This isn't my usual type of read but I had heard positive things so wanted to give it a try. Being honest, it was not my thing - it was a bit too twee and the plot contrivances got my goat and left me feeling like Scrooge because let's be honest this was a perfectly lovely premise but I was just too much of an over-trained literature student to enjoy it. Although I do think that the protagonist went on about tea to a quite excessive degree. A very sweet book that I wish all the best and hope will bring lots of people happiness. Just not me alas.

I listened to this on audiobook.

This wasn't my usual kind of read, but given the hype it got and that I was constantly hearing about it, I decided to give it ago.

I found it to be an unusual story, and at times I did find it a struggle to get into. It was well told though, and it was nice how the story was told from two completely different characters.

I was glad to get to the end of the story though, when everything was resolved and you finally found out what the link was between the two characters telling the story.

I started this book last year but struggled to get halfway through. I found it a little bland but hearing other people's reviews has made me think I should give it another go and persevere to the end. Maybe then I'll get the point, but I think life's too short to waste time on books that I don't enjoy.

I was initially interested in reading this book, however my tastes have shifted and I do not think I will be able to get to it now. Many thanks to the publisher for sending me a digital copy!

This book took my interest purely from the fabulous cover . I have to admit it’s not my usual genre but I really enjoyed it . A lovely story with many interesting characters .

Oh how I loved this book, it was brilliant from the first page to the last. The characters were so well written I felt that I knew them and I was sad to finish the book as it felt like I was saying goodbye to friends. This book felt like a hug it made me feel so good inside. I have recommended it to friends and family.

Who doesn't love this book?! One of my favourite books of the year - touching and heartwarming! Looking forward to reading Sally Red Shoes

If you love a feel-good read then they don’t come much better than The Keeper of Lost Things. This is the story of Laura who gets lost in a haze of alcohol and sadness after the end of her marriage and her gradual transformation after landing a job with Anthony the ‘Keeper of Lost Things’ Soon after her appointment, he dies – leaving her with a house full of strange and wonderful objects and a mission to reunite them with their rightful owners. This dual narrative mingles Laura’s present-day story with Eunice’s adventures working for the eccentric and dashing ‘Bomber’ in the 1970s and I loved the way their stories collide. This, together with the curious collection of lost objects and their weird and wonderful stories will definitely keep you turning the pages. If you love an old-fashioned cosy tale with strong characters to lose yourself in whilst sitting by the fire with a massive cup of tea and a scone, this is absolutely your book. I can see this being a huge seller this Christmas and I’m going to be wrapping it for quite a few people that I know will love Laura’s story and fall under The Keeper of Lost Things’ magical spell.

An enchanting dual narrative novel with well-drawn characters it’s easy to root for. I would happily have spent a whole novel with Eunice and Bomber (the poignant historical thread of the story), but also enjoyed Laura’s role as The Keeper of Lost Things, ably assisted by the wonderful Sunshine. The structure of the novel, interspersed with short anecdotes, added to the theme of lost souls and missing things. Some reviews describe The Keeper of Lost Things as the perfect beach read, but for me the characters were searching for happiness in the autumn of their lives. There’s even a spooky happening, which I won’t share for fear of creating a plot spoiler. The Keeper of Lost Things is a delightfully cosy feel-good read to snuggle up with as the days grow shorter and colder, too.

Really lovely. A heartwarming story of loss and connection.

What a sweet and endearing story. Anthony is the Keeper of the Lost Things – he hoards away items which he finds while out and about, and these objects inspire the stories he writes. Laura is his assistant, and on his death he leaves the house and all the objects to her, with the wish that she tries to reunite the objects with those who lost them. And thus the story really begins. We follow Laura, along with Sunshine a girl who lives nearby, and Freddy the gardener, as they strive to find the owners of the lost things. The Keeper of the Lost Things is an intriguing and beautiful tale, a mystery and a love story. Delightful.

The Keeper of Lost Things
Not at all what I was expecting from this book. I had read people saying that it was one of the best this year, dont know that i would go that far, but it is a strange book. It's a lovely book but in quite an understated way. Maybe this is exactly what the author wanted.
The main book is nice, part romance, part ghost story part lost soul finds friends. A divorced women who works for an old author inherits his house and is left instructions within the will to try their hardest to return all the little lost items he has found and kept, labelled and stored, in his study to their original owner. For me however the book was at its best with the brief little stories inserted into the main story line about some of these lost items. They were so engaging i sometimes had trouble getting back into the main part of the book!
I received a copy of this book from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

The Keeper of Lost Things is hugely enjoyable, heart-warming and the kind of book that tugs at your heart-strings. I thoroughly enjoyed it.

I loved the concept behind the novel. It has huge potential.

I liked the characters, they are all made of flesh and blood and very sympathetic. I could get behind them.

The Keeper of Lost Things tells two different storylines, that of Laura and Anthony particularly after Anthony dies and that of Eunice and her boss Bomber, owners of one of Anthony’s many lost things. I loved how both stories gradually come together.

Only two things failed to satisfy me: I would have loved to see Laura reunite some of the lost things with their owners and learn their real stories. This is what Anthony wanted but it never really comes into fusion. Also, no explanation is given as to why Anthony’s stories suddenly turn quite dark and sinister. I thought this was odd and would like this to have been explored.

The two points above aside, The Keeper of Lost Things is very good.

Sweet, if a little... too whimsical for me.
The characters were interesting and believable, and the short stories against the items were really interesting, but the 'ghost' part, and Sunshine feeling the stories... nope, too far for me!

Utterly delightful

I can't get over the fact that this is a debut novel, it's one of the best books I've read. A fabulous mixture of humour, heartbreak and serendipity, there are two main plot lines sprinkled with some short stories. The characters are well rounded and work really well together, I absolutely adored Sunshine. Although Portia was a very different kettle of fish.
Heartwarming with the occasional chill of realisation, this is going to the top of my recommendation list.

I very much enjoyed this wonderful read.
The writing style was inviting and warm. Lovely book.

This book well and truly deserves all its hype. A really simple story beautifully told that I will remember for a long time. I laughed and I cried and I got totally caught up in it.

When I frist started reading this book I wasn't sure whether this was the book for me. There was a sense of whimsicalness about it. Of opportunity and fulfilment. Needless to say that after a couple of chapters I was drawn in like the rest of the lost property in this book.

Anthony is the keeper of lost things, he has spent most of life picking up stray items, taking them home and ling labelling them with the aim to reunite them with their owners. When he dies he leaves this task to Laura, his housekeeper. Alongside this story we have the story of Eunice and Bomber - a publicist and his assistant running from the late seventies to the present day.

I loved how these two stories were interwoven with each other and how we also go flashbacks to how certain items came to be lost - the blue jigsaw piece one was hilarious. The friendship bracelet story heartbreaking. And the china cup story heartwarming. It's funny to think how such small items can have such history and impact on those around.

The Keeper of Lost Things has a gentle charm about it, which can delight the reader and draw you in. We touch on a whole range of themes - there is a love story, a little bit of magic, a wayward ghost, and adventure however small. The author also explores what it means to be family, to experience loss and different relationships. This is done with charm and feeling.

This is a beautiful debut. And a book that I wished I had picked up earlier. I loved Laura and how over the book she grew. How her relationship with Freddy, the gardener bloomed as he took an interest in the lost things. And how she allowed Sunny into her life.

This is a book filled with beautiful moments, charm and delight. This is a book that I promise you can pick up and just enjoy.

I loved this book from start to finish. From the intertwining stories, the explanations behind the 'losts and founds', A charming story, warmly and wittily written with wonderful characters such as Carrot and Sunshine and her 'lovely cups of tea'. As I tend to only read in the evenings it made me look forward to going to bed early, but found I was still reading late into the night as seemed unable to put down....what I refer to as a 'just one more chapter' book. It made me sad, happy and laugh out loud. Highly recommend.

The Keeper of Lost Things was very different from the books I usually read. It had a lot of different storylines and characters. Some of the characters were very likeable and my favourite character was Sunshine.
I would like to thank NetGalley and John Murray Press for my e-copy in exchange for an honest review.