The Story Collector

The Story Collector is a compelling and immersive novel about the transformative and healing power of stories. I am very partial to these types of stories, particularly when they have magical realism and incorporate Good Folk (I have Julliet Marillier to thank for this).The narrative follows Sarah Harper and her spontaneous travel to Ireland, where she ends up discovering a diary from 1910, written by Anna, who volunteered to help an American translate fairy stories to English. From this, we get to two timelines, and two different self-discovering journeys. Evie's writing is captivating and beautiful, and while I did prefer Anne's storyline (I really can't resist fairies and fairytales), I appreciate how flawlessly intertwined both timelines were. Similarly to [b:The Lost Bookshop 65137920 The Lost Bookshop Evie Woods https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1670693378l/65137920.SY75.jpg 100072715], I wasn't in love with the romance in this book, which is mainly what made me drop one star. There are stories that need, and benefit, from the existence of romance, and others that the central focus needs to be introspection, self-understanding, and self-healing. In my perspective, Sarah was nowhere near ready to be in a new relationship. We need to stand firm on our own to be able to be in a good relationship, and I wish we were shown this more often.I'm certainly going to keep following Evie's career, and I feel honoured to have been an advance reader to both of her books. Please be aware of trigger warnings: loss of child, grief and alcoholism.I would like to thank HarperCollins UK, One More Chapter and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this eARC in exchange for an honest an honest review.

Didn't like the writing style. Couldn't finish it.

Beautifully Written

This is a beautifully written story that transcends across time. Love, loss, and betrayal are all present. A little bit of folklore and a little bit of magic to tie a heartwarming story together. It takes place across two timelines. Not at all confusing. I'm a fan of Anne of Green Gables and the BBC show, From Larkrise to Candleford, and that's what I imagined the older timeline to be.

This is not a fast-based book by any means. If you're looking for action or heavy romance, this is not the book for you. However, if you have a cozy evening, please give this book a chance.