The Little Shop of Found Things

Xanthe Westlake and her mother Flora relocate to Marlborough, England to open an antique shop. Upon arrival, Xanthe discovers she has a psychometric gift - the ability to sense the history and stories of certain objects through touch. A 17th century silver chatelaine from their shop connects Xanthe to the past and pulls her into a time-traveling mission. She must navigate between present-day Marlborough and its 1600s counterpart while attempting to right a historical wrong involving a young servant girl. The story combines elements of historical fiction, supernatural mystery, and romance as Xanthe races against time in both centuries. Her growing abilities with objects and time travel must be balanced against the demands of running a new business and caring for her arthritic mother in the present day. This exploration of mother-daughter bonds spans centuries, examining how the echoes of the past resonate in the present and the moral obligations that come with having power over time itself.

Readers appreciated the magical elements, time travel mechanics, and atmospheric descriptions of both modern and historical Marlborough. The romance developed at a measured pace that many found satisfying. Several reviewers noted the detailed antique shop descriptions added authenticity. Main criticisms focused on the slow pacing in the first third of the book. Multiple readers mentioned struggling to connect with protagonist Xanthe initially, finding her reactions unrealistic. Some felt the plot became predictable once the time travel began. Review Stats: Goodreads: 3.9/5 (21,000+ ratings) Amazon: 4.4/5 (2,300+ ratings) Barnes & Noble: 4.3/5 (300+ ratings) Sample Reader Comments: "The historical research shines through without overwhelming the story" - Amazon reviewer "Takes too long to get going but worth pushing through" - Goodreads review "Ghost story elements worked better than the romance" - Goodreads review "Shopping scenes drag on forever" - Barnes & Noble review

The Rose Garden by Barbara Erskine A grieving woman discovers she can time travel through her family's ancient Cornwall estate, leading her into a romance that spans centuries.

The Witch's Daughter by Paula Brackston An immortal witch moves through time periods from the 1600s to present day while fleeing a dark magic practitioner who pursues her through the centuries.

Mariana by Susanna Kearsley A woman purchases an old English cottage and finds herself transported to the 17th century through past-life regression.

The Winter Sea by Susanna Kearsley A writer researching a historical novel at a Scottish castle experiences vivid memories of a past life connected to the Jacobite uprising.

The Night Garden by Lisa Van Allen The owner of a mystical maze garden helps people find lost objects through time while searching for her own missing pieces of the past.

🔮 Paula Brackston's inspiration for the book came from her own experience running an antique shop in Wales, where she developed a deep fascination with the stories behind vintage objects. ⏰ The novel weaves together elements of time travel and historical fiction, set between modern-day Wiltshire and the same location in 1558, during a period of intense religious persecution. 💍 The author extensively researched 16th-century silversmithing techniques to accurately portray the historical aspects of the story's central artifact - a silver chatelaine. 🏰 The book's setting of Marlborough is one of England's oldest market towns, with a documented history dating back to 1086 in the Domesday Book. 📚 While this book launched a successful series, Brackston was already an established author under the name P.J. Brackston, writing historical fantasy novels including "The Witch's Daughter."