First read: 2021 – 4 stars 

Reread: 2024 – 4 stars 

Format: audio (both times)

I first read this book back in 2021 after it had taken the book world by storm as a major player in the ‘cosy fantasy’ genre. At the time I thought it was enjoyable but didn’t necessarily understand all the hype it had been receiving. Having read it again this year for my book club, I did find myself enjoying it a lot more. I got a lot more out of the story (and picked up on a lot more of the humour) reading it through a second time. I listened to the audio both times I read the book and I think the narrator does a very good job of portraying the characters and situations (although I did find the often repeated ‘Oh dear’ a tad overdone). Even if I don’t necessarily agree with the ‘hug in a book’ comment that a lot of readers make, I totally get why it is so well loved and I enjoyed returning to this world and these characters. 

Before finishing my review, I did just want to comment on the fact that since first reading the book, I’ve seen that it is at least partially inspired by the events of the Sixties Scoop. I’d like to state that my comments are based on having read this without knowledge of the Sixties Scoop or the author’s comments, but I do recommend that anyone reading the book does take the time to look into this to understand the criticisms that have been levelled at the book as a result, as I did upon finishing the book for the second time.