The second novel in Brackston’s bewitching series brings charm, charisma, intrigue, and danger that will thrill fans of Outlander. Published in October 2019 by St. Martin’s Press and Macmillan Audio, the book is available on Amazon in hardcover, paperback, Kindle, and audiobook formats, as well as at your local library or through the Libby App.

Xanthe’s return from the seventeenth century is jarring, yet she does her best to settle back into her life in Marlborough, telling herself she must forget about Samuel and leave him in the long past, where he belongs. Xanthe turns her focus to the success of her and Flora’s antique shop, leaning on the help of her new friends. In the vein of making the shop a success for their first Christmas, Flora and Xanthe search for new stock. In this search, Xanthe hears the song of a copper chocolate pot, and soon she’s plagued with a troubling vision of Samuel in great danger. Unable to ignore the song, she journeys once more into the seventeenth century, meeting a dangerous adversary who tests her ability to travel through the centuries, and Xanthe discovers her destiny as a time spinner.

Brackton’s decision to have Xanthe keep secrets from her loved ones is infantile. The sneaking around when she needs to come and go from one time to another is ridiculous, with the planning of false trips, leaving her car somewhere out of the way, and creeping through the house, hoping her mother won’t see or hear her. This behavior is akin to a rebellious teenager, and Xanthe is an adult who should be acting like one, not indulging in all this nonsense. The excuses are so flimsy at times that they’re barely believable, which is insulting to Flora’s character, because one minute Brackson depicts her as a self-reliant, strong, independent businesswoman. Yet she wants her audience to believe Flora’s ignorance of her daughter’s blatant lies that she once again forgot to charge her phone, that the battery ran out, or that she misplaced it, and that’s why she didn’t stay in touch while she was away.

The trip itself to the seventeenth century is where Brackston’s writing shines; her research of the time period is on point, the characters Xanthe meets, the political mistrust in the air, and the intrigue of the crown felt throughout the land. Brackston’s vivid descriptions transport her audience to that chocolate house, where rebels meet and plot in secret. To the Abbey, where Samuel is being held captive, and Xanthe is in the middle of it all, attempting to preserve history, save Samuel, and return home; however, the bargain she makes to achieve her goal could be her undoing.

The second book of Found Things series is a solid 3-star thriller, realistic, and one that fans of historical time-traveling fiction will rejoice in reading.