Firstly, huge thanks to Velikor Publishing and NetGalley for making this book available as an ARC. I was very excited to read it in exchange for an honest review!
I have mixed feelings about Winterfrost Market. I requested it immediately because of the cozy vibes it promised and in that sense it delivered! I was excited about a book that happened in winter because it's my favourite season, and the author made good use of the weather to go full cozy mode with warm tea, a magical market in a magical town, a very friendly dog, and an unusual pair of travellers.
The book follows Elsie, a girl who is determined to find out what happened to her mother. She went to the magical town in the north in search of a special ingredient they used in their tea but has not returned yet, and Elsie believes that she might be in danger. She seeks the help of a tracker named Kit and soon realises that the secrets they keep from each other might ruin their calm partnership and hinder their task.
The plot was promising, but I fear the execution lacked a bit sometimes. I liked the dynamic between the two characters, but because the writing was a bit clunky I never connected to them. I believe the author was so determined to let me know how good the characters were, how smart, and how impressive, that there was no space for me to get to know them. The writing relied too much on telling instead of showing, which meant that sometimes the characters were too intuitive and knew (assumed, guessed, imagined) what the other one was feeling or thinking at crucial times. I could not connect to Elsie's frustration with Kit because she somehow always knew what he was hiding from her. The characters were never surprised by the others' confessions because they had already guessed or thought about it. It's difficult to build tension when a character knows everything.
Other than that, I really enjoyed the cosy vibes and I think this book would be perfect for the holiday season, with all those ribbon decorations, warm tea, and freshly made pastries.
With a little bit of editing, the book would be much improved!