This was all of my "Howl's Moving Castle" dreams come true and I'm positively smitten. I don't think that it's the most perfect book in existence and it will surely not be for everyone, but it just did so many things that I love in books and had me smiling throughout so it deserves a 5-star rating from me. The story starts out very similar to "Howl's Moving Castle" (I liked the book fine, but I'm talking about the movie) with the main character Foss coming to a sorcerer's house to work as a housekeeper. She doesn't exactly do this voluntarily, because ever since said sorcerer came to her little village and snagged her heart, she's been lovesick. Literally - as in she is physically sick and in pain when not near the sorcerer and overcome with bliss and desire when in his presence. Now Foss is living in his magical house with a talking cat and is trying to figure out what's the deal with the heart magic, if her heart is actually gone and how she might get it back. The sorcerer – his name is Sylvester – lets it all happen and doesn't really care about what she's doing, he doesn't even remember taking Foss's heart in the first place. He is a very distant and emotionless character, but it all makes sense once the history of the magic-workers is revealed as the book goes. The kingdom is controlled / protected by the king and his sorceresses, and they are using people's hearts to ensure its safety. That's basically as much worldbuilding as there is in this book, but I didn't mind too much. It's not what I'm looking for in a cozy fantasy. And it does indeed start out very calm and cozy, but it gets darker as the story continues. The heart-harvesting can be pretty violent and has serious consequences for the victim, and the whole second part of the book is about the kingdom literally rotting away. The sorceresses are quite evil too, or maybe not evil but just inhumane with no understanding or sympathy for other people. The vibes reminded me of the fantasy books by T. Kingfisher and it's no secret that I love that woman. The characters were great too and I found Foss to be very relatable. I loved that she was not the usual fantasy protagonist, as she's a butcher's daughter and the plainest girl in her village at the edge of the kingdom. I wouldn't exactly call her insecure for she did have a strong voice from the start, but she didn't expect anything from life and was fine with it. But she's also a deeply caring person – for her father, for Cornelius (the talking cat), and for Sylvester once she learns that he is hardly like his sorceress sisters. I wish Foss and Sylvester spent more time together, because they really only start doing so in the last third of the book. I wouldn't call it a romance book, but I still got the feeling that these two belonged together and it made me feel things. Truly a great read for me that has me looking forward to future works by Andrea Eames.

Huge thanks to NetGalley and HarperVoyager for providing a digital arc in exchange for an honest review.

This one wasn't for me, I'm afraid, but that was entirely my fault. The writing style didn't suit me, I felt there was too much unexplained and too many 'just go with it' moments. I think it'll do really well with other readers though, and I hope it does.

3.5⭐️. We follow Foss, a young woman living in a kingdom under King Darius’s rule, where her local village is periodically visited by sorceresses who take pieces of the village people’s hearts in exchange for their safety and protection (something which they appear to trust in without question). One day, they are visited by a sorcerer and, in a brief moment as he is leaving and their eyes meet, Foss finds herself becoming one of these “snagged”. Ensorcelled and under his thrall, she journeys to the city to seek him out and try to regain the piece of her heart she’s missing.

When speaking as Foss, Eames uses a colloquial writing style: “any awe I might have felt disappeared right quick” and calling children “sprogs” or “sprouts”. This took me a while to get used to and I wasn’t sure how I felt about it at first. However, the writing was also very descriptive and painted a vivid picture:
“The pain was a dark, emaciated figure that picked me up between its teeth and worried me like a terrier does a rat, then dropped me for a moment of relief before dancing back, laughing, to snatch me up again.”

I completely get the Howl’s Moving Castle references and I really enjoyed the sentient house and, of course, Cornelius the cat, who was really the star of the show! I also liked what we saw of Sylvester but, in my opinion, we didn’t see enough of him. The result was that the relationship never felt fully fleshed out and developed, nor was there any real tension built. The king was also a pretty two dimensional villain and lacked depth. So while I enjoyed my read and would recommend it to those who enjoy a more whimsical, fairytale-esque story, it’s not become a new favourite.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the e-arc of this book!

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own. - arc & monthly book box pick reviewer

A Harvest Of Hearts is definitely a cozy, whimsical read that has some pretty strong Howl vibes. It's a perfectly fine book that I recommend to cozy fantasy fans and Howl fans.

Foss is a young woman, neglected and underestimated by her fellow citizens at her village. She is the butcher's daughter and doesn't meet society's criteria for beauty. I found it so refreshing. I am quite tired of all main characters being otherwordly beautiful and slim. It made Foss more real and more relatable, in my opinion. She is stubborn and resourceful and quite smart for a person who doesn't know much about magic.

Cornelius our talking cat was the best thing in the story, hands down. His humour, his dry remarks, his insight, and his loyalty were what I liked the most in this book. More talking animals, please.

Sylvester is the love interest, the newbie sorcerer whose spells go awry and barely remembers his own name. I found him to be cute and sweet. He started off as an aloof guy who barely went through the motions but evolved into a man who thought for himself and took initiative and made a stand. We finally got a love interest who not only chose well but made a choice, to begin with, lmao. I loved his character arc but I just didn't think he had much agency and in some way he didn't have much going. He had some knowledge in magic but not much. He was always very endearing yet not too thoughtful. He had morals even before Foss but needed her to investigate the matter more deeply. He was a sweet and cute conundrum with a great character arc. I would have wanted him to stand out in some way, if that makes sense.

The magic system was very unique. The idea of made sorcerers who stole parts or entire hearts to perform magic was fascinating!!

Overall, it was a perfectly fine standalone with a unique magic system that refreshingly offered a take on appearance and how we perceive it. I just didn't feel especially drawn to the characters (except the cat!) or the prose.

It is the monthly pick for an April monthly book box, and I will skip it.

I loved the premise of this book. The idea that sorceresses are harvesting hearts to fuel their magic, and Foss goes on a journey to the city to get hers back. I thought Foss was interesting, brave leaving her village when no one ever did, and determined to retrieve what was hers.
I did find it a little difficult to get into this book though. The writing style was not for me, and I found Foss to be a little heavy handed with her narrative voice.
I did enjoy the inclusion of the talking cat, and the sentient nature of the house. It reminded me of Sorcery of Thorns, and Where the Dark Stands Still.

Not as cosy as advertised, but thoroughly enjoyable!

Foss is a butcher's daughter with self esteem issues living in one of the kingdom's outer villages. Stunning sorceresses occasionally visit and harvest someone's heart to fuel their magic, but that's a fair trade to keep the kingdom functional. When a sorcerer comes and accidentally snags Foss' heart, she's not pleased though, and follows him to the city to demand he fixes her. The sorcerer, Sylvester, isn't particularly competent, but she sticks around and befriends his talking cat while he tries to figure it out. From there, things escalate fairly quickly.

The first part of this book has a strong whimsical vibe and the comparison to Howl's Moving Castle is entirely justified. The sense that things in the kingdom aren't quite right creeps up on you, until the book takes a much darker turn in the second half. Which makes sense, considering the magic system is based on harvesting human hearts.

I thought the concept was original, and I really enjoyed Foss as a narrator. You also can't go wrong with a well-placed talking cat!
This book was well-written and I was invested from the first to the last page. I would probably describe it as Howl's moving Castle meets the Grimm brothers (rather than Disney), more whimsical than cosy.

Many thanks to HarperVoyager for letting me read an ARC of this title through Netgalley. All opinions are my own.

I'm pretty sure that this book was described as a cosy fantasy - a genre that I love, but one that doesn't feel entirely fitting for a book with a magic system centred around beautiful women ripping your heart of out your chest.

I really enjoyed this book. The relationship between Foss and Cornelius was really great. After all, which book wouldn't be improved by a smart, talking cat.

Sylvester was a really interesting character, and it was so interesting to see how he developed and changed as the book progressed. I wish the same could be said for his sisters or father, but with less screen time, I guess that would be trickier.

Overall, a strong plot, and a clever magic system. A really great debut from Andrea Eames.

I was sold on this novel from the premise alone - Howl's Moving Castle meets The House in the Cerulean Sea? Yes please! And my goodness did this book deliver. The world-building is rich and vibrant, the magic system is really unique and interesting – and honestly, the vibes were so perfectly Howl’s Moving Castle that I couldn’t NOT fall in love with this book. I thought both Foss and Sylvester were really well-written characters, and I was so invested in both of them (even if Cornelius the talking cat often steals the show!)

There’s plenty of action in this novel too - and the pacing will keep you burning through chapters long after your bedtime.

A really delightful read - and one I will read again!

As a Howls moving Castle girlie, this was a bit of me. It was giving so much cost vibes so perfect for those rainy days. It was engaged and wanting to continue reading at every chance I got. Can't wait to read more from this author

I see whimsical and I must read🧎🏼‍♀️ and this is a truly whimsical story. It's magical and quirky, the writing is fun and witty and the characters are likable and feel authentic. This is possibly blasphemy but it was compared to Howls Moving Castle and I actually might have preferred this

Really interesting concept and a good read, it was very front heavy and the climax very short but it ends in a good way and no questions left

Perfect for fans of Howl's Moving Castle, this story had a great whimsical plot and a whole host of likable characters.
I enjoyed the slow burn romance and both main characters where really great to read about.
I did find that the tone of the book took a turn in the second half. It felt more gritty and less light but I still enjoyed my time reading the story.

This was a very unique read or me. The vibes and atmosphere were perfect.
Such a pager turner, and I can't wait to read more from this author in the future!

I'm in love with this book. It's cosy fantasy, but not cosy fantasy at the same time! I mean there is a talking cat and magic house, but there is also fast paced adventure.

Foss is the main character. She isn't the typical main character and she lacks confidence because of it. There are magic users in the kingdom that take hearts in order to use magic to keep the kingdom safe. Foss is accidental snagged by one of them so she is driven to follow him home to get her heart back.

Cornelius is my favourite character because, hey, he's a talking cat! I would say 1/3 of the book is super cosy. Then the fast paced adventure starts once the sorcerers sister arrives. I'm not going into detail to avoid spoilers, but I read the last 2/3 of the book in two nights as there were so many twists and turns.

I really didn't expect the last 2/3 of the book so the author really got me with the twists. It was so well done. Both Foss and the sorcerer have gone through so much character development by the end of the book. It was slowly done throughout the book but you didn't realise until the last few chapters.

I highly recommend this book!

I have never read Howl's Moving Castle and have seen many reviewers make comparisons with that book which I can't. comment on.

What I can say is that this book has some wonderful world building. The writing is descriptive and set the scene so well that I could really picture myself there. I was able to fully immerse myself into this world and see it all play out before me.

The magic system is unique and interesting. It's not overly complicated which I appreciated. The author did a great job of making it whimsical but with a dark twist.

The characters were well written however I did find Foss to be unnecessarily hard on herself and after a while that started to great - she was doing all these amazing things and proving herself but didn't seem to be able to see it about herself at all which became a bit frustrating. It made her relatable as a character, and I think it's a place many of us can empathise with but would have been great to see her come into her own a bit more.

I did enjoy this book, and in some ways I think not having anything to compare it to was probably a good thing so I could just judge the book on its own merits. I enjoyed it, it was an easy read, I'd liked to have seen some more character development which would have added to my experience but overall a good, solid book.

A Harvest of Hearts was a very beautifully written, atmospheric, cosy read.

The story started off quite slow, but the world building was needed, and I found the magic very interesting. Having a magic system based off using hearts and “love” made for a very compelling story. As I read more through the book, it went from being whimsical to quite dark, and I really liked the gradual change. The romance between the two characters was complicated and came off quite innocent and sweet. I really felt for Sylvester as he just wanted to find his humanity.

As much as I loved the dynamic between Sylvester and Foss, the true star of the book was definitely Cornelius the cat! Even when the story took a dark turn, he was there to lighten the mood.

I would have rated this higher, but I just felt like the ending was slightly rushed, and I would have loved a little bit more to it. But otherwise this was an incredibly enjoyable read.

Thanks so much to NetGalley and Harper Collins for the E-Arc in exchange for an honest review.

Howl's Moving Castle meets TJ Klune in a charming fantasy about a young woman who's heart is accidentally stolen by a sorceror. Strong world building with a unique magic system plus a fantastic talking cat. The writing is repetitive at times and it could have been about 100 pages shorter, but overall a strong debut.

If you love Howls Moving Castle and your fantasies filled with whimsy but with a dark edge "A Harvest Of Hearts" is for you.

I honestly can't believe this is a debut, it had me hooked from the first chapter with its strong hearted but cheeky heroine. Foss's a simple butcher and everyone in her kingdom knows what happens when the magic workers show up, they harvest hearts to use in their spells, to protect the kingdoms borders and ensure good harvests. It's just the way it is, noones ever questioned it. It's a small price to pay for the welfare of the kingdom, and they mostly don't harvest the full heart, leaving those harvested alive.

But one day, a magic worker shows up unlike the others and Foss finds herself snagged, furious and with a need to follow, she heads to the city to demand her heart is returned. But the magic worker is not what she expects, he's new to his powers and seems unable or unwilling to return her hear.t. Forced into remaining close by due to the effects of the harvesting she finds herself alone with only a talking cat as company, searching for a cure and drawn into a bigger conspiracies then she could have ever imagined.

Slow burn and whimsical but with an edge this tale will draw you in. Filled with domestic elements as well as kindgom wise conspiracy, you'll find cosy elements alongside high stake adventure and you'll find yourself unable to stop turning the pages.

One of my favourite elements other than the talking and rather witty cat of course, was Foss's personal development throughout the tale and how closely I felt to the mind and emotions she was experiencing. Foss is a strong heroine, she's practical, but she's never imagined anyone would want her heart. She starts off as someone who constantly compares herself to others, she feels plain and unwanted yet she despite this refuses to stand down and accept her fate.

I absolutely loved this book! I read an eARC on NetGalley so thank you to the author and the publisher.

This is pitched as Howl’s Moving Castle esque and this is clear throughout the book. There are a lot of parallels. I already love Howl’s Moving Castle so I was primed to enjoy this. However this does strongly stand in it’s own right.

We have a strong main character who is forced out of her comfortable life when a sorcerer visits her town and steals her heart forcing her to travel to find him. She turns up at his magical house, befriends his cat and announces herself as his new housekeeper. Here she intends to investigate to find and get her heart back.

The main character Foss believes herself to be really unattractive but she is the apple of her Dad’s eye! I loved the father daughter relationship here where the dad just adores his daughter and thinks she’s the best and most beautiful girl in the world. I also loved the relationship with the cat who adopts Foss as his best friend!

Foss’s investigation uncovers a whole world of intrigue, magic and conspiracy. As she delves deeper she learns there’s much more at stake than the return of her heart. There was some pretty nasty magic in this and some callousness and cruelty Foss has to challenge.

Absolutely loved this, I was riveted! So gripping, engaging and magical!

Intriguing premise and story. However I struggled to connect with the writing style and characters. Overall this had potential, it just missed the mark for me.