Review By Veronica

The Minuscule Mansion of Myra Malone is a magical and unique story.

Favourite Quote:

ONCE UPON A TIME, THERE WAS A HOUSE.

Now, before you read any further, stop a moment. Take a deep breath, if you’re into that sort of thing, and think. I want you to visit the place that popped into your head when you read those words, because they opened almost every story I have ever heard as a child, and if you’re going to spend some time here with the Minuscule Mansion, those words are as good a place as any to get started.

Goodreads Synopsis: 

From her attic in the Arizona mountains, thirty-four-year-old Myra Malone blogs about a dollhouse mansion that captivates thousands of readers worldwide. Myra’s stories have created legions of fans who breathlessly await every blog post, trade photographs of Mansion-modeled rooms, and swap theories about the enigmatic and reclusive author. Myra herself is tethered to the Mansion by mysteries she can’t understand—rooms that appear and disappear overnight, music that plays in its corridors.

Across the country, Alex Rakes, the scion of a custom furniture business, encounters two Mansion fans trying to recreate a room. The pair show him the Minuscule Mansion, and Alex is shocked to recognize a reflection of his own life mirrored back to him in minute scale. The room is his own bedroom, and the Mansion is his family’s home, handed down from the grandmother who disappeared mysteriously when Alex was a child. Searching for answers, Alex begins corresponding with Myra. Together, the two unwind the lonely paths of their twin worlds—big and small—and trace the stories that entwine them, setting the stage for a meeting rooted in loss, but defined by love.

This was one of those books I wasn’t entirely sure what I would get while reading it. The synopsis of this book is intriguing, and it was what made me want to give this book a try. I enjoyed it. It’s not my favourite read, but I love how different it was. It is slower-paced and does jump around a lot in terms of time and POV, which was a bit jarring at times. Now I am not always a fan of books that shift around a lot like this. It’s just one of my pet peeves when it comes to stories, which I think hindered my enjoyment of the book. 

This story follows Myra, who lives a reclusive life in her family’s cabin. She spends most of her time working on designing and creating different decor for the rooms in the Mansion, which is this miniature dollhouse. Her friend Gwen decides to start a blog around the Mansion, which explodes in popularity. Through the blog, Myra meets Alex, who cannot believe that the rooms in the miniature Mansion are the same as the ones in his house. These two start talking, and a bond develops between them. This story is really enchanting and lovely. Audrey manages to bring elements from different genres to create this distinctive story. While reading this book, you get to experience romance, magical fantasy, and mystery. I loved how Audrey also touched on love, loss, friendship, and family themes. She showed readers how complicated these relationships can be and how they affect the direction our lives can go in. 

I have mixed feelings about Myra. She is a hard character to warm up to. The wall she put around her makes it hard to connect with her, and I just had difficulty getting over that emotional distance she creates. The only time I connected with her was through her blog posts. They were well written and just embodied the magical realism within this book. 

The Minuscule Mansion of Myra Malone is a heartfelt and magical read. 

Thank you, Berkley Publishing, for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.