I found this story pretty hard to get into, it was slow, and rambling. The beginning was simply daft, disbelief had to be thoroughly suspended! It picked up in the middle though, mostly due to the stories from the old diary.
I’m afraid I did a lot of eye-rolling while reading this.

Thank you to NetGalley for providing this book for review.

Excellent twisty storyline.
Keeps you guessing right to the end.
Thoroughly enjoyable.
Thanks for the opportunity to read and review

A lovely story, dual timeline and so readable. I enjoyed this one having read her last book and loved it I was excited to read this one. It did not disappoint at all. My thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for giving me the opportunity to read this book in return for an honest review.

I was looking forward to reading this book after having read the author’s book called The Lost Bookshop (which I really enjoyed). I was disappointed in the plot lines and execution. It just wasn’t as magical as I thought it would be. This one just didn’t work for me.

The Story Collector is the third novel by Irish author, Evie Gaughan who also writes as Evie Woods. Just before Christmas in 2010, Sarah Harper finally decides to quit her failing marriage but, at the airport, instead of flying to her sister in Boston, she impulsively gets on a plane to Shannon, in Ireland. This late in the day, when she arrives, there’s “no room at the inn” and she ends up in a cosy little cottage in Thornwood.

Still trying to ward off panic attacks after The Big Bad Thing that happened two years earlier, her somewhat ill-advised outdoor run leads to the discovery of the hundred-year-old diary of Anna Butler. Sarah finds it a fascinating read, as does Hazel Sweeney, the granddaughter of her cottage landlord.

Living with her family in a cottage in the County Clare village of Thornwood, eighteen-year-old Anna Butler stays busy with farm chores and lace-making, and wishing that George Hawley, the Lord’s sone at Thornwood Hall, would notice her. They do say “Be careful what you wish for”

When, in late 1910, Harold Griffin-Krauss, a serious Californian student of anthropology turns up needing a go-between for his research into fairy beliefs in the community, Anna is glad to help: it will be a change of scene, quite a number in the village have interesting stories to tell, and perhaps she’ll even share with him her own experience with the Good People.

When Harold is introduced to the Hawley twins, he’s less impressed by them than Anna expects, even though George’s twin, Olivia seems to have taken a liking to Harold. Amongst all the stories Anna and Harold hear, there’s a tragic one about the Hawley twins and their mother, talk of changelings. And there are rumours about George’s behaviour, but he’s such a charming gentleman, surely they can’t be true?

Woods puts a few nice parallels in her dual time line story, and gives her characters wise words and insightful observations. When a couple is grieving: “you end up saying what you think they want to hear. There’s a fear in all of us, that we’ll lose the relationship. But I suppose we end up losing ourselves instead.” However, the characters are not instantly relatable, and the style of the diary is unrealistic. A sweet little novel that will appeal to lovers of fairy folklore.
This unbiased review is from an uncorrected proof copy provided by NetGalley and Harper Collins UK/One More Chapter.

A mystical dual timeline story about centres around two women living one hundred years apart - Anna in 1910/11 and Sarah in 2010/11.

Sarah is drinking away her grief and heartbreak. On Christmas Day she makes an impulse decision to fly to Ireland to be by herself to heal.

It is here that she discovers a hidden diary, Anna's diary. And it's here that she discovers a sense of community and friendship that brings her back to life.

A grown up fairy tale filled with magic and mystery that captivated me throughout.

The Story Collector by Evie Woods

Heartbroken and grieving, Sarah makes an impulsive decision at the airport and takes a flight to Ireland rather than returning home to Boston. She finds a diary by a farm girl, Anna, written over a hundred years ago and is intrigued. Investigating Anna's story leads her to make connections with the local community, and one man in particular.

I loved this story and couldn't put it down! Folklore/magical realism isn't always my cup of tea but here the author uses it in such a captivating way that it adds to the story and makes it even more compulsive. Very VERY highly recommended.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC of this book.

Every part of this book was absolutely enjoyable. The back and forth timelines, the magic, everything transported me out of this realm. Loved it.

I received a copy from NetGalley. Two timelines tied together by location, folklore, and women dealing with difficult situations.

A dual timeline set in Ireland .. Anna's story is set in 1911 and Sarah's story is set in 2011. Sarah finds Anna's diary where she writes about local folklore and fairies . It's a beautiful story that I really enjoyed reading.The characters were interesting, its about grief and how people deal with it in different ways.
I loved the magical fairy folklore and all of the superstitions that were told.

A compelling story with well-developed characters and a plot that kept me intrigued. The emotional depth and powerful themes made it an unforgettable read. One of which I will recommend to all.

A charming and charismatic novel that blends historical fiction with magical realism. We have two women separated by a century and both timelines are brought to life with vivid descriptions and engaging characters. We get to experience the magic and mystery of Ireland through both the eyes of Sarah and Anna. I loved the Irish folklore and fairy tales.
Many thanks to HarperCollins and to Netgalley for providing me with a galley in exchange for my honest opinion.

Thank you to NetGalley and Harper Collins UK, One More Chapter for an advanced read copy of this book!

The Story Collector by Evie Woods is a magical tale with historical and romantic elements told from multiple timelines that are intertwined together.
After her recent divorce, Sarah impulsively boards a plane to Ireland where she finds herself in Thornwood and drawn into its mysterious past as she discovers Anna's diary hidden in a tree from the early 1900's. As Sarah unravels Anna's story of Irish folklore and fairies, she finds healing, adventure, and new relationships that she never expected in Thornwood.

****➍.➎ 🅢🅣🅐🅡🅢 ****

History, magic and romance, oh my! I'm not usual a fan of multiple timeline stories (I have a hard time following them) but this story was told so beautifully that I couldn't help but be engulfed!

Plot: Sarah, a New Yorker in modern 2010 makes an impromptu (and slightly not sober) decision to fly to Ireland. While coming to terms with her life choices she finds a 100 year old journal that leads her on a magical journey.
This journal belongs to Anna, an eighteen-year-old Irish farm girl, who is chosen to help Harold, a visiting American academician who is collecting Irish fairy stories for his research project, in speaking/translating with the locals. The two of them end up collecting more than just fairy stories, learning that life can be darker than any story told.

The atmosphere created is beautiful and dreamy, I was wishing I was curled up in Thronwood cottage reading fairy stories of my own. While I wasn't crazy about the character of Sarah, I was enthralled by Anna/Harold. I think Sarah needed to find herself before finding love, and grow from her past, but overall I enjoyed the atmosphere and lore that was presented.


*𝑻𝒉𝒂𝒏𝒌 𝒚𝒐𝒖 𝒕𝒐 𝑵𝒆𝒕𝑮𝒂𝒍𝒍𝒆𝒚 & 𝑨𝒍𝒄𝒐𝒗𝒆 𝑷𝒓𝒆𝒔𝒔 𝒇𝒐𝒓 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒅𝒊𝒈𝒊𝒕𝒂𝒍 𝑨𝑹𝑪 𝒊𝒏 𝒆𝒙𝒄𝒉𝒂𝒏𝒈𝒆 𝒇𝒐𝒓 𝒎𝒚 𝒉𝒐𝒏𝒆𝒔𝒕 𝒓𝒆𝒗𝒊𝒆𝒘!*

This story was so breathtakingly beautiful and magical; it is one that will stay with me for a long time. Told across dual timelines about Sarah in the present, and Anna in the past. Both women making their way in Ireland, who have contact with the Irish heritage of the little people … the fairy folk.

The pages are filled with stories, with wonder, with romance and a strong sense of Irish history. I had goosebumps reading some sections of this, even while my heart hurt at various times for the hard times both women faced. For Sarah, getting on a plane and travelling to Ireland on a whim turned out to be much more - leaving the question of was it really a whim?

The story collector himself, Harold, had a great gift of seeing and listening to both what was said and unsaid and knew the value of documenting the stories told by word of mouth so that nothing would be lost. There were so many other characters who also captured my heart from the delightful Marcus, to grieving Oran and his wise young daughter.

A delightful book with dark secrets, whispers of changlings and so much more. Thanks to Netgalley and HarperCollins UK for this copy in exchange for review.

I loved this book, what a wonderful story. The dual timeline worked really well and I loved the way Sarah's story and Anna's had some shared / reflected elements. The folklore elements were fascinating and the whole story ticked so many boxes for me. Another triumph from Evie Woods

Enjoyed Evie Woods previous but really got into this particularly like the 2 time lines. Great story and well written characters with lots of background stories also

What a stunning book! Both inside and out! It was the cover that initially drew me to pick this book up, but once I'd read the blur and it promised folklore and myth, I was convinced this was my kind of book - and I was proved right!

The story is set in 2 timelines - 2010 with the character of Sarah who has recently split from her husband, and is at that point in her life where she doesn't know what is next for her - and also 1910 with the character of Anna whose story we hear of through her diary entries. The way these stories blend together is extremely clever and enthralling and I loved both characters for the ways they dealt with the issues that faced them.
Set in the village of Thornwood over the years, the stories of 'The Good People' have always been part of the folklore and there has always been a huge interest in the ways of the fairies - some curse them, others see them as a good power watching over them, and as Sarah traces the steps of Anna and Harold, the American who is in the village to collect stories of local folklore, she begins to see similarities between her own life and finds herself falling under the spell of Thornwood herself. With the help of Hazel, a local, she finds herself using the thoughts and experiences of Anna to understand her own life and how to move on.

This was a beautifully written story that had me captivated from start to finish. It was full of the magical elements that I love alongside some fascinating characters and that the power of belief is such a powerful thing to many.
Highly recommended!!

The Story Collector is a charming blend of historical fiction, magical realism, and heartfelt storytelling. The novel revolves around a woman who uncovers hidden secrets and stories that have been forgotten over time, set against the backdrop of an old, mysterious library. As she delves deeper into the past, the lines between history, memory, and magic blur, making for a rich and enchanting read.

One of the standout features of the book is how it captures the magic of storytelling itself, celebrating the importance of preserving history and the lives that are interwoven into the tales we tell. The novel has a comforting, almost cozy feel, even as it deals with moments of heartache and suspense.

I'm a big fan of Evie Woods and was exicted to get my hands on this book. The Story Collector alternates between a young girl who is guiding a researcher collecting anecdotes about fairies in a small Irish town and Sarah who at a major crossroads in her life decides to get on a flight to Ireland on a whim. Set 100 years in the past and in the present, this book is a whimsical story that is just wholesome and good. While I think I enjoyed The Lost Bookshop much more, this still was a fun read that transported me to Ireland for a time.