time lines and extraordinarily detailed descriptions did mean that at times, it did feel that the book strayed into historical fiction - but that's one of my preferred genres so it worked for me. I would be mindful of this if you weren't a fan of historical fiction books.

Overall, this was a sweet, poignant story that lightly covered a lot of themes. I would absolutely recommend this to anyone who found the description interesting, or who might be looking for a soft, moving read.

I was drawn to the vibrant cover design of this book, and I thought the title sounded interesting. When I decided to read and review this, I was hoping for a light-hearted book, to lift my mood.

I thought this was a charming story, and I found it a relaxing late night read. The very beginning reminded me of a fairy tale. I found it comforting, and there were some heartwarming moments. It made me smile, and I found the characters relatable in some ways.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for a free copy to review.